Restaurants
by Thiago Pereira Dennis

4 New restaurants #Mustgo in New York

We know how perfect New York is, when it comes to reinventing itself. And after the great crisis of the pandemic, we managed to see a lot of new things in the city. And our Gastronomy is one of them! A lot of new restaurants are coming up and I’ll recommend a few that I’ve come across:

Amigos by Nai

Amigo by Nai, the Mexican-inspired restaurant in the East Village from chef and restaurateur Ruben Rodriguez of Nai Restaurant Group. Offerings include ingredient driven, Mexican and Spanish-influenced small plates, inspired by Ruben’s heritage and travels, in addition to creative cocktails. 

New spring menu items as well as other popular dishes include:

  • Croqueta, chicken croquette with habanero aioli 
  • Ostras, oysters with granite, serrano peppers, cucumber, and lime 
  • Pato Taco, duck leg confit, salsa de arbol, and ajonjoli
  • Langosta, lobster chilaquiles, green mole, cotija cheese and herbs 
  • Bacalao, cod tempura taco with chipotle mayo, thai basil, and red cabbage
  • Maiz Gratinado, husk sweet corn béchamel made with manchego and panela cheese, gratin with queso fresco, and topped with serrano peppers
  • Rabo, chef Ruben’s version of a birria taco with braised oxtail, topped with a Madrid style salsa brava made with paprika de la vera, shishito peppers, onions and cilantro

Cocktails by beverage director Niko Hagerty (previously of The Meatball Shop and Seamore’s) include:

  • Love Potion, yuzushu, mezcal, raspberry, lime, ginger and cava
  • Puss in Boots, herradura tequila, vida mezcal, bee pollen, elderflower, eggwhite, bitters, lime and seasalt 
  • Rosemary’s Baby, Empress gin 1908, rosemary infused money, ginger, lime, green chartreuse, and tonic 
  • Athena Goes to the Market, green chili infused vodka, feta cheese washed singani 63, fresh dill, ginger, celery, lemon, pistachio.

Towa

Towa, an innovative kaiseki-inspired restaurant from HAND Hospitality (the team behind notable restaurants Her Name is Han, Jua, Atomix & others) that just opened a couple of weeks ago in NoMad (36 West 26th Street).

Towa celebrates the elements of a Japanese kaiseki meal (which is a traditional, seasonally-driven, technique-heavy multi-course Japanese dinner) in a casual, vibrant setting with an a la carte menu and a curated list of cocktails and sake. 

THE MENU
The menu is led by Chef Masaya Shirai (formerly of Michelin starred Sushi Azabu) and organized by cooking technique—Fried, Grilled, Raw, Boiled—an important element of Kaiseki cuisine.

Dishes include:

  • Sakisuke/Appetizers: Umami Tomato (dashi broth marinated tomato with dashi jelly); Awabi Chawanmushi; Kanpachi Carpaccio
  • Agemono/Fried: Truffle Potato Croquette; Sansho Fried Chicken; Yasai Vegetable Tempura.
  • Yakimono/Grilled: Yaki Gani (grilled king crab served with creamy crab miso sauce); Wagyu Ishiyaki (DIY steak-grilling platter with A5 wagyu beef and served with wasabi, yuzu kosho, soy sauce, miso); Toro Shoyu (grilled fatty tuna with soy sauce, fried Japanese taro root, yuzu kosho). 
  • Nabemono/Hot Pot: Sukiyaki Nabe (soy sauce-based clear broth with wagyu slice, tofu & vegetables]; Tantan Nabe (spicy soup with minced chicken, shisho, tofu, sesame seed, shitake, chili pepper, scallion); Hotate Shinjo Nabe (dashi broth soup with minced hotate ball, napa cabbage, shitake, carrot, tofu, Japanese mustard).
  • Sashimi/Sushi/Rolls: Nigiri Set; Prosciutto Maki (special hand roll with prosciutto, crab meat, caper, dill, avocado, shiso flower); Uni Wagyu Maki. 
  • Shokuji/Noodles: Ebi Mazemen (dry noodle with shrimp sauce); Kamo Soba (Hot buckwheat noodle soup with duck breast); Inaniwa Udon (cold udon noodle with steamed octopus). 
  • Kanmi/Dessert: Pomegranate Shiso Gelato; Sake Kasu Cheesecake; Hoji Panna Cotta.

BAAR BAAR

 BAAR BAAR, a contemporary Indian restaurant in the East Village. BAAR BAAR’s transportive menu pulls inspiration from the traditional flavors and cooking methods used across many regions of India, ranging from Kerala on the southwest coast to Hyderabad at the center of the country. Executive Chef Sujan Sarkar utilizes modern techniques to execute BAAR BAAR’s inventive menu of house made breads, chutneys, and shareable small and large plates with new items including:

  • Cauliflower 65, inspired by a dish that was originally offered at the Buhari Hotel in 1965, is tossed in podi masala and topped with lemon sour cream and peanut chutney
  • Dahi Puri with potatoes, chillies, mango, and tamarind chutney, topped with yogurt and freeze-dried raspberry chaat masala
  • Jackfruit Keema with braised then fried jackfruit seasoned in cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic, topped with lightly whipped potatoes and homemade masala
  • Green Chickpea and Avocado Behl, inspired by the traditional Indian beach snack Behlpuri, with golden beets and coriander, topped with puffed black rice, watermelon radish, and a honey dressing
  • Green Pea Kulcha topped with goat cheese and shaved summer truffles
  • Chicken Malai Tikka marinated in yogurt and seasoned with ginger, garlic, and raw papaya paste, topped with an emulsion of cream and butter and a side of ramp chutney

BAAR BAAR is also open for weekend brunch with menu items such as Pani Puri with passion fruit water, mint, and chili; Chili Cheese Naan; Egg Kejriwal with fried egg, cheesy toast, and green chili chutney; and Bombay Toastie with spice potatoes, cheddar cheese, and mint & tamarind chutney. Complementing the food menu, BAAR BAAR’s cocktail offerings also pay homage to the flavors and spirits of India, while drawing inspiration from New York’s evolving craft cocktail scene.

Bar Tulix

Bar Tulix is the new coastal Mexican restaurant in Soho from Michelin-starred chef Justin Bazdarich (Oxomoco and Speedy Romeo) and restaurateur John McDonald of Mercer Street Hospitality (Lure Fishbar, Hancock St., and others).

The brunch menu includes Bar Tulix favorites (like Baja Guacamole with crema, salsa verde, cotija and epazote oil and Sea Bass Agua Chile Negro with cucumbers, avocado, pickled onions and cilantro), alongside new additions such as:

  • Huevos Rancheros Veracruzano with salsa cruda, fried eggs and cotija
  • Masa Pancakes with spiced ganache and cajeta
  • Bacon Egg and Cheese Burrito with fried potatoes and salsa rojo
  • Stuffed French Toast with plantain jam, cotija lime crema and mango puree

Fresh juice like Lemon, Cayenne, Agave and Beet, Apple, Carrot, Mint are available, alongside cocktails like Guava Margarita with blanco tequila, dry curacąo, l’orgeat liqueur, lemon, guava; Paseo with añejo tequila, paradiso aperitif, vermouth rojo; and Tulix Bloody Maria with blanco tequila, tomatillo, serrano and onion.

Brunch is Friday through Sunday 11am to 3pm.

I hope you like the post and share with all. And we’ll keep you posted because we have so much news coming out!!!

See you soon! Xoxo!!!