a Japanese owned and operated Italian restaurant
37 W. 17th St, NY NY
Our party of 6 had dinner last night at Basta Pasta, which was highly recommended by a family member who is not only of Japanese descent but also lived quite a few years in Italy, so he would know what he's talking about when he gives a double thumbs up to a Japanese-owned Italian restaurant. In short, great food, great atmosphere, great service!
Basta Pasta is a "chain" in that the original restaurants are in Tokyo. According to the website, the open kitchen is modeled after the Iron Chef series. In fact, in the Union Square one, the whole kitchen is the first thing you run into, and I, in my rush to get there, actually believed that I had walked in through the back.
The place was already rather busy, all the tables were full. Our party of 6 was nicely and comfortably seated in the middle row, surrounded by other parties of varying sizes - couple, trios, even a couple of solo diners. Lots of children and lots of noise but somehow it still managed to feel like an adult restaurant. The waitstaff was very attentive and running all over the place. The whole staff was Japanese, as well as the cooks and the buspersons. Our service was great, very attentive though admittedly the course came a little slow. Perhaps they were making sure all the dishes were served at once, but we did see many parties come and go during our wait there.
The menu is in three parts - appetizer, first course of pasta and second course of meat, then followed by dessert/coffee. Every dish was tasty, and we all shared bites from our plates to others at the table. Most memorable was the second course of meats, and we couldn't decide whether the salmon, the chicken, the pork, the lamb or the sea bass was the best since all were well seasoned and appropriately cooked. There were a few Japanese infusions into the traditional Italian fare, like the spaghetti served with Japanese basil and roe.
Pros: Great food, great service, great atmosphere, busy and lively atmosphere without being uncomfortable
Cons: a tad pricey, definitely dinner-in-Manhattan prices; service a tad slow for larger parties
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Molyvos
a Greek restaurant by Carnegie Hall
871 7th Ave., at 57th Street
When I lived in the neighborhood, I would often walk by this restaurant with its old fashioned painted stucco facade that so vastly contrasted to the sleek modern decor or even neon signage of its neighbors, and would feel a wistful desire to head on inside to what I imagined would be warm, rustic atmosphere. I finally had a chance to indulge this whim when the husband and I went in search of a last minute impromptu celebratory dinner, and settled on Molyvos.
It was a Tuesday night, so it was not very crowded though the bar area was lively and there were a fair amount of tables occupied. The hostess was sweet and gave us no problem in checking my husband's bulky guitar case. We were seated in a cozy romantic corner booth, and knew this was going to be the exact experience we were looking for.
The interior reminded me of a ship's cabin, all dark wooded walls and ceiling. It was comfortable without being crowded, and cozy without the cramped spacing. Our table was comfortably large enough for the two of us. The service was fairly attentive, and the clean up between and after each course was complete - no crumbs or dirty utensils left behind. The waitress could have stepped up the attentiveness a notch, but we did not have a problem flagging her down when we needed her.
As for the food - we stuck with sparkling bottled water, got the complimentary side of pita breads and served with a sun dried tomato spread (I think). We began with a Greek salad and split the crab cake appetizer. I went for the baby lamb chops served with a puree of eggplant and a lightly dressed ball of spring greens. He had the halibut entree, served with some vegetable sides I don't recall. Both were fabulous, well cooked and seasoned, served with appropriately complimentary vegetable sides. For dessert, we split an almond honey cake and each had a tiny cup of Greek coffee. Our bill plus tip came out to around $150.
Overall - definitely hit the spot for our desired dinner - a bit special, a bit of pampering, definitely good food, a nice energetic atmosphere without compromising our company (meaning, we could actually talk to each other without shouting). A place where both the tourist and the post-Carnegie Hall performance audience member could dine without feeling out of place. Definitely recommend it, and look forward to coming here again.
Pros: atmosphere, food, location
Con: a tad pricey - save it for special occasions
871 7th Ave., at 57th Street
When I lived in the neighborhood, I would often walk by this restaurant with its old fashioned painted stucco facade that so vastly contrasted to the sleek modern decor or even neon signage of its neighbors, and would feel a wistful desire to head on inside to what I imagined would be warm, rustic atmosphere. I finally had a chance to indulge this whim when the husband and I went in search of a last minute impromptu celebratory dinner, and settled on Molyvos.
It was a Tuesday night, so it was not very crowded though the bar area was lively and there were a fair amount of tables occupied. The hostess was sweet and gave us no problem in checking my husband's bulky guitar case. We were seated in a cozy romantic corner booth, and knew this was going to be the exact experience we were looking for.
The interior reminded me of a ship's cabin, all dark wooded walls and ceiling. It was comfortable without being crowded, and cozy without the cramped spacing. Our table was comfortably large enough for the two of us. The service was fairly attentive, and the clean up between and after each course was complete - no crumbs or dirty utensils left behind. The waitress could have stepped up the attentiveness a notch, but we did not have a problem flagging her down when we needed her.
As for the food - we stuck with sparkling bottled water, got the complimentary side of pita breads and served with a sun dried tomato spread (I think). We began with a Greek salad and split the crab cake appetizer. I went for the baby lamb chops served with a puree of eggplant and a lightly dressed ball of spring greens. He had the halibut entree, served with some vegetable sides I don't recall. Both were fabulous, well cooked and seasoned, served with appropriately complimentary vegetable sides. For dessert, we split an almond honey cake and each had a tiny cup of Greek coffee. Our bill plus tip came out to around $150.
Overall - definitely hit the spot for our desired dinner - a bit special, a bit of pampering, definitely good food, a nice energetic atmosphere without compromising our company (meaning, we could actually talk to each other without shouting). A place where both the tourist and the post-Carnegie Hall performance audience member could dine without feeling out of place. Definitely recommend it, and look forward to coming here again.
Pros: atmosphere, food, location
Con: a tad pricey - save it for special occasions
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Kang Suh, Korean BBQ
located in Koreatown,
1250 Broadway, on 32nd and Broadway.
It is one of the most disappointing things to see a good restaurant go downhill. Such was the disappointment last night when we brought some out of town friends to Kang Suh for their first Korean barbecue experience. Our choice of Kang Suh was not an accident, as we had dined here a couple of times in the past and had an excellent experience with delicious food and more than adequate portions.
Last night's experience suggested that the restaurant reduced all portions by a third. We ordered the usual seafood scallion pancake, and order of beef and shrimp barbecues (even doubled up on each for the six of us, as the waitress suggested), plus the yuk hwe (Korean version of beef tartar) and added a serving of vegetarian shumai. The food came as usual, in this sudden blur of dishes and unfamiliar sides that fought for space on the wide table; out came the pancake served just as the meat began sizzling in the middle of the table spread atop the barbecue pan. We ate with the usual frenzy, though trying to keep up some semblance of social talk.
Rather than miniature slabs of meat, our barbecuing beef was thin and shredded, and entirely inappropriate for barbecuing. The shrimp was adequately sized, but the yuk hwe, as well, was thinner than the usual. The number of side dishes (banchan) was also skimpy, and a lot less variations than usual.
Last time we were here, the two of us had to wait a good 20-30 minutes for a table. This time the six of us were seated immediately, and for 8pm on a Saturday night, that's practically unheard of, until you notice that the restaurant was much less crowded than before. We found out why. Next time we're going with the other blog reviews and recommendations, and going with Shilla or some of the others down 32nd Street.
1250 Broadway, on 32nd and Broadway.
It is one of the most disappointing things to see a good restaurant go downhill. Such was the disappointment last night when we brought some out of town friends to Kang Suh for their first Korean barbecue experience. Our choice of Kang Suh was not an accident, as we had dined here a couple of times in the past and had an excellent experience with delicious food and more than adequate portions.
Last night's experience suggested that the restaurant reduced all portions by a third. We ordered the usual seafood scallion pancake, and order of beef and shrimp barbecues (even doubled up on each for the six of us, as the waitress suggested), plus the yuk hwe (Korean version of beef tartar) and added a serving of vegetarian shumai. The food came as usual, in this sudden blur of dishes and unfamiliar sides that fought for space on the wide table; out came the pancake served just as the meat began sizzling in the middle of the table spread atop the barbecue pan. We ate with the usual frenzy, though trying to keep up some semblance of social talk.
Rather than miniature slabs of meat, our barbecuing beef was thin and shredded, and entirely inappropriate for barbecuing. The shrimp was adequately sized, but the yuk hwe, as well, was thinner than the usual. The number of side dishes (banchan) was also skimpy, and a lot less variations than usual.
Last time we were here, the two of us had to wait a good 20-30 minutes for a table. This time the six of us were seated immediately, and for 8pm on a Saturday night, that's practically unheard of, until you notice that the restaurant was much less crowded than before. We found out why. Next time we're going with the other blog reviews and recommendations, and going with Shilla or some of the others down 32nd Street.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Sushi You
on 51st between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
A tiny sushi restaurant and bar owned by a married couple (he the sushi chef, she the domineering hostess)in a basement space about the size of my living room. Cozy atmosphere, predominately Japanese customers with a few non-Japanese as well. We sat at the sushi bar, but because our host was friendly with the owners we got a few of the homemade Japanese dishes - croquettes and some potato and pork dish, both delicious. We sat and chatted, ordered sushi by the piece, a couple at a time. We sampled two kinds of eel (fresh and salt water variations), sweet sea urchin, mackerel toasted with a blow torch, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, conch. All were delicious, very fresh. The sake flowed, as it was served in square wooden cup atop a saucer that caught the overflow from the cup. Lick a pinch of salt and chase it with a swig of sake - a new "poor man's drink" that I learned, and a new way to savor the sake layers.
A tiny sushi restaurant and bar owned by a married couple (he the sushi chef, she the domineering hostess)in a basement space about the size of my living room. Cozy atmosphere, predominately Japanese customers with a few non-Japanese as well. We sat at the sushi bar, but because our host was friendly with the owners we got a few of the homemade Japanese dishes - croquettes and some potato and pork dish, both delicious. We sat and chatted, ordered sushi by the piece, a couple at a time. We sampled two kinds of eel (fresh and salt water variations), sweet sea urchin, mackerel toasted with a blow torch, tuna, salmon, salmon roe, conch. All were delicious, very fresh. The sake flowed, as it was served in square wooden cup atop a saucer that caught the overflow from the cup. Lick a pinch of salt and chase it with a swig of sake - a new "poor man's drink" that I learned, and a new way to savor the sake layers.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Men Kui Tei - review
Men Kui Tei - 63 Cooper Sq, between 7th St. & Astor Place
A nice cozy Japanse noodle shop. Two doors down (or so) from Japanese hair shop Hairmates, so we'd go get our hair cut, then grab some lunch at Men Kui Tei. I can almost pretend I'm in Toyko when I'm there, with the majority of customers being Japanese and then the occasional caucasian dotting the landscape here and there. Everything is in Japanese, and English of course, but all the handwritten signs on the walls are in Japanese. I think the simple hand drawn pics of the daily specials rock. Plenty of tables for two, four, six, and then a line of barstools along one wall for the solo diners who prefer distractions other than conversation. Huge white bowls of noodle soup, and equally huge bowls of rice dishes. The gyoza was to die for, once upon a time, but the last time I had them it was merely so-so. I particularly liked my katsudon (pork cutlet and egg in rice).
Good casual place to dine for comfort food, Japanese style.
In response to a few reviews that complained of unfriendly service - it's a casual restaurant, not a night on the town. The service we got was friendly enough, and prompt, and quick. If I wanted to pick on anything, I did order a Sapporo and got Sapporo Light instead. My girlish insecurities wondered if that was that a hint. But actually it wasn't bad, so I'm glad for the chance to try it. And no, I didn't bother to send it back.
One more stupid comment - the single unisex bathroom was clean, and spacious. Thank god for that! Restaurants with squeamish bathrooms just suck!
A nice cozy Japanse noodle shop. Two doors down (or so) from Japanese hair shop Hairmates, so we'd go get our hair cut, then grab some lunch at Men Kui Tei. I can almost pretend I'm in Toyko when I'm there, with the majority of customers being Japanese and then the occasional caucasian dotting the landscape here and there. Everything is in Japanese, and English of course, but all the handwritten signs on the walls are in Japanese. I think the simple hand drawn pics of the daily specials rock. Plenty of tables for two, four, six, and then a line of barstools along one wall for the solo diners who prefer distractions other than conversation. Huge white bowls of noodle soup, and equally huge bowls of rice dishes. The gyoza was to die for, once upon a time, but the last time I had them it was merely so-so. I particularly liked my katsudon (pork cutlet and egg in rice).
Good casual place to dine for comfort food, Japanese style.
In response to a few reviews that complained of unfriendly service - it's a casual restaurant, not a night on the town. The service we got was friendly enough, and prompt, and quick. If I wanted to pick on anything, I did order a Sapporo and got Sapporo Light instead. My girlish insecurities wondered if that was that a hint. But actually it wasn't bad, so I'm glad for the chance to try it. And no, I didn't bother to send it back.
One more stupid comment - the single unisex bathroom was clean, and spacious. Thank god for that! Restaurants with squeamish bathrooms just suck!
Friday, March 16, 2007
The Factory Cafe - review
The Factory Cafe
Christopher Street, West Village
nice dark decor, good cappuccinos and brownies, plenty of seating, lots of depictions of buffed up men that made me realize that being female in here was something of an anomoly...
a good place to hang out and read or meet up with friends
not the cheapest coffee shop - I think I paid around $7.50 for a cappuccino and brownie.
Christopher Street, West Village
nice dark decor, good cappuccinos and brownies, plenty of seating, lots of depictions of buffed up men that made me realize that being female in here was something of an anomoly...
a good place to hang out and read or meet up with friends
not the cheapest coffee shop - I think I paid around $7.50 for a cappuccino and brownie.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Alta - review
Alta
W. 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
It is rare to be able to say about a restaurant, "I've had everything on the menu." We - me and my fellow diners at my birthday dinner - can now say that about Alta, a popular tapas place in the West Village. The food was good and can be wallet friendly, the drinks were so-so, and the crowd was fun and lively.
I arrived early and sat at the bar for a bit, and was surprised to see the amount of people coming through, especially for a Wednesday night! The food was great and interesting and we all had a good time trying to count what was coming out and comparing flavors. The food service was great and quick - though I expect that's not so hard when you just order everything, and our waiter, while somewhat odd and inflexible - he couldn't understand when some of our party didn't want non-alcoholic beverages - nevertheless deserves kudos for putting up with our demands, like storing the cake we brought in their kitchen refrigerator until after dinner. He even served it with candles and started the "happy birthday" song.
As for food, I'm having a hard time remembering what anything tasted like (there were 41 items on the menu), but what sticks out mostly are the beef carpaccio, the brussel sprouts, the "two enormous shrimp", the tuna tartar, the skate. Raves from my fellow diners include the lamb meatballs, the broccoli rabe (I hated it, others loved), the Dutch ribs, the Philadelphia truffel surprise...
In other reviews for the restaurant, I read praise for the sangria, but I'm not sure why. They advertise their sangria as "special" but there was nothing special about it. It was much less than other sangrias I've tasted, including ones that were home made. The red sangria closer to your average fruity cocktails - in fact now that I think about it, I'm not even sure it had any red wine in it- and the white sangria was so awful I sent it back - way too sweet, like they spiked pineapple juice with sugar and vodka. Skip the sangria and opt for beer or wines. The meal-end coffee was good - served in French presses and again kudos to the waiter who had to bring three French presses to our table to accomodate the 5 orders of coffee.
Atmosphere: crowded, lively downstairs, though for dinner we were seated in a smaller room on the upstairs; warm colors and decor with candle-light wattage lighting; recommend reservations
Pros: excellent menu, for the most part - only a few dishes were merely good; large seating area and interesting little alcoves; prompt seating when our party arrived (with reservations, of course)
Cons: our waiter was a bit odd but accomodating; unforgivable sangria!
W. 10th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
It is rare to be able to say about a restaurant, "I've had everything on the menu." We - me and my fellow diners at my birthday dinner - can now say that about Alta, a popular tapas place in the West Village. The food was good and can be wallet friendly, the drinks were so-so, and the crowd was fun and lively.
I arrived early and sat at the bar for a bit, and was surprised to see the amount of people coming through, especially for a Wednesday night! The food was great and interesting and we all had a good time trying to count what was coming out and comparing flavors. The food service was great and quick - though I expect that's not so hard when you just order everything, and our waiter, while somewhat odd and inflexible - he couldn't understand when some of our party didn't want non-alcoholic beverages - nevertheless deserves kudos for putting up with our demands, like storing the cake we brought in their kitchen refrigerator until after dinner. He even served it with candles and started the "happy birthday" song.
As for food, I'm having a hard time remembering what anything tasted like (there were 41 items on the menu), but what sticks out mostly are the beef carpaccio, the brussel sprouts, the "two enormous shrimp", the tuna tartar, the skate. Raves from my fellow diners include the lamb meatballs, the broccoli rabe (I hated it, others loved), the Dutch ribs, the Philadelphia truffel surprise...
In other reviews for the restaurant, I read praise for the sangria, but I'm not sure why. They advertise their sangria as "special" but there was nothing special about it. It was much less than other sangrias I've tasted, including ones that were home made. The red sangria closer to your average fruity cocktails - in fact now that I think about it, I'm not even sure it had any red wine in it- and the white sangria was so awful I sent it back - way too sweet, like they spiked pineapple juice with sugar and vodka. Skip the sangria and opt for beer or wines. The meal-end coffee was good - served in French presses and again kudos to the waiter who had to bring three French presses to our table to accomodate the 5 orders of coffee.
Atmosphere: crowded, lively downstairs, though for dinner we were seated in a smaller room on the upstairs; warm colors and decor with candle-light wattage lighting; recommend reservations
Pros: excellent menu, for the most part - only a few dishes were merely good; large seating area and interesting little alcoves; prompt seating when our party arrived (with reservations, of course)
Cons: our waiter was a bit odd but accomodating; unforgivable sangria!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Le Pain Quotidien - review
Le Pain Quotidien - various locations around Manhattan, including W.72nd St, 18th St., Grand St., 58th St.
What does one call this? A "high end" coffee house? The communal tables are the best - long long long wooden tables situated mid-room, smaller tables surrounding the perimeter. I love this place to hang out in, wait for friends or others, a good place to meet. The food and coffee are good, and so were the dessert last year, though I don't know what happened to the pumpkin pie this past fall but it was awful and orange-y, compared to the heavenly delight they made the year before. But the last time I had the Belgian waffle, I was beyond happy.
The customer base changes depending on the neighborhood. 58th Street was crowded, W.72nd had many solo, well dressed diners, Grand St. varies between small groups of obnoxious sneering wanna be hipsters and slightly older couplings meeting to discuss business proposals and transactions.
This is apparently a world-wide franchise, and I like the idea that I could travel to, say, London or Tokyo or Kuwait and plop myself down at the neighborhood LPQ to read or have a sip of coffee. In my dreams, I do travel that much.
Pros: good atmosphere - clean and spacious, casual place to hang, table service or cafe optional. I like the handle-less coffee bowls
Con: a bit pricy for a casual hangout, they close WAY too early (7pm? 7:30? come on....), the utterly disappointing and unforgivable change in the pumpkin pie last fall
What does one call this? A "high end" coffee house? The communal tables are the best - long long long wooden tables situated mid-room, smaller tables surrounding the perimeter. I love this place to hang out in, wait for friends or others, a good place to meet. The food and coffee are good, and so were the dessert last year, though I don't know what happened to the pumpkin pie this past fall but it was awful and orange-y, compared to the heavenly delight they made the year before. But the last time I had the Belgian waffle, I was beyond happy.
The customer base changes depending on the neighborhood. 58th Street was crowded, W.72nd had many solo, well dressed diners, Grand St. varies between small groups of obnoxious sneering wanna be hipsters and slightly older couplings meeting to discuss business proposals and transactions.
This is apparently a world-wide franchise, and I like the idea that I could travel to, say, London or Tokyo or Kuwait and plop myself down at the neighborhood LPQ to read or have a sip of coffee. In my dreams, I do travel that much.
Pros: good atmosphere - clean and spacious, casual place to hang, table service or cafe optional. I like the handle-less coffee bowls
Con: a bit pricy for a casual hangout, they close WAY too early (7pm? 7:30? come on....), the utterly disappointing and unforgivable change in the pumpkin pie last fall
Friday, March 9, 2007
Nyonya - review
Nyonya - 194 Grand Street, between Mott & Mulberry
Located in Chinatown area, on Grand Street between Mott and Mulberry. Good food, quick and attentive service, good prices. The atmosphere was bustling and comfortable, all wood and bamboo, many tables well spaced out (i.e., you're not sticking your elbow in your neighbor's side or having to rub your ass against their unfortunate plate as you squeeze by to use the loo) and, as mentioned above, the service was extremely attentive, as evident by the handful of servers who sort of stood around in a loose cluster by the wall. We were there around 1pm and I was surprised it was not more crowded, but I had seen it more crowded at dinner time in prior visits.
The food for today was the Kueh Teow Thong (flat noodles soup) under the Noodles in Soup section of the menu. It was typical comfort food to me, at least with what I grew up with - flat white noodles, a clear lightly flavored broth, topped with chopped scallions, nicely cooked shrimp and shredded chicken. I had let it sit for too long as I was working on other food, and before we knew it the noodles had puffed up, having soaked up a good majority of the broth. This is the kind of dish I could eat without thinking, or at least while thinking of other things. My fellow diner/spouse had his staple favorite Nasi Lemak under the Rice Dishes section. It came out on a green rectangular platter, rice ball in the center, surrounded on all four corners with different meaty, saucy dishes. All the meaty dishes were very tasty, some hot, some cold, some spicy - watch out for the chicken dish that had random rib bone fragments still attached to the meat. I accompanied my lunch with a Tiger beer (I had a rough morning) and my spouse was good with the complimentary tea.
They cleaned up rather quickly (after waiting patiently for us to finish picking at the remains), and plunked down the bill with no offering of dessert - a shame. Maybe there is no dessert during lunch time? We left a $20 on the table, which was enough to cover the cost of lunch plus tip.
OVERALL - More pros than not - good food, good prices, good service, good environment. If there are any cons, just beware of the many paged menu and large variety of offerings. A good staple restaurant, though!
Located in Chinatown area, on Grand Street between Mott and Mulberry. Good food, quick and attentive service, good prices. The atmosphere was bustling and comfortable, all wood and bamboo, many tables well spaced out (i.e., you're not sticking your elbow in your neighbor's side or having to rub your ass against their unfortunate plate as you squeeze by to use the loo) and, as mentioned above, the service was extremely attentive, as evident by the handful of servers who sort of stood around in a loose cluster by the wall. We were there around 1pm and I was surprised it was not more crowded, but I had seen it more crowded at dinner time in prior visits.
The food for today was the Kueh Teow Thong (flat noodles soup) under the Noodles in Soup section of the menu. It was typical comfort food to me, at least with what I grew up with - flat white noodles, a clear lightly flavored broth, topped with chopped scallions, nicely cooked shrimp and shredded chicken. I had let it sit for too long as I was working on other food, and before we knew it the noodles had puffed up, having soaked up a good majority of the broth. This is the kind of dish I could eat without thinking, or at least while thinking of other things. My fellow diner/spouse had his staple favorite Nasi Lemak under the Rice Dishes section. It came out on a green rectangular platter, rice ball in the center, surrounded on all four corners with different meaty, saucy dishes. All the meaty dishes were very tasty, some hot, some cold, some spicy - watch out for the chicken dish that had random rib bone fragments still attached to the meat. I accompanied my lunch with a Tiger beer (I had a rough morning) and my spouse was good with the complimentary tea.
They cleaned up rather quickly (after waiting patiently for us to finish picking at the remains), and plunked down the bill with no offering of dessert - a shame. Maybe there is no dessert during lunch time? We left a $20 on the table, which was enough to cover the cost of lunch plus tip.
OVERALL - More pros than not - good food, good prices, good service, good environment. If there are any cons, just beware of the many paged menu and large variety of offerings. A good staple restaurant, though!
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