Sampan
Washington Square West
124 South 13th Street
(215) 732-3501
© SCHULSON COLLECTIVE
“Chefs have so much more fun cooking appetizers than cooking entrees,” admits chef Michael Schulson (pictured right). “Entrees are a commitment. Appetizers are an experiment,” he says, offering one explanation for the city’s enduring fleet small-plates restaurants. Sampan, his stylish-but-affordable modern Asian spot, was one of the firsts.
Once the chef-owner of Izakaya in Atlantic City, Schulson was a largely unknown quantity when he opened Sampan in 2009, back when Midtown Village was in the early days of its transition to dining juggernaut. . Now, with his wife and business partner, Nina Tinari, he’s become one of the city’s most prolific restaurateurs, with a portfolio that includes Harp & Crown, Double Knot, Alpen Rose, Giuseppe & Sons (with the Termini family), and Osteria (with Jeff Michaud).
Despite Sampan’s status as Schulson’s resident senior the place still packs them in. Among the small-plate experiments that have earned Sampan and Schulson notice: crab wonton tacos, a Sriracha-spiked Philly cheesesteak on a Chinese bun, his famous edamame dumplings (first created by Schulson for Buddakan, page 69), everything on the popular dim sum brunch menu and, quite unexpectedly, miniature cones of soft-serve ice cream in flavors like Fruity Pebbles and Snickers. This is a restaurant that likes to surprise. The sleek dining room—sip a mango-cardamom sour and watch the cooks in the open kitchen carefully plate ceviche—doesn’t hint at the casual Graffiti Bar tucked into a colorful courtyard behind the restaurant, where scorpion bowls with crazy straws are the drink of choice.
“As a chef, I always want to do something fun for my diners,” Schulson says.
SWEET SHRIMP WITH RADISH & CITRUS SALAD
“This dish is flavorful yet subtle, combining succulent shrimp with a sweet citrus aioli and earthy radish for texture and balance. Topped with fresh lime segments and baby cilantro leaves, it’s bright and fresh but also satisfying,” says Sampan chef-owner Michael Schulson. “I love it with a glass of crisp white wine in the summer or a hearty wheat beer in the winter. Take care not to overcook the shrimp, in order to preserve their meaty texture.”
(SERVES 4–6)
For the shrimp:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ cup grape seed oil
½ cup pineapple juice
4 cups vegetable oil
24 U-15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups cornstarch
Additional kosher salt, as needed
Special equipment: Thermometer
For the salad:
1 lime, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1 orange, juiced
½ cup grape seed oil
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt and white pepper, as needed
2 limes, segmented, membrane removed
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 radishes, sliced into matchsticks
1 red chile, minced
To prepare the shrimp: Begin by whisking together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lime juice in a bowl. Whisk in condensed milk, salt, and sugar. While whisking, slowly add grape seed oil and mix well. Continue whisking and slowly add pineapple juice and mix well. Set sauce aside. (Sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.)
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Toss shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off any excess coating. Fry shrimp in batches until golden brown and crispy, 3–4 minutes. Remove shrimp from oil with tongs or a metal strainer. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt. Toss shrimp with sauce to coat well.
To prepare the salad: Begin assembling the salad by combining lime, lemon, and orange juices with oil and honey in a bowl. Season with salt and white pepper. Toss lime segments, celery, radishes, and chile with dressing.
To serve: Divide the salad between plates. Top each salad with the shrimp.
BEEF LETTUCE CUPS WITH TOMATO SALAD
“When I cook Asian food, I don’t want to do what Chinatown does. I think, ‘What is a Michael Schulson take on this?’” Sampan chef-owner Michael Schulson says. “I ask, ‘What do people think of when they think of a lettuce cup?’ Then I deconstruct it. It doesn’t look like the lettuce cup you would expect.”
(SERVES 4)
¼ cup sake or dry white wine
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup grape seed oil
12 ounces skirt or flank steak
½ red onion, finely diced
1 tomato, diced
½ Thai red or jalapeño chile, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped
© GETTY IMAGES
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chiffonade
½ cup bean sprouts, chopped
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and white pepper, as needed
1 head Bibb or iceberg lettuce, leaves cut in 2-inch circles
½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
In a large bowl, combine sake or white wine, soy sauce, and grape seed oil. Marinate steak in mixture, refrigerated, for 1 hour.
Light grill or preheat broiler. Remove steak from marinade. (Discard marinade.) Grill or broil steak for 7 minutes on each side (medium rare) to 12 minutes per side (well done). Allow meat to rest for 5 minutes. Slice beef into 1-inch cubes, slicing across the grain.
In a bowl, combine onion, tomato, chile, garlic, basil, cilantro, and bean sprouts. Toss with vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and white pepper.
Place lettuce rounds on a serving plate. Top each with salad and a piece of meat. Garnish with peanuts.