Dinner at NY’s No.1 Restaurant: Tatiana

Oxtails that fall off the bone not only happen on your grandmother’s stove, it happens at Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi at Lincoln Center. Brined, marinated and cooked to perfection, this three day oxtail process speaks to the attention to detail Kwame and his team offer the cuisine, and hospitality at NY’s number one restaurant. With dim yet, colorful lighting and deep brown leather seating, you’re immediately sent into an environment of comfort and sophistication. 

Historically, Afro hyphenated food has not been regarded as fine dining despite how colorful, detailed, intentional and flavorful the food is. Its origins and multilayers of spices goes against puritan ideals of what is considered “high quality”. However in 2022, the Food Institute recognizes Caribbean food as a top culinary trend to watch. It would be hard to imagine what was once considered scraps (oxtail) now going for $25 per lb not part of the fine dining experience. The rules for fine dining change through many lifetimes and we can see that definition opening up to Black cuisine in New York. 

Although Tatiana, named after Kwame’s older sister, is a fairly new restaurant, reservations are very hard to come by and for good reason. Simply put, the food is delicious, the staff is attentive and friendly, the ambiance is fabulous and the music feels like real New York. The menu options colorfully represent varieties of the Black Experience. You’ll find influences of West Africa with the Egusi Dumplings, Creole with the Andouille Sausage, Black America with Cornbread and Cod, and the Caribbean with the Braised Oxtails. 

To start I had the Hamachi Escovitch. I never had sashimi with escovitch and I am so glad this was made manifest. The Hamachi was super fresh, no gamey taste, the avocado added a creamy texture and cut some of the usually sour taste of the marinated peppers. I was indifferent toward the carrot nage but it was flavorful nonetheless. 

For my entree, of course I had the Braised Oxtails. Upon lifting one from the platted small pot, the meat fell straight off the bone. The rice & peas were fluffy and absorbed the goodness of the oxtail gravy and married the meat so well. You can taste every bit of that three day process upon the first bite as it was seasoned well.  

For dessert,  I had the Bodega Special, a cosmic brownie and powdered donut ice cream. If you know and love the Pizzareia Uno brownie, then you will definitely enjoy the cosmic brownie. It comes out hot and gooey with the sweetest and creamiest ice cream ever. I took one bite and fell in love, it’s a lot of sugar so, I highly recommend you share. 

Tatiana is a breath of fresh air in the New York City restaurant landscape for the location, menu and culture alone. Lincoln Center is the world’s leading performing art center; Afro-Caribbean and other Afro-Hyphenated experiences are part of world class art experiences and the food shouldn’t be any different. 

So looking forward to my next visit to explore more of this menu. Have you experienced Tatiana yet; what did you eat? Let me know in the comments below. 

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& Solange did the thing for Good Friday.