The Best Sushi I've Ever Had... Ever.

Seeing as I eat sushi several times a week, it takes a lot for me to see that I just had the BEST sushi I've ever had, but I really did, and I don't see any sushi ever topping this.

One of my favorite things about my boyfriend (along with a lot of other amazing qualities) is that anytime I'm hungry, he's willing to go out and eat whatever I'm craving. Last week, I was craving sushi, and he mentioned that a co-worker had strongly recommended Sushi Yasuda on 43rd between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. I did my research and found very good reviews for this restaurant, so I gave them a call and was excited that they had an open reservation for two that very evening at 7:30pm, so I took it.

Patrick and I met near my office after work and hopped on the subway up to Grand Central and we walked from there. We had a hard time finding the entrance at first, but once we did we ducked inside to find a brightly-lit restaurant with very little decoration besides the light wood wall panels and a row of chefs lining the sushi bar against the side wall. We were shown to our table and handed two menus to begin what would be an unforgettable meal.

The first thing that struck me about the menu was the sheer absence of anything fried or covered in sauce. The menu was broken out into all different types of fish and even had a Pre Fix option where, for $22.50, you could choose five pieces of sushi, two maki rolls and either a soup or a salad. I don't understand why more sushi restaurants don't do this and instead force you to order specific rolls that they have grouped together.

I ordered the Seaweed and the Pre Fixe sushi: Yellowtail (2 pieces), Tuna, Spanish Mackerel & Eel with a Yellowtail Roll and a Tuna Roll. Patrick also got the Pre Fixe sushi and we ordered a Toro Roll to share. The Seaweed Salad was unlike any other I'd had before. The plate that was placed in front of me had 5-6 different types of seaweed on it, not just the green stringy variety I was used to. The plants ranged in color from red to purple to green. The dressing was served on the side and I dunked the leaves into the tasty sauce one by one. If I had to choose, I’d say the green stringy seaweed is the one I prefer, but it was a great way for me to try something new and was the perfect way to whet my palette for the sushi.

The Seaweed Salad was followed by the perfect bowl of Miso Soup that was the most flavorful I've ever tasted. It’s hard for a restaurant to improve too much upon Miso Soup since it is so simple, but this soup was truly wonderful—rich and aromatic with deep, full flavor. Patrick and I both picked up our bowls to slurp the last bit so as not to waste a drop.

We awaited our fish eagerly and I was very excited when large round plates were placed in front of us.

The rolls were smaller than I was used to but the fish was vibrant and looked incredible. Upon the first bite of the sushi, I was truly blown away. Never had I tasted a fresher piece of fish. Patrick had a similar reaction to his first bite and noted that the fish was “melty.” He asked, “what’s a better word for melty?” When we heard the man at the table next to us call his sushi “buttery,” Patrick and I nodded our heads at each other. That was the perfect word, as the fish was so tender and the rice so creamy that it fell apart in my mouth in the most wonderful way possible.

The biggest problem I have with sushi is that I usually eat it far too quickly. I do try to eat it slowly, but all too often, it’s gone before I can say “omakase.” I wasn’t about to let that happen with this heavenly sushi, so I made a great effort to eat my meal slowly, savoring each bite. Each piece of fish I ate was better than the one before it, and I was in absolute awe of the food I was putting into my mouth. I understood why every table in the restaurant was full.

Once we had each finished our Pre Fixe sushi, we moved on to the Toro Roll that we were sharing. I had been meaning to try Toro for a long time, but the letters “MP” next to it on most menus usually steers me towards the Maguro or Hamachi instead. Since we were in an obviously special sushi restaurant, we decided to spend the extra money to try the roll, and it was completely worth it.

Toro is Fatty Tuna and when you eat it, it actually melts away in your mouth. It was a very unique experience and although I felt the Toro was missing the substantial texture of the sushi fish I’m used to, I evaluated it without comparisons and decided that I absolutely loved it.

When we were done, I decided I wanted one more roll, and Patrick encouraged me to order another so I got an additional Yellowtail Scallion Roll. It was the perfect way to end a perfect sushi meal, and I was fully satisfied by the time we finished the roll.

An important thing to note is that when I get to a restaurant and water is delivered to the table, it’s my true preference that I’m given a large water glass. I drink a LOT of water with my meals so rather than risk an empty water glass, I’d rather a larger glass. I was slightly disappointed to see a tiny water glass in front of me when I sat down, but I do have to say, my glass did not have a chance to sit empty for even one second. My glass was refilled about 25 times, which seems both inefficient and impressive to me at the same time. I do think the restaurant would be better off providing larger glasses to minimize their own work, but I can’t complain about it since I was never without water.

If you love sushi and find yourself in Midtown East, I insist that you pay Sushi Yasuda a visit. Call ahead for reservations, order a ton of sushi, sit back and enjoy the best sushi New York City has to offer.

Let’s Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Welcome to Miami

While New York City food is definitely what I know best, I sometimes travel outside of the city and when I do, I love to write about the food I find. A few weeks ago I traveled to South Beach with Jill, Stevie and Jen for a quick girl trip getaway. I knew most of our daytime meals would be eaten next to the pool, I was intent on finding us some awesome dinner spots for our Friday and Saturday night dinners. We had originally planned to go to Barton G. and Wish, but once we got down there and talked to a few locals, we changed our minds and made brand new reservations. More on that later.

As I expected, we ate lunch every day at our hotel, The Loews, by the pool. The restaurant was called The Nautilus and we actually had some very good meals there. For our first meal, I had a Turkey Wrap with bacon and avocado.

Jen and I shared it, and they served each half of the wrap with a hearty portion of fresh fruit. Yum! My favorite thing I had poolside though were the fresh fish tacos and I had them several times over the few days we were there.

Light, flaky fish was paired with fresh veggies to create the perfect taste of the sea. I also had a great Shrimp Cesar salad that was not too heavy, which was great since I was eating it while wearing a bathing suit.

Maybe everything tasted better because we were in sunny South Beach, but we all really enjoyed sitting in the sun and eating these fresh dishes.

The stand-out meals were definitely our Friday and Saturday night dinners. Friday night we ended up at Red the Steakhouse at the recommendation of the bartender at Emeril’s (who made a mean blue-cheese stuffed olive dirty martini!) I had heard Prime 112 couldn’t be missed, but he assured us that the food at Red was just as good and the service was much better. We headed to the restaurant with our stomachs growling and boy was I happy I brought my appetite!

We started with 8 oz. of Buratta Cheese that was absolutely divine.

Rich, creamy and nutty in flavor, the cheese was perfectly balanced with the ripe tomatoes and sharp balsamic drizzled over the top. Heaven! Since Jill eats her steak charred (don’t worry, I’m working on it), Stevie, Jen and I decided to share the Surf & Turf between the 3 of us because it was a ton of food and because all 3 of us eat our steak bloody. The steak came with a heaping portion of crab leg meat and it worked out perfectly because I mostly wanted steak, Jen mostly wanted seafood and Stevie wanted a little of both. The portion was enormous, as was the price tag, but when the 3 of us split it it made sense.

The steak was cooked to our liking and the buttery crab meat was so tender you could cut it with a spoon.

I got Jill to try a piece of our steak and even she admitted it was pretty good.

We ordered some sides to go with our main courses and those were fabulous as well. The dish that really blew me away was the Potatoes au Gratin. Soft potatoes covered in ooey gooey cheese made for a decadent dish. I wanted to lick the plate clean!

We also got a side of broccoli and spinach and while there was nothing too spectacular about them, they were also quite yummy.

We sipped both white and red wine and enjoyed a leisurely 3-hour meal before retiring to the bar to claim our free round of drinks (thank you FourSquare!) My friends may make fun of me for being a Social Media nerd, but free drinks? I didn’t hear any complaints.

Saturday during the day we stopped by SushiSamba for happy hour and to munch on some sushi. The drinks were chilly and refreshing and the sushi was fresh and flavorful. Between the 4 of us we shared a Seaweed Salad and several rolls. We sat around, people-watched (something Manhattanites LOVE to do), sipped our cocktails and enjoyed each other's company. It was lovely.

We made the call to have our Saturday night dinner at Philippe Chow's Philippe because the menu looked absolutely incredible. I was still craving Peking Duck after my Adventure in Chinatown with Patrick, and I was determined to have some. We had a round of drinks at the Gansevoort's STK before our late 10:30pm reservation. A few of us were craving cucumber drinks, so as soon as we sat down at our table we ordered some Cucumber Martinis which were downright yummy. Then we ordered a few more, and a few more. But who's counting? We're on vacation!

We decided to share the famous Chicken Satays prepared in Chef Chow's Famous Cream Sauce per Stevie's recommendation and the Pork Soup Dumplings (my fave). I admit I was expecting the satays to be nothing spectacular but boy was I wrong! Stevie, I'm sorry for doubting you. They were fantastic! The sauce was like nothing I had ever tasted before. The chicken was hot and tender. If you find yourself at Philippe, GET THE SATAYS!

The Pork Soup Dumplings had a very nice flavor and the dumplings themselves were the perfect consistency. I don't like when the outer layer is too thick, and these were great. Soup dumplings are just so good!

We then got the Chilean Sea Bass with black bean and garlic, also good. I would say this was my least favorite part of the meal, but not because it was bad. It was just something I thought I'd be able to get anywhere else. The fish was very fresh and flaked apart easily but I wouldn't recommend the fish if you're dining there.

Now, on to the Peking Duck! I was so happy we all decided to order it because I really wanted to experience the chef slicing it up table-side. And what an experience it was! He brought out the full duck and it was just beautiful.

He then began to slice it up to create a plate of the most succulent meat I have ever tasted. He cut the duck with a masterful precision and I found the whole process to be fascinating.

And then, we tasted the duck!

Served with pancakes and hoison sauce, this duck was absolutely out of this world. Savory, packed with rich flavor, tender... everything it should be. We ended up having to order more pancakes because we couldn't stop eating! We polished off every last piece of the bird and were absolutely stuffed.

If you are at all interested in Peking Duck, I highly recommend you order it. My mouth is watering just remembering it! I will definitely have it again soon.

We had a great trip, and the food was definitely memorable. Do you have any favorite places in South Beach? Where do you like to travel?

Thanks to the girls for making the trip so great!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Winter Restaurant Week: A Recap

As I've mentioned before, I love NYC Restaurant Week the way a 5 year old loves a trip to Disney World. As soon as the restaurants are announced on nycgo, I go into a frenzy of menu-reading, Open Table reservation-making & emailing friends to invite them to join. I changed a few of the reservations I had initially made for Restaurant Week (had to cancel Primehouse & Nobu), and here is where I eventually landed:

1. BONDST to celebrate my birthday with Lauren & Jill
2. Riverpark with Patrick & 2 other couples
3. Mercer Kitchen with some more of the girls

BONDST is a constant favorite of mine during Restaurant Week and, to be honest, every other week of the year. The vibe is sexy, the food is incredible & the drinks are delicious. For my meal, I chose the Tofu Miso Soup, the Salmon Avocado & Spicy Tuna Rolls, and the New York Strip Steak with Caramelized Shallot Teriyaki & 12-year-old Balsamic. Every dish also comes with Spicy Crispy Shrimp, Age Dashi Tofu and a Steamed Chicken Dumpling. For dessert, I had the Ricotta Cup.The flavor of the Miso Soup was rich, the rolls were the perfect ratio of rice to fish and were incredibly fresh and the steak was a medium-rare masterpiece. Tender, juicy and packed with flavor, I savored every bite of the meat. The 3 accompanying sides were also delicious, each bite was a bold new flavor. And yes, I even enjoyed my dessert, the savory (not sweet at all) Ricotta Cup.

Riverpark has been on my "must try" list as soon as I first heard about its opening last September. Tom Colicchio is my favorite chef, and since I can't quite afford to dine at Tom Tuesday Dinner (yet!), I've been dying to go. I made a 6-person reservation and drooled over the menu for the weeks leading up to it. When Patrick and I got in a cab and told them "take us as far east across 29th street as possible," we knew this place wouldn't be easy to find. And boy were we right! After wandering around lost for about 10 minutes along the FDR, we ran into 2 of our friends who were just getting out of their cab and were as lost as we were. Together, we investigated the building and finally found a security guard to ask where to go. But, let me tell you this: don't let the location turn you off. This restaurant has both a beautiful decor and delicious food. I ordered the Cavatelli, Lamb & Mint dish for an Appetizer, the Roasted Chicken with Sunchokes as my Entree and the Cinnamon Pana Cotta with Pumpkin Cake for Dessert.The pasta dish was outstanding, the combination of lamb & mint reminded me of a great rack of lamb with mint jelly and the pasta was perfectly al dente. My roasted chicken was juicy and tender and had a delicious crispy skin. While the Panna Cotta was just okay, I think I just don't like Panna Cotta. I'd never had it before, and I just didn't enjoy the texture or the flavor of the dish. Lesson learned.

Finally, Mercer Kitchen. Deep in the heart of Soho, the atmosphere here is similar to BONDST. A hip lounge with food from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, any restaurant in NYC that's been around since 1998 must be doing something right. The 6 of us arrived early for our 8:30 reservation, and we weren't shown to our table until close to 9:30. The staff offered absolutely no apology, but we did get a nice corner table in the busy restaurant. For this meal, I decided not to order from the Restaurant Week menu because I'd had my share of desserts for the week. I ordered the Pizza Bianco (4 cheese & garlic, hold the red onions) as my Appetizer & the Breast and Confit of Duck with rhubarb, preserved lemon and wild rice as my Entree.I love a good white pizza, and this one was fantastic! The crust was both chewy & crunchy and the cheeses oozed with olive oil & garlic. I didn't want the dish to end! And then when I thought I couldn't be happier with my selection, my Duck came out and I was first surprised at how much food was on the plate. When I bit into the Confit, it was incredibly tender and full of hearty flavor. The Breast of Duck was medium rare, just how I like most of my meat cooked, and the juice from the duck spread out over the plate when I cut into it. It was moist, well- seasoned and practically fell apart in my mouth. I wanted to lick my plate clean, and I wasn't even a little bit jealous when some of the other girls ordered dessert. The service was lacking at Mercer Kitchen, but the food was not.

Now that Winter Restaurant Week has been extended until the end of the month, I may try to visit a few more spots, but overall, I'm very happy with the restaurants I visited this time around. Until Summer Restaurant Week!

What restaurants did you try, in NYC or any other city you may live in? Any suggestions of places I just HAVE to try? I'd highly recommend all 3 places I went, but beware of the bad service at Mercer Kitchen.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Cheap Eats: Cherin Sushi

One of my favorite things in NYC dining is the concept of BYOB. There aren't a ton, but my girlfriends and I have managed to find most of them. One of our favorites is Cherin Sushi in the East Village on 6th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenues. Cherin is incredibly cheap (we're talking $3.25 for a Tuna Avocado roll), delicious and a fun place to dine with friends.

(The funny thing about this picture, which I got courtesy of NYMag.com, is that the picture of the girls sitting at the table is actually of some of the friends I went to Cherin with this time! Too funny.)

A few nights ago we made a reservation for 8 to have a girls night at Cherin. We had to wait a few extra minutes for our table, but nothing too crazy. Cherin is a tiny restaurant, and there is almost always a line for tables, so we didn't mind. Once the 8 of us finally sat, we started opening the bottles of wine we had brought and chatting away as girls usually do.

When it came time to order, I decided on Miso Soup, Garden Salad, Ashlee Roll (tuna & avocado), Shrimp Tempura Roll & Tricia Roll (tuna & yellowtail on top of avocado & crunch). Most of the other girls got a similar amount of food, and before we could say "BYOB" our food was in front of us.The sushi at Cherin is always fresh and delicious, and the rolls are a good size. I wasn't even able to finish all the rolls I had ordered, and I have a very large appetite!

Everyone enjoyed their food and when the bill came, the total per person was $16 without tip, which is an amazing price for a sushi feast. We each paid $20, and left the restaurant full & happy. Cherin continues to be a reliable spot for cheap, delicious sushi, but be sure to either arrive early or make a reservation if you want to get a table.

What are your favorite BYOB spots in NYC? I also love 11B Italian Food in the East Village and Eatpisode/Hi-Thai Thai Food in LES. Let me know, I'm always looking for new, great BYOB places.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie

Fabulous Food: BONDST

BONDST has been my favorite restaurant since before I even moved to NYC. Why? I could go on all day, but here are a few reasons:
1. The food is exceptional
2. The atmosphere is sexy & intimate
3. Their Restaurant Week menu is to die for
4. Did I mention the food already?

Upon my first visit to BONDST a few summers ago, I tasted the Spicy Crispy Shrimp and the Chilean Seabass Skewer. Both dishes are amazing, but the Chilean Seabass Skewer may very well be one of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten in my life. That is a bold statement, as I have certainly eaten a LOT of dishes in my time, but one taste and most would agree.

I have been telling my boyfriend about this restaurant for probably the last year. We had our anniversary last week, so I thought there was no better place to celebrate than BONDST. Personally, I prefer to sit downstairs in the lounge where they don't take reservations because you can't get the Seabass Skewer in the main dining room upstairs. Such a shame!

We stepped inside, sat down and began drooling over the menu. We decided we'd order 3 hot appetizers and 3 sushi rolls. I, of course, took pictures of everything. We started off with...
The Spicy Crispy Shrimp

The Goat Cheese Crab Cakes

And The Chilean Seabass Skewers

All 3 dishes were delicious, but that skewer has a special place in my heart. My boyfriend completely agreed. He noted, "The fish is sweet & smokey at the same time, and it flakes apart as you eat it." I'm telling you, get yourself to BONDST, sit downstairs in the lounge, and order this dish.

The miso glaze on top of the fish truly is both sweet & smokey, and even the mixed greens that come on the side have a delicious, fresh taste. I am always glad the dish comes with 2 skewers, because as I mentioned in my Tapas post, I'm not the best at sharing...

The 3 sushi rolls we ordered were Hot Eel Dice (top), Sesame-Crusted Shrimp with Citrus Curry Dipping Sauce (middle) and Spicy Tuna (bottom)

The rolls were great! I used to love eel, but all it takes is one bad eel experience. I remember getting an eel avocado roll one day from a West Village sushi spot, and the eel was a horrible, hard consistency with a terrible taste. I was skeptical to ever order eel again. The Hot Eel Dice roll at BONDST changed everything. The meat is tender and full of delicious, rich flavor. My faith in eel has been restored.

Patrick and I each ordered a drink, neither were anything to write home about, but I don't go to BONDST for their cocktails. I can't wait to go back, and I can't wait for Winter Restaurant Week! I make it a point to stop at BONDST every time Restaurant Week comes around, and as often as I can in between.

If you live in NYC, have you ever eaten at BONDST? What did you think? What's your favorite restaurant? Leave comments, I'd love to hear from you!

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie