Frilu

There is a saying that we should dance like nobody’s watching. This adage feels true of Frilu’s kitchen team led by Executive Chef/owner John-Vincent Troiano and Chef So Sakata.  Smoke, game and refined sauce-work figure prominently on, what might be, the only tasting menu for several kilometers. A tiny space packed with talent, the sparsely decorated nook leaves everything on the plate, with high-quality product from their own Willowolf Farm coupled with an intriguing Japanese element that feels natural.
Both meat and vegetables make memorable impressions, from hen-of-the-woods mushrooms cooked over binchotan and set in an ikura foam to grilled beef tongue with onion and anchovy puree. Indeed, this honest restaurant is one of the few places where you can watch chefs cook, plate and even wash dishes.