Best Kyoto restaurants

Thanks for all the input so far!

@Ikomar - did you end up staying at Kanamean, Hiragiiya, or a different ryokan?

@Dustin_E thanks for the input, sounds like I can skip Ryugin. Plus I just read that they have a walk in a la carte menu these days, so maybe I can go try that apple on a random night.

I was pretty intrigued by 7 Chome Kyoboshi, but I couldn't stomach the price so went for Kondo instead. Hopefully that gets me 80% of the way there.

I had read some good press on Kikunoi (for example, Rene Redezpi from Noma named it his favorite meal of 2009 or somesuch) but when I read food reviews (including a post you made a while back on CH) , they have been lukewarm. Re: Mizai, I am not sure how far out they take reservations, but I asked my Kyoto hotel concierge to book early this week, and they gave me the November date. Sounds like they allow reservations more than six months in advance, and you have to plan far, far ahead.

NYAngeleno in Japan

Best Kyoto restaurants

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I've done a pretty thorough search, and I can't find any threads that directly answer this. We'll be in Kyoto in a couple months, and we're trying to decide among Kitcho Arashiyama, Hyotei, and Kikunoi Honten. Since I don't think we'll be back in Kyoto for awhile, thought we might as well splurge for this. Mizai was our first choice, but they're booked until November (!!!).

Can anybody who has dined at those three give us some advice on which one to try? I think a poster (Uncle Yabai) posted that he has been to all of them, and he liked Hyotei the most. However, I've read several other reviews stating that Hyotei is fairly boring and bland (or maybe too subtle?) , so I'm having doubts about it.

As an aside, after our stay in Kyoto, we'll also be going to Hakone (staying at the Hakone Ginyu ryokan and having a kaiseki there) and then heading to Tokyo for several days. Right now, I think 2 kaiseki dinners in one week (one in Hakone + 1 in Kyoto) is plenty for me. But I keep reading that Ryugin is a meal that can't be missed. Should I skip out on kaiseki in Kyoto and go to Ryugin instead? I can't skip the Hakone meal, as we are going not just for the food but for the ryokan experience.

Thanks so much in advance!

NYAngeleno in Japan

The Dutch

The last time I was there (a Sunday night, I believe), the late night menu started at midnight. They did take pity on us and let us order the fried chicken 20 minutes early...

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

ramen-conversation

Actually, Minca is still open. The new restaurant, Kuboya, was opened NEXT to Minca, so you have two ramen restaurants next to each other.

I personally never thought Minca was that great (lots of garlicky flavor, very rich broth, but not enough "meat goodness" flavor). I found out about Kuboya from another post on here a few weeks ago. It is the new restaurant by the guy who did Kubo-Chan, in the kitchen of Moco (in Murray Hill). I really like the flavor of the shio broth - rich and flavorful, the texture of his noodles, which is just right, and the quality of the chashu he puts into it. It's probably my favorite bowl of ramen in NYC right now (Haven't been to Hidechan or Totto, but been to all the rest, including Ippudo). I'd be curious to see what other CHounders think of it.

To the OP's question, Kuboya definitely has space to accommodate a table of 6. Minca was already mentioned above.

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Minca
536 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009

Ippudo
65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Moco
516 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

Kuboya
536 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Maialino - Anyone been?

We went there last Wed night (more than a week ago), which I believe was their first official opening night. As you probably already know, it's a Roman-style Italian restaurant. The decor was nice in a low key way - there's a large bar area when you walk in, where you can eat from a bar menu and drink from a wide selection of wine. They have a machine the seals open wine bottles, so they are able to offer slightly higher end (but not extravagant) wines by the glass? The entire restaurant feels pretty airy and open. Some might think it's a bit sterile though. Service was fantastic - given that it was their first night, our server knew about 70% of the menu, which was impressive. Of course, this is to be expected from a Danny Meyer restaurant.

How was the food? Decent, but not great. We ordered:
* free bread basket; pizza bianca plus pugliese straight from Sullivan Street Bakery - no need to reinvent the wheel :) Bonus, the olive oil they use is fantastic - smooth with the fragrance of a clean, grassy field
* a speck appetizer
* pig's feet appetizer - a nice starter that was reminiscent of roast pig in a Chinese bbq establishment - crispy skin with some tender meat inside, served over beans; Make sure there are no vegetarians at the table, as it's one large piece of foot :)
* octopus carpaccio appetizer - this was octopus that had been gelatinized and then sliced thinly - the pieces were a little rubbery in texture and in taste (and I love octopus when done right - see 15 East)
* spaghetti carbonara - very simply executed, with only egg and guanciale and maybe one other ingredient (but no cream). I love guanciale, but in this case, it was very, um, robust tasting, and there were too many pieces that overwhelmed the other flavors in the dish.
* bucatini all'amatriciana - my favorite dish, the texture of the pasta was great, though my gf thought it was too al dente. The guanciale here was balanced by the spiciness and acidity of the sauce, so it worked as a whole; I think this specific dish might have been comparable to the one I had at Lupa. Note that the pasta dishes are fairly small (8 inch plates), so you have plenty of room for secondi.
* lamb chops with caponata - a disappointment; the server recommended, and we asked for, medium rare, but they came overcooked. As a result, the meat was bland yet slightly gamey. The caponata was nice, slightly sweet without overdoing it.
* bean+ escarole side dish, plus one other that I'm struggling to remember
* cup of macchiato (fantastic!) they get it from San Francisco and affogato dessert - also great, but due to the quality of the coffee :)

Note that we did not get the namesake suckling pig dish. I would probably return every now and then, but I'm not craving their food. Alternatively, this would be a nice place for slightly higher end happy hour drinks plus some quality bar food.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Under the Radar - East Village Recs

Hmm, I think tastes are subjective, but "absolute worst dining experience" is a pretty strong phrase. What did you try and what did you not like about it?

I think it's a nice low-key place with very homey food. The appetizers are decent but not amazing, but I've tried many things on their menu, and I like the entrees. I particularly like the nikujaga (beef stew), Japanese meat balls with egg on top, and the goto udon (which is different from a lot of other udon bowls in the city). I've gone several times, and the food's been pretty good, with the exception of the last time ( a few weeks ago), where it was more bland than I remember (as if they had not added enough salt). I chalked that up to a one-time blip rather than a general decline, though others might correct me. Also, generally the dishes are $8-$12, which is pretty good for NY.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Under the Radar - East Village Recs

I think foody1964 is referring to Bar Bossa, which is a Brazilian bar/restaurant in Nolita on Elizabeth (between Houston & Prince). They serve comfort food and have a great bar for drinks. I personally think the food is pretty decent for the price, but not go-out-of-my-way good.

As for the OP's question, I would suggest Uminoie, a Japanese restaurant in the EV that serves comfort food in a low-key setting. They also have a pretty extensive shochu+sake list.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

A modest Thanksgiving out for two

I'm sure other folks will be able to give you more specific recs, but OpenTable has a nice list of restaurants that are even open on Thanksgiving 2009.

http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=8&ref=551&pid=1

I've only ever gone to Craftsteak for Thanksgiving, which was very good but also very pricey.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Blowfish/Fugu in NY?

Thanks for the info guys (gals?). The only thing I'll say in my defense is that I didn't expect any numbness going in, so it wasn't a confirmatory sensation. I had eaten fugu once in Japan before and don't remember the feeling. That said, we'll chalk it up to (1) some side garnish or (2) some psychosomatic effect caused by my imagination. (most likely) :)

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Blowfish/Fugu in NY?

I've also had fugu at Sugiyama. I don't remember them telling us what type it is, but I believe it's the Japanese variety, because I had the telltale numbness/tingling in my mouth after eating it.

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Sugiyama
251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

An Choi Specials

I had actually read your post about their banh mi prior to my review. I don't think the sandwich has changed that much from the restaurant's inception, though the bread quality will vary depending on the day (I've gotten some that were too crispy, etc.). So it could either be that you didn't get a good version, or that you just don't like it, which is absolutely possible (I think NY Mag and other banh mi lists don't show An Choi much love). I will say that if it's the filling you didn't like, then maybe try the classic instead of the thit nuong. I might have tried the straight pork once, and I don't remember being in love with it.

I'd love to hear your (or anybody else's) thoughts on the pho after having tried it. The star anise might be a little strong for your tastes (it's not overpowering by any stretch, but if you don't like anise, you might be sensitive to it). It looks like they've redone their menu in the last couple days to include the daily specials, which is fantastic. I need to go back to get the pork chop rice (I hope it's broken!) and try the bun cha ca (which I haven't really had that many times in my life).

Btw, Re: OC - I perused your 3-part posting and used that as once of the sources for my trip. Next time, I'll definitely check out Pho Thanh Lich, Pho Kimmy, and Banh Mi Che Cali!

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An Choi
85 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

An Choi Specials

I've been frequenting An Choi for a while now and have tried many of the things on their regular menu as well as their Daily Specials, and I feel like it's time to be a cheerleader. Also, having just returned from SoCal and having dined at a few Westminster establishments, I feel that I have a slightly better sense of how their food is on an absolute basis (as opposed to just comparing them to the many mediocre Manhattan establishments out there). I'll go through everything I've tried:

1) BANH MI - I've stuck mostly with the Dac Biet (cold cut/classic) and the Thit Heo Quay (crispy roasted pig). The bread has a nice crust-to-white ratio and is just crunchy enough while being chewy. You can also tell they use high quality ingredients, as, in the Dac Biet, you can‘t help but taste the Vietnamese ham, the headcheese, and hints of the pate. The pickled veggies are flavorful without being too acidic. I think the Heo Quay can be inconsistent. At its best, it is amazing - succulent, moist, flavorful pork with crispy, crackling skin - a lot like the best suckling pig you’d get from Chinese bbq places. If you get it at other times, however, it can be a little dry, and the skin may be nonexistent or a little more chewy. For reference, I've gone to a lot of other NYC banh mi places, and this is how I compare theirs' to An Choi's:

* Banh Mi Saigon Bakery - Definitely a great sandwich; however, they subscribe to the Italian hogie style of sandiwch making, in thinking bigger is better. The bread is too thick, which prevents it from having a nice delicate crunch. They also stuff their sandwiches with a ton of filling - I think this skews the bread-to-filling ratio too much toward the filling and throws off the balance in each bite.
* Banh Mi So 1 - like Saigon Bakery except not as good :)
* Ba Xuyen - Also a great sandwich. The bread, I think, might be better than An Choi's, in that the white part is VERY fluffy, while the outside remains its crispiness. The meat/veggie combo in the filling is pretty decent too. However, they rely too much on mayo+sriracha to flavor the sandwich.
* Baoguette - I'll be obnoxious and say this was a banh mi made for Westerners. The baoguette classic combines the vietnamese ham and veggies with an overly-sweet roasted pork filling. This sweet filling completely overpowers the remaining flavors.
* Nicky's - Nice toasted baguette, but um, where are the meat and veggies? :) Seriously, though, I think the bread-to-filling ratio is skewed way in favor of the bread.
* Sau Voi - Probably the cheapest banh mi around - their bread is almost like Ba Xuyen's, in that it's crispy with a lot of fluffiness, but it's slightly less crunchy. Also, the ingredients are extremely bland, and, unless you tell them otherwise, they douse the sandwich with a LOT of mayo.

I ate at two places in Westminster that received good reviews - Nhu Lan Bakery and Banh Mi Cho Cu. Those are tough to beat, given that a sandwich at these places costs $2, and the area's the epicenter of Vietnamese cuisine. However, I think An Choi's banh mi is at least in the same ball park – it’s not as subtle and delicate, but it’s a little bigger / bolder without going overboard.

2) PHO - I think these guys have the best pho in Manhattan, full stop. Maybe that's not a great accomplishment, but personally, I like their pho better than that of Pho 79 or Pho So 1 in SoCal. Unlike many of the bowls you'll find in Chinatown, the broth is not overly oily, salty, nor acidic. What you get is a fantastic depth of beef flavor coupled with the spices they put in (cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and star anise). For the beef pho, they only have one type, so unfortunately for you offal lovers, there are no bowls with tripe, etc. But the meat they have in there is of high quality, and you have the option of adding beef meatballs, which are great. As a friend put it this past weekend, it's the first bowl of pho she ate that was so flavorful that she did not need sriracha nor hoisin sauce to accompany it. The chicken pho was a revelation. I generally think chicken pho is so much less flavorful than beef pho and never order it, but there have been times at An Choi where I've gone for the chicken. They somehow make the chicken broth as good as the beef broth, but in a completely different way. The chicken has also been stewed for the correct amount of time, as it tends to be moist rather than dry/overcooked. Any “Best of” chicken noodle soup lists in NY should include An Choi’s chicken pho.

3) REMAINING REGULAR MENU ITEMS – I’ve gotten the bun thit nuong (dry vermicelli with roasted pork) and the regular summer rolls. The bun is pretty good – a little too much noodles relative to the meat and veggies, but everything is very fresh and flavorful. The skin they use for the summer rolls is perfect, in that it’s much more delicate and chewy, but I find the filling to be a little too subtle for my tastes. My gf loves them though, especially the nem nuong (pork meatball) summer rolls, which they have as a daily special.

DAILY SPECIAL ITEMS – these are rotating weekly, but I’m told that they’re adding many of these to the regular menu pretty soon

4) BUN SUON BI (lemongrass pork chops with vermicelli) – this is the dish that the OP raved about, and I agree. Typically, in Vietnamese restaurants, the grilled pork chop is about 1/3 of an inch thick. This allows for more surface area contact, and the entire chop is nicely seasoned. However, the draw-back is that it is typically very dry. An Choi’s version is an absolute whopper – about an inch thick. The pork is a little more delicately seasoned, but it’s also much more juicy and flavorful. Yes, a few parts of the chop (those furthest away from the fat and the bone) are just pretty good, but the rest of the chop is succulent, and delicious. For $12, it’s not dirt/Chinatown cheap, but you’re getting a great dish at a pretty darn good price.

5) BO KHO (beef stew) / CARI GA (curry chicken). Both are very nice versions of the classics you can get elsewhere. The beef stew has a very light, almost clear, broth (surprising for beef stew, but typical for Viet beef stew), the meat is pretty high quality and very tender, and you get large chunks of daikon and carrot. If you had to pick between the beef and the chicken, however, I’d go with the chicken. The curry broth itself had a great depth of flavor – not too thin with coconut milk like other versions. The dark meat was tender and melted off the bone, and even the white meat was pretty decent.

6) THIT KHO (caramelized pork belly) – This was one of my favorite dishes growing up. This dish typically consists of stewed chunks of pork, belly with three layers (meat, fat, skin) in a sweet caramelized broth, usually with a hard boiled egg (or three) soaked for good measure. An Choi’s fantastic interpretation uses a one large chunk of pork belly, and is reminiscent of the Japanese buta kakuni dish or the Shanghainese tong po ruo dish. The only other places I’ve found the Vietnamese version in NYC are at Hoi An, in Tribeca, and Baoguette St., Marks, which served it for about two weeks. Pho So 1 has it too, but I’ve never tried it. At An Choi, you get a large, slightly reddish chunk of pork belly that you can separate with your fork and melts in your mouth. The broth is powerful, both sweet and salty, and if you douse too much of it on the meat, it can be overpowering. I love this dish, but my gf thinks the sauce is too sweet.

As you can tell, I love the food at An Choi. Yes, compared to places in Chinatown, the food is more pricey. The Banh mis are $6-$8, and the other dishes are ~$9-$14. However, you are getting higher quality and better ingredients. Also, while I love the charm of eating in a hole-in-the-wall as much as the next person, I prefer the slightly more upscale (but still low key), hip setting at An Choi. You wouldn’t hesitate to take a first date to An Choi; I don’t think you could say the same about, say, a Nha Trang or Cong Ly. ☺ And, compared not just to other Viet restaurants, but compared to other Manhattan restaurants with good food, I think An Choi is a pretty good value.

P.S. Don’t forget to try their version of the Michelada drink, with beer, lime juice, and, instead of tobasco and Worcestershire sauce, sriracha and Maggi.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

LA Sushi Report (moved from Manhattan board)

I'll try to limit the NY content to avoid running afoul of the mods again :) You can find a list of top 10 in NY in the following thread:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/644923

I personally agree with the top 3, and I think 15 East is the best. Especially considering you don't want to go to Yasuda, I'd highly recommend 15 East, and please make sure you reserve a seat at the sushi bar rather than a table. Also, the head sushi chef, Masato Shimizu, is not there on Mondays. I'm not sure what you like in LA, but 15 East's style is more like Mori or Sushi Zo rather than Sasabune or Nozawa.

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Sushi Zo
9824 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Sasabune
12400 Wilshire Blvd Ste 150, Los Angeles, CA 90025

NYAngeleno in Los Angeles Area

15 East - great again

I've tried the nakaochi once at Kanoyama. Let me caveat my comments by saying I strongly prefer sushi over sashimi, so please take my opinions in that light.

I think it's a good dish that I'm glad I got to try once; I'll order it again, but it doesn't warrant ordering every time. It pretty much is as they described it. You get the the raw ribs, and you take a spoon to scrape the meat out. The texture after you've scraped it is similar to tuna tartar or to the filling in a toro roll in that it's ground up. I didn't notice the tuna being especially fatty - if anything, it was somewhere between akami and chu toro, and much closer to akami. I'm also a klutz, so it was hard for me to dip the tuna in the soy sauce with my spoon and get the correct portion of meat to soy sauce. Once you're done with that, they carve up and grill the ribs for you. The cooked ribs taste like a lighter, more delicate version of pork ribs, and are definitely worth trying. One other thing is that I remember this dish being none too cheap ($30-$40?), but if you're getting omakase at Kanoyama, you're probably already anticipating a big bill.

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Kanoyama
175 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

LA Sushi Report (moved from Manhattan board)

Just got back from my mouthwatering LA trip, and it was a blast. I went to eat at Sushi Zo, Torihei, and Izakaya Bincho. Didn't have time for more Japanese, as I went to 7 Vietnamese eating establishments in Westminster over 2 dinners, but that's for another thread in the LA Board...

I'll start with Sushi Zo, since that is the most relevant to this thread. I think it was quite delicious - got the omakase, which is the only thing they allow, and I went through their entire selection. Some highlights include the warm ankimo, the halibut fin(engawa) that I ordered twice, and his San Diego uni, which was not too rich and also had a just enough earthiness. The yuzu juice at the end was a nice touch, and I thought the blue crab roll was more subtle and better than what they serve at Sasabune. In general, I think it's a great place, but relative to the top 3 of 15 East, Yasuda, Kuruma in NY, he over sauces some of the sushi and uses yuzu zest too often. Also, I felt that some of the fish pieces did not have enough texture/were a bit flabby, and the rice was good but not great. I'd actually compare the quality to Sushi Azabu, but with much more variety. The bill was also $145 +tax for just me, and I only had one small serving of Hakkaisan sake (I HATE having to drive everywhere in LA!) - this is comparable to a bill at 15 East/Yasuda. If I had to move back to LA, I'd be quite happy with the trio of Mori/Go's Mart/Zo (and whatever else). I just don't think it's worth it for a New Yorker to go out of their way for this while visiting, given that the very top in NY is, IMHO, better. Of course, given the raves that Zo has gotten from LA inhabitants as well as NY inhabitants, I'll emphasize that opinions are like ....... everybody has one :)

Torihei was an absolute revelation. We tried the yakitori and the oden, and everything was absolutely heavenly. I knew I was in for a special meal when our first skewer came out. This was "basic" chicken thigh, but it had everything - a nice chewy texture, a good but not overwhelming amount of sauce, and fantastic underlying meat flavor. Highlights of the meal include the jidori kara-age/fried chicken, which was the best kara-age I had ever had to that point, along with the special heart skewers, and the fish cake oden. But everything else, and I mean, everything else, on the skewer and oden menu was incredible. This is definitely better than the NY yakitori establishments. The best part was that our mean totaled $125+tip for 5 people, compared to the $160+tip bills for TWO that I've had at Torishin. The only thing I'd miss from Torishin is the chicken oyster and the chicken sashimi.

Izakaya Bincho was great (and a great value) as well. Some of the dishes were not memorable, but the ones that were blew me away. We had the normal jidori kara-age, which, amazingly, was better than the Torihei version that I'd tried a couple days before. Also liked their chicken wings, and green onion fried chicken. I wish I had tried their yakitori in their previous incarnation. Exilekiss really liked the buta kakuni - I thought the seasoning was amazing - flavorful without being too salty or oily, but I thought the lean part of the meat was too stringy. The agedashi tofu was also a highlight. All in all, this place needs to move to a better location than Redondo pier - it was really dead when we went on a weeknight, and I bet they'd get a packed house in West LA.

Thanks to Lau and all the others in this thread for their suggestions! I'm definitely a convert to LA Japanese food.

NYAngeleno in Los Angeles Area

Any recent visits to Shang?

I just went to Shang a few weeks ago for the first time, and I was very impressed. I was especially surprised, given the negative reviews it's gotten here and elsewhere, plus my gf had eaten some hors d'oeuvres from Shang at a party and told me they weren't that great.

My friend and I started with some sushi, which obviously was a stupid idea. I was craving sushi that night, but you never order sushi at a Chinese restaurant, even one that's fusion-based. But the Chinese food was very good. We ordered the Chinese wheat bread with condensed milk, the gai lan/Chinese broccoli, the lamb chops, and the wok scallop and shrimp. The bread with milk was decadent, as you would expect. The gai lan was amazing - I'm used to the traditional Chinese preparation where it is stir fried with just garlic, but Shang's presentation was very complex. They added what seemed to be dried shrimp, along with other spices, into the dish. There was a high sauce-to-vegetable ratio, but it wasn't oily, and I think a fair amount of the sauce was water from the veggies. The lamb chops were out of this world - I think that they are among the best I've had in Manhattan, along with the lamb chops at Allegretti and at Babbo (though all are cooked in completely different styles, of course). They were succulent and flavorful without being too gamey; the cumin+ other spices gave them a huge kick without obscuring the underlying meat flavor. And lastly, the scallops and shrimp were a solid dish.

The decor emulates that of restaurants you'd see in the Meatpacking, meaning it's supposed to be slightly glitzy, modern, and festive. Also, to Sam's point, I went on a Friday night around 9pm, and the restaurant might have been 25% full. Regardless, I would highly recommend it, especially if you've enjoyed Susur Lee's food in the past.

If you end up not going to Shang, but you want something in the same vein, might I suggest Chinatown Brasserie, which serves "higher-end" Chinese food in a modern setting as well.

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Shang
187 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Top 10 Manhattan Sushi

Thanks a lot for the post and the list of restaurants. I basically agree with you - NY has some amazing restaurants at the extremes, but you'll be paying $$$. And it sounds like LA has great quality and quantity, especially for places you can go to more than once every blue moon.

I think we have pretty similar tastes, based on the NY restaurants, so I'm definitely excited to check out the LA recs. I'm visiting LA in a couple weeks, and my sister lives in Redondo Beach, so I'll have to gear up for a Japanese food fest in the Torrance/Gardena area.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Top 10 Manhattan Sushi

I am hoping my post will survive the mods' filter, so here goes...

I generally agree that LA has better East Asian food, but I'm going to have to agree with hcbk and say that NYC Japanese is better than LA Japanese food. I would be happy to be proven wrong (or get ideas for places to try, given that my parents live in SoCal!) If we take the best of each Japanese sub-genre, I feel NYC has them beat.

HIGH-end Japanese: Masa - I'm with hcbk on this - you can compare it to Urasawa, but you can't really compare Urasawa to the "normal" sushi places in NYC, as hcbk mentioned, based on price and focus on non-sushi items as well

Sushi: Yasuda, 15 East or any of a few others in this thread :) I think they are better than Go's Mart or Mori, which some have said are the best in LA. I haven't been to Katsuya, but if people strongly suggest that restaurant, or any others, I'd love to find out

Ramen: Santouka>Ippudo>Setagaya; Aside from Santaouka in SoCal, which has its equal in the Santouka in NJ, are there any ramen joints in LA that better Ippudo/Setagaya, etc.? (granted, they aren't amazing, though both were great in the beginning);

Kaiseki: Sugiyama, Kyo Ya - any equal to these in SoCal?

Sakagura: no equal, as mentioned before

Yakitori: Tori Shin - I went to Shinsengumi, and that place isn't even in the same universe as Tori Shin, let alone Yakitori Totto; will have to give Torihei a try

Soba/Udon: Matsugen/15 East (chef is from Honmura-An) - any great soba places?

Shabu shabu - LA wins - unfortunately, I haven't found any places in NYC that equal Kagaya. Any suggestions?

Home style/casual/others not covered above - this is where LA may have NYC beat, by sheer quantity and perhaps quality. I will also say I've found you do get more for your money in LA.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Luke's Lobster

Just tried this place for the first time tonight, and I have to agree with bigkimnyc and say it was fantastic. I too agree that it's probably the best lobster roll I've had in NYC. For reference, I've been to Ed's, Mary's, and Pearl's, and others, and I like them in that order (never been to Tides). People will like those three in different orders, but I think the common theme among them is a very "umami-ish" lobster filling due to the mayo along with celery on some of them (I believe). I personally like the Luke's roll better. It's more subtle (but by no means bland). They add herbs that I am still trying to discern, along with a touch of mayo (or butter, if you prefer), and no celery. The meat was fresh and flavorful. The buns were decadently buttered without being overpowering. Also, if you get a chance, definitely check out the crab claws and some of the other (crab, shrimp) rolls.

At $14 for a full lobster roll, you can't beat the price compared to the others. The rolls here are not as large as those at the others (maybe 75% of amoung of filling?), but they are still pretty substantial. In fact, I think the proportion of meat to bread is better.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Where to find snowskin mooncakes in New York?

I just bought an assortment of colors of the "snow-skin" mooncakes from Double Crispy Bakery at 230 Grand. Tried the green tea and so far, it seems pretty good. You can buy regular or small-sized versions.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Who won the 2009 Vendy Award?

The Vendy awards will be held next Saturday, September 26th, and the winner will not be decided until then.

In the meantime, you can find the five finalists here:
http://streetvendor.org/vendys/finalists

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

amazing sushi? EV, LES

The "Super" omakase (Kanoyama's label, not mine!) has generally run me from $150-$250 per person. However, you can also just tell them a price, and they'll cater the fish types/quantity to your needs. I personally think it is up there with Yasuda and 15 East among the best in the city, but the pieces are sliced a little more thickly than what I prefer (I like the thinner slices at 15 East the best).

Also, if you are sure you want this "Super" omakase, you can make a reservation even on Fri's and Sat's. They have a no-res policy during rush-hour on those nights, but they will make an exception for the Super omakase diners.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

New to Hell's Kitchen and NYC, recs and help

Welcome to HK! I used to live on 43rd and 9th, and I thought the neighborhood was fantastic. On top of the abundant recs others have posted, I would add the following:

- for sushi, Shimizu is great; though on the high end you can get a pricey omakase meal that will cost $100pp, you can also order combos that are good values (~$20)
- I'd second Roberto Passon for Italian (especially their bolognese pasta)
- I think Lazarra (the one on 38th) has the best pizza in the area, but they have pretty strict hours; you can also check out Mitchel London Pizza on 9th ave as well as the pizza at Sullivan St Bakery; for a traditional NY slice, I think Sacco at 54th and 9th is great
- For falafel/middle-eastern food, you can check out Azure Cafe; I also like the schwarma at a hole-in-the-wall called Elyssa, but many others have panned the place; however, I think the gem in the area is Gazala Place - it's probably much more crowded now, but it's a quaint place with a lot of heart and great druze/Syrian influenced middle-eastern food
- Piece of Chicken on 45th for really cheap Southern food (e.g., a chicken leg is $1)
- for Chinese, in addition to Ollie's you can also order from Mee's Noodles. Neither one is that great, but Mee's is pretty cheap and much better than the Panda Express wannabes in the area

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Best Manhattan Pho

I am surprised nobody's mentioned them before, but An Choi in the LES serves a great bowl of pho. I think it's underrated because their banh mi's have been getting the attention, and they also charge a premium ($9-$9.50 per bowl vs. the $5 or $6 that people are used to). Also, they currently only do the "normal" cuts of beef and chicken (i.e., no tripe, for example). But you are rewarded with high-quality ingredients; I think their broth (both beef and chicken) is fantastic - not too greasy, but with great depth of flavor. Also, they manage the little details, like pre-boiling the bean sprouts before put them on a side plate for you.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Business Dinner for 5 near World Financial Center

If you want to stay within the WFC, your best bet is probably the Grill Room, which is a steakhouse with fantastic views. The food is decent, but not excellent, and I think they close early (~8:45).

If you are willing to take taxi's, etc., then you might want to head over to west Tribeca, especially on Greenwich St. There, you can head to Wolfgang's, Dylan Prime (as another poster mentioned), the Harrison, and Landmarc, among others.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Finally made it to Shopsin's!

Great report, and glad you enjoyed it. The servers always call us out for ordering a ton of food. However, when you clean the plates (like we frequently do), they also tell you things like "Fantastic job guys!" or "Wow, you guys destroyed that!"

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

Pizza slice in theater district

Sacco's on 9ave and ~52nd is pretty good. The cheese is so-so to decent, but the crust is perfect.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

What else to get at Shopsin's?

My SO and I were frequenting Shopsin's once every week or two earlier this year, so we got to try a decent portion of the menu (but obviously nowhere near the entire menu). In terms of the well known dishes, I'll agree that the sliders are pretty perfectly made - I'd say medium rare or even a little more rare. They are extremely moist and flavorful and worth trying. Our favorite pancakes are the slutty cakes, lemon ricotta, and mac & cheese. Make sure you eat the mac & cheese cakes with both the maple syrup and their special hot sauce. Also, ebelskivers are - they are basically "donut-hole" versions of their pancakes. A great way to go is to order a half order of the pancakes, or an order of the ebelskivers, and then combine that with an entree

To answer the OP's question about sleeper picks, below are a few humble suggestions. In general, I feel people go for the "breakfast" food, but we like the "lunch" food more.

-oxtail vegetable soup: the quality can be inconsistent (my gf insists on ordering this every single time), but at its best, it is amazing. The oxtail meat and tendons have melted and become soft and chewy, and the broth has a nice depth of flavor from all the veggies (with a touch of acidity). With many of the soups/stews, they will ask you how spicy you want it (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being most spicy).
-New York beef stew: this is a nice homey version with a bunch bowtie pasta and kasha to balance out the huge chunks of meat. You can either order the stew by itself, or as part of a "Yin/Yang" meal, which combines a side dish. If you get a side dish, I recommend either the sloppy joe rice or the guacamole rice. They add something to that guacamole that gives it a certain fragrance/umami that makes it a treat. Yin/Yangs are only available for certain soups/stews, btw.
-The Bridgette/Rooster sandwiches: I know some will balk at ordering a simple chicken salad sandwich, but these are sublime. They use a specific ciabatta bread that's perfectly toasted, with crushed garlic baked in. The chicken salad is tasty without being overly oily or fatty.
In general, I would encourage others to try more of the non-burger sandwiches and soups.

I have tried the Orange Julius, and it's a great, higher quality remake of the staple from the namesake chain; it combines a sweet citrusy flavor (but not too sweet nor too acidic) with a creamy consistency (egg whites, per his cookbook). I've also tried the Orange Boulios, which mixes in pomegranate juice with the aforementioned drink. The Orange Boulios is more tart for those who prefer that, but I personally like the original Orange Julius better.

Also, I thought I'd chime in with a few general comments. They are ostensibly open from 9/9:30am - 3pm Tues-Sat. If you get there on a Sat, I would try to get there by 1:30pm. They CLOSE at 3pm, but they cut off the line after a certain point (i.e., they do not want people sitting down at 4pm). Around 9-11am on a Sat, your wait generally will be 30 minutes. After noontime, it's generally 45-60 minutes. We also over-order all the time, and they are fine with giving you doggy-bags. I've gotten a bit of grief from them for eating so much :) but have not been threatened with getting kicked out. Also, they can be surly, but I think that is due to their desire to keep a family-like, living room atmosphere where they feel at home. I've seen families of 4, with 2 kids, who are regulars, and you can see Zach and the other younger Shopsin's playing with the kids, rather than treating them as a nuisance.

NYAngeleno in Manhattan

I want to lash out against the chicken breast-ification of restaurant food

I am a dark meat fan, and I generally agree that if most people like white meat, there's more dark meat for me! However, the drawback (and, I think, what encourages the complaints by dark meat lovers here and elsewhere) is that it is harder to find chicken dishes with dark meat.

And VVindaloo, I live in NYC (Manhattan, specifically), and I have gotten delivery (or TRIED to get delivery) from a few Indian places that only used chicken breast. I have specifically asked "does this dish use breast or dark meat?" Answer: Breast "Is there any way I can get dark meat?" Answer: No, we only have chicken breast here. Ouch!

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