Second Visit to Restaurant Week at The Bar Room

For my first visit, check out my post from earlier this year. After this second visit, I’m already planning a third—the chefs here clearly take pride in their dishes , and it shows! 👨‍🍳🔥 ⭐️ Heirloom Tomato Sourdough Toast HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! The best dish of the night . The tomatoes had a perfect balance of sweet and tangy , and the sauce (labeled as mayo but nothing like the heavy store-bought stuff ) had a refreshing minty note (maybe lovage? I’ve never tried it before, so forgive me!) and a hint of truffle oil (I think?). To quote a certain food show, it had "perfect balance" —sweet-tart tomatoes, bright sauce, and crispy bread in harmony . 🍅✨ ⭐️ Chickpea Panisse Very meh. Basically just crab-flavored strands, soft chickpea fries, and curry sauce . Skip it. 🚫 ⭐️ Spring Onion Rigatoni Incredibly aromatic! The nutty pine nuts and truffle fragrance were so strong that the onion sauce was barely noticeable—only the al dente pasta texture stood out. Still delicious, though! 🍝🌰 ⭐️ Crispy Octopus and Pork Belly For the main, this was my favorite —savory, rich, and satisfying . The octopus leg had an ultra-crispy shell with a firm, bouncy inside (unlike the usual soft, melt-in-your-mouth Spanish-style octopus). The pork belly was slow-braised to tenderness , with fat that wasn’t greasy —even I, who usually avoid fatty cuts, enjoyed it. If you can’t handle fat at all, steer clear. The apricot garnish added a nice sweet-tart contrast to cut through the richness. 🐙🥓 ⭐️ Fried Chicken Ordered this again. Same verdict as last time—if you like saucy Korean fried chicken, you’ll love this (bonus: it’s boneless thigh meat , so extra juicy!). 🍗🔥 ⭐️ Strawberry Shortcake Bombe If you love strawberry jam on toast, you’ll adore this. It’s basically a deconstructed strawberry shortcake —sponge cake chunks, strawberry jam, freeze-dried strawberries , and strawberry cream ice cream . A dreamy dessert ! 🍓🍰 ⭐️ Peaches and Cream Tiramisu Such a shame. The first bite was heavenly —sweet cream, moist cake, crunchy bits , followed by a lingering peach aroma . But why "shame"? Because after the second or third bite , the peach flavor vanished , drowned out by the overpowering sweetness . You’d need to chase each bite with water to taste the peach again. Less sugar, more peach jam between layers , and this could be perfection . 🍑😔 Bonus Notes: - The website says no swapping desserts for appetizers in the 3-course menu , but our server today said it’s possible —so ask when you go! - Six months later, the ridiculously handsome waiter is still there (tall, model-like, jawline for days). No complaints here. 😏 #RestaurantWeek #NYCFood #NYCRestaurantRecommendations