(Photos via Dawn Hoffman. Above: Tumeric beer-battered barramundi)

In the world of New York restaurant openings, it sometimes seems like the city’s restaurateurs are playing a game of hop-scotch between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Court Street pioneer Frankies Spuntino is now also a West Village hot spot while iconic St. Mark’s fixture Crif Dogs also has a home off the Bedford stop. The Sunburnt Calf BK falls into the latter category as the latest Manhattan restaurant to make the leap over to Brooklyn. The Calf is a member of the MooLifeGroup, a mini-empire known for its Australian pub grub, lively crowds and, perhaps not coincidently, its limitless drink specials. Fortunately, for Prospect Heights residents fearing twenty-one year olds pounding shots, the vibe of the latest outpost is much more subdued. The only unlimited drink special at this location will be during brunch, a much more civilized hour for heavy imbibing. 

Besides a slightly more mature crowd, the most obvious distinction between this Sunburnt Calf and its Manhattan brethren (which includes the East Village’s The Sunburnt Cow, the Upper West Side’s The Sunburnt Calf, and the Lower East Side’s Bondi Road) is the food. You won’t find burgers or fish and chips at this latest incarnation, rather, the Calf Brooklyn’s menu pays homage to the often over-looked South-East Asian influences on Australian cuisine.
  
We asked owner Heathe St.Clair, a recent Brooklyn transplant himself, if there were any noticeable differences between opening a restaurant in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn, he responded that, “The warmth of the neighborhood has really blown me away.”

It helps that The Calf joins good company, including The Vanderbilt, Milk Bar and a slew of other bars and restaurants, on an ever up-and-coming stretch of Vanderbilt Avenue. Housed in what was once a bodega, inside the restaurant’s decor is a fusion of sleek furnishings, (red chairs, leather banquettes) with more urban elements (exposed brick, corrugated metal). Close tables combined with soft red lighting make for an intimate atmosphere. One gets the impression that the restaurant will probably become a popular date spot in the upcoming months, filled with OKCupid matches feeding each other with chopsticks. There’s also a peaceful outdoor garden. 

The restaurant’s bar is fairly small with a handful of seats. The night of our visit there were four cocktails on the current cocktail list. Of the four, the two standouts, both gin-based, were the Lemon Grass Ricky, photo on left (Spring 44 gin, lemongrass agave, fresh lemon juice, rhubarb bitters, and club soda) and the Kaffir-Lime Gimlet (Spring 44 gin, kaffir lime agave, and fresh lime juice). In both cases, the acidity of each drink’s respective citrus juice complimented the dryness of gin nicely. The Thai Basil Lemonade (42 Below vodka, Thai basil infusion, lemon juice, soda), another Calf concoction, is refreshing as it sounds and goes down easily. The last cocktail, the Zu Moscow Mule (Zu Bison grass vodka, lychee puree, fresh lime juice, ginger beer) is likely to provoke love-it-or-hate-it reactions as the use of Bison vodka gives the drink a distinct taste that could best be described as masculine. All four drinks pack a subtle punch though you might not notice until thirty minutes in. In addition to cocktails and a range of liquors, there’s a small selection of wines as well as Fosters and Coopers on tap.

The small bar and limited selection of beers only reiterates the Sunburnt Calf BK’s focus is on food. In addition to entrées, the menu features a handful of small plates (all $8) that are ideal for sharing. The steamed buns with red braised pork belly, radish and pea sprouts (photo, right) did not disappoint. Slabs of succulent pork belly are sandwiched between two fluffy buns with radish and pea sprouts providing texture. The size of the bun is ideal for bar snacking and can easily be consumed in two or three bites. Of course, the downside to this is that you’ll probably wish there were more than two to an order. The execution of the steamed buns gives one high hopes for the restaurant’s lunch menu, which features a selection of Banh Mi.

As with the appetizers, the Calf’s entrees, or big plates (all $14), can be shared between two people, unless one person is particularly famished.  The Chicken with long beans and basil (photo, left) is fairly straightforward, flavor-wise, and an easy crowd pleaser for picky eaters and those with delicate palettes. The dish comes with prawn chips for scooping, but order a side of brown rice as well as the chips run out quickly.

Perhaps one the menu’s more unique offerings, the turmeric beer battered barramundi with dill over vermicelli noodles is quite successful. The barramundi is fresh with a flakey, light battering that provides a juicy, not greasy, bite. The vermicelli are well-cooked and nicely complimented by the dill although one can’t help but fantasize about what the entrée would be like were the noodles swapped out for chips.

The real star of the night, though, was the Shaking beef over watercress and avocado. It’s the type of dish you could easily order once a week and never get tired of. Unlike most beef salads, where the meat is usually over-cooked until chewy and stringy, the Calf version is filled with tender, flavorful strips of beef. The underlying watercrest, in a tangy vinaigrette, gives the meat a kick without overwhelming it. Although the accompanying avocado is probably not necessary, avocado-lovers will appreciate that it is there.

When St. Clair moved over the river, he brought with him his personable staff. The servers (all young Australian men so far) are friendly, attentive, and, most notably, pleasantly devoid of the aloof attitude that is far too common of waiters in even the most casual of Brooklyn restaurants. One gets the impression that the gregarious St. Clair would never tolerate that sort-of behavior from his staff.

The Sunburnt Calf Brooklyn is best appreciated for what it is – a casual, neighborhood spot where one can stop in after work for a nice dinner without dealing with the hassles of the subway, long waits, or attitude.  Given that it’s only been open for about a week, the restaurant is still working out some creases but should settle into Prospect Heights quite nicely.  611 Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Heights