The 1 hour long queue for Tempura Donburi (Tokyo)- 金子半之助

Tempura donburi is often abbreviated as Tendon. I only learnt that recently in late 2015. Anyway, the beauty of this tendon is that it only costs 1000 Yen (approximately USD $8). It is much satisfying experience for me, and better to the wallet.

Location and website can be found here http://kaneko-hannosuke.com/shopinfo/#tenpurameshi_kanekohannosuke

The Restaurant Exterior

We went there on Monday 7-8pm thinking that it's going to be less crowded as it was on weekday. Apparently, it made no difference as there was 4 lines by the time we arrived.  Two people that past us in a hurry managed to beat us in few seconds. Below is the image with 3 lines. At the bottom left of this picture, there was a hot tea dispenser for the patrons.

After a long 1 hour wait, we finally got a table on the 2nd floor. There were 2 options. Michelle opted for regular size while I got the upsize (about 100 Yen more). When the food arrived, they looked the same. I thought I was cheated. After eating halfway, I then realized that my bowl had deeper depth for more rice. So yes, don't get the upsize thinking that you will get more tempura. It's just more rice.

So what was on the plate? One crispy eel, two shrimps, one crispy nori seaweed (it's really crispy), a couple of octopus or small scallops (can't tell) and one half boiled egg with fried exterior. Rice was drenched with sauce, probably yuzu. You can see the yuzu skin in the picture below.

Half eaten half boiled fried egg. The white round thing on the right is either octopus or scallop.

Final verdict? A must try. For a 1000 Yen, this is a no-brainer. Yes, you have to wait but it's worth the time. Looking for a variety of deep fried crispy tempuras? Come here and leave satisfied without a torn wallet.

La Sirene

La Sirene is a small French restaurant located at Tribeca that have garnered more than 1k Yelp reviews. I first came to know about this restaurant when my friend wanted to try it out all the way from Singapore. It wasn't too memorable for me but it left a very good impression with my friend that he insisted to try it again (twice in the same week) before he went back to Singapore. I decided to try again as Groupon was offering a deal $65 for $49 (more detail below).

Anyway after much contemplation, we decided to get the same popular dishes that we tried before and oh boy, it was much better this time.

Escargots à la BourguignoneRoasted Escargots  - $13.95

(1/2 dozen in the Shell) with Butter and Garlic sauce

Although I don't remember my past experience, the thought of eating escargots was mouth watering enough to tempt us in ordering it again. Indeed, it was a very enjoyable meal. After we were done, seeing that we still want to keep the plate because of the sauce (yes it was buttery good), the waiter offered us some breads which we gladly accepted. We completely wiped out the plate!

Tournedos Rossini $36.

Seared Filet Mignon Topped With Foie Gras (Pate Style), Shallots, Port and Red Wine Truffles Sauce. 

Long story short, the filet mignon was ok. It wasn't memorable. It was lukewarm either because (1) I took too long for pictures or (2) cause I saw they completed the dishes before we were done with the escargot (not sure if they attempt to keep it warm while waiting). On another note, the foie gras was really good. I preferred to eat it separately in order to maximize its flavor profile.

The restaurant provided this complimentary dish when entree was ordered- a set of 4 vegetables for every two person. Can't complain for free dish.

Kassulet Toulousain de la Maison $32.50

The menu describe the dish as follow: "Cassoulet Toulouse’s Style (Cannellini Beans, Carrots, Tomato, Garlic Duck Confit, Slab Bacon and Pork Sausage all Braised with Noble Duck fat, White Stock and Foie Gras Jus) This is a Very Rich Dish which was served for Warriors to defend their Village! Don’t take it if you can’t bear it."

Interesting caption to describe the dish. I do call myself food warrior, so I must try this dish again. Yes, it was indeed a rich dish cause of all the fat (oh glorious fat!). The dish consisted mainly of beans (70%) so you might have excessive bad gas (aka fart) once you are done. I was a little disappointed with the portion of the bacon as there were probably 2~3 slabs. It wasn't too sinfully fatty as what I hoped, which left me wanting more. The duck confit and sausage was nicely cooked and the crustiness of the top layer made the meal enjoyable, much better than my previous experience. We didn't finish the meal and brought it home. It seemed to taste much better the next day.

Final cost of the meal is $85 (tax + tips included), a saving of $16. Next time, we might want to try the $35 three course prefix meal (only in certain time period and for non-signature dishes).

Note about Groupon deal: The reservation process through Groupon was a little annoying as the restaurant decided to end the promotion earlier (we weren't informed) and they canceled most of our February reservations without reason. After talking with the owner, we managed to secure our reservation at the end of January. Else, we need to request Groupon for a refund.

#french #duck #bacon #foiegras #beans #nyc #manhattan #cuisine #filetmignon #tribeca