Aruba: July 2019
Early morning flight was smooth and uneventful, and New York was having a beautiful, partially cloudy day. Debated visiting the K family, but when they checked my schedule, they recommended against it-- they didn't want me risking missing the sunset!
Got to the Tudor City overpass with an hour to spare, only to find it significantly more crowded than expected. Ended up next to some professionals who clearly knew what they were doing and learned a few useful tips, as well as the fact that the very best viewing spots were occupied as early as 6am in the morning. o_0
Not quite sure it was worth a special trip, but it was definitely a very New York experience?
Dinner that night was inspired by an earlier discussion with Sam about tempura, and his previous food exploration in New York. Tempura Matsui did a delicious meal, as is expected for a 1*. The foie gras infused egg custard was silky and subtle, the uni tempura was as absurdly rich as it sounds, yet not heavy. Whitefish with the spine cooked separately was perhaps the second-best item; did not know tempura could be raised to this level! The refresher in the middle was a chilled tomato/lime/jelly that was a perfect break.
Abalone (again, yum!), shrimp, white asparagus, baby corn, red snapper, lotus, the ten don... all good to excellent or even better. Added on king crab (good but would skip) after the set menu was done, as well as the scallop- which was by far the best item of the night. Friggin' amazing.
Given the variety of the food scene in New York as well as limited stomach space, I'm curious if one could come here just for the scallop and the whitefish, then nosh elsewhere?
Wandered a bit afterwards to walk off dinner, then realized it was kind of late. Staying near Grand Central was convenient for many reasons, but limiting for food options. Dessert ended up being Shake Shack.