Vestry

One must not leave Vestry without trying the signature homemade cheesecake. Shaped like a Swiss cheese wedge, this creamy instagrammable dessert is served with a cute tiny mouse made from honeycrisp apples, fresh ginger, cinnamon and star anise, as well as hazelnut ears and a noodle-made tail. Perfect ending to a dinner without regrets.

Went for the recommended Nova Scotia Halibut as a large plate for sharing. Featuring a fresh chunk of Halibut fillet, brilliantly presented with thinly sliced green squash, delivering a hint of nuttiness, and artichokes. The accompany dressing was equally tasty, originating from the aromatic punch of red kosho.

My favourite snack had to be the Nori Chips. Layered atop tempura battered and deep fried nori sheets, the salmon tartare with plentiful orange and yuzu tobiko was more than merely enjoyable in flavour, but also the contrast of crispy texture with popping bits of sensation. A splendid snack to pave way for the dinner to come.

Summing up my gluttony adventures of 2022, one of the best meals had to be our Michelin star experience at @vestrynyc, helmed by Chef Shaun Hergatt, famously known for his previous Michelin star ventures at SHO and Juni. Located with The Dominick hotel in SOHO, Vestry is out to impress with its Japanese-influenced American plates, focusing primarily on vegetable and seafood.

Although I am no fan of raw fish, I enjoyed the Big Eye Tuna, a playful culinary art piece of tuna tartare served on house-made potato crisps shaped like fish, tarragon and Kalamata black olives. It was handled so delicately that I enjoyed the creaminess instead of focusing on the raw texture that I am usually afraid of.