After international culinary employ, a tenure at highly-regarded Bessou (which previously had a presence at Time Out Market New York unrelated to this critic or review) and a stop at Saigon Social, chef Emily Yuen opened her permanent location of Lingo on Greenpoint Avenue this past April after a few of pop-up previews.
The space is bright and beachy-breezy, if somewhat cramped by what seems like an ad hoc service island at the center of the bustling back dining room. Tables are the expected no-gossip distance apart, and there’s a peaceful, L-shaped bar daintily draped in a bit of greenery up front. A glimpse of the kitchen is in-between.
Cocktails are a brief affair with some even briefer flavors. The umi martini ($17, also with vodka and theoretically plum-amplifying umeshu), does not quite assert its titular fruit, while other cocktails are indistinguishable or pronounce little more than sweetness.
An otherwise wonderful hamachi collar’s ($18) smoked cherry tare’s a bit too sweet, too, the treacly glaze cloaking the marvelously tender yellowtail beneath, each strategic flick of the fork rewarding the modicum of effort with a satisfyingly procured morsel until the bone is approaching bare, ribbons of sauce pushed aside. It’s an easy enough fix, and the coating doesn’t penetrate the fantastically executed cut itself, but the cloak is a one-note opposition to its superior vehicle.
Another app, the crispy cauliflower ($16), needs no improvement, nearly as brittle as the surface of a crème brûlée on the outside and yielding underneath, arranged on a mild, pleasant lime curry crema.
Lingo’s bird soars even higher. The spicy fried chicken ($26) is, more precisely, a whole Cornish hen, finished with a lovely golden exterior that produces a gratifying crunch when you cut deeper into its juicy flesh. It’s a terrific little clucker, its stated spice admirably hot enough to justify its title. Subject to inexpert DIY-butchery, it does tend to slide around the plate a bit beside a lightly charred lime, unfairly making the poultry appear a tad paltry, but zoomed in it’s an impressive plate.
The beef pie ($41) stuns at any range. It arrives with both a sprig of smoking rosemary and the circular bone from which marrow mingled into the dish planted in its oblong, flaky golden crown. It’s another beauty, sure, this one impressing to its seams, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts: its rich interior surpasses even its carriage with its Hokkaido-style curry’s substantial braised beef and supporting carrots, English peas and leeks.
Vitals
The Vibe: Bright and beachy-breezy, if cramped in some square feet.
The Food: Self-billed “Japanese-inspired new American” menus with impressive plates like the clucking good fried chicken and the beef pie with bone marrow and a sprig of smoking rosemary.
The Drinks: Beer and wine, plus promising cocktails with room for improvement.
Lingo is located at 27 Greenpoint Avenue. It is open Wednesday-Thursday from 5pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday from 5pm-10:30pm and Sunday from 5pm-10pm.
