2 Nixons: Duck for Year of Monkey

On a cold and rainy Chinese New Year, 2 Nixons chef Jeffrey Stoneberger offered bowls that combined the rich, fatty flavor of Peking Duck with the slurpy silken noodles of a Ramen bowl.

Peking Duck Ramen - photo by Ferris Kaplan

The latest popup dinner from 2 Nixons was hosted by Victor Social Club on Hutson Alley, known more for Cuban fusion than Asian fusion.

“Our executive chef (Aaron Lemieux) knows Jeffrey through the culinary scene, and it’s all about helping fellow chefs out,” says Susannah Runkle of Rawle Murdy, which does the PR for Victor Social Club. “We’re doing a concerted effort to show people where the alley is.”

The venue offered a “New Fashioned” cocktail that combined Knob Creek bourbon, lychee, apricot, ginger, and brandied cherries.

A New Fashioned - photo by Ferris Kaplan

“The fruit of the drink cuts the richness of the duck,” Stoneberger says as he plops grilled duck, pickled cucumber and an egg into the steaming bowls.

Jeffrey Stoneberger Cooks - photo by Ferris Kaplan

According to Stoneberger, the proceeds from the dinner are going to fund his vision of a permanent restaurant that he hopes to open in about six months, with a $50 tasting menu offering fresh local produce, fish and shellfish.

He adds that so many of his popups have been in breweries that his future restaurant will have access to unique brews that will complement his food as beautifully as the cocktail on offer tonight.

Until then, the Ramen bowls – both the Peking Duck Ramen and the Szechuan Chili Tsukemen – take the chill off the cold start to the Year of the Monkey.