Where: 99 Church St, New York, NY 10007 | Fidi
This steak house became my "go to" place in downtown area. Not only because of the quality of the food, but very much due to its very high standard of service. Which, I guess, is something you can expect from an establishment inside a Four Seasons Hotel.
The food is good and inventive, even though it strays little from the standard "steaks-equal-man-food" blueprint. You will find the menu satisfying as the sides and salads display creativity beyond creamed spinach, but not to take away from the beautiful pieces of meat that are explained to you at your table in detail. The cocktails are excellent and the room is warm and laid back, making it for the perfect spot to have a nice steak with a great conversation.
Kochi
Where: 652 10th Ave, New York, NY 10036 | Hell's KitchenThe idea that tasting menus are hours-long and showy is far from true here. The vibe is boisterous, and the crowds are delightful.
The open kitchen is the obvious centerpiece. From here, a team blitzes out an array of impressive grilled bites meant to be eaten with your hands—Kochi is Korean for skewer, after all.
Chef Sungchul Shim taps into his Korean roots and fine-dining pedigree to create a solid but playful menu. Start with sweet potato and sunchoke gratin paired with a clever doenjang béchamel, then salmon bibimbap, mingling pollock roe, candied anchovy and toasted nori with brown soy-butter rice, is a harmonious high point. A stick of rich and nutty black sesame ice cream is the last hurrah.
Worth the splurge? Without a doubt.
The open kitchen is the obvious centerpiece. From here, a team blitzes out an array of impressive grilled bites meant to be eaten with your hands—Kochi is Korean for skewer, after all.
Chef Sungchul Shim taps into his Korean roots and fine-dining pedigree to create a solid but playful menu. Start with sweet potato and sunchoke gratin paired with a clever doenjang béchamel, then salmon bibimbap, mingling pollock roe, candied anchovy and toasted nori with brown soy-butter rice, is a harmonious high point. A stick of rich and nutty black sesame ice cream is the last hurrah.
Worth the splurge? Without a doubt.
Dhamaka
Where: 119 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002 | LES
Can one of the most memorable meals of your year possibly take place in a food hall? Who’s to say that goat kidneys can’t garner mainstream fame on the Lower East Side? Or that a whole yogurt-marinated rabbit inspired by a Rajasthani hunting dish won’t be booked by a party a month before dinner?
These are the questions that eating at Dhamaka triggers, and then, maybe a day or so after your meal, implicitly answers. A lot of New York restaurants serve exciting food, but few hack away at what you know to be true about Manhattan’s dining scene. That’s the phenomenon of Dhamaka, an Indian restaurant that says, I’ll see your butter chicken and raise you one goat testicle.
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