Annisa
New York, NY 10014-3823
Phone: (212) 741-6699
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Between W 4th Street and 7th Avenue South
- Directions:
- 1 at Christopher St
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm, Sun 5:30pm-9:30pm
Editorial Review for Annisa – by Dan McAlvanah
The Scene
Co-owner Jennifer Scism once helped oversee the front of the house at Chanterelle, and that restaurant's spirit of elegance is clearly a source of inspiration. The airy, minimally-adorned room features buttercream walls and wood floors. The folds of a large white curtain run along one wall. Pools of soft white light created by the flicker of small candles abound.
The Food
An idiosyncratic, occasionally freewheeling style of intelligent New American haute cuisine is on offer. Chef Anita Lo can make the volume of her flavors go from a delicate purr to a scabrous growl on a dime, often within the span of a single dish. An assertively-seasoned lamb tenderloin, for example, finds its foil in cooling yogurt and cucumber, while wafer-thin sheets of raw tuna juxtapose the oniony pang of pink radishes.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkAn array of wines by the glass and a strong sommelier make for epiphanic accompaniments.
User Reviews for Annisa
03/23/2008 Posted by philli1
i went with my parents and brother for easter dinner. my brother had the only vegetarian option- an eggplant dish- which for $25 was 2 pieces of eggplant, yogurt sauce, and a tiny pile of lentils. my dad had the lamb, 4 small pieces which were overly salty, and my mom and i had the colbi which was by far the best entree but again, the portion was tiny for the price- a small piece of fish with 5 baby carrots. for dessert we had the apple tart, which was tasty but nothing spectacular. overall the restaurant was overrated and expensive.
Cons: $200 later, still hungry
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
12/18/2007 Posted by ismaelq
I took a dear friend to Annisa for a special occasion. Our first impression: the place was loud. We got a nice table, but it wasn't until a few of them emptied that conversing ceased to feel like an unnecessarily loud indulgence. Annisa seems to have an acoustics problem. The good news is: acoustics may be the least solvable of its ambiance-related problems. The restaurant has surprisingly dirty--in some areas filthy--walls that dim lighting does very little to hide and the quality of the food not enough to help one forget. It only takes a short round-trip to the bathroom to notice the magnitude of the problem. I find it simply unnacceptable that an otherwise decent restaurant, Michelin-starred no less, let itself go like this. Decorator/painter needed!!!! Some people assume, often correctly, that a restaurant's physical exterior reflects its interior, namely the kitchen. I tend to agree; moreover, I believe that it affects staff morale, as in our waitress, who rarely cracked a welcoming, I-like-my-job, tip-me-well, come-again smile--not a hypocrite, I guess. For appetizers, we had the seared foie gras with soup dumplings and the scallops with sea urchin. Since my friend had had the original Chinese soup dumplings hot, Annisa's version seemed cold and unremarkable to her. I'd say they were room-temperature dumplings a foie-gras slice above the rest. My scallops, on the other hand, resembled a lotus flower in presentation and mythological effect: a plesant drowsiness catalyzed by the silky freshness of a Pinot Nero, an excellent red to start and match light seafood with. However, I must say that this dish in particular could reach new heights if served at least warm. For entrees, my friend had the skate and I the lamb (matched w/ a full-bodied Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon). Both offered simple yet refined textures that formed the idealized memories of home-made classics. Our dessert was a well-balanced chocolate biscuit w/banana mousse.
Pros: Above-average food. Excellent wines
Cons: Ambience, Service
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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