raji

I don't know I've never been.. but they're all universally horrible in my book because they're all using the same restrictive set of ingredients... if you're going to do kosher, go to Pongal or Madras Mahal as they're kosher-approved...

That's too bad... my boy was dating an orthodox girl a few times and I was forced to go to the kosher kosher places like Kosher Delight. It was some of the worst food I've ever paid for. Worst part was her telling us how good it was. Oy vey the power of forbidden fruit

Yes I was going to the say the same thing.... some of the oldest and most established immigrants who built New York City have long since fled for the suburbs. 2 of those communities are Italian and Jewish. Which is why you can pretty reliable get perfectly great Neopalitan-style pizza (and, thank god, Italian delis) in Westchester, Long Island, Staten Island and New Jersey and authentic Jewish deli and kosher food in Westchester and Connecticut. I'd also add that there are reform Jews and then there are Orthodox and Hacedic etc... and I think the NY/Askinazi-Jewish soulfood most NYers are used to is more often prepped and consumed by reform Jews.... Myself being one, and I was featured on the Japanese equivalent of "the today show", and they shot b-roll footage of the hacedum in Williamsburg, and then cut over to me. I was kind of embarassed, because that's pretty far right from the judaism I grew up with...

Is this place still recommended? I'm getting together with various people for lunch tomorrow, and we need a good kosher felafel place in the West 20s or 30s (the out-of-towners' hotel is on 31st and Broadway). ← Pan, my goto place in that area is Sahara Grill - http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7139...hara_grill.html Falafel, hummus, baba all top notch there. Dunno if they're kosher, may very well be lebanese or turkish. If not there Pita Hut in Chelsea is also very good.

Raxelita best get her ass to Manhattan

Just bumped it from 3 to 4 people. Man this is going to be a feast. It's part business so I can't take any food porn, but I'll try to report back as it would be good to know there is truly authentic sushi in that neighborhood....

I think that would be a pretty standard chinese-run sushi bar. When I lived there, I simply did not go, there was nothing good - There is a place that opened near St. Anns and Grimaldi's, is it still open?

Unfortunately sake mixes about as well as red wine. Bring on the shochu boom!

There are lots of great penthouse/rooftop bars, hotel bars and lounges in that area. The penthouse of the Dream Hotel has a great lounge. For something different, after dinner, I'd check out Kyotofu - they have a full assortment of cocktails, shochu and sake, as well as amazing desserts

While I know this thread is about pure mixologists, I'd add to the discussion that over the past few years, both sake and shochu have become increasingly and widely available. While sake is pretty much served as is, and most shochu is enjoyed on the rocks, or with water "mizuwari", there are many many cocktail variations based on shochu; it is usually around 40 proof. Sake as well, but I'm not as fond of those, they're like Japanese sangrias to me. Sake importers have been pushing Japanese sake at liquor stores and tastings at various resstaurants in a recent push the past few years. I'm mostly thankful that I can now get shochu made from rice, barley, wheat, brown sugar, potatoes, etc. at Japanese restaurants and shochu bars...

Haven't been in a while, so I'm hoping Hideo remembers me as we were introduced by a mutual friend... does anyone know if it books out early? Was going to call first thing tomorrow to get 3 @ the bar for Thursday night...

Speaking of Dosa, where is Dosa Diner? My Dosa temple is Thali on Hillside Ave, Qns couple doors down from the Patel Bros. ← I should try there... Dosa Diner is straight down 37th past the block after Jackson Diner

Oh I found this video again so hilarious http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuNu2a4FGTI...related&search=

Yeah I'm sorry I cheated - those photos are from Japan Yeah the aburiengawa has some ikura and cream sauce on it - one of the others has cheese and mochi on it - I think I last had an Aburiengawa at Shimizu.... or was it sushiseki... but I had to ask for it. I've never seen it on a menu in America

Engawa = flounder fin. Aburi_anything means broiled, fired. Hence Aburiya Kinnosuke - Aburi(broiled)ya(shop) . I'm not too fond of engawa as is, but if they have it, and they have a blowtorch (which many sushiya have now to do seared sushi), tell them to have a go at it. It melt the connective tissue and man is it ridiculously delicious. Other good fish to apply a blowtorch to: salmon, toro, kanpachi - anything that has a bit of fat in it

don't forget the aburiengawa... damn I'm getting hungry

Like this! As you can see that day we were quite fond of their sweet shrimp, seared toro and maguro

I eat sushi at a table in Japan all the time - it's not like ALL sushiya only have 12 seats... I think the big difference between Japanese and American customers is that most Japanese know exactly what fish they like and want, having grown up with it - If that's not you, then I'd say ask for an omakase platter, and be very specific about which fish you don't like or love, and then tell them which you LIKED of what you tried and re-order from there on. 8 pieces is a good number. If you have a few people, ask for a big variety instead of things like california rolls or tuna rolls that are thrown in there - Big time

Well, after all, Yasuda and Kurumazushi are the best 2 in the city. SushiAnn is not so good, they need to blow the dust off that place For the best, authentic sushi, (hardly "stuck with" Nate!) I'd go with Sushiden. For a business lunch, they have tatami rooms too. For a bit of the nouveau sushi, go to Sushi Seki, although it might be a little out of the way for you Hatsuhana and Hatsuhana Park are also good and authentic and should be your backups...

good luck! I'll dine before the Amazings tonight, and strong possibility Flushing rather than Jackson Heights for once, so if I'm out there I'll check it out

Nope that's the place.... I bet their Chinese garlic is not bad, but not what you're looking for... have you even looked at Whole Foods or Fairway? I bet they'd have it in Flushing. Another strong possibility is the Mitsuwa in across the river in Edgewater, NJ... they carry a lot of meats and products for Yakiniku, Japanese Korean BBQ, and they're also owned by Koreans now

Haha no no the METS play at Shea, they reach extra innings... and win! Anyway let me know about splitting the case.

I'm at Shea again on Friday. These homestands are like a job. A job every single yankee fan would kill to have right now! BUT, I don't think I should take a case of mangoes into a baseball game. What if it goes extra innings?

Anytime! Let me know what happens. Now I'm cursing myself for using cheap garlic when wokking or doing yakiniku marinades. so dumb. This is obviously what was wrong, all the other ingredients are run of the mill

by the way I don't think I ever realized that every single non-food establishment in JH bears my name