A Fork in the Road: Masraff's (Houston, TX)

Dining at Masraff's on Post Oak is significantly different from the old, rustic free-standing Masraff's, but not in terms of cuisine (which is still top notch).  It is now somewhat a Vegas dining experience with its colorful lighting fixtures and super contemporary furniture, but has great energy nonetheless.
Not often do I find glitzy restaurants serving large portions also falling into the 'high-quality' category, but this is where the Masraff father/son duo succeed.

I begin with the Boston Wedge Salad with English Cucumber Relish, feta and aged balsamic.  Quite a refreshing salad and was not too filling. 

Baby spinach, creamed goat cheese, onion confit, walnuts tossed with garlic vinaigrette.

Loved their take on Caprese with Kumato tomatoes.  Kumatos are a little less acidic and balanced nicely with the mozzarella.

Rich avocado soup with lump crab meat.

Normally, I have a severe aversion to tuna tartare.  Chopped up tuna mixed with avocado has never excited me, but this tuna tartare was divine.  Every tatare dish has now been ruined because this one is simply amazing.  Not only is the quality of fish superb, but the presentation beautifully created with wakami goma, campari tomato and tobiko vinaigrette.

Perfectly seared lump crab cake, beurre blanc, red wine reduction, and saffron aioli. 

An unfortunate dry Nova Scotia halibut, butternut squash, baby carrots, charred green cauliflower, yellow beet and tobiko vinaigrette.

Filet Mignon al a Plancha, fingerling potatoes, baby green beans, smoked bacon and mushroom ragout.  Deliciouso!

This special fish loaded with crab meat and shrimp atop of farro, a well-received accompaniment, and spinach was a nice combination.  This is definitely enough for two (though maybe not in Texas).

Passion fruit, lemon and strawberry sorbet terrine.  Creamy, tart and sweet!

I was super excited for this dessert.  The peach creme brulee.  What was supposed to be Texas peach creme brulee, was actually brulee in peaches and not executed very well, sadly enough.  The peaches were very hard and not sweet at all.

Basta Pasta

It was a last-minute decision to head to Basta Pasta, an Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant in Chelsea. Far more Japanese than Italian, this restaurant represents an interesting union between two cultures so passionate about their culture and cuisine. The industrial sized space favors Eastern minimalism, with the ambiance of a loud, Italian family gathered for dinner. Most patrons were Japanese (always a good sign in a Japanese restaurant) and the waitstaff was attentive and polite.

The bagna cauda appetizer was a simple crudite plate accompanied by a warm anchovy cream dip. The dip was a well-balanced blend of cream and anchovy; not too creamy and the right amount of anchovy that doesn't result in fishiness.

The spaghetti was the lighter of the two pastas served with the tobiko highlighted. Tobiko is versatile in cooking with its slightly sweet, salty flavor followed by crunchiness. The shiso leaf is such an underused ingredient; typically used as a garnish under the ginger and daikon in sushi restaurants (try it on a piece of tai, Japanese snapper, sushi with lemon and salt). It's pretty much used the way for the pasta, but with the shiso shredded on top, it actually has a chance of being consumed with each bite.

The uni linguine didn't sit for more than 20 seconds before I had to dig in, therefore, no photo was taken...next time. The brininess of the uni was lost in the pink sauce with basil, but the richness and creaminess was not. My tastebuds were overhyped and although it wasn't a letdown at all, I expected a little more.

The poached pears covered with vanilla ice cream and zabaglione were...if I may...a light way to end the meal. They somehow managed to play perfectly off one another in a dessert that could have been a sugar overload.

Basta Pasta 37 West 17th Street (212)366-0888
www.bastapastanyc.com