A Taste of Brooklyn Fare

In the back of a Manhattan grocery store, out of all places, you will find the 2 Michelin star gem, Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. Originally founded in downtown Brooklyn in 2009, for cooking classes and an 18-seat dinner service, it has now moved to Hell’s Kitchen on West 37th Street! Inside, you will taste and experience the exceptional, diverse cooking traditions of Executive Chefs Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins, cooking with a classical French Haute-cuisine technique.

This 14-course dinner was one of the memorable and delicious tasting menus I have had here in NYC. From the service, the story, the presentation, to the flavors, everything was beyond exquisite.  

A little deep dive into the head chefs, Max Natmessnig and Marco Prins. Natmessnig was raised in Austria and began his career in Lyon, France as a young stagier at Auberge de L'Ile Barbe. Also, a fun fact about our renowned chef, Natmessnig is a passionate fly-fisherman! Chef Marco Prins, who had fallen in love with cooking at a young age, was inspired by how he was raised and home-cooked meals by his mother at the age of 16.  After attending Rotterdam culinary school, he built his career working in kitchens of multiple Michelin star restaurants across New York and Europe, to then met Chef Max at Chef's Table in 2009.

Kombu Martini

I started my dinner off with their Kombu martini, which is a part of their new cocktail menu, and wow, I loved it. They infused their gin with kelp, and that created this salty and savory flavor profile that really tasted elevated and delicious. 

The dinner begins with 3 “one biters” where the chefs ask you to eat each one in one bite to really taste and enjoy all the flavors properly. 

Blue Fin Tuna

Starting with the “Blue Fin Tuna,” it was fresh and zesty, which left me feeling satisfied and light. I knew I would like this, as I am a fan of bluefin tuna, but I was skeptical about how they would elevate it and not make it just taste like a glorified tuna tartare. I was happily proven wrong as this bite played with texture from the tartine it sat on and the delicate tuna, making it the perfect first bite of the night.  

Foie Gras, Spring Peas

The next bite we were presented with was the “Foie Gras, Spring Peas,” which was not only beautifully presented, but I would go so far as to say one of my most memorable bites here and at any tasting menu I have been to. First off, I love peas, and I was so intrigued by how they would elevate such a simple and frankly underused ingredient at this level of cooking. But I was in love with this bite. It was earthy, light, and well balanced, sitting on the nori tart, which gave it a nice crunch. 

A5 wagyu

The third bite, “A5 wagyu,” was sitting on a celery root tarte and was delicious, had a nice bit of zest, and the shaved egg yolk on top complemented everything nicely. This was everything you would expect it to be, but honestly was not memorable; it was delicious. 

Bay Center Oyster, Permaquid Mussels

Now, finally, onto the main dishes! We started off with the “Bay Center Oyster, Permaquid Mussels” and guys… LOOK HOW GORGEOUS! Okay, so now onto the taste, it was refreshing, light, and zesty, which I loved.

Zest, if you have not noticed, is something I quite enjoy because a lot of the time it can really add this refreshing and perfectly tart flavor to something that may be heavier or overpowering.

Bay Center Oyster

The oyster was delicate and listen… to those of you who do not like oysters… GROW UP. But seriously, this oyster may change your views! 

Taste Of The Ocean

Out of all the entrees, this was one of the most memorable bites of the night. They called it “taste of the ocean,” and it included Hokkaido uni, carabinero, king crab, and geoduck. This dish was every seafood lover’s dream; the uni was creamy, fresh, and added that amazing umami flavor. 

Brook Trout

Moving on to the brook trout, which felt delicate and was delicious, but not my favorite dish out of the courses. The sauce was a bit overpowering in my opinion and was very mustardy and in a way reminded me of smoked salmon, which was interesting, but I do not think that was what the chef was aiming for. 

Main Diver Scallop, Caviar

I still think about this scallop dish, and honestly, how could I not! Look at how beautiful and BIG this scallop was. Not only that, but the charred flavor was well balanced with the fig leaf and this sauce… I would simply die for. This course had great movement in flavors from citrus to earthy, and I am sure this will be one of my top bites of the year. 

Abalone

Now, onto the next course, we have “Abalone,” served with rice, and this was warm, comforting, and delicious. The texture was tender, and with the sauce… wow, it was very well balanced in flavors and textures. 

Langoustine

The “Langoustine,” served with the pandan foam, had great heat, which was a nice surprise from the previous dishes. The sauce was made from the shells of the langoustine, which added that salty and umami flavor to the dish, which I loved! This dish played with the flavors of a spiced curry, and I really enjoyed it as it added a pop of flavor during the courses. 

Turbot, Szegediner Goulash, Beef Tongue

The “Turbot, Szegediner Goulash, Beef Tongue” is a very special dish to the chef as it was inspired by one of the dishes he enjoyed as a boy! It was hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor. Everything was well balanced, but what impressed me the most was how each bite really transported me to that nostalgic home cooking we as kids tend to remember.

I also love dishes like this where there is a story with the dish, not just another pretentious foie gras on sliced baguette with gold flakes… Bring back dishes with a soul, creativity, and a story! Sometimes I feel like we lose that when fine dining, but Brooklyn Fare has done it!

Hudson Valley Duck

The “Hudson Valley Duck,” I’m not going to lie, was my least favorite dish, but I think that’s okay, as Brooklyn Fare focuses more on seafood. It was not bad, but it was not memorable if that makes sense. The duck was dry-aged, but a fun twist was the Sichuan oil, which was a nice pop in flavor. 

Duck Consomme

Now, onto the palette cleanser, they gave us the roast duck consomme made from the dry-aged duck bones. This was so soothing, comforting, and frankly, I want this every time I'm sick. It was hearty, and if you love soup like I do or broth, you will LOVE THIS. 

Strawberry, Rhubarb

Finally moving on to the dessert! We started with the “Strawberry, Rhubarb,” which consisted of pickled rhubarb and strawberry granita with a pear and hibiscus sorbet. This was fresh, tart, and delicious. The bitterness of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the strawberry paired with this hibiscus sorbet was just the perfect bite into spring. I am not normally a cold dessert person, but I WOULD DIE FOR THIS PEAR AND HIBISCUS SORBET!

Fujisan Bread, Coconut

The “Fujisan Bread, Coconut,” which was a brioche dusted with sugar, served with this creamy, delicious coconut sorbet that was inspired by the Chef’s honeymoon in Fuji! They recommended making the perfect bite with the bread and sorbet together, and wow, it was simple, elevated, and really hit the spot for me. This brioche was light, fluffy, and it was topped with caramel made from Yamazaki whiskey, which added a layer of depth, playing well with the sugar coating.  

Overall, the experience was memorable, and I just love the concept that the restaurant is hidden in the back of the grocery store. The courses were well executed, and the thing I enjoyed the most was how most of the dishes were inspired by a personal story from the chef, which made me not only feel connected to the food but the chefs as well. I love hearing their stories and the inspiration behind why they started cooking and the dishes, as it gives the dish a soul.