Chop Shop II

41 West 24th Street

(between Broadway and Sixth Avenue)

After having eaten in their location near the Highline, I had to try their sister location near the Flatiron.

As opposed to the hole-in-the-wall setup of their other location, Chop Shop II’s space is long and narrow reminding me of a railroad apartment.

Décor is more fitting to my style and preference especially when considering the menu pricing.

As I arrived earlier than my dinner companion, I ordered a glass of San Giovese rosé ($10) from Umbria. It has a nice, light floral taste, which makes it a great wine to start off a meal.

Hint: Our waitress was very kind to offer tastings of the wine before I made a final choice. And I have to comment on her patience and good humor in regards to the number of tastings she provided!

For our appetizer, we started off with the steamed lamb dumplings topped with chili oil and sesame peanut paste and scallion ($12). It was delicious. The chili oil gave an especially tasty kick.

For our main entrée, we ordered the drunken noodle with shrimp ($15). Very flavorful.

And we also ordered a side of sautéed Chinese broccoli ($7). In spite of the garlic, chili, and chicken stock, it still tasted a bit bland.

A great pairing for the meal was a glass of the Ventozela Vale de Ave Vinho Verde ($9), an excellent full-bodied white wine from Portugal.

For dessert, we went for their black-sesame-flavored gelato. If you like the taste of black sesame, it’s a must order!

Pros:

Friendly service (especially in regards to wine recommendations!).

Diverse age of customers (from casual twentysomethings to hip seniors).

Cons:

Only one unisex bathroom.

Would like a greater offering of desserts.

Final Thoughts

Will definitely return if I’m in the neighborhood.

Chop Shop

254 Tenth Avenue

(between 24th and 25th Streets)

Another hot and humid August afternoon in NYC, which means a need to head into an air-conditioned restaurant to escape the heat.

Chop Shop is a Chinese-Thai restaurant near the Highline, and it is literally a hole in the wall. With a small bar that seats six and a few tables, it reminded me of noodle shops that one would find in Chinatown.

It was about 2 p.m., but it was packed with diners.  As soon as I sat down, the hostess immediately filled my glass with water, which I downed right away. And I was pleased to find that my glass was refilled right away. Including the hostess, there was one bartender and one server, but the service was fast, brisk, and efficient.

Along with my water, I ordered a bottle of Bruce Cost Original Ginger Ale ($4). Always refreshing over ice on a hot and humid day!

For my meal, I ordered their Thai Fried Rice ($10) with Chinese sausage and vegetables that was topped with a fried egg.

Found it to be a bit too sweet with the sausage and the corn.

Pros:

Fast, efficient service.

Cons:

Very small restaurant with a limited menu.

Final Thoughts

Menu a bit too limited and space too small for my liking.

Sushi Para 88

212 West 14th Street

(between Seventh and Eighth Avenue)

I am SO excited to have learned about this restaurant!

The décor is small, comfortable, and welcoming.

They also have a back patio that was not opened when I went.

Their AYCE special seemed to have a wide variety of sushi and roll options. I did not choose that as an option as my dining partner thought that might have been a bit too much food as the restaurant does not allow you to share.

Instead we opted for the $25 dinner special, which we were allowed to share. The dinner special offers several different combinations. We went for 3 rolls, 2 sushi pieces, and 1 appetizer.

We selected the steamed shumai appetizer.

And for our rolls, we went with a Volcano roll (spicy yellowtail, spicy tuna, and spicy salmon inside, tobiko and chili sauce on top), a Palatine roll (salmon, eel, cucumber, tobiko, avocado with eel sauce), and a Paul’s roll (shrimp tempura with cucumber, eel, and avocado with eel sauce). And we selected a salmon sushi and tuna sushi. The fish was presented in a beautiful fish-boat-shaped plate.

Everything was fresh and delicious!

Best of all, they allow you to BYOB! If you don’t want to do BYOB, they do offer a selection of nonalcoholic drinks along with wine, beer, and sake. Be aware, though, that they do charge a $3 “corking” fee, but it’s well worth it as a single glass of wine on their menu costs $5.

I, of course, brought with me a bottle of rosé: Moulin de Gassac Guilhem. A light, dry wine it went well with the raw fish.

And the restaurant kindly brought out a bucket of ice to keep the wine chilled.

We capped it off with mochi green tea ice cream. Refreshing and a great palate cleanser!

Dinner for two came to about $25 per person, with tax and tip. Will be a frequent return customer!

Pros:

Helpful, friendly service.

Low-sodium soy sauce.

Excellent rolls.

BYOB policy!!!

Cons:

AYCE special can’t be shared and they charge $1 for each piece of fish not eaten. So if you have 5 pieces left on your plate, they charge you $5. There is also a 2-hour time limit.

Final Thoughts

Come hungry!

Must return for their $20 AYCE lunch special or $25 AYCE dinner special!