NYC Places To Eat: Hip & Happening at Ha'Chi

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Parent Category: Travel Info

Category: Places To Eat

Published on Saturday, 13 August 2011 02:50

Written by Elaine Ing

The Lower East Side (LES) of New York City used to be synonymous with grunge and litter-strewn with drug paraphernalia. With the erection of the fashionable Thompson LES Hotel and in-house restaurant Shang, it sets the standard for LES 2.0.  

Visting the Thompson LES would be like visiting the Museum of Modern Art. This impressive 18-story all-in-one hotel-restaurant-social hotspot is a who's who of contemporary art, fashion and design. Opened in 2008, the hotel is the brainchild of architect EdRawlings and interior designer JimWalrod.

Their haute minimalist creation offers a perfect blend of high-end luxury and raw, industrial design. Besides a 141 rooms (featuring custom-made light-boxes by Lee Freelander and graphic paintings by Ryan McGinness), the hotel boasts a year-round rooftop outdoor pool and terrace bar, Above Allen, where you can not only have the luxury of magnificent skyline views but also literally plunge into a pool floor-lined with the photo-lithographed image of Andy Warhol (designed by Gerard Malanga).

The in-house restaurant, Shang, showcases contemporary Chinese cuisine by famed Master Chef Susur Lee. 

Now comes Ha'Chi.

This LES newcomer lives up to this new wave trend with its chic and modern lounge and inventive East-meets-West cuisine. Decor and degustation is the name of the game at Ha'chi.

On a hot and sticky night, we had the pleasure of attending a preview of the Asian-fusion restaurant/lounge Ha'Chi. Its premises offered a respite with its cool ambiance and sleek designs amid the bi-level open space.

The decor is upscale Japanese without the intimidation. The well-thought out space consists of an inviting lounge area as soon as guests enter the premises.

The contemporary curved couch which sits in the middle of the restaurant resonates the meaning of Ha'Chi (#8 in Japanese, which is the luckiest number in Asian numerology) and allows guests to easily mix and mingle while they await their tables.

The floral sliding glass partitions offer a hint of anonymity yet a view of the libations counter. The upper level offers a formal dining area as well as a bird's eye view of sultry tête-à-têtes.

Now the important part, the menu. With its top-of-the-line ingredients, consulting Chef Jordy Lavanderos and head sushi Chef Tony Zhao created ensembles for us to sample.  Some of the choice tastings were:

• Kobe Beef Filet Mignon with a wasabi potato spring roll ($16)
• steamed Chilean Sea Bass sushi rolls with an orange vinaigrette and sweet miso drizzle ($15)
• a selection of its Naruto rolls ($12-14 range)

The regular dinner menu consists of both regular hot and cold "small plate" options, similar to tapas, in additional to seasonal specialties. For the late night partiers, Ha'Chi will also soon offer a late night menu and entertainment.

If you've ever longed to try Shang without Shang prices, here's your best option. It's chic and upscale without hurting the budget, nor comprising on the senses. Prices are extremely reasonable compared to its more uptown peers.

Ha‛Chi Restaurant & Lounge
185 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
212-228-0880
www.hachinyc.com/

Thompson LES
190 Allen Street
New York, NY, 10002
Phone: 212-460-5300
Reservations: 877-460-8888
http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/nyc/thompson-les

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