Kitchen Dish
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
TOKYO TREATS Kaijou (21 South End Ave., south of West Thames Street, 212-786-988) has opened softly, serving contemporary Japanese food inspired by Tokyo’s dining scene. Specialties include “cod grapes,” which are breaded cod balls in sweet and sour miso sauce ($19.95), and barbecued tuna belly in mustard sauce ($29.95). Tempura, noodles, sushi, sashimi, and hibachi-grilled items also are on offer. So are “Japanese-style hamburgers,” including one made of eel ($16.95), served with miso soup and salad.
EAT UP Sara Jenkins, the former chef of Bread Tribeca and daughter of the food writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins, is now the chef of Mangia (16 E. 48th St., between Madison and Fifth avenues, 212-754-7600).
NEW NOODLES
Hideji Asanuma, formerly of the now shuttered, high-end soba noodle house Honmura An, is the new soba chef at 15 East (15 E. 15th St., between Union Square West and Fifth Avenue, 212-647-0015). Offerings of the buckwheat noodle will change frequently. This week it is being served with sea urchin.
BOUNTY OF BUBBLES A Champagne cart now wends its way through the lobby lounge of the Mandarin Oriental (80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, 212-805-8800). A glass of Dom Perignon costs $75, but it comes with tropical dried fruits, berry skewers, lobster terrine with beluga caviar, and a purée of calamansi, mandarin orange, and saffron. Thirstier than that? A half-bottle of Krug with those accompaniments is $175.
GOLDEN BOWL If you prefer your luxury food items in bowls, davidburke & donatella (133 E. 61st St., between Park and Lexington avenues, 212-813-2121) is selling a “millionaire’s fried rice.” Served in a laser-cut bowl of pink Himalayan rock salt, the rice is made with king crab, lobster, pineapple, and shrimp. It is topped with thinly sliced Kobe beef, an ounce of American caviar, some gold leaf, and a quail egg. Chef de cuisine Eric Hara started offering it as a special a few weeks ago, as a kind of joke, but the restaurant is now selling between 10 and 15 orders a night, at $88 each.
Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter. blogspot.com.
