Sunday, June 24, 2007

Parea
36 East 20th Street (between Park and Broadway)

Many people rave about this place, but many foodies also cast negative statements about this place. I've heard people call this place "unbalanced" and "inconsistent" amongst many other comments. But my friend suggested brunch at this Greek eatery, so why not. I trekked on foot all the way down to Parea, trying to avoid the crowds and more bloody street fairs...

A live band playing Greek and jazz added to the nice ambience, but the decor was pretty boring -- a lot of white and cheap too, by the looks of it. Faux haute, as they call it I think... We chose to sit in the back as the music was just too loud (they tuned it down later).

The brunch menu was rather limited and looked confused. It was as if they didn't know how to approach the fusion of Greek and traditional American brunch foods. It turned out to be pretty poor. For a starter I had the saganaki with egg. This was just a mess in a pot that tasted neither Greek or good. It looked like something a 6-year-old would cook, frankly...

The main course was the breakfast gyros. It was basically veal (?!) and spinach and feta with egg in a pita. Terrible, as the combination did not work at all. Adding feta to everything does not make dishes Greek! It was an awful mess. I barely finished it. I noticed my friend barely finishing his dishes, looking disappointed too.

We passed on dessert (the menu looked very limited) and got a bit of attitude from the waiter. What the? The complementary mimosa was the only thing good about the meal. I took a bit of it to test if my ulcer has healed (happily it seems to be). We left dissatisfied.

Parea is all fluff and no substance. I really think this is a shame, and it takes Greek dining in New York down another step. High-class Greek cuisine could be excellent, such as at Ammos, but this certainly is not. Pretentious, that's all it is. Avoid.

Food: C-
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: C+ (*)

Mai House
186 Franklin Street (between Hudson and Greenwich)

I read about Mai House in an in-flight magazine during my many flights in the past months and -- as I love Vietnamese food -- I thought to give it a go this past Friday evening when my friend suggested dinner. I don't particularly like going down to TriBeCa on a Friday evening, but still, why not, eh?

With my ulcer, albeit healing, I didn't risk any alcohol again. Ended up having lots and lots of water with a very good meal. Mai House was decorated minimally as many of the area's restaurants tend to be, with little reminding one of being in a Vietnamese eatery. That's both good and bad... My only gripe -- the spacing of the tables and use of space is just ridiculous. So much empty space unused and wasted, with many round, 4-person table being stacked too close together. Who thought of this?

We enjoyed two starters and shared them. The shrimp rolls, in the clear, raw vegetable Vietnamese style, was refreshing to start. The fried salt and pepper cuttlefish was wonderful and tasty, and worked well with the previous. That was a nice combination.

For a main course, we also split two items. As my friend does not usually eat red meat, we stuck with chicken and seafood. The clay pot chicken was a Vietnamese tradition, and it was done well with very tangy flavours. Perhaps less rich than in more "down-scale" places, it was nevertheless good. The steamed sole was done in a very pretty roll style. It was a little bland, but the accompanying mushroom sauce and sea cucumbers compensated for it.

For dessert, I enjoyed a black rice pudding with mango. I did not appreciate the foam used, so quickly dissipated and rid of them... The pudding was mediocre, but okay. With a nice, slow-dripping Vietnamese coffee, the night ended -- aside from the walk from TriBeCa back to Midtown East (that food burned off quickly).

Overall it was a pretty good experience. The food was tasty and I'm glad to see upmarket Vietnamese, as there is a time for that and a time for the "down-scale" version. Nice place.

Food: B+
Atmosphere: B
For Lone Diners: C+ (*)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Lacroix
210 West Rittenhouse Square (at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia)

I have been told about Lacroix for ages by people convinced it was the best restaurant in Philadelphia -- easily near the top for the entire country. I was not convinced, as I never believed Philly was a solid place for high-up dining (it had wonderful ethnic and lower-end dining, but...). The last two meals, especially Tinto the evening before, got me to think -- maybe Philly can do high-up stuff. And Lacroix more than proved it.

The restaurant is based in the boutique Rittenhouse Hotel off the square of the same name. It is a nicely decorated space on the second floor, with panoramic views of the square and wonderful seating placements -- including a cozy private dining room. The staff, working like sprinters, were quick, attentive, and incredibly courteous. This was nearly European style wait service, and that was wonderful. The front room staff at this place deserve major kudos.

Despite the ongoing ulcer problem, which required me to skip any wine (ugh!!!), I chose the 5-course tasting menu. It was hard to do all this without pairing and sitting alone, but nevertheless I made the glass of Evian look enjoyable between courses. However, they did come fast, and they did service me quicker as a lone diner (it was very noticeable compared to other tables that had multiple diners). That is much appreciated, as well as always referring to me by name. And they even offered me various reading materials while I waited for the food -- something NO restaurants have ever offered this lone diner. Fabulous service.

The creations at this restaurant are absolutely fantastic. Usually I don't like over-the-top creations, but this time it worked. The aesthetics of the dishes were impressive, as was the taste. The fact they came out in large dishes (small portions, but it delivers a different mental feel than those tiny plates most restaurants use for tasting menus) gave the kitchen much more room to explore each ingredient.

The first dish I enjoyed (of 5!) was the abalone -- a delicacy I seldom get the chance to enjoy. The portion was small, but it was tasty. BTW, did I mention that for the tasting menu one can choose from around 15 dishes at any order. I did mine with a purpose, to keep some balance. Too bad about the wine though!

The second dish I went to vegetarian (despite most people wanting to "pig out" with the most meats when paying so much!) and had a wonderful tasting of asparagus. This dish was a collection of some fantastic creations, ranging from asparagus ice cream (!) to a jellied combination of white and green asparagus amongst others. Fantastic, I never enjoyed vegetarian fare so much!

Now back to the water for the third dish, I enjoyed the scallops ravioli. There were several pieces of the tasty pasta with strong flavours. This went down well, though I was a little critical of the squid ink that had hardened on the edge -- rendering it useless for the diner. That was the only lapse of the night.

Round four I went back to the veggie side of the fence with a tasting of beets. I love beets, people think I'm nuts. There was raw and marinated beets (the garlic one was fantastic!). The strong flavours really helped, and this progressively stronger-flavoured meal was working itself towards a crescendo...I really wish I had wine!!!

The final dish of the quintet was the roast pork. Done spectacularly and medium (you know only good restaurants -- that know the source of the pork -- would risk doing pork anything less than well-done), the flavours were strong and striking. Oh, how I wish I had some wine paired with this one!

I was nearly exhausted after that dish and I threw down a double espresso then. But then I was told that with the tasting menu, the desserts were free...so I had to go for it! I'm not really into sweets, so I enjoyed the selection of sorbets. The combination of sweet, tangy, spicy and sour really helped after a night of near excess (it would have been if it was paired!).

I left the place incredibly happy despite the lack of wines, knowing that I had one of the best dining experiences of the year. Lacroix is a spectacular experience, and it really shows the strength of dining outside of New York. The place is pricey, but it is well worth it. Absolutely fabulous.

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

City Tavern
138 South 2nd Street (at Walnut, in Philadelphia; near 2nd Street SEPTA)

I've not been to City Tavern since I was rather young, so never really experienced what this venerable eatery could produce. I have read much on how Walter Steib fused modern and historic cuisine and turned what could have easily been the kitschiest tourist trap in the country into a place that could stand on its own culinary strengths. After being stuck in a tourist trap in Atlanta days earlier -- which exacerbated an already nasty ulcer -- I was entering with a cautious step.

The place was a tourist trap, as it was a tourist attraction for one. It was featured heavily in all the tourism rags and is in the centre of all the major Philly attractions. And with the staff garbed in clothing from the revolutionary period, and the place decorated like a multi-room tavern that conjured up images of that same period, you could fear the worst -- obese men in baseball caps and shorts from Cleveland with their non-comprehending and loud children, asking questions that would make failing contestants on Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader laugh...

This is why I chose, albeit a weekend, a late lunch. The restaurant was rather empty, so that worked fine. I had to bypass alcohol due to the aforementioned ulcer (damn, no old-style beer), but had a wonderful meal. The starter was a very nice duck and pork sausage, which was hearty and delicious -- a pleasant surprise. With some breads made with "old" recipies, it was becoming interesting. I could have used a beer though, as it was rather sunny and warm (even indoors).

The main course was the turkey hash, a simple meal of turkey bits with vegetables and a fried egg. Nothing special, and it was something good for lunch. The menu had more interesting things, but I wasn't very hungry. So I give Chef Staib more than a benefit of the doubt with the menu.

I took off with a lower-than-usual bill (again, unexpected in a "tourist trap") and thought, they did a good job. This is a place worth coming back for -- the food, that is. I don't need the kitsch anymore at this age...

Oh, one extra note. Many people do not know the Swedish part of the Philadelphia region's history, but I felt so much at home looking at a very old map reproduction of Stockholm across the room. I was perhaps the only person that could recognise it from the shapes, which made me think -- ah, I miss the Baltic Sea...

Food: B
Atmosphere: B-
For Lone Diners: B-

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Tinto
114 South 20th Street (between Chestnut & Sansom, Philadelphia)

I've always been told that Philadelphia has some of the best restaurants in the North-east -- many better than back in New York. I've never had exceptional food in the City of Brotherly Love until last night when I dropped into the cozy and exciting Tinto.

This small and vibrant restaurant had a very New York feel about it -- quick and small plates for sharing, creative use of a thin space, an open kitchen, and quick and efficient staff. And most importantly, a fabulous menu.

If not for a recurrance of my ulcer, I would have enjoyed more wine. But I had very little, preferring to enjoy the food. I was told three dishes would be best, so I took my server's advice. It was hard to choose as all these Basque-influenced dishes look amazing, but...

The first to appear was los hongos a la plantxa -- grilled wild mushrooms. I love mushrooms and this was done extremely well, with good variety. And for one, they really piled on the mushrooms and kept the other ingredients to a minimum. Fantastic start.

The second dish to appear was el arroz con almejas -- the clam rice. This was done very well, with a tangy lemon rice. Excellent. The third was el txangurro a la donostia -- baked crab. This was fabulous, with a generous portion of crabmeat baked in a spicy sauce. I loved this one.

If my stomach wasn't going nuts from yesterday's bad meal in Atlanta, I would have stayed and had more from this awesome and creative menu. Alas, that was not to bed. I took a selection of charcuterie with me as I left this place very happy. What a wonderful find!

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

Pittypat's Porch
25 Andrew Young International Blvd NW (between Spring & Peachtree, Atlanta; near Peachtree Center MARTA)

Oh, goodness, can you say "tourist trap" a thousand times loudly? I was led to believe Pittypat's Porch was a good Southern restaurant by various people, and goodness, were they bloody wrong... This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in ages.

I didn't want to go all the way back to Midtown from where I was staying in Downtown, so I chose this place. It reeked of tourism kitsch from the entrance to the table. It looked like a bad, put-up job. It's a bad sign when no locals are there -- just tourists, annoying tourists. Why do people from Cleveland always proclaim their source and become loud and annoying?

The meal was poor as was the service (could barely understand the waiter's English, for one -- though I was polite enough not to question this poor Thai immigrant's roots like that annoying Cleveland table). The starter was a very lame gumbo that had no taste and no okra -- two elements that make a gumbo. They call it "hot and spicy" I proclaim it water.

And the "moonshiner's punch" was rather boring, so had to wash down this horrible meal with some Jack on the rocks...ugh. The main course was the mixed grill of chicken, pork and beef. The beef was a shabbily done hamburger patty-like thing; the chicken had the hallmarks of factory processing, and I couldn't even saw through the pork. I barely ate any of it before dumping it.

I left the place pretty annoyed. I don't like the restaurant's design as I don't much care for the movie that it supposed to trivialise. I find the food a joke and the entire experience a major tourist trap. Ridiculous, and I fell for it. I feel like an idiot...

Food: D-
Atmosphere: D-
For Lone Diners: C

Thursday, June 14, 2007

The Sweet Lowdown
942 Peachtree Street NE (between 8th and Peachtree Place; near Midtown MARTA)

It was a hot, summer day in Atlanta and I felt like enjoying some local dining. So I trekked up to midtown (from downtown, where I was staying) and checked out this local favourite. As it was a late lunch time period, it was rather empty. I sat myself at the bar and watched the US Open and enjoyed a solid lunch with a nice pint of Stella. This place had a nice mural behind the bar of a Southern picnic on the farm. An interesting and open design.

The seafood chowder came very quickly and it was a huge bowl. Filled with seafood, this was a delicious example of voluminous and generous Southern eating. Mmm, though I wish I had some Tabasco to add here.

The main dish was fried chicken, with sides of greens and mac-and-cheese. Excellent, typical cuisine. The chickens were done well, very juicy and tender. Overall, an excellent and quick experience.

I wish I had the time to enjoy dinner here as the menu and drinks look quite interesting. But nevertheless, it was lunch, and it was hot, and I wandered north afterwards to enjoy a travelling exhibition from the Louvre. I couldn't believe that after eating this rich and oily fried chicken I would be -- in 15 minutes -- standing inches in front of Nicolas Poussin's masterpiece "Et in Arcadia Ego". I was so close I could have touched it...and to think I forgot to wash my hands...

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

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Nikolai's Roof
255 Courtland Street NE (between Harris & Baker; at the Hilton Atlanta)

Coming to Georgia, I wasn't sure I would be able to find any really good food. I usually use Hilton hotels, and many of the hotels' restaurants were shaky at best. So I didn't think much of Nikolai's Roof despite the kudos I've seen on-line. I was wrong...

This place was fabulous. On the 29th floor of the Hilton, the view -- especially during an electrical storm -- was fabulous. It was rather empty as it was a mid-week 9pm seating. I enjoyed the meal beyond belief. The service was fantastic, with excellent service (ask for Richard Ray, the captain).

I started with two nice, home-infused pepper vodkas...excellent. Nice start. With several glasses of grenache, I embarked on a wonderful culinary journey. My starter was a nice carpaccio with a quail egg. Excellent and fresh, better than most other restaurants in presenting this simple dish that ultimately depends on freshness. Mmm.

But the main course was the excellent part. After a nice mezzo between dishes of sorbet, it was time for the main course -- the boar tenderloin with duck fois gras. Absolutely decadant and fantastic! I was loving it. One of the best dishes I've had in a long, long time. Fabulous, I must say!

Dessert was an interesting banana and rum cappuccino, which worked well. With a very nice 1927 sherry -- then more vodka and espresso, I left this rooftop restaurant very happy. If it wasn't for the drunks that wandered in from the adjacent lounge, this would have been nearly perfect. If anything changed my opinions of Atlanta, this did it. Awesome!!!!! New York can learn from this place!

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

Friday, June 08, 2007

Shehrezade
346 Kensington High Street (W14, near Olympia tube)

I had walked past this place so many times over the years I wonder why I never went in. I love Persian food (as those of you remember my glowing review of Pars in Los Angeles), but always wondered about this place -- which looked more bar/club than restaurant.

So on my last day in London, as I was running to a meeting nearby, I thought, why not? The only fault of mine was to rush, as it was excellent.

The place is decorated in grandeur and exuberance, from the faux-fresco on the ceiling to the fountains. It is really over-the-top, but in a cool way. I can see why this place is such a hotspot at night. However, today it was my stomach, and not liver, that needed feeding.

Even at 1pm, they were barely getting going (again the evening theme), but they brought out a most excellent chelow kabab-e koobideh -- the wonderful grilled mince lamb. The spices used were just amazing, and the tenderness was fantastic. I hate to say this, but this place blew Pars right out of the water, no matter how good that was.

Unfortunately, I had to swallow the large portion quickly, so that marred the experience -- my fault. This is definitely a good place for food, but maybe not lunch. It's a bit slow staff-wise and they're more worried about getting ready for the evening's festivities. Nevertheless, this is an awesome place, if you ever end up near Olympia.

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

Chez Kristof
111 Hammersmith Grove (W6, near Hammersmith tube)

Despite being a frequent diner at sister restaurant Wódka, I have never dined at chef Jan Woroniecki's other eateries. However, on a windy evening, me and a good friend wandered out to Hammersmith to enjoy his continental creations. I love Polish food, but a change is always great. And this turned out to be a great choice -- especially after the poor meal I had earlier in the day at the previously-reliable St John...

The dark but classy restaurant is perfect in the up-and-coming neighbourhood, and -- despite having design similarities with its sister restaurant -- it is comfortable and interesting. We enjoyed a nice martini to start before we enjoyed a fine bottle of red to celebrate various events, including the finding of this excellent eatery.

For a starter I enjoyed pork belly salad. It was done very well, with an excellent light salad over the savoury pork belly -- a generous portion, may I add. My friend thoroughly enjoyed the lamb kidneys. For a main course he enjoyed the duck, while I had a scrumptious pork chop. Knowing the love affair with pork in Polish cuisine, I had a feeling it would be good. Perfect, done not too light nor soft, not too overcooked or bland, it was nearly perfect. I've not had such good pork chop in many years.

Despite feeling full, we both opted for desserts to round up this fine meal. I enjoyed a wonderful rice pudding. Then we both splurged and enjoyed several drinks of krupnik -- the honey vodka that has caused so many unsuspecting hangovers in Poland and Lithuania and beyond...

We left Chez Kristof extremely satisfied, knowing we found a wonderful eatery. If it wasn't in Hammersmith...

Food: A-
Atmosphere: A-
For Lone Diners: B (*)

St John
26 St John Street (EC1M, near Farringdon tube)

Having missed out on this unique eatery the last few times I was in London, I was looking forward to a scrumptious and adventurous lunch the middle of the week. My previous reviews (including this one) have been quite positive of this place -- especially of its adventurous use of ingredients people find "less than attractive" on the dinner table.

However, I was severely distressed over this last experience, and it has rather shaken my belief in this place. Though it has always been weak in the service department, the service this time was just dreadful. I was shocked at the callousness of the staff, more eager to chat with each other and linger around the kitchen than to serve the nearly-empty restaurant. I was more than livid by the time I left, and I dropped an insulting 5p gratuity. No, not 5 per cent, 5 pence...

The food was also nothing special. The starter was a cold cuttlefish salad. I had anticipated excellence, and since I love cuttlefish, I was really eager to get at this dish. It turned out the shellfish tasted old, like it had spent quite a bit of time in the fridge. Very disappointing.

The main course was the grilled ox heart with beets. The portion of heart was very small, looking more like a small starter at a Korean BBQ. It tasted fine, but it was also compounded by the "leaking" of the tinned beets...which made the heart pieces swim in a sauce that looked ghastly like blood. It was just a bit too odd.

After waiting nearly 20 minutes for my bill, I was livid and left quite angrily. I can't believe this place let me down. Sadly, now with Fergus Henderson's health woes, the quality of his creation has also deteriorated. Shame, it is...

Food: C
Atmosphere: D
For Lone Diners: D

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Aux Armes de Bruxelles
Rue des Bouchers 13 Beenhoowersstraat (Brussels)

During a long and tiring trip to Brussels, I managed to convince my friend to dine at a fine Belgian establishment such as Aux Armes de Bruxelles in the city's bistro district. The previous evening was Greek at a cheap outside eatery, so I forced this one...after all, when in Belgium... I had found this place via the useful Belgian restaurant guide Resto -- if you're ever in Belgium, this is the most useful.

The restaurant was packed on a Sunday evening, a merger of locals, returning Eurocrats, and eager tourists. The cosmopolitan nature of the place was balanced by Gallic service and over-cosiness. It has the annoyance and charm of Parisian dining, but at least the food was better than Paris...

For a starter I enjoyed the pied du porc grillé - gegrilde varkenspoot (grilled pork trotters). It was perhaps a bit rich and a bit large for starters, it was not bad at all. Excellent stuff, hard to get outside of the Gallic-influenced world. Oh, by the way, I'm writing this with French first with difficulty, not due to any linguistic limitations, but when I'm in Brussels I almost always try to use Flemish instead...I like French and the French language, but I despise the unjustified domination of French in this ought-to-be bilingual city. Oh well, enough of my personal crusades...

For the main course I enjoyed anguilles au vert - paling in 't groen (eel in green sauce), something I've been dying for since arriving in town. It was done excellent in a rich green sauce. I love eel when cooked right. I would suggest this awesome dish for people willing to try this delicacy beyond the Japanese grill.

No dessert as I was full, and with the slow service we just took the bill and took off. Good place, crap service, but tolerable -- if I don't live here. Goodness, the life of Eurocrats...

Food: B
Atmosphere: C
For Lone Diners: D+

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Magdalen
152 Tooley Street (SE1 near London Bridge tube)

I wanted to experience this well-regarded restaurant, but fate fought against me. I had to settle for a limited lunch experience (I usually like to experience the full dinner, but...), and I had just had a nasty sneezing fit...ugh...

I nevertheless had a good meal at this exciting little place south of the Thames near London Bridge (sadly, also near the horde of tourists at the Dungeon...). The starter was a nice salad of smoked trout over mustard greens...excellent mixture of flavour, and the mustard helped with my sinuses! I like the strong flavours, and it mixed very well.

The main course was a nice slow-cooked lamb, which was good and tender. I was disappointed not to be able to try some of the fantastic items on the sample menu online, but I was still happy with this meal.

This two-storey restaurant has a contemporary feel, with open spaces and minimalist decor -- which is nice. Fast and efficient service, so that's another plus in my book.

It's a short walk from The City so if I'm ever stuck at a meeting in that area, this would be a pleasant place to experience again.

Food: B
Atmosphere: B-
For Lone Diners: B

Kishmish
448-450 Fulham Road (near Fulham Broadway tube)

I was planning to meet a friend for a long-awaited Indian meal, and we had tried to go to our usual favourite haunt, Sarkhel's. But what is going on? The website is down, and they're not answering phones...so we got worried. But still hungry, I suggested the other top Indian place in the area, Kishmish. I think I have a convert here. BTW here is my previous review of this place.

We got there after a few pints in that annoying part of town called Chelsea where arrogance and fakeness is totally the trend...and how the New York version of Chelsea follows that ugly trend too... But we were given a nice table in the dark and atmospheric restaurant and had a brilliant time over 2 bottles of fine red.

For a starter we had shared the "Kishmish tiffin" -- a great mixture of starters. There was some excellent samosa, pakora and so forth. Excellent! For a main course I had the monkfish tikka, which was brilliant! My friend had the mixed grill, which was borderline excessive! Amazing selection of grilled meats, and I had to help him out with the large selection. With some rich sag paneer and rice, this turned into a fantastic dining evening.

Oh, what a great place. I miss not having Indian food while back in New York, but this is worth the wait! You must check this place out, it's definitely fantastic!

Food: B+
Atmosphere: B+
For Lone Diners: B (*)