Rampant Reviews

Wasabi Hibachi Steakhouse (LI)

2007-07-08T08:43:00.000-04:00

283 Main St, Farmingdale, NY-11735
516.843.8188

Cost per person: $25 (hibachi)
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10

Now that it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to check out new restaurants in New York City - the 60 mile drive somewhat demands that we end up in a tried and tested place, rather than meandering into (our, yet) unchartered waters, I should follow suit from the Dabbawalla review, and have a few more notable places in the great suburbs writted up.

Here's one of our favourite places for a show and dinner - Wasabi Hibachi, in downtown Farmingdale. If you are coming off 495 exit 49 / 110 S / Route 24 West, it's left off the third light - and if you turn left into the rear parking lot of the strip mall just before you reach the light, then you are at the perfect spot.

Hibachi presentations probably demand spaces that are unavailable in the City - or it may be that I just haven't yet seen where they are hidden. We discovered this place from a Restaurant.com coupon that we came across, and have visited several times in the last year or so.

The menu is pretty obvious - hibachi chicken, shrimp, steak, and so on. The chirashi was nice, and so was the sushi platter. If you are ordering hibachi, it helps if you order fried rice with your order, and a side of noodles, or the other way around. The noodles and fried rice are done really to our liking.

Yuva

2007-05-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

230 E 58th St / 3rd Ave, 212.339.0090

[Map][Citysearch][MenuPages][Website]

Cost per person: $40
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10

Yash and Chhordibhai (Madhumita) decided to give Soma a graduation treat at Yuva, and I got to tag along. 53rd between 2nd and 3rd is jam packed with really nice, upscale Indian places - there's this, of course, as well as Dawat, and Chola, and Ada. All in one block. Must have the highest per-square-foot consumption of Taj Mahal beer in the entire United States (assuming the cheaper, and less elite, places down on Curry Hill - Lex and 20's - have their clientele order mostly water, no ice).

This is a smaller place than Madhur Jaffrey's Dawat, but a rather cozy one. Just don't click on their website - it's a horrible mess of Flash animations, the kind that forces you to wait for animations to finish before you can click. Reservations are a must - and I'm glad to say ours was right on time, if not a little early.

This being one of the rare occasions with more than just the two of us at a table, we had a little more leeway in terms of entrees. For starters, the [Kakori Kabaab minced baby lamb flavored with fresh herbs, cardamom, mace & grilled] was really well made - soft, yet tandoored to a perfection. For entrees - [Chicken Tikka Masala roasted chicken simmered in a rich tomato cream sauce, accented with fenugreek leaves] was right as expected, and a little better than the same at most other places. The [Paneer Tikka Masala roasted paneer cheese cubes spiced in herbs & slow cooked in crushed tomato cream sauce] was exactly the same, with large cubes of paneer instead of chicken. The [Parda Biryani spiced basmati rice slow cooked in a casserole covered with dough to seal the moisture & aroma of the spices. our specialty.] was mysteriously missing the full definition - as well as the option to spike it up with seafood or goat (other options: veg, chicken or lamb) - in one of our menus. Their menu version control probably needs a looking into. The biryani was very well presented - in a clay pot sealed with a tandoori roti - and was very flavorful, though my bias still rests with Kabab King Diner. The most notable mention of our dinner was the [Chicken Kali Mirch boneless chunks of marinated chicken slow cooked with peppercorn, in a spicy onion & garlic sauce] - the innovative flavor was a very welcome change from having seen the same menu over and over at all Indian places, and definitely makes this menu stand out, if only by a little bit.

Dabbawalla (NJ)

2006-11-16T16:41:00.000-05:00

427 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901, 908.918.0330

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Cost per person: $40 (full menu, not the lunch menu)
"YGWYPF" factor: 9.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9.5/10
ambiance: 8.5/10

I must say, it's been a while since we've visited an Indian restaurant and been impressed. For one, there aren't that many that we have not visited. The ones in Curry Hill are good for lunches, the ones in midtown east (50's and 2nd-3rd) are great for upscale dinners, but have already been tried out. Nothing like a bit of an attitude to pique interests. The Kati Roll Company has abundant amounts of it, but the regular restaurants are rather bland. Dabbawalla, I'm glad to say, fits in perfectly.
Soma and I drove 75 miles to get to this place on a sunny Saturday morning. The decor is - for the lack of a better word - interesting. Loud, Warhol-esque colors, "dining hall" feel with rows of sofa/benches (but rather nice to sit on), and an oversized cooking area - everything to make people feel "in touch with the masses of Bombay", but still be confined in the creature-comforts of a spick and span area, brushed steel and retro pictures everywhere, and good seating. If anyone here were to really visit the regular dining halls that this mimics, I doubt if s/he would be able to touch any of the food - or, rather, anything at all - there.
Anyway - it's all good so far, and we sit down with the menu.

Note: this was last year, and the entry was never published, so I'm publishing this half-baked review in for now. I definitely recommend Dabbawalla! If I can remember what we ordered, I'll fill it in. Sorry!

Kori

2006-10-19T11:53:00.000-04:00

253 Church St/ bet. Franklin & Leonard St, 212-334-4598

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Cost per person: $15 (lunch)
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10

Great place for a nice lunch, if you are in the area! I have not really hit the nerves when it comes to Korean cuisine, and I feel I am still scratching the surface - far away from the hole in the walls. Still, Kori was one satisfying lunch, and the lofty ambiance of Tribeca spaces is a relief from the cramped accomodations of many a Midtown / Chinatown fare. Note that I had been to a lunch here, so the space may have appeared a lot more on the "vast and calm" side than what you would expect for dinners here.

As for our orders - the Pa-jun Scallio Pancake (vegetable or Seafood-shrimp, Squid) and Mandu Steamed or Pan-fried Dumplings (vegetable or Meat) were nice, tasteful, and well sized (read: small). For entrees, between the 4 of us, there were orders of Dolsot Bibim-bop Assorted Vegetables, Meats, and Fried Egg In Sizzling Ceramic Pot, and Bulgogi (sliced Beef) Lunch Box, both of which were excellent dishes. My dish, the bibim-bop, comes in a hot, heavy stone pot (pictured), a sizzling combination of veggies and meats over a bed of rice, with an egg dropped on the top. A sauce on the side allows you to choose the degree of spiciness - the entire contents, in my case - and you mix it all up before you eat. With the many different things that go into this dish, every scoop brings a different taste to the mouth, and it keeps things interesting till the last spoonful.
One entree per person is good, since serving sizes at this place is closer to normal human proportions.

Spicy and Tasty Cafe

2006-07-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

39-07 Prince St, Flushing, NY, 718.359.1601

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Cost per person: $15
"YGWYPF" factor: 9.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9/10
Ambiance: 9/10

Read some external reviews, for a change:

Yes, it's that good. Mind blowing, really. The caveat? Everything is in Chinese. The restaurant name, to start with - we had to identify it by matching the phone number to the one from the reviews. The waitresses spoke only in Chinese, and could not even understand words like fork or salt. The menu was exclusively in - you guessed it.
We got lucky - there was a reporter having her lunch when we walked in, and she spoke English. All we said was that we wanted things in chicken, and that spicy is good. We don't know what were ordered, but every dish was super delicious. And everything was hot like I have never tasted before. Compared to this, Grand Sichuan in Manhattan is mild!

*Update*

We chanced to head towards Flushing yesterday, and the temptation to visit Spicy and Tasty was too strong to ignore. It was a matter of choice between Spicy and Tasty, and South Indian vegetarian food at the temple, so the decision was pretty one-sided. This time, we happened to get a parking space at the municipal parking garage on Prince street, and while walking back towards Roosevelt on Prince, we noticed the "other" spicy and tasty, which is really the place at 39-07 Prince, as listed in this review. This place is easier for the non-native-literate, since it has English menus, at least half of the wait staff speak English, and recommendations are spot-on. We ordered our favorite dumplings in hot oil and beef tendons in hot oil as starters. For entrees, we went berserk - 4 dishes for 2 people - a stir-fried spinach with garlic, a stir-fried chilli peppers (only in Sichuan can you get a dish that treats green chillies as vegetables), a spicy fish (awesome!), and a "medium spicy chicken with peppers".
In one word, mind-blowing. Every one of them. The beef tendons had numbed our tongue, but the taste seeped in through every chopstick-full. The spicy green chillies are out of this world in spiciness - you are, after all, eating chillies. Don't be fooled by the "medium spicy" in the chicken - it's really spicy - and the waitress recommended this to us, saying it was more spicy than the other "very spicy" dishes. The fish was a surprisingly good random choice (approved by the waitress). Dishes are huge, so come in a group, or come prepared to take food home - otherwise a dinner for two will comprise of a measly 2 entrees. Oh yes - the menu is a little confusing, with all the translations going on between Chinese and English, and the differences in culture and all that - so frog legs are listed under poultry, and some variations of pork are considered vegetables. So go through the entire menu to see what you like.
Oh yes - before I forget - we recently came to know the spicy taste of Sichuan cooking comes from "Dried Prickly Ash", a seed-like thing you can buy in Asian stores, and not hot peppers.

Kabab King Diner

2006-07-12T16:59:00.000-04:00

74-16 37th Road, Flushing, NY (right off the subway), 718.457.5857

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Cost per person: $20 (less for buffet)
"YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 10/10
Ambiance: 6/10

People from Calcutta will absolutely relate to this place - a portal into Amenia, or Sabir, or Trincas. The seating space upstairs has fans and tables that look completely at home in the kabab restaurants of Calcutta, and the waiters, true-to-form, don silk vests and uniform.
And the food, you ask? Never had better. Forget the upscale French restaurants of East Village and the clubs of upper West. This is a portal like no other. Seat yourself, and start ordering kababs. I recommend shying away from the buffet - no point in stuffing yourself by quantity when variety presents itself. Soma and I generally go berserk with the kabab section, and order one of everything. Definitely try the spicy Lahori Charga, the Bihari Kabab, maybe the Chicken Bihari if beef is not your forte, and throw in a few of the regular shish kababs - these are not the same as the street fare, yet they cost about $2 a piece. We generally go with at least one order of goat curry or keema curry - goes well with the naans. Finish off with a Firnee or a Rasmalai for the sense of satisfaction.
Of all the restaurants in NYC, I've probably been here the most - the closest competitor is Grand Sichuan. The food here is so similar to home, that this got reviewed after years of eating - I would love to rate this a 20 on a 10 scale, but then it would be a shame to all the upscale restaurants across the river.
I recommend going here for a weekend lunch, so you can haul yourself home and take a nap. You won't be worrying about dinner either.

Bamiyan

2006-05-07T05:53:00.000-04:00

358 3rd Ave @ 26th St, 212.481.3232

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Cost per person: $35
"YGWYPF" factor: 9/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8.5/10
ambiance: 7/10

Surely, one Afghan place you can't go wrong with. Soma and I were a little bored with the Long Island fare of chain restaurants, and decided it was time we hit the streets of NYC. This was at the top of the list for Afghan in Citysearch, so it was a natural choice. I'm glad to say it did live up to the expectations.
Be sure to get a reservation if you are aiming for a weekend evening - and, if you are lucky, opt for one of the "bench" seats, which are "takia"s on the floor - sit down with your feet stretched, and the corner of 3rd and 26th beside you. We started off with a [Shir Chay Traditional Afghani Tea Brewed with Milk, Sugar, Cardamom Anbd Rose Petals] - straight from the streets of Calcutta - and a side of [Chutney Coriander, Walnuts, Garlic, Fresh Hot Green Peppers] to go with the complimentary Afghan bread. The [Dolma Ground Beef and Rice Seasoned with Parsley, Tarragon and Dill, Wrapped In Imported Grape Leaves and Steamed to Perfection] was an excellent choice of appetizer. Our entrees, [Fesenjan Sweet and Sour Tender Pieces of Boneless Chicken, Cooked with Walnuts and Pomegranate Juice; served with White Basmati Rice] and [Combination Kabob 1/2 Skewer Each Barg, Koobideh, and Morgh; with Brown Basmati Rice and Salad], were spicy (spice-laden, not hot), savory, and very palatable. The combination kabob was really nice, and the basmati rice went well with it. The Fesenjan, on the other hand, was amazing - the rice really exotic, with alternating tastes of spicyness and sweetness, and the cornish hen kabobs were delicious.

We finished it off with a [Phirnee Creamy Rice-flour Pudding with Pistachios and Rose Water], while lazing in the cushions, watching the streets of Manhattan pass by a Saturday night. For the sake of completeness, I grabbed a Paan from the shop on the corner of Lex and 27th (next to the flower shop, on 27th).

Overall, highly recommended in Afghan.

Sigiri

2006-03-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

91 1st Ave/ 5th & 6th St, 212-614-9333

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Cost per person: $25
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8/10
ambiance: 7/10

So close, yet so far! Being an India, Sri Lanka is just "across the pond" for us - yet, it was refreshingly surprising to taste this cuisine for the first time here in New York (and here at Sigiri), and find out just how different and interesting it really is!

The food starts off as something you can probably get in Indian restaurants - but then, like a good short story, has a twist, which completely alters the end result and hits the "exotic" mark. Though the food is loosely based on South Indian cuisine, it's not purely vegetarian, a big plus. I haven't tasted Dutch cuisine - but that's what people say have influenced this.

Soma and I were joined on this occasion by Kanishka and Ranjita - so it made a good sized group to try out some options "risk free" - if one of them turned out not so good, we still had three others.

Let's jump to the food. The Sri Lankan Fish Spring Rolls (4pcs) Breaded, deep fried crepes with fish and potato filling were awesome for starters - we did not try any of the rest. The Chicken Lamprais A Dutch influenced "special occasion" dish of flavored rice served with chicken, fish cutlet, ash plantains and egg, baked in a low oven after it is wrapped in a banana leaf to give this dish a unique flavor was the star of our dinner - a must-try. We also tried the Devilled Grill Specialties Spicy grilled meat and seafood tossed with sauteÃ©ed onions, capsicums and Sri Lankan herbs and spices and Aapa (aap-pa ~ Hoppers) Wafer thin, bowl-shaped pancakes made from a fermented batter of rice flour and coconut milk (includes: 3 plain hoppers and 1 egg hopper with a choice of sautetÃ©ed onion sambol or *coconut sambol) and found them really interesting, full of flavor and warmth!

All in all, a definite recommendation for people who like spicy food on the lines of Grand Sichuan and Meskerem Ethiopian.

Tsampa

2006-02-17T09:40:00.000-05:00

212 E 9TH St, Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave, 212.614.3226

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Cost per person: $30
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9/10
ambiance: 7/10

Great Tibetan hangout place. Unlike some other Tibetan places, this is not vegetarian - an important factor for me, since if I am eating out, I'd rather not be munching veggies!

Soma and I hit this place after our trip to the Buddhist monastery, Chuang Yen, in Carmel, NY, so we were definitely in the mood for Tibetan. Also, we were famished, since the monastery's kitchen was closed for the winter. Since then, we've been here a couple of times, and loved it.

All the momos I tried were excellent. Instead of the appetizers, take one of the momos in the entree section for a better portion size - we tried the Cha Sha Momo Chicken and Scallion Dumpling with Greens served with Hot Garlic Sauce and liked it. Also liked were Spicy Chicken Saute with Basil served with Rice, Gyathuk Ngopa Baked Noodle with Garlic-Ginger & Topped with Chicken & Vegetables and Tibetan Curry Chicken marinated In Herbs, Cooked with Potatoes served with Rice.

Food is fresh and light - you won't go home like you do from an Indian buffet. Pass on the desert, though - the Tsampa Dessert Traditional Tibetan Roasted Ground Barley, Fluffed w/ Yogurt & Honey, & Accented w/ Dried Cranberries tasted worse than my morning bowl of unflavored instant oatmeal cooked in water.

Fish

2005-08-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

280 Bleecker St, Btwn Jones St & 7th Ave, 212.727.2879

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Cost per person: $40
"YGWYPF" factor: 9.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9/10
ambiance: 7/10

One can argue that my happiness factor was elated by the screening of Howl's Moving Castle, or maybe just plain hunger playing tricks. Then again, I can say, maybe not.

The fact remains- this is the most amazing seafood I've had around. Yes, it's way better than Thalassa - and, to boot, has a price point that I am more comfortable with (it still pinches, though - but then no one said seafood was cheap!). This came up as a one-liner recommendation from the Manhattan Users Guide newsletter a couple of days back - unlike other recommendations that pass right though me, the name - and the cuisine - stuck to my head. Since we were in the area, of sorts, to view the movie at Sunshine, we thought - well, why not!

From that point on - it was amazing. Well, no - my memory is definitely playing tricks here - it was amazing only after the food was served. The bread was a little interesting - there were these sweet cakes with little bits of Jalapeno peppers. But once the food was served - it was time for silence, appreciation, and a lot of eating.

We went for the Paella (not listed on Menupages) and the Pot O' Bass Chilean sea bass, potato, tomato, onion, white wine sauce). The Paella was the best I've had, the rice just perfect, spicy but not hot, with a generous serving of shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari, and a lobster tail. The Pot O'Bass comes as a broth - of which I can only speak in supelatives. A soup of white wine, lemon, onions and potatoes never tasted this good - and the fish was, well, smoother than butter, softer than marshmallows, and yummier than most things.

One of the recommended items here, which we skipped, is the Raw Bar Special 6 oysters and a beer or house wine (available all day, every day) - at $8 for a glass of wine/beer and 6 oysters, it's definitely a good value. Maybe next time I walk into here, I'll head for the raw bar.

Queen of Sheba

2005-07-28T21:00:00.000-04:00

650 10th Ave@45th/46th St, 212.397.0610

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Cost per person: $20
"YGWYPF" factor: 7.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 7/10
ambiance: 7/10

For people who have not tried Ethiopian, this is a great place to start. For the others who have visited Meskerem multiple times already, well, expect more of exactly the same - except a much better ambience, and a significantly larger place. Since the prices are pretty much similar between these two, if I were to choose one, I would choose this place to bring my out-of-town friends - the ethnic look and the funny looking tables are reason enough, not to mention the larger space and a full bar. For just us, though, Meskerem is a little more "cozy" - which nice hole in the wall place in the City has more than 8 tables anyway?

Soma and I stuck to our now-becoming-usual Ethiopian order - vegetable combo (Vegetarian Mesob Small dollops of each item in the Vegetarian menu) and the spicy egg-chicken curry (Doro Wot Legs of range chicken are slow-cooked in dense stew of onions, berbere and kibe. Boiled small eggs are knife-poked and simmered in the stew. A high-holiday treat served with two legs and a small egg). I do think the gravy in the Doro Wot was a little darker, and a little more spicy, than the one in Meskerem - but I'll leave the confirmation to you as an exercise.

Do note, though, the special ethnic tables are very few, and you may have a long wait, unless you want to sit on the regular tables, which are plenty.

Cafe Spice, Newport

2005-04-04T11:02:00.000-04:00

537 Washington Blvd @ PATH-Newport, 201-533-0111

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Cost per person: $12
"YGWYPF" factor: 7.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 7/10
Ambiance: 6/10

Soma and I wanted to eat out, and did not feel like taking the PATH to the City - weekend evenings have such a horrible schedule, with a tour of Hoboken and what not thrown into the trip - so Cafe Spice at the Newport Mall / PATH Station area looked like a nice joint.

The ambience is really nice - with good, subdued lighting, and some funky cloth covered lights on the ceiling. The wall art with utensils - well, Vatan (3rd/28th) has done a much better job a that. The seating is comfortable, and the space very NJ-esque - not crammed like the City.

We ordered one platter, and one entree. Platters are entrees with a little rice, one vegetarian dish (sampler size), one dal (sampler size), and a naan. From the price point, platters are good, as they present just the right amount of everything for one (hungry) person.

The Tandoori chicken was awesome. The Lamb Vindaloo Boneless Lamb, Cooked In a Spicy/tangy Sauce with Diced Potatoes. a Goan Favorite was even better - really tangy and spicy, and the meat was cooked to a beautiful tenderness. That was all we ordered, so can't say much about the other entrees, but judging by the example set with these, everything should be just as good.

That said, there were a couple of things that could use some improvement. I ordered a Roomali Roti A Special Large Paper Thin Bread on the side - it was horrible. It was closer to Papadum Light Spicy Wafer than to a roti, if you know what I mean. Also, the dal that comes with the platter is just the plain version, not the Dal Makhani Black Lentils Cooked to Perfection, with a Medley of Spices On Slow Fire which I really like. You may be better off ordering the right one as a side.

Please note: The Menupages link points to their location at 72 University Place in the Washington Square area, and not the one at Newport.

Jaya Malaysian Restaurant

2005-03-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

90 Baxter St @ Canal St, 212-219-3331

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Cost per person: $12
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.2/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 7/10
ambiance: 6/10

My favorite Malaysian place sits right in Chinatown, with great places like the Marco Polo Noodle Shop, Pong Sri, and some great Thai places all around it. Which makes it all the more difficult to make up our minds about the place to choose, since all of them are exceptionally good, considering the price they charge and the tastes they deliver.

Jaya runs as a sidewalk cafe in the (rare) summer months (naturally, I am writing this in late winter, when it looks like summer never happened). The interior is nice and cozy, in an efficient lunch-like way, and not in a romantic dinner date way. Waiters are prompt, and the food comes fast and hot.

I absolutely recommend the Homemade Roti Canai Indian Pancake - this comes in a yummy chicken curry flavor, and a vegetarian variety for those who must. The paper thin, crisp bread and the spicy gravy makes my day, albeit a little on the oily side.

While you are having that, and need to parch yourself, and feel the free green tea to be too hot, order one of their refreshing fruit drinks - among the ones I have had and highly recommend are the watermelon, longan, lychee, and the rambuttan. If you have never heard of these fruits before, then take a walk around the area - the fruit stands on Canal and thereabouts have these fruits in stock, season permitting.

Among the food - I have had a large number, and liked everything, so take your pick. Do remember, soups that cost around $5 are large enough for one person, without anything else. Portion sizes are generous for most items. And yes - when the description says spicy, it is spicy - I've ordered dishes that had as much red pimento peppers as squids, volume for volume. If you must have me recommend something, I'll suggest trying any of the soups.

Thalassa

2005-03-12T17:27:00.000-05:00

179 Franklin St @ Greenwich Street, 212-941-7661

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Cost per person: $120 (!)
"YGWYPF" factor: 4/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9.5/10
Ambience: 10/10

The first thing I have to say about this place is - this is expensive. So expensive, that the reality of the bill can hit you harder than the freshness of the food.

That said, the ambience and the food is so awesome, I find it unfair to put everything into a "you get what you pay for" - you can never get your money's worth when a dinner for two costs a quarter grand, so I had to put down ratings for food and ambience, just like citysearch :). It's worth a trip every couple of years, to pamper yourself and freshen your tastes, in more ways than one.

How do you begin to describe such an expensive place? I wouldn't know - never been to anything like it before. Thanks to my (ex-) colleagues at Citigroup, my wife and I had a chance to step through the doors I have walked past for years.

Enter, and find yourself transported far away from the noisy Manhattan. I haven't been to Greece, so I can't say for sure if it feels like you are there. What I do know, is that it feels good.

Get seated, and start with appetizers and some wine. We had a Greek white wine the waiter recommended - really nice, around $40. We started off with the Wild Boar Chop Slowly roasted in a mountain tea, thyme honey and retsina marinate, and Maine Diver Scallops Wrapped in kataifi with sheep's milk butter and Kalamata balsamic reduction. Amazing. Those are the ones pictured above. We also got some cod pastries, which were amzing, and were complimentary, along with the bread and olives.

For the main course, we let our spirits run wild, and ordered from the "Fish by the pound" menu - the Mediterranean Lobster, grilled to perfection, and another Greek white fish, broiled to a delicate softness and an amazing flavor. Sorry if I sound like I am running out of superlatives - I am really out of my league trying to describe how good this place is. They were, beyond doubt, the best seafood I've had so far.

Not to sound like I am really complaining or anything - but there's just this one thing that I found not so good in an otherwise perfect experience. The menu for "Fish by the Pound" says the recommended portion size for a person is about 1 lb, so when ordering the items by their names, I expected to be served about that much. Both of our main courses went beyond that - about 50% beyond, in fact - at about 1.5 lbs. Now, I know the food is really good, and that lobsters don't genetically come in exact portion sizes, but considering that shot our bill up by something like $40, I would appreciate if this was conveyed to us before serving more than the recommended size. So, caveat emptor - mention the size/weight you want.

If someone else was paying, then all I would remember is the wonderful ambience and the exceptional food. Fortunately, for us, a major part of the bill was footed by the gift certificate we had, and we ended up paying the average bill for 2 people in any decent dinner restaurant in Manhattan.

As a bottom line, if you have cash lying around, or can otherwise afford something as expensive, go for it - it's definitely money well spent. Don't get discouraged by the poor "what you get..." rating I have put down - but then I have to compare this to the satisfaction I get from a $2 falafel from Mamoun's, which, still, hits the top of the value for money curve.

Meskerem Ethiopian Cuisine

2004-12-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

124 Macdougal St @ W 3rd Street, 212-777-8111

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Cost per person: $15
"YGWYPF" factor: 7/10 (you get what you pay for)

Adequately exotic to satisfy the urge of diners tired of the usual fare of West Village, yet normal enough to satisfy the hunger of most people, this little basement place near Mamoun's Falafel offers the uniqueness of Ethiopian cuisine - large, shared central plate containing all the ordered food items together, heaps of mildly sour but towely soft Anjira bread, and absence of side plates. Food may go from oily to healthy, spicy to sweet at sour. Among the dishes I tried and recommend: 10. Yebeg Alecha Tender pieces of lamb marinated first with Ethiopian butter then sauteed with ginger, garlic & curry. (mild), 13. Doro Wat Chicken pieces seasoned with onions, garlic, fresh ginger, then sauteed with better and red wine and finished with berbere sauce...(served with hard boiled eggs), and one of 20. Vegetable #2 Fresh cabbage, potatoes & carrots sauteed with garlic, ginger and curry or 21. Vegetarian Combo Combination of Miser Alech, Miser Wat, Shro Wat, Vegetable #1 and #2. The Doro Wat is on the oily side, and the chicken takes a lot of effort to eat with the soft bread, but I like the way the egg tastes in the gravy. I also recommend the Ethiopian beer - it had a really nice nutty aftertaste that I love.

Sahara Grill

2004-11-18T17:57:00.000-05:00

558 7TH Ave @ 40th Street, 212-391-6555

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Cost per person: $5
"YGWYPF" factor: 9/10 (you get what you pay for)

A recommended cheap eat in the heart of Times Square, this place competes with the likes of Mamoun's Falafel, LunchBox, and other hole-in-the-wall kebab joints. They are definitely better than the street meats. I love their Doener Kebab (pictured), and the Turkish Pizza (a thin flatbread coated with ground meat, rolled up with lettuce/tomatoes/white sauce/hot sauce). I don't recommend the chicken pita - it's a lot of meat, but the sauce has a tendency to stay only at the top, so by the time you reach the bottom it gets very dry in the mouth.

This place is really easy to miss, as I found out the hard way - I had a craving for their kebabs, and my friends and I spent a good portion of an hour trying to hunt this place down. Of course, we didn't have a resource like this blog you are reading, and had no idea about the name or the location, so hopefully you'd be better off. There are two- yes, 2 - seating stools, so you should plan on eating on the go. But then you are in Times Square, so who wants to eat in anyway.

Sam's Noodle Shop & Grill

2004-11-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

411 3RD Ave @ 29th Street, 212-213-2288

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Cost per person: $16
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Right beside Vatan, this is a somewhat 'upscale' Chinese takeout-eatin place at the corner of 29th and 3rd. Food is good, decor is simple. Service is good. My flat mate suggested I stay away from the soups, based on her previous experience, so I went for "H11. Seafood Szechuan Style (Very Spicy) Large shrimp, scallops & squids with Chinese broccoli cooked in Szechuan black pepper sauce" - and definitely liked it. The scallops are huge! My flat mate went for a made-to-order of boiled scallops and broccoli, with garlic sauce on the side. For starters, we went for the full-fat 61. Scallion Pancake and 55. Mixed Dumplings (Shrimp, Veg., Seafood, Meat, 2 Dumplings of Each Kind) - which were all wonderful, though the dumplings could have had a thinner wrap.

Vatan Indian Restaurant

2004-11-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

409 3RD Ave @ 29th Street, 212-689-5666

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Cost per person: $30
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Who knew vegetarian food could taste so good? This corner place at 29th and 3rd is wonderful to sit down, relax, and enjoy a long, and heavy, dinner. Really comfortable 'takias', acting as lumber supports, and loose, comfortable clothing will see to it that nothing prevents you from having as much food as you desire.

I love the menu - it's straight from "My Cousin Vinny" - "Dinner" is fixed at $22.95 (currently). The Gujrati style is to serve lots of varieties, in sweet little containers, and lay them all on a large plate, as seen from the pictures above. Appetizers are a plenty - khaman (dhokla), mirchi and other pakodas (vegetable fritters), cocktail samosas, dahi puri (which went soggy, unfortunately - they should make it fresh). Since it's an all you can eat, you are allowed to jump sequences and order more appetizers after you've had your dessert.And yes, you can have as much dessert (homemade mango icecreams!!) as you like.

The main course - pictured - was awesome. Each dish was made just right, nothing was too oily, spice level was at a healthy medium all through. Even the puris were nice and light, not drenched in oil. At the center of the table, they served rice, something like khichhdi, and kardhi - I was too full to try these, but my friends said they were just as awesome.

The decor, consisting mostly of thatched huts on top of the tables and a wall full of utensil art (interesting), is nice and comfortable. We happened to have a very sweet waitress from Nepal, who engaged in some pleasing conversation.

In terms of completely vegetarian foods from India, I think this restaurant takes the cake. I would definitely recommend this to all but the hard core meat eater.

Zen Noodle Cafe

2004-11-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

31 Saint Marks Place @ 2nd Avenue, 212-533-6855

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Cost per person: $9
"YGWYPF" factor: 7/10 (you get what you pay for)

The west village is full of places waiting for you to discover, and this is just one of those. Unassuming, simple decor, with an entrance you'll definitely pass by unnoticed unless you are looking for it. We happened to land up here as Kenka, the hot, cheap Japanese place next door, does not open its doors until 6pm, something we missed checking before leaving for lunch.

In comparison to the other Japanese places I have been to - this is a little more homely, with a considerably higher percentage of Asians having their lunch (from what I could see). The menu is basic, the decor spartan. My dish, spicy noodle soup, was as spicy as I can handle - almost beating the Korean places. The same dish is also available in regular soup. My colleague was happy with his Bento Box options and quality. Prices are moderate, service is fast enough, foo dis good for a decent btu unassuming lunch or dinner.

The tea, however, was very much like water. Too bad.

Shall I go here again? Why not - it's in a very lively part of the town, and hits the spot.

Mamoun's Falafel

2004-10-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

119 MacDougal St @ W 3rd Street, 212-674-8685

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Cost per person: $5

"YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)

The ambience: barebones, to nothing. The location: West Village, close to Washington Park. The appearance: if this is not called "hole in the wall", I wodner what is. The crowd: half a block long, and very hungry. The service: fast, no nonsense.

If there's any other place as focused on just the food, and keeping costs down, then I'm not aware of it. Even though it's a brick-and-mortar place, prices are cheaper than the food carts in the street corners. Food is guaranteed fresh, as the place usually has a long line in front of it. Seating arrangements are rare - 3 tables, 12 places in all, and extremely crammed. But then if you are looking for a relaxed lunch/dinner, you should not be looking here.

As for the food - mouth watering. I wouldn't know authentic middle eastern from the not-so-authentic ones, but this tastes wonderful. Unless you really like creating your own pocket pitas, skip the platters, and go for the basic sandwiches. I recommend the Falafel with Baba Ghannouj or the Falafel with Hommus - at $2.50, they are 50c more than the regular falafel, and add interesting side notes. Shawerma and Chicken Kebabs are nice and juicy. The only issue with all of these is the thick, creamy white sauce that drips onto everything for all but the seasoned eater, so try avoiding your finest silks when you visit this joint.

Zanzibar

2004-10-25T13:16:00.000-04:00

645 9th Ave @ 45th Street, 212-957-9197

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Great for a casual hangout. Food is tasty, but not very filling ("tiny" and "small" plates) - good for muching and spending some time with a bunch of friends. You'd end up spending a little more than the average dinner, since it's like dim sums with exotic food, but it'll be an evening well spent.

All in all, I would go here more for the ambience and to spend some quality time with friends / significant other, than for food alone.

Saigon Fun

2004-10-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

772 9th Ave @ 52nd Street, 212-581-3810

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The former Hell's Kitchen area, 9th avenue between 44th and 56th streets, is rapidly becoming a cool place to relax and hang out, hit some bars, and have a nice dinner. Most add their own little special somethings to the tastes of not-so-uncomon dishes. This small Vietnamese place looked interesting to check out, and our week night dinner was definitely not disappointing.

Not that it's really exceptional and stands way out of the crowd - just that there are little touches that are picked up faithfully by the taste buds and tickle the palate. The ambience is relaxing and quiet, though the seating is spartan, a far cry from lounges. The menu is pretty simple, and prices are low. We had some fish, some soup, and some noodles, and all of them were interesting (in a good way) and enjoyable. Recommendations offered were excellent. Try the grilled salmon - I can't find it on menupages, it was one of the specials of the day.

Don't miss out the superb Ca Phe Phin Sua Fresly Brewed Fench Coffee With Condensed Milk - it's a treat to watch the dark coffee get brewed in front of you, turn white with the condensed milk, and the taste - mmmmmmmmm.

Central Buffet Incorporated

2004-07-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

195 Center Street @ Howard Street, 212-226-2905

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Cost per person: $4
"YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)

If you are looking for cheap eats, and have not come across this place yet, you ain't seen nothing yet! Yes - it's all of $4 for lunch, and a discounted rate of $3 after 3pm, for 5 items of your choice - rice/noodle, with 4 sides. See the quantities for yourself - it's a lot!
How does the food compare with the others? I have no idea how to place this in the curve. When it comes to value for money, it really can't get any better. The items are presented in a buffet style, as in a cafeteria. You have at least 50 selections to choose your 5 items from. Business is brisk, so nothing is stale. There's a healthy mix of vegetables, meat, and main courses, with exotic items thrown in here and there (pig's ears!). My orietal colleagues tell me the style is home-style Cantonese - the equivalent of Pakistan Tea House for Indian. With such a large selection to choose from, I'm sure no one will have issues in finding their pick.
Walk in, go over to the cashier's counter to the extreme right, and skip the $1 soda. Opt for the red wine. Oh wait - they don't serve it :) Pick up your plate, skip the rice, go for the fried rice or noodle selections in the buffet, load up with your selections, and pick up a serving of soup at the end of the table. Enjoy!
For people in the area not wanting to cook dinners - do the take out after 3pm (or 4pm - not really sure) - at $3, it's cheaper than a fresh head of lettuce at the local grocery.

Congee Village

2004-07-28T13:17:00.000-04:00

100 Allen St @ Delancey Street, 212-941-1818

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Cost per person: $12
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

review coming soon!

Pongsri Thai Restaurant

2004-07-06T11:01:00.000-04:00

106 Bayard St @ Baxter St, 212-349-3132

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Cost per person: $15
"YGWYPF" factor: 6/10 (you get what you pay for)

Just another Thai restaurant - no surprises here, unlike "Grand Sichuan", and that's a good thing. Meant for the days when you want to have something nice and savory, but not feeling particularly adventurous. The decor is nice and traditional - with Thai masks all over the walls - and the service staff is pleasant and helpful, though its Amex or cash only.

If you have ordered at any Thai place, you would know how to order here. Here are a few things to start you off. For soup, try the Tom Yum Koong - and remember that soup servings are large here, so one serving should suffice about 2.5 to 3 people. In noodles, the signature Pad Thai is a populat favorite. For curries, you have the usual options of Gang Kiew Wan (green curry), Gang Karee (yellow curry), and Gang Dang (red curry), all of which are equally good, and are served with a big bowl of rice on the side.

I won't go into the details of the other dishes - Thai cuisine is a very safe option, somewhat like studying engineering - there's nothing in the menu that will make you repent your choice, and at Pongsri, everything is cooked to a nice perfection. Howeverm I do recommend the Pla Lad Prik Fried Whole Fish Topped with Hot & Spicy Chili Sauce - in spite of the rather hefty price tag, this dish is totally worth it if you are in a group of 4 or more. Consider this as 2 entrees, and order accordingly. Unfortunately, I was too hungry to remember to take photographs of this dish - so you have to trust my word for it.

Don't forget to order the Thai Iced Tea or Coffee. Without that, your Thai lunch/dinner is hardly complete.

Rampant Reviews

Wasabi Hibachi Steakhouse (LI)

283 Main St, Farmingdale, NY-11735516.843.8188

Cost per person: $25 (hibachi)"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 8/10Ambiance: 8/10

Yuva

230 E 58th St / 3rd Ave, 212.339.0090

Cost per person: $40"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 8.5/10Ambiance: 9/10

Dabbawalla (NJ)

427 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901, 908.918.0330

Cost per person: $40 (full menu, not the lunch menu)"YGWYPF" factor: 9.5/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 9.5/10ambiance: 8.5/10

Kori

253 Church St/ bet. Franklin & Leonard St, 212-334-4598

Cost per person: $15 (lunch)"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 8.5/10Ambiance: 9/10

Spicy and Tasty Cafe

39-07 Prince St, Flushing, NY, 718.359.1601

Cost per person: $15"YGWYPF" factor: 9.0/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 9/10Ambiance: 9/10

Kabab King Diner

74-16 37th Road, Flushing, NY (right off the subway), 718.457.5857

Cost per person: $20 (less for buffet)"YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 10/10Ambiance: 6/10

Bamiyan

358 3rd Ave @ 26th St, 212.481.3232

Cost per person: $35"YGWYPF" factor: 9/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 8.5/10ambiance: 7/10

Sigiri

91 1st Ave/ 5th & 6th St, 212-614-9333

Cost per person: $25"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 8/10ambiance: 7/10

Tsampa

212 E 9TH St, Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave, 212.614.3226

Cost per person: $30"YGWYPF" factor: 8.0/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 9/10ambiance: 7/10

Fish

280 Bleecker St, Btwn Jones St & 7th Ave, 212.727.2879

Cost per person: $40"YGWYPF" factor: 9.0/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 9/10ambiance: 7/10

Queen of Sheba

650 10th Ave@45th/46th St, 212.397.0610

Cost per person: $20"YGWYPF" factor: 7.0/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 7/10ambiance: 7/10

Cafe Spice, Newport

537 Washington Blvd @ PATH-Newport, 201-533-0111

Cost per person: $12"YGWYPF" factor: 7.5/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 7/10Ambiance: 6/10

Jaya Malaysian Restaurant

90 Baxter St @ Canal St, 212-219-3331

Cost per person: $12"YGWYPF" factor: 8.2/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 7/10ambiance: 6/10

Thalassa

179 Franklin St @ Greenwich Street, 212-941-7661

Cost per person: $120 (!)"YGWYPF" factor: 4/10 (you get what you pay for)Food: 9.5/10Ambience: 10/10

Meskerem Ethiopian Cuisine

124 Macdougal St @ W 3rd Street, 212-777-8111

Cost per person: $15"YGWYPF" factor: 7/10 (you get what you pay for)

Sahara Grill

558 7TH Ave @ 40th Street, 212-391-6555

Cost per person: $5"YGWYPF" factor: 9/10 (you get what you pay for)

Sam's Noodle Shop & Grill

411 3RD Ave @ 29th Street, 212-213-2288

Cost per person: $16"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Vatan Indian Restaurant

409 3RD Ave @ 29th Street, 212-689-5666

Cost per person: $30"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Zen Noodle Cafe

31 Saint Marks Place @ 2nd Avenue, 212-533-6855

Cost per person: $9"YGWYPF" factor: 7/10 (you get what you pay for)

Mamoun's Falafel

119 MacDougal St @ W 3rd Street, 212-674-8685

Zanzibar

645 9th Ave @ 45th Street, 212-957-9197

Saigon Fun

772 9th Ave @ 52nd Street, 212-581-3810

Central Buffet Incorporated

195 Center Street @ Howard Street, 212-226-2905

Cost per person: $4 "YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)

Congee Village

100 Allen St @ Delancey Street, 212-941-1818

Cost per person: $12 "YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Pongsri Thai Restaurant

106 Bayard St @ Baxter St, 212-349-3132

Cost per person: $15"YGWYPF" factor: 6/10 (you get what you pay for)

283 Main St, Farmingdale, NY-11735
516.843.8188

Cost per person: $25 (hibachi)
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8/10
Ambiance: 8/10

Cost per person: $40
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10

Cost per person: $40 (full menu, not the lunch menu)
"YGWYPF" factor: 9.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9.5/10
ambiance: 8.5/10

Cost per person: $15 (lunch)
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 9/10

Cost per person: $15
"YGWYPF" factor: 9.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9/10
Ambiance: 9/10

Cost per person: $20 (less for buffet)
"YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 10/10
Ambiance: 6/10

Cost per person: $35
"YGWYPF" factor: 9/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8.5/10
ambiance: 7/10

Cost per person: $25
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 8/10
ambiance: 7/10

Cost per person: $30
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9/10
ambiance: 7/10

Cost per person: $40
"YGWYPF" factor: 9.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9/10
ambiance: 7/10

Cost per person: $20
"YGWYPF" factor: 7.0/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 7/10
ambiance: 7/10

Cost per person: $12
"YGWYPF" factor: 7.5/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 7/10
Ambiance: 6/10

Cost per person: $12
"YGWYPF" factor: 8.2/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 7/10
ambiance: 6/10

Cost per person: $120 (!)
"YGWYPF" factor: 4/10 (you get what you pay for)
Food: 9.5/10
Ambience: 10/10

Cost per person: $15
"YGWYPF" factor: 7/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $5
"YGWYPF" factor: 9/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $16
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $30
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $9
"YGWYPF" factor: 7/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $4
"YGWYPF" factor: 10/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $12
"YGWYPF" factor: 8/10 (you get what you pay for)

Cost per person: $15
"YGWYPF" factor: 6/10 (you get what you pay for)