FirstLook: SHO Shaun Hergatt

The Gluttoness — June 08, 2009

It’s rare that I’m speechless, but last Thursday night’s preview dinner at SHO Shaun Hergatt stunned me into my first satisfied oblivion of 2009. Executive Chef Sean Hergatt has spent two years turning the concrete canvas within The Setai New York into a modern Asian masterpiece with simple elegance and ruby red accents. An expansive glass wall separates diners from the theatrics of the grand kitchen and many of the tables face Hergatt’s “stage” where he commands his dutiful “players.” You witness meticulousness then taste it.

The striking décor is matched by the drama of SHO’s impeccable food, which the chef described as “Asian-accented, modern French cuisine.” Hergatt is a brawny Australian with a sweet smile—the unexpected artist behind brilliantly feminine dishes that are as artistically inclined as they are sophisticated in flavor. There’s a continual dance between delicacy and decadence. Riveting taste always wins, but it’s the manner in which it’s achieved that is so interesting.

 

Duo of Canapes: Crêpe w/ Tobiko & Sour Cream over Lime & Sesame Seed Tuille w/ Whitefish Tartare

Two velvety crêpes were filled with tobiko and sour cream, then tied in purses, served over thin slices of lime and topped with gold leaf. Two sesame seed tuilles were rolled like cigars and stuffed with whitefish tartare. There was an impressive equilibrium between the rich insides and the subtle exteriors.

Click here for AlwaysHungry's full First Look at Sho Shaun Hergatt >>

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.