Natsumi Tapas

323 Third Avenue

(between 24th and 25th Streets)

Have wanted to try this Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant since it opened in April 2016.

Though it looks like a large restaurant from the outside, the interiors are intimate. We decided to sit in their lounge area in front of the bar as opposed to their restaurant proper.

Menu offerings were extensive. So we were glad that they were offering tasting tapas. We ordered their Trio Zensai ($15), option A, which were samples of: spicy rock shrimp tempura, beef short ribs, and spicy tuna roll.

Amazing! Made us want to order their option B (Japanese crispy chicken, spicy meatballs, and crunchy spicy salmon roll) if we were still hungry after we had finished what we had ordered. We were not!

We also went for the dumpling sampler ($6), which came with one sample each of their king crab dumpling, blue crab dumpling, and edamame dumpling. The edamame dumpling had an interesting crunchiness, but my faves were the crab dumplings. And they smelled delicious, too!

We were intrigued with many of their special rolls, so we ordered their Doppio Toro ($18), which was a roll made up of salmon toro, yellowtail toro, avocado, asparagus, tempura flakes, and basil pesto. A roll full of crunch, but would have liked it to be a bit more flavorful.

For dessert we ordered their chocolate saucy cake, a moist chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache in the center. Very rich.

As for drinks, I went for their Apprentice Chardonnay from Napa Valley ($12). Though I must admit, I was a bit averse to ordering anything that would remind me of this season’s presidential election. However, how could I pass up trying something that’s described as having flavors of crème brulee? After our server gave me a taste, I was sold. It was full bodied, but with a very smooth finish.

Interestingly enough, our server was also the bartender. I almost switched to a red for dessert as he let me sample their rich, bold spicy red Pinot Noir. I decided, though, to stick with my Chardonnay. The Pinot, while delicious, would have been a bit too heavy for me on a humid, summer night.

Pros:

Tasting Tapas: excellent way to sample their extensive menu!

Large, unisex bathrooms.

Cons:

Service was friendly, but a bit harried (unsure as to why, though, as the restaurant was not particularly busy on the night I went)

Final Thoughts

Will definitely return as it’s a convenient location for me and there are many other menu options that I want to try.

Lea Wine Bar

230 Park Avenue

East Helmsley Walkway

(between 45th and 46th Streets)

A truly hidden gem and a wonderful, cozy spot to meet up near Grand Central.

It is so hidden, that it literally took me about fifteen minutes to find it after walking in circles around Park Avenue and having to ask directions from several Grand Central shopworkers. But it was so worth the trouble.

After entering though red-velvet curtains, I was greeted by a friendly hostess who immediately got me seated even though I did not have a reservation and had arrived before my dining companion.

As soon as my friend arrived, they served us a bowl of complimentary edamame. Yummy, but just a bit too salty. However, so much better than a basket of bread!

To continue with the salty goodness, we ordered truffle and chive pommes frites ($8). Not only did it taste great, but the truffle oil smelled heavenly!

We also ordered the guacamole ($10) with edamame beans and pine nuts. It was also spiced with jalapeño. A side of obligatory chips for dipping was also provided.

And the crab toquitos ($13): lump wild crap mixed with chipotle sauce, chives, and sesame. Had a very nice lime taste.

For drinks, we ordered their rosé from Provence ($11). Light and crisp!

All in all, perfect-sized bar food. Much too easy to eat!

Pros:

Nice, comfortable low-key bar.

Excellent pommes frites!

Cons:

No happy hour pricing!

Final Thoughts

Would return if I needed to find someplace to meet near Grand Central.

Ipanema

43 West 40th Street

(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)

Have had a craving for Brazilian food ever since the Olympics. The perfect opportunity came up when deciding where to take a friend out to celebrate her birthday.

Ipanema is a classic standby in Little Brazil. I think the last time I went, might have been over ten years ago.

My friend is pretty particular in what she can and cannot eat. She loves seafood, so we ordered the Abacate Recheado (avocado stuffed with crab meat and remoulade sauce) as an appetizer. Unbelievably good. Taste was refreshing and the crab meat was abundant!

We then decided to split the Paelha dish (which came with two giant-sized tiger shrimp, clams, mussels, chicken, chouriço (similar to chorizo), and scallops over saffron rice. A bowl of black beans was served on the side.

Wonderful! The seafood was fresh and the black beans were surprisingly not heavy.

To toast my friend’s birthday, we felt we had to go with their special half-pitcher sangria ($18). The sangria is offered in both red and white. We chose to go with the classic red, which arrived in the most delightfully designed pitchers!

What was most memorable was when we had finished our meal. My friend was so full that she didn’t feel that she had room for dessert. Our server obviously overheard my birthday toast as when the check arrived, it came with a complimentary slice of flan topped with a lighted candle!!!

Happy Birthday, indeed!

Pros:

Excellent, attentive service.
Fresh seafood.

Cons:

Bathroom located on the main floor is one designated for handicapped service.

Final Thoughts

Would return for both the wonderful service and the excellent food!

Bananas in a Box (China Grill)

60 West 53rd Street

(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)

Went to one of my usual favorite Happy Hour spots: China Grill.

Ordered my usual cocktail: Lycheetini—love that it comes with an actual lychee!

My friend ordered a mint tea, which gets served in a VERY heavy teapot!

But my posting is about their famous dessert: bananas in a box. It consists of caramelized bananas with cinnamon, brown sugar, and fudge contained within a caramelized type of cookie box topped with a pastry cream and delicately spun sugar and chocolate.

It gets served in a wonderful tableside presentation. A pitcher of caramel is served on the side, which then gets poured directly over the dessert.

We ordered the small portion and it was more than enough for two. We actually couldn’t finish it.

Delish and as decadent as it looks!

Bar B

84 Seventh Avenue

(between 14th and 15th Streets)

Was walking down Seventh Avenue one late-afternoon day and noticed this cute standing bar!

I impulsively decided to stop in and try their Happy Hour special—which offered $1 off certain glasses of wine.

I went with a glass of the grillo (a Sicilian white wine).

Space was narrow and tiny, but at the time I went I was the only customer so didn’t feel claustrophobic.

Instead, I could imagine myself in a tapas bar in Spain, while I enjoyed reading my book drinking a glass of wine!

Final Thoughts

Would like to come back and try some of their snacks or pasta dishes.

Fred at Barneys

101 Seventh Avenue

(between 17th and 18th Streets)

Barneys returned to its original location in Chelsea earlier this year, and I have been wanting to visit ever since its (re)opening.

Great place to take an out-of-town guest/friend who is a fan of fashion and/or shopping. You can lose an entire day in the store.

After a few hours, I needed to take a break and decided to try their in-house restaurant, Freds at Barneys (located in the rear of the top floor).

We decided to sit at the bar as the seats and booths at the tables seemed rather uncomfortable. (I tried to sit in one of the booths and my skirt kept getting stuck on the fabric.)

My friend went with a glass the rosé sparkling Mumm from Napa ($18). Sparkly and pretty. Great celebratory drink.

I went with a glass of the Sancerre dom des Coltabards from France ($18). Not as full-bodied as other Sancerres, which I appreciated. Since I had a full night ahead of me, I didn’t need to get hit by a headache, which usually happens when I drink too much Sancerre.

We also shared an order of their strawberry shortcake ($14).

Really disappointing for the price. Not as many fresh strawberries as we would have liked and the cake was unmemorable.

Pros:

Friendly service.

Cons:

More dessert options needed.

Pricey.

Final Thoughts

Would return, but only with another out-of-town guest.

Sushi Para 88 (AYCE Lunch Special)

212 West 14th Street

(between Seventh and Eighth Avenue)

Am very happy to report that I did return for Sushi Para 88’s AYCE lunch special!

For $20 the lunch menu is a bit more limited than the $25 ACYE dinner menu in their roll offering.

However, as you can see, I had no trouble finding enough rolls to order!

Along with an order of their shumai and gyoza appetizers, I was more than stuffed!

I ordered all of my food at one time. However, they do kindly allow you to order AYCE in batches, which is what my friend did. She had three (3) additional food requests throughout our lunch, as she was aware of their rule requiring customers pay $1 for each unfinished piece of food.

And to take advantage again of their BYOB option, to wash down our meal, I went with one of my only standbys—Relax Riesling, which is very light and the perfect accompaniment with sushi. As my friend noted, it was like drinking tasty water.

Auntie Guan's Kitchen 108

108 West 14th Street

(between Sixth and Seventh Avenue)

I have wanted to try this Chinese restaurant, which specializes in Northern cuisine, ever since it opened earlier this year.

Liked that the menu options were plentiful and interesting and accompanied by photos.

I started with a small cup of wanton soup while waiting for my dinner companion. The taste was interesting as the soup came with seaweed, so it was a mix of miso soup and wanton soup. The wanton did taste homemade.

When my friend arrived, we ordered their well-reviewed soup dumplings. The dumplings were pleasingly large and did NOT break when picked up with our tongs (proof of them being well-made). And full of yummy good juiciness!

We also went with the Dan Dan Noodles.

Which looked nothing like the picture in their menu!

This is the first time that I’ve seen Dan Dan noodles made with a mix of a bunch of noodles together. It also didn’t have the spicy chili taste of what one would usually expect from traditional Dan Dan noodle dish.

And we also ordered the sautéed potatoes, green pepper and eggplant dish. It was flavorful and delicious, but thought it had too many potatoes.

What was a bit of a surprise was that the restaurant didn’t serve any alcohol. However, like any self-respecting Chinese restaurant they did offer complimentary tea in small teapots. Though, I have to confess with it being a hot summer night, we mostly stuck with the glasses of regular tap water, which were refilled quickly and frequently.

Pros:

Excellent soup dumplings.

Cons:

NO alcohol!

When paying by credit card, they only provided me with the merchant copy. I had to specially request that they provide me with my customer copy, which caused quite a bit of confusion for some reason.

Final Thoughts

Will return to try their takeout.