Miles Thompson's Favorite Dish at Allumette Right Now

Thompson even makes plastic plates pretty

By Lesley Balla

30 Under 30 winner Miles Thompson was one of those kids that just knew he wanted to be a chef. He landed his first job in the kitchen at the age of 13, at Nobu in New York and then with Jon and Vinny at Animal and Son of a Gun, and then launched his own pop-up at the tender young age of 22 called the Vagrancy Project. That caught the eyes of Bill Didonna and Charles Kelly, co-owners of the Allston Yacht Club, who then decided to bring Thompson in to reinvent the Echo Park restaurant. Now at Allumette, Thompson is creating thoughtful, complex, ultra-seasonal dishes that are as beautiful on the plate as they are on the palate. Now that he's recognized as one of this year's up-and-coming culinary stars, we wanted to check in to see what he'd eat at his own restaurant.

What's your favorite dish on you menu right now?
The Golden Eye snapper crudo with kanzuri, yarrow, cherimoya, and cucumber vinaigrette. That sounds amazing.

Why is this knocking your socks off?
Because it involves many very unique and strong flavors that support and season a very mild but texturally interesting fish without masking its cleanliness or, more importantly, it's flavor.

And the inspiration for it?
I like Kanzuri, a Japanese pepper paste that's made by curing chilies in salt packed in snow, and then after they're properly fermented, they are pounded with Yuzu rind. It's similar to Yuzu Kosho but blows it out of the water in terms of depth and dimension.

What ingredient or spice are you excited to use next?
I'd excited for young fava beans. I plan on grilling and roasting them unshucked, serving them with a squid, duck, mugwort and a Hanjuku egg.