Balthazar is one of the many Keith McNally restaurants in the city. Some of his other restaurants include Pastis, Minetta Tavern, and Cherche Midi. This restaurant has been on our list for quite a while. The menu looks very basic, so we never really had the urge to make a reservation. For this Friday evening, we were able to surprisingly walk-in with 3 people at around 5:30 PM. The restaurant was crowded but not as packed with lines or a crowd as it typically has.

We were in the Central Park area towards 100th on the upper east side, and we were looking for some food around the area. We stumbled onto Bar Goyana, which wasn’t that far from where we were. Coincidentally this restaurant is also very close to Chu Ros Thai, which is a pretty decent Thai place in this Harlem area. We were able to walk into this quaint restaurant without any reservations on an early Saturday afternoon. The restaurant seems to be part Brazilian, part Belgium, and part Italian.

Moono is yet another Korean restaurant that has been on my list for quite a while. Its allure for me was uni rice and Pyongyang cold noodles. I finally got a chance to book this restaurant, and it was easy to book for 2 for 6 PM on a Friday evening. This restaurant is a new project by Chef Kim from Jua. When I learned this, I had higher expectations of what I was to experience. When you arrive at the restaurant, it’s located in this interesting 3-story building.

For a free night on the way back from work, I stopped by this semi-new tsukemen place. For the uninitiated, Japanese tsukemen is basically ramen, except the soup is served on the side, and the noodles are thick by default. Yasubee is actually a restaurant chain with over 80 locations in Japan. They opened a NY location in Flushing, and this Chelsea location is the second one. I walked in on a Wednesday at 6 PM, and the restaurant barely had anyone in. Yasubee is part of the “Kung Fu Tea” family, which includes TKK Fried Chicken and Kung Fu Tea products.

Elephant Ear, an interesting name for a Thai restaurant, has been on my list for quite a while. In this area near the theaters, there is an ongoing rotation of Thai restaurants. We happened to catch a Broadway show, so I made a reservation for two people at 6 PM. When we went to the restaurant after our show, they mentioned that there’s a 1.5 hour limit for dining.

From the Quality Branded restaurateurs comes another restaurant in a similar vein to popular hits like Bad Roman, Don Angie, and Zou Zous. The cuisine for this restaurant is Mexican-inspired and has all the snazzy colors to indicate this could be fun. This restaurant is near the Hudson Yards area, and it was very easy to make a reservation for 2 for 6 PM on a Friday night. This restaurant is about 1 block away from the E-train exit off 34th.

One White Street is located in a 19th century townhouse, that was a downtown hangout for John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Much of their produce is source from Rigor Hill Farm, located in the Hudson Valley. They practice sustainability, and much of their menu revolves around showcasing these ingredients. Originally opened in 2021 by chef Austin Johnson, this restaurant has 1 Michelin Star, and reservations are very easy to come by. We booked a pair for 5:30 PM on a Friday evening just a few days in advanced.

Brasserie Cognac recently opened a restaurant branch right next to Central Park South. At first glance of the menu, it seemed rather basic, but I figured if a restaurant opened in this area, it should be pretty decent. On a Saturday evening, we were able to walk in without reservations and were seated immediately. My first thought looking around was that there are a decent amount of tourists. This restaurant is part of the Serafina family.

A few weeks ago, we went to Le Petit Pecheur because we were on a mission to try all the various seafood places in Astoria. Abuqir was on my list because it was highly rated for its “Egyptian” flavors, freshness, and value. All the NYC food blogs and Queens food crew for some reason feel this is a hidden find and offers good value. We went to this place around 4:00 PM on a Saturday, and there was a late afternoon crowd already.

We finished watching “Punch”, a Broadway play that we won through the lottery. Because we’ve tried an abundant amount of restaurants already, it’s starting to get slim. I was finally able to start trying out some Mexican restaurants, since my partner rarely picks this. Toloache was one that was nearby, and we were able to walk in without reservations at around 5:00 PM on a Saturday evening. We were seated in the second floor near the stairs.