 Any chef who walks into the Campton Place kitchen must contend with history---Birnbaum to Ogden, Manrique to Humm. Change has come again with chef Srijith Gopinath, part of the Taj Hotels regime. The dining room's luxurious booths have been reupholstered in brown leather; the heavy old-school window treatments have departed. Still, the sculpted glass flower chandelier softly lights the dining room. Chef "Sri's" bright flavors and bold stylings brighten the menu, influenced by spicing associated with hot Indian summers. But the chef shows restraint. Spicy influences drawn from his native land are tamed by French and California flavors. His light touch shines on a simple spot prawn sashimi with perilla foam and dashi. Red beets puréed with beet juice and vinegar form curd, cooled by an icy frozen goat cheese in snow form. We also like a sardine with slow cooked tomatoes but a too-gingery sorbet impairs the dish. Chef Sri cooks baby lamb just right and his lentil gâteau with squash and green garlic show off spring's finest attributes. Pastry chef Matt Tinder takes genmai cha (green tea and roasted brown rice), churns it into ice cream, then adds puffed farro for texture. Warm peaches add natural sweetness. Another flourish at the finish: spiced cherries, vanilla hazelnut sponge with cherry pit ice cream. Tinder roasts and grinds the pits into nutty bliss. Master sommelier Richard Dean (Tavern on the Green, The Mark) matches with confident pairings. |
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