Elisabeth Bik

We had a wonderful dinner here on our last night in New York. Cozy restaurant near Times Square with very friendly staff and quick service. We had the beef Stroganoff, which was perfectly seasoned, a hint of spicy, with rice and beans, and the Branzino com Camarao, fish with shrimp and squash, in an amazing slightly sweet coconut sauce. Lively clientèle, lots of good laughter, and soft music in the background.

Lovely Turkish restaurant close to Times Square. Narrow building but plenty of tables in the back. Fast and friendly service. We shared the small cold appetizer dish, with a nice selection of pita bread and spreads. Our main dishes with lamb or chicken were great. The lamb shish was medium rare and served with rice, lettuce, red cabbage, a grilled tomato and a very spicy pepper.

The online ordering system seemed efficient, and the waiting time was not too bad (about 10 min for me), but the food was underwhelming. My $16.50 Pad Thai was supposed to come topped with cilantro and peanuts, but I could not spot any. It was just plain noodles, with no traces of sauce, and just a tiny bit of egg and onion, and 4 small slices of bell pepper. I had ordered an extra of broccoli for $2.45, and only got three small pieces. No chopsticks or soy sauce available, just hot sauce, and the one person I saw was busy helping an angry customer who had never received his order on a previous visit. Avoid.