#1 – ROASTED RACK OF LAMB WITH SOUTH AFRICAN FLAVORS at ANNISA

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

This year, I decided to start at the top. And the first dish on Time Out’s new list that I tasted was what they rated as the Number 1 dish of the year. It wasn’t necessarily a conscious decision (in actuality, I’m the kind of guy who likes to save the best for last). But we found ourselves down in the West Village and so we decided to give Annisa a try and see how the top dish tasted.

Annisa has recently re-opened after a fire shut them down in 2009. But Chef Anita Lo (formerly of Rickshaw Dumpling and Top Chef Masters fame) is back and stronger than ever (as was evidenced while she made her way through the dining room).

We sat at the bar and when we were faced with the menu prices, I realized this had to be a short and carefully planned meal. The tasting menu sounded like the best deal and there were a few other menu items that sounded delicious. But we were here for a specific task and to spend much more money would have been irresponsible.

So we ordered the Roasted Rack of Lamb (that was the list item) and the foie gras soup dumplings I had read so much about. And since I’m in the midst of my dumpling search, I thought this would be an investment. I’ll be posting a review of those dumplings soon.

Now, last year’s Number One dish (the Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern) had been talked about so much that it was no big surprise when TONY revealed it as their number one. I had not heard about this Lamb dish before opening the issue.

It’s at the very bottom of Annisa’s menu and probably would have been one of the last things I’d ordered. So it’s nice that Time Out forced me to try these flavors.

The lamb was presented and looked a bit different from the picture in Time Out. First off (and most importantly), we were served only two chops. The picture on the cover of my issue had three beautifully pink chops. In TONY’s defense, they mention that the dish is only “a half dozen bites,” but I felt a little cheated we didn’t get the third chop. I was also relieved to see that the meat was just a tad less pink than the photo in Time Out.

The two lamb chops were cooked to a perfect medium rare and had a great flavor, but the real flavor magic happened with the accoutrements. There was a sweet, sour tamarind chutney under the chops that gave the meat a tart brightness. Also on the plate were a few beautifully colored (albeit, lonely) carrots and a delicious casserole called a bobotie (ground lamb topped with an egg custard). This had the most exciting flavors and textures of the whole dish.

The dish here was good and clearly the work of a great culinary mind. But I wasn’t overwhelmed and certainly didn’t feel like I got a $34 experience (I even had to go next door for some ramen noodles since I was still hungry). And I hate to say this, but the flavors all reminded me of street food I’ve had around the city. One food cart I know in midtown (Trini Paki Boys) even uses a tamarind sauce on their chicken and lamb over rice. That dish fills me up and costs me under $10. But it’s not cooked by a nationally renowned chef and there’s no foie gras anywhere in the vicinity.

Would Annisa’s Roasted Rack of Lamb with South African Flavors make my Top 100 of the year? They get a 7 out of 10 because they’re a perfectly cooked duo of lamb chops that taste great and while these are surprising flavors for a fine dining restaurant, I can get them on the street for a third of the price.