Your Kobe knock-off is only one cow away! Chefs seem to have a case of made Kobe disease lately

Art Culinaire, Fall, 2004 by Carol M. Newman

And now Chef Sugie is here, 35 floors high, with all of New York below him, a metaphor for his talents. His focus is, for now, on his particular dining room. He talks about Asiate, the architects and "creating a very comfortable space." His menu reflects the materials that form this ethereal environment. They are a natural catalyst. "I think about metal, wood, water, the changing of colors and trees. I try incorporating this in my food, using paper and bento boxes. The entire concept of color and image follows my food."

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And still, the most important things are those he considers fundamental: "I trust my staff. I want to keep them happy."

And what about him? Is Chef Sugie happy here in New York? He's tired, having worked hard to make this opening a realization. "I like it here in New York." He's quietly thinking before he repeats, "Yes, I like it. There is a different mentality to go out to eat. For New Yorkers, it is a lifestyle--they can take it very ..." He pauses again. "Seriously."

Enough said.

RELATED ARTICLE: Hay-Smoked Kobe Beef and Langoustine with Bread and Beer Soup (Serves 4)

FABIO TRABOCCHI

Chardonnay, Langhe, Piodilei

Pio Cesare

Piedmont, Italy 2001

directions

For the bread and beer soup: In a pot, add chicken stock and reduce by half. Remove from heat and set aside. In a pot over high heat, add hay; remove from heat when it begins to smoke. Transfer hay to chicken stock and submerge; cooling to room temperature. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a pot; bring to a simmer. Add bread and cream; whisk to incorporate. Remove from heat and stir in beer. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside, keeping warm. Just before serving, froth soup with a hand-held immersion blender.

For the Kobe beef: Prepare a stove-top smoker with hay. Brush grapeseed oil onto Kobe beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. In a nonstick saute pan over high heat, sear both sides of Kobe. Remove Kobe from pan and place in smoker with lid on; smoke for four to five minutes. Remove; let rest for five minutes and cut horizontally into 1/8-inch slices. Just before serving, brush slices with extra virgin olive oil and season with fleur de sel to taste. Fold slices over each other, placing seared slices inside. Set aside.

For the langoustines: In a saute pan, heat oil. Separately saute langoustine tails and claws to desired doneness. Remove meat from shells, and season with fleur de sel to taste.

To serve: Place langoustine tail in bowl and arrange slices of Kobe on top. Lay langoustine claw on Kobe and garnish with lemon thyme. Spoon soup into bowl. Garnish rim of bowl with langoustine eggs.

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ingredients

For the bread and beer soup:

1 1/2 pints chicken stock
1 handful of hay*
2 ounces white bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 ounces heavy cream
3 ounces beer
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the Kobe beef:

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
4 5-ounce Kobe strip loin steaks
1 handful of hay*
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Fleur de sel to taste