Niu-Gu is an experiment of sorts. In the few months it has been open, it has gone from a simple noodle parlor, with a limited menu of Chinese soups and starches, to a full service restaurant serving everything from the formal farm-to-cup Chinese tea service to the best, freshest friggin’ fish we’ve ever had in Chinatown:
(Silky, rich, true Pacific black cod)
How well they succeed is going to tell us a lot about just how sophisticated people want their Asian food to be.
Sometimes, you just know too much.
There comes a time when there have been too many meals in too many restaurants over too many decades. So many, in fact, that you can take the measure of a place within minutes of sitting down.
You get to where you can see the wheels turning and hear the exact conversations that went into the concept, the menu, and the cooking.
You get to the point where you spot the corporate calculation in every corner, and all you can do is sigh.
Continue reading “Waiter, There’s a HERRINGBONE Stuck in My Throat”
It happens every time. As soon as I started live-posting on Facebook and Instagram about a meal I’m having at Julian Serrano, the comments start pouring in:
“Overrated.”
“Phoning it in.”
“Wanted to like it but didn’t.”
“Not a fan.”
These opinions come fast and furious from a fount of foodie friends every time I mention I’m dining there.
Continue reading “I’m Tired of Hearing That JULIAN SERRANO Isn’t a Good Restaurant”