Cosme

Cosme serves high end contemporary Mexican cuisine in New York's Flatiron district. I've heard various good reviews and noted it down on my list of to try's. It was quite difficult to get a table for a while but I was glad to finally be able to try it out at one of my birthday dinners with T and A.

Cobia al pastor, Pineapple Puree, Cilantro 
What a fresh and delicious start to the meal! The cobia slices were hearty and nicely spiced. The pineapple was perfectly tart and sweet and went so well with the fish. I also loved how you had the textural contrast of the puree and the slices of the fruit itself. 

Burrata, Passila Mixe Salsa, Weeds
This was very subpar. The burrata wasn't too creamy and it was a bit bland. 

Uni Tostada, Avocado, Bone Marrow Salsa, Cucumber
Delicious! Fresh uni with indulgently flavorful bone marrow on top of a crispy tostada. 

Black Garlic Rubbed NY Strip for Tacos, Shishitos, Avocado-tarragon Puree
This dish was good but nothing special. The steak was cooked nicely and I enjoyed the creamy avocado but I would have preferred more exciting flavors. 

Duck Carnitas, Onion, Radishes, Salsa Verde 
The duck carnitas is their most famous dish and I can certainly see why! The duck was very succulent and just melt in your mouth. The accompany sauces also provided a lovely flavor combination. The onions and radishes provide a much needed fresh crunch to the decadent and juicy duck meat. A must order. 

Husk Meringue, Corn Mousse 
This was an absolute dream. The corn flavor was amazing and the mousse was so creamy and luscious. Another must order. 

They also brought out this little birthday slice which I thought was a sweet touch. 

Overall I had a enjoyable meal here and also got to take a healthy amount of the duck carnitas home for a yummy leftover meal the next day! I wouldn't say I am rushing to come back or that it's a must visit but if you are interested in some refined Mexican cuisine in a sophisticated setting I would definitely recommend Cosme!

Cosme 

35 E 21st St. 

New York

NY 10010

Rosemary's

Rosemary's has always been known to be a super cute spot with delicious Italian fare. Unfortunately, only the former statement was true when I had lunch here with G and W. The space was absolutely adorable but the food was extremely mediocre. There was no wait here for a weekday late lunch but I hear that there is usually quite a long wait to dine here for dinner and brunch. I wonder if the food is better during dinner but a high quality restaurant should not have this issue.

Octopus Salame - Basil, Sicilian Giardiniere
I've had similar dishes like this before where the texture was on point and the flavors are clean and sweet. This was quite the opposite. It was chewy and bland and not enjoyable at all. 

Cavatelli - Butternut Squash, Walnuts, Sage
This was actually not bad. The pasta was cooked nicely and the butternut squash was sweet and creamy. I also enjoyed the crunch of the walnuts. However, this was not good enough to make up for the mediocrity of the other dishes. 

Warm Chicken Salad - Roasted Chicken, Kale, Endives, Radicchio, Spiced Walnuts, Gorgonzola, Chicken Jus
Meh... another so so dish. Nothing horrible about it but just a bit roughly done and very forgettable. 

Fig and Prosciutto Focacce - Prosciutto, Black Mission Fig, Arugula, Balsami 
Another forgettable dish, the ingredients actually all sound so delicious but it was just so whatever when the final product came. I think fresh figs would have been better as the dried figs were quite hard and did not go well with the bread. 

The food was incredibly mediocre and our server was also really annoying and awkward. This was disappointing as I've read so many good reviews and the atmosphere is so cute! I will not be returning.

Rosemary's 

18 Greenwich Ave. 

New York

NY 10011

Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company

We are blessed with many amazing bagel places in New York and Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company is one of my favorites! The bagel is so fluffy and the everything topping is very generous. The scallion cream cheese is also packed with flavor and fresh scallions. NOM!

Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company 

286 8th Avenue #1

New York

NY 10001

The New York Slice

Just a delicious slice of pizza from a random deli :D

Barbuto

I've been following Barbuto for ages on Instagram and has been salivating over the pictures of their chicken and gnocchi for far too long. It was always really hard to get a reservation for dinner but the restaurant was quite empty on a weekday for lunch. I met with G on a sunny day and had such an amazing lunch there. Their roast chicken is their signature dish and it blew me away. I usually never order roast chicken but this is an exception! The server was extremely friendly and even gave me a splash of wine on the house :) I loved my experience here and will definitely return!

Gnocchi - Spicy Sausage, Tuscan Kale & Tomato 
The sausage was absolutely divine. It was so flavorful and had a nice kick to it. You can tell its made from high quality ingredients. The tomato sauce was also very hearty and while I've had fluffier gnocchi elsewhere, I liked how this was a little firmer which held up well against the sauce. The only complaint is that I wish there was more kale and it was a tad on the salty side but I still gobbled up this plate very quickly. 

Cavolini - Brussels Sprouts, Colatura & Lemon
The amount of char is just perfection. The addition of lemon was also genius.

Pollo al Forno - JW Chicken and Salsa Verde  
This may easily be the best  roast chicken I've ever had. The skin was not fatty at all and incredibly crispy. The meat was so juicy and is everything you imagine the best roast chicken to taste like .The salsa verde is also incredible and is the perfect complement to the chicken. MUST ORDER. 

Patate - Potatoes, Pecorino & Rosemary 
Seriously just look at these potatoes?!?! SO beautiful. Each piece was amazingly crunchy and fluffy inside and the pecorino and rosemary just took it to another level. 

EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD! Barbuto definitely lived up to all my expectations and earned themselves a new patron! I also hear that their carbonara is very good and thats one of my favorite dishes ever!

Barbuto 

775 Washington Street

New York

NY 10014

Two Hands Cafe

When I am not busy shoving my face with steak and fries, I like to fill my belly with some healthy wholesome foods. I have had had my eye on Two Hands for a while and finally found the perfect chance to try it out with my dear friend from Phnom Penh. I haven't seen A since working together at the WHO last summer so it was such a lovely catch up date. I wasn't feeling something sweet for lunch so I have not tried their beautiful acai bowl yet even though I am obsessed with acai bowls. The cafe was super cute and I had a great time here!

Zoe's Market Bowl
Oh my this was so hearty and delicious! The flavors were so sweet and fresh and there was such a lovely combination of textures also. I also added a side of bacon which was just the cherry on top. It was so yummy and I also felt so nourished and healthy after. Perfect meal whenever but especially after a workout! 

The cafe was super cute and I had a great time here! I will definitely be back. 

164 Mott St

New York 

NY 10013

Quality Italian

I had my joint birthday dinner at Quality Italian and I had a pretty good time! I was looking most forward to the famous chicken parm pizza but while it was pretty good I think it's definitely more of a gimmick. The rest of the food was decent as well but nothing mind blowing. I think this is a good spot for a group dinner and it is quite easy to get a reservation. Service was also friendly and professional. However, I think they overcharged us for a wine but this was corrected quickly. I would not say this is a must try in NYC, I have definitely had better steak elsewhere but it was still good here. The chicken parm is particularly good with the spiced honey to make sure to lather that shit on if you go!

Really yummy bread! 

57 W 57th St

New York

NY 10019

Bangia

When I saw that Bangia was famous for their cheesy corn pancake, I knew I had to go. Bangia, like many other establishments in the area, is a great place for drinks and hearty food in Ktown. The servings are shockingly large for a very reasonable price, and A and I were completely stuffed and left with lots of leftovers! I think it is definitely good to come with at least 3-4 people so you can order more and try other dishes. The corn pancake was delicious and so was the seafood tekbokki but the amount of cheese was pretty intense!

Bangia 

11 E 32nd St

New York

NY 10016

Cocoron

New favorite alert! Cocoron has been around forever but unfortunately it took me this long to finally try it out. I thought the tofu serving was rather small but loved the clean fresh taste of it. I got the mera mera dip soba and added chicken meatballs and ADORED it. The soup was so flavorful and it just perfection for a chilly winter day. Everyone there was also super friendly and nice and I loved the cute decor and menu illustrations. I will definitely be back!

Cocoron

61 Delancey, #1

New York

NY 10002