Striving4Zen

New eatery Rouge Tomate is helping its clientele cut the fat by offering fare the restaurant hopes is as appealing to the taste buds as it is to the waistline.

Neither spa cuisine nor diet food, the menu under executive chef Jeremy Bearman (a Joel Robuchon and Daniel Boulud alum) is based on the principles of S.P.E. (Sanitas Per Escam or "Health Through Food"), a nutritional charter conceived by its Belgian owner Emmanuel Verstraeten to offer maximum health benefits and culinary pleasure.

A three-course meal can clock in at just 550 calories. Butter and cream are verboten, as are frying and grilling; vegetables are seasonal and in heavy supply and even the sodas like ginger ale, tonic and lemon-lime are homemade. But if the Rouge Tomate team has their way, you won't even notice what's not on the plate. "The main direction we give the chef is to make the food taste good," explains Rouge Tomate vice president Nil Sönmez. "And then at the end of the meal the great thing is, 'Oh, by the way, it's healthy.'"

The Location: The former Nicole Farhi store and restaurant space across the street from Barneys New York.

The Details: 10 East 60th Street; 646.237.8977; rougetomate.com

Source

Labels: cool new place, healthy cooking, NYC, restaurants, Rouge Tomate