China de Puebla
This restaurant is closed!
Address:
3143 Broadway (123rd St)
City:
New York, NY
Zip:
10027
Phone:
(212) 222-8666
Fax:
(212) 222-8875
Hours:
Dinner 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Sunday Brunch 11:30am to 3:30pm
Site:
Visit the restaurant site
Map:
Map
Chef:
Jason Scott Titner
Cuisine:
Mexican
2nd Cuisine:
Asian
Area:
Morningside Heights
Entree Price:
$15-20
Takeout:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Review:
Three years ago master sommelier Ian Nal and chef Jason Scott Titner first worked together at Café Mozart, attempting to turn the Upper West Side dessert favorite into a first-class restaurant – a worthy effort that ended up not being appreciated by the eatery’s management. But the pair not only hit it off, they began to discuss opening their own place – a dream now finally realized by at China de Puebla, an extremely welcome addition to the Morningside Heights area that will appeal equally to residents, Columbia students, and adventurous diners willing to travel out of their geographic comfort zone.
While fusion has become a dirty word in some food circles, Nal, the restaurant’s owner, and Titner, the executive chef, have smartly rehabilitated the concept with an eclectic menu that spans continents in unusual and mostly delicious ways. For example, delicate zucchini blossoms benefit from not just the tempura-like batter but an intoxicating filling of queso fresco and sweet corn, while crispy rounds of cornmeal-crusted calamari gain added kick from fried cherry peppers and a sweet chili sauce.
Those aren’t the only starters worth sharing; a magnificently smooth shiitake mushroom mousse, served with old-fashioned shrimp chips for dipping, and a fairly traditional guacamole are both perfect appetite-whetters. But the one appetizer you’ll want all to yourself – no matter how much you love your dining companion – is a supremely refreshing summer soup that Titner has christened green jade gazpacho, which brilliantly melds zucchini, cucumber, jicama, honeydew, coconut, and mint.
The cross-cultural pollination continues through the entrees, such as a perfectly cooked filet of codfish lightly accented by a tortilla crust, accompanied by snow peas and a napa cabbage slaw, or a surprisingly tender roasted chicken napped in a light curry sauce, accompanied by a generous portion of black sticky rice and addictive fried plantains. When we return, we hope to sample the tamarind-glazed duck breast in a cashew mole and a grilled skirt steak studded with szechuan peppercorns, two of Nal’s favorite choices from the menu.
We’ll also make sure to leave room for dessert, since Titner proves himself to be equally adept at grand finales. Even a devoted non-flan fancier like myself was momentarily converted by a heavenly coconut-and-star-anise variation, made extra-special by a chunk of homemade sesame brittle, while I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to finish every last spoonful of a silky Mexican chocolate mousse with just a dab of hibiscus syrup.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton
China de Puebla closed a few months ago much to my dismay. I guess the neighborhood wasn't ready this much fusion:-(
Belizean Bwoy
July 21, 2008, 9:04.58 pm ET
NY Times was right!
My wife and I saw many great reviews for CDP in the Times. So, we decided to give it a shot. Are we glad we did! First of all, the place is just beautiful. The food is delicious; the drinks, unique and tasty. (They've had their liquor license for quite a while in case you have their old info.) The owner and staff are friendly. Just a great gem in this area. I agree with the other reviewer. I hope this place succeeds as well. Only one way to ensure that. Give it a try. We are going again!
B Bud
March 5, 2008, 2:45.14 pm ET
A welcome addition to the neighborhood
Everything we had was delicious, especially the empanadas and the zucchini blossoms. I really hope this place succeeds
July 13, 2007, 9:33.34 pm ET