BryanZ
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A friend of mine is moving to London in a couple weeks and has gotten a flat in Notting Hill. She's asked me to see if I can come up with some recommendations to ease her transition. She's more familiar with East London so since she'll be living in the western part of the city she's kind of at a loss.
What she's looking for is an assortment of spots to satisfy her frequent cravings for good food and drink. Specifically, she wants to stay in the neighborhood and quickly find a few "go-to's" that she can rely on.
Cuisine isn't super important nor is price. What is important is vibe and atmosphere. Places that are overly trendy aren't really of interest. She's just looking for solid neighborhood spots where she can pop into for a solid meal or a good drink.
Thanks.
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Pegu and Flatiron take group reservations.
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Was at Noodle last night for my first large meal here in a while. Usually, I go to Ssam for big meals and Noodle to snack. The place continues to run like a well-oiled machine. As a party of three that ordered multiple courses we were sitting for just under an hour. The people who get buns and ramen are out in 30 minutes. For all the attitude the staff sometimes shows, you can't say they're not efficient.
Chicken wings were as tasty as ever but less crisped on the grill than on previous visits. A minor quibble. The smoked duck salad--actually the first time I've had this dish--was probably my favorite of the night. It's laudable how they get the smoke to permeate the dish and cancel out any of the gaminess that some people find offensive with cold duck. Our final small plate was the much-lauded heirloom tomato salad with candied bacon. This was a very good dish but one, like the strawberry shortcake at Ssam, that depends heavily on the quality of the raw produce. The tomatoes on this salad were good but not bursting with that sweet, salty, acidic overload that is the mark of the best tomatoes. I'd say these were average farmers'-market-in-August quality.
In general the menu last night seemed more abbreviated than I've seen it in the past. There was, however, a new special, a take on lobster ravioli. This was chunks of lobster wrapped in a chili pasta sheet, served with tarragon and a creamy corn sauce. I also got some sweet-sour notes in this dish. I thought it was very good but very expensive at $34. At $28 I'd definitely order it again but not above the $30 plateau. The portion is large enough so that four people could share it and have a couple bites each, so it's not small, but it wasn't a mindblowing dish. To be honest, I could see this dish being scaled down and served at Ko, as it's already quite similar in composition to the snail pasta dish that's been served there.
Other mains included the fried chicken--great and something I'll try to duplicate at home--and the kimchi stew. The stew is a hearty dish but some of the shredded meat was a bit dry in places. Not offensively so, it just felt incongruous with the rest of the moist, unctuousness of the dish.
Couple of ice creams for dessert and all was good. Spent just shy of $60/person with one glass of wine, one sesame horchata, and one lychee soda.
Very, very solid meal. I continue to really like this place. I don't think it's better or worse than Ssam, just heartier.
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I haven't eaten here but in so many ways this restaurant just seems an enigma. Reports were very mixed based on what I read and suddenly Eater calls a four-star review. Surely a long shot, but I can't even imagine this place was gunning for three. As Bruni points out this is not a Japanese restaurant for the masses and its price point probably ensures that will remain the case.
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Any ideas of getting to the bottom of this then? Ask again? I don't speak Chinese.
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Had at SG this past weekend and it remains really, really solid. Didn't branch out too much so I can't speak to its strength across its rather broad menu but the staples I had a few days ago were delicious as ever. The only disappointment was that they were out of the razor clam app I've wanted to try again. Also, the dandan noodles were fine but definitely a step down from the other dishes.
The owner turned away numerous parties who tried to walk in at 9:30 and after. He's very serious about the 10 pm closing, as others have noted. By the time we left at about 9:45 or so the entire kitchen staff was already sitting around a big table in the big, eating their meal.
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Mains were the tandoor prawns and the grilled lamb chops. Both were very good, bordering on excellent. I wouldn't call this technically perfect cooking, but the flavors were spot on and vibrant.
Other than spot on and vibrant flavors, what exactly is technically perfect cooking, when it's done in a tandoor?
Yeah, that wasn't very clear. "Technically perfect cooking" is an idea to me that descends directly from European, and more specifically French, cuisines. A piece of meat perfectly caramelized, with even doneness, rested, and cooked to an exact temperature. A vegetable selected at the height of its season, expertly prepped, and cooked to an exact doneness This emphasis is, in my mind, is much more important in western European cooking than say Indian cooking.
In this particular case, the lamb was absolutely delicious, the fat was meltingly tender. But the cooking was uneven, the butchery a bit sloppy. The vegetables that accompanied the shrimp were haphazardly chopped, the tomatoes still too firm--coincidentally this worked well in this texturally crisp accompanying salad. Therefore, delicious in this context but not technically perfect. The two are certainly not dependent on each other, especially in "ethnic" cuisines.
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My past few visits have seen significantly improved desserts. A few weeks back a nice cherry item with the fruit stewed and as a sorbet. This time, the signature chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream and a peach cobbler.
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Devi usually has some kind of prix fixe dinner deal throughout the year, so when I read on the restaurant's website that it would be offering its Restaurant Week menu through the month of August I thought it a good time to finally visit. The RW menu is the exact same as the "normal" three-course prix fixe that usually costs $45. A savings of $10 sounded good to me.
Unfortunately, they were out of the scallop appetizer I wanted to try, so instead we defaulted to the signature Manchurian cauliflower. UE's description is apt, though I picked up more spicy notes, and we dubbed it General Tso's cauliflower, minus the peanuts, of course. Our other starter was the lamb-filled chicken. This was quite tasty, and I enjoyed the new, to me, pairing of chicken and lamb in freeform sausage-like form.
Mains were the tandoor prawns and the grilled lamb chops. Both were very good, bordering on excellent. I wouldn't call this technically perfect cooking, but the flavors were spot on and vibrant. The proteins were also of very high quality. The chutneys, often times a distraction, actually added to the dishes, contributing sweetness to help offset the spices.
The desserts were fine, but a bit of a step down from the previous two courses. I preferred the Emperor's Morsel to the too-hard kulfi--I find Tabla's version more interesting.
Courses came very quickly and we were done eating in just over an hour. They could've spaced things out a bit more, but I like to eat quickly so it wasn't so much as issue as a peculiarity. We were the last seating of the night, so it's not as if they were trying to turn the table.
For a $35 meal this place was really solid. I'd like to go back and order more extensively.
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First visit to Jing Fong this weekend, and wow this place is intense. From the entrance to the banquet hall setting, this place is spectacle. I'm not dim sum novice, but I found the whole experience even a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, I was with a few zealous veterans who tracked down most everything we wanted.
All in all, I think this place is very solid. I've had dim sum of higher quality for sure, especially at a la carte restaurants, but this restaurant surely fills a nice. There's a good deal of diversity and despite its size most of the items are relatively fresh. We had a nice table right by the kitchen and the buffet so got most of our items on their first tour and saw when the buffet was being replenished.
Six of us ate substantial amounts of food for $14 each. Not bad at all.
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Have had a couple lunch/brunches at Perry St. over the past couple weeks and the place continues to be very dependable. The fact that the $24 daytime meal hasn't gone up in price makes it seem an even better value than before. The price point and experience are just right to ensure a very nice but not overly formal or costly mid-day meal.
I wish the menu would change more, however. The desserts seem to change every few weeks. I wish the more of the savories would change every, say, couple of months. I've had pretty much everything on the menu--easily 80%--and have had many items multiple times.
A new dish that for me that I really enjoyed was the crispy calamari with yuzu-sesame dipping sauce. This dish is very simple, but the textures are right on. Crispy and toothsome with a light, tart sauce. Very JG. Not as memorable is the ginger rice bowl. A nice portion of food but perhaps underwhelming compared to the menu staples like the chili snapper, crab-mango salad, and the hangar with liquid gruyere. In general, I also think it wise to stay away from the overtly breakfast-y items. They're fine, but you'd do much better to order more daring options.
Service has generally been very good, but an experience today was a bit weird. They brought the amuse soup but soon after, like three minutes, brought our first courses. One of my party hadn't even tried her soup yet and they cleared it anyway. This was bizarre since they're usually very good about pacing meals there to suit the needs of the diner.
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Ate at this place a few weeks ago. It's fine, but I won't be coming back based on the $80 I spent here. The cooking is solid but not all that imaginative. For some the space it occupies between fine and casual dining might be perfect, but I came away from my meal having eaten generally tasty if not particularly memorable food. I liked the starters the most, rabbit terrine with sweetbreads and a chilled zucchini soup. A fish dish with corn was strangely petrol-y and plastic-y tasting. Corn can sometimes taste like this, but it clashed with the fish.
The amuse bouche and petits fours also seemed like throwaways, again suggesting that this restaurant can't quite decide if it's casual or fine dining in focus.
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One thing that surprises me is your unequal treatment of food and wine. Wine is not just an afterthought or indulgent splurge...
I like wine as much as the next guy, maybe more. I'm even starting a cellar and I've amassed what I consider a pretty good collection for someone only a couple months in with very limited resources.
To be honest, wine in restaurants, and especially European restaurants, is simply too expensive. It's certainly not an afterthought--I wish it was a forethought--but traveling on my own I was stretching my budget as it is. To put it in economic terms, I get significantly more value out of €100 worth of food than €100 worth of wine. In addition to the expense, my mother is not a big drinker and we're unlikely to finish multiple bottles of wine over the course of a meal. I'd rather have a couple glasses of different things.
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I ate at the 1770 House a couple years ago, and I just underwhelmed. To me it's everything I don't like about the Hamptons. The food was fine but so pedestrian, just generic "fine-dining food." Portions too big, protein, starch, veg, you get my drift.
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Days 18-19 - Vienna
Vienna is a city of neo-this and neo-that. It looks old and almost feels old but actually isn't. With that said, it is quite beautiful.
We did not partake in a starred meal in Vienna, instead opting for a heurigen, a wine garden, on one night and the opera on the next. This did not leave time for a multi-hour, multi-course affair.
A heurigen is in many ways like a German beer garden, except in this Austrian iteration local wine is served. The food offerings are also a bit more expansive. Food is ordered cafeteria-style from sufficiently onery Austrian marms with little to no English. It took me a stress-filled few minutes to finally understand the ordering system, but once I ordered a portion of the beef tongue I think I marginally thawed my server's heart. She was proud of me.
The particular wine garden we went to was located in Grinzing. Yes, Grinzing is uber-touristy, but my friend really wanted to go to this particular town. What can you do? It was still quite yummy. The wine, however, was terrible. We tried both the local white an the local red. Unlike the local wines of Spain, France, and Italy, these were rough.
The plate of food I shared with the young lady of the group was literally overflowing with Austrian goodies.
Dinner
You can't see it all, but there's ribs, pork belly, beef tongue, hashbrown potatoes with bacon, sauerkraut, and sausage here. It was rich food, but so satisfying. Dessert was a slice of various pork parts set in gelatin and apple strudel.
The place, again, was touristy, but I enjoyed the experience. Dining outside, eating mass quantities of heavy food and drinking awful wine was satisfyingly enriching.
On our tour through the center of Austria we made a couple of stops for pastry, something Austria is quite well-known for.
Sacher torte at Cafe Sacher
This was fine, but since I'm neither a huge chocolate fan nor a huge cake fan the subtleties of this were lost on me. We also had a cafe melange, "the" coffee drink in Austria (or something to that effect). I thought there was way to much whipped cream and other "stuff," but then again, I drink my coffee black.
Between our two pastry stops we passed by St. Stephen's cathedral. It towers above the center of the city. The inside, as one might imagine, is very grand and ornate.
Much better was the pastry we had at Demel, a famous Austrian sweets shop.
Passion fruit cake
Great balance of flavors and a nice, light texture. Can anyone identify that fruit on top? I had no idea what it was.
After the opera that evening, in which Placido Domingo sang, I would retire to my room for my last night in Europe. On Day 20, my birthday, I would fly home. It was a whirlwind trip and one that I feel very fortunate to have gone on.
Since being home I've been eating almost nothing but Asian food. It's what my body has been craving. Spicy, sweet, sour. Lots of Thai, Vietnamese, Sichuan, and a bit of Korean and Japanese thrown in the mix.
I'd like to thank everyone who has been reading along. Double points for those of you who commented and asked questions. And, of course, I'm happy answer any others still floating around out there.
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We had currywurst in Vienna but were not very excited about it but it may not really be the thing in Vienna. At the stand where we had it they put dry curry powder on the sausage and then topped with ketchup---was the dry curry and the ketchup mixed together in Berlin? I love streetfood, diner food and sausages, etc but I didn't really like the combo of unmixed dry curry powder and ketchup.
This did have curry powder sprinkled on top of it but was moistened by a curry-infused ketchup. I liked it. Maybe I have base tastes.
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First time staying in Westhampton. Anything decent this year? Cheap eats, places to shop, etc.?
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Mayo, indeed. European mayo is much thicker than its American counterpart. It holds its shape better in a most chemically enhanced way.
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Berlin - Days 16 and 17
Berlin is a fascinating city, one that I took a liking too. It's beautiful in parts but also raw and filled with an urban energy that Amsterdam and Vienna did not have. We stayed in Pranzlauerberg, an area that reminds me of the Village in NYC but perhaps not with the same critical mass of people. In fact, I was shocked at how uncrowded Berlin was. I would later learn that population growth in the city is near stagnant.
Pretzels at the Brandenburg Gates
I feel like this picture really encapsulates the version of Berlin I saw. Young guy, wearing a new NYC baseball hat, pedaling around an old bicycle selling traditional pretzels. Surely the guy is a tourist attraction in himself, but somehow it felt very appropriate.
For all the newness and rebirth, however, this city is one that, rightfully, includes memorials to the past.
Holocaust memorial
Preserved section of the Berlin Wall
Our hotel was conveniently located near Prater Beer Garden. I had read about this place before coming to Berlin and definitely wanted to visit. I didn't even realize until just before we arrived there that Anthony Bourdain had eaten here on an episode of No Reservations. Since following in Bourdain's footsteps is something I'm wont to do, I was near giddy when we arrived and I saw the spread.
This place is awesome. Great setting of young folks and old, single diners and families. The food was delicious, the beer so crisp and cold. Oh man. After all the fine dining I'd had over the past two-and-a-half weeks this was so satisfying. A feast for two was €17 plus beer.
Happiness
Much sausage, pork loaf and steak, kraut, potato salad, and beer were consumed. Some corn, pickles, and pretzels were thrown in for good measure.
The next day we broke up our sightseeing by having a nice lunch at the two-starred seafood restaurant Fischer's Fritz. It's kind of like the Jean-Georges of Berlin such that they offer a great lunch special, three courses for €35.
Bread service
A generous basket.
Mussel and mushroom salad
Interesting combination. Nice amuse.
Starters
Fried prawn and young garlic soup
I didn't try this.
Sturgeon carpaccio
Very delicate. I would've liked a bigger hit of acid, but I think its absence was a purposeful study of understatement.
Smoked eel tartare, mint gelee
Both this dish and the carpaccio tasted very Scandanavian. The restaurant Aquavit rushed to mind for me.
Cubes of bluefin tuna
As portions were very small here, sharing was a bit difficult. This dish looks very Jean Georges to me.
Mains
Fish with porter sauce and fresh sauerkraut
For the life of me, I can't remember what the fish was. It was all about the bitter-sweet-salty beer sauce.
Snapper
Pretty plate, but I didn't try any.
Octopus
This was some kind of crazy dish I didn't understand. Somehow there's gnocchi in there and a bacon vinaigrette. It was on the far side of the table so your guess is as good as mine. My friend liked it but I think it was a little difficult to get his head around (and he was the one who was eating it).
Whole fried John Dory
This dish was presented and carved tableside. It also offered the most fish for the money, even if it was the simplest presentation. Served with an herb butter and a side plate of salad. This was really tasty.
Champagne custard-mousse, peaches en gelee
Very successful pre-dessert.
Desserts
Orange panna cotta
Nice and light.
Frozen cafe macchiato
A signature dessert here. My friend enjoyed it.
Warm chocolate cake with passion fruit
A bit pedestrian, but I like the chocolate-passion fruit combo; it's a new classic.
Cheese
I was very surprised that the restaurant rolled out the full cheese cart for my friend who selected cheese from the dessert menu. No supplement or anything. It was his first experience with the cart, so that was fun.
This meal was a very good value. It won't floor you and the portions were rather small, but it's enough for a very enjoyable midday break.
After a long afternoon of sightseeing, a snack was surely in order.
Currywurst
Hmm, strangely delicious. A simple wurst is chopped up, topped with curry powder and curry-infused ketchup. I had tried to visit the stand Bourdain visited on No Reservations, but its early closing time (even in the summer?) made it impossible for me to go. A solid grilled wurst was also consumed at this point.
Dinner on this second evening would be at Gugelhof, a famous, if touristy, restaurant in Pranzlauerberg.
Tarte flambee
Rustic and yummy.
Top coming off the baekoffe
This is an Alsatian pork and white wine stew that's baked sealed in a bread crust. It was actually quite light owing to the white wine that the dish is cooked with.
Pork
This was a primeval piece of meat. It was my friends, but after he took off most of the soft meat, I dug in there for the skin and gelatinous bits. Yummy. A huge portion.
I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the fondue I ordered. It was an overwhelming amount of cheese and pretty much killed all of us. Strongly seasoned with kirsch, I believe.
To full for dessert, we stumbled back to our hotel. The next day would mean an early wake up for the last stop on my journey, Vienna.
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Indeed our accommodation was selected by two of my friends for their proximity to other forms of entertainment. Surely, this was a touristy area, perhaps the most touristy area, and I'm certain there's wonderful food to be found in the city. De Kas demonstrated that.
With that said, in the other cities we visited, Paris, Berlin, and Vienna, even the touristy areas showed examples of a local cuisine that, while not the highest quality, was still quite tasty and spoke to city's culture and terroir. I didn't get this sense in Amsterdam.
Please don't take this as an affront--the city is beautiful and with more time to explore I surely would've eaten better--I simply did not eat as well as I might've hoped.
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I have been known to dabble in modern cuisine.
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Of course had I been with my family I would've surely seen another side of city. I should clarify and say that I was somewhat disappointed in the low-end dining in Amsterdam, given my budget and all. There didn't seem to be a distinct Dutch cuisine, at least from what I could see. Aregentinean, English, French, American, Middle Eastern were all duly represented but this, to me, does not make up a country's distinct cuisine. The closest thing I found was the fish stand, a unique experience indeed.
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Amsterdam - Days 14-15
I won't lie, I wasn't very impressed with the quality of food in Amsterdam. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong places but I've taken to describing Amsterdam as follows. Imagine the East Village of NYC but with a lot of canals. There's the feeling for the architecture. Then, take all of NYC's Starbucks and McDonald's locations and replace them with vaguely Argentinean steakhouses that all serve English breakfast in the morning and you've got a good pretty strong sense of Amsterdam's cuisine scene.
Of course, this characterization isn't entirely fair, but that's how I saw the city. It only dawned on me to contact Chufi on my second and final day in the city. Talk about a missed opportunity.
I didn't take very many pictures of what I ate here as much of it was unremarkable. A lunch at a cafe, a quite tasty schwarma, one of those bizarre English breakfasts served in an Argentinean steakhouse in the Netherlands, you get the idea.
On our first day, however, we chanced upon a couple of these very Dutch fish stands. Having no idea what to order, I sampled the lightly cured herring with pickles and onion.
Fish, umm, sandwich
Not the greatest thing in the world, especially when viewed in the context of being street meat. I didn't find it objectionable, however.
On the recommendation of an eG member however, we did make the trek out to De Kas, a beautiful restaurant set in the park on the outskirts of the city.
I should note that this restaurant went above and beyond to fit us in. For those who read Foodies Gone Wild I, you're well acquainted with my Amex conceirge woes. Don't worry, they struck back again this time. To make a long story short they managed to send me a reservation confirmation with the right address and restaurant name but the wrong phone number. For some reason unbeknownst to me or any other logically thinking person they made a reservation at another restarurant, Restaurant Cristoforo to be exact. Needless to say, I was quite perturbed.
The reservationist at De Kas pulled a few strings and still managed to get us into the fully booked restaurant when I made it clear how much I wanted to dine there. She said she'd call be back if anything became available, but what she managed to do is put my party of four in their semi-private dining room that seats easily eight, if not more. Granted, this wasn't booked for the evening so it's not like they sacrificed, but it was a nice thing to do.
The restaurant is a special one, located in a converted greenhouse. They serve a set menu that changes daily that works out to be about 3.75 courses. I say .75 because the starter is actually a small portion of three different dishes. Then there's a main, then cheese or dessert. Everything is effectively served family-style at the price of €47.50 per person. All produce is brought in daily for their farm in the countryside. They also grow tomatoes, grapes, and other small items in the unused portions of the greenhouse and on the surrounding bit of property.
Get ready for shades of Ad Hoc and Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
Restaurant
I may have stolen off to the back of the restaurant to steal the odd cherry tomato or two. They were absolutely delicious.
The main dining room is through those doors.
It's very bright and airy.
Olives
These were the biggest, meatiest specimens I'd ever had.
Starters
Leeks wrapped with jamon Iberico
This was pretty amazing. My favorite dish of the evening.
Garden salad, pea puree, falafel
Clean and delicious. Nice textural contrast throughout.
Lobster salad with beets, currants, and radishes
Another very elegant dish combining sweet with bitter.
For our main, each of us received a plate of grass-fed veal and every two people split a pot of gnocchi with chanterelles.
Assertive, as far as veal goes, in flavor and color. A perfect main course for the time and place.
Dessert
Cheese
A choice of a traditional dessert or cheese was offered. I chose the latter. I really liked the super-concentrated apple-fig syrup.
Strawberry trifle
This was really nice and light. Great balance of sweetness and acidity.
Although service was a bit slow--probably because we were in the back room--I really enjoyed this restaurant. The fact that it doesn't have a Michelin star surprises me, but then again perhaps it's just not that kind of place. A really enjoyable meal.
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I just have a few simple questions for you. How did you plan your itinerary? What guided your choice of restaurants and places to visit?
I addressed this briefly a bit earlier but when it comes to choosing restaurants I was motivated by three main factors: 1) R&C membership, 2) Recommendations from people I trust, 3) eG, food blogs, CH, etc.
I am particularly intrigued by how little of the more traditional dishes found their way to your stomach.I'm not sure what you mean by this. I think we did a good deal of traditional eating and sampled a wide range of cooking in each of the countries. Do you disagree?
3 Weeks of Excessive Eating in Europe
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
The food did have clear Mediterranean influences. Not quite Provençal, so I can see where one could definitely see Spanish influences too.
I much preferred Violon d' Ingres, but the restaurants are hardly comparable. One is nearly fine-dining, the other is a super casual, very affordable bistrot.
I can't recall specifically, but mayonnaise seems reasonable.