Just a block away from glittering Christmas tree-lined Park Avenue, the beloved NYC-based denim brand Still Here opened their second storefront in the Upper East Side.
A rare gem in Midtown East, WANO impressed us last Wednesday with their Kaiseki tasting menu. From their shaved truffle topped dishes and bright Japandi interior, WANO sets the perfect scene for a culinary adventure.
Kintsugi Omakase NYC, a sleek chef’s counter-style sushi “atelier” in lower Soho, recently upped their game by bringing on Chef Victor of Sushi Ko. To find out what the buzz was about, we stopped by this week to sample their new menu, which changes with the seasons for the freshest ingredients.
Chef Victor follows the traditional edomae (referencing the style originating from Edo Bay) style of sushi-making, but puts a modern twist on his art. He uses non-traditional, non-Japanese ingredients to flavor some of his dishes, and his close relationship with NYC fishmongers allows him to source the freshest, finest seafood available. The difference is palpable – one bite of Kintsugi’s Hokkaido Ikura (salmon roe) or uni and it’s clear how high-quality the ingredients are.
In addition to technique and ingredient excellence, Kintsugi Omakase stands out by its use of seasonal ingredients. Typical of new Nordic or farm-to-table style restaurants, Kintsugi brings flavors of the month to sushi, where most establishments would stick to the tried-and-true traditions. Since it’s autumn, our dishes featured a green apple puree paired with a smoked Sawara and apple cider, baby corn with crispy fried fish, and other winter seafood delicacies.
When I asked Chef Victor what his favorite season of ingredients was, he told us “fall and winter, because they have the weirdest items.” Weird as they may be, he prepared them to perfection – half the dishes were items I’d never heard of, and I’m a sushi aficionado. Host Ko told us they aim to “take your palate on an adventure you’ve never been on before.” This delectable adventure featured a codfish sperm sac (winter only), crispy fried Amadai (tilefish) with its scales (dubbed by Chef Victor as natural fish and chips), a pickled fish similar to the herring popular in northern Europe, and barracuda.
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In addition to the sushi tasting, each menu option includes a handroll, the best miso soup you’ve ever tried, bruleed tamago, and a dessert (the current one is black sesame and ginger ice cream – a scoop of each). Finishing off the meal with these comforting plates was the perfect way to wind down from the experiential tasting. We also highly recommend the restaurant’s singular cocktail: a yuzu and violet syrup enhanced sake. I’d come back for this item alone; clearly the team at Kintsugi has the expertise to open a successful bar, if they wanted!
Dining at Kinstugi Omakase NYC is an experience that can’t be missed if you’re a foodie in this city. Their 10-person dining room, carefully designed by creative partners Ashe Yeung and Tim Madrid, feels intimate and sophisticated. But definitely not stuffy – Chef Victor’s lighthearted jokes and sarcastic commentary make you instantly comfortable with him, and we enjoyed hearing his descriptions of his craft while watching him expertly assemble each mouthwatering bite. We can’t wait to come back. Book your reservation at Kintsugi here ASAP!
Equality Now, an organization dedicated to advocating for the human rights of women and girls across the world, held their annual gala on Wednesday night at Gustavino’s. Under a backdrop of the glittering Queensboro bridge at sunset, poet Rupi Kaur won the 2023 Changemaker award and delivered an inspiring call-to-action speech.
Held on International Day of the Girl, the Make Equality Reality Gala celebrates the progress made toward a more gender equal world and all who fight for that future. To date, Equality Now has changed over 70 laws around the world. Since 1992, they have been fighting to achieve legal equality, end sexual exploitation and violence, and end culturally normalized harmful practices towards women and girls. The organization’s Director, Mona Sinha, told us the organization means a lot to her because “as a young girl growing up in India, [she] saw the discrimination firsthand,” and thinks that “the law is the foundation to securing women’s rights.” She joined Equality Now because she’s “more interested in systemic change that is binding and secure” than something that only lasts for a year or two. Tonight’s event is a way for Equality Now to “showcase their work in a positive, happy way, because it is very challenging work.
Rupi Kaur, who won the 2023 Changemaker award (given last year to the icon Gloria Steinem), is a poet whose work has transformed the lives of women and given voice to many who were previously unable to share their experiences. Her book, Milk and Honey, is among the top 10 banned books in the United States due to its discussion of sexual harm. She knows more than anyone how powerful our voices are, and how they “threaten those who are more than happy to take away those powers.”
She engaged the room with her intelligence and charm, encouraging art for resistance despite censorship as a “beautiful act of rebellion against a world that undermines us at every turn.” Despite oppression worldwide, she assured everyone that “young girls will always find a way to survive; their resilience is unparalleled” and told us that “we as a community must find a way to empower them through all walks of life.” Director Sinha celebrated Kaur as a “real changemaker, because she has really changed the hearts and minds of the next generation in a way that is so meaningful and will really impact the future.”
Gloria Steinem told the crowd to keep fighting for progress and for the Equal Rights Amendment, and lauded 10-year-old Teela Samra for her passionate speech calling for gender equality.
The night was a beautiful celebratory way to “show the world that we can win, and we can change lives, and we can make a difference in a time when the world is pretty dark.” Equality Now inspired its guests and its wins this year, and continues to make a difference worldwide. Learn more about the incredible work Equality Now is doing here. 
If you’re looking for a great meal or just a good time in the Theatre District, look no further than La Pulperia! A Latin-American fusion restaurant with a vibrant heartbeat, La Pulperia offers hard-to-find dishes and unique cocktail experiences. From their ceviche and steak to their incredible churros, a trip to La Pulperia will be a meal to remember.
From the creators of the famous snail mucin repair products, cult-favorite Korean skincare brand MIZON debuted their first ever retinol line. MIZON is known for their skin barrier repairing, hydrating products, so hearing about a retinol line from them was incredibly exciting. Retinol (Vitamin A) is known as a “magic” skincare ingredient, fighting acne and signs of aging through increasing skin cell production.
Cortina Health brings an exciting teledermatology subscription model to the world of skincare!
Danny Chin | Omega Photo Studios
Designer Malan Breton makes his Autumn-Winter 23/24 NYFW splash with the evocative collection, Fantôme. Set inside the Lemán Ballroom in Tribeca, fashion-forward guests gathered from all corners or the city, and the broader world, to witness this ethereal show unfold.
On a wintery January day, we settled into a booth at a retro dining staple downtown, Soho Diner. I’d been once before for lunch, but had been dying to try out their brunch menu ever since.
Earlier this year, we got to check out Plan Do See’s famous Bubusan and Azabu New York. On Saturday, we went back to Azabu for their premier dining experience. The bottom level of the restaurant boasts a world-class Omakase experience: The Den. Nestled into a quiet street in Hudson Square, the New York location of Azabu Sushi draws inspiration from its wildly successful Miami counterpart while bringing in elements of New York charm.
It boasts a new name, new menu, and new space: Azabu New York aims to transport guests to Tokyo’s Azabu neighborhood, known today for its laid-back, chic vibe but originally as a hub for merchants and traders.
The interior of Azabu New York’s space is inspired by Buddhist and Shinto aesthetic qualities, with calming, simple decor, a hidden sliding-door entrance, and Noguchi lamps. Architect Ian Bentley of NOISE was the creative mind behind the new design. The Den emulates Buddhist design and Azabu captures Shinto elements, with its soft blonde wood counters and touches of cobalt blue.
We stopped by their happy hour launch a few months ago to sample some cocktails and excellently crafted nigiri, and learn more about the revamped Azabu’s mission. Sake, white wine, and red wine were served in beautifully designed cups as guests attending the launch settled into the clean, cozy space. We loved that happy hour, and were highly anticipating the opening of The Den, their second concept location of the Michelin-starred omakase speakeasy inside Azabu Miami Beach.
Our meal at The Den was an expertly crafted experience, led by Chef Toshihide Terado, who has over 20 years of culinary experience across the globe. The meal consisted of a series of appetizers, a toro tasting, chef’s choice seasonal nigiri, and finished off with miso soup and dessert. We started off with a carafe of Suijin Junmai sake, which was served in ornamental aluminum cups designed to conduct and maintain the temperature of the drink. It was the refreshing palate cleanser I craved and kept reaching for throughout the meal.
The few courses were a delish spread of crab salad, a mackerel preparation, squid and mantis shrimp. Each was bursting with flavor, both sweet and savory, and watching the careful creation of each dish took eating it to the next level. The nigiri portion of the Omakase began with a toro tasting: Akami (lean tuna), Chu-toro (medium fatty tuna), O-toro (fatty tuna) came out prepared with real wasabi, soy sauce, and sudachi (japanese lime). We had about 4 more pieces of nigiri which all blew me away, but my favorite was the Sanma which is also a type of mackerel. We wrapped up the meal with my favorite course of the night: uni rice topped with salmon roe and more firm uni. Decadent, creamy, and briny, this dish combined two of my favorite seafood items into one delicious flavor profile carried by the rice. After those amazing courses, we had some light and fluffy japanese omlette, comforting miso soup, and finished off the meal with the most juicy melon I’ve ever had.
Eating at The Den is an experience that treats all the senses, and it’s clear to see why the original Miami location earned a Michelin star. I loved all the dishes and the Chef’s explanations, and can’t wait to try more of Azabu New York’s offerings.