raji

I got back not too long ago from the extra-innings Mets win. Brother and I picked up Dosa's at Dosa Diner, went to buy some Nirav Mango Fruitdrink at the big market across, asked them about Indian Mangoes, all they had was a case of Arizona Mangoes for $11.99, they said PATEL BROTHERS so there ya go. I'd split with you and mangoes are very versatile; be like bobby flay and put it in every salsa imaginable or be like the indians and make chutney with it or lassis, you can freeze those or mango ice cream. YUMMMMMM

Garlic is the 5th Element of korean cooking! It's very very important to most of their dishes. I don't imagine, in a pinch, a proper Korean chef trotting into Whole Foods or A&P for that matter. Yours was probably fresh from Korean/Chinese distributors and therefore available at the Han Arum, who probably stock it for retail but also for the surrounding restaurants on the regular or in a punch - or perhaps hulled, jarred etc. and on the shelf. I'm not aware of special garlic in Japanese. I'm pretty sure Chinese garlic is frowned upon because South Korea's refusal to import it almost started a trade war. I personally don't like Chinese or Mexican garlic so much. You should just go in to the Han Arum and ask them, the usual guys are pretty nice and helpful and speak English, and Japanese for that matter. quick google, lookie! 4491 Korean Red - whole bulbs, 1/2 lb bag, $9.95 A big bulbed hardneck from Korea, where folks really know their garlic. Its garlic that makes kim chee a world wide favorite! The big cloves are also easy to peel. Certified organic. US/C ADVANCED ORDERS COMING SOON! http://thegarlicstore.com/index.cgi/hardneck.html but seriously, if you can't get a Korean bulb of garlic on 32nd street, this isn't NYC

Did you try the Han Arum on 32nd?

I've been known to consume a medium margherita and an antipasto on my own... also, coincidentally a lot of times before going up to sinai, I'm supposed to be fasting. So, thanks for the breakfast recc!

I just pick some up at that huge meat market that cuts through an entire block, forgot the name, or Kan Man - I don't dig on the stinky or funky ones But I bet you're going to tell me where's good!

Is that the pizza in your picture? Do they do pizza by the slice? I'm up at Mt. Sinai frequently and make it a habit to grab a slice at Famiglia's on Madison; the original owners seem to always be at that one and it's a pretty good slice. It is also in between the Mount and the train. I could make a slight detour for a symphony in white

I think a lot of restaurants may be closed for Memorial's day, that's a pretty big holiday. Most ethnic restaurants will definitely be open. If open I'd heartily recommend Bar Room for lunch or dinner. Another great lunch would be over at Daisy Mae's at 45th and 11th. While you're over there you can check out where your tax dollars are going and do your best Village People impression! 8 am – 5 pm Public visitation of ship in Manhattan Pier 90, 50 St & 12 Ave/West Side Hway **Note: Lines may cap as early as 3pm to ensure all visitors have toured the ships before 5pm when the ships close.** 8 am – 4 pm Navy Seal Static & Challenge Display Pier 90, 50 th St & 12th Ave/West Side Hway If you're up for something different, you're a block away from 2 best-of-class Japanese restaurants, Sugiyama and Yakitori Totto. You should call and check their hours. Your proximity is a great asset for Totto; you can put your name down at open and then go back to your room and take a load off. Give them # @ the hotel and they'll call you when it's ready. On 9th avenue there are a slew of great restaurants. There's also Tintol for Portugese tapas across Times Square.

You may very well be right, but not because it has such an incredible variety. That only necessarily means that one can purchase many different types of sausage. The best of any particular variety may yet be somewhere else. By no means am I arguing against your conclusion, just the argument used to support it. ← It would have been closer to my original intent had I written "look at their variety, too". My conclusion was based primarily on what I've sampled, heard and read about them, but that they offer such a large variety means most likely they have the turnover to support it and the expertise to craft such an array, assumptions which might not be weighed heavily but should be considered...

Tehuitzingo

I've only gotten cold cuts from them but I bet Salumeria offers some of the best house-made sausages in the city - look at the variety alone http://www.salumeriabiellese.com/retail.html

Tehuitzingo hasn't changed their flavors a bit in the past several years - if anything they've gotten more American-customer friendly. I knew it was the place to go when I saw that that's where all of the mexican kitchen staffs and delivery guys in the neighborhood went to eat! I completely agree with you on all points and especially on your last 3 points - the best I've had in the US has been in Arizona, LA and SF, and that's more of a function of where in the US Southwest I've been - The lengua tacos from Tulcingo Del Valle are truly standout; meanwhile, the carnitas, asada, etc. are all standouts at Tehuitzingo. If you are a decent chef, however, you can reproduce a lot of the best tacos - as they're a grocery too, they sell everything you'd need, including pre-marinated pork for carnitas. Which is useful if you don't live in the neighborhood.

How does it compare to Tehuitzingo and Tulcingo del valle? Del Valle's tongue soft tacos are damn near addictive to me....

If you are price-conscious and looking for more general pots, pans and utensils, I would definitely hit up Hung Chong Import @ 14 Bowery first and see what you can't get there - they've got a lot more than woks and cleavers there, and most of the stuff is commercial/restaurant-supply-quality - their staff is also very nice and knowledgeable, and it's mind-blowing the variety and inventory they are able to fit into what is actually a pretty big shop by chinatown standards

It's more like 1/4, not 3/4, which seems to me appropriate, bearing in mind that it's only a 2-paragraph review.In restaurant reviewing, like any other kind of writing, you have to make a judgment call about what the reader can reasonably be presumed to know. In a general-audience magazine like New York, Platt can't just say "kaiseki" and assume his readers know what that is. Yeah, you're right... and despite all appearances, I'm not a Japanese food snob, rather, if I can share my experiences and be helpful I'll try.... Kaiseki isn't all that different than a chef's tasting menu, save the occasional course of pickles or broth that are strange to western palettes... I guess the point at which the reviews fail for me is that neither seem to have or want to draw upon any experiences with this type of cuisine... it's not even a different type of cuisine in most cases, it's refined, seasonal Japanese cuisines served at a very deliberate pace and order.

I'll be in Jackson Heights on Friday afternoon - or could be anywhere along the 7 (pre-subway-series-circus) - any news on Patel or otherwise?

So by the same virtue, is Bruni _adding_ a star in support of kaiseki in general?

What's up Max If you can't get everyone there for an early reservation, just stop in before 7 and get your name on the list, kill an hour at Japas next door and sing some karaoke until everyone's showed up - I'm not sure what the recent policy is, but I'm pretty sure you can book one of the tatami rooms at a later time if you in fact have 5 or 6 people -

Good question - I didn't see it on the regular menu, though my power of observation may have been slightly compromised. ← It hasn't been available at Totto for a year or two. You can get it at Torys. Not sure why, as the staff is far more experienced at the honten (original). I had an entire platter of chicken sashimi in Japan; 3 or 4 different varieties. I'll post the pics real soon....

I noticed this review of 15 East and Rosanjin by Adam Platt for next week's NY Mag http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/31787/ I applaud the following line - even with ALL of the openings, authenticity is still very hard to come by.

I noticed this review of 15 East and Rosanjin by Adam Platt for next week's NY Mag http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/31787/ Once again the reviewer has to waste 3/4 of the review describing kaiseki rather than objectively rating the restaurant Either way he awards it one star out of five. I still heartily recommend Sugiyama

Ordering omakase, they usually tabulate it the same as ordering the same items off the a-la carte menu, rounded off roughly in different ways... it can get real pricey as more unique items are introduced, which the customer might not normally order or wouldn't know is in stock anyway, or if you keep ordering after the chef is done with his presentation One of the best ways to enjoy an omakase is tell the chef what you like and what you don't like and what to substitute for Bryan, is the 8-piece like a standard sushi deluxe (which would surprise me), or is it 8 separate dishes that would normally run $5 a piece? I think I saw pictures of a similar layout from Le Miu, which would then sound more realistic I just hope another chef hasn't come to NYC to "cash in" (well I guess why else would you come), it really doesn't need to be as expensive as it gets here

Now I'm actually dying to try actual yogurt, bacteria and all, that has been cooled below 32F - who actually does it?

You know, with such a large sample size now, Id say, with few exceptions, traditional and authentic sushiya that can stand alongside those of Japan are for the most part traditional and authentic with their pricing, while new-breed, creative sushiya are, well, creative with their pricing (in both directions). Pricing in Japan is pretty consistent, first by ingredients (many advertise that their fish is direct from Tsukiji) and then by location, longevity and popularity. This is why you may hear many Japanese baseball stars pining away about eating sashimi up in Hokkaido, where the North Pacific fishing oversupplies and the real estate is cheap (and it's damn cold up there). Or Kyushu, Shikoku or Akita-ken. On one trip last year, in Tokyo, my best friend's girlfriend was sent a freezerpack bursting with Uni, which her elderly father up in Akita had weighted himself down to retrieve for her. That was some good uni. It also occurs to me that now with the sushi situation in NYC (and America by proxy) so improved, much of the enjoyment of the bevy of sushi I ate just a few weeks ago in Japan was the sheer variety of fish available, often 40 or more species, vs. here, combined with a population who, having grown up with up with, actually order all these lesser known varieties... I'm often loathe to order some of the lesser known whitefish at even some of the top places in NYC knowing that their turnover is very low compared to the toros, salmons, yellowtails and eels.... I mean, try to find a really good kanpachi (yellowtail belly), amaebi (sweet baby shrimp) or iwashi (like a sardine) around town! Which is why I praise so many of you who order omakase and/or put so much effort into educating themselves - Bryan I'll post the rest of those pictures as soon as things calm down, got looooooooots of good ones....

For NYers, Seinfeld is the I Ching, Bible, Tora, Koran, Iliad and Odyssey wrapped into one.

Don't forget 5 Front. Very good modern American and a cute date spot esp with the garden. Had a couple nice dinners there a couple yrs ago http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails...d=0&cuisineid=0 ← Yeah it had just been built and was not at all good while I lived there - but that was now 5 years ago...