Downtime causes some to lose motivation, to become a bit rusty. But not John Arslanian.
Knocked out of action for some two months by knee surgery, the chef at Fresh & Bangin’ Eatery in Lucerne had plenty of time to pore over cookbooks, flip through Food Network programs and conjure up ideal recipes.
So when the restaurant reopened yesterday with a healed-up Arslanian back behind the grill, the menu featured a few surprises. Shrimp Lumpia and pot stickers come with house made kimchi — and house made Lumpia, for that matter. There is a Mediterranean-inspired lamb gyro and a take on Broad Street’s Philly cheesesteak. Peruvian spices dress the calamari while Korean bulgogi fills out a bahn mi.
One unusual appetizer features the blandest ingredient in the world — and that’s Arslanian’s description.
Indeed yucca just feathers the palate with traces of cream and sweet grass. And frying the cowed root vegetable merely highlights the type and quality of oil involved.
Most chefs address these challenges by seasoning relentlessly or tossing yucca with more brawny ingredients. But Arslanian risks a more fundamental approach. He just fries them simply and plates with a little aioli on the side.
On their own the Fresh & Bangin’ yucca fries are an expression of textural contrast. A brittle, crisp veneer yields to a downy center that billows over the palate like fresh batter. The basic treatment offers a mild flavor — nutty caramelization over a hint of vanilla bean and cream.
Touch it to a tart aioli spiked with cilantro and garlic and the yucca fries stir. The sauce finds character huddled in the mellowed out root. Garlic unearths a rustic bite. A hint of lemon from the aioli develops into a timid sweetness on the plant. Cilantro contributes an herbal rasp.
What was pleasant and intriguing become irresistible.
“You see that in Latin American dishes,” Arslanian explained, pointing out that garlic is traditional alongside yucca. “It just comes together.”
Of course, Arslanian and fellow chef Scott Price retained some of the favorites from before the restaurant’s knee-induced closure. For example, their version of a Hawaiian classic that had become popular with regulars.
No, not poi. And no, they would never allow Spam in the kitchen.
The restaurant serves poke (and yes, it is fine by them if you bungle the pronunciation, as some of us do habitually). Cubes of fresh Ahi tuna are plush, like cashmere, with a trace of salty sweetness that is coddled sesame oil. A sprinkle of green onions provides snap, while a toss of peanuts lends some nutty, earthy weight.
What stands out, however, is a dusting of sesame seeds.
Yes, those mindless little nibs covering some bread, salads and chinese dishes, generally with little effect. Arslanian takes the time to toast the tiny seeds in olive oil — local from Chacewater — before rolling in the tuna. The result is a wonderful, lingering sensation of gentle smoke from fall leaves, a touch of scorched bread and a just a trace of bitter invective.
This lends depth to the dab of sesame oil, providing an overall earthy, smoky contrast to the plush tuna. A crunch of wonton and it becomes an amazing bite — again simple, again memorable.
“The aromas come out when the sesame seeds are toasted,” the chef pointed out. “It’s a very Hawaiian style.”
It is good to have Fresh & Bangin’ back, and in style.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
