raji

How would you characterize Masa, which is by far the most expensive meal available in the city? I don't know of any dress code, but what's their formality quotient? Every restaurant you listed is European or American, which is what I would associate with formal dining... maybe formal dining has jumped the shark because there are other continent's cuisines are vying for diner's attentions, and those others are more popular than your traditional French, Italian, New American fine dining establishments? Has formal dining jumped the shark, or will it be a victim to "globalization"... On the contrary, I think formal dining hasn't jumped the shark, but we need to redefine "formal dining"...

I absolutely agree... and I'm trying to read the tea leaves from someone I've previously said does not get, and might never get, Japanese food... What I'll try to do is get a seat in front of the chef, rap with him and see what he recommends rather than going in with some preconceived notion of what to order based on the reviews. But you guys, especially the atl customers, are awfully helpful!

sorry.... this should go in the Bruni thread. I'm looking forward to trying out Soto.

Defo - I go every 2 months if anyone's dying to go, i can offer such a tour Even if you've never cooked Japanese food before, there is plenty to buy there. Even your most red-blooded American could stock up on the super-fluffy-dense white bread and baked goods, mayo, salad dressings, bulk edamame, sake and shochu, and that's even before the snacks section. Also great place to pick up a proper fuzzy-logic rice cooker. And every home chef should know a mirin, soy, ginger, sugar reduction! And in the past 5 years, the distributors have gotten tons better, so almost all the products, if you flip it over you will find a sticker with an English translation on the back. It just LOOKS daunting because all you see is the fronts. Did you mean the Matsushima, the Japanese steakhouse on the waterfront? Or the food court? If you missed the food court, don't do that again. There is a Katsuhama knockoff, avoid, but that is where the Santouka ramen is, the best bowl of ramen in the New York Metro area (yes, post-Setagaya) word

Well, for all I know he read those reviews and didn't even both to try the sushi... the way the restaurant is being reviewed, why bother having a sushi bar at all? Besides here, I have yet to read about that type of meal or interaction with the chefs. What's conflicting, or rather confusing, to me, is that on here, I hear that he is fanatical about ingredients, his rice, and talk of his omakase which includes plenty of sushi. If that were the case, why muddy them all up in composed dishes. This may be a personal preference, but sooner or later and certainly somewhere during the meal, I am going to want to eat well-crafted nigirizushi where the quality of the ingredients are front and center. I wonder how much the menu changed from Atlanta to NY. Well, I'm talking out my boxer shorts until I go try it myself, and it's on my shortlist, so we'll see..

Bruni two-starred it. http://events.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/dinin...&pagewanted=all Why not accompany the article with a photo of a bunch of the uni dishes rather than the unremarkable entryway? Can't complain too much about the review, it's more informative than most, except that he focuses entirely on the hot and cold plates and disparages their sushi. It's a sushi bar, right? Meanwhile, he one-starred Ushiwaka Maru, which is a crime, most likely because he misread a few of the sushi pieces. I still haven't tried Soto personally, and I would certainly like to. The conclusion I would draw though, is that I would do better doing a traditional sushi dinner elsewhere, and see Soto as more of a hybrid, and based on the similarities I see between dishes at Masa and Soto, such as the obsession with uni, a "Masa on the cheap", while not all that cheap...

Honestly, I might not show up to my own bday were it at the end of the (7) line... As much as a foodie as I am, seems like I always need some other mission or errand to justify outerborough destination dining. <<ducks>> Maybe that's showing out-of-towners that there's more to the city than Manhattan, but Queens has exclusively been the domain of Mets games this year. As much as I love Flushing, Jackson Heights, Woodside dining, the 45 minute back and forth investment CAN be a buzzkill. I mean, if I had a car, I'd be there every weekend, grocery shopping and hitting the spots. That doesn't mean that I won't make up a reason to get uptown or over the bridges, but there need be one, especially as I'm not a lone dining fan... Thanks for all the info guys. All my Chinese, Taiwanese and HKer friends are out of town, so any volunteers to make a phone call, PM me... We're not going to linger much, get in get out, honestly how much Tsingtao can you drink... [edited: Unbeknownst to me, honger is a predominantly derogatory term!]

And you'll be there pouring cocktails tableside, right Nate? Don't need Danny Meyer service by any means! Just normal service, really, that can handle a very diverse crowd.

I've never been here, but after 2 years in a row where my friends and family were owing more than $40 a piece, I'm thinking of having my birthday dinner in Chinatown to keep things festive but costs down. Do you think this would be a good place for a birthday dinner for 10-20 people? This would be for Saturday night, 9/15, around 7pm... think I should reserve soon? Oh yeah, so save the date, those board folks who know me, you're all welcome to come. I was just not familiar with the decor or environment there. From a culinary standpoint, looks like they have pretty stellar Cantonese seafood dishes from what you guys are posting. But, what if people want more meat and poultry type dishes, are they at the same level or would you guys recommend elsewhere in Chinatown? How would you compare this place to, say, the Grand Sichuan Int'l in Chelsea (not that I would have it there)? Granted, this is not a Sichuan restaurant. Kinda wondering about their hospitality, can tend to be very very lacking in Chinatown.

Just my 0.02 cents: Careful how you ask the, "So, where are you from?" question. I am often asked that question out of context (ie, in a business situation where my ethnicity has no bearing on discussion at hand) and quite honestly, it irritates me to no end. Not that any eG'er would need this tip but please engage in polite small talk before jumping straight to that, "So, where are you from?" question. Regardless, you might get the smart ass like me who might say, "From my mother's womb." ← I don't think it's rude to assume that a person is of the ethnicity of the restaurant they work at. It's not like Asians have a Rosetta Stone to telling who is Chinese, Korean or Japanese. There are Japanese people who like Chinese and Koreans who look Japanese etc. etc. etc. While "where are you from" is more of a nightclub pickup line and a bit too direct, if I can't tell by looks and accent, if I've been there I'll ask, for instance "What part of Thailand are you from?", knowing that the North, South and Island culture are all pretty unique in their own way... I guess this is only useful if you've been to that country. In terms of Japan, I am always very curious as to where people are from, and they are usually very very gratified that I know where they are from, can speak their dialect, or perhaps have been to some obscure temple or restaurant. I think in general it's good to let people know that not all NYers and Americans think that New York and the USA are the center of the world. It would certainly result in better government!

Ohhh... I think Tokyo is plenty bike friendly, especially relative to New York. The drivers are acutely aware of you and the capillary-like system of roads can get you anywhere if you want to avoid 2 lane main roads, which basically connect the rail-stations, unlike Manhattan which is an entire island of 2 and 3lane thoroughways... No, not by a longshot, and it's frowned upon to ride on the sidewalks, and in the high-pork areas you might actually get ticketed for it even if it's a minor detour, as if braving the Jersey drivers is safer. There's a reason there are those big bike protests the last Friday of every month. There are bike lanes on 6th Ave, Broadway, 7th avenue, 8th avenue, 1st Avenue, some crosstreets like 20, 21st, but many delivery trucks, cabs, and the transit cops themselves often double-park in them. I yell at them. If you're following all traffic rules and not in a hurry, it's generally safe to bike around. The main greenway is down from the GW Bridge all the way down the westside, down around the tip and up to 34th street on the eastside.

Minca and Rairaiken are probably better than the downtown Menkuitei, but the midtown menkuitei and menchanktei are probably better than those 3 downtown. Saburi's ramen's are also very good and should be tried. But you should really take a trip to the Mitsuwa, if not to stock up on Japanese groceries, to try the Santouka that is there, and then compare them with Setagaya. Honestly I was I was a shioramen fan, I would be a lot more excited about Setagaya... Ramen is really Japan's national dish... if Gah Mee Ohk can stay open 24 hours a day serving soluntang, it's still a bit of a mystery to me why there can't be a 24 hour ramen shop in the right location, i guess we're just missing someone with the balls to do it...

Those pictures totally got you in the mood, didn't they. Well don't forget that some of those are from the treasured "harami", the diagrphragm... very marbled... and the others from the short ribs...

What did you do on the Mitsuwa tour?? Like Steve, I'm not above a good tour, but I guess the right one hasn't come up. One's I'd REALLY like would be.... - Most current, "what you should order where" tour of Chinatown; same, shopping tour - Same, Jackson Heights - Tour of latin enclaves such as the Bronx and Spanish Harlem - soul food tour of harlem - NE asian tour of flushing (korean, chinese) - astoria tour

I try I try... I'm pretty sure if you call 5 bike shops, 1 of them would rent you hybrids for a month for like $40, with a deposit... The city, and brooklyn, become a lot smaller on a bike, and the weather now is wonderful for it. But it's nowhere as bike-friendly as Japan, and unless you stick to the greenways, you need a thick skin for it.

Well, I cycle... you could cycle around Manhattan too, it's really the best way to see the lay of the land. You'd be surprised how much adrenaline seeing your life flash before your eyes every few minutes affords you. And holy shit was I a sexy beast living in Japan, daily bike ride, Akasaka to Shibuya round trip. I miss the roads which you can roll a marble down, but I don't miss some of the hills. But they're never all that bad, they're "cute".

tau·tol·o·gy /tɔˈtɒlədʒi/ Pronunciation Key Pronunciation[taw-tol-uh-jee] –noun, plural -gies. 1. needless repetition of an idea, esp. in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness, as in “widow woman.” 2. an instance of such repetition. 3. Logic. a. a compound propositional form all of whose instances are true, as “A or not A.” b. an instance of such a form, as “This candidate will win or will not win.” This thread is becoming tautological!

I haven't lived in Westchester since childhood but I do know Mulino's in Westchester is a very good restaurant - it's in White Plains, not too far from tarrytown http://www.mulinos.us/ full disclosure, I did their website

Japanese is usually going to be the only one with a shoes-off policy. Some restaurants also have sunken bottoms below the tables, so at least you get that feeling of the floor close to the table. I'd suggest Aburiya Kinnosuke as seriously authentic, down to the utensils, and they have tatami rooms. Most of the midtown Izakaya also have tatami rooms, like Riki, Hizen, Ariyoshi. Downtown, Typhoon is probably the best you can do. Just call and ask if they have tatami rooms. I can't recommend AK enough, go there and you will thank me.

Japonified? Either way, it's not a word. You're not too critical, Chinese food in Japan is, for the most part, "wafuuchuuka" and not the real deal. Please read my post in the recent thread "NYC dishes before you die" because I was exactly in your situation and I posted a desert-island list on there...

I wish I had Nathan's memory... I mean I KNOW I've had "memorable" dishes at places like Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Jean-Georges, Bar @ Modern, but having had them once or twice, it would be hard for me to list them... But it's funny - I was living in Japan for a few years, and I'd only be back for a couple of weeks every few months, and there are very non-Japanese cuisines that are done well or even exist in Japan, probably Korean and Italian being the standouts. So, when I would come back, I would have to "stock up" on all those NYC-specific things, not really knowing when I'd ever get to eat them again. So I would have to go through this exercise mentally every few months. oh and Japan is kinda pricey, so when I'd be back I wasn't exactly booking tables at Bouley. So my info is probably dated but I'll try Katz's Corned Beef and/or Pastrami, on rye, russian and mustard on the side Slices at Joe's Margherita at Grimaldi's Mysore Masala Dosa @ Madras Mahal or Jackson Heights Curry, chicken tikka masala, poori bhaji, other chaat in Jackson Heights shrimp tandoor, breads @ Devi Anything not obvious @ Sriprapai Meat/Veggie combo @ Queen of Sheba Falafel and Chicken Swarma sandwiches @ Mamoun's Corner Bistro burger (yeah, bite me, I still have yet to have a bad one, and if you avoid peak times you aren't standing on line like a Shake Schnook) Bufalina Mozzarella Caprese Salad, Gnocchi butter/sage, at a good Italian Restaurant Sesame bagel, lightly toasted, lox, onion, lettuce, schmear Half-duck over rice with ginger sauce, chinese vegetables @ NY Noodletown Dim-sum at whichever the good place is at the time (i.e. Golden unicorn) Tacos @ Tulcingo & Tehuitzingo Anything with Mole @ Tulcingo del valle now to rope in all of NY's stellar Japanese food Liver sashimi wherever you can find it Nankotsu, Tebasaki, Hifu, Tsukune, ochazuke/onigiri, chicken Sashimi @ Totto/Torys Rosu Tonkatsu @ Katsuhama Wagyu ishiyaki @ Sugiyama Ebi chili, buta kakuni, yuba harumaki @ Saburi uni, amaebi, salted shiromi @ Yasuda toro, kanpachi, shika/botanebi, aburiengawa @ Ushiwakamaru Miso Black Cod, tempura, tartares @ Nobu There's probably a lot more I'm just stealing moments until the Giants figure out how to score...

Spice is pretty quick too... I think the nature of most chinese food (not referring to spice), everything prepped, cooked at high heat in a wok... allows super-quick delivery - and they're certainly known for their efficiency... and I think for Lunch specials I imagine all the popular items have been cooked ahead of time - The exception was also Grand Sichuan Int'l, chelsea or midtown, but everything seems to be cooked to order there and they are not your typical Chinese delivery - Probably Empire szechuan in their heyday was the fastest... I recall getting large pizzas delivered pretty damn quickly.. and by nature they have to be at your door PDQ, even with the advent of those super-insulated bags.... the local delis have always been quick, again cuz those sandwiches can be turned around in like 3 minutes

I'm a new yorker so I've never been on a tour; I'm usually the one giving them - I'm always having international friends in town, I found google maps pretty convenient to put together an itinerary for them... Here's a sightseeing/eating 1 day tour I put together, which you can do Grimaldi's and Katz's in 1 day, and really anything else in between, along with seeing lady liberty, Ground Zero, City Hall Park, and of course, walking the Brooklyn Bridge - http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=...5,0.188141&z=13 Here's another one for an Indian foodfest of Jackson Heights http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=...611ff&z=14&om=1

wow my memory didn't fail me... it's at 1st avenue and 3rd street

I couldn't get a sense of how much he really liked the place....or not... I realize I'm paying a premium just to have an authentic Tokyo chain in Manhattan, but honestly, Setagaya's ramen is kinda boring. For 10 bucks, there should be a feature or at least a gimmick... whether it be a remarkably good broth, chashuu, something... anything. And no gyoza!! There are a lot of them in Tokyo but I think I only went when I was drunk and didn't want to wait on line for the good places. None of my friends, knowing I was a foodie and hardly a neophyte, ever took me there... I remember a place in Japan that offered a Tsukemen for 650 yen, and you ordered either small, medium or large, and they were all the same price. You ordered based on the honors system. Imagine that in NY Wait I think I snapped a photo of that! and I'll follow that with a pic of a really good bowl of ramen... And I apologize to the mods in advance for posting pictures from Japan in the NY forum. I know it's arguably irrelevant. But, Given the huge influx in the past 5 years, really the only place on earth with better Japanese food than NYC is Japan. You'd think it would be HK or Taipei or Oz but I tell ya, I been to all those places and we take the cake. I think it's all the more relevant too because Japanese restaurants and chefs have to deal with sooooo many people faking it, moreso than any other cuisine I can think of, and I mean Japanese flags and scrolls and names and a huge production preying on the fact that your average American cannot tell the difference between a Japanese, Chinese or Korean person. It's fine if what they served tasted good, but even your lowly ramen shop chef apprenticed, honed their craft and put a lot of effort into their particular cuisine... So, authenticity is a big factor... I mean, David Chang, more power to him, besides the confusing name, he's not trying to fool anyone... but I just have to laugh when I see Japanese delivery menus where the background of the menu is just Japanese characters spelling out pure gibberish.... 650yen (~$5.50) "large" tsukemen. The dipping sauce was totally delicious, not overly sweet, salty like Setagaya's... 700yen (~$6.25)Tonkotsu ramen from a famous 24 hour joint near Shibuya station. You use a ticket machine (they all do) and can choose from a dozen or so styles and then all sorts of toppings like chasyuu pork, egg, scallion, sauteed garlic, nori, etc. etc. You can also get additional noodles usually for another 1 or 2 dollars. And no gyoza is simply unheard of...