vivin

Oh! I apologise about that. My fault.

Went to WD-50 on Sat night. Tried the all new tasting menu. I will not go into a lot of detail. 1) Wylie is probably cooking the best food he has at WD. Quite remarkable after nine years. I tasted new flavors and spices. He continues to expand and grow. Hats off, sir. Should I even bother waxing about tuna ngiri at WD brushed with hazelnut oil instead of soy? It was utterly delicious. 2) The service is better than I have ever experienced at the restaurant. I have gone many times starting with two weeks after they opened. It keeps getting better. I think WD's service is now up there at the three star level. 3) Once you start counting the dishes that were memorable, you start getting into double digits. That is remarkable for one meal. There was a lot of overlap but given my allergy to shellfish (I hate it), others in my party got to taste extra dishes. 4) Desserts remain the weak point. Which is a disservice to the pastry chef because she gets to go after all the stuff that Wylie gets to throw at you. Even so, the palate cleanser of cucumber was superb. 5) Last time the four of us went out was to EMP in Dec. That meal does not even come close.

Pure Thai Shophouse on 9th Ave (52nd?) is terrific. From the owners of Land, but this is more authentic.

Patrick, are you telling me the smaller Wondee (I have not been to that one) is better than Pure Thai? Yikes. I need to go.

Pam's Real Thai is good. But Pure Thai is really a lot lot better than Wondee or Pam's. Pure is owned by the people who own Land Thai. Wendy brought chefs from her dad's restaurant in Thailand to cook at Pure Thai. These guys dont even understand the concept of modulating heat in a dish. But the food is superb.

Not sure if you consider this theater district. But this is the best Thai around there. Call ahead as they may be short on space. Excellent food. http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/pure-thai-shophouse/menu

Very simple. Go to Corton. It will also take care of the jacket issue.

I am extremely sorry to hear about this, chef. I live in Tribeca and Tailor was one of my favorites. My frequency of visits was kept down only by the fact that everytime I went, I would end up consuming vast quantities of sweets (I ate four desserts on a single visit once). I loved the concept. best to you.

sethd I have had a similar experience at a different four star. Problem is when I went with someone who was known there, the experience was radically different (in a good way). That pissed me off even more. What is the point of being a four star if you walk off the street, pay just as much as the next guy and get half the experience?

Congratulations to Chef Humm and the staff. They deserve it. My experience is that it is ENTIRELY possible to have a less than inspiring meal at a four star restaurant. Jean Georges and LeB have almost always delighted while others have been less than consistent. I do not know, similar to the naysayers in the above discussion - why people rave about Daniel. Unless you are a celebrity or a critic or drop thousands on wine - Daniel is just - ok. or the old Bouley (not been to the new one yet). Consistency tends to fall with age too I think in most cases. Why would you question EMP's fourth star but hold Daniel or Per Se as sacrosanct. Is it more probable to get a divine meal at EMP or Daniel? EMP more likely in my experience.

I second the Corton idea. Forget about everything else. Right now, this is the place.

Land Thai Kitchen upper east and upper west sides http://landthaikitchen.com/

One dish only....tough question. I agree the foie terrine with beet juice and pea soil at WD was memorable. so were several dishes at Le Bernadin. Corton is fresh in my memory because of the recent visit. Masa's toro was from nirvana. BUT at WD-50, Baby spring lamb with banana consomme and bok choy (it might not be bok choi but some other green). It was so simple and so profound. Still burnt in my memory. Sick.

I am not an expert on noodles by any means. I had been to Hanmura An twice. However, I have been to sushi places a lot and also like cooked Japanese dishes a lot. I went to Matsugen for a second time this past Saturday. 1) The appetizers are very good but expensive. People enjoyed the uni dishes a lot. Also love the grilled eel app. Pickles and tofu are nice as well. 2) Noodles are very good and NOT expensive. 3) Level of service is quite high. 4) Did not try the sushi/sashimi. 5) My wife ordered the vegetable tempura and liked it a lot. 6) The miso cod was outstanding. Better than Nobu's in its heyday. So I am not sure what the gripes are all about. If you like Japanese food, this place offers a lot of variety so that pretty much everyone can find something that is to their liking. Prices are not that high given the quality of ingredients. I agree with Bruni's three stars although I was guessing he would give it two given his tastes. My advice, if you do not like Japanese at all, don't go. If you want to try Soba and don't want to spend too much, eat at the bar. Is it the last word in Japanese? Maybe not. However it costs much less than, say, Sugiyama.

Good suggestions all around. Karim's is a good solid choice but I have not been in years. Another one for mughlai food near the airport is Kabab Factory. Sagar is very good for South Indian. It is in Defence Colony market. They also deliver (if you cant make it there - call to see if they will deliver to the Taj). Although dosas won't travel well. enjoy...