HB Eats: Salt & Fat for the New Year

Hi everyone!  It’s been a while since my last entry so I thought I would start out 2012 with a restaurant experience that promised to be over-the-top and delicious.  This mission brought me to SALT & FAT in Sunnyside, Queens.  It’s a charming little spot located on Queens Boulevard and 41st Street.  The chef and owner is Daniel Yi,  a Sunnyside native.  I received a preview of SALT & FAT’s inventive take on New American cuisine at the Taste of Sunnyside 2011, so I knew I was in for a real treat.

My meal started with braised pork belly tacos that were definitely my favorite dish of the night.  The pork was very tender and the flavors from the pickled onions, kimchi salsa, and queso fresco really popped together.   After the tacos, I shared the shrimp and grits and the fried chicken plates.  I loved the shrimp and bacon, but the grits were super creamy, especially when combined with the egg.  Therefore, if you don’t like creamy dishes I would skip this one.  My dining companion however loved the dish so much that he was basically licking the plate!  The fried chicken was cooked to perfection and a deep golden brown.  I preferred my chicken straight up, without the herb ranch dipping sauce, and I couldn’t get enough of the pickled daikon on the side.  That really balanced out the dish well.  

I have to emphasize that I was aiming to eat A LOT of salt and A LOT of fat on my trip, and I totally accomplished that.  Of course sometimes getting what you want can be a bit overwhelming, so it's good to know that even though the restaurant website  talks about small plates, not all small plates are created equal, and some dishes on the menu aren’t small at all!  For example, the fried chicken was half of a chicken! Our server was more than happy to help us navigate the delicious menu choices.  Hopefully next time I will save some room for dessert, because the Rice Krispies with marshmallow ice cream sounds amazing!