New York City
Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Lunch at the Pearl Oyster Bar

Hubba hubba. I’m so in love with the Pearl Oyster Bar. Who knew that it only took clam chowder, 12 oysters, and a lobster roll to make me weak?
We followed the advice of a friend to this place, which is located in the heart of Greenwich Village. After a long walk in the bitterly cold NY wind, we stopped in the restaurant and were greeted by tantalizing smells of grilled rolls, buttery cooked seafood, and bacon topped clam chowder soup. Inspired by the scents, we ordered:
12 fresh oysters: These were hands-down the best oysters Dave and I had ever had. They were plump and juicy, clear and fresh tasting (without the usually present "sea smell"), and incredibly flavorful with a kick of lemon juice and hot sauce. That’s all I can say about that–you just have to try them yourselves to get the full experience!
Bacon Clam Chowder: MMMM! Usually, I don’t crave clam chowder all that often because it’s too heavy with dairy. However, this one was truly the exception. It wasn’t overwhelmingly creamy, and instead, the clams and bacon really stood out as the foundations of the soup. The clams were tender and chewy, cooked with hints of broth and garlic, and the bacon was peppery with more herbs than salt in its overall taste. The soup base itself was very balanced in the broth and the cream and I loved the extra parsley and ground pepper that just added to the soup’s freshness. Again, this one is a must-try.
Lobster Roll: Tender, juicy, HUGE chunks of lobster mixed in with the right amount of mayo, ground pepper, and lemon juice and layered into a toasted and buttered sandwich roll=the perfect end to the meal. This one was so good that I seriously cannot rave about it in words any longer. Does "OH HELL YES!" convey just how good this one was?
Pearl Oyster Bar-a true thumbs up :)

Dinner at Morimoto

Dave and I decided to wrap up our NY trip and celebrate our 2 year anniversary early by having dinner at a very hip, trendy, and hard-to-get-into restaurant: Morimoto. If that name sounds familiar, you’re not crazy. This, my friends, is the brainchild of the Iron Chef Morimoto.
And, wow–Iron Chef certainly did a fantastic job in creating this place. The decor was nothing short of amazing–I am not good at writing enough to accurately and artistically encapsulate the impressive aesthetics of this place, so I encourage you to look it up online. However, I am not lying that the place really just blew me away and left me imagining how fun it’d be to have all my friends there for a party of some sort. It’s perfect for a 20 something crowd.
On to the food. I still shudder with delight just thinking about how great the food made Dave and me feel on our special night together. Here goes:
Kobe beef carpaccio: If you have not had carpaccio, it’s basically a raw meat prepared in sauce that’s a mixture of oils, vinegars, and green onion. This one was no exception, but at the same time, it was THE exception. Kobe beef carpaccio is a stand alone winner–the taste of the meat had a buttery, heavy depth to it that sets it apart from the rest, and with the truffle oil, salt, and green onions layered upon it, the buttery taste of the meat was enhanced to a level that brought Dave and I to a place of sheer bliss. We both literally sighed, closed our eyes, and let out a big "MMMMMM" after this dish. It was really that good and special.
Whitefish carpaccio: So, we ordered this one thinking it’d be different from the Kobe, but it was essentially the same because the sauce wasn’t different. We still enjoyed it, though. The fish was very fresh with also buttery accents.
Sashimi (fatty tuna, hamachi, salmon): All were just like the whitefish in their tenderness and fresh taste. The fatty tuna was fatty buttery, but what stood out more was the hamachi, which was scored for flavor release. The hamachi (and the salmon) tasted very nutty, kind of like pine nuts, and had a nice, plump bite to it. Very refreshing.
Sea bass: This dish was out of this world. The sea bass was not dry and flaky, but rather, tender, juicy, and came off of thick, plump slivers. It honestly didn’t need sauce to taste good, but since it was there, it was extra good with gingery, brothy accents and a slight miso aftertaste. I’d have to say that this is the best sea bass I’ve ever had.
Maki rolls: Just your typical maki roll–but it was good in that the rice they used was not vinegary or sweet and the sesame seed they rolled the rice in were nicely toasted and nutty. The fish had good bite, and was of course, fresh. What else can I say?
I know I didn’t write much, but I loved this place so much that my words just don’t do it justice. Plus, the best part of this restaurant was sharing it with Dave in celebration of our relationship. Being able to hold the hand of the guy I love, share food, and not be bothered while do all of that was just amazing. I love you with all my heart, Dave–thanks for being you and praise God for all He’s done for us.