"Chef Riccardo Orfino, who learned about ike jime from Jacopo Ticchi in Italy, adopted the technique as a point of differentiation: “Having a neighboring restaurant already offering traditional fish dishes, it was important for us to find something different.” He offers side-by-side comparisons of different aging durations of ike jime hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack) from Japan: the younger crudo ($22) is soft and breaks apart easily, while the hiramasa speck ($15) undergoes an extended process — brined for six days, cured in a spice rub for a week, smoked, and then left in a dry-aging cabinet for 10 to 12 weeks. While the restaurant is closed for a couple months due to construction, both dishes are currently being offered at Travelers Poets & Friends." - Caroline Shin