New York's Joomak And Hear & There: 2 New Asian Tasting Menu Displays
American Wagyu Hanger served with Montauk red shrimp and gem lettuce, along with Sichuan pepper au poivre at Joomak's new R&D Bar.
It isn't easy to find Joomak, the fanciful, Korean/American tasting menu restaurant that opened a few months ago. It's tucked into the similarly hidden small hotel Maison Hudson which overlooks that river on the edge of the West Village. First you have to pick the correct entrance-the other is for the residences-then head upstairs and go beyond a recessed door. That then leads to the suave, intimate (27 seats) grey and burgundy toned room with soft banquettes, a very subtle backdrop to the creative, colorful and vibrantly flavored lineup of dishes to follow.
The intimate dining room at Joomak.
The chef/owner behind it all is Jiho Kim who won a Michelin star for his previous restaurant Joomak Banjum which he created with two partners and which was critically lauded for its Korean cuisine tasting menus. Now flying solo and dipping into his visually inventive background as a pastry chef for Gordon Ramsay and for The Modern, he's retaining the tasting menu concept but is refocusing the menu as New American/New York with a Korean overlay.
Norwegian King Crab with Kani Miso Koshihikari (crab miso with Japanese rice) and Pickled Serrano/
The eight courses begin with an amuse-bouche containing definite New York touches including a King Salmon Everything Bagel plus a suggestion of a smash burger but composed of the fatty tuna Otoro, egg yolk gelee and Choux pastry and an A5 Wagyu & Hokkaido Uni Sando. Among the fish courses that follow: Golden Osetra Caviar, a savory spin on a dessert he served at The Modern with caviar on top of dill custard with Meyer Lemon, White Asparagus and PEI Mussels; Kanpachi with Rhubarb Hibiscus Dongchimi (radish water kimchi), Radish and Avocado; and Norwegian King Crab with Kani Miso Koshihikari (crab miso with Japanese rice) and Pickled Serrano.
Squab Foie Gras Royale with Rillettes Stuffed Morel and Shallot Puree.
Following the seafood, the menu offers a choice of A5 Wagyu with Grilled Abalone, Candied Hon-Shimeji, Black Truffle Ponzu, Braised Abalone and Hon Shimeji Mushrooms or Squab Foie Gras Royale with Rillettes Stuffed Morel and Shallot Puree. For dessert, Kim has created new versions of two of his past successes: Banana Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Sorbet and Coconut Mango Shumai with White Rum and Lime. A vegetarian tasting menu is also available.
Steelhead Trout with grilled English peas, levain spaetzle, and bacon broth at Joomak's R&D Bar.
Diners who would prefer an even more adventurous, smaller (and correspondingly less expensive) menu can now take a seat at Joomak's five seat R&D Bar. The five course daily changing menu is fashioned by inspiration and available ingredients; among the dishes that might turn up: Kanpachi with Razor Clam, Ramp Ponzu, and Sourdough; Steelhead Trout with Grilled English Peas, Levain Spaetzle and Bacon Broth and an American Wagyu Hanger served with Montauk Red Shrimp and Gem Lettuce, along with Sichuan Pepper Au Poivre.
A selection of otsumami plates and cocktails at the front cocktail bar of Hear & There.
Over in Williamsburg, Hear & There is another restaurant that isn't easy to find but is worth seeking out for a top quality Japanese omakase. For one, there's no sign and if you do figure out which door to open, it looks like it's just a cocktail bar. The front room is, it's a self-contained bar also worth checking out because it's run by Larry Gonzalez, an alum of the groundbreaking bar PDT, and features creative cocktails that feature unusual combinations and various seasonal botanicals and fruits. (Among them: Replay, a mix of Haku vodka, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, blueberry shrub and lemon-cinnamon vanilla foam and High Frequency, a mix of pisco, shiso leaf, lemon cordial, snap pea syrup, pineapple and grapes.) Classic cocktails and otsumami (Japanese small plates) such as BBQ Glazed Wagyu are also served.
An uni course at the Hear & There omakase.
Behind the sliding door in the back is the 22 seat omakase counter offering a 14 course selection that is spaced out over a two-hour seating. The courses change daily but typical options include four otsumami plates such as Forbidden Rice Sourdough Toast with Pickled Sawara (Japanese Spanish mackerel), Spring Cultured Butter, Fennel and Radish Salad with Fresh Horseradish; Wagyu Ribeye, with Blistered Gooseberries, Maitake Mushrooms, and Charred Dandelion Greens with a Calamansi Jus and Kombu Jime Fluke with Shio Kombu Oil, Smoked Trout Roe, Pickled Cucumber and Ginger, finished off with a Coconut Tumeric Snow.
One of the nigiri courses in the Hear & There omakase.
Eight selections of seasonal Nigiri follow such as Akami (lean tuna) with Shiitake Mushroom and Almond, Sakura Buri (wild caught yellowtail) with Binchotan Roasted Poblano Peppers and Butter and Hotate (thinly sliced raw scallops) with Yuzu Oil. The menu wraps up with Eel, Tamago (egg omelet) and Cucumber Nigiri along with soup and Creme Fraiche ice cream with Yuzu Curd and Toasted Sesame Crumble topped with Osetra Caviar for dessert. Plus, as diners proceed course to course, they have a musical accompaniment: a specially designed acoustic system that is the perfect median between absolute silence and screaming level decibels. The volume is easy to hear but also talk over. Given the quality of the food presented, comparing notes is something diners will want to do.
The omakase counter at Hear & There.
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