11.29.09
Posted in Asian, Gramercy, Midtown Central, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 4 to 5.5 at 17:02 by Dominique
17 W. 32nd St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-967-1900
Great for: not much
I had an audition and rewarded myself for getting up so early with some soon du bu. It’s silky tofu cooked in a spicy sauce with veggies and various meats or kimchi. I usually get beef or seafood – on the lunch menu here, “both” was an option, so I happily chose that. This place is the offshoot of an LA-based Korean chain that I’d heard a lot of good about. Sadly, it did not live up to its hype.
The plethora of side dishes was ok, with several things I don’t usually see. The cream pasta with ham is decent; I found the fried whole fish hard to eat. The main problem is that the soon du bu is not very flavorful. I don’t think it needed more salt. It just wasn’t that savory. I was bored with it after a couple bites. A good soon du bu – at least, what I’ve had and liked – is a combination of different flavors, textures and spices that change with every bite and make you want to lick the bowl. It’s a sophisticated tofu stew that showcases the soft absorbency of the tofu and lots of spices. Plus, the shrimp (there’s crab and squid too) had heads and shells on. It is so frustrating to eat! What is the point of marinating, stewing or covering shrimp in sauce if they are encased? You peel them and they’re simply boiled boring shrimp anyway. It’s especially annoying in a messy soup. The added difficulty of the shrimp just made me mad.
Service is fine, décor is standard vaguely-Asian, and I am going elsewhere for my beloved soon du bu. A restaurant should at least make its own putative specialty well. I was so unhappy I almost visited Mad for Chicken to erase the memory with something tasty. (I didn’t, as I am only allowed to have fried chicken once a month.)
Rating: 5 / 10
My cost: $10
Noise level: not too bad
Chance of walking in: good.
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06.20.09
Posted in Flatiron, Gramercy, Italian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 18:05 by Dominique
46 W.22nd St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-206-0555
Great for: taking the parents, a grown-up and quiet night out
I met some guys at a snowboarders’ meetup and this one asked me out for a proper date. Not really my type, but I figured I’ve got to try people out or I’ll never like anyone. He was kind of boring, but dinner was quite good.
I actually ate some of the starter bread. It was like an olive brioche; salty with lots of olives, and very enjoyable. I loved my terrific special app of tagliolini with king crab, crab jus, snow peas, scallions and pea shoots. It had nice thin noodles steeped in crab flavor and peas that were a crunchy contrast to the just-chewy-enough noodles. It looked small in the plate but was actually a nice amount. The sweetbreads app is great too. The snow pea sauce is delicious, while the nuttiness of the sweetbreads was amplified by the pine nuts sprinkled on top. All that went very well with yummy vegetables scattered around the plate. I was glad I had some bread left over to mop up more of the sauce.
I liked my rascasse with shrimp, fish and a little calamari in gravy with vegetables. It was a nice big dish, kind of like crab cake in the way it’s held together except in a pretty star design. I didn’t even mind the calamari, as it was only barely rubbery. His sea bass with a triangle of latke and artichokes was also good. The potato was my favorite part, since the fish was not as tender as mine.
The baba dessert was good, the cake a tad dry but the fruit a gooey, scrumptious mess. Even though I was totally full, I kept pecking at the rhubarb and strawberries. The service is lovely, almost as much as the décor. There’s a small fireplace that looks as though it may have been a pizza oven once, nice big bathrooms and a very friendly waitstaff. The place itself is also quite large, with a bar area that would be great for a rainy day or a heart-to-heart.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $145
Noise level: loud conversations
Chance of walking in: it’s quite new, you should call ahead.
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04.09.09
Posted in American, Barbecue, Gramercy, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 02:26 by Dominique
30 W.26th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-255-4544
Great for: brisket, mac & cheese, sausage, corn casserole
I was wandering in the area one day and meant to go home for lunch except I happened to see Hill Country first. And being the carnivore I am, I had to stop and see if it was worth all the fuss. It is, but the quality doesn’t come cheap. And I don’t know much about barbecue besides “this tastes good” so I won’t get into the whole authenticity debate.
I got three slices of the brisket, as I’d heard it’s a can’t-miss. I opted for lean, though; a girl’s gotta stay slender in New York. I think that’s why I found it tender but not as moist as could be desired. I liked how big the slices were, too. The two pork ribs matched them in size and had lots of fat and lovely black pepper outside. The meat was so soft it almost fell off the bone by itself, but I found the fat distracting. I tried not to overorder and got just one delicious jalapeño and cheese sausage in addition. I wanted to try the regular kind as well, until I saw they are fit for giants. They’re also fit for picky eaters, as I found hardly any filler stuff and they were bursting with juicy goodness.
I got to try three sides for the price of one large mac and cheese (it wasn’t busy, and I charmed one of the pitmasters). I can see why the mac and cheese is a favorite. The long pointy penne and creamy cheesiness are delightful and I actually devoured the little cup of it before the meat! Once I started I couldn’t stop. The green bean casserole was pretty good but I found the beans too crunchy and the mushrooms too large. I don’t think there was any ham in it either. I loved the corn casserole/pudding. The cornbread was not bland as so often happens, while the corn held its own, texturally.
I think the footpedal-operated sinks outside the bathrooms are a good idea. The waiters and all the guys behind the counters were very nice, although it was a rainy weekday midafternoon and they may just have been glad to see a customer. The meats are sold by the pound, while the sides are priced per big or little cup. It does add up quickly; the meats aren’t cheap. But I really liked the place and it was definitely enough food to keep me happy until dinnertime.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
My cost: $28
Noise level: raucous party at peak times I’m sure
Chance of walking in: it’s like an enormous barn, so you’re probably fairly safe to get a seat soon.
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09.19.08
Posted in Flatiron, Gramercy, Mediterranean, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 16:56 by Dominique
35 W.20th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-463-7890
Great for: introduction to Greek food, a nice quiet date
I was too stressed out to pick a restaurant, so Midtown Hedge Funder said he’d give me a shortlist and I could pick from there. The sheer number of restaurants in Manhattan is quite overwhelming. Narrowing it down to five or so for a given night is the best balance between overabundance of choice and the guy surprising me with a place I’ve already reviewed or been to and hated (I’m pointing the finger of shame at you, Rayuela, The Smith and Peasant).
MHF had a strawberry champagne cocktail waiting for me when I sprinted in 15 minutes late. I promptly spilled some of it on him. Thankfully, everyone was very kind about getting me to the table without further mishap. For apps we tried the keftekadia saltsa, Greek meatballs stewed in tomato sauce, which were five small crumbly bundles of tastiness and abundant sauce. The calamari was good as well. It came in crispy, small rings with a yummy dipping sauce and a nice salad. We cleaned both plates.
MHF’s lavraki plaki (striped bass) baked with tomatoes, vegetables and garlic could have been cooked less. We both liked it but he felt the spice overpowered the flavor while it wasn’t spicy for me. My kouneli stifado, rabbit stewed in tomato with red wine and pearl onions, was absolutely delicious. I was puzzled to find the rabbit on its bone though. Other than at Falai, I’ve never seen a rabbit dish with any bones. The meat was soft and very similar to chicken, though more tender. I really liked the sauce and there was enough of it for once.
Our half bottle of retsina Malamatina was sour but pretty good. The waitress was nice and helpful. Interestingly, though this is a supposed to be a Greek place, they played all bellydance and Arabic music. Plus the menu seemed kind of Mediteranean/Mideastern, not specifically Greek. I don’t know much about Greek food though. I liked it, and if you’ve not had much Greek food either, I think this is a lovely introduction.
Rating: 7.5
Our cost: $115 ($16 1/2 bottle of retsina)
Noise level: quiet
Chance of walking in: good.
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09.08.08
Posted in Gramercy, Italian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 8 to 8.5 at 03:21 by Dominique
41 Madison Ave. & 26th St., 212-545-8555
Great for: pasta, simple menus, people-watching outside, feeling sophisticated
[Lunch] The Producer is fun to eat with. He’s up on his foodie buzz, and so far has suggested places that are actually on my list. The list is about 400 restaurants long now – technically I don’t cross them off once I’ve gone if they’re good, but I like the feeling of “been there, accomplished that.” I of course love other extracurricular restaurants but I’m a very organized, finicky person and being able to check things off is hugely satisfying.
I was persuaded to eat some bread because of the delicious sheep’s milk ricotta that came with it. I believe it’s on the menu as an appetizer as well. We had to try the famous meatballs of duck antipasto with dried cherry mostada. They were juicy goodness. Though the sauce was initially a little sweet, it grew on me. I really liked the meatballs with the ricotta on top, which helped make them saltier.
P went for the special potato gnocchi with wild mushroom and spring garlic. It was surprisingly good. The light pasta made the mushroom taste tolerable to me, and I can honestly say I liked it a lot. The foam on top was maybe some kind of reduction. My scampi ravioli with spicy shellfish guazzetto (basically stew), toasted garlic and Ligurian pesto with little breadcrumbs on top was also very good. The guazzetto consisted of fresh, succulent shrimp, calamari and mussels scattered around – it was a bit salty but I quite liked it. The interestingly triangular ravioli were just right, not too thick nor too thin. I think there were salt crystals inside. I’m not sure exactly why. That could be why the dish was slightly too salty for me. We found that the two pastas went oddly well together. The subtlety and near-creaminess of the gnocchi balanced the saltiness and strong flavors of the seafood.
The menu was large type on one page. I love having lots of choices but sometimes it’s exhausting to figure out what I want when there’s too much to go through. With just four or five choices for apps, pastas and entrées, there wasn’t much difficulty. The waiter was very good, and though the decor is a bit corporate, it’s pretty decent for the area. I’d be happy to come here for dinner.
Our cost: $120 (3 glasses of rosé)
Noise level: pretty quiet
Chance of walking in: low.
[Dinner] Commodities Broker asked me to dinner with his brother F and F’s girlfriend L, but he’d been drinking at a strip club all afternoon and was unwakeably passed out so I ended up having dinner with just F and L. I was glad to be able to round out my review.
We were given balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil with bread instead of ricotta as at the visit before, so I didn’t bother having any. We got two appetizer-size pastas. My spaghetti vongole with little neck clams, soppressata, garlic and spicy peppers was not as spicy as I thought it’d be. I enjoyed the nicely al dente pasta. F’s veal agnolotti with pancetta, cipolla, lemon and pecorino was a bit gamy but still quite good. The pasta looked like medium-size ravioli, and the dish had tons of cheese and crunchy bits. I loved the soft, sweet onions at the bottom of the plate.
L’s scampi ravioli with spicy rock shrimp, tomato and toasted garlic were satisfyingly giant. It was a nice touch to have tiny bits of shrimp in the sauce too. The shrimp inside the ravioli was so pulverized, it could have been crab. I got the king prawns alla griglia with preserved lemon, garlic and fagiolini misti. They were succulent and delicious, in an intensely tomato-y sauce. F’s homemade tagliatelle mixed with sweet corn, chanterelles, smoked bacon and arugula was very fresh and tasted like spring. My favorite part was the salty bacon. I liked how well all the ingredients went together.
I had a Portofino cocktail while I was waiting for F and L, which was very good though a bit bitter from the Campari. I’d say it’s like a more alcoholic Pimm’s Cup. The Milanese is a lot sweeter and heavy on the pear flavor. My favorite was the Marco Polo, which tasted a lot like absinthe, probably because of the Galliano.
We had lovely service and I find it a very pleasant experience all around. It’s not the best Italian food in the city, but the surroundings are elegant, the food is well executed, and you don’t have to worry if it will be good.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $235 for 3 people (4 glasses of pinot grigio, 2 cocktails)
Noise level: pleasant hum
Chance of walking in: medium.
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07.21.08
Posted in Asian, Gramercy, Japanese, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, Union Square, rated 8 to 8.5 at 04:18 by Dominique
111 E.18th St. near Park Ave., 212-260-2020
Great for: cocktails, splurging on beef, meeting people for drinks in a lovely lounge
I met Blond Hedge Funder here for our second first date (long story), and had to wait about 20 minutes in the lounge because he got stuck in traffic. Fortunately for him it was a very pleasant place to pass the time, with lovely cocktails, a whole lounge area with couches besides the bar, and one waitress so friendly I started to think/hope she might be hitting on me. I hate to be the yucky presumptuous customer though, and didn’t follow up on that before BHF arrived finally.
Our first appetizer was the rock, a thinly sliced marinated New York strip on a hot stone. The slices were surprisingly thick – I was expecting carpaccio width, so that was nice. I enjoyed the quality of the meat and the yummy, spicy, salty sauce. We also tried the sakana carpaccio of three kinds of fish. The lean tuna in chef’s special sauce with black tobiko and fluke in ponzu sauce topped by spicy radish were good but nothing special. I really liked the soy-marinated salmon in garlic sauce with spicy tobiko.
Although a lot of the other apps looked good, we stopped there to save room for the 12 oz. Akaushi (a kind of Wagyu) ribeye which is marinated in togarashi (chili pepper) and comes with a generous helping of uni butter and satsumaimo pommes frites. I can’t recommend this dish enough. The meat was fantastic, soft yet perfectly charred outside with a delicious marinade highlighting its flavors. The fries were a bit like yam fries, which I usually dislike, but they were actually pretty decent with the sauce. I loved the creamy crazy uni butter too. I calculated (completely without basis, or even numbers) that sharing 12 ounces instead of eating the whole thing myself made it ok to spread the butter all over every piece of meat I ate. Even if that’s not true, I was so happy devouring it I’m sure it all evened out.
BHF also got some sashimi, two pieces to an order, of kanpachi (a Japanese amberjack or wild yellowtail), chutoro, wasabi tobiko, otoro, zuke (soy-marinated salmon) and hamachi. He also got some nigiri with unagi and ikura. I helped him finish the fish when I was able to tear my attention away from the ribeye, and it was all very good.
The drinks are quite as tasty as the food. The Japonais caipirinha was on the special cocktail menu that day – I don’t have a note for why it was special, it may have had an interesting fruit juice. As a proud science geek, I had to try the special cocktail with Moët and watermelon molecular foam. Watermelon and Champagne should be put together more often. The great thing about the foam is that it gives you fruit flavor without the actual pulpy fruit. I also liked the Moulin Rouge - fresh muddled strawberries, Bacardi, Navan (vanilla cognac) and lime juice.
The service was very nice. Our waiter always asked how things were and told us when things were about to come out. He had an uncanny sense for that, and it couldn’t have just been acute hearing, because I think I only wondered where the next dish was aloud once. I appreciated his patience very much, too. We took a really long time to order, since we were too busy talking for quite a while, and he checked on us just enough to remind us of what we should have been doing but not so much it felt like nagging. Everyone in general was nice and seemed more or less happy to be there. And as much as I try to go only to unreviewed restaurants for you, dear reader, I might have to be naughty and sneak off to Japonais again sometime soon.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $300 (3 cocktails, $72 ribeye)
Noise level: noisy but tables are spaciously placed which helps
Chance of walking in: medium, just because it’s so big with two floors.
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07.08.08
Posted in Flatiron, Gramercy, Italian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 01:28 by Dominique
37 W.17th St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-366-0888
Great for: pasta, cocktails
My dear friend E and I try very hard to carve out time in our busy schedules to eat out together. We managed to do that once a week in June. She was impressed with this place last time she came so I was excited to try it myself. She’s a chef and very picky.
I started with an appetizer portion of farfalle with lightly smoked salmon, sugar snap peas and tomato in tarragon grain mustard cream sauce. It was a little sour but I liked it. The chopped up peapods were quite raw and crunchy. The nice and flaky salmon was a bit lemony and was not too salty. Overall, I found it tasty. E had the tonno fresco scottato (prime tuna tataki) with original wasabi tartare sauce, potato, okra and cucumber in orange saffron sauce. Apparently Basta Pasta is kind of a Japanese-Italian fusion. We thought it was interestingly spicy and good. I even liked the vegetables.
My main course of charcoal-griled Naiman Ranch pork loin (lombata di maiale) with mustard greens, paprika paste, prosciutto pangrattato and olive flakes was pretty good but sometimes dry. The overly sweet dollop of reduced balsamic vinaigrette on top didn’t add anything to the dish. It was a really big hunk of meat, and I got tired of sawing through the dry bits so I didn’t finish it. E’s appetizer size of spaghetti with Parma prosciutto in a half wheel of parmesan reggiano was better. Watching the waiter construct the dish in front of us was fun. He first filled the cheese wheel with a thin layer of pasta, then carefully arranged prosciutto and basil on top of that and tossed it all together. It was pretty much worth all the fuss.
We both tried the pear martini first, which subtly snuck in quite a lot of vodka that we couldn’t taste but could certainly feel after a few sips. We enjoyed its yummy pearness. Next I had a decent but unmemorable bellini.
I noticed they didn’t bring us bread plates or bread. I’m not sure if that was restaurant policy or forgetfulness. Our waiter seemed very busy but generally took pretty good care of us. As for the decor, I couldn’t decide if I was more disturbed or unmoved by the weird bandaid rainbow-colored paintings on the wall. They were kind of interesting but completely out of keeping with the restaurant’s ambience. Generally the experience was ok. I would happily recommend only the pasta.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $115 (2 cocktails each)
Noise level: somewhat loud
Chance of walking in: medium to low.
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06.01.08
Posted in Gramercy, Italian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 14:22 by Dominique
323 3rd Ave. & 24th St., 212-683-3035 (now an ‘inoteca)
Great for: a sophisticated night out, eating in the bar area, oenophiles who favor Italian wines, lovely late night cocktails for small wallets
I wasn’t too sure about this place after reading Adam Platt’s two-star review in New York magazine, but the Producer said he’d heard good things about it. (Also, the four other restaurants we considered didn’t take reservations.) I figured, how bad could it be with an ex-Lupa chef? We’d just stay away from the pasta as Mr. Platt advised. I ended up ordering his ideal meal – although admittedly not very creative, I wasn’t in the mood for possibly crap food.
My appetizer of patata imbottita arrived as a crispy potato envelope filled with egg and fontina, with caviar on top and greens on the side. It was crispy, creamy and rich; a bit salty, too, I think from the hollandaise sauce underneath. I also liked the Producer’s mondeghili di ostrica, which alternated fried oysters with farro-stuffed cabbage pockets. The oysters were done very well, not rubbery or gooey. The farro was a little vinegary but overall, the dish was simple and good. We were both tempted to order a pasta, just because they look yummy on the menu, and were glad we didn’t when the table next to us made faces over their ravioli.
I was quite pleased with my veal chop Milanese. It had nice crispy breading with a bit too much fat on the sides. Absolutely enormous, it was nearly big enough to fill up the plate by itself (I declined the accompanying mushrooms). I thought the underlying sauce a little sweet. P’s pork chop with mustard fruit, escarole and braised pork was similarly huge. The meat was a bit chewy but tasty. We could have done without the dollops of sweet applesauce. Though the pork was able to make up for it in taste, contrast and quality, I don’t think it should have had to. Both chops could have been cooked a smidgen less – they weren’t dry, just “one step over” as P said. They were pretty good though. The side order of polenta made from Anson Mills corn meal was delicious. It was a great balance of creaminess and texture.
We were delighted with the complimentary triangles of hazelnut and almond nougat dipped in chocolate, as well as our drinks. I had the Corpse Reviver – I can’t resist absinthe – which you will only find on the “Lost and Forgotten Cocktails” menu at the bar. It’s not as absinthe-heavy as you’d expect. The delicious Purgatorio – Belvedere Pomarancza, Aperol, St. Germain, mango purée, and fresh lime juice – went down smoothly. P enjoyed his two giant glasses of rosé.
We appreciated our friendly, attentive waiter. Not so much the housefly convention behind me at one point, but the pretty geode-looking marble wall there kind of made up for it. We were amused by the very Upper East Side WASP-y drink cart off to one side with vodka, gin and mixers. Oenophiles would probably be more interested in the impressive amount of wine in glass cases along the dining room wall. In general, the decor was nice, albeit somewhat impersonal.
This is a very decent resto. For the kind-of-crappy stretch of 3rd Avenue it’s on, it’s veritable gold. Upscale without being pretentious, they also serve generous portions. Overall our whole meal was pretty solid.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $180
Noise level: loud
Chance of walking in: low.
Unfortunately, as of January 2009, Bar Milano is going to close for a little while and reopen as another ‘inoteca branch. Oh well. I hope they keep the cocktails.
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05.16.08
Posted in Gramercy, Indian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, fusion, rated 7 to 7.5 at 18:31 by Dominique
11 Madison Ave. & 25th St., 212-889-0667
Great for: Goan sausage and poached egg, outdoor seating, vegetarians
I’ve always heard great things about Tabla, but never got to try it. So I was happy that we managed to get a reservation for seven one Friday night when we wanted to catch up with some friends. There’s ample outdoor seating as well, which will be nice when the weather finally improves. They serve food as well as drinks out there.
I noticed that half the things on the market tasting menu (amuse plus 6 courses, $89) were not available on the regular menu, which I thought a bit odd. Maybe they do that to encourage more people to order it. And I wonder why they have prix fixe for the rest of the menu as well – three courses for $64 – when the dishes are all so different. It must makes things difficult financially. Also, what if people want to order a bunch of appetizers?
To start, we all had a tasty amuse-bouche of salty broth that may have been beef and tomatoes. We found the fluffy naan and thick papadums with green and red sauces addictive. The appetizer of Goan sausage and poached egg over bucatini, heart of celery, fava beans and botarga (like lettuce) was spicy, with crumbly delicious pork, a lovely soft egg and perfectly-made bucatini. The sauce gave me an excuse to have more naan so I could scoop it up. The Rawa crisped soft shell crab with snow pea salad, Thai basil and mango-maple coulis was similarly good, with a nice crunchy salad.
For the main course I had roasted Yorkshire pork three ways with French lentils, spring garlic, local carrots and sour yet tasty chickpea ramp velouté. The sausage was tender and yummy; the loin slices were a bit tough around the edges but not bad; and the crackling was chewy with an inch of fat and a half inch of meat which was salty wrong goodness. The Boyfriend’s pan-roasted sea scallops with roasted cauliflower, coconut-taro purée, roasted bok choy and citrus glaze was slightly too sweet, otherwise decent. We liked the crunchy bits too.
The flourless chocolate cake with cassis coulis, yogurt sorbet and chocolate tuile was fine, not great. Three of the four sorbets in the selection offered – pineapple, lychee and passionfruit – were good. The pineapple was super sour and no one could eat more than a bite of it. I preferred the free chocolates afterward.
They have a lot of tasty cocktails here. We tried the Thai basil bliss, Hang Thyme, Tablatini, and Lots o’ Passion. The last two were the best. When the waiter knocked over some of my cocktail, he said he would come with a refill for what he spilled – he didn’t, but it was nice of him to try anyway. Despite slowness with drinks, I found the service very polite in general. The ambience and decoration are lovely. I liked the judicious use of mosaic in narrow bands along the walls and as art. The whole place is rather regal looking in an understated way.
We had fun with our friends, and the food was pretty good, but we felt it was a bit overpriced for the quality. It’s also less Indian than I expected – definitely more of an Indian-American fusion. From our experience, it was yet another place with better appetizers than anything else.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost (for just us two): $230 (4 cocktails)
Noise level: low hum
Chance of walking in: medium.
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05.13.08
Posted in Gramercy, Indian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 18:12 by Dominique
126 E.28th St. & Lexington/Park Ave., 212-213-5742
Great for: upscale Indian, lunch buffet, leisurely meals
Next to Tamarind, this is probably my favorite Indian place in New York. The $9.95 lunch buffet is good and dinner is even better (and much less expensive than Tamarind). Plus it’s pretty, they play club music softly, and it has an intimate nook upstairs for dates. I can see why it’s Michelin guide-recommended.
The chicken 65 appetizer is made of small, succulent, red-gold delights. The pieces of chicken are all juicy and spicy. The Boyfriend took a phone call when they arrived, and I must confess I took advantage of his distraction to steal a few more than my share. The Jhinga kurkure garlic shrimp had an interesting texture and were yummy, salty and tender.
For the main course, we shared medium-spicy chicken tikka masala and saffron shrimp in mild cream sauce with black pepper. I know tikka masala isn’t traditional Indian fare, but it’s so scrumptious. They make it here with nice big chunks of chicken and sauce that’s nicely balanced between cream and tomato. I thought the shrimp was pretty good too despite my dislike of saffron. Oddly, it was spicier than the tikka masala. The garlic naan was delicious; I wish we’d had more than four quarters of it. (Yes, I actually ate bread!) The more I ate the sauces, the more I liked them.
The Boyfriend enjoyed his beer, while I tried two house specialty cocktails. The Madras rose was good and a bit sour. The candied ginger Collins was lemony goodness. Our service was glacially slow and sometimes inattentive, but friendly. I wonder if it’s just one of the waiters who’s incompetent – this time and last time we were here I noticed at least two other tables that sat down after us who moved through their meal much more quickly, so it didn’t seem a restaurant-wide issue. In any case, I like their cooking a lot and sometimes it’s nice to slow down and enjoy my food.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $86 (2 cocktails and 2 beers) + 14 for slowness
Noise level: kind of quiet
Chance of walking in: medium, seems to get busy later.
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