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Raymi

This weekend the Diamond family is all together in the city! Clearly we ended our evening with rooftop drinks at Birreria which included a surprisingly good live band and strong fans that circulated cool air throughout the large, open air space. 

photo (10)It’s always a treat when our family’s come to visit as it gives us an opportunity to enjoy a new restaurant or two, take in a show, and do things that we don’t always have time to do! 

This weekend’s agenda is already jam packed as they are only here for 48 hours!

  • Two delicious dinners in our neighborhood
  • Broadway matinee of Nice Work If You Can Get It
  • Metropolitan Art Museum to see a few new exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Possible trip out to Brooklyn and Red Hook

Last night we kicked off the weekend with dinner at a new restaurant in Chelsea from Richard Sandoval, Raymi. Located only a few blocks from us at 43 West 24th Street, the restaurant transports you as soon as you walk through the large doors to a more relaxed atmosphere through the use of unique design elements, lots of bright white and blue, an open ceviche bar, and high ceilings.  (This picture and more are available via http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/06/raymi_1.php)

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When we arrived, Bo’s parents were enjoying a glass of wine in the bar area at the communal high boy table. The five of us enjoyed the first round of drinks there while catching up and cooling off from the hot day. It’s safe to say that Raymi can make a name for itself on the drinks alone! Their cocktail menu includes multiple pisco based drinks such as their pisco infusions and pisco based cocktails. The pisco infusions range from purple corn, green tea, to pineapple sage as well as over 20 other flavors. We went for the cocktails last night which were all amazing. My favorite was the blackberry-thyme machacado which featured Pisco 100, simple syrup, lime, and muddled blackberries and thyme. It’s important to note for future reference, that they have a happy hour from 5-7pm which includes these amazing cocktails for only $8 along with beer and wine for $4 and $6!

IMG_3282 After enjoying our cocktails we moved into the dining area so we could enjoy dinner at a table versus a high boy. We were seated in the front dining area which was pleasantly full for a restaurant only 2 weeks old. The entire time we were in the dining area there wasn’t a single table empty for longer than it took them to clear and reset the table.

We were greeted with the large menus featuring an array of Peruvian specialties along with a few pan-Asian and New American dishes, ensuring that the menu featured something for every palate.

 

Unfortunately, this is where the restaurant’s young age started to show. While the waitress in the bar area was fabulous, answering all our questions with a smile and being attentive and even apologetic when a bottle of wine took to long to bring up from the cellar, our dinner waiter was clearly inexperienced  and not accustomed to serving guests in a fine dining establishment.  He looked like he wasn’t one day over 16 and he never properly greeted us, sharing the menus highlights, or even offering to take our order until we brought him back over 20 minutes later. We felt horribly but eventually spoke with the manager. We had such faith in the restaurant’s cuisine since we’ve loved Richard Sandoval’s other NYC restaurants (Zengo and Pampano), that we weren’t going to let one waiter ruin the experience.

The manager quickly apologized and not only replaced our waiter with the waitress who had previously served us in the bar area, but also promised a complimentary bottle of wine and dessert.

From this point on the evening was exactly what we wanted and expected from a restaurant of this caliber: flawlessly executed, creative dishes along with attentive, friendly service.

Bo and his mom chose four appetizers for our group to share while the rest of us were caught up in conversation. Their choices were perfect and just large enough for each of us to have a bite from each plate. Ordered below in order of my preference:

  • TUNA  NIKKEI  white soy-yuzu / avocado / daikon / cucumber / nori
  • PRAWN  andean black bean glaze / aji verde / huancaina crema
  • HANGER STEAK  aji panca glaze / creamy ocopa sauce / rocoto salsa
  • GRILLED OCTOPUS & CALAMARI  aji panca / mortar potato / radish criolla

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The flavors of each dish were spot on! The skewers were rubbed in a delicious smoky spice while the ceviche featured more of the Asian influences through the use of daikon and nori.

Meg and I decided to share an entree and appetizer for our main course which worked out perfectly. We both love scallops and therefore couldn’t resist the SCALLOP GRATIN, which are waitress raved about being her favorite dish. The scallops were pan seared heavily only on one side which meant that parmesan crust didn’t overpower the scallops.

IMG_3287We chose the hot rock ceviche as our entree, based on the ingredient list of shrimp, octopus, sweet potatoes, corn, and catch of the day. While this was a delicious Peruvian take on the traditional French bouillabaisse, it didn’t live up to my expectations.

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That, or maybe it wasn’t truly large enough to share between two people. I was able to enjoy a true taste for the flavors but not the seafood. The true fish winner was the Salmon Nikkei which Bo’s mom ordered.

While we would have never ordered dessert at this point as we were all pleasantly satiated from both the flowing wine and delicious food, the complimentary dessert was a very nice and tasty gesture. These desserts were definitely not your standard sorbet or crumble. Each one was innovative, delivering complex, unique flavors through both the ice cream or sauce and the main part of the dessert. Ordered once again in order of preference:

ARBORIO “RICE PUDDING
LUCUMA “ICE CREAM SUNDAE

DULCE DE LECHE “PANNA COTTA” spiced cookie / burnt meringue
PERUVIAN CRISPY DONUTS

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Overall, the food and experience was wonderful especially considering the restaurant is only two weeks old. Their happy hour specials alone will draw me back there with co-workers and girlfriends in no time but I also expect this to become one of the restaurants we frequent for special occasions and out-of-town guests! While the service left a bad taste in our mouth, the food was able to carry the service and we feel confident that they’ll address the service aspect over the coming weeks!

Question: In your opinion, can food make up for a bad service experience?

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West Coast Bites and Sips

The past few weeks have been filled with not only lots of running but also some delicious dining to balance out all the workouts. Luckily, the West Coast cities to which I’ve traveled to lately are known for their amazing restaurants. This time around it just so happens that there was one restaurant in San Francisco and Seattle that left a lasting impression on me.

Seattle: Japonessa 

Over the years Amy and I have spend many an evening sipping cocktails and eating sushi. As soon as my visit to Seattle was made official, she secured reservations for us and some of our friends at their favorite local sushi restaurant, Japonessa. This swanky spot is located conveniently close to Pike Place market so locals and tourists alike can enjoy the artistry and flavors from Billy Beach’s kitchen.

Their cocktails are a perfect way to start the evening, ranging from tangy summer cocktails to cool, cucumber refreshing drinks.

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But, what stood out more to me than anything was their amazing rolls. The flavors were unique and unlike anything I’ve tried in any other restaurant. Even better was the fact the the rolls were reasonably priced for their size and fish to rice ratio. The Casanova roll (king crab, avocado, shibazuke, topped w/ seared spicy snow crab, scallops, tobiko, served w/ soy glaze, pico de gallo) may be the most delicious roll I’ve ever tasted. In fact, I think I’m still dreaming about it.  027 The next time you find yourself in Seattle, enjoy a delicious dinner with a friends or loved ones after a day exploring the city. You won’t regret it!

San Francisco: The Slanted Door

021While the idea of Chinese or Viatnamese food rarely excites me, when my co-worker suggested we dine Charles Phan’s renowned restaurant our final night in San Francisco, my face lit up in excitement. After hearing about their cocktails and food for years I was thrilled to try it for myself. While I failed to capture a picture of my cocktail, The Bee’s Knees, their signature cocktail. While I normally err away from sweet drinks, the waiter insisted that their specialty cocktails couldn’t be missed due to their unique and fresh ingredients and liquors. The Bee’s Knees included Miller’s Westbourne strength gin, blackberry honey, and lemon juice served up. It was perfectly balanced and left me craving another!

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As we contemplated the menu, our group enjoyed the people watching and views made possible by our window table. The restaurant itself was packed already even though we had early 6pm reservations.

In order to ensure we were able to enjoy as many tastes and flavors as possible, our table of 7 decided to enjoy everything family style. Per our waiter’s suggestion we went with their signature dishes (left to right: crispy imperial rolls, cellophane noodles with crab, slanted door spring rolls, spare ribs, and organic chicken claypot. My personal favorites were the crispy imperial rolls and the spring rolls. The crispy imperial rolls brought many textures together through the crispy outside, soft inside, warm pork and shrimp, followed by the cold fish sauce. The spring rolls stood apart partially due to the amazing peanut sauce but also the filling. While these looked unassuming when they reached the table the succulent gulf shrimp and mint flavors were a perfect pairing with the sauce and took the whole dish to another level.

022 027023 024    028This is the perfect restaurant for a business dinner, romantic night out on the town, or a celebration with friends. In the end, I’d make any excuse to go here again as long as I could enjoy my three favorite tastes of the evening all over again. Make sure to reserve a table in advance as they tend to fill quickly and the night we were there the wait was over 3 hours!

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Maui Fruit & Fish

Our lack of sleep and early adventure left us craving breakfast as soon as we started the switchback path down the mountain.

The eucalyptus trees reminded us of California's redwood trees!

Since none of us know Maui very well, other than the few places my Papa insisted we visit, Dad and I have been relying on Yelp and Trip Advisor for tips and tricks, especially in regards to food. As we headed down the mountain I searched on Yelp for restaurants which were within a few miles of the base and open for breakfast. Based on ratings, it was clear that the only choice was Kula Lodge & Restaurant. 

Perched on the side of a luscious hill, 3200 feet above sea level, their expansive dining area is lit naturally with wall to wall windows, allowing diners to enjoy amazing views while they eat breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The first thing on our mind was their fresh brewed Kona coffee! They even had coconut syrup for it but we both all found that to be far too sweet.

While my mom had her eye on their macadamia nut and banana pancakes, I had one thing in mind: fresh fruit. Due to dehydration and passing multiple closed fruit stands on the way up the mountain I wanted nothing to do with savory egg dishes or sweet pancakes. Luckily, their tropical fruit salad delivered more than I could have expected! Priced at $14.50, the Tropical Fruit Salad with a side of homemade granola included nearly a half pound of Maui fresh mango, strawberry, banana, and pineapples paired with vanilla yogurt.

I was in heaven!

Having the chance to enjoy a bite of my mom’s decadent pancakes and my dad’s savory Portuguese sausage was the perfect way to complete my first taste of Maui!

Check out the amazing gardens surrounding the restaurant! We could have spent hours exploring their beautiful trails and flowers!

Later in the afternoon, around 2pm, we were done exploring my Papa’s boyhood and family beach home in Kihei and finally hungry again. Within minutes Yelp was able to direct us to “the best fish tacos in the world.” at Coconuts Fish Cafe in Kihei.

 Opened 2009 by a local couple, they only deliver the freshest seafood in the “healthiest way possible” to diners eagerly awaiting food at their surfboard tables and small outdoor area. They never use microwaves and everything is made to order whether you’re carrying out or dining in.

Based on the Yelp reviews we knew that fish tacos were the primary draw but as soon as we stepped up to order we saw their fresh coconut shrimp and were sold on splitting one of those as an appetizer.

These are hands down the best coconut shrimp we've ever had!!

After the coconut shrimp we were even more excited for our fish sandwiches and fish tacos!  I don’t know how to begin describing these fish tacos other than that you can definitely split an order of the two fish tacos! Each one includes 17 different ingredients ranging from the mango cilantro salsa to the freshly grilled mahi mahi. Their suggestion for eating is to pick up by the edges, lean forward, and take a huge bite incorporating every flavor!
 
 
My dad was a wimp and didn’t think he’d like the fish tacos since he has somehow never had mahi mahi before. Luckily his choice was just as delicious, a mild fish that was perfecly seasoned and topped with their housemade slaw and all the toppings!
 
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