Our foodie experiences in NYC

In our previous post on our recent trip to NYC we promised to get back to you to share our foodie experiences. Here we are.

This time in NYC we decided to mix some of our favorite restaurants from our past trips with some new entries. Here is the list of the places we have visited this time:

Buddakan (for dinner)
Penelope (for breakfast)
Buvette (light lunch)
River Cafe (for romantic dinner)
Keen’s Steakhouse (for lunch)
Nobu 57 (for dinner)
Five Leaves (in Brooklyn, for Sunday brunch)

Which one did we love the most? Go ahead with our post and you will figure it out! 😉

Buddakan

Clearly a great place to go to when in NYC, if you like Asian food. We stopped by the bar when we arrived, since our table was not ready yet. Great vibe, nice music and very good cocktails. When you book, we would suggest you ask for a table in the central room with the big table and the chandeliers. Food is very good – it is the usual food you can eat in an Asian fusion restaurant but sometimes with a different twist. You should definitely try the cauliflower lollipops as a starter, which are something to die for – a mix of rice and cauliflower with some melting cheese with a truffle flavor – do you need more? Both meat and fish are good as well – tried the black cod ( very good but not as good as the we have tried in other restaurants before) and the broken chilli chicken. One big surprise at the end – we got the chocolate pistachio cremoso for dessert: well, we wanted at least three more, it is just unbelievable!

Penelope

A small gem in NYC Midtown, between 29th and 30th. We got there because some friends told us it is something to try and I have to say, they were absolutely right. They are open all day from breakfast to dinner. We went for breakfast and it was just amazing. The place is small, cozy, all white and light blue and you usually have to queue in order to get a table (they do not accept reservations). We got a three-eggs omelette, buttermilk pancakes and a chorizo egg sandwich. Everything was great but if you have to pick one, go for the pancakes – they are huge, fluffy and… amazing! This is def a not to be missed place for breakfast when you are in NYC

Buvette

We wanted to try this place in a small street in Greenwich village. We went there for lunch. The place is nice, Parisian bistro-style with a homey feeling. we ordered steamed scrambled eggs with prosciutto and Croque monsieur. The ingredients are actually very good, although portions are pretty small, so you need to order at least a couple of things if you are hungry (as we were…). Overall a nice place, but not our top destinations for lunch/brunch when you are in NYC

River Cafe

This is a NYC classic and we wanted to get back there just because it is too special. You go to this place mainly because of “one of the best views in NYC”, but I have to say that food as well is very good. There is only a three-course menu available for $175 per person. Great choice of different dishes – we got wagyu tartare and sea scallop and pork belly as starters and lamb and black sea bass as main. Everything is good, well prepared and very well served – the only thing is that food is missing something here, it has no soul. It is kind of international food you can eat in any other nice place in the world with no special twist. Do not misunderstand me, quality is great, but I would not come here for the food. Having said that, it is still worth a visit every time you come to NYC, because of that incredible view, especially if you are looking for a romantic place with your better half!

Keen’s Steakhouse

I love steaks, and I love steakhouses! During every trip to the US a visit to a steakhouse is just a MUST for me. This time we decided to try a new one: Keen’s Steakhouse. What to say? The place is just great, very traditional, in the heart of Manhattan. You get in there and you just feel you are in a very classic American steakhouse – you immediately understand you are in the right place. I got a rib-eye (my favourite cut) and to be fair I have to say they served it almost well-done, while I had asked for a medium-rare. But, I told the waiter and only after 5mins I had in front of me a perfect medium-rare rib-eye steak. Sides were very yummy as well, french fries and creamed spinach among the best we have ever tried. My girlfriend got a roasted chicken (she doesn’t like red meat) and she said it was perfectly cooked. I have visited many steakhouses in NYC, but I have to say this is now my top choice and I will definitely go back during my next trip.

Nobu 57

We were very much looking forward to try Nobu 57 but this has been the biggest disappointment in NYC. We got there on time for our table and we had to wait for almost 30 mins although there were a lot of empty table upstairs… Anyway, food is good but not at the level you would expect from Nobu and service is just poor. You get the food from waiters who just seem not to care at all about you – basically they are all running across the restaurant and from time to time one of them will stop at your table to quickly leave a dish and run away… and of course dishes are just coming in a very weird order without any real rationale. After more than one and a half hour we were still waiting for a couple of dishes, but we decided to leave the place and asked to delete them from our order… hugely disappointing.

Five Leaves

On Sunday, just before leaving, we decided to have a proper American brunch. I have heard many nice things about this place in Brooklyn and actually all the things I heard were absolutely right! This is another place where they do not accept reservations. We got there and we had to wait for about 45 mins before getting a table. Well three things to say: 1) atmosphere is very nice, with a very young crowd of (mainly) locals 2) food is just to die for and 3) you leave and you will always remember that as one of the best brunches of your life. We got burger, moroccan scrambles and an avocado toast. I do not know which one to pick as my favorite since everything was just sooooo good. Burger was melting in my mouth, with a very tasty patty and a wonderful blend of cheddar and blue cheese, the avocado toast was perfectly made with a slice of toasted crunchy bread, and the moroccan scrambles were a thick slice of grilled Pain d’Avignon sourdough is topped with fluffy soft cooked eggs, za’tar-spiced chickpeas, and crushed avocado… Before leaving we also tried the ricotta pancakes: what to say…. just memorable!