HudsonRW: Sabores

RER 8.2.13

It was a double date for Hudson Restaurant Week, and we were headed to a place that none of us had ever gone too, so we were excited to try out Sabores for their $30 prix fixe.

RER 8.2.13

Amuse Bouche

Guacamole

The plate of bold green guacamole came decorated with a few colorful tortilla chips and hot red peppers, almost as if they were an indicator. It initially seemed like a lot of guacamole, almost too much for the number of mildly stale colorful chips, but in the end it was devoured. The guacamole was very spicy and flavorful, drowning out the stale after moment of the chips. It was creamy and just enough to hold us over for the coming dishes.

RER 8.2.13

First

Ensalada de Sandia

Watermelon, papaya, tomatillo and cucumber salad

This watermelon salad sounded light and refreshing, delicious and different, but we all ignored something in the item description, the orange-mezcal vinaigrette. And I wish I hadn’t. The appetizer would have been all of those things I wished for, if it hadn’t been for the smokiness of the mezcal that plagued the fresh fruit. It made everything taste like tar and thick, just my palate found it less than appetizing.

RER 8.2.13

Quinoa

The quinoa starter was alive with vegetables and encircled with a cilantro jalapeno salsa, but this too was spicy. The quinoa grains were smaller and wetter than I was used to, and the serving was just a sampling, but it was pretty good, hearty and a nice start.

RER 8.2.13

Gazpacho de Nopal

Unlike the gazpacho I am used to, this appetizer was green and served in a fancy drink glass. The summer soup was made with cactus, tomatillo cucumber, bell peppers and a beautiful dash of color, with the cherry tomato. The surface of the thick cold soup was dotted with oil and two halves of cherry tomatoes. It was pretty to look at, but thick and viscous, kind of salty in a soy sauce kind of way, but definitely edible.

Second

Pescado

Fish tacos

Now the fish tacos were not a part of the prix fixe menu, but they were absolutely delicious. The ratios were just right; a thick piece of seasoned and lightly fried fish nestled in double corn tortillas, topped with a bright pico de gallo. The flavors married well, the spicy, and sweet, and the almost dry tortilla.

RER 8.2.13

Lomo de Cerdo

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Two of our party got the lomo, and unfortunately that was a moment where we saw inconsistency in the pretty new restaurant. One of the thin pieces of pork was far more well done than the other, resulting in a completely different experience. The sweet potato puree and honey chipotle glaze played to the affinity pork has for sweetness, adding moisture and texture, while the seasonal veggies almost blended in with the other elements, colorful but forgettable.

RER 8.2.13

Costillas en cacao

Short ribs

The plump piece of  short rib sat on a little bed of mashed potatoes and was surrounded by a dark meaty cacao demi glaze, and nestled by a  patch of dressed salad greens. The meat was super tender, decadent and delicious, everything you really want in the texture of a short rib, though the flavor was kind of muted, and dulled further by the dense, startchy potatoes. The greens not only made the plate look more balanced, but it lightened the dish, and added a little brightness.

RER 8.2.13

Third

Nieve de Horchata

Horchata sorbet with spicy pecans

The rice milk based drink, Horchata, was transformed into an icy and almost watery sorbet, encapsulating spicy cinnamon and warmth. The flavor was really nice of the sorbet, arousing almost contradicting memories of spicy fall and refreshing summer. It was super light, but the texture was a little chalky, and almost dense, missing a smoothness to unite the taste.

RER 8.2.13

Natilla de Maracuya

Passion fruit crème brulee

This crème brulee looked like any other, yellowish custard in a ramekin, browned and crisp on the top, and even the decorative strawberries recalled other crème brulees. This time, however, the smooth and creamy custard was infused with tangy sweet passion fruit. There were no pieces of the fruit throughout the custard, which maintained the expected texture, with the surprising flavor.

RER 8.2.13

Overall, there were delicious moments to our dinner, mainly with our mains. The portions were not too large which made three courses easier, but in the end it may not have been enough. The service was a little slow, especially in getting the bill and paying (oddly enough), and the atmosphere got to be a little draining with loud music and bad acoustics. I would go again, but maybe on taco Tuesday.

RER

8.2.13

RER 8.2.13