From the ashes did rise - Review of Annisa

Since Anita Lo reopened Annisa in the West Village after a fire closed it for quite a while, I've been dying to go try it out. Mostly because I'm a huge admirer of the cooking style that combines classic french techniques with asian cuisine. I finally had the opportunity to dine at Annisa this past week. The decor of the restaurant is very clean, earth-toned walls with a more modern design feel. I personally really loved the vibe, as did my dining companion. The only problem that we had was that the majority of two tops were side by side seats (we were very thankful we got there early enough to select an across the table two top). I'm not and don't think I ever will be a fan of sitting next to the person I'm eating with...it's just very awkward feeling for me. But, otherwise, the dining room has a very nice layout. It strikes that lovely balance of feeling fancy without making you feel like you're not fancy enough. The service was present when necessary without being overbearing.

Now for the important stuff - food & drink. Annisa's wine list features wines by wineries that are owned by women (Annisa means woman in arabic). I deferred the wine selection to my friend, who has been very into roses this summer and as such opted for the Mas da la dame, a rose from provence. It was a very excellent, crisp/refreshing choice.

The amuse bouche was a little tart shell filled with duck liver mousse and topped with a currant. As a huge fan of duck liver, I couldn't resist this rich little bite to start things off. The mousse was so smooth and the sweetness of the currant contrasted nicely. I love how delightful amuse bouches do two things simultaneously for me - they immediately put me at ease that I selected a good restaurant while making my heart race with excitement that there is so much good food to still come! The roll that was brought to the table was nothing special, but the butter was beautifully molded into the shape of a flower. But, take my advice and leave the butter looking pretty and untouched and save your room for the rest of the meal. Seriously, leave the carbs...I promise there will be plenty of far more delicious food - it'll be okay.

In a rare change for me, I didn't order the tasting menu. To start, I had the Tuna hot & cold and my friend had the duo of lobster and corn. The tuna cold was a little too much like your general run of the mill tuna tartare. Not that it wasn't delicious, but rather it's just that I've been there done that. The tuna hot on the other hand was magnificent. I have no idea what Chef Lo cooked this tuna in, but the flavor was beyond compare and the tuna was perfectly cooked. My friend exclaimed that she so rarely has properly cooked tuna that this piece was a pleasant reminder of how good tuna can be when it's made right. That said, I think that the duo of lobster and corn was the better choice. On one side of the plate there was a little bowl that tasted like a corn custard crossed with cream of corn that was topped with lobster. On the other side, there was a corn pastry with caramelized onions and lobster. Both were phenominal, but I far preferred the lobster claw on the corn pastry. The claw was tender and just delightful paired with the corn-tinged biscuit and caramelized onions.

The entree options are predominantly fish, but neither of us were in the mood for fish. I ordered the pan roasted farm chicken with sherry, white truffle, pig feet and asparagus and my friend opted for the duck with mousse and a consumme sauce. The duck was very good but I wasn't blown away by the flavor combinations. The chicken on the other hand was outrageously good. It was cooked perfectly with a nice crispy skin and moist inside. The sauce with the pig trotters and white truffle was sinfully rich and the asparagus lightened this nicely. I couldn't have been happier.

Well, okay you know I could be happier...I can end this nice meal with a good sweet. I admire Chef Lo for a number of reasons. But, the most important to me is that she is also in charge of her dessert menu at Annisa. As a lover of all things sweet and a die-hard multi-tasker, this is just really bad a** in the best of ways to me! So, of course I had to see how her desserts stacked up. I would have certainly gone with the beignets, but my friend thought that was a bit heavy sounding. To settle the debate, we asked the waitress's opinion and she said the Millefeuille of strawberries, ricotta, and balsamic was the way to go (by another name this is a napoleon...I agree millefeuille sounds so much better!). The strawberries are marinated in whiskey and lime and have a wonderful sweet pop. I loved this dessert, and the waitress was 100% right this was the best option for a summer dessert! Hooray for multi-taskers.

After our dessert was done, a trio of petit fours were placed on our table. Love petit fours! The first was a strawberry pineapple pop that was the very definition of refreshing. The next was a nice sliver of candied ginger. And the final was a mint chocolate - the perfect way to end a fabulous meal.

All in all, I loved Annisa in that way that you just know despite the never ending list of places to try in Manhattan you'll still end up back here.