Londoner in New York

[Morfudd]

Hi, London restaurateur in New York at the beginning of April - would love some tips on where I should eat over the course of the week, not only the established restaurants 9even if I can get a booking) but the up and coming places.

Could I have some insider tips please?

Thank you!

ps also the established places - are they still firing on all guns?

[jackal10]

Traveller's tip:

Remember it is customary to shake hands with everyone in the restaurant or bar on entry.

Edited March 10, 2006 by jackal10 (log)

[oakapple]

Hi, London restaurateur in New York at the beginning of April - would love some tips on where I should eat over the course of the week, not only the established restaurants 9even if I can get a booking) but the up and coming places.

Could I have some insider tips please?

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Can you give us some more information? What kind of budget? What kind of cuisine? It's hard to narrow down tens of thousands of restaurants without a better idea of what you're looking for.

www.opentable.com lists 542 New York restaurants where you can make online bookings. You might want to start there and narrow down your selections.

Edited March 10, 2006 by oakapple (log)

[Morfudd]

I have looked at open table - thank you.

My categories for styles of restaurants are:

1.fabulous food but not in a 'michelin' style setting/service/atmosphere ie.top of the range grub without the pomposity

2.Japanese

3.Up and coming chef/patron places who cant afford the central location rents but who are cooking wonderful food in possibly out of the way locations

4.Hip/trendy just for the hell of it

Thanks!

[Morfudd]

Sorry, I have one more addition to my category - Adrian Ferria influenced style of cooking, or more generally chefs interested in molecular gastronomy...

[Bux]

Sorry, I have one more addition to my category - Adrian Ferria influenced style of cooking, or more generally chefs interested in molecular gastronomy...

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There's probably general agreement that WD-50 is the most obvious choice for techinal cooking. I don't know that I'd say Wylie is in any way influenced by Adrià, but his processes are more noticeable than at any other restaurant in NY. He also tends to push the flavor combination envelope as well with dishes incorporating flavors most diners would suspect went well together.

You should be aware that the city department of health and safety, or whatever they are called, has just issued a crack down on sous vide cooking, simply because it's not well documented. In fact some chefs who use the technique extensively are among the first to agree that in the wrong hands there may be hazards.

[Sneakeater]

It's too bad that two years ago they didn't issue a crackdown on foam.

[Pan]

Morfudd, if you haven't already looked through the first few pages of this forum to read other threads started by people about to visit this city, I highly recommend it.

[FatTony]

Morfudd, for what it's worth, I'm a transplanted Londoner (been here eight years ) with a restaurant fetish, so I thought I'd weigh in.

Bux speaks the truth with regard to WD-50. Another envelope pusher might be the newly opened Gilt, which I haven't eaten at but seems to be getting excellent reviews. I understand the food is relatively less 'out there' than the chef's earlier endeavors. There's a thread here if you search. Actually, there's a thread for every place I'm about to mention.

There are several kinds of Japanese in NYC, any of which you might want to check out. There are the haute sushi joints, of which Sushi Yasuda and Sushi of Gari would be worthwhile visits (and inspire fierce partisanship on this board and elsewhere). I'd say Yasuda may be the more conservative (no bad thing) and Gari the more creative in terms of the style of sushi and sashimi. Some think Jewel Bako is up there too. The top-end choice in the category is Masa, which will set you back something like $400, more than I'm willing to spend, but your call.

A second Japanese option would be the noodle bars. Minca and Momofuku get good reviews and represent a valuable (and MUCH less expensive) alternative to the sushi dens. I like Momofuku for its Berkshire pork alone. Honmura An may be the best regarded place for handmade soba noodles. Any of these are worthwhile visits in my opinion. All of these are quite dfifferent propositions from Wagamama by the way. (Which I like.)

There's yet another kind of Japanese here, the palatial, scene- and decor-driven type places, some of which offer good food but are generally riskier bets (and damned expensive). Examples might be Megu, Matsuri, Ono. This is the most dynamic sector of Japanese dining in New York today.

Hip/Trendy (and to my mind great food) might include Spice Market, a venture into SE Asian street food by Jean Georges Vongerichten, one of the city's best regarded chefs. This is a bigtime scene but the food is often excellent and it's a cool space.

You could also check out Public, owned by the same people who run Sugar Club in London (I believe) though to my mind infinitely more interesting. It's a sexy space and the food is creative yet reliable.

Some other, purely subjective suggestions (aren't they all) based on good meals I've had in the past year might include:

Casa Mono, a slightly cramped neo-tapas place (if I don't say neo the purists will jump on me) that has not failed me for flavorful dining on any of six or so visits. If you're alone it's fun to sit at the counter. If you're interested in tapas (also having a bit of a moment here in NY) you could check out Alta and Tia Pol, the latter of which is possibly the more classic tapas experience. Alta has solid food too.

Prune, a chef owned boite (also cramped I'm afraid) has idiosyncratic choices and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. A truly original brunch too.

You could consider Five Ninth and The Fatty Crab, two spots which are strongly informed by the tastes of the chef-owner, Zak Pelaccio. Fatty Crab slings Malaysian food and doesn't pull its punches flavor-wise. Five Ninth is set in a converted townhouse in the meatpacking district, a love-it-or-hate-it neighhborhood that attracts throngs every weekend and which any restauranteur ought to check out. Five Ninth isn't too sceney and has great, eclectic food.

I've never had a bad meal at Savoy, yet another chef-owned spot with an emphasis on seasonal and local ingredients. You might check out Hearth for a not dissimilar experience in a larger space.

I doubt many would disagree Babbo and Le Bernadin are still at the top of their game among other high end spots.

Happy dining!

edited because I thought Yasuda but said Kuruma

Edited March 11, 2006 by FatTony (log)

[Morfudd]

Tony and Bux, thank you so much for all your recommendations - I shall follow some threads on this site too so that I have done my homework before I land. xx

[Lindacakes]

Or, you could consider that what makes New York fine in a very different way is the amazing mix of cultural influence here, and pick up a copy of Chowhound's Guide and take a walk on the wild side.

[mascarpone]

A second Japanese option would be the noodle bars. Minca and Momofuku get good reviews and represent a valuable (and MUCH less expensive) alternative to the sushi dens. I like Momofuku for its Berkshire pork alone. Honmura An may be the best regarded place for handmade soba noodles. Any of these are worthwhile visits in my opinion. All of these are quite dfifferent propositions from Wagamama by the way. (Which I like.)

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I would describe Momofuku as a Pan Asian East Village Noodle bar. It is fun, but for a more authentic Japanese ramen experience, I would recommend Men Kui Tei (East Village branch) 63 Cooper Square (Between 7th Street & Astor Place) Phone: 212-228-4152; (Midtown branch) 60 W 56th St (Between 5th & 6th Avenues) Phone: 212-757-1642. The gyoza (dumplings) are my favorite in the city.

Edited March 14, 2006 by mascarpone (log)

[Pan]

Or, you could consider that what makes New York fine in a very different way is the amazing mix of cultural influence here, and pick up a copy of Chowhound's Guide and take a walk on the wild side.

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Linda, please post in separate threads about your favorite places from the Chowhound Guide.

[Curlz]

Sorry, I have one more addition to my category - Adrian Ferria influenced style of cooking, or more generally chefs interested in molecular gastronomy...

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Sounds like you should (gasp) take a PATH train, bus or ferry to Hoboken (NJ--just across the Hudson River) and try Venue. Full thread is here.

Edit: And a lunch at Shake Shack on a nice day is also a great idea...

Edited March 14, 2006 by Curlz (log)

[Morfudd]

Thank you to everyone who posted replies and pointed some very persuasive fingers in some great directions - we had what I can only describe as a culinary mega feast in New York last week..inbetween the galleries (MOMA puts our TAte Britain in the corner there with a dunces cap on), some shopping and some touristy things, we dined in a dozen restaurants in six days - almost all of them superb - they were: Sunday brunch at Prune in the East Village, dinner at soba bar Honmura An, Monday lunch Union Square Cafe, dinner at Sushi Yasuda. Tuesday lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, dinner at Gramercy Tavern; Wednesday lunch at Aquavit, dinner at WD50; Thursday lunch at Spice Market; dinner at Le Bernadin; Friday lunch at Per Se and dinner at LES neo-sushi bar Cube 63.

The only duff gonger of a meal was at Spice Market, where the staff were listless and the food really mediocre and (astonishingly, but what else gives this sort of headache?) - flavoured with MSG. A small gripe however and nothing to blight the amazing quality of all of our other meals, so thank you for all your recommendations.

Morfudd XXXXX

[M.X.Hassett]

The only duff gonger of a meal was at Spice Market, where the staff were listless and the food really mediocre and (astonishingly, but what else gives this sort of headache?) - flavoured with MSG. A small gripe however and nothing to blight the amazing quality of all of our other meals, so thank you for all your recommendations.

Morfudd XXXXX

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Glad you enjoyed your trip. I wonder though how you figured the food was MSG laced?

[Sneakeater]

I think this is how:

(astonishingly, but what else gives this sort of headache?)

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[M.X.Hassett]

I think this is how:

(astonishingly, but what else gives this sort of headache?)

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Thanks I missed that.

[Alchemist]

If MSG gives you people a headache why dosen't everyone in China spend all thier time in dark rooms, with damp cloths over thier eyes? (Steingarten paraphrased).

[Morfudd]

I'm not sure if it was MSG (and I wasnt drunk - on this occasion) but I usually get a headache after eating MSG. There was one dish which I ate described as lime noodles but which was actually lime gloop, and I wonder if that was the culprit. It would surprise me if this restaurant used MSG, but then it surprised me that this restaurant could produce a soggy calamari salad and lime gloooop, so there we go.

[Sneakeater]

Would you believe that, when Spice Market first opened, that dish was actually good? The quick decline of that restaurant is really damning.

[Sneakeater]

(And then all the Philadelphia people wondered why we New Yorkers were so suspicious of Morimoto.)

[Nathan]

you chose your restaurants extremely well...congrats.

with that said, msg didn't give you a headache...it doesn't give anyone a headache.

mushrooms, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, soybeans etc. are all loaded with glutamates (as is Japanese cooking in general)...

"Chinese restaurant syndrome"/purported MSG allergies are probably a reaction to too much oil and the like...(unless you're also getting headaches everytime you eat Italian, Japanese or mushrooms)

Edited April 11, 2006 by Nathan (log)

[Sneakeater]

I get a headache everytime I go to one of those big noisy crowded MeaPa food barns.

Edited April 12, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[raji]

agreed 3X Snakeeater

mushrooms, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, soybeans etc. are all loaded with glutamates (as is Japanese cooking in general)...

"Chinese restaurant syndrome"/purported MSG allergies are probably a reaction to too much oil and the like...(unless you're also getting headaches everytime you eat Italian, Japanese or mushrooms)

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Yeah it's all here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

And I agree I think Chinese restaurant syndrome is a peanut oil overdose - i haven't had a problem with chuuka and properly cooked Chinese food