#Korean Fine Dining NYC

[antorestaurant]

Experience Culinary Excellence at Anto: The Best Korean Steakhouse in NYC

Nestled in the heart of New York City, Anto stands as a beacon of culinary excellence, offering an unparalleled dining experience for aficionados of Korean cuisine. As a premier Korean steakhouse in NYC, Anto effortlessly blends traditional flavors with contemporary sophistication, earning its place as a haven for those seeking the finest in Korean fine dining.

Unveiling the Essence of Korean Fine Dining

At Anto, dining is an immersive experience—an intricate tapestry of flavors, textures, and artistry. Step into our realm and embark on a gastronomic journey unlike any other. Our commitment to elevating Korean cuisine to its pinnacle is evident in every dish crafted by our culinary artisans.

Savoring Unrivaled Korean Steakhouse Delights

Anto's menu boasts an exquisite selection of Korean delicacies, with our signature Korean steakhouse fare taking center stage. Indulge in succulent cuts of premium beef, expertly grilled to perfection, offering a tantalizing fusion of flavors and textures that are truly unparalleled.

A Symphony of Flavors: Exploring Korean Food at its Finest

Beyond our renowned steak offerings, Anto's menu offers a symphony of flavors that celebrate the essence of Korean cuisine. From traditional favorites like Bibimbap and Kimchi to our innovative reinterpretations of classic dishes, each plate is a work of culinary artistry, meticulously prepared to tantalize your taste buds.

The Epitome of Korean Culinary Craftsmanship

What sets Anto apart is not just the food, but the entire dining experience. Our ambiance reflects modern elegance, providing a sophisticated backdrop for your culinary journey. Impeccable service and attention to detail ensure that every moment at Anto is a celebration of Korean gastronomy.

Anto: Your Gateway to Korean Steakhouse Excellence in NYC

Whether you're a connoisseur of Korean cuisine or an adventurous food enthusiast seeking the best, Anto offers an unrivaled dining experience. Our dedication to redefining Korean fine dining in NYC resonates in every dish served, inviting you to partake in the flavors and traditions that define our heritage.

Embark on a culinary voyage with Anto, where every bite narrates a story of Korean culinary craftsmanship. Discover the best Korean steakhouse in NYC at Anto, a destination where tradition meets innovation, and flavors are elevated to art.

Visit Anto today and immerse yourself in the finest Korean dining experience that New York City has to offer!

[bxbakery]

Korean Fine Dining Restaurants in NYC

[stuclyblrs]

as usual here’s my first thoughts of the semester

being in shanghai in general

i havent rly seen much of the city yet so idk cant comment

but life here is def different from nyc this isnt necessarily a super walk able city (but subway lines are pretty extensive)

in terms of academic life same thing very different like my dorm is 20min by bus to campus (not sure how long the subway takes tho) and its not really walk able compared to nyc where i walk literally everywhere on campus. additionally, here is one academic building and the dorms so rn its 5pm and ive been in the same building since 9am or so...... its nice to not have to rush to classes cause sometimes they can be far apart but i could see this getting old quick

the building is pretty nice tho idk everything thats here but i wanna find a better study spot than the library cause its soooooo small and gonna be a nightmare near exams

food ????? idk where to buy some or even how to cook LMAO so idk how im going to eat while im here today i ate lunch and will eat dinner on campus (no meal plan but we have a dining hall) but idk what im gonna keep doing lol

chinese

soooooo its been a while (a full year lol) since i last took chinese so im nervous lol im already a little overwhelmed with the amount of work we have for this class which is expected cause its the same amount of workload from elementary i (lucky korean is a bit less even tho its still a lot) but idk man i just dont wanna get behind and do poorly again especially since im in china....... i need to speak chinese........

my prof seems nice but its hard to say if she will always be this easy as a prof since it was the first day - i guess i can make further judgement once she starts actually teaching and to see how hard she grades stuff

there are some assignments that im rly unclear about tho since there more like idk stuff for chinese as a language here compared to in nyc since everyone except for native speakers are required to take it so idk how things work

calc iii

ummmmmm not off to the best start lol

my professor is hard to hear and idk what he was going today the stuff we were doing is stuff ive (supposedly) learned before but i dont understand anything he told us ???????

and not sure what the workload for homework will be since its every week + we also have a quiz every week yikes i miss my calc ii prof

physics ii

huhhhhhhhhh im scared marty

i was hesitant to come abroad b/c of physics - i just started the major last semester (ie when i took physics i) so im still v shakey on physics and Yeah i didnt know one if this class would ~count~ as physics ii (ive been told its fine lol cause like it still is a lower level class so it should be fine right) and two what the workload for it would be like here in shanghai lol especially since my physics i professor was very unconventional

additionally taking physics ii with the professor that teaches it in nyc is kind of like a rite of passage kind of thing w/in the physics majors lol (not that deep whats more importatant is me doing well and being on track for the rest of the major)

with that also being said i was unsure b/c i didnt want to take myself out of the community within the physics department cause everyone i met was so amazing (as in students idk many profs) and i have like a group of ppl that i tended to do work with so i dont have them to rely on anymore

okay so back to first impressions its kind of hard to say anything abt my prof yet cause stuff we did today was rly basic (like talking about the charges of a proton/electron lmao) but for the class itself......... big yike cause there’s only 6 ppl including me in it and thats too small for me personally and im the only study-away student (or just non-chinese student in general) in the class so i feel like i stand out a lot and that im the odd one out skldjfvnjdfskv i dont like it :(((((

opinions will change once we actually get into the material and start doing hw lol 

memory politics in china

i manged to get this to count for my cultures and contexts core ayyyyyyy

actually tho in general i wanted to take some kind of chinese history/culture course cause you know........ im in china but tbh there was nothing good (like no straight chinese history class like ?????) so this was the most interesting out of what i could take relating to china

overall seems okay idk im just not a writing person and this requires three main papers and like 9 one-page assignments

[bellyofkorea]

Day 2- Work, Dinner for One

(My solo diner outfit. I’m loving this cabinet in my room and how it looks with my tattoo. I’m also slowly trying to get confident with pictures of myself... something I typically hate) 

Friday saw me waking up very early and finishing up some copywriting work that I had been putting off. I spent the rest of my day doing some general planning on the months to come. I booked a few Airbnbs for me and Chris and I looked into some of the fine details of what I could do with my free time here in Seoul. It was very much a organize my thoughts kind of day. 

Around 5:30pm I headed out for my dinner at a restaurant called “Flower Child”. The restaurant is very close to my uncles apartment and is situated in the French/European neighborhood I explored earlier. The restaurant is run by a woman named Jamie Jo. She cut her teeth going to the CIA and working in NYC restaurants such as Per Se and Daniel. I felt at home discovering this place - a little slice of the world I left behind. 

When I got there I was greeted and seated in their upstairs dining area. I made an early reservation for 6pm - I felt like as a solo diner, I would feel more comfortable with a smaller early rush crowd. And I got what I wanted - at 6pm on a Friday, I was the only diner in the whole restaurant. I was a little unnerved by that fact (that the dining room was empty) but didn’t let it bother my experience. 

My server was a very attentive, somewhat goofy guy who very carefully and deliberately went through his descriptions of each menu item. I decided to fully treat myself to the tasting menu with the korean beef option (an additional charge) as well as a wine pairing. All of which amounted to 180,000 won - roughly $160 usd. Definitely expensive, but I got my last paycheck from Irving Farm and I was feeling like I deserved it. 

I won’t go through the motions of describing every dish, but I will sum it up as being extremely thoughtful, interesting, playful and flavorful. Each dish stayed true to the menu’s description of being the “summer collection”. Watermelon featured heavily, as did mushrooms and seafood. The stand-out dish to me was a seared scallop surrounded by small bites of cod ravioli covered in a foam made from corn. The surprise element in this dish were hidden bites of seared potato with the skin on. They were a wonderful textural addition to create a very complete plate of food.  

3 of the 5 amuse that I received at the start of the meal. 

A cold salad with lobster, watermelon, and pea puree. 

The scallop/ravioli dish. 

I think I now fully appreciate what it means to solo dine at a fancy restaurant. As a cook I used to feel a little embarrassed for the solo diner. Their ticket would come in and I would feel a little sorry for the person about to eat their meal alone. However, I now realize that the solo dining experience is something unique that should not be limited to a person traveling alone. I felt it gave me a chance to focus on the food and reflect on each dish as it left me. Normally conversations would muddle up the process of eating and thinking. I had even brought a book with me, but set it aside because I ended up not needing to fill my time with reading.

It’s a pretty fun experience, especially when the staff is as careful and attentive as Flower Child. I didn’t have a single lull in my meal. Wine pairings weren’t really note worthy, although the korean beef was wonderfully paired with a really barn yard-y red.

At the end, the chef, Jamie came out to talk to me. We talked about NYC and about any possible connections we might have in the restaurant scene there. Of course, because the NYC restaurant scene is so small, she had staged at Betony. I asked if I could come stage at Flower Child sometime and we set a day for me to come by - which will be next week, Friday. 

I left feeling a little tipsy, and excited to be living such a free life... the ability to do whatever I want, when I want, is more intoxicating than the 4 glasses of wine I consumed over the course of my meal. 

[twocoursemeal-blog]

TCM Eats: Mark’s Kitchen

Mark’s Kitchen (Takoma Park, Washington DC) 

On a recent trip to DC, we found ourselves in need of a meal in Takoma Park. What’s in Takoma Park, you might ask? Nothing much, to be honest -- lots of vegan restaurants, a CVS, and a Starbucks. But, there’s also Mark’s Kitchen, a greasy spoon Korean diner. It’s an unusual mix, but it works!

We ate:

All Day Breakfast (Korean Steak, Home Fries, Toast, Eggs)

Korean Steak BLT

French Fries

Cucumber Kimchi

Mung Bean Pancakes

Matt’s Thoughts:

We went to Mark’s Kitchen on a recommendation from a friend we were visiting in DC. We asked where to go nearby for breakfast, and she responded immediately with “Mark’s Kitchen!” We said yes. The next morning, a quick trip into Takoma Park and we found ourselves in front of the small, unassuming storefront. I wasn’t quite expecting what I found inside.

For those of you who’ve been to near-NYC New Jersey suburbs, this style of wildly cramped diner may be familiar. Tables are close packed enough that you imagine the servers slip into another dimension as they sprint by you without even a nudged shoulder. Walls and counterspace are lined with a near-limitless selection of fancy chocolates, pastilles, and old-style candies that have probably never been purchased once in the store’s history. You’d think you’d just walked into another deli/diner, were it not for the smell. You can’t mistake the wonderful aroma of gochujang and sesame oil, even with the smell of bacon and eggs.

Mark’s Kitchen is, wonderfully, a place that blends Korean food and diner fare. Why have traditional breakfast meats when you could have shaved, grilled Korean steak? Pickles are a wonderful breakfast food in many cultures, and now you can get your eggs and homefries with a side of kimchi. Coffee is still present and plentiful, but accompanied by a cooler full of Melon Creme Soda. It should feel disharmonious, but it really didn’t (at least to me). Whether items were standalone Korean foods (like cucumber kimchi) or standard diner fare (eggs and home fries) or some beautiful mix of the two (Korean steak BLT), it all felt like a natural mix.

We overordered. Of COURSE we overordered. We were hungry, and the food looked delicious. We weren’t mad about it either (except for the fact that Mark’s stops serving their incredible selection of buckwheat pancakes at 12pm, and we unfortunately barely missed the window). I was hoping for breakfast foods, and dangit I wanted breakfast foods, so I got the All Day Breakfast.

On the way, I may have also decided to order a side of cucumber kimchi (knowing Angela’s love of cucumbers) and enthusiastically agreed to a side of the mung bean pancakes. Sometimes you can see the train coming from a mile away, and it doesn’t help you get off the tracks any quicker.

The cucumber kimchi came out first. This small plate of a few spears of cucumber didn’t really seem like much, but when the smell of fermented kimchi tang wafted up we each perked up a little. A bite. It was delicious! Still very crunchy with that soft-pickled-cucumber texture, this cucumber kimchi was more lightly seasoned than its cabbage counterpart. Though it still packed a kick, the flavors weren’t so overwhelming that they drowned out the clean cucumber flavor that shined through. Each bite was strongly seasoned enough that you didn’t want to slam all of them at once, but refreshing enough to act as a welcome palate cleanser.

Our order of mung bean pancakes followed shortly after. Three small, slightly thick unassuming golden brown disks accompanied by a small cup of dark Korean soy sauce with chopped scallions. Unsurprisingly, these were also fantastic. The mung beans added a slight starchiness and were cooked enough that they otherwise blended in with the batter. Though the vegetables were more or less lost to me (except the cabbage), the pancakes overall were nicely balanced, mildly sweet, and savory. This matched well to the dark, salty umami from the Korean soy sauce, which really brightened up the flavors in the pancake and prevented palate fatigue.

Just as I was beginning to feel a little sated, our entrees arrived. Did I mention Angela and I are extremely prone to overordering? I was overjoyed, though, as my sunny side up eggs came out *perfectly* with a still extremely-jiggly yolk and a few tiny spots of barely-cooked egg white. A+ to you, Mark’s Kitchen! The plate came heaped with a pile of thinly-shaved Korean marinated steak, and an even larger pile of home fries cleverly hidden by a few slices of rye toast. Digging in, of course I began by popping the yolks and trying a bite of steak.

Can I ever go back to normal diner-fare steak and eggs? Of course. Can I ever go back without having a small nagging thought in my mind that the steak could be marinated in soy sauce, brown rice syrup, and garlic? Almost certainly not. This was delicious, chewy, and a perfect balance of sweet-salty-savory that got even better when it came with some yolk.

The home fries were remarkably well cooked. Medium-sized hunks of potatoes with thick brown crusts on either side and an interior that retained some classic potato texture. A bit sadly, these were slightly, but noticeably, underseasoned. They worked well with the steak and eggs, and certainly worked well with ketchup, but could have done with some more salt and pepper. Regardless, I ate almost all of them. I’m just a sucker for a good breakfast potato.

I really enjoyed the meal at Mark’s! I thought the food was very solid, well executed (aside from a few cases of underseasoning), inventive in the combinations it reached for, and mature in the restraint it exercised by leaving certain Korean dishes and diner dishes untouched from their original pure forms (a gripe I tend to have with most fusion restaurants. Not EVERYTHING has to be a mashup). If you’re in Takoma Park, definitely go. I’m not positive it’s quite worth a trip, but if it’s a convenient visit, it’d be a shame not to have some of their food.

AN: Apparently I also go miso soup?? It was good, but a little salty. Plenty of stuff, but I probably could have done without it and not really missed it.

Angela’s Thoughts:

Mark’s kitchen has a classic diner feel: a little greasy, and a little rough around the edges, with a noisy dining area and affable waitstaff. What’s interesting about the place is how much Korean cuisine is featured on the menu; walking in, you’d have no idea!

We were hoping to have breakfast; the pancakes came highly recommended by the friend we were visiting in DC. Unfortunately, we’d missed the breakfast menu by just a few minutes. Since I’d come in *really* craving pancakes, I had a hard time deciding what I wanted instead. Ultimately, I settled on the Korean Steak BLT. Before that, we decided to try a few of the Korean side dishes.

The cucumber kimchi was fantastic! The cucumbers had a nice pickled crunch, and the spice level of the kimchi was great. To be honest, it was probably the best thing I ate that day. The mung bean pancakes were pretty good, too. They had a savory flavor, with a pleasant crisp on them. They didn’t quell my pancake craving, but they weren’t bad.

I got the Korean Steak BLT sandwich with no mayo (my choice) on ciabatta (our waitress’ suggestion). I also got a side of fries, because I am a chronic overorderer. The sandwich was quite large, with a generous serving of thinly sliced and marinated steak. Altogether, the sandwich was delicious; the steak was juicy and had fantastic flavor, and the ciabatta bread held up without falling apart. The steak was really flavorful, but had bits of flaky char and burnt stuff throughout that was impossible to pick out, and detracted from the flavor of the sandwich overall. Probably dregs from the griddle (more or less unavoidable), but it really put a damper on my enjoyment of my food.

The fries were more like potato spears. They were thick-cut wedges of potato. Some people really like the potato flavor in their fries, but I really enjoy the crispiness and salt, so these were a miss for me. They weren’t crispy enough, and they were underseasoned. I only ate one of them (though that could have been because I was already full).

Mark’s Kitchen was a really interesting spot. It looked like a simple diner on the surface, but the Korean offerings there were so good, that there was clearly more there than met the eye. I’d definitely want to return next time we’re in town to try out their breakfast.

Overall:

We had slightly mixed experiences at Mark’s Kitchen, but overall agreed that it was a fine meal, and that we wished we’d arrived in time for their full breakfast menu and extensive pancake selection. If it’s a convenient visit and you’re hungry, we think Mark’s is a good choice for some grub that’s refreshingly off the beaten path of diner fare. Make sure you get the cucumber kimchi! No exceptions. We’re looking at you, people with cucumber allergies.

We give Mark’s Kitchen 3 mung bean pancakes out of 5.

[wineanddinosaur]

Beyond Scorpion Bowls: Communal Cocktails Are Getting a Top-Shelf Makeover

In June 2019, Amaro Montenegro announced the theme for its international cocktail competition, The Vero Bartender: “Sharing Cocktails.” According to a press release, the concept was “inspired by the history of mixology and a rising trend in the cocktail industry,” and aims to challenge bartenders to “take a communal and elevated approach to cocktail creation.”

It’s part of a larger movement in which large-format cocktails are getting a modern makeover. Shareable drinks are now both trendy and timeless, popping up everywhere from bowling alleys to the most high-end hotel bars in the country. In NYC, fine- dining destination The Nomad offers table-side punch service, and Henry at The Life Hotel has a two-person cocktail, Big Poppa, featuring Cognac, rum, and coffee. Punch Bowl Social, a Denver-based fleet of punch-centric playgrounds, opened its 16th location in Washington, D.C., in 2018.

When Ian Schrager and Marriott launched their latest venture, the Times Square Edition, in March 2019, the legendary “hospitality godfather” described the luxury hotel’s Midtown Manhattan arrival as a “paradigm shift.” Its bars and restaurants include 701West and Paradise Club. Starring on the drinks menu in summer 2019 are large-format cocktails.

Large-format cocktails like the Ay Chihuahua star on the menu at 701West in Ian Schrager’s newest Edition hotel in NYC. Credit: Evan Sung

At 701West, the Ay Chihuahua cocktail is made with Don Julio 1942 tequila, shishito pepper and agave syrups, lime juice, and jalapeño. The cocktail is served in a glass vessel resembling a squash set atop a bed of wheatgrass and edible flowers. Bali Ha’i is made with rum, lime and pineapple juices, Korean red pepper paste, and dried red chili threads. It’s served in a Japanese donburi bowl with bamboo shoots mimicking chopsticks, and a plate of fruit that appear to be noodles and fish cakes. The shareable drink is meant to “simulate a ramen experience,” a spokesperson tells VinePair.

Salvatore Tafuri, the hotel’s bar director, says he chose to serve communal cocktails “for several reasons, the most important being that everything is better when you share it with the person next to you. I enjoy going to places where I can share a surprising experience with my friends or family and, of course, walk away with something to post on social media!”

Grant Smillie, co-founder of Botanical Hospitality and owner of Los Angeles’s E.P. & L.P. restaurant and rooftop bar, says large-format cocktails are “the upscale version of a pitcher.”

“We wanted to be able to cater [to] larger groups of people with a shared cocktail experience,” Smillie writes VinePair in an email. “We also absolutely did not want to go down the bottle service model, and this allows for a great outcome without going that route.”

At L.P. Rooftop Bar, a stylish and sceney open-air deck overlooking the Hollywood hills and Sunset Strip, large-format cocktails arrive in custom copper-colored punch bowls shaped like swans and pineapples, created in partnership with Absolut Elyx. Similar vessels can be found at Diego at the Public Hotel in New York, the Freehold in Brooklyn, and Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago.

“It’s about the vessels that you can create,” Smillie says, likening custom creations to “a level of theatre which people want to participate in. It’s a fine line between being sophisticated in delivery and looking tacky.”

Chicago tiki bar Three Dots and a Dash has several communal cocktails, including this two-person grog. Credit: Three Dots and a Dash

Visual impact and cost tend to increase in tandem. At Provision No. 14 in Washington, D.C., shareable drinks are served in French presses priced at $38 each for four to five servings. Communal cocktails at NYC tiki bar The Polynesian start at $75, and Boston supper club Yvonne’s prices its shareable drinks at $95 each. L.P Rooftop Bar’s punch goes for $300.

Clearly, these are not the scorpion bowls of yesteryear. Still, their appeal transcends trends.

“A punch bowl breaks the ice a bit and brings back that magic of human interaction and communality,” Adam Seger, bartender at The Tuck Room, a restaurant and cocktail lounge in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport, told The Houston Chronicle in 2018. Instagrammable moments are great and all, but nothing beats actual face time with your friends.

The article Beyond Scorpion Bowls: Communal Cocktails Are Getting a Top-Shelf Makeover appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/communal-cocktail-trend/

[michaelfallcon]

6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City

New York City is often seen as a vanguard of trends, of things to come. It is said, “If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere.” For a town that is remarkably one dominated by (sometimes excellent) coffee, by an unwavering need for speed, and for a mentality that “time is money,” tea seems to be a beverage that would not survive. But despite all that, within the last 10 years a new generation of teahouses has emerged, bucking these trends and indicating that, amidst all the urban clamor and rat race, there is not only a place but a need for spaces where people can slow down and focus on the meditative act of making tea.

To be clear: I am not talking about the onslaught of now-ubiquitous, trendy, and Instagrammable to-go matcha lattes. These new teahouses purvey directly-sourced, single-farm, hard-to-come-by teas from the far off tea-producing mountains of East Asia. Brewed mindfully and traditionally (whether whisked or steeped), these new teahouses are in themselves a reflection of a growing appreciation in America for a standard of tea that is more commonly found in Kyōto, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, or the mountains of Yunnan or Northern India.

Best of all, while some teas can range in price up to hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars per cup, these shops in New York instead curate focused menus of excellent teas that encourage price-savvy exploration before breaking one’s budget. And with their founders dedicated to educating their clientele, these listed teahouses are the perfect places to navigate the vast world of tea in NYC.

Kettl

Kettl is a tiny jewel box of Japanese tea and teaware in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. Located above the locally-renowned Japanese breakfast and ramen joint Okonomi/Yuji Ramen, a journey up a flight of stairs reveals a sparsely-furnished space filled with a wide variety of high-quality loose leaf teas from all corners of Japan. Inspired by travels throughout the Japanese archipelago, owner Zach Mangan imports teas that aren’t often available outside of the regions in which they are produced. This approach to showcasing “local varieties” means that in addition to stocking some of the best sencha, gyokuro, and matcha available in the United States, Kettl also contains exquisite examples of teas even highly versed tea drinkers might never have enjoyed, including single-varietal tamaryokucha (pan-fried, coiled tea produced in Kyūshū), kyo iribancha (late-harvest, deeply-roasted full-leaf tea with notes of pine resin and tobacco), and rare Japanese black teas from Ureshino and Yame (which often exhibit flavors of apricot, grape skin, and osmanthus).

Kettl, while mostly operating as a farm-direct online purveyor of fine Japanese teas, keeps its retail space in Williamsburg open for in-store sales, education, and sampling of any of their more than 30 distinct teas that regularly shift with the seasons. All teas here are refrigerated to ensure their freshness, and Kettl’s selection of teawares, from tea bowls for Japanese tea ceremonies to teacups and teapots for daily use, are all of excellent quality, produced both in Japan and by local New York ceramicists.

What to drink: Ayame Kabuse 10-day shaded sencha from Fukuoka, Japan

Kettl Tea is located at 150 Ainslie St., 2nd Floor, Brooklyn. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Floating Mountain Tea House

Opened in 2017, Floating Mountain Tea House is one of New York City’s most recent additions to a growing constellation of excellent tea spaces. Taking cues from classic East Asian teahouse design (with a dose of Manhattan gallery minimalism), the space is clean, meditative, and intimate. Featuring over 90 different whole leaf, single-origin teas from China’s famous tea producing regions, Floating Mountain is not only a great place to taste the depth and breadth of tea styles, but is also one of the best locations in the United States to learn about the subtle differences between different regional varieties. Here you can explore rare varietals of hong cha (“red tea”) produced in the eastern province of Fujian to new, aged pu’erh tea grown in China’s southwestern region of Yunnan, green teas from Sichuan, and single grove “Phoenix” oolong teas grown in the mountainous region of Chaozhou in China’s southern Guangdong province. Paired with Chinese porcelain and clay ceramics, guests are guided on how to brew tea by owner and founder Elina Medvedeva in the traditional gong fu cha style, where each tea is skillfully brewed to express optimal flavors.

In addition to directly sourcing all of her teas from small, single-plot farms in China, Medvedeva organizes tea educational events, private tea tastings, meditations set to tea, and even chi gong courses. Floating Mountain is typically most busy on weeknights and on the weekends, with early afternoons being the best time to grab one of the four low tables or a place at the tea bar. Floating Mountain is located just minutes away from Central Park and Lincoln Center in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, making it ideal for those seeking to fully enjoy the city—and then escape from it.

What to drink: A pot of Lao You Hua Xiang (“Old Tree Pomelo Flower Fragrance) Phoenix oolong from Chaozhou, China

Floating Mountain Tea House is located at 239 W 72nd St., 2nd Floor, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

29b Teahouse

29b Teahouse is equal parts upscale Japanese-inspired restaurant, East Village bohemian drinking den, and full service gong fu cha tea bar, mixing an elegant straightforward presentation of whole leaf traditional teas from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India with innovative pairings of wine, beer, soju, and sake. What first began as a private tea sourcing venture and pop-up shop begun by founder Stefen Ramirez in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood has taken full flight in lower Manhattan, as 29b is now one of the largest tea spaces in the United States. The layout incorporates a central bar where tea and tea-infused drinks are masterfully prepared, alongside ample table seating for both tea drinking and relaxed dining. While featuring stellar teas from all across East Asia, 29b features some of the nation’s best (and hardest to find) Korean green teas and tisanes, as well as thoughtful tea-infused alcoholic drinks, including a must-have matcha and rice beer, as well as a rotating menu of soju and sake-infused cocktails.

29b currently features one of New York City’s most diverse menus of teas, tisanes, and tea-infused beverages. They feature a regular calendar of tea tasting events and classes, and offer a wide selection of privately-commissioned teawares from master ceramicists. This place is heaven for late-night tea lovers, folks looking for a great date spot with plenty of non-alcoholic options, and fans of considered bar design.

What to drink: 29b’s signature matcha beer or a pot of organic Woojeon (“pre-rain”) Korean green tea from the Jiri Mountains, South Korea

29b Teahouse is located at 29 Avenue B, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Puerh Brooklyn

Named for a distinctive style of fermented tea that comes from the mountains of Yunnan province in southwest China, Puerh Brooklyn carries well over 20 different types of puerh, as well as a diverse array of other teas, from red, black, oolong, white, yellow, and green from China, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Nepal. Located in an airy two-floored teashop in the heart of Williamsburg, co-owner and founder Gabriel Grippo has built a shop where the community comes to enjoy tea in a relaxed and casual style. Originally begun by Grippo in 2001, the current space was purpose-built to include tea alongside with his two other passions: clothing design and art. (The space includes an active clothing design atelier and gallery.)

Entering through the street-level upstairs, guests are met with rows of shining canisters full of loose leaf tea, large ceramic jars filled with stacks of aging puerh cakes, and teapots made by renowned local and international potters. Descending to the open, gallery-like lower level, stark cement walls are juxtaposed by the organic lines of wooden tea tables, carpets, and teaware set for both casual tea brewing and the occasional meditation meet-up. Set below the clamor of Williamsburg, Puerh Brooklyn’s tea space is a hidden gem and welcome respite in busy Brooklyn, a great place to find peace and explore the vast world of tea at a natural pace.

What to drink: 2015 Lao Ban Zhang Old Trees sheng puerh (“raw puerh”)

Puerh Brooklyn is located at 174 Grand St, Brooklyn. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

T Shop

Tucked down a long corridor off of SoHo’s quiet Elizabeth Street, T Shop is one of those perfect New York “hidden gem” spots. In a relaxing, no-frills environment of small tea tables and a long tea bar, T Shop delivers what is easily some of the best Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean tea New York City has to offer. The space encourages brewing at your own pace, with simple gong fu cha set up and the option to brew one’s own teapot or gaiwan (a traditional Chinese tea brewing cup). With a strong, die-hard community of regulars but a welcoming and accessible vibe, T Shop is a great place to first enter New York City’s tea world.

Teas here are sourced by Theresa Wong and Hyun Lee, who regularly travel to Asia visiting tea farms and tea collectors to bring back teas that are of exceptional quality. While the regular menu features a highly-curated selection of teas, private tea tastings often include many rarer “off menu” teas that Wong and Hyun have procured in limited quantity. As such, a single visit will never fully reveal the depth of what T Shop has to offer. Better to go once, then again, and before you know it you may find yourself fitting in alongside the regulars.

What to drink: Old Bush Dan Cong Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix oolong from Chaozhou, China

T Shop is located at 247 Elizabeth St, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Té Company

Taiwan has what many tea aficionados consider to be some of the world’s best teas. Best known for their intensely floral and complex-tasting high mountain oolong (which are grown at altitudes higher than 1,000 meters) and “bug-bitten” teas that bear poetic names such as “Oriental Beauty,” it is easy to get lost amidst the many levels and layers of tea this island nation presents. Luckily for New Yorkers, Té Company in Manhattan’s West Village is entirely devoted to the teas of Taiwan, from inside an elegantly appointed salon-style space in a converted historic brownstone.

At the helm of Té Company are the husband and wife team, Elena Liao and Frederico Ribeiro, with Liao sourcing the teas she grew up with while living in Taiwan and Ribeiro using his culinary acumen acquired working in such famed kitchens as Per Se to create an inspired menu of tea snacks both savory and sweet. The two bring a balance to a space that at times can feel frenetic when weekend brunch-goers pack the tiny teahouse. In addition to their regular menu of tea and food, Té Company offers table-side tea tasting flights, as well as the option to book tea tastings to learn all about Taiwanese tea. Rightly revered for its tea service, Te Company also has a dedicated following for Ribeiro’s pastry program, particularly his take on pineapple Linzer cookies, which have become something of a matter of obsession for in-the-know New Yorkers from near and far.

What to drink: A pot of “Frozen Summit” ’11 Vintage aged oolong, from Nantou County, Taiwan

Té Company is located at 163 W 10th St, New York. Visit their official website an follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Setsugekka

Nestled amidst the brownstone facades of the East Village, Setsugekka, with its tiny storefront and shoji-latticed windows, hides one of New York City’s best kept secrets: the best bowl of matcha. Stepping inside, the space is a mixture of traditional Japanese teahouse architecture, complete with a four-mat tatami platform, and old-school New York charm. Hosts and owners Souheki and Junya Mori opened the doors to Setsugekka in 2017 (profiled shortly thereafter on Sprudge). Souheki, a master in the Dai Nihon Chadō Gakkai school of Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), expertly prepares every bowl of matcha by hand, infusing with it the warmth and intention that can only be achieved by years of practice and dedication.

With an incredibly-focused menu of matcha grown in the famed tea-producing regions of Japan on farms tended by the same families for hundreds of years, the quality of Setsugekka’s tea is second to none. To take things a step further, the Moris have installed their own traditional tea-grinding mill, with which they grind their own matcha weekly. Matcha is served either traditionally hot in a ceramic tea bowl (of which is often handcrafted by a notable Japanese ceramicist), or chilled over ice or ice cream as a twist on the affogato. In addition to tea served, Souheki regularly teaches a growing number of students the art of tea ceremony, making Setsugekka not only a place to enjoy tea but to learn the “way” of tea.

What to drink: A bowl of freshly-ground koicha (“thick tea”) prepared by Souheki Mori, with tea sourced from Uji, Japan

Setsugekka is located at 74 E 7th St., New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Scott Norton is a freelance journalist based in New York City. Read more Scott Norton for Sprudge.

Sprudge Tea Week is Presented By Breville USA.

The post 6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City appeared first on Sprudge.

6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

[antorestaurant]

 Anto: Redefining Korean Culinary Excellence in NYC

In the bustling streets of New York City, where gastronomic adventures await at every corner, Anto stands tall as a bastion of Korean culinary mastery. Renowned as one of the top and best Korean restaurants in NYC, Anto transcends mere dining, offering an experience that blends tradition, sophistication, and innovation into every dish.

Discovering the Essence of Korean Gastronomy

Step into Anto and immerse yourself in an unparalleled culinary journey. Our commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of our dining experience. From the vibrant ambiance to the tantalizing aromas wafting from our kitchen, Anto is an ode to the rich and diverse flavors of Korean cuisine.

Unveiling the Epitome of Korean Fine Dining

Anto isn't just a restaurant; it's an institution of culinary finesse. Our menu is a curation of flavors, each dish meticulously crafted to tantalize discerning palates. Indulge in a symphony of flavors—whether it’s our signature Bibimbap, delectable Kimchi, or our innovative reinterpretations of Korean classics.

Exquisite Dining in a Luxurious Setting

At Anto, we redefine high-end Korean dining in NYC. Our opulent yet inviting ambiance provides the perfect backdrop for your culinary adventure. Impeccable service and attention to detail complement the extraordinary cuisine, creating an atmosphere that's as refined as the dishes we serve.

Anto: Your Gateway to Exceptional Korean Cuisine

Ranked among the best Korean restaurants in New York, Anto is a haven for food enthusiasts seeking authenticity, innovation, and sophistication. Our dedication to providing a superlative dining experience echoes in every dish, ensuring that your visit to Anto is nothing short of extraordinary.

Experience Anto: Where Tradition Meets Innovation

Whether you seek a fancy Korean restaurant in NYC for a special occasion or simply crave the finest Korean flavors, Anto delivers an unforgettable experience. We invite you to embark on a culinary journey that celebrates tradition, sophistication, and the very essence of Korean gastronomy.

Visit Anto and allow us to redefine your perception of Korean cuisine. Discover why Anto remains one of the best and top Korean restaurants in NYC—where each bite tells a story of culinary brilliance.

[epchapman89]

6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City

New York City is often seen as a vanguard of trends, of things to come. It is said, “If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere.” For a town that is remarkably one dominated by (sometimes excellent) coffee, by an unwavering need for speed, and for a mentality that “time is money,” tea seems to be a beverage that would not survive. But despite all that, within the last 10 years a new generation of teahouses has emerged, bucking these trends and indicating that, amidst all the urban clamor and rat race, there is not only a place but a need for spaces where people can slow down and focus on the meditative act of making tea.

To be clear: I am not talking about the onslaught of now-ubiquitous, trendy, and Instagrammable to-go matcha lattes. These new teahouses purvey directly-sourced, single-farm, hard-to-come-by teas from the far off tea-producing mountains of East Asia. Brewed mindfully and traditionally (whether whisked or steeped), these new teahouses are in themselves a reflection of a growing appreciation in America for a standard of tea that is more commonly found in Kyōto, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, or the mountains of Yunnan or Northern India.

Best of all, while some teas can range in price up to hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars per cup, these shops in New York instead curate focused menus of excellent teas that encourage price-savvy exploration before breaking one’s budget. And with their founders dedicated to educating their clientele, these listed teahouses are the perfect places to navigate the vast world of tea in NYC.

Kettl

Kettl is a tiny jewel box of Japanese tea and teaware in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. Located above the locally-renowned Japanese breakfast and ramen joint Okonomi/Yuji Ramen, a journey up a flight of stairs reveals a sparsely-furnished space filled with a wide variety of high-quality loose leaf teas from all corners of Japan. Inspired by travels throughout the Japanese archipelago, owner Zach Mangan imports teas that aren’t often available outside of the regions in which they are produced. This approach to showcasing “local varieties” means that in addition to stocking some of the best sencha, gyokuro, and matcha available in the United States, Kettl also contains exquisite examples of teas even highly versed tea drinkers might never have enjoyed, including single-varietal tamaryokucha (pan-fried, coiled tea produced in Kyūshū), kyo iribancha (late-harvest, deeply-roasted full-leaf tea with notes of pine resin and tobacco), and rare Japanese black teas from Ureshino and Yame (which often exhibit flavors of apricot, grape skin, and osmanthus).

Kettl, while mostly operating as a farm-direct online purveyor of fine Japanese teas, keeps its retail space in Williamsburg open for in-store sales, education, and sampling of any of their more than 30 distinct teas that regularly shift with the seasons. All teas here are refrigerated to ensure their freshness, and Kettl’s selection of teawares, from tea bowls for Japanese tea ceremonies to teacups and teapots for daily use, are all of excellent quality, produced both in Japan and by local New York ceramicists.

What to drink: Ayame Kabuse 10-day shaded sencha from Fukuoka, Japan

Kettl Tea is located at 150 Ainslie St., 2nd Floor, Brooklyn. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Floating Mountain Tea House

Opened in 2017, Floating Mountain Tea House is one of New York City’s most recent additions to a growing constellation of excellent tea spaces. Taking cues from classic East Asian teahouse design (with a dose of Manhattan gallery minimalism), the space is clean, meditative, and intimate. Featuring over 90 different whole leaf, single-origin teas from China’s famous tea producing regions, Floating Mountain is not only a great place to taste the depth and breadth of tea styles, but is also one of the best locations in the United States to learn about the subtle differences between different regional varieties. Here you can explore rare varietals of hong cha (“red tea”) produced in the eastern province of Fujian to new, aged pu’erh tea grown in China’s southwestern region of Yunnan, green teas from Sichuan, and single grove “Phoenix” oolong teas grown in the mountainous region of Chaozhou in China’s southern Guangdong province. Paired with Chinese porcelain and clay ceramics, guests are guided on how to brew tea by owner and founder Elina Medvedeva in the traditional gong fu cha style, where each tea is skillfully brewed to express optimal flavors.

In addition to directly sourcing all of her teas from small, single-plot farms in China, Medvedeva organizes tea educational events, private tea tastings, meditations set to tea, and even chi gong courses. Floating Mountain is typically most busy on weeknights and on the weekends, with early afternoons being the best time to grab one of the four low tables or a place at the tea bar. Floating Mountain is located just minutes away from Central Park and Lincoln Center in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, making it ideal for those seeking to fully enjoy the city—and then escape from it.

What to drink: A pot of Lao You Hua Xiang (“Old Tree Pomelo Flower Fragrance) Phoenix oolong from Chaozhou, China

Floating Mountain Tea House is located at 239 W 72nd St., 2nd Floor, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

29b Teahouse

29b Teahouse is equal parts upscale Japanese-inspired restaurant, East Village bohemian drinking den, and full service gong fu cha tea bar, mixing an elegant straightforward presentation of whole leaf traditional teas from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India with innovative pairings of wine, beer, soju, and sake. What first began as a private tea sourcing venture and pop-up shop begun by founder Stefen Ramirez in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood has taken full flight in lower Manhattan, as 29b is now one of the largest tea spaces in the United States. The layout incorporates a central bar where tea and tea-infused drinks are masterfully prepared, alongside ample table seating for both tea drinking and relaxed dining. While featuring stellar teas from all across East Asia, 29b features some of the nation’s best (and hardest to find) Korean green teas and tisanes, as well as thoughtful tea-infused alcoholic drinks, including a must-have matcha and rice beer, as well as a rotating menu of soju and sake-infused cocktails.

29b currently features one of New York City’s most diverse menus of teas, tisanes, and tea-infused beverages. They feature a regular calendar of tea tasting events and classes, and offer a wide selection of privately-commissioned teawares from master ceramicists. This place is heaven for late-night tea lovers, folks looking for a great date spot with plenty of non-alcoholic options, and fans of considered bar design.

What to drink: 29b’s signature matcha beer or a pot of organic Woojeon (“pre-rain”) Korean green tea from the Jiri Mountains, South Korea

29b Teahouse is located at 29 Avenue B, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Puerh Brooklyn

Named for a distinctive style of fermented tea that comes from the mountains of Yunnan province in southwest China, Puerh Brooklyn carries well over 20 different types of puerh, as well as a diverse array of other teas, from red, black, oolong, white, yellow, and green from China, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Nepal. Located in an airy two-floored teashop in the heart of Williamsburg, co-owner and founder Gabriel Grippo has built a shop where the community comes to enjoy tea in a relaxed and casual style. Originally begun by Grippo in 2001, the current space was purpose-built to include tea alongside with his two other passions: clothing design and art. (The space includes an active clothing design atelier and gallery.)

Entering through the street-level upstairs, guests are met with rows of shining canisters full of loose leaf tea, large ceramic jars filled with stacks of aging puerh cakes, and teapots made by renowned local and international potters. Descending to the open, gallery-like lower level, stark cement walls are juxtaposed by the organic lines of wooden tea tables, carpets, and teaware set for both casual tea brewing and the occasional meditation meet-up. Set below the clamor of Williamsburg, Puerh Brooklyn’s tea space is a hidden gem and welcome respite in busy Brooklyn, a great place to find peace and explore the vast world of tea at a natural pace.

What to drink: 2015 Lao Ban Zhang Old Trees sheng puerh (“raw puerh”)

Puerh Brooklyn is located at 174 Grand St, Brooklyn. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

T Shop

Tucked down a long corridor off of SoHo’s quiet Elizabeth Street, T Shop is one of those perfect New York “hidden gem” spots. In a relaxing, no-frills environment of small tea tables and a long tea bar, T Shop delivers what is easily some of the best Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean tea New York City has to offer. The space encourages brewing at your own pace, with simple gong fu cha set up and the option to brew one’s own teapot or gaiwan (a traditional Chinese tea brewing cup). With a strong, die-hard community of regulars but a welcoming and accessible vibe, T Shop is a great place to first enter New York City’s tea world.

Teas here are sourced by Theresa Wong and Hyun Lee, who regularly travel to Asia visiting tea farms and tea collectors to bring back teas that are of exceptional quality. While the regular menu features a highly-curated selection of teas, private tea tastings often include many rarer “off menu” teas that Wong and Hyun have procured in limited quantity. As such, a single visit will never fully reveal the depth of what T Shop has to offer. Better to go once, then again, and before you know it you may find yourself fitting in alongside the regulars.

What to drink: Old Bush Dan Cong Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix oolong from Chaozhou, China

T Shop is located at 247 Elizabeth St, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Té Company

Taiwan has what many tea aficionados consider to be some of the world’s best teas. Best known for their intensely floral and complex-tasting high mountain oolong (which are grown at altitudes higher than 1,000 meters) and “bug-bitten” teas that bear poetic names such as “Oriental Beauty,” it is easy to get lost amidst the many levels and layers of tea this island nation presents. Luckily for New Yorkers, Té Company in Manhattan’s West Village is entirely devoted to the teas of Taiwan, from inside an elegantly appointed salon-style space in a converted historic brownstone.

At the helm of Té Company are the husband and wife team, Elena Liao and Frederico Ribeiro, with Liao sourcing the teas she grew up with while living in Taiwan and Ribeiro using his culinary acumen acquired working in such famed kitchens as Per Se to create an inspired menu of tea snacks both savory and sweet. The two bring a balance to a space that at times can feel frenetic when weekend brunch-goers pack the tiny teahouse. In addition to their regular menu of tea and food, Té Company offers table-side tea tasting flights, as well as the option to book tea tastings to learn all about Taiwanese tea. Rightly revered for its tea service, Te Company also has a dedicated following for Ribeiro’s pastry program, particularly his take on pineapple Linzer cookies, which have become something of a matter of obsession for in-the-know New Yorkers from near and far.

What to drink: A pot of “Frozen Summit” ’11 Vintage aged oolong, from Nantou County, Taiwan

Té Company is located at 163 W 10th St, New York. Visit their official website an follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Setsugekka

Nestled amidst the brownstone facades of the East Village, Setsugekka, with its tiny storefront and shoji-latticed windows, hides one of New York City’s best kept secrets: the best bowl of matcha. Stepping inside, the space is a mixture of traditional Japanese teahouse architecture, complete with a four-mat tatami platform, and old-school New York charm. Hosts and owners Souheki and Junya Mori opened the doors to Setsugekka in 2017 (profiled shortly thereafter on Sprudge). Souheki, a master in the Dai Nihon Chadō Gakkai school of Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), expertly prepares every bowl of matcha by hand, infusing with it the warmth and intention that can only be achieved by years of practice and dedication.

With an incredibly-focused menu of matcha grown in the famed tea-producing regions of Japan on farms tended by the same families for hundreds of years, the quality of Setsugekka’s tea is second to none. To take things a step further, the Moris have installed their own traditional tea-grinding mill, with which they grind their own matcha weekly. Matcha is served either traditionally hot in a ceramic tea bowl (of which is often handcrafted by a notable Japanese ceramicist), or chilled over ice or ice cream as a twist on the affogato. In addition to tea served, Souheki regularly teaches a growing number of students the art of tea ceremony, making Setsugekka not only a place to enjoy tea but to learn the “way” of tea.

What to drink: A bowl of freshly-ground koicha (“thick tea”) prepared by Souheki Mori, with tea sourced from Uji, Japan

Setsugekka is located at 74 E 7th St., New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Scott Norton is a freelance journalist based in New York City. Read more Scott Norton for Sprudge.

Sprudge Tea Week is Presented By Breville USA.

The post 6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City appeared first on Sprudge.

seen 1st on http://sprudge.com

[mrwilliamcharley]

6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City

New York City is often seen as a vanguard of trends, of things to come. It is said, “If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere.” For a town that is remarkably one dominated by (sometimes excellent) coffee, by an unwavering need for speed, and for a mentality that “time is money,” tea seems to be a beverage that would not survive. But despite all that, within the last 10 years a new generation of teahouses has emerged, bucking these trends and indicating that, amidst all the urban clamor and rat race, there is not only a place but a need for spaces where people can slow down and focus on the meditative act of making tea.

To be clear: I am not talking about the onslaught of now-ubiquitous, trendy, and Instagrammable to-go matcha lattes. These new teahouses purvey directly-sourced, single-farm, hard-to-come-by teas from the far off tea-producing mountains of East Asia. Brewed mindfully and traditionally (whether whisked or steeped), these new teahouses are in themselves a reflection of a growing appreciation in America for a standard of tea that is more commonly found in Kyōto, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, or the mountains of Yunnan or Northern India.

Best of all, while some teas can range in price up to hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars per cup, these shops in New York instead curate focused menus of excellent teas that encourage price-savvy exploration before breaking one’s budget. And with their founders dedicated to educating their clientele, these listed teahouses are the perfect places to navigate the vast world of tea in NYC.

Kettl

Kettl is a tiny jewel box of Japanese tea and teaware in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. Located above the locally-renowned Japanese breakfast and ramen joint Okonomi/Yuji Ramen, a journey up a flight of stairs reveals a sparsely-furnished space filled with a wide variety of high-quality loose leaf teas from all corners of Japan. Inspired by travels throughout the Japanese archipelago, owner Zach Mangan imports teas that aren’t often available outside of the regions in which they are produced. This approach to showcasing “local varieties” means that in addition to stocking some of the best sencha, gyokuro, and matcha available in the United States, Kettl also contains exquisite examples of teas even highly versed tea drinkers might never have enjoyed, including single-varietal tamaryokucha (pan-fried, coiled tea produced in Kyūshū), kyo iribancha (late-harvest, deeply-roasted full-leaf tea with notes of pine resin and tobacco), and rare Japanese black teas from Ureshino and Yame (which often exhibit flavors of apricot, grape skin, and osmanthus).

Kettl, while mostly operating as a farm-direct online purveyor of fine Japanese teas, keeps its retail space in Williamsburg open for in-store sales, education, and sampling of any of their more than 30 distinct teas that regularly shift with the seasons. All teas here are refrigerated to ensure their freshness, and Kettl’s selection of teawares, from tea bowls for Japanese tea ceremonies to teacups and teapots for daily use, are all of excellent quality, produced both in Japan and by local New York ceramicists.

What to drink: Ayame Kabuse 10-day shaded sencha from Fukuoka, Japan

Kettl Tea is located at 150 Ainslie St., 2nd Floor, Brooklyn. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Floating Mountain Tea House

Opened in 2017, Floating Mountain Tea House is one of New York City’s most recent additions to a growing constellation of excellent tea spaces. Taking cues from classic East Asian teahouse design (with a dose of Manhattan gallery minimalism), the space is clean, meditative, and intimate. Featuring over 90 different whole leaf, single-origin teas from China’s famous tea producing regions, Floating Mountain is not only a great place to taste the depth and breadth of tea styles, but is also one of the best locations in the United States to learn about the subtle differences between different regional varieties. Here you can explore rare varietals of hong cha (“red tea”) produced in the eastern province of Fujian to new, aged pu’erh tea grown in China’s southwestern region of Yunnan, green teas from Sichuan, and single grove “Phoenix” oolong teas grown in the mountainous region of Chaozhou in China’s southern Guangdong province. Paired with Chinese porcelain and clay ceramics, guests are guided on how to brew tea by owner and founder Elina Medvedeva in the traditional gong fu cha style, where each tea is skillfully brewed to express optimal flavors.

In addition to directly sourcing all of her teas from small, single-plot farms in China, Medvedeva organizes tea educational events, private tea tastings, meditations set to tea, and even chi gong courses. Floating Mountain is typically most busy on weeknights and on the weekends, with early afternoons being the best time to grab one of the four low tables or a place at the tea bar. Floating Mountain is located just minutes away from Central Park and Lincoln Center in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, making it ideal for those seeking to fully enjoy the city—and then escape from it.

What to drink: A pot of Lao You Hua Xiang (“Old Tree Pomelo Flower Fragrance) Phoenix oolong from Chaozhou, China

Floating Mountain Tea House is located at 239 W 72nd St., 2nd Floor, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

29b Teahouse

29b Teahouse is equal parts upscale Japanese-inspired restaurant, East Village bohemian drinking den, and full service gong fu cha tea bar, mixing an elegant straightforward presentation of whole leaf traditional teas from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India with innovative pairings of wine, beer, soju, and sake. What first began as a private tea sourcing venture and pop-up shop begun by founder Stefen Ramirez in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood has taken full flight in lower Manhattan, as 29b is now one of the largest tea spaces in the United States. The layout incorporates a central bar where tea and tea-infused drinks are masterfully prepared, alongside ample table seating for both tea drinking and relaxed dining. While featuring stellar teas from all across East Asia, 29b features some of the nation’s best (and hardest to find) Korean green teas and tisanes, as well as thoughtful tea-infused alcoholic drinks, including a must-have matcha and rice beer, as well as a rotating menu of soju and sake-infused cocktails.

29b currently features one of New York City’s most diverse menus of teas, tisanes, and tea-infused beverages. They feature a regular calendar of tea tasting events and classes, and offer a wide selection of privately-commissioned teawares from master ceramicists. This place is heaven for late-night tea lovers, folks looking for a great date spot with plenty of non-alcoholic options, and fans of considered bar design.

What to drink: 29b’s signature matcha beer or a pot of organic Woojeon (“pre-rain”) Korean green tea from the Jiri Mountains, South Korea

29b Teahouse is located at 29 Avenue B, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Puerh Brooklyn

Named for a distinctive style of fermented tea that comes from the mountains of Yunnan province in southwest China, Puerh Brooklyn carries well over 20 different types of puerh, as well as a diverse array of other teas, from red, black, oolong, white, yellow, and green from China, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Nepal. Located in an airy two-floored teashop in the heart of Williamsburg, co-owner and founder Gabriel Grippo has built a shop where the community comes to enjoy tea in a relaxed and casual style. Originally begun by Grippo in 2001, the current space was purpose-built to include tea alongside with his two other passions: clothing design and art. (The space includes an active clothing design atelier and gallery.)

Entering through the street-level upstairs, guests are met with rows of shining canisters full of loose leaf tea, large ceramic jars filled with stacks of aging puerh cakes, and teapots made by renowned local and international potters. Descending to the open, gallery-like lower level, stark cement walls are juxtaposed by the organic lines of wooden tea tables, carpets, and teaware set for both casual tea brewing and the occasional meditation meet-up. Set below the clamor of Williamsburg, Puerh Brooklyn’s tea space is a hidden gem and welcome respite in busy Brooklyn, a great place to find peace and explore the vast world of tea at a natural pace.

What to drink: 2015 Lao Ban Zhang Old Trees sheng puerh (“raw puerh”)

Puerh Brooklyn is located at 174 Grand St, Brooklyn. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

T Shop

Tucked down a long corridor off of SoHo’s quiet Elizabeth Street, T Shop is one of those perfect New York “hidden gem” spots. In a relaxing, no-frills environment of small tea tables and a long tea bar, T Shop delivers what is easily some of the best Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean tea New York City has to offer. The space encourages brewing at your own pace, with simple gong fu cha set up and the option to brew one’s own teapot or gaiwan (a traditional Chinese tea brewing cup). With a strong, die-hard community of regulars but a welcoming and accessible vibe, T Shop is a great place to first enter New York City’s tea world.

Teas here are sourced by Theresa Wong and Hyun Lee, who regularly travel to Asia visiting tea farms and tea collectors to bring back teas that are of exceptional quality. While the regular menu features a highly-curated selection of teas, private tea tastings often include many rarer “off menu” teas that Wong and Hyun have procured in limited quantity. As such, a single visit will never fully reveal the depth of what T Shop has to offer. Better to go once, then again, and before you know it you may find yourself fitting in alongside the regulars.

What to drink: Old Bush Dan Cong Mi Lan Xiang Phoenix oolong from Chaozhou, China

T Shop is located at 247 Elizabeth St, New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Té Company

Taiwan has what many tea aficionados consider to be some of the world’s best teas. Best known for their intensely floral and complex-tasting high mountain oolong (which are grown at altitudes higher than 1,000 meters) and “bug-bitten” teas that bear poetic names such as “Oriental Beauty,” it is easy to get lost amidst the many levels and layers of tea this island nation presents. Luckily for New Yorkers, Té Company in Manhattan’s West Village is entirely devoted to the teas of Taiwan, from inside an elegantly appointed salon-style space in a converted historic brownstone.

At the helm of Té Company are the husband and wife team, Elena Liao and Frederico Ribeiro, with Liao sourcing the teas she grew up with while living in Taiwan and Ribeiro using his culinary acumen acquired working in such famed kitchens as Per Se to create an inspired menu of tea snacks both savory and sweet. The two bring a balance to a space that at times can feel frenetic when weekend brunch-goers pack the tiny teahouse. In addition to their regular menu of tea and food, Té Company offers table-side tea tasting flights, as well as the option to book tea tastings to learn all about Taiwanese tea. Rightly revered for its tea service, Te Company also has a dedicated following for Ribeiro’s pastry program, particularly his take on pineapple Linzer cookies, which have become something of a matter of obsession for in-the-know New Yorkers from near and far.

What to drink: A pot of “Frozen Summit” ’11 Vintage aged oolong, from Nantou County, Taiwan

Té Company is located at 163 W 10th St, New York. Visit their official website an follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Setsugekka

Nestled amidst the brownstone facades of the East Village, Setsugekka, with its tiny storefront and shoji-latticed windows, hides one of New York City’s best kept secrets: the best bowl of matcha. Stepping inside, the space is a mixture of traditional Japanese teahouse architecture, complete with a four-mat tatami platform, and old-school New York charm. Hosts and owners Souheki and Junya Mori opened the doors to Setsugekka in 2017 (profiled shortly thereafter on Sprudge). Souheki, a master in the Dai Nihon Chadō Gakkai school of Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), expertly prepares every bowl of matcha by hand, infusing with it the warmth and intention that can only be achieved by years of practice and dedication.

With an incredibly-focused menu of matcha grown in the famed tea-producing regions of Japan on farms tended by the same families for hundreds of years, the quality of Setsugekka’s tea is second to none. To take things a step further, the Moris have installed their own traditional tea-grinding mill, with which they grind their own matcha weekly. Matcha is served either traditionally hot in a ceramic tea bowl (of which is often handcrafted by a notable Japanese ceramicist), or chilled over ice or ice cream as a twist on the affogato. In addition to tea served, Souheki regularly teaches a growing number of students the art of tea ceremony, making Setsugekka not only a place to enjoy tea but to learn the “way” of tea.

What to drink: A bowl of freshly-ground koicha (“thick tea”) prepared by Souheki Mori, with tea sourced from Uji, Japan

Setsugekka is located at 74 E 7th St., New York. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Scott Norton is a freelance journalist based in New York City. Read more Scott Norton for Sprudge.

Sprudge Tea Week is Presented By Breville USA.

The post 6 Remarkable Destinations For Tea In New York City appeared first on Sprudge.

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An Inside Look At Miami Art Basel 2017

An Inside Look At Miami Art Basel 2017

Artists from all over the world wait impatiently for the event that brings artists, curators, critics, and art lovers together. The highly anticipated event, Art Basel Miami, features art from across the globe and attracts over 70,000 visitors each year. Hundreds of galleries that specialize in modern art across the world participate in this event, showcasing everything from photography and video to digital art, sculptures, and paintings. Whether you’re looking for art from the freshest young artists on the scene, or are in search of that limited edition, museum-ready masterpiece, you’ll find it during Art Basel in Miami.

  Art Basel will be hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center from December 7-10. There is a private, invitation-only viewing on the 6th as well as the Vernissage on the 7th from 11-3. After that, the public is welcome to browse the galleries during the following days and times:

Thursday, December 7, 2017, 3 pm to 8 pm

Friday, December 8, 2017, noon to 8 pm

Saturday, December 9, 2017, noon to 8 pm

Sunday, December 10, 2017, noon to 6 pm

The Sectors

The Miami Convention Center will be divided into nine sectors. Nova focuses on contemporary art that is fresh and new. Kabinett focuses on a collection of pieces by one artist or a themed group. Survey focuses on art made before 2000. Public is dedicated to mesmerizing sculptures and thought-provoking pieces, and the Film sector features work projected onto a giant 7,000-square-foot wall at the New World Center Soundscape Park. Along with these sectors, Art Basel in Miami Beach is introducing five new galleries that have never been part of the show before.

  Isla Flotante, a gallery based out of Buenos Aires, is one of the galleries making its debut at the event. Composed of eight young Argentinian artists whose work focuses mainly on political issues, Isla Flotante started out as a small space for young artists to work on their craft. The gallery itself became a hot spot for local artist to socialize, and over the years Isla Flotante made a name for itself at international art fairs and has been growing ever since.

Antenna Space was founded by Simon Wang and is a textile factory turned art gallery. It is a space where young, growing artists can work with different mediums, including painting and sculpture. It got its name from the creator’s idea that the space is like an antenna that “aims to materialize its artists’ desires and artistic ideas into projects and exhibits.”

Additional new galleries like Applicat-Prazan, Sfeir-Semler, and Dependence are also making their first appearance at the event and are expected to significantly contribute to the overall feel and experience of Art Basel.

Art Basel Must-See Galleries and Exhibits

  Kurimanzutto — art deeply connected to Mexico’s history and culture. This year visitors can get a glimpse of paper collages by South Korean artist Haegue Yang.

Foxy Productions — this solo exhibit features art that examines the relationships that people have with everyday objects, like smartphones.

David Castillo Gallery — based out of Wynwood NYC, this is one of the few exhibits that has repeatedly earned a spot at this coveted event. This year's multi-media showcase focuses on race, sexuality, and gender. There will even be a live performance by Kalup Linzy.

Tyler Rollins Fine Art — another newbie to the Art Basel scene, this contemporary art gallery based out of Chelsea, New York City, focuses on solo artists in the Southeast Asia region.

Satellite Fairs

  One of the coolest parts of Art Basel is that it allows the art to extend out into the city, beyond the walls of the convention center. There will be more than 20 satellite fairs scattered across Miami during Art Basel week, including the Art Miami and Context Fairs that bring in over 100,000 people each year. Emerging artists can be found at the NADA and Scope fairs that are set up right on the beaches. A favorite exhibit is the walking tour through Wynwood to experience the graffiti and street art on its numerous city buildings.

Art For Kids

Art Basel is an excellent opportunity to expose your kids to modern and contemporary art. Children under 16 are welcome to explore the exhibits but must be accompanied by an adult. This is also an excellent opportunity to teach art gallery etiquette such as:

   Walking not running

   Not touching the art

   Following the requests of event staff and security

   Keep food and drinks in designated areas

For kids who are still a little too young to appreciate the art, and for parents who would like to enjoy it without worrying about corralling their little ones, there is the Kids Lounge at Art Basel. This art-inspired, kid-friendly space gives young minds creative programs and age-appropriate activities to enjoy while their parents visit the galleries.

About The Location

Art enthusiasts will spend their days browsing gallery after gallery of stunning art and then unwind at some of the hottest spots in Miami as the sun goes down. From five-star restaurants to mouth-watering street food, Miami offers countless options for starving artists (pun intended) to curb their appetite. Sexy nightclubs, low-key dive bars, fast food chains, coffee shops and trendy brunch spots give locals and visitors plenty to do once the galleries are closed. While visitors treat themselves to luxury hotels on the water, Miami locals and art aficionados own real estate in some of the area’s most high-profile condominiums. Art Basel presents an excellent opportunity to schedule a showing at some of the world’s most coveted real estate:

Grand Venetian

Located at 10 Venetian Way, this 25-story building offers 134 luxury units overlooking the water. Residences range from 1,196-4,000 square feet and come in a variety of floor plans and layouts. Designed by renowned architect Kobi Karp, this architectural masterpiece is unlike anything else on the water. The building’s innovative design is made to seamlessly blend into the water and sky around it. With a breathtaking lobby, world-class amenities and a prime location just steps from the beach; the Grand Venetian gives residents the luxury lifestyle that they’ve always dreamed of. These spacious residences feature chef-inspired kitchens with state-of-the-art appliances, large bedrooms, elegant bathrooms, and views of the water and the city. Residents love the large pool that sits right on the waterfront, the lighted tennis courts, fitness facility, and professional concierge and on-site staff.

Il Villaggio

  Unprecedented luxury meets ultimate comfort and convenience at the stunning Il Villaggio in the heart of South Beach. From an upscale ocean lounge to beach services, a health club and an infinity edge pool and Jacuzzi, living in this five-star building defines what it means to live the high-profile Miami lifestyle. Residents can take advantage of on-site dining, a spa and massage room, quiet library and intimate private beachside cabanas. The private residences here feature expansive private balconies, gourmet kitchens, floor-to-ceiling windows, spacious bedrooms and spa-inspired bathrooms with modern fixtures. Each flow-through unit is designed for a glamorous lifestyle without the high maintenance hassle. With 24-hour security, valet and concierge services on site, there is someone on call to take care of all of your needs. Life at Il Villaggio is more than a lifestyle; it’s an experience.

1 Hotel and Homes

  1 Homes Residences offers an extraordinarily high standard of living. Just steps from the beach, this tower offers the space and luxury of a contemporary Miami condo building with the prestige, style, services, and amenities of a world-class hotel. At 1 Homes Miami, you can have every want and need taken care of by highly trained and attentive staff who can arrange grocery shopping, dry cleaning, and pharmacy pick up. Living the penthouse lifestyle at 1 Homes means private owners-only entrances, 24-hour concierge services, dedicated technical support, access to a full-service fitness center complete with massage and personal training, and countless other exclusive amenities that make living here a true upgrade for the luxury genre.

Setai Residences

This award-winning building offers 120 luxury units, including a stunning penthouse suite. Residents have access to three incredible pools, beach services, on-site dining, and state-of-the-art spa experience that is good for the mind, body, and soul. These massive residences range from 550 to 1,144 square feet and offer breathtaking views from almost every angle. Each spacious unit has elegant bathrooms with rain showers and other contemporary features, large bedrooms, teak floors, fully furnished gourmet kitchens, and smart home technology for maximum convenience. The four-bedroom penthouse exudes lavishness and covers over 10,000 square feet of living space. With an open-air bar, private pool, Jacuzzi and private wraparound terrace, this impressive penthouse sits 40 floors above the white-sand beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

Miami is known for hosting giant events that draw thousands of participants and visitors. From marathons on the beach to fashion week and the highly anticipated Wine and Food Festival, Miami knows how to party. So it’s no surprise that when Art Basel comes to Miami, it’s bound to be an experience. Art Basel brings together the world’s most creative, innovative, and artistic minds in one of the sexiest, most vibrant cities in the world. There’s no better backdrop for incredible art like Miami.

If you’re visiting Miami Beach during Art Basel, we’d love to hear from you. Contact a luxury real estate specialist today.

Originally Published Here: An Inside Look At Miami Art Basel 2017

Article source here: An Inside Look At Miami Art Basel 2017

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The Best of Korean Food in NYC

If there’s a nation whose food has received worldwide attention of late, it must be that of South Korea. And New York City serves up exemplary Korean food. from Fine Dining Lovers http://ift.tt/2o9mS4L via http://ift.tt/1BkEnz4