Co Lac was both refined in taste yet homey in experience and that is a real winner in my books…read more The inside was beautifully decorated, the servers were super warm but both carried an air of elegance! The food was overall great. I especially loved the banh ram it because it was so crunchy and salty. The pho stir fry was also very tasty. The steak was a bit dry unfortunately, but would still come back and try the other dishes!

I enjoyed dining here! Very chill atmosphere, excellent service and great food…read more Came in the evening with a reservation and the staff was very welcoming and accommodating. My friend hasn't arrived yet and they kindly seated me anyway. I ordered a mocktail and checked out the menus. There was also a letter explaining a bit more about the restaurant and the concept which I appreciated. We shared scotch eggs and for the main I ordered Canard Saigon. The duck was glazed in 5 spice sauce, there were some veggies and saucy noodles as well. Presentation was perfect! It was all very beautifully arranged and thought out...I appreciate the artistic quality of the food. It also tasted so good with all the flavors profiles. The restaurant itself is excellent but I think it doesn't make sense for a neighborhood like Alphabet city. It's casual and relaxed there and a high end approach doesn't truly fit. If this was a tier down spot then people would absolutely come and enjoy the fusion Vietnamese concept like Co Lac.

The inside of this place is extremely beautiful The food is…read moreamazing The egg rolls blew my mind away Def would recommend

Came here for dinner with my sister on a Saturday night with a 6 PM reservation. It didn't seem too…read morepacked at the time. To start, they give you some shrimp chips, which was a nice snack - and reminded me of my childhood. It was also still happy hour at the time (I believe until 7) and they had select cocktails, beer, and wine at a discounted price. I always appreciate a weekend HH menu (and especially since the food menu here is so expensive) We ordered: -Roast Duck (steamed pancakes, sweet and savory duck sauce, scallion, chili oil, cucumber) - this was just okay. It was only duck breast, so it was a little bit dry. A mix of dark/white meat would have been nice -XO Beef Chow Fun (beef, thing rice rolls, XO sauce) - pretty basic. Not sure I tasted much XO sauce -Garlic Sauce Eggplant (bell peppers, oyster & soy garlic sauce) - this was the best dish of the night. The colors were vibrant, and it was flavorful without being too oily or salty Overall, I would say you're really just coming here for the vibes of the restaurant. Obviously, you can get all of these dishes for a fraction of the price in Chinatown, and it will taste much better. I also felt there wasn't really anything innovative about the food menu for them to charge what they're charging. But I will say that the cocktail menu is pretty unique, featuring a lot of different tea cocktails. If you really want to check this place out, I would recommend sitting at the bar for a couple of drinks, and then going elsewhere for food.

((4.75 stars)) Tera…read moreis a cool spot tucked into a deceptively large space. soothing ambiance from the stone, wood, and a snapshot of nature translated into its minimalist interior. the sometimes-cafe and full-time dinner/adult beverage waypoint of the LES. there's seating at the bar and front window as well as a limited number of seats in the private tatami room-- requiring table service and certain ordering prerequisites. i discovered this place when walking down Essex Street randlomly and spotting some signage outside. the cafe hours have been reduced from all weekdays to only Fridays and weekends during the mornings and afternoons. otherwise Tera operates as a Korean-inspired dining experience (don't quote me on that as i haven't been here during evening hours). the cafe experience is relaxed yet elite...you can get your standard lattes, americanos etc. but also Tera also offers unique co-ferment coffees in a pour-over style service as wells a number of tea options. i've enjoyed a number of Americano coffees to-go as well one of the co-ferment pour-over coffees at the bar. the Americanos were top-notch and served hot...the right amount of coffee flavor and acidity spread out over hot water in a cup. yum. the pour over coffee was really: elegantly served and presented without feeling pretentious at all. the co-fermented coffee was tasty -- it hit a lot of notes which included cherry and chocolate lightly (imo) with a smooth coffee flavor. can't remember which pour-over i got as i found the menu a bit confusing, but i landed on a pour-over option that really hit the mark on a lazy weekend afternoon. the service is friendly, and not too chatty, but I think Tera is still figuring out its daytime identity versus its nighttime one. would highly recommend stopping by to enjoy the coffees and teas here...and i imagine evening here are just as charming without feeling forced or inauthentically grandiose.

We booked a reservation for dinner for this place on a weeknight. The tatami mat experience was…read morecool and felt unique and intimate. However, the dishes and dessert unfortunately fell short of our expectations. The main entree options were very average tasting and although the set comes with dessert, the price did not reflect the taste. Additionally, the communication was a little confusing as we were under the impression one of us was missing a sauce, only after going out to the bar area to flag the server did they explain that it's for us to share, which is something that we did not assume. Overall the interior and decor looked great, however our experience with the servers and the food quality itself was not as great as we had expected.

I came here again (surprise surprise) and switched it up a little…read more My friend and I got: - scallop Musubi - spam and kimchi Musubi: one of my new favorites - cabbage - crab fried rice: this was yummy and good amount of crab! Service was great as usual! Shoutout to Josh for being s attentive and always filling up our waters, we never had to ask. It was always great seeing Tasha and Pye!

Noreetuh has such a fun, casual vibe with a darker, moodier ambiance. It's definitely a great spot…read moreto grab drinks and food with friends! The place is always packed, and one thing I really loved was all the Polaroids of customers displayed around the restaurant. It gave the space such a nostalgic and personal touch. The staff was also incredibly friendly and welcoming. My party arrived early for our reservation, and since they don't have a waiting area, we walked around the neighborhood for a bit. When we came back, our table still wasn't ready, but they were kind enough to give us a complimentary yuzu drink while we waited. Such a small gesture, but it really stood out to me! As for the food, we ordered a bunch of different musubis, and they were delicious! Think good old musubi but a little more elevated. I especially loved that they were cut into perfect bite-sized pieces, making it super easy to share and try a variety of flavors. Overall, such a fun experience with great service, good food, and an atmosphere that makes you want to come back!

Hidden gem! This restaurant is small but easy to get a reservation and food is very good! Our food…read morearrived very quickly and service was great. I enjoyed the kee mao and my friend had pad Thai. The kee mao was very good although I wish it had more shrimp or calamari. Overall recommend this spot if you're looking for a casual meal!

We were able to snag a last-minute reservation when my son decided he was in the mood for Thai…read morefood, and we're so glad we did! The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was wonderful. I ordered the Pad Thai, which was cooked to perfection and came in a very generous portion. I also tried one of their signature cocktails, and it was fantastic! Such a great dining experience. We'll definitely be back!

Finally made it to Ha's Snack Bar! Maybe the recent opening of Bistrot Ha is making it slightly…read moreeasier to grab a reservation here? I paired my meal with a delicious glass of red wine (Beaujolais), which was served chilled. I don't know that I'd agree with the sentiment that this is more of a wine bar with snacks. There's good wine for sure, but the focus seems more on the food. Ordered: -Chicken liver pate with pickled rhubarb on toast: Good, but this could be a skip unless you're obsessed with pate or you have low iron. The vinegar/acid from the rhubarb kind of brightened up the dish. -Gulf shrimp with melon and shiso: Overall, I loved the flavors of this summery dish, from the ripe, sweet cantaloupe to the fresh bites of shiso chili-pepper spice that sneaks up on you but then adds an ever-present, warm buzz. But the shrimp were a bit rubbery. -Rice salad with green chili, peas, and herbs: This was maybe my favorite dish of the night, which was a surprise because we hadn't even considered it at first. Lots of umami flavor and the peas made it summery. The herbs on top were so fresh. -Snails with tamarind butter: Really interesting and different. The intense sweet-spice flavor of the decadent tamarind butter is memorable. The snails were tender. I wish we'd been given a little more bread to sop up the buttery goodness. -Plum and mint chip sundae: This dessert was soo good and refreshing! It was made of half plum ice cream (quite tart), half mint ice cream, with big, flaky chunks of semisweet chocolate, whipped cream, and mint pieces on top. And I think there were actual plums in there as well. The space is really tiny, one small room that was jam-packed with people on a recent August Saturday at 9:30 pm. The AC wasn't on, or it was broken, and the room was pretty warm and stuffy. It cooled down as people started to leave. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I was very excited to try this place because of all of the hype. I think it's important to note…read morethat this place doesn't have a full kitchen, it should really be for good wine and light bites. The portions are pretty small and we ordered a lot on the menu. The standouts were the zucchini and bacon toast, shrimp and melon salad (perf for the summer), skate wing, and snail in tamarind butter (their staple). FYI The snail is supper buttery

Ran into After Eden while walking around Orchard St. and was craving a really good cocktail. Man…read more.. what a GEM! The drinks here are seriously next level Asian inspired, creative, and packed with flavor. We tried the Photini and Drink More Water, and the bartender absolutely crushed it. One drink turned into another... and before we knew it, we had about five cocktails in! We also ordered a plate of their spring rolls, and WOW. Some of the best spring rolls I've ever had. Crispy, flavorful, and seriously addictive. The ambiance is another reason this place stands out. Super chic, moody lighting, a beautiful bar, and a really fun, stylish vibe. It's the kind of spot where you come in for "one drink" and suddenly realize you've been there for hours. If you're in NYC and looking for great cocktails, good food, and a vibe, put After Eden on your list. I know I'll be coming back next time I'm in New York!

Food 4/5 Service 4.5/5…read moreAmbiance 5/5 After Eden is a cute Vietnamese café by day and a cocktail bar by night. Their bánh mì is only available on weekends from 12-4 PM. Luckily, it's still a bit of a hidden gem, so the line wasn't too crazy, we waited about 15 min on a Saturday afternoon. Super cute vibe and a great spot to hang out and chill. Kouign Amann / Bánh Pháp Caramel Trứng Muối (5/5): Our absolute fave! The unexpected combo of fish sauce caramel and pork floss worked amazingly well!! Highly reco Pork Crispy Rolls / Chả Giò Rế (4.25/5): Super crunchy wrapper and packed with meat. Really enjoyable! Bánh Mì (4/5): Solid flavor overall, but the bread could have been a bit fluffier on the inside and crispier on the outside Pork Pastry / Bánh Bao Pháp (3.75/5): Great buttery pastry and well-balanced filling Country Pâté Pastry / Bánh Paté Chaud Gà (3.25/5): Flaky texture, but the overall flavor fell a bit flat Beignets (2.5/5): texture was a bit too hard, but didn't really pick up on any seasonal flavors Cà Phê Muối (4.5/5): delicious salted coffee, the creamy salted cream was on point! Jackfruit Latté (2.5/5): Nothing too special; neither the jackfruit nor the banana flavors really came thru

I recently checked out Hed, a new thai fine dining spot in Chelsea from the michelin-recognized…read moreteam behind Hed Eleven in San Francisco. This tasting menu felt a little different from the usual because it's designed to be "shared". For the mains, we picked across stir-fried, curry, and fried dishes, and everything came out together with rice to enjoy family-style. With a group of 2-3, you can basically try most of the menu. The most memorable thing I ate was surprisingly the green curry sorbet! The spring/summer menu leans into southern thai flavors with lots of seafood. If the $126 per person tasting menu feels like a lot, they also have à la carte options ranging from $12 to $39. First three courses were fixed: (1) Thai style oyster with chili jam and ikura Absolutely loved the tangy and sweet chili jam with the oyster. (2) Grilled scallop with rice noodle in coconut curry My favorite appetizer of the night! The scallop was perfectly cooked and everything went so well together. (3) Lobster soup in turmeric essence The lobster soup had amazing depth from the turmeric and tom-yom-like Thai herbs, but it was slightly too salty for my liking. (4) Entrees - I went with a friend and we picked one from each section, getting a total of six entrees: ＊Stir-fried wok-tossed squid ＊Braised pork belly For the pad/stir fried dishes, the pork belly was a standout! It reminded me of chinese braised pork with its five spice flavor. ＊Southern thai crab curry ＊Braised hanger steak in isan herbal curry The two geang/curry dishes were easily my favorites. Super flavorful and rich that it was perfect soaking into rice. ＊Grilled pork jowl ＊Red curry grilled chicken For the thod/deep fried dishes, I preferred the pork jowl as it had a smoky,charred aroma. The fried batter of the chicken was a bit too thick for me. (5) Desserts ＊Palm sugar sponge cake with green curry sorbet ＊Rice pudding with mango kha foam & lemon grass ginger sorbet Both were FANTASTIC but the green curry sorbet was definitely more unique. A savory and spicy "dessert" was a whole new experience for me. I loved how the cashew and sponge cake tied everything together nicely. Drinks ＊Mae mali (mocktail) ＊Chiang dao smoke highball The jasmine flavor really came through in the mocktail, while the cocktail had a smoky flavor and subtle sweetness from longan and honey. Beautiful space, attentive service. It's one of the most unique tasting menu I've had in NYC so far.

Favorites are: Oyster - flavor bomb…read more Grilled Scallop in Thai sauce - but would like it with rice more. Southern Thai Crab Curry - not sure why they serve it with noodle..m Braised Caramalized Pork Belly - little heavy but very tender. So so - Fried Chicken in Red Curry. Duck - it was undercooked we had to send it back. Desserts. Cocktails were a bit on the sweet side.