The Other Critics

Gael Greene Is Knocked Out at Tulsi; Cheshes Fears Changes at Lotus of Siam

At the Fat Radish, “there was a marvelously rich cut of duck rillettes to pair with onion jam, mustard and thick toast. It could be the restaurant’s best dish,” says Sam Sifton. “The monkfish [vindaloo] was well cooked, but the sauce was too thin and flavorless to stand up to its meatiness.” [NYT]
Related: The NYC Dining World According to Sam Sifton: A Pop Quiz!

Lotus of Siam has “beautifully crispy duck in a sumptuous panang curry sauce enriched with cognac,” writes Jay Cheshes. “Whether the restaurant’s best days are already behind it remains to be seen. Last week, in one of the fastest restaurant-world divorces in memory, the new Lotus of Siam split with the old one.” [TONY]
Related: Adam Platt on Lotus of Siam

Delmonico’s “contemporary rendition [of Lobster Newberg] ($49, now spelled “Newburg”) remains impressive,” says Robert Sietsema. “The restaurant now serves a boneless rib-eye, and it’s a beauty — an elongated mass of pink flesh, charred on top and bottom, the fat so good you won’t be able to resist gobbling every trace.” [VV]

At Niko, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt finds the yellowtail “glistening fresh,” the seafood “fresh and subtle,” and the food quite good, but “while certain guests were fawned on and chatted up, others, like myself, were made to feel like the riff-raff we are.” [Serious Eats]

Tulsi’s menu “replays several favorites from Devi,” writes Gael Greene. “The coconut-scented green chile-spiked shrimp and crab stuffed into a pappadam … is a knockout.” [Insatiable Critic]
Related: First Look at Hemant Mathur’s Tulsi

Momofuku Ssäm Bar’s $350 Super Bowl package “includes nachos with cheese, macaroni with chorizo and other things that are harmful to your health, involves languishing on your couch and drinking cheap bourbon,” says Ryan Sutton. “The sugar-coated, slow-roasted pork is just as good at home. It feeds as many as 10 people, and it rocks.” [Bloomberg]

At Mono + Mono, “skip the small plates and sushi and split a large order [of Korean fried chicken] ($21.95 — get half-spicy, half-sweet),” says Lauren Shockey. “It’s so good, really, that it makes up for the rest of the menu, which isn’t bad but rarely hits a high note.” [VV]
Related: Mono + Mono Looking to Expand

“To make a reservation or a purchase at Bohemian, you have to be recommended by a regular,” says Lizzie Widdicombe. “But the entrées — crispy-skinned chicken with mashed potatoes, pan-roasted branzini with baby Brussels sprouts, a quality burger, a skippable risotto — are not exactly destination food.” [NYer]

Gael Greene Is Knocked Out at Tulsi; Cheshes Fears Changes at Lotus of Siam