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“Harbour”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Seafood	Tribeca	Moderate	Good

ed in a smoky, feisty broth that’s thick with cabbage and bacon and hot with “kim chi flavors” ($19). Another winner was the hake—a silky fish that’s getting lots of play these days thanks to its sustainability—served in a mild yellow curry, with fat shu mai and diced Chinese sausage ($25). And if you’re craving lobster, try the succulent butter-poached Nova Scotia lobster plated like a portrait of spring in a vivid, grassy sauce made from peas, showered with wild ramps, crispy peas, the sweetest baby carrots and shiitakes ($39).

But there are also some missteps: Beau Soleil oysters are topped with a citrus foam, which sadly drowns out the beautiful briny flavors of the oysters. The Kampachi crudo is similarly overwhelmed by slices of Serrano ham ($14)—you can’t taste the fish under a weight of such smokiness. This imbalance also crept into a couple of entrees. The arctic char, an exquisitely cooked piece of pink fish, was accompanied by a cloying concert of miso, grapefruit, and yuzu ($24), and a nice and tender slab of salty, meaty hanger steak felt completely at odds with a ginger parsnip puree that was so creamy and sweet it could have been the filling for a dessert ($23). We ordered a side of spiced fries ($6)—golden potato logs nestled in a white dinner napkin. These worked much better with the steak than that parsnip puree, and I don’t see why the dish isn’t just transformed into steak frites (adding some sort of green vegetable on the plate would be nice, too.)

If you are up for dessert ($8) and love chocolate the way teenage girls love Hannah Montana, I’d suggest the black forest cake—a dense and decadent rectangle layered with brandied and sour cherries, whipped cream, and chocolate mousse. But really, this is only if you are a serious chocolate fanatic. One bite and I was done. The espresso soufflé, with pistachio ice cream, should come with a prescription, or potentially be sold as a narcotic on the black market. There’s enough caffeine in there to wake the dead. But I could not get enough of the butterscotch pudding, a soothing childhood treat topped with salty popcorn and little brown butter sandwich cookies, and vanilla ice cream. Dip the popcorn in the pudding and you’ve got the best caramel corn you’ve ever tried. It’s a lot of fun.

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Posted: April 26, 2009

Other restaurants in Tribeca :
+ Lunchbox Food Company--Closed   + 66: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Ola-- Closed   + Bouley   + Dominic   + Landmarc   + Pace-- Closed   + EN Japanese Brasserie   + Centrico   + Cercle Rouge   + The Harrison   + Turks & Frogs Tribeca   + Devin Tavern   + Dani-- Closed Now   + Bacaro/Smith & Mills   + The Harrison   + Matsugen, By Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Forge   + Macao Trading Company   + Harbour   + Review text tbd...   + Mehtaphor   + Brushstroke   + Jung Sik   

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