DC.NYC 2

Continuing the gastronomic tour to New York City is an easy task, as there is obviously no shortage of great eateries here. The main limitation, in addition to time and money, is gastric capacity.

The first stop is Gabriel Kreuther's eponymous restaurant in Midtown. Chef Kreuther, originally from the Alsace region of France, made a name for himself at the Modern within MOMA. (I originally planned to patronize Del Posto as Mario Batali joined many chefs who spoke out politically, but decided not to after learning their head chef Mark Landner was supposed to leave.)

Bryant Park: this is one of the scattered islands of tranquility in this hyper-energetic town. The lunch spot, Gabriel Kreuther, is in Grace Building on right.

Gabriel Kreuther: airy and stylish interior 

Gabriel Kreuther: Alsatian bread, Kouglof, or its savory version. The crust tastes interesting. After a few slices are removed, what's left looks like a giant molar tooth!

Gabriel Kreuther: foie gras terrine in a bed of granola. The smooth and the crunchy - a great idea. 

Gabriel Kreuther: the two-course lunch option, which comes with extras, is a good deal. They make their own chocolate, also sold in a store next door.

Ivan Orkin has a compelling life story. After bumming around a bit, he found his calling in ramen making in Japan. He ran a successful ramen shop in Tokyo, which is no mean feat for a gaijin, and subsequently opened a restaurant in Lower East Side.

Kossaly's: a stop at this bagel shop while we are in Lower East Side for dinner. The ones without holes are bialys. Tried onion, garlic, and sesame seed varieties. Bialys were not warm and pretty chewy.  

Ivan Ramen: ordered one shio and one shoyu. Simple. Good noodles. Pretty authentic, whatever that means.

We pass by a NYC icon, Katz's Deli, which is where Harry met Sally. Too bad, the pastrami sandwich here will have to wait. Cold! Winter is back.

Lincoln Center, NYC: It's hard to say David Geffen Hall. (Barely getting used to the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA). To me, it may always be Avery Fisher Hall.

David Geffen Hall: lucky to catch New York Philharmonic playing Mahler Symphony No. 4. Actually my first time watching Maestro Alan Gilbert, who will be leaving the post soon.

Momofuku Ko, the flagship restaurant for the David Chang empire, has been on my radar for some time. They moved to the current location a few years ago - the reservations are easier and the space much more inviting.

Momofuku Ko: no, it's not the Apple Computer symbol in front of the flame, but the peach (momo in Japanese). These counter seats around an open kitchen are very comfortable and the spacing between the seats is the most generous I have seen anywhere. 

Momofuku Ko: a little Korean touch - the dish next to the bread has kimchi in it, in sort of a banchan arrangement. Oh, BTW, the soft boiled egg with caviar is excellent.

Momofuku Ko: I commented to the manager that this mural showing the Korean alphabet is an indication that David Chang was scarred for life having to sit through weekend Korean classes as a child trying to learn Korean...

Momofuku Ko: this uni-chickpea combo was among the top 21 dishes of 2015 in NYC selected by Eater.com.

Momofuku Ko: razor clam with basil oil has amazing taste.

Momofuku Ko: after skate is served in a "katsu" preparation, the skin is saved to make a roll.

Momofuku Ko: an excellent butternut squash dish.  Oh, and the accompanying duck preparation is not bad.

Momofuku Ko: aerated cheese in the style of Japanese Castella, topped with black truffle

Metropolitan Museum of Art: just part of an extensive Egyptian collection, this Temple of Dendur was saved from being submerged upon the construction of Aswan High Dam. I remember the big fanfare years ago when it was finally installed here. The project was originally sponsored and overseen by the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. No way something like this is going to happen in the current environment.

Guggenheim Museum: a long line to take advantage of Saturday evening discount. No way are we going to wait in line in the 20-degree weather! But I am encouraged see a lot of young people here.

Post museum visits, a late evening snack is about what we can handle after a big lunch. Baohaus in Lower East Side by Eddie Huang of "Fresh off the Boat" fame might be worth a subway ride from uptown. He is nowhere to be seen of course, probably busy with his other outpost in LA or making food travel show segments for Viceland, or ... maybe opposing the travel ban.

Baohaus: This spot is the only oasis in the otherwise tight, packed, noisy place. On the other wall hangs proudly the New York Law Journal article listing the bar exam results for Eddie Huang. After getting rid of the pure fat, the Taiwanese bun ("Chairman Bao") is actually quite good.

Another unseasonably cold day. We head down to Gramercy Tavern for lunch with a friend's son attending NYU. This is a well-known restaurant owned by Danny Meyer of Shake Shack fame. With so many interesting places within walking distance from the campus, many more affordable than here, no wonder NYU is a popular college choice.

Gramercy Tavern: What I like about Danny Meyer is not only his innovative pricing inclusive of gratuity but also his political stance in response to recent developments.

Gramercy Tavern: elegant and lively. The apple cider, thick and fragrant, is a perfect way to start on a cold day. 

Gramercy Tavern: poppy seed cake with meyer lemon sherbet

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: no lines today. The first level has a Kandinski collection.

Guggenheim: the first painting that greets you is Kandinski's "Black Lines."

Guggenheim: van Gogh's letter written in English

Guggenheim: it's hard to imagine there was early criticism of the building design regarding lack of rectilinear forms. You sit in one spot and feel you have access to many of the galleries, which serve basically as circular corridors.

Guggenheim: a trio of Chagall

Fifth Ave and 57th St: there isn't as much police presence as we expected around the building which will remain nameless. It's a good thing, because it means less taxpayers' money is wasted. There are of course Chinese tourists taking selfies in front of the building, but we are not stooping that low.

Oiji: a tiny Korean restaurant in the East Village. You know it is upscale when it charges for a kimchi set (in the middle) and rice, which would be a no-no at most Korean places on West 32nd St. The Jangjorim with buttered rice and soft-boiled egg (left) was also on the NYC top dishes of 2015 list by Eater.com. Although it bears little resemblance to the classic form of Jangjorim, it is very well done and deserves the accolade.

Oiji: this seafood broth dish, with sizzling rice and bokchoy, is more Chinese than Korean, but at a place with a name that sounds like Ouija, I would allow some confusion or a poetic license.