Perched above the juncture of Madison Square Garden and New York's famed Garment District, VERSA merges these worlds to create a rooftop and restaurant experience like no other.
Located on the fifth floor of the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel, VERSA Rooftop & Restaurant reopened in June with its 8,000 square-foot open-air rooftop that features stunning outdoor views of the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. It’s a fantastic venue to enjoy delicious shareable bites and entrees outdoors without the trucks and traffic on the road.
Crispy Calamari and Shishitos
Perfect for sharing, the Crispy Calamari are fried and crisped to perfection with fried herbs, and served with a side of ranch and marinara sauce for added flavor of creaminess and savoriness. The Shishitos are sprinkled with garlic nooch and sea salt. Squeeze a fresh lemon on top for that perfect bite of this healthy treat.
Burrata and Chicken Bites
A few other dishes that are perfect for sharing are Burrata. This beautifully presented dish features creamy burrata on top of port and cider apple chutney with apple crisps, honey comb, apple blossom, and thin bread crisps. The Chicken Bites come with an option of being smothered in classic buffalo sauce or salt and vinegar.
Halibut and Bucatini
The standout of the night was the Halibut, a tasty filet topped with leek butter and served atop creamy butternut squash sauce with charred broccoli. The al dente Bucatini can be prepared as cacio e pepe or amatriciana - you can't go wrong with either option.
NYC officially welcomed indoor dining on September 30, 2020, after nearly 6 months of shutdown. I had the opportunity to dine at Philippe by Philippe Chow, which installed the NPBI By GPS (NPBI) technology by Scientific Fire Prevention into its HVAC units to mitigate the risk of viral transmission indoors.
Philippe by Philippe Chow, an upscale Chinese restaurant that delivers a luxurious dining experience with fine dishes like peking duck and filet mignon with oyster sauce, recently opened its door to indoor dining. Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a friendly staff who checked my temperature. I also had to fill out a form with my contact information. The restaurant collaborated with Scientific Fire Prevention to install the NPBI By GPS (NPBI) technology into its HVAC units. NPBI is one of the most effective practices available to mitigate the risk of viral transmission indoors. The technology has been proven to eradicate 99.4 percent of airborne COVID-19 particles within 30 minutes.
As the weather was getting colder, I certainly appreciated the option to dine indoor. Knowing that the restaurant installed the NPBI technology to ensure the air throughout the venue is being purified while the HVAC system is running, I also felt a sense of assurance on its sanitation. Unlike any other technology on the market, Needlepoint BiPolar Ionization (NPBI) is proven to specifically inactivate COVID-19 particles without producing ozone and environmental harm.
TO START
To start, my friend and I shared a bowl of Won Ton Soup. One order contains 8 pieces of plump, juicy won tons that are filled with your choice of chicken or pork. The soup had generous amount of chopped scallions. Another signature appetizer is the Chicken Satay, prepared on a skewer with Chef Chow's famous peanut sauce. The chicken paired with the nutty sauce was absolutely divine.
VEGETABLES
The Crispy Seaweed is another appetite pleaser. As the name suggests, the chopped pieces of seaweed is prepared perfectly crispy with candied walnuts for added crunchiness. The Vegetable Stir Fry in garlic sauce consists of generous portion of vegetables like mushroom, zucchini, bean sprouts, and bok choy.
FAMILY STYLE ENTREES
All entrees at Philippe are served family style. For a healthier option, steamed preparations are available upon request. The Slow Roasted Pork Butt features delicious, juicy pieces of pork slices in honey barbecue sauce over a bed of sugar snap peas. For a little adventure out to the ocean, try the Chilean Sea Bass, which are sliced thin with half black bean sauce and half ginger-garlic sauce for a taste of Yin and Yang. Finally, my personal favorite was the Beijing Chicken. Bite-sized pieces of chicken breast is stir-fried in sweet red bean sauce with walnuts.
NOODLES AND RICE
Also perfect for sharing are the Chicken Fried Rice, which is served in a metal bowl full of chicken pieces and vegetable medley fried in rice, as well as Tofu Lo Mein featuring tasty noodles with julienne vegetables and fried tofu.
DESSERT
As a palate cleanser after a hearty meal, this trio of sorbet is the perfect way to end your culinary journey. The flavors included cherry, green apple, and lemon - all of which were absolutely delightful and refreshing.
From outdoor dining in the patio to the mini market in the lower level featuring local purveyors and vendors, the Market Line is a one-of-a-kind space where guests can eat, shop, and enjoy.
Located in the heart of the Lower East Side, the Market Line at Essex Crossing, a massive food hall that opened in November 2019, now offers an outdoor dining area in the corner of Norfolk and Delancey Street. From pork soup dumplings and jumbo pretzel to charcuterie board and chicken wings, guests can enjoy delicious food from various local vendors through contactless ordering and payment on their phone.
Charcuterie Board and Jumbo Pretzel - Schaller and Weber
Schaller and Weber is an old-school German market and butcher shop with an original location in the Upper East Side. It has been specializing in authentic German meat and sausages for 80 years. The Charcuterie Board features a variety of smoked charcuterie served with pickles and fig cake, including Bundnerfleisch (dry-cured, smoked beef), Smoked Coppa (dry-cured, smoked pork shoulder butt), Speck (dry-cured, smoked ham), and Garlic and Peppercorn Uncured Salami (smoked pork salami). Pair it with a side of Jumbo Pretzel. Served warm, the delicious imported Bavarian pretzel is perfectly dippable in the Schaller and Weber Bavarian-style mustard.
Creamy Crab Dip - Essex Pearl / Tortilleria Nixtamal
Essex Pearl, a seafood market and kitchen that specializes in freshly caught fish, and Tortilleria Nixtamal, which makes 100 percent fresh corn tortillas and home-style Mexican food, partnered to create the Creamy Crab Dip. Indulge in creamy, cheesy dip made with wild caught crab with crunchy Nixtamal Tortilla Chips.
Pork Soup Dumplings - Nom Wah
Nom Wah is a famous institution in New York that has been serving dim sum and dumplings since 1920. Each order of the Pork Soup Dumplings features four juicy dumplings filled with broth. The best way to devour these dumplings are by placing them on a spoon, pouring a little bit of soy sauce and vinegar, and poking a hole in the wrapper to release the juices.
Puerto Rican Bowls - Que Chevere
Que Chevere serves home-cooked quality Puerto Rican food. The different bowls you can get include the Que Chevere Bowl (choice of rotisserie chicken or slow roasted pork shoulder served on top of a bed of arroz con gandules with potato salad), Chicharron de Pollo Bowl (boneless chunks of chicken breast tossed in authentic Puerto Rican seasonings before being flash-fried, and served with papas fritas and house sauces), or Mofongo Bowl (a sphere of smashed plantains seasoned with garlic, oil, and Puerto Rican spices, and topped with scallions, sofrito-tomato sauce, and a choice of protein like roast pork, fried chicken, or shrimp).
