Rouge et Blanc, NYC
Chef: Matt Rojas
Cuisine: French-Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Soho
Price: $10-30 dishes, best to share
Phone: (212) 260-5757
Address: 48 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
Hours: Tues-Sun 6pm-11pm
Situated on a quiet stretch of MacDougal, Rouge et Blanc pays homage to the delicious fusion of classical French and zesty Vietnamese cuisines. Chef Matt Rojas (formerly of Eleven Madison Park, etc) creates a more tapas-style menu of quirky bites that are scrumptious and easy to share. He pairs hamachi and grapefruit with black truffles. Bone marrow with baby octopus (probably my favorite) and stir-fry noodles with lobster and pork belly (oh, HELLO!). And sommelier Thomas Cregan pairs the meal with a selection of exclusively French wines (the choices of rouge or blanc give the restaurant its name).
The interior of the restaurant is very early 20th century Saigon, or at least that’s what the website and my imagination tell me. I do believe it. The color scheme of dulled reds/yellows evokes that Oriental feel. There are carved wooden dividers between booths and paper lanterns. The seating is generally spacious, save for the corner booth,which is more suited for a romantic date than a friend dinner. In general, the restaurant is a great venue for anything from a date to a business dinner, but doesn’t cater too well to vegetarians, so you have been forewarned.
Hamachi – Grapefruit, Black Truffles, Soy Jus
Citrus hamachi is an age-old classic combo; it just works
Bone Marrow- baby octopus, pickled plum, shaved fennel
There is something very cute about baby octopus(-es?-i?) and also something delicious, especially when on top of bone marrow.
Green Papaya – whole fried shrimp, curry vinaigrette
Not my favorite dish, but was nice to have fresh papaya
Razor Clams – charred leek confit
Carabinero Prawn – preserved tomatoes, garlic, cilantro
Difficult dish to share, but decent prawn/sauce combination
Fried Brussels Sprouts – lime, garlic, soy bean crumble
We loved the crispy Brussels sprouts so much we got an extra order
Heirloom Tomatoes – lobster, mozzarella, wasabi aioli
Such an amazing small bite — just a burst of so many flavors
Grilled Quail – blue foot mushrooms, pine nut butter
Love quail, and everything is better with an egg on top.
Stir Fry Noodles – lobster, pork belly, black bean sauce, egg
Get this. That’s all I’ll say.
DESSERTS
food comas 