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| Chef Harold Dieterle |
Q&A with Chef Harold Dieterle
by Sarah Mintz, Contributing Writer
Commuting up and down Sixth Avenue is where you will find Chef Harold Dieterle most days of the week as he splits his time between his two restaurants, Perilla and Kin Shop. As if maintaining two unique ventures isn't enough, Harold is working hard on a third project expected to open in Brooklyn early this year. He took a few minutes out of his crazy day to tell us more about this venture, along with his thoughts about being on Top Chef and why he loves working with sawtooth so much.
If you could describe Perilla in one word, what would it be?
Neighborhood-y – does that work?
Describe your ideal Perilla meal.
Spicy Duck Meatballs, perhaps the Hanger Steak and a side of the Farro Risotto.
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| Spicy Duck Meatballs at Perilla |
Biggest celebrity you met in the restaurant?
We like to keep things quiet if a celebrity comes in.
Besides Perilla, what's your favorite restaurant in NYC?
Can I say Kin Shop? I love Dovetail on the Upper West Side.
How do you split your time between Perilla and Kin Shop?
About 50/50. It’s nice having them only a few minutes away from one another.
You and Chef Angela Sosa seem to have quite the difference of sports opinions on Twitter. How did you two become so close?
Even though there are so many restaurants and chefs in the city it’s surprisingly a small world. He’s a good guy.
What was it like being on Top Chef? It must feel like a lifetime ago!
It sure does. It was a good opportunity and it certainly helped me take that next step.
Favorite non-kitchen gadget?
Hmm. That’s a tough one. I’m a big Puma sneaker guy. I also love the signed photo we have at Kin Shop of the Beastie Boys.
What's your biggest kitchen mess-up?
I sliced my thumb pretty bad back in 1998. I was deboning some steak and the knife just slipped right down to the bone. Of course I did the smart thing and cauterized the wound on the flat-top grill. After finishing service I went to the ER and had to get 32 stitches.
What's the hardest ingredient to work with?
Bad ingredients. If you don’t start with quality product you already have an uphill battle.
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| Massaman Curry Braised Goat with fried shallots, purple yams, mustard greens and peanuts at Kin Shop. |
Any interesting ingredient you've been incorporating lately?
I love sunchokes and have been using them a lot at Perilla lately. They are great raw or roasted. Sawtooth is an ingredient I use as well. It’s ten times better than cilantro and I use it in curry pastes.
What three ingredients can you not live without?
Salt, crab, and mozzarella cheese.
Food trend you hate most?
I like burgers and pizza, but I’m tired of the trend. It’s a little overdone at this point.
Is there anything you won't eat?
I’m not a fan of raw bell peppers.
If you walked out to compete in Iron Chef, what secret ingredient would make you happiest to see pulled out?
Crab would be a lot fun. I like King Crab the most, but I’ll eat and cook with Dungeness, Blue, Snow, Stone, and Peekytoe as well.
Fill in the blank: "When I meet people at a party and I tell them I'm a chef, they always...."
If they don’t say something about Top Chef, Perilla, or Kin Shop the next question is usually “Where?”.
What's next?
I’ll be opening The Marrow with my business partner, Alicia Nosenzo, in Hotel 718 – it’s in Downtown Brooklyn. It’ll open sometime in early 2012.
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wEE recommend Perilla for: Date Night, West Village Wine List, Delicious Brunch with the girls, Something on the Menu for EveryonewEE recommend Kin Shop for: Great lunch deal downtown, Thai dinner in the Village, Asian restaurant with great beer/wine list.
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