Author: Jaycee Fernandez
Pete Wells Memo Week 3
New York City College of Technology, CUNY
Department of Hospitality Management
Janet Lefler Dining Room
MEMORANDUM
To: Professor Abreu, Director of Service
From: Jaycee Fernandez, Student
Date: September 25,2019
RE: New York Times Restaurant Review
Pete wells, a renowned food critic for the New York Times, has been going around New York City to restaurants to critique them. This week, he is visiting a new Chinese restaurant called Hutong, located in Manhattan. At first glance, the restaurant looks luxurious and high end, where the inspiration is described as “Art Deco with a pinch of cocaine…[with] blue leather banquettes, beveled mirrors and chandeliers…” However, according to Pete Wells, the real skill is in the dim sum. He describes the cooking style and food as demonstrating “…discipline, precision, and technical mastery…” Pete does criticize the execution of some dishes, despite giving the restaurant an astonishing 2 stars rating. The pecking duck, for example, was “carved haphazardly with blobs of unmelted fat clinging to limp skin.” He criticizes that this poor execution of the Peking Duck was not worth the $84 menu price. Other dishes, like the Kou Shui Chicken, is described as submerged in an excellent pool of Chile oil balanced by multiple flavors.
I would not recommend this restaurant and go eat there. I know that representation is important. To see authentic cuisine being modernized and represented in a more luxurious manner is very interesting. In my opinion, Pete wells describes this restaurant in both perspectives. He analyzes each component and points out which dishes are truly worth the hype. However, I think that the price point for this location is too high and that most of the dining experience lies in what can be attributed as the atmosphere and the ambiance of luxury.
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