Monday, September 15, 2008

Five Points

I've been a big fan of Five Points in Soho NYC ever since my first brunch there years ago. It is tucked on a quiet street off Lafayette. Unfortunately, this place has been discovered. Being THE place for brunch, you definitely need to make a reservation for their Sunday brunch. I've had brunch here a handful of times, and haven't had a disappointing experience yet. Five Points is known for two things - its wood burning oven and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The latter really got me hooked.

What do I love about this place? The space is so simple yet striking, and pretty much the same can be said for its food. There's a zen kind of feel when you walk into the dining room, which has a huge hollowed out log filled with water running through it. When you get closer to the back of the restaurant, you get totally taken by a sun-filled room that has a rustic feel. The skylight windows let so much light in that you can get a clear good look at its bread and wood on display.


Above, the various breads and wood logs in the sun-filled room


As for the food...their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are on the top of my list - they're not your ordinary pancakes. They're rich but light at the same time. Let me stop bringing them up again.

I recently went there for lunch with my friend, who I got hooked on Five Points' pancakes as well. We had some excellent Shrimp and Corn Fritters, which were perfect - crunchy outside, soft inside. They had perfect seasoning as well - the sweetness of the corn was well balanced with the amount of salt used in their fritters.

Above, Shrimp and Corn Fritters with Aioli


Then came the Fish Tacos. I looked at it, and thought to myself "how am I gonna eat this?" They were very well stuffed, which translated into messy eating. The fish was perfectly fried and came hot, and the accompaniments were good. However, I am sad to say that I've had better fish tacos than this.

Above, Fish Tacos


On other occasions, I've had Churros with Mexican Hot Chocolate, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and Eggs Rancheros. The Churros were good...it's basically dunking freshly fried donuts in a cup of melted chocolate. Does it get better than that? I think someone should fight over the left over Hot Chocolate though, because there is always plenty of that left over. As for the Eggs Benedict and the Rancheros...I prefer the former over the latter. That's only due to personal preference of course.

I would go to Five Points any time - it is not one of those places that charge alot of money for subpar food. Its plates are decently priced, the portions are good, the decor is nice and the service is polite. And did I mention their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes? :-)


No comments: