French -> La Bernadin -> New York, NY

Came here for dinner before going off to see a Broadway show.

	Reisling Kabinett Feinherb Karthauserhof Mosel Germany 2007 – A slightly sweet Riesling that went well with the majority of the fish dishes. Very cool clean delicate taste. Sommelier was very nice and helpful in selection of the wine.
	Tuna Tartare, Endive, Potato Crisp – The amuse bouche. Nice crunchy endive that contrasted nicely with the texture of the minced tuna tartare. The tartare was very elegant and had a nice simple flavoring. The potato crisp adds a crunchy texture to the velvety tuna.
	Raisin Whole Nut- A slight sweet bread, very soft with a mild crunch to the nut.
	Rosemary Green Olive – A bit on the salty side due to the olive. The rosemary adds a very fragrant aroma to the bread. On the hard side.
	Parker House Roll – Warm and soft and velvety. Good for soaking up some sauces.
	Kumamoto (Progressive tasting of Kumamoto Oysters en gelee from light and refreshing to complex and spicy) The waiter went so fast so this is what I think he said. Maybe incorrect; apple, shiso, ponzu, yuzu, dashi, kimchi. Surprisingly the wife’s favorite was the one on the end the spicy kimchi. All of the sauces are in gelee so they are very minimal and not overpowering at all. The oysters were smooth and very tasty. I wish I had a better picture of all six oysters, but the wife was squeamish about photo taking.
	Kampachi (Kampachi Tartare, Marinated Japanese Cucumbers, Aged Citrus Vinegar) – The yellowtail was very smooth, the citrus vinegar was very citrus and sweet and the cucumbers which I normally hate were flavorful. Everything just blended effortlessly together. Nice touch with the rice cake that added some crunch to the tartare. I was a huge fan of the vinaigrette.
	Lobster (Warm Lobster Carpaccio; Heart of Palm, Orange Vinagrette) – The lobster was tender and a bit succulently sweet. The palm was soft and the orange vinaigrette was sweet yet somehow did not overpower the natural lobster taste.
	Escolar (White Tuna Poached in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Beans and Potato Crisp; Light Red Wine Bearnaise) – The Bearnaise sauce was amazing, it tasted as if it was fresh of a nicely marinated steak. The white tuna was solid and blended into the Bernaise. It was like eating a fish version of a good steak. The sea beans add a pop to the escolar.
	Skate (Skate “au Bamboo”, Cellophane Noodles and Wood Ear Mushrooms; Spice Bamboo Broth) Just cutting into the skate, one could tell that it was an excellent skate. The skate was soft and retained and held a lot of flavoring. The broth had a hint of ginger and bamboo and allowed the mushrooms aroma to gently press into the skate. The cellophane noodles that separate the layers of skate add a playfulness to the dish.
	Black Bass (Crispy Black Bass, Braised Celery and Parsnip Custard, Iberico Ham, Green Peppercorn Sauce) – Best cooked fish that either of us have ever had. The crispness of the skin while the fish itself was moist and soft. The celery and the sauce again are a good backdrop for the fish. The side of parsnip custard while very smooth is a bit on the rich side. I loved it, though I can’t say that it really adds anything to the fish dish.
	Chocolate- Sweet Potato (Dark Amedei Chocolate Ganache, Sweet Potato Pearls, and Sorbet, Pistachio, Palm Sugar, Vanilla Salt) -A very mature dessert. The dark chocolate is one of the best uses of chocolate that we’ve had. The ganache was velvety and maintained the cocoa flavor without it being over the top bitter. The sweet potato adds a bit natural sweetness that pairs nicely with the chocolate.
	Carrot (Rum Scented Carrot Cake, Golden Raisins, Sicilian Pistachio, Condensed Milk Ice Cream)- A nice airy and light carrot cake. The golden raisins and the hint of rum blended in nicely with the carrot cake. Notice the very very fine lettering of the message. I couldn’t even duplicate that using a pen much less with chocolate. I think that really blew us away.
	Pistachio (Pistachio Mousse, Caramelized White Chocolate, Lemon, Bing Cherry) – The pistachio I think would be good by itself, yet when compared to the other two desserts, it falls a bit short. The mousse was creamy and the caramelized white chocolate in the middle added a complex flavor to the mousse, The cherries on the side. add a nice touch as well.
	Petit Fours (Olive Oil Cherry, Strawberry and Lycee Gelee, Lime Doughnut, Macaroon with Strawberry Rose Cream) – The cherry was very intense, the lychee and strawberry gelee had a nice soothing sense, the lime doughnut had a very sharp citrusy taste. The Strawberry rose cream tart was a nice smoothing end to the meal.

Decor: The staff was nice and very accommodating. We really appreciated the thoughtfulness of the extra dessert due to the special occasion. The wife felt a bit on edge as it was fancy but I didn’t feel that way. The sommeliers are so old school that they wear tastevins around their necks. The chairs were really comfortable. Large fancy paintings depicting fishing or sea life adorn the walls.

Overall Assessment: ($$$$$, 10/10) – First we love the wide selection of dishes. Most fancy restaurants have a small limited amount of selections. Here the menu spans so many different selections. Secondly the seafood is hands down the best we’ve had. The fish is really the centerpiece of the courses and it is really allowed to shine. They have a saying on the menu that the dish make the dish not the chefs, roughly saying that the ingredients make a great meal not the chef, and they really hold true to that philosophy as they dishes aren’t cluttered with a variety of flavor. They have a main ingredient and they do it well. Every single dish that we had was out of the park. We kept waiting for a dish that was lower than the rest but there really wasn’t. As for the pricing, yes you can expect to pay; however the four course was not too astronomical given the large portions and the wonderful food.  I think we say a total of like five things out of the fifty or so that was not seafood, so be prepared.   I think this is the first place, we are thinking of giving a rating higher than 10.

Website: http://www.le-bernardin.com/
Location: 155 W 51st St, 10019
Reservation: OpenTable
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Thurs; 1200 – 1430, 1715 – 2230, Fri; 1200 – 1430, 1715 – 2300, Sat; 1715 – 2300

 

American -> Pinkberry -> New York, NY

We wanted a sweet snack after our sushi.

Coconut and Passion Fruit Swirl Yogurt – Ok here is my big beef, as evidenced by the picture, a) they didn’t fill up the cup, b) the center of the cup is empty. The yogurt itself was very refreshing and creamy. The coconut was a bit on the light side. The passion fruit really dominates. The yogurt was creamy and the cultures were a bit mild as well.

Decor: Pinkberry decor with very vibrant and colorful walls and the modern white furniture. Staff was friendly.

Overall Assessment: ($, 1/10) – I just can’t overlook how we got gypped on the yogurt amount. For the amount that one is paying for the cup, one would expect a bit more. Also the yogurt while good isn’t anything that is earth shattering, especially for the cost of a cup.

Website: http://www.pinkberry.com/
Location: 313 Columbus Ave, 10023
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: 212.874.1280
Hours: Sun – Thurs; 1100 – 2300, Fri – Sat; 1100 – 0000

 

Japanese -> Tenzan -> New York, NY

We came here for lunch as the wife had read numerous good things about this place..

	Miso Soup – Pretty straight forward, loved the wooden spoon, the ultra soft tofu and the abundance of seaweed.
	Salad – It has been forever since I’ve seen a salad dressing at a Japanese restaurant that wasn’t sesame based. The orange dressing was light and prefect for the summer month. Salad wasn’t too wet either which was great.
	Red Lady Roll (Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna, Mango, Cucumber Wrapped in Pinky Orange Soybean Seaweed) – We decided to go and order this special roll. The tempura was lightly battered and very crisp. The mango was thin and not slathered in sauce which allowed for just a mild sweetness that cooled the spicy tuna a tad bit. A wonderful combination. The Soybean seaweed was very mild and added a bit of mild soy taste to the roll. .
	Eel Don Lunch – When I first ordered this, I though to myself, ok it’s a lunch for cheap so I should get about 2 or 3 slices of eel. Then they go and roll this plate of like 8 pieces out. There were some small bones so the eel wasn’t properly cleaned, but I could easily overlook that for the pricing. A generous amount of rice as well to accompany the eel.
	Maki Lunch (Spicy Salmon, Enoki and Spinach, Yellow Tail and Scallion) – The maki lunch is basically choose three rolls of a select menu of rolls. The wife jumped at the spinach enoki roll, a generous amount of spinach that melded well with the chewy enoki. The salmon was very very creamy and had just a smattering of spice. The yellowtail came on strong with some chive to accentuate the taste. We were most impressed with how there was almost a paper thin layering of rice.

Decor: I think the restaurant is divide into two parts. There was this bar and trendy side while there is a more traditional Japanese setting with a sushi bar. Service was affable and the seats were comfortable. Japanese screens and bamboo wood comprise the makeup of the walls.

Overall Assessment: ($$, 9/10) – Some of the best cuts of fish that we’ve had for sushi. The natural flavoring of the fish really shined through on all of the sushi. We loved the thin layer of rice in the rolls. It just boggled our mind on the pricing of everything as we would expect the pricing to be a bit higher. Service was good as well. We walked in with low expectations and we left really really satisfied.

Website: http://www.tenzanrestaurants.com
Location: 285 Columbus Ave, 10023
Reservation: 212.580.7300
Takeout: Yes
Hours: Mon – Sat; 1130 – 2330, Sun; 1130 – 2300

 

American -> Levain Bakery -> New York, NY

Came here for a baked snack for breakfast.

	Raspberry Bomboloncini – Baked Doughnuts. Somehow I expected a bit more filling in these things. The doughnut itself was very light and airy. Nice mild coating of powdered sugar on top.
	Oatmeal Raisin Scone – I liked the use of golden raisins for the scone. The scone was crisp without it being too dried. Nothing really extraordinary though.

Decor: Service was good, very tiny place. Bench out front where one could eat. Also there are some stools inside to which you can what the outside panorama.

Overall Assessment: ($, 3/10) – Reasonable prices. Somehow I expected a wider variety of backed goods. There were some large sized breads, a few cookies, and a smattering of sweets. The quality of the goods are alright; however, nothing that would be earth shattering. I don’t see what the buzz is about with so many folks claiming it as the best bakery in NY.

Website: http://www.levainbakery.com/
Location: 167 West 74th St New York, NY 10023
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Sat; 0800 – 1900, Sun; 0900 – 19000

 

Chinese -> Prosperity Dumplings -> New York, NY

We came here for dinner.

	Chives and Pork Boiled Dumplings – Better of the two dumplings. A bit thick on the skin. Heavy on the chive taste. Not enough fatty pork.
	Chinese Vegetables and Pork – Chestnuts and pork. The chestnuts add a bit of crunchy pop to the dumpling. The pork is really hidden away. Also the taste is very very bland.
	Cold Soy Bean – I wished someone had told me that this was unsweetened. The Soy comes out and it is fresh as I saw them making this stuff. Soy taste which is really gross without the sugar.

Decor: There is literally no place to sit. There are like four little stools, with small counters. More of a takeout place. The staff was a bit rude to which I was not shocked as it is Chinatown.

Overall Assessment: ($, 2/10) – I think the value is great, taste is a different story. Yes you can get tons of dumplings for a $1 or $2; however there are better dumplings out there. Also very bland. The soy sauce mixture which they have for you was really uncreative, I think straight up salty soy sauce, not anything of quality. Also missing vinegar mixture as well.

Website: N/A
Location: 46, Eldridge St, 10002
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Daily; 0730 – 2100