Eating at Onju

I’ve been meaning to write since one week ago about the most wonderful restaurant that Jen and I went to last Friday night. Named Onju and located in the East Village at 108 East 4th Street 212-228-3880 it ended up being a fantastic find. I’d seen it in Time Out magazine as one of their recommended new restaurants and I’ll quote here what they said as it absolutely lived up to their copy, “Eating Conscientiously is rarely a pleasure. But dinner at Onju is an exception: The menu is 100% organic, dotted wit inspired vegan and vegetarian dishes….” Their review came with a recommend and so we tried it to our great pleasure. The space itself is small seating no more that 35 by my estimate with brick walls, a terrific bar, interesting bathroom, and great lighting fixtures. Even if the food sucked (which it far from did not) the décor alone was worth seeing. The staff was knowledgeable and attentive, the food sublime. We ordered and shared two appetizers: Arancini di carne e piselli and truffle infuse mozzarella which were cooked to perfection and the Grilled multi vegetable flower dish. Grilled vegetables are one of my favorite foods and here they were done to perfection. This we followed with a shared salad of shaved fennel with pear, radicchio and cacao di fossa which was ample for two. Both of us wanted risotto; Jen ordered the wild mushroom and I chose the champagne and salmon. We were too full for desert and with tip the bill was in the neighborhood of $60 something which is extremely reasonable with service/food/atmosphere taken into account. I would HIGHLY recommend. Eating well has never been more fun. (Except perhaps at my house)