#38 – RADISH SALAD at RADISH

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

Who would ever think to order a radish salad at a place call Radish? I’d probably order the meat loaf or the curry chicken. I kid, of course. In fact, it almost seems like if you come to a place called Radish you have no choice but to order the radish salad.

And I had no choice since it was on Time Out’s list. I’ve walked by this spot very often, since I give tours on Brooklyn’s beer history down the street at the Brooklyn Brewery. But this was the first time I stepped inside and was a little surprised that it was not in fact a restaurant, but rather a homey, modest gourmet food take-out spot. Much like Whole Food’s salad bar area, but much less corporate.

The owner was very friendly and offered us a taste of anything from their prepared food section. I joked earlier about meat loaf and curry chicken, but they do offer a few hot food items (including shepherd’s pie and chicken stew) in addition to their cold salads, sandwiches, and soups.

We took home a helping of their chicken tenders, a brussels sprout dish, and the namesake radish salad. As we were paying, we were also tempted by a delicious homemade ginger ale that was spicy and refreshing without being too sweet. And for no good reason (although maybe because she knew I was a blogger), the owner threw in a free chocolate chip cookie.

When I got home, I was amazed to see the gorgeous presentation – even from a paper container. The radishes (which included watermelon, daikon, and breakfast radishes) were colorful and bold. There were also slices of red onions, mangoes, and cilantro leaves throughout. And the sesame oil dressing left beautiful black seed garnishes throughout.

The salad was crunchy, cooling, and of the utmost freshness. And I liked the bite from the onion and cilantro, but I felt like it was missing a few things in the flavor department. The mangoes didn’t give much brightness and the peppers used were rather bland or just took on the flavor of the sesame oil. Maybe sesame is too strong of a flavor because it overwhelmed everything else. I wanted some heat or acidity and didn’t get much. Or perhaps some more salt would have helped bring out the flavors.

The rest of the dishes we had were all fresh and well-composed. I especially liked the brussels sprouts, which were shredded into an interesting texture and dotted with crunchy walnuts and tart pomegranate seeds. And I enjoyed the crunch and freshness of the radishes at Radish. I just wish the rest of the components complemented the leading vegetables rather than overwhelmed them.

Would Radish’s Radish Salad make my Top 100 of the Year? I liked the the crunchy, fresh textures, but felt like it was missing a little something when it came to depth of flavors. 6 out of 10.