Resy Battles, 21 Savage and Powdered Donuts : Tatiana Lives Up to the Hype and More

Hello ardent subscribers. I know, I know. I have disappointed you all with no stack for the last 7 (SEVEN) months!! I have no one else to blame but myself. However, I do hope this one will start to atone for all the mishaps. I truly commend the loyal subscribers who have stuck with me through this time and have constantly encouraging me to keep writing. I did say in my last substack that a big post was coming up and even though that assertion was meant for something completely different, the main point still stands.

Today I got the opportunity to try Tatiana by Kwame Onwauchi in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. To say that this was an anticipated visit would be an understatement. Tatiana has been the most in-demand restaurant in NYC for a while, finishing number one on The NY Times’ Top 100 Restaurant list. Normally, I am a bit wary of hype like this but I have always been enthralled with chef Kwame after seeing him on Top Chef and reading his memoir Notes From a Young Black Chef.

But, of course, as with any popular restaurant in NYC, a reservation is nigh on impossible to get and you are forced to play the Resy game. As a result, I have never really tried to go to Tatiana as the only options are to somehow land the miracle reservation or lineup at 3pm to get a bar seat at 5. However, through all the odds, Manu was able to procure one and was kind and generous enough to give the reservation to us so a huge shout out to her! I was initially supposed to go with Julia but she was struck with the fall bug so Isha was able to quickly deputize and take her spot.

Tatiana has a prime location in the heart of Lincoln Center and there was a palpable buzz as we entered the gorgeous location. With the dim lighting and bangers from SZA and 21 Savage, the restaurant had almost a nightclub like feeling to it, which is an interesting juxtaposition with the more mellow and classical tunes you might hear at a show in the Lincoln Center. The service was quick and attentive with water filled at the right time and napkins folded when you went to the bathroom. But, at the same time, it wasnt pretentious at all and we never felt out of place.

All You See is Strange Clouds?

For appetizers, we got the crispy okra, honeynut piri piri salad and egusi dumplings. Having had fried bhindi (Hindi for okra) all the time growing up, we were skeptical as to how good it could really be. But, with one bite, we realized that it was unlike any other rendition of this dish that we had before. The okra was aptly crisp and the peppa sauce provided a perfect sweetness to combine with the saltiness of the okra for an incredible bite of texture and flavour. The salad was beautifully presented with a bright yellow sauce, perfectly complimenting cucumbers and grapes with a nice punch of acidity. Lastly, the dumplings were absolutely fantastic with the sweetness of the crab balancing out the heat of the egusi soup and giving a great richness. The texture provided by the sear on the dumplings makes it a truly all-action bite.

Left: Crispy Okra, Middle : Piri-Piri Salad, Right : Egusi Dumplings

The highlight of the meal however was the entree. I got the Wagyu short rib pastrami suya. I was initially very skeptical of this because it came at a very hefty price ($86!!) and I have never paid that much for a dish before. But, one bite and all my doubts completely vanished. The meat was so so tender and absolutely melts in your mouth. It took me back to the amazing Wagyu I had in Japan (an upcoming stack hopefully) and the suya spices from one of my favourite spots, Brooklyn Suya in Crown Heights. The richness of the meat was cut through with a great cabbage slaw. It was truly life changing and really solidified the hype for me. Even then, I dont know if its actually worth that exorbitant price but it definitely is one of the best things I’ve ever had.

Pastrami Suya

To top it off, we got the bodega special for dessert. This was a cosmic brownie with powdered sugar donut ice cream. A lot of reviewers said this took them back to a brownie you would get from a corner bodega. Having not grown up in NYC, I wasnt sure if I could relate. But Isha and I had the same thought that it reminded us of the brownie you would get in a Death By Chocolate from Corner House in Bangalore, which was the cornerstone of many a birthday party. So, that feeling of nostalgia seems to have been captured worldwide. The perfect accompaniment to this was the ice cream which looked like a powdered donut and had a similar texture but was ice cream. I don’t know how they were able to so perfectly capture the powdered donut essence in ice cream. Needless to say, it was fantastic. To top it off, I told Isha at the beginning to watch out for celebrities and we ended up seeing Terry Crews there as well!

Bodega Special : Those donuts are actually ice cream

All in all, it was definitely a pricey meal and some of the dishes were not exactly the most value for money. The appetizers were all mostly reasonably priced for a fine dining restaurants but the mains definitely are pretty up there price wise. But the inventiveness and quality of the dishes along with the great service, presentation and vibes made it worth it for me. It definitely is in the Top 3 NYC restaurants for me even though the reservation game is infuriating. I would most definitely want to go back again!