Kimika

Usually hotel restaurant food is nothing to write home about. But not Kimika, located at the bottom of a modern boutique Nolita hotel. It doesn’t get listed in Michelin Guide for nothing. The menu inventive, a mashup of “Italian” and “meshi,” Japanese slang for meal. The two pasta dishes we had were super delicious, each with distinctive taste: a thick spaghetti soy butter bigoli doused in butter emulsified with soy sauce, topped with three types of chives, marinated tomatoes and a fried shallot gremolata. The pasta itself was so good, so al dente that made it satisfying to eat, with its umami flavors. I was supposed to share it with a friend and felt guilty for eating most of it. The other pasta was equally super yummy but with totally different flavors: Cavatelli pork ragu with fava beans and ricotta. Next time I would love to try their fried pizzette topped with shiso-sunflower pesto, squash shavings and chili oil, sound yummy. Just don’t order the Crispy Rice Cakes Lasagna, unless you like excessive melted cheese on too little crispy rice pasta. Nice idea to bring that Asian element into lasagna though.But I haven’t even got to the desserts yet, which were the superstars of the meal. I would return just to have their desserts. I regret not taking better pix of them. Everything was so creative and scrumptious. Their outdoor seatings give guests a nice view of the busy city. They just opened the rooftop too with a spectacular panoramic view of the city and a fun, equally inventive bar menu. And love the fact that it’s an all female-led kitchen staff.