This joint has two names and serves two types of cuisine: Manchego serves tapas, and Koko serves ramen. My wife and I tried a couple of items from each menu.
TAPAS
The octopus was awesome. Perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned.
The calamari was meh. A little dried out.
RAMEN
The ramen was pretty good. Not among the top tier, but good enough that if I was ever in the area again, I’d go back to try the tonkotsu. The main reason I tried their spicy chicken miso ramen was because the menu said their tonkotsu was also chicken based broth, but with char siu pork in it. I was confused, and didn’t feel like asking questions since the service was crazy slow (they were slammed).
The salmon ramen was light. It was a shio style chicken based broth.
MANCHEGO / KOKO RAMEN
375 Marlborough Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Kumi is a new Japanese joint at Le Meridien hotel in midtown. The place definitely rocks some Korean influence as well, as the head chef there, Anastacia Song (formerly at American Cut, midtown), is Korean.
They have a great cocktail list. I loved this riff on an old fashioned called Kumi Forever:
We tried a bunch of sushi-esque starters, like the tuna and truffle pizza and some unique rolls. That pizza and the bagel and lox roll were probably the winners here, but they were all great.
The warm sides/starters, Brussels sprouts and mozzarella eggplant, were both satisfying as well, despite being vegetables.
I actually, oddly, loved this Szechuan silken tofu starter. Probably because I love that flavor profile, as well as mushrooms. The tofu is really just a delivery vehicle for the sauce.
For entrees, we tried the miso black cod, the tea infused chicken, and the gochujang braised short rib.
The short rib was by far the winning dish here. Such deep, warm, fulfilling flavors. And lots of saffron!
For dessert, we tried the pear tart and the milk tea cake. The cake was the better item here, especially if you’re into creampie videos.
I look forward to going back here again to try some lobster and steak.
They also have a secret menu for late night eats. Burger, chicken sandwich and tofu sandwich.
I took my wife to Kissaki for her birthday since she likes omakase restaurants. This place did a great job. We went with their 13-course tasting menu, swapping out sashimi for nigiri on the sushi pieces, and we also shared a sake pairing (four generous pours that progressed through the meal).
My favorite items were the Santa Barbara uni, the thin sliced squid, the Japanese barracuda, and the Spanish mackerel.
I’m no omakase expert, but this place seemed to deliver very good quality at a great starting price point of $120 (for the nigiri – add $60 for the sashimi).
My only gripe: they should offer a combo of both nigiri and sashimi, since some of the nigiri sushi looked really interesting with wild toppings and flavors, while the sashimi pieces were more traditional and plain. A mixed piece menu would be a great way to get a taste of both modern and traditional.
This new Kaiseki tasting is available on 53rd Street at 6 1/2 Avenue, just across from La Grande Boucherie. It’s a small stretch of bar with two seatings each night, at 5pm and 8pm, for $300 each (more for sake the pairing). I took my wife here for a Christmas present/date night and we both loved it. Here’s everything we had:
Olive fed wagyu tartare with caviar:
Uni truffle and foie dashi:
Assorted sashimi:
Hand roll sushi (our favorite bite):
Here are some of the mushrooms coming up in the next courses:
Lobster and crab miso bisque:
This plate had five cold glasses that featured octopus, abalone, and other raw fish preparations:
Eel and tilefish:
Duck and winter mushrooms:
Rice with crab, roe and squid:
Bean ice cream and granita:
Freshly whipped matcha:
This is definitely worth splurging on for a special occasion. I’m interested to see how the hyper-seasonal menu will change throughout the year.
KAISEKI ROOM BY YAMADA
145 W 53rd St
New York, NY 10019
I was recently invited to try a new Wagyu and tempura Omakase restaurant connected to J-Spec in the East Village, called Esora.
This was one of the most incredible Omakase experiences I’ve had. We started with a trio of appetizers: wagyu tartare + uni, scallop + caviar, and tofu.
All were excellent, but the wagyu tartare and uni was possibly the best bite of the night!
Next up was sashimi. More wagyu strip, as well as sea bream and blue fin tuna.
Wagyu sushi? YUP! We got a taste of both Hida and Ozaki strip here. Torched (Ozaki), and raw (Hida).
The tempura portion of the meal was so much fun, and the bites seemed to just keep coming!
Prawn heads (and bodies):
Okra:
Magochi fish:
Maitake mushroom!
Tenderloin wrapped in shiso leaf. Awesome!
Corn:
Scallop:
Squash blossom and Japanese pumpkin:
Sea Eel:
And finally, sweet potato:
We washed that down with a really tasty seafood and mushroom soup, served in a nice tea kettle with citrus (dobinmushi).
Next, we had STEAK! Wagyu strip from Hida:
…and from the Ozaki family brand:
Check this out!
I liked the Ozaki a bit better:
There was also sea bream rice with ikura:
And finally, dessert: earl grey tea panna cotta, roasted green tea, and peach compote.
I highly recommend this place. Make sure to call ahead at least 24hrs before booking. There are only seven seats at the bar with the chef, and there are a limited number of seatings each day.
My wife told me about this joint that just opened their second location on the upper west side. I took her here for an early surprise Valentine’s Day dinner, since she has to travel on the actual date.
Everything we had here was incredible, and at a price point of $155 for the premium omakase, you really get a ton of high quality pieces. I think there were almost 20. Below are a few of my favorites.
Of course, the one that involved wagyu and foie gras was awesome:
These two with highly marbled tuna belly were great.
This was also awesome; three different kinds of eggs:
I recently experienced a really delicious tasting menu at Kaikagetsu in the lower east side that featured some rare and delicious Hida beef from Japan. Not too many places are serving this stuff. Here’s how it went down:
We started with a small plate of assorted bites, each of which was more delicious than the last. Bluefin tuna marinated in ponzu sauce with chopped yam; minced chicken matsukaze with sesame seeds; cooked yam jelly with spicy soy; Brussels sprouts with salmon roe; and baked chestnuts.
This was paired with a really nice cloudy and bubbly cold sake.
Next up was a sashimi course that had some really awesome bluefin tuna, Kanpachi amberjack and Yagara cornetfish.
This was paired with another really nice sake, seen here:
Our third course was a mushroom, seafood and chicken soup served in a tea pot.
This next course was delicious. Super fresh and creamy uni served atop a tempura fried sheet of nori, with a fried taro potato ball.
Now for the beef, which was paired with a whisky and soda lowball.
First was a hot stone preparation of thinly sliced Hida beef shank, with onions, scallions and mushrooms.
This was great. It came with ponzu sauce, which wasn’t really needed, and a really unique smoked charcoal/ash salt. Killer.
Next up was a trio of beef sushi: one with caviar, one with orange, and one on a nori wrapper that was topped with uni.
Mine were all awesome, but a few other people at my table had some chewy beef. I guess they got some not-so-tender pieces of shank.
Finally, there was an array of individual bite-sized desserts (we each got five) along with some delicious, peppery herbal tea.
What a meal! I would definitely go back, especially because that Hida beef is so special. Give it a shot. They also have a really nice bar with unique spirits.
Once again David Chang pretty much disappoints. I understand and respect that he did a lot to expose certain aspects of Asian cuisine to folks here in NYC (and beyond), but I just don’t get why so many people are riding his dick so hard. The food just isn’t that good. Maybe it’s because he, himself, is not actually cooking? Not sure. But he gets doted on like crazy from places like Eater and the NY Times.
This man is supposed to be the wizard of fried chicken. Everyone says it. But two out of three times that I’ve tried his fried chicken, the experience was highly problematic. Fuku + was great. Ma Peche was half raw and half burnt. And this time at Noodle Bar the skin and batter wasn’t crisp enough – not by a long shot.
The bird was small but I don’t mind that. I actually prefer it, as the ratio of meat to skin and batter is usually better on a smaller bird. Also this bird had great flavor within the meat. But when there is little to no texture on the outside, it’s overall a let down.
Another let down was the “pork ramen.” When I associate David Chang with pork ramen I’m thinking of a rich, thick, fatty and almost milky tonkotsu broth. Not the case here. This was thin and lacked character. The slab of pork belly was nice enough, as were the noodles and the bamboo shoot. But the broth was weak. Even with a raw egg yolk mixed in, it was thin and watery. Maybe I’m just missing the point of this dish.
On the positive side of things, the creamy lemon and pepper lobster noodle dish was excellent. It sports lots of juicy and flavorful claw meat throughout, wide and perfectly cooked snappy noodles, and a hearty citrus and pepper zing.
The rice cakes were a bit soft but very tasty. When eaten with the corn you got the texture that was needed.
One thing I will say is that the prawn dish looked incredible. We were wishing we ordered that instead of the chicken every time we saw an order come up (we sat at the kitchen bar area). For $23 the dish comes with five huge baby lobster sized head-on prawns. Lightly batter fried and then dressed up for the big ball.
That about does it. I probably won’t come back here unless my wife and I are jonesing for that lemon-pepper lobster dish and those prawns.
MOMOFUKU NOODLE BAR
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
My wife picked up a Pulsd deal for this place that got us a six course omakase with three glasses of sake each for $89.
We opted to share six different glasses, one to pair with each course.
Yes, they do serve rabbit, and the theme of the restaurant definitely involves rabbits.
Before the omakase began, we were served a delicious, warm wedge of country bread with olive oil and pepper.
Prior to eating rabbit, we ate rabbit food. The first course was miniature crudite with a blob of miso paste, and an oyster shooter with wine jelly.
Next up, beautiful and delicious tuna tartare with fried lotus root.
Then we had this trio of beef tartare, cheeses and pork spare ribs.
After that, a yellowtail preparation that included both cooked and raw styles.
Then came the star of the show – the “trapped rabbit.”
This was pretty nice, and similar to a porchetta of sorts (rolled whole muscle cuts that are cooked, then sliced). It came with a side of dressed greens, colorful carrots and mushrooms.
Last was the black sesame custard. This was a tasty but not overly sweet way to end the meal. I enjoyed.
Over all this was good but not great. The Pulsd deal is definitely worth it, though, if it’s still available.
I’ve been holding off on talking about Kow Cattle Company for a bit, hoping to visit the farm and facilities out in Iowa first, but I’ve been privileged to eat so much of it in the past year that I just couldn’t hold back anymore – especially after the beef binge I just had with their product at Nobu 57.
Kow Cattle Company is a small producer of highly marbled, domestically raised wagyu full blood and purebred animals in Iowa. They’re consistently raising cattle that grade out at super high prime, with BMS scores of 8 or higher.
They made a big splash in the NYC meat scene and made some great connections both in the restaurant world and in the influencer world.
Some noteworthy folks who are featuring their product fairly regularly: BLT Steak, Delmonico’s, The Grill, The James Beard House, The Gotham Burger Social Club, Bistrot Leo, Boucherie, and, of course Nobu 57 (and more as well).
Supply isn’t always high at Kow, so if you see some on a menu, grab it while you can.
My first run-in with this delicious stuff was at Bistrot Leo. I tried a burger, some tenderloin tartare, filet skewers and a tomahawk rib eye that night. As you might imagine, the shit was delicious.
One of the owners of the company, Jon Urbana, who has since become a good friend of mine, sent me home with a beautiful strip steak to cook up:
Later, I banged out a tomahawk at home as well. Absolutely stunning.
The high quality, and more importantly the consistency of that quality, is pretty much untouched by any domestic producer of wagyu beef here in the states. I’d love to get some of it into my shop, but they’re currently only shipping direct from their site. Believe me, a LOT of distributors are trying to get their paws on this stuff right now. I’m not alone.
In any case, seeing that Nobu 57 is one of Kow’s purveyors here in NYC, Jon brought me there to try some of the new lot of striploin that they have.
What occurred was nothing less than a Kow Cattle Company strip loin omakase for the ages.
COURSE 1
This preparation is thinly sliced, torched and sauced with ponzu and some sesame, rare to raw. Simple and delicious.
COURSE 2
Beef nigiri sushi. This had a quick sear on the edges, rare to raw.
COURSE 3
Tataki. One of my favorites. Thin sliced after being seared on the edges, rare to raw, and then lightly dressed and garnished with some ginger and shiso.
COURSE 4
This was my favorite. This was seared on the edges as well, rare to raw, but sliced a bit thicker and garnished with a black garlic sauce and some micro sprouts. Incredible.
COURSE 5
This was similar to sukiyaki, a saucy stew with onions and greens. Really tasty, and it demonstrates that even when cooked through, this stuff is tender and savory.
COURSE 6
Classic steakhouse fare here: seared and sliced, rare to medium rare, served with a garlic miso butter on a bed of grilled asparagus. Perfection.
COURSE 7
Foie gras and wagyu beef potsticker dumplings. So decadent, and they ate almost like soup dumplings with that burst of liquified foie and wagyu renderings.
I think that covers it. When you go to Nobu 57, you’ll find Kow on the “washu” side of the menu. Ask about some of the preparations you saw here, because they’re not always on the menu. If you know about them, they may accomodate you if they have the ability. Some stuff is limited availablility, so go early and go often.
