One of the best cocktail bars in NYC, officially
Hell’s Kitchen’s newest gem (or should I say one of its oldest?) reopened a few months ago on 51st Street. A bastion of the French community in New York City, La Tout Va Bien has a complex history.
Everyday is national oyster day at the Urban Cove Society and Kitchen.
As a man about this town I’ll be the first to tell you NYC’s nightlife has a new star: Vintage Green, the newest rooftop bar located at 303 Lexington Avenue atop The Shelburne Sonesta New York. On Tuesday, July 23, the much-anticipated launch party pulled out all the stops, offering guests a night to remember.
A heat wave in New York City means only one thing – rooftop season!
On Wednesday, June 12th, I had the pleasure of attending the opening of AFURI Ramen + Dumpling in Williamsburg. From the moment I entered, the warmth and kindness of the staff stood out, enhancing the entire guest experience—a rarity in New York.
Chinese food in America has never had a fair shake. It’s been relegated to conjure up the household names of General Tso’s and Orange Chicken, both of which are good but far from the truth of what Chinese cuisine can be.
Nomad is slowly becoming a hotbed of quality Indian food. Saravanaa Bhavan has been the quintessential Dosa place for some time and has become something of a taste of home for many South Asian transplants. Recently, another interesting place has opened in the area: Cloves Indian Cuisine. And to cut the story short, it’s definitely a welcome addition.
This restaurant is the latest from restaurateur Syed Haider, an accomplished figure in the industry who has worked in the Indian culinary world for several decades. In the late 80s, Haider moved to NYC, beginning his culinary career at the acclaimed Bombay Palace, owned by his mentor Sant Singh Chatwal. After his tenure at Bombay Place, he assumed the role of general manager at Sapphire Indian Restaurant, expanding his knowledge of restaurant management and menu and wine list development. With this extensive experience, Haider then launched his first restaurant, Jaz in Hell’s Kitchen, followed by the fast-casual Forest Hills Indian Cuisine.
To bring his vison for Cloves Indian Cuisine to life, Haider has partner with Co-Owner Abdul Rocky and Consulting Chef Vijay Bhargava, previously Executive Chef at Raga Indian Restaurant Midtown, who received a 3 Star review from New York Times critic Mimi Sheraton. Ashish Negi will serve as Chef de Cuisine, formerly of Utsav and will execute the extensive menu of Northern Indian fare and beloved Indian favorites.
My experience there was lovely. I began the meal with a couple of samosas. Thanks to tiktok, I had been craving some all week and this was just what the doctor ordered. They came beautifully plated with a flower nestled between two plump samosas and garnished throughout with tiny chips of bell pepper that resembled confetti. The outside of the samosas were crisp while the interior was soft and heartily stuffed. They also came paired with a good mint sauce and a surprisingly authentic tamarind sauce. All it all it was a great way to start the meal.
To continue, I had the chicken vindaloo while my girlfriend who accompanied me had the Lamb Madras. We got a side of rice and garlic naan to go with the meal. Oftentimes with Indian food, the sauce does all of the heavy lifting and the same is true here. For both the chicken and the lamb the sauce was wonderfully done and left me wanting more, even though I was near bursting at the seams. The lamb was done to absolute perfection. The rice was light and fluffy and served as a perfect compliment to the chicken and the lamb dishes. My only real complaint as someone from Caribbean and Indian descent is that the food was not spicy enough. However, to the average restaurant goer, that may be a solid green flag that this is what you’re looking for.
Finding an Indian restaurant that’s not nestled in a strange corner of town or stuck in the no man’s land of New Jersey is tough. It’s tougher still to find one where you can order as a new comer to this genre of food. Cloves is both a perfect introduction and a wonderful experience to undertake. The management is overwhelming nice and attentive. You can tell they put their care into what they do and it’s a welcome sight. It’s easy, simple, and a place I want to eat at again in the future. I certainly recommend a visit to this spot.
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.
. 
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!
While it’s tragically hard to find good German Döner in NYC, we come bearing good news: your search for the best is over!