Kyo ya.... ya ya ya!!

May 28, 2010: We visited Kyo ya, one of the most mysterious, hidden Japanese treasures in New York City. I first visited this place with my Japanese clients a few years back. Apparently, this restaurant came to fame through inner circles of Japanese New Yorkers, in a hush-hush-pass-it-along type of movement. Certainly "oishi" (japanese for yummy) all across the board.

We started with a pressed salmon sushi appetizer, followed by a corn potage soup (with brussel sprouts), which led us to a panko-breaded sea scallop sitting on top of nori seaweed paste (incredible!), a piece of delicious flaky miso black cod and ended with an entree of magret duck, thinly sliced sitting on top of mache greens. The flavors were classic Japanese - not much 'preparation', but just simple flavorful natural elements. For dessert we had a vanilla custard complemented with caramel syrup, which reminded Sara of french creme caramel. The unique menu choices and presentation, along with the authentic interior design added an element of warmth and comfort. We certainly add Kyo ya to our list of the best Japanese restaurants in New York.

Oshi!!!

Ever since I got my first Japanese client in 2005, I've slowly become a Japanese food connoisseur. Partly because the Japanese themselves think that New York Japanese cuisine ranks as highly as Tokyo, and partly due to all my trips to Japan.

The Japanese food voyage I've been on over the past 5 years has been bi-polar: both wonderful and eerie, both comforting and adventurous. It was always my desire to share these experiences with Sara. And one by one, we've been doing just that.

One of our first visits was to Japonais, a French-Japanese fusion restaurant in my neighborhood. Excellent, overpriced Japanese fare, accentuated by great sushi cuts. The star of their menu is their Kieseke options of delicately cooked small plates. The vibe of the restaurant is red, glowing and trendy. Not a particular fit for our tastes, but a fun visit.

Next up, was 15 EAST, a small restaurant off of Union Square which is very good with sushi & sashimi. With Sara, it was my third visit and unfortunately I've observed declining quality each time. What was really unique was the live sea urchin, sitting in its prickly black hollowed shell, which was served on a bed of ice and eaten with with a spoon. While Sara enjoyed the unique experience, she didn't love the texture. Overall, a very good sushi experience but not quite worth the price-tag.

An exclusive staple of the west village, EN Japanese Brasserie, is an excellent choice for a full rounded Japanese experience. One of my clients had pointed out that EN is a semi fast-food option in Japan, but in the West Village, this restaurant is all dressed up and ready to impress. The restaurant features an extensive selection of vegetarian options (almost unheard of within Japanese restaurants), and excellent full rounded choices. The sushi was soft and delicate, and the black cod and other small dishes completed the meal.

Esca- One Year!

For 12 months, our footsteps have moved closely in sync with flavorful bites as our lives dance together. Always together, and always hungry..... of course.

It was fitting that exactly a year after we met at a food tasting, after a year of amazing food adventures (and other adventures too), after a year of romantic, sense-seizing moments... we celebrated the anniversary of our first meeting at my favorite restaurant in NYC... Esca.

I've been filling Sara's ears with tales of this place for a year... the restaurant's quaint airy feeling brings you deep into Southern Italy. Not only does it have the best wine selection in the city, this place has some of the best seafood & pasta dishes imaginable.

The meal started with an outstanding crudo tasting. Two flights of three tastes each. The crudo is basically sashimi, Italian style. Wonderful cuts of fish, marinated in lemon juice, a touch of olive oil... seasoned with sea salt... in other words, absolute perfection. The pasta dish we shared was linguine with clams and pancetta, and it may have been the best pasta dish either of has ever tried. The waiter warned us that it may be "too briny" or salty due to the ocean elements involved in the dish, which made us even more excited. The mixture of dried chili with al dente linguine left us feeling like we were overlooking the Mediterranean ocean. We complimented the meal with a beautiful bottle of Elena Walsh and finished it off with run raisin fritters filled with orange zabaglione, cappuccinos and a strong vintage grappa.

While Sara was in the restroom before leaving, I quickly snagged the chef's cookbook and had him sign it for her - a little impromptu surprise waiting for her to top off our evening. Our three hour trip to Southern Italy during this special evening filled our eyes with wonder, our hearts with delight, our stomachs with satisfaction and our dreams of many many more exciting food adventures to follow in the future.

Van Leeuwen

Ron and I have seen the classic yellow Van Leeuwen ice cream truck parked all over Manhattan (Greene St, 23rd St, 14th St), but it wasn't until we visited Jenny & Erik in Greenpoint that we had a taste of this highly-rated ice cream. The storefront is really charming and the flavors are unique and natural. Jenny had the strawberry which was delicious and very natural tasting--the color wasn't even pink, but a rose-tinted cream. I ordered what I thought to be cinnamon, but received something closer to Red Hot-flavored ice cream. I passed it around for confirmation-- All agreed, it definitely tasted like Red Hots. Unsatisfied, I ate almost the whole thing anyway because I wanted to eat the sugar cone. Even though our first taste of Van Leeuwen ice cream wasn't as great as we had hoped, it will be hard to resist the call of the ice cream truck as hot summer days approach.

Mermaid Inn-lusion

For months, we anticipated our eventual visit to the Mermaid Inn. But the restaurant, named after the mysterious siren of the sea, kept alluding us. There were several occasions we tried to call in for a last minute reservation, and repeatedly got denied. We even tried walking in a few times. The last time we tried, our get together with friends at the Mermaid Inn on the Upper West Side got canceled. Finally, after the long await, we got our chance.

Upon entry, the restaurant is charming and exciting. The tables are bustling, the east village crowd is eclectic and the aromas fill the space. The oceanic themes are well formulated throughout. When the food arrived, however, we were slightly disappointed. Not sure if it was all the hype, but the dishes just didn't seem as special as we had expected given the space and atmosphere. Sara ordered our favorite (the skate), which was broiled, crispy and flavorful, and I got the dorado, which was over prepared and complex, as well as slightly dry. Nice dishes, but again, nothing spectacular. The restaurant also offers no dessert menu, which doesn't work for me. Everyone gets the same complimentary chocolate pudding with a tuft of whipped cream. Creamy and fun, but certainly nothing special about it. But the prices were reasonable and Sara enjoyed her skate.





This place is special for the experience. This was highlighted at the end when we got this unique fortune fish. Its a thin plastic cutout that you hold in your hand and see how it reacts. I got the moving head (indeed, for being jealous of Sara's skate)... and she got the moving head and tail, which reminded me of what these restaurant experiences are all about. Sure, the food can be win or lose. But its the experience & the love that matters most.. so in that sense, the night was perfect.

Outdoor Markets, Istanbul

We're still kicking ourselves for not having tried to freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice along Istikal Street.

House Cafe, Istanbul

Being that it seems so unique, we found it hard to believe that House Cafe is actually a chain with locations all over Istanbul. We only spotted two, and ate at 1, but we would have been happy to have had lunch here every day during our stay.