Rue 57

Rue 57 is a great lunch place in Midtwon. Fries and Burger are great... French onion soup is great. What I love is the downstairs area. If you go with the right people, then you can stay here for hours. The vibe is so relaxing. The waitstaff are very friendly and nice. You get the occassional tourists type here with their shopping bags, etc. but it's a great restaurant overall. I realize I'm not reviewing the food here, I think the food is okay for its price point, but the space definitely compensate for that.

Rue 57 is located on 57th st. and 6th Ave

44 & X

Wow. I haven't post anything in almost 4 months. This is my latest entry. With the downturn in the economy, I rarely go out anymore. And even if I do, it's really been the same restaurants that you've seen in my older blogs. But, I have to introduce 44 and X to you. I don't know why I haven't posted this. It's a restaurant located in Hell's Kitchen. It is a great place. Relaxing, cozy, and the food is great. Summer time is particular great because you can sit outside. My favorites are actually the cheap stuff, buttermilk fried chicken, burger and their brunch menus. Awesome place.

As the name suggests, this place is located on the northeast corner of 44th and 10th Ave.

Bari

Cafe Bari is located in SoHo. After an exhaustive day of shopping, we went to this place to grab a quick bite and refreshment. We ended up staying for hours. The place is just comfortable to be in. The food was okay. It wasn't memorable, but the environment is great. When I was there, it wasn't too crowded and it was the perfect volume to have a decent conversation without screaming. It's a good place to go.

Cookshop

Cookshop Restaurant is located on 20th Street and 10th Ave. It has a great atmosphere. The crowd is the Meatpacking/Chelsea-stylish-crowd. But it's not stuffy like Pastis. It's a very good place to go when you have friends in town. My favorite brunch menu is the Bread Basket, Dandelion/Fried Egg Salad, Cookshop Scramble with Salmon OR pasture-raised Burger. Really good food that's worth the price.

Cookshop Restaurant & Bar‎
156 10th Ave
New York, NY 10011

Get Directions

(212) 924-4440

* approximate times

- cookshopny.com

Chez Napoleon

This French restaurant in Hell's Kitchen has been in business for over 40 years. The dishes are classically French and classically good and delicious. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The crowd that goes here skews a bit older. Not quite sure why. The decor features classic French history and it's kinda nice. The family who owns this restaurant is also very nice. If you want to have a low-key classic French food, go here.

This place is located on 50th St near 9th Ave.

Kum Gang San

There are tons of Korean restaurants in K-Town. One of them (if you can find it) is Kum Gang San. It's difficult to distinguish these Korean restaurants after a while because they all look (and sometimes taste) very similar and you really don't know where you are unless you're outside, looking at the restaurant. But, all of the Korean restaurants in K-Town is good. I've never been disappointed. I think with any Korean restaurants, the prices can get you.

Kang Suh

Another Korean restaurant in K-Town. Also very good. Make sure you come with friends who can share dishes to enjoy the entire menu. Good atmosphere if you're looking to be surrounded by Asians. Check out this place if you can't get a table at the other Korean restaurant.

Wildwood BBQ

When you think of barbecue in general, you're probably thinking of backyard parties or even smokey places like Daisy May's. But this restaurant on Park Ave offers up a nice balance of a very-well decorated restaurant with very tasty barbecue dishes. The lighting in this restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. And I never used that word. The crowd can get a bit loud and the chairs are somewhat uncomfortable. But the beef ribs are delicious.

Hourglass Tavern

This prix fixe restaurant is great to go to before the Theater. Located in restaurant row in Hell's Kitchen, this small tiny place offers up a variety of food for almost every tongue. The price however is a bit pricey, but you get a full course from appetizer, main course and dessert. The atmosphere is great and every waitstaff are very nice. Go check it out one day.

Dos Caminos

I'm not a big fan of anything south of the border for some reason. But Dos Caminos is one of those Mexican-American restaurants that I can handle. Flavors are a bit Americanized according to some of my friends who proclaimed to be experts of Mexican food. But I like this restaurant, even though it's a bit pricey. But overall the food and the vibe here is great. Waitstaff are also excellent. If someone were to ask if I want to eat Mexican? I would pick Dos Caminos.

Guantanamera

I'm not a big fan of food tastes from South America... I have to dine only when I'm in the mood. But I can go to Guantanamera more often than that. Food is good here, but I don't have anything really to compare it to. The atmosphere is quite interesting. There are definitely tons of Latin vibe in this restaurant. Recommended from me if you want to eat Cuban.

Brasserie 8 1/2

When you step into this restaurant, you're embraced by the dramatic red stairs. You walk down and enter the restaurant and feel as if every eye is on you. It's a beautiful restaurant. I've been to the buffet brunch and to dinner, both are amazing. Everything is French, but it's a bit modern. So you're not getting that French country flavor. The waitstaff are excellent, very professional and they notice when your water glass is almost empty (a winner in my book). Visit this restaurant when you get a chance. You won't regret it.

Markt

When you think of Belgian food, you probably don't know what to think. Markt gives you authentic Belgian food with seafood as their specialty. You have to get the oysters - it is delicious. They also offer an extensive selection of Belgian beers. The atmosphere is also great. They have great waitstaff too. Check out this place when you're in Chelsea. It's difficult to get a table sometime but it's worth the wait.

inoteca

I ate at inoteca the first week I landed in NYC. It was my first LES restaurant experience and nightlife. It was actually quite fun. The food was not that memorable, but it was good. The line was really long though even though we had reservations, we still had to wait for another 15 mins. Good restaurant, but not really memorable for that kind of price.

Jing Fong

I love dim sum. Some people think dim sum consists of meat balls, shrimp balls, shumai and spring rolls. But there are so much more to this moving cart of mini bamboo and aluminum dishes. Chicken feet is a delicacy and is my favorite. The beef tripe, the beef oxtail are also one of my favorites. The egg tart or almond pudding is the best desert to close the meal. My diet goes out the window when I'm here. I tend to just splurge because I only go here once a year.

Jing Fong is located in Chinatown. It's set in this humongous ballroom. You enter the restaurant, put your name down, then when you're called, you go up the escalator and enter the ballroom. Everything is served family-style. There are tons of people here and sometimes, it's not for those with a weak stomach. But you need to go with someone who knows his/her stuff. That person needs to order for the table. Your spending can vary depending on who you're with. For those first timers, please come with an open mind.

Ted's

I went to Ted's for a business lunch. They have very delicious steaks. I was actually quite impressed by this place. The atmosphere, environment and waitstaff are actually a bit snotty. Maybe because I went during business lunch hours, and they were at their busiest time, but I still think they could've done a better service. Overall, if you're in the mood for a decent steak house in Midtown, then Ted's Montana Grill is a good option.

Ted's is located on 51st between 6th and 7th.

Cascina

Italian food is always difficult for me. They use very thick cream and very heavy carbs. But when I'm craving for it (and when I can afford it), Cascina is a great way to go. It has a very good Risotto. And you can't beat the chef's daily specials. Atmosphere is great, there's this chef at the restaurant who seems like he owned the restaurant for more than 20 years. He is basically the 'face' of Cascina. It's one of the best Italian places in Hell's Kitchen.

It's located on 9th Ave - closer to 45th st.

Pigalle

Located in Midtown, this restaurant is quite a find. It has good food and good atmosphere. It's perfect for tourists who wants to eat French in the neighborhood. But it's also perfect for quick business lunches because prices are decent. You can also afford it in this kind of economy.

It's located on the very crowded 8th Ave between 48th and 49th.

Natsumi

Natsumi is a fusion between Italian and Japanese. But don't expect a radical fusion. You'll only see a select few including Green Tea Pasta and Tuna Raviolis. They're not really for me, but some people certainly think they're amazing. Natsumi's sushi selection is actually quite interesting. It's not a "must go", but you should check it out if you need a place to eat in Midtown. It has a great, relaxed atmosphere and waitstaff are very nice.

Natsumi is on 50th Street between Broadway and 7th.

Bann

Best Korean food. This place serves some of the most delicious Korean dishes. When you think of East Asian food, you go directly to Japanese or Chinese, but you should absolutely try this. Atmosphere is good and waitstaff are very nice.

I love this hot appetizer: Ga Ri Bi Gui. It's minced sea scallop with mushroom baked in shrimp mousse. Yum!

Their Bok Kum Bap is also good. It's the Korean version of fried rice.

I hope to come back one day and try the Korean Royal Family. People say it's amazing.

This place is on 50th St. between 8th/9th.