Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: June 10
With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. Check back weekly for the best things we ate this week.
Raspberry croissant from Cafe W
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I traveled 90 minutes for an onigiri-shaped croissant, but it sure wasn’t Cafe W. The two-story bakery is hunkered like a dentist’s office in a parking lot in Murray Hill, Queens. That’s the outside: Inside, owner John Lee is running a Wonka factory of bread: There are squid ink rolls, baked cheese hot dogs, black sesame croissants, and red bean butter pastries. You pick out what you want using a tray and tongs, and pay at the register. Most pastries cost between $5 and $6. 35-29 154th Street, near Northern Boulevard, Murray Hill — Luke Fortney, reporter.
Omakase at Yokox
This spare, 14-seat sushi counter opened in early April on a boozy stretch of Avenue B, offering an oasis of serenity and one the best sushi omakase deals in town. The 15-course, 75-minute, $89 meal, began with a bang last Friday evening with two scored and rolled swatches of fatty tuna, topped with caviar and flavored with yuzu, soy, and truffles — mind bogglingly good. It then proceeded through arresting courses featuring raw Japanese octopus, New Zealand king salmon, red snapper, horse mackerel, the freshest uni I’ve ever tasted, and on and on. Some pieces of sushi were seared prior to serving; others were topped with micro quantities of chimichurri and salsa. Buttery snow crab tentacles came up mid-meal, as did broiled sea eel hot out of the oven. 41 Avenue B, near East Fourth Street, East Village — Robert Sietsema, senior critic.
Stuffed squid at Penny
Penny’s early standout dishes have included their jewel-like ice box of raw seafood and pillowy sesame-topped brioche (served with butter and optional anchovies), but the hits don’t stop there. On our visit, I loved the squid as well, which is stuffed with chard and tuna, and served with a spicy and smoky sauce. It’s a hit of strong flavor that moves the meal past the more delicate fare — and don’t forget to sop up some of the sauce with any leftover bread. 90 E. 10th Street, First floor, at Fourth Avenue, East Village — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief.
