NY restaurant week – Page 4

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.

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
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 DAVID BURKE EMPIRE in restaurant week part 2

THE DAVID BURKE EMPIRE in restaurant week part 2

Just a block away from David Burke’s Townhouse, Fishtail’s set up is almost identical. It is also a townhouse: bar in the front downstairs, and formal dinning room on second with oil paintings of fish on wall. As its name indicated, majority of the menu is seafood, and some of them are echoing with Townhouse.

Remind you, this was years ago. I haven’t seen this on their menu for a long time, and hopefully never again, because I really have no idea why would they put it on the menu, nor why I would order it. It was an embarrassment. Crab meat rolls in different sizes; rice were broken and falling off 2 sad piece of sushi (different sizes too); ginger and wasabi looked like they were just thrown onto the plate. And yes, it tasted as it looked.

As I almost lost it with the sushi platter, Anger Mussel showed up and calmed my anger. Served in a cast iron pan, with a wonderful sauce on the side, it was delicious. The sauce had a hint of curry in it, which went very well with the mussel, and very good flavor.

PRETZEL CRUSTED CRAB CAKE was not that much different than the one in Townhouse, minus the shrimp on top.

I am not a fan of branzino. It seemed to always be a boring cut of fish, and it is. It was seared perfectly, well seasoned, and skin was as crispy as it could be. There was nothing wrong with it, just boring.

SEA SCALLOPS BENEDICT was very well cook and presented. 3 beautifully seared scallops, with a sunny side egg placed delicately on top.

Desserts are simple but beautiful, and just the right amount of sweetness.
(June, 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

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD

ASPARAGUS & FARM EGG SALAD

HOUSEMADE TORCHIO PASTA

HEARTH ROASTED RACK OF BERKSHIRE PORK

HAKE A LA PLANCHA

PINK SALT BRICK ROASTED AMISH COUNTRY CHICKEN

QUATRIEME COFFEE POT DE CRÈME

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)