At Somssi, a new restaurant in New York's West Village, a playful potato creation has become the menu's standout. The labor-intensive Potato Potato Potato layers a creamy Yukon Gold purée with crisp breadcrumbs and ribbons of russet potato, fried to order and topped with caviar. The kitchen uses as much as 100 pounds of potatoes a week for the dish.
The menu's other offerings pair careful technique with unexpected combinations. Ox tongue is brined for just over 16 hours, slow-cooked with herbs and aromatics, then grilled and served with romesco and wasabi. Pork loin coated in ground shrimp becomes a crisp schnitzel, finished with sweet-and-sour plum sauce. Scallop crudo combines pressed scallops with strawberry sauce, gooseberries and peppers.
The restaurant's approach balances polished cooking and hospitality with a lighthearted spirit. Somssi's inventive menu points to how playful experimentation can keep familiar ingredients feeling new--and help shape the next generation of dining experiences.
