190 Avenue B (between 11th and 12th Sts.) 212-674-4500 www.kingsleynyc.com.
American. Kingsley bills itself as American yet, in scanning the selections, you can’t help notice how many are an homage to the UN. Any one offering might supply a passport’s worth of ingredients, an unexpected and ingeniously devised combination designed to leave you awestruck. It is no secret I’m a fan of charred octopus but found this execution clearly unprecedented. Theirs is a deep dive (cauliflower, chorizo, yuza, tempura, and shiso), the Latin, Asian, veggie orchestration more than enough to thrill any sea fan.
Before coming up for air, you might consider the bone-in skate (butternut squash, orange, shaved fennel, tarragon, brown butter, wild rice) – a fish dish no less compelling or original than the first. If meat is on your mind, there’s Wagyu basses-cotes steak (sunchoke, black garlic, scallion, nori, kasha, shiitake). This Japanese-French named, kasha carrying, nori and shiitake toting creation just another example of mastery around the globe.
They even take a simple noodle and make it anything but, served as it is with wild mushrooms and Asian broccoli in an addiction worthy glaze. For dessert, I went chocolate and mint (dark, semi, milk, white and cocoa nibs accompanied by mint gelato). If chocolate is your thing, it delivers over and over (and over) again. Just like the rest of the menu. And the entire night.