East Village superstars Grace and Jack Lamb now have a small place next to their crown jewel (Jewel Bako), where tapas stretch across Spain through France. Creative chef Wesley Genovart follows the latest trend of working in an open kitchen, and the results are most impressive. The sleek bar and dreamy lighting are so seductive you might just feel hypnotized, but the attentive staff see to it you are kept alert, both through their elegantly-orchestrated maneuvers as well as the vivaciousness of the other guests. For eating at Degustation resembles less the current fad of grazing and more of the nuanced tasting that is becoming the hallmark of small spaces where quality is prized above quantity (be it the number of guests or size of portions). Chef Genovart has a brilliant take on traditional tapas fare, creating starters dramatically reduced in size but big on taste. It is a joy to watch him and his crew preparing for example, four tiny croquetas, which diners can observe being placed with exactitude on a long rectangular white plate. Or an innovative take on the traditional Spanish tortilla, here reduced in size and structure and resembling perhaps a tiny petit four, a wonderous tiny box of provocative and harmonious flavors. Watching the sous-chef create the tiny roast beef sandwich by first cutting out a round of bread, then later deftly stacking beef, then chopped greens atop this tiny round, you sense so much more going on around you.
Indeed, this world of gastronomy in miniature—along with a tiny, open kitchen—requires advanced tools, dexterity and grace. Should you be lucky enough to sit just where the sous chef prepares his plates, you might feel that you've proceeded to a higher plane, where the courtly world of the shining prince comes vis-à-vis with the sushi chef's visage. But these dynamics are so clearly different than at a sushi bar, and you will find many forces within this dining room competing for your attention, especially given how you and your companion sit side-by-side. Your eyes dart around here to a curious globe with alabaster seas, there a collection of wines pleasantly arranged, with the minimalist décor further afield.
The culinary knowledge imparted to the professional diner here—mixed nicely with a few glasses of wine from the excellent selection—ought to alone be worth the admission price to this temple of (dare we say?) harmonic convergence, where precision meets elegance and technique marries essence. As the meal progresses, you get the sense that the triage taking place around you is both dramatic and sedate: grapefruit wedges being broiled with a miniature blowtorch. Gorgeous head-on shrimp resting in preparation for their final arrangement. An extraordinary loin of very rare lamb artfully served aside beautiful wild mushrooms with a bright splash of green 'chlorophyll'; the very appearance of which screams organic. You almost wish to apologize for destroying this construction, its muted colors making it seem ethereal. Then there is the wonderfully prepared mackerel served with a tangy puree of fennel; then the two tiny pieces of quail with a frisée salad; and then comes an extraordinary foie gras served with those luscious grapefruit wedges and swimming in caramel water. We are continuously reminded of the sea, perhaps because of the undulating white dishes that reappear from time to time. While silver is continuously refreshed, the service never seems intrusive, merely effusive.
While all the dishes stand on their own, a pork belly with Sichuan peppercorns, long pieces of scallion, and thinly-sliced jalapeños sent us back to Sichuan, where the most clever chefs are tested on the authenticity and innovativeness of their huai gwo rou. Chef Genovart clearly excels in all these respects; you would be remiss to skip this marvelous dish. End your meal with either a cheese course or perhaps with either the lovely tarte tatin or fascinating grilled strawberries, presented as cylinders with a delightful and refreshing ginger granita with eucalyptus. For a couple embarking on a culinary journey, Degustation is your place. For a group, ensure you are sitting at the corner of the long bar so you can make eye contact with each other.