Moving on up

Natasha’s picks up where they left off

By Kathy Gunst

NEW LOCATION ON EXCHANGE STREET: home to some of the most interesting food in Portland.

Do male and female chefs cook differently? Can you tell the difference just by tasting their food? These questions arose when I recently dined with my husband at Natasha’s, a Portland restaurant where the chef and owner is a woman. The conversation began over the salad, a fabulous combination of endive, white anchovies, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, watercress, and a sweet and sour dressing. “A man never would have made this salad,” my husband proclaimed.

The feminist in me was provoked. “What are you talking about?” I demanded. “How can food be feminine or masculine?” The food critic in me was fascinated. Maybe men and women do take different approaches to cuisine. The issue was worth pondering, but not before we took another bite: this food was delicious, whatever the chef’s gender.

Natasha’s just moved to a new home, and it is beautiful. I never visited the old spot, but the current location, on Exchange Street in the Old Port (recently home to the Seaside Park Restaurant), is stunning. You enter a loft-like room with an exposed brick wall, an open ceiling with raw wood beams, and a collection of fabulous modern lighting fixtures and sconces. In the main dining room a blond-colored wooden bench wraps around one entire wall (pillows would be a welcome addition) and the tables are placed at a comfortable distance from one another. The new Natasha’s is so sleek and urban that you feel as though you could be in any major city. But there is also a relaxed, almost funky feeling that places you right back in Portland.

Chef and owner Natasha Carleton has drawn from Asian, Italian, and American influences to create an exciting menu filled with bold flavors and wonderful surprises. We began with the Nightly Dim Sum for Two. Dim Sum is a bit of a misnomer since none of the dumplings were steamed in the traditional manner. Instead, Carleton has taken that much-overrated mainstay of Chinese-American cuisine, the “Pu-Pu Platter” and elevated it to a new level of sophistication and subtlety.

A bamboo Chinese steamer tray arrived at the table overflowing with Maine Crab Rangoon — fried dumplings with a creamy crab meat filling — vegetable potstickers, and jumbo shrimp Tempura, all flavorful and perfectly deep-fried. A plate of fried endamame (soy beans) was on the side. The richness of the fried foods was balanced by a refreshing seaweed salad (Wakame and Arame), a lightly dressed salad of shredded vegetables, and two dipping sauces: a citrus-spiked soy sauce and a hot and sweet sauce topped with chopped peanuts and minced scallions. This imaginative and fresh dish was a portent of what was to come.

The Crispy Mirin Glazed Duck Breast was served with an assortment of stir fried Asian greens — cabbage, thin julienne strips of carrots, seaweed, and chunks of fresh pineapple — and sushi rice balls. The rice balls were deep fried, so they had a crunchy exterior and a soft interior. They were particularly delicious dipped into the sweet juices from the vegetables. The duck, lacquered with mirin (Japanese rice wine), was perfectly tender. Also on the plate was a mysterious log-shaped object. It turned out to be a deep-fried banana, a fabulous savory balance to the rich meat and the tender vegetables and rice. The Five Spice Pork Bowl, an oversized bowl of grilled pork strips flavored with, what I think was, Chinese Five Spice Powder was served with the same rice balls, mélange of vegetables, chopped peanuts, and a fried banana in the bottom of the bowl.

“Only a woman chef would have put that banana there,” my husband remarked. “I’ll remember that,” I replied, humoring him.

My only complaint about Natasha’s food, and it’s a small one, is that the main course dishes were just a touch too sweet. We asked for a bottle of soy sauce and found that the smallest dash of the salty essence balanced the flavors perfectly.

I kept my eye on the couple at the next table as they ordered more traditional, Western-style dishes — the linguine with summer vegetables, olives, feta cheese, garlic, and herbs; and the New York Strip steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes. They devoured their food appreciatively. Eclectic menus often lead to mixed results, but Natasha’s seems to succeed because the chef has found her own unique style, rather than trying to imitate Asian, Italian, or even American cuisine. Our meal was filled with innovative, exciting flavors and textures. What more can a diner ask for?

Better desserts is one answer. We choose the double chocolate cake with a hazelnut ganache which turned out to be glorified birthday cake with a delicious strawberry-rhubarb sauce. The other desserts: white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, crème brulee, and a strawberry-rhubarb slurry didn’t entice. A more evolved dessert list is in order.

Dessert aside, Chef Natasha Carleton is cooking some of the most interesting food in Portland these days. I don’t know if being a woman has helped her in the kitchen. But it certainly hasn’t hurt.

| home page | what's new | search | about the phoenix | feedback | Copyright © 2001 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group. All rights reserved.