Last night we had a quick look at the Time Out New York guide to choose a restaurant. We thought Italian would be nice and after a quick glance decided on Il Buco on Bond Street between Lafayette and Bowery. The restaurant has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, maybe a few too many pots dangling from the ceiling, but otherwise nice and unpretentious. The service was adept and unintrusive, the sommelière a competent master of the impressive wine list, which comprised of not only excellent Italian, but just as impressive French and Spanish wines.

The food was simply the best I ate in any restaurant, ever. The Chef Ignacio Mattos, trained in Argentina and cooks the most accomplished classic italian meal - I repeat myself - I ever ate in a restaurant. All produce used were clearly of high quality and very fresh. For starters I had gambas: cast-iron seared Hawaiian king prawns with rosemary, garlic and chili, - perfectly delicious. Sarah had fantastic baccala (salted cod) in a claypot with potatoes and Uwe had cast-iron seared calamari with chickpeas, red onion, currants, dandelion greens and aioli.
As a primi I had a heavenly risotto with fave, goats cheese and chilli - I could hardly believe how simple yet absolutely delicate this risotto was.
My cowardly friends had decided on a two course meal, so I was left to feast on this one alone ;-)

My main course was a delicate sea bass, seared, with a mint and garlic sauce, on a bed of cold potatoe and cellery salad with a white balsamico dressing... This was a dish fit for kings. I could taste every single ingredient in its own delicacy and each complemented the other perfectly - this was absolute bliss. Sarah had the risotto I had as primi and Uwe had a lasagne - of which I didn't taste as I was too busy with my own little feast, - apparently it was delicious too.

I'm running out of superlatives, but the seasonal fruit tart surrounded by a delicate chocolate crust I had for dessert made my love for this restaurant complete. I had a beautiful Italian port to go with it. Sarah and Uwe shared a fabulous torta di aranccia with honey ice-cream.
The Nebbiolo wine we had was good, but in hindsight we shouldn't have set the $ 70 limit for ourselves, as this outstanding meal really would have asked for an outstanding wine - and for this we would have paid double... Prices otherwise are very reasonable at Il Buco, a main course is at around $ 24.-

We will be back :-)

www.ilbuco.net

Hours:
Lunch Tuesday-Saturday 12 PM to 3:30 PM
Dinner Monday-Thursday 6 PM to 12 AM
Friday & Saturday 6 PM to 1 AM
Sunday 5 PM to 12 AM

Location:
47 Bond Street (between Lafayette & Bowery)

Contact:
Phone: 212.533.1932
Fax: 212.533.3502
Email: ilbuco@ilbuco.com

Reservations:
Make a reservation online
Phone: 212.533.1932

Subway:
* #6 to Bleecker Street at Lafayette
* N & R to 8th Street or Prince St
* B,D,F,Q to Broadway/Lafayette

Credit cards accepted Amex, Master Card & Visa
Reservations recommended

Finally I get to eat at Blue Ribbon Sushi again

Seaweed salad

Unagi inside out wrapped in cucumber

Tuna salad with ponchu sauce

Salmon skin special roll

Unagi special roll

And the heavenly greentea creme brulé

It was like I remembered it, nice place and outstanding food.

Blue Ribbon Sushi, 119 Sullivan Streen, Soho , New York City
Tel 212 343 0404
www.blueribbonrestaurants.com

While waiting for our Table at Blue Ribbon Sushi we spontaneously went to this tiny Restaurant.
Beside the Bar they have room for 3 Tables at one of them a very old and very italian coupe was eating penna all pomodoro. This must be like Little italy used to be.

Cafe Tina, 184 Prince Street, Soho, New York City

Wild asparagus alla Sir Nick with ramson and lemon dressing.

Salad of barba di frate, shiitake mushrooms and cucumber.

Semi-dried tuna fish

Rondini with salt and butter - no better way to eat them!

Tonight we had to most expensive fish & chips ever - the worlds first ever sustainably-farmed, organic cod.
It was unexpectedly light and flaky in it's texture - very nice indeed.
It comes from "No Catch" from Scotland, an very interesting project.

Read more about No Catch

Fresh vietnamese spring rolls are among my favorite dishes. Take rice paper and moister it with wet kitchen paper. I find making a staple with layers of rice paper and kitchen paper the easiest way. The delicate rice paper is easy to handle like this. I serve lots plates with the different ingredients and let the people roll their own rolls. Typical ingredients (for people who don't eat meat) are shrimps, crab meat, thai basil, cilantro, rice noodles and mint.
Serve them with the two classic vietnamese dips Nuoc cham and peanut sauce.

Vietnamese Bean & Peanut Dipping Sauce
(tuong goi cuon)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup ground roasted peanuts (add more if you like)
- 1/4 cup salted or fermented whole soybeans
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp chopped shallots
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Vietnamese style chilli paste in vinegar (sambal oelek) - optional

1. Add to a blender or food processor, the soybeans, water, coconut milk,
brown sugar, shallots and vinegar. Blend into a smooth liquid.

2. Add mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil on moderate heat.

3. Reduce heat to simmer and add peanuts and sambal oelek (chilli).

4. Cook on simmer for 5 minutes or more and your sauce has thickened.

5. Serve when cooled down.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
(Nuoc Cham)

Ingredients:
- 4 Thai bird’s eye chillies, chopped finely or 1 tsp sambal oelek (chilli paste)
- 4 pips of garlic, pounded or chopped finely
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 5 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/3 cup lukewarm water

Mix everything together in a medium sized bowl and make sure the sugar dissolves well.