By Bob Sacks
Atlantic Highlands is fast becoming a Jersey Shore culinary destination, due in no small part to the vision and efforts of Michael Krikorian, who was not content to be head chef and owner of two very good restaurants in town, and has just now opened a third. Each has a totally unique menu and style of cuisine. The highly regarded Copper Canyon, a south-western-themed eatery, and Gaslight Gastropub, with its broad selection of beers and pub food, are joined by his latest venture, Higo, best described as Asian fusion. To do one theme well is admirable; to do three different themes well, impressive.
Open only one month, the menu is still evolving, but the service and all of the offerings were polished and very well executed. The room is upscale, with high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, generously spaced tables and soothing lighting, as well as subdued noise levels – a rarity nowadays!
My guests gave a big thumbs-up to the Green Papaya Salad ($9), long slivers of papaya, dressed with lime, peanuts, chilies, mint and cilantro. Crunchy and tangy, it was a perfect opener to whet the appetite.
A large portion of Seaweed Salad ($6) served with sesame seeds and mixed greens did not break any new ground, but was light and refreshing.
From the Signature Rolls section, the impeccably fresh 1st Avenue Roll ($14), with rice paper, tuna, salmon, beets, asparagus and mango-chili sauce, was a great mix of textures and flavors.
Crab Cake ($20), fat chunks of fresh, sweet, crabmeat, with not a speck of cartilage and virtually no filler, plated with arugula, baby kale, wild greens, chili-soy dressing and topped with a poached egg, was crispy on the outside and meltingly tender within. This was one of the dishes of the night and is not to be missed!
Another memorable starter, Shrimp Dumplings ($10), in a tasty yuzu butter sauce, with sesame seeds and shitake mushrooms, got strong reviews from my guests and me. The tender dough encased plump shrimp which managed to retain just enough crunch to provide an enjoyable contrast of textures.
We liked two different chicken dishes also under the Small Plates section. Chicken Satay ($12), with scallions, sweet soy and crushed peanuts was grilled until the coating was caramelized and richly flavored, while the chicken itself was juicy and tender. Equally tasty, Crisped Chicken Bites ($11), with curry, brown rice flour, ginger and greens, was spicy, but not overly so.
Succulent, perfectly cooked, Mongolian Lamb Chops ($16) with chilis, garlic and ginger, was a great example of a few simple ingredients, flawlessly prepared, coming together in perfect harmony. Yum!
From the Large Plates section, Soy Braised Beef Short Ribs ($25), with baby bok choy, freshly mashed potatoes, ginger, carrots and sesame, was another favorite of the night. Small pieces of beef, off the bone, were well-browned and juicy.
A generous slab of Miso Glazed Salmon ($28), plated with sushi rice risotto, asparagus tips and broccoli, cooked a minute past medium rare, was quite good, but needed a bit more zip in the seasoning department.
5 Spice Roasted Chicken ($24), arrived atop wonton noodles, spinach, aspara- gus, sesame and chilis; the thick slices of white and dark meat, redolent of the spice mixture of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel and Szechuan peppercorns, was addictive.
Another well received entrée, Beef and Broccoli ($35), sliced strip steak with a soy glaze, sea salt and nicely charred broccoli, was well prepared and deeply satisfying.
The wine list is still a work in progress with a limited number of offerings at the moment; I understand it will be expanded very soon. We opted to pay corkage and opened a couple of special bottles from home. An Italian white, 2015 I Clivi Brazan, made from the Friulano grape, was leesy and rich, with enough acidity and fruit to make it an ideal companion to the appetizers. For the bigger dishes, we opened a red wine: a 2001 Spanish Rioja, Vina Ardanza Riserva, a blend of tempranillo and garnacha, which was fully mature, and just fruity enough to marry well with the beef and chicken plates.
Time for dessert; all made in-house. Matcha Green Tea Cheesecake ($8) with black sesame powder, was creamy but light; more traditional than unusual.
Chocolate Ganache ($9), a rich, bittersweet chocolate, in a pecan and almond crust, with tequila infused whipped cream was the ideal dessert to share.
Our favorite, however, was the Key Lime Pie ($8.50), with an ancho chile crust and strawberry-lime zest. This dessert was packed with an explosion of flavors. Delish!
The next time you come off the ferry in Atlantic Highlands, don’t be in such a hurry to rush off to another town for dinner. You’ll be missing a very enjoyable meal of unique Asian fusion food at Higo, right down the street!
Higo
51 First Ave.
Atlantic Highlands
732-708-9600
Higoah.com
