Annisa: Foodie Heaven

For my boyfriend's birthday we wanted to go somewhere special to celebrate, and Annisa (13 Barrow St. NY, New York) was the perfect choice! Chef Anita Lo, created a menu that is a combination of American, Asian, and French cuisine which are some of our favorites. The menu was to die for!  Annisa is an intimate, romantic, sophisticated, and quiet place. The service was impeccable down to every detail with our waiter being extremely knowledgeable and welcoming to any questions that we had. 

The menu and wine list were both reasonably priced. Bottles ranged from  as low as $40 and as high as $400. 

We decided to order the 5 course chef's tasting menu for $85 since everything on the menu sounded so good that we wanted to try a little bit of everything.  I am thrilled that they had a tasting menu because otherwise it would have been impossible to choose what to order. 

While waiting for our first course we were given bread that was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside which in my opinion is the best texture for bread. It was served with fresh, creamy butter that formed a curled shape. It was a gorgeous presentation, even though it was only butter! We were offered bread many times throughout the night, so they definitely were not stingy on the bread. My only complaint was I wish the bread was warm, and from the few times we had it, it never was. 

Foie gras treat on the house! Foie gras mousse with chives, dijon, & pickled plum in a waffle shell

At the beginning of our tasting we were given an additional course because we had mentioned that we had never been to Annisa and wanted to make sure we got to try the foie gras that we had heard so much about! We were served little waffle shells that were filled with foie gras mousse, chives, dijon, and pickle plum jelly. The foie gras was exceptional. It was creamy and extremely savory! The chives, dijon, and pickle plum jelly added to the flavor by adding a mixture of sweet and tart flavors to the mix. All in all, this was probably the best foie gras I have had in a long time, if not ever!

Black sea bass sashimi with trout roe, yuzu pearls and shiso

Our first course was the black sea bass sashimi. It was served with trout roe, yuzu pearls, and shiso. The citrus flavor from the yuzu added a nice freshness to the sashimi while the crunchy seaweed piece that sat in the center of the sashimi gave a nice contrasting salty flavor. The shiso added a minty aspect to the dish that was really invigorating.

Seared foie gras with soup dumpling and jicama

Our second course was the one I was most looking forward to since I had read reviews before going. It was seared foie gras served over a soup dumpling that was filled with jicama. Jicama is a Mexican yam or turnip that is tender, yet crisp in texture so when you bite into the soup dumpling there is a slight crunch to each bite.
The waiter suggested eating the soup dumpling by pricking it with a chopstick while it is still on a spoon and then biting into it. This was extremely helpful because the soup poured out onto the spoon and we were still able to savor the valuable soup juices left on the spoon! The crunchy seared edge of the duck foie gras really made the foie gras taste different than anything I have ever experienced. It made the foie gras even richer in flavor than normal. My boyfriend described this dish by saying "there are no words" for how good it was. As for me, it was the best soup dumpling of my life, with the added perk of the most amazing foie gras!

Grilled filet for wild striped bass with summer beans, bottarga, and charred lemon

Our third course was a grilled filet of wild striped bass served with string beans, bottarga, and charred lemon. The bass was grilled to perfection and was very tender and oozing with flavor. I personally loved this dish, but my boyfriend thought that the lemon sauce was a little too much like Caesar dressing. I love the exhilirating lemon flavor of authentic Caesar dressing, so this dish was very much for me. There were mini croutons under the bass sitting in the sauce that helped to soak up the sauce. Basically, it was a way to make sure we were able to savor every last drop of sauce. It was so good that I wanted to lick the plate, but unfortunately that isn't very lady-like :(

Long Island duck duo prepared two ways - three chillies & corn and peaches

Our fourth course was a duo of Long Island duck. The duck was prepared in two different styles and presented on opposite sides of the plate. How ingenious!
One preparation reminded me of a mole sauce, both in texture and flavor, as it was prepared with three chilies and was spicy and sweet all at once! The duck was sliced in several pieces and served over the sauce. This preparation allowed us to enjoy the true meatiness and flavor of the duck while adding some spicy flair with the very delectable sauce.
I felt that the other preparation was the loser of the two, but still very palatable. The duck was shredded like pulled pork and seasoned in Mexican style spices and put atop a corn patty or arepa and mixed with corn kernels and mango pieces. The arepa and duck gave this dish a savory taste, while the corn and mango made it much sweeter. This dish was good, but seemed like a waste to use duck in a preparation I would normally expect pulled pork to be in.

Chilled melon soup with cucumber sorbet and lemon verbena

Our fifth dish was dessert of course! We were served two different desserts to share which was a great idea so we both got to try more than one dessert. Also, since it was my boyfriend's birthday they brought one of the desserts out with a candle in it for him :)
The first dessert was chilled melon soup with cucumber sorbet. It was a mixture of honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon with cucumber sorbet sitting in the center. The soup part was sweet and sugary and much tastier than you would expect for a fruit dessert. The cucumber sorbet was unique and very "cucumbery"! Definitely a sorbet I would get again. This dish was as example of the true meaning of "fresh".

The Birthday Boy!

Poppyseed bread pudding with meyer lemon curd

Our second dessert was poppyseed bread pudding with lemon curd. It was nice and crispy on the outside, but sweet, chewy, and rich on the inside. The very cake-y texture acted as a sponge to soak up the super tart and lemony sauce! It was a very unique dessert, as it seemed like a lemon poppyseed muffin on steroids! It didn't seem as glutinous as it was because of the citrusy flavor of the lemon that toned down the butteriness of the bread.

Additional treat on the house!

At the end of the meal, we were served an additional treat on the house. Melon popsicles, candied ginger, and chocolate mint ice creamed coated in chocolate. For me, each one represented a different flavor one expects to find in a dessert: sweet, sour, and rich! What a great way to end the meal.

Annisa is definitely a place I would return to in a heartbeat because of the very comfortable ambiance, mouth watering food, and great experience! The waiter told us for future reference that we can order the foie gras dumplings by the piece at the bar. We may return for that sooner rather than later!