Opened by Hooni Kim, who has worked at both Daniel and Masa, Danji is a diminutive Hell’s Kitchen restaurant that is easy to walk right past. Entering the tiny space, you are greeted with a bar, industrial-chic decor and several long communal tables, as well as more intimate tables in the back.

A Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant,Matsugen is where the esteemed chef channels his love and appreciation for Asian flavors and aesthetics into a Japanese soba shop. Soba are buckwheat noodles that are served cold or hot, with a variety of toppings. They are especially difficult to master, because the noodles must be 100% buckwheat, which means that the noodle has no gluten to hold it together – thus, the noodles must be hand formed and cooked VERY carefully so they don’t fall apart. It is an art form that is not often seen in America, and one that I was anxious to try. I had never tried TRUE soba before-only ones with regular white flour worked in-so I hoped I was in for a treat in the modern, elegant, simply designed dining room.

You probably think that you inherited some great stuff from your parents. Maybe a wonderful watch from your father, or your mother’s old Barbie collection…but how about the ability to cook a world class meal that everyone from Uma Thurman to New York Magazine recognizes as delicious, inventive, and on another level. Perry Street ‘s chef, Cedric Vongerichten received just that from his illustrious father, Jean-Georges. With a pedigree like that expectations are high, and they are met.