cchen

So what was your opinion of the food?

Having had the tasting menu at Le Cirque, I agree completely with the review. Frankly, the desserts outshine the savory side.

Having been born and bred in Silver Spring / Rockville, I have yet to find a respectable sushi restaurant in MD that comes close to the top NYC or Tokyo sushi restaurants. The best two that I've liked are in DC (Sushi-ko) and in VA (Tachibana). Tako Grill in Bethesda is decent enough to fix a sushi craving.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love tonkatsu (also think of it as a winter dish), and didn't know there was any decent tonkatsu to be found in this town. Yeah Katsuhama is great, they have Japanese beer on draft too. On par with some places in Tokyo, probably the only place doing it properly in the NY Metro area, that I know of anyway. It would be great if they could go even higher grade on the pork, which is what you'll get in Tokyo. I've only ever eaten it in Japan. Can't wait for the weather to cool down to check this out! ← Not that you can't eat it over the summer, but you have to be in the mood to chow down on something so dependent on the mixture and quality of the oil... ← Heh, when I worked around midtown east, I HAD to have tonkatsu from Katsuhama at least once a week... sometimes more

the only place I consistently go to more than once a month is kirara.

I know its a bit late... but anyone know if its possible to order quality CR king online?? if so, where? I've called citarella in nyc and they don't have it anymore =( or, if anywhere in nyc would still have it?

That being said, I agree. I don't doubt they serve a superior product. But, at least from what I've read, there's nothing "Room 4 Dessert" about the breakfast, which is what I have a qualm about. Secondly, I am entering b-school in the fall, so stop being a jerk. Third, I only offered this as constructive criticism to R4D. I'm the last person who'd want to see R4D fail.

seems to me to be a bit odd response for someone who is an aspiring restauranteur; but we want to remain a neighborhood place, and being open only at nights with so much media can make you a bit of a tourist destination. opening for breakfast makes us a part of the community. also, as an mba student would be aware, the rent stays the same regardless of the hours of operation: we are moving towards being a 24 hour revenue center, and we felt that the best use of our time and resources would be to offer an inexpensive starbucks alternative. as far as production schedule and efficiency, it makes a great deal of sense to have a larger window of production. now our machine is working from 6a to 1a; not too bad for a team of one chef, one cook and one stagiare. on a more abstract level, it also sets the stage for us to become an afternoon salon of ideas. i would certainly appreciate your comments regarding breakfast to help us improve our quality of service. best wg ← Hi Will, I did not mean any disrespect. In my experience, I've found that companies are successful when they stick to what they do best. For R4D, obviously its the desserts and the creativity. Venturing out into breakfast, while not infusing the ideals of the restaurant, just seems odd to me. When I hear that a business goes off into another area that doesn't seem to fit in line with its core competencies. a red flag goes up in my head. Because frankly, anyone could get a brioche, poundcake, or mini grilled cheese at any place around the city.

Don't you think that R4D opening for breakfast is a bit odd? Are they THAT strapped for cash?

So, I went back again to try their new menu. I was able to taste all 4 of the 4 dessert plates. The chocolate one was the best, by far. Every other plate had an element that was delicious, but also elements that were just not very good at all. But I still applaud their creativity.

I will be trying it once my roommate thinks they've worked out their kinks - maybe in a few weeks? Oh and the NYT article has an accompanying video - David Carr really should stick to writing...

Raji, there's a Katsuhama branch in midtown on the east side. Just as good as the Mitsuwa branch, and I think, better than tonkatsu I've had in Japan.

Thanks for the review! Makes me really want to try it now. Did they serve any wagyu tonight?

Andrea Strong seemed to like her meal there....

There are only two supplements on the chef's tasting menu, the foie gras and the Wagyu beef. The foie was only offered seared, and it was decadent. There was no option for the cold foie gras. The Wagyu beef was the best piece of meat I've ever had. It literally melted in my mouth. That said, the lamb also was very good as well. Since you have 4 people, it might make sense for 2 to get the Wagyu and 2 to stick with the lamb so everyone can get a taste of both.

1. Its $100 for 2 people, so basically $50 pp. I believe that a min of two people have to order it though. 2. They gave them out randomly, but I was able to have both because my friend is lactose intolerant They did give him an extra sorbet in some prosecco-like liquor, though, which was very thoughtful.

Instead of Mama Mexico (which I really don't like) there's always La Tacqueria y la fonda, 107 and Amsterdam. Very authentic hole-in-the-wall Mexican place. Great chicken and pretty cheap.

I really love that private little room they have in the corner. Last time I went with a party of 4 they gave it to us. Makes for a more intimate experience.

Just came back from Per Se, pics are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cchen/sets/72057594118090819/ It was an amazing experience. Everything was beautifully executed. A huge plus to the night was that I was with my friend (The one who's going to be working at Le Cirque) and they gave us extra desserts gratis.

My friend was hired as a pastry chef, and he says good things are happening there. We will see.... hopefully I can get an invite to their private pre-opening dinner.

Is the prix-fixe lunch available on weekends?

So I had lunch at Takashi, and suprisingly they didn't have an omakase. Takashi-san said that most SLCers aren't interested in that level of sushi experience, which I can understand. Anyway, here are pics of what I had (except for 2 pieces bluefin toro sashimi): http://www.flickr.com/photos/cchen/sets/72057594108811038/ Overall, everything was great and very fresh. I had a great time. Thanks for the recommendation!

Thanks for the info. One more question. Any spots for cheap eats near the convention center?

Yes, yes, a thousand times....YES!! ← Thanks. How much does omakase usually run??

Is Takashi still the best bet for sushi in SLC? I'm heading over to SLC on Tuesday for club volleyball championships and should be there most of the week, and would love to try the top sushi restaurant.