Midweek Special: NYC Restaurant Review Roundup

This week Frank Bruni at the Times reviews Meatpacking District hotspot Spice Market, where chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's menu is inspired by Asian street food. Interim dining critic Amanda Hesser gave it three out of four stars in 2004, but the paper was forced to issue a statement acknowledging that Hesser should have disclosed the glowing jacket blurb Vongerichten wrote for her book.

Now Spice Market has been demoted to one star, and Bruni writes, "While it still looks gorgeous, sends out the occasional superb dish and delivers a measure of fun, much of its menu is executed in a perfunctory or even slapdash fashion. Once a compelling destination, it’s now a modest diversion... In many entrees, the protein at the center was so modestly portioned, overcooked or just plain dull that no measure or mingling of seasonings could save it... I don’t remember those sorts of failings from a meal at Spice Market five years ago. I simply remember having a great time."

The Village Voice's Robert Sietsema reviews Orchard Street nook An Choi, which "strives to evoke Vietnam's urban vibe, and admirably succeeds. My banh mi was being prepared right inside the front door at something that resembled a street cart... I took one bite, and the hot, tart, earthy, herbal flavors detonated in my mouth. But even as I delightedly chewed, I wondered why anyone would buy the sandwich here, instead of a few blocks west at Saigon Bakery (138 Mott Street), the most revered of the city's banh mi makers. For diners on a budget, it's Saigon Bakery all the way." Colleague Sarah DiGregorio enjoys "soulfully good" food at Aldea (photos), which she deems "eager to please—albeit to a fault sometimes."

At the New Yorker, Lauren Collins files on Armani / Ristorante, located on third floor of Armani 5th Avenue: "Every mall needs a food court. This one is more outwardly slinky than most...The restaurant is every bit a brand extension, so it seemed strange that Armani’s brand of impeccability didn’t extend to the menus (which were beat-up), the central white staircase (dirty, scratched), or the reservations system (a piece of loose-leaf paper, apparently). At the bar, a manager and a bartender argued, loudly. The dispute seemed to be about a pen."