Kion Lounge (509 E. 6th St. btwn. A & B)

I generally consider 6th street between A & B the East Village's version of Club Row. All of the bars & restaurants seem out of place (except Buenos Aires & Joe's). I was a bit skeptical when a friend suggested that we go to Kion Lounge which serves Peruvian & Japanese Cuisine. I was actually pleasantly surprised that the food was good & that it wasn't full of douchebags.

We decided to eat at the bar & started with soups. Jhonny & I got the Miso soup & my other buddy opted for Pork Ramen. The Miso was pretty much standard fare, but the Ramen was very well received. I guess I'll have to try that if I go back there.

I was really in the mood for Sushi, so I ordered from the Japanese portion of the Menu.

Eel, Cucumber & Avocado Roll. Tempura Shrimp & Avocado Roll w/Tobiko. Both were very good & suprisingly fresh.



California Roll. Rainbow Roll. Jhonny ordered this, so I can't comment on it's taste. I'm not such a big fan of California Rolls though...




Deep ordered the Lamb Shank which I tasted & thought it was very good. Served simply with veggies, a salad & mash.

I enjoyed the food, but Kion is really not my first choice for sushi in the East Village. It's more of a club/lounge than a restaurant & I can imagine it being packed to the gills on Fridays & Saturdays. If you're in the 'hood, give it a try though.

Viva Brazil!

I had the opportunity to check out Circus (132 East 61st St.) for some Brazilian fare. Now, normally, I wouldn't been seen dead in this neck of the woods, but it was my Dad's birthday, so I made the trip.

The decor is swanky yet cool & the staff were very friendly & attentive (it wasn't that busy by the time I arrived, an hour late). We popped a bottle of bubbly in celebration & prepared to order. We shared the snapper ceviche to start. It was served up in a martini glass (which I thought was cool), but I found it to be far too spicy. Luckily I had plenty of Verve Cliquot to wash it down.

Mom ordered the Churrasco, a tasy Brazilian mixed grill (Sirloin, Picanha and Linguica). The birthday boy had the Feijoada, a black bean stew with pork, beef & sausage - it was delicious. The real star of the night was my dish, Bacalhau. I've never seen (or tasted!) cod cooked to such a high level of perfection. Glazed to capacity with Miso & Cachaca, the fish was so fresh, that you would think it was caught today.

I really had a good time with the 'rents & the food was excellent. The dinner was reasonably priced considering the quality of the food & service... I might have to make another trip to midtown soon.

Buenos Aires!

I had a chance to check out the 'Meat Emporium' that is Buenos Aires (513 E 6th St) this weekend with some family members that were visiting from out of town. It was a Saturday night & the East Village was busy as hell, but luckily we snuck into the joint right before the rush.

The space is somewhat cramped as it's generally busy & they've tried to maximize the amount of seats. We were a group of 7 & had a great seat considering how busy it was. I started with the meat empenadas which were excellent. A few others got the chorizo - which stole the show as far as appetizers went.

I got the breaded chicken for my main course as I wasn't in the mood for steak (a fatal error). I really did not enjoy it at all as it was very overcooked. The steaks, on the other hand, were excellent & cooked to perfection (trust me, my roving fork left no plate untouched). We drank Sangria that night which was also very good.

Despite my chicken-fiasco, I recommend Buenos Aires for your inner carnivore. Get any one of their excellent steaks, or the veal sweetbread.