Restaurant Yuu

Walking through the door of the Greenpoint restaurant, it’s clear you’re in for a show. Take your seat at the slick marble countertop, facing the grand blue curtain that conceals the performers (in this case, chefs) murmuring just behind it. Then, it’s showtime: the music stops, the lights dim and the curtain pulls back to reveal a line of chefs in crisp white coats, standing shoulder-to-shoulder alongside executive chef and owner Yuu Shimano. The chef teases the Japanese-French cuisine you’re about to experience, claps his hands, and everyone takes their places. 

It’s live theater of sorts, with chefs scoring proteins and presenting showstopping dishes: king crab under a wreath of impossibly thin vegetables and dill flowers and a slice of pillowy broiche topped with a mound of caviar. The pièce de résistance comes to the stage early: the famous dry-aged duck pie. Served since the restaurant’s inception, the star dish is layered with ground duck leg and foie gras and enveloped in pastry dough. It’s presented to the audience, still uncooked, only to make its grand return at the finale, burnished and golden brown. It’s savory and rich, served with a ladle of peppery cognac sauce.

Course foreshadowing happens throughout the meal, but the results don’t always land. Take the live lobster brought to the counter, bound in anticipation of tomorrow's service, we were assured. It’s introduced as part of the salad course while Shimano dismantles another crustacean, whipping its head juices for a vinaigrette that ultimately gets lost in a confusing mix of squab, truffle and greens. Despite the care taken to prepare the delicate dishes, including a guinea fowl with dollops of butternut squash and a singular Brussels sprout, much was lost in the process or was slightly unmemorable. However, the satsuma dessert with the warming sharpness of fresh ginger was a nice finale, as was the tea service we lingered on before departing the show. 

The ticket price? A steep $300 per person. If that is enough to turn up your nose, Restaurant Yuu released a more affordable $65 option for an abbreviated four-course meal at the four-seat wine bar. Because, as is true of most shows, all are welcome.