Salt and Fat was, for very good reason, the first place I thought of when my parents asked me to dinner while I was back in the city for the weekend. Balanced, contemporary dishes with Asian flair and the occasional plate of comfort food suit my entire family's tastes and equal happy tastebuds. I recalled the buttery scallops, intensely umami mussel and dashi broth, and most of all the yuzu sorbet that introduced me to the wonderful yuzu fruit, all from a dinner this past summer. I was too eager to return; not even nausea from a four-hour bus could get in the way.
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I love the concept of playing your own cook, even if it just entails piercing a poached egg to release the bright runny yolk. This yellowtail tartare was served with spicy mayo, yuzu gel, nori dust, and minced scallion accompaniments and a bowl of crispy cassava chips. You mix in what you like, disregard what you don't, although I opted for everything. The tangy yuzu and nutty nori combination won me over easily.
Poached lobster and crisp frisee salad featured juicy orange and grapefruit segments. I'm not one for fruit in savory salads, but I enjoyed it here. The lobster chunks were tender, although I did find the occasional slimy undercooked claw meat in the mix.
I had to order the scallops again. Truffled roasted corn and tangy fried capers make a delicious combination.
The pork trotter arrived in the form of a golden patty instead of the foot itself, which was initially disappointing to my mother. She insists that working through the bones of any protein is a much more rewarding experience. I tend to agree, but this patty was rich with luscious pork and a crispy exterior. A nice break from all the seafood, it was hard to complain about.
Our arctic char, generous in portion and delicate in flavor, got lost in the medley of sautees and sauces. Pungent shitake brown butter sauce, pickled hon shimeji, and a mound of sauteed chorizo and kale on which the seared filet rested clashed when eaten together.
Our trio of marshmallow ice cream, thai iced tea ice cream, and yuzu sorbet was dessert. The sorbet and I were finally reunited; I had been craving this for literally months. The marshmallow scoop was slightly sweet on its own. The thai iced tea flavor was forgettable.
41-16 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside, NY 11104
