Dined in the cafe, and with high expectations come very high disappointments. Perhaps service is top notch in the dining room but certainly not in the cafe during Restaurant Week. I dislike how restaurants discriminate their patrons during Restaurant Week. Since when does ordering from the prix fixe menu make you inferior and thrown in the secondary “bourgeois cafe room”? Certainly I felt like a lesser citizen. Aside from the non- existent high caliber five star service, the food was weak. Yes, I said weak. The dishes were a miss. The creme brulee was mass-produced; an unsatisfying piece of supposedly goodness.
I was not excited nor thrilled by the place (though, I was impressed by the many different utensils). Most of the time, I was looking forward to the check. Le Cirque is fancy yet boring. It’s for the desperate middle aged who hasn’t made his/ her first million; envying and trying to fit in with high society. Its pretentiousness extends as far as those celebrity head shots hanging by the hall to restroom.
Le Cirque : 150 E 58th St New York, NY 10155 (212) 644-0315
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Dokebi
If you're in Bklyn and craving for Korean BBQ or just Korean, head to Dokebi in Williamsburg. It’s the only Korean restaurant in the neighborhood, hence crowds and waits are often. Very good for groups of friends to eat and chat. Unlimited kimchi and sides, though tiny in portions. Roomy wooden bench seating on the right hand side of the restaurant. There's a bar at the back of the restaurant, lots of space to hang around.
Food:
Seafood scallion pancake was small not much seafood plus not as crispy.
Nakji Bokum (spicy, baby octopus, veggies & noodles) on a sizzling plate (14): Ruby red dish and spicy. Good amount of octopus to balance the heat. Well sized portion. Repeat: Spicy.
Bibimbahp choice of toppings, served w/ vegetables, fried egg and chili sauce over rice with beef (10): typical fried rice but with a sizzling stone bowl for $2 extra. You do get a sunny side up egg, where the yolk is still smooth. Other than that, its fried rice.
If you can't make it to K-town, try Dokebi. Food here is more carefully prepared, though less flamboyant and bustling than K-town.
199 Grand Street (between 1st St & Bedford Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 782-1424
Food:
Seafood scallion pancake was small not much seafood plus not as crispy.
Nakji Bokum (spicy, baby octopus, veggies & noodles) on a sizzling plate (14): Ruby red dish and spicy. Good amount of octopus to balance the heat. Well sized portion. Repeat: Spicy.
Bibimbahp choice of toppings, served w/ vegetables, fried egg and chili sauce over rice with beef (10): typical fried rice but with a sizzling stone bowl for $2 extra. You do get a sunny side up egg, where the yolk is still smooth. Other than that, its fried rice.
If you can't make it to K-town, try Dokebi. Food here is more carefully prepared, though less flamboyant and bustling than K-town.
199 Grand Street (between 1st St & Bedford Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 782-1424
Monday, September 15, 2008
Marlows and sons
A European feel with all the imported goods displayed as you dine by them. After dining here several times, it is always consistent and rarely disappoints. I always find myself ordering their pressed sandwiches and raw oysters. Known for their oysters, and the demand for them, they are usually fresh. The scene is hip and yup, and everything in between. The young who come to socialize over wine and olives and the young at heart comes to simply enjoy a quality meal. Portions are more than modest but the award goes to the food. Food is not throw into a dish, everything here is well thought out and prepared. Their toasted baguette, a major plus.
Con: Rubbing elbows; very very easy to ease drop. Busy most of the time: wait time.
Pros: Servers have extensive knowledge of the menu. Good place to bring a casual date. Social scene and well prepared dishes.
Marlow and Sons. 81 Broadway Williamsburgh Brooklyn 11211 (718) 384-1441
Con: Rubbing elbows; very very easy to ease drop. Busy most of the time: wait time.
Pros: Servers have extensive knowledge of the menu. Good place to bring a casual date. Social scene and well prepared dishes.
Marlow and Sons. 81 Broadway Williamsburgh Brooklyn 11211 (718) 384-1441
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches
Briefs:
On the go, grab yourself a $5 sandwich. The classic, with a choice of spicy or not--of course I go for the spicy and it was indeed spicy (later heartburn). Despite the unexpected heat, I enjoyed it. The baguette was toasted and the minced meat and pickled vegetables were satisfying. No complaints. It’s not something that will stuff you but you will finish it and feel like it was just right. I wasn't as impressed about the pork sandwich compared to the classic.
Pros: Crispy baguette, can dish out the hot spice
Con: More like a take out. Decor can be better.
Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches: 311 Atlantic Ave. (btwn Smith & Hoyt) Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-855-8838 CLOSED MONDAYS
On the go, grab yourself a $5 sandwich. The classic, with a choice of spicy or not--of course I go for the spicy and it was indeed spicy (later heartburn). Despite the unexpected heat, I enjoyed it. The baguette was toasted and the minced meat and pickled vegetables were satisfying. No complaints. It’s not something that will stuff you but you will finish it and feel like it was just right. I wasn't as impressed about the pork sandwich compared to the classic.
Pros: Crispy baguette, can dish out the hot spice
Con: More like a take out. Decor can be better.
Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches: 311 Atlantic Ave. (btwn Smith & Hoyt) Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-855-8838 CLOSED MONDAYS
Bread
Briefs:
Italian made to disappoint. My crispy polenta was buried with welted mushrooms. My polenta was soggy. Despite the poor plating, the polenta was not cooked to any where 'crispy.' It was a heavy plus salty dish. To add salt to injury, melted fontina was slewed on top, making the dish look tacky and very salty. Did I mention it was salty?
As we were about to leave, the people behind us were pleasant Italian tourists, and I wonder if the food ruined their pleasantness.
Cons: There isn't a schooled chef in the kitchen. Questionable dishes and flavor.
Pros: Large glasses for water, good ambiance, dine in the very back of the restaurant.
Bread: 20 Spring St New York, NY 10012 (212) 334-1015
Italian made to disappoint. My crispy polenta was buried with welted mushrooms. My polenta was soggy. Despite the poor plating, the polenta was not cooked to any where 'crispy.' It was a heavy plus salty dish. To add salt to injury, melted fontina was slewed on top, making the dish look tacky and very salty. Did I mention it was salty?
As we were about to leave, the people behind us were pleasant Italian tourists, and I wonder if the food ruined their pleasantness.
Cons: There isn't a schooled chef in the kitchen. Questionable dishes and flavor.
Pros: Large glasses for water, good ambiance, dine in the very back of the restaurant.
Bread: 20 Spring St New York, NY 10012 (212) 334-1015
Hope & Anchor
Briefs:
One of the first restaurants to open up in Red Hook, and prides itself for that. The menu ranges from burgers, sandwiches to bistro entrees. The dishes jump from diner food to semi-gastro-pub; on top of that, there are international specialties i.e. samosas, spring rolls, etc. I get skeptical when a restaurant tries to run the gamut on multiple genres. And, I am almost always right when I say: be skeptical. There are rare exceptions—if the chef has the culinary expertise to lead the expedition or simply driven by passion. But Hope & Anchor’s came out short. The multiple cuisines were not a success.
CONS: The lack of depth in the sophisticated dishes
PROS: More room/ space at the back, bar food, enjoy drinks with friends, stick to diner food
Hope & Anchor: 347 Van Brunt St. (At Wolcott St.) Brooklyn (718) 237-0276
One of the first restaurants to open up in Red Hook, and prides itself for that. The menu ranges from burgers, sandwiches to bistro entrees. The dishes jump from diner food to semi-gastro-pub; on top of that, there are international specialties i.e. samosas, spring rolls, etc. I get skeptical when a restaurant tries to run the gamut on multiple genres. And, I am almost always right when I say: be skeptical. There are rare exceptions—if the chef has the culinary expertise to lead the expedition or simply driven by passion. But Hope & Anchor’s came out short. The multiple cuisines were not a success.
CONS: The lack of depth in the sophisticated dishes
PROS: More room/ space at the back, bar food, enjoy drinks with friends, stick to diner food
Hope & Anchor: 347 Van Brunt St. (At Wolcott St.) Brooklyn (718) 237-0276
Monday, July 28, 2008
Perry Street
Many of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants are hyped. Perry Street is hyped—meekly. Perry Street walks away from the New York City’s pretentious attitude by omitting the flashy frills through simplification. If Simplicity = Modernity; Perry Street = Simplicity + Modernity. Perry Street takes architectural concepts from Richard Meier and reflects the sophisticatedly simplexes into its dishes. This 60-seat restaurant had smoothing and comfortable ambiance—even for Restaurant week.
My party of three took advantage of the pre-fixe (35):
Appetizer:
Nectarine and goat cheese with wasabi on Frisée: Amazing. Who ever thought nectarine and goat cheese go so perfectly together. I was mesmerized by the pairing. The Frisée was nicely seasoned with a light white dressing.
Red Snapper Sashimi lemon, olive oil and crispy skin: neatly sliced fish assembled on a plate of olive oil topped with fried scallions. I liked the sharp crunch from the scallion with the soft lingering sashimi. Good texture contrast.
Entrée: A yin and yang
Red Snapper: served on top of a mint potato mash (on one side of the plate), and cucumber mint vinaigrette on the other. The snapper was perfectly steamed with a soft minty mash potato; this side of the plate was delicate and hearty. On the green vinaigrette side, it was refreshing—robust citrus sour flavor. Great transition from one side to another. The mint on the mash gave a slight preview/ teaser or even an open act for the vinaigrette. Very on point and clever pairing.
Pan roasted Chicken with a tableside bath of a deeply flavored broth made from smoked chicken and studded with corn. The waiter poured the sauce in front of us. The dish was hearty and savory. The semi thickness of the sauce was keenly complemented with the sweet corn. The chicken was cooked on point with a crispy skin.
Dessert:
Chocolate Pudding fresh cream, crystallized violets: Awesome. Violets??? Yes, they were infused in sugar and water and then crystallized in shapes of peanuts. The crunchy and light garnish over the creamy pudding was absolutely magnificent. The violet leaves a wonderful fragrance. This was an extraordinary delight.
Cherry jubilee: served with freshly marinated cherries with sugar, cream; in foam texture, cherry sorbet topped with a thin white chocolate smudge. The components could have worked more collaboratively, I felt the dish didn’t come together nicely. The cherries were deep dark red and heavily marinated with a red sugar sauce. Perhaps the cherries were out of place; even though it was a cherry dessert…
Drinks:
Cucumber Martini Hendricks gin, cucumber, mint: The prefect summer cocktail. Summer and cucumbers go together very very well. The cucumber drink was refreshing and delicate and very fun.
Fresh Homemade Sodas ginger: Nothing beats homemade. Not your typical everyday Schweppes. Ginger is good for you and the Perry’s ginger soda was good. Not overly sweetened and a strong natural ginger flavor. It’s the real stuff.
Whether you go during or after restaurant week, you will find yourself satisfied and culinary enlightened. The dishes are creative and consistently pushing one’s palate by bridging uncommon pairings and flavor into pure matrimony. Perry Street’s not-over-doing-it theme keeps patrons coming back.
Perry Street leaves behind the fanciful, colorful, festive, and stunning décor. What you will be stunned by is how pleased you will be by how little you need for a completely captivating dining experience. Perry Street knows that by being modern, minimal and unpretentious in today’s modern, consuming and exaggerated world is the next revelation.
My party of three took advantage of the pre-fixe (35):
Appetizer:
Nectarine and goat cheese with wasabi on Frisée: Amazing. Who ever thought nectarine and goat cheese go so perfectly together. I was mesmerized by the pairing. The Frisée was nicely seasoned with a light white dressing.
Red Snapper Sashimi lemon, olive oil and crispy skin: neatly sliced fish assembled on a plate of olive oil topped with fried scallions. I liked the sharp crunch from the scallion with the soft lingering sashimi. Good texture contrast.
Entrée: A yin and yang
Red Snapper: served on top of a mint potato mash (on one side of the plate), and cucumber mint vinaigrette on the other. The snapper was perfectly steamed with a soft minty mash potato; this side of the plate was delicate and hearty. On the green vinaigrette side, it was refreshing—robust citrus sour flavor. Great transition from one side to another. The mint on the mash gave a slight preview/ teaser or even an open act for the vinaigrette. Very on point and clever pairing.
Pan roasted Chicken with a tableside bath of a deeply flavored broth made from smoked chicken and studded with corn. The waiter poured the sauce in front of us. The dish was hearty and savory. The semi thickness of the sauce was keenly complemented with the sweet corn. The chicken was cooked on point with a crispy skin.
Dessert:
Chocolate Pudding fresh cream, crystallized violets: Awesome. Violets??? Yes, they were infused in sugar and water and then crystallized in shapes of peanuts. The crunchy and light garnish over the creamy pudding was absolutely magnificent. The violet leaves a wonderful fragrance. This was an extraordinary delight.
Cherry jubilee: served with freshly marinated cherries with sugar, cream; in foam texture, cherry sorbet topped with a thin white chocolate smudge. The components could have worked more collaboratively, I felt the dish didn’t come together nicely. The cherries were deep dark red and heavily marinated with a red sugar sauce. Perhaps the cherries were out of place; even though it was a cherry dessert…
Drinks:
Cucumber Martini Hendricks gin, cucumber, mint: The prefect summer cocktail. Summer and cucumbers go together very very well. The cucumber drink was refreshing and delicate and very fun.
Fresh Homemade Sodas ginger: Nothing beats homemade. Not your typical everyday Schweppes. Ginger is good for you and the Perry’s ginger soda was good. Not overly sweetened and a strong natural ginger flavor. It’s the real stuff.
Whether you go during or after restaurant week, you will find yourself satisfied and culinary enlightened. The dishes are creative and consistently pushing one’s palate by bridging uncommon pairings and flavor into pure matrimony. Perry Street’s not-over-doing-it theme keeps patrons coming back.
Perry Street leaves behind the fanciful, colorful, festive, and stunning décor. What you will be stunned by is how pleased you will be by how little you need for a completely captivating dining experience. Perry Street knows that by being modern, minimal and unpretentious in today’s modern, consuming and exaggerated world is the next revelation.
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