Our fine dining correspondent Lee Pitofsky has Saga on speed-dial. Here, now, his latest New York City report for FOUND:
→ DOUBLE UP: A year in, Sip & Guzzle (Greenwich Village) hasn’t missed a beat, despite remaining as popular as ever with cocktail tourists and locals alike. New drinks are added seasonally, keeping regulars on their toes, and the food is some of the best in class, with hospitality on the level of a premier fine dining restaurant. I’ve lost track of how many bikini sandwiches (filled with Comté ganache and Iberico Jamon) I’ve eaten in the past year. Also of note: party dip with smoked Tsar Nicoulai golden osetra caviar, koji cool ranch, and puffed chicken skin; happy meals composed of a Wagyu sando and a truffle milkshake; and epic soft serve with Hokkaido milk. People often ask which space I prefer, the more casual upstairs Sip, or fancier basement space Guzzle. The correct answer is both. Reserve.
→ SUBWAY IN: It’d been almost a year since my last visit to Nōksu, the 15-seat tasting counter uniquely located within the entrance to a Herald Square subway station. The cooking of chef Dae Kim has taken major strides forward since, his dishes now particularly defined and detailed, without any excess noise or garnishes. Flavors are balanced and execution is meticulous. Highlights included big fin reef squid (above), stuffed with monkfish liver and potato salad and plated on a black and yellow canvas of satay sauce with Urfa biber pepper. Pristine Australian rockfish is served with a red prawn boudin, winter root vegetables, and sauce made from purple mustard greens. And what’s rightfully become a signature dish — hen egg custard with a scallion emulsion, caviar, and crispy potato pedals — continues to check every box. The nine-course tasting menu runs $225 per. Reserve.
→ HIGH TIMES: At Manhatta, the chef’s counter previously reserved for a multi-course tasting menu priced just south of $300 per now offers the same menu as the main dining room — three courses for $115, and four courses for $145. (Diners can also opt for an extended tasting menu option in both spots.) The most memorable dish from a January dinner: grilled seabass with hazelnut milk chowder, razor clams, trout roe, Yukon golds, and Japanese mustard greens. Reserve. –Lee Pitofsky