Wu Liang Ye
It's easy to miss this Sichuan Chinese restaurant, up a flight of stairs on a shabby block. For this reason, it's mostly patronized by locals, including a large Chinese contingency. It's a great place to know about if you're going to Radio City Music Hall or Rockefeller Center. Here you'll find authentic Sichuan cuisine, along with a few Chinese-American classics. The most popular dishes include "Dan Dan" noodles; shredded tea-smoked duck with spring ginger; wok-roasted prawns with pepper-spiced salt; and smokey, wok-tossed fish skins with spiced salt and Sichuan pepper corn. Don't be turned off by the idea of fish skins: They're addictive, crisp and salty--like the best bar snacks you've ever had.
Wu Liang Ye
36 W. 48th St.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 398-2398
(no website)
The Bar Room at The Modern
This restaurant is affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art next door, but it is run independently by famed New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. While it's by no means cheap, it's not wildly expensive either. The food is good, the service is extraordinarily friendly and the atmosphere is both elegant and casual. The Alsatian French/New American menu offers small plates that you can mix and match to create a meal or just a snack. The front section of the restaurant is the bar, and it's one of the best places in the city to have a drink. Just behind the bar is The Bar Room, where you can sit down for a more substantial meal. Behind The Bar Room is the more formal Dining Room, which is quite expensive. Don't miss the Alsatian tarte flambee, with creme fraiche, onion and apple wood-smoked bacon. It's featherweight and rich at the same time. If you're in New York during Restaurant Week, when prix-fixe dinners are $35, snag a reservation at The Bar Room for the best deal in town.
The Bar Room at The Modern
9 W. 53rd St.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 333-1220
themodernnyc.com
Aburiya Kinnosuke
Near Grand Central Station, this unassuming Japanese restaurant caters to Japanese expatriates. It specializes in grilled meats, vegetables and fish on skewers, prepared on a robata grill, which looks like a giant sandbox. The other option is the shichirin grill, which diners operate themselves at their tables. You can also order sushi, sashimi and noodle dishes. Reserve a seat at the comfortable bar if you want to watch the chefs work the robata grill; otherwise reserve one of the semi-private tables, separated from the main dining room by sliding latticed doors.
Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 E. 45th St.
New York, NY 10017
(212) 867-5454
aburiyakinnosuke.com
Article Written By Fleur Forsythe
Fleur Forsythe writes about the arts, crafts, cooking, entertaining, travel and DIY home design. She began writing professionally in 1996. She is also an artist whose art, crafts and photography have been licensed commercially and exhibited for 17 years. She holds a B.A. in art history and studio art from New York University. Her articles can be found on eHow, Answerbag and Trails.
