The word "fusion" is overused
in food writing and employed, sometimes with disastrous effects,
by chefs. But for the last couple of years, fusion had been leaving
diners’ vocabularies as kitchen professionals took global ingredient
mixing as a natural evolution in their cooking and stopped using
the fusion label.
Then along came Chance on Smith Street, the third Brooklyn restaurant
of owner Ken Li, whose other eateries are Yamato (Park Slope)
and Osaka (Cobble Hill). Opened in August, Chance’s name – and
menu – are a fusion of ingredients from Ch(ina) and (Fr)ance.
The word and concept seemed like a throwback. Add a decor that
looks chilly from the outside, and I doubted Chance had one.
After a slow start and change of executive chefs, Chance is catching
on. Much of its success can be attributed to the new man in the
kitchen, Kfir Ben-Ari, who trained in Lyon, France before working
at Manhattan’s Daniel. Ben-Ari revamped the menu, blending the
two cuisines subtly – think of a chic Asian woman wearing French
perfume. His dishes are light, intensely flavored and simply
elegant on the plate.
Get past the tinted-glass exterior, and the room leans to the
East with a gray, black and crimson color scheme, and a sleek
bar illuminated with red lanterns. Behind the bar, where a fish
tank would have stood 20 years ago, is a "bubble wall"
that resembles a gurgling undersea disco. The room is more polished
than some of the homey bistros along Smith Street, but there’s
a sense of irony to the furnishings that makes the interior playful,
not cold.
Chance offers diners dim sum in two combinations: the ocean box
or the land box. We chose the ocean box of plump dumplings filled
with savory mixtures of sweet shrimp; tangy and garlicky chopped
lobster meat; and a blend of sea bass sweetened with carrots
and deepened with an herbal note of sage. Each dumpling was tender
and steaming hot.
Our waiter, a funny guy with hip black glasses and hair like
"American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken, recommended the
seared foie gras appetizer.
"It’s one of the best things on the menu," he said.
It was.
The wine-enhanced wedge was crackling crisp on the exterior,
like a slice of warm butter within. It sat beside a caramelized
pear, sliced and fanned like a flower. Both pieces were napped
with a Zinfandel sauce enhanced with Chinese five-spice powder
that cut the richness of the liver and added a smoky note.
An entree, the unfortunately named "Miss Piggy," featured
a pork shank, its meat falling off the chunky bone. Around the
shank was a mound of wild mushrooms, scented with garlic, that
turned every bite into a woodsy, autumnal feast.
A special black sea bass was a heart-thumper. Ben-Ari bakes the
fish so that its dense flesh yields to a fork in moist slices.
Instead of masking the fish’s flavor with an intense sauce, he
drizzled it with melted butter that made the delicate pieces
dizzyingly rich. He curls the fillets around red cabbage, cooked
down to an aromatic sweetness, then adds a mound of perfectly
cooked jasmine rice.
Desserts follow the same inspired crossbreeding. Housemade ice
cream sounds commonplace, but two ice creams joined by a sorbet
were superb. One, a vanilla like rich custard, gave a one-two
punch to the palate – first a hit of clean vanilla followed by
a whisper of lemongrass. A denser mixture of bitter chocolate
was flavored with Chinese five-spice powder that left delicate
notes of cinnamon and cloves and the heat of black pepper on
the tongue. Icy sorbet played the perfume of star anise against
the nuttiness of coconut.
Compared to the ice cream, the moist, bittersweet chocolate souffle
with strawberry compote seemed safe.
Get past the restaurant’s slick exterior and walk through the
door. This Chance is a risk worth taking.
Chance (223 Smith St. at Butler Street
in Boerum Hill) accepts American Express, MasterCard and Visa.
Entrees: $12-$20. Closed Mondays. Dim Sum brunch is served from
10 am until closing on Saturdays and Sundays. For reservations,
call (718) 242-1515.
