Scenes From A Restaurant

While the streets of New York are far from quiet on a Friday night, I wasn’t quite prepared for the cacophony of pots and pans clashing, low bass thrumming, and echoes of weekend gossip that greeted me inside of Shukette. I stopped in the doorway momentarily confused as to why it felt like a curtain of fog I was unaware of had just been lifted. 

I was seated at the side of the bar, a wisp too far from the open kitchen in the center, but a perfect place for getting lost in the bartender’s rhythm. And while he barely spoke a word, the bartender’s proximity between myself and the drinks he was making connected us through an unspoken bond that I was in good hands. 

My limited view of the open kitchen meant that I could see all chefs and almost no food, but thankfully the chefs proved to be excellent entertainment. Their movements felt oddly choreographed- as grill cages of branzino came and went while flames ignited somewhere two stations down. The only dish I was able to see plated was the labneh with strawberry and harissa (something I should have ordered), yet the station chef spread it so effortlessly that I could watch just that dish being prepared for hours. 

As the chefs continued their dance, the bartender served me the frena bread and fattoush salad I ordered. The meal honestly could have ended there. Topped with sweet roasted garlic, the frena was a steaming, pillowy jewel. In the absence of any dips for the bread, I opted to add bits of the feta and sumac filled-fattoush on top of the frena for a bite that made me smile to no one in particular.

As soon as I finished my last bite of salad my server whisked my plates away. Seconds later, I was greeted with the Joojeh chicken.

For the average eater I’d wager that chicken isn’t something on the radar of foods to get excited over. It certainly wasn’t for me. Even if it’s juicy, at the end of the day it’s just chicken; I only ordered it because I wanted to make sure I ate some protein. The thing is– Shukette’s Joojeh chicken isn’t just chicken. 

When I took my first bite I actually closed my eyes for several seconds. The Joojeh chicken at Shukette is transcendent. I’m convinced that I was momentarily transported to an alternate plane of existence where unknown levels of flavor lie. Marinated in a saffron yogurt, it’s both the juiciest and crispiest piece of poultry I’ve ever tasted. It also comes with a side of toum (garlic sauce) and shatta (chili paste)- two unassuming condiments that, when paired with the chicken, changed my life. 

I ate slowly and purposefully– as if I zoned out for even one second the moment would be lost forever. 

Of course, no meal is truly complete without something sweet. So despite my uber-full stomach, I found myself asking for the dessert menu. It must have been my lucky night because the manager I was chatting with was kind enough to comp my tahini and strawberry-swirled soft serve. That’s how I found myself once again fawning over a dish in the corner while the surrounding tables’ conversations raged around me. I ate it quickly enough to give me a good brain freeze and promptly asked for the bill. 

When I left Shukette, the fog didn’t settle back in. Instead, my brain was buzzing with a newfound understanding of the ever-expanding bounds of flavor– and overflowing with a deep gratitude for unprompted acts of kindness.