AlwaysHungryNY: Kurve & Basta Pasta Asian Pastas

The Hungry Goat — May 18, 2009

Drawing inspiration from foreign cuisines and cooking techniques is part of what chefs do. But what to make of Basta Pasta, a Japanese-run Italian restaurant serving Spaghetti with Tobiko, and Kurve, a contemporary Thai restaurant, dishing up an Asian spin on Carbonara?

Basta Pasta
Spaghetti con Uova di Pesce (Spaghetti with Tobiko & Shiso, $15)

This dish arrives steaming with the smell of the sea. Its clean, focused flavors and simple presentation is the first indicator of classic Japanese technique. The spaghetti was cooked the way it’s supposed to be cooked— just a touch past al dente. These silky threads were dressed in a light oil-based sauce, which made them very slurpable. The dish was covered with Shiso leaf chiffonade and was abound with Tobiko. The jewel-toned orange roe pop all over your mouth with each bite, releasing tiny bursts of sea essence that aren’t fishy in the least. This is a great sushi-lover’s pasta.

Kurve
Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon & Thai Basil ($12)

Save the presence of pork (in the form of bacon) and pasta, there’s nothing really Carbonara-ish about this pasta. Rather than being smooth, the sauce was mealy, like a pesto. And indeed, there is something nutty about the flavor, but it’s derived from the overall texture created by a combination of all ingredients. Large pieces of salty bacon added crunch, and fiery, dried chilis provided texture and a powerful spicy kick. The result is odd in a way only Kurve knows how to be—odd because somehow, it works. You spend the first four bites figuring it out, then suddenly, you’re picking at stray pieces of bacon and pepper, wondering what just happened and craving more. Sure, the pasta is slightly overcooked, and the sauce is puzzling, but for spice lovers, it has an inescapable pull.

After tasting these dishes we’re not exactly sure anymore who’s making what with which influences, but with such successful executions, being confused is an acceptable state of existence.

Top 5: Italian Burgers

May 06, 2009

The burger may be an American classic, but, over the years, a variety of cultural spins have been put on it. For example, AlwaysHungryNY recently highlighted the Asian-inspired Wagyu Burger at Kurve. Another variation, a favorite of ours actually, is the Italian Burger. Having eaten them across the city, the AlwaysHungryNY Council of Eaters has finalized its list of New York’s Top 5 Italian Burgers.

Click here to see who’s ranked and why.

AlwaysInvestigating: Kurve’s Wagyu Burger

The Hungry Goat — April 30, 2009

One thing’s for certain, you would never accuse Kurve of being predictable. From the beginning, chef/owner Andy Yang had us all on our toes with his restaurant’s peekaboo open-shutter-reopen debut. Since its “official” September launch, the perennially plagued establishment has become just as notorious for being chronically empty as for its difficult-to-categorize, Asian fare—the eclectic, disjointed menu even left the great Bruni scratching his head. A recent discovery had us feeling the same way. What could be more unpredictable than a seriously great burger made by a “contemporary” Thai restaurant with a Eurotrash dance-club aesthetic?

Click here to read about Kurve's Wagyu Burger >>