betony

new york, ny

website

super fancy restaurant in midtown. really expensive. great service. they even have a little bench for your purse to sit, which made my purse very happy. food was good, but nothing memorable. probably not worth the price. sad.

sakagura

new york, ny

website

CR is queen of finding hidden little japanese gems in midtown east. this time, jenny and i joined her at a difficult-to-find restaurant with a tiny little sign outside. walk a few flights down to the basement and you are transported to japan. the decor, complete with a wall stacked with sake bottles, reminds me of restaurants i visited in kyoto. love it. menu reads somewhat like a standard izakaya menu, but with a few more entree-like choices. the sake menu is massive and a little overwhelming. CR, jenny, and i decided to go with the daily special, advertised to taste like "snow" - and it was bright, fresh, and crisp, all the things clean snow should taste like. both bottles. or did we get three? i don't remember.

i do remember that the food was amazing. pictured are the soba noodles soaked in a uni broth topped with huge pieces of uni. uni-tastic. uni-licious. it's really a miracle that i didn't immediately dunk my head into the bowl, but managed to let jenny and CR try some before devouring the rest. uni-rrific. one note - if the waitress recommends that you each order a "buta kakuni" - do not believe her. order one to share for the table. it's incredible stewed fatty pork and it's delicious. but eating an entire portion by yourself might kill you.

mint

midtown, nyc

website

there are a lot of fancy indian restaurants in midtown. white tablecloths. great service. everything served in silver bowls and platters, with silver utensils. mint falls into this category with a slight twist. the interior is lit up with neon green lights which make you feel like you're inside a dance club or other night spot. it's a little disconcerting when you're meeting a friend in the middle of the afternoon for lunch.

but the food is good. i was caught up talking to XYZ and stuffing my face with spicy corn, so i didn't take a picture until i only had a few bites left. thus the photo of giant corn and giant grains of rice. XYZ and i shared the corn salad appetizer and the corn in saag sauce, with a side of excellent naan. very tasty.

financier

midtown, nyc

website

the original location of this cleverly named patisserie is in the financial district (a financier is both a type of french pastry and someone who handles a lot of money -- get it?), which is located at the southernmost tip of manhattan. this means that lazybones like myself only tasted pastries from this bakery when one of my friends (usually jenny or dorothy) brought some to the office or to a party. on those rare occasions, tarts and pies from financier were a special treat.

something happened, however, when financier opened a branch just a few blocks away from my office. perhaps distance does make the heart grow fonder because i found that the midtown location's pastries are good, but not amazing. the dining area of the bakery is cluttered and dirty. the sandwiches are small and take forever for them to make. we still go every now and then to get some coffee and perhaps satisfy a craving for sweets, but sadly, the allure is gone.

the meatball cart @ mia dona

midtown, nyc

website

i'm not sure how, but jenny is always plugged into what is new and fun in the big apple. jenny suggested that i meet her in midtown to try donatella arpaia's meatball cart located just outside her restaurant, mia dona. autumn in new york can be quite cold, so i was surprised to see a crowd standing outside waiting for meatballs. always a good sign.

jenny requested the sandwich (meatballs between two squares of foccacia + cheese + arugula) for $6 while i went for the cup of meatballs swimming in red sauce for $5. mia dona's waitstaff suggested that we go inside to escape the cold, so jenny and i cozied up to the bar where the bartender graciously poured us some water. (hey, in nyc, these little things make a world of difference). the meatballs, apparently an old family recipe, were terrific. i don't dare to mention the name of that swedish superstore, but let's just say that there is no comparison to the meatballs i usually eat. i'm not sure if the cart is still out there given the below freezing temps, but definitely check it out in the springtime.

korilla bbq

twitter

website

los angeles has the famous kogi truck, which started the whole korean taco movement. what is it with so many food movements these days? anyway, i've never been able to try the kogi truck, but nyc finally got its own version with the korilla bbq truck. every day, people vote on its website to determine the next day's lunch location. midtown east won a few weeks ago. once again, jenny and i found ourselves waiting in a very long line with a lot of other asians.

the korilla truck was relatively new when we went, so it was still working out some of the kinks. there was an overwhelming amount of options - type of meat, type of veggies, type of sauce, type of kimchi, cheese or no cheese, even salsa? i enjoyed the cucumber kimchi - it reminded me of the spicy cucumbers my mom used to make. but frankly, the korean tacos were just alright. kimchi + bulgogi is always going to taste good, but i didn't find anything interesting about adding it to a taco. the corn tortillas were dry and overpowered the rest of the taco. it's a novel idea, but the execution needs some work.

sushi you

51st (2/3)

link to yelp

CR is my official scout for hidden restaurant gems in midtown east. she lives in the hood and is constantly exploring to find great food. this is one of her finds. sushi you is tucked away on a quiet street, east of everything. it doesn't impress at first glance - you have to walk down a narrow set of stairs to the basement. but once inside, you'll find a peaceful and simple japanese restaurant with just a handful of small tables. sushi you is named after chef you, who used to be the sushi chef and owner. the ownership changed shortly before CR, jenny, and myself were able to make it for dinner.

we were wary, but the food remains excellent. my plate of a la carte sushi, artfully and appropriately placed on a palette-like plate, was heavenly. amazing uni, tasting delicately of the sea. the salmon melted in my mouth. perfect saba (mackerel). when sushi is done well, it can render the diner speechless and unable to participate in conversations. jenny and CR can testify that i was indeed silent, except every now and then saying "mmmm, so good." dessert was also remarkable - homemade ice cream - we had earl grey, chocolate, and caramel. rich and creamy with the just the right amount of sweetness. i'll still go to seki for their one-of-a-kind omakase, but this might be my new spot for straight sushi.

hide chan ramen

52nd (2/3)

link to yelp

i love that little ramen shops are opening up all over the place. i am especially excited when little ramen shops open up near my office or near my apartment -- because let's face it, i don't like to travel too far for my food. hide chan just opened a couple of weeks ago, replacing the japanese skewer spot that was there before.

jenny and i snuck out of our respective offices last week to grab a bowl of ramen. it's not as good as ippudo, momofuku, or even ramen setagaya, but its so close to the office, it will have to do. i ordered the traditional tonkotsu ramen (pork broth). you can choose the doneness of your noodles and the fat content of your broth, but our waitress ran away before we could make those selections. next time i'll go with a little less fattiness because then i don't feel so bad about getting extra noodles...

seo

49th (2/3)

link to yelp

this is a fantastic find from CR. i love japanese food and japanese restaurants: everything is meticulously prepared, service is always awesome, and the atmosphere is usually extremely tranquil. i joined CR for dinner last friday at seo, which was the perfect place to unwind after a long week at work. we sat in the back room which overlooks the peaceful backyard garden. yelpers raved about the crab dumplings which are basically like japanese crab cakes. lots of good crab meat covered in fluffy rice noodle curls. i thought they were just okay, possibly because i was hoping for something closer to shanghai-style soup dumplings with crabmeat.

the stewed pork appetizer is an absolute must, though. tender juicy meat served with chewy rice cakes. pictured is my entree, udon with sliced duck (CR's recommendation). the duck is slightly seared, sliced paper thin, and served cold. chilled udon (linguine-like) noodles are served separately, as is a bowl of hot soup. dip the duck into the soup to warm the meat and cook it a little bit further - the meat melts in your mouth. similarly, dip the udon into the soup as a light contrast to the rich duck meat. the japanese know how to serve food - different textures, temperatures, flavors - all at once.

le relais de venise

52nd/lex

website

after reading m's post on this restaurant in london, i knew i had to try the new york branch. it's an interesting concept - there's no need for a menu - everyone gets salad with mustardy dressing (but not too much mustard), sliced strip steak and french fries. the only thing you order is the doneness of the steak - rare, medium, or well. waitresses dressed in black and white serve you the steak half a portion at a time, each time with fresh french fries.

the steak comes covered in an amazing sauce. jenny and i were trying to figure out what was in the sauce, but we only managed to taste the butter. i'm sure there's other stuff too. it was amazing on the steak, amazing on the fries, and minding my manners was the only thing keeping me from licking my plate clean. salad and steak for $24 - a great deal in the city. reasonably priced bottles of wine (it was $20 for our cote du rhone) and an extra $7 for three tarts (my favorite was the lemon). m has managed to provide an excellent recommendation from the other side of the pond.

fig & olive

new york, ny

website

there are quite a few locations of fig & olive - i've heard great things about it and finally had a chance to go with some co-workers for lunch. enjoyed a lovely glass of wine with my reasonably priced prix fixe meal. $27 is not cheap, but the amount of food is impressive.

pictured is my chicken samosa appetizer - doesn't look like samosas, but tasted like them. a phyllo-pastry version. for my entree, i had the penne funghi tartufo (cremini mushrooms, parmesan, black truffle paste, fresh parsley, and scallion). really really good. and a massive portion of pasta. i ate about 1/3 for lunch, vanita and i shared another 1/3 as a snack, and then i had the last 1/3 for dinner. what a bargain!

lychee house

new york, ny

website

there's a category of chinese restaurants, mostly located in midtown, which have fancy white tablecloths and high-quality chinese food. it's more expensive than your average chinese restaurant. the waiters are usually dressed up and service is a little over-the-top (i don't really need someone to portion out rice onto my plate, but okay ...) lychee house, which was formerly known as shanghai tea garden, is one of these fancy restaurants.

the name has changed but the food is still shanghai-nese. one of my favorite things to order from shanghai tea garden was the shanghai-style fried rice - basically fried rice with ham and egg. i used to order it to-go all the time, it only takes a few minutes for the kitchen to prepare. it sounds simple and i have tried to recreate this dish at home, but it doesn't taste as good. derek and i were eating in the restaurant, so in addition to the fried rice, we had the beef with green beans. really good flavor - if you're stuck in midtown, this is an excellent (although expensive) option for chinese.

dos caminos

new york, ny

website

i joke that i have a dos caminos for home (located on park btw 26/27) and one for work. this is a great restaurant for meeting up with friends. there is always plenty of room and never a wait. the food is excellent, reasonably priced, and the drinks are good too. at night, they tend to play the music kind of loud (i'm such an old fogey) but during brunch they either keep it quiet or have a live jazz band. big fan of the dos caminos brunch. so it was perfect for a little get-together when tony came to town.

pictured is quite possibly my favorite salad in the world. and it's only available at dos caminos' weekend brunch. there's lettuce somewhere in there, but then its topped with roasted corn, chopped onions, fried tortilla strips, spicy chorizo, grilled chicken, chopped tomatoes, and a cilantro-basil vinaigrette. it might also be the unhealthiest salad in the world. anyway, it's delicious. you can also get it with avocado and queso fresco, but i think my version is better.

houston's

new york, ny

website

this restaurant is a nationwide chain with two branches in new york. very solid food and a pretty good wine list. one branch is in the same building as my office and another branch is just a few blocks from my apartment. both spaces are very spacious and have comfortable booth seating. and if you're in a hurry, there's usually a few seats at the bar and you can order from the regular menu.

my favorites include the french dip (pictured) - buttery roll with roast beef, excellent au jus and delicious french fries, the california burger (though not as good as BLT burger), and the ribs - fall-off-the bone tender with good bbq sauce. yum. houston's (or hillstone or whatever it's called now) is a very dependable restaurant if you want some good american food and don't feel like squeezing into a tiny east village hole-in-the-wall.

nations diner

new york, ny

website

finally made it out to CR's famous diner! she's talked about the fries from this place for a few weeks now and i was looking forward to joining her for some classic diner food. nations diner, near the united nations, is a cozy diner on the edge of the city. we sat down in a comfy booth, ordered a coffee and a latte (the diner makes lattes!), and perused the very large menu. typical diner cuisine - sandwiches, omelettes, blue plate specials, etc.

i ordered the sicilian omelette - with mozzarella, kielbasa sausage, and marinara sauce. don't ask me why the sicilian omelette has kielbasa in it, but it was tasty. CR got her california omelette and fries and i ordered waffle fries for the table. excellent food and excellent company.

angelo's

new york, ny

website

my friends and i recently held a pizza tasting - everyone brought their favorite pizza to determine which was the best in midtown east. angelo's won easily. they use fresh mozzarella, great sauce, and tons of basil. the crust is nice and chewy, with a good amount of char. they also have an excellent arugula salad that you can start with, which makes you feel a little healthier. they also serve huge french rolls, perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

the pizza is excellent when delivered, but even better when you get it fresh at the restaurant. also, when you go into the restaurant, they serve everything with really good olive oil - perfect for dipping the french rolls and pizza crusts. with a full bar and a casual atmosphere, it's great for hanging out with friends after work.

ariyoshi

new york, ny

link to yelp

jenny and i come here all the time to get their udon noodle soup. it tastes just like the udon i had in japan - perfectly cooked noodles and a rich, slightly fishy, broth (that has probably been cooking all day in order to intensify its flavor). i like to get the pork udon with miso. jenny usually gets the tempura udon with chicken. it's just across the street from our offices - convenient comfort food.

last week, we decided the cold weather necessitated some hot noodle soup. to our surprise, however, ariyoshi had completely changed its menu! it is apparently now an izakaya serving japanese pub food. so we took the opportunity to order some appetizers - the fried tofu and the cold radish with mentaiko mayonnaise - before sharing a bowl of udon. for dessert (pictured), we ordered the tempura green tea ice cream, which came topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. yum. so far, so good - we'll have to come back to try the rest of the new menu.

la mangeoire

new york, ny

website

jenny heard that la mangeoire just got a fancy new chef. even though it's a little bit pricey for lunch, jenny and i decided to try it out. the interior of the restaurant is rather dimly lit, but we walked through to the second dining room which gets a little bit more light. once it gets warmer, however, the outdoor sidewalk cafe is the best option.

we both ordered the prix fixe lunch, which is just under $20. the bread basket was a pleasant surprise, warm french bread with soft butter. the prix fixe includes soup/salad (we both chose a very good butternut squash soup), entree, and coffee. pictured is jenny's croque madame, which was much more photogenic than my ravioli niçoise (beef and spinach ravioli in a tomato, black olive & red wine sauce). definitely a comfort food spot.

obao

new york, ny

link to yelp

finally felt well enough to go back to work, which meant that i could finally try the recently opened obao. it's one of michael huynh's many restaurants - he also runs baoguette. i was happy to hear that a branch of the empire sits just a block away from my office. obao took over the old bunchberries space so there's some casual seating in front near the window but more standard seating in the back.

the food tends to be a twist on standard asian dishes. for example, the appetizer pork belly is served with traditional char siu sauce (although it ended up being more pork than belly.) eric joined me for lunch and as usual, i liked the dish that he chose better - the spicy radish noodles with shrimp, oyster, egg, chives, and bean sprouts. it was obao's version of the popular cantonese dish - stir-fried luo buo gao - very good. my pad see ew was pretty good. the twist was supposed to be the use of bulgogi, but it tasted like normal thai-style beef to me. still, very good and reasonably priced for midtown east. i will definitely be back.

donburiya

new york, ny

link to yelp

cindy c chose this japanese comfort food restaurant in midtown east for lunch today. what is japanese comfort food? lots of bowls. bowls filled with various combinations of rice, egg, fish, meat, sauce, and pickles. all served with a salad and ridiculously good and mayonnaise-y potato salad. and very good tea.

yup, that's about it. solid spot. will definitely go again when i'm in the mood for some katsu. and potato salad.