Monday, January 01, 2007

Megu - Midtown
845 UN Plaza (on 1st Avenue off 47th Street)

I am usually not a big fan of Asian food, especially anything "trendy" but I have always heard great things about the Megu restaurants. So one evening I decided to drop into the closer of the two in Midtown. I had a very stressful day and was going there to blow off a lot of steam, and that later came back to catch up with me, sad to say...

It turned out to be both an excellent and appalling experience for me that night after Christmas. I was stressed and really should have enjoyed the wonderful restaurant more. I was given a seat at a romantic counter set-up...too bad my girlfriend was out of town (adding to my personal misery). The decor was nice and I think the environment is wonderful for any types of parties, from the lone diner to the group -- but excellent for romantic outings too. Good design, I must say.

I crafted a bit of an unique experience for the night, staring with way too much single malt scotch (my love and my weakness). There was way too many possibilities, so I decided to go all out. The food, paired with wine, came in steps to my own design. I started with some sushi, to take advantage of the fresh fish. Two excellent pieces of chu-toro melted in my mouth, as did two solid pieces of kanburi. That was an excellent start.

The next dish was just dreamy...ridiculously expensive, but worth it. If you want to splurge, this is the way to do it. As readers may know, I have always criticised the proliferation of "kobe" beef (from Oregon) around NY and American eateries...they have none of the real texture of Japanese beef. That was an experience I loved while in Japan, and I did once again this evening at Megu. I had the cold beef...at $48 for 2 ounces, it was pricey but it was worth it. Every bite was nearly orgasmic...oh, it was just amazing... I can eat it all day, the marbleness incredible, the texture just unique. It makes me hate this Oregon "kobe" beef so much more...

After that everything was anticlimactic. I had as a "main" by then the anago tempura -- eel. That was also very excellent. However, I was still dreaming of the beef and was way drunk by that stage. I remember ordering more of the $48 meat and enjoying more alcohol, but the rest of the nigh, sadly and embarrassingly, was very murky...

I have to say I marred my own experience at this awesome restaurant. Hopefully I wasn't too stupid and will be able to go back to enjoy this wonderful place. But I do totally recommend this place, the best Asian eatery in NYC by far.

Food: A
Atmosphere: A
For Lone Diners: A-

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