New Zealand. A land that is known for its purity and serenity.
You might heard of it because of all the dairy products it annually exports. You might heard of it because of the mighty rugby team All black. You might heard of it because of the great wines such as Cloudy Bay and Stonyridge. Or, you might heard of it because of Lord of the Rings, Hobbits and Narnia. But you never heard of it because of the food. Therefore, when The Musket Room got a star from the Michelin Guide only four months after its opening, honestly I was thrilled.
But, what is New Zealand cuisine, really?
Although New Zealand is one of the last lands settled by human, New Zealand has almost everything you can think of: fish and chips, kebab, Soondubu Jigae, Dimsum, Teppanyaki, risotto, butter chicken pie…etc. As migrants with different culture backgrounds gathered on this untamed land, Kiwis developed a distinct line of cuisine, shaped by both Old World traditions and Asian influences.
I think 3 adjectives best describe the New Zealand cuisine: clean, pure, powerful. Imagine sailing through the Milford sound, or stargazing at the Lake Tekapo. It is the feeling of relishing every small details and being awed by the greatness of nature. New Zealand chefs often honed their classic culinary techniques by working with the renown chefs and developed their unique ways of highlighting original flavors of ingredients. Letting ingredients shine on its own requires a careful and almost meticulous selection process. Therefore it is inevitable that the evolution leads to the dedication to local and seasonal offerings.
I went to The Musket Room with my friend from New Zealand during the Thanksgiving holiday. We arrived at around 6:15 p.m. and the place was pretty empty. After listening to the waiter’s recommendation, we decided to go for the short story, which was composed of 7 dishes. The portion was perfect for ladies. If you feel like ordering more, there were also additional options: Smoked Hudson Valley Foie and Blue Ledge Farm Middlebury blue cheese.
In terms of wine, they had a great selection of both New Zealand white and red wines. On average, a glass of wine was under 20 dollars. There were also optional wine pairing and premium wine paring, but I chose to have Cable Bay Awatere Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc instead. If you are ever confused with what to choose for New Zealand white wine, any Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region will not disappoint you.
Now, the food.
From the left, we had the servo pie croquette with smoked cheddar cheese, cauliflower tart with burgundy truffle and pork rillette with huckleberry jam and sage. My personal favorite was the cauliflower tart with burgundy truffle, because it was very light and creamy. The Pork Rillette certainly received some Asian influences–it reminded me of the Chinese braised pork.
The Ora King Salmon was a great transition before the slightly heavier main dishes. The natural sourness of green apple was very refreshing. The Ora King Salmon had a vibrant orange flesh, buttery texture and subtle and elegant umami flavors.
Honestly, when I heard dried Enoki in my dessert, I frowned. However, for all I knew, Enoki had absolutely no impact on the pungent taste of goat milk yogurt. Along with the Manuka Honey, this is the kiwi tang.
Overall, I bought into its potential. I have the confidence that if The Musket Room maintains its high quality of food and constantly innovate, The Musket Room can for sure earn an additional star. I look forward to my next visit and the Long Story!
The Musket Room
Address: 265 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012
Web: http://www.musketroom.com/
PEKO PEKO 