Aquavit (NYC)

Celebrated my Birthday at Aquavit this year. It had been on my list for some time but absolutely did not disappoint.

I opted for the regular tasting with wine paring.

•Started with two amuses.

On the left- I believe it was Tuna and gooseberry in a few forms. And a pepper jelly coated in espelette pepper.

On the right- a chilled savory cucumber and Serrano beverage. Weird at first taste but quite good as the heat snuck up.

•1st course

Ora King salmon and meadowsweet
The Salmon itself, seemed untouched but the sweet and savory sorbet and the meadowsweet must have had a pickling liquor. That, with the vegetables and green strawberry. Delicious all around

•2nd course

Sweetbread and Anchovy
The Sweetbreads were fried to perfection, with a sweet and savory peach gel and anchovy cream under the lettuce. Stunning

“Bread for the table”
A dense nut bread with a scallion and herb butter
The bread didn’t do it for me at first taste, but after a few bites and then accompanying with the butter. I couldn’t get enough.

•3rd course
Chilean Seabass and Tomato
Sousvide or poached with a tomato water, brunoise of tomato and cucumber and an herb oil? The best piece of fish I’ve had in a long time. Absolutely amazing. Temped to drop the spoon and drink from the bowl.

•4th course
Mangalitsa Pork and Summer Squash
Succulent pork cooked two ways, creamy farrow, different textures of squash with some pickling liquor and an indescribably good pork jus to bring it all together.
Didn’t think they could top the seabass.

•Final course
Strawberry and Rye
A covered rye cake with some sort of thick but pleasant pastry cream, a rye pretzel tuille and a strawberry sorbet.
Good on its own but the plum and strawberry sake they paired this with, was an absolute home run.

Overall I’m excited to go back. Normally I ask more questions about the wine pairing. They were described in depth, but by the time the dessert came around I couldn’t remember anything but the country they were from. 🤣