Bohemian - NYC

Whole branzino

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!