Top 9 Innovative Dishes You Must Try At NYC’s #1 Restaurant For Foodies

Embark on a culinary journey to explore the impressive menu at Kingsley, a modern American restaurant in Alphabet City of NYC that was voted as OpenTable’s #1 restaurant “Fit for Foodies.” Opened in December 2015, this hidden gem by the talented young Chef Roxanne Spruance seamlessly fuses seasonal, market-driven ingredients to all of its mouthwatering offerings.

Charred Octopus ($14)

Pieces of perfectly charred octopus that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside sit atop a bed of dandelion greens with pine nut butter. The foamy garlic milk adds a dimension of fun.

Roasted Bone Marrow ($14)

Rich bone marrow topped with shallot, tarragon, braised beef tongue, and tempura bites has all the flavors and texture you will ever desire. Wash down the richness of the dish with a shot of date-sherry.

Morel Mushrooms ($17)

Well-seasoned, chewy morel mushrooms is garnished with wood sorrel and dashi. You will want a spoon to eat this vegetarian dish to soak in all the poached egg yolk underneath the mushroom.

Chawanmushi ($15)

A classic dish found at a Japanese restaurant, Chef Roxanne’s chawanmushi (egg and dashi custard) has elevated to a new level. The fruity and savory flavors from king crab, green strawberries, buddah’s hand, rhubarb, and lovage are addicting to your palate.

Celeriac Agnolotti ($17)

Experience the ultimate flavor-and-texture firework in your mouth with this dish, which fuses rich seared foie gras, savory mesquite cake, and celeriac agnolotti with crunchy sunflower and sweet black pepper gastrique.

Mushroom Noodles ($15)

This glazed wide rice noodle dish is reminiscent of pad see ew, but with much more complex and sophisticated taste. Enjoy the variety of wild mushrooms sauteed in sweet soy sauce with Asian broccoli and silky rice noodle.

Scallops ($32)

Three beautifully seared, plump scallops maintain tyeir perfectly juicy and tender textures on the inside. The colorful beets are pleasing both to the eyes and the mouth. The flavor of the dish is further enhanced by the likes of horseradish, white soy ponzu, and wasabi

Monkfish ($29)

The monkfish, while slightly on the dry side, is drizzled with citrus-y, yuzu glaze and mint yogurt. The fish sits on a bed of crunchy green almonds and English peas.

Yuzu Curd ($13)

The combination of thick, rich yuzu cream with pate sucree, or pastry dough enriched with egg yolks and suga, is absolutely irresistible. The garnish on top is even more elaborate - rhubarb, crunchy pistachio, thin, crispy sugar “wall,” and a whisk of cotton candy that just melts in your mouth. You got yourself the perfect dessert to wrap up this amazing culinary journey.

Top 5 American Comfort Food With A Modern, Elevated Twist at Del Frisco's Grille in NYC

1. Cheesesteak Eggrolls

A fusion of America (Philly cheesesteak) and China’s (eggrolls) signature dishes, the Cheesesteak Eggrolls at Del Frisco’s Grille is an absolute must. Perfect for sharing, the crispy eggrolls are stuffed with savory cheesesteak and drizzled with sweet and spicy chili sauce and honey mustard.

2. Jumbo Lump Crabcake

A fist-sized crabcake, made with lump crab meat and topped with micro greens, sits on top of spicy cajun lobster sauce that is both rich and creamy. Unlike other crabcake, this one is as pure as it gets - real, sweet and juicy crab meat without the unnecessary, extra fillers.

3. Filet Mignon

Del Frisco’s Grille lives up to its reputation as America’s greatest steakhouse by serving one of the best filet mignon ever. Cooked perfectly rare (you can, of course, request it to be cooked any way you want), the filet mignon has beautifully pink center with grilled edges. The absolutely juicy steak that just melts in your mouth is topped with peppercorn for additional flavor.

4. A Trio of Vegetable Sides

The sides at this steakhouse is as delicious as the main course itself. The crispy sweet potato fries, pan-braised wild mushrooms, and shaved brussels sprouts with bacon all complement the steak well.

5. Coconut Cream Pie

Inspired by Boston cream pie, the Coconut Cream Pie is presented just as the name suggests. On top of a mound of fresh cream are toasted & fresh coconut flakes and white chocolate shavings. The pie is surrounded by crunchy crust made with Nila crackers, which is much sweeter and has more vanilla flavor than other typical crusts.

Embark On A Meticulous Journey Through The Study Of Beef At A Japanese-Inspired Steakhouse In SF

Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably heard of Alexander’s Steakhouse. The Lamborghini, Chanel, and Rolex of steakhouses, Alexander’s is more than just a place where diners drop hundreds of dollars on premium cuts of beef. For me, it was also an immersive journey and a guided study of beef in which I had the opportunity to explore different cooking techniques, textures, and flavors.

Hamachi Shot ($30)

My dining experience at Alexander’s began with the Hamachi Shot ($30) from the Bites menu. Each shot glass contained fresh hamachi sashimi with a slice of avocado, serrano pepper, cilantro, julienne radish, and crispy garlic mixed with yuzu-soy sauce. The dish was not only pleasing to the eyes, but also to the mouth. I loved the complex dynamic among different textures, from the tender hamachi to the creamy avocado.

Dry-Aged Kagoshima Wagyu ($30)

The Dry-Aged Kagoshima Wagyu ($30), also from the Bites menu, was such a tease to the mouth. A thinly sliced, beautifully marbled Kagoshima wagyu was wrapped over marinated eryngi mushroom. I could taste the fire from the piece of beef that was seared in binchotan (Japanese white charcoal).This juicy, melt-in-your-mouth wagyu roll was rubbed with yuzu to add an interesting citrus flavor.

Uni Toast ($9)

The final item from the Bites menu, the Uni Toast ($9) truly highlighted Alexander’s unique incorporation of Japanese cuisine at a steakhouse. Atop a buttery, marrow toasted brioche slabbed with thousand island dressing laid creamy uni and braised oxtail with thinly sliced seaweed. The buttery, creamy flavor from the brioche, uni, and the thousand island dressing was a bit excessive for my personal preference, but the extremely tender oxtail balanced out the flavor with its savoriness.

Marin Roots Local Greens ($14)

Don’t expect plain lettuce and croutons when you order a salad at Alexander’s. TheMarin Roots Local Greens ($14), served in a delicate ceramic bowl, contained fresh greens, onsen egg, and crispy squash chips tossed in green goddess dressing and seasoned with yuzu-kosho. The egg yolk dripped all over the salad to provide creamy texture that balanced well with the crispy squash chips and crunchy greens.

Tajima F1 from Australia ($48 for 3oz)

The main act at Alexander’s, of course, was the steak. Ranging from filet mignon to porterhouse to wagyu, Alexander’s steak menu boasted an impressive collection of cuts and varieties. Our knowledgeable waiter recommended the Tajima F1 from Australia ($48 for 3oz) based on our predilection for leaner cuts. Because this medium rare steak was so lean, I would recommend getting a more marbled cut if you want the much desired, melt-in-your mouth texture. We were given a tray of 12 different salts from around the world to pair with the steak. I wished the beef had been seasoned even more lightly so that adding additional sodium wouldn’t seem overindulgent.

Sides of Butternut Squash ($12), Wild Mushrooms ($16), Shichimi Fries ($14)

Alexander’s offered a wide variety of sides, all of which highlighted a unique blend of flavors. While a bit too sweet, I enjoyed the Butternut Squash ($12) with garlic, harissa, and toasted pepitas in maple vinegar, as well as the Wild Mushrooms ($16) featuring at least four different types of mushrooms sauteed in shiro shoyu with yuzu and topped with chives. The thin-cut, extra crispy Shichimi Fries ($14) was served with a side of tonkatsu aioli with sun-dried tomato.

Carrot Cake Souffle ($16)

For a sweet ending to the savory meal, my guest and I shared the Carrot Cake Souffle ($16). Because the souffle is made to order, it took about 15 minutes for the dessert to arrive. The waiter dropped a generous pour of orange whiskey sauce and a scoop of cream cheese ice cream into the soft, fluffy souffle. The intensity of the orange whiskey sauce unfortunately overpowered other flavors in the souffle, but I still enjoyed the fluffy texture that reminded me of cotton candy. The dessert also included a pair of pecan shortbread topped with a dollop of cream cheese and real carrots.

Alexander’s Steakhouse is by no means an everyday, neighborhood steakhouse given its price tag, but add it to your list of places to dine for special occasion.