On a lazy Sunday, we decided to stay around our living area to eat. There have been several new restaurants that have opened in the past few months, and this one is the most recent one. The restaurant features ramen and European-Japanese dishes from Nobuyuki Shikanai, the owner of Kanoyama in the East Village. We were able to walk in without reservations on a Sunday at around 6 PM.
Ambiance & Service
The interior has a lot of bright aesthetics and feels very airy. The high ceilings help with noise somewhat, and there’s a lot of LIC foot traffic that passes this location.
Our service was very quick and attentive. We were in and out within an hour, and my partner is nearly 3x slower than I am. They bring a remote card reader for paying the bills, and it calculates everything pre-tax.
Food
The Berry Bliss ($7 - left) came with iced rooibois tea, black berry syrup, frozen berries, and mint leaves. This was non-alcoholic, and was slightly sweetened. It was actually quite flavorful and not as berry flavored as this might seem.
The Lavender Lemonade ($7 - right) came with homemade lemonade, lavender syrup, butterfly pea flower tea, and fresh rosemary. This was non-alcoholic as well. It was actually much sweeter than the Berry Bliss, but it had pretty punchy lavender flavors to it. If you like lavender, this was quite good.
The Chicken Karaage ($15) came with Japanese deep fried chicken with fried garlic, salt, and pepper. This seemed pretty expensive, but they surprisingly gave us about 6-7 pieces. Unlike my normal expectations of boneless chicken, this was boned winglets and little drumsticks. The crust of the chicken was actually crispy, seasoned well, and very tasty. The fried garlic added a nice savory texture and flavor to the bones. The value was not as bad as I thought initially.
The Quinoa Salad ($12) came with red, yellow, green peppers, tomato, parsley, lemon with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. The quinoa was cooked perfectly, and this basically tasted very healthy and light. The ingredients and dressing were extremely fresh. There were some raisins in it that added some sweetness to it.
The Hamburg Steak ($28) came with ground beef, onion, egg, milk, panko bread, and adductor muscle with demi-glace. This came with bread and honey butter. The ground beef was very delicious and thick with lots of flavors especially from the onion. The sauce was slightly sweet, but it was good. The french fries were crispy, and along with the bread, they all soaked up the sauce well. I felt the price for what was presented seemed expensive, but I felt full at the end of the meal.
Final Verdict
Vert Frais is a very nice neighborhood Japanese style cafe that has a myriad of options for a casual outing. Despite not ordering ramen, the homely Japanese centric food is a welcomed addition to the area.
Yelp Jabs
The hamburger steak was very surprisingly for me because I did not like meatloaf growing up.
The steak is not really meatloaf. In fact the way it’s cooked is entirely different. There is a nice char from the pan, so that it keeps everything together.
I was bullied into leaving quickly so that a woman and her baby could have my seat more quickly. The decor is lovely and the staff are otherwise friendly.
This sounds very typical, especially in areas focused on turning tables unfortunately. I don’t necessarily blame the restaurant considering the rent and cost of food in these areas.
Revisions
- Jul 16, 2023 - Initial revision.