Category: <span>NY Eats</span>

THE DAVID BURKE EMPIRE in restaurant week part 1

Years ago, we went to David Burke’s Kitchen, Townhouse and Fishtail during restaurant week. Time has passed, Townhouse is now closed for renovation, and Fishtail is not participating, but some of the dishes are the same/ similar.

David Burke's Townhouse DavidBurke_townhouse01 David Burke's Townhouse

Out of all the David Burke’s restaurants in NYC, I like Townhouse the most. It was a really elegant establishment. Beautiful dinning room with high ceiling and big chandelier. Food is playful with touches of Asian flavors. And who can forget the cheesecake lollipops. Great service and comfortable atmosphere, it was high end cuisine designed to carter clientele with the same zip code but tagged with affordable numbers.

CELERY ROOT SOUP whipped black truffle, pistachio
CELERY ROOT SOUP
whipped black truffle, pistachio
PRETZEL CRUSTED CRAB CAKE & SWEET CHILI PRAWN tomato orange chutney, poppy seed honey One of the David Burke's signature dishes. Pretzel crab cake is served at all 3 establishments with very little tweak.
PRETZEL CRUSTED CRAB CAKE & SWEET CHILI PRAWN
tomato orange chutney, poppy seed honey
One of the David Burke’s signature dishes. Pretzel crab cake is served at all 3 establishments with very little tweak.
DIVER SCALLOPS cauliflower, fennel-grapefruit salad, pine nut Yes, it looks a little sad with only 3 tiny scallops, but they were really fresh and beautifully cooked.
DIVER SCALLOPS
cauliflower, fennel-grapefruit salad, pine nut
Yes, it looks a little sad with only 3 tiny scallops, but they were really fresh and beautifully cooked.
STEAMED MUSSELS spicy lamb sausage, coconut couscous, cilantro Excellent broth, spicy lamb sausage was a natural seasoning for the mussels. Absolutely love the couscous.
STEAMED MUSSELS
spicy lamb sausage, coconut couscous, cilantro
Excellent broth, spicy lamb sausage was a natural seasoning for the mussels. Absolutely love the couscous.

CHEESECAKE LOLLIPOP TREE
CHEESECAKE LOLLIPOP TREE
bubblegum whipped cream, raspberries
And of course, the lollipop tree. This is perhaps the most photographed dessert. So popular that David Burke actually patterned it. It is a very playful and creative idea However, it was extremely sweet, and with the whipped cream, it was toxically sweet. For me, it was just an eye candy.
(Jan, 2012)

The Fourth (restaurant week 2014 dinner)

The Fourth (restaurant week 2014 dinner)

Th Fourth at the Hyatt Union Square is another restaurant that serves regular menu items during restaurant week. From the masterminds of Tocqueville and my beloved 15 East, the Fourth is a beautiful restaurant on street level with an espresso bar in the front. High ceiling, red wall, red velvet booths, white linen, and gallery like decoration, it is a stylish, beautiful place. We went there for Summer restaurant week last year, and found that while their regular menu is limited, but the RW menu does have decent choices and generous portions. (see 2015 winter restaurant week menu)
JAR OF FOIE GRAS

    JAR OF FOIE GRAS
    seasonal compote

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD

    HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD
    Hawaiian heats of palm, red onion, watercress & red wine vinaigrette

ASPARAGUS & FARM EGG SALAD

    ASPARAGUS & FARM EGG SALAD
    fava beans, pickled onions & parmesan

HOUSEMADE TORCHIO PASTA

    HOUSEMADE TORCHIO PASTA
    pancetta, summer squash & arugula
    Pasta was plain. We did added the $8 supplement lobster, but it was still blend. It needed some sort of sauce and seasoning.

HEARTH ROASTED RACK OF BERKSHIRE PORK

    HEARTH ROASTED RACK OF BERKSHIRE PORK mustard greens, green garlic, dates & horseradish
    Fatty slab of pork belly with crispy skin was roasted perfectly. Feel kind of like a Chinese crispy roasted pork, but on the salty side. The greens on the side felt disconnected, as if it should be a separated salad dish.

HAKE A LA PLANCHA

    HAKE A LA PLANCHA
    slow braised hake, potatoes, olives & tomatoes
    Hake was a little dry. With all that olives pate on top, it was way saltier than it should be. Again, I feel it needed some kind of broth to carry it and balance the saltiness.

PINK SALT BRICK ROASTED AMISH COUNTRY CHICKEN

    PINK SALT BRICK ROASTED AMISH COUNTRY CHICKEN
    shaved vegetables & lemon vinaigrette
    Chicken was very well cook, and juicy inside. But the vegetables on top seems it was just thrown on top.

QUATRIEME COFFEE POT DE CRÈME

    QUATRIEME COFFEE POT DE CRÈME
    mascarpone mousse, coffee crumble, amaretto gelato & quatrieme coffee foam

valrhona chocolate chip cookies

Raymi (restaurant week dinner 2014)

I am so glad that we went to Raymi for RW, because it was surprisingly good. When we were scanning thru the list of restaurant to go for RW, one place in particular jump out because of the menu it offers for RW. It was not some mock up dishes that just throw together for RW to get people in the seats, it is the same dishes that they serve every night on regular menu, and the choices are extensive. see Raymi RW 2015 menu here


Raymi opened in 2012, in the space which was formerly Nuela, and before that, Sapa. It is a modern Peruvian restaurant. Peruvian is the grand father of fusion, because of its multicultural history. It blends Chinese, Spanish, Mexican, and of course Japanese. The most notable Peruvian cuisine is perhaps Nobu, but honestly, Nobu should be called Nikkei cuisine. Now I have not yet been to Peru, and have not have the the privilege to sample authentic Peruvian cuisine, but Raymi is petty good for me. (March, 2014)
MIXTO

    MIXTO
    aji rocoto / shrimp / squid / octopus / sweet potato
    Shrimp, squid, octopus all perfectly cooked, and soaking in a bright pepper broth. A little spice, plenty of lime, certainly wake up my palate, great way to start dinner.

AJI AMARILLO TIRADITO

    CORVINA
    lime/ red onion/ sweet potato/ habanero
    Corvina ceviche in a light lime broth. Love the corvina, the texture kind of like snapper, firm and sweet. I felt the sweet potato was extra. Corn nuts added a crunch to the dish, but could be better blend in if it were crushed.

CHICHARRON SLIDERS

    CHICHARRON SLIDERS
    crispy pork shoulder / sweet potato / salsa criolla / spicy mayo
    it just occurred to us at this point, all 3 appetizers have sweet potato in it, but we hardy notice it. Pork shoulder was beautifully cook with rich flavor. The salsa and spicy mayo work really well counteracting each other. A very enjoyable bit.

    CREMA DE ZAPALLO
    butternut squash soup/ crispy bacon/ queso fresco/ brioche croutons/ chives

    SKIRT STEAK for 2
    yuca fries

    SKIRT STEAK for 2
    chimichurri / roasted garlic / parmesan yuca fries
    Very nicely grilled slab of skirt steak, perfectly medium rare, just the way I want it. The star however, was the green sauce. It’s so simple and yet so good. Thick cut yuca fries could use more seasoning.

ARROZ CON PATO

    ARROZ CON PATO
    crispy duck leg / cilantro jasmine rice / dark beer / salsa criolla

AGUADITO DE MARISCOS

    AGUADITO DE MARISCOS
    shrimp / octopus / calamari / mussels / roasted squash / piquillo peppers / choclo / rice / cilantro

ARROZ CON LECHE

    ARROZ CON LECHE (Mexican Rice Pudding)
    raisins/ quinoa granola

BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING

    BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING
    brown butter ice cream/ toffee/ raisin

SUSPIRO LIMENO

    SUSPIRO LIMENO
    delce de leche/ port meringue/ cinnan
    A Peruvian dessert of vanilla custard topped with meringue

Lafayette (restaurant week lunch 2014)

It’s February, that means restaurant week is near. Looking at that long list of restaurants, it could be confusing. Some only offer lunch, some only offer dinner on certain days. So I thought I would take the chance and share some of the past restaurant week meals I had.

For the past 2 restaurant weeks (RW Winter & Summer), we went to Lafayette twice. Mostly because of its convenient location. And it is a rather beautiful french restaurant. For the very affordable RW price, and the menu items they offer, Lafayette is quite a steal. I took a glance at the menu, seems like Lafayette are offerings some of the same item this time around. see Lafayette RW 2015 menu here

Frisée Salad, Bacon Maison, Poached Organic Egg

    Frisée Salad, Bacon Maison, Poached Organic Egg

    Salmon Tartare, Sauce Aigrelette, Crispy Potato

      Salmon Tartare, Sauce Aigrelette, Crispy Potato

    Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Coriander Crème Fraîche

      Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Coriander Crème Fraîche

    Crispy Duck Confit, Lentils du Puy, Red Wine

      Crispy Duck Confit, Lentils du Puy, Red Wine
      Duck was very well cooked. really crispy skin and still moist inside. The lentils were a little salty for me. I would hope for a little more carrot to balance the saltiness.

    Steamed Red Snapper, Barigoule Provençal

      Steamed Red Snapper, Barigoule Provençal

    Field Mushroom Risotto

      Field Mushroom Risotto

    Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème, Chai Tea, Espresso

      Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème, Chai Tea, Espresso

    Almond Frangipane Tart, Winter Citrus, Mandarin Granité

      Almond Frangipane Tart, Winter Citrus, Mandarin Granité
      That concludes our first RW visit to Lafayette. It wasn’t out-of-this-world delicious, it was decent and great value. We knew coming in during RW, we were not looking for anything remarkable. We chose Lafayette because of its menu choices. There were decent options, a meat, a fish and a pasta. Portions were good enough that we would not leave half hungry. For those who are on a tight schedule during busy lunch hours, I would suggest to let your server know right the way, because there were a little bit of time gap in between dishes. Comfortable seating, warm service, and lots of sunlight coming through, it is a beautiful place that we can spend an afternoon at.
      Base on that thought, we went to Lafayette again during the summer RW. The hors d’oeuvres were the same as winter RW. Entree choices were hanger streak, a fish, and a pasta. The streak while very well cook, it was a little blend without the sauce. And the veggies were a little boring. From the look of it, it could be mistaken as a Chinese dish. The roasted dourade was just a beautiful dish to look at. It is very colorful and it speaks summer. Skin was crispy as we expect, fish was done just right, broth was delicious. Lafayette also have outdoor sitting during warm season, and that is just what we did. Street traffic wasn’t busy, it was peaceful and clam. With a glass of wine in hand, makes you forget you are in the middle of hectic Manhattan.