08 February 2010

a brunch at Mandarin Oriental's Asiate


Tables speckled with Europeans defined the mood at Asiate, this past Sunday afternoon. My company noted the inflation of the Euro contrasting the weakness of the dollar arranged these fellow patrons. We sipped skim cappuccinos and macchiatos-- while dividing our attention between the stunning Central Park views and the Brunch Tasting Menu options.


Our amuse bouche came in a plate intricately divided in four tastes: a robust and slightly savory butternut squash cappuccino, rich and smokey salmon terrine, buttery Waygu beef with yuzu + quail egg and gyozo with edamame.

Our server granted us a pause for conversation and to cleanse our palates, before our entrees. A few couples posed for photos, the sunshine peaked in and out.

The main offers a large variety of tempting plates, of which you are to choose two. We both opted for the Benedict with Canadian ham, traditional Hollandaise and black truffles. The plate came velvety thick with the eggs impeccably poached. For our second choice- I leaned to the pumpkin ravioli for the caramelized brussels sprouts and mushroom garnish. My partner decided on the asparagus over greens with feta and Marcona almonds. The ravioli was a bit too rich and soaked in an oily mess (I could only handle a bite), though I didn't mind, as the brussels sprouts were quite lovely.


We ordered more foamy espressos to punctuate our dessert course: a plate of dueling carrot cake and creme caramel with orange. The creme's quality increased with each small taste I took- and while the carrot cake was quite moist and well matched to the cream cheese and white chocolate frosting, it proved too dense to enjoy more than a bite or two.

Image 1 via Images 1+ 3 from my iPhone

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