I recently raved about some sushi at Shiro’s, but that wasn’t my only taste of wasabi that week. I was pleasantly surprised to experience some nasal hit in a couple of the dishes I ate at Sip, which just opened an outpost in downtown Seattle. For our second appetizer (after figs and pigs, which were wonderfully smoky), my dining partner and I enjoyed ahi poke, spiked with wasabi aioli and served with plantain chips. Sticking with the wasabi theme, black cod was her choice of entrée, as it came with edamame wasabi mash (along with cilantro oil, herb daikon slaw, fried shallots and sweet chili butter). A native of Japan, she enjoyed the red miso marinade, and we were both delighted that the wasabi packed more punch than usual.

As good as the Japanese-influenced dishes were, my favorite bite was a Uruguayan-inspired flat iron “chivito.” (I enjoyed this while listening to the seductive sounds of the Belgian-born band Hooverphonic.) In Argentina, chivito (the diminutive of chivo, meaning goat) is grilled, young kid goat, whereas the Uruguayan spin of it is a beef sandwich, often with egg, and served with fries. At Sip, Chef Cody Reaves puts his own spin on the dish. The steak was natural Angus beef, tender and tasty, bolstered by black olive oil and piquillo pepper aioli. Underneath, some sage garlic frites stayed crispy while absorbing the beefy goodness. A little watercress on the side freshened the dish up. And on top, a dreamy duck egg. I’ve said it before: Everything’s better with an egg.

Song on This Month’s Menu
“Steaks ‘n Shrimp” by Uncle Kracker

Before mellowing out and into the Top 40, Kid Rock’s offspring Uncle Kracker was a raunchy rap-rock artist. This is not Dish-Off’s preferred genre, but the Michigan native’s explicative-filled “Steaks ‘n Shrimp” from his debut Double Wide serves this challenge well. How will two chefs from traditional restaurants interpret lyrics that end, “I’m all about today and I’m a die that way…bitch”?

El Gaucho: Grilled certified Angus beef filet with lobster medallions and Béarnaise sauce

For Cain, ”Steaks ‘n Shrimp” is all about getting rich, making it to the top and then enjoying the good life. (His “Bitches and Prawns” course is spiced with attitude, while his salad is “all about the green.” ) With his booming laugh, Cain explains “I need to get across the fact that this is as good as it gets”—which means preparing a dish with simply the best ingredients for good eating. His “Top Dog Status” plate features El Gaucho’s best aged steak adorned with over-the-top lobster medallions. Add in a rich Béarnaise sauce and some of the fluffiest mashed potatoes that I’ve ever had, and I’m certainly feeling like the top dog.

Frank’s Oyster House: Lobster-poached Gulf prawns on cauliflower-potato puree with gingered veal demi-glace

Penn mentions the misogynistic tone of the song but also senses some old school in it, which suits his cooking style. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” he explains, preferring to pay homage to the classics in a timeless fashion. Penn serves up steak tartare and aspic (bay shrimp-tomato) as part of the meal, but the most exciting offering is lobster-poached Gulf prawns complemented by classic French ingredients: cauliflower, potato and veal. This dish is decadent, with the lobster and butter infusing the shrimp, and the ginger in the veal demi-glace further boosting the flavor. I close my eyes and imagine myself like Uncle Kracker: “I do big plates eight times a day…The crew be livin’ large at the seafood bay.”

All photos in the post by Rina Jordan. (Click to enlarge them.)

Note: Dish-Off reviews are based on announced visits. Restaurants get guidelines and choose what to serve according to the month’s song.

Further note: As mentioned in the previous Dish-Off, City Arts now features only one dish per restaurant. Both restaurants this month prepared multi-course menus based on the song before this change was announced. Here are photos of the other dishes from this Dish-Off.

The menus

El Gaucho

Bitches and Prawns: Courvoisier and tarragon with a whole lot of attitude

All About the Green: Field greens, manchego cheese, peaches, pecans, sherry vinaigrette

Top Dog Status: Grilled certified Angus beef filet with lobster medallions and Béarnaise sauce

Up Here in the Past: Oldskool bananas Foster

Frank’s Oyster House

Shrimp broth-poached quail egg on truffled steak tartare

Shanghai soup dumplings (beef, pork and prawn) with Chinese vinegar

Tomato-bay shrimp aspic with sweet corn and avocado salad

Lobster-poached Gulf prawns on cauliflower-potato puree with gingered veal demi-glace