King Visited 11/4/2016 2.5 Forks

King  18 King St., New York, NY 10014

My experience at King was an imbalanced one - on one hand, for my veggie friend, it was a terrible experience but on the other hand, for me as an omnivore, it was perfectly fine.   So it kind of nets out to a mediocre rating food wise but when I factored in how much I spent in total, I had to take it down a notch.

The restaurant has gotten a lot of buzz lately for being an all-female run kitchen from 2 women from London.  With that background, you can't help but want it to to be a success story.   While I love that story line, the food and overall experience still needs to be great for me to really get behind it.  The menu changes daily based on what they get at the farmer's market,  so don't rely on the online menu being super accurate.  For someone who eats anything, the menu shouldn't be an issue because you will be able to find something to eat but if you have any sort of dietary restrictions, you might have a tough time dining here.  The menu is small with maybe 4 appetizers and then 3-4 main entrees.  At first glance, none of the dishes sounded particularly inspiring.  Unfortunately for Lav there weren't really any good veggie options on the menu, so the waiter said that they could put together a vegetable plate for her, which honestly at this point was her only option.  I got the onglet ($32) which is basically hanger steak.

Whenever I hear the phrase vegetable plate I weep for my vegetarian friends because you know it's just going to be an uninspired plate of grilled vegetables, which is exactly what Lav got.  The dish had some pumpkin and other fall veggies but there wasn't anything hearty to it.  I felt bad for her because you just knew at a place like this it wasn't going to be cheap either.  But the good news is that my onglet was actually really tasty.  It was beautifully cooked and very tender on the inside.   The flavor and juices of the meat were spot on - but at $32 I wished there was more than 3-4 small cuts of it.  Lav and I pretty much finished our meal in record time and were still starving.  So we ended up ordering 2 desserts - the chocolate tart and the date tart ($9 each).  Surprisingly the date tart was the better dessert.  It had a sweetness that wasn't overpowering and it was paired well with the warm crust on the outside.  Despite the dessert, we were still hungry but there wasn't much else left on the menu for us to eat, so we made a stop at Kati Roll on the way home - waaay yummier and cheaper!

While I enjoyed my part of dinner, I can't say that I left here feeling really warm and fuzzy about the overall experience.  I'm not saying that every place should bend over backwards to cater to vegetarians but if you're going to try to offer something off menu to accommodate them, at least make it a good one, otherwise just don't bother.  I wouldn't have been offended if they said they didn't have anything, that is totally their choice but it's not worth doing something if it's not going to done right. However, if you eat meat the onglet is an excellent choice - I just wish the portions were bigger because for that price I should be leaving dinner full and happy and not stopping at another place on the way home for more food.  Total bill:  $77/pp with tax, tip and wine

Photo Credit:  Yelp

City Kitchen Visited 11/2/2016 4 Forks

City Kitchen  700 8th Ave., New York, NY 10036

I am a total sucker for food courts - I know they are kind of touristy and cheesy but I just love them. So I was pleasantly surprised when my friend Amy suggested that we meet up at City Kitchen before seeing our Broadway show and I discovered that it wasn't some terrible Times Square deli but an adorable food court with really solid food stalls.  Of course since it's in Times Square it's on the smaller side - there are about 7 food stalls:  Dough, a Mexican place, a Mediterranean place, a burger place, Luke's Lobster, a ramen place and a sushi joint.  All foods that I love so I was so confused as to what to get.  I really had a hard time deciding but this girl was eating this really good looking chicken and rice bowl, so it swayed me to try Ilili Box.

The menu consists of shawarma and falafel in either wrap or rice form.  They have a really great combo deal of a wrap or rice box, brussels sprout or fries and a lemonade for $18.  When you see how much food you get, you'll realize what a great deal it is.   I got the lamb rice with brussels sprouts.  The dishes were huge - like Chipotle size.  It was so much food that I had to take it with me to the theater and let's just say that I was horribly paranoid that my brussels sprouts stunk up the joint. The lamb and rice was great - it came with a ton of shredded spiced lamb and tahini sauce.  It was very filling and I kind of wish it had some more veggie in it like cucumbers or tomatoes just to cut some of the heaviness of the dish.  I was so full that I didn't even get to the brussels sprouts until the next day at home.  I'm sure they were probably better when they were warm but brussels sprouts probably aren't the best veggies to save as left overs.  They were slightly overcooked and sauced and mixed with grapes and walnuts.  I took a couple of bites and they were ok but again, not the best left overs.  

Amy went with the Mexican place and got the shrimp tacos which looked pretty good too.   I could have spent so much more time eating my face off  (I was this close to getting a donut and Amy was eyeing the shaved ice/ice cream stall) but we had a show to get to.  The one big downside is that the place is tiny and we couldn't find a place to sit down, so we had to eat standing up, which was kind of annoying.  It's tough finding a good place to eat in the area, especially one that isn't a sit down place or one that offers expensive mediocre food.  City Kitchen is a great option since it gives you lots of variety and it's cheap and fast - we met at 7pm, ordered and ate our food and were in our seats by 7:40pm.  Total bill:  $18

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Ramen-Ya Visited 10/29/2016 3.5 Forks

Ramen-Ya   181 W 4th St., New York, NY 10014

It's late October, which means it's ramen season!  It's the perfect comfort food - warm, salty and filling.  Ramen-ya is located in the heart of the West Village, which means it's a tiny space.  There are probably 5 tables and then 6 seats at the bar.  I like how it's similar to SF ramen houses where you put your name on a list on a clipboard instead of telling the host.  That way it's easy to track where you are on the list without having to ask the host a million times how many people are in front of you.  

Since it's so tiny, its easier to get a table for 1 or 2, so they recommend that if you're a party of 3 or more to go to their sister restaurant on West 3rd street.  But there was only 2 parties in front of us, so we decided to wait it out.  The menu is pretty standard - you've got your pork broth ramen as their staple item, then they have some chicken broth ramen, and a pretty decent line up of vegetarian (or as the menu called it "vageterian) options as well.  We tried to get an order of veggie gyoza but they only had pork ones that night, which was a bummer.  I got the Shoyu ramen which was a soy sauce flavor broth with sliced pork, wood ear mushrooms, scallions and a soft egg.  It came with thin wavy noodles which were good and cooked to the right texture but after seeing the chewy noodles that Aarti and Mabel had with their veggie ramen, I was really craving a thicker noodle with mine.  I wasn't sure if I was really hungry or my bowl was smaller but I inhaled my dish in about 5 minutes. The sliced pork was a bit on the fatty side but the egg was cooked perfectly and the wood ear mushrooms was the right topping with the broth.  Strangely enough the veggie ramen looked a bit heartier than my pork one because it came with more toppings like corn, bean sprouts and bamboo shoots in addition to the mushroom and scallions.  I also drank pretty much all of my broth which was salty but not overwhelming salty which was nice.  While I know I could have put more toppings on my ramen to make it more filling, it was a bit surprising at how I was still hungry afterwards.  So to make up for it,  we ordered the green tea mochi ice cream - which were clearly the exact same ones you can get at Trader Joe's, which is actually fine because they're delicious but it's just funny when you realize how restaurants sometimes source for the same places you get your food.  

The service was a bit touch and go.  They weren't super attentive and we did have to hail them down for both the dessert and our check.  There are clearly so many other ramen options in the city but if you live in the 'hood and the line isn't too long, it's worth a stop by.  Total bill:  $21/pp with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Cafe Habana Visited 10/29/2016 4 Forks

Cafe Habana  17 Prince St., New York, NY 10012

Cafe Habana has been a long time Soho, New York staple for as long as I can remember.  Its location makes it a hot spot for models and other trendy New Yorkers and as such the lines have always been crazy long.  But I hadn't been there in a while and Aarti and I were planning on doing some shopping in Soho, so we thought we'd take a gamble and see if we could grab a brunch time seat on a Saturday. 

I strolled in at 12pm on the dot and it was surprisingly NOT crowded.  I was shocked - maybe it's finally dying down?  I grabbed two seats at the bar which wasn't the most comfortable but the place is small, so it's not like there are a lot of places to sit anyways.  The left side of the menu had their more brunch-y foods like huevos rancheros and the left side had more lunch-y foods like their cuban sandwich.  It's like Sophie's choice!! I was having a really hard time because they had huevos divorciados, which I haven't had since Santa Fe.   But they claimed that their cuban sandwich ($10.95) was voted best in NYC, so I figured I just had to get it.  Aarti and I also split the grilled corn ($5.95) to start because how can you come to a cuban place and not get freakin grilled corn?  This one is served in typical fashion with mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder and lime.  Delicious.  There's just something about that cheese sprinkled all over the corn that is a perfect combination.  It's definitely a messy messy dish, so I wouldn't recommend getting it unless you're with good friends or just don't give a shit that your face will be covered in mayo and cheese for at least 10 minutes. 

I was excited for the cuban sandwich because it's been a really long time since I've had a great one. This had your classic ingredients:  roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, chipotle mayo, and a pickle on a toasted panini type bread.  While it was a nice solid sandwich, I'm not sure I can say it's the best in NYC.  It was heavy on the pork and I would have liked it to be a bit more balanced with the ham. While I usually don't love pickles, I do adore them in a cuban and I actually could have used more of them in this one.  The sandwich came with a handful of fries that were a ting too soggy from the mayo dripping on to my plate.  Aarti got the huevos rancheros and it looked good but also swimming in their salsa ranchera that you couldn't even see anything else on the plate.

It was nice to re-visit this place after a long time away and I can see why it's still a downtown staple. The food is still solid and the atmosphere still fun and funky.  But I still adore Sohpie's as my go-to true authentic Cuban place (yes, yes, I know it's a chain but still...) but if you want to hipster it up, Cafe Habana is a fine substitute.  Plus the prices of the neighborhood are really quite reasonable.  Total bill: $18/pp with tax, tip and coffee

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Momofuku Nishi Visited 10/22/2016 3.5 Forks

Momofuku Nishi  232 8th Ave., New York, NY 10011

Everyday there are so many buzzy food trends that pop-up in NYC that it's hard to keep track of all of them.  One of the latest ones comes from David Chang and the Momofuku Empire and it's called the Impossible Burger.   What makes it impossible?  It's a plant based "burger" that actually looks and bleeds like a real meat patty.  Now I'm not sure vegetarians really think that what they are missing from a burger is the bleeding but I can see how a vegetarian would be intrigued by this.  I've had a LOT of veggie burgers in my life and for the most part they're not good.  Usually they are some bean patty that falls apart after a few bites and tastes nowhere close to a real burger.  So I usually skip it and will settle for at least a turkey burger if I'm trying to be healthy.

As with any novelty trend, there was a line 30 people deep before the place even opened at noon. They claim that the burgers are first come first serve, so I'd recommend coming around 11:30 or 11:45 to ensure you've got a fair shot at getting one of them.  Anuja got the burger with cheese ($14) and I got the pork belly sandwich ($15) and we split the butter noodle ($20) as well.  Basically this is exactly what the entire restaurant ordered as well, so I'm not even sure why they have anything else on the menu.

At first glance the Impossible Burger looks pretty much like a regular meat burger - it's even cooked "medium rare" on the inside to give it a pinkish glow.  I had a small bite and I'll say that as a meat eater it is pretty damn close to a real burger but it's still missing that fatty meaty flavor to it that is really what red meat is all about.  But if you've never had a real burger before,  this will get you pretty close to the real thing.  I'm assuming that since it's a plant based patty, it's better for you health-wise but then again, I'm not sure if I want to know what it's actually made out of.  You absolutely must get it with cheese and the fries that came with it were also addictive - skinny, salty McD's like fries and they really made for a tasty burger and fries combo.  As for my pork belly sandwich, it came with avocado and a perfectly fried egg on top.  Ingredient wise, it was a combination of everything that I love and don't get me wrong, it was a fine sandwich but honestly I wasn't wow'd by it.  It kind of felt like a cliched sandwich of all the trendy things going on right now (pork belly, avocado and a fried egg) - you might as well throw some kale or poke on it and call it a day.  As for the butter noodles, it was very similar to a cacio e peppe dish with a fried egg  on top.  The noodles were nice and chewy and it was definitely a very hearty and heavy pasta dish.   Again, I enjoyed it but it wasn't a dish that I felt warranted a long line and wait outside.

The novelty of the Impossible Burger is for sure very interesting.  I'm glad I tried it and if I lived in the neighborhood, I could see myself stopping by for those amazing fries on a cheat day.  Total bill:  $36/pp with tax, tip and drink

Estela Visited 10/21/2016 4.5 Forks

Estela  47 E Houston St., New York, NY 10012

Estela has been on my list for a while as it's been on several "Best of" list for the past 3 years.  While it is a somewhat casual setting, the menu always seemed a bit too stuffy for me to really put a ton of effort into checking out.   Plus it's super difficult to get a reservation at a normal time - in fact, Richelle and I ended up getting a 5:30pm slot on a Friday night which isn't ideal but honestly, we ended up staying for 3 hours, so it actually turned out pretty well for us. 

The menu is similar to what I had at Freek's Mill before, which is American tapas.  And similar to Freek's Mill, the prices are somewhat ridiculous, even more so here at $17-37 per small plate.  The waiter recommended 6 plates for 2 people, so you can do the math on that one.  Richelle and I were in baller mode, so we really went all out on the menu:  beef tartare ($18), fried arroz negro ($23), lamb ribs ($22), ricotta dumplings ($25), and monkfish ($32).   While Richelle and I had a hard time deciding among all the dishes, the one dish we both agreed to get immediately was the beef tartare.  It was really fantastic - chopped well and seasoned with capers and sunchokes, it was an excellent tartare that was perfectly executed.  Next we tried the black fried rice with squid. This one had a paella like consistency with a crunchy bottom to it, which was a nice touch.  I will caution you that if don't like fishy tasting dishes, this probably won't be for you.  I enjoyed it but not as much as some other squid ink dishes that I've had before. 

Next came the lamb ribs and they were incredible.  There were 4 pieces that were herb crusted with charmoula and honey and the meat fell right off the bones.  I have a love/hate relationship with ribs and this one fell on the love side.  Next, we ordered the ricotta dumplings because the waiter said that they were "life changing" - those were the exact words he used.  So while Richelle doesn't eat cheese, we felt compelled to get them.  They were light and fluffy and served with thinly shaved mushrooms on top.  I tried to get Richelle to try one because it wasn't cheese-y gooe-y in texture since it's ricotta but she wasn't having any of it.  It was definitely a lovely pillow-y dish, but I can't say it was life changing and having to eat the whole thing myself was a bit of a challenge with all the other food. Next came the monkfish.  We had been struggling to decide between the monkfish or swordfish and the waiter was saying that the monkfish was heartier and the swordfish was lighter.  I normally don't love swordfish, so we decided to go with something heartier.  In retrospect, I kind of wish we got the swordfish instead because this fish was a bit too tough for me.  It wasn't flakey and it just had a toughness that I don't love when it comes to my fish - but again, it's not like I didn't know it going into it, so it's was a risk we took that didn't quite pay off.  This was where our original order ended but yet we were still a bit hungry.  So we hemmed and hawed between getting the swordfish, mussels, steak or desserts.  We netted out at the steak ($37) and 2 desserts, the chocolate cake ($12) and a sweet potato rum cake ($12).   The steak was 2 smallish pieces cooked medium rare and served with charred eggplant and leeks.  The original form comes with a melted taleggio cheese sauce on top but we got it on the side for Richelle's sake.  The steak was cooked perfectly and while you would think the cheese sauce would have tasted kind of weird with it, I was actually really glad to have had it because the strong stinky flavor of it really paired well with the meat. I can't explain it but it just worked. 

At this point, we were drunk and full but had to get dessert.  The chocolate cake came with this out of this world creme fraiche topping covered with coco powder on top.  The cake was moist but had a bit of a flourless consistency to it and overall it was a very non-sweet dessert, which I like but I can see how some people might be turned off by, so just know that going into.  We got the sweet potato dessert because it sounded so unique.  It was basically cold shredded sweet potato sitting on top of a rum soaked cake - it was interesting but the coldness of the dish really threw me off a bit. 

But what really put this dinner over the edge was the mind blowing wine (a red from Umbria) we had with dinner.  Yes it was $100 but it was really something special.  It paired really well with the meat dishes we had.  The service was excellent with the waiter being really patient in explaining almost the entire menu for us, although I didn't quite buy his "life changing" opinion of the dumplings.  The ambiance is cozy and dark but quite lively because it was incredibly packed.  I'm not sure I would say it's one of the best restaurants in the world as many have stated but it's worth checking out if you're a long standing New Yorker and need a new place to cross off your list.  It's definitely pricey and for that I was close to giving it 4 forks but in a head-to-head comparison of Freek's Mill, it's definitely the better choice.  Total bill:  $200/pp with tax and tip and lots of drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Pondicheri Visited 10/15/2016 2.5 Forks

Pondicheri   15 West 27th St.,  New York, NY 10001

It's experiences like the one I had last night at Pondicheri that motivate me to keep writing this blog. It's not because I like to shit all over restaurants and make them feel bad, but it's a way for me to hopefully share some feedback and make them a better restaurant in the future.  I had read a lot about this place and how it's an acclaimed Indian restaurant in Houston, so I figured it was worth checking out. 

I walked in at 8pm on a Saturday which I know is always a crapshoot in NYC.  But the place was literally half empty so I was expecting to get a seat immediately, if not, quickly.  However, the hostess informed me that all the seats were taken.  I looked at her and said, "Seriously, every single one of these seats? Even the one right here that is being busied as we speak?"  She said something weird like the waiters didn't like or were having issues with those tables, so they were no longer using them.  Umm - ok.  But she said that if any seats at the bar opened up, they serve a full menu there. Great - luckily two people got up right as I walked over, so I swooped in and took them.  As I sat down I heard the bartender/waiter apologizing to the couple next to me about the slowness of their food and that it was coming soon - that's never a good sign.  

The menu looked pretty tasty - a variety of starter dishes, shared dishes and sampler plates.  Aarti and I each got a different sampler plate - she got the vishnu ($18) and I got the earth ($22) and we got a side order of garlic naan ($6).  Aarti and I were both starving so we were really excited for our food and this is where it went downhill quickly.  I am not exaggerating when I say it took over 40 mins for our food to arrive.  We sat at the bar with nothing but our drinks for 40 mins (they also were slow to refill our water, I had to ask repeatedly) - eventually they tossed us some mixed spiced snacks before we keeled over and died at the bar, but that was only after 30 mins of us sitting there.  I had to finally ask our bartender and he was clearly very embarrassed about it and I know it's not his fault but it was really just unacceptable that no one said anything to us or offered us anything.  Finally we saw food coming towards us, only for the busy boy to deliver another table's food to us by accident.  What made it ridiculous was that it was for the people who came in literally 30 mins after we sat down. How the hell were they getting food before us?? Either our order never got placed or there are some serious operational issues.   Finally, almost an hour after sitting, we got our food with our waiter profusely apologizing and pouring us more wine on the house. 

The sad thing is that the food was alright.  The earth plate came with a very flavorful chicken dish, spiced lightly fried okra, smoked eggplant, sauteed greens (random as it's not really an Indian dish) and a beet cashew rita.  It was a mix of complex and intense flavors, which is why I love Indian food. Aarti's dish was almost the same thing but she had a sweet potato samosa, which was quite tasty. When you look at what was actually served, there is absolutely no reason why it should have taken 45-60 mins to produce.  If anything, most Indian places I've been to have many of these dishes pre-made and serve it up quickly.  If the food had come out at a normal pace, I probably would have given this place at least 3.5 forks or maybe more.  

The delayed food was only half of my anger as the night progressed NONE of the tables that were empty when I walked in were filled.  Seriously, the place was pretty empty by the time we left.  I didn't mind sitting at the bar but again, poor management and operations if they were expecting a full house and didn't get it or they just blatantly lied to me about it. 

By the time we left, Aarti and I made a pact to never get Indian food outside of Curry Hill, Little India or the Temple in Queens.  Honestly, whenever you are looking for delicious ethnic food (except for Italian food - never go to Little Italy), it's best to stick with the appropriate ethnic neighborhoods - the quality is better, it's more authentic and it's way cheaper.  I felt bad for this place, it wasn't the bartender's fault and most places need a few months to adjust themselves, so perhaps I'm being a bit harsh.  After all, I always say never go to a restaurant when it first opens, so I clearly didn't follow my own advice.  Plus most legit restaurant reviews are done after going to the place at least 3-4 times, so perhaps if I do go back, things will be improved.  But for the time being, I'll stick with Saravana Bhavan.   Total bill:  $43/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp