Kyma Visited 7/27/2018 3 Forks

Kyma  15 W 18th St., New York, NY 10011

As many of you know, I love Greek food and think it's highly underrated.  So when a lot of the food blogs were buzzing about this new place (which apparently has a cult following in Long Island), I felt like I had to check it out.  It's kind of on a random, non-descript street in the Flatiron District but the decor inside was lovely.  Spacious, bright and white - as you would expect from something with a Greek theme to it.

The menu is huge, traditional and authentic:  delicious dips, spanakopita, saganaki, lots of seafood dishes, whole fishes, salads and they also had lamb and pork chops.  Really robust menu and it was even a bit overwhelming for two people.  Allison and I landed on the dips ($16), Greek salad ($20), and we split a whole bronzino ($32).   As with most Greek restaurants, the dips were fabulous and the Greek salad outstanding with the tomatoes being the star.  But unfortunately, the whole fish was a real bummer for me.  I guess I'm used to the type of whole fish in Chinese restaurants where they literally give you the whole fish and you pick it apart.  Instead, here they say it's the whole fish but they filet it for you, which I guess is helpful if you don't want to deal with the bones.  While I love that Greek food is so simple and delicious with just a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt, this just felt super meh to me.  It was really underwhelming and for $32, I expected a big, more tender fish.  Paying $32 for a flat fish left me still feeling hungry.

Another weird thing that happened to me here (which is of no fault of the restaurant) is that I started to feel itchy in the lip and ever since this meal, I had what felt like an allergic reaction in my lips for a good 4 weeks.  It was really weird and I have no idea what it could have been but this experience kind of clouded my memory of eating her too.  But either way, I left dinner still feeling hungry and it wasn't clear to me why there was so much buzz about this place to begin with.  The menu was huge so it's possible that I could have had a much better meal with other options but I'm not sure if I will be running back to this place so soon.  Total bill:  $101/pp with tax, tip and a few drinks

L'Amico Visited 7/21/2018 3 Forks

L'Amico 851 6th Ave., Eventi Hotel, New York, NY 10001

A bunch of us were headed to the Taylor Swift concert (don't ask) at Giant Stadium for a fun Friday night out.  Since the show didn't start until 8:30ish, we thought it would be better to eat dinner in the city on the West side and then head over vs. eating really bad stadium food or hot dogs. 

L'Amico was jammed packed which was really surprising to me because it's kind of in this weird location in the mid-30's.  But I guess it was a nice day and they had an open air patio and everyone was looking to take advantage of the sun.  We had a fairly large group of people (many of them are notorious for being late) and while I understand most restaurants don't like to seat incomplete parties, often times if you say you'll order for the table, they are willing to be flexible.  They were completely inflexible here to the point where we just had to lie and say our party was reduced to 4 instead of 6.  Yes, yes, it's partially our fault for having tardiness but I'm not a fan of places that are not willing to work with you at all.  They could have seated us at our intended table while we ordered and waited for our friends, but instead we were seated at a tiny table in the corner that clearly wasn't going to work. 

4 of us sat down and just started ordering a bunch of different dishes.  We got the yellowtail ($17), tuna crudo ($17), and avocado salad ($17) to start and I got the bolognese rigatoni ($27) for my entree.  My initial reaction is that this place was way overpriced.  To pay almost $30 for pasta and $20 for small appetizers is kind of ridiculous (I know, it's NYC and it's sadly starting to become the norm).  All of the appetizers were just meh, with the avocado salad being the most uninspiring dish of the 3.

Luckily the rigatoni was quite delicious and made up for the mediocre appetizers.  The pasta was definitely the highlight of the night.  But what irks me the most about this place was the service.  It was PAINFULLY slow and we had to flag down our waiter countless times.  When our 2 friends finally showed up, they wouldn't let them sit with us saying it was a fire hazard and told them the only room for them was at the tiny bar.  We didn't want our friends to be there by myself so we quickly finished our food, skipped dessert and ended up getting one more round of drinks with them at the bar before leaving.  The one nice thing the manager did was to comp our friend's drinks but the whole thing could have been avoided if they just sat us at a larger table to begin with.

Overall, the whole experience was meh.  Maybe they were having a bad night and we didn't really do ourselves any favors but it was just a frustrating experience to begin with.  It's kind of your basic Italian New York restaurant that gets the job done for the most part, but isn't really super exciting or worth another visit unless you happen to be in the area.   For the price we paid, you can definitely get better service elsewhere but that rigatoni was pretty damn good, so I'm torn a bit here.  Go and let me know what you think!  Total bill: $95 with tax and tip

Wanpaku Visited 7/20/2018 3.5 Forks

Wanpaku  621 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222

Another Asian opening in the area!  I was super excited to see this new place because like sushi, there is a dearth of ramen places within walking distance of where I live.  I came during lunch on a hot July Friday afternoon, which is so not ramen weather.  But I was still excited to try it out anyways.  The decor is lovely and when I went it was totally empty but then again it was 12pm on a weekday.

The menu has a nice line up for Japanese small plates like homemade tofu, Japanese eggplant, pork buns and salmon tartare.  They also had one of my favorites:  fried oysters ($8), which I had to try!  They also have a good variety of ramen - from chicken broth to beef broth to even 2 vegetarian versions (one is even gluten free - welcome to Brooklyn).  They also have katsu dishes (Japanese curry) and donburi.   When I went they also had seasonal specials like the cold ceviche ramen.  Since it was so hot outside and because I love raw seafood, I had to try this dish. 

The fried oysters came our first and they were served with a Japanese tartare sauce.  Usually I find it hard to go wrong with anything fried but this one was mushy and not that great.  It's almost like it was under fried.  The best part of any fried dish is the crunch and this one didn't have it.  Plus if the crunch isn't there then at least the oyster part should be nice and plump and this one wasn't.  So I was a bit anxious about what was to come.  Luckily the cold ramen was much better.  I will say cold ramen just doesn't stack up to a nice hot ramen with fatty broth and sliced pork in it.  But this tasted healthier and there was a good portion of shrimp (cooked), raw tuna and salmon with masago and avocado.  It could have used a bit more flavoring or even a cold broth to add some saltiness to it. 

The place leans more towards the trendy hipster side and I wouldn't say it's super authentic but if you're in the mood for some Japanese small bites and ramen, it's worth checking out.  There's also a super cute hidden bar in the back called The Hidden Pearl that is like a speakeasy with tiki drinks.  It's small, dark and kind of random but also worth checking out if you're in the area, on a date or have out of town friends.  Total bill:  $33 with tax and tip

Okozushi Visited 7/15/2018 3.5 Forks

Okozushi  376 Graham Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211

I was beyond excited when I saw the first signs of this place a few months ago.  First, there is a severe lack of ANY sushi (let alone good sushi) in the neighborhood and second, it's by the same people as Okonomi and Osakana - both places that I love in my area.  These two places focus on more authentic Japanese food and locally sourced fish and the mentality here is no different.  

A heads up that the space is tiny but cute.  The 3 of us sat the bar and we sit perfectly but other than that there are only 2 other small tables inside.  It's walk-in only so I would say come on the earlier side if you don't want to wait around a while.  While it's sushi, buyer beware as it's definitely not your typical sushi.  There are no spicy tuna rolls, sashimi or anything of the like.  They say that the sushi here is Kyoto style sushi, which to be honest, I'm not really sure what that means since I've sadly never been to Kyoto (yet!).   But apparently it means box pressed sushi (hakozushi) and temari (ball shaped sushi) style.  The fish used here is also untraditional - it was more tilefish, grouper, mackerel and the like and you had to pay extra for salmon.  They have several price points depending on how much you want  to eat (ranging from $25 to $50).   I went for the middle option of $35 - 6 pieces of hakozushi, 2 pieces of temari and 2 hand rolls.  The fish here is lightly cured and topped with unusual toppings like pickled vegetables and blue cheese.  Interesting combination and flavor profiles for sure.  I am a bit of a fish snob and I wasn't a huge fan of the white fish nor the blue fish but the other types were fine.  My one big gripe was that the ratio of rice to fish was too high - sometimes I felt like all I was eating was rice.  But I will say the rice was delicious and perfectly made so at least it was tolerable when you are eating all those carbs.  You are also served a hearty fish broth in the beginning which is a nice touch and I would also highly recommend getting the green tea.  It's almost like a matcha green tea and it's delightful.   It's all very interesting and tasty but I'm honestly not sure if it's something that I would come back for on a regular basis (even though it's <5 5="" a="" also="" and="" apt="" broth="" face="inherit" fish="" font="" from="" get="" green="" highly="" house="" i="" mins="" my="" nbsp="" nice="" ou="" recommend="" start="" tea="" the="" to="" walk="" would=""> 

I'm really glad I tried it and they even have take-out now but I think I prefer the more "traditional" style sushi places with spicy rolls and salmon, tuna yellowtail sashimi type place.  I love the fact that they are trying something new but in a neighborhood where you can't get any decent sushi, it's a bit too far out for me to want to come back and order from it regularly.   One nice thing here is that gratuity is included.  Total bill:  $38 with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

1 Week in Sweden - Part 5 - Visited 6/30/2018 - 7/8/2018 3.5 Forks

Leva Kungslador  Toftavägen 20, 622 59 Visby, Sweden                                                         3.5 Forks

It was a bit of a bummer that we couldn't rent a car in Gotland to check out the other parts of the island.  I tried to ride a bike but apparently one can forget how to ride one, so we were stuck walking around the immediate area near Visby which I don't really recommend.

I had read about this farm place that didn't look so far away on the map but you do have to walk through a highway and then a giant lily pad forest to get there so having a car is still preferred.  Once you're there, you feel like you're on a hippie commune  - there's a greenhouse, small farm, playground and organic food/craft store on site.  Inside the main building there is an all-you-can eat buffet that is primarily vegan with some meat dishes.  I know, it kind of sounds gross but it wasn't wasn't that bad.  I got a plate of potatoes, salad,  bread with dips, chickpeas, corn, steamed eggplant and they also had a pot roast like dish.  Not surprisingly, everything needed a bit of salt to it, especially the eggplant but it felt very healthy and farm picked. 

But the best part of this place are the desserts.  Oh my god, they are delicious (and separate from the buffet).  I actually went back twice because I wanted to try some many different things.  The above dessert, the dromtarta, was my favorite.  It was like a soft chocolate sponge cake filled with yummy custard - it was basically a chocolate roll but very moist and delicious.  I saved it for the World Cup viewing but wished that I got more for the rest of the evening.

It was definitely an adventure to get here and even though it was a bit of a hike, it was still nice to see a different part of the area.  Plus that chocolate roll was definitely worth the trek.  Total bill: $25/pp for the buffet

 Kitchen and Table 6 Strandgatan, 621 57 Visby, Sweden                                                         3.5 Forks

For better or worse, I have this weird aversion to hotel restaurants when I travel.  I know they have gotten better and in some cities, they are the hot spot to go to and many celebrity chefs are now putting their names all over them.  But in my mind, I still think of them as kind of a list ditch resort when you have no other options.   Not surprisingly, Marcus Samuelson (who was raised in Sweden) has a good presence in Sweden but what's surprising is that his restaurant is in a Clarion in Visby of all Swedish places (although I just read that Visby has more restaurants per capita in all of Sweden!).  

To be fair, Clarions in Europe are much nicer than the Clarions in the US and this one was actually pretty decent.  We decided to give this place a go on our last night here before we hit up a bar down the street.  The menu claims to be New York meets Sweden but I'm not sure what that really means.  It was a mish mosh of items from burgers, pizzas, tacos, meat platters, and an "urban garden" section which was veggies with a choice of protein.  I opted for the cheese burger simply because there wasn't anything else speaking to me. 

I will say that cheese burger was super tasty.  It was a soft potato bun, with a moist patty and yummy melted cheese with all the fixins.  Who knew Visby would be the place for a spot-on American burger?  It also came with super crunchy fries to round out the whole Americana experience. 

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my meal.  Unfortunately, the downside was the service.  I feel a bit bad crapping on it because it was just 2 girls running the whole place but the service was abysmally slow.  Like extremely painful.  What also sucked is that my cocktail was only half full - it's like they started to pour it, got side tracked and then never finished.  For $15, I should be getting the whole damn cocktail and then some.   Luckily, we got more (and better cocktails) at this bar/restaurant down the street called Supper which was apparently THE place to be.  It was jammed packed with all sorts of beautiful people and super fun.  I wouldn't poo poo Kitchen and Table, I would probably just double check to make sure they are fully staffed before you sit down.

Photo Credit: http://gotlandstips.se/kitchen-table/

1 Week in Sweden - Part 4 - Visited 6/30/2018 - 7/8/2018 3.5 - 4.5 Forks

Fotografiksa Stadsgårdshamnen 22, 116 45 Stockholm, Sweden                                              4.5 Forks

Unfortunately, we had a bit of a train snafu in Gothenburg, so we were sprinting to our dinner reservation at Fotografiska.  Luckily, they still let us in at 9:45pm even we were 30 minutes late.  Fotografiska is primarily a really cool photography museum that just happens to have an equally cool restaurant and cafe upstairs.  You need to make a reservation in advance but it's totally worth it as the views and sunset are absolutely stunning - which was 11pm when we were there. 

The menu is all plant focused - meaning the only meat is a side protein dish and it costs extra.  The menu is a pre-fixe meal that's broken down into their  "favorites" (4 dishes) for 540 SEK ($59 USD) and then you can add "cold" dishes (3 dishes) for 135 SEK ($15 USD) or "warm" dishes (4 dishes) also for 135 SEK.  There's also "tonight's side" which is a animal protein for 145 SEK or $16 USD and a cheese plate option for 55 SEK or $6 USD.   Since it was late, we opted to just get the favorites, which turned out to be more than enough food. 

I want to first say the the food is simply stunning to look at.  I don't know if it was the sunset that was skewing everything but the food all looked like it belonged in a straight out of food magazine or something.  We started with amazing sugar snap peas that were incredibly fresh, super green in color and tasted like they just came from the farm.  The restaurant is the epitome of farm to table - they have very close relationships with local farmers and growers and you can tell.  Next were raw carrots ripped straight from the ground and served with onion dip and fried shallots.  I usually hate raw carrots but there was something so compelling about these that I had to try them and they were pretty good - I still didn't love them but it was worth trying.  Next came the potatoes done 3 ways - pickled, boiled and fried and served with smoked sour cream and fish roe.  Amazing - who doesn't love potatoes?! Then coupled with the smoked sour cream and roe, it was really perfectly executed.  Lastly we had baked onion with mushroom, truffle cream and artichoke chips.   The sign of a great vegetarian meal is when you don't miss meat and all these dishes did that.  We ended the meal with strawberries with flan which was delicious and a chocolate brownie, which was the only meh dish of the night.  

By the time we were done, it was well past midnight.  Originally we had wanted to walk around the museum but it was so late.  The museum was actually still open - it was open until 2am, which if you can stay up that late, it's super cool and slightly creepy to walk around the museum at that hour.  Our super nice waitress gave us a "tip" and said there was a different elevator that drops you off inside the museum and she wouldn't say anything.   Wink wink.  We got to see the entire museum and we weren't the only ones there late at night.   

Even though our day started off with a super bummer, it ended in the best way.  This was definitely a highlight for me and thanks to Lav for lovely birthday dinner!

Creperie and Logi Wallers Plats 3, 621 56 Visby, Sweden                                                        3.5 Forks

We ended our Swedish adventures on a lovely island 1 hour away from Stockholm called Gotland - it's where the locals go for the summer...I guess it's sort of like their version of the Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard.  It gets packed in July and August - so plan accordingly because I booked our hotel in Jan and had a really hard time finding anything and all the rental cars were already sold out.  The main town is called Visby and if you can,  rent a car as I heard that the really beautiful parts are on the other side of the island.  But the town of Visby is an adorable medieval town with tons of bars and restaurants and open air churches.  We were there during the World Cup and we got to watch the game with all the locals in the middle of town next to an open air church, it was pretty cool. 

The weekend we were there was also their politicians weekend, which explained why it was so crowded.   All the politicians come to the island and make speeches and campaign while Swedes come and listen to what they have to say.  While most locals we talked to in Stockholm thought it would be a boring weekend, I found it to be a fascinating insight into their local ways of thinking. 

But as a result of all of this, every restaurant was jammed packed.  We had just arrived and were starving, so we ended up at this cute place that seemed to have the shortest line.  While most people on the island speak perfectly fine English, it's not as common as Stockholm but it's still super easy to get around.  The owner here kept saying my name was Johnnie and in the end I just gave up and said close enough. 

The menu here is all forms of crepes - sweet and savory.  I got the smoked salmon, horseradish cream, baby spinach and cheese.  It came on a buckwheat crepe and it was pretty tasty.  I honestly find crepes to be a totally fine but kind of boring in general and this one was no different.  It did hit the spot because we were staving and they also have a nice line up of ciders that I recommend.  I wouldn't necessarily say this is a must-go destination but it was a lovely enough establishment that if you find yourself on Gotland for the whole week, is definitely worth a try.  Total bill: $34/pp with tax and tip 

Italienaren Hästgatan 2, 621 56 Visby, Sweden                                                                         4 Forks

For such a tiny island, there are tons of restaurants in Gotland.  There's a pretty decent variety of different types of cuisine which was refreshing.  Despite all the pretty good food we had had so far, I was ready for something that wasn't super farm-to-table.  We saw a place that looked like good 'ole fashion Italian food and I was down with that.  Plus they had seating outside so that we could people watching which was fun. 

The menu here is your usual run of Italian food - antipasti, pizzas, pastas and a few secondi dishes.  I went with a bresaola carpaccio that came with blue cheese and arugula.  It was a pretty good starter and it felt nice and light, despite it having blue cheese on there.  For my main, I had linguine with clams - the pasta was cooked pretty well and there were a good number of clams to it.  My only complaint was that it was a bit oily but overall I enjoyed the experience there.  Sure, it's not authentic cuisine that you would find in Italy but hey, we are in Sweden after all. 

The other fun fact about this place is that it's right next door to this pretty fun bar called Vinegar, which I also highly recommend.  It's got this lively outdoor bar feel only it has a retractable roof to keep the noise in.  The clientele is a bit bougie but it was fun people watching none the less.  I believe they also have food there but it's more fun to sit at the bar and have cocktails instead.   After hitting up these two spots, I can see why people come to this island to chill out and get away from the main city - luckily they don't have to give up on good food while they are here.  Total bill:  $60 USD with tax, tip and 2 drinks

1 Week in Sweden - Part 3 - Visited 6/30/2018 - 7/8/2018 3.5 - 4 Forks

Kafe Hoga Nord Kyrkogatan 13, 411 15 Göteborg, Sweden                                                        4 Forks

After 3 days in Stockholm, we were ready for something different in Sweden.  When I told most locals that we were going to Gothenburg, they looked horrified.  So I was scared that we made the wrong choice but I actually thought it was a nice "long weekend" kind of destination.  I guess it's kind of like the rivalry between New York and Boston - most New Yorkers could care less about Boston but if someone was visiting from another country, I could see why there is some appeal there. 

Gothenburg is quaint city that's also surrounded by water with a fun downtown area that has lots of shops and restaurants.  The NY Times had just done a 36 Hours in Gothenburg, so we visited one of their recommended restaurants, which, surprisingly was also very vegetarian friendly. 

The cafe is hidden behind an alley way and nestled in between a champagne shop and a record shop.  It's a hipster's dream but it started as a record store and then expanded to a cafe.  The cafe itself is tiny but they have a few outdoors seats in the courtyard which makes for a really pleasant lunch during the summer time.  What I liked about Gothenburg was that it was a bit more local in that most menu didn't have English translations but obviously everyone speaks perfect English there, so the guy behind the counter was more than happy to help us out.   The menu is mostly soups and smorrebrod (open-faced sandwich).  I got the gazpacho soup and Lav got the cauliflower soup and then we each got a different kind of smorrebrod - one had ricotta, cherry tomatoes and artichokes and I can't remember the other one but it had a lot of dill on it.  

The soups alone are a major reason to come here.  They were out of this world.  I know, who thinks vegetarian soup can be mind blowing but they were.  They were clean, fresh tasting and really hit the spot.  We were both shocked at how delicious they were.  The smorrebrod were also tasty yet very traditional tasting.  If you're looking for something healthy, hip and tasty, definitely check this place out.  I just wouldn't say it's the most filling meal but you won't regret it.   Total bill:  $33 USD for two with tax and tip

Puta Madra  Magasinsgatan 3, 411 18 Göteborg, Sweden                                                         3.5 Forks

When you think of Sweden, you don't really think of Mexican food right?  But I guess since this is a university town, there are more diverse food options.  We were feeling a bit tired of the forged/veggie food scene, so when we saw that there was a Mexican restaurant in the heart of downtown, we figured why not? 

The decor and setting of the restaurant is beautiful.  We got to sit up on the rooftop and it was a super fun and lively scene.  The menu is pretty traditional Mexican (not authentic though) - tacos, tostada, ceviche, and empanadas.  We started with the guacamole, a side of black beans and I got the fish tacos.  While I preferred grilled fish tacos, a good beer batter fish tacos always hits the spot too.  Unfortunately, these were a little funky.  They were covered in this weird orange sauce that I couldn't place, a huge helping of pickled onions and then a literal bunch of cilantro (they clearly didn't bother to cut it).  While it was plenty of food, it felt like it was missing some more flavor and toppings.  Instead of the onion, I would have preferred the traditional use of cabbage and while we're at it, freaking sirracha aioli (I know, it's not very authentic but when it comes to beer batter fish tacos, I do love that combination).   The guac and beans were fine - nothing really anything to note.

Although one can't have too high of an expectation for Mexican food in Sweden, it was a bit of a let down.  But I would still recommend it as a place to go as it was packed with young locals and the vibe was really fun.  Total bill: $61 USD/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Saluhallen Kungstorget, 411 17 Göteborg, Sweden                                                                     4 Forks

Yes, I finally had Swedish meatballs.  I had been in Sweden for over 5 days and had yet to have the famous Swedish meatballs.  It's not that I was opposed to it but I honestly wasn't dying to have it and it wasn't really served in a lot of the places I went to.  I assumed it was just a touristy thing and while it probably is, it's still served up in a bunch of more casual places. 

For those of you who know me, you know that I love a good food hall.  I love the smells, sounds and feel of being surrounded by such variety and choices.  This place was no exception.  It's smack in the middle of town and Lav and I decided to grab something to eat before our 3 hour train ride back to Stockholm.  While the hall isn't overwhelming, I still had a hard time deciding what to get and finally caved and decided to get the meatballs.  There are a few stalls that have them and I picked one that seemed to have the most people around.  I got it straight up traditional style with white gravy, mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce.  The meatballs were enormous and delicious.  I don't know what kind of meat they used but it was very moist.  Not that you really needed it since it was covered in gravy and then with the combination of buttery mashed potatoes and sauce, there was no way each bite wouldn't be yummy.  I guess since Sweden is cold 8 months of the year they need super hearty comfort food like this.  It reminded me of Thanksgiving food but with a small twist.  

I loved everything about it but I also didn't think I needed to load up on more meatballs on my trip.  The one nice thing about this meal was that it was probably one of the cheapest and most filling meals of the trip.  Total bill:  $7.80 

Photo Credit:  https://eatandtheworld.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/goteborg/