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It seems to be a satirical twist of fate that brought me to Hashi Sushi last Thursday night.
Let me explain: before me sat a fairly typical Latin dish, ceviche. Except this ceviche had a secret ingredient: rattlesnake.
The irony? I had spent my adolescence in the Nevada desert, part of the Southwest, a place where rattlesnake has historically been captured and eaten. In all my time there, I had never tried it – I don’t recall ever seeing a rattlesnake dish on any menu. I had to move across the country to New York City before a piping hot plate of rattlesnake would be placed before me.
I was at Hashi, the still newish Inwood eatery on Broadway at W. 213th Street, to be a judge in a competition between two of Northern Manhattan’s more acclaimed chefs. Harold Breton, the consultant at Caña y Café (W. 207th Street) who is relatively new to the Heights but has 19 years of experience and training at the French Culinary Institute under his belt, was facing off against David Nunez, the chef at Hashi Sushi who came to fame in the Heights at the now closed Hispaniola restaurant.
“It’s like having two celebrities in the same room,” said one of the servers, explaining the chaos in the kitchen the evening of the competition.
My qualifications to be a judge? I like food. I notice detail. I’m a writer who can tell the tale.
Two fellow judges were seated alongside me at the bar: Phillip Allen and Mike Martin, both fine wine distributors in Washington Heights and Inwood. The chef-to-chef face off had two parts. The winner would be decided by 1) who sold the most plates to customers that evening and 2) who the judges picked as their favorite.
We started with Chef Nunez’ menu, each of us choosing a different appetizer, entrée, and dessert. My “white truffle infused cream of asparagus soup” arrived drizzled with caramelized fennel. The combination of flavor, richness, aroma and artistry in presentation swayed me, and already I found my loyalties leaning towards Chef Nunez. Allen and Martin remained uncommitted.
Next came the entrée. We had four choices, and we decided to each choose a different dish to get more of the breadth of Chef Nunez’ cuisine. Martin seized the chance to try the “Tempura Rattlesnake,” served with beets, shaved white truffles, white sturgeon and lechee infused Japanese vinegar. I was curious about it, but stuck with our plan and ordered something different: the “Dynamite Crab Crusted Halibut” in chardonnay sauce. I knew my opportunity to brave the rattlesnake would arrive in good time.
Chef Breton’s cuisine was a seven-course tasting menu. We all started with his appetizer: the rattlesnake ceviche. My time had arrived.
All I can say about the taste of rattlesnake is this: the flavor is light and pleasant, almost sweet. The texture is smooth. The meat is soft and easily chewable. Not like chicken at all.
Martin appeared impressed by the first course, the “French pumpkin soup,” but was downright enamored by the second course, the “shrimp avocado salad with tomato caviar.” The quail, the rabbit, the lamb chop were only further fodder for Martin’s already formed decision.
The battle was on. Martin was in Chef Breton’s back pocket, and I was still reminiscing about the essence of the asparagus soup, staunchly backing Chef Nunez. It was clear the decision would come down to Allen.
In full dramatic effect, Allen waited until the bitter end to reveal his decision: Chef Nunez, who also won for most plates sold over the course of the evening.
The competition arose out of an intriguing combination of friendship and rivalry between Chef Breton and Chef Nunez. The two walked out to the formal dining room at the end of the evening for their celebratory toast. One second they were pulling punches and taking fake jabs at each other, the next second they were hugging, shaking hands and laughing heartily.
“It’s an ego thing,” said Chef Breton.
As Chef Breton explained it, everybody in the neighborhood knows each other. The two chefs knew of each other, and knew of each other’s reputations and wanted to have a competition.
My take? There must have been some behind-the-scenes, back and forth banter that sparked the competition. “So you think you’re the top chef in the hood? Prove it.” “No problem, buddy. You name the time and place.”
In fact, the chef-to-chef face off had more depth to it than a simple rivalry. Chef Nunez said he had noticed the way food is not truly appreciated at most restaurants in Washington Heights and Inwood. It’s usually about the music and the drinks. Chef Breton was one of the first chefs he noticed that was making beautiful food, and so he suggested a competition.
Chef Nunez said the idea behind having a competition is to bring diverse food to the neighborhood so people don’t have to travel all the way downtown to experience fine dining. He hopes to make regular face offs a neighborhood fixture.
The outreach for this first contest happened only by word of mouth, and even so Hashi Sushi had a much busier night than usual, said co-owner and manager Rosslinett Alten.
“I want to bring diversity to the neighborhood,” said Chef Nunez. “I need everybody.”
“Washington Heights has a space for everything.”
Even a space for rattlesnakes. Even a space for a writer and aspiring food connoisseur out of Nevada.
I may as well have brought the rattlesnake to the table myself.
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