This place is an absolutely must try! The ambience was super nice and comfy, the staff are very…read moreattentive and has such great recommendations, and most importantly, the food was amazing. I highly recommend getting the lobster pad Thai, the corn pancake, the scallop satay and the beef! Everything was cooked to perfection in terms of flavor, leaving me wanted to eat more. The portions aren't the biggest, but it keeps you hooked. I'm definitely going to be coming back

Food: honestly the food wasnt that good. I got the mango cucumber, Mushroom soup, sheimp noodles…read more(part of restaurant week) and pandan ice cream. Only item I enjoyed was the Shrimp noodles. The mangos were good but it's bugging special, esp for $20. The pandan ice cream tasted dull and not good with the passionfruit. Service: good, cleaned our table often and changed utensil, bit long on dessert though for 6PM Ambiance: nice vibes, feels hip and fun. Clean and nice decor

Dimly hit, cozy, charming wine bar tucked in Doyers Street -- lovely ambiance and service! We came…read moreon a Friday night around 10pm, wanting a wine+dessert nightcap, and we were seated right away (very busy still!) We had a glass each of the Spanish white ($16) and the California Chardonnay ($18), and the highly rated 'Eight Treasures Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding' was delish -- loved the textures, and the citrus zing with the toffee flavor.

Overall: 4 stars…read more Newly Michelin coined wine bar that is petite and full of innovative takes on classically Chinese dishes. Appreciate the quality service and the intriguing menu; the food does come pricey, but there are some interesting innovation to make it a worthwhile one time experience. Zhong Zi - One of the best wrapped glutinuous rice I've had; its impressive how light they made the rice so it isn't all consuming on the belly. Celtuce - Impressive dish that transforms simple ingredients into a show stopper; the celtuce is tender and performs great osmosis to absorb that addictive vinaigarette. The crisp onion adds a delightful depth and texture. Cheung Fun - The cheung fun technique needs to be improved as the rice crepe is too thick, especially when the competition is at at all time high just within blocks. The command on textures is very nice with the crisp vegetable filling and saline burst of roe. However, the salinity of roe plus the soy needs sweetness to balance the saline forward dish. Beef Short Rib - Addictively sumptuous short rib in a fruit candied sweet and savory glaze. The beef falls off the bone with ease and goes together with their rice so harmoniously. Sticky Rice Pudding - Brilliant adaptation of the sticky toffee pudding; I never realized how well a sticky rice could pair so well with the muscovado caramel until this dish. Don't miss this. Food: +1 Presentation: +1 Price: -1 Atmosphere: E Service: +1 Menu: +1 Insta/Yelp/Beli: @amei_eats Insta/TikTok: @ameizing.race

I kept hearing great things about this NYC restaurant with the unlikely name of Ha's Snack Bar. So…read moreI managed to line up outside the tiny spot at 4:45PM on a Wednesday afternoon and snagged a seat at the counter when the doors opened at 5:30. It's a small (24 seats) but full Lower East Side restaurant featuring Vietnamese / French inspired flavors, with a great vibe, friendly, helpful servers - and you can't miss the chefs at work in the microscopic open kitchen (Two inductions and a Rational). I kicked things off with Oysters with Green Chili which were a perfect starter. Next up was the dish I'd heard a lot about, Snails with Tamarind Butter. This lived up to the praise, absolutely delicious, with a warm chunk of baguette. Later, I realized, it's reminiscent of New Orleans style BBQ Shrimp! And that's a good thing. For my final plate, I ordered the Clams with Lemongrass and Chinese Bacon, and this seafood stew type dish was wonderful as well. I loved the whole experience at Ha's, which in a previous life was a well-known NYC Pop-up (Ha's Dac Biet) from Sadie Mae Burns-Ha and Anthony Ha. Now, in addition to Ha's, they also have a larger spot, Bistrot Ha. You can sure that's on my list now too! Ha's was the first stop in a three-day NYC visit for me, and a very memorable one.

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

I really enjoyed the ambiance of this place and liked that the kitchen was open so you could kind…read moreof see into it. Since we came early and were the only ones there, the server was very attentive and changed our utensils and plates when they became dirty! Raw tuna- very refreshing and light. The tuna came in a huge piece which caught us by surprise since we had to cut it ourselves. Served with peach which was nice since usually they're served with a more citrusy fruit like orange and strawberry. Rice rolls- a slightly more elevated take on rice rolls, but nothing super fancy or special. A light dish since it doesn't have much sauce. Loved the veggie though and thought it paired nicely. Pork chop- my favorite dish! Fried perfectly and tasted great with the green sauce underneath (slightly spicy). I also loved the veggies which had a citrus dressing. It seems like a more Americanized version of pork chop but I enjoyed it. Prawn toast - very interesting since I've never had this before but it mainly tasted like sesame seeds and I could barely taste the shrimp in the spread. A little disappointed there wasn't a stronger shrimp flavor but since I love sesame seeds I liked this dish. Probably wouldn't order it again though. Fish - the fish was cooked perfectly and I loved the presentation. I wasn't a big fan of the sauce (which they're very generous with) so I didn't eat too much of it. It tastes like the base is made up of tomato so I wasn't a big fan. Overall, I enjoyed eating at this restaurant! Definitely quite pricey so level your expectations prior to coming here.

Edited: after some thinking, the meal wasn't enough for a return visit. The service was still…read moresolid. This cozy Chinatown spot blends Cantonese flavors with a killer wine list, perfect for a casual date night. The raw oysters were pristine, fresh. The scallops were flavorful but light. One of the highlists of the meal. But the star was the panko fried branzino. it had a flawless, golden crunch while staying incredibly juicy, and the sweet-and-sour glaze was addictive. Their fried rice was a bit salty for my taste and the portions seem to be more individual size than family style.

The crudo was AWESOME, flavor pairings were impeccable. It danced on my tongue like a million…read morestars. Bartender? So knowledgeable! After she explained the menu to me, my order changed COMPLETELY and I don't regret it. The vibe in the establishment was elegant with a touch of shameless youth and Tumblr realness. The playlist? DIVINE. COME HERE ASAP.

I found Bistrot Ha by way of my brother. We had both been to the owners' previous spot, Ha's Snack…read moreBar, and he had learned they opened a larger brick and mortar in the vicinity. Since we both had a good experience at the former, we wanted to check out Bistrot as well - so we made plans to link up after work the other day to check it out. You can almost call Bistrot Ha third chapter for owners Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha. They started with Ha's Đặc Biệt, which was mainly a pop up that set up shop throughout the city. They then opened Ha's Snack Bar on the LES a couple years back, and now we have Bistrot Ha. All the while, they have gained a steady following and received write ups in the NYT; Snack Bar has been featured on the paper's Top 100 Restaurants in NYC for the last two years. Reservations can be tough, but not impossible - I got lucky and snatched a table right at 5:30pm opening. The restaurant is not large, but even still was pretty comfortable with a combination of banquette seats, standalone tables, and bar stools. We we were somewhat tight, but it added to the bustling aesthetic. Decor is modest, with touches of red and some wall art. Like its predecessors, the menu is a mixture of French and Vietmamese dishes with some unique spins. Everything is made with fish sauce (as stated on the menu), with most things meant to be shared. There are no menu sections, though our server pointed out some of the larger entree-sized plates vs the smaller bites and apps. She suggested for the two of us to choose 4 to 6 items, so we decided on the fried yuba, tomato tart, stuffed pepper, clams (one of their specials), steak, and a side of fries. All the dishes were good, I especially liked the fried yuba, the clams, and the fries. The clams especially were noteworthy as they were served out of the shell with mushrooms; I'm usually not a mushroom person but these were really good and complemented the clams well. The stuffed pepper was one of the weaker dishes IMO - which is unfortunate because I love stuffed peppers. It was described as being stuffed with rice and lamb, but there really was no lamb to be seen. Also, they used a long pepper instead of a bell pepper which I don't feel stands up to stuffing as well. We opted for dessert and decided on the chocolate peanut butter cake and the blueberry peach pie. Dare I say these were the best part of the meal? The pie was served right out the oven and topped with some vanilla ice cream. The peanut butter cake had an excellent balance of chocolate and PB - really two winner desserts. Service was good, and overall I had a good experience at Bistrot Ha. That being said though, there were some aspects that make me cautious to return. Because all their apps and mains are made with fish sauce, the food is a little one-note IMO. Yes there is variety in the dishes, but the underlying flavor profile is the same throughout. Secondly, this place is not cheap, and while I don't mind paying for good food, I question what I got for what I paid. Regardless, you can tell they put love into this menu, so it's worth at least one visit.

Been wanting to try this for years. I like how the interior is spacious. I wouldn't hear or feel my…read moreneighbors despite knowing they're around me. If you're bigger than a group of 2, you're seated at a longer table which could comfortable fit 6 people. My party of 3 sat in one of those and it was great. I like the casual vibe too. Overall I liked the creative flavors and preparation. Even if I didn't necessarily like everything, I'd be happy to come back to try a different menu. Part of me is bothered but part of me is intrigued the way they don't add in the preparation methods for each dish, so it's a surprise when it arrives. I was here for restaurant week and everyone got the four course option plus shared the fried chicken. Everyone gets rice and banchan along with the main. Appreciate how the three course option would still be three savory dishes rather than app, main, and dessert. They give seaweed chips to start. For the first course, we got fluke and asparagus. Originally we were skeptical about asparagus but it ended up tasting so good. It's deep fried in panko and has a garlicky bright sauce. The japchae in the middle was alright. I'd rather get another stalk of asparagus. Fluke had sweet juicy fresh fish, but I didn't like the granita approach to the omija. I guess I'm sensitive to cold, so the iciness affected my ability to appreciate the flavors. For the second course, we got octopus and mussels. Octopus was soft but I personally didn't like iberico ham or the smokiness of their sauce. Mussels was good with the savory green sauce. The amount of mussels was sufficient. The minced pork was a bit too salty and savory but tolerable when mixed with everything else. Fried chicken came in 6 pieces without bone. Love how hot and juicy it came. Slightly complaint was how the batter was very thick in certain spots. It came with spicy peanut sauce and yangyummy sauce. I like both. The spicy peanut sauce wasn't spicy at all, just a muted warmth. It had such a strong peanut taste without feeling like peanut butter. The yangyummy sauce had ketchup sweetness but also appreciate the brightness and umami. Rice wasn't just plain white rice. It had seaweed (?) powder mixed in and dressed in sesame oil. It was very nice to even by itself. However the sesame oil was too heavy and pooled at the bottom. It was too oily for me to finish the last few bites of my rice. Their banchan was cucumber and broccoli rabe or mustard green kind of thing. They were both intriguing and funkier than typical places. I had a few of each but overall not my thing. For third course we got salmon and pork jowl. Pork jowl had smoky flavors that I didn't particularly like. The green sauce helped balance it out for me. The meat was a bit too fatty for me at parts too. Freekeh at the bottom seemed repetitive since they give us rice anyway. Salmon was smoked which was unexpected. The white kimchi foam and orange zest was fun. For dessert we got the granita and perilla oil cake. Granita was too cold for me similar to the comment I had for the first course. The yogurt and burrata combination was too heavy for a dessert. I might be ok with this for a breakfast or snack instead. My friends didn't like this at all and couldn't finish it. Perilla oil cake was warm and comforting. The rice ice cream had gentle flavors and provided good contrast in temperature. The jelly was interesting but the perilla flavor overpowered it. The cookie crumbs were nice and loose too.

The environment is quite casual with dark lighting. The bathroom is down in the basement past a…read morehallway, a little shady feeling. We were seated right by the kitchen. I should've put my white jacket away as after the meal, I noticed a lot of food/oil splatters on my jacket. Staff were extremely attentive and friendly. The food portions were extremely small. We went for the three course restaurant week menu which was an opportunity to try parts of their usual course menu. I don't think there was significant savings by ordering off the restaurant week menu. For our first course, we both ordered the fluke. It was suggested to be mixed before consuming. Not a fan. It was a weird texture and taste. There was flavored ice on top and then pickles and small pieces of fluke on the bottom. The dish tasted cold and sour. Not a vibe, should've gotten the asparagus. For the second course, we got the mussels and the octopus. The mussels were delicious. Whatever that green sauce was, chefs kiss. Perfect amount of flavor and a little spice. There's also some kind of chicken tasting crumbs. It tastes like the breading off of a fried chicken. The octopus was okay. Nothing too noteworthy but definitely better than the icy fluke. The main course comes with a seaweed rice + some dishes. We got the salmon and the pork jowl. Did I mention the portions are small??? Yeah they're small. The main course portions felt like appetizer portions. The whole three courses were just three appetizers with some rice. I saw a review recommending to ask for the rice earlier to enjoy with the earlier courses but the waitress said it comes with the main course. I didn't really care enough to push for it. The side dish was pickled (?) apples. Weird. Not a fan. The texture of the apple just doesn't hit the same as radish. The other side dish seemed like some pickled vegetables. Overall: I don't know, I'm quite disappointed. Not too impressed. It was a pricy and unsatisfying meal. Honestly, I think you're better off trying some other restaurant week menus.

The a la carte restaurant has very little seating, but that perfectly enhances the mood of the…read morerestaurant (I'm guessing the other side is for the tasting menu). I dined here with my mom for the Thanksgiving weekend holiday. Since she isn't a heavy eater, I wanted to look for a place that was quiet, had modest sized plates, and strong flavors to back it up. Unfortunately, I wasn't wowed by any of the dishes, but I honestly loved the atmosphere of the establishment. Our starter appetizer was the Duck Confit and Pear Ravioli. Admittedly, I did not taste any pear, so I'm unsure of its impact on the dish. The meat is respectfully spiced and the sauce was on the light side. But overall, three pieces was nice a starter. The Black Cod is extremely light, and is served on top of Asian style pickled cucumbers. This dish was definitely the weakest out of everything that I ordered tonight. The Wagyu Teriyaki Burger was actually pretty good. The burger was super juicy and fatty. The chips were also not too oily. But I would prefer the best dish in a fine dining restaurant to not be a burger. To balance everything out, we got the Koshihikari Rice and Shio Cabbage. The Shio Cabbage was pretty light, which is actually good this time. In a casual or Izakaya setting, I would definitely prefer a much saltier one. The rice wasn't anything special, which was quite discerning for it being $8. As per dessert, we got the Matcha Tiramisu and Seasonal Sando. The Seasonal Sando is cute I guess? I had no impact in our meal and was definitely passable. The Matcha Tiramisu on the other hand, was spectacular. I love that it's all cream and no cake, allowing me to fully enjoy the creamy, sweet custard. I wish there was more Matcha infused into the Tiramisu because it would've definitely elevated the dessert. The overall flavors of the dishes were a bit lacking. However I definitely would come back because I really loved the atmosphere. I think the Japanese-French fusion goes hand in hand because they are both elegant cuisines and can lean towards smaller portions.

Yummy French food with a unique Japanese twist. Black cod reminded me of Nobu's! Surprisingly the…read morestar of the show was the Magdalena cocktail!! Def give it a try. Small cute space, but I will say I felt the meal was rather rushed. Server came by collecting our plates very quickly

YUMM - such fresh and delish seafood! We made a reservation for a party of 5 and 5pm on a Wednesday…read moreand were seated right away, as were the first seating of the night. We ordered almost one of everything and split it amongst our party. Some highlights: - Octopus Tostada: Plentiful for one serving! If I had to rec one thing, it's def their tostadas. - Fried Oysters: Tasted great and perfect as a shareable dish. - Razor Clams Aguachile: Really enjoyed this dish, as it had some citrus! Razor clams don't really have a taste, so the overall texture meshed well. - Lobster Ceviche: Beautiful presentation and I liked the little spice and pumpkin seeds to add texture and flavor. Comes with several big corn chips. - Seared Scallop + Scallop Aguachile: I like scallops done in any way, so I enjoyed both of these dishes. Not a must get, but both were good. - Fluke Ceviche + Shrimp Aguachile: I didn't care much for these dishes. They didn't wow me. Very attentive service and hospitable hostess. Would recommend for smaller parties simply for ease of sharing and conversation, but overall a nice spot for an elevated meal.

supposedly best mexican in the city according to beli. i think quique crudo does a lot of…read moreexperimentation, but sometimes fall short on execution. like how do i describe how i feel??? like i can acknowledge the food was really good and really fresh, but a lot of the dishes just didn't hit the spot for me??? tuna guava - the guava sauce was surprisingly thick, but the combination of acid and salt really elevated the flavor (my mom thought they added szechuan peppercorn lol). honestly my favorite bite was the freshly fried tostada + guava sauce + pistachio since the nutty flavors of fried corn and pistachio went super well together with the fruity acidity of guava. the tuna was cured with salt so it was extra chewy (like 糯叽叽) but everything else overpowered it. i think they should use a stronger-flavored fish like hamachi or tone down the guava a bit. STILL SUPER CREATIVE, SUPER FRESH THO!!! octopus and shrimp tostada - lilly i get what you mean when you said the sauce is a little ketchupy i think it tasted a bit like old bay (i like old bay). overall, the flavors were light and well-balanced, with notes of spice, cucumber, lime, and avocado. the octopus was super well cooked and quite flavorful, but i thought the shrimp was a tad overcooked? avocado crema was to die for. my second favorite bite of the evening; but iv also realized that i just don't like large octopus all that much (like why does it taste like chicken of the sea???) steak tartare - JAIL this was so unbelievably nasty to me i had to force myself to finish it. it might just be my taste buds so i will generously exclude this from my overall score but it tasted liked licking a slaughterhouse floor after a particularly violent cow butchering. very metallic, like blood. the texture was also super thick and super buttery, which if not for the flavor would be phenomenal, but as it was, it only further icked me out. the crazy thing is, they use all the same ingredients as the steak tartare i had in quebec, but that one tasted so much better. scallop and chorizo - FULLY REDEEMED THE MEAL. omg this scallop was so soft, tender, buttery, and perfectly seared i forgot all about my steak tartare horror. the chorizo wasn't overpowering, but added just the right amount of salt, fat, and funk to the scallop to really bring out its sweetness. again, it came with the avocado crema (i love it! but can't they come up with some other, equally delicious cremas?) mezcal piña - good strong mezcal with the most delectable toasty fireside notes. the pineapple was super faint though so i would've appreciated a more concentrated fruit flavor (especially since they're charging schmuck/dcp prices). tbh it was a good experience but i don't think i'll be back, especially considering the price and the wait time (45min since we went in the rain but 2hrs when the rain stopped and we were getting seated). I think there are more creative restaurants out there that do seafood (and other meats!) just as well.