Vincent Chirico's most recent culinary conquest, Vai Restaurant on the Upper West, is an intimate, delicious experience like none other. Vai translates to "go" from Italian, and go you must.
The menu changes weekly, as do a few of the drinks. I was fortunate enough to try dishes from the chef's inspiration menu, a five course tasting with paired wines that captured the essence of the contemporary Mediterranean yet globally influenced menu.
The menu changes weekly, as do a few of the drinks. I was fortunate enough to try dishes from the chef's inspiration menu, a five course tasting with paired wines that captured the essence of the contemporary Mediterranean yet globally influenced menu.
CUCUMBER MARTINI
To start, I was given a Cucumber Martini. The only liquor of the pairings, I was a bit skeptical until I actually tasted the drink. Vai infuses all of its vodkas in-house and this small touch makes quite the difference. Made with Hendrick's gin, lime and cucumber vodka, this crisp, fresh martini went down easy and paired perfectly with the first course.
YELLOWFIN TUNA AND HAMACHI DUO
The Yellowfin Tuna and Hamachi Duo wow-ed the second it hit the table. The delicate presentation mimicked the delicate flavors of the preserved ginger sauce and micro cilantro. The dish was so fresh it was as if the fish was caught mere minutes before it was plated. The ginger sauce was so good I dipped my bread in even after all of the fish was sitting in my happy belly.
SAUTEED SEA SCALLOP
The Sauteed Sea Scallop with parsnip mousseline, sicilian capers and scallions was simply luscious. The scallop was cooked perfectly, and I loved the pop of salt from the capers. Served with a Sparkling Vidigal from Portugal, I savored the scallop in small bites, making sure to soak up every bit of the mousseline.
ALASKAN KING CRAB LEG
I thought there was no way Vincent could top the tuna duo until I tried his succulent Alaskan King Crab Leg. This simple yet flavorful dish is definitely my favorite of the series. Prepared with preserved lemon, brown butter and Calabrian chili, my lips were tingling by the end of the course. Vincent was smart to let the Alaskan King Crab shine on its own. He also made quite the find with the paired wine. The copper Pinot Grigio Ramato from Italy was surprising in both its color and breezy feel.
SAUTEED FILET OF ARCTIC CHAR
The next course was split with half of the table receiving the Sauteed Filet of Arctic Char and the other a Sauteed Filet of Jumbo Maryland Black Bass. We diplomatically split each and dug right in. On each fish, the crisp crust gave way to a tender, perfectly cooked filet. The arctic char was served over a fennel emulsion with a confit onion and pancetta vinaigrette, while the black bass came with a leek puree and nicoise olive. Both were delightful, but the black bass made my taste buds sing.
BURRATA RAVIOLI
Made with truffle cream and an 18 month parmiggiano cheese, the Burrata Ravioli was comfort in a bowl. I'm normally not a fan of cream sauces, but I could bathe in this stuff. Seriously. So rich and decadent, it was the perfect transition into our next course, a Beef Duo with Braised Short Rib, Filet Mignon and Confit Garlic Butter. The filet mignon melted in my mouth, while the short rib fell off the bone.
The last two courses were a sweet and wonderful way to end the evening. The Passion Fruit and Vanilla Mascarpone Semifreddo was a careful balance of both tart and sweet, and the Almond Pot du Creme had a wonderful crunch without being overly rich or filling.
The last two courses were a sweet and wonderful way to end the evening. The Passion Fruit and Vanilla Mascarpone Semifreddo was a careful balance of both tart and sweet, and the Almond Pot du Creme had a wonderful crunch without being overly rich or filling.
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