Best Restaurants for Creative Cuisine in Whitestone

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a remarkable restaurant that exceeded all expectations. As a Swede, I found the ingredients familiar, yet their creative and subtle twists elevated the dishes in the most delightful way. The wine pairing was exceptional, perfectly complementing each course and enhancing the overall experience. In comparison to MASA, another top restaurant I visited during this trip, this establishment offered better value for money. Of course you cant compare the two, but ASKA stood out. I wish I could come back to this place again!! Thank you Chef Fredrik + an amazing team! PS the chef's wife's playlist added to our experience. 10/10!!

I’ve been to this restaurant at least 2 times before. Today was THE BEST … the fish was very fresh.

Food was delicious, lettuce wraps, noodles, dumplings, orange beef, chicken string beans, lamb with cumin, shrimp more like prawns with steamed veggies. All very flavorful with attentive service and they even served my husband’s birthday cake that friends had brought to the restaurant. Fun, lovely surrounding and close by. Perfect for a cold winter’s night. Thank you!

The chef and entire team were flawless. We came to celebrate my mother’s retirement. I’m a long time NYer (23 years!) and my mom lives in Miami and is an avid world traveler/diner. Our cocktails were very inventive and delicious. I wanted a seasonal pumpkin coconut cocktail and it was a great way to start the night. Our server surprised us with an amuse bûche and extra dessert to celebrate her retirement. Another complement to our wonderful server is that he was insightful enough the ask about if I ate gelatin before surprising us with the amusement bûche after I told him about my dietary restriction. The ‘sole for two’ and tagliatelle with shaved truffles was to die for. The atmosphere itself with all the botanical elements is a pure joy, it reminded me a lot of the contemporary art gardens I’ve visited in Brazil designed by Burle Marx. My mom and I were so enamored with the sole she asked if we could come and try the lunch tasting menu before her short NYC trip ended. I know Le Jardinier has a Michelin star but I feel like people are sleeping on how excellent this restaurant is. We’re also going to Carbone and Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi while she’s in town and honestly Le Jardinier deserves just as much fanfare.

This was our first time at the new location, and it was stunning! The food was as delicious as always, and our server was fantastic. But unfortunately, she had to leave as we were finishing dinner. We would have loved to meet the server who would be taking over since we were done with our dessert and waiting for someone to come over. Romina helped us with our coats as we left, and I took a moment to ask about the space upstairs. She was so kind and gave us a quick tour. Even though we had a great time, Armani will still be one of my favorite restaurants in NYC.