Immaculate Infatuation

Our discovery of Nyonya was ultimately the result of a discussion over dinner at Fatty Crab. I was eating there with friends well versed in Malaysian cuisine, and they insisted that while Fatty Crab may be good, it’s a travesty to enjoy it without knowing the real deal. Hence, a Nyonya dinner was put on the books, and the experts were going to show us the way. We’re glad they did.

Nyonya is well known as one of the few real Malasyian restaurants in New York City. It is loved equally among people who were raised on food like this, and those that more casually enjoy cuisine of the region. The menu is huge, and you will find traditional Malaysian dishes like Nasi Lamak and Prawn Mee, but you’ll also see Phad Thai and other more well known regional items. The food is excellent, and everything is cheap, which means plenty of room left in your budget for Tiger beers. After a few visits, we’ve decided our friends were right. We won’t exactly be running back to Fatty Crab to drop four times the money on an “interpretation” of the real thing.

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Looking for the perfect downtown sushi spot to take people when you’re not the one paying the bill? Blue Ribbon is your joint. This slick, modern style sushi restaurant is one of New York City’s signature sushi establishments. I love the anonymous exterior, with little to no signage which signals to me that the food speaks for itself. It’s a great place to go for a late dinner (they’re open until two in the morning), but avoid it during prime time Thurs.-Sat. nights because it gets really packed. If you dare, we highly recommend grabbing a drink at the old-New York haunt Cub Room around the corner. I’ve always had great meals here but I’ve also noticed that the prices just keep going up. To conquer this generous menu, you really don’t want to hold back, so prepare yourself for eighty to ninety dollars a head if you’re really hungry. As we discussed in the beginning, the perfect place to go when you don’t have to pay.

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They say the Ocean occupies 71% of our planet’s surface, right? Well, it feels like Oceana occupies 71% of 49th street. This tribute to the sea is massive; probably the biggest seafood restaurant in NYC. Whole fish on ice, crab legs, clams, mussels, oysters and the rest of their impressive raw bar greet you at the door and set the tone. Light blues, sea greens, and different shades of white give the room a tasteful, aquatic feel. Everything in Oceana, from their comfy booths to amicable service makes you feel at ease. Overall, the food is fine; simple and straight forward. It’s an ideal place for lunch during the week, dinner before a trip to the theatre with mom, or to cure a king crab craving, which I get often. Strange? Probably. Oceana is a welcome addition to Midtown’s clusterf*ck of expansive dining halls, and especially enjoyable if you’re not the one paying.

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When we heard about The Mermaid Inn opening an “Oyster Bar” in the Village, we were fired up like burnouts scrambling for tickets to the Phish shows at MSG. We’ve been frequenting the East Village location for years now, and the uptown outpost is just as good. They both serve up great fish and a nice lobster roll, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a safer bet for an “Early In the Game Date.” I also just recently had an incredible meal at Neptune Oyster in Boston and it’s been on the brain ever since. So naturally, we went in to the new Mermaid optimistic and ready to throw down some bivalves. Now, the place has all of the same appealing qualities as it’s predecessors and the food is good, but an oyster bar? I guess fifteen or so varieties qualify you, but we were hoping for a deeper raw bar and a little more excitement. Where’s the oyster inspiration? How about an oyster stew, maybe a po’ boy? The menu is standard Mermaid Inn fare, which is fine, but we had hopes for something a little more inventive. What it comes down to is that the Oyster Bar is perfect for mid-day beers and a dozen on ice, but it’s really just another Mermaid Inn. Hit up Flex Mussels if you’re looking for some inspired variations on a theme.

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Brought to you by the proprietor of Balthazaar and Pastis, Schiller’s is the cheaper, louder little brother in this family of stylish brasseries. What Schiller’s brings to the table that the others don’t is its youthful personality. This is the kind of place that you hit when you are looking to kick off a big night. The bar scene is a good one, though usually a few people deep, and the food is simple and consistently great. A perfect spot to bring a date who likes to have a little fun, or a bunch of friends before you head out in the neighborhood and wait in line outside Fat Baby (you know who you are). Schiller’s is full of energy and will make you want to suck back drinks and soak up the steak frites with a forkful of fries. Also, this place gets points in my book for my most recent visit. I had a reservation for three and rolled in with (literally) twelve people. The manager actually rearranged a few diners and happily seated our party within ten minutes. Nice.

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