Totto Ramen (New York, NY)

All you ramen fans out there, there's a new place in midtown west that's definitely worth checking out. 

This place boasts its MSG-free and "made-with-chicken-only" soup base, but I actually thought their Vegetarian Ramen was far better than their signature Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen. 

Trust me when I say I'm no vegetarian by any means, but definitely check out Totto's Vegetarian Ramen.  The best secret to making this a more perfect dish is adding the Char Siu Pork as a topping (sshhh.... I know that defeats the purpose of ordering a "vegetarian" dish, but its konbu seaweed and shiitake mushroom-based soup is just that much better than the Chicken based soup.) 

Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen

Vegetarian Ramen with Char Siu Pork

Location: 366 W 52nd Street
Dress Code: Totally casual (whatever you want to wear)
Occasion: dinner with friends (small group only), casual lunch / dinner with anyone
Price Range: $9.25 for Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen; $11 for Vegetarian Ramen ($2 extra to add Char Siu Pork)

Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)

Only my second time here, and already one of my very favorites.


It's hard to find a restaurant like Eleven Madison Park, even in a city where dozens of new restaurants open up each week.


Everything about this place is just perfect - the food, the service, and the lovely decor.  (It's also located in one of my favorite NYC neighborhoods - Gramercy / Flatiron.)  Daniel Humm deserves some respect for making this place one of the top 50 restaurants in the world at such a young age (the executive chef himself being just 33 years old). 


This place definitely deserves a more thorough review than what I'm posting now, but rather than waiting another six months before posting it here, I've decided to at least put up a few pictures of the absolutely delicious dishes here for the time being. 


It's too bad that I didn't have my camera with me when I went for the more complete dinner pre-fixe.  The pictures here are from the very special lunch menu offered at EMP during the week.  (used to be the best deal in town... before they raised the prices by some 80%)

I was also very lucky to squeeze in another visit to this place before they spent a week on minor renovations - significantly reducing the number of seats in this restaurant and increasing prices by some 50 to 80%.  This place was by no standards "cheap" before Sept 2010, but it now will cost you a fortune to taste some of this most delicious food in the city.

Location: 11 Madison Avenue (Gramercy / Flatiron)

Dress Code: Formal

Occasion: romantic date, business lunch, family dinner
Price Range: Lunch - $56 / three-course, $74 / four-course; Dinner - $125 / four-course, $155 / five-course (tax, gratuity, and drinks not included)

Annisa (New York, NY)

I had the honor of visiting Anita Lo's (Top Chef Masters) flagship Annisa.  This special little restaurant opened once again in the West Village after the terrible fire that had the restaurant closed for several months.  I really like how cozy the restaurant is, with only a few tables available.  This makes everything seem so much more personal.


My favorite dish of the night was the Duo of Lobster and Corn appetizer dish.  Absolutely amazing.  The lobster is served fresh and raw -- which reminded me somewhat of amaebi (sweet shrimp), but only... better, I would argue.  Here are some of the dishes we ordered.  (Too bad the lighting was so dim.... I see that the photo quality definitely suffered, although I really liked the atmosphere)

Duo of Lobster and Corn

Millefeuille of Strawberries with Ricotta, Pink Peppercorns and Aged Balsamic

Seared Foie Gras with Soup Dumplings and Jicama

Softshell Crab with Summer Squash, Lardo and Sea Urchin

Sautéed Filet of Wild Striped Bass with Creamed Kohlrabi and Bacon

Barbecued Squid with Thai Basil and Fresh Peanuts

Pecan and Salted Butterscotch Beignets with Bourbon Milk Ice

Chilled Pink Grapefruit, Elderflower and Fennel Soup with Almond Milk Jelly

Assorted Desserts

This little restaurant is definitely worth a visit if you are a fan of Asian-accented French cuisine. 


Location:  13 Barrow Street (West Village)
Dress Code: Business Casual
Occasion: date night dinner, business dinner, family dinner
Price Range: $75/person for the 5-course tasting menu (excludes tax and tip), for a la carte, ~$18/dish for appetizer, and ~$35/dish for entree

momofuku noodle bar (New York, NY)

I still haven't written up my review for momofuku ssam bar, but I've decided to save the better for later.

momofuku noodle bar was certainly an enjoyable experience, and I'd definitely say, "It's worth a visit."  But it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for a "David Chang original recipe." 

Certainly a more casual feel than its momofuku siblings, the noodle bar is a good place to visit with friends.  But do expect there to be a wait, unless you can beat the crowd for an early dinner.

momofuku noodle bar, nyc

At any momofuku, you *must* try to steamed pork buns.  These were no different from the ones I had at the ssam bar the other time.  Don't leave this place without first trying the pork buns. 

steamed pork buns

steamed pork buns

 I also very much enjoyed the cold spicy noodles. But these noodles are spicy. Really Spicy.

spicy noodles

spicy noodles

 

The most boring (and disappointing) dish of the day was ramen.  I had such high expectations for this dish,,, and maybe that was why, but I really thought that I could expect more from momofuku than this.  I thought the soup was way too greasy with no real flavor.  Maybe I was unlucky.  Maybe I'll give it another try next time.

ramen with pork

Would I go here again? 

Yes, probably.  But only for the pork buns, not for the ramen.

Do Eun @ momofuku noodle bar, nyc

Location: 171 1st Ave (between 10th and 11th streets), NYC

Dress Code: Casual

Occasion: any casual occasion
Price Range: ~$20 / person for appetizer and entree (tax and tip not included)

recette (New York, NY)

One thing I really enjoy doing is checking out new restaurants and cafes / dessert bars in the city.  Thanks to my friends who are truly big time foodies, I've often had the honor of being among the first to check out some of the best little restaurants and cafes.  (one example that comes to mind is kyotofu, which has now made its spot on many people's lists as one of their favorite dessert bars)

recette may just be one of those places again.  

recette is a small -- I mean, very small -- restaurant in the West Village that has a very simple look on the exterior.  But what you find inside is nothing simple, nothing ordinary.  For starters, we have an ex-Gordon Ramsay chef and an ex-Per Se pastry chef at your service.  The menu is comprised of "snacks" and "plates," which can be roughly translated into "appetizers" and "entrees," although the portions are very small.

recette, NYC

You can also choose one of the two tasting menus (5-course, 7-course), but unless you have a really big appetite or want a really full meal, I would instead recommend carefully selecting your favorite dishes and ordering a la carte.  One snack dish and two plates should be enough to satisfy just about anyone's appetite in my opinion (and trust me, I have a BIG appetite).  Also, you might want to leave room in your stomach for the ex-Per Se pastry chef to do some magic.

I'll share some pictures of the dishes I had tonight.  I thought each and every dish was special in its own way, although I must point out that my favorites were the "marinated hamachi, uni, sea beans, harissa" snack dish and the "chilled corn soup, roasted foie gras, parmesan tuile, thyme" plate dish.  The tuna crudo and lobster risotto dishes were just as delicious, but given that my expectations for these two dishes were already very high, I think it was difficult for them to further escalate the level of blissful satisfaction I experienced after the first two dishes.    

These are the dishes I had:

Snacks

Marinated Hamachi, Uni, Sea Beans, Harissa

Plates

Chilled Corn Soup, Roasted Foie Gras, Parmesan Tuile, Thyme

Tuna Crudo, Fennel, Mussel Vinaigrette, Caramelized Orange, Caviar

Lobster Risotto, Porcini Mushroom, Lobster Emulsion, Summer Truffle

Dessert

"Smores,” Graham Cracker Ice Cream, Toasted Marshmallow, "Hot" Chocolate Ganache

This place might just become one of my favorite restaurants in the city.  It's definitely my kind of place.... and only a short walk from the beautiful Highline Park too.  :)

Do Eun @ recette, NYC

Do Eun @ recette, NYC

Location: 328 West 12th Street, NYC
Dress Code: Casual
Occasion: dinner with friends, date night out, first date
Price Range: ~$15 / snack, ~$25 / plate (tax, tip not included); $75 / 5-course tasting menu (tax, tip not included) 

SHO Shaun Hergatt (New York, NY)

SHO Shaun Hergatt is located within a three-minute walking distance from my office (Financial District).  I had been eyeing on this restaurant even before it opened, and I was glad to have finally checked it out with my ex-co-worker Andy. 


Shaun Hergatt is a relatively young Australian chef, with a unique style.  His dishes are full of flavor, refreshing, and just gorgeous.


SHO has a fantastic 3-course lunch pre-fixe going on this summer (through Labor Day) at $24.  I would highly recommend checking this place out during this promotional season for several reasons: 1) appetizer and main entree options include beef carpaccio, amadai and pork belly, which are not the most common dishes (e.g., garden salad, roasted chicken, and grilled salmon) offered at most restaurants during Restaurant Week, 2) dessert dishes--especially the milk chocolate palet with yuzu chantilly and rasberry-- are highly creative and simply delicious, and 3) this is a gorgeous restaurant definitely worth a visit and you'll have to pay a high price for the visit unless you take advantage of this special opportunity.

SHO Shaun Hergatt, NYC

These are the dishes I tried:

Appetizer

Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

Tomato Gélee, Basil Espuma

Main Course

Crispy Skin Amadai

Edamame Purée, Pickled Daikon

Char Su Braised Pork Belly
Green Scallion, Fingerling Potato


Dessert

Milk Chocolate Palet
Yuzu Chantilly, Raspberry

What makes it even more worth this visit is the fact that SHO is currently giving out $24 off coupons to everyone who visits the restaurant during the promotional specials period.  The coupon has to be used at dinner, and is valid through Labor Day.

Location: 40 Broad Street (near Wall Street), 2nd floor
Dress Code: Business Casual
Occasion: date night dinner, business lunch, dinner with friends
Price Range: ~$90/person for pre-fixe dinner (includes tax and tip), ~$45/person for pre-fixe lunch (includes tax and tip), ~$30/person for 3-course pre-fixe lunch during Restaurant Week promotional season (through Labor Day)

Do Eun @ SHO Shaun Hergatt, NYC

Gotham Bar and Grill (New York, NY)

Since I work full-time in consulting, it's very hard for me to take advantage of any of the amazing NYC Restaurant Week offers during the week.  :(  But actually, I would argue that perhaps the best restaurant deals in NYC are not during restaurant week but during special offering seasons at each restaurant.

Since I would one day like to own a restaurant of my own in the city some day, I try to take every opportunity to check out the most popular (and sometimes hidden) restaurants in NY. 

Gotham Bar & Grill was the first on my list to visit this summer, as this was the only place from Zagat's Top 10 most famous NYC restaurants that I had not visited.  

It was definitely worth the wait....  

Gotham Bar & Grill, NYC

Gotham is currently offering the "Summer Sundays: Flash Back to the 80s" menu, where you can choose from among the restaurant's once popular dishes back in the 80s -- and here's the great news -- at the 80s prices.  Now, keep in mind that Gotham was not the cheapest restaurant in town back then, so we're not talking $5 / dish, but the prices are about 50% of current prices.  This is definitely a good deal, and, in my opinion, a much better deal than Restaurant Week specials.

These are the dishes I tried:

First Course

CURED ATLANTIC SALMON (1986)
cracked wheat, golden beet, shaved fennel, orange oil

GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLI (1985)
roast tomato, pancetta, basil

HEIRLOOM TOMATO BRUSCHETTA (1989)
fava beans, pecorino toscano, grilled bread basil aioli

Second Course

SEARED YELLOWFIN TUNA (1987)
caponata, pappardelle, red wine sauce

ROASTED BLACK BASS (1987)
braised leeks, shiitake mushrooms, fingerling potatoes
port reduction

GRILLED HANGER STEAK (1988)
“creamed” spinach, crisp potatoes, bordelaise sauce

Dessert

TRIO OF ICE CREAMS OR SORBETS (1984)

PEANUT BUTTER COUPE (1986)
chocolate sauce, whipped cream


Every little bit of every dish we ordered was absolutely delicious. They were all presented very beautifully as well. In summary, I would HIGHLY recommend this place.

May I add that Chef Alfred Portale is the recipient of the Outstanding Chef in the nation distinction in 2006.

 
Location: 12th Street between University Ave. and 5th Ave.
Dress: Elegant Casual (jeans are allowed but I would probably not recommend)
Occasion: great for a nice family dinner or a dinner out with friends
Price Range: ~$100/person including appetizer, entree, and dessert (includes tax, tip) / ~$50/person if ordering from "Summer Sundays: Flash Back to the 80s" specials (includes tax, tip)

Do Eun @ Gotham Bar & Grill, NYC