What are you searching for that you can’t find?
The search function here is usually pretty solid – you can narrow it down by searching within a thread, by username, name of restaurant, type of cuisine, or anything else that might have been mentioned in a post that you are trying to locate again.
Also might help to start the search not in the catchall thread, in case what you’re searching for in a standalone review thread.
(By “this thread” I assumed you meant the old thread for 2024.)
I am also a Sugarfish fan. In my experience, you are or you are not. Nothing much in between. We got one on the UWS, and it is where I head when I am solo and looking for sushi (or at off hours with a dining partner). Parties of two or more seem to have to wait forever at meal times. I wouldn’t do that.
when we lived on the uws, pre-covid, we were fans of the omakase served at the sushi bar at Sushi Yasaka, which, for the price, swung well above its weight. Post-pandemic, one could no longer sit at the sushi bar, not sure if the omakase was still on the menu, the sushi on the menu was good but I always found the room a little frenetic. I thought sugarfish a bargain as well but Yasaka>sugarfish.
way back in the day, I spent 3 years consulting for a Japanese bank and my colleagues gave me a set of rules for finding good sushi restaurants in nyc. The first rule was “never eat at a sushi restaurant with the English word “fish” in the name”. So there’s that 
I am also a Yasaka fan. Never had (knew about) omakase there, though. I think the sushi bar is back now, though I would not swear to it, but agree with you that Yasaka is frenetic. On the other hand, sitting at the UWS bar at Sugarfish is pretty pleasant, IMO.
Bridges, 9 Chatham Square. I really liked the look of the menu, here, and the two dishes I had were very good, as was this briny vesper.
I started with this custard, basically a chawanmushi (or a pascaline!) but HOT. Which was surprising. Very good, though, super-creamy and with a generous portion of uni and shrimp.
And the smoked eel dumplings. The wrappers were more al dente than I expected, but the filling was delicate and well-balanced, and the broth was awesome. I considered trying to get some bread for it, but then I just ate it like soup. Maybe you’re supposed to. In the background is my dad’s turbot with clams, which was fine, nothing special.
For dessert, we had a vin jaune gelato - forgot to take a picture, which I regret, because maybe someone could help me ID what seemed to be pomegranate arils, except they were very pale.
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Levant (25-64 Steinway, Queens) got a rave review from Priya Krishna 6 weeks ago. I ate there tonight. Their specialty is feteer, a layered pastry that its very own Wikipedia page assures us was created by “Ancient Egyptians”. My experience was largely positive, although I can’t match Krishna’s squeals of enthusiasm. First, my two cents pictures:
The money shot, the dough
The finished product:
That was the veggie version. I thought the mixed-meat one (basturma, lamb-sausage, ground beef) better. The lamb-sausage wrap was decent, but not extraordinary. The under-salted felafel was only so-so, and their pita comes from bags. They were out of many of the advertised desserts tonight, and – worse – liver.
The restaurant itself is colorful and lovely (see the table-top tiles under the finished feteer), and there are thoughtful touches in how the wraps are assembled, and in the large flat-bottom take-out bags. The staff are all friendly and gracious.
I’d return for more feteer, and their array of kebabs.
I wish we had a thread called “okay eats.” Because that’s where Okiboru House of Udon belongs. The udon, as you may be aware, is wide and flat, like a lasagna noodle. The menu is limited to dipping or (chicken) broth udon, with a tempura set of purple yam, onion, asparagus, bacon and shrimp. I went with the vegan dipping udon with a shrimp add-on. The broth was interesting, a bit viscous and tasting mostly of salt and scallion. The tempura was also pretty salty, even before dipping it in sauce and salt. The noodles were great, but very awkward to eat - too wide and long to get your mouth around (my mouth, anyway), so you have to bite through them.
The place is small enough to not have a bathroom, which is inconvenient. It’s not cheap - my meal was $35 all in, and I didn’t even order tea. And the only service is the delivery of your food, since you order and pay via Toast, which I found off-putting. So I probably won’t be back.
I agree - that would be a nice, diplomatic title for a new thread of quasi-warnings.
I never realized there was this very flat thin type of udon - or so many variants from the round, chewy noodles I like! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon#:~:text=Udon%20(うどん%20or%20饂飩)%20is,%2C%20soy%20sauce%2C%20and%20mirin.
Dim sum delivered from Moo Kee (2642 Broadway, Manhattan) today in honor of the lunar new year. My original choice was Jing Fong, but I was hungry at 4 and they were closed at that hour. I had
Pan Fried Turnip Cake w. Pork (very dense, but otherwise decent).
Deep Fried Pork & Dry Shrimp Mochi (basically ham sui gok, with huge emphasis on the glutinousness, and little evidence of shrimp). Me, I like glutinousness.
Stuffed Long Hot Pepper w. Mince Shrimp (good, but the long pepper overwhelmed all else and the filling was toughish)
Chicken & Bamboo Shoots Rice Roll (really nice, with slightly thick wrappers; low on the bamboo shoots but high on chicken, shitake, and other vegetables, everything cut into nicely matching threads),
Steam Short Rib w.Black Pepper (pretty good; chewy but in a good way),
Steam Shrimp & Scallop Dumpling (the star)
All in all, I think Jing Fong (UWS) is better, but this is decent.
ETA: This.
Well, we could, or
I found myself naked and afraid in a scary food dessert yesterday only to find all sorts of decent options.
Ended up at Javelina in Upper East Side for wonderful creamy yellow Queso, skirt steak fajitas, and slow cooked brisket Enchiladas. All excellent. I have a new found appreciation for Tex-Mex, at least for a couple of days
houston ruined us for texmex but we’ve had it on the list of places to try for a bit. things are slowly improving here, @Saregama sent us to Adyar Ananda Bhavan and the dosa were among the best I’ve had in nyc.
good call on the grandmas vodka slice at delizias! First bite was just sort of doughy bread with one-note melted mozz but wow, their vodka sauce brings it together. Not the best bake but definitely a guilty pleasure. I had to ask twice if the $3.50 price was right
also noticed they have a lunch menu with $8 hot heroes, I wonder if I could get them to throw some of that sauce on a chicken parm.
Their idlis are probably the best I’ve had in nyc.
And the chhole bhatura.
Indian Table with @SteveR and his better half, and @ninkat. I had a great time there, as I always do, but the theme - Anglo/Indian - was not my favorite. We started off auspiciously, with this Fata Fatt cauliflower, pleasantly oily and with a lot of flavor from the curry leaves, onions and peppers.
Oh, I had a cocktail, obviously. It’s basically a gin and tonic, with a lot of “stuff,” and described to me as something I would have a lot of control over, adding components as I saw fit, etc. Well, it was a glass of aromatics, and a little bottle of grapefruit-infused gin, and a slightly larger bottle of elderflower tonic. All very nice, but basically a classed-up version of the drink you get on a plane. Not saying I didn’t like it. Of course I liked it.
Next up was this shrimp croquette, confusingly called a prawn cutlet on the menu. It was very bread-y and not nearly shrimp-y enough. Nice presentation, though.
This was the dish I was most looking forward to, egg curry with drumstick. I don’t think I’ve had drumstick (what would happen if asparagus and artichoke had a baby) since my long ago trip to Mumbai. Still good! Still messy!
The two desserts, eggy bread (French toast, basically) and steamed ginger pudding (not really a pudding at all, more of a composed grain dish). Nice, but not exactly earth-shattering
Company > Food.
My birthday was January 10th, and I took myself to Le Veau d’Or. It was my 4th time there aince they opened (I try and go once a month) and my first time sitting at the bar.
The birthday cow was present, and in light of the auspicious occasion, I started with the Le Veau d’Or Martini their way.
For the first course of the prix fix, they had a really good chestnut soup (No photo of that one alas), and I went ahead and ordered a bottle of Catherine Riss pinot noir. I first had Catherine Riss wine at Le Servan in Paris. I am a fan.
For my main, in keeping with the cozy classic theme, I went with the chicken. The chicken at Le Veau is absolutely outstanding. I highly recommend it.
I finished the evening with Crepes Suzette, Beignets (I love that they do this) and a Manhattan or two.
If you have yet to go to Le Veau d’Or, do so. It has quickly become one of my favorite Manhattan haunts
Tonight, we popped down to the East Village and went to Schmuck, a new cocktail bar. The Fizz is so, so, so good. The space is really cool. I highly recommend it.
Happy belated birthday! Glad to know Veau d’or is as good as it sounds.
I’ve had this on our list of places to try, thanks so much for your review, that chicken looks spectacular!
best,
