Sunday Supper
by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
May 5, 2010
Double Crown
316 Bowery
@ Bleecker St
New York, NY 10001
212-254-0350
Nonya Dinner: Sun 6 – 10 pm
Sundays. I remember feeling rather blue and nostalgic on Sundays when I lived alone in Paris after graduating from college. Parisians are big on Sunday family meals as is my own family in Taiwan (especially, Sunday Shanghainese breakfast) so it was the one day of the week I really wished some of my own family lived in the same city.
Years later, Sunday still has a strong family association for me. So, I found it very comforting when Double Crown started serving Sunday night Nonya dinners ($35 per person for five courses). The cuisine is partly inspired by Singaporean and Malaysian fare as interpreted by chefs Brad Farmerie and Chris Rendell. The menu varies every weekend depending on what’s in season and the chefs’ whims. On a recent Sunday, I was especially inspired by the mouthwatering Singapore Laksa soup that reminded me so much of typical Taiwanese dan dan noodles. Double Crown’s inventive sweetbread satay with pickled cucumber, peanut brittle and lime were delicious variations on a classic theme. The main course, grilled New York strip steak with Chinese black bean and kai lan was the perfect Sunday night comfort food, enhanced by rice with ginger-garlic relish. The real coup de coeur went to the Brussels sprouts with sweet chili glaze. The portions are also very much family style. Come hungry.
I’m not a sweets girl, as you all know, but there is something seductive about anything passionfruit that Double Crown serves. Suffice it to say, I didn’t leave a trace of the passionfruit mousseline with kaffir champagne jelly dessert.
For libation pairing, there is a $20 3-part cocktail pairing or two wines both by Moulin de Gassac, the 08 Guilhem Rouge (Syrah, Carignan, and Grenache) or the 09 Guihem Blanc (Sauvginon Blanc and Cinsault) (both $25 per bottle) as accompaniment. Or, just start with a Purple Haze Mojito ($12) made of Barcardi rum, mint, purple basil and house blend lavender lemonade, and continue with tea like we do in the East.
