Excellent restaurants are sprouting up like mushrooms everywhere in Brooklyn and Oxalis is certainly among them.
Oxalis opened its doors 12 weeks ago in Brooklyn, a step away from Prospect Park, and it’s already a hot spot for food lovers. The co-owner and chef, Nico Russel, worked at Mirazur in France, a three Michelin-starred restaurant, and then at Daniel in NYC, a two Michelin-starred restaurant, before going on his own.
It started as a series of pop-up dinners before settling in on Washington Avenue. The layout is quite surprising and well thought out, as the restaurant starts with the kitchen and ends with the bar that leads to an outdoor patio.
In the middle, the dining room serves a six-course tasting menu at a very reasonable price of $60. I was absolutely stunned by the quality and the high level of the dishes. Chef Russel mixes, blends, and combines the flavors and ingredients with subtle delicatessen. The dishes were neatly presented; it’s no doubt a work of a meticulous professional.
The tasting menu changes regularly but if you are in the mood to have an a la carte dish with a glass of wine or cocktail, you just need to push the glass door to enter the bar area. If you don’t want to be seated at the bar, you can choose the high tables and stools.
The décor is simple and uncluttered: hardwood floor, white walls with a unique mirror as décor. Lightwood for the tables and chairs, and blue fabric for the benches. The only excess they allowed themselves is the twilight on the ceiling above the bar and little candles on the tables.
Rentals are extremely high in NYC, thus not everyone can afford a lavish décor when opening a restaurant. Chef Russel and his partner kept it simple but elegant.
We started the tasting menu with two amuse-bouches: steamed beets and marjoram herbs in a bowl and crispy potatoes topped with a bay leaf and a square of seaweed nori.
For the wine, we ordered the pinot noir: vini viti vinci. It was a light Bourgogne that went well with both fish and meat. The wine list is quite limited; it’s most probably an area for improvement.
The second dish was slices of scallops with apple and radish covered with microgreens in a citrusy sauce.
With it came a crispy warm sourdough and slightly salted butter. I always love that part of the dinner and I’m never too stingy with butter!
Rutabaga topped with melted fontina val d’aosta cheese sprinkled with crushed coffee beans.
You’re puzzled? I was too, but the coffee was a great blend and did not overpower the dish at all.
Rainbow trout served with a hint of bergamot and Lovage leaves.
Roasted duck with sweet potato purée, turnips on a bed of yogurt, baste with a fig sauce.
And for dessert, a delicious caramelized white chocolate cream topped with a Meyer lemon meringue construction and spruce sheets.
Ending the fabulous dinner with a chocolate and sesame sandwich.
Both owners – Russel and Wong – are young and dynamic; I won’t be surprised to read soon about their success in magazines and newspapers. If I can give you a piece of advice, hurry to go try Oxalis before restaurant critics write about the restaurant and make the price soar!
Oxalis
791 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
📞 347-627-8298
Price range: $$$
Sunday: 5:30 – 10 pm
Monday – Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Thursday: 5:30 – 10 pm
Friday – Saturday: 5:30 – 11 pm
