Street Review
When Ronald Cheng takes on a new challenge I always take great interest. And such is the case with Street, a Pan Asian street food extravaganza located directly under Chinatown Greystone at the former site of Musashino.
Street is a lovely amalgam of Cheng’s favorite dishes from across China and beyond. The decor is simple yet elegant and with Arthur at the bar you know the drinks will flow smoothly.
The Scallion Pancake is great place to begin. It’s texture is the key: light and flaky but also possessing some substance. You dip it into the accompanying sauce and magical things happen on your palate. Is this worth $5. Oh yeah!!!
Then I tried the Sunomono and I was equally pleased. This famous cucumber salad was treated with all the appropriate respect in the kitchen; the result was a crisp and tangy dish that sets the stage for the bounty to come!.
The dumplings are beautifully shaped and whether they are of the soup or pan fried variety they are equally delicious. I tried both and was rewarded with two spot on examples of how to do dumplings! Let’s not forget the essential chili oil sauce that’s a requisite.
The cold noodles were another treat. You twirl them around on a fork with the daikon and carrot and dip into the soy and voila: I could picture myself on a street in Taiwan wolfing this down.
Various maki abound at Street as well. There are too many varieties to mention here but be sure to try the Street Roll with escolar, asparagus, black pepper truffle oil and much more. Mouth feel of this one if off the charts.
And yes, for the faint of heart the USA rolls, euphemisms for nothing raw, are present and good. And unlike other sushi places that always run out, there’s plenty of oh-toro on the menu at Street.
The Berkshire Pork Belly buns are fairly priced at $7 and the flavor is captivating. I think I ate the first one in two bites before my wife commanded me to slow down. They come two to an order and that’s probably a good thing. The flavor and savory texture of the pork bellies is irresistible.
Another killer dish that has emerged as perhaps my favorite is the Vietnamese Shaken Beef. The beef is marinated and possessed of such marvelous flavors that the accompanying rice and vegetables could be superfluous. But I eat them all anyway. The dish really is that good.
One final note: last time I was dining there, Ronald told the chef to make an extra dish of everything I ordered and the server presented the food to three astonished young guys. A simple impulse by Cheng: but I could see how pleased he was to have made their day. Oh yeah, and mine too!
