Zen & the Art of Ice Cream Flights
Dressed in his trademark hand-dyed chef’s coat and apron, Chef Roo of The Coda restaurant is an eloquent and intriguing figure. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Chef Roo is a globe trekker – a passion manifest in his culinary sensibilities, which he characterizes as, “Country global cuisine with an emphasis on French technique.”
This month, YUM! asks Chef Roo to share his thoughts on a chef’s life, eating in Buffalo, and his worldly inspirations.
Pork loin with red onion farci- Photo courtesy of The Coda's website
BRM: What is your favorite ethnic cuisine?
Chef Roo: Chinese…in particular Guangdong, where I believe the culinary motto is: I bet you won’t eat that! All parts and pieces of anything are fair game, and they love an adventurous foreigner who isn’t fazed. As the saying goes, “Eat everything with legs, except the table; and eat everything that flies, except the airplane.” Rat Snake in Garlic Hotpot with Sautéed Isinglass in Lemongrass, washed down with Cobra wine after a starter of Grilled Chicken Feet and Combs with Straw Mushrooms. Yummy!
Foie gras is foie gras is foie gras; picking out your meal from a writhing gunnysack gives you more appreciation and respect for what you’re going to eat.
BRM: Is there a popular chef that you admire?
Chef Roo: Thomas Keller, for his love of the simple taste of food; and Ferran Adria, for his willingness to push the envelope. They are both so different and yet the same in their vision. Keller tries to bring attention to the flavors with precision of technique, Adria tries to isolate the flavors by breaking them down to their simplest pieces. I try and embrace both of their philosophies at The Coda…It would help if I could get over my fear of liquid nitrogen and I had the room and the budget for a centrifuge and a thermocirculator.
BRM: What is the best thing about being a chef?
Chef Roo: Learning constantly – about yourself, about people, about food, about thermodynamics, about Zen, about business, about taste, about balance, etc. I think that accounts for the fact that chefs are regarded as temperamental…nothing is ever solid in our world. Cuisine is like alchemy, and sometimes the tried and true ends up a lump of leaden slop instead of golden deliciousness.
BRM: What is the signature dish at The Coda?
Chef Roo: The only standard menu item is the Crème Brule, and I still tinker with the recipe in hopes of reaching perfection. The signature dish is the Experimental Ice Cream Flight, it presents the greatest challenges to me as a chef, presenting unique flavor combinations and wondering: Will this freeze?
The rest of Chef Roo's provocative interview can be found in January's issue of BRM.
The Coda
350 Pennsylvania
716.362.0435
www.the-coda.com
Chef, it will be tough to find a supplier for the menu in your favorite category, at least locally. I've heard so many good things about your normal menu and hope you don't change direction before I can visit.
Ironically, while I was reading this article, a chat buddy in Shenzhen, China, in the Guangdong province messaged me on msn messenger. When I sent him Chef Roo's comments on the food there, he replied, "yeah, damn right, we eat everything!"
The creme brulee is pretty darn near perfection as is. And the ice cream flights are way, way better than any rational person could expect some of those combinations to be.
The pan-seared ostrich spleen with the lemon grass béarnaise is amazing.