Boka (Bonchon Fried Chicken)
9 Saint Marks Place, between 2nd and 3rd Sts
(212) 228-2887‎

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Korean (and some Japanese) Bar Food
Favorite Dish(es): Large Fried Chicken Combo – Spicy ($18)

This is the sister restaurant of the Bonchon Fried Chicken pub/bar in Ktown, a fried chicken chain that’s big in South Korea. It’s usually pretty empty, unlike the Ktown spot where you may have to wait up to half an hour for a seat, and sometimes longer for the chicken. Boka is more of an actual sitdown restaurant, with a bigger menu serving wannabe-trendy versions of Korean and Japanese bar food (which we have yet to try). The main reason to come here is the patent-pending Bonchon recipe fried chicken. It comes in two varieties, a sweet ginger soy glaze and a spicy sweet red pepper glaze that has a little kick to it. Both are good and super crispy, like no other fried chicken. They don’t use any batter on the chicken – it’s just marinated and fried (a few times probably). Coming from someone who usually doesn’t eat the fried skin, this crunchy stuff is really addictive. To cool off the spice and grease, the chicken is served with a bowl of cold pickled radish cubes, which is sweet and sour. Wash that all down with a pitcher of Kirin or Coors, and you’ll make this place a regular stop for your Korean fried chicken fix.

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Gyu Kaku

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Japanese (and some Korean)
Favorite Dish(es): Kalbi ($12 each), Chicken Bibimbop ($9), S’mores ($4 each, dessert)

This is a large, upscale, wannabe-trendy West Coast chain Japanese restaurant across from Cooper Union in Astor Place.  Each table is equipped with its own BBQ pit, much like Korean BBQs, but with high tech ventilation systems.  You order by single serving portions of various marinated meats and vegetables, all of which are fairly bland, that you grill on your own.  Sort of like Village Yokocho meets Benihana, but where you are the chef.  So why pay extra to cook your own dinner?  It’s all about the sauce.  One of the dipping sauces at each table is awesome – sweet, tangy, and spicy like a BBQ marinade with Sriracha.  It goes great on everything they serve.  Plus, on certain days after a certain time, some of the dishes are half price.  And, this is one of the only places that serves Kirin beer by the pitcher – ice cold.  Their other dishes are pretty good too, like their take on Korean “Bibimbop” (rice mixed with veggies and a spicy pepper sauce) which is a welcome change of taste from 32nd Street.  And for dessert, the BBQ pits turn into S’mores pits.  All in all, a pretty fun (but kind of expensive) place that’s good for long group dinners and dates.

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Russian Vodka Room
265 W 52nd St, between 8th Ave and Broadway
(212) 307-5835

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Bar / Russian
Favorite Dish(es): Strawberry-infused Vodka (Drink, 8 oz carafe, $21); Peach Martini (Drink, $9); Gravlox with Potato Pancakes (Appetizer, $13); Happy Hour infused shots ($3); Happy Hour cosmos ($5)

This is a semi-schmancy, dark, crowded little after work bar in midtown that is known for its infused vodkas and crabby waitresses. Beyond the Iron Curtain and above the piano area (which seems to hardly get any use), you’ll notice huge glass vats of vodka with a different ingredient in each, ranging from the expected fruit flavors (e.g. Cranberry, Peach, Strawberry) to the more unexpected (e.g. Garlic, Pepper & Dill, Horseradish). The infused vodkas taste so clean and the flavors mask the vodka taste so well that you won’t notice how buzzed you’re getting. You’ll be flying high after sharing a carafe of these magical elixirs. If the pure potions are too strong for you, their cocktails are superb as well. It’s dark and sort of seedy in there, so it naturally makes a great scandalous date place. We recommend ordering some appetizers to help soak up the alcohol. The potato pancakes are awesome with sour cream. Take note that this is mostly a bar-with-food, and not the best place to take your parents or a group of coworkers, if they’re the stodgy non-drinking type. It IS called the Russian VODKA Room after all.

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203 E 10th St, between 1st and 2nd Ave
(212) 995-9511

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Dessert, Dessert Bar
Favorite Dish(es): Blueberry Trifle, Chocolate Tart (Prix Fixe, $12)

This is a tiny little “Dessert Bar” near St Marks that has become popular as a date and happy hour spot, and usually has a line. They only serve dessert and drinks, and everyone from the host to the chefs and Chika herself pitches in to help wait tables, and are super attentive. This isn’t your typical dessert place though – it’s definitely not for everyone and you won’t find a slice of chocolate cake here. The desserts are very unique and inventive, using less sugar than most places, with uncommon ingredients and interesting flavor pairings. The portions are small, more for tasting and holding conversation than getting your sugar fix. It’s definitely worth a try at least once, just for something new and different. We recommend getting the Prix Fixe course for a good sampling.

Note: They also have a take-out bakery across the street that serves more “normal” desserts like cookies and cupcakes, but with the “Chika” flavor twist. We had their Red Velvet Cupcakes, which were pretty good, but too different from what you’d expect from a Red Velvet. Not quite up to the Cupcake Challenge.

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688 Columbus Ave, between 93rd and 94th Sts
(212) 961-9600

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Mexican
Favorite Dish(es): Verduras en Cazuela ($14.95), Cochinita Pibil ($14.95), Carne Asada Tacos ($14.95), Mango Frozen Margarita ($10)

This place has all the pros of being a chain-like restaurant without the generic taste of a chain. It’s big with a lot of indoor seating and a front patio for outdoor seating. Their serving portions are huge and each entree comes with choice of 2 sides. Average price for entrees is about $18-19. We go there anytime we’re in the mood for stuffing ourselves with flavorful veggies and marinated meats. Best tortilla chips ever when served fresh. Wash it all down with a huge frozen mango margarita!

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8 Stuyvesant St, between 9th St and 3rd Ave
(212) 777-5415

Pricing: Not Cheap (relatively speaking for drinks)
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Cocktail Lounge
Favorite Dish(es):

This little joint is hidden above the Around the Clock diner, inside the Village Yokocho BBQ restaurant. When you walk up the neon-gilded stairwell, you’ll notice a wooden door to the left, usually with a few people waiting to get inside. Because this place is tiny. They only let in groups of 4 at most, and have a quiet-talking policy. But it’s worth it. Why? Because their drinks are spectacular. The ingredients in their drinks are so well balanced and clean that you can’t taste the alcohol, but you’ll be flying in no time. The mixmasters here are super professional, trained to make perfect drinks. Every pour is precise, methodical, and entertaining. They always play jazz music and have a live band squeezed into a nook every once in a while, so the mood is always very mellow, making this the ultimate date place. A few drinks here and you’ll melt away into a cabride home… hopefully not alone.

Note: B Flat, their newer sister bar in Tribeca, has much more space for standing room and is a bit more upbeat. Check out our review here.
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277 Church St, between White and Franklin Sts
(212) 219-2970

Pricing: Not Cheap (relatively speaking for drinks)
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Cocktail Lounge
Favorite Dish(es): Misty ($12)

The original “bar chefs” from Angel’s Share (read review here), you can expect the same quality of drink and service with much more space to enjoy your cocktail. The bar is longer to provide more seating. There’s also booths along the walls and plenty of space to stand around to mingle in the middle.
In addition to the great tasting drinks, I think I could sit at the bar all night just watching the guys and their moves. So fancy and delicate even just making a glass of vodka tonic…

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Barrio Chino
253 Broome St, between Orchard and Ludlow Sts
(212) 228-6710

Pricing: Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Mexican
Favorite Dish(es): Tacos Tinga de Pollo ($8); rice and black beans ($3); Ginger Mojito ($8)

Really good tacos. Super flavorful, tender meat…
Mexican restaurant with an underlying Chinese theme- chinese dishes, chinese wall decor, chinese characters on business card, etc.
Pricing this place as “cheap” is kind of misleading- the portions are small so you’ll probably want to order 2 entrees but as their single portions go, everything on the menu is under $15.

You should definitely try a mojito here too.

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J.G. Melon
1291 3rd Ave, at 74th St
(212) 744-0585

Pricing: Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: American- Burgers
Favorite Dish(es): Hamburger ($8), Key Lime Pie (dessert, $5.50)

This is one of the best burger joints in the city. Inside, the place looks like a darkly-lit, old 50s-style American bar, with a small, cramped dining room in the back. There’s usually a wait, but we got there around six and avoided the dinner rush. Our burgers came cooked medium as ordered, super moist, but not too greasy, and really thick – just the way we like them. You could really taste the quality of the meat, unlike a lot of other places. At first glance the burgers might look kinda small, but these are so thick that one is plenty. The fries are great too, the thick, stubby, round kind with ridges. We finished off a great meal with a proper key lime pie.

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1700 Broadway, at 53rd St & 7th Ave
(212) 757-2233

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Contemporary American
Favorite Dish(es): Croque Madame $11.50; Moules Provencale $14.95

This is a huge touristy place in Midtown, with outdoor seating and the biggest patio umbrella you will ever see. It’s a typical French/Belgian bistro-style cafe with the standard Brasserie (Cafe/Restaurant) fare: Moules Frites (mussels in soupy sauce with Belgian french fries), Steak Sandwiches, super strong coffee, imported beer selections, and full course dinner entrees.

We mostly come here for the brunch, especially for the Croque Madame. It’s a version of the Croque Monsieur sandwich with an egg on top – basically a fancy ham & cheese: Ham and melted Gruyere or Swiss Cheese between baguette bread which has been toasted with cheese on top forming a crunchy crust. Served with a bechamel or hollandaise sauce. Yum.

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