Last evening we stopped in at Zasu, and were immediately reminded why Food & Wine plucked chef/owner Sue Zemanick out of obscurity a few years back. She does sophisticated, exciting food, but food that is approachable enough for my wife to love. In other words, food for everyone.
My wife is still trying to decide if she likes the space. She’s big on interiors, and notices everything. It’s impossible not to see how extensive the renovation was here. Mildly exotic, very clean, definitely modern. Beautiful, expensive materials, expertly done.
The crowd was lively. Youngish, stylish, and skewed mostly female until the place quickly filled up. I usually complain about noisy restaurants, but for some reason the conversation filling the air was not offensive. Maybe I was enjoying the food too much.
The cocktail menu was interesting, full of unusual ingredients and fun names. I was so intrigued I had a real dilemma, settling finally on one called “An Inside Job”, made of whiskey and absinthe This was a real alcohol drink, and I didn’t even offer MA a sip as I usually do. She was more inclined to just watch the bartender, and looked at him over my shoulder most of the evening, reporting how intent he was with his craft.
The arrival of Bellegarde bread on the table to MA is a harbinger of good things to come. And they came. We started with carpaccio for me and an artichoke and goat cheese agnolotti for her. Recently in Venice I had carpaccio at Harry’s Bar, and I liked this one as much or better. That one had more marbling in the beef, and was far simpler. This one had a lot more in the way of accompaniments like pickled celery, blue cheese bits, and a spicy aioli, which made it interesting to look at, and even better to eat.
MA loved her agnolotti, and saved a bite for me. It was creamy and tart from the goat cheese, and on top crispy sunchokes fried golden brown were a great contrast of texture.
Next we split a salad that was really different and very refreshing. It had shredded celery root, basil, chopped apples, and toasted hazelnuts with shaved parmesan. Crispy sunchokes stepped in again to add some crunch. The lemon vinaigrette dressing must have been there, but it was so subdued it really let the flavors of the ingredients take center stage.
The entree menu was heavy on fish, and both of us wanted the halibut. Then the waitress mentioned a special of tripletail. I settled on that. There was so much going on in this dish, and all of it great. There were fava beans and squash blossoms under a slab of perfectly crusted fish. MA had the familiar thick square of halibut with a lovely crust on it too. Underneath was another diverse medley of ingredients, including English peas, spinach, haricots verts, and spring onions.The waitress brought a spoon for the ginger-mushroom broth, which was considerable. We shared these two and couldn’t decide which we preferred. A couple close to us in our little side cove by the window also got fish dishes. These looked so good they’re on our list for next time.
MA never eats dessert, and I have gravitated to ice cream. The house offering tonight was pistachio. It was a generous two scoops for $6 with crushed pistachios on top. This was dense and creamy with a great mouthfeel and flavors that lingered. We passed on the after-dinner cordials, of which there is an extensive menu.
I have had a lot of trouble getting into Zasu thus far. Now I know why.
Zasu
127 N Carrollton Ave New Orleans 70119
504-267-3233
zasunola.com
Mon-Sat 5:30-10pm
