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SNOWMASS VILLAGE — Snowmass Village's culinary offerings have been greatly expanded with the recent opening of Buchi in Base Village and the evolution of the Viceroy's casual Nest restaurant into an afternoon/early evening sushi bar.
Chef Matthew Lehfeldt, who operated a sushi bar in Steamboat Springs, wields a sharp knife behind his bar at Buchi.
“Everybody says they can roll sushi,” said the classically trained Lehfeldt, who was an apprentice under famed sushi chef Philip Yi. He clearly doesn't believe everyone can do it, citing an attention to homemade sauces, includes misos and ponzus that transcend just a passing interest in the fresh fish game.
Raised in Tehran by a father who was in the foreign service, the lanky Lehfeldt appears to be an anomaly in an Asian-themed kitchen. Ah, that is until you down one of his Valley rolls, miso-flavored black cod, Thai wings or noodle bowls.
He laughs when recalling a customer who asked, “Where's the little Asian guy?”
Appearances can be deceiving in this modern appointed eatery that looks like it should charge higher prices than it currently does. One reason for that is Buchi's managing partner Jeffrey Klein's decision to cultivate a local following by getting people hooked on delicious, well-priced rolls that start at about eight bucks ($6 during the après ski hours). Klein made the decision to throw open the doors of his long-delayed, 88-seat restaurant in a corner of the base area after coming to terms with Related WestPac about some disputed construction issues.
The current proprietor of the Office at the Cirque, Klein will close that Snowmass Mall hotspot at season's end due. Who will assume the lease from landlord Lance Hool has not yet been publicly announced.
But why open a restaurant so late in the season? It's part and parcel of cultivating that local following. “If I hadn't opened, I couldn't have demonstrated that it was a viable business.” Klein went on to add that, “you don't need a $15 hamburger” to be profitable.
“My business is going to survive because of the locals. People who come skiing are going to come every year. This place (Buchi) needs to be an enclave where locals can go and experiment with different foods. That's an important long-term vision,” emphasized Klein, who was a co-founder of Aspen's popular Matsuhisha restaurant.
After closing down for the off-season this weekend, Klein is looking ahead to the summer, which will begin at Buchi around the Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest (early June). He is looking at opening Thursday through Sunday for lunch, après hours and perhaps into the early evening. Lehfeldt, who by the way is a nominee for Colorado Ski Country USA's snowmaker of the year (for his work at Steamboat), will be training some young chefs in the art of sushi between now and the start of summer.
‘A little bit different'
Just up the hill at the Viceroy, Chef Francis Mo is busy one snowy afternoon, preparing rolls and fresh sashimi for a local hotel's management group. After 3:30 p.m. each day, the hotel's Nest cafe removes all vestiges of its deli-style foods in favor of fresh fish, salads, nigiri and even wellness tonics. Voila! It's time for Nest Sushi.
Though sushi has dominated the menu only for the past week, the Viceroy wisely dropped its prices on rolls that once topped $25. Those with Viceroy cards may realize an even bigger discount.
Cut rolls now begin at $10 for a veggie variety and $12 for a lobster roll. Signature rolls include the Dragon which is topped with fresh strawberries and a favored starter is the Albacore Tataki salad.
“We are a little bit different,” Mo said this week while hard a work behind the counter. “Each item we use has a different sauce to match the fish flavor,” he said.
Thirteen herbal loose leaf teas and a roster of tonics, including a a detox blend and a mind and memory blend, beckon. Sushi-friendly beers such as Sapporo and Tsingtao tempt as does the restaurant's signature sake, Junmai Ginjo.
Late of Shibuya in the MGM Grand and Tao in the Venetian hotel (both in Vegas), the Taiwan native honed his skills in Hong Kong and Japan.
Whereas Buchi's style sense is more Asian, Nest is cool and crisp with its blue, green and white finishes.
During the summer season, grilled items will join the menu and the elixirs will lighten up.
The Nest operating schedule for the off-season wasn't confirmed at presstime, though the Viceroy will be open for business. One can only hope that during the quiet, dark days of April and May, fresh fish opportunities will be available in at least one of these two new sushi and Asian-influenced eateries.
Chef Matthew Lehfeldt, who operated a sushi bar in Steamboat Springs, wields a sharp knife behind his bar at Buchi.
“Everybody says they can roll sushi,” said the classically trained Lehfeldt, who was an apprentice under famed sushi chef Philip Yi. He clearly doesn't believe everyone can do it, citing an attention to homemade sauces, includes misos and ponzus that transcend just a passing interest in the fresh fish game.
Raised in Tehran by a father who was in the foreign service, the lanky Lehfeldt appears to be an anomaly in an Asian-themed kitchen. Ah, that is until you down one of his Valley rolls, miso-flavored black cod, Thai wings or noodle bowls.
He laughs when recalling a customer who asked, “Where's the little Asian guy?”
Appearances can be deceiving in this modern appointed eatery that looks like it should charge higher prices than it currently does. One reason for that is Buchi's managing partner Jeffrey Klein's decision to cultivate a local following by getting people hooked on delicious, well-priced rolls that start at about eight bucks ($6 during the après ski hours). Klein made the decision to throw open the doors of his long-delayed, 88-seat restaurant in a corner of the base area after coming to terms with Related WestPac about some disputed construction issues.
The current proprietor of the Office at the Cirque, Klein will close that Snowmass Mall hotspot at season's end due. Who will assume the lease from landlord Lance Hool has not yet been publicly announced.
But why open a restaurant so late in the season? It's part and parcel of cultivating that local following. “If I hadn't opened, I couldn't have demonstrated that it was a viable business.” Klein went on to add that, “you don't need a $15 hamburger” to be profitable.
“My business is going to survive because of the locals. People who come skiing are going to come every year. This place (Buchi) needs to be an enclave where locals can go and experiment with different foods. That's an important long-term vision,” emphasized Klein, who was a co-founder of Aspen's popular Matsuhisha restaurant.
After closing down for the off-season this weekend, Klein is looking ahead to the summer, which will begin at Buchi around the Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest (early June). He is looking at opening Thursday through Sunday for lunch, après hours and perhaps into the early evening. Lehfeldt, who by the way is a nominee for Colorado Ski Country USA's snowmaker of the year (for his work at Steamboat), will be training some young chefs in the art of sushi between now and the start of summer.
‘A little bit different'
Just up the hill at the Viceroy, Chef Francis Mo is busy one snowy afternoon, preparing rolls and fresh sashimi for a local hotel's management group. After 3:30 p.m. each day, the hotel's Nest cafe removes all vestiges of its deli-style foods in favor of fresh fish, salads, nigiri and even wellness tonics. Voila! It's time for Nest Sushi.
Though sushi has dominated the menu only for the past week, the Viceroy wisely dropped its prices on rolls that once topped $25. Those with Viceroy cards may realize an even bigger discount.
Cut rolls now begin at $10 for a veggie variety and $12 for a lobster roll. Signature rolls include the Dragon which is topped with fresh strawberries and a favored starter is the Albacore Tataki salad.
“We are a little bit different,” Mo said this week while hard a work behind the counter. “Each item we use has a different sauce to match the fish flavor,” he said.
Thirteen herbal loose leaf teas and a roster of tonics, including a a detox blend and a mind and memory blend, beckon. Sushi-friendly beers such as Sapporo and Tsingtao tempt as does the restaurant's signature sake, Junmai Ginjo.
Late of Shibuya in the MGM Grand and Tao in the Venetian hotel (both in Vegas), the Taiwan native honed his skills in Hong Kong and Japan.
Whereas Buchi's style sense is more Asian, Nest is cool and crisp with its blue, green and white finishes.
During the summer season, grilled items will join the menu and the elixirs will lighten up.
The Nest operating schedule for the off-season wasn't confirmed at presstime, though the Viceroy will be open for business. One can only hope that during the quiet, dark days of April and May, fresh fish opportunities will be available in at least one of these two new sushi and Asian-influenced eateries.
