NYC Restaurant Week: Calle Ocho
New York City Restaurant Week is a bi-annual dining event in which over 300 upscale participating restaurants around the city offer prix fixe lunches and dinners at discounted prices. The first event of this year began February 16th and lasted through March 6th, and AkA took the time to visit at least one restaurant in celebration of one of our friends’ birthdays. The restaurant of choice: Calle Ocho.
Calle Ocho is a Latin cuisine restaurant located inside of the Excelsior Hotel in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It’s offerings range from Peruvian-inspired seafood dishes to Cuban-themed recipes and desserts. Before we break down our three-course meals, here are a few things to note about dining during NYC Restaurant Week:
1. You must make a reservation at the participating restaurant. We suggest at least booking a week in advance, and even earlier for more popular restaurants.
2. The prix fixe meals are subject to change at the restaurant’s discretion. Some restaurants may not honor substitutions either.
3. If you missed NYC Restaurant Week this winter, you can catch the event in the summer. It’s expected to happen around July or August.
Now on to the good stuff....
Starting our three-course meal, we tried a flavorful mix of mojarra fish, grapefuit, Thai chilii, yuzu, aji amarillo (a hot yellow chile pepper) served in mojo (a sauce made with garlic, olive oil, and a citrus juice). The dish was very tart from its pepper and citrus juices, and packed a pretty powerful tang that may be too bitter for the sensitive palate.
Amber’s Take: “The citrus tartness was a bit overbearing to my palate, I couldn’t even finish the dish.”. Rating: 2/5
One of the main courses ordered following the appetizer was the pan roasted cod served on top of saffron potato puree with salsa verde (green sauce). The fish was fresh, tender and perfectly seasoned. The silky puree and delicious sauce complemented the whitefish very well.
Amber’s Take: “Tender and flavorful! Left me wanting more.” Rating 5/5
The most popular entree at our table was the beef fillet. It was served with a blue cheese empanada and set atop a bed of spinach and mushrooms. The fillet was both tender and savory. The empanada, though initially overpowering, paired surprisingly well with the fillet.
Krystal & Alaisha’s Take: “Interesting flavors. Overall a satisfying meal!” Rating: 4.5/5
For a Latin restaurant, it would be a sin for flan not to be on the menu. The creamy custard drizzled with chopped mango glaze, and topped with a less-than-appealing whipped cream and mint garnishing, followed Krystal’s steak entree quite. The flan, though light in texture, was bland and could have used more flavor.
Krystal’s Take: “I’ve had better, for cheaper,” Rating: 3/5
One of the decadent dessert options Calle Ocho offered was the Domino, a two-slice serving of rich dark chocolate cake infused with a thin layer of chocolate frosting. Each slice was decorated like a domino and served with a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream.
Alaisha’s Take: “The chocolate was a bit too rich after a healthy serving of beef fillet. A larger scoop of ice cream would have better complemented its denseness.” Rating: 3.5/5
Overall, for a restaurant that considers itself “high quality”, the dining experience was barely above average (not to mention they ran out of chicken), and didn’t live up to our expectations, nor the prices quoted in the menu. Our recommendation, if you do choose to make a reservation at Calle Ocho, make sure it’s for a special occasion, and that there’s a good deal going on. And keep in mind, the restaurants on the Upper West Side aren’t all worth the hype. Do your research.
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