Sinigual

Priya and Vinny told us about this new mexican restaurant that they enjoyed, so Ash and I headed there on Friday night. Called Sinigual, it's located at 43rd St. between Lexington & 3rd Avenue. (The address says 42nd St., but we found the entrance to be at 43rd...I think. Maybe 41st. You'll find it.)

The first thing we noticed was the space--large booths, space between tables, and it's HUGE. The bar is right when you enter, so we requested a table in the back of the restaurant where it was quieter. They also have a glass wall in the back where you can see into the kitchen, if you like that bit. Ash and I were given a large booth for four people, so we enjoyed the wiggle room that we almost never get in Manhattan.

But, the important part--the food. Do not leave without ordering the Fried Ice Cream. Priya gave us a heads up about it, and she was totally right. They pour a shot of brandy on it tableside (which I could have done without), but the coating does not get soggy at all. It's very good. It terms of the meal, I ordered the Santa Fe Enchilada Stack (pictured--photo comes from their website), and Ash ordered a grilled chicken breast that I don't see on their online menu. We both liked them quite a bit. My entree came with a side of sweet corn cake--absolutely wonderful. Next time we go back, I will be ordering an additional side of it.

A nice touch is that instead of serving chips and salsa, they served warm tortillas. I was a fan. It seemed like their specialty was tableside guacamole (there were huge carts around the restaurant), but ever since we started making homemade guacamole, we don't typically order this at restaurants. We decided to pass on it so we could focus on the entrees and dessert. (We still brought home leftovers...)

The only glaring downside-- the service at this place seemed to be lacking. Nothing terrible, but don't go and expect wonderful service.

If you go and are looking for a quiet table, request one in the back, as the front of the restaurant was very loud. In terms of pricing, we ordered two entrees (I think they were both around the $15 mark) and split a dessert (around $10). All in, I believe our bill came to $45ish with tax--for the quality and amount of food, it seemed reasonable.

Enjoy! And thanks for the recommendation, Priya!