10 Inventive Korean at Danji
346 West 52nd Street, Midtown West (www.danjinyc.com) $$ David Chang often gets credit for introducing New Yorkers to the joys of high-end Korean food, but Hooni Kim’s small, casual spot specialising in Koreaninfluenced small plates is absolute proof that the country’s food goes way beyond kimchi. Try the spicy whelk salad with buckwheat noodles and the crispy Korean fried chicken.
11 Burgers and fries at Burger Joint
119 West 56th Street, Midtown (www. parkermeridien.com) $ The ‘hidden’ hamburger restaurant in Midtown’s tony Le Parker Meridien hotel isn’t a secret any more (lunch lines tend to stretch across the main lobby), but that doesn’t make their simple burgers any less outstanding. The French fries, served in grease-stained paper bags, are as good as any you’ll have.
6 Bistro classics at Balthazar
80 Spring Street, Soho (http:/ / balthazarny.com) $$ Keith McNally owns a collection of New York’s hottest restaurants, but the best remains this faux-French bistro in Soho. The best way to experience it is to order as if you were in Paris: the seafood platter, roast chicken for two and a bottle of red wine is the way to go.
8 Roast chicken at Barbuto
775 Washington Street, Greenwich Village (www.barbutonyc.com) $$ These days almost every restaurant in New York serves a roast chicken, but somehow the version that chef Jonathan Waxman serves at the industrial-looking Barbuto remains one of the best. Here’s why: the restaurant’s enormous brick-and-metal oven gets far hotter than most, ensuring a crisp-skin, tender-meat combo that other restaurants simply can’t match.
12 The extravagant French-style tasting menu at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare
200 Schermerhorn Street, Downtown Brooklyn (www. brooklynfare.com) $$$ Given that Cesar Ramirez’s tasting counter has the distinction of being Brooklyn’s only three-Michelin star restaurant, it’s understandably jammed, despite being located on a dingy street and connected to a supermarket. Even so, Ramirez’s mastery of light seafood preparations in the classic French style make this spot a must-visit.
7 The tasting menu experience at Atera
77 Worth Street, Tribeca (http:/ / ateranyc.com) $$$ Matthew Lightner moved to New York from Oregon to open this 17-seat restaurant in March 2012. The US$165 ( 8,970) tasting menu experience can last three hours and includes plates that look like they were created in a whimsical forest: chocolate truffles that resemble walnuts, leeks in a blackened tempura, and beets with a seafood emulsion.
9 The vegetable tasting at Blue Hill, Stone Barns
630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills (www. bluehillfarm.com) $$$ Head north from New York City until you reach the rolling hills and vast farmland at Stone Barns. Here, chef Dan Barber has mastered seasonal, from-the-earth tasting menus in what might be the New York area’s most gorgeous setting. (if you want to stay in Manhattan, there’s also a smaller Blue Hill restaurant in Greenwich Village.)
13 Fine dining at DANIEL
60 East 65th Street, Upper East Side (www.danielnyc.com) $$$ DaNiEL, long considered one of New York’s finest restaurants, doesn’t wow you with out-there techniques and showy food. instead, it’s the seamless integration of excellence at all levels—design, service and cooking—that makes this spot feel so special.
14 Ramen at IPPUDO NY
65 4th Avenue, Greenwich Village (www.ippudony.com) $ There are plenty of places to get a bowl of ramen in New York, but iPPUDO remains the best. its pork-heavy menu of soups has such a devout following that waits regularly stretch to two-plus hours for a seat. The best bet: put your name down and go and work up an appetite at one of the many bars nearby. 166