November 26, 2001 |
Ask Gael
Le Cirque's All Star team: Where are they now?
Sirio's habitues won't recognize Sottha Khunn out of context, stationed not far from Santa's throne amid the Christmas accessories at ABC Carpet & Home. But there he is, Le Cirque's retired four-star master chef, cheerfully tending shop for his old colleague and buddy, patissier Jacques Torres, who delivers fresh bonbons ($50 a pound) and chocolate suckers every morning from his Willy Wonka workshop in Brooklyn. Stop by for chocolate tin soldiers, Santas, and Christmas trees (from eight inches to two feet tall), chocolate lollipops, truffles, and buttercrunch. Or slabs of addictive chocolate bark, studded with nuts, in milk or luscious bittersweet chocolate. Wicked Hot hot chocolate (fired up with ancho chili and chipotle) is the perfect gift for pepper-heads. Khunn, who bowed out of the kitchen heat last New Year's Eve at midnight, has been fantasizing about a career in fancy food and figures this holiday stint will give him a taste of what it might be like to go retail.
ABC Carpet & Home 888 Broadway, at 18th Street, 212 473 3000