“Duck Balut tonight @ umi nom!!!”

And just like that, I was headed to Brooklyn.

Despite the rain and wind, I made it alive to Fort Greene, Brooklyn that night. My eating companion Gary and I sat down at a table and prepared ourselves. Half expecting to see an alien-like entree, I was pleasantly surprised when out came two unassuming eggs, snugly tucked in a makeshift double egg holder made from a folded white napkin.  The eggs were accompanied by four different sauces — fish sauce speckled with flecks of chili, sea salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Chef King instructed us to crack open the top of the egg and pour in a few small spoonfuls of each sauce. We were told to eat everything…except the rubbery disk at the bottom.  (“You don’t want to eat that.”)

Following directions, Gary and I carefully pried of the top of each egg to reveal a thin, translucent grayish film, which veiled the mysteriously dark and murky liquid underneath.

With great precision, I poured a spoonful of fish sauce and soy sauce, sprinkled a dash of salt, and drizzled just a few drops of vinegar, carefully as to not overpower the flavor of the balut.

Right as I was about to begin eating, I peered into the murky waters of the balut, barely making out a little chick fetus embracing the yolk. “Now or never”, I thought to myself.  Without further hesitation, I spooned my first few sips of the watery balut liquid.

Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my first sip wasn’t strange at all.  Rather, it evoked a familiar taste reminiscent of an earthy duck soup. It took more courage to get myself to try the embryo, which more closely resembled a science experiment gone awry than a baby chick. Helplessly clinging to the yolk, it was almost begging not to be eaten.  But that didn’t stop me.  I managed to break off a small piece with my spoon and take my first bite.  The smooth and delicately gelatinous embryo melted in my mouth, leaving a rich and robust taste, like a smooth pate, that lingered on after it was already on its way down into my stomach.

Mixed in with the correct ratio of condiments, you’ll hit the fundamental flavors of Filipino cuisine — salty, robust, with a kick of sourness at the end; the result is a pungent yet poetic combination of flavors that is uniquely Filipino.

Looking back, eating balut is really not as intimidating as it seems.  Eating bird embryos may not be for everyone, but it was an experience I certainly don’t regret having.  As a matter of fact, I’m looking forward to returning for a second helping.

**Balut is not regularly on the menu at Umi Nom, so if you are daring enough to try it for yourself, check in with the Umi Nom Twitter to see when Chef King is cooking some up.

umiNOM
433 DeKalb Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11205
tel. 718.789.8806
www.uminom.com
info@uminom.com

Umi Nom is a long, narrow restaurant, with a dark wood bar, exposed brick walls, and Edison light bulbs hanging from the ceiling.  Some of the Asian-themed design accents in the restaurant include the funky bamboo lighting above the bar and white ceramic wall decorations with small dotted lights running through what resembled the cross-section of bamboo.

There’s a lot of soul in every bite of each flavorful small plate.  Drawing inspiration from his Filipino and Thai roots, King’s food celebrates the notion of family, which he shares with us through his cooking.  Our table was near the back of the restaurant, giving us a premium location to sneak a peek into the kitchen, where I could catch a glimpse of King’s family hanging out beside him and tasting some of the dishes themselves, looking on as the chefs with bandannas prepped and cooked away.

Here’s a preview of what’s cooking at Umi Nom:

asian market greens sauteed greens & garlic were cooked in a wok under extreme heat for a short amount of time, so they were not oily, but rather crispy, garlicky, and smoky

wok prawns chili glazed were saucy and slightly piquant from the birds eye chili.  Be sure not to waste the shrimp head, slurp up those shrimp brain juices!

grilled mackerel toasted rice, cherry tomato, jicama, garlic-chili lime dressing had a crispy, charred skin and that delicious fishy mackerel taste.  Overall the dish could have used a bit more tartness, although I did enjoy the crunchy jicama.  Perhaps the mysteriously missing toasted rice would have added more to the dish.

bahay kubo fried rice stir fried rice, egg, soy, garlic was one of my favorites. I’m not sure which ingredient gave the fried rice a sucker punch of umami, but I would gladly eat it again.  The fried rice was salty, shrimpy, and had pieces of Chinese sausage which added a sweet component to the dish.

charred beef rice vermicelli cold rice sticks, herbs, cucumbers are a nice combo of medium rare steak and rice noodles, with crunchy mung beans and herbs.  This lighter dish counterbalanced the heavier meaty dishes.

sauteed chinese sausage thai chili-lime sauce is King’s specialty and is the only dish served at both Kuma Inn and Umi Nom..because it’s SO GOOD.  Unlike the Chinese sausage usually found in Chinatown, which is skinnier, sweeter, and more dense, this meaty sausage has a more subtle sweetness.  Stir fried with shallots and garlic, then dipped in the Thai chili-lime sauce, the sweet, salty, and tart come together beautifully.  The sticky rice on the right is really sticky and really good.

grilled pork chops pickled vegetables were exquisitely juicy and tender.  The dish had a good ratio of meat to pickle.

crimini mushroom tofu skewers scallions lacked a little something, but it was still pretty good.  I’m a bit partial since I’m a big meatlover.

shitake mushrooms soy mirin glaze consisted of sweet and meaty mushrooms swimming in soy mirin sauce.

(sorry, this photo came out really dark and unrecognizable!) bbq ribs garlic, ginger, lemongrass, oyster sauce marinade were cut into small easy-to-manage riblettes.  Nice and juicy with a crispy, charred crust.

chilled summer fruit soup consisted of watermelon and canteloupe balls, lychee, and plums in a sweet, chilled lemongrass soup.  A light and sweet conclusion to my dinner at Umi Nom.

Umi Nom
433 DeKalb Ave between Classon Ave and Taaffe Place
Brooklyn, NY
718-789-8806