3* Le Bernardin - Went there twice, the 1st time was mind-blowing... thought the cooking was skillful and creative. The sommelier also recommended excellent wine to go with each of our courses. The second time was quite disappointing esp. with the service, but I still think it's one of the best seafood restaurants in town!
3* Jean Georges - Horrible! My restaurant critic friend's pork dish was covered in barbeque sauce! All of us thought the meal (lunch) was pretty awful except for the desserts and service.
2* Bouley (bakery) - An interesting restaurant in Tribeca. We had the tasting menu for lunch and felt too greedy afterwards. Food was Asian-influenced with many fruit-themed dishes. Adventurous but a bit hit/miss. Service was friendly and professional.
2* Daniel - This doesn't feel like NYC at all! Quite a grand dining room, very formal for NY. My fish wrapped in potatoes was crispy but a bit too heavy and greasy. Overall, the food was very good but there were no surprises. Professional and attentive service. A great restaurant for special occasions.
1* Babbo - After hearing & reading so many good reviews about this place, our experience here turned out to be quite average. We didn't find the food amazing and thought the service was rather cold. Did we miss something? Maybe, but there are too many good places in NYC, so I won't be rushing back anytime soon.
1* Gotham bar & grill - When I first moved to NYC, this was THE place to see & be seen. Finally, I went there years after I moved away and it was still buzzing! The modern American cuisine was tasty and visually pleasing. However, the place was cramped and noisy, a slight let-down esp. in this upmarket category.
1* Gramercy Tavern - Good food, pleasant dining room but not that memorable.
1* Oceana - My first dinner experience here was fantastic, the seafood was excellent and service was warm and friendly. The second time, lunch was so so and service was cold. The difference was quite drastic! Did we go to a different restaurant?!
1* Vong - Went there many years ago when fusion food was still 'trendy'. At the time, the food was quite revolutionary, dishes like foie gras with mango really stood out. Also went to the HK branch at Mandarin Oriental hotel before it closed down. I'm not a fan of Jean Georges, but Vong is probably my favourite out of all of his establishments.
1* JoJo - Went there for lunch and we all thought the meal was just average, nothing to write home about.
1* L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - I am a Joel Robuchon fan... I love his food even though all his portions are tiny!! There are always surprises and he seems to enjoy challenging our senses! I never expected him to open inside The Four Seasons, but it is surprisingly informal and airy. I love sitting by the bar, it feels good to watch, sample and chat.
1* Sushi of Gari - A Japanese friend recommended Gari many years ago when she was living in the neighbourhood. We used to sit by the bar and requested Gari himself to make all our sushi (booked in advanced of course!). The first experience was exhilarating, because it was unlike any sushi I have ever tasted before. Unfortunately, like all restaurants, the standards always slip when the chef decides to expand and open one restaurant after another in different locations/ cities. Went to Gari in the West side 2 years ago and felt quite disappointed. I miss the old days when we used to sit by the bar and watched Gari creating his delightful sushi with care & dedication!
1* The Modern (the dining room) - Actually, we didn't go to the formal part of the restaurant because we were told that the casual dining room serves equally good food but at lower prices. And they were right, we just didn't expect a museum restaurant to be this good! Tapas- sized dishes were great for sharing and the cocktails were excellent. Lunch was a bit hectic but we thoroughly enjoyed our meal!
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