It begins simply, with a circular base of light pink and white cubes of kombu-cured hamachi and pickled jicama, daikon and green apple against a pure white plate. Then, a diaphanous apple cider gelée cut to the exact same diameter of the base is gently laid atop, flecks of dill, marigold petals and fennel pollen suspended within it glistening in the light. Then there are more layers, as a quenelle of golden smoked pike roe is laid alongside emerald-hued nasturtium leaves atop the gelée. Finally, the entire affair is crowned by a brilliant red nasturtium blossom, while a deep green sauce of nasturtium and lemon verbena whey surrounds the assemblage.
The dish—a seasonal addition to the tasting menu at Central fine-casual restaurant Cultivate—is a stunner with its bold swathes of red, yellow and green, yet for chef-patron Leonard Cheung, plating comes only a distant third among his priorities while designing a dish.
“If you think too much about the plating, it’ll
