new york city food

The Musket Room

in

Mushroom soup

Food

I came to Musket Room for Valentine's Day and tried the 6-course tasting menu. The first dish was the mushroom soup with truffle oil and foie gras. Next, we had the king salmon with bricks of fruit and sunflower seed. It was an interesting combination that worked well. I never thought to eat fish with some fruits—it was very gentle and refreshing. 

Next up was the quail with blueberries. The quail was cooked perfectly with complements of blueberries that went exceptionally well together. The roasted onions and bread sauce brought a unique flavor. 

For the fourth course, we had the New Zealand red deer and snapper. I recommend starting with the fish and then moving onto the meat as the flavors of red meat is much more dominant. The venison was very delicious and high quality—perfectly cooked medium rare. I can't remember the exact sauces, but I believe the green stuff was an avocado mix with something sweet. It was good.

For dessert, we had the hazelnut log that melts with the caramel sauce. It was not too sweet and refreshing. The passion fruit pavlova was also very fluffy, almost like an airy cake. Overall, the food was very good, refreshing and high quality. I would definitely come back.

Ambiance

It reminds of a typical Seattle restaurant with its understated rustic decor. Simple, clean and to the point. The lighting was not too dark and decent for pictures. But intimate enough in the evening where you don't feel like bright fluorescent light is shining over you. It has that look, like you know they make good food. 

King ora salmon

Quality

Definitely excellent fresh quality. The caliber of ingredients is on par with Blue Hill that serves farm to table. 

Price

The six course Valentine's course was jacked up to $125 whereas it is normally only $75. At the normal price, I'd say it's pretty reasonable given the quality and quantity. 

Reservation

You will definitely need to make a reservation far in advance! Maybe a month? It's a hit or miss. But doesn't hurt to check open table once in a while!

Quail with blueberries

Red New Zealand Deer

Passion fruit pavlova

Snapper

Red Deer

Hazelnut log

 

Bar Bolonat

in

First off, my deepest apologies for the horrendous flash photos as I had no choice. You could say that I am going for a Terry Richardson inspired style of photography with food. 

This newly opened restaurant in lower Manhattan serves nouveau Israeli food. I came here late on a Friday evening, only able to snatch a 10:30pm reservation a few hours before. 

Food

I love the food here. I can't wait to go back already. To start we ordered the Jerusalem bagel and fatush. The warm bagel served with za'atar and olive oil was perfect, really how all bagels should be. Not this rock hard like-situation you find almost everywhere else. The fatush, served with arugula, herbs, cucumber, feta and avocado, was surprisingly extremely fresh and tasty. I don't even like salads to be honest, but this fatush I did. 

That poussin though. I can't even. That little bird on crispy rice drenched with walnuts and pomegranate is delicious. This is how all chicken should be made. Soft, tender and slides right off the bone. Why bother even settling for subpar chicken? I can't stand that dry stuff. The pomegranate adds a nice touch of gentle sweetness and dynamic flavors. 

The lamb neck was also on point. Bathed in chickpea puree.  Again, so soft and tender. It was very well made. They REALLY know how to cook meat.

Jerusalem bagel and Fatush

Decor

The setting is dark and intimate. A little too dark for photos without flash. But it was a romantic and had a calm atmosphere. The music wasn't that loud and overall a very quiet environment.

Quality

Excellent. The food was very fresh and well made. I am impressed.

Price

It is pricey for the quantity. I've read several reviews on Yelp where the main complaint was the portions. However, for the uniqueness of food and quality, I don't think it's absurd by New York standards. It's a great date spot. I'd expect to pay about $70-80 per person after tax & tip. By no means cheap, but it's New York.

Reservation

You definitely need a reservation here, perhaps a few weeks in advance for a decent hour. However, they do have a bar seating that doesn't seem to be too hyped. 

Poussin

Lamb neck