The Biltmore Room

I had lunch here yesterday and hope that I get the chance to go back soon. It's on 8th Ave, between 24th and 25th, across from that grassy block. The restaurant felt very intimate, and the staff were friendly and helpful and seemed eager for us to come back. But it was the Asian-influenced food that really made me happy.

It may seem like we had some run-of-the-mill dishes, but the extra touches made the meal. Our first course was slices of seared tuna with sorbet, fennel salad and those little baby, sprout-like greens (I want to call it mache but am not sure that's right). The salty crust on the tuna, the smooth interier of the fish, the crisp fennel and cold, slushy tart sorbet was a great combination. Then we had seared chicken with a tomato-eggplant chutney that was so spicy and good. That came with sesame mashed potatoes, which I am going to have to try to replicate at home (with sesame oil).

Dessert was the best, though (usually is for me). A pear-almond financier with powerful ginger ice cream melting all over the top. Again, the contrasts were appealing: the ice cream itself was cold, spicy, creamy, melting over the top of warm pears in a crunchy, strongly almond-flavored cake. I want to try to reproduce that ice cream at home, too. Maybe by steeping fresh ginger?

Anyway, CitySearch labels it $40 and up and I didn't see the menu, so I'll have to find a special occasion for an opportunity to go back. But I liked it so much that it would be worth a special occasion.