Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Matsugen

The host was late in seating us. Our 8:30 reservation was backed up to 9:15 and we were left to entertain ourselves consuming specialty cocktails (light on the hooch, not too hard on the wallet). Not to worry, Matsugen kept us content with free appetizers - spicy edamame and chicken meatballs - piquant and savory. We passed our time gossiping at the long and slender bar until we were lead to a four-top deep within the cavernous depths of the restaurant.

Four of us had set out to this shrine to soba on a blustery Friday night looking for a reprieve from the daily grind that offered a touch of class but a reasonable price tag. The class was present, clean lines and simplicity, concrete floors, and blooms piled high on the end of the sushi bar. The vast space was full (but not cluttered) with dark tables of all shapes and sizes. The lighting was dim and serene, and a group of Japanese girls chatting in the corner provided the soundtrack.

After much deliberation, we decided on an appetizer and soba each, not a bad bargain for one of Jean-George Vongerichten’s superior eateries. One of my fellow diners tried the uni in yuzu jelly, and was turned off by the texture. I got past it however and was pleased by the salty, rich flavor of the dish. The serving of silken tofu was enormous, clean tasting, and rustic. The kumomoto oysters were at their best - petite, unfettered, lush.

The giant bowls of soba-noodles arrived on wooden faux-cafeteria trays. The scent wafting from the bowl was comforting, and the broth luxuriant and rich. The noodles were cut with precision and tasted distinctly of buckwheat. They were not sloppy and bland like so many soba noodles, but earthy-sharp. I lingered over that bowl, and rebuffed the server several times when he tried to take it away. The mushrooms bobbing in my bowl provided the perfect counterpoint to the noodles and my neighbors duck was toothsome and tender. This was a dish that would have been just as comfortable sold out of a street-cart in Japan as it was in the snazzy New York dining scene.

We finished with a molten-chocolate cake, clich̩ but well executed, and were also presented with a sorbet sampler, another benefit of our late seating. Fig, pear, and plum all tasted right off the branch. The restaurant was nearly empty when we finished; a light sizzle could be heard from the tabletop grill close-by grill. I would declare this meal a victory Рagreeably long, reasonably priced and plenty of perks. A most satisfying soba experience on a cold night.

Matsugen
241 Church St, New York, NY‎
(212) 925-0202‎

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