We finally went to NYC this past weekend.
Memorable meals were at Heartbeat in the W hotel
(which was a block down from were we were staying),
and Sugiyama W55th near Broadway (I think).
Heartbeat is a no fat added restaurant but NOT vegetarian.
As a matter of fact, my ominvorous husband and daughter were
very happy there. We went for weekend "brunch".... I had sweet
potato pancakes with caramelized bananas, which was a huge
serving of nicely fluffy pancakes, and a heirloom tomato
salad w/balsamic vinegar that was fantastic! And a green tea ice
for dessert which was also very nice. They served a white bean/garlic
puree (I checked that there was no oil) with their rolls also. All
the dishes were very artfully presented and nicely garnished. I guess
the atmosphere is a bit "trendy" as is the whole hotel, but we
liked it. It's a little expensive for lunch, but we thought it
worthwhile (the whole weekend was a splurge after all!).... about
$120 for the 3 of us, including "designer teas" and way more food that
we needed since I thought the servings were going to be small, which
they weren't.
If anyone is interested in real Japanese food, I highly recommend
Sugiyama. What is really unusual is that they offer vegetarian
options! And I can vouch for their authentic flavor. The whole
menu is multicourse "kaiseki" dinners, where the chef basically serves
you what he feels is the best choices for the day, for the price
level you select. It starts at $45 for a "mini" dinner up to (I think)
$150.... The veg. choices are $45 or $60. I ordered the $60 dinner
and had the most amazing dishes, like "mountain potato" sashimi.
Aiko Pinkoski
apinkoski@xxxxxxxxxxx