NYC Restaurant Week: Morimoto

Morimoto
88 10th Ave
New York, NY 10024
Tel: (212) 989-8883
http://www.morimotonyc.com/

I've been wanting to go to Morimoto ever since..f-o-r-e-v-e-r! I remember talking about visiting the restaurant a few years back with a couple of friends, but our plans never worked out. SO! when the 2011 Restaurant Week list came out, I knew this was going to be my chance to get affordable (and good) Japanese food......ok, and mayyybe get a chance to meet the Iron Chef himself. 

Morimoto's Tuna Tartare

Coconut drink - A++!

The interior of the restaurant is really chic and modern - suitable for young professionals, students, as well as the elderly crowd. Since it was restaurant week, the place was (no doubt) bustling with people. Prior to our food, I ordered a non-alcoholic coconut drink topped with basil. Highly recommended for anyone who loves coconut!

Even though we wanted to take advantage of the restaurant week prices, we couldn't help but look through the menu at other available options. As an extra side, we ordered the Tuna Tartare which was cleverly presented and super delicious! The sauces were laid out nicely on a rectangle wooden tray which included: fresh wasabi, sour cream, seaweed puree, chopped up green onions, avocado, and little rice cracker balls. We certainly attracted a lot of wandering eyes when this dish came out. The tuna itself was very fresh and light. I really liked the combo of rice cracker balls and seaweed puree with the tuna.

The lunch prix fixe they offered came in an oversized bento box. We ordered the waygu and black cod bento box set. The set came with miso soup, fresh salad, fried tempura w/ some sort of creamy sauce, and sushi/sashimi. Unfortunately, the portions were a little tiny (I'll admit that I can eat more than the average girl, but believe me when I say the portions were definitely on the smaller side). I felt bad for the big hungry man across from us. Poor dude. The waygu beef was a little too salty, ordinary, and again...too small of a portion. The black cod on the other hand was great - with just the right touch of sweetness.

The dessert served was a Green Tea Coconut Panna Cotta with berries on top. Taste was good, but nothing spectacular. The service was great considering our waitress had many tables to juggle due to restaurant week. Judging by the Tuna Tartare off the restaurant's original menu (not restaurant week menu), I would come back here again to try their other mouthwatering dishes!

Overall: 3.8/5

Blue Ribbon Brasserie

Blue Ribbon
97 Sullivan St
New York, NY 10012
Tel: 212-274-0404

On a Thursday night, my foodie partner and I ventured our way to South Village. We had read about Blue Ribbon and wanted to give it a try. We arrived at the restaurant around 6:45pm and were seated immediately. The place is the perfect spot for dates and small gatherings; the environment is warm and exudes a cozy ambiance. Our waiter was very attentive and  friendly - he recommended a dish that I would definitely not miss out on: Beef Bone Marrow and Oxtail Marmalade served with warm toast. The oxtail marmalade tasted like a chunk of warm, gooey, fatty...goodie, to say the least. The marmalade mixed with the beef marrow spread on warm toast was like I died and went to food heaven. We finished the entire plate between two people (meant for three) with no problem!

Their raw oysters (from the east and west coast) were decent - the dish came with three types of sauce. I am unable to pinpoint it exactly, but I think I'd prefer east coast oysters more than west coast oysters. They're both delicious, though. I would recommend this dish if you're unsure of what to order and want to play it "safe" : )

My partner and I shared the entree: Hanger Steak with wild mushrooms and onion rings; and they were nice enough to split the portions for us. The steak wasn't extraordinary, though so I personally wouldn't order it again. I would love to try their Roasted Duck next time.

As for desserts, we ordered the Creme Brulee and it was delicious!! Blue Ribbon officially holds the best creme brulee award (so far) on my list! The dessert was a little bit chilled - which made everything more intact and less heavy when consumed. I don't like my creme brulee served room temperature/warm because that tends to bring out the extra sweetness which I don't like.

They also have a wide variety of wine selection. We ordered a bottle of their red wine for $80 - in terms of ROI, it was much more worthy than ordering by the glass. Overall, the experience at Blue Ribbon was wonderful and I am happy to say that I'll be going back in a few days!

Overall: 4.5/5

Fast Food @ Pommes Frites

Pommes Frites
123 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003

One of the many guilty pleasure foods located on St. Marks -- fries -- not just any type of fries, but authentic Belgian fries! Pommes Frites is a frequent craving that I often share with my friends. The hole in the wall is open until 1:00am on weekdays and 3:30am on weekends - not too difficult to spot when you see a bunch of college kids crowding infront of the shop. There aren't many seats available on the inside, but the cramped atmosphere makes it intimate and cozy.

The portions of the fries come in three sizes: regular, large, or double. Personally, I think the regular size is good enough for two people to share (unless you are replacing your dinner with these fries, I don't think the large or double is necessary). The sauce menu is quite extensive, and what makes this place so special is that you can dip the fries in honey mustard mayo, curry sauce, peanut satay sauce... My personal favorites are: mango chutney and pomegranate teriyaki mayo. My partner really loves their wasabi mayo, but I thought it was okay..not highly recommended. Either way, it's going to take me a numerous trips for me to try all of the sauces.

The last time I visited the shop, they had their special truffle fries, which I tried - not impressed. I couldn't tell the difference between these "special" fries apart from the regular. Overall, the fries are hot and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The secret? They are fried twice - they are cooked first and then fried to a golden crisp the second time. Yummmm...

*Sauces are $1.00 each; and 3 sauces gives you a better deal of $2.50

Cheese Dukbokki @ Arang

Arang
9 W 32nd St
2nd Fl
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212.947.3028

I've always loved spicy dukbokki (spicy korean rice cake), but when a friend told me about the flavor of Cheese Dukbokki I knew I had to visit the place that served it. The eatery happened to be in the bustling alley of K-Town, in a restaurant called Arang. First, I wouldn't recommend the restaurant for any of its korean dishes except for their cheese dukbokki because their prices are pretty steep and simply not worth it. Not to mention they were so stingy about their banchan (korean side dishes) - I think we were only given 3-4 banchans compared to the usual 6-7 you might get in other korean restaurants. At first I thought the waiters were being racist because we were not Korean, but when a group of Korean girls at another table received the same treatment, we knew the restaurant was just being cheap.

Arang has a couple of variations for its dukbokki - we went with the Kimchi/Pork Cheese Dukbokki - delicious! The dukbokki was served on a cast iron hot plate, with a thick layer of cheese blanketed on top. Obviously, if you don't like cheese, this dish will not appeal to you. The other dishes we ordered were: Japchae (Korean noodles stirred in sesame oil with various vegetables and beef) and Jo-gae Tang (Korean clam soup). Good, but not exceptional. I would only come back here for their cheese dukbokki : )

We went to Arang for an early dinner; so the service was decent - we didn't have to wait for a table etc... The restaurant is opened even after hours (for clubbers and late nighters). It seems like the restaurant gets their business mainly from the late night munchers, but I could be wrong.

Cheese Dukbokki: 4/5

Robert Restaurant

Robert
2 Columbus Cir

Manhattan, NY 10019

(212) 299-7730
http://www.robertatmad.com/

Robert Restaurant is hidden all the way up on the 9th floor of Museum of Design and Art. The modern and futuristic interior design sets this place apart from other restaurants. The view is spectacular as you can get a very clear and whole picture of Columbus Circle. It was my first time here and we ordered the lunch prix fixe for $29, this was quite a bargain considering the location of the restaurant and everything else that came with it (appetizer, entree, and dessert).

My appetizer was the soup of the day: Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon and it was really good! The other option was salad, but the weather felt too cold for it. The dash of cinnamon gave the soup an extra flavor and opened up my appetite. For my entree, I ordered the Potato Gnocchi with assorted vegetables and grated cheese. The dish was too oily in my opinion and kind of bland. I wouldn't order it again.

My foodie partner ordered something much more delicious (in my opinion): Strip Steak with string beans and tater tots on the side. The meat was tender and sliced with the perfect thickness. The portions aren't huge, but big enough to satisfy your cravings. As for dessert, we had the choice of cake or ice-cream, in which we chose two scoops of ice-cream: Raspberry Sorbet and Vanilla Bean. The service was accomodating and attentive - we didn't have to wait long for the food and our water was always filled. On a side note - make reservations if you want to sit by the windows / see the spectacular view : )

Overall: 3/5