Matsuri
212 -  243  6400
369 West 16th Street
(bet 9th & 8th Avenues)
New York, NY, 10011

www.matsurinyc.com

Open Hours Dinner:
6:00pm  –  Midnight   Sunday-Wednesday
6:00pm –  1:00am      Thursday- Saturday

Open Hours Bar:
5:30pm–  2:00am      Daily

The word Matsuri means festival in Japanese

At the Maritime  Hotel

Chef Tadashi Ono’s wonderful Matsuri transports you directly into the Edo period-  giant paper lanterns  vaulted ceiling, dark wood floors,  jade-green ceramic tiles all create an ambiance to rival a movie set.  Born in Tokyo,  Chef Ono started his career at age 16, and then moved to Los Angeles to train at La Petite Chaya and L’Orangerie.  He then moved east to NY heading up the kitchens at La Caravelle Restaurant; nine years later he opened Sono on 57th Street and now we are so lucky since 2003 to have Matsuri.  Where, in the lushest of environments, Chef Ono presents authentic Japanese comfort food.  Flying in organic grains daily from Japan and offering more than 200 kinds of sake.

Special items for us include:

• Kinpira – Sauteed and Simmered Burdock
• Goma-ae  Spinach
• Hijiki salad  in soy and sake
• Kampach  sashimi with yuzu and green pepper sauce
• the shishinto peppers in dashi
• Mushrooms baked in parchment paper contain all their juices and flavour (ordered everytime)
• Nasu Shigiyaki  -  Japanese eggplant grilled with miso sauce   so sweet and delicious
• Black Cod marinated in sake paste and then grilled so perfect each bite falls effortlessly
• 18 grain rice
• Lotus roots, the perfect snack with a fresh Aldentéd sake crunch
• The sushi and the sashimi are very fresh and clean
• on the sweet side, the warm chocolate cake melts with every bite

Keep an eye out for Chef Ono’s new book:  Japanese Hot Pots; where he directs you to the creation of hot pot meals.  Recipies from the book will be featured in the restaurant’s menu as of late September 2009.

Edamame

Bar

Kampachi  sashimi with yuzu and green pepper sauce

Lotus Roots

Kinpira (sauté and simmer Burdock)

Uni and Fatty Tuna Sushi

Mushrooms baked in parchment paper

Goma-ae  Spinach

Main Dining Room

W Istanbul
(90) 212 – 381 2121
Suleyman Seba Cad No. 22
Akaretler, Beşiktaş
Istanbul 34357 · Turkey

www.wistanbul.com.tr
MAP

In the middle of the Besiktas neighborhood, sit the historic Akaretler Row Houses.  Peering at their curved facades, one can deconstruct their current perfection and see how it was a developers dream.  The neighborhood has now been transformed into one of the city’s trendiest areas, where you will find every elite boutique from Etro to Missoni.  Direct in the middle of this shoppers mecca lays the absolutely wonderful, very stylish and surprisingly accessible W Hotel Istanbul.

Besiktas, and the W,  is situated well away from the chaos of the main tourist areas, but close enough for easy access.  Be prepared to taxi in and out of ‘town’ for the sites and nightlife.  Luckily, the cabs are not so pricey as to make the fare uncomfortable – our average ride to/from the W was about 15 -25 minutes and cost between 8 -& 20 YTL (About $6-15).  The Ferry is right down the hill, 3 blocks away, and offers an exciting water journey downtown to Sultanhamet and the Hagia Sophia.  Boats leave every twenty minutes before 10 am and every hour from then on.  One thing you learn early is that all travel in Istanbul is highly traffic dependent, you learn to avoid rush hours quickly- the boats are your best bet for those times.  It is also within walking distance to the Dolmabahçe Palace, the seat of the Ottomans from 1856 through 1924.

The W itself is a real jewel designed by Mahmut Anlar of  the design firm Geomim.   It manages to stay just on the side of fun & chic, without crossing over into ostentatious and eurotrashy.  I believe this is the result of the excellent staff- which manages to keep everything grounded and never slipped into any type of haughtiness while we were there (5 days).  On the weekends a trendy crowd comes to party in the upstairs bar- that looks to have  lovely outdoor seating, which was unfortunately closed during our stay.  Guests are invited to join the party, and we were never made to feel uninvited.

An interesting fact is that the W Hotels are a franchise, not a chain.  Thus each W is independantly owned and managed- leading to varying experiences between locations.  The slogan is “Whatever/Whenever,”  and the staff at the W Istanbul certainly took that to heart!  The service was impeccable; from the front desk to the attentive doormen (who make sure you don’t get taken advantage off by taxi drivers), the concierge staff is a fountain of useful information and charm and everyone has a genuine smile on their face.

The rooms are beautifully decorated and fully decked.  The beds were very comfortable (you can order one off the room service menu!).  Excellent water pressure gave a loving hot shower.  The programed lighting is a delightful touch- ranging from reading, sleeping and the all important ambient mellow lounge look

The W’s in-house restaurant was one of the Spice Market chain that has a menu created by Jean-Georges.  It is a bit overpriced, as you would expect, but offers quality food.  A find for us was the late-night room service menu that had an excellent pasta!

In the lobby, there is a quite comfortable lounge area known by the moniker “Sip”, located opposite reception, behind beaded curtains.  Decorated with comfortable couches and settes; a place where you can relax with a tea and surf with the free Wifi.  Jump next to the hotel for an acceptable coffee from the ever present “Cafe Nero” for an option to the overpriced hotel breakfast.

Having stayed in many hotels, including a few W’s, I must say that the W Istanbul deserves all the accolades  it gets.  It successfully manages to merge old world service with ultra modern decor, which combine to create an experience that is at the same time relaxing, exciting, welcoming and exotic!  Kudos.

Király Baths
Spa & bath House
(36) 1 – 202 3688
I. Fö u. 84, Budapest
Budapest, Hungary

www.kiralyfurdo.hu.
MAP

Opening Hours:
9:00am – 9:00pm   Monday, Wednesday, Friday
6:30am – 7:00pm   Tuestays & Thursdays
6:30am – 1:00pm   Saturday
there are different days for men and women

Built in 1563 by the The Pasha of Buda during the Ottoman occupation

As you settle into the main pool and tilt your head back, you gaze up at the octagonal domed roof  and the tiny circular windows that filter gentle rays of sunlight onto the stone and water.   If you ever saw the original 3d modeled video game MYST, you can imagine the lighting gives and its magical atmosphere.

The main pool is surrounded by smaller baths, each with different water temperatures.  The divine thermal water is piped directly from the Lukács Baths.  This is a truly relaxing bathhouse – with no crowds or stress.  400+ years of stress washed away.

(above photo Ian Brewer ) Keleti Train Station

Budapest, Hungary
www.bkv.hu

Getting around Budapest is a joy in itself.  The old world decor fuzes alongside sci-fi inspired stations to create a mix of atmospheres perfect for a time-travel film!  The subway is simple yet efficient, with each station having a feel of its own.

The main Keleti Train Station is another in a great tradition of grand stations along the European Rail lines; and a wonderful way to enter the city.

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(above photos) Budapest Metro Stations