Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Paname Restaurant, Upper East Side, NYC
Category Archives: NEW YORK CITY
Fushimi, Williamsburg, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Wa Jeal, Upper East Side, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$ ½
Must try: Wok Roasted Diced Chicken w/ Thousand Chili
Sage General Store, LIC, NYC
Tabélog Meet and Greet Event at Skál, Lower East Side, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Balaboosta, Nolita, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Fresh Burrata, Israeli Street Fair, Kanafeh
Dinner with Chopped star Ted Allen at Pok Pok Ny hosted by Pepcid/ Eater
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Lure Fish Bar, Soho, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Big Bash Burger, Lobster Roll
Brunch at Lafayette, Greenwich Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Soft Scrambled Eggs Vol-Au-Vent
Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Chinatown, New York
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Rice-noodle rolls, Shrimp and Chive Dumpling
Jaiya Thai, Murray Hill/ Yorkville, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆ ½
Ambiance: ☆☆ ½
Cost: $$
Must try: Special Sauce, Indian Curry, Laad Na
Musical Mondays and Le Cirque’s 40th Anniversary at Le Cirque Café
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Da Marcella, West Village, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Angus Club Steakhouse, Midtown East, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Pastai: An Artisan Pasta Bar, Chelsea, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Sel et Poivre, Upper East Side, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
LIC Market, Long Island City, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must try: Frittata, Soups, Brownie
Milkflower, Astoria, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must try: Meatballs, Queen, Brussels Sprout
Dovetail, Upper West Side, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Potato Gnocchi, Hamachi, Cured Carrots, Chocolate soufflé
Hakkasan, Midtown West, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Dim Sum, pumpkin-duck puffs, Chicken Sanpei
The Butcher Bar, Astoria, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Pulled Pork, Marinated Chicken
Thelewala, Greenwich Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $
Must try: Chicken Phall Roll
Thelewala, as its name suggests, has recreated the street food experience right here in New York City.
Situated on MacDougal Street amongst numerous tiny eateries, Thelewala offers stiff competition to Kathi Roll Company that is situated diagonally across.
The concise menu here offers uncommon variations on kati rolls which they call “Famous Nizami Rolls”. There are several fillings one can choose from with both vegetarian and non- vegetarian options. My favorite was the spicy Chicken Phall Roll.
Thelewala also offers other street style food ubiquitous in Kolkata. Do try their Jaal Moori which is a riff on the more common bhelpuri. It is prepared with puffed rice, peanuts, red onions, potatoes, lime and oil (ask for mustard oil which is the authentic version vs. olive oil)
The owner Shiva Natarajan’s who also owns Chola, Dhaba, Bhojan and more, is a native of Kolkata – where street food reigns supreme. As I too am of similar origins, I can tell you that Thelewala is the real deal.
Here is some of what we ate:
Phuchka
Jaal Moori
Chicken Malai Roll
Chicken Phall Roll
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Thelewala | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| West Village / Thai | |
| * Street Address | |
| 112 MacDougal St. (Between Minetta Ln. & Bleecker St.), New York, NY 10012 | |
| * Phone | |
| (212) 614-9100 |
Bohemian, Greenwich Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try:The Bohemian Tasting
Ever done the secret dining circuit in New York? If not then Bohemian is a great place to start.
There is such a thrill in going to that clandestine, unmarked restaurant with no published phone number that is hidden away behind a Japanese butchers store. I was expecting a super snobby, exclusive chic kind of atmosphere but what lies behind Bohemian’s doors totally disarms all of that.
Once you are buzzed in, the entire mystique melts away and what you are left with is a really inviting space, which feels more like being in someone’s living room. Here you are served rather remarkable fare by the nicest of people. Trust the Japanese to create the ultimate speakeasy!
At Bohemian, chef Kiyo Shinoki prepares Japanese inspired creative plates that are artful both in composition and presentation. Each dish is thoughtfully created blending Japanese cooking techniques to maximize flavors.
The Bohemian Tasting for $55 (6 courses) is a very reasonable offering which allows you to sample an array of different tastes. There also is a full bar with an assortment of Asian inspired cocktails.
Bohemian has a very a stringent reservation policy which is by phone only. They also ask for a referral when you call in.
Bohemian respectfully requests that their “secret phone number” not be published anywhere however if you visit their website at (www.playearth.jp) and write a a self-introduction to them and you might just find your way in.
Here is some of what we ate:
Farmer’s Fresh Vegetables Fondue
Washu-Beef Short Rib Sashimi
Uni Croquette
Pan Roasted Branzini
Washu-Beef Mini Burger
House Caviar Rice Bowl
Foie Gras Soba
Honey Lemon Pannacotta
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Bohemian | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| East Village / Japanese / Steak | |
| * Street Address | |
| 57 Great Jones St. (bet. Bowery & Lafayette St.), New York, NY 10012 | |
| * Phone | |
The Nipponista Event at Maison O hosted by Isetan, Soho, NYC
Last night I was invited by Tabélog to attend ‘Nipponista‘, an event hosted by Isetan, the largest department store in Japan. Nipponista is part of a Japanese project called ‘Cool Japan’ and was created to transmit Japanese fashion, art and food information throughout the world.
El Anzuelo Fino, Jackson Heights, NYC
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
I was recently invited to El Anzuelo Fino, a family owned Peruvian restaurant, which has locations in Jackson Heights and Woodside in Queens.
What I went in expecting was a Pio- Pio styled Peruvian meal (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but the experience I came away with was something completely different.
Boris Torres, the son and face of the next generation at El Anzuelo Fino, is a professionally trained chef as well as an architect.
Both professions require fashioning an art form and that is exactly what Torres does on the plate. He is a truly gifted chef who is pushing the boundaries of Peruvian food into modernity whilst still staying close its roots and heritage.
Torres schooled me throughout the meal on the complexity, depth and phenomenal ethnic influences that have fashioned Peruvian cuisine. Each dish that was presented to me had a little history lesson on how its flavors borrowed from its cultural past.
Be it African, Chinese – “Chifa”, Japanese –“Nikkei”, Spanish or Italian, Torres’s creations pay true homage to a gastronomic heritage that is so rich. Take the classic favorite “Lomo Saltado” for example, which is made with sautéed beef tips, onions, tomatoes, reduced with soy sauce and served over French fries. What seems like a crazy combination of flavors actually works beautifully! Look at all the cross cultural pollination going on in that dish!
The Anticuchos con Papa or veal hearts drew on African heritage whilst their superb Ceviche draws on Spanish influences.
At El Anzuelo Fino, do not miss trying the Corvina, which is a firm-fleshed South American fish. We sampled a Ceviche and an “A-la- Plancha” version of this fish and both dishes were spectacular.
El Anzuelo Fino, in my opinion is truly a gem of a find. Located in its unassuming digs one can really find artful creations of seriously tasty, home-style Peruvian food here.
I, for one, am a fan!
Here is some of what we ate:
Canch
Ceviche de Corvina
Anticuchos Con Papa Y Choclo
Pulpo al Olivo
Corvina A La Plancha
Lomo Saltado
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| El Anzuelo Fino | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Jackson Heights / Peruvian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 8601 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights, NY 11372 | |
| * Phone | |
| (718) 426-8660 |