Next a Chilean salmon tartar, chopped salmon in miniscule bites with more cilantro and a hint of citrus flavoring served with yucca chips, a lime heightens the overall flavor and chive infused oil. It is the chef s ode to the recipes from Chile, Columbia and Ecuador that he knows so well. The intermezzo is a mango sorbet and after a decent interval, the staff serves a Chilean salmon, in this instance one seared in a Chardonnay sauce - it boasts a bright seafood flavor and charms everyone's tastebuds with its enchanting huitlacoche sauce. That's Mexican for mushrooms. A minor flaw here is the lighting, which is nil after dark.
Tiny lamps placed on tables are more decorative than helpful.
Take the provenance of most dishes on faith - it is nearly impossible to see what you are eating, a pity since we eat with our eyes as much as with other parts of the anatomy. Nobody is boisterous at this New York restaurant whose spare geometry and sober appointments, even outdoors, verge on the monastic. Ralph Collier is a member of the American Society of Travel Writers, and has guided thousands of vacationers and business travelers to rewarding adventures with his widely syndicated radio series and newspaper columns. All rights reserved.