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Credit proprietor Jodi for hand-picking Chef Matt Lightner for Atera, the former the Compose space. Even more props for convincing him to come to NYC from Portland. This guy is the real deal, having worked at the highly revered Mugaritz, and it shows. When it comes to textures, temperature, and technique, the execution is practically flawless. None of the food is coerced or phony. Even their butter is intentional. The flavors? Well, read on...

When you step inside, you instantly notice the welcoming bar seating layout, one that is conducive to interaction with the staff. The 'communal' U-shaped dining table is one huge concrete slab. The kitchen is open and vulnerable, with  all the action within your view from any angle. You are asked if you want a drink or wine pairing with your meal. Refills are not mandatory but they seemed a bit pushy, eager to sell us on it. Then the meal begins...

We're really digging the multi-course format, a la Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. Who really tastes anything surreal after the 3rd bite anyway right? The meal is $150 with an optional $90 wine pairing. Your meal commences with 6 canapes, followed by 14 courses and 2 breads. Sheer gluttony would be the apt phrase to describe a meal of such size, but who cares when you are there to treat yourself. Plus, you've earned it because.. (insert justification here).

As for the service, it is unpretentious and engaging. Friendly even. There is staff in front and in back of you at all times. The staff in front describe and dishes and honor requests. The staff in back clears your dishes, refills your water, and processes payment. The more junior BOH staff aka sous chefs are overlooked with a watchful eye by their seniors. We noticed that there seems to be a genuine interest for feedback, a good thing.

Not all the ingredients are told to you when served, but intentionally so to let you decipher and decode. Don't worry, you're handed a menu with brief descriptions at meal end. Heck, you are even given a 'mystery dish' to debunk. Pacewise, your courses are served to you as fast as you can eat it. We were done with our 15 courses in 2:15hrs, an impressive breakneck pace for preparing and plating food of this caliber.

We felt the 'forage-centric' theme was a bit exagerrated online. Yes, there are elements of wild edibles and the 'playfully deceptive' look of foraged ingredients as  well as apparent Nordic influences, but nothing over the top like mealworms or the like. If anything, this meal is extremely 'texture-centric', one which Chef Lightner prides himself on when we pointed it out to him.

Our favorites? The Beet, Parsley Split, and Lamb Collar. Why? The sheer euphoric feeling we got when consuming these dishes. Our misses? The gummy texture of the overcaramelization of the proteins, as well as the first 6
'canape' dishes. They seemed predictable. Not in presentation or presentation,
but in flavor profile. The Nordic 'sweet and sour' contrast got mundane after
awhile, thus our taketh of one star from this review. Else, the mains got stronger as the meal progressed. Our comments will be self evident when you taste for yourself.

Definitely not a fly-by-night menu, it was well conceived. Ingredients that you
would never think syngergize do. Plating is meticulous and calculated. Flavors
on the mains live up to the hype of their presentation, something that is difficult to achieve. Staying the course, a Michelin Star is definitely not out of the question for this current low key establishment. Once the word gets out and Atera is decorated with positive accolades from press, the masses will flock. Hopefully by then, the quality will not suffer and the integrity of the food will keep. We are eager to return once the menu changes with the seasons.

(+)
layout is conducive to interaction
unique Combinations of ingredients
Tranformation of textures, masterful cooking technique
Multi course Format
Temperature control
Unpretentious Service
in and out in 2:15

(-)
too much sweet + sour on amuses
OVER caramelized proteins - gummy
gently pushy on drink refills
earl grey played second fiddle to the tartness in the 'rock' dish

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"NETA=THE FRESH INGREDIENTS OF SUSHI"

With former alums from Bar Masa at the helm, Neta is sure to be a a crowd pleaser right? Don't bet on it.

The layout is very similar to that of Yopparai, which we reviewed a few days ago. A focus on bar seating and interaction seems to be the trend these days. The decor? Besides the high quality wood on the bar counter and tables, the paint looked a drab green (cheap Maeda-en green tea ice cream color, anyone?) and the booth seating was made of cloth. The placemats? Some kind of cheap mesh, alternating between 2 dark colors across and between diners. Ikea-esque, if you will. We would have preferred a more inviting decor, but this place seemed to have spent all their money on their fish.

To our surprise, Neta not only lived up to our culinary expectations, but surpassed them. Pricing is right, food is phenomenal, and service? Well, more on that later. Let's talk about the menu. A la carte options are offered, but not surprisingly, you are almost coerced into ordering one of the Omakases due to the value proposition. The a la carte menu is for finicky eaters who don't mind paying in exchange for peace of mind knowing exactly what they will get. The main differences between the $95 and $135 omakase is that the extra $40 will get you 'Neta nirvana', aka toro w/ caviar instead of maguro salad and shaved black truffle over your seasonal rice vs no truffles. That's it.

Like its ancestor Masa, the fare at this offspring is conservative but impactful. Each dish has accoutrements that allow for the main ingredient to shine, exactly the way food should be. Don't expect anything fancy or off the beaten path. Playing devil's advocate, one can argue that we typically hate 'safe' food. This is true. However, our rebuttal to that would be that quality food sells, regardless of flare. No coaxing of flavors are needed for you to taste every nuance of each dish. Frankly put, their no frills approach works with us due to the superior quality of everything they put on your plate. Sometimes less is more.

We would be understating if we said the sushi is heads above 90% of other NYC Japanese restaurants out there. Yes, it's that good, especially the Otoro. The Neta roll (toro, scallion) will have you doing backflips. Sustainable farming advocates should look away at this point. What about the cooked food? The Fugu Karaage (no, not a typo) was the perfect bite. Yes, the intentional large bone may have detracted from the 'spoil me' dining, but that would be splitting hairs. The Dungeness crab salad was presented with huge chunks of claw that defied us to knock at its simplicity. The scallop and uni dish was served in a scallop shell, which provided as a acidity vessel for a freshly squeeze lime bath. Divine. Eel and avocado roll? Oh yeah, thanks for reminding us that seaweed texture is also important and that rolls AREN'T supposed to be served inside out. My dining companion is an unagi snob and raved about this dish. The seasonal rice reminded us of a subtle version of EN Japanese Brasserie's garlic shiso rice. Conservatively seasoned, perfectly chewy, ethereal texture. Cooked toro sushi? This was icing on the proverbial cake. The savory courses ended with ume powder sprinkled over julienned cucumber over rice over shiso leaf.

As far as service goes, we get that they only opened last Friday and we went the following Monday, but all is not forgiven. Drink orders were mistakenly handed to us as well as harmonic discord on the sequencing of dishes. The servers looked frazzled and sophomoric and the service reflected accordingly. This blemish cost them a star, but is one that could easily be redeemed.

What would we change? A few minor things, besides numero uno...
1. Get better staff 2. We loved the ruby red grapefruit granite, but that should be a palate cleanser, not a dessert. 3. Debone your fugu 4. Up your decor game

Our Verdict? At least 1 Michelin Star. That's what we would give it if we were incognito food inspectors. We were not afraid to tell them so either. Do yourself a favor and go before you can't get in. We called it with Acme. Now you have to wait a month. Don't say we didn't warn you this time either.

We ordered: ($95 Omakase/13 courses)
1. Dungeness crab salad
2. Maguro Sashimi salad
3. Scallop & uni in scallop shell, lime
4. Fugu Karaage, lime
5. Seasonal rice
6. Toro sushi (2pcs)
7. Salmon sushi, Kanpachi sushi
8. Eel & avocado roll (2pcs)
9. Neta roll - toro & scallion (2pcs)
10. Tuna sushi
11. Uni sushi, Cooked toro sushi
12. Ume & shiso rice
13. Grapefruit granite

Menu here: http://ny.eater.com/ar...

Total came out to $120/pp after everything

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Not drunk, but Brave is the word I would use to describe Yopparai, the new Izakaya in the former Sushi UO space. The layout has since changed to a more veracious 'Tokyo vibe', with more bar counter seating than table seats. At first glance, the 'railroad-style' ambiance felt warm and inviting. The owner, his wife and another staff member warmly greet us upon walking in. They inform us that they are sake sommeliers and were eager to help.  In typical minimalist Japanese fashion, there is a coat cabinet under your bar seating to stow away your belongings.

With over 50 sake selections, one may think it may be awesome to swing by for cheap hangover food here, but such is not the case here. Price points are ambitious, more so than its predecessor. That said, the food has to come out with guns blazing, or prices lowered. We felt that meager portion sizes does not allow one to walk out full here, nor satiated. You get tapas sized portion plates which taste good, not great. It's a shame because it feels so cozy inside that we would love frequenting a place like this.

We kept asking ourselves what their 'edge' was, something memorable aspect of the meal that would make us regulars, or repeat customers even.  To our dismay, we had no answer for that. Yopparai staff claims their signature dish to be Tsukune, but I wouldn't hang my hat on that. While extremely meaty in texture, there was no wow factor about it. Aburiya Kinnosuke still takes the cake with their robata style preparation of this dish.

Midway through the meal, we were offered to try gratis the owner's mom's homemade salted radish skin. No stranger to this dish, it instantly brought back memories from childhood, a la Camel Brand's version. The main differences were that the one we just consumed had no preservatives and was lighter in color (less soy based) , but the salt content was kicked up 2 notches. We get that salty foods condone drinking, but this extremity had us reaching for our house tea. This was not what we ordered so we will not judge in the overall dining experience :)

Here's what we ordered...
-'3 kinds of fish' (Maguro, Toro, Ika, Oyster) - This was very good. Masterfully presented and high grade sushi used. Roughly ~$26.
Kakuni - Could have used another 3 hours cook time. 4 bite-sized chunks. Roughly ~$16
-Tsukune - Meatier than most, this was very good but not amazing. Would have preferred it more tender and moist. Roughly ~$11
-Soba, Sake - I always wish for 'al dente' soba. Well, this is as al dente as it gets. Could have been dried better for better mouth feel. A tad pasty but definitely fresh, as was the wasabi. The 'glass' of sake we had was quite aromatic. Roughly ~$12, ~$12.
-Sake Soft Serve Ice Cream, Crunchy 'cinnamon stick' - Daiginjo sake was used in this. Subtle sake flavor may be under sweet for most American palates, but I enjoyed this a lot. Nice textural contrast with the crunchy stick. This was gratis. $7

Final words..

It is okay to import your sushi chef from Japan and present a 'no expense spared' decor, but ultimately your food has to taste good and will be your windfall or your demise. We feel that the food needs to be elevated or prices lowered. Don't get us wrong, we have ecstatic that Yopparai fills a gap in the LES, one devoid of any remotely good Izakaya fare. However, in the midst of a sea of fickle NYC palates, a few tweaks can make or break a restaurant. With such prideful and kind owners, we are sure Yopparai will be responsive to our feedback. How it adapts to its LES neighborhood demographic will soon play out over the next few months.

4 plates plus 1 glass of sake will set you back ~$43/pp after all is said and done.

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No, this is not a review of Cajun food, Po' Boys and/or Hush Puppies. Instead, we are focusing on the newly reopened ACME with San Pellegrino's #1 Restaurant in the World, Noma Co-Founder Mads Refslund a the helm. For the 2 smart people that follow me, you will recall that we did an article on Mads, deemed the 'other' Golden Child,  last year. In case you didn't here's the Recap: 2011 Omnivore Professional Master Classes. We were no less impressed with the food this time around. Since the demo, we have been longing to fly to Denmark, but work beckons. Luckily, Mads came to us, and in strong form.

As you walk in, you are not greeted by a host/hostess. Instead, you are making an A-line to him/her. You walk by a few tables as you glance either way. You immediately notice this is a radical transformation in decor from the previous ACME, but in a good way. Say goodbye to yesteryear's Bubba Gump living room. If The Monday Room had sex with Les Halles, this would be their prodigal child. To clarify, we mean by ambiance. The similarities stop there.

Reservations are encouraged but we were able to snag a table at 7pm on a Sunday. Simplicity is the common theme here. Nothing is overly done, besides maybe the plating, but nothing can really be overplated, can it? The bread basket consists of fresh half slices with uber chewy crusts, just like we love. It is served with a tiny ramekin of what tasted like sour cream/creme fraiche, but we could be wrong. Right off the bat, we witness an element of tartness, just as we would expect from Mads' Nordic influence.

The service is unpretentious and not overbearing. Our waiter seemed knowledgeable of both the food, its preparation, and libations. The crowd is mixed with many already making their second visit. We don't blame them.

Ordered:
-Bread basket - served in 1" thick half slices, chewy crust, served w/ sour cream/creme fraiche - amazing, free refills
-House Cured Salmon ($12)- winter cabbage, buttermilk horseradish dressing - kind of runny, but a solid dish
-Blackened Heirloom Carrots ($12)- salted lardo, pine, blood orange - least of our favorites, blood orange and lardo did nothing for me
-Duck in a Jar ($13)- pickled vegetables - perfect, my favorite dish, must get, a tad under salted if I had to be hypercritical
-Black Cod ($24)- smoked bone marrow, blackened radishes - this definitely tasted sous vide, the blander fish of the two
-Turbot ($26)- pickled green tomatoes, cardamom, vanilla - seared, loved the tomatoes, the cardamom/vanilla could have been more pronounced

What we loved most about the meal is that nothing sat heavily on our gullets. Quite the contrary, actually. The interplay of sweet and sour made us that much hungrier. It is also important to point out that nothing we ate was saturated with heavy sauces or oils. Each ingredient was showcased to its potential for the most part. When you have good ingredients, you don't need to douse your dishes with creams to mask their true flavors. Albeit the fact that we were not quite as fond of the Blackened Carrots as we would like, there was still balance. Not only between lean and fat, but also texturally. Being a big fan of textures and mouth feel, we appreciated the symphony of flavors that hit our palates. Must haves are the Duck in a Jar and Fallen Fruits dishes. The main dishes took a back seat to the apps in our opinion.

If you had told me 10 years ago that an Alumni from a #1 Restaurant would hit NoHo, I would have asked you to check into a Psycho Ward. It looks like we would have been the one eating our words. Bigtime. So much that we are zealous to return and try the rest of the menu. If Renee Redzepi is the Father of Nordic Food, then Mads Refslund is no less than the Prodigal Son.

Total bill came out to $125 for 2 after everything, sans drinks.

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The best time to go to popular restaurants without waiting? RAINY DAYS

Not too crazy about their Sushi joint nearby, their cooked foods are the epitome of food done right. You would think that with a scatterbrain menu, they would not have their act together. Quite the contrary, my friends. The Bromberg Brothers really know what they are doing here. It's the after hours destination for many renowned Chefs for a reason, ya know. Attention to detail is important and they excel at that here, as I'm a huge sucker for HOT PLATES for hot food and COLD PLATES cold.

It's kind of awkward that the oysters are shucked AT THE FULL BAR. You can't help but notice.  It's also kind of odd how there is no one to greet you by the door. The hipster staff wears many hats and are for the most part personable. Upon observing for a minute, it is easily apparent that this is the home of many regulars who love their nosh.

Having gone to their Brooklyn location prior, I yearned to return and it's a good thing I did. The inner turmoil of waiting an hour plus for good food is always a tough inner struggle but alas, today VICTORY WOULD BE MINE!

Ordered:
Bread (free) - puffy 8" loaf, homemade butter - super chewy crust, very addictive
-Beef Marrow w/ Oxtail Marmalade ($16.75) - No frills, your marrow comes bare with a popsicle stick fork. The oxtail marmalade is chunky and to die for. Fried parsley provides the perfect balance proviing a subtle herbaciousness to this artery clogging dish. Toasted slices of bread are light and airy and complements this dish well. Minetta Tavern's is better though.
-Foie Gras Terrine (~$21.50) - You get the same toasted slices of bread, the terrine is probably the best I've ever had. Perfect salt to fat ratio with great mouth feel. Strips of pear dipped in simple syrup cuts the fat of the foie.
-Fried Chicken ($25.50) - Served w/ swiss chard, mash & gravy, honey. This dish was WAY overrated but had to try it. Matzoh meal batter doesn't do it for me. Go to The Cardinal or Pies & Thighs for better fried chicken
-Short Rib ($26) [Special] - served w/ julienned carrots/zucchini,peppers, mash, reminds me of Veronica's Kitchen, only better. It's boneless and the rib tips are seared to perfection. The beef is melty and the bbq sauce is not overdone.
-Chocolate Bruno ($11.75) - a sad ending to an otherwise delicious meal, served w/ 3 scoops of lackluster ice cream, the mousse tasted like chalk and the white chocolate mousse crust did nothing for me, the chocolate piping you could pick up in one piece with your hand (wonder how long that's been sitting out). They sold me on this dish being 'the most popular dessert'. Hey, I was on a streak so gimme a break.

The love in this food is hard to beat. I readily relinquish one of my illegitimate children for a regular seat here. You can bet the farm that when they open at the former Shang space, it'll be a HIT.

Total came out to $65/pp after everything

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It's funny how Sietsema wrote this place up a few days after I went. This is just one of those places that you have to go crossing your fingers hoping good things will happen, namely delicious food. I couldn't say no to their lamb bun. Sesame seeds on the outside and a distinct crunch makes it trump Xi'an's. Yes, I said it. The filling? Forgettable. It tasted pretty much like soy sauce, with some lamb stirred in. For 3 bucks though, what do you really expect. Also ordered the 12 steamed dumplings for $5. The filling rivals that of Lan Zhou on East Broadway. Yes, that good. Plenty of ginger and a delicate skin. I still need to revisit to try their mouth watering noodles and that big ass plate of chicken. I am bullish that my return visit will yield a more positive result. If not, there's always Hua Ji Pork Chop House on Allen St, a stone's throw away. Gotta love these hole in the wall places that are 'on the DL'. Well, it WAS.

Total came out to $10 after everything

THANK GOODNESS that..

Gone are the Hawaiian shirts and old waiters from yesteryear. I am convinced that after their renovation, they are under new Management. Why? Albeit still a decent filling, the skin on the 5 pan fried dumplings ($5.50) are just plain bad. It was more like a hybrid between a gyoza and a dumpling. I also didn't enjoy the fact that the soy and julienned ginger dipping sauce was on the same plate as the dumplings, barely separated by a concave barrier. Also ordered was the jajang myun (~$6), which looked like a mystery ketchup/soy sauce over wonton noodles. Quite the disgrace. Their redeeming quality was perhaps their Singapore Mei Fun ($8.50), which tasted legit. All the elements of the dish were the real deal.

Sure, their wontons noodle soups may still be up there, but gone is the charm and the authentic Chinatown vibe. I must express the same sentiment as the other reviewers. Come to think of it, I actually miss the archaic waiters and their Hawaiian shirts. It sure beats the seemingly endless wafting of a teen waiter's B.O. every time he walked by. Consider yourself warned.

Total came out to $12/pp after everything

As usual, we are first on the scene to report on the Grand Opening of Potbelly Sandwiches. We checked out their Friends & Family Opening today, but the official Grand Opening is Tuesday, June 28. For those of you who are new to Potbelly, this is how it works...

How to Potbelly:

1) Choose your Sandwich (Regular/Multi-Grain) or Salad  - On the menu, it says you can order your sandwich 'thin-cut' for 1/3 less bread. Someone takes your order via a tablet.

2) Choose your Toppings - We opted for 'the works', or all the free toppings. As you walk down the queue, you are asked by your sandwich maker which toppings you would like. After, your sandwich is handed to you.

3) Pay and Enjoy your meal - Cashiers await you after your sandwich is handed to you.

We chose the Wreck'd (Salami, Roast Beef, Ham, Turkey w/ Swiss) on Multi-Grain and found it to be heads above the competition (Subway, Quiznos, Blimpie's) in terms of quality meats used. Even though the cold cuts were thinly sliced, each flavor was distinctive from the other, which made for a tasty and fresh sandwich. The bread was toasted and the hot peppers provided an amazing tart and spicy crunch to round out the flavor profile. We also got to try the Oreo Shake, Mocha Shake, and Oatmeal Cookie. Out of the 3, we enjoyed the Oreo Shake best. The Zapp's Salt & Vinegar kettle cooked (and cholesterol free) chips are the perfect pairing for your sandwich, super crispy and light.

Sandwich price points are more than affordable at under $6, with shakes no more than $3.50. We feel potbelly will be a mainstay and an instant hit amongst the FiDi crowd. Ample seating and friendly customer service reinstills our faith that chain food CAN still taste good.

PICS & MENU are up on our i8NYC FB page...

Adjacent left of The Emerald Green, a Glenwood Residence, lies this New York outpost of the OG Restaurant in Washington, D.C. Similar menus offered antipasti as well as 'affordable' Italian food in a bustling Fashion District. An added bonus to this E Squared Restaurant is the integration of a GO2 Burger inside the restaurant. After Laurent Tourondel parted ways and won a recent lawsuit, it looks like the 'BLT' name is now being shared. We still saw omnipresent sign boards of their sister BLT restaurants. The genius of this event is that they reached out to their potential customer base, the neighborhood. With literally 20 or so residential buildings within an 8 block radius, it was the right thing to do. When we pinged people that lived inside Emerald Green, they mentioned that this was the first Social Event the building has ever thrown.

In terms of the food, there were 3 'stations': ANTIPASTI, BUFFET, FOOD BAR. Antipasti served caprese, beet salad w/ grapefruit, rolled stuffed speck, and the sort. The buffet stations included chicken parm, broccoli rabe, garlic bread, carved steak, eggplant parm, pasta, Caesar Salad, and the like. The bar included personal pizzas, 2GO burger sliders, mini chocolate and vanilla milkshakes, etc. Passed around were savory bites aka hors' doeuvres such as eggplant caponata and fried risotto balls and meatballs. Desserts were both laid out for the taking or passed around, and was comprised of a budino shaped like a cupcake, cannoli, and beignet w/ lemon curd under it, zest over it. There were cutesy mini chocolate and vanilla milkshakes as well, courtesy of 2GO Burger. We even spotted Cake Maven Sylvia Weinstock chewing on some delectable sweets. There was also a separate DRINK BAR area where plates were laid out for the taking.

On hand were many 'Real Housewives' wannabes as well as those who came in shorts and tees. All in all, a mixed crowd, mostly older with questionable taste. Overall, our discerning palates were not impressed by the grub. We found the food to be mostly underseasoned and overcooked. Even the sliders had no hint of pink at all. In a nutshell, The fare was super safe, predictable and very affordable given the steakhouse-like feel of the dark wood laden interior. Given the time constraints and 'beta' run, hopefully Casa Nonna will take heed to our write up and make changes accordingly.

There were highlights though. We liked the bacalao pizza, garlicky broccoli rabe, budino, and cocktails. Namely, the blood orange martini and the grapefruit martinis. Given the tough times and state of the economy, perhaps this niche type of food and these price points will appeal to many. The jury is still out on whether this restaurant can sustain patronage with such an expansive space. Only time will tell in the weeks to come.

A bold attempt at 16 and 24 courses, RJ Cooper and his guys over from DC turned the defunct Broadway East space into a PopUp Restaurant for 2 weeks, APR27-MAY8. We heard complaints about dragged out meals before we arrived, but the pace got better by the time we went on MAY1. Perhaps staggering the dining times did the trick. Sitting at the next table was Antoinette Bruno (StarChefs) w/ her family, running around frantically taking pictures with her camera w/ tripod in tow.

THE PRICE
This was tricky since if you price it too low, people like us ask ourselves 'What's the catch?', giving restys like this a chance to over deliver. On the other hand, if you price it too high, no one will show. $125 was more than fair for the amount of effort and number of ingredients harvested to furnish our plates. We had no complaints in that department, especially since staff was generous enough to include 2 glasses of wine gratis to show their appreciation for us coming.

THE SERVICE
Just like any restaurant, the service varied from those who enunciated to those who were soft-spoken and forgot what were in the dishes. Staff was dressed in black. In terms of professionalism, silverware was dropped on occasion and it was sloppy. We even got the wrong dish sent to us a few times. Taking 2 hrs to serve out the final 6 courses was painstaking. Luckily we brought a Magazine with us after what we hear prior. We went on to convey our thoughts to the Manager, who showed a genuine concern for feedback about the food and service that had transpired.

THE FOOD
The presentation was definitely not lacking. Plenty of thought went into plating, each one pristine and spotless. We loved the white contrast of the plates which made each dish pop out at us while taking our food porn. We noticed a weak start but a strong finish. To avoid palate fatigue, we wish they would switch it up on us and vary the heaviness of each course, a technique that Grant Achatz mastered at Alinea. In summary, we liked 9 out of 24 courses. Instead of reiterating already what's on the menu, we'll get into specific ingredients as well as comments.

*Noteworthy dishes denoted with an asterisk

7PM
*Course 5: Went well w/ gin roulade, no gin flavor though, brioche crumbs

At this point, we were served 5 courses in the first 30min.

7:30PM
*Course 6: The compressed watermelon reminded us of an episode of 7PM

*Course 10: Hands down the best dish of the evening, well-balanced, ikura and brown butter was unique, perfect crisp on the trout, served w/ fried spinach

*Course 13: Liquid olive a la El Bulli, olive crumble, peppermint garnish,

*Course 15: Very good, vidalia onion ice cream was original and worked very well in this

*Course 17: coffee, hazelnut soil, pine nut powder, pea shoots, alfalfa, fiddlehead, ramps, ferns, arugula, watercress, dried morels, simple yet delicious

*Course 18: Lamb and peanut combo was brave but worked for us

8:50PM
*Course 21: That slice of black walnut - heavenly & made the dish SING!

*Course 22: Rosemary-lemon custard, pine nuts were key here, basil seeds, wished the basil cake wasn't served crumbled

*Course 23: Acer is another word for maple, the chocolate crumble here was amazing

10:40PM - meal is done
11:00PM - OUTTA HERE!

Extremely skeptical at first, we could not help but compare the food to that of Grant Achatz, Pellegrino Top 10 Restaurant in the World and frankly, the best meal of our life. At only ~40% of the cost of Alinea, we didn't expect much. We were pleasantly surprised that dishes were nicely composed and you certainly tasted the effort. You knew what they Chef was trying to say to you, even if it fell short in terms of flavor. Although nowhere near the same level of Achatz's food, it was a bold attempt at bringing something to NYC that hasn't been done before in recent memory.

We ended up going to Lan Zhou Noodles on 144 East Broadway for a dozen boiled dumplings after this meal. Since the meal was spread out over a period of 4hrs, it gave us plenty of time to get hungry again. Pretty presentation, lukewarm food, mediocre service and questionable execution leaves us indifferent about going back. Still at $125, it is a bargain in our book. Maybe if the meal only took 2hrs instead of 4hrs, we'd reconsider. Til then, we can call it a journey for ADD palates like ours, but nothing more.

The next PopUp series is in full swing MAY11-17, with the Fatty Cue guys up next.

The Journey 24course menu here: http://i54.tinypic.com...

More pics on our i8NYC FB Page, full review up on our blog...