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Please recommend touristy things to do in NYC

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Originally posted by: Ns1
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
One more thing, I definitely plan on hitting this place: http://www.momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp which I hear is fantastic. It has been recommended to me by several foodies.

KT
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wtf is a ssam bar?

looks like korean meets vietnamese?
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I agree. wtf is this? I'm korean and I love and know my food. This place looks like an abortion, especially there are so many a-mazing K-food in NYC (compared to Boston).

This is what PF Chang is to Korean food?
 
chowhound speaks on momofuku

We definitely got there at the perfect time, as there was no wait ? we had our choice of a small table very near the front or seats at the bar. LB commented immediately that this would NOT be the place to bring our parents ? too trendy, too loud, too crowded, uncomfortable chairs. All true, but it was a perfect place for him. Anyway, we chose to sit at the bar, ordered a glass of wine for LB and settled in to check out the menu. It was all familiar to me, but LB hadn?t checked it out on line, so he was a little confused by all of the options. I have to admit, even I wasn?t sure which dishes would be entrée-sized and which wouldn?t, and the prices weren?t necessarily much help in this regard. We decided to start with the hamachi from the raw bar and the steamed pork buns, then sample the sweetbreads, the lamb belly, and a skate wing special that was brand new this evening. We left the pacing to the kitchen and prepared to be wowed.

The hamachi came out first ? four sashimi-sized pieces folded on a bed of edamame-wasabi puree, with cured seaweed flakes sprinkled on top and a few whole edamame strewn about. Beautiful presentation and a delicious dish. The edamame puree was silky, sweet and light, with just the right amount of wasabi heat to accentuate the fish without overpowering. The seaweed flakes added the touch of salt that brought it all together.

Next came the pork buns ? two buns, each with two slices of pork and some thinly sliced cucumbers and scallions inside. Again, delicious, although I felt there was a bit too much hoisin sauce on mine, which obscured the flavor of the pork somewhat. I pulled a piece of pork out to taste on its own, and it was fatty, tender and amazing. The server offered hot sauce, which I added to excellent effect ? the spicy tang helped cut the sweet hoisin a little.

The skate special came next ? two good sized wings, crusted with panko and rice flour and shallow fried, on a bed of cod roe congee, with garlic chips and baby greens on top. This dish did not impress. It tasted fine, but the skate was nothing special ? I?ve made equally good, crispy skate at home. The congee was fairly bland, with no discernable roe flavor. The real problem was the combination ? the fried skate combined with the heavy, creamy congee was just too rich and completely obscured the delicate flavor of the fish. The garlic chips helped a bit, but the dish was really begging for some hint of citrus or other acid to lighten things up ? yuzu, perhaps. I?m not sure there?s anything in the world that would really marry congee with fried fish, though!

Our last two choices came together ? 4 small chunks of deep fried lamb belly with baby greens, violet mustard, olives and cipolline onions on one plate, and a generous portion of grilled sweetbreads with salted lime and pickled vegetables on the other. I?ve never seen sweetbreads presented like this before ? they were cut into very thin strips and then grilled. They were tasty enough with the salted lime squeezed over, but I wouldn?t order the dish again. The thinly cut pieces got a little dried out and lacked the velvety texture I associate most with sweetbreads. This dish was also something I could have made at home (and possibly done a better job with). The pickled vegetables were a nice accompaniment, especially the chunks of ?Tokyo Turnip.? However, the lamb belly made up for any shortcomings the other dishes might have had. The chunks were impossibly crispy, and as we bit through the crust we experienced a heavenly burst of luscious lamb fat and succulent meat. LB and I looked at each other after the first bite and simultaneously said ?WOW.? The violet mustard was a perfect accompaniment and quite complex ? the mustard flavor was subtle and blended nicely with a floral flavor and a hint of maybe cinnamon? The olives and onions added salt and sweet. Amazing. By far the best dish of the night!

After all of that, we were WAY too full for dessert, although I really wanted the brown butter shortbread. Next time, because I will certainly return, even though not every dish was a winner. Our bill before tip (and including one glass of wine) was $100, which I felt was fairly reasonable given all that we ate. I was frustrated, however, with the inconsistency in portion size between ?entrees.? As far as I could tell, the skate, sweetbreads and lamb belly were all meant to be ?entrees? ? they were all around $20 and they came from the same side of the menu (except for the special, obviously). However, while the skate was very generously portioned, the sweetbreads were a fairly average portion and the lamb was quite a small portion. If I had ordered just the lamb as an entrée, I would have left hungry for sure. Anyway, I wouldn?t call any of what I ate life-changing, but the lamb was definitely impressive and I look forward to trying the rest of the menu!
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seems pretty positive overall. asian fusion small plates kinda place.
 
Originally posted by: Ns1
Originally posted by: jjsole
The most popular thing for tourists to do in NYC is to go to the nearest police precinct to report a stolen wallet.
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true actually, from our experience 🙁
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I 'lost' my wallet on my first day ever in NYC.

However I got a call the next day from someone who found it in a cab. 😱
 
Originally posted by: jjsole
Originally posted by: Ns1
Originally posted by: jjsole
The most popular thing for tourists to do in NYC is to go to the nearest police precinct to report a stolen wallet.
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true actually, from our experience 🙁
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I 'lost' my wallet on my first day ever in NYC.

However I got a call the next day from someone who found it in a cab. 😱
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My moms "lost" her wallet while buying food at ssaboro (whatever the fuck that horrid italian place is) near the empire state building.


evidently, it fell out of a slit in the back of her bag created by some knife while in line. fucking pro status jacking.
 
Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Originally posted by: Ns1
Originally posted by: KeithTalent
One more thing, I definitely plan on hitting this place: http://www.momofuku.com/ssam/default.asp which I hear is fantastic. It has been recommended to me by several foodies.

KT
Click to expand...

wtf is a ssam bar?

looks like korean meets vietnamese?
Click to expand...

I agree. wtf is this? I'm korean and I love and know my food. This place looks like an abortion, especially there are so many a-mazing K-food in NYC (compared to Boston).

This is what PF Chang is to Korean food?
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To be honest I don't know, but I received the recommendaion from some people I really trust, so I'm going. Also the Times gave it a very positive review: http://events.nytimes.com/2007...ng/reviews/21rest.html There is also a short video about it (I don't think this is the Ssam bar, but maybe the noodle bar): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTrHENM1I0o&fmt=18

KT

PS: PF Chang's is awful.
 
Find a sidewalk somewhere. Make sure it's busy. Stand right in the middle of it and get in everybody's way while looking up and/or taking pictures. That's the most touristy thing you can do here.
 
Originally posted by: ultimatebob
I'd recommend visiting Top Of The Rock instead of the Empire State Building. Shorter line, and the view is better.

It will probably be the best view in the city until Freedom Tower opens in a few years.
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QFT, here's a picture I took of the top. You can see how it's so open: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/rockyct/IMG_7261.JPG

I did actually enjoy going to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I also enjoyed taking a tour of the UN, but I'm a nerd for that kind of stuff.
 
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