SHO Shaun Hergatt

Went for a business lunch a little after 1pm on a Thursday.
The restaurant was very nice, although surprisingly empty.
I had the lobster entrée, and the white fish salad. Both were tasty!
The prix fixe menu is a decent deal (if you are up for a $ 35+ lunch). Since the lobster wasn’t on the prix fixe menu, I ordered ala carte, so it was a bit more.
Service was great, no complaints.
Overall, it was a nice experience, but you definitely pay for it. I’m interested in trying other restaurants in the area at that price point, and while I enjoyed my lunch, I’m not sure I’ll be back.

A-​OK. The ambience was cold and the service was pretty robotic. The food was fine but nothing really stood out as compared to many of the other excellent restaurants in NYC. Plus my husband was annoyed that the place was crawling with attorneys and what he referred to as «Wall Street doucebags» all talking very loudly about themselves in a self-​satisfied manner. I guess because I deal with these people on a daily basis as part of my job, it doesn’t bother me so much. I can gather some amusement from their loud conversations and then tune the rest out. But I can see how it can get annoying.
Their wine list was pretty pathetic. And the sad thing is that as we walked into the restaurant, there were two very elaborate glass wine cabinets on either side of this weird, rectangular fountain. But very few wine bottles in the cabinets. Very strange.
Oh, and by the way, it’s only Michelin 2 stars. It’s not 3 stars as other reviewers have said. Not that it really means anything either way. It’s still expensive and really not an experience that is worth the cost.

Okay, I am not sure where the rest of you ate but we ate at SHO and it was AHHHMAAAZZZING! Those of you who know me know I am not some hick who just fell off the proverbial foodie turnip truck. I have eaten at some of the best restaurants in New York (aka the world).
Anyhow our experience went a little something like this:
We had drinks at the bar, I had a French martini (delish) the hubby had an amaretto sour which was also yum. The bartender made the sour mix from scratch — a very nice touch.
The bread was warm with 3 different butter options — truffle (oh yeah!!), herb (yum) and regular with sea salt (super good).
At the table we had the gifts from the chef. They were as follows:
squid ink foie gras balls (insanely good)
a fava bean gelee soup
cherry on a beet sheet
All were delicious
Our meal was as follows:
Salt Press Ocean Trout
Chilled green asparagus
Warm Morel Espuma (insanely good — thick mushroom soup consistency)
Goat Cheese Angolini (delicious)
Seared rare wild tuna (had melted wagyu beef on it — so good)
Crispy skin Bronzino (the potatoes and potato chips it came with were a treat)
Black Garlic crusted lamb (cooked to perfection)
Berkshire pork loin (delicious and I don’t care for pork)
Chilled rhubarb consommé (with green tea ice cream and crisp bread)
Soft Chocolate Ganache — with basil ice cream — an unusual and delicious combo
The dessert gift from the chef was a chocolate honey comb in honey and Chocolate mint pistachio truffles. Both were delicious.
The waiter was attentive without being intrusive. He explained all the dishes in great detail. The wine list was also great.
We also got 30% off by booking through open
— always a nice treat!
We will definitely come back when the menu changes!
Take that Eleven Madison Park!!!

Let me begin by saying I live in the residential side of the hotel and the building and venue are beautiful. I am lucky to have free breakfast as part of my membership in the building.
As far as the dinner at SHO I would say it is well worth the experience (as in 1 or 2 times) but not the value. I had gone with a few friends and one had a 30% Savor discount which would be used on the total bill.
Food (⁴⁄₅): The menu here is broken into 5 sections: 2 appetizer (one cold and one hot), 1 fish, 1 meat, and a dessert section. You have a choice of either a 5 course meal where you would pick from each section noted above or 4 which would allow you all but one appetizer section (Five Course $ 100 | Four Course $ 85)
Here is what I ordered:
Bread (⁴⁄₅): The wheat bread here is amazing. It comes out with three different types of butter (truffle, herb, and salted butter)
Sautéed Bay Scallops with Santa Barbara Sea Urchin (³⁄₅) — This combination was probably one of the reasons I came. The dish came out beautifully and tasted great. A bit on the small side. Unfortunately besides saying it was great, it was nothing I would come back for.
My friends ordered the Warm Morel Espuma with Truffle Oil Royale — Coffee Essence (⁵⁄₅) and I had a try, I’m not going to lie I wanted their dish and was willing to steal their appetizer. One of my friends returned her dish saying it was too salty, so if you are partial to salt this is not for you. The waiter without even a second thought took her plate and brought out the Chilled Green Asparagus with Asparagus Ice Cream (³⁄₅) — This was amazing, I am sure it would be even more amazing if you love asparagus. I was impressed, but I’m not an asparagus lover.
My other friends ordered the Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Sundried Apricot Dust (⁴⁄₅) and this dish came out beautiful, the best artistically all night. You almost cannot go wrong with Foie Gras but I am partial to mine seared at a restaurant. I tried it… it’s foie gras I’d recommend it.
Fish Dish — Crispy Skin Branzino with Spring Potato Purée (³⁄₅) — I don’t really remember this being great or bad.
Black Garlic Crusted Lamb with Lamb Sweetbreads (⁴⁄₅) — Was good, presented beautifuly and I remember it. Would not come back for this dish but I would recommend it.
Soft Chocolate Ganache with Basil Ice Cream Salted Caramel (²⁄₅) — Too many flavors and textures for my liking. It was salty, sweet, crunchy, soft. I wouldn’t necessarily order this again but it was not bad.
Service (⁵⁄₅) — It’s a 5 star restaurant, the service met my expectations.
Overall I would say come for the experience, the pictures of the food will be amazing and the experience is well worth the visit. Would I frequent here… No.

The entrance to the restaurant is beside the entrance to the Setai Hotel. When we got there, the alarm was sounding and there was no doorman or greeter. We just got onto the elevator and rode up to the restaurant. The same alarm was still sounding when we left.
Tried the 5 course tasting menu. Started with the goat cheese pave, which came with goat cheese and red ribbon sorrel. The cheese was pretty mild and wasn’t as strong as goat cheese usually is. The beets added a little sweetness. This was a nice starter to the meal. Next I had to house made polenta filled agnolotti. The polenta was an interesting filler but it seemed a little heavy to fill pasta with cornmeal.
The seafood dish I tried was the East coast flounder with langoustine and black truffle. The flounder was cooked perfectly as was the langoustine. You could taste the black truffle but I wanted more. My final savory course was the 3 day beef cheek with black trumpets. The meat was succulent, tender and perfectly cooked. This was a great dish.
Dessert was the lemon meringue with fennel lemonade. I am not sure why I ordered it since I don’t really like meringue, nor do I like the taste of licorice. As expected I was not a fan of the dessert.
The place was ¾ full on a Saturday night, which surprised me, since I expected less people. The décor is strange as it tries to be Asian but there is nothing about the menu that is Asian. There is private wine tasting table on the way to the main dining room. The chef/​owner was there that night but didn’t really talk to anyone. If you are in the Financial District there are worse options.

The SHO Shaun Hergatt experience is fantastic.
Impeccable service, extraordinary food, and excellent wine list.
It’s spacious, comfortable, and relaxing.
The cocktails are creative and very refreshing. Try the Wildberry Pop. It’s smoothly blended to perfection.
This time, I had the risotto (tasting appetizer) and then the East Coast Flounder for my entrée. Both were absolutely amazing! Dessert was lemon sorbet with meringue bits sprinkled on top. The freshness of the citrus and taste were like hints of spring and summer.
When I’m waiting for friends or my group for dinner, I enjoy lounging on the comfy sofas in the bar area before the formal dining room.
During my first visit (Summer 2011), I met Chef Shaun Hergatt by chance and he spoke to me for a moment! Even though it was for a short moment while waiting for my iPhone to charge at the bar, how extremely fortunate I was! My sister was lucky to encounter him this time. :)
Financial District is so far from me and out of the way, and I’m usually never in the area, but for drinks or dinner at SHO, I definitely don’t mind going out of the way, because here at SHO, you feel right at home.

Restaurant Week Winter 2012
I had seen this restaurant on a list of NYC’s Best Restaurants in Grub Street NY. Sadly, places like this get booked up pretty quickly when restaurant week rolls around so I was very lucky when I came upon a 7:30pm day-​of reservation for 2 about 30 min before.
This place is hidden in the confines of what looks like a desserted Broad Street.
But what a treat. I ordered the risotto, flounder, and toffee dessert off of the prix fixe menu and all of the dishes were very well done (especially the risotto). They automatically threw on 18% gratuity, making our entire meal ~$ 45.

I would give it a 3 star, MAX, for a Michelin star restaurant.
In the main dining room, you are restricted to the $ 85/​person prix-​fix.
While in the lounge, the a-​la-​carte menu is still surprisingly small, so you only have limited options.
If you don’t eat seafood or like vegetarian entrée, then you are basically out of choice. Thank goodness, I could still pick the fish and my friend chose the lobster as the entrees. The rest are just either soba/​risotto/​corn based entrees.
Food themselves are fine. They are good, but not mind-​blowing like some other Michelin star restaurants.
Honestly, for the similar type of food, I would prefer Spice Market much more to Sho. Sorry.

3.6, rounds up to a 4.
This place is enormous. This is probably the only 2-​star Michelin restaurant where you can easily get a reservation, even on weekends. It’s a shame that most people are too lazy to come to the area, as the food is quite good. However, the portions are tiny, it was a bit heavy on the salt, the décor is a bit overwhelming, and the bathrooms were rather untidy.
We were seated close to the kitchen area and could see the huge kitchen through the glass panes, which is great as I love watching the hustle and bustle.
Bread with truffle butter for the win. Delicious! The amuse bouche were quite good. I started off with the trout, which was decent. Next had the coxcomb, which was pretty much a fancier charcuterie. Tried my friend’s espuma, which was quite truffly and delicious. Had the lobster as my main, and it was quite tender. Basil seeds were an interesting accompaniment. The squab was good, but I’d probably go with the beef cheek if given the choice again. The fig was okay. Tried my friend’s grape consommé; tasty, but ultimately still juice. Ended with a carrot cake macaron and pipping hot mini donuts.
After starting off not very hungry, my female friend and I were full by the end. However, our male friend still had a hungry gleam in his eye. I’m sure I would have left with a bit of an appetite too if I had been hungry at the start. I question that the experience overall was deserving of two stars. Maybe it just looks especially good in comparison with the dearth of higher dining options in the area. Don’t doubt me, this was a good experience with attentive service. I just think there are better 1 star restaurants out there (annisa, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill).

It took me 2 years to finally try this place after a French chef friend enthusiastically raved about how amazing this place is. Chef Shaun Hergatt did not disappoint, he has delivered a memorable dining experience which made it worthwhile for me to go all the way down to the Lower Manhattan. Located deep in FiDi, we needed a smartphone GPS to navigate through the labyrinth of concrete jungle with scaffoldings obscuring the façade. When we finally found the unremarkable building where the restaurant is supposed to be located on the 2^nd floor, we didn’t know what to expect. As the elevator door opened, we were pleasantly surprised by the posh looking entrance where the maitre-​D awaits the guests. One of the servers came to greet us and guided us through the gorgeous and luxurious long glass corridor with wine bottles behind the glass to get to our dining area. The Asian-​inspired décor is stunning, it exudes luxury and class, very worthy of Michelin star. I like how they designed the transparent glass wall kitchen which allows us to see the chefs working hard inside making culinary magic happen.
As you can imagine, the customers are mostly Wall St. guys having power lunch, having expensive meal on corporate account which makes this place a bit stuffy and corporate. Watching these guys reminded me of the famous quote «greed is good» from the movie «Wall St.». It’s totally Wall St.!! Nevertheless, if you come here for prix-​fixe lunch, it’s really not that bad… $ 33 for 3 course menu, which I thought was reasonable.
We had the following:
1) shavings of Iberico ham: 5 stars. From the get-​go I was impressed with this scrumptious combination of thin slices of my favorite Iberico ham, poached quail egg, and creamy sauce. When you eat them all together, they taste divine!!! Such a winning combo! Fantastic!
2) duck: 5 stars! So tender and juicy!
3) flounder: 4.5 stars. The sauce was amazing! This somewhat complex flavor sauce went very well with the fish.
4) Lemon tart: 3.5 stars. It was delicious but I expected something more special.
5) espresso ice cream: 4 stars. This was more interesting and unique than lemon tart.
6) carrot cake macarons: 3 stars. This complimentary dessert was comme si comme ca. Sorry!
The service was excellent, the servers are extremely well trained but I felt almost uncomfortable because I felt like they are observing my every move. This was one of the best meals I had this month, I would recommend this place for a special occasion. Just make sure you go there for lunch unless you have a corporate account.

3.49 stars
This place only serves the $ 75 3-​course pre-​fixe menu for dinner so be prepared. It is located on the 2^nd floor of the Setai Hotel in the Financial District near the NYSE. Japanese brushes adorn the walls of the outside bar room which is more casual while the main room further inside is adorned with Japanese-​fusion-​esque art pieces. All the dishes were exquisitely and creatively showcased on large plates.
Canapes: 1) Pea panna cotta with coconut — fairly good and 2) Squid ink-​colored potato balls stuffed with warm liquidy foie gras — decent
Appetizers:
Chilled fingerling espuma (gnocchi, quail eggs, and caviar): the gnocchi did not complement the quail eggs which did not complement the caviar — basically this dish was just a cold mess
Foie gras torchon with a small piece of brioche: delicious
Entrees:
Sous vide veal: soft, tender, and oozing with flavor
Prawns with very little crab: very mediocre dish. Don’t order this.
Desserts:
Don’t remember what we ordered exactly but it was decent
Petit fours — liked the macaron

SHO Shaun Hergatt was the worst experience I have ever had at a Michelin rated restaurant.
I met with GSW on a late weekday for dinner. We were immediately seated next to the glass-​walled kitchen. The restaurant screams «date» with its lush red interior, sleek Asian-​inspired décor and open-​faced kitchen. Situated in the heart of the financial district, SHO was largely vacant during after market hours.
We decided on the three course prixe-​fix for $ 75, which I believe is expensive for any restaurant. For starters, we had the golden egg with uni and the Hudson Valley Foie Gras Torchon (+10 supplement). For entrees, we had the Cracked Soba Risotto and the Duck Breast. For dessert, we had nothing memorable.
The Golden Egg’s description is very tempting: egg, uni and «gold «. The sea urchin felt isolated from the rest of the flavors in the dish while the egg and yellow cream played with each other in the pool. My stomach churned when i dipped the uni with the cream mixture.
The duck breast was the best dish, yet l can’t remember the flavors enough to give it a proper description. The Cracked Soba Risotto was unique, but not worth the high $ 30 price tag if purchased a la carte.
So the food was underwhelming, but why the 1-​star? It wasn’t about the food we paid for, it was about the food we didn’t pay for.
For complimentary dishes, we had some green pea purée prepared in shot glasses topped with whipped cream. The purée was incredibly salty and, combined with the sugary whipped cream, almost made me gag.
Then we were served mushroom «soup». It was a nice gesture, except we weren’t presented any SPOONS with our «soup». We had a fork. We had a knife. We had a butter knife. I think we even had another fork. But no spoon. So, as educated and well-​mannered diners, GSW and I waited for our spoons. I mean, we didn’t want to break etiquette and start eating our «soup» with forks. Eventually, someone in the kitchen noticed we weren’t touching our «soup» and brought us the proper utensils. I scooped the «soup» and it turns out I probably could have used my fork because the consistency and salt-​level reminded me more of «gravy» than «soup».
The complimentary dishes did nothing to improve our dinner. Matter of fact, it probably worsened it. At the end of the night, I asked for the check and they didn’t even put my 30% Village Vines discount on the check. Now, I know I probably could have asked for it, but I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible and walk off my upset stomach.
But, before I could leave, like a slap to my face, Shaun Hergatt decides to visit the dining floor and the three tables that were left. Except he doesn’t visit the table that was seated right next to the kitchen, nope, it would have been too fortuitous for me [/​sarcasm].
He visits another table with a heavy hitter in the middle. I guess I was just too small-​time for him, but that’s the good thing about Unilocal right?
Even the small fries get an opinion.

I wish I was rich so I could come here all the time. I loved my food – soup and trout. I will come back… when I’ve saved up some money.
The atmosphere is amazing and great wine.

I’ve been wanting to go to SHO since it opened, and somehow, I’m always disheartened or dissuaded by the deep downtown location.
Well, this Restaurant Week, I finally buckled down and assured myself, «This is gonna happen!» I booked a reservation, set aside some taxi budget (since the MTA is so notoriously dependable on the weekends) and discovered a goldmine of great food.
It is my firm belief that SHO is hurt by its location next to the New York Stock Exchange. On Saturday night of Restaurant Week as one of the few Michelin-​starred restaurants (if not the ONLY one) offering a masterful 3-​course menu for $ 35, SHO should have been packed elbow to elbow. Instead, the beautiful dining room was only 60% full.
We sampled the Summer Restaurant Week menu:
STARTERS:
1. (TIE FOR WINNER!) Summer Tomatoes en Gelee — with Jansel Valley African Basil and crimson watermelon, this was an unexpected triumph. I gave the dish a shot on the wholehearted recommendation of our waiter, and I was not disappointed. There were 6 cheerfully round skinned tomatoes (3 red, 3 green), happily circling a rich mound of ricotta on top of clear, intensely tomato-​y jelly, bedecked with dainty edible flowers. A delicious and visual triumph! The ability of Shaun Hergatt to elevate the traditionally secondary ingredient tomato to primary status calls to mind Ray director Taylor Hackford, whose directorial prowess recognized potential and elevated Booty Call’s Jamie Foxx to an Oscar-​worthy leading man. That is the equivalent of what Chef Hergatt has done to the humble tomato
Photo:
2. (TIE FOR WINNER!) 64 Degree Knoll Crest Egg — with Maine Peekytor Crab, Haas Avocado and summer truffle, this dish seemed custom made per my specifications. I find most foams passé and bland, but this foam was rich with flavor and more importantly, redolent of truffle! The crab was sweet and enhanced the other flavors on the plate. Although I truly enjoyed my tomatoes, I was still rather jealous of El Queso Grande’s egg!
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ENTREES:
1. Tasmanian Ocean Trout — with saffron leek soubise and Kalamansi Dressing, this was a delicious trout preparation, with a whimsical presentation of purple potatoes and artichoke hearts
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2. (WINNER!) Berkshire Pork Belly — with sprouted lentils, hon shemiji, black mustard and banyuls jus, this is a fatty pork lover’s dream dish! I would have loved a crispy skin, but I still really enjoyed the deliciously fatty pork belly. The tiny mushroom caps mixed in with the lentils were also delicious and a great textural contrast
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DESSERTS:
1. Seasonal Sorbets — one small scoop each of blueberry, strawberry and apricot sorbet. Although all flavors were delicious, it was the apricot that truly stunned. I’m not sure how the pastry chef does it, but the apricot sorbet tasted of apricot and honeysuckle and reminded me of carefree spring/​summer days as a kid, spent riding bikes and tasting honeysuckle
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2. (WINNER!) Milk Chocolate Cremeux — with one scoop of the luscious apricot sorbet. The cremeux was stunning, like one big chocolate truffle, intensely creamy on the inside, hazelnut flavors below and a slight chocolate shell above
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3. Petit Fours — a fruit gel and tiny avocado macarons. The gels were good and the macarons were delicious, although more of a green colored vanilla macaron as the avocado flavor was subtle to the point of being undetectable
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DRINKS: I firmly believe that Restaurant Week wine pairings are a unique opportunity for restaurant sommeliers to showcase their knowledge of wines, and SHO’s Carl York shines in his affordable selections. At $ 9 a glass, the white wine was a delicious bargain!
PARTING THOUGHT: For you Sex and the City fans, there is a waiter who may be as good looking at Smith Jared… just saying! As a bonus, restaurant week at SHO is being extended until Labor day, so you’ll have time to sample all of the items on the menu!!!

I’ve heard a lot of good things about SHO and Restaurant Week gave me the perfect excuse to come try it out.
I fell in love with the décor the moment I entered the restaurant. Red and gold are one of my favorite color combinations (I used to live in an apartment building that was all red and gold too with a gorgeous red and gold lobby). The dining rooms looked so luxurious, so elegant, and so so sleek that I was utterly enthralled.
Upon making our selection, bread was served. There were olive, multi-​grain, and ciabatta available. I chose the ciabatta, but immediately frowned upon trying to break the bread. Alas, the bread was terribly hard with an especially thick crust. My attempt to eat it was more like a vigorous jaw exercise. The bread actually stabbed my gum while I chewed. Ouch. However, the butter was wonderful.
1. Summer Tomatoes en Gelée (friend’s) — Jansal Valley African basil, white balsamic
This was a friend’s appetizer which she very much enjoyed. Her comment, «This is so good and I don’t even know what I’m eating. The gelly is so cool.» Whatever it was, she approved! The salad certainly looked beautiful. The vibrant colors of the tomatoes, the pureed basil, the gelly, and the edible flowers turned this dish into a work of art.
2. 64 Degree Knoll Krest Egg (mine) — Maine peekytoe crab, haas avocado, truffle crème
Oh, how pretty! A perfectly poached egg (done at 64 degrees of course) perched atop a piece of toast stuffed with avocado. Nestled against the egg was a mound of peekytoe crab meat, with the truffle cream sauce in foam form off to the side. The entire dish was garnished by edible flower petals. The yellow flower petals resembled a bright and happy summer skirt. I was almost reluctant to break into the egg because the dish looked so lovely. But broke into the egg I did, oooooooh the luscious yolk oozed out sensuously. I scooped up bits of the crab meat along with some luscious yolk, a bit of the beautiful flower petals, and a little of the truffle cream sauce. I couldn’t help but to break into a smile. A happy savory sunshine on a plate was exactly what this dish was.
3. Berkshire Pork Belly (friends’) — sprouted lentils, black mustard, banyuls jus
The pork belly dish looked very impressive, check out the two large slabs of pork belly! I’m happy to report that the cut came with plenty of meat, rather than all fat. I sampled a small piece off my friend’s plate. Whoa, intensely porky! The pork was braised in a soy sauce based concoction and tasted very familiar and comforting to me. Though, I wish the meat part was more tender, it was a bit chewy for my taste (should have been on lower heat during the sauce reduction step). My friends also would have preferred if there had been more vegetables to help offset the richness of the pork belly.
4. Petuna Farms Ocean Trout (mine) — saffron leek soubise, kalamansi dressing
This! Was absolute heaven! The best dish of the evening for sure. The fish was cooked perfectly, with a delectable crispy skin and flavorful and tender flesh. I could have just eaten the fish on its own, honestly. But the sauce! That gorgeous bright yellow saffron sauce topped by caviar and leek was simply sublime! It was smooth and creamy (but still very light), with a slight hint of tanginess and a luscious underlying savoriness that I’m at a loss of words to describe. The sauce was completely, absolutely incredible! It paired perfectly with the fish. It and the fish were soulmates in this dish. Soulmates! The sauce elevated the dish to a divinely pleasurable experience. Just thinking about it now sends me into rapture. *sighs*
5. Summer Berry Trifle (mine) — Vermont Creamery fromage blanc ice cream
The perfect dessert. Bright and refreshing berries surrounded a trifle, with a spoonful of ice cream set on top. Not only was the dish pleasing to look at, it was a pleasure to eat as well. As a fan of fresh fruits in desserts (and fresh fruits period), I felt it hit just the spot. Fantastic.
6. Petit Fours — almond milk chocolate, lime meringue macaron
Delicious! I love chocolate and almond combinations, so there’s no way I wouldn’t like the almond chocolate here. The lime meringue macaron actually served as a great palate cleanser. The lime-​ness was excellent for restoring flavor neutrality in my mouth.
What a phenomenal meal! I think I made really excellent choices with my selections this time. Everything was perfectly to my taste. It was just marvelous! The restaurant must have enjoyed having us as guests and wanted us to stay longer because after we finished eating, we couldn’t find our server to give us the check. :) So we lingered for more than half an hour chatting post-​meal until we finally spotted our server. The bill was paid and happily sated (and me still dreaming about the trout dish), we took our leave of the restaurant. I thoroughly enjoyed our walk back through the dazzling wine rack lobby and stepping into the elevator, I stepped back into reality.

I somehow ended up playing hooky at work and somehow A was home too. «somehow»… lol
Since we were both not at work, why not take this opportunity to eat a fancy lunch! We came to SHO and our eyes bulged when we saw the endless wine option for only an additional $ 10. Are my eyes deceiving me? :)
We both got the lunch prix fixe. I got potato appetizer with pork belly and A got the beet carpaccio. Both was spot on. I got the mushroom risotto and A got the hanger steak. Solid.
What put me over the top was the service and the endless glass of wine. I think I drank about 4 glasses… I’m not sure but i think A drank about 6. They even took away his glass because they thought he was done but then glady brought him another one when we said we were still drinking or HE was still drinking .
A’s bday was right around the corner so they even brought out a special dessert for him along with a complimentary trio of dessert: rasberry gelees and mini macaroons that every table got.
With tummies full of good foods and a blood alcohol levels that could kill a young child. we happily left this establishment.

I am a fun if I am in a mood for small, heavy but visually beautiful meal.
I was down near Wall St. with my friend and decided to check this place up. Not knowing much about the restaurant except all the photos I saw in Unilocal.
Yukon Potato Espuma — prokbelly with potato and creamy soup (or sauce?). Very creamy soup was thick but worked well with a rounded shaped salty potato ball (Pommes Dauphine). Unfortunately I found the pork to be too porky. The meat had that unpleasant gamey taste. It was a bit disappointing for a pork lover like myself. I wish the pork was blanched a bit more to get rid of the porkness. The thick and heavy soup and the pork were too heavy for me. But the salty potato balls and soup worked well.
Shavings of Iberico Ham — It was like eating poached quail egg with caviar sushi at Ushiwakamaru. It was that good! Thinly sliced Ham were rolled like Sushi and quail egg was on the top and eat at once like eating Sushi. The quail egg popped its yolk and lingering to the ham… and it was wonderful.
For main dishes:
Prawns with curry sauce (Thai curry flavor) and Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice ball)
.
— It’s was very clean and innovative version of Thai red curry with prawns. Although the flavor, taste and exceptionally beautiful presentation, I thought I rather get from any local Thai restaurant.
Goat Cheese Agnolotti — small ravioli stuff with goat cheese with very heavy creamy sauce (another heavy soupy sauce). Goat cheese to fromage blanc sauce was too much. Cheese to cheese made too heavy to eat and whole thing was too mushy in texture. But because of this heaviness, it filled my stomach.
Blancmange — Pink Grapefruit Sorbet and Citrus Confit (must have it with sorbet!) was light and wonderful to end the meal.
Barre Caramel — this narrow and long chocolate like bar looked like a long worm. It tasted like thick brownie with spice. The spice they used didn’t work for me.
We felt definitely full but not in away of having a solid meal but I thought it was a perfect portion for lunch. Servers reminded of when I had a lunch at L’Ecole at the FCI.

***Restaurant Extended Week Choice!!!***
Have this place bookmarked? You should go; NOW is the time before Restaurant Week ends February 27^th!
Don’t have this place bookmarked yet? You should — and don’t let it linger.
Wanting to take full and complete advantage of the extended Restaurant Week, I made reservations for this place for my best guy friend and I. I figured that since he took French in high school, and I like anything Asian fusion, and thought tada! Here’s the place! I told him to dress to impress me, but boy were we both in for a shock.
«Proper Attire Required.» This lovely, little, bossy sign was on the receptionist’s desk. I was in work casual clothes, but then my friend had jeans on; I totally died a little. He thought I was playing when I said to dress nice; BE FIRM LADIES!!!
We were greeted graciously, and checked our bulky coats and were escorted to our reserved table. The wait staff stood at attention, and individually greeted us; really A+ caliber through and through. The beautiful wine glass shelves we walked passed made me wonder which ones I would have to compliment my 3-​course meal; tantalize me you sexy bottles!
Dario was our suave, eloquent, and benevolent host throughout our meal. He was more than personable — he felt like an old friend who happened to be working that night. We were welcomed with open arms, and I’m pretty sure our demeanor was a bit refreshing for him — we were obviously 1^st timers, and he aimed to please our eyes and wow our tongues with the selection and the wines. The wine pairing was an addition $ 20.11 each (get it?! 2011?! lol) and I couldn’t say no.
We began with the 69 deviled egg soup for me, and my friend got grilled octopus. My soup was wonderful, but we both found the octopus to taste ever so slightly of something I was shocked to taste — that fishy taste. I practically licked the soup bowl and loved the fried egg yolk in the middle that I thought was toasted bread. An awesome surprise in each spoonful. The main delights were the grilled fish of the day (which a few hours ago, according to Dario, was in Japan!!! They froze it on liquid nitrogen and flew it here!) and I got the steak tenderloin with bell onions and the most amazing mashed potatoes you’ve ever had.
Dario: How was your main courses?
Me: If I had the nerve, I would lick the plate clean and hand it to you.
Dario: :laughs, looks over his shoulder: I live to hear things like that! We would not judge you; I certainly wouldn’t.
That was just how the evening flowed; beautiful, carefree, and eased us of feeling a bit out of place in the Financial District. The Asian inspired décor was carefully arranged and was classic. Tables were spaced well, and when I arrived back from the bathroom, I noticed Dario had gotten a small stool for me and placed my work bag on top of it so it wouldn’t be on the floor. What kind of place does that?! The place that wants you to come back.
Dessert was blissful; obviously, chocolate was involved (no, not my brown friend) and we also were given passion fruit candies and two other treats complimentary and on the house. I told Dario I would come back, and you should too.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating dining here and I was not disappointed. I came here for Restaurant Week so my expectations were moderate.
I ordered the sunchoke veloute (Originality: 4 stars, Presentation: 4 stars, Taste: 3 stars); the pork belly (O: 3 stars, P: 3.5 stars, T: 5 stars!; and the lemon tarte (O: 3 stars, P: 3.5 stars, T: 4 stars).
I loved the ambiance and the interior. The wine cellar and the reflecting pools with the candles make for a very sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere. The service was impeccable. This is a place I would love to come back to.
Over all, I give it 4 stars since even though my food experience was not the ultimate best I would attribute that to the fact that I did go for Restaurant Week. But I’m positive if I had the full experience it would be remarkable.

First off, Shaun Hergatt of SHO is just as sexy as his sleek, modern, Asian flaired restaurant. Wowza. :)
Ahem. Focus, now back onto the restaurant.
SHO Shaun Hergatt is the anchor restaurant of the Satai NY in the financial district. Upon entering, you’re directed to take the elevator upstairs to the actual restaurant. It sort of reminded me of David Lopan’s lair in Big Trouble in Little China. Anyhoo — we were greeted by an extremely warm hostess, who despite our being 20 minutes late, cheerfully welcomed us and lead us to our table. We were lead through the bar area, into the hallway of wine bottles that reminded me of the laser light room in Resident Evil, and into the main dining room. Gorgeous! I found it rather surprising that the restaurant was empty at 8:30 on a Saturday. Almost every other 2 tables were empty.
As we were seated, we were immediately greeted by our wonderful server, Dylan. Ever engaging, he was not afraid to talk shop with us about his favorites in and around the city, as well as Napa Valley. Since we were there celebrating my new found gig in the city, we opted to do the Chef’s tasting.
First up were the delicious canapes… goat cheese mousse over pine nut tart, followed by the ultimate «tater tot» — fried to perfection. Then came the parade of breads, which I thought were just ok… but the stars were by far and away the truffle butter and the french butter. I could have eaten them by the spoonful.
The first course were the Prince Edward Island oysters with ginger vinaigrette — refreshing, with a burst of flavor. The second course, which hubby still hails as his favorite… the peekytoe crab with squash and urchin. It was delicate, yet rich at the same time with the accompaniment of the quail egg.
The second course was the seared Hudson Valley foie gras with star anisereduction and pickled pineapple quince. It was foie gras, what’s not to love? It was such a great little treat to actually have seared foie gras. I’ve noticed that a lot of restaurants of late have been offering only torchon… I thought it was just a cop out to keep costs down, but apparently (according to Dylan anyway), people tend to shy away from seared foie because it reminds them of what it really is. Interesting isn’t it? What people will tell themselves to make them feel better.
Third was the purple garlic roasted monkfish — delicious! The braised veal collar followed… succulent, rich… the texture of the light collar to the fried chip mingled in my mouth. Oh my goodness. The intermezzo was a sphere of fromage with nicoise olive and citrus jus — tangy, sweet, light… amazing. Dessert was the barre caramel (it was like a caramello bar taken to the ultimate level) — Amazing!
To round out the meal, came the assortment of chocolates, petit fours and truffles. Each better than the one before it. Chef Shaun had outdone himself. I met him in person a few weeks later at the NY Taste of 2010. I couldn’t believe he actually remembered me! Hehehee! He presented braised beef cheek and parsley root with a foie gras emulsion — by far and away the stand out savory for the night. Absolutely outstanding.
Ladies and gents — this is one of those restaurants that you can’t leave NY without trying. From the food to the service… it was absolutely impeccable. Cannot wait to return!