245 Park Avenue South (between 19th and 20th Sts.) 212-335-2220 www.tascachino.com
Spanish-Chinese. Where can you find Spanish and Chinese in the same place, let alone the same dish? At Tasca Chino, an outrageously innovative new restaurant which marries the two in a thoroughly inspired fusion of cuisine. It is anything but a gimmick, with tastes so compelling, I wished I’d been having this all my life. They’ve dreamt up offerings like garbanzo frito and kimchi (crispy chickpea cake, housemade kimchi, ponzu, wasabi mayo) and ginger glazed lobster and shrimp with spicy bamboo shoots, thai basil and red chili. But dreaming isn’t enough and they have found a way to deliver creation after creation (see their whole roasted dorade with smoked kale, oyster mushrooms and salsa verde for further proof). Yet, that is not the end of the story. In fact, the dessert was so mind blowing, I considered opening with it. They designed (and I mean designed) this Chocolate Bomb. With piping hot chocolate drizzled from above, its hard chocolate exterior melts away to reveal the passion fruit mousse, raspberry and mango crumble hidden beneath. Although seemingly impossible, the flavor then exceeds the show. It all happens within a candle filled space, the warm and attentive service as memorable as the brightly colored paintings. Anyone can be different. But what they’ve accomplished cannot be ignored.