TSUBAMEYA

This was an accidental find which our taxi passed by in the way to our hotel in Ginza.

Our last couple of days to try Wagyu steak.  This was it without emptying our pockets!

I did not have the deal like others at our table.  But here's what the deal comes with:

This casual place makes everything from the sausages to their grilled steak.

The special ¥3900 comes with:

A great salad with very large shrimp.

Their own sausage - this one is chorizo which I ordered ala carte (theirs come with it)

Their other sausage served with mustard which comes with 2 kinds of mustard.

The grilled Wagyu beef. Above was my ala carte version and I chose to have half a pound.  The prix-fixed is about half of my steak in the photo.  The condiments compliment the steak. One if them is my favorite called Yuzu-sho which I bought from Matsuya-Ginza, just about 2 blocks away.  The yuzu (Japanese citrus) is so flavorful; it does not compare to the one I recently bought in the States sold at a Japanese store. I am savoring this condiment here which I brought home from Ginza, Tokyo, Japan.

I think this was their baked beans for the prix-fixed.

The hamburger cooked the way you want it but comes with vegetables too:

And French fries below:

We had a casual wonderful dinner. 

www.tsubameya-ginza.com

Lunch: 11:30-16:00

Dinner: 17:30-23:00

5 oz Grilled Cheese and Custard ice cream

Not very happy with my grilled Queso Quesadilla. Will try it again NEXT time.  Maybe...

COGNAC EAST

My friends and I went to eat at Cognac East, the new restaurant addition from Cognac on west 55th street and Broadway.

Cognac is pretty little French Brasserie located on Lexington and 70th street.  We sat right at the table you see by the window in this photo.

The special that night was a seafood-chicken combination Paella which we ordered as a shared appetizer and another order of it as one of our friend's main dish.  If they still have it in the menu, please try it.  It's not French, it's the special for the day; but he does it well.

I ordered their Cognac chicken above.

The steak above was excellent said one of our friends.

I wish I had ordered the seared foie gras above. Our friend loved it. She had it as her main course.  I think when I go back (which I certainly will do, I would also make this as my main course).

Above is the pork chop

Don't miss the soufflé with pistachio creme anglais that you pour in the center.  First you open it up in the center with your spoon, and then you pour the sauce in.  I learned to eat it this way from Julia Child!

And we had a treat that evening, there were two men that came with a trombone and guitar to sing to us.  Their music style and voice was so 20s and 30s.  We all had a good time! Good food! Good atmosphere and great friends! A unique evening in NYC! It was a surprise. I hope they continue to have some live entertainment.

Cognac East

963 Lexington Ave, New York, NY

1-212-249-5100

COGNAC CHEF AT DEGUSTIBUS COOKING CLASS

As a Foodie, I can't resist not to attend this particular class where I can learn the techniques from the Executive Chefs themselves and actually eat the dishes prepared during the class and paired with wines!

Degustibus is held at Macy's 8th floor kitchen area where they hold kitchen demonstrations.

Today, we had Florian V. Hugo, great great grandchild of Victor Hugo. He was also  chef at Alain Ducasse's restaurant in Monte Carlo and Paris.

Now, Chef Florian V. Hugo is partners and Chef at his  own restaurants Cognac on Broadway and West 55th St and at his new restaurant in the Upper  Eastside of New York City's Manhattan called Brasserie Cognac East.

He shares the techniques and recipes of the following dishes we at tonight's class at Degustibus.

Below is the amuse bouche - gougere fromage served with lobster soup in a small glass.

Above was the salmon we torched, served with puréed sauce with dill.

We learned the right technique to sear scallops served with chestnuts, mushrooms with port reduction sauce

This simple fillet mignon has a complex preparation and secret techniques that opened my eyes and learned new tips!

The Floating Island dessert was a new way of making making it. We learned new methods of preparation!

And you know what? I just been discovered where to go for good French food in the city!   His Brasserie is located on Lexington and 70th St in the Upper Eastside of New York City. 

Cognac East

963 Lexington Ave, New York, NY

1-212-249-5100

PEKING DUCK HOUSE

One of my favorite restaurants in the city for group dining is The Peking Duck House in in New York City in Mott Street, Chinatown.  Their duck is consistently moist with crispy skin and the price is the most reasonable in town.

In fact, you can either order it ala carte at $48 (for a whole duck good for 2-4)or prix-fixe price with choice of 4-6 entrees for a special $31/person!  Details in their menu.

You may eat the sliced duck using traditional method of wrapping it with crepe-like pancakes with scallions and cucumber and sauce; or you can order Chinese fried rice separately to eat it with.  Either or, if you like duck as well as I do, you will enjoy it here!

PEKING DUCK HOUSE

 Mott Street, New York, NY

1-212-227-1810

What a deal on OYSTERS!

From 5-7PM all oysters in the menu are $1 each, Monday through Friday only.  Compare it with their regular price!

Below is what I chose pictured above:

What a deal! 

We decided to have fish as our main course.  I ordered the grilled scallops with puréed corn, baby eggplant and fresh sorrel.  I highly recommend it than my friend's order of halibut with curried garbanzo beans. (She wasn't a fan of it either)

Above is my grilled scallops

Above was my friend's halibut.

Not to be missed, pictured above was my puréed cauliflower soup with grilled cauliflower and fried oysters!  Delicious!

I am very happy to count this restaurant as one of my go-to places that I highly recommend - it's in my neighborhood. 

The photo above is the second floor balcony where we sat.  A little bit noisy but you'll get  used to it.  Anyway, with the place buzzing by 8:30, consider the noisy street as waterfall noise backdrop.  You learn to tune out the noise and enjoy the beautiful weather outside.

CRAVE

945 2nd Avenue, New York, Ny

646-895-9585

www.cravefishbar.com

CULL & PISTOL

An off spring restaurant from Lobster Place in Chelsea Market.  Lobster Place is a fishmonger so you can be sure you get the best seafood to order from here.

The place has a bar area where you can eat as well.

I had to have their oysters as my main course and a salad for a healthy lunch.

You have to try their lobster roll. It's served with a savory thinly cut perfectly crisp French fries. The lobster meat is fresh of course and simply prepared to get that immaculate lobster flavor.

Freshly prepared mussels served with a grilled toast.

After eating at this place you can shop next door to buy seafood to cook at your place or take out sushi at Lobster Place.  By the way, Lobster Place now, has a small area where you can order sushi and sit down to eat it inside their store.

At Lobster Place, you can also buy a whole lobster already cooked and can be warmed up to eat in the market if you can find some place to sit down. Or take it home and eat it at your place comfortably.

At Cull & Pistol, you can also order lobsters and eat it in the restaurant. Whichever way you do it, this is the place for fresh seafood.

This is inside Chelsea Market located on 9th Avenue between 15th and 16th streets and between 9th and 10th Avenues - in Manhattan, of course.

DORADO

After we went to the fusion taco place in Chelsea Pier 57, I had to try this place on the way back home.

Makes a nice snack and cheap. It's piece of crispy fried fish dipped in a light batter in top of some vegetables.  I admits it was quite good.

DORADO

 E 12th St.

NYC, NY

BENOIT

I can't believe I have not written anything about Alain Ducasse's bistro or brasserie in NYC that I love.

Yes, Benoit is located in Midtown Manhattan just west if Fifth Avenue. 

The restaurant is so authentic old French and well done of course coming from the Michelin-starred chef!

The prix-fixed menu at lunch is the best deal.  They serve you warm gougere and a little bag of sliced bread or baguette.

I picked the typical French green salad with light French dressing:

And for my main course:

A beautiful fillet of fish tastefully done with a delicate sauce that the Feench cuisine has perfected.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. The food is always consistently excellent (if you are used to good French food).  The service, ambience, price, and taste, fulfills my wish for a good time to eat out!  It's all fresh and perfectly cooked!

#Benoit Bistro

60 W 55th St, New York, NY

benoitny.com/menus

1646-943-7373

BISTRO PETITE

Our friend recommended this place for us to go to in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It's a French Bistro whose Chef originates from Vietnam.

Above is the Owner/Chef who chats with patrons. The place is tiny inside with stools along the window.  There were a couple of tables outside so we opted to sit outdoors because it was a hot Spring day.

We were served some grilled artichokes with a special dipping sauce.  A must to try.

We ordered the pot of seafood cooked in a delicious Asian inspired sauce, as shown above.

And the special for the night was pork hock tenderly cooked and served on fettuccine pasta with an incredible Asian/French inspired sauce.

The place is inexpensive and very tiny - but a surprise of BIG FLAVORS come out of that tiny kitchen!

This restaurant is the first stop in Brooklyn if you take the L from Manhattan.  We prefer taking this route as there are more things to pass by at Bedford before or after dinner that are of interest - like the busy stores on Bedford.

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Bistro Petit
	* Overall
	★★★☆ ☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Williamsburg / French / Korean
	* Street Address
	170 South 3rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11211
	* Phone
	(718) 782-2582