SONIC DISH: SIRO’S x JUNGLE PUNK
“If this dish were a track, what would it sound like?”
Siro’s at the Saratoga race track is infamous for its opulence, synonymous with summer + well known for eye-watering prices + celebrity guests.
With young Executive Chef Noah Frese shaking up Siro’s kitchen, we paired him with Jungle Punk, an upstate NY music producer + DJ known for unique grooves, drum patterns + underground tribal sound, and asked what red shrimp carpaccio might sound like.
Photo: Susie Davidson Powell
SDP: Chef, Siro’s has been open every summer since 1945 and is famous for its pricey menu, oyster bar + flowing Champagne on the patio. Last year you executed your first Siro’s menu; this year you’re shaking things up with new, creative dishes. You have a gorgeous foie gras-and-oxtail marmalade “nigiri” over crispy rice, and rich lamb shoulder pavé, but one of the most eye-catching new plates is the raw red shrimp carpaccio. Royal red shrimp caught at the depth of 3,000 feet in the deep coastal waters of Montauk, N.Y. are hot on the New York dining scene right now. Vibrantly red + insanely sweet, they’ve been appearing in upscale restaurants like Ilis in Manhattan and Matilda in Hensonville.
First, could you describe the dish?
Yes, it’s red prawn carpaccio with passion fruit gel, Kaluga caviar, chile oil, diced cucumber + mango with cilantro microgreens.
What’s the backstory?
NF: I had raw shrimp for the first time in Italy. Everyone around here (upstate) gets freaked out when someone says ‘raw shrimp’ and they don’t realize how sweet and tasty these Montauk red prawns are. I wanted the flavors to be light for summer time and I thought the passion fruit gel and chile oil blends well in the dish, plus the buttery, saltiness of the Kaluga caviar would be just right. I had whole raw shrimp in Italy, but I thought pounding it thin would make it less intense for the mouthfeel, and a great seafood play on a beef carpaccio.
SDP: Jungle Punk — You’ve seen the dish + heard the backstory behind Chef Noah’s raw red shrimp carpaccio with caviar. It’s rich, it’s decadent, it’s a $31 appetizer at Siro’s. What does it sound like to you?
Jungle Punk: The track I chose is Vacaciones en Chile by Ilario Alicante. This song is a staple in my playlists anytime I travel overseas as well as many electronic music DJ sets. It was released in 2008 by Ilario, an Italian music producer + DJ known for hypnotic rhythms and acid influences in his techno and house sound.
Listen here.
The Sound: The guitar melody has a blend of Iberian and Mediterranean influences.
The inspo: This track gives me rooftop sunset vibes, the exact space where I envision myself eating the Red Prawn Carpaccio plate. This dish and song combination would absolutely cross the threshold into a space where Sound + Taste senses intersect.
JUNGLE PUNK is a music producer, sound engineer + DJ in upstate New York known for his unique grooves, drum patterns + underground tribal sound. | IG: @jungle_punk | Follow his latest project with DJ Alia Gria on IG: @xamxara.official
CHEF NOAH FRESE is the Executive Chef of the seasonal Siro’s restaurant at Saratoga race track. He was the founding chef of The Roosevelt Room in Troy and his eponymously-named Noah’s Italian Chophouse is set to open on Phila Street, Saratoga this fall. | IG: @freseculinary | @noahsitalian | @sirossaratoga
