It’s a rainy Tuesday spring afternoon here in Manhattan today and coming from a very busy Chinatown I’m relieved to see a quiet SOHO neighborhood. The Dutch has been around for quite some time and you would consider as a NYC institution in the restaurant scene.

I’ve been around this area many times to visit other places, but this will be my 1st trip here at the famous oyster bar on 131 Sullivan Street. The outdoor patio of the space was nicely decorated which is part of the Outdoor villages presented by AMEX and RESY. As I arrived at the restaurant, I could hear diners laughing and enjoying their meals which reminded me much of what Parisian lifestyle was all about.

As I got settled in to my table I was greeted by Thiago, the general manager and gave me a brief history of The Dutch. Parker, my server shortly followed and gave me the daily specials and offered to start me with a cocktail. Heaven Scent was what she recommended, and this was so refreshing that I could have not picked a better start to my experience. A vodka-based drink with Saint Germain and lychee and garnished with a pea flower tincture that gave it a nice bright purple color. As I go through the menu with Parker and select the items for this afternoon’s meal, I was ready for this feast to commence and we begin the meal of course with some Oysters…

½ dozen wellfleet oysters from Massachusetts was the first item served and they were both tasty and sweet. I love starting my meal with some oysters and I can safely say that the oysters here a must have.

Next to arrive was the stick pork ribs served with mango, lime leaf and peanuts. The ribs were nice and tender and the glaze was perfectly sweet and balanced with the mangoes and peanuts.

I was already starting to get full at this point but I knew I had some more left in me. The wagyu steak tartare with capers béarnaise was next and this was a nice interpretation to the classic garnished with the panini pressed toast. The Strawberry Blonde was my next cocktail which was with white tequila and aperol which had a nice herbal spice to it. Alas, the main course was ready to arrive, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating the hot fried chicken dish for quite some time now.

The fried chicken was perfectly crisp and juicy tender on the inside and the biscuits had the right texture and sweetness to it. This by far is one of the best chicken and biscuits I’ve ever tasted anywhere.


To end the meal I tried the carrot cake with lime sherbet and roasted pineapple which was the perfect end to my meal. I will be back soon enough for the dinner menu and more oysters…