To celebrate the end of Restaurant Week I made a lunch reservation at SHO Shaun Hergatt in Tribeca. Being a long time fan of Michelin reviews, this dining spot was one of the few starred restaurants part of the Restaurant Week deal. I wanted to take advantage of such a valuable opportunity: a three-course prix fixe lunch for only $24.07 (plus tax and gratuity) at one of the 9 two-Michelin star restaurants in the city. Eater describes it as one of New York’s most underrated restaurants, and one that the NYT food critics should reassess (Sam Sifton gave it two stars in April of 2010). All the way down in FiDi, on the second floor of a fancy apartment building lies SHO Shaun Hergatt, an Asian/French inspired cuisine executed by chef Hergatt. The restaurant is stunning, with a warm dim atmosphere, a beautiful glass wine vault corridor, big leather chairs, and a massive see-through stainless steel kitchen next to the main dinning room. The place definitely has a fancy and luxurious feel, with a professional top-notch service, and impeccable dish presentations. The ambiance is definitely a high quality one, a formal kind of restaurant, where most of the customers were business groups and partners, or old ladies.
Restaurant Week Menu
The prix fixe menu (Restaurant Week’s special) was hard to choose from, ranging from soup to salad, chicken and vegetarian dishes.
Potato and Leek Espuma
I choose the Potato and Leek Espuma as an appetizer, and the Hand Made Cocoa Pappardelle entree. The espuma was so delectable to the palate; it disappeared when it came in contact with the mouth, with a soft creamy puree in the center that added richness to the dish. On the side, there was a white powder, which the server mentioned to be a truffle scented powder, though I did not find much truffle taste (or taste in general). I have no idea why it was described at “hot panna cotta” since it had no cooked gelatinous consistency or feel, it was the complete opposite, a light foamy tasteful soup.
Hand Made Cocoa Pappardelle
My second course was incredibly mouthwatering, a perfect balance between the sweetness of the chocolate pasta and the bitterness of the mushroom ragu, along with a brown foamy sauce that added a third dimension of richness.
Warm Sticky Toffee Sponge
Lastly, for dessert I had the Warm Sticky Toffee Sponge, it was very rich with a layer of pomegranate seeds that cut through the heavy desert in a good way; however, I would have opted for no whipping cream or “Chantilly” layer. The dessert was very off-putting, and a downgrade after such delectable dishes I had experienced.
Lemon Meringue
The other dessert was much tastier, a lemon sorbet in a bed of sweet lemon soup with shaved meringue on top; a perfect palate cleanser after such a delicious meal.
Chef Hergatt (even though he is no longer the Chef de Cuisine) has won numerous recognitions, awards, high ratings, and international fame for his impeccable cuisine; something I definitely saw through my lunch execution, and reflected in the awe and taste of the plates and place aesthetics. In the past I’ve been to Picholine, a one star Michelin restaurant, and to Chef’s Table at the Brooklyn Fare, who was awarded three Michelin stars last October, SHO Shaun Hergatt has two and I believe it seamlessly lies between these two. I would love to come back on a regular visit, this time not a restaurant week special but experiencing the full dinner adventure.
SHO Shaun Hergatt, 40 Broad St #2, 212-809-3993
azúcarysal 
Leave a comment