Dining Out, New York Style

NEW YORK. NEW York.

It's hard to give up the cliches of the Big Apple. From the "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" optimism to the glitter of Times Square - even if the Hollywood version is so much better than the garish, hard-sell, tourist-infested reality.

And then there's the infamous New York service - the strange, no-tip-no-service culture that is such a jolt to our Asian senses. Or to put it in a Singaporean way, "tip also no service type". Not even in a Singapore-owned hotel near Times Square, where the rooms have no minibars (unless you ask for one), housekeeping is a privilege not a right, and bell captains think nothing of telling you off if you inconvenience them. Where's the Imperial Tokyo when you need it?

But one cliche that doesn't quite hold up anymore is the idea that the New York dining scene is limited to steakhouses, cheap pizza and sky-high priced dining in the form of Per Se or Eleven Madison Park.

The city's food scene is booming, and it feels like it's busting at the seams in terms of the variety available. It's as if an entire city woke up hungry and craving not just cronuts or face-sized hamburgers, but an entire United Nations of snacks from Xi An pulled noodles to Indian stuffed prata rolls. To venture into Chelsea Market on a Saturday afternoon requires the skills of a commando trained to navigate tight spaces and pressing mobs. If you can make a reservation at a hot restaurant here, you can make one anywhere. And woe betide you should you be in the city for a short visit that includes a Sunday and Monday, when most independent restaurants close.

But, this is New York, and something is always open and chances are, it will be good.

TRENDS IN THE CITY

"New York is always reinventing itself, and restaurants are going through that same metamorphosis," says chef-restaurateur Michael Lomonaco, who runs Porter House New York and Center Bar in 10, Columbus Circle, known for its high-end restaurants including the acclaimed sushi restaurant Masa.

"The restaurant world now is a combination of small restaurants with entrepreneurial owners, and those who are partnered with bigger companies like hotels or real estate developers who are opening up fine dining restaurants in their private buildings, just for those who live there. A few buildings have tried that and more are doing the same.

"Hotel dining has changed and continues to do so by drawing top-line chefs to operate in their hotels. And now, instead of big hotels opening, you see a lot of smaller, boutique ones opening in off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods like Flatiron or Gramercy, and they are also partnering with chefs to open a restaurant or do a food service concept."

He also credits chef David Chang for democratising fine dining, which, in line with the rest of the world, has become less about "accoutrements and affectations" and more about "fine food, fine ingredients and the experience of dining itself rather than the setting."

While Porter House is "in the upper echelon" of dining, he also shares the same philosophy, focusing more on "hospitality, with really good ingredients prepared with minimal affectation".

He, too, will be part of a new city trend when he opens a large, more casual restaurant in Hudson Yards, a mammoth retail and residential project that's the largest development since Rockefeller Centre. Built over disused train tracks, the 18 million sq ft project is set to open next year, with more than a few tourists and locals waiting with bated breath for sure.

KOREAN WAVE

Korean food has always been good in New York but in the last few years, with the boom in K-pop culture, it has become the hottest cuisine - in more ways than one - with highly acclaimed restaurants such as Atoboy and its new sibling Atomix earning two and three stars respectively from the New York Times, and Cote - a Korean steakhouse which opened in 2017 and swiftly earned itself a Michelin star.

"I definitely feel a new Korean wave taking place in New York right now," says Simon Kim, chef-owner of Cote, who was born in Seoul but raised on Long Island. While historically, the Asian population has created individual pockets in the city, populated mainly by first generation immigrants who opened dry cleaners and restaurants to support themselves, times have changed. "Now, we're working with really talented and professional chefs such as Cote's executive chef David Shim, who worked for Joel Robuchon and Gramercy Tavern. I myself worked with Thomas Keller and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. There are more focused individuals who are passionate about the business and taking the rick to combine creativity and culture."

He agrees that the dining scene has changed drastically in the past five years, and while classic fine dining won't go out of style, "There's a second wave, like NoHo Hospitality, Major Food Group, Momofuku, etc, which are creating really interactive experiences."

With Cote, he's taking the ubiquitous Korean barbecue and elevating the experience. "I basically wanted to marry New York steakhouse culture and my perspective on beef with my Korean background to make something unpretentious and profoundly unique."

In the case of Bobby Yoon of Yoon Haeundae Galbi on West 36th Street, it was about bringing a taste of family tradition to New York that made him open this upscale Korean barbecue in the city. His grandfather opened the original Haeundae Sommunan Amso Galbijip in Busan, Korea, and it is still a destination restaurant in the area.

Mr Yoon, who studied in the US and wanted to open a branch in Seoul, was dissuaded by his father, which led him to bring the concept to New York, where Korean galbi was still not as well known. The result is a cool barbecue restaurant serving traditional dishes in modern surroundings - where your meat is grilled at your table by hunky Korean servers.

The meat is from Nebraska and raised similarly to Korean cows and the signature is the haeundae cut galbi or short ribs, a technique pioneered by Mr Yoon's grandfather to tenderise the meat.

Mr Yoon reckons that it would have been harder to open a restaurant like his five years ago - in fact he took over his current premises from another Korean barbecue restaurant. "But now there are so many options and New Yorkers want variety. And now there are a lot more cultures who are offering it."

NEW AGE CONCEPTS

Up on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental New York, something is bubbling. Smoke is spewing out of a round glass beaker but don't panic, it's just Boom Goes the Dynamite - one of the quirky drinks at The Aviary - a cool cocktail bar created by cutting edge chef Grant Achatz of Chicago's acclaimed Alinea.

Along with other playful bites like truffle popcorn and gigantic pork skin crackling dusted with vinegar powder, the Aviary - and its adjacent speakeasy-like bar The Office - is a magnet for visitors looking for breezy eats and a view of the city skyline.

The Aviary and The Office are a joint venture with Alinea, and its first outside Chicago, says Sebastien Loffler, who is director of the two outlets but is part of the hotel group.

Because of its more avant-garde approach, the Aviary naturally attracts mostly out-of-towners and hotel guests who like the experience, while local New Yorkers tend to gravitate towards the quieter Office, says Mr Loffler.

In the hotel landscape, he adds that the opening of the Aviary and Office last year was one of the first major openings in a long time for a five star hotel which generally shies away from opening restaurants, unlike in other countries.

"The nature of New York is that people are willing to pay a lot for hotel rooms but not spend much time in the hotel. The city is awake for 24 hours so they want to be out to experience it."

Most hotels tend to avoid opening restaurants because of the large investment and the difficulty in sustaining them. "They either outsource it or operate some variant of all-day-dining. One of my favourite examples is the Park Hyatt, which has a little hidden burger joint, and it's really successful."

Trendy Eats Le Coucou

Modern French bistros seem to be all the rage in New York, and Le Coucou has gotten extra mileage for the reason that chef Daniel Rose has returned to the US after a successful stint in Paris, where he earned praise as an American chef who could cook French food well enough to impress the locals.

His restaurant on Lafayette street on the edge of Chinatown is large and quite fancy, with dramatic chandeliers and fair-faced brick walls. Service is superficially friendly with a dash of snootiness, and their idea of a recommendation is to pick the more expensive dishes.

Lunch is a decent US$54 for two courses with an extra US$8 for a lobster salad to start. Americans like their food salty and acidic so those flavours dominate the lobster with a lime and mustard beurre blanc, as well as the bavette steak with escargots and shiitake mushrooms.

By Singapore standards, Le Coucou doesn't really shine, so we're not sure what the fuss is about. It's a great setting though, and of course, being in New York does give it that edge, regardless.

138 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10013, USA. Tel: +1 212-271-4252

Frenchette

Touted as the place where all the Wall Street bankers go to, you expect something a little more conducive to big money negotiations and showing off.

Instead, Frenchette is a cosy, unassuming and totally chill smart-casual place where servers wear jeans under their aprons. Charming flower sketches on the walls, dark wood tables and leather banquettes seal the deal.

The food is unstuffy and good - a piping hot soup poisson with no discernible seafood but well-defined bisque-like flavour served with crunchy buttered toast and aioli; crispy-skinned cod in an nduja-enhanced bean stew; delicious Poire Belle Helene - perfect poached pear, chocolate cream core and sticky chewy vanilla ice cream.

Their hero dish of bottarga pasta isn't available but we're perfectly happy with the quality of the food and pricing with the soup at US$15 and the fish at US$26.

It's supposed to be hard to get a table but lunch was easy enough to snag and the ala carte menu is substantial enough without feeling like you're missing anything.

241 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013, USA

SIN-NY Nonstop flight

Flying to New York is now as simple as going onboard, kicking off your shoes and enjoying a smooth long haul flight with no layover hassles in between. Singapore Airlines launched the world's longest flight on October 18, 2018 on the new Airbus 350-900ULR aircraft from Singapore to Newark, clocking in at just under 18 hours.

With that amount of time, watch all the movies you want on Krisworld or catch up on work with the high-speed inflight WiFi.

Fuel up on healthy cuisine curated by Canyon Ranch spa, and follow the ambient lighting to prep your body against jet lag. Snuggle into spacious business class seats and surprisingly roomy premium economy seats.

SIA flies daily to New York. For more details go to singaporeair.com

The writer was a guest of Singapore Airlines