Mettā [closed]

In Food & Beverages, New York July 19, 2017

We know that vegetables are better for you than Twinkies. We’ve heard about Superfoods and how blueberries provide more benefits than apples. What happens when you explore this concept further and create a menu using food’s natural healing and medicinal properties that also taste great?

Mettā is a newer restaurant in Brooklyn that does just that. The name Mettā refers to the Buddhist principles of loving-kindness, friendliness, good will and removing any negative ill will toward others.

The restaurant also leaves a small carbon footprint and composts all food waste. There is no electric or gas stove so everything is made using fire. The restaurant was pretty dark, mostly lit by candles. I tried to turn on the bathroom light and the candle was the light.

Mettā’s partner and chef, Norberto Piattoni, worked for Francis Mallmann’s Restaurant Garzón in Uruguay for four years which means he is as good at cooking with fire as it gets.

I never like to be that last table in the restaurant that keeps everyone from going home. Our server is actually the one who informed us of the Metta principles, the cooking techniques and the food medicinal properties. She was friendly, relaxed and made us feel welcome by telling us to take our time.

Mettā had me thinking about the infinite combinations of healing foods and how healing foods that taste good are not known to the masses where it’s made to be pleasurable to the palate. In other words, food from health stores, groceries and healthy restaurants have always tasted to me like ground vitamins and dirt.

If Mettā wasn’t my second dinner of the night, I would’ve ordered the entire menu.

Porgy Crudo, Charred Presered Ramps, Aji Dulce ($15)

Freekeh Risotto, Mushrooms ($22) Contains five medicinal mushrooms

Lamb, Lettuce, Pickled Vegetables, Chili ($9)

This dessert read on the menu as a chocolate dessert, but when it came out, it was covered in a layer of green ice. The ice was made of wild herbs that were broken down into liquid and turned into a granita.

Smoked Chocolate, Reishi Crumble, Wild Herbs ($8)

Reishi mushrooms help defend against tumor growth and cancer. They improve liver function and detoxification. Reishi mushrooms also balance hormones, promote heart health, fight allergies and asthma. Well guess what? The crumble topping that you see in the photo contains dehydrated reishi mushrooms. 😮 It tasted like any good pastry crumb topping to me. Mixed in with the creamy, smoky rich chocolate, this dish tasted like a chocolate ice cream and crumb topping with refreshing, bright-flavored ice.