I didn't care for a fish dish served one evening and had no trouble substituting grilled meat.
A few streets away, at Teo Soon Loong Chan restaurant, the energetic Tan brothers sweat over a pair of woks, producing ridiculously tasty southeastern Chinese teochew fare, like handmade pillowy, deep-fried tofu cubes with minced pork, and platters of steamed pomfret, a local fish, served with shiitakes and cilantro.
The young chef, Michel Del Burgo, the latest in a distinguished line, eschews idle flourishes, but dishes like mushroom raviolis with truffles and turbot (a North Sea fish) served with calamari (from the Mediterranean) taste more glamorous than they sound, because the execution is flawless.
A special of seared dorade was a disappointment; the fish, served in a red-wine reduction, had a dirty taste.
But when I'm making music, I'm able to focus best when I've eaten something simple, such as a sardine sandwich or a piece of fish served with a vegetable.
You can try the seasonal five-course tasting menu for $50 with beautifully plated dishes like heirloom tomatoes with warm lobster mushrooms, beet risotto with chocolate shavings, and walleye (a local white fish), served in a delicate miso broth with rapini.
It is a mild tender fish, served filleted in a plate-covering slab; it would benefit from more oregano in the breading.
It also borrows a little from Istria on the northern Adriatic, in a menu-within-a-menu of raw fish served with fragrant olive oil, herbs and vegetables.
It also borrows a little from Istria on the northern Adriatic, where Mr. Bastianich's family comes from, in a menu-within-a-menu of raw fish served with fragrant olive oil, herbs and vegetables.
On the menu the day I dined there was amberjack, a white-fleshed fish served with sautéed long beans, plantains and a pomegranate jus.
It is a lightly fried whole fish served in a spicy cabbage broth, but the rich flavor of the broth goes beautifully with the mild fish.
