Just kidding. Of course there are endless praises I can sing for Cocotte, a small, kinda hole-in-the-wall, tiny dark restaurant tucked away in Thompson St, Soho, NY. The restaurant is dimly lit and has this chic atmosphere which brings to mind those hipster eateries where only beautiful people and foodies know about. Well everyone probably knows about Cocotte because it's pretty damn amazing but anyways I digress.
The ambiance of the place like mentioned before is chic, yet antique-ish... artsy... I don't even know lol. The brick walls and the wooden bar is a nice touch - it makes the place seem intimate and cozy. The restaurant itself is also quite small, like I think it has 6-7 tables so you should make a reservation since it gets quite popping later at night. I always come here earlier though since it's quieter and let's be honest by 5:30-6pm I am already starving so why wait?
The waiters and waitresses here are also kinda hot, I'm not gonna lie. My mom's theory is they're all French models that are working part time in between gigs in the city. Lol. But yeah, in the past 3-4 times I've dined at Cocotte I have been served by really tall and good looking people. And they all have French accents or some European accents which only makes you feel all fancy hahah. Okay but jokes aside the service is great - the waiters are really well informed and they are so passionate about the food. Like if you ask them what their favorite dish is they would enthusiastically describe it to you. On my last visit to Cocotte, one of the waitresses told me she used to be a customer at Cocotte but the moment she got a job offer she was like "Yes!" and immediately took the job.
"Because the food was so good" she beamed. "The best part of my job is I get to taste everything on the menu... and it's all so good"
I would have to agree because between the last 3-4 visits to Cocotte I think my friends and I have probably tasted everything on the menu.
How? well I should probably tell you that food at Cocotte is meant to be shared. Which is awesome because that means you get to taste a bit of everything and not look like you have no table manners - ideal right? The food comes in small portions so it's normal to order 2-3 things per person and expect to share it.
We tried the recommended white peach nectar. It's kind of like a fruit juice but much thicker (almost like a watery fruit puree). The flavor of the white peach really shines through. It's so refreshing! And this particular nectar is imported from France.
First up: Foie Gras Creme Brûlée, and some caramelized onions and toast. Smooth, creamy and rich flavors. Must try.The interesting combination between the sweet brûlée-d (is that even a word?) sugar and the savory foie gras cream/custard underneath is heavenly.
Stuffed Mushrooms. It's salty but not overwhelmingly so - which I like. The little bits of pepperoni/salami adds a depth of flavor as well as texture since it's a bit crunchy. And the filling is packed with mushroom flavor. This is one of my favorites.
I really love salad so it's hard for me to find a fault in any salad. This one is really light. There is a sour punch to it as in any vinegary dressing but it's good. The beets add such a nice color to the salad leaves. The crunch of the carrots and the asparagus is also delicious but if you're not really a salad person this might not stand out to you.
Basically, salmon slathered in a light cream sauce - but in the best way possible. I hope you saved the complimentary bread to dip and dunk into this sauce hahah. The fish is cooked to a medium/medium-well and is adorned with beets and peppers which is really delicious. The subtle taste of the flaky salmon fillet is enveloped in a creamy sauce. Omg drooling. But yes I really like this dish but my friends preferred the steak (well I prefer meat to fish on any given day so that's my bias right there).
Filet with foie gras on it. Can you really go wrong? It's super rich and decadent and the sauce has sooooo much depth. It's salty and savory yet there is a lingering sweetness on the palate. The foie gras basically melts on the steak so you get a combination of creamy foie gras on a super tender steak which is drowned in an equally amazing sauce.
Cauliflower gratin - amazing, cheesy crust (so gooey yet crispy at the top) and a delightful yet not overwhelming béchamel sauce so you can still taste the cauliflower (which is hard to explain since the vegetable isn't that flavorful in itself - just trust me on this okay?)
Potato croquettes with cheese - this makes a great snack/tapas!
Duck Rillettes with caramelized onions, horseradish and toast. Recommended by the waitress. Very good flavors and texture. It's homemade in house too so you should try it!
The sear on the scallops was great there was a slight caramely crunch which is always a good thing. The presence of truffles is also always welcomed. Although I must say the taste of truffle itself is not that outstanding in this dish the scallops are cooked well and I really do love the umame / briny taste of scallops.
Sorry I totally forgot the name of this dish but it's crab wrapped in pasta and the orangey soup is a chilled gazpacho. You would think that the gazpacho would be clear but no this one is not. But it works. This dish is cold but the flavors are just as strong. This is amazingly light and the taste of crab mingling with the slight tart yet salty and velvety gazpacho is so delicious.
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Now on to my favorite part of the meal... desserts!
Apparently all the tarts are made by the owner's wife so we basically tried everything on the dessert menu. Sue me.
From top left: Matcha tart, Tart au Citron, 'Panna Cotta', Chocolate tart
This one was hands down the best tart. Dark and not cloyingly sweet smooth chocolate ganache on a crisp and buttery crust. So simple yet elegant and delicious!
As with most lemon curds, this is sweet but the tanginess balances it out. I have a sweet tooth so the sugar in this doesn't bother me that much but it might be too sweet for some people. But the flavor of the lemon really shines through.
I found this tart average... sorry! But I could only taste a hint of the green tea and although the texture was lovely and creamy since it's a matcha tart I really did expect it to pack more flavor.
I really love creamy desserts. I call this 'Panna-Cotta' because it's more like a mousse to me. When one says Panna Cotta you would usually assume that it would be more gelatinous or pudding like. This particular take is super creamy, fluffy and decadent (almost like whipped marscapone/whipped cream - but I'm not complaining because I'm all about that). The creaminess of the mousse is cut with the taste of strawberry compote, fresh strawberries and the nuttiness of caramelized pistachios. To die for! The specks of vanilla bean in any cream based dessert is also something that I love seeing so props to Cocotte for that!
Well, I hope these photos didn't overwhelm you. But since this is the first official post on anything food related I assumed that I should not hold back. This post probably covers like 85% of Cocottes menu.. you're welcome. And if you are aren't inspired to eat at Cocotte by now then it's probably my shitty writing and photography - but please don't let that hold you back because I can't tell you enough that the food here is amazing (if you don't believe me go to opentable.com or yelp and I'm sure they can back me up on this!).
Anyways hope you enjoyed this post! There's more to come! Yay!
disclaimer: I should probably proof read but I'm lazy so... excuse that too hahahahahahhahahahahha.. and yes I use the word "probably" a lot.
Cocotte
212 965 9100
110 Thompson Street.
New York, NY 10012
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