57 Great Jones St
New York, NY 10012
BOHEMIAN does not have a website, but here’s Yelp
I didn’t want to post this… My last Bohemian post wasn’t the best, and I was waiting for a spectacular meal, so that I can renounce my own last posting, and share all the reasons why Bohemian have redeemed themselves. Bohemian used to be such a safe and reliable spot for us, some oysters, some small tapas-sized bites, very good (but few) sashimi, and fantastic mains. And I’m not saying that it was a bad meal, or that I’ve EVER had a bad meal there. It just doesn’t knock my socks off like it used to anymore, they still have that sparkle, but it just doesn’t shine as bright…
Here’s the before and after (after being the recent 2-3 years):
- Drinks – Undoubtedly, hands-down, some of the BEST mixologists in NYC. I’m not even a mixed drinks kinda gal, but if I’m at Bohemian, I’m ordering a cocktail! Reminds me of a funny story… We were sitting at the bar of “Waiting on A Friend” on 1st Ave, I think we were waiting for our reservation at Dojo… OMG, the bartender… I would get drenched with every single drink he made! He tossed bottles, pulled the bottle up, fancy stuff that Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Except, this one was LOUD, and real, real messy. I had to move my bar stool a whole 2 persons away to be splashed just a little less… ANYWAY….
- Oysters – Not much change, they’ll sometimes have one of each east/west coast, other times, only east coast. Either way, they’re always decent, but never fantastic. If oysters are what you love, and need variety for, think Aquagrill, Upstate, Grand Central Oyster. Most sushi-yas will have a 1 or 2 great oysters only, some, like Kano will have a more, but that’s not their specialty…
- Tapas-sized type appetizers – Small dishes like:
- Vegetable Fondue (which I have never tried, I don’t really like raw veggies other than a salad here and there, I wouldn’t appreciate it enough to waste my stomach space)
- Some sort of pasta like a mac & cheese or risotto – very filling dishes, but if you have the stomach space, you won’t regret it
- Uni croquette (which seems to be a consistent staple since the start of time)
- Some sort of grilled or sautéed small shrimp, scallop, or fish dish
- And my favorites, the wagyu beef tar-tar, wagyu beef sashimi
- Sashimi – I put this as its own category as this is where Bohemian’s been failing me. They’ve always only carry a handful of fish, but they were always SPECTACULAR, every single one. These past few years? One or two will still be spectacular, but the others could be just good, or even in the mediocre category. You usually get like 3-4 kinds of sashimi, 2 slices per kind, at around 60 bucks a pop. See, it’s certainly not cheap… You wouldn’t and SHOULDN’T expect mediocrity at that price…
- Mains – Bohemian holds constant here, superior quality mains! They have some, like their Branzino, Chicken, and Steak that has been on the menu with no changes since the start of time, the others, I can’t speak to:
- Branzino – Boyfriend doesn’t like cooked fish, shellfish yes, but not cooked fish, but I LOVE it here.
- Free Range Roasted Chicken – you might think, if you’re going to Bohemian, you should have steak. And I can’t disagree… BUT if you’re a chicken lover, or if you go with a larger party, then you should give this a try. The Japanese really does do chicken on a whole different level.
- Dons – Years ago, this is what I would finish with, and leave oh so satisfied… an itty bitty little bowl of udon, or soba, or rice topped with something yummy, like Salmon, UNI, IKURA, UNI/IKURA or FOIE GRAS. These days, no maas… Sounds so miniscule, but this tiny bowl of goodness (no larger than a small/young girl’s palm), used to ensure my return. You know how people would say that there’s a second stomach for dessert? Mine is for Bohemian’s UNI/IKURA don. But in the last few years, they either wasn’t serving it that day, or ran out of it. Come on! We always take the 6PM seating, which is practically their first seating, how could they possibly run out??? It’s like telling the birthday girl at the end of the birthday song, sorry, no cake today. So annoying!
All that said, it wasn’t a bad meal. I’ve never, ever had a bad meal at Bohemian. They’ve made changes that I just don’t like, but I have hope that they’ll reverse those poor decisions, AND what they do well is still enough to keep bringing us back… Until then, we’ll still continue visiting, but I just can’t stand on the roof top and scream out how much I love them anymore.
What we ordered tonight:
- Sashimi Platter – I’m not very good at sharing, so here’s TWO orders, with EXTRA KAMPACHI and HOTATE:
- KAMPACHI (Amberjack) – This was just mediocre. A good KAMPACHI should have great oils, a nice crunch at the bite, and a gumminess with the consumption. While it wasn’t fishy, it had NOTHING that makes it sparkle.
- HOTATE (Scallop) – This was BLAH, it had a hint of fishiness! I had my one slice, and made boyfriend eat the rest.
- Salmon – This was clearly, just plain Jane, farm raise FATTY salmon. I loved every bit of it. BUT if you’ve been reading my posts, while I thoroughly enjoy a salmon, I’m very cost conscious about my salmons. You can get GREAT farm raised salmons EVERYWHERE in NYC for say 3-4 bucks a pop. This double order platter of sashimi came out to $122. So while a GREAT serving, at $6.1 a piece, no bueno!
- CHUTORO (medium fatty Tuna) – This doesn’t look great, but it was! Oh the melt in your mouth fattiness! The scrumptious clean flavors. Really great.
- KAMPACHI (Amberjack) – This was just mediocre. A good KAMPACHI should have great oils, a nice crunch at the bite, and a gumminess with the consumption. While it wasn’t fishy, it had NOTHING that makes it sparkle.
- FOIE GRAS Sushi – Really, really good. We LOVE all things foie gras and foie gras pate. I think I still prefer it the traditional way with some sort of sweetener like a preserve or jam, but I never say no to foie gras.
- Washu-Beef Ribeye Steak – Doctor tells me I should cut down on red meat and shell fishes. I’m like, dude, that’s 75% of my diet! He also tells me to slow down on the sake/alcohol consumption. I said you might as well tell me I can’t smile anymore either. The joy of life… An rare serving of incredibly well marbled WASHU beef:
- Sake panna cotta – No dons, so we ordered this. Waste of stomach space. I rather walk home and earn myself a slice of pizza!
