Alexis Han
Latest Reviews
Lavagna
Lavagna is a cute Italian spot in the East Village! Perfect for a dinner with friends or family.
My party got a variety of dishes, including the rigatoni, ravioli, margherita & bosco pizza, and the pollock entree.
While they have great (large) portion sizes compared to other Italian restaurants in the area, I thought the food was okay. They have a decent wine selection & a relatively full bar, so you should generally be able to get your drink of choice!
The service staff was lovely, and the atmosphere was great. A bustling energy, perhaps a bit cramped, but cute nonetheless.
My party got a variety of dishes, including the rigatoni, ravioli, margherita & bosco pizza, and the pollock entree.
While they have great (large) portion sizes compared to other Italian restaurants in the area, I thought the food was okay. They have a decent wine selection & a relatively full bar, so you should generally be able to get your drink of choice!
The service staff was lovely, and the atmosphere was great. A bustling energy, perhaps a bit cramped, but cute nonetheless.
St Jardim
St Jardim is a beautiful cozy spot in the West Village serving a wide selection of wine & good food. Prices for a glass of wine range from $14-20, and food ranges from $10-$40.
My friend and I got a class each, and also shared the beef tartare & cod dish. Beef tartare was decent, nothing remarkable. The cod was delicious with the crust at the top & well-seasoned veggies that paired so well with the sourdough puree. We also got the chocolate mousse which was delicious.
Ambiance is perfect & the service is great. Despite the portion sizes being smaller, I will definitely be returning!
My friend and I got a class each, and also shared the beef tartare & cod dish. Beef tartare was decent, nothing remarkable. The cod was delicious with the crust at the top & well-seasoned veggies that paired so well with the sourdough puree. We also got the chocolate mousse which was delicious.
Ambiance is perfect & the service is great. Despite the portion sizes being smaller, I will definitely be returning!
Levante
Came here with a large group and shared 4 different pizzas (LIC, aglietta, bufala, and montanara), and 3 pastas (rigatoni, triangoli).
Out of the pizzas, the aglietta was my favourite as the garlic added a lot of flavour to the pizza (especially if you like garlic). The pizza dough is chewy and fresh, but I would say I’ve definitely had better pizza in different Italian restaurants in the city.
As for the pastas, the pasta itself wasn’t the best and nothing stood out to me in particular.
That being said, the service and ambiance of the place is great, and definitely has a warm energy to it.
Out of the pizzas, the aglietta was my favourite as the garlic added a lot of flavour to the pizza (especially if you like garlic). The pizza dough is chewy and fresh, but I would say I’ve definitely had better pizza in different Italian restaurants in the city.
As for the pastas, the pasta itself wasn’t the best and nothing stood out to me in particular.
That being said, the service and ambiance of the place is great, and definitely has a warm energy to it.
Sabai Thai
Came here for an early dinner with a large group, and shared the Papaya salad, duck entree, kha soi, pad thai, pad si ew, and pad kra pow.
Ambiance & service is great, and the food was really good too.
Papaya salad: 8.5/10 - very fresh with the perfect amount of sour. The toasted nuts were a great touch, and I found that the overall texture combination of the ingredients played well together.
Kha soi: 8.5/10 - the soup was rich in flavour, with a combination of sour and sweet. I thought the noodles could be a little more chewy, but still one of the better khao soi dishes i’ve had.
Green curry: 7/10 - while the flavour of the herbs were very much alive, it was spicier than anticipated and almost a little bitter in some ways. If you are a big green curry fan I do recommend you try it, but if you aren’t, i would opt for other dishes.
Duck entree (i forget the name): 8/10 - the basil-y sauce was so good and the duck was well cooked, but i have also tasted juicier, more tender duck in other thai restaurants. I thought it lost some of its outer skin crispiness from the sauce, but otherwise a great dish.
Pad thai: 8/10 - was on the saucier side of pad thai I have had before. Could also have more shrimp. If you like pad thai with a richer flavour, this will be good for you!
Pad si ew: 8.5/10 - the noodles were well textured and the sauce was perfect—not too sweet yet hits the spot.
Pad kra pow: 7.5/10 - i thought the rice could be a little crispier, and more flavourful.
Keep in mind, these reviews may be biased as I have a personal preference for one thai dish over the other. That being said, overall, this restaurant was great & the food was impressive.
Ambiance & service is great, and the food was really good too.
Papaya salad: 8.5/10 - very fresh with the perfect amount of sour. The toasted nuts were a great touch, and I found that the overall texture combination of the ingredients played well together.
Kha soi: 8.5/10 - the soup was rich in flavour, with a combination of sour and sweet. I thought the noodles could be a little more chewy, but still one of the better khao soi dishes i’ve had.
Green curry: 7/10 - while the flavour of the herbs were very much alive, it was spicier than anticipated and almost a little bitter in some ways. If you are a big green curry fan I do recommend you try it, but if you aren’t, i would opt for other dishes.
Duck entree (i forget the name): 8/10 - the basil-y sauce was so good and the duck was well cooked, but i have also tasted juicier, more tender duck in other thai restaurants. I thought it lost some of its outer skin crispiness from the sauce, but otherwise a great dish.
Pad thai: 8/10 - was on the saucier side of pad thai I have had before. Could also have more shrimp. If you like pad thai with a richer flavour, this will be good for you!
Pad si ew: 8.5/10 - the noodles were well textured and the sauce was perfect—not too sweet yet hits the spot.
Pad kra pow: 7.5/10 - i thought the rice could be a little crispier, and more flavourful.
Keep in mind, these reviews may be biased as I have a personal preference for one thai dish over the other. That being said, overall, this restaurant was great & the food was impressive.
Ginger and Lemongrass
This is a go-to spot for me! I get the pho often, but have also tried the shaken beef, chicken wings, banhmi, and the pork belly buns.
Food is solid vietnamese food—authentic broth and fresh ingredients. I would definitely recommend you pay a visit for a dine-in experience, just because much of the food doesn’t sit as well for take-out.
Pro tip:
- the added bone marrow is worth the price because they give you a HUGE piece!
Food is solid vietnamese food—authentic broth and fresh ingredients. I would definitely recommend you pay a visit for a dine-in experience, just because much of the food doesn’t sit as well for take-out.
Pro tip:
- the added bone marrow is worth the price because they give you a HUGE piece!