Woo Lae Oak @ NYC

Yook Hwe (Sesame and Soy Marinated Steak Tartare

Details: 148 Mercer St New York, NY 10012-3256 (+1-212-925-8200)

Alta @ NYC

Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Granny Smith Apples, Crème Fraîche, and Pistachio Nuts

I’m the sort of person who enjoys doing research before dining, and I’ll admit that a treasured  Monday morning ritual is to get on the phone and on Opentable.com to make the week’s reservations. I find it extremely comforting and not weird at all that I know exactly where I at least could eat every night for the next month or so. Because of this and because they like to humor my foodie hobby, I am usually the meal organiser within my group of friends. Every once in a while though, I take a chance and accept an invitation without doing any background reading, and in the case of the unobtrusive Alta, am completely blown away! The $400 Whole Shebang option recommended for parties of 9 or more, entails being served all 46 dishes on the menu!!! It only has a food rating of 23 on Zagat, but in my humble opinion, the dizzying array of inventive small plates with such cosmopolitan and confusingly complementary components such as Danish Pork Ribs Roasted with Kecap Manis and Coriander, places Alta within the highest echelon of practitioners of the art of tapas. For your next team dinner or group celebration be sure to stop by for unforgettable feasting. Special thanks to Jay for the recommendation.

Details: 64 W 10th St New York, NY 10011-8702 (+1-212-505-7777)

La Sirene @ NYC

Filet of Oven Roasted Barramundi with Garlic, Evo, and Thyme

Details: 558 Broome St New York, NY 10013-1508 (+1 212-925-3061)

Mercer Kitchen @ NYC

Red and Yellow Tomato Bread Soup with Olive Oil and Basil

Details: 99 Prince St New York, NY 10012-3218 (+1 212-966-5454)

Kuma Inn @ NYC

Pork Buns with Sesame Peanut Sauce

Details: 113 Ludlow St New York, N.Y. 10002 (+1 212-353-8866)

Madam Geneva @ NYC

Pickled Watermelon Rind

I’m not such a frequent patron of bars. This is mainly because I’d rather be eating food! However, The New York Times’ Frugal Traveller recently did a feature on bar snacks which inspired me to venture out, reassured that I would get my nightly fix of RGF despite the lack of a formal dining setting. The pickled watermelon rind on the menu at Madam Geneva immediately stood out- who ever eats rind? For a refreshing treat, don’t be afraid to order something out of the ordinary, but do be forewarned that a high tolerance for cilantro is a prerequisite.

Details: 4 Bleecker St New York, NY 10012 (+1 212-254-0350)

Momofuku Ko @ NYC

Grilled Trout with Dill Potatoes Radish and Swiss Chard

Details: 163 1st Ave near 10th St New York, NY 10003 (+1-212-500-0831)

LAN @ NYC

Sea Urchin Scrambled Egg with Sturgeon Caviar

This Christmas I received the book Never Order Chicken on a Monday from a Secret  Santa who accompanied his gift with a note encouraging me to explore my true calling  as a gourmet. Six months down the line, I realise how certain seemingly minor incidents can turn out to be life-defining. From its beginning as a Facebook album to its current incarnation as a blog, Really Good Food has become a central part of my identity in a way that my sixteen year-old, picky eater self would never have imagined. Nowadays not only do I never order chicken on mondays; I never order chicken period. While I admit that there is a certain element of “trophy hunting” in my persistant consumption and photography of exotic foods, I’ve found that choosing something “adventurous” and being pleasantly surprised, or even blown away is a welcome thrill that I’ve experienced on almost a daily basis since becoming a fully committed omnivore. Sea urchin both looks and sounds like something to be approached with apprehension, but I assure you that at LAN the brave are well-rewarded.

Details: 56 3rd Ave (bet 10th & 11th) New York, NY (+1 212-254-1959)

Boston Tea Stop @ Cambridge, MA

Jasmine Milk Tea

Details: 54 JFK St Cambridge, MA 02138 (+1-617-945-0017)

O Ya and B&G Oysters @ Boston, MA

  

 

  

 

 

Kumamoto Oysters               Royal Miyagi Oysters

Oysters are one of those foods that one associates with decadence, and rightly so. All the effort that goes into farming, transport, and storage might seem like an extravagant use of resources in exchange for rather a paltry payout. Speculation about their effect as an aphrodisiac aside, I would venture that when we order oysters we do so because eating one is evocative of experiences on the ocean. Food often has the quality of conjuring a mental image, and for me the taste of a freshly opened oyster makes me feel nostalgic for setting sail into a salty breeze and for the delight of a headlong plunge into wind-beaten waves. Whether you have them elaborately garnished like those found at O Ya, or perfectly plain like those at B&G Oysters, Boston is the place to indulge.  

Details: O Ya: 9 East Street Boston, MA 02111 (+1 617-654-9900), B&G Oysters: 550 Tremont St Boston, MA 02116-6314 (+1 617-423-0550)