Ram & Rooster — Restaurant in Metuchen

The restaurant offers only Chef’s tasting menu – 8 courses + a bonus course from the Head Chef. It’s BYOB as well, which allows you to save some money and get everything you want. Besides there’s a liquor store right next door.

Ok, now to our dining experience. Our anniversary was several weeks ago, and we went to a famous restaurant on LI, it was ok, but nothing special. So, we decided to celebrate it once again and booked a table at Ram and Rooster, which offers traditional Chinese dishes with a modern and fancy take.

We were sat at Chef’s counter – 8 seats total. There was a personal note from the restaurant signed by its staff wishing us happy anniversary – SO Sweet! Also, the table setting was nice.

We got our own champagne to celebrate, followed by sparkling water from the restaurant. Glasses were filled with no waiting time. Service was absolutely amazing!

Now to food. First course was “Red Snapper Crudo” with cucumber and red pepper flakes. I added kaluga caviar to mine. Divine!

Second course was Sliced Beef Shank with trumpet mushroom, cherry and coffee – very good as well.

Third course was Egg Tofu: with parmigiano, crisp potatoes, and trout roe – that was so fluffy and light! The highlight of the menu!

Fourth course was Black Cod with tomato confit, longan, chili crips, and a snow crab wonton. The cod was poached, so mild in flavor, but so moist and delicate!

Fifth course was a choice of a roast duck or A5 wagyu steak. I went with the duck, OMG, medium rare, it came with young mustard greens and almond salad, which was very refreshing, Wagyu steak was super rich; it tasted like butter! It came with the same salad as the duck.

Sixth course was Grilled Squid Congee: that was my most favorite dish of the night. I LOVE squid, and it was such a perfect combo of congee and crispy rice and chanterelle mushrooms.

Now to the desserts. Mango sorbet with walnut, fennel pollen, and merengue. It was very refreshing and such a great tasting dessert overall.

Mochi beignet: with strawberry compote a red bean paste inside. I am not a fan of any desserts but that one was great!

2.5 hours later, being so full and happy we are on our way home!

If you are looking for a very special restaurant to celebrate something or just a unique tasting experience, please give...

My wife and I have had the fortune to know and experience Chef Sean’s culinary talents from his days at Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge, another incredible award winning restaurant.

When we heard that Chef Sean was departing Heirloom to open his own Chinese inspired restaurant we were all in.

Although, neither my wife and I are Asian we both have deep cultural connections to the culture and have a love for the food in all its forms and variations.

We enjoyed following Chef Sean on social media and watching his journey transforming the space that now is the Ram & Rooster.

The space is very intimate, relaxed yet has a refined feel. The service is exceptional, the Captains are well versed in the menu and understand the dishes and flavors that each has.

The menu is presented as a 9 course tasting menu represented by a numb of smaller dishes that showcase various temperatures, textures, culinary techniques, creativity and Chef Sean’s Chinese cultural roots.

As the only Chinese tasting menu in the state of NJ it fills an large underrepresented void in the NJ food scene.

Needless to say we were very excited to enjoying this culinary adventure.

Favorite dishes include the Yuzu Sorbet - a savory palette cleanser that also wakes the palette for the beginning of what will be an incredible culinary journey.

The corn wontons are simply out of this world.

The Black Sea Bass was my personal favorite dish. The flavors are an orchestra that seamlessly worked in sync.

The salted egg tart. Wow!

None of the dishes let us down. What an experience and culinary journey in what is one of a kind! Highly recommended!

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Go before they blow up. Here is my honest review. This is a Chinese fine dine. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect so I just went with the flow. In the end, it exceed my expectation.

Menu is seasonal.

Started with scallop crudo - fresh, expected and good. Chinese egg custard- good steam egg, the clam and sauce was unexpected well put together. Fried Morel- using a traditional stir fry/ soup ingredient in a deep fry manner. Stuff with sauce made with Chinese ham(金華火腿). Traditionally, this ham is used in soup, the way it was used here to flavor the fried mushroom was very smart. Scallion pancake cornbread - how the heck did you come up with this idea. Very good. Ocean trout- fish was we’ll cook but the sauce is what was interesting. Is like hot and sour soup made into a sauce over a crispy skin trout. Well executed. Cumin Lamb- this was really good. Better than the braised lamb from Ci Siamo. It was made similar way as ci siamo but this actually deliver. Def my favorite dish for the night. Tea smoke duck/wagyu- solid smoked duck. Waygu was great(on saltier side) Snap pea sorbet- very interesting taste. Sweet and bitter. Interesting concept. Mochi beignet- chewy and good.

I have been to Canlis in Seattle and I feel that this place is better than Canlis. I don’t know why this place hasn’t blown up yet. The Quality, execution and bringing familiar flavor and presenting them in a fine dining way. I feel especially harsh at judging it since I ate a lot of these flavor growing up and I didn’t know it can be presented like this. Ram & Rooster is better than lots of spot in Manhattan.

TLDR; very well executed Chinese fine dine that lives in Edison/metuchen area. Highly recommended and delivered better than Resturant in Manhattan.

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