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LPShanet

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Everything posted by LPShanet

  1. There may be more specific terms, as mentioned, for the specific meal format, but I do have the impression that this still fits under the umbrella of omakase. The word means, basically, "it's up to you", or "I entrust you". Curious to hear if others have heard specific terms for this type of omakase. The fact that the order is mostly the same each time is fairly common in Japanese food, with a number of omakase sushi restaurants doing things that way. Also, most kaiseki cuisine has a very traditional order that things are supposed to come in, so the concept of having a specific progression is a frequent theme in Japanese cuisine (and culture overall, if you look at things like the tea ceremony, etc.).
  2. The really impressive part is your being able to go there 40 times! Do you have a special secret to the res system, or are you just persistent? Shame about the wine pours. Have you mentioned anything to them? I've noticed that in many restaurants, if that's the case, saying something gets you fairly generous pours going forward. I wonder if it was something calculated on their part to reduce them as a matter of procedure, and whether they're aware of the bad will it can create (which often isn't worth the savings).
  3. How would say say their game is overall compared to your last visit? Haven't been in a while, and was wondering if it was still as good/better/worse.
  4. That does sound off-putting. I reserved on OpenTable and had no such requirement. Or maybe it's a function of party size? I wonder if going to 5 people somehow triggers the bureaucratic response. Any response to the attire queries? I didn't experience the bureaucratic form, either, so I'm guessing it must be a 5+ thing (as odd as that seems). As for dress, they don't have an actual code, but I agree with above posters that having a jacket will make you more par with the room than going casual (those some people definitely do). Definitely no tie required.
  5. I'd concur. Ippudo is still the gold standard these days. With Totto and Hide Chan being in the conversation.
  6. I like all three places a lot, and think you'll have a great meal at any of them, but have to agree with Howard. Since you're looking for a long, slow evening as a respite from the frenetic pace of the other days, Del Posto will provide the most memorable "occasion"-type dining of the three. Although it's fairly formal-looking, service there is friendly and attentive, but not stuffy. I'm a huge proponent of WD-50, and don't think it's frenetic at all (especially on a Sunday), but its casual tone means that it doesn't have the escape quality that a meal at Del Posto does. Also, if any of you aren't into the modernist cuisine thing, then it loses some appeal. ABC is somewhere in between in terms of tone, but why not go for something more special.
  7. Actually, I think she's in there as we speak. Yes, sorry...got my dates wrong. Today is actually supposed to be her last day.
  8. Apparently, the previous chef in there was Leah Cohen of Top Chef fame, although I didn't hear from anyone who went during her installation.
  9. Do you know if they do dim sum also? I know that's a somewhat separate discipline, but just curious.
  10. I suspect the spot you're thinking of north of Canal on Mott is Dun Huang seafood. I've heard a number of people say they liked it, and it was a favorite of Sietsema's. However, I have to say that the one time I went, I was very unimpressed. The items I had were fairly average, and some downright bland and gummy. Also, the selection was very limited compared to some of the other Chinatown spots, with just the standard basics (Shiu Mai, Har Gow, etc.), and not even all of those. To be fair, I only tried it once (about a year ago), and we were seated in Siberia (downstairs), so we may not have had the best experience they can offer. I'm willing to give it one more shot, but based on the visit I had, I wouldn't rate it any better than OG or Ping's or Golden Unicorn, all of which are decent (but not great) on a good day, but often have bad days. In fact, based on the one visit, it seemed worse than a good day at any of those. That seems to be one of the issues with dim sum in Manhattan: inconsistency. On one day, you might have a decent outing, on the next, everything is cold, gummy and lousy. Sad really.
  11. A few weeks back, I heard a few things about Tenpenny, in the Gotham Hotel on East 46th Street. Based on the initial info and the lack of talk in most circles I usually listen to, I actually thought that maybe the minor buzz had been started by friends of the house, in an effort to leverage a good Yelp showing. Certainly that kind of thing happens, and the location in a hotel didn't improve its chances. I didn't know much about the chef, other than the fact that he'd been the Exec Chef at Dylan Prime and Devin Tavern in Tribeca (which seemed neither like condemnation nor exalted status). Still, I figured it was worth a shot, if I happened to be in the area. After all, there isn't much in the way of interesting food of that style at that price point in the neighborhood. Well, today I finally got a chance to eat there, and the good news is that the buzz is deserved. The place isn't going to change the face of the fine dining scene in NYC, but boy is it a pleasant surprise. The food is all very skillfully prepared, employs really good quality fresh ingredients, and employs just enough creativity to make you wonder how it has flown under the foodie radar so far. It's also a very fair deal for that level of cooking and that part of town. The room is small and not that remarkable, but quite pleasant. With brick walls and no carpeting, there's a lively noise level even when the room isn't crowded, which it wasn't (it was about half full). If you're looking for a quiet romantic dinner, this isn't the place...it's more of a gastropub feel, which I think is what they're going for. The staff is super-nice, and very eager to please. But on to the food. In addition to appetizers and mains, the menu also includes a few other sections. They have cheese and charcuterie plates on offer, but I didn't get to try those this trip. The selections looked interesting enough to be worth a go. There were also nuts, snacks and an assortment of interesting crostini that I didn't get to sample. But what I did get to sample were pork belly tots. Basically small (tater tot sized) round croquettes with a shreded pork belly filling placed in a bowl of hard cider reduction sauce. I'm a sucker for almost any kind of croquette, but these were really well executed and worth having. Rich and savory, the six we got was just the right amount (although presented with 25 of them, I still probably would have managed to polish them off). We then shared a scallop appetizer with chanterelles and crisp scallions, which were very nice, but nothing I haven't had elsewhere at good restaurants. We also had the pistou soup, which was really first rate, with great balanced flavors, and super fresh vegetables cooked perfectly. But the real appetizer surprise was a dish labelled (deceptively harmlessly) as a "spring vegetable plate". Rather than just a run of the mill veggie plate, the chef had taken a variety of market vegetables (including fresh peas, fava beans, carrots and various others) and prepared them in a wide variety of ways served together. Some were barely cooked, some were shaved, some were dried, some were powdered. It was quite special, with each flavor distinct, but all of them working together. It was served with lemon oil, a lemon mayo and "ranch powder", and was a really well-conceived dish. The ranch powder totally worked. It was like using the crumbs from Cool Ranch Doritos in place of salt...in a good way. I followed it up with potato gnocchi with lobster, truffle and sunchoke. Exactly as it sounded, the dish was well done, with a nice sear on the very light/tender gnocchi, and lobster chunks with exclusively knuckle meat (my fave part!). I didn't get a chance to sample as many things as I would have liked, as I had places to go, but definitely plan on going back for a more thorough meal. In addition to the a la carte menu, they offer a 6-course tasting of the chef's selection for about 70 bucks, as well as a 10-course dinner for about $125. They also offer something called "A Drunken Taste", which is described as "7 courses with lots of beverages" for $115. I'll be going back for that one, as the cocktails looked really good as well (didn't get to try them due to athletic obligations following my meal). Clearly, there's a talented hand in the kitchen here, and a sense of humor as well. It's not fine dining, but it's an interesting fusion of gastropub, creativity and really good ingredients. And given the location, it's one of the best options in the area, and a very fair deal. I'll be interested to hear if others have similar experiences there.
  12. Loved my recent trip to M. Wells. There's a real sense of humor and playfulness to the food that I think is a Montreal thing, as I experienced it in many good restaurants there (Au Pied de Cochon, Joe Beef, etc.) Not everything was amazing, but honestly most dishes were. Some dishes were classics that were executed in essentially traditional style (e.g. the Caesar salad and the beef tartare), while others were much more unexpected. But all were done really well. Although most of the dishes are quite heavy (think Breslin type weight), they provide a real variety of flavors and textures. The one real departure in terms of flavor/weight is the Bibim Wells, which is sort of a riff on Korean bibim bop with various raw seafood toppings, among other things. Even though it included foie gras, the overall effect was surprisingly fresh and light, which was unexpected. A real counterpoint to most of the food that night, and a fun one. The brains, as many have said, are really great. Subtle, silky and delicate despite their richness. Sort of like a soft, utopian version of sweetbreads. The Caesar salad, was essentially a totally classic version except for the use of smoked herring in place of anchovies. Still, the net effect was basically that of a perfectly executed Caesar salad from eons ago. It was like seeing an old friend after many years, even though it had a little twist to it. Same was true of the steak tartare, which didn't open any new flavor combinations for the dish, but was so well executed it made us all wonder why more people can't do steak tartare this well. One real (pleasant) surprise was the butter chicken. While I'd normally be wary of a restaurant serving dishes from a huge range of ethnicities, this riff on Indian food was not to be missed. Just a delicious flavor bomb, and left everyone looking for stuff to dunk in the sauce. One of the highlights of the meal. But maybe the best thing we ate was the meatloaf sandwich. Sweet, savory, juicy, messy, perfect. The only consensus dud was the tripe. I'm a tripe eater, but this tripe didn't really work for me. Tasted a bit muddy, and had an overcook broccoli quality to it (I think it may have been cooked for a long time with a bunch of broccoli...). Still, only one dud among many highlights. By the way, don't let the large plate/small plate distinction fool you. There were no small plates, but the dishes did vary quite a bit in size (from large to gargantuan), so consulting a server was very wise. As is dining with a large group, as you'd never get through much of the menu with just a few companions. Go now, and go often, as the menu changes frequently.
  13. With respect to sushi, there are a number of options that are very good. Certainly Yasuda is one of them, and Masa is really spectacular, if you can scrape together the cash. Others to consider are Soto, 15 East and Ushi Wakamaru. Ushi Wakamaru is fairly straightforward, and is best experienced at the sushi bar. 15 East also features non-sushi dishes (e.g. good soba), although the best sushi experience is (like most top sushi places) at the bar in front of Masato. And Soto has really good creative speciality dishes, both from the kitchen and raw bar, in addition to the sushi.
  14. Totally agree with all the MSG users here. And if it makes you feel any better, the hysteria that started in the mid-70's about "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" has been completely debunked, and has no scientific basis. It's nutritionally not that different from salt....so shake away, MSGers! Speaking of salt and MSG, another helpful "secret" in the kitchen is standard issue teriyaki sauce (I use Kikkoman usually). When something needs a little dash of salinity, teriyaki has a richer flavor than salt or soy sauce in some applications, and is great when something just seems a little bland. Another guilty trick is to use leftover dipping sauces from Vietnamese or Indian (e.g. tamarind or the green stuff) delivery to extend/enhance dishes that I'm cooking.
  15. There aren't a lot of Portuguese options in Manhattan, but if you're craving bacalhau, you could give Pao! on Spring and Greenwich a shot. I haven't been in a few years, but the food was acceptable last time I went, and they do have the basic classics.
  16. Definitely. Veritas has, imho, always been one of the most underrated high-end places in NYC. And if you love wine as I suspect you do, you're in for a treat. I'm not disagreeing based on my personal opinion, as I haven't been to Veritas in a few years, but thought I should ask if you've been there in the last 6 months to a year. As mentioned, I haven't, but have heard mixed things of late. So I'll provide the devil's advocate information just for completeness. As stated, this isn't necessarily my personal leaning, just the flip side of the information coin. While Veritas is definitely a more elegant, dressy/occasion kind of place, there are those who say it's no longer near the top of its game (and maybe hasn't been since the departure of long time Exec Chef Scott Bryan). There has been a lot of turnover in the kitchen there since then (3 different exec chefs since 2008), and the current head toque is Sam Hazen, who is by most accounts talented, but whose experience is mostly in big box middle-brow restaurants (TAO, Todd English Enterprises, Tavern on the Green). So there's the chance that you may have an elegant but undistinguished meal. Aldea, meanwhile, is decidedly less formal, although at a similar price point. But George Mendes's cuisine is definitely more modern and unique than what you'll find at Veritas. So it's really a matter priorities. If you want a quiet, elegant meal with slightly more familiar flavors in a more traditional atmosphere, then Veritas is definitely more bang for the buck. And as SobaAddict stated, the wine program is very impressive (and much more ambitious than that at Aldea). However, if you're more lured by brightness of flavor, inventiveness and a more casual vibe, then Aldea is certainly much more "of the moment" and I think a bit more distinctive. It really seems to come down to what you want from the meal. N.B. On a more objective note, Zagat has them at a very similar rating (one at 25, the other at 26), though I think most on the boards wouldn't put much weight in Zagat ratings.
  17. With respect to sushi, in most cases, if it's a place that's "hip and happening", it's not the right place to go.
  18. Yasuda is definitely very good, despite the recent departure of Yasuda himself. However, if you're finding sushi in Seattle on par with NY, there's a decent chance you haven't been to the best places in NY. Seattle has good sushi, especially at the mid-range level, but the top end doesn't compete favorably with NY's. In addition to Yasuda, you may want to check out Masa (which is ridiculously priced, but worth it), Soto, Ushi Wakamaru, 15 East or even maybe Kuruma. All are better than anything I've had in the NW.
  19. In terms of contemporary special dinners, aside from the ones mentioned in my previous reply, I think Brooklyn Fare is one of the best, if not the best, in town right now. The whole place is just a small chef's counter, and the food is stellar. However, it's more in the 10 course realm than a more modest assortment. Still, the courses are small and the vibe isn't stuffy at all. As for Chinatown, I'd say it's not the best source for either Hunan or Szechuan, as Manhattan's Chinatown is primarily Cantonese. For Szechuan you either have to head uptown a bit, or preferably to Queens. For Hunan, I think it maybe a straight trip to Queens. If you stick to Chinatown, you may want to go with their strengths rather than fight the current. There's good bbq, decent Shanghainese and lots of Cantonese and some Fujianese.
  20. I agree with most of what you say, but wanted to add a few comments in the Italian department. Certainly Morini can be loud and crowded, but I don't think it's fair to separate it that much from Lupa or Scarpetta, which also can be pretty hectic on a busy night. Same goes for Ciano, although less so. One of Ciano's main draws is the great half-bottle wine program. All of them serve excellent food, but none of them are really elegant, occasion-y places and differentiating seems like splitting hairs. They're "upscale rustic", for lack of a better term. Much like Locanda Verde, which is also a very good consideration in that category and hasn't been mentioned. For better or for worse, NY is in the middle of a bloom (or maybe even glut) of good rustic Italian food. L'artusi and Dell'anima would also make my list of that type. If the OP is looking for something more reserved and quiet, I'd say Ai Fiori might be worth a go. The food is great, and it's definitely more serene and elegant, if a bit safe in decor. The food is predominantly Italian, but with some French influence, and is very good. And I'm amazed that no one has mentioned Marea yet, as that is one of the top places in NY for upscale Italian (with a seafood focus). More of a real occasion place. I completely concur with the above mentions of Degustation, which is great, and informal but still dateworthy. As stated, they do take reservations, and I'd recommend getting one. Totally agree with Kyo Ya and Corton as well.
  21. Had the 24-course meal with a group of friends on Sunday night. Most of the previously mentioned jitters seem to be working themselves out. Service certainly wasn't perfect, and the servers aren't as expert about food or wine as those in the best places in town. But overall, everyone was friendly, and the pacing wasn't bad at all. There was a lag between a couple of the courses somewhere about midway through the meal, but as soon as we said something, the food started coming out much faster again. The food itself was mostly fairly innovative and very good, with a few minor misses and a few really delicious surprises. Standout dishes included a chawanmushi-inspired egg custard with "langoustine" (I think it was actually crayfish), a croquette with a liquid chicken center, and a great little piece of wagyu beef. Overall, I'd say it's well worth going, but maybe not quite offering the same level as the very best tasting menus in town at that price level ($120-$130), such as Brooklyn Fare or Ko. It's certainly much more ambitious (and better) than its pop-up competition, such as What Happens When. The main complaint relative to the price point would be the service, not because there were any specific problems (apart from the aforementioned temporary lag), but because it just wasn't as polished as one expects at restaurants with those price points. Some servers were hard to understand, a few didn't know much about the food, ingredients or wines, and some cleared plates while others at the table were still eating the course. Still, all were friendly, and trying to please. Although 24 courses sounds like a lot, it really wasn't overwhelming at all, and we left feeling quite satisfied but certainly not as stuffed as after some of the big tasting dinners I've had. The beverage pairing was fun, in that it included cocktails and beer as well as just wines. However, since there was one beverage paired with each group of three or so dishes, with the variety of flavors involved, there were a few matchups that didn't totally work. Obviously, it's tough to make 8 drinks match 24 very different tastes, but with time (which they don't really have), I think that could be smoothed out. They seem to be making small improvements every day, though, based on what they learn.
  22. I concur with Kathryn. The food is very good, although not in any way to be considered light. I've been for the whole pig feast, and all of the elements were delicious. The pig itself had great crisp skin and flavorful, juicy meat. It came with two (unnecessary but delicious) sauces, one green, one red. It also comes with the caesar salad, which is an excellent classical version. The sides were also first rate. I'd recommend going on "non-prime" hours, as they don't take reservations except for large groups, and the wait can be quite long.
  23. Going Sunday with a group. They're doing tasting menus of 16 or 24 courses, and the beverage pairing involves cocktails, beer and madeira in addition to several wines. Will report back...
  24. And five stars from Time Out New York, whatever that's worth.
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