Betel Grand Opening
I celebrated two beautiful girls’ birthdays last night at the opening of Betel Restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village (51 Grove St., near Bleecker). The modern Asian restaurant is named “Betel” after a pepper leaf that is said to be a stimulant with medicinal properties. My dinner definitely stimulated my taste buds and I could probably use some more leaves now for the medicinal properties… but alas, that has nothing do with last night’s meal.
Betel’s owner and chef, Adam Woodfield, was head chef at Syndey’s Jimmy Liks before landing stateside and slicing up succulence for Public, here in NYC. The interior was designed by Martin Brudnizki (Le Caprice). According to a Q&A Brudnizki did with the New York Times Magazine he talked Woodfield out of his original design plan, “It can’t look like a spaceship that landed from Sydney, and that’s what they were originally thinking — their references to Sydney were just too heavy, too sleek. It would’ve been very odd for the neighborhood, and it would have become a place for bridge-and-tunnel types.” Although intrigued by a Sydney born spaceship come restaurant, I’m guessing Brudnizki was probably right, and the design does fit into the hood quite nicely.
My advice? Get a table. (I’m thinking this could prove difficult.) Enjoy the Salt & Pepper Cuttlefish with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce. Cleans your pallate with the surprising collection of flavors in the Pomellow Asparagus & Cashew Salad with Thai Basil & Chili Jam & Coconut Dressing. Next, prepare yourself for the Vietnamese Braised Wagyu Brisket with Long Leaf Cilantro Vietnamese Mint & Chile Lime Dressing. Drench a generous helping of the sticky rice with the brisket’s au jus, and don’t look back. Then, go home and eat it in your dreams as well.
I would not recommend Betel to bland food lovers or cilantro haters.
Photos below of the birthday girls with owner Adam Woodfield.
