A Taste Of Distinction

Unicorn Asian Sushi Hibachi

➤ 42 W Ramapo Rd, Thiells, USA, United States

Menu • Soup • Sushi • Asian • Cheese

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"I’ve been to this restaurant several times before, but my recent visit left me disappointed. It seems like there’s been a change in ownership, and unfortunately, it shows in the portion sizes and overall quality. I ordered the Tom Yum shrimp soup it came with only two small shrimp, a sparse mix of vegetables, and no noodles. For $12, it felt like I was paying for seasoned water. It’s disappointing to see a place I used to enjoy cutting corners in this way, and I felt a bit robbed. I hope the restaurant considers bringing back the quality and portions they once had, but for now, I can’t say I’d recommend it Food: 2 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 4"

Ocean Empire

➤ 340 US-202, Pomona, United States

Menu • Soup • Asian • Lunch • Chinese

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"This place is a LOOK. If you told me with a straight face that the interior has been upgraded at any point since the Nixon administration, I flat out wouldn't believe you. And I'm willing to admit a huge chunk of my rating is based on the sheer kitsch value I've never seen this many aquariums in one establishment that wasn't a pet store. Truly wild. Also? You will not have any type of cell phone service while dining here, which seems fitting given that you chose to eat in a literal time warp. I wouldn't expect technology to work in that situation either. I stopped here for a sit down lunch yesterday afternoon, having gotten take out a few times in the last 10 months or so. There are a TON of Chinese options in this area but this is definitely the best in terms of overall quality. Admittedly, most if not all of their competition is generic take out establishments, but the price point is right on par with them and you're getting better flavors with food that looks and tastes like it's actually being made to order, more or less. I don't know what the target audience is for Ocean Empire, but based on the baffled gapes of the barflies at the bar by the entrance yes, this place has a bar that you'll be stunned to learn has an aquarium next to it and the senior citizens dotting the restaurant interior, it's not me. That said, I was shown to a table promptly and had solid service throughout. I ordered my tried and true, the Sweet and Sour Chicken entree $13 , though I had the option of the lunch special which was a few dollars less. I figured since I made the trek and was hanging out with a giant fish less than a foot from my head see attached picture , I might as well go all the way with the experience. And I loved that the waiter DID redirect me to the lunch menu, just to make sure I wanted the more expensive option. A lot of places would quietly note the order and not offer a cheaper alternative. Good for them. The chicken was very good. I don't know that it's particularly hard to master this dish behind the scenes, but bare minimum I think you want to ensure that it's not overly deep fried where you're eating literal bites of fried skin. This was perfectly done and a generous portion when is Chinese food not a generous portion? . The only quibble I had was with the sauce. It's more orange than red, which is interesting and I'm not sure what the significance is if any, but I thought it was on the watery side and difficult to apply to my accompanying rice, which was a LITTLE too al dente for me. But just a little. The menu hilariously they just gave me the paper takeout menu to look at; totally fine and somehow seemed on brand looks pretty legit beyond the standard takeout options so this is a very rare instance where I would actually come back and order something else. And like most Chinese food, it didn't take long for the food to arrive, so this is a very reasonable lunch hour type destination if that's your jam. And a fun perk if you're in the market? There's a random party room in the back you can apparently reserve. Because of course there is."

Kc Grill House

➤ 481 NY-306, 10952, Monsey, United States

Menu • Salad • Kosher • Salads • Fast Food

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"Great place for families, kids friendly environment, food was very good and decent pricing, didn't have to wait long for the food, overall great place when there is no time to cook supper. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 4 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Parking space: Plenty of parking Parking options: Free parking lot"

Gilligan's Clam

➤ 366 US-202, 10970, Pomona, US, United States

Menu • Fish • Grill • Casual • Seafood

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"When I started working up in this area, Gilligan 's was the first potential lunch spot I stumbled across, and yet it took over a year before I finally made my debut though I did walk over once to get a pickup order involving catfish, but I decided that didn 't count). One co worker from the area gleefully told me a story about a stabbing that took place here several years ago, but a) I found no evidence of that and b) it honestly made this a more intriguing destination. There 's a bar in Fairfield, NJ I once went to because every time my grandfather drove by it he 'd say, "That 's a real bucket of blood. Someone was killed there in the '30s. ' I can at least say Gilligan 's is not a bucket of blood. This felt from day one like more of a dinner/drinks spot than lunch, and that was certainly my takeaway yesterday when I came by around 1:30pm. I definitely got poor man 's Margaritaville vibes in here there 's a lot of tropical themed decor and a hidden tiki bar in the back that had no customers or employee manning it. I 'm honestly not sure if it was open or not. Regardless, the regular dining area was pretty busy and needed at least one more waiter/waitress; the two I saw were very overworked/harried and constantly on the move. One of them finally saw me by the entrance after a few minutes and brought me to a table. Seafood seemed like the right call here, and I went with the Lobster Fra Diavolo $31). In hindsight, I would have gotten something less dramatic that didn 't involve me getting my paws dirty and wearing a bib, but that 's obviously on me. The lobster itself was partially open so it was fairly easy to remove the meat from the tails; nice touch, in my view. The Fra Diavolo sauce had a nice zest to it that made my nose run slightly but not overwhelmingly which is what happens when I wander into the Thai restaurant nearby). I 'm by no means an expert on this particular dish, but I wasn 't crazy about the fact that the sauce was exclusively applied to the interior of the lobster. As a result, the accompanying linguini was devoid of a lot of flavor and required extra work to mix in some of that sauce. This is also a rare instance where I don 't think they had enough pasta in the entree. Keep in mind that I 'd accidentally been gorging myself on holiday snacks all week but even with a smaller appetite I easily consumed the pasta and could have quite a bit more. The inclusion of the full lobster for sure cut down on space, but they could have put another handful of linguini underneath it, especially given how deep the bowl was. The service was mediocre. I don 't really put that on the waitstaff that assisted me, as they were constantly moving around from table to table and were certainly busy. But because of the fact that they were spread thin, no one stopped by to check in thankfully it wasn 't needed) and I had to be pretty proactive in catching someone 's eye to grab the check. The waiter who did ultimately process my payment did take a few seconds to make eye contact with me at the end and wish me a happy holiday, which was a nice gesture. There was a lot to take in here, but suffice it to say I 'd come back after work, not during. Hopefully the service is a bit better and I can consume a rum based cocktail or two."

306 Southern Bbq

➤ 455 Route 306, 10952, Monsey, United States

Menu • Bbq • American • Barbecue • North American

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"When we moved to MonseyLand a lifetime ago,we resigned ourselves to a few things; 1)When you hear terms like walking distance remember the focus is on distance not walking 2)Urban survival skills like parallel parking will atrophy faster than you can say parking meter 3)Monsey will never be home to the latest/greatest/newest/coolest kosher dining destinations yes, there 'll be nice places that deliver a respectable dining experience, but if you 're looking for the next in terms of worth the trip from anywhere, intensely delicious, innovative fare, prepare to look elsewhere, because in THAT department(and this is just my opinion) Monsey follows (albeit rather respectably), rather than leads. Though based on our visit to the Beast BBQ, right here in scenic Wesley Hills, that 's all about to change. Why? In terms of bona fides, Beast BBQ is the creation of rockstar chef Moses Wendel aka the guy who gave us the legendary worth the trip from anywhere even tho it 's not a steakhouse Pardes. Now with Beast, he 's proving that Pardes wasn 't a fluke, but a 1st act, with Beast BBQ being a 2nd act that 's every bit as impressive and game changing(plus WAY closer for his fans in 845). In short, a Moses Wendel style total reboot on the kosher cue/smokehouse genre.The vibe? Unpretentious. The food? Unbelievable. While the menu is refreshingly straightforward, our group still asked the exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable staff for suggestions, which is why we ended up working our way through tongue, brisket pastrami, pastrami 'tater tots, pulled beef, a stew, fries, baked beans, a kale ish salad, jammed with an assortment of flavorfully meaty mushrooms and topped with a light as air donut like savory crust that was hiding a monstrously moist chicken fillet. Before I get even more ahead of myself, let me share the basics at least the way my tastebuds see it. Chef Wendel 's brand is equal parts inventive as in being able to coax awesome new flavors and textures from timeless standards, and inventor as in coming up with spankin ' new from scratch concepts, that cause your mouth to break into a sweat just from reading the menu and inhaling the heady tho not heavy aroma( Breath of the Beast air freshener anyone?)In terms of inventive, his spin on classic deli one upped(and then some) Shmulks, the Grand Deli, Hess and most every other deli mecca of my quasi misspent youth. His pastrami is the perfect mix of fatty lean, which creates the perfect mix of chewy juiciness all wrapped in a smokey spicey tang thats both familiar and fresh at the same time. The tongue was in a word epic. Soft enough to slice with nothing more than a cutting look, yet rich in bold and nuanced flavors, Wendlels take on tongue was simultaneously like and unlike my best in class tongue sandwiches/entrees/appetizers/etc. Or to put it another way, certain members of our group who weren 't fans of the fine art of deli (let alone deli that 's been tweaked craft smokehouse/BBQ style), started with tentative tastings and ended up polishing off more than their fare share of Wendel 's deli fare. Lucky for me, I was raised Catskill style , so once I saw everyone deep diving for deli, my instinct for self preservation kicked in and I squirreled some tongue, pastrami, etc away for later which turned out to be a good call. As we continued plowing through our version of a sampling menu , I paused mid fress , to ask our server where they get their breads and rolls from, as their rye bread was far superior to every bakery classic I know and love. She told me that all baked goods, as well as sauces, toppings, creams, condiments garnishes etc are all created in house by Moses and his massively talented crew. In short, no matter the menu item, everything from seasoning to smoking to slicing to serving(wanted to keep the alliteration going sorry) is all done on the authentically unpretentious premises. Like Pardes,at Beast BBQ every detail matters,from the bar 's collection of liquors, custom cocktails and craft beers, to the desserts toppings(and bottomings) which btw included the richest yet lightest cocoalate mousse I ever tasted, to the type of veggies in the stew, even the seasoning on the fries is so perfect, using ketchup is akin to blasphemy. Plus, his interpretation on classic BBQ joint sides like baked beans, coleslaw potato salad, are a fresh step up from the standard. Bottom line? Chef Moses has created a gourmet promised land called Beast BBQ. As it 's me, there has to be at least one kvetch here it is; Re their remarkable, densely delicious rye bread, be advised its slices are more crescent/biscotti shaped vs the typical slab like slices used in old school deli sandwiches. Actually, the fact the place was busy after 9 pm on a Tuesday nite IN MONSEY, says it all. PS; to our friends in 212,718,516,201,973,908,914, etc,feel free to text us 'hello ' when you 're done experiencing the Beast BBQ in (believe it or not)Monsey"