We had a productive winter so far, we ate at several restaurants, most of the time I’ve dined alone because people are still leery of omicron. There were several restaurants where I went off the game plan.

Here is a list of restaurants I have eaten for 2022 NYC Winter Restaurant Week:

1. Jun Lan Club
2. David Burke Tavern
3. IRIS
4. Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse
5. Thaimee Love
6. The Bar Room at the Modern
7. Taralucci E Vino

In this post, I’ll be writing about the first three restaurants:

Jun Lan Club – 49 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011

The first restaurant I went to was an upscale Chinese restaurant in Flatiron. The place is pretty big and I was seated in what it looks like a huge dining room. I had an early dinner and there were photos taken for all the guests who dined that evening. They promised us a copy of the photos but that was not fulfilled due to “technical difficulties” and it would be nice to have a copy of a photo. Anyways, let’s get to my three-course meal and mocktail. Overall service was great and quick. My server had the bartender make a virgin mojito due to my pregnancy.

Appetizer – I had the edamame dumplings in truffle miso broth. The dumplings were surprising pretty and tasted really good with the truffle miso broth; I devoured the dish. No wonder this appetizer is a customer favorite.

Entree – I was going to the hot & spicy beef but I was persuaded to go with their popular Beijing chicken. I have had Beijing chicken from Brooklyn Chophouse, which I absolutely love so I have high expectations. The dish was presented in a crispy rice bowl. The quantity was definitely less than the portion that I had at Brooklyn Chophouse. The dish came with white rice, which was plenty. I ate half of the dish and the other half I took home. The taste of the dish was pretty good overall and definitely worth ordering for restaurant week.

Dessert: I ordered their creme brulee, which hit the spot after tasting two different savory dishes. The dessert had a berry compote on top which was cleverly presented with one half plain creme brulee and the other creme brulee with berries on top. I smeared the whole berry compote throughout the creme brulee to get that perfect balanced bite of sweetness and tart. The overall dining experience started from savory to savory sweet to sweet, which developed a nice layering palette.

David Burke Tavern – 135 East 62nd Street New York, NY 10065

The second restaurant I went to was a restaurant known for its flexible restaurant week menu. David Burke Tavern located in the Upper East Side reopened on the first day of restaurant week after several months of renovations. It was great to see old friends and staff at the restaurant. The menu was offer a $59 pre-fixe menu, which appears to be pricey for restaurant week, but the menu included the infamous aged filet mignon at no extra cost. My server had the bartender make a virgin drink due to my pregnancy. Service was efficient and accommodating. Now to the food dining experience:

Appetizer – I had the soup of the day. The soup of the day was the butternut squash bisque which was really good especially on a cold winter night.

Entree – Since the prix fixe menu was $59 per person I had to go with the infamous steak, which would cost extra if the original prices for restaurant week still exists. The steak with charred brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes was very comforting and hit the spot. I had to get my steak well done because I was pregnant. I am thankful that there was a sauce to eat with my well done steak. FYI if I was not pregnant I would have had this steak medium to medium rare.

Dessert: I ordered the infamous apple tart which was a warm dish. The tart hit the spot. To get that perfect bite one must consume the flaky tart, caramelized apple with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. The tart had to be consumed quickly because the ice cream was melting.

IRIS – 1740 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

The third restaurant I went to was not on my game plan. My friend and I saw this new restaurant in Midtown Manhattan and we went to check it out. The restaurant is huge and really pretty. The menu is constantly changing by season so the items were ordered for restaurant week is not on their regular menu. Unfortunately I could not drink but they had a menu for Dry January and I had their grapefruit sumac soda, which was not worth the price because it was a small portion. Meanwhile, my friend got a bourbon mixed drink, which was strong for her but was smooth.

Appetizer: We ordered the calamari and the lamb flatbread. Both appetizers were to die for. The calamari was perfectly breaded and crispy. The lamb flatbread encompasses the essence of the restaurant’s theme cuisine – Mediterranean. Unfortunately the current menu only has the lamb flatbread, no calamari.

Entree: We ordered the branzino and the short ribs. Both entrees were to die for. Unfortunately the short rib entree not on their current menu. The branzino filet is on their lunch menu.

Dessert: We both ordered the baklava. The menu had baklava with homemade bourbon ice cream. Since I was pregnant the chef personally made me a greek yogurt ice cream. The dessert was amazing. The baklava was clearly homemade. I want to try the bourbon ice cream once I return from maternity leave, but now I’m unsure if this dessert is still on the menu.

Stay tuned next week where I’ll be writing about the remaining four restaurants visited and my dining experience.