Over the past year chefs and beverage experts dug deep to find innovative flavor combinations to dazzle their guests, or to use clever techniques to make traditional combinations seem new.
Cuisines such as Wafu-Italian, which combines techniques and flavors from Japan and Italy, emerged with dishes such as Cacio e Pepe Gyoza at PastaRamen in Montclair, N.J.
Hearty meatless options were developed, such as the maitake karaage at Money Cat in Houston, and traditional dishes such as the Tostada Ensenada at El Fish Marisqueria in New York City were presented to new audiences.
Operators let customers indulge in their craving for luxury items with dishes such as the Truffle & Iberico Rice at Asador Bastian and the Caviar Sandwich at the New York City location of Kyu.
There were cocktails inspired by breakfast cereal and others that borrowed ingredients from their restaurants’ kitchens.
Read on to see some other high points of menu innovation over the past year, but maybe grab a snack first.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
