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PARKLIFE AL PASTOR TACO: Smokey pork belly, pineapple, green mole, flour tortilla
Michelin-starred alum Chef Scott Koshnoodi has launched a new Persian-, Texan-, and Mexican-inspired food and beverage program at Parklife Taqueria in Brooklyn. Pulling from his Persian-Texan roots (Koshnoodi fled Iran at a young age to join his family in Texas) and food science-driven techniques, Koshnoodi has created a menu that includes tastes from a variety of cultures.
"Nothing on the menu tastes as expected. All dishes include a level of umami," Koshnoodi says.
VEGETARIAN TACO: Huitlacoche panisse, Persian pistachio, June berry, radish, corn tortilla (V+GF)
Persian, Texan and Mexican cuisines are not commonly combined, but Koshnoodi says they complement each other. "From a totally biased, personal viewpoint, these flavors work because they're my flavor roots, my nostalgia," he explains. "Some unique aspects would be Iranians' use of sour notes, the various chilies used in Mexican cuisine, or the obvious use of smoke in Texas BBQ."
According to a press release about the new menu, some of Parklife's best-selling offerings include:
- Guacamole: Parklife's guacamole features a distinct umami flavor by utilizing innovative techniques like using unused/peeled citrus from the bar (oranges, lemons, and limes) and koji to ferment the citrus. The juice is then added to the guacamole, along with a homemade poblano paste featuring smoked poblano, grilled poblano, and lacto-fermented poblano.
- Carnitas Taco: For Parklife's take on carnitas tacos, pork shanks are smoked with pecan wood; then, the bones are made into a broth to create an extra-juicy effect. Next up, Koshnoodi removes the fat from the meat and mixes it with maltodextrin to create a light dusting of "snow" on the side of the pork.
- Beriyani Taco: The Lamb Beriyani Taco takes nearly three days to prepare from start to finish. The true star of the show here is the sumac glass: To create it, Koshnoodi starts by making tea with sumac berries and subsequently uses a corn derivative to give it a crisp, glassy appearance.
- 'Frito Pie': This dish is an homage to Koshnoodi’s Texas upbringing. His version features a beef and potato chili, frito adobo, escabeche, and queso chip.
Is Parklife Michelin-Quality?
"We've seen a major shift in what Michelin considers worthy of a recommendation or a star, if a diner expects an army of servers, white table clothes, cutlery, and 20-course tasting menus, then no, we aren't a Michelin experience for them," says Koshnoodi . "If they expect the food to stand out in terms of flavor, technique, and presentation…then yes, I think we hold up to that standard."
An engineer-turned-chef, Koshnoodi has extensive experience working in some of NYC's most acclaimed restaurants, including WD-50 and Aquavit.
"I take that same approach at Parklife by going those extra steps to get the right texture and/or flavor that makes the dish as good as possible," he says.
Koshnoodi and co-owner Julie Kim created Parklife Taqueria in 2017 to feed crowds leaving their Brooklyn music/comedy club, Littlefield. It's located on a quiet street in Brooklyn's buzzy Gowanus neighborhood. Parklife gets its name from the popular album by '90s Britpop band Blur, which the owners listened to on repeat while studying as civil engineering students at the University of Texas, Austin.
https://www.instagram.com/parklifebk/
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