Lovers: Sake Bar Hagi

We were three girls (like triplets wearing similar shades of blushing nude & black) with no plans with our male counterparts on Valentine's Day, so we decided to hit up the highly rated Izakaya, Sake Bar Hagi for dinner. Peach sake, Japanese tapas, and spending Vday with my two favorite girls in the big city... how could the dude top that? 

We had some trouble finding it at first because the sign wasn't very clear. We hopped into another Japanese sake bar next door, but immediately knew it was not it after seeing all the empty tables inside! But we politely asked, "Is this Sake Bar Hagi?" "No, that's next door. But we have sake too!" They must get that question a lot, but props to him for trying to get some business from us! The sake bar was downstairs in the basement and I must warn you, it's a tight squeeze to get in there. They don't take reservations, so you just have to try your luck with this one. The fact that it's always mad busy does not help, and for us, it was also Valentine's Day. We were lucky enough to only have to wait 15-20 minutes after signing in on their clipboard when we arrived. You have to add your name to the list yourself, otherwise you'll be standing there thinking you're waiting in line for a really long time, while others that arrive after you have long gone and past you.

I suppose the inside decor would be what you would imagine a traditional Japanese sake bar to look like: cozy and filledd with wooden tables that were placed rather close together. If eating close to strangers and listening to their conversations is not your thing, maybe you should skip this place. They do have a bar area in the back with flat screen tvs as well, although I only saw it when I first walked in. This is also another one of those places that attracts a lot of Asians, but I'm sure there's been an increase of non-Asians eating there after Anthony Bourdain featured it on his show. Maybe the non-Asians didn't think a sake bar was romantic enough for Valentine's Day, I don't know.

LC said we should try their Peach sake, apparently it's fantastic! We might as well get it, even if it's $40 for a baby bottle. How disappointed would you be if I told you I went to this great sake bar but didn't even try their sake? But no worries, we ordered it and it was like love at first drink after we toasted with our Peach sake (sorry, no picture of the pretty bottle)! It was so sweet and had no traces of alcohol, almost like sparkling apple cider! For those out there that have had bad experiences with sake and love fruity drinks, I highly recommend you try this one at Sake Bar Hagi! 

Fried Pork Belly, Chicken Gizzards, Sashimi

Frenchie: Les Halles Park Ave.

I was in NYC for a conference last week and decided to meet up with some friends for dinner one night. JB suggested Anthony Bourdain's famous restaurant, Brasserie Les Halles for French cuisine. I'll admit that I've never seen his show (No Reservations) or know too much about him, but I immediately replied with "OKAY!!" because I have never had French before. Ever. So in one night, I tried: escargot, foie gras, magret de canard, crêpe suzette... it was like love in Paris!

Half price wine on Mondays, why go on any other night?

I usually don't order fancy, schmancy wine, or any type of alcohol during dinnertime (with the exception of Happy Hour), but it's 50% off on Mondays! And taking after my mother, I really can't resist a good deal. Call me cheap or a discount monster, but I'm proud to save $10 on this $20 bottle of wine! It was crisp and fruity, but I couldn't finish my glass because I'm a total lightweight. 

Gratinee de Halles ($9)

The famous onion soup was something JB had to order and while I did not get a taste of it, he seemed to have enjoyed it. Every last spoonful of it! 

Special Guest Review: Ninja New York

HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY to a special young lady who now no longer needs a fake ID........ MY SISTER [DOCTOR]!  Since the day she was born, she's always been well beyond her years, so technically she's been 21 for years now.  She's one of a kind, loud & crazy, but I'm glad to have her in my life! Happy birthday [doctor]!  Thank you for sharing your wonderful birthday dinner experience with me and my readers. 

So I'm proud to present to you my very first SPECIAL GUEST review for:

Ninja New York by [doctor]

Nestled right in the heart of TriBeCa, Ninja is one of the best Asian dining experiences you can get in New York City. I was brought by my boyfriend, Scari, on my 21st birthday and he could not have chosen a better place! At first, we were immediately attacked by a ninja host upon entering the restaurant, and I screamed like a baby panda even though I knew that was going to happen. We crept through a "secret passage way" that was like a dark cave with stairs going up and down which also smelled funny. Every step we anticipated another ninja attack but it didn't happen. By the end of the tunnel, we were once again surprised but not surprised to get attacked by the same ninja that "greeted" us.

When we finally got to our table, I said the atmosphere reminded me of an old Chinese film's prison, but in a cute way. Each table had its own private area and a sliding door. Ninjas came around and frightened us with fake, but shiny swords and yelled "hiya!" every moment you least expected. We ordered drinks, and of course, I was not carded like I wasn't all day :(. Anyhow, I ordered the Rin, a fruity concoction I described as alcoholic candy. Scari, a beer. 

As for food, we ordered artichoke dip (to keep it consistent with all Littobite's reviews), the salmon star, shrimp tempura, and teriyaki chicken to start off. The artichoke dip was so amazing I forgot to take a picture until the end! There was definitely crab meat in it which made it simply mouthgasmic. Then we got all our other food at once and devoured it almost too fast that we became stuffed within 15 min. The shrimp tempura sauce changed into 3 different colors as it somehow transformed into 3 different sauces. The teriyaki chicken had 3 different types of chicken meats and the thigh was the BEST. I had to take a food break aka rest my head on the wall and continue drinking my cocktail. Scari liked his salmon star a lot, probably because it came in a box..with shelves! Then after a few "you eat it" and "no you eat it!" we finished it all. 

Our plan was to order more as the night went on  but I had a food baby, and Scari was overwhelmed. While finishing up our adult beverages, a quirky non-scary ninja came over and performed a few magic tricks for us (which I cannot reveal because that would be sharing intellectual ninja property). We were impressed; Scari even looked up his website immediately after he gave us his business card! Legit. When we thought all the fun was winding down, 3 singing ninjas came over to our cell and sang me happy birthday while presenting me the perfect sized fruit plate I had room left for in my belly. It's like they just knew. I blew out the candle and was so glad Scari chose Ninja. He was as well. (I secretly think he chose this place because I too only wear black and am super sneaky.) I was ready to be rolled home but that's always the most satisfying feeling to me.

25 Hudson St.

NY, NY

$$$$

Special Guest Grade: A+

This reviewer does not have a mature palette and may have been under the influence when grading

Where did you go for your 21st birthday dinner?  And where did you party afterwards?