Category: <span>neighborhood gem</span>

Raymi (restaurant week dinner 2014)

I am so glad that we went to Raymi for RW, because it was surprisingly good. When we were scanning thru the list of restaurant to go for RW, one place in particular jump out because of the menu it offers for RW. It was not some mock up dishes that just throw together for RW to get people in the seats, it is the same dishes that they serve every night on regular menu, and the choices are extensive. see Raymi RW 2015 menu here


Raymi opened in 2012, in the space which was formerly Nuela, and before that, Sapa. It is a modern Peruvian restaurant. Peruvian is the grand father of fusion, because of its multicultural history. It blends Chinese, Spanish, Mexican, and of course Japanese. The most notable Peruvian cuisine is perhaps Nobu, but honestly, Nobu should be called Nikkei cuisine. Now I have not yet been to Peru, and have not have the the privilege to sample authentic Peruvian cuisine, but Raymi is petty good for me. (March, 2014)
MIXTO

    MIXTO
    aji rocoto / shrimp / squid / octopus / sweet potato
    Shrimp, squid, octopus all perfectly cooked, and soaking in a bright pepper broth. A little spice, plenty of lime, certainly wake up my palate, great way to start dinner.

AJI AMARILLO TIRADITO

    CORVINA
    lime/ red onion/ sweet potato/ habanero
    Corvina ceviche in a light lime broth. Love the corvina, the texture kind of like snapper, firm and sweet. I felt the sweet potato was extra. Corn nuts added a crunch to the dish, but could be better blend in if it were crushed.

CHICHARRON SLIDERS

    CHICHARRON SLIDERS
    crispy pork shoulder / sweet potato / salsa criolla / spicy mayo
    it just occurred to us at this point, all 3 appetizers have sweet potato in it, but we hardy notice it. Pork shoulder was beautifully cook with rich flavor. The salsa and spicy mayo work really well counteracting each other. A very enjoyable bit.

    CREMA DE ZAPALLO
    butternut squash soup/ crispy bacon/ queso fresco/ brioche croutons/ chives

    SKIRT STEAK for 2
    yuca fries

    SKIRT STEAK for 2
    chimichurri / roasted garlic / parmesan yuca fries
    Very nicely grilled slab of skirt steak, perfectly medium rare, just the way I want it. The star however, was the green sauce. It’s so simple and yet so good. Thick cut yuca fries could use more seasoning.

ARROZ CON PATO

    ARROZ CON PATO
    crispy duck leg / cilantro jasmine rice / dark beer / salsa criolla

AGUADITO DE MARISCOS

    AGUADITO DE MARISCOS
    shrimp / octopus / calamari / mussels / roasted squash / piquillo peppers / choclo / rice / cilantro

ARROZ CON LECHE

    ARROZ CON LECHE (Mexican Rice Pudding)
    raisins/ quinoa granola

BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING

    BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING
    brown butter ice cream/ toffee/ raisin

SUSPIRO LIMENO

    SUSPIRO LIMENO
    delce de leche/ port meringue/ cinnan
    A Peruvian dessert of vanilla custard topped with meringue

Lafayette (restaurant week lunch 2014)

It’s February, that means restaurant week is near. Looking at that long list of restaurants, it could be confusing. Some only offer lunch, some only offer dinner on certain days. So I thought I would take the chance and share some of the past restaurant week meals I had.

For the past 2 restaurant weeks (RW Winter & Summer), we went to Lafayette twice. Mostly because of its convenient location. And it is a rather beautiful french restaurant. For the very affordable RW price, and the menu items they offer, Lafayette is quite a steal. I took a glance at the menu, seems like Lafayette are offerings some of the same item this time around. see Lafayette RW 2015 menu here

Frisée Salad, Bacon Maison, Poached Organic Egg

    Frisée Salad, Bacon Maison, Poached Organic Egg

    Salmon Tartare, Sauce Aigrelette, Crispy Potato

      Salmon Tartare, Sauce Aigrelette, Crispy Potato

    Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Coriander Crème Fraîche

      Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Coriander Crème Fraîche

    Crispy Duck Confit, Lentils du Puy, Red Wine

      Crispy Duck Confit, Lentils du Puy, Red Wine
      Duck was very well cooked. really crispy skin and still moist inside. The lentils were a little salty for me. I would hope for a little more carrot to balance the saltiness.

    Steamed Red Snapper, Barigoule Provençal

      Steamed Red Snapper, Barigoule Provençal

    Field Mushroom Risotto

      Field Mushroom Risotto

    Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème, Chai Tea, Espresso

      Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème, Chai Tea, Espresso

    Almond Frangipane Tart, Winter Citrus, Mandarin Granité

      Almond Frangipane Tart, Winter Citrus, Mandarin Granité
      That concludes our first RW visit to Lafayette. It wasn’t out-of-this-world delicious, it was decent and great value. We knew coming in during RW, we were not looking for anything remarkable. We chose Lafayette because of its menu choices. There were decent options, a meat, a fish and a pasta. Portions were good enough that we would not leave half hungry. For those who are on a tight schedule during busy lunch hours, I would suggest to let your server know right the way, because there were a little bit of time gap in between dishes. Comfortable seating, warm service, and lots of sunlight coming through, it is a beautiful place that we can spend an afternoon at.
      Base on that thought, we went to Lafayette again during the summer RW. The hors d’oeuvres were the same as winter RW. Entree choices were hanger streak, a fish, and a pasta. The streak while very well cook, it was a little blend without the sauce. And the veggies were a little boring. From the look of it, it could be mistaken as a Chinese dish. The roasted dourade was just a beautiful dish to look at. It is very colorful and it speaks summer. Skin was crispy as we expect, fish was done just right, broth was delicious. Lafayette also have outdoor sitting during warm season, and that is just what we did. Street traffic wasn’t busy, it was peaceful and clam. With a glass of wine in hand, makes you forget you are in the middle of hectic Manhattan.
    The Clam

    The Clam

    White curved ceiling, white linen, dark chairs, with the semi-open kitchen, The Clam is a cozy restarrant on Hudson St opened over a year ago. Chef/ co-owner Mike Price is cracking up clams everyway there is. On the menu, there are clam dip, clam red sauce, deep fried clams, clam pizza, stuffed clams, clam soup, steamed clams, and of course, raw calms. But I have to say I am surpised that at The Clam where Clam should be the star, none of the entree feature clams. Since we came to The Clam to have clams, so clams we have.
    Purple RainYuzu Pomergranate Swizzle
    There were 8 selections from the cocktails menu. Immediately 2 stands out to us, the Purple Rain and Yuzu Pomegranate Swizzle. Love the Purple Rain, unlike the dark purple color, the drink was light and crisp, and the ginger added a little zest. It was perfectly balance. The Yuzu Pomegranate Swizzle was not as sweet aas we fear. It brought us to that little tropical island, with toes in the sand and enjoying the sun. absolutely love the yuzu. The only thing is that, the tall glass was filled 95% with ice, there were only may be 3 slip of cocktail in it.

    the clam dip zesty potato chips

      THE CLAM DIP zesty potato chips
      Clam Dip is served with large basket of thick crunchy potato chips. The chips seasoned, and would be by itself. The clam dip was very creamy and has plenty of clams in it. Between the dip’s creaminess and chips’ saltiness, I would be happier if it was a little more lemony. This would be the perfect snack/ finger food for the Super Bowl.

    diver scallop crudo

      DIVER SCALLOP CRUDO red blush pear, hazelnuts, chives, lime
      One of my favorite dish of the nigh. The scallop crudo was the only thing we ordered that is not clam, and it did not disappoint. The scallop was sweet. The pears and lime help bring out the sweetness and flavor even more. The crushed hazelnuts on top added crunch. It is refreshing, and just delicious.

    6 littleneck clams with cocktail sauce

      6 LITTLENECK CLAMS cocktail sauce
      Clams were very fresh. Nice cocktail sauce with a little kick.

    steamed littlenecks

      STEAMED LITTLENECK juicy bread, natural broth
      This was a bigger portion than I thought it would be. Clam broth was great. All the flavor from the clam came out. I could drink it as soup. While the broth was perfect, the clams were a little bit salty for me. And the garlic bread was fantastic.

    spaghetti & clams spicy gravy, fried clam & lobster sliders

      SPAGHETTI & CLAMS spicy gravy, salad on top, FRIED BELLY CLAM & LOBSTER SLIDERS griddled bun & OLD BAY FRIES cocktail sauce
      Since we were sharing everything, our server was very thoughtful to have the portion split in 2 for us, so the tiny table doesn’t seems as crowed. For any pasta dish, the sauce is the soul. And this spicy clam sauce was excellent. It was rich with a just enough kick. The salad on top was a great idea. since the spaghetti is rather heavy, salad added a certain lightness to the dish.
      Fried belly clam was gorgeous. Not too much dough, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Griddled bun was buttery and soft, lightly toasted. Lobster on the other hand, was kind of absent here. I would wish for a little more lobster and tartar sauce or maybe a slide of lemon on the side, to balance out the greasiness of the clam and buttered bun.

      For so long, oyster has been taking the spotlight, it is about time that clam takes the stage. After a clam-ful night, we didn’t have any room for dessert. My high note was definitely the scallop curdo and the spicy clam spaghetti. Service was warm and attentive. When our check arrived, it came in a little notebook, filled with comments or sketches left by customers. It is a cute thoughtful idea, and we enjoyed flipping through it. The Clam
      On a side note, I found it odd that there is a window to the street where the bathroom is. While I do not know what it would look like from the outside, it certainly didn’t make me feel comfortable going about my business. We all know there are a lot of creeps in this world. (Feb, 2015)
      The Clam

    Yakitori Totto

    At Yakitori Totto, they took the Japanese street fare to the next level. Using premium grade chicken, made to order, grilling it skewer by skewer, crisped and charred outside, succulent within. Although Yakitori means grilled chicken, but at Totto, the menu go beyond chicken. Pork loin, smelt, shrimp, shishito peppers, and lamb chop are a few of the popular items. If you are heading to Totto, go early, some of the specials like Hiza Nankotsu and Ton Toro are in limited quantity, often sold out before 8pm. (Aug, 2014)