Nightfly's Profile
for a Vegetarian - Momofuku Ssam or Noodle?
I will echo what everyone else has said: Don't go to either. Both Momofukus are openly hostile to vegetarians. Why would your friend want to patronize such a restaurant? Almost all top restaurants in NY are veg friendly, so don't waste your time and money going to someplace that isn't.
For vegetarians: Café Boulud or Telepan?
I vote for Cafe Boulud, which has always been highly veg-friendly. One of their four sub-menus is "Le Potager", which is composed entirely of seasonal vegetarian items. You can't ask for more from a top restaurant than a permanent vegetarian section of the menu. Cafe Boulud is an outstanding restaurant and the vegetarian selection is just as good as everything else.
Nobu for Restaurant Week?
Does anyone know what Nobu is offering for Restaurant Week lunch? Is it the usual "bento box" deal with soup and a salad counting as "courses", or more a real 3-course deal? Just wondering if it was worth dropping in.
Yuzu-mania
Yep, I'm a big fan of the yuzu margarita at Hedeh. I love Hedeh generally -- great restaurant.
There are terrific yuzu cocktails at Morimoto, too. Last time I was there they had a drink called Thunder Lightning made with shocho, ginger beer and fresh yuzu juice. Amazing!
Yuzu-mania
My favorite flavor in the world is yuzu. I remember vividly the first time I tried a dish with yuzu in it -- at Nobu, naturally -- how vivid and tart it was. Since then I've made a point of seeking out restaurants that serve yuzu-flavored ANYTHING.
There are tons of great options in New York, where numerous chefs seem to be enamored of yuzu. I recently had lunch at Perry Street where I had the bluefin tuna burger with yuzu pickles, the white chocolate mousse with yuzu sorbet, and housemade yuzu-cherry soda to drink. It was a yuzu hat trick!
I wanted to know if my fellow chowhounds had any other good yuzu discoveries to share.
Perry Street
I've eaten lunch at Perry St. twice over the last six weeks and both visits were AMAZING. I can't recommend it highly enough.
The best thing I've had on the menu is the barley risotto with cherries and pecans. It's like nothing else I've ever eaten. Also excellent: sashimi with lemon olive oil, the rice cracker crusted tuna, and the bluefin tuna burger.
And yes, the white chocolate mousse with yuzu sorbet and basil oil is one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. I don't think that's a permanent menu item, though; they didn't have it when I ate there in November.
Otto--NEVER again
I posted about my terrible experience at Otto on this board about a year and a half ago. A manager was so rude to me that I swore I'd never return, and I haven't. It's one thing when a waiter is rude; it's unpleasant, but it doesn't necessarily reflect on the whole establishment. When a manager is rude, though, it's hard to escape the conclusion that it's a restaurant run by jerks.
If you read the reviews of Otto on citysearch or menupages, literally a third of them complain about rude treatment, so clearly Otto has a big problem in that area.
Greek restaurant in NYC
Snack Taverna all the way. It's the best Greek food I've ever eaten, and my current favorite restaurant in all of New York. I've been there several times for lunch, dinner and brunch and literally have not ordered a single item that wasn't terrific. It's an outstanding restaurant, and fits your "modern twist" request as well. Be warned that the place is small and popular, so during prime dinner hours it can be cramped and hurried.
Parea is pretty good but IMHO it's not in the same league as Snack Taverna.
