LPShanet

Definitely would second Masa and WD-50, both of which I can personally attest to. Also concur with EMP, Le Bernardin and Daniel. Bouley is probably also worth including on the list, along with the newly revived menu at Grammercy Tavern. However, I've had enough truly mediocre meals at Esca to say it's definitely not in the same league. It's hit and miss. Babbo is safer if you want to take a shot at the Batali empire.

NYT article ← Yes, saw that article, which is what prompted my post. So far, no one has a recipe or place that it can be ordered, though.

Some further general words, as I've been eating there semi-regularly for a few years now. If you are not presented with a menu, it's because they don't have one...in any language, not because they're ill prepared for, or unwelcoming to, Americans. You simply tell them how hungry you are, and they try to serve you accordingly. Since they charge by the item and not with a fixed menu price, cost will vary, although the reports so far on this string seem about right. The courses seem to vary between 5 and 16 bucks or so, depending on size and ingredients. Obviously, if you're a big eater, or tell them you're very hungry, you'll end up spending more, but it's still a very reasonable deal for NYC. Most of the regulars drink shoju (often mixed with unsweetened Oolong tea...for a drink called oolong hai (sp?)...or other mixer) and if you purchase a bottle (for about 45 bucks) they'll keep it behind the bar for you with your name on it for future visits. While this procedure is unusual for New York, it's common with liquor in Japanese joints, and makes for a much better deal than the American system. I think Raji is dead on about the food. The owner/chef makes many dishes, and it's amazing how consistently good they are. Since they don't seem to have been mentioned on this string yet, I should mention his ramen noodles, which are exceptional. If you've indicated that you're quite hungry, he'll usually end your meal with some kind of noodle soup or curry rice, and they'll often give you a favorite dish if you request it. Not for everyone, but for fans of this type of food (or open minded eaters), it's a great little semi-secret.

While the concept would seem similar, especially to we Americans, Omen aspires to a slightly fancier, more refined, Kyoto style of cooking, so Japanese would consider it to be a separate category/type of restaurant...like comparing apples to oranges. However, if we're going to compare, in terms of pure deliciousness, it's my opinion that Tsukushi is every bit as good, and also less expensive. That said, Tsukushi is more of a home cooking style...it's an izakaya.

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question in, but I've heard tell that Mario Batali has a recipe that he sometimes prepares for a Starburst candy reduction sauce (that I think he serves on foie gras). Does anyone know anything about this? Specifically, where I can get the recipe or whether he serves it in any of his restaurants? Thanks!

Interested in finding the best (top rated) restaurants in Maui. Am interested in the best places to eat in terms of fine dining, as well as really good local and low key places. Am staying on the West side of the Island (Kaanapali) but willing to travel for food. Thanks!

I have not been to Kuruma in a very long time, so I can't comment. ← While I can't comment on those iterations of uni in particular, I think the sushi geeks on the board here will back me up when I say that ALL uni of any quality comes from one or two places, so there's likely to be almost as much variation from day to day at any given place as there is between places. In other words, if it's a top notch sushi purveyor (and differences aside, I'd include all the usual suspects in this category...e.g. Kuruma, Ushi Wakamaru, Yasuda, etc.), they're probably going get their stuff from the same source, and the best places get first choice. It's probably from either Santa Barbara or Catalina. Very few get the Japanese stuff, as it doesn't travel well. So what the main provider in Santa Barbara gets on a given day is more or less what you'll have at Yasuda, Kuruma, etc. If it's particularly good, they'll tell you, and if it's having an off day, they may steer you away. On one day you might get a better piece at one retaurant, on another, the second place might be better. Storage, etc. may also play a small role. However, when it comes to fish, the differences are more subtle, and the market action (at Tsukiji) relates to how good the stuff is much more. On to Sasabune. While I haven't eaten at the NY one yet, I've eaten at the one in LA numerous times. It's actually an offshoot of the famous "sushi nazi", Sushi Nozawa, and Sasabune's owner is a former assistant of Nozawa's. The best way to describe it would be as offering fish of very high quality and freshness, though not with the wide range of offerings or exoticness of Kuruma or Ushi. Any sushi lover will enjoy the freshness, taste and quality here, and it's usually VERY good value. The sushi is prepared "Edo style", meaning the rice is slightly warm and loose, and the itamae will often request that you not dip in soy, as he lightly pre-sauces many pieces. They highly recommend ordering omakase, or as they refer to it, the "trust me special". Definitely worth a try for the sushi fans on eGullet.

Speaking of which, does anyone know which stores carry the French Kisses regularly? Many offer to order them, but I don't know who keeps them in stock. When I've ordered them, they seem to have been through the ringer in terms of freezing, thawing, etc.

Kinkistyle, I always ask if a restaurant uses stock / broth and am not of the "don't ask-don't tell/ ignorance is bliss" camp ao thanks for the warning. I know Thia cooking is mostly fish based so I tennd to avoid that but chinese here in Ireland don't tend to use too much fish / broth from what I know. One question though, Soy sauce contains fish???? That is something I DIDN'T know! The bottle of Soy sauce I have here at home doesn't mention fish in it's contents! If this is true then chinese may me off the list too ← If you're in a country with food labeling requirements, then the contents of your bottle of soy sauce are as stated. However, in a restaurant, all bets are off. Except in vegetarian establishments, many Chinese (and other) cuisines have added fish, pork or other products, and communicating that you want to avoid this can be tricky. (In some parts of Europe, if you say you don't eat meat, they bring you chicken or lamb instead.) It's kind of like the MSG thing...it's in there most of the time, but they're unlikely to say so, since people have an unfair bias about it. Obviously, in the case of animal products, your right to know is fair, so ask lots of questions if it matters to you....but don't worry about your bottle of soy sauce at home if you've read the ingredients.

Cuisine is art when it's not repetitive, if you are following a recipe, even if it is one you created in the past, it is a craft. The same with painting, you have "artists" who simply reproduce the same style over and over, now that's not a bad thing, but it becomes more of a craft as the creativity isn't necessarily at a maximum. That said, as a diner, the first time you try something new, it is art to you. ← It's tricky making analogies across different media, but I disagree with this because, by this logic, only classical music composers, but not performers, can be "artists", and I doubt this is a commonly held opinion. I think music is probably a better analogue for the culinary arts than painting because of the importance of the ephemeral re-creation (the musical performance or the food we eat) as well as the permanent creation (the musical score or the recipe.) Both creation and recreation have objective technical standards (the "craft") which is somewhat related to, but is not synonymous with artistic merit. A person can be a creator or re-creator or both, and art is possible either way. I could go on, but this is somewhat OT, and there's probably a thread devoted to this topic elsewhere. ← Actually Leonard, I don't think this is OT at all. The question of what is art is pertinent. One of the reasons this topic came up in the first place for this interview is because, cuisine as art was the basis for Paul's demonstration/discussion at The International Chefs Congress. It is a legitimate question with a variety of opinions. I think cross-platform comparisons are therefore relevant. You raise very good questions. Is art in the creation or the performance? or both? My opinion is that if someone is simply faithfully copying and producing something whether it be a recipe or performing a musical score, albeit very well, that is craft. Craft is perfectly respectable and greatly appreciated, but something becomes art when it is made into something new and personal by the artist. That is to say, that the artist has put his individual stamp on it, the artist has created something whether it be good, bad or indifferent. There are times when craft may be preferable to art, but when art strikes the right chord it really resonates in ways that craft cannot. ← An important factor that has been left out of the discussion so far is INTENT. If an artist intends to present, interpret, amuse, annoy or otherwise stimulate an audience (regardless of the audience's appreciation for the work), that work can at least on some level be considered art. If the piece in question is unwittingly created, it is much less likely to be art. For example, when modern painters created works that were simply blocks of color (representing no more technical skill than that possessed by a 5-year-old), they were still art. This was because of the intent of the artist during their creation, and what their creation represented. However, if that same block of color were created accidentally by machine, accident or other means, it would not qualify as art. Repetition is not inherently directly relevant. Most of the great artists of our time (and previous times) created dozens of versions of the same painting in some cases, and almost always created more than one version of any famous works (e.g. the many versions of Munch's "The Scream" and Picasso's "Guernica"). To say that any of these iterations were not art due to the repitition is ludicrous. However, if a machine had been used to mechanically reproduce these items, they would not be considered original art. So once again, the benchmark for creating art is intent rather than repitition. Skill/craft come into play as TOOLS for the artist. While not required, having a high level of skill/craft gives the artist an enhanced ability to create and stimulate as he/she pleases. This is no different in music, painting or any other form. Many rock musicians aren't great technical players of their instruments (even though quite a few are)...in fact, many can't even read music...but this doesn't make them more or less "artists" than highly trained classical musicians...the training simply provides additional tools at the artist's disposal. With respect to food, the same criteria of intent apply. A short order cook, who cranks out hundreds of burgers every day, may not even think about what he/she is doing when making each one. This is unlikely to seem like art. On the other hand, the cooking of someone like Kenny Shopsin (see the movie "I Like to Kill Flies" for reference) might be considered art, even though it's not done at a high technical level. Meanwhile, a master chef (like Paul), whose intent is to stimulate his customer/subject, is clearly an artist in every definable sense of the word. His chosen medium just happens to be food.

There's good news and bad news about Per Se. The good news is that they do offer lunch (although I think it's only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). The further good news is that the menu items are the same and reports have it being just as good as at dinner. The bad news is that the price is exactly the same as at dinner. So, if you appreciate that level of food, service, etc., I'd say it is definitely worth it. There should be quite a few sample menus available online, but try this page for one: http://www.dininginfrance.com/per_se_menu.htm Also, Per Se has its own website. www.perseny.com Good luck!

The place that seems to have been left out...if you're feeling like a splurge, of course...and can get a reservation....is Per Se. Aside from being one of the best restaurants in the city (and recipient of three Michelin stars), they also have an entirely vegetarian tasting menu every night, with nine courses of vegetarian goodness. You might want to check about their use of animal products in the cooking, but it's certainly a good way to go if you have to be a vegetarian (which those on this list know I don't like to condone).

While I concur with the Peking Duck House recommendations, I've also had decent renditions at Kam Chueh on Bowery and Fulleen, though these are probably not as consistent as PDH.

Not worth it, IMO. For the money, you could do Nobu ← Nobu is more expensive and a lot harder to get into. ← Seems strange to me that everyone is trying to compare EN to Nobu. Irrespective of price, they are totally different types of restaurants. While Nobu is part of the Japanese fusion (mostly with South American) style, EN is a straight up Japanese restaurant. Also, EN serves almost no raw fish items, since this is not their thing. It's also incorrect to lump them in with all the big box pan-Asian joints (Tao, etc.), since EN is a legitimately Japanese institution, with multiple branches in Japan that preceded the NY outpost. If you like this style of food, EN seems to do a nice job of it (their freshly made tofu is especially good), but comparing them to some of the other places mentioned would be like comparing Babbo to Sugiyama...totally a matter of taste, and ultimately pointless.

This is definitely true. I used to recommend El Cid, which was consistently good, but the last time I went there it seemed to have dropped precipitously in quality. That was about 8-10 months ago. Anyone been lately?

As I recently planned a birthday party and looked into many of these places, I can tell you that Pegu often has trouble with large groups, since their space isn't really designed for it. You should definitely call ahead and make sure things will work out. My observation has been that the Blue Owl varies hugely in how crowded it is, so it might be perfect, but will depend on your timing, etc. You should also note that cocktails at Blue Owl (or any decent cocktail bar in NYC, for that matter) aren't going to be notably cheaper than at Pegu, maybe one buck or two. None of these places particularly specializes in wine, but have a few selections. Also, don't overlook Flatiron Lounge, even though it isn't quite as close.

the russian tea room is re opening,,,, supposed to happen this month, yes gary is the chef ← Here is some information gleaned from a release: <<tea for two. we'll see if the third time's the charm, as legendary resto the russian tea room opens again this month with chef gary robins (biltmore room) at the helm. expect continental dining on two floors, two levels of banquet space above, and design as grandiose and opulent as ever. opening this month. 150 west 57th. between sixth and seventh. >>

Papillon probably had as or nearly as low a price point you can have for labor-intensive, creative cuisine in a Manhattan location, and while not in the East Village it was down on Hudson St. around 11th. I think the more fundamental issue is that New York just isn't ready to support avant-garde cuisine in a serious way. Maybe New Yorkers would support it if the economics of Chicago were transplanted into a New York neighborhood, or maybe not even then, but for whatever reason the only place that has had any staying power here has been WD-50 and WD-50 is pretty well towards the tame end of the avant-garde spectrum. Assuming Oakapple has the cuisine pegged (I imagine he does, though I never made it to Gilt), I really doubt the Gilt-Paul experiment would have turned out differently if there had been fewer misses on the tasting menu. I was recently at a panel discussion about avant-garde cuisine and tableware, hosted by the Cooper-Hewitt (the design collection of the Smithsonian, in Manhattan), and I don't think it was lost on anyone there that the panel consisted of all chefs from Chicago and DC -- there was no New York representation, even though the venue was in New York. Wylie, Paul and maybe Will Goldfarb could potentially sit on such a panel and not be totally out of place, but I think if you step back from any sort of geographic loyalty it's hard to justify putting any of those guys on the list ahead of Achatz, Cantu and Andres (and that's not even bringing Adria, Blumenthal, This, et al. into the discussion). ← For the most part, I agree with Fat Guy (as I almost always seem to do), however, there was a much bigger issue with Papillon, which might otherwise have had the formula needed: Awareness. Almost none of my foodie friends were aware that it even existed, let alone that Paul was cooking there. There was essentially no press done around it or him at the time. Personally, if it were anything like the food I've had during his stints at Atlas and Gilt (but at a lower price point), I would have been there with great regularity. It may be true that New York isn't ready to fully support avante garde cuisine (although I am still far from convinced), but I don't think we've properly tested the theorem yet. Certainly, though, the economic concerns are an issue, which may be why none of the world's pre-eminent avante garde restaurants are in the middle of the country's most major cities (apologies to Chicago, but there's a reason that they're called "Second City"...and that's generous). Witness, El Bulli, Fat Duck, etc. Personally, my experiences at Gilt found the food to be exceptional (though I may have had two better nights than others) and very creative. I think his custom tasting menus were more adventurous than the regular ones, since the hotel was trying to rein him in. I also have a hunch that there isn't a huge gap in the avante-garde aspect between what Wylie does and what Achatz is doing at Alinea, and any of the others in DC are doing. It's true that the presentations are often unusual and creative, but tableware doesn't equal creativity. In terms of the science behind the cooking, I'd say they're all at least comparable.

As Sneakeater noted, the staff will definitely help you out. If you're not hell-bent on getting red, there are some really nice Portuguese (and Spanish) "green" wines that go well with a really wide range of food...sort of in the same vein as the Txakoli that goes with everything in Basque country tapas joints.

I haven't noticed anyone in the chain mention Grand Cayman. Is there no food worthy of mention there? Does anyone have recommendations?

I second Peasant...it's been very good each of the few times I've been.

I'm with Sneakeater on both counts. Oriental Garden is a good, consistent Chinatown option. I think Ping's Seafood on Mott is another one. If you go Chinatown crazy, you might also check out Kam Chueh or Fulleen Seafood. The group (myself included) can provide you with a bunch of dim sum options as well. And avoiding Little Italy entirely is definitely the only Little Italy Option. There are so many good Italian places in NYC (Lupa, A Voce, L'Impero, Alto, Babbo, Scalini Fedeli, etc.) that there's never a reason to subject yourself to the Little Italy experience/disappointment. And if you want consistently good but old-school "red sauce" Italian, I've always enjoyed Piccolo Angolo in the West Village.

Vadouvan, Thanks for the update. My head is spinning...I can't even IMAGINE Liebrandt working for the mini-chain empire that Starr has created. Here in NY or at Lee's old roost (SB) in Philly? Would never have guessed it. I'll be curious to hear reports. And if someone will offer me an over/under on how long he stays there, I'll take it, even though I'm not by nature a betting man. LPS I had two meals in the first 3 months of Gilt and they were well done, though we got some extra attention, I would have to say the first one was among the top 5 meals I have had in the USA, and certainly not the most expensive, though the Perse experience was a bit less solicitous and more luxurious, Leib's cooking certainly was more creative. Certainly you could trace the inspiration in many ways back to Gagnaire-Balzac / Sketch but still it was pulled off sucessfully. The only thing I wonder about it the general lukewarm nature (temp wise) of sous-vide seafood, otherwise excellent. It's public knowledge that Leibrandt and Lee replaced each other, Lee permanently, Leibrandt maybe not.... but that is the deal. Not planned that way, just a twist of fate. Strange though because i dont see Leibrandts cooking philosophy in a Starr restaurant. I like Starr but he isnt interested in that kind of precision food. Strange bedfellows indeed. ←

Most of the best suggestions have already been made (e.g. Pegu, Brandy Library, Employees Only, East Side Company, Little Branch, etc.). However, I thought I'd mention that I've heard good (and similar) stuff about the recently opened Gin Lane. Anyone been? Also, the Blue Owl in the E. Vill, and if you know a member, the scene at Soho House can be a good call for 30-somethings, especially if you don't mind lots of foreign accents, some of them fake.

Lateralus, Thanks for the update. Please post the location/name of the new forum here for those of us eager and curious about future plans for Paul and co. For the record, I am one of the people who did visit the restaurant before it closed, and I have to say that the meal I had (which consisted of side by side complementary tasting menus for me and my date) was one of the most special and memorable I've ever had in my life...and I've had a lot! The marriage of creativity and deliciousness was really special, and put the place in a league of its own. It was like Wylie-type creativity done at a more ambitious and elegant level. That said, I didn't get back there as often as I'd like, even though I sang the restaurant's praises to anyone who would listen. That must be indicative of why it closed...i.e. if I, who thought of it as one of my top two or three favorites in NY, only got there twice, it would be pretty tough for them to make a go of it. The only reasons I can think of in my case were the extreme price level (I'm not saying it was worth it or not, but just noting that the prices were a little overwhelming) and the location in what I think of as the "old people zone". I had also liked Paul's cooking at Atlas quite a bit, but had only been there once. Here's hoping we get more of Liebrandt's genius soon!