Accustomed as we all are to eating steak whenever we dine in an upscale restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised when our main dish showed up and it turned out to be not beef, but fish. Better than any steak we have ever enjoyed (and we do love our steaks) the iron cast pan seared imported Dover sole was the most magnificent thing either of us has ever eaten. Served with a lemon confit-chive emulsion, and creamy fingerling potatoes, this was beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best piece of fish I have ever tasted and I doubt that I will ever eat another piece of fish that tastes anything like this ever again. The most expensive item on Chagall’s menu, Daniel explained to us that the sole was imported from the Netherlands and if you ever see Dover sole on a restaurant menu and it isn’t similarly priced, then it isn’t real Dover sole. All in all, it was absolute perfection and despite having enjoyed six appetizers, we both managed to enjoy two generous pieces of Dover sole because it was so amazingly good.
In case we weren’t already full enough, Daniel also sent us a duo of duck, which featured lovely slices of duck breast and duck pastilla, which were crunchy duck-filled cigars. Accompanied by homemade duck sauce, a saffron almond and date coulis and a remarkably good fig puree, it was a really beautiful plate that tasted just as good as it looked.
After consuming all that food, it’s hard to believe that we managed to eat dessert, but given how incredibly amazing our meal was, there was no way we weren’t going to have dessert as well. Given how tempting the entire dessert menu looked, we once again let Daniel choose for us. First up was the passion fruit mousse, something I never would have picked on my own. It was nothing short of heavenly, served in a frozen passion fruit shell and tasting like an ephemeral cloud of passion fruit. Light, creamy, fluffy and tangy, the passion fruit sat atop a small cake roll and was accompanied by a sabra-raspberry-lemon sauce and a beautiful tuile which was perfect for dipping into the mousse. Our second dessert, the thin apple tart was equally lovely, with thinly sliced apples accented by whipped cream and shot glass of caramel sauce, which instead of being typically overly sweet and sticky had a light texture and wonderful flavor. Both desserts showcased wonderful flavors with a light hand.
All in all, Chagall is a celebration of brilliantly executed food and is that rare eatery that is not just a great kosher restaurant but a great restaurant that just happens to be kosher.
Chagall is located at 330 5th Street in Park Slope and is under the supervision of the OK.
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Chagall Bistro
330 5th St., Brooklyn, NY
718-832-9777
Meat
Certified by the OK