Last updated on February 13, 2016
Cecil the Hotel was burnt down in 1974. Today, Cecil the restaurant lives on. On a quiet Saturday morning, we headed to harlem to get a taste of this self-proclaimed the city’s first Afro-Asian-American brasserie. I love how they decorate the place. It’s very modern, yet has a certain charm that make us feel warm. It could double as a lounge, even a club at night.
The menu is an interesting read. There are dim sum, buns, kimchi, and country breakfast. There are plenty of asian influence, no doubt. But I’m a bit confuse… I don’t know what to make of it. May be it is just like this neighborhood, a mixture of different cultures, all blend together and created something unique.
We have (from top left) OXTAIL DUMPLING, Pastry Board, SALMON FRITTERS, and SPICY CRISPY SQUID. Oxtail dumpling is a must have. Perfectly cooked, thin dumpling skin wrapping up a tasty, meaty little pockets. The oxtail dumplings come in a thick curry sauce. The curry could use some more spice, but I am happy as is. Crispy squid is more or less just calamari. Crunch, crunch, crunch!
HERITAGE POACHED EGGS 16
– chicken Sausage, Collards, Red Curry Holandaise
Look at how fluffy that egg is. This might be the best egg of the day. The dish overall is a little too salty.
ROTI PIZZA 15
– oxtail, Aged Cheddar, Fried Egg
Oxtail flatbread! Good flavor, but I felt that the oxtail is too finely chopped, hard to get a solid bite of the meat. And the fried eggs, I would love for it to be running. While the pizza is very crispy on outside, it was kind of soggy in the center… good plate, needs improvement.
BRISKET & EGGS 18
– fried Rice, Duck Egg, Hoisin
Duck egg is nicely poached, the brisket was way too fat… even fatter than pork belly……
SMOTHERED CHICKEN & GRITS 19
– boneless Chicken Thigh, Okra, Tomatoes
Our favorite dish of the day! Very tasty chicken. The tomato sauce lighten up the grits. Love it.
It was a decent brunch. Very comforting, but hard to tell where the “Afro” influence is from breakfast. Oh, there is a unlimited pineapple mimosa (90 minutes) for $18 during brunch hours. So, YES please!
Esquire named The Cecil the best new restaurant in America last year. I think we will need to come for dinner to get a true taste of Cecil. I can totally imagine a live jazz band here at night, jamming it out with comfort food. It would be quite a party. (June, 2015)
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