Pearl & Ash, Pearl And Ash, Chef Richard Kuo, New American, Sommelier Patrick Cappiello, Wine Director, New York, NY, Manhattan, Nolita, Bowery, Chef, Sommelier, Wine Director, Where to eat in NYC, Best Restaurants in NYC, Best Sommelier in NYC, Where to drink, Wine List, Sommelier Recommended, Chef Recommendations, Where chefs eat, Where sommeliers drink
Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, it’s been a long and twisty road for chef Richard Kuo to open Pearl & Ash in New York’s Bowery. He got his first job when he answered a newspaper want ad and ended up working the cold salad station at a 700-seat seafood restaurant in Australia. As his career continued, the restaurants got smaller in size, but bigger in profile, joining acclaimed chefs like Wylie Dufresne at WD~50 and Paul Liebrandt at Corton. He partnered in a short-lived Nordic restaurant in Brooklyn called Frej with co-chef Fredrik Berselius. At Pearl & Ash, chef Kuo features an eclectic menu of sharable small plate dishes, with an emphasis on seafood.
Here is chef Richard Kuo’s guide to his favorite New York restaurants, shops and bars.
Chef Richard Kuo | Pearl & Ash
September 3, 2013
Nolita - New york, NY
General Information
Pearl & Ash
Nolita
New American
220 Bowery
New York, NY 10012
T: 212.837.2370
Website
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Q. Tell us about the experience you’re creating at Pearl & Ash.
A. Patrick [Cappiello], Branden [McRill] and myself all wanted to create a content-driven restaurant that is both accessible to the public as well as people in the industry. We are hoping to deliver a very high caliber food and wine program whilst maintaining a technically proficient operation within a fun casual environment.
Q. So many great choices on your menu, any dishes not to be missed?
A. I'm personally quite attached to the octopus. What I really like about that dish is its simplicity. In addition to the contrasting texture, the dish only has three components on the plate.
Chef’s NYC Recs
Find | Books
Cookbooks at Kitchen Arts & Letters
Photographs courtesy of Kitchen Arts & Letters
Kitchen Arts & Letters
I love books, so I like going up to Kitchen Arts & Letters as much as I can.
1435 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10128
T: 212.876.5550 | www.kitchenartsandletters.com
Find | Food Shops
Spices and Ingredients at Kalustyan’s
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Kalustyan's + SOS Chefs
They have a great range of exotic products and spices.
Kalustyan's | 123 Lexington Avenue | T: 212.685.3451 | www.kalustyans.com
SOS Chefs | 104 Avenue B | T: 212.505.5813 | www.sos-chefs.com
Eat | Restaurants
Octopus Balls and Noodles + Maximum Occupancy at Otafuku
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Otafuku
It's this tiny hole-in-the-wall Japanese spot and they have really great octopus balls. And it's super cheap.
236 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10003
T: 212.353.8503 | otafukunyc.com
Taqueria Lower East Side
I really like eating here. It’s super casual, fun and the food is consistently great.
198 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002
T: 212.677.3910
Malaysian food at Laut
Photograph courtesy of Laut
Laut
I think it’s totally underrated. It doesn't get nearly enough press for the food they serve here. Their roti and rendang are some of the best I've ever tasted.
15 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003
T: 212.206.8989 | lautnyc.com
Drink | Cocktails
Bartender Toby Maloney at Pouring Ribbons
Photo Credit: Troy House
Pouring Ribbons
The cocktails here are phenomenal. On top of that, I really like all of the staff that work here too!
[Get F.E.D. recommendations from Pouring Ribbons bartenders: Toby Maloney, Troy Sidle, Joaquín Simó.]
Pearl & Ash Sommelier
- Wine Director Patrick Cappiello
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Octopus
Chef Richard Kuo
