Category: New York Restaurant Reviews

New York City Restaurant Reviews

Sushiden

19 East 49th Street on Madison Avenue
212/758.2700
about $480 for four omakases, with a few drinks, with tip
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

There are two Sushidens in New York City, one on Sixth Avenue and this one on Madison. Whichever branch you pick, make sure you ask to be seated at the bar so you can talk to your chef and get the chance to eat fish that’s not on the menu.

One of the most memorable experiences I had at Sushiden was when our chef brought out some fresh shrimp, disassembled the heads, and used tweezers to pick the brain. He put all the gray and orange matter on top of Japanese mackerel with the shrimp body and made sushi. When we were done bowing in appreciation and glee, the chef deep-fried the shrimp head shells and offered them to us to snack on while we waited for the next course. No part of the shrimp was wasted.

Whenever I go to a sushi restaurant, I always start off with the uni, or the sea urchin. If it’s excellent, then I know the place will have more of the good stuff coming. At Sushiden, after the uni, the chef always asks me what I want next and that’s when I tell him that I’ll eat whatever he wants me to taste. The chefs will only ask you if you’re allergic to anything, and if that’s a negative, you will sit for the next hour eating fresh fish after fresh fish that melts in your mouth like butter.

Sparky’s All-American Food

135 North 5th Street off Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718/302.5151
about $15 for two, with two drinks, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

Updated, 2005: Sparky’s has opened a branch in Manhattan, 333 Lafayette Street off Bleecker, 212/334.3035

You can’t call yourself a New Yorker if you can’t make yourself cross the Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn is part of New York City, too. Sparky’s is a very good reason to visit the borough because it offers the best hot dogs, the best relish, the best chili, the best ketchup, the best mustard and the best buns. Don’t let the other organic hot dog stands that have sprouted all over the city fool you. Everything on Sparky’s menu is so good, it might just change the way you feel about Brooklyn.

Aquavit

13 West 54th Street
212/307.7311
about $300 for three, with a few drinks, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Updated, 2006: Aquavit has moved down the block at 65 East 55th Street between Park and Madison Avenues, 212/593.0287

I had one of the most surreal dining experiences at Aquavit with two of my friends. It was herring week in New York City and we were seated at the best table in the house, facing their cascading waterfalls, at the right time. The service was extraordinary; two waiters were looking after our needs and another one always made sure we were having a good time. Our reservation was at 8pm, which is prime dining time, but we were never rushed. We stayed until 11:30pm.

The chef and co-owner, Marcus Samuelsson, is the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from food critic Ruth Reichl. The James Beard Foundation has also awarded him “Rising Star Chef” in 1999 and “Best New Chef in New York City” in 2003. I was so impressed that he used kalamansi to make sorbet because it’s the Filipino version of limes. The trio of sweetbreads, pork sausages and lobster was an odd combination but it spelled decadence all over. Just like his eclectic food creations for this Scandinavian-owned restaurant, he also has a very interesting background. He’s Ethiopian and was adopted by a Swedish couple and has apprenticed in Sweden, Switzerland and Austria.

With a bottle of Gigondas, we each went for the three-course prix fixe. Between the three of us tasting each other’s food, it was like having nine courses, plus the three complementary tasting plates the chef sent up. Here’s a run-down of our meal:

1. Lobster roll with pistachio and lemon yogurt, salmon roe and homemade ginger ale

2. Herring Plate served with Aquavit and Carlsberg beer

3. Squab with potato purée and pearl onions

4. Konbu cured duck and braised leg with nut salad, kasha, bok choy, water chestnuts and coconut-red beet sauce

5. Smoked dry-aged New York Strip with Kobe tongue, lily bulb salad and Japanese potato in bone marrow emulsion

6. Trio: sweetbreads, pork sausage and lobster

7. Peanut butter parfait, sautéed banana and kalamansi sorbet

8. Arctic Circle: goat cheese parfait, blueberry sorbet and honey tuile

9. Warm chocolate with orange creamsicle and citrus salad

Artisanal

2 Park Avenue at 32nd Street
212/725.8585
about $125 for two, with two drinks, without tip
♥ ♥

Known for its cheese selections, I took advantage of Restaurant Week and was greatly disappointed with the Artisanal discounted menu. Who wants to be tied down with a choice of either hanger steak or salmon? Four of us ended up ordering from the regular menu anyway and spending $70 each. The crispy skate wing was really good, served with blood orange a la Grenobloise and cauliflower. I regretted not picking one of the seafood choices because my lamb cassoulet with white beans wasn’t the best version I’ve tasted. My friends’ cod special and wild mushroom risotto with butternut squash seemed like more interesting. At least my frisée salad provided me with some comfort. Though we all enjoyed the ritual involved in our prosciutto and cheese fondue, I will most likely stick with the cheese flight without any dipping involved next time. I like my French bistro food, but I can name a handful of other places in the city that would have a more robust selection.

Bar Jamon

125 East 17th Street on Irving Place
212/253.2773
about $125 for two, with a few drinks, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Jamon is Spanish for ham and Bar Jamon is the most recent translation in the New York City scene. Mario Batali’s latest digs is right next to Casa Mono, his fifth restaurant in New York City. The space is good for fifteen couples at most, but more than thirty were inside, even on a Tuesday night. We squeezed ourselves in to eat tapas and drink Spanish wine and new guests jumped to the next stool that freed up. A little jazz and a little Wilco were playing when we were there, but the music was so faint compared to the collective noise of those who had the same idea as we did.

With two bottles of Tempranillo, we shared two plates of ham cured for fourteen months. We also got the sardines en escabeche and marinated anchovies with migas de chorizo or sausage crumbs. We snacked on a plate of two kinds of cheeses and enjoyed their bread with some good olive oil. We didn’t think we’d stay past 9pm because of the crowd but as soon as we snatched the stools in the back, we ended up staying for two more hours.

Bar Jamon is a scene all right, but it’s a New York City scene and that you can’t pass up.