Salt & Fat (Sunnyside, NY)

Sunnyside, NY is a 5 minute drive from Astoria or worth the 20 minute walk for this fantastic restaurant.

"Shaved" Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Cinnamon, Mandarin Oranges, Bacon Brittle 

Grilled Shrimp, Tasso Ham Broth, Beans, Roasted Red Peppers

Oxtail Terrine

It has taken me way too long to find the genius that is Salt & Fat.  This is absolutely gourmet food, fine attention to detail, high end ingredients respected properly, and getting the very most out of low end or more inexpensive ingredients, this place is special.  They seem to combine new American technique and excitement with a good amount of Asian flavors, it reminded me at times of WD-50.  Absolutely delicious, fun, exciting and affordable food!  What more can be said about a place that offers Bacon Popcorn to start the meal?  The service is very laid back and relaxed, its gourmet food, with a neighborhood feel and no pretension.

My favorite bite of the night (and perhaps one of the best bites I've ever had) was the "Shaved" Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Cinnamon, Mandarin Oranges, Bacon Brittle.  A variation of the classic at Momofuko Ko, this was absolutely perfect mix of flavors and textures.  The ingredient I was expecting to dislike the most (Cinnamon) was the one that brought all the flavors together.  The Foie absolutely melts in your mouth and is just incredible.  The Oxtail Terrine was another winner.  Super rich and beefy, with a few sweet sauces and great mushrooms.  Both those items are highly recommended.

The fried chicken was amazingly tender, as if it was sous vide, then fried, which I would not put past them.  If that was not their technique, that I'm really impressed, because it as juicy and tender as the steamed chicken I order in Chinatown.  I believe they also removed the bones from the chicken before frying, not sure how but that's what it appeared to be.  It was also a very nice portion of chicken, and paired well with the picked diakon and herb ranch.

Even the dessert was true harmony.  The Lychee panna cotta was accompanied perfectly by the Yuzu and Buttermilk sorbet.  They were cleverly placed on opposite ends of the plate, beckoning me to eat one, then the other, and not combine.  Each bit was better then the one before.  The extremely bright acidic sorbet was the perfect foil to the mellow subtle panna cotta. Both brought the flavors of the other out in a way that I was quite impressed with.

Even the complementary Probiotic Yogurt Drink they give you with your check was delicious.  I loved absolutely everything about this place and cannot wait to return!