Lantern

Photo credit goes to indyweek.com

by Laura

Usually my food posts are despondent and whiny and mention how much better NYC restaurants are about two or ten times.  Today’s post gives us hope for a brighter day and a more sophisticated Southern palate!  Theme = we ate at Lantern.  It was awesome.

If you are New Yorker, you know that one of the trendiest places to go is one of David Chang’s Momofoku restaurants.  So, when I saw that he had given his stamp of approval to this creative Asian spot by traveling down here to host a special meal, I knew the place was legit.  Since his meals cost $150+/each, I opted for Lantern’s regular, less-pricey menu on a different night, but it did not disappoint.

In comparison, last week we tried another Asian fusion spot and checked out Jujube.  Jujube is a bit more affordable, but although it was good, I thought Lantern was far superior in flavor and execution.  However, we’ll have to give Jujube a second chance since after consulting with others, we may just not have ordered the right thing. Recommended at Jujube – the short rib & goat cheese wontons.  Recommended at Lantern – the spring rolls & lettuce cups, smoked chicken, and molten chocolate cake/sesame ice cream combo.

The table next to me lamented to the waiter that while everything was fantastic, the only hard part was that all the other local restaurants would now pale in comparison.  Agreed!