raji

I'm a Seoul Garden fan, I wholeheartedly agree, and as many of them are 24hour, Ktown is often one of the only options for a night owl like myself...

I ate there for the first time back in September - once again photographing for a client, therefore I got to try a wide array of their specialties. Is there anywhere else I can post the pictures if posting pictures is disabled on this board? This will absolutely be my first destintation on 32nd from now on. They have a wide variety of specialties and they were all very delicious... I can write more if I can get these pictures up!

my problem with blondies is that they used to be Atomic Wings and then when i was up there recently on a monday night i asked and they said they got rid of Atomic. Funny thing is they taste exactly the same. This is the Atomic guys fault for not having something in the contract i guess but I even if blondies is technically making its own wings they owe every compliment to Atomic thus giving Atomic the #1 ranking in the city. ← The fact that you can't get a draft beer at one of their shops, nor watch a game, and Down the Hatch is such a shithole, elevates Reservoir. I didn't find Blondie's mind-blowingly good...

When you pronounce our name, "put a little zing into it", but detractors maintain, "stress the first consonent".

Fascati's in Brooklyn Heights is great for that too - the've been there forever. Joe's is still solid but, something's just missing in the new location...

So basically all those people need to go back at the right time for a consistently mind-blowing pizza. Honestly I've never been to Patsy's East Harlem, so if I'm just going to, as the placemat indicates, the 2nd incarnation, then perhaps I should STFU until I go there. Then again, how often do I find myself in Spanish Harlem??? Yes I had called the week before to let them know of our intentions - in general they were down with the idea, but by the time I arrived Sunday they were pretty damn busy and the manager was a bit grumpy but only because he was so busy and didn't want to deal with us. However, every single other person there was completely accomodating to us, those same nice guys who've always been there for the 10 years I've been going. As you said, though, YES, the oven operator was NOT down with me photographing the oven - I mean if it's really a trade secret, anyone can go there and see it. I wasn't using flash but my Nikon rig has a small lamp used for focusing and so basically he was saying "no light no light no light" or "too light too light too light" - I didn't quite get it - For this same client I've had to do other food shoots of places that are in discussion here, so if welcome, please let me know and I'll post links to those too -

Hey Sam - not to reignite the flame (pardon the pun) but I was over at Grimaldi's on Sunday, shooting some pictures for a guidebook for a Japanese client. They actually "service" the oven again around 4pm, so you _can_ go pre-dinner time and it will be blazing hot. Not sure if we discussed that but we should clarify. . Anyway I got a bunch of pictures, sorry can't be more concise but here are the unretouched - http://www.raji.com/photoshare/110705grimaldis/index.htm I love their roasted peppers, so I love their antipasto, and I gotta say, once again the Margherita was consistently great, never the leaden crust, but the airy light crust, cornicione that you lovingly mention. Anyway I got some good snaps there, I love the one of the oven!!! See if you can find it.

Went to Grimaldi's again Sunday afternoon...

They ARE quite good there, as is their burger. Great place to watch a Yankees game. Not many old neighborhood places like this left... and if you're up at Piper's Kilt, not too much further too Candlelight!! I'd still give the edge to Reservoir...

Was going through "THE BEST" threads and as a lifelong buffalo wing connoisseur and lurker until recently, I wanted to finally weigh in - Atomic Wings are consistently VERY good, and can be had at Down the Hatch, but the ones at Blondie's are their own, and are also very good. I haven't been there in a year but I believe that they are of the deep-fried breaded/battered variety that Hooters aspire too. I don't like any breading or battering on my wings, don't know if that makes me a purist but I like to think so... Atomic's wings will taste a lot better if you eat them there - but as they now have enough stores that they can deliver to much of Manhattan, 9 times out of 10 that's how I get them delivered, the problem being their own heat will steam them in their own sauce until arrival, so they no longer have the desired crisipiness slathered in spicy buffalo sauce. I'm sure there is some gourmet take on wings such as at Blue Smoke or more pricey places, but I think we are all talking about the kind of wings you want to eat on a game day and with beer - Probably 50 or so bars in town claim on their chalkboard "Best Wings in NYC". Scruffy Duffy's wings are very good. However, I'm going to have applaud Reservoir for having consistenly good wings for 10 years running. They are medium-sized, deep fried by lightly so and never oily, and their buffalo sauce is both as spicey as you want and very flavorful, while not being excessive in volume - meaning it all sticks to the wing rather than having to wipe it up. They also have a 25cent wing Special on Sundays and Mondays which belies their quality. However, after all the Wing Wars in Manhattan, I have to say the best Wings without going to Anchor Steam are found at the Candlelight Inn, a biker bar on Central Avenue in Westchester, in Hartsdale, which have rightfully achieved mythical status. They are very meaty wings, perfectly fried and thrown into their own secret buffalo sauce recipe - they arrive piping hot, crispy, saucey with an amazing flavor. Me and my friends in Westchester used to be able to catch eachother getting Candelight wings takeout just from the magical smell that our respective car's interior's would emit... Can anyone else in Westchester attest to the mighty Candelight wing?

Hey Max good to see you in these parts. How close is that restaurant to the train?

I'm sure Managanaro's on 9th Ave would have it... I'll check next time I'm over there...

What neighborhood??

Hmm I can only stomach the donburi and a few other things at Sapporo, I tried the Ramen there once and won't again... If in midtown, Chikubu does Ramen on Fridays, I think Riki might also... and of course Menchankotei and I thought rairaiken is up there too...

Pretty cheap for Japanese food - Their ramen is only $8 or $9, and they have a page of daily specials that are almost all under $10. Last night I tried both their shoyutonkotsu ramen and their shio ramen - both were great, Tokyo-quality, but the shio ramen won out to me. Noodles were perfect and broth was very tasty, accented by very flavorful fresh vegetables, both Japanese and Chinese. I haven't tried Minca yet, but I've heard it looks good, doesn't taste good - I'll have to report back on RockMeisha, but Saburi is very very strong if not the best in my mind. I don't crave ramen much here, the same way I don't crave a nice slice of pizza when I'm Tokyo, because I know I'm just not going to get it, so I subconciously write off the possibility...Actually this thread and the weather got me in the mood... Anyway, here's some pics from when I first went there - a Chinese appetizer speciality, a beef entree, and annin dofu

How about a NYC restaurant dead pool?? That could be fun if not a bit evil... And the Miracle Cafe does not apply...

I ended up at Saburi last night - his Mabodofu is sublime, as was the chyashuu he cooked up. Also served a chinese-style omelette which I totally forgot the name of - By the way, the word on the street with Japanese nationals is that Rockmeisha (ろくめいしゃ）takes the cake for best Ramen (without having to go out to the Mitsuwa)...

Well you'd have to go ask Sai, but in general I'd say, Japanese-style chinese forgoes the MSG (ajinomoto) and stresses using more fresh seasonings and ingredients as well as fresher preparation of the components like noodles, soup, the pork slices that go into a chyashuu ramen, etc. Another representative example is his ebi-chili, which makes up for the lack of heaviness you'd normally get from the usual amount of oil you get with something deep-fried, with a very delicious and spicy sauce and fresh vegetables...

A new restaurant opened recently, SABURI, at Lexington between 30th and 31st (168 Lexington Av), right next to Mishima. They are specializing in CHUKA, which is basically Japanese versions of many popular Chinese dishes, using Japanese ingredients, less oil and more flavor. The chef, Sai-san, is quite serious about bringing authentic Chuka to NY. He is Chinese but lived in Japan for a decade, including being mentored by the winning Chuka chef on IRON CHEF. As ramen is actually a Chinese dish brought to Japan, and noodles are the highlight of their restaurant, I highly suggest you give them a try. Their Hiyashi Chuka is great, among their other noodle dishes, and they have Sapporo on tap!

Japanese versions of Korean BBQ are currently becoming popular, Gyu-Kaku in Cooper Square is a recent example. Teppanyaki just doesn't seem to be a NYC thing. My 1968 NYT Restaurant Guide mentions a number of places that served Teppanyaki, all gone. Teppanyaki seems to have turned into "Japanese Steak-House" food, it's all over the south, on the outskirts of places like Charleston and Charlotte. You can also find it in surburban NJ. An interesting old book I have on dining in Tokyo, The Guide to Japanese Food and Restaurants by Marcus and Plimpton, has a chapter on Teppenyaki and lists 6 or so recomended places in Tokyo. The book is from 1984, and has a big testimonal from Craig Claiborne on the cover. It may not be the most classic Japanse cooking, but at least at one time, it existed in Japan. ← I hate to burst everyone's bubble but Teppanyaki as Americans know it is for the most part an invention of Rocky Aoki, owner of Benihana, who added the showy chefs who are of varying asian descent but usually not Japanese. You CAN go to a restaurant with a grill in front of you in Japan, but usually you do it yourself and you are making okonomiyaki or monjyayaki. For some reason, Teppanyaki is wildly popular in Taiwan. I'm a New Yorker who was living in Tokyo so I can expound further, but just off the top of my head I would divy up restaurants as following (lemme know what needs translation), because this is pretty much how it goes down in Japan and in NY is just an export of that... Sushi Soba/Somen Ramen Donburi Bento Kushiyaki/Yakitori Yakiniku Shabu-Shabu/Nabe Chuuka (Jap. chinese food) Izakaya Tonkatsu/Katsu Okonomiyaki/Monjya/Takoyaki Robata Kaiseki I could honestly keep on going... In Japan there are just so many different specialty type of restaurants, far too many to list here, and this is pretty much a Tokyo list let alone all the other areas... In the end, while you can roughly group them, and the layout of the restaurant and what tabletop hardware is involved groups them further... each place has their history and their specialties...

Boy, that has not been my experience! And I daresay it hasn't been the experience of most longtime Grimaldi's patrons who have reported in these forums. I've had some of the very best pizza of my life at Grimaldi's (generally just after they open for lunch), with an etherially light crust and open cornicione. But I've also had extremely disappointing pizza there as well, with leaden crust that simply does not excite. Of course, whether one detects or cares about the wide variations in the crust at Grimaldi's will depend on one's preferences and priorities. For people who accord the toppings a large percentage of their attention, Grimaldi's will hardly ever disappoint. The toppings at Grimaldi's (especially the sausage and roasted red peppers) are absolutely first rate. And, if one wants a pizza with premium toppings and a better-than-average coal oven crust, and doesn't mind the variations in the crust, then I can see how Grimaldi's would seem consistently perfect. For me, only Grimaldi's crust at its best truly excites me. Due to this reason, my recommendation is the exact opposite of yours: I do not think that one should visit Grimaldi's during off-peak hours, as that is the time when the oven is most likely to be insufficiently heated. Rather, the best time to go is to show up maybe 15 minutes before they open for lunch and stand in line. A pizza fresh out of the blazing-hot Grimaldi's oven at 12:05 is simply far superior to one that comes out of the same oven, now not blazing-hot, at 3:00. ← Admittedly I only read through the last couple pages of this thread so I'd have to familiarize myself with the negative experiences. If so, I've had quite a run, I've probably been there about 75 times and to me it's one of New York's most consistent offerings. I've had the perfection you mention many many times. I AM familiar with the detracters but they're usually motivated by an unwillingness to go over to Brooklyn. I don't do toppings I stick to the Margherita... That's a good point about the oven temperature, but how do you know they don't keep it consistently heated all day long? The temperature goes down once they start using it? I recommend off-peak just to beat what can be more than hour wait...

This is a really great writeup. I have not managed to get my ass out to Difara's and have really wanted to for the past few years. The allure of the single pizza auteur is irresistable. I lived in DUMBO for 3 years and for many years now I have taken guests from all over the world to Grimaldi's. I've had to convince many a New Yorker that their pies are far better than the Patsy's clones and even Lombardi's all in Manhattan. But let me add that over an 8 year period, Grimaldi's has been CONSISTENTLY perfect. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and not a thing has changed in that period. So I'd actually say that they are more of a BMW factory - Patsy's is Ford. I would also say that comparing a Margerhita and the Difara's pie is apples and oranges and I'm not sure how to resolve that. My tips - Waits can be excruciating at Grimaldi's too so go at an off time. Stick to the margherita, antipasti, and look for the blackboard wine special. Most importantly, eat the entire pie within 6 minutes of it's arrival. Once it cools off it doesn't taste anywhere as good, and doesn't reheat well.

My friend runs one of the local japanese freepapers and promotions companies. He went to a preview run of the restaurant and I think we are going to check it out soon. I think they ARE going with MEGU prices, but I'll post a review with pics when I can get there...