Bond St

6 Bond Street between Broadway and Lafayette
212/777.2500
$155 for two, with four drinks, with tip
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Several years ago, you would have caught a glimpse of Leonardo DiCaprio dining at Bond St. Today, the bouncer in all-black suit is still standing outside and all the beautiful people are still inside, but instead of Leo’s posse, you’ll see the suits and the loud groups of bankers eating on, most likely, company money. Ah, the life. We went one Wednesday night at 8:30pm without reservations. As soon as we asked for a spot for two, they led us to the sushi counter! Ah, the life of those without expense accounts!

It gets loud in Bond St but the energy is intoxicating. The sushi chefs scream a greeting when diners walk in and a goodbye when someone leaves. We opted for the sushi and sashimi omakase with a bonito-crusted scallop appetizer to start. From what I can remember, we had the pike eel, the otoro, the shrimp topped with caviar and the uni. While nothing is sublime that made me swoon and roll my eyes back, the fish is still sushi-grade. They still melt like butter and they still taste insanely fresh.

Several years ago, Leonardo DiCaprio switched to Moomba after he got tired of Bond St. For normal people like me, Bond St is still a pretty good Japanese place.

Related post/s:
Hedeh is around the corner and costs less

Vintage Wine Bar

2492 Broadway corner of 93rd Street
212/721.9999
about $60 for two hungry people, with tip
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Before:

After the Cia and Cameron hurricane hit:

Le Baobab Restaurant

120 West 116th Street between Lenox and 7th Avenue
212/864.4700
$25 for two, without drinks, without tip
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Named after the “upside-down tree” native to Madagascar, this Senagalese restaurant is one of the many African restaurants in Harlem serving whole fried fish for less than $12. We ordered one with a bowl of lamb curry and Senegalese couscous. The lamb curry had a nutty taste to it instead of the coconut milk I’m used to and it was made better by the white rice that came with the fish. The couscous had such an overwhelming texture I couldn’t really eat it with a thick sauce so I ate it with the fried fish and the hot salsa they gave us.

We walked in looking forward to eating a simple dinner but we came out with a whole new view of Harlem. A stream of people–women wearing exquisite fabrics, brilliant swatches of cloth knotted in bandanas and men in lose tunics–stopped by to talk, laugh and argue with the other patrons while we ate. We felt like we were in someone’s house in Africa but no one treated us as if we didn’t belong in there.

Sigiri

91 First Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets
212/614.9333
$60 for two, BYOB, without tip
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Because it’s the only Sri Lankan restaurant in Manhattan, Sigiri is a gem. It’s on the same block as the East 6th Indian restaurants, so if you blink–or if the red lights make you squint–you might just miss it. But try not to miss the dhal vade or lentil patties, the fish and potato cutlets and the vegetable and fish spring rolls, all breaded and deep-fried with traditional Sri Lankan spices. You can get each as an appetizer portion for about $5 or get the sampler for $8.50. The beef curry was a bit boring because the meat was dry inside, but the coconut milk curry covered its blandness and made the dish edible. We loved the yellow basmati rice cooked in saffron with cashew nuts and golden raisins. It was so hearty I could have eaten it without anything else. The best thing about Sigiri, though, is their BYOB policy. Dowel Quality Products, the deli downstairs, sells every beer imaginable.

Rosemary-Honey Braised Lamb Ribs

I had leftover lamb ribs in the freezer that I wanted to use before my run in the park. When I returned out of breath, the last thing I wanted to do after my shower was to go to the grocery store. I searched the Food Network and found this Ming Tsai recipe using lamb shoulder. The list of ingredients, except for the chickpeas, were all in my cupboard so I used a can of butter beans instead. It also gave me a chance to use the fresh honey I bought at a farm when we were in Long Island. September is only a couple of weeks away and the dish made me look forward to autumn. I love braising cheap cuts of meat because it only requires using one pot where I can put everything together and leave it for several hours without worrying about overcooking. My favorite part is pouring the leftover sauce on top of the dish before serving. The liquid is thick and the flavors become concentrated. For this dish, the honey just gave the sauce a subtle hint of sweetness.

Ingredients:
6 pieces lamb ribs
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 tbsp ginger, smashed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
4 ribs of celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup red wine
1 can of butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of honey
2 tbsps soy sauce
salt, pepper, Canola oil

1. Mix together the flour, chili powder and cumin in a platter and use to rub and cover the lamb. In a Dutch oven and working in batches to avoid overcrowding, heat some oil and brown the lamb on both sides, about 12 minutes per side. Remove the lamb and set aside on a plate.
2. Wipe the Dutch oven clean with a paper towel and place back on high heat. Coat again with oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Add rosemary and bay leaves and deglaze with red wine.
3. Add the butter beans, honey and soy sauce. Add back the lamb and some water to cover. Check for flavor of the braising liquid and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 1 to 2 hours, or until fork tender.