Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
Back in 2010, one of the most exciting kitchens in the city was attached to a Brooklyn grocery store called Brooklyn Fare. It started as an intimate multi-course meal overseen by Chef César Ramirez. I was lucky enough to go (twice!!!) and experience an innovative and exclusive experience. They have since moved their dining room to Manhattan and increased their prices more than threefold.
I remember my visits made me feel like I was really part of something special and I realized how lucky I was to be in this unlikely environment. Not to mention the food was transformative. I had a similar experience recently with my co-workers from Turnstile Tours when we had our holiday party at a place called Momo Test Kitchen.
This takes place from time to time inside the warehouse of Momo Dressing which is housed in one of the historic buildings of the Brooklyn Army Terminal. The dinner is prepared by Yukimi Momose, a co-founder of Momo Dressing, which has been producing exciting Japanese salad dressings in Brooklyn for the last few years and selling them at farmer’s markets and shops.
The multi-course meal is a showcase for their dressings and marinades, but more than that, it’s an exploration of warming healthful Japanese dishes.
We started with a surprising warm cider-like drink with loads of fresh fruits. From there a plate of appetizers was served, many with the Momo signature dressings. The bright kale and watermelon radish salad was crisp and enlivened with ginger dressing. A unique twist on mofongo consisted of a plantain patty topped with Momo’s addicting edamame dip. But my favorite part of the large plate was the sweet pickled daikon radish with tender pork belly.
From there, we got a Japanese hot pot. Forget salty, sour, or even sweet. My favorite flavor experience is the somewhat indescribable umami. This pot was full of it from earthy mushrooms, a delicate dash broth, dreamy pork meatballs, and a ball of savory mochi wrapped in tofu skin. It felt restorative and healthy and is all the reasons why I love Japanese cuisine so much.
After helping myself to one too many bowls, we moved on to pressed sushi. Sweet shrimp with scrambled egg shards, rich mackerel, and a dill-kissed slice of silky smoked salmon all found their way onto nicely vinegared rice.
The dessert course wasn’t anything surprising, but when you have a heavenly slice of flourless chocolate cake and a tie of freshly whipped cream, who needs any bells and whistles?
This food was all consumed while in the company of Yukimi who was a gracious host and shared many of her stories with us. It was a great experience.
I can’t find much buzz out there about Momo Test Kitchen, which really surprises me and makes me realize we truly did have an exclusive experience. That’s why I would hurry to make reservations now because once the whole world reads about this, they may raise their prices just like Brooklyn Fare. And you’ll wish you tried it years ago.
| MOMO TEST KITCHEN |
| 80 58th Street (at 1st Avenue), Sunset Park, Brooklyn |
| momotestkitchen.com/ |
