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“Wong”


  Occasion: Cuisine: Area: Cost: Rating:
  Night Out Asian West Village Moderate Great

($13.50). Given the size of the fritters and the drama of the bowl, this is a dish that makes head’s turn as it is walked through the dining room. It’s the Lady Gaga of shrimp fritters.

We also tried Simpson’s signature Cha Ca La Wong, Hanoi-Style Hake with fresh turmeric, dill, and rice noodles ($17), which was my favorite dish of the evening. The flash-fried fish is practically perfumed with fresh dill and it’s a beautiful marriage. Toss a hunk or two of the fish over those vermicelli noodles and fire it up with nuoc cham and you’ll wonder why people eat meat. Thanks to this fish, Hanoi may be my next travel destination, but for now, it’s a lot easier just to hit Cornelia Street.  Not a lot of TSA screeners hitting the A Train stop at West Fourth Street, yet, at least.

Lobster Egg Foo Young is also fanciful dish, loaded up with leeks, dried shrimp crumble and topped with a salted duck egg yolk that does a nice job of running its heart out ($24). Don’t ignore the column titled “side dishes,” in particular the Crispy Cauliflower with Spicy Peanut Sauce ($7). Devi’s Manchurian Cauliflower used to be a favorite and this dish, a fantastic and unexpected duo of Thai peanut sauce and unapologetically deep-fried cauliflower, just toppled it. It’s a dish that could easily replace French fries. Shake Shack, please sub this cauliflower for the crinkle cuts. Thanks.

Now, much has been said about pastry chef Judy Chen’s desserts. And in my humble opinion, much more should. Because let’s be brutally honest here. The woman is a genius. A prophet. An angel. She has turned roasted duck into ice cream in her now famous Roast Duck Ice Cream with Star Anise-Poached Plums, Crispy Tuile and 5-Spice Cookie ($9), a dish that is meant to evoke Peking duck. The plum sauce is represented by poached plums and by a sort of lime rickey soda made with plum wine. The five spice powder that seasons Peking duck turns up on top of a delicious shortbread cookie, and standing in for the crackling skin is a crisp sugar tuile.

The dish is miraculous. This is the kind of ice cream you’d choose to eat on a hot summer day even if given the choice of 101 of your favorite flavors, all sourced organically and served in compostable cups with recycled spoons. Her ice cream Duck a la Plum ice cream will be the best thing any of us will eat this year. Take my word for it.

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Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   


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