Some people say we eat with our eyes first, but YAO happens to be a feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds. Located in the Financial District, modern Cantonese restaurant YAO brings a uniquely fresh twist to traditional dishes.
I delved into their Jia Yan Tasting Menu with a friend, an eight-course meal for a minimum of two at $138 per person. If you have money to splurge, I can’t recommend it enough.
We started the night with Deep Fried Hokkaido Scallop, a battered scallop garnished with saffron. One thing to add straight off the bat — the dishes are absolutely stunning. I originally thought that the aesthetic presentation would hinder the taste but I’m happy to admit I was completely wrong. The deep-fried scallop was surprisingly light, and the batter provided a satisfying crunch to the chewiness of the scallop.
Next, we were served the Shikoku Bamboo Shrimp Dumpling, a singular large dumpling dyed black by ground bamboo topped with truffle shavings. A waiter poured chicken broth over our dumplings tableside, a fun experience that was appreciated given the prix fixe price. The dumpling was not the easiest to eat, however, considering the size and how slippery it was. It slid out my chopsticks more times than I would like to admit, but the combined texture of the slippery wrapper and the soft shrimp was divine.
Our third course was Gold Leaf Wrapped Fried Abalone, my personal favorite. Abalone is a Chinese delicacy and often served at important events and banquets. I’ve tried a variety of abalone over the years, but YAO’s version will never leave my mind. The abalone was fried in a thin coat of batter and then wrapped in gold leaf. The crispiness of the batter paired perfectly with the chewiness of the abalone and the tangy sauce.
The Alaskan King Crab Wensi Tofu Soup was the perfect palate cleanser after all of the oily food. Our waiter informed us the tofu was prepared using a method where the chef cut a block of tofu into 1,000 thin strands. The soup was Chinese “geng” — a thick, almost gelatinous soup. The thin strands of crab added pops of flavor to the otherwise light soup.
We were then served Grilled Angus Short Ribs, featuring fatty cuts of beef with crispy edges over asparagus. The sweet-and-salty sauce paired perfectly with the soft beef cuts that melted in my mouth.
This was followed up with another palate cleanser, which was soup with Sprout, a light chicken broth with refreshing sprouts and goji berries.
Our final dish before dessert was Longevity Noodles with Wild Octopus. The octopus was cooked sous vide, creating an incredibly tender texture. The noodles were garlicky and buttery, but felt a bit heavy at the end of such a long meal.
Finally, we were served the Dessert Duo which was — and I’m not exaggerating — life-changing. Life. Changing. Our dessert consisted of a scoop of apple sorbet topped with a sesame ball filled with red bean paste, and a fried pumpkin cake with a creamy custard filling. The apple sorbet was so refreshing.
For what you’re getting, the Jia Yan Tasting Menu is almost a steal. If you find yourself with a few extra hours and a few extra hundreds in your bank account, I’d recommend heading over to YAO and trying it yourself.
Contact Mikaylah Du at [email protected].
