Caviar Russe @ NYC

New York is not for everyone, you either embrace it or you are disaffected. I guess I fell in love with the city because of its vibrancy. You strut around Times Square and you will find all representatives from all corners of the world. Yes, its touristy and probably 90% of the people there are not Americans but thats part of the fun, like a party for all planetarians. People there are generally "happy" cause who's not happy when they are on holidays. Its relatively safe too as the police are everywhere.



You move away from Times Square from Midtown to Uptown and you find the working folks, people moving about purposefully. They walk fast but not as fast as HKers for sure. There is a strong Jewish community but also Italians, and in recent years the Chinese, Koreans and "Spanish-people" have taken a larger share of the pie. There is little animosity among various races. Its a city where if you work hard, you are deemed good enough to work and live and play in the city.

The first thing that will shock you is the proliferation of Starbucks, there is every 50-100 meters, I am not kidding you and they are always well patronised.



You move downtown and it starts going downhill on Broadway, The shops get less glamorous and looks more Petaling Street. The prime real estate is surrounding Central Park for sure.

You can categorise the things you want to do in NYC. Shopping (I mean serious shopping) .... sight seeing ... musicals, plays and jazz clubs. So you need to plan well. I also put in food as another category. Besides the street food, pizza, delis and hotdogs (man, I have had 3 Papaya Dogs already) ... there are great restaurants in NYC. The really good ones you have to book like 3-4 months ahead of time such as Per Se, Momofuku or Daniel. But there are still plenty left. This round I have booked at Caviar Russe, Aquavit and Tocqueville. 



I love caviar, though you can get them in Asia, you won't get a restaurant that specialises in caviar. Its an extravagance that I indulge in whenever I am here. Caviar Russe is one such place, thats what you get with the Russian Jewish influence.

Its always wonderful when someone tries to specialise cause you know their passion is evident for all to see. Do one thing really well and you will gain respect.



(hamachi with caviar and garlic flakes)

Look at the menu, its got all the top notch vodkas in the world and their caviar menu is sooo complete. You can have a special caviar round the world tasting menu, or sample their other dishes that caviar would complement. Its a big treat. 


(duck pate with dashi and caviar)


(not a fan of vodka, so its Hendricks gin n tonic for me and a dry SB)


(this was amazing, wobbling egg yolk, grits, caviar with truffle foam)


(another heavenly combination of very fresh sea urchin, caviar and dashi jelly ... wish I had a bowl of rice)


(fluke fish with seasonal mushrooms and caviar)

One might be tinged with a sense of guilt when you indulge. Its always easy to enjoy but when you walk out into the streets you will see homeless people. Our everyday life we are filled with such imbalances. I think we all should strive for success and enjoy them when possible, not forgetting our other obligations. It is the search and striving for better things in life that has made humankind progress. Its always hard to defend against excesses. I don't eat like this every week but when the opportunity presents itself, I will gladly have the experience. Life is too short.

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