For our first course we had the Hamachi ($15) served with avocado and orange zest in a wasabi citrus sauce. This colorful dish of raw yellowtail tuna was served ice cold and the wasabi citrus sauce had a real kick to it. It was a great start!
For my entree I went with the Vieras con Huitlacoche ($25) grilled sea scallops served with a huitlacoche valencia rice with a crabmeat corn salad and a truffle pablano sauce. Huitlacoche, known as the mexican corn truffle, is a gray fungus that sometimes grows between the corn and the husk. Also referred to as corn smut, it is a mexican delicacy and it was absolutely delicious!
My cousin went with the Churrasco Tejada ($29) grilled beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, diced spanish onions, pork belly and cabrales fondue. God there was so much happening in this dish and all of it's components worked really well! The buttery fatty rich flavor of the pork belly complimented the tenderloin like nobody's business!! Then of course the cabrales fondue added it's own statement of creamy deliciousness. Cabrales is a cheese that is produced in the north of Spain, which is similar to Gorgonzola or Roquefort. It was the perfect touch to add to this flawlessly executed dish!
I have had dinner at Rayuela on numerous occasions and it is never a disappointment. Not only is the food consistent on each and every visit, the service is always very on point. The staff is well versed on the menu and extremely friendly taking that extra step to make sure that our experience was a good one. They even let my crazy cousin charge his phone behind the bar.
I love you Renzo!!!!!!!
Rayuela
165 Allen Street
New York, NY 10002
212.253.8840
http://www.rayuelanyc.com/
I just ate there Friday 1/28/11 and was really disappointed. Had the restaurant week pre-fixe. Started with crepes filed with strong stinky cheese with peas and beets. The cheese was so miss-matched with the rest of the plate that I couldn't even get past the 1st bite (very strange behavior for a stinky cheese junkie like myself). The next course was a skirt steak topped with a rancid nut puree. The flan for dessert was nice, but I was so starved for real food I couldn't eat much of it. The waiter we had was one of the most unattentive I've had in ages. He hadn't delivered any of the food or drinks and not once stopped by after a plate was placed to ask if we needed anything. Even after I sent the first course back with two bites taken (my chef friend that was dining with me had to try it and agreed it was not a thoughtful plate) he was a no-show. I hear wonderful things about this place, but you won't be seeing me back there again.
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