eating with emak

Uni All the Time- Louro Supper Club

Few weeks ago, Louro Restaurant held a supper club using Uni (sea urchin) as the theme for the night. For $75 we got a 6 course uni meal. 

We started with the Amuse-sorrel, white asparagus, uni truffle vinaigrette. 

Next course was the Uni & Fluke Crudo-meyer lemon vinegar, greek olive oil. We got two huge pieces of uni and I love the accompanying pickled onions with it. 

The third course was Ostrich Egg-soft scramble, confit garlic uni foam, toasted amerinth. I loved this course. I wish I had it with rice or bread to mop up the goodness. Amerinth is a grain, like rice. Toasted, it added a nice flavor to the dish.

The fourth couse we had Uni Chowder-goose pancetta, smoked onions mussels, and cultured cream. This was my favorite of the night. I loved the flavor of the smoked oysters and in each bowl we had huge chunks of uni. 

Next we had Skate & Uni Stuffing-rhubarb curd, tempura arugula, and uni butter. Uni butter was served on the side and we were suppose to spread it on the fish. It should have came with the bread basket too! The tempura arugula was really nice and crunchy! I loved it. 

Next came the Uni & Pork Belly served with Portuguese kimchi rice, coriander curd. The fatty piece of pork belly just melted in my mouth. 

Finally for dessert, we were served a Toasted Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream with vanilla cake and hazelnut brittle. We joked with the waiter as to why there was no uni in the dessert dish as well. Dessert was fantastic. I loved how the cake had a crunchy crust. 

This has been my second time participating at Louro’s supper clubs and it’s been so satisfying. Their supper clubs are usually held every Monday starting around 7PM. Each week has a different theme and sometimes there are guest chefs. Join their newsletter to receive upcoming supper club events and menus! http://louronyc.com/

Photos courtesy of Kenny. Thanks!

Nossa Mesa Supper Club at Louro

Last Monday, I finally had a chance to eat at David Santos’ restaurant Louro. I’ve been following David Santos ever since reading about him on my tumblr feeds through Annie’s blog http://fritesandfries.com/. He use to hold supper clubs in his Roosevelt Island apartment, but I’ve never had the time to make it there. Now, David has a restaurant in the West Village called Louro and has continued his supper club every Monday night. 

Last Monday’s menu was a five course meal featuring a Black History month theme. 

We started with the Amuse or a bit sized hors d’œuvre which was a raw oyster served with citrusy granita. The oysters were large and plump. It was a very refreshing and luxurious starter. 

Next in honor of Jackie Robinson, David served a crab salad with thai curry aioli topped with tempura arugula. You can taste the sweetness of the shredded crab meat and just a subtle hint of coconut and curry. It wasn’t overpowering. I also loved the texture contrast of the tempura arugula. 

The meal followed with a tribute to Muddy Waters. Truthfully, I had to Google search Muddy Waters, and learned that he is the “father of modern Chicago blues”. We had cornmeal crusted fried catfish with braised greens served with a grainy mustard sauce. I found the fish to be very moist; however, this dish didn’t leave me that excited. 

Next was a tribute to our President Obama using his very own bean chili recipe. The chili was served with a side of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. I really enjoyed this dish. The chili was so hearty and flavorful. Best of all it was served piping hot. If you’re curious about President Obama’s recipe, I found it online here.  Thank you Lydia for your chili photo!

By this time in the meal, I was getting full. But we still had the main event which paid tribute to Muhammad Ali featuring lamb and rice. Our waitress explained to us that this was one of Muhammad Ali’s favorite dishes. Reading Annie’s blog, I knew David makes really good lamb. I also love lamb, so I was excited for this dish. And it was amazing! The flavors were robust and not game-y at all. The meat was so tender it just fell off the bone. The braised vegetables on the bottom became a little too salty as they soaked up all the pan juices. Overall, I really really liked this dish. 

Finally for dessert, we had “Pecan Pie” in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Looking back at the menu, I now understand the purpose of the “quotation” marks around pecan pie. What came out wasn’t a piece of pie, but more like a deconstructed crumble. I had large chunks of pecans, mixed with a cookie crumble and topped with vanilla ice cream. I forgot to take a photo. Sorry! 

David took his time to visit each table after the meal for some light conversation which I found very welcoming and endearing. I’ve signed up for updates for future supper clubs. I really would like to go again. And also the regular restaurant menu looks and sounds amazing as well.

FYI, following supper club tradition, guest can bring their own wine and beer. They also have a full bar at the restaurant. 

Louro, 142 West 10th Street (btw Greenwich Ave and Waverly Place) West Village, NYC. Call for reservations: (212) 206-0606