I had heard of
Shalom Japan (310 South 4th St., Brooklyn, NY) right after it opened and finally made it there! I am very glad I did, since the experience was very tasty and well worth the trek to Brooklyn on a freezing cold Saturday night. The concept of combining Jewish and Japanese food together always sounded very interesting to me, and it was definitely as good as expected.
The interior of Shalom Japan is very simple, small, and inviting. Every table in the restaurant was taken. The drink menu was very interesting because the cocktails were a mixture of Jewish and also Japanese flavors. One of the cocktails had Manichevitz in it, while many of the others had sake in them. There was also a flight menu where you could try a flight of Japanese whiskeys, Japanese sakes or Japanese Shochus. We started with cocktails, and ended the evening with a flight of Shochus. The cocktails were of mixology quality and we are glad we tried both types of cocktail experiences. The waitress suggested we order dishes to share since the dishes were created to share amongst a table.
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| Sake Kasu Challah, Raisin Butter |
To start we ordered the Sake Kasu Challah with raisin butter, which was exceptional. The challah was the perfect texture and was lightly coated with poppy seeds. I wouldn't say I tasted any sake in the challah, but it was quite delicious. The butter was delicious and sweet and a great compliment to the challah.
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| Smoked Toro Toast, Scallion Cream Cheese |
The Smoked Toro Toast was like eating breakfast at dinner! It was just like lox with cream cheese on a bagel, but better. The toro was perfectly smoked and super fresh. I tend to prefer fish raw sushi style, so this was perfect for me. The scallion cream cheese added the oniony flavor that I love when I am enjoying lox and bagels with the works! This dish was so simple, but a total winner in all of our stomachs. Definitely a must order!
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| Tuna Tataki, Black Tahini |
The Tuna Tataki was everyone's favorite dish of the night. It was sushi grade tuna served over black tahini. I have never seen black tahini before, and it created quite the statement on the plate. The flavor was so rich and creamy and the perfect pairing with the tuna. The tahini tasted and smelled like the freshest black sesame seeds. It also had a slight soy sauce flavor mixed in to give it that Asian flair. We all wanted to lick the plate when we were done! I think that next time I may order this dish for just myself and not share it :)
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| Truffle Congee, Bay Scallops, Gobo Chips |
The Truffle Congee was grits mixed with truffle, truffle oil, scallions, scallops, and crunchy chips. This dish was very rich in the truffle flavor and every bite was oozing with flavor. There were plenty of scallops to go around, which was good for sharing. The crunchy chips added some textural interest to this dish, since otherwise it was more of a porridge consistency. We all couldn't get enough of this dish and kept putting our spoon in for more. It was quite impressive how something as simple as grits could be made so interesting and full of flavor.
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| Matzoh Ball Ramen, Foie Gras Dumpling |
The Matzoh Ball Ramen, which we were all looking forward to the most, was actually not as much of a show stopper as the other dishes. It was delicious and tasty, but it was more "blah" than the other dishes. Also, it was much harder to share in a group! There was one Matzoh ball and one dumpling to cut up and share four ways. I didn't really taste the Foie Gras either, and thought that they could have just used regular pork in the dumpling, rather than going to the extent of getting foie gras and not even tasting it. I especially liked the addition of the seaweed and the crunchy noodles to this soup to give it that Asian flair.
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| Monkfish Hot Pot, Ankimo-Miso Broth |
The Monkfish Hot Pot was everyone's least favorite dish. It was very difficult to share amongst the group. It was way too fishy in flavor, and even the miso flavored broth was getting overpowered by the fish flavor. I have always wanted to have a Hot Pot experience where raw meat and vegetables are brought to the table and cooked in the boiling hot stock. I was expecting that we would be receiving a hot pot experience based on the name of the dish, and was disappointed that it was just a normal soup broth already made.
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| Shortrib Cholent, Horseradish, Potato, Butter Beans, Barley |
The Shortrib Cholent was amazing! It was very hearty and full of flavor. The meat was extremely tender and melted in your mouth. It was mixed with potatoes, beans, and barley and was the perfect winter treat. It wasn't your standard stew which tends to have more of a bland flavor; this dish was full of flavor with the horseradish adding some spice to each bite! We all loved this dish!
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| Black Sesame Creme Brûlée |
For dessert, we split two dishes that we couldn't resist ordering. The Black Sesame Creme Brûlée was very unique because of its black sesame element. It wasn't overly sweet like normal Creme Brûlée tends to be, since the sesame flavor gave it more of a hearty peanut-y flavor. The sugary top layer was perfectly crisped and not a bite was left behind of this dessert.
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| Inside of the Black Sesame Creme Brûlée |
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Chocolate-Banana Challah Bread Pudding-
Whipped Creme Fraiche, Whiskey Caramel |
The Chocolate-Banana Challah Bread Pudding was to die for! It was extra fluffy and oozing in flavor and richness. There were tons of chocolate chips and banana pieces within the challah giving it a delicious sweet flavor! It was topped with creme fraiche and plated with whiskey caramel, which both made for great dipping sauces to this bread pudding. This dessert was amazing and gave the perfect finish to a fabulous meal.
I will definitely be returning to Shalom Japan in the future!
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