Chubo
(Eclectic/Global)
6 Clinton Street between Houston and Stanton Streets
New York, NY 10002
(212) 674-6300
http://www.chubo.com
Subway: F/V to 2nd Avenue
Bus: M21 to Avenue B/Clinton Street
When we were invited to a birthday dinner at Chubo, I was surprised because I’ve walked by the restaurant a number of times, and it seemed very small (like most of the restaurants included in the Clinton Street restaurant explosion) which I thought would be difficult for a birthday dinner. Yet, when I arrived, the restaurant appeared very welcoming and cute… little but not tight at all. When only nine of 14 people ended up coming, the waiter (the only staff member I saw in the front of the restaurant) was incredibly accommodating and quickly adjusted our table to feel cozy, even with nine people.
Since I was 45 minutes late (because Clinton Street is not easy to get to, and there were NO taxis to be found when I left), I had to make quick decisions (which is not easy for me). Fortunately, I had read the New York magazine review (http://nymag.com) with their recommended dishes before going, so at least I had an idea. It was a good thing I did, because the menu is very interesting and globally influenced, and I would’ve had a difficult time.
I started with a delicious drink, a plum champagne punch (I love plum and I love champagne). I had eaten a late lunch so I wasn’t as hungry as I would’ve liked, but a foodie friend (whose cholesterol is through the roof, but thinks he can eat anything because he’s on Lipitor - he had just finished a late lunch of brisket and a number of sides at Blue Smoke) was sitting across from me so we decided to share. After divulging New York magazine’s report, we ordered the duck shumai (New York magazine pick) and four kumamoto oysters as our appetizers. The oysters were fine; however, I prefer briny Atlantic oysters to the creamy Pacific types. The duck shumai were STANDOUT. The doughy wrapper were chewy but thin and perfectly cooked. I love dumplings, and I was blown away by these wrappers. The duck confit inside was also good, tender, flavorful – a perfect balance.
Entrees chosen were beef two ways (New York magazine pick) and the seared foie gras appetizer. I also benefited from sitting next to the birthday boy (a good sharer) who ordered the roasted scallops as his entrée. The beef entrée consisted of two parts: (1) hanger steak with a coffee rub and (2) oxtail ravioli served together with steamed asparagus. The oxtail ravioli was amazing. It must have been the same “pasta” as the duck shumai, since it is the same idea. Braised oxtail stuffed in a perfectly cooked doughy yet thin and chewy wrapper. I could’ve eaten an entire plate of these. The hanger steak was fine, not memorable, but tasty enough. The foie gras appetizer consisted of a teeny piece of seared foie gras set atop a disk of corn, maybe? I had a difficult time identifying what was what because it was heavily sauced with a strong fruity component. I quickly passed this off for more oxtail ravioli. The scallops were sliced thin which is a dangerous idea. One bite of scallop was almost tough, chewy and very overcooked whereas the next (a slightly thicker slice) was cooked fine. I heard from others that the sauce on the scallops was delicious, but I had a hard time getting past the loss of the delicate scallop.
Even though we were planning to enjoy birthday cake at the party following dinner, we still indulged in dessert sharing two desserts amongst five people: green tea mousse (New York magazine pick) and the espresso-cardamom soufflé. The green tea mousse failed to deliver; it was rather bland (I was expecting a punchy green tea flavored dessert especially since it was recommended). The soufflé, however, more than made up for the mousse; the cardamom didn’t overpower the dessert like I had thought, adding a mild interesting flavor to the espresso, and the fluffiness of the souffle was perfect.
Overall, Chubo was a hit, and next time, I may try their seasonal ingredient of the day (that night’s was venison, but I didn’t think I could eat four courses). Despite its spotty service as the restaurant filled up – frequently as dinner progressed, I would see our waiter standing by the bar area chatting with people, rather than checking on our water, drinks, etc., and there were only two tables taken (our table and one other four-top) – I would return, even if only for the duck shumai.
(Eclectic/Global)
6 Clinton Street between Houston and Stanton Streets
New York, NY 10002
(212) 674-6300
http://www.chubo.com
Subway: F/V to 2nd Avenue
Bus: M21 to Avenue B/Clinton Street
When we were invited to a birthday dinner at Chubo, I was surprised because I’ve walked by the restaurant a number of times, and it seemed very small (like most of the restaurants included in the Clinton Street restaurant explosion) which I thought would be difficult for a birthday dinner. Yet, when I arrived, the restaurant appeared very welcoming and cute… little but not tight at all. When only nine of 14 people ended up coming, the waiter (the only staff member I saw in the front of the restaurant) was incredibly accommodating and quickly adjusted our table to feel cozy, even with nine people.
Since I was 45 minutes late (because Clinton Street is not easy to get to, and there were NO taxis to be found when I left), I had to make quick decisions (which is not easy for me). Fortunately, I had read the New York magazine review (http://nymag.com) with their recommended dishes before going, so at least I had an idea. It was a good thing I did, because the menu is very interesting and globally influenced, and I would’ve had a difficult time.
I started with a delicious drink, a plum champagne punch (I love plum and I love champagne). I had eaten a late lunch so I wasn’t as hungry as I would’ve liked, but a foodie friend (whose cholesterol is through the roof, but thinks he can eat anything because he’s on Lipitor - he had just finished a late lunch of brisket and a number of sides at Blue Smoke) was sitting across from me so we decided to share. After divulging New York magazine’s report, we ordered the duck shumai (New York magazine pick) and four kumamoto oysters as our appetizers. The oysters were fine; however, I prefer briny Atlantic oysters to the creamy Pacific types. The duck shumai were STANDOUT. The doughy wrapper were chewy but thin and perfectly cooked. I love dumplings, and I was blown away by these wrappers. The duck confit inside was also good, tender, flavorful – a perfect balance.
Entrees chosen were beef two ways (New York magazine pick) and the seared foie gras appetizer. I also benefited from sitting next to the birthday boy (a good sharer) who ordered the roasted scallops as his entrée. The beef entrée consisted of two parts: (1) hanger steak with a coffee rub and (2) oxtail ravioli served together with steamed asparagus. The oxtail ravioli was amazing. It must have been the same “pasta” as the duck shumai, since it is the same idea. Braised oxtail stuffed in a perfectly cooked doughy yet thin and chewy wrapper. I could’ve eaten an entire plate of these. The hanger steak was fine, not memorable, but tasty enough. The foie gras appetizer consisted of a teeny piece of seared foie gras set atop a disk of corn, maybe? I had a difficult time identifying what was what because it was heavily sauced with a strong fruity component. I quickly passed this off for more oxtail ravioli. The scallops were sliced thin which is a dangerous idea. One bite of scallop was almost tough, chewy and very overcooked whereas the next (a slightly thicker slice) was cooked fine. I heard from others that the sauce on the scallops was delicious, but I had a hard time getting past the loss of the delicate scallop.
Even though we were planning to enjoy birthday cake at the party following dinner, we still indulged in dessert sharing two desserts amongst five people: green tea mousse (New York magazine pick) and the espresso-cardamom soufflé. The green tea mousse failed to deliver; it was rather bland (I was expecting a punchy green tea flavored dessert especially since it was recommended). The soufflé, however, more than made up for the mousse; the cardamom didn’t overpower the dessert like I had thought, adding a mild interesting flavor to the espresso, and the fluffiness of the souffle was perfect.
Overall, Chubo was a hit, and next time, I may try their seasonal ingredient of the day (that night’s was venison, but I didn’t think I could eat four courses). Despite its spotty service as the restaurant filled up – frequently as dinner progressed, I would see our waiter standing by the bar area chatting with people, rather than checking on our water, drinks, etc., and there were only two tables taken (our table and one other four-top) – I would return, even if only for the duck shumai.
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