Friends of mine were visiting from Miami (where there is also an Edition Hotel) for MDW and informed me that an Edition Hotel opened in NYC recently and that they wanted to have dinner there. I had no expectations and was blown away.
The staff was welcoming, knowledgeable, and actually acted like they enjoyed working there. I hope that over time this won't fade...
+ My water was constantly re-filled throughout the night and the staff seemed on point.
Ambiance Dark wood and perfect lighting. Need I say more? Very romantic vibe yet also could see business dinners conducted here. There are two rooms directly next to each other but yet separated so each room feels very intimate. We sat next to Fredrik Eklund (from Million Dollar Listing) so I assume a lot of "celebrities" will be pouring into this hotel.
Wine + They have great options for all price points. I was really surprised at the range. I wasn't let down as I had the Austrian wine (Gruner Vetliner, which I seem to find on every menu in NYC which leads me to ask who the hell is their wine rep?!) and it was yummy yet very inexpensive.
Food I ordered a salad to start. I can't remember the exact name of the salad and can't seem to find their menu anywhere online but basically it was just a mixed green salad with a light yet fruity vinaigrette dressing. The salad was excellent. I'm not usually a fan of paying a large amount of money to eat lettuce and I seem to always find that the dressing portion applied to salads are either too heavy or too light. This was perfect.
A really light and refreshing way to start my meal. I would say this is a MUST ORDER.
I followed the salad with the uni risotto despite it being listed as an appetizer. I was still a bit hungry after the salad and risotto but not too bad. I wasn't in the mood for a huge entree and wanted a smaller portion for dinner as I had a late lunch. It was quite tasty and I would definitely order it again. It was a tad too creamy for my taste (I'm lactose intolerant yet still consume a lot of dairy, don't ask) but nonetheless was very good. My friends had the filet mignon (which was cooked perfectly) and the chicken (which she loved).
+ I was impressed with how on point the experience was from start to finish despite it being a brand new restaurant.
I definitely will throw this restaurant into my rotation!
I always feel that "hidden" spots never live up to their expectations. I get really high hopes when I hear of a place that is truly hidden. I had been to the Waverly Inn back when you had to literally walk in to make a reservation as the number wasn't posted online, various speakeasies which numbers are not posted online, and well, you get the picture.
A friend of mine from Miami (where I lived for 5 years before moving back to NYC 8 months ago) gave me the number to a place called Bohemian and told me that I "HAD" to try this place out. She said it was one of the best restaurants she's ever been to (and this woman frequents Michelin starred restaurants like it's her job).
That kind of an introduction to Bohemian wasn't taken lightly. I had called many times to make a reservation but nothing seemed to work out (as I generally try to make reservations last minute). I decided to make a plan to visit this place and was able to get a reservation at the bar about a week in advance.
When I walked in, my first reaction was "holy crap this place is tiny" but extremely quaint and cute. I really liked how intimate the vibe was. The Japanese style can be seen throughout, even down to the toilet. I was even sitting near a woman dressed in full Japanese kimono (not one of those sweater type things that are sold at Forever 21 and named "kimono" no no no people, REAL kimono down to the traditional thong shoes with socks on).
Enough with the decor and ambiance... Okay now on to the food...
We didn't opt for the tasting menu as I had a few minor medical issues related to food that week, and really wanted to enjoy the full experience (which I wasn't able to). It's an absolute steal as the tasting menu has their speciality dishes for an insanely reasonable price $55 or $58 (and I'm not talkin' at lunch time). I can't remember the exact price (whoops). Sorry if the $3 difference breaks your budget...
Ok now really on to the food....We ordered a ton (for 2 people). + Foie gras soba - This is a must order (like everyone else has stated in their reviews). The whole soba tastes like foie gras and it's truly sensational.
+++ Whole branzino - Houston we have landed! This dish was literally mind-blowing. I think there's still remnants of my brain laying around the restaurant as this was truly the best branzino (and maybe best fish) I've ever had in my life. I mean really people, look at the picture that I posted to Yelp. Doesn't it make you want to eat the photo?!
+ Ratatouille SPECIAL of the day - This was great. It came with a long piece of garlic bread that was absolute perfection. As weird as it sounds, I think the garlic bread made the dish. They brought out the broth to savor before bringing out the actual dish which was unusual but very unique. I liked that touch. The dish itself was very good but being able to savor the broth with a perfectly toasted piece of garlic bread (which I love) was heavenly. Usually garlic bread is downright disgusting in my eyes. It has either too much garlic, is over toasted, or doesn't have enough garlic. No one ever seems to get it. Well, I guess the Japanese can cook garlic bread better than the Italians!
- Japanese mushroom risotto - The only dish of the night that I wasn't too impressed with. It was really heavy and although pretty good, I would skip it. I'm a sucker for risotto and always order it and I wasn't such a huge fan of this one.
++ Toro taku roll - I usually don't like sushi rolls with the seaweed on the outside. I usually like them inside out. However, this roll was exquisite. Extremely tasteful even though I didn't use any soy sauce or add anything to the roll itself. It was my friends favorite dish of the evening.
+ Oysters - I didn't have any but my friend rather enjoyed them (although not a favorite of the evening).
++++ If you don't opt for the tasting menu but still want to try a few things, I would recommend 4 dishes... toro taku roll, branzino, foie gras soba, and then your pick!
This IS one of the best restaurants I've ever had the pleasure of dining in. The staff is very attentive, humble, and down to earth. The food lives up to the extreme expectations that come along with dining in an "exclusively hidden" restaurant. When you call to make a reservation, they WILL ask you the name of the person who you got the number from so don't think that just because you get the number that it's your Willie Wonka golden ticket. If you ever have the opportunity to eat here, DO IT. I don't comprehend why this isn't at least a 2 Michelin star restaurant as this restaurant is much better than some of the 2 Michelin starred restaurants that I've dined in.
Excellent!
