Luxeat

Food or art?

"Tuna tartare with sorrel, tomato an olives " at Eleven Madison Park , New York

 

The revolution of Momofuku Ko? Or not?

This year has been a lucky year for me. First i was invited to El Bulli and then i got a reservation at Momofuku Ko that could be considered the most sought after restaurant reservation in America. Booking Momofuku Ko is totally automated. First you need to create a profile on their website www.momofuku.com, then log in at 10 am New York time and be faster than hundreds if not thousands New Yorkers who would click on the green check marks simultaneously. When you get a reservation, you need to secure it by providing your credit card details. No show up means that you are $150 poorer.

In the city of... the Lucky Peach

Momofuku Ko coming next!

What happened to Sushi Yasuda?

For years i considered Sushi Yasuda in New York as the benchmark for perfect sushi outside Japan, this time it was just a shadow of it's former self. Everything seemed to be like always, yet the key element, the fish was much worse than previous times. The fish was dry and didn't have that moisture ( or freshness?) usually great sushi has. And the fatty tuna didn't taste at all like fatty tuna. Did they change the fish suppliers?

Jean Georges

Jean Georges (3*) 1 Central Park West, New York - 212 299-3900

Chef: Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Ambiance and service: "Manhattan chic" ,professional yet invisible service.

Food?  Well,I've written about Jean Georges before - i am still puzzled how come it has such high ratings everywhere. It is among "30 most Important U.S. restaurants" in OAD guide, 28 /30 in Zagat,is among The Worlds 50 Best and it has 3 Michelin stars. 3 Michelin stars literally mean "worth a special" journey. Yes, for me Jean Georges is worth a special journey from downtown Manhattan, but not from further.

Soto

I am jealous of all the great sushi restaurants you can find in Manhattan. In that sense, Europe is sad (i know, i am repeating myself ;)) - the fish quality is  bad most of the times , the sushi masters (or those pretending to be sushi masters) don't slice fish as carefully and the big cities are infested with sushi belts chains that mostly serve farmed salmon and some kind of tuna on balls of cold,boiled rice. Anyway, Manhattan has Sushi Yasuda,Kuruma Zushi ,Masa, Masa Bar (the list could go on) and now Soto ( 357 6th avenue, Manhattan, tel. 212 414 3088) . As far as i understand this place was opened in 2007 by a Japanese chef Sotohiro Kosugi who before that worked in Atlanta for ten years.

Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen is not only a pastrami institution, it's part of New York history. If you visit New York, you must go there the same as you must eat a buttery croissant when in Paris or a spicy currywurst when in Berlin. The question is, is it worth a return?  Yesterday it was my first time in Katz's and i must say i was disappointed. I ordered the famous pastrami sandwich with some pickles on the side. First, it is extremely impractical to eat, so you end up eating the pastrami slices with fingers. Second,the bread becomes soggy very quickly.(and who likes soggy bread?) Finally, i think Katz's pastrami is only good when it's warm, as when it gets cold, it becomes tasteless. I know many people looove Katz's Delicatessen, but  for me this Lower East Side "institution" is not worth a return.

My latest New York obsession

Steamed pork buns with hoisin,cucumbers and scallions from Momofuku SSam bar and Momofuku Noodle bar . I don't have enough words to describe the brilliance of the combination of  delicate steamed buns,juicy ,but crispy at the same time pork, scallions, slices of cucumber and spicy hoisin sauce. On Tuesday i had one (two buns in one serving) at Momofuku SSam bar, yesterday - at the Noodle bar, will i be able to stop?

Kyo Ya, New York

I wish i went to Kyo Ya (94 East 7th str. tel. 212 982 4140) before diving into the mysterious kaiseki experience in Kikunoi , Kyoto last spring. Maybe i would have enjoyed Kikunoi more. Degustating kaiseki dinner without certain preparation and knowledge is the same as going to a 3 Michelin stars restaurant for the first time. And i guess this is what happened to me in Kikunoi.
Kyo Ya is something in between the very traditional kaiseki and the Japanese food we are used to. Not forgetting the perfect Japanese ingredients and kaiseki aesthetics of course. When eating in Kyo Ya  or Sugiyama ,or other kaiseki restaurants you just comprehend how versatile,rich and deep kaiseki and Japanese cuisine in general is.

Kyo Ya has 29/30 in Zagat (More than Per Se or any other restaurant in Manhattan- it is not the first time i see Zagat doing such bold moves :)). I don't know if i would place Kyo Ya higher than Per Se, but surely i would rate Kyo Ya as one of the best and most memorable restaurats in NY.

Per Se

Per Se is by far the best restaurant i have ever been in the USA.It is worth every high rating it has- whether it is 3 Michelin stars or 28/30 in Zagat.The view of the Columbus Circle was stunning , the people working there knowledgeable and extremely professional, and most of all, the food was phenomenal.

Without doubt,Thomas Keller has a place among the greatest. One surely needs a talent to create such a divine experience.