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beyond, in a new, gorgeous environ-
ment created in dramatic fashion
by Tony Chi. Take, for example, the
aforementioned fish dish of hamachi
seared with lemon and garlic, served
with a mound of eucalyptus leaves.
Yes, eucalyptus leaves. Or the pork
with cider, star anise, yellow leeks
and kohlrabi bacon puree.
Obviously, Heffernan loves strik-
ing flavors and aromas. One of his
current favorite dishes is a flan of red
peppers with crabmeat, Chinese long
beans and marjoram. He also loves
experimenting, always with a mind
to the seasons.
“As much as possible, I want to
be using things that are in season,
that are local, from an environmen-
tal standpoint and from a freshness
standpoint,” he says. “I don’t let
people have tomatoes until July
or they kind of forget where the
seasons fall.”
The seasonal menu, for Heffer-
nan, becomes even more important,
given the dynamic panorama of
Central Park across the street.
“It’s just such a special pleasure
to have that kind of view in the city,”
he says, “that I think it needs to be
reflected throughout in a seasonal
menu.”
That’s why you’ll see peppers,
eggplant, okra and late tomatoes
in early fall. Then, in what Heffernan
calls “true fall”—late October and
November—you’ll start to see
Brussels sprouts (best after a frost)
and pears.
Heffernan is an avid fisherman,
getting out sometimes a couple
of times a week, often with his two
young sons. His favorite fish is
bluefin tuna, which, should he be
lucky enough to land one, would be
prepared sashimi style with euca-
lyptus oil, not unlike the hamachi he
serves in the dining room.
With spring now upon us but a
chill still in the air, Heffernan has
a dish to recommend for guests
planning to try out South Gate right
now: a flan of butternut squash with
roasted Brussels sprouts, sage and
brown butter. And, if you’re fortu-
nate, you’ll be enjoying every melt-
ing bite while watching the branches
of Central Park turn from winter
black to the emerald green of spring.
South Gate at Jumeirah
Essex House
154 Central Park South, NYC
jumeirahessexhouse.com/southgate
Mr. K’s
570 Lexington Avenue
at 51st Street
New York City
Reservation:
212-583-1668
Carry-Out:
212-583-1618
www.mrks.com
All major
credit cards accepted
*****
Serves high quality
Chinese delights
in a spectacular
Art Deco showplace
*****
Private rooms for
up to 50 people
*****
Delivery service is
available within
selected areas
*****
