Lil' Bistro 33: more than a lil' delicious.
On a brisk Saturday afternoon last week we were lucky enough to join some friends for brunch at Lil' Bistro 33, an inconspicuously tiny restaurant in our neighborhood that can barely contain its boundless charm. Touted as french/asian fusion, this diminutive gem serves dinner every night except Mondays (closed), and now brunch on the weekends.
The restricted hours are a reflection of the bistro's homegrown sensibility-- it feels more like you're eating in Chef Gary's living room than in a commercial operation. Indeed the chef is making his magic not more than a few feet away from you in the boxcar-shaped kitchen with a cut-out counter (for additional seating and views of the culinary feats). And magic it is: Gary and his sushi chef Jasmine are the dynamic duo behind all the creations, from inception to execution. His inspired dishes seem to begin as just a sketchy idea, to be fleshed out through experimentation and careful artisanship, finally reaching your mouth in a crescendo of flavor and invention.
The brunch menu runs the gamut from comforting favorites (french toast) to innovative tributes to true fusion cuisine (bok choy could be a good side dish to the crispy tofu). The same is true of the dinner menu, where you could be chasing a duck confit salad appetizer with some curry vegetable tempura. The sushi menu is substantial, with lots of original special rolls, but take note: its only available Thurs-Sat nights. A good time to confirm their flexible and fresh menus is when you call in for reservations (highly recommended).
This was a special treat sent to us by the chef: panko-crusted fried goat cheese with an apricot sauce... we've had this before at a previous meal here at Lil' Bistro and I can say in all honesty that its my favorite amuse buche in the world. Like a crackhead, I might rob an old lady for another fix. The stout disk of goat cheese is rich, creamy, tart, and slightly warm from being fried. The consistency is pure food magic: its got integrity (not runny) but it literally melts in your mouth. The lightly crunchy crust (never greasy) holds it all in and makes the whole experience feel so marvelously guilty.
You're looking at the Seared Sesame Tuna Salad with bacon vinaigrette. ($12) This tasted just as good as it appears: the fresh tuna slices were tender and almost buttery in texture while the sesame crust gave it perfectly nutty flavor. The dressing was the actually the scene-stealer, with its tangy bacony zest that mingled the tuna ideally with the bed of greens underneath. Real smoky chunks of bacon. Sweetened vinaigrette. Soft seared tuna. You could never go back to pancakes for brunch again.
As a side, the crispy shredded potato sticks were both a fun and yummy solution to the typical too-filling homefries fiasco. I love my potato-based sides, but most of the time the mountain of bland starch (sometimes with a few pathetic green peppers, right?) you get only weighs down the entree. For a measely $2 this clever alternative keeps it light and crunchy, like skinny little kettle chips but better.
The real stand-out on this menu of imaginative delights was the Truffled Eggs and Salmon in Puff Pastry Bowl. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and made pleasantly earthly by the truffle oil, complimenting the delicate but large chunks of salmon as god intended. The puff pastry was flaky and buttery and did its part to hold its precious cargo. I especially liked piling a little mound of the shredded crisped potato in each bite to give it a little more of a salty crunch (I'm also guilty of tucking potato chips into my tuna sandwiches sometimes, don't hate me). Amazingly, this too only sets you back $12.
Most brunches aficionados know that the meal typically includes either a less-than sanguine bloody mary or a watery mimosa. But brunches here include the option of a Tokyo Sunrise, an ingenuious concoction of chilled sake, yuzu juice, OJ, and a little grenadine for that lovely sunrise. A sublime accompaniment to such innovative and delicious cuisine.
Lil' Bistro 33, 33-04 36th Avenue, Long Island City
718.609.1367 (be sure to make reservations!)
The restricted hours are a reflection of the bistro's homegrown sensibility-- it feels more like you're eating in Chef Gary's living room than in a commercial operation. Indeed the chef is making his magic not more than a few feet away from you in the boxcar-shaped kitchen with a cut-out counter (for additional seating and views of the culinary feats). And magic it is: Gary and his sushi chef Jasmine are the dynamic duo behind all the creations, from inception to execution. His inspired dishes seem to begin as just a sketchy idea, to be fleshed out through experimentation and careful artisanship, finally reaching your mouth in a crescendo of flavor and invention.
The brunch menu runs the gamut from comforting favorites (french toast) to innovative tributes to true fusion cuisine (bok choy could be a good side dish to the crispy tofu). The same is true of the dinner menu, where you could be chasing a duck confit salad appetizer with some curry vegetable tempura. The sushi menu is substantial, with lots of original special rolls, but take note: its only available Thurs-Sat nights. A good time to confirm their flexible and fresh menus is when you call in for reservations (highly recommended).
This was a special treat sent to us by the chef: panko-crusted fried goat cheese with an apricot sauce... we've had this before at a previous meal here at Lil' Bistro and I can say in all honesty that its my favorite amuse buche in the world. Like a crackhead, I might rob an old lady for another fix. The stout disk of goat cheese is rich, creamy, tart, and slightly warm from being fried. The consistency is pure food magic: its got integrity (not runny) but it literally melts in your mouth. The lightly crunchy crust (never greasy) holds it all in and makes the whole experience feel so marvelously guilty.
You're looking at the Seared Sesame Tuna Salad with bacon vinaigrette. ($12) This tasted just as good as it appears: the fresh tuna slices were tender and almost buttery in texture while the sesame crust gave it perfectly nutty flavor. The dressing was the actually the scene-stealer, with its tangy bacony zest that mingled the tuna ideally with the bed of greens underneath. Real smoky chunks of bacon. Sweetened vinaigrette. Soft seared tuna. You could never go back to pancakes for brunch again.
As a side, the crispy shredded potato sticks were both a fun and yummy solution to the typical too-filling homefries fiasco. I love my potato-based sides, but most of the time the mountain of bland starch (sometimes with a few pathetic green peppers, right?) you get only weighs down the entree. For a measely $2 this clever alternative keeps it light and crunchy, like skinny little kettle chips but better.
The real stand-out on this menu of imaginative delights was the Truffled Eggs and Salmon in Puff Pastry Bowl. The scrambled eggs were fluffy and made pleasantly earthly by the truffle oil, complimenting the delicate but large chunks of salmon as god intended. The puff pastry was flaky and buttery and did its part to hold its precious cargo. I especially liked piling a little mound of the shredded crisped potato in each bite to give it a little more of a salty crunch (I'm also guilty of tucking potato chips into my tuna sandwiches sometimes, don't hate me). Amazingly, this too only sets you back $12.
Most brunches aficionados know that the meal typically includes either a less-than sanguine bloody mary or a watery mimosa. But brunches here include the option of a Tokyo Sunrise, an ingenuious concoction of chilled sake, yuzu juice, OJ, and a little grenadine for that lovely sunrise. A sublime accompaniment to such innovative and delicious cuisine.Lil' Bistro 33, 33-04 36th Avenue, Long Island City
718.609.1367 (be sure to make reservations!)
