Category: Midtown

Reviews of Midtown Manhattan Restaurants

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.

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.

Gam Mee Ok / Gahm Mi Oak

43 West 32nd Street between Fifth and Sixth
212/695.4113
about $30 for two solontangs, with two drinks, with tip
♥ ♥

Solontang is bone marrow soup that the Koreans have perfected. Gam Mee Ok slow-cooks beef bone marrows in large vats of water until the broth becomes milky white. It is served in a clay pot with rice and noodles and all you have to do is sprinkle it with scallions and add some salt to bring out the beef taste.

Gam Mee Ok also makes the best radish kimchi in New York City’s Koreablock.

Related post/s:
I love Han Bat three blocks away

Sparks Steak House

210 East 46th Street between Second and Third
212/687.4855
$200 for two, with a bottle of wine, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

My older brother lives in Manila and whenever he visits New York City, he has one request: eat a nice slab of steak at Sparks Steak House. When mafia boss Paul Castellano and mobster Thomas Bilotti were gunned down in front of the restaurant in 1985 under the orders of John Gotti, it forever put it on the map as one of New York City’s institutions. It’s less violent today because the crowd is mostly made up of the younger finance bunch who want to splurge before signing a business deal, but commoners like me can still enjoy a juicy sirloin steak with a bold glass of red wine.

Avoid peak dinner times and reserve a table for 9pm or later, especially on weekends, because you’ll spend less money at the bar while you wait. (We once waited an hour drinking at the bar even with an 8pm table.) You might not be related to any one in the Gambino family, but you’ll feel like royalty after you treat yourself to one of the Ceetta Brothers’ cuts of meat.