Date Night with Dale from Top Chef!

Date night!!  

We wanted a cool adventure but local location.  DJ had the brilliant idea of heading to Park Slope to check out Talde: the new restaurant of Dale Talde from Top Chef!  And wow - what a place!!

For starters, the decor is awesome.  The Asian-American theme is reflected nicely in the detailed wood carvings adorning the walls and cozy wooden booths lining the windows.  Feels like a place you could sit and chat for hours (if you didn't know scores of people are waiting for your spot).

The service is also fabulous.  Everyone we encountered was extremely friendly, including Dale himself who was by the bar when we entered and offered a smile.  Our waiter was very attentive, and explained that most people opt to dine family-style so they can try as many dishes as possible.  So, that's just what we did.

We started with drinks (both excellent):

Then came the highly-recommended Perilla Leaves (amazing flavor explosions!  great amuse-bouche) 

and Grilled Octopus (quite savory) for appetizers.  

Next, the Lobster Tom Kha Gai (fabulous merging of sweet coconut and smoky peppers).  A perfect dish when you're in the mood for comfort food with a kick.

And we followed that with the Crispy Oyster and Bacon Pad Thai.  DJ is usually not a fan of pad thai (he says it smells like a wet sheep), but he actually enjoyed this one!  The fried oyster and thick chunks of bacon complement each other nicely, and the noodles were seasoned to perfection.  After sampling the Tom Kha Gai, we thought we'd only have room for a few bites of the pad thai.  But it was so good, we couldn't stop eating it!

We weren't sure if we'd have room for dessert, but we couldn't resist trying the Halo Halo since we had really enjoyed the one at Spice Market.  Talde's wasn't quite as addictive as Spice Market's (there was more ice than fruit jewels), but Chef Dale does add a unique touch: Cap'n Crunch sprinkled on top!  

Overall, we really loved our meal at Talde.  And it was a treat to see all the chefs, including Dale, at work since they have an open kitchen right next to the dining area.  

We will definitely return with other Top Chef fans to try some of the other dishes we scoped out at other tables.  We think Talde will be quite a hit!