Basta Pasta, Dieci, Greenwich Grill, Catch for Asian fusion

+1 for Desnuda. Can't wait for their Cevicheria to open in Bklyn!

The Cardinal, Pies & Thighs have great fried chicken

Solid tasting menu. Michelin Star worthy if they up their service game.

FatWitch all the way

GREASY.

SALTY, EXPENSIVE

The Cardinal

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The Cardinal
234 E 4th St, New York, NY 10009

These are the two closest off the top of my head:
Cha Cha Tang's is pretty strong but it tastes salty.
M Star Cafe's is just as strong.

Mei Lai Wah's is my go to place but is lighter - they use light cream w/ tiny ice crystals and simple syrup.

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M Star Cafe
19 Division St, New York, NY 10002

Cha Chan Tang
45 Mott St, New York, NY 10013

Mei Li Wah
64 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

Basta Pasta. Greenwich Grill is good too.

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Basta Pasta
37 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011

Greenwich Grill
428 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10013

Agreed. Torija is the best in town. Top 5 places to dine IMO, valuewise.

Way too expensive and subtle in flavor. Grom is better

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Grom
233 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Definitely The Breslin for their Lamb Burger. It lives up to the hype.

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The Breslin
20 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001

La Maison du Chocolat you mean. There's one in FiDi as well as Rock Center

Myanmar Fish Broth Soup - aka Mohinga

Degustation is not molecular gastronomy

AVOID the fried stuff. stick to the steamed. I did a writeup as well but left indifferent.

Norma's, Ritz, Waldorf

Bangkok Center Grocery sells them for $3 (roughly 10 leaves)

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Bangkok Center Grocery
104 Mosco St, New York, NY 10013

Vosges has a curry and a chocolate pandan ice cream

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Vosges Haut-Chocolat
132 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Sunshine 27

Nuela's ceviche was way too tart. We reviewed it.

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Nuela
43 W 24th St, New York, NY 10010

Niko, Tsukushi, Bohemian, Sushi UO

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Tsukushi
300 E 41st St, New York, NY 10017

Basso 56

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Basso 56
234 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

Alternatively, try Katagiri or Mitsuwa.

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Katagiri
224 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022

EN Japanese Brasserie has some really good classes as well. Check them out at enjb.com

The Torrija @ Degustation...to DIE for!

wasn't crazy about August

Perilla is that oh so fragrant leaf that plays in the sandbox well with many. Chef Harold Dieterle of Top Chef S1 notoriety brings his creativity to this flagship restaurant. Since, he has recently opened Kin Shop, a Neo Thai restaurant concept that has received mixed reviews. We're not here to talk about Kin Shop though. No fault of theirs, Perilla located in the West Village in an area difficult to navigate, as one minute you're on W4St and before you know it, you're on W11ST and realize that you've been mindf*cked. To the left of the Florence Meat Market (a yelp beast at 5/5 stars) where a sexy pig lies, Perilla lies adjacent, welcoming you with a low key entrance.

They accomodated our early arrival with no hestitation. Loaded with 2-tops, the feel is a bit cramped but warm. You are served what we think is bread from Sullivan Street Bakery w/ EVOO dip, salt and pepper mill on the side. The burnt edges on the bread are a dead giveaway, but we could be mistaken. As the apps arrived, we were greeted by a huge waft of something in the air upon inhalation of the rabbit dish. It tasted so amazing but what could it be? Then it hit us. It was a sh*tload of butter. This dish is one that will make your eyes roll back, a worthy signature dish even. The aroma of the edamame falafel was much more subdued. At first we were afraid that the 'edamame' part was only in the green sauce, but breathed easier after cutting into a fried mini cylinder of chickpea/soy heaven. Much talked about, this dish is genius and should be ordered as well. 8 big ones, count them, is the number you will get.

The mains, however, were quite average, under par even. The duck we ordered was borderline bloody and had to be sent back. The line of sinew down the middle didn't help matters. Two rectangular duck breasts were given, sans crispy skin. The leg was wrapped in a tasty mini crepe and we came to discover 'Indian Flavors' meant Turmeric Marshmallow and lentils under the duck. Not to be overlooked, the creative Turmeric Marshmallow gave the dish not only sweetness, but provided depth of flavor. The two small pieces of seared foie gras had some crushed nuts (pistachio?) over it and tasted like one would expect. The lamb neck looked like a stick of salami, was served breaded with two lines of eggplant puree and some cran walnut sprinkled over stew. The shredded lamb neck tasted like a lamb on the brink of croaking, we kid you not. No contest vs our baby lamb neck at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, but they are in a different league of their own. Plus, baby anything always tastes better. The walnuts did nothing other than provide textural balance, whereas the cran did cut into the gameyness of the lamb.

In terms of Dessert, the gingerbread cake was a winner. Again, thick and juicy rich cake that was reminiscent of Chinese ginger candy from childhood. The half sliced pear was served warm and played a nice sweet contrast to the subtle creme fraiche ice cream. This dish was well conceived and executed so kudos for that. Service was average and inobtrusive. Sometimes it's better that way.

Ordered:
2011 WINTER RESTAURANT WEEK MENU:
-Braised Rabbit Legs w/ spatzle, escarole, tarragon & riesling cream sauce
-Crispy Neck of Colorado Lamb w/ harissa splet stew, green garbanzo beans & eggplant,
-Gingerbread Cake w/ honey roasted pear & creme fraiche ice cream

Also ordered:
-Tasting of Long Island Duckling ($31) - w/ roasted breast, leg confit, seared foie gras & indian flavors
-Edamame Falafel ($8) - w/ lemon tahini sauce

Far from meager, the portion sizes at Perilla are substantial, especially on the apps and desserts. Entrees, while a decent size, are expected when you get around the $30 price range. Most importantly, love is tasted in the food and that matters most. The cutlery could use some rework, as we hard a hard time cutting into our duck. All in all, we felt it was overhyped and underdelivered. The entrees were the biggest weakness for us and we left underwhelmed with those. We feel that having other dishes outshining your mains is a culinary sin. That said, 4.5/5 start on yelp skewed us to believe one thing, when in reality Perilla is only a 3/5 in our humble opinion. We are indifferent about returning.

Total came out to ~$50/pp after everything

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Perilla
9 Jones Street, New York, NY 10014

Sullivan Street Bakery
533 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011

Florence Meat Market
5 Jones St, New York, NY 10014

There's always that one that goes through Mott and Elizabeth. They sell Gator meat there but it's always a madhouse. Aside from groceries, decent meat/fish selection and they sell cooked food too.