Jen W.'s Profile

There are only a couple reasons I would willingly hang out in Midtown outside of work: 1) the occasional artsy Broadway show indulgence and 2) Yakitori Totto. In terms of Japanese hype restaurants in Manhattan, Yakitori Totto is to yakitori as Ippudo is to ramen (although Totto Ramen has quite a cult following as well since opening in 2010). Yakitori Totto first opened in January 2004, and the buzz and wait times have yet to settle down. One of the few good things about working in Midtown is that I can get to Yakitori Totto at 5:30pm right when the doors open. The small restaurant gets packed by 6:30pm and walkins may wait for 2 hours during normal dinner hours. Reservations should be made well in advance (at least 2 dates prior); no same day reservations.

Yakitori  translates to "grilled chicken" in Japanese, although the term also refers to charcoal-grilled skewered foods in general. Ventilation here is decent but I still come away smelling like barbeque and ponzu... which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The clientele here is largely Japanese, although yakitori and izakaya devotees have managed to find their way here as well. The meats are of premium quality which are grilled in a traditional manner (not cooked all the way through). Almost all parts of a chicken is served here beyond the basic wing or thigh; there is also chicken skin, soft knee bone, tail, heart, gizzard and the succulent delicacy: chicken oysters. There are plenty of beef, pork, and vegetable skewers on the menu as well. You can choose either a simple salt seasoning or ponzu sauce, which is a sweet mirin soy sauce. I prefer basic salt, unless it is Negi Pon (grilled pork with scallions and ponzu) where ponzu is required obviously. http://foodcomas.com/2...

For those looking to mellow down the inevitable meat sweats, there are also refreshing seaweed salads, crispy dumplings, tofu dishes, cold sobas, pickled veggies, and hot pot rice dishes. The food here is all pretty delicious but it is certainly not cheap. Most of the yakitoris are $3 per skewer and washing them down with a few refreshing Kirin beers is a highly desirable pairing. To be fully satiated for dinner here will set you back around $60-80 per head. Another con is that service can be a bit spotty with forgotten orders, unhelpful recommendations, and you are likely to be rushed in your meal. But once in a while, I think the food is worth the hassle.  In a small party of 2, I prefer sitting at the counter where you can watch the grilling magic happen. Otherwise, with a 4+ party, I quite enjoy the semi-private rooms in the back corner. For another fantastic japanese bbq experience, try Takashi Yakiniku in west village!

If you are the type that would indulge in New Ashiya once in a while or you think Franzia pairs well with everything, this is your place.  East village chinese resto with all you can drink box wine!  the wine carafes will keep coming as long as you have food in front of you... so eat slowly.  when i went, they didn't give us what they call the "house wine" for free even though the website says so!  perhaps they have realized they should capitalize on all the patrons coming for the bottomless vino... so feel slightly gypped but we only got charged $10 total for my party of 4 people for the unlimited wine... and well it's still a fantastic price point to get buzzed.  

Food -- We started with an eggroll (yup singular. one order is one eggroll) so I was a bit worried, but every other dish was a nice portion size.  It has an extensive menu of authentic dishes and westernized-chinese dishes and some southeast asian classics like pad thai and tom yum soup.  We had the crispy duck salad (with cucumber, pineapple, green apple, cashews and thai sauce), stuffed eggplant, sesame beef, and chicken lo mein.  Everything came super quick (except the wine refills) and I thought the food was pretty decent quality - not amazing but the value is good enough to return for!  AND we got ice cream for dessert.  Our bill came to $15 per person all inclusive!!!  I cannot remember the last I paid that little for non-seamless dinners.

The decor was totally not what I expected.  Kinda western with very spaced out tables, polished dark wood paneling, and honestly-- the cleanest bathrooms I've ever found in a Chinese resto.  Service as mentioned is great, but as others have mentioned-- its more the lack of English and well... just Chinese restos in general. I didn't find it to be any different than what I experience in Chinatown.

Bottom line -- it's a good value here and very CHEAP.  Great for big groups and cheap dates (honestly if a guy brought me here, I'd be impressed with his economically efficient choice).

Unassuming entrance, but a wonder to behold inside. Beautiful craftsmanship of reclaimed wood and live edged tables, twisting towering trees, vintage light fixtures, photography by local artists, and a delicate white color scheme keeps everything light and airy in the restaurant.  All the handmade porcelain dinnerware and decor can be found at the adjacent abc carpet and home store (very effective advertising!).  Amazing for brunch.  http://foodcomas.com/2...

"Passionately committed to offering the freshest organic and local ingredients possible" is the mantra ABC Kitchen upholds, and the restaurant even uses the entire back of the menu to detail how exactly it accomplishes this.  From the food to the decor, everything about the restaurant is sustainable, local, and organic.  Chef Daniel Kluger strives to maintain a seasonally changing menu that is 85% locally sourced (specifically within 90 miles of the restaurant between May and October).  The resulting food is superb -- classic, comfort food with the freshest, organic and locally-produced ingredients. The organic mixed juices are rich and pure -- beet with carrot and ginger sooo good and also loved the green one with every green veggie imaginable. The maple glazed biscuits were savory but not too heavy, and definitely delicious. Seasonal glazed donuts melted in my mouth. Eggs benny was a good classic, french toast is very popular here. Mushroom whole wheat pizza with farm egg was rich and hearty. Grilled portabello sando was juicy and savory, served with rosemary fries and a vibrant tomato based sauce.

Teensy place, aptly named.  Came for dinner although I hear brunch is the highlight. Tried the mushroom cigars (basically minced mushrooms wrapped in fried phyllo dough). Tuna tartare with avocado puree, soy ginger was nice but I think a bit too sweet.  The Thai Marinated Grilled Rack of Lamb was sweet too rather than savory... but loved the accompanying chive mashed potatoes and braised cabbage though. Friend got Konrad's Goulash with egg noodles (slow cooked beef in spicy tomato paprika sauce) which she said was ok.  Tuscan chicken stuffed with spinach and ricotta was very rich and filling.  Overall, a bit underwhelmed by the food.

Despite this, like the fact its BYOB no corkage fee and the ambiance is very nice. The guy who serves the whole resto is very amicable.  Wld try again for brunch though

came here on a flushing excursion with friends and a local friend's family.  We stuffed 12 people at the round tables in the corner in front of the karaoke room (it's not actually part of the resto is it?  asian malls are strangely laid out)

it's packed and bustling and the horde of people waiting for tables right in front of the escalators is a massive fire hazard but I guess that goes for all chinese banquet hall type spots.  It was quite loud because there was some community political award ceremony going on.  The food was fine, the made-to-order station was quite good, and the standout for me was the sesame dofu fa.  I know it's weird but I've never had it before and I thought it was really good.  Otherwise I think the wait and trek and general craziness not really worth it.

Was looking for a splurge fancy lunch and decided to finally check out Sho Shaun Hergatt as it had been on my wish list for quite a while.  The space is gorgeous and expansive with a long and polished bar and large lounge area.  Leading to the dining room are glass walls of wines with a sleek fountain down the center.  You renter a large series of rooms with ornate but tasteful oriental touches.  Service prompt and lovely.  Modern Asian / French cuisine --- was superb and presented beautifully.  Chef Shaun Hergatt came out to greet the diners which is always appreciated... the aussie accent is just a plus

After perusing the menu, we honestly didn't find the prix fixe menu that interesting so we opted to order a la carte (which actually was the dinner menu we were told -- grateful they accomodated our requests).  We had the Hudson Valley Foie Gras w/ Duck Skin Tuiles+ Flavors of Apple... the duck skin was delectably rich.  I looved the Slow Poached Knoll Krest Egg with Santa Barbara Sea Urchin.   For mains, we ordered the East Coast Flounder with Langoustine & Black Truffle -- seafood white meats meet in this dense but flavorful combo.  The Three Day Beef Cheek w/ Black Trumpets had the richest sauce ever - amaazzzing.  Desserts I really wanted to try Lemon Panna cotta with Olive Oil Streusel + Pomelo which was only on the prix fixe, which they accomodated and I was so happy with this dessert.  It looked like a  beautiful aquarium scene the way this dessert was constructed -- very unique and very delish esp the toppings.  We also received a Lemon Meringue w/Fennel Lemonade compliments which was very refreshing altho we were way too full I think to truly enjoy it.  I loved the petit four of honeycomb dipped in chocolate -- simply genius!

I'd go again for a special occassion or on the work dime is possible.

"Where's the beef?" finally gets answered... it's at Takashi.  This menu is a barbeque grilling shrine to beef and everything about beef.  It's all premium choice cuts of Japanese and American Angus, and you can grill the raw slices marinated in Takashi's awesome sauce right at your table.  The space is small, can only seat max 37 people at the bbq tables along the wall and the chef's counter.  For the grill tables, I think parties of 4 are the most comfortable fit and within good distance of the grill to cook your meat!  

I am completely addicted to this spot... the fact my clothes smell of bbg for days after only feeds this addiction.  I haven't gotten too adventurous beyond the ribeye and kalbi -- done the tongue experience, heart and maybe one of the stomach things... left the other innards alone but perhaps someday.  For apps, the Grandmom's Steamed Beef Shank Buns with Spicy Mayo are amazing but my FAVE is from the Raw section: Niku-Uni (chuck flap topped with sea urchin and fresh wasabi) --- so fresh and delicate... just salivating thinking of it

decent sake selection; i thought it intriguing they served Tusker (kenyan beer).  dessert is Home-made Madagascar vanilla softserve ice cream that is creamy and fluffy and amazing.  You get to choose your toppings like green tea or salted caramel syrup... both of which were magical.

I've always come with Japanese folk (and tokyo peeps says this is just like yakiniku at home) and the clientele tends to be skewed but it's very friendly to all.  Service was amazing first time (a gaijin who spoke perfect japanese too!), and it was decent the second time.  Bit of a hipster vibe, but the prices are kinda baller.  Love the cartoon mural on the wall explaining all the different cuts and how to grill. Very cute and informative!  

Must try!

"Are you guys BYO?"
"Yes. It's a $9 fee per person, but you can bring an unlimited number of bottles."
"Seriously? Unlimited?"
"Yeah you could bring 200 bottles if you wanted"
"Challenge ACCEPTED"

That's how the phone call went with the guy at Numero 28.  We were trying to plan a friend's bday dinner last minute and we had less than a week to find a resto in the east village that was BYO with a reasonable corkage fee ($0 sounds reasonable to me) that would take 15 people on a Saturday night...  oh and also I wanted 4 yelp stars to ensure good food and good times.  Easy breezy right?  I invested a good amount of time cross referencing http://gobyo.com (pretty good resource listing all the BYOs in the city), yelp, and open table to check off all my requirements.  After extensive research, Numero 28 came out to be the clear winner.  Great location, fun ambiance, fanastic pizza, cheap (especially after getting the http://restaurant.com certificate all the yelpers suggested~!), and unlimited BYO for just $9 per person.

the Numero 28 pizza was by far the standout - we ordered a 2nd round of this truffle cream, speck, and mushroom pizza.  The 29" thin crust pizzas were perfect for our gigantic group and disappeared in a flash.  Also tried the Romeo - buffalo mozz, artichokes truffled cream, Parma prosciutto and Capricciosa - tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, olives, artichokes which ppl loved. The D.O.C. - tomato, sliced  tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil was pretty basic.  We also ordered some simple salads for the table (omg the creamy mozz was the die for) and the meatballs were juicilious!  Also got tiramisu and panna cotta (a must for me) for dessert.  Was the perfect amount of food for a good budget and we all had a great time.  

Noise level is high - this is not for intimate dates, it's for bringing 10+ of your besties to have a fun somewhat rowdy group dinner.  We ended up expanding our res last minute by 4 people (yeah we are that kind of group... sry) and they were super awesome in accomodating us in a quick time.  Will be back again with 200 bottles in tow

First came to Paprika for a friend's bday dinner- we had 20 ppl on a Sunday night and pretty much owned the resto.  Another time came late on a Sat night and this place was packed.  We had to wait a little bit for our table but it was reasonable plus our group size keep fluctuating-- in the end they ended up accomodating us all after a couple table switches which was greatly appreciated.  It was a friendly, cozy and casual space.  The food I thought was pretty solid and the prices are reasonable -- great bang for your buck.  As most reviewers note, Paprika is known for its pastas and they are quite good.  Handmade Pappardelle with Braised Oxtail Ragu is very hearty and meaty and Lobster mac & cheese was really creamy and not overly rich.  All the dishes were simply prepared, not overly wrought, and just done well.  http://foodcomas.com/2...

Outside of the pasta realm, the Tuscan Black Kale Salad, Grana Padano, Pickled Red Onions and Almonds was sooooooo good. Also tried the lamb meatballs and pan roasted artic char.  The savory entrees were good, but think pasta is the main attraction here.  Panna cotta for dessert was light and yummy.

I have been to the sister resto Macondo a couple times and while my first impression was meh several yrs ago, with each subsequent visit and each subsequent cocktail, it has greatly risen in estimation. After attending a yelp party at Macondo, I was given a very persuasive pitch to check out Rayuela for brunch.  I promised to do so and few weeks later gathered up a crew of 10+ friends for Sat brunch.  http://foodcomas.com/2...

First, the resto is beautifully serene. The space has clean lines, soft backlighting, earthy colors, and just a "fresh" feel-- almost feels like I walked into a luxury spa / zen garden... the smooth white stones from Peru, babbling pool, and graceful California olive tree reaching up to the skylight of the second floor may have something to with that.  The first floor is very inviting with its long bar and open lounge with large cozy booths in back .The 2nd floor has flowing sheer linen curtains dividing the booths allows for more intimate dining occasions.  There is a bar upstairs as well, and is a perfect venue for large events.

Second, I found the service to be very accomodating and gracious. They didn't rush us and were totally cool when my party eventually grew to 20 people over the course of 3 hours (it was a looong brunch).  

Third, weekend brunch deal is awesome: $11 for unlimited cava cocktails 11am-4pm in 3 delish flavors watermelon-acai, lulo-calamansi, guava-apricot. Ummmm yes please.

Lastly, food. As ppl have mentioned Rayuela means "hopscotch," which was named after the eponymous Argentine novel by the restaurant's bibliophile owner/chef Tejada. The Estilo Libre Latino (Freestyle Latino) cuisine resembles hopscotch, which basically means the chef picked whatever Spanish and Latin American flavors he loved.  There's tapas and ceviche and burgers and paella and risotto.  Sometimes when a menu is too big, I can get a bit overwhelmed and you have trouble constructing the right kind of balance for your meal.  However, I think the chef did a decent job of adding finesse to this very broad concept and there are some standout dishes.  

For brunch I loved the muffin basket (since Double Crown closed, I had been seeking my new fave bread basket and this is it!), foie gras mousse w/ Chilean carica, chives, walnuts, yuca flat bread was friggin rich and amazing.  The squid ink corn cake, lobster, shrimp, collard greens, rocotto pepper-pisco sauce was awesome and corn arepa stuffed with eggs, chorizo, and melted manchego cheese was pretty stellar.  My friends liked the soft scrambled eggs with caña de cabra cheese, smoked salmon, and spinach in a truffle-trumpet piquillo and a yellow corn tamal but I think it was just too much, along with the fried quinoa oysters.   Desserts were awesome - all the choclate ones and the Cava, pineapple & saffron sorbet ... mhmmm

Overall, I would definitely return and most likely with a big group, because big menus will usually have something for everyone.  Will need to do more menu navigating before I feel like I could tackle this in a smaller setting...