Tel. 1-732-529-4830
Continental dining at Mi Sueno, Middlesex
ROBERT BAKER
Located in the same storefront as two previous fine dining restaurants, Mi Sueño Restaurant on Bound Brook Road (Route 28) in Middlesex has been completely redesigned and redecorated. The cash register, for example, has been moved from the front near the window to the back near the kitchen, leaving the front of the restaurant open and inviting. Beautiful paintings adorn the walls and complement the gold wallpaper perfectly.
The warm, crusty bread that was placed on our table as soon as we were seated, served with extra virgin olive oil, was quite tasty. For our appetizer, we shared the crab cake with roasted pepper remoulade sauce ($9.75), which was excellent, chock full of lump crabmeat with a minimum of filler and topped with a sauce that complemented it perfectly. The appetizer menu includes several standards plus a few unusual items. Shrimp cocktail, for example ($9.95) is grilled shrimp served on a bed of spicy mango salsa. Shrimp and crab spring roll ($7.95) consists of shrimp, lump crab meat and vegetables seasoned with rice wine vinegar, ginger and sesame oil. Cuban roast pork with fried yucca ($7.75) is pulled slow-roasted fresh pork served with fried yucca strips topped with fresh lime mojita.
For my entrée, I had one of the evening specials, branzino stuffed with crab meat and spinach ($24.95). Branzino is a type of small striped bass found in the waters outside Venice. Because it is small, it stays moist while cooking and is therefore ideally suited for stuffing with other ingredients. In this case, the whole fish was filleted and stuffed, then cooked perfectly, with a crispy skin and moist, tender flesh. This is the first time I ever tried this type of fish and it was absolutely delicious, served with a side of crisp, fresh vegetables.
My dining companion selected the grilled salmon ($21.95), salmon filet grilled over wood with a reduction of ginger, garlic and rice wine, from the regular menu. Moist and tender, it was excellent, especially with the extra hint of flavor imparted by the special sauce. For dessert, we shared an excellent crème brûlée ($5.95), which I enjoyed with one of the best cups of cappuccino ($3.50) I have ever tasted.
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ROBERT BAKER Mi Sueno is on Bound Brook Road in
More Information
MI SUENO RESTAURANT
Where: 619 Bound Brook Road, Middlesex, (732) 529-4830, www.misueno.org
When: 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Type of food: Fine Continental dining
Liquor license: BYOB
Methods of payment: Amex, Discover, MC, Visa
Reservations: Recommended on weekends
Handicap access: Yes
Dress: Business casual
The scene: Families of all ages
Atmosphere: Relaxed and friendly
Service: Friendly and efficient
Value: Very good
Perfect repast: Crab cake with roasted pepper remoulade sauce, branzino stuffed with crab meat and spinach, crème brûlèe
New Jersey Star LedgerMi Sueno, 619 Bound Brook Road, Middlesex. Dinner: 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays. BYOW. Major credit cards. Casual dress. No wheelchair restroom access. Reservations recommended: (732) 529-4830. www.misueno.org. THREE STARS Mi Sueno, which means "my dream" in Spanish, is a longtime fantasy that finally has become reality for kitchen-trained chef/owner Archie Samper. Born in Cuba, he started young in the culinary field, working at a German establishment on Long Island before going to the old Ken Marcotte restaurant in Westfield. There, he manned the wood-burning grill and became the sous chef. After departing to spend 17 years in the meat business, Samper finally is back doing what he enjoys most.Mi Sueno opened a year ago in the storefront space that once was Adam's Bistro, and then Olivia. It seats 36 people at well-spaced tables. With the optical illusion provided by a wall of mirrors, the comfortable room feels larger than it actually is, adding another dimension to the welcoming and romantic European atmosphere in warm tones of peach. Samper's wife, Linda, runs the front of the house efficiently, and with grace. Our well-trained server didn't miss a beat, either. We felt nicely cared for without having lingering staffers try too hard. Like the food, the service offered the right mix of ingredients. The chef features a continental/international menu. The choice of soup illustrates its depth. There's that Cuban favorite, black bean ($5.50); a chicken gumbo ($7.95) for a dash of Louisiana spice and an oxtail and lentils combo ($8.95), not the sort of thing you find everywhere. There's also a mixed metaphor version of "Hungarian" goulash that Samper picked up from his German restaurant days, tender meat and noodles accented with caraway. Appetizers are produced with great care. An intense wild mushroom tart ($8.95), made with a touch of cream, is something that must be savored. Each bite demands attention. Hold it in your mouth for more than a moment, letting its smoothness delight your senses as the essence clings to your palate. There's a wonderful contrast with the perky Napoleon crab tower ($11.95). Lump crab meat sparked with rice wine vinegar, shallots and sesame oil is served in layers atop rice wafers, a wake-up call for your appetite. A Southwest touch comes from combining guacamole with a carpaccio of thin-sliced tuna fillet ($9.95), while Asia is represented by steamed salmon ($9.95) with julienne Oriental vegetables, soy sauce and sesame oil.
As you might guess, the wood-grilled items are sensational. After all, that's Samper's specialty. He uses only aged oak and maple that burn hot and hold the fire. There's a 21-day dry aged rib steak ($28.95), rack of lamb ($28.95) with a Port demi-glace and a grilled veal chop ($28.95), its goodness amplified by a variety of mushrooms. Pork loin ($24.95) gets quite a different treatment, with a touch of fruit flavor from a cranberry relish. Of course, Samper knows meat, so what he serves is high-quality, but it's the wood grilling that seals the deal, adding a subtle flavor to each dish. Those who choose fish needn't feel left out because there are several options from the grill. Salmon with basil pesto ($21.95) is one possibility; another is tuna ($24.95) with a roasted vegetable puree. The items that aren't grilled also have style. Stuffed shrimp en croute ($24.95), for instance, was a challenge the kitchen handled adeptly, when its complexity easily could have led to a misstep. Two giant shrimp each were wrapped in a golden puff pastry crust lined with crabmeat and julienne vegetables, standing tall in a saffron shrimp reduction sauce. Such a sauce requires perfect balance; saffron can be tricky. But it all came together beautifully. The entrees are served with a choice of starches, perhaps potatoes or a mixture of basmati and wild rice, and a choice of vegetables that may include a zucchini/carrot/squash mix. Mi Sueno is not the type of place from which you will go home hungry, and there are plenty of good dessert choices to fill in any little gaps that remain at the end of the meal. Linda Samper also serves as the pastry chef. Her specialty is cheesecake ($6.50), but she is equally adept at apple tarte tatin ($4.95) flush with chunky fruit; that Latin favorite, flan ($4.95); creme brulee ($6.50) and a devil of a dark chocolate cake with whipped cream ($5.50). We really felt as if we'd had a lovely evening out from every aspect at Mi Sueno. This is indeed a dream of a restaurant that deserves to be discovered by more than the regulars, who quickly realized what a good thing they have there. Cody Kendall
Mi Sueño
The clientele at this hidden gem in Middlesex is largely made up of regulars, a true testament to the warm service and reliable food
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 2:41 PM EST
By Antoinette Buckley
BLINK, and you will miss Mi Sueño. Quietly situated along the busy Bound Brook Road of Middlesex, this restaurant visually melts into all the other storefronts, making it difficult to find, especially at night. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled and your palette poised, otherwise you will be deprived of dining in the skilled hands of a talented, self-taught chef.
Owners Archie and Linda Samper come to Mi Sueño with colorful roots and stories behind them. Linda, a personal trainer by day, works in the front of the house at night, greeting customers and waiting tables. Diners benefit, not only from her personal, friendly service, but also from her Puerto Rican heritage, which surfaces in spots on the menu. Cuban-born head chef Archie cooks with fervor in his own kitchen after years of working in the New York meat business and sporadically in restaurants on Long Island and in New Jersey. Every self-taught chef has a mentor and Mr. Samper found his many years ago at a German, Long Island restaurant in head chef Carl Tank. The flame was ignited there and still burns brightly today in Mr. Samper’s eclectic array of flavors that is Mi Sueño.
For Mr. Samper, the meat business (in which he still continues to work during the day), has been his bread and butter, but cooking is his love. After gutting the space and rebuilding, Archie and Linda made it their own and Mi Sueño (meaning “my dream” in Spanish,) was born in January 2007.
In the past year the restaurant has won over a clientele that is largely made up of regulars, a true testament to the warm service and reliable food delivered here. Even though the back wall of mirrors aims to give the illusion of grandeur, the up-to-date dining room cannot escape its small size and cozy nature.
On the weekends, the restaurant continues to serve a good crowd in a sluggish economy, but during the week the dining room has been sparsely populated. In order for Mr. Samper’s dream to live on, the restaurant needs more traffic during the week, and that means regulars cannot keep this secret to themselves any longer.
Mr. Samper presents Spanish, French, Italian and Asian flavors in his food. That all adds up to a vibrant American cuisine in which freshness is top priority. The wood-burning grill sees lots of action as many meats and fish are grilled and then supported by a charismatic array of sides and sauces.
When scanning the appetizer menu, words like “guacamole,” “lump crab,” “mojito sauce,” “cream” and “puff pastry” are eye-catching and reflective of the scope of the menu. Those last two were the first to reel me in. Shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms ($9) get the royal treatment in a puff pastry with a demi- glace and touch of cream. Mr. Samper makes his own stocks, thus the classic French demi-glace that accompanies is a rich and flavorful reduction, making this mushroom dish wildly good.
The sushi tuna ($11) hits the wood burning grill for a quick outer searing, leaving the reddish pink flesh to melt in your mouth like butter. It is served with a chunky, made-to-order guacamole that expounds on the meaning of freshness. A balsamic glaze brings cohesiveness to this generously portioned appetizer.
Mesclun salad ($8) tossed with homemade balsamic vinaigrette and crumbled goat cheese is straightforward and just right. Likewise, the skirt steak ($24) offers no surprises. This flavorful cut, known to be tough if not cooked properly, is striated with fat that melts away when cooked, leaving tender, juicy meat to savor. Although it was marinated in soy and sesame oil, it’s the enhanced flavor of the meat drawn out by the wood-burning grill that is most prominent. The sweet potatoes lyonnaise, a pan-fried French preparation, are mouth-watering while the vegetable mix of snap peas and shreds of carrot are simply a bright addition.
Memories are made with the mixed seafood grill ($25) featuring salmon, tuna and plump, perfectly cooked shrimp. But the highlight is the signature mofongo that comes with the fish. Mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican plantain dish. Mr. Samper’s modified version uses mashed green plantains, boiled yuca (root vegetable), pancetta and lime juice. Bliss is found in this mashed piece of starchy heaven that brings neutral flavors to life while the sweet and spicy Puerto Rican sofrito puree pumps up the dish with a little heat.
Desserts are made in house, of course. White chocolate pumpkin cheesecake ($7) forgoes a creamy texture and instead highlights an autumnal flavor and nutty crust. While pleasant, I preferred the apple tarte tatin ($5) that is beautifully executed in taste, texture and visual appeal.
The menu at Mi Sueño changes with the seasons. It is appropriately compact in size, highlights what is fresh in the market and offers a compilation of flavors that can both reassure and surprise. As regulars have discovered, Mi Sueño is that neighborhood spot that runs on the passion and hospitality of its owners... a true gem.
Mi Sueño
619 Bound Brook Road
Middlesex
(732) 529-4830
Food Very good +
Service Very good
Cuisine Continental/Eclectic
Vegetarian Limited to one or two selections from the appetizer, soup and salad categories
Ambience Inviting
Prices Appetizers, soups, salads $6-$11; entrees $18-$32; desserts $5-$7
Hours Dinner only: Tues.-Thurs. 5-9 p.m., Fri.-
Sat. 5-10 p.m.
Essentials Accepts all major credit cards; BYO; bathroom is not wheelchair accessible; reservations recommended on weekends
Mi Sueño Restaurant
