DISH OF THE WEEK: Chawanmushi at BRUSHSTROKE

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

So I’m cheating just a little bit here. I’ve not technically eaten at Brushstroke, but I’ve eaten in Brushstroke.

Let me explain: I got to taste this incredible dish at Ichimura, the hidden sushi spot inside Brushstroke. The latter is David Bouley’s well-regarded kaiseki restaurant and the former is the bar behind the curtain that only serves an omakase-tasting. I was here for my birthday and was blessed with one of the most amazing meals of my life.

I could have chosen any single piece of sushi, sashimi, or prepared dish from Ichimura’s prolific dinner as this week’s dish of the week. The two seasonal cocktails (one with tomato water and pepper; the other with cucumber and roasted almonds) were equally mindblowing. Every single component (even Chef Ichimura’s welcoming demeanor) deserves its own blog post. And if you stick around long enough, I promise I’ll have another post about this extraordinary meal.

But in the midst of the buttery tuna belly and uni, we were served Brushstroke’s most famous dish – the chawanmushi. I’ve had  Japanese steamed egg custard many times before. I’ve even had versions of it with mushrooms, shrimp, gingko nuts, udon noodles. But I had never tasted a chawanmushi like the one served at these adjoined restaurants in Tribeca.

Beneath the transparent custard lies a wealth of toothsome Dungeness crab meat and intoxicating truffle aromas. The rich custard has a silky texture and is full of the most luxurious flavors imaginable. Umami notes of dashi, soy, and mushrooms came through with each decadent bite. It was almost impossible to open my eyes as each spoonful transported me to the happiest place on earth.

The only problem is now that we dropped oodles of money at Ichimura, we got a teaser for the flavor possibilities next door. And Brushstroke proper is now calling my name, seducing my tastebuds, and eyeing my credit card.