If Taiwan President Elect, 馬英九 Ma Ying Jiu, were to Visit Manhattan, what would you suggest for Dining Out

[jonkyo]

If Taiwan President Elect, 馬英九 Ma Ying Jiu, were to Visit Manhattan what would you suggest?

Would you try to satisfy his native taste? and if so, where is that to be found?

Bring him in peaceful unison through taste with his adversaries on the Mainland? And where would that be found (ie: Shanghai cusine; Hunan Cusine etc etc?

Or just offer him something that is so NYC? And where would that be found?

[swannee]

Sammy's or maybe someplace completely silly like Churrasqueria Plataforma. Anything Asian would seem a bit useless. Or if he is a nostalgia freak (like me) and loves Proust---La Grenouille!

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La Grenouille
3 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022

Sammy's Roumanian
157 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002

Churrascaria Plataforma
316 West 49th Street, New York, NY 10019

[Charles Yu]

I would invite chefs Keller, Boulud, Ripert, Batali....etc and cook him a special private dinner at the consulate!!

[David11238]

Gray's Papaya, Katz's and Marea.

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Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Gray's Papaya
402 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

[foodmonk]

Definitely Katz's ... and some soul food in Harlem. Give the guy a chance to eat something he won't find as easily in Taiwan.

[David11238]

I wanted to say Saratoga Kitchen in Brooklyn for soul food. But, I believe the OP wants Manhattan, strictly.

[jonkyo]

One may be limited due to familiarity of the guest dining.

I once took a Taiwan friend and tutor to Astoria to Greek cuisine and her palate was not used to the generalized taste such as olive. She was so unimpressed, and actually lived just in the area.

Jesus offering wine is a great idea, and perhaps this should be what Jesus is remembered for.

I would agree offerings might be more simple or less of a landed gentry venue and more in the commoner realm such as begin with a bar crawl then hitting a diner at 4 am.

another opposition be some of the more local bar restaurants in East Harlem , for not really the food but the atmosphere and local culture.

Ma Ying Jiu dancing to one of the juke boxes of these Mexican and latin places might be what this president elect needs to bring him into more of a global yet local feel for NYC.

If we could get Putin and Ma together I think it could be really festive, calling for a bit more consideration.

As for Katz, I would go father and put Sammy's Romanian Steakhouse would be a must.

Katz, I would add, I refuse to go, and only go in for the toilet. The last time I did that, I told the ticket guy at the door 'Where are the Jewish people cooking the Jewish food?' The door man stated 'Its us now, we have taken over'. It was a good laugh for us both, but does make the point that it is kind of nice to have continuity with chefs, owners and wait staff. I think Ma would agree, and so would Putin.

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Sammy's Roumanian
157 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002

[K K]

There are Mexican restaurants now in Taipei, but maybe nowhere near as popular. Ditto for German food. So maybe after some hardcore steak, time for Das Boot.

Basically anywhere but David Chang's.

[K K]

I had only found out just now that Ma spent time in NY furthering his studies (and was born in Hong Kong)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_ying_...

So that would depend also what he enjoyed eating during his time in NY. He has been known to show up at some of his favorite street food haunts in Taiwan (aka the really cheap and good stuff that stood the test of time) so maybe something like Katz or Coney Island hot dogs/Nathan's, won't be turned away by him, especially if he is sentimental when it comes to food (which I know a number of expats usually are when they study abroad).

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Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

[porker]

I agree.
Of course the Cayote Ugly rec above was tongue in cheek after 2 bottles of wine, but the point being a high-ranking politician may likely be tired of the red carpet treatment (I'd be). Scrap super-high-end and go with something New Yorkish.
Katz et al? maybe for lunch.
For dinner, something a bit more substantial, and don't forget the booze (maybe bar-hopping first, then dinner, thats what Porker would do!)

[twyst]

Per Se would be the most obvious choice, but also a very good one. It may very well be the best restaurant in the country and I think thats what you should aim for.

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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

[sgordon]

Funny, there was an article in Gourmet a few years ago where they took three of China's top chefs to The French Laundry. They were less-than-impressed:

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s...

[Monica]

Interesting article. Thanks for sharing.

[K K]

As excellent as NY's regional Chinese food scene is, I would skip Chinese altogether given the breadth and depth of what the prez has access to at home, unless he were to have a hankering for Chinese food. Skip Japanese as well, as the best in TW rivals Japan. So no 15 East, Yasuda, Masa, or wherever Bourdain went (there are Masa quality restaurants in Taipei for a fraction of the cost, even if the quality is not the same).

Stick with perhaps the perfect steakhouse. American beef in Taipei is a bit of an exotic import since most restaurants prefer to import Australian beef.

Something high end like Per Se, Daniel, Marea, Babbo's or whatever is the best regional old world style Italian, maybe Russian. And something that screams NY in quality. Wouldn't hurt to find a place that does a killer lobster too, or high end preparations of exquisite seafood, then some thousand dollar spoonfuls of caviar and champagne perhaps for dessert. But not the $1000+ sundae from Serendipity...that's silly.

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Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

[vinouspleasure]

I'd bring him to 53rd &6th and see if he tries to cut the line.

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Halal Chicken and Gyro
106 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

[porker]

I dunno.

When travelling, I really don't want what I can get around the corner 指日可待, so no, I wouldn't try to satisfy his native taste.

Go early and get a seat at Babbo bar and have a great meal, geting tanked up 醉 on Italian vino. After this, take a taxi to Cayote Ugly.

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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Coyote Ugly
153 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

[sgordon]

Coyote Ugly? Please, this is a high-ranking politician. Take him to Scores or The Penthouse Club.... or maybe NY Dolls, if he's trying to remain anonymous. Better the low-rent clubs where he's least likely to be recognized.

But seriously, I wouldn't take him for Taiwanese (or any kind of Asian) food. He can get most of that at home. Take him to Del Posto or Eleven Madison Park or something.

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Eleven Madison Park
11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010

Del Posto
85 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011

[AubWah]

Esca

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Esca
402 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036