“Wallowing in white truffle without getting whacked – A Review of Sapori d’Ischia’s White Truffle Tasting Menu

BY SETH S.

Sapori d’Ischia
(White Truffle Tasting Menu)
55-15 37^th Avenue
Woodside, NY 718-446-1500

Mural at Sapori of Ischia

How often do you go to a restaurant nowadays and notice an item on the menu that includes truffle oil?  It’s easily one of the more popular ingredients to add complexity to dishes and for those of us who enjoy the unmistakable aroma and earthiness; it is a welcome addition to just about anything.  Truffle oil also allows us to add that special something to a dish in a far more value conscious way than ordering a dish with actual white or black truffles.  Truffles are among the most expensive items in the culinary world and some of the higher end New York City restaurants will charge hundreds of dollars to indulge in a menu with truffles in every dish.  Which is why it was so interesting to hear about the $50 prix fixe White Alba Truffle dinner at Sapori d’Ischia in Woodside, Queens.

The $50 price includes 4 delicious courses that all include the prized white truffle from Northern Italy.  Due to their position as one of – if not the leading – purveyors of truffles in New York City, Sapori d’Ischia is able to offer the delicacy at a far lower cost than you’d find anywhere else.  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to taste an ingredient that I probably would be unable to afford on most occasions, and one that I had not ever tasted before.  The fact that I have heard and read high praise of the quality of the food at the small Woodside, Queens market/restaurant led me to believe that I would thoroughly enjoy my experience and I was not disappointed.

During the day, Sapori d’Ischia is a retail Italian specialty store but at night, the store is turned into a restaurant serving superb Italian food with the highest quality ingredients. According to our waiter, the store is the leading wholesale truffle importer in the whole city, supplying the ingredient to some of the most high end Italian restaurants in Manhattan.  Sapori d’Ischia may not be located in Manhattan, but it certainly would fit in just fine based on the quality of the fresh pastas, imported cheeses and meats and superb preparation.  The restaurant is well known for their list of “Commandments”  such as  not serving tap water, butter with their bread, ice in any beverage, or cheese with any seafood, however the quality of the food makes up for these rules.

Chestnut soup

The meal began with a bowl of chestnut soup that was drizzled with an in-house made truffle honey (well actually the meal began with the waiter asking whether we wanted flat or sparkling water….no tap).  The soup was creamy and decadent and mixed perfectly with the sweet earthiness of the truffle honey.  It was a great fall/winter dish that prepared you well for the next two hearty plates.

Taglierini with white truffle, prosciutto and fontina sauce

The next dish to arrive (accompanied by the delicious aroma of the truffle) was by far my favorite, and in my opinion the perfect dish with which to serve truffles.  A fresh taglierini (a thin ribbon pasta) was tossed in a light fontina cream sauce and wrapped in a “bowl” of thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma.  Sliced white truffle was then added to the top of the pasta.   The sauce was not heavy but was loaded with the creaminess that goes perfectly with the salty and savory prosciutto di Parma. The dish is brought together with the aroma of the truffles that are perfectly paired with the other ingredients.  The texture of the pasta lets you know right away that it was made fresh for your plate.

Filet with asparagus, fingerling potatoes and shavings of white truffle

The main course was filet mignon, grilled and served with asparagus and roasted fingerling potatoes. The steak was drizzled with a rosemary Barolo wine reduction and then topped with shavings of the truffles.  The dish was flavorful and delicious; however it was a little bit upsetting that the waiter did not ask how I wanted my steak cooked. It happened to be cooked well but I would have hated to have to send it back had it arrived overcooked. Another problem with this dish is that the grilled filet and the pungency of the wine sauce were too powerful to allow the truffle to shine through. The rosemary was far too aromatic to allow the truffle’s aroma to be noticeable. It was in many ways a waste of the truffle itself, even if the dish was very tasty overall.

Poached bosc pear with French vanilla gelato drizzled with white truffle honey

Finally, the dessert was a poached Bosc pear with French vanilla gelato that was drizzled with the same truffle honey that was in the chestnut soup. It was interesting to taste the truffle in a dessert.  The vanilla and honey went very well with the tartness of the pear and the aroma of the truffle permeated every bite. It was not something that I would necessarily order again, but it was an interesting flavor combination that was like nothing I had ever tasted in a dessert.

Sapori d’Ischia is definitely out of the way for some people as it is located in a somewhat isolated location on an industrial block of Woodside, Queens.  I am also sorry to say that the truffle prix fixe dinner is no longer available this season.  Next year, keep your eye out for the news of the menu’s return and if you are interested in tasting truffles in their true form and not mixed with oil in a bottle, I would recommend heading out to Sapori d’Ischia for a unique experience.  Even if it means that you are forced to pay for the water.

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