A Turkish-Med delight – A review of Bistrouge
BY CAROLYN ONOFREY
Bistrouge
432 East 13th Street
East Village
212-677-2200/bistrouge.com
I was excited walking into Bistrouge. It was a cozy little hole in the wall complete with a bar, a small open kitchen, exposed brick walls, and red leather banquets. The crew, including the visible kitchen staff were young, no older than 30 years old. My boyfriend and I were promptly greeted by our friendly waitress who can only be described as cute. Everything down to her lovely accent (somewhere out of the Netherlands perhaps) was charming, sweet, and sincere. She presented us with our menus, simple parchment paper on clip boards and scurried around the corner to her waitress station out of sight.
“Tender” lamb skewers at Bistrorouge - Photo by Carolyn Onofrey
The menu was comprised of mostly Turkish and Mediterranean inspired fare including Turkish beer and wine. Although not overly inspiring, the menu items sounded simple and light and so I was eager to try the tender lamb skewers ($16).
Our drinks came first, cocktails of Maker’s Mark and Carpano Antica outfitted with chunks of Japanese cut ice (large, hand-cut ice cubes), which our waitress was quick to inform us was for a colder and less watered down drink. Strong, aromatic, and sweet, the Kentucky Sunrise 2.0 ($12) was a wonderful drink to sip on and had me wishing I was sitting under the hot Kentucky sun at the horse races.
A heaping pile of arugula with red onion, diced tomato, and balsamic vinegar dressing (a steal at $3) and a plate of grilled vegetables ($4) arrived next. These items were not awe-inspiring, as I could have easily prepared them myself at home, but they were delicious nonetheless and certainly a great bargain.
Our main courses took what seemed like an eternity to come out, which puzzled me, as there were only two more parties dinning in for food and they had arrived much later than ourselves. When they did appear (the pan seared cod for him and the lamb skewers for myself), I was surprised by the size of my plate, or rather the tiny portion of lamb and the overwhelming portion of couscous. The juxtaposition painted a pretty picture, but left me wanting more. The flavors were what I had expected, a medley of simple, fresh Mediterranean flavors, with not one overpowering the next.
Excited at the prospect of the lamb, I dove in and although tasty, was overcooked, making the lamb chewy. (Now I know what took so long in the kitchen) The couscous however, chilled, and complete with currants was a delight to consume. At the end of the meal I did not leave hungry (due to the large portion of couscous), but I was still craving more of the protein that had my taste buds tingling as I read the menu and picked out my lamb.
Bistrouge was an excellent beginning to my Friday evening. Cozy and relaxing, I was completely content inside, and even on the quiet tree-lined block of the East Village where it was located, I almost forgot that I was in New York City. Will I be back to Bistrouge? Possibly. If I’m in the neighborhood and the moment is right. Bistrouge would be the perfect place to duck into with a girlfriend to nosh on some light bites.
