Tasty trendsetters

These days, the city seems to be taken over by the Asian megaplex. Everywhere you turn there is another "big-box" restaurant boasting 200 to 300 tables in spaces of up to 16,000 sq. ft. Indeed, some of these are like dining department stores, with specialized rooms branching off in all directions. Buddakan can entertain 950 diners each evening, while Buddha Bar, Morimoto, Chinatown Brasserie and Megu Midtown are only slightly smaller. All of these venues feature over-the-top design—highly theatrical productions with casts of hundreds—and getting a last-minute reservation can be categorized as a competitive blood sport. The ranks of Japanese and Chinese restaurants have grown explosively in the city—to the point that good Italian and French venues (especially new ones) are becoming hard to find. Watch for the opening of Park Chinois, Alan Yau's new offering in the Gramercy Park Hotel, being renovated by Ian Schrager (not yet open at press time). Yau is known for his Wagamama and Hakkasan restaurants in London.

The British are coming! In addition to Yau, and set to be the most important culinary event of the season, is Gordon Ramsay's new, modern European venture at the $50 million, just-renovated Rihga Royal. The Rihga Royal is being converted to the London NYC hotel (not yet open at press time). Ramsay is the most famous chef in Great Britain, long associated with London's Connaught hotel and star of the popular TV show "Hell's Kitchen." In case you haven't noticed, many of today's top restaurants are now located in hotels.

There is a new term in the restaurant industry: "gastropreneur." Combining food skills with business savvy, a number of chefs are building empires that are becoming well-established brands. Ramsay and Yau are two examples. Joël Robuchon is another. His L'Atelier food studios are spreading around the globe, with one just opened in New York City. Tom Colicchio, of Gramercy Tavern fame, has recently left that establishment to develop his expanding Craft empire, made up of Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak and 'wichcraft.

Steakhouses continue to be popular, with ample new offering this year, including Craftsteak, Quality Meats, STK and Porter House New York. In all, 15 new steakhouses opened in Manhattan in 2006.

According to restaurant critic and surveyor Zagat, the number of new restaurants opened in New York dropped to 222 this year from 247 last year—indicating a possible slowing trend. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Tim Zagat commented that it is unusual that none of the top New York City restaurants opened a new establishment this year. And clearly, most of the big deal restaurants in 2006 are imports—some from Europe or Asia; some from close-by Philadelphia (Stephen Starr's Morimoto and Buddakan). And it is no surprise that the cost of an average restaurant meal increased by 5 percent in 2006. A typical meal at a mid-line Manhattan restaurant now costs, on average, close to $40 per person (meal, tip, tax and a drink), and for that expensive or better restaurant, the average is around $129 per person. Add a nice bottle or two of wine, and those totals can easily double.

Here is DDI's A-list of the best new restaurants in town. Explore, enjoy and celebrate the season.



In alphabetical order:

Blaue Gans

139 Duane St. (between Church Street and West Broadway); (212) 571-8880

Described as an Austro-German bistro, Blaue Gans (pronounced Blau-eh gahnz) is a casual, down-to-earth restaurant that serves good food, including boiled beef shoulder with applesauce and horseradish, smoked pork sausage with sauerkraut and weiner schnitzel and potato salad—all with a glass of reliable German wine. Vintage posters and a zinc bar create a simple but cozy interior for Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner's cuisine. In case you don't speak German, Blaue Gans means "blue goose."



Bouchon Bakery

Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle (at 59th Street), third floor;

(212) 823-9366

Just because it's in a shopping center, don't confuse Bouchon Bakery with Cinnabon or Sbarro. If you duck into Time Warner, you'll be thrilled to find light, gourmet-quality fare to give you an excuse for a detour from holiday shopping. Bouchon provides takeout as well as table service, and the food includes mostly sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as spectacular desserts from upscale restaurant Per Se.



Buddakan

This restaurant is probably the most impressive of the new mega-dining establishments. At 16,000 sq. ft., this two-level temple to dining was designed by Christian Liaigre for proprietor Stephen Starr, and is a combination of French and Chinese styles. The restaurant is entwined in a highly theatrical series of rooms, the most notable of which is castle-sized and houses a long table that seats 30 patrons. Giant chandeliers overhead spill dazzling light on the entire scene. The library, or "gold room," is a perfect retreat and offers a more intimate dining experience. This venue is more about the flash than the food, but the dim sum, steamed pork and Peking duck will satisfy most appetites.

Buddha Bar NYC

25 Little West 12th St. (between Ninth Avenue and Washington Street); (212) 647-7314

The hottest Parisian restaurant and nightclub now has a New York counterpart in the Meatpacking District. Low-slung lounge seating and a collection of Buddhas from Thailand, Paris and India—including a colossal 17-ft.-tall black Buddha—set the mood for the interior designed by Dupoux Design and Didi Pei (son of I.M. Pei). There is a 175-seat dining room, a 165-seat sushi parlor, a 150-seat lounge and two private Pagoda rooms. The menu seamlessly combines Japanese, French and Chinese elements, but with all that hypnotic dance music, the food isn't the point. Buddha Bar Paris has been distributing its über-cool, custom music CDs for several years now.



Café d'Alsace

1695 Second Ave. (at 88th Street); (212) 722-5133

This new Upper East Side brasserie is worth the trip Uptown for a casual, hearty evening of traditional choucroute garnie and sausage, Alsatian casserole with bacon, lamb and oxtails or lamb shanks braised in Kronenbourg lager. The offering of 110 beers is sure to satisfy any hops cravings, and the interior's tiled floors and pewter bar instill a sense of warm conviviality.



Chinatown Brasserie

380 Lafayette St. (at Great Jones Street); (212) 533-7000

This multilevel, 200-seat restaurant in NoHo was created by New York restaurateurs John McDonald and Josh Pickard of Lever House fame. The design—implemented with a budget of $6 million—resembles a glamorous Hollywood stage set recalling the elegant, exoticism of Shanghai in the '30s. The interior vibrates with red and gold, and has banquettes inspired by Chinese beds, ebonized wood trim, bamboo and glowing Chinese lanterns. Start the evening with a lychee martini from the extensive cocktail list, then proceed to steamed dumplings and lobster with E-fu noodles.



Craftsteak

85 10th Ave. (at 15th Street); (212) 400-6699

Tom Colicchio's empire continues to expand. With venues in Las Vegas, Dallas and Los Angeles, Craftsteak in New York promises steak any way you like it: T-bone or sirloin; corn- or beef-fed; Kobe from Japan or Wagyu from Australia. The restaurant is situated in the old Nabisco Biscuit Factory and was designed by Bentel and Bentel.



Gilt

455 Madison Ave. (at 50th Street); (212) 891-8100

The new bar and restaurant at the New York Palace Hotel combines the lofty and the unexpected in both its food and décor. A giant, futuristic sculpture dominates the space, which is a restoration of elegant architecture dating from America's Gilded Age of the late 19th century. In October, Christopher Lee—named one of this year's 10 "Best New Chefs" by Food & Wine magazine—took the helm as executive chef, and his signature dish, Tuna Wellington, is available on request. Other dishes include truffle potato fries, lobster sliders and a caviar service. This level of indulgence does come with a price, and the experience may not be entirely guilt-free.



Hawaiian Tropic Zone

729 Seventh Ave. (at 49th Street); (212) 626-7312

Tired of New York's bleak winters? Hungering for Hawaii? Head for the latest $11 million tropical restaurant extravaganza—16,000 sq. ft. of fantasy island in a space that covers three floors, with a dance club on the lower level. Nicole Miller has designed bikinis for waitresses, and the menu is by Chef David Burke. So, hula the night away in island style, and yes, you can get a pu pu platter.



L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Four Seasons Hotel, 57 E. 57th St.; (212) 350-6658

Michelin three-star Chef Joël Robuchon brings his L'Atelier concept, already open in Paris, Tokyo and Las Vegas, to the Four Seasons Hotel. The restaurant has tables, but the heart of the concept is counter service, where diners watch the chef prepare the food. The restaurant, created by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, was superimposed onto the hotel's original Art Deco design by I.M. Pei. Blond wood and a black-and-burgundy color scheme set the mood. Kobe and foie gras sliders (think reinvented, upscale hamburger) are a favorite of regulars.



Le Cirque

One Beacon Ct., 151 E. 58th St. (at Lexington Avenue); (212) 644-0202

The latest incarnation of Sirio Maccioni's famed Le Cirque has ditched the fancy wallpaper and crystal for buttery leather and macassar ebony wood décor. The space, designed by Adam D. Tihany, with architecture by Costas Kondylis, has a giant overhead bronze tent of shirred fabric and a towering bar wall. The menu combines familiar favorites, including warm lobster salad, bouillabaisse, glazed duck and legendary chocolate soufflé, with other more inventive dishes.



Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man

841 Broadway (between 13th and 14th streets); (212) 388-0030

This is the first American outpost of the Israeli purveyor of fine chocolate, Max Brenner. He is, by his own admission, a cocoa nut who is busy redefining the culture of chocolate in his café cum store. Chocolate pizza? Chocolate bagels? Cream Mountain Chocolate served in a hugmug? No problem. Huge vats of bubbling chocolate put out irresistible aromas, and the interior has witty cartoons on the walls.

Megu Midtown

845 U.N. Plaza (at 47th Street); (212) 964-7777

In the Trump World Tower, this Asian dining destination is less dramatic and a little more formal than its TriBeCa sibling, the original Megu. A mural of giant, exotic white tigers decorates the walls, while shimmering curtains frame the arched windows, and a 30-ft.-high ceiling adds a touch of grandiosity to the space. Dinner for two can range into the stratosphere here—up to $400—but patrons say it's well worth it, especially for the perfect Kobe beef. Penny pinchers should try the more reasonable tasting menu for $70 a person.



Morimoto

88 10th Ave. (at 16th Street); (212) 989-8883

Located in the Meatpacking District, this 160-seat restaurant, an enterprise of Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr, is home to "Iron Chef" alumnus Masaharu Morimoto. Diners enter the space through a Japanese red noren curtain that punctuates a plain, gray wall and find a multilevel interior that is all about tranquility. Japanese architect Tadao Ando orchestrates tones of pale gray concrete and ethereal white in a contemporary, clean design. Divider panels between tables give diners privacy, while a clever 20-ft.-high wall made of backlit water bottles and an undulating ceiling of plaster-coated canvas create the design ambience. Start with Morimoto sashimi, and then experience creative fusion dishes that range from Asian to Latin American.



Porter House New York

Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, fourth floor; (212) 823-9500

This steakhouse replaces Jean-Georges Vongerichten's V steakhouse, and is far more down to earth. With lots of polished wood, the design by Jeffrey Beers is counterpoint to food by Chef Michael Lomonaco, formerly of Windows on the World.



Quality Meats

57 W. 58th St. (near Sixth Avenue); (212) 371-7777

Smith & Wollensky creates a spin-off modern interpretation of the traditional steakhouse with the help of New York-based AvroKO designers. Inspired by a meat locker, the space is filled with planks of polished walnut, tile work and large steel meat hooks turned into lighting fixtures. A sculpture of a steer head greets diners at the restaurant's entry, and the overall design attains an air of contemporary, urban hipness—aimed at a younger steakhouse clientele.



STK

26 Little West 12th St. (near Ninth Avenue); (646) 624-2444

This steakhouse in the Meatpacking District is tricked-out in sleek black and white with lots of lacquer, tile and faux crocodile. Steaks abound, but the menu offers other options as well.

Kyotofu, at 705 W. Ninth Ave. (between 48th and 49th streets), in the Meatpacking District, has a Japanese Mod interior designed by Hiromi Tsuruta (who also designed Jewel Bako). Drinks, like black sesame shochu, complement green tea chocolate-dipped okara cookies and Kuromame black bean coffee cake.

Pinkberry, at 7 W. 32nd St. (near Fifth Avenue), is a Los Angeles import that makes an exceptional frozen yogurt that comes in exotic flavors including green tea topped with blackberries. The ultra-modern décor features Philippe Starck chairs in a minimalist interior. Additional units are soon expected around the city.



Tavalon Tea Bar, at 22 E. 14th St., has an in-house DJ and a tea sommelier. The shop is a sliver of space that sells an array of exotic teas and tea equipment, as well as pastries from 'wichcraft, Amai Tea & Bakery House and Balthazar Bakery.