Hunter Lu

Steakhouses are famous for their dry-aged beef, giving the steak that nutty, blue cheese funk prized by connoisseurs. Aged from weeks to months, beef is commonly associated with meat aging, but all meat can benefit from this process. Venison, known for its health benefits, is a great example. “Aging refines the flavor,” explains Jake Muise, Founder & CEO of Maui Nui. “More depth, more mineral complexity, always clean on the finish. That cleanliness is a direct expression of the animal: wild-harvested and forage-fed.”

Located behind an unassuming door in a New York subway station, Nōksu, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant, is reinventing itself. A new chef is now helming the fine-dining establishment, Chef Aaron Chang, combining his Korean heritage with New Nordic techniques.

Picture Japanese sushi, and the first fish that comes to mind is likely tuna. From lean akami to buttery chutoro, tuna is broken down into various cuts. This isn’t filleting — to butcher such a large fish requires technique and the right tools. To learn more, we reached out to Las Vegas sushi chef Winston Matsuuchi of Omakase Kyara Sake Bar. Matsuuchi is known in Las Vegas for his tuna cutting ceremony, where he breaks down a whole bluefin tuna with traditional Japanese knives. “Every time I cut a tuna, it teaches me something new,” says Matsuuchi.

Explore the unique migration of steakhouses between these two iconic cities.

NYC gets a new Latin American Steakhouse

Throughout Latin America, steak and grilling are art forms. From Mexican carne asada to the ever-popular Brazilian barbecue, beef is prized. In my house, the steakhouse is a popular topic, and I've tackled a lot, including deep dives on steak wine pairings to Argentinian asado. The city is seeing an influx of modern steakhouses along with more wallet-friendly steak frites eateries. So when I learned New York was getting a new contemporary Latin Steakhouse, I was intrigued. Amasa, located in the Kimpton Era Midtown Hotel, is combining Latin American flavors in a New York City steakhouse setting.

How the far east is coming to the US to reimagine our staples

While smashburgers have been all the rage in recent years, some restaurants are putting a higher-end spin on the classic American burger. In New York City, home to countless steakhouses and chef-driven burgers, a few chefs are pairing high-quality burgers with a classic martini, a cocktail generally associated with steak. These aren’t fast-food-style burgers; instead, these burgers are generally thick, made with custom beef or dry-aged meat, and certainly not cheap. I decided to explore this pairing at a few different restaurants to find out if it works…and why.

While delicious, gin is far more than martinis and gin and tonics. Curious to learn more, I visited Chin Up Bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where the entire beverage menu is centered on this misunderstood spirit. “We felt that gin was underserved in our market in terms of bars that really highlighted the spirit and explored the full spectrum of cocktails possible with it,” explains co-founder Blake Walker. “Whiskey, rum, and agave bars are well-represented, but for some reason, gin, which is produced in every corner of the world and features a dizzying array of peculiarities, was not, until now!”

From the New York Times 100 Best Restaurants to fine-dining imports from London like the Ambassadors Clubhouse, Indian restaurants in New York City are some of the most dynamic in the city. I visited Saaqi, a speakeasy cocktail bar located beneath Musaafer NYC, an Indian fine-dining import from Houston, Texas, to experience Indian-influenced cocktails.