The Melting Pot

We've gone out for a somewhat formal dinner only a handful of times in the last year or so. Puja saw the new Fondue place in Hoboken by the Sinatra Drive while trying to park her car one day and was delighted as we love Fondue. So, yesterday, after some machinations we ended up at this place. We made a reservation which was probably a good idea.

This is probably the most formal Fondue place we've been to. Apart from the usual cheese fondues, it also offers cooking your own entrees in various broths. We, of course, skipped all of that for two servings of cheese fondues (spinach/artichoke and Mexican fiesta) and a chocolate fondue to top it off at the end!

The Fondues were good but our selections sort of turned it into more a 'dip' than a true fondue. The spinach-artichoke dip was more like what they serve at Houlihaan's and the Fiesta was more like the cheese Jalapeño dip that they sell in stores. However, it was fresh and hot and actually quite delicious. The chocolate fondue was of course very good, I mean warm chocolate with various goodies that you can dip in it! What's not to like?

The restaurant is big and new and fresh with a relaxed ambiance, almost business casual. We will certainly end up there again. Not sure when but hopefully within the next few months.

Vezzo

Another one of those neo-swank gourmet Pizza places that is so popular these days in Manhattan. Vezzo offers decent and somewhat expensive thin-crust pizzas and sort of makes up for the loss of Pinch from the neighborhood. This place is onerously crowded during lunch hours unless you are very early. However, the pizza tastes good and the salads are decent too.

On Lex at 31st

HanGawi

It doesn't get much better than HanGawi for exotic sounding vegetarian places in the city. HanGawi in the historian Korean district near Herald Square is one of those quite, comfortable (expensive), old school places that come as a total surprise to you. One doesn't, after all, associate vegetarian food with Korean cuisine. However, HanGawi is totally vegetarian which gives you an added piece of mind.

The food is more or less a combination of Chinese and Thai. Though there aren't really any noodle dishes. The recipes revolve around mushrooms and tofu. And being a Korean restaurant, this of course features Kimchi (pickled cabbage) that can be extremely spicy or sour.

We ordered the following items and found them all to be very good but Tofu Kimchi hotpot certainly was the best dish.
- Silky tofu in clay pot
- Tofu Kimchi hotpot
- Spicy chilly mushrooms


32nd St, b/w 5th and Madison

Closing Time

Within a few weeks my favorite breakfast place (Le Croissant Shop), Pizza place (Pinch), Calzone place and favorite dish (Aachari Aaloo) at Amiya is no more.

This is not the first or the last time that something we really-really liked has been forced to shut down. I wonder if this is a statement on us or is this is a general statement on the declining state of everything.

Masala Bollywood

Went in for a buffet on Sunday and was appalled by the quality of the food. Stay away unless you have nowhere else to go to. Probably the worst Indian food I've had in New York in a long long time.

108 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10018

Chennai Garden

This little gem of a South Indian restaurant at the corner of Lex and 27th is a reliable source of consistently good food. I went there today for a take-out from the buffet and I must say I was very happy. I guess also because I was very hungry and the quantity and the quality of food was excellent. I also ate an Indian meal at lunch after God knows how many months. It was quite satisfying. Specially if you consider the "delicacies" that I have day to day. Food such as "Almond-cauliflower" soup or a sunflower-seed burger and a full-card pasta and rice meal. Compare this with warm parathas, uttapam, spicy sambhar, saag paneer and so on.

Vatan

Vatan is probably the best bet in NYC for sumptuous vegetarian food. The prix fix menu is amazing and the appetizer course will generally be all you will need to get more full then you've ever been which is a good thing because the main course doesn't live up to it anyway.

If it had not been for what is probably the absolute worst reception in the city and rather detached and inattentive wait staff, Vatan would have been such a fun place. The decor is pleasant and uplifting but is weighed down by the long faces and high air of the staff.

3rd Ave between 28th and 29th