NYC Restaurant Week kicked off this Monday where diners can enjoy a 3-course lunch for $29 or a dinner for $42 at select fine dining restaurants across the city. Long before I came to live in NYC, I had been an avid watcher of the TV show ‘Top Chef’. One of the judges on that show is Tom Colicchio, who owns Riverpark as well as Craft and Craftbar & several others in the city. Riverpark is situated right by the East River, so a beautiful evening view while eating your meal is an added bonus. The restaurant itself is chic yet still inviting, with leather and pin-lighting throughout. I found it to be very comfortable: both with the seating and noise level. Tables are spaced well-enough apart that you can hold a conversation without having to raise your voice. The staff were very welcoming and helpful. There’s nothing more I detest than to go to an upscale restaurant and have rude or snobby service. Thankfully, you won’t find that at Riverpark.
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Barn Joo
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Barn Joo, Korean for ‘music with your meal’. Situated on the ground floor of a boutique hotel, owned by the entrepreneur Charles Chong, Barn Joo is a huge tavern-like space, with a large bar downstairs, as well as additional seating upstairs. Perfect for large groups, the modern interior is…
Catfish Tacos at Bier International
Bier International, Harlem’s first beer garden, is well-known for their sausage selection, which is locally produced in small batches. Also popular on the menu is the steak burger, and their seasonal seafood like soft-shell crab and mussels. When I saw they had Pan-seared Catfish Tacos ($15) on the menu, I immediately had to try them. More…
Flavour is key at Tae Hwa Ru
Being a local, I had driven past Tae Hwa Ru restaurant on Botany Road countless times but had never stopped to try it. Until the other night. And man, am I mad that I didn’t try it earlier. My Mum & I were warmly greeted by the owner and he took the time to explain…
Jewel of India
My Mum and I had friends visiting from California last week, and they chose ‘Jewel of India’ in Mission Bay to catch up over lunch. The restaurant is now under new management and has undergone renovations. The service was friendly and welcoming and the restaurant itself feels warm & inviting, with very comfortable chairs (a…
Italian Food Festival in Newmarket
This past Sunday was Newmarket’s annual Festival Italiano. As well as Auckland’s top Italian restaurants, the festival included lots of delicious street food and music and entertainment. Pizza, pasta, cheese, bread, Limoncello….I sampled anything and everything that was on offer and then sat down to a delicious lunch in the sun. One of the things I…
Pane & Vino
“It is not a table without bread and wine”. This phrase appears on Pane & Vino’s menu and every Italian and Italian-at-heart would agree with that 100 percent. For excellent pasta and pizza, you can’t go wrong with this cute & rustic restaurant in the heart of Ponsonby. Pane & Vino is the creation of…
Na Na Thai Restaurant
Recently I had one of those days where I didn’t eat a lot during the day as we were so busy moving furniture in and out of the house for new carpet, so by the time it was dinner time we were both positively starving and in need of a really good feed. I had…
Modern Italian Food at Baduzzi
Wynyard Quarter, down on Auckland’s waterfront, is buzzing with restaurants and bars and one of the definite must-try restaurants has to be Baduzzi. I decided on Baduzzi for my birthday lunch as I had heard really great things and they are featured as one of Metro’s top 50 restaurants in Auckland, as well as having won the…
Authentic Mexican Food in Ellerslie
It’s very slim pickings for really good, authentic Mexican food in Auckland. That’s why Mexican Specialities, a cafe & shop in Ellerslie, is such a gem. It was brought to life by Jose and Maria, natives of Mexico City, who believed in an uncompromising focus on food quality. 15 years later, Jose and Maria have…