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Get Across Town: Star chef in the making at Silks at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Written by Susan Dyer Reynolds, Northside Editor

Friday, 30 September 2005

It’s no secret that upscale hotels are often incubators for chefs with star quality, and Silks at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel is no exception – Ming Tsai was the opening chef and David Kinch did a turn there before he opened Manresa. And that star streak continues with the current chef de cuisine, Joel Huff. A California native, Huff trained under a Japanese chef in Australia, learning the finer points of Japanese cuisine and technique before taking a job as sous chef at Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental New York. At Silks, his playful approach makes presentation a delight, but it is his sense of flavors and textures and his innovative dishes that make Silks a definite dining destination. It’s no secret that I’m over tartare, but Huff’s yellowfin sashimi blew me away: two cubes of rich toro, tataki style (seared in hot oil for a matter of seconds), beside several slices of beautiful dark red yellowfin tuna with a swirl of feta foam that was actually more like savory whipped cream. He topped the tuna with an array of crisped garlic, capers and fresh ginger, adding a bit of crunch to the soft texture of the tuna. I later asked Huff what possessed him to combine whipped feta with tuna and he said it was an old recipe he learned working with one of Japan’s most famous chefs “many moons ago.” Yes, feta foam in Japan. Next came the “eggs, bacon and toast” – a steamed fresh duck egg is tempura-battered and fried just long enough to turn golden, but with the yoke still liquid. It oozes onto the plate when you cut into it, perfect for sopping up with the brioche toast. Alongside, a square of ultrafresh Hobbs suckling pig that is pressed, slow braised, and pressed again before crisping the top. The layers of crisp skin, luscious fat and succulent meat resemble a pork tiramisu. The buffalo mozzarella and tomato soup isn’t the creamy red concoction I had imagined – it’s a rich tomato consommé poured tableside over creamy basil-mozzarella flan which sits atop a slice of fried green heirloom tomato. Huff crowns the flan with a tempura ama ebi (sweet shrimp, fresh from Monterey that day) and serves it with the fried shrimp’s head on the side as an extra treat. Also stellar is the lobster and shellfish tom yum noodles – the pot arrives dramatically at the table wrapped in a parchment purse, the tips rising like paper flames at least a foot tall. The server cuts open the package to release the aromatic steam of coconut broth and shellfish. Wide delicate hand-cut rice noodles cradle a whole Maine lobster tail and claw, razor clams and mussels. Many restaurants oversteam lobster, making it tough and chewy, but Huff’s experience with seafood serves him well as the lobster at Silks is juicy and tender. If you want to end your meal with some very special coffee, you’re in the right place – Kopi Luwak, from Indonesia, is so rare that only about 500 pounds are available per year. It is very complex and smooth with unusual flavor due to the natural fermentation the coffee beans undergo. How natural? It ferments in the digestive system of the luwak, which sounds like a character from a Dr. Seuss book but is actually a cute possumlike jungle creature. Unable to digest the coffee beans, the luwak graciously deposits them on the jungle floor where locals eagerly collect them. The stomach acids and enzymes involved in this unique fermentation process produce the rarest coffee beans in the world with a price tag to match – $40 per demi cup. While the coffee may empty your wallet, the menu won’t – four courses is $75 per person, an excellent value for one of the best meals I’ve had this year. Silks at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel: 222 Sansome Street at Pine Street. Call (415) 986 2020 for more information.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 12 January 2008 )