Global Fusion Cuisines
Unico Taco is Suvir Saran’s Passage to India (Via Mexico)
You wouldn’t immediately associate Suvir Saran with tacos. Yet the celebrated toque has branched out in more ways than one this month; unexpectedly migrating to an outer borough (Queens), and turning his attention to tortillas, at the playful, fast-casual Unico Tacos.
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Julieta Ballesteros Adds Spice to the West Village with Tavo
Julieta Ballesteros’ newest West Village establishment, Tavo (slang for a cool, well-to-do Mexican guy) pays homage to signature dishes of Monterrey, while reflecting her frequent travels throughout the world.
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El Rey Chef Takes Chinatown with Lalo
Under Gerardo Gonzalez, El Rey emerged as one of the chicest gathering hubs on the Lower East Side. So acolytes who’ve sorely missed his breezy, healthy Cal-Mex fare since his departure last April, would be well advised to follow Gonzalez to Chinatown, where he recently resurfaced with a brand new project called Lalo…
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Q & A with Louro’s Chef David Santos
There are some chefs that would much prefer to hole up in the kitchen with their sauces than interact with their customers. And that’s cool… it’s just not David Santos. On the contrary, the gregarious, heart on his sleeve chef is the kind of guy who invites patrons (and strangers at that!) into his home for supper club meals. Now, you can get a taste of Santos’s cooking, a unique mix of Portuguese, American and other globally inspired cuisines in one.
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Date Night – The Castello Plan
If you’re looking for a fancy, candlelit place for a cookie-cutter first date, The Castello Plan definitely isn’t it. But there are so many other things to worry about when wining and dining that special someone, why stress over which fork to use or if you really can afford that Market Priced lobster? This intimate Ditmas Park wine bar will put you both at ease, with over 110 bottles (both absolutely affordable and well, non, depending on what you’re comfortable with), 16 Belgian beers, and a menu that goes well beyond cheese, crostini, and mixed olives. We love the Plum and Manchego Salad with arugula and toasted sunflower seeds, Butternut Squash Gnocchi with oyster mushrooms, sage and truffle oil, and Black Bass with roasted heirloom carrots, bacon-sauteed sucreine lettuce, fried shallots, and roasted poblano peppers. We also totally advocate...
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Eat To Impress – Atera
Here at Restaurant Girl, we consider knowing how to select the perfect place for dinner an essential skill. Of course, picking the ultimate spot in a city so full of choices isn’t always easy – so whether you’re looking to get down and dirty with a plate of barbecue, need a romantic (but not too romantic!) place to take a first date, or just want to decompress after work with a good, stiff drink, we’ve got five ideal options for you.
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Mission Chinese’s Fusion
After years of working late nights as a line cook, Bowien found that he and his colleagues were always searching for the perfect Asian junk food to eat after work. Hence, Mission Chinese was born.
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Miranda’s Latin-Italian
What happens when a Mexican chef falls in love with an Italian front of the house guy? Tuck into Miranda for dinner and you’ll get a pretty good idea. The love child of husband-and-wife culinary team, Sasha and Mauricio Miranda, this homey Williamsburg spot, furnished with brick walls, oak floors and reclaimed mirrors, makes you feel a lot like you’re dining in the couple’s kitchen at home. The menu fuses the vivacious cultures of Latin America and Italy, featuring dishes, like Arancini made not with ground veal and beef, but with Chorizo and a garlicky tomato fonduta. Instead of the typical Italian ragu, the Pappardelle at Miranda is made with a deliciously intense, Mole-Braised Lamb Ragu. It’s comfort food with a delicious twist. At brunch, the menu veers towards the Latin American influence with Huevos Con Mole and Pernil (slow-roasted...
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Flor De Mayo’s Chinese-Peruvian
With two locations on the Upper West Side, Flor De Mayo is beloved by its neighbors. Perennially busy and sparsely decorated, this Chino-Latino joint has been serving crowd-pleasing dishes for more than 30 years.
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La Caridad 78’s Chinese-Cuban
Another Chino-Latino fusion restaurant on the Upper West Side, La Caridad has been an institution since the sixties. Established by Chinese immigrants who lived in Cuba before the revolution, La Caridad specializes in working-class fare from both countries.
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Chinese Mirch’s Indian-Chinese
As spice is the common denominator between the regions, (mirch means “spicy” in Hindi ) everything on the menu at Chinese Mirch packs some heat, even a bowl of egg drop soup.
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Vermilion’s Indian-Latin American
The woman behind Vermilion, Rohini Dey, is a force to be reckoned with and what Time magazine dubs, “a culinary superstar.” Following stints as an economist for the World Bank and a consultant at a Chicago financial advising company, Dey, a New Delhi native, was inspired to leave her finance career behind and launch a very novel restaurant concept. Her idea was to celebrate the shared Arabic and Portuguese culinary influences in Latin and Indian regions and the result are dishes, like Duck Vindaloo Arepas and Artichoke Pakoras with Eggplant Coconut Sauce. The drink menu is just as international and unique, featuring a mix of lassis, aguas frescas, and “herb and spice” Latin cocktails. Not to mention that Vermilion’s an unusually sexy restaurant for such seriously ethnic cuisine: The bi-level space is sleekly outfitted with white woven chairs, glossy wood...
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Indochine’s French-Vietnamese
Another serendipitous result of colonial history, French-Vietnamese cuisine combines buttery Gallic extravagance with the fresh, peppery flavors of Vietnamese chilies, cilantro, and lemongrass. Indochine has been serving this sexy fusion of flavors for over twenty years. The room itself feels like a tropical vacation with palm trees, wicker chairs and twirling ceiling fans. Settle into the swanky digs and start with the Duck Confit Salad, a combination of chopped duck, Napa cabbage, carrots, pear tomatoes, orange, apple, coriander, anointed with a Vietnamese vinaigrette. There’s a Five Spice-Roasted Hen and Glazed Duck Breast on Bok Choy with Vidalia Onion Sauce. One of our favorites, a delicious take on the classic French stew, the Vietnamese Bouillabaisse is brimming with sea scallops, prawns, shrimp, baby squid, mussels, and cabbage in a lime leaf and galangal sauce (galangal is a peppery root used...
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Surfish Bistro
There are no culinary boundaries at Surfish Bistro, which is exactly what makes this Park Slope spot interesting enough to leave the island of Manhattan. It makes sense that a Lima-born chef would know his way around ceviche, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
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Stella Manhattan Bistro
Located near the Financial District, Stella is the perfect (and convenient) spot to roll into after work for a couple of drinks or a bite to eat (or both). The atmosphere is sleek, yet relaxed, making it a great spot to unwind after a long day cooped up at the office. So loosen your tie and settle in at one of the bar tables in the lounge area. The menu is a unique and eccentric mix of French, Argentinian, and Asian food, but it’s all finger food-friendly and definitely better than your average bar bites. Where else can you order a Croque Monsieur with smoked ham and gruyere while your buddy gets the classic fish and chips with homemade tartar sauce? Even the burger guy in the group with be satisfied when he gets the Stella-R burger topped with goat cheese. ...
Read MoreDBGB Kitchen & Bar
Cuisine: Global Vibe: Tavern chic Occasion: Group dinner; casual date; night out Don’t Miss: DBGB dog, tuna crudo, lamb Tunisienne sausage, raspberry pistachio cake Price: Appetizers $11, entrees $18, dessert $9 Reservations: Recommended Phone: (212) 933-5300 Location: 299 Bowery., between Houston & First Sts. If Daniel Boulud ran a hot dog stand, how would it look? Now we know. DBGB Kitchen & Bar looks like a gourmet mess hall. The bar is loud and crowded – so crowded that on most nights, bar traffic spills out between the tables in the upfront dining area. The floors are cement, and the mirrored walls are covered in a collage of quotes. Boulud’s always been an uptown guy. He’s got an uptown empire of French restaurants: Daniel, Café Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne and Bar Boulud. His newest one is way downtown on...
Read MoreDesnuda
Guerilla molecular gastronomy at Desnuda 122 E. Seventh St., (212) 254-3515 Hours: Dinner, Mon.-Thurs., 5 p.m.-midnight; Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Sundays: closed CUISINE: Ceviche VIBE: Sexy Ceviche Bar OCCASION: Bar bites, Casual date DON’T MISS DISH: Tea-smoked oysters, mackerel ceviche, apple & fig mixto with pomegranate molasses. AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $4; entrees, $16. RESERVATIONS: No reservations There’s no kitchen at Desnuda, a new cevicheria on Seventh St. in the East Village. There’s a popcorn popper, a microwave, a dinky sushi fridge, and a toaster oven. So how does Christian Zammas, the chef, manages to smoke raw oysters every night? In a gravity bong, of course. Zammas made his bong from scratch, using a Sprite bottle and a glass bowl he bought on St. Marks Place. He packs the glass bowl with Lapsang souchong tea leaves and Sichuan...
Read MoreShang
Chinese cooking too clever for its own good. 187 Orchard St., near Allen St., (212) 260-7900 Hours: Dinner, Mon.-Sat., 6 p.m.-11 p.m. CUISINE: Global fusion VIBE: Glossy hotel haunt OCCASION: Group dinner, business dinner, date. DON’T MISS DISH: Singapore slaw with salted plum dressing, turnip cake, chickpea sweet onion fritters. AVERAGE PRICE: Appetizers, $16; entrees, $28; dessert, $10. RESERVATIONS: Recommended. I worry about new restaurants. Especially big, glossy ones with 130 seats to fill. I mean, who could’ve predicted such a frosty economy? Opening a restaurant requires years of planning. Think of all the details that have to be settled — financial backers, designers, vendors, inspections, a liquor license and getting Con Edison to finally flip the switch. I’m sure the Thompson Hotel Group had big plans when they first set their sights on the fashionable lower East...
Read MoreMacao Trading Company
311 Church St., near Walker St. (212) 431-8750 Seven days, 5 p.m.-4 a.m.; CUISINE Global fusion; VIBE Exotic speakeasy; OCCASION Swanky date, bar bites, festive group dinner; DON’T MISS DISH Sticky rice-stuffed quail, Portu-guese-style shrimp with green sauce, trio of flans; AVERAGE PRICE Appetizers $8, entrees $22, desserts $7; RESERVATIONS Highly recommended.Macao Trading Company At the moment, the most beautiful bar in New York may be the one at Macao Trading Co.. It’s a grownup’s bar – owned by grownups, staffed by grown-ups. But really, it feels like a bar for 8-year-olds. That’s a good thing. I suppose you could get a Grey Goose martini, dirty. But why, when you can drink Drunken Dragon’s Milk or down a Bashful Maiden or be treated by Dr. Funk? After all, what’s a bar for, if not to free you inner 8-year-old?...
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