Katsuo Nagasawa’s shellfish cigars
Currently soft-open at The Custom Hotel, Deck 33 makes it official debut this Monday. The refreshing new restaurant counts Katsuo Nagasawa as its executive chef and cites the Pacific Rim as the primary influence on its cuisine. This results mostly in an Asian and French-accented selection of seafood, with stand-outs mashing up both widespread and local flavors, as demonstrated in a shellfish cigar with shrimp, scallops, yuzu peppers, green curry, mango salsa, and shiitake, or in a yellowtail crudo with avocado and a ginger-jalapeno ponzu. Take a look at some of Nagasawa’s signatures in our slide show look at Deck 33’s cooking.
Tequila with crushed orange, chipotle, and a salted rim. The cocktail has a great smoky flavor.
Shrimp and scallop with shiitake mushrooms, oba mint, yuzu pepper, mango salsa, and green curry.
With black bean salsa, fried leeks, and ruby grapefruit.
Nicoise olive tapenade, quail egg, brioche chips, tiny greens, and whole grain mustard.
With daikon, avocado, mizuna, and warm ginger jalapeno ponzu. A highlight of the menu.
Raspberry-infused gin with thyme syrup, raspberries, and lime.
Shrimp, scallop, calamari, lobster, wild mushroom, and garlic white wine. Though the ingredients sang out with freshness, we found the whole rather bland.
With mushroom ragout, rainbow swiss chard, and roasted tomato.
With mushroom ravioli, peewee potato-mushroom ragout, roasted tomato, broccolini, and truffle au jus. The ravioli topping made this dish another highlight.
