#AKFieldNotes most recent trip was to New York where they visited one of their favorite restaurants, aska. Aska is an intimate, ten table, Scandinavian restaurant located at the edge of the Williamsburg Bridge. The space is moody with a dark interior and open kitchen to view the culinary experience. If you’re visiting during the summer, the garden at aska is a perfect place for cocktails, beer and wine. In the dining room, Swedish Chef Fredrick Berselius invites you on a culinary journey of Scandinavian flavors and techniques through a procession of courses with specialty sourced ingredients. Request the beverage pairing menu for a curated selection of wines from around the world to enhance the flavors of the food while you dine.
On May 22nd the pairing menu was an 11 course and 6 wine pairing menu that did not disappoint. The first course was a bladderwrack, a blue mussel emulsion served on black rocks. The second course was a Kohlrabi compressed with linden leaf oil and linden flower vinegar – a very refreshing course served on ice. The bladderwrack and Kohlrabi was paired with Bénédicte et Stéphane Tissot ‘BBF’ Blanc de Blancs from Crémant du Jura NV.
The third course was Maniotba made with oats and beer arranged on a bed of oats served with cultured butter. The fourth course was oysters from Dodge Cove, Maine served with green gooseberry, orpine, and oil made with juniper needle. The next course was a great surprise as two bread courses is quite unusual. The second bread course was a spice roll made with malt and spices and served with whipped pork fat with dried yarrow flower. The sixth course was white asparagus with caviar from Finland and lemon verbena and sauce from fermented white asparagus juice and whey. The oysters and asparagus were paired with the 2015 Árvay Hárslevelü from Tokaj.
The seventh course was poached hake, puree from fermented allium, 4-year-old pickled ramp, and lovage paired with the 2015 Scholium Project ‘The Sylphs’ Chardonnay from Napa Valley 2015.
The eighth course was lichen with reduced and caramelized cream, preserved pine shoot, broth from chanterelle mushroom and spruce vinegar. The lichen was paired with the 2015 Domaine Ratte Savagnin from Arbois.
The ninth course was a 120-day dry aged rib eye, pickled from rowan berries and cured in beef fat. The beef was paired with the 2016 Enderle & Moll ‘Liason’ Pinot Noir from Baden.
The last two courses were two desserts. The first being ice cream made from Birchwood with black trumpet and woodruff syrup. The second being mignardises - caramelized white chocolate, Swedish Punsch and sourdough malt powder. The desserts were paired with the 1994 Moulin Touchais Chenin Blanc from Coteaux du Layon.
From the food to the wine to the atmosphere to the service, it was an experience like no other and we at A.K. Rikk’s highly recommend you make a visit aska the next time in your in New York City.
Header photo courtesy of The New York Times.