DANJI

Place: DANJI @ 346 W 52nd St IN NYC


Price: $8

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 4 out of 5
Grease Factor: 4 out of 5
Tentacles: YES
Dipping Sauce: WASABI MAYO


Notes: Stopped here on a whim after seeing the "Sister Act" musical.. besides having who I assume is the owner give me a smart ass comment, we sat down at the bar to drink expensive glasses of wine and ordered the Fried Calamari as soon as I saw it on the menu... It came out fairly quickly since there were few people there and they were at last call @ 11pm on a Tuesday night.. It was fried tempura style, light outer shell and easy to bite into.. the salt & pepper seasoning on it sealed the deal since it reminded me of my childhood days of having salt & pepper pork and squid... the wasabi mayo wasn't overpowering at all, it had the right amount of kick without clearing my sinuses though I would've preferred something on the lighter side since the fried calamari can be a lot if you dont have anything on the side to lighten it up with... side of frisee salad was useless, a few leaves... the calamari here is actually quite good... if the owner wasn't such a dick, I would probably return frequently...instead I'll take my business to the amazing friendly spot next door @ Bamboo 52!

SUSHI VILLAGE

Place: SUSHI VILLAGE @ 3250 Francis Lewis Blvd in Bayside, NY

Price: INCLUDED IN ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI SPECIAL $25+

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 3.5 out of 5 - good bite
Grease Factor: 4.5 out of 5
Tentacles: NO
Dipping Sauce: MANGO


Notes: Part of the appetizer menu at this all you can eat sushi place located in the depths of Flushing, NY. As you can see, they only give you 4 rings in an effort to make sure you do not waste any bit of your food. Service was speedy and these came out piping how in 5 minutes! These had quite an interesting texture, probably a mix of panko and regular bread crumbs... the mango sauce threw me for a loop though... these were so greasy and the thick mango sauce didn't help the effort, a nicer light marinara would've helped soak up the grease but alas, we are at a Asian establishment and a tomato sauce would be sacrilegious... Rings were bigger (just the way I like them), no tentacles, just simple straight forward, just another set of calamari tasted on this never ending road to find great fried squid

CAFE CHARBON

Place: CAFE CHARBON @ 170 Orchard St, NYC

Price: $10

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 4 out of 5 - like the bite
Grease Factor: 4 out of 5
Tentacles: YES
Dipping Sauce: Tartar Sauce


Notes: Cafe Charbon is a little French Bistro located in the LES thats perfect for a date or a little late night dinner. The calamari was pretty good, although a little heavy on the greasy side. Even the tentacles very tender, not usually the hard bite I'm used to. I appreciate the side of dressed frisse greens as a garnish and palette cleanser. Very crispy and almost a little charred but the squid itself had such a good bite it was a nice balance. The first time I had fried calamari with Tartar Sauce, think fried clam strips from White Castle, this would be the upscale sister version of that. Nice lemon to drench over it to absorb the grease, great portion for those hungry singles or to be shared with a fellow calamari lover!

Tip: Cafe Charbon is listed on restaurant.com where you can pay less and dine more!

LAUT

Place: LAUT @ 15 East 17th Street, NYC

Price: $9

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 4 out of 5 - quite chewy, but good bite!
Grease Factor: 2.5 out of 5
Tentacles: NO
Dipping Sauce: None


Notes: Listed as Sotong Goreng (Spicy Fried Squid) on the menu...this is a delightful asian inspired malaysian style of fried calamari...A very nice and SPICY savory soy based glaze over the calamari. The onions, peppers and green onion are a nice garish interspersed on the plate. The calamari has a very good bite but sadly it's a very small portion for the $9 they charge, nonetheless it's a nice departure from traditional fried calamari in the city... a mini salad of pickled radish and cucumbers are an excellent palate cleanser in between bites of the small critters... if you have the $, splurge a bit and try this dish @ Laut! Not to mention they have traditional Malaysian dishes as well!

REPUBLIC

Place: REPUBLIC @ 37 Union Sq West

Price: $7

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 2 out of 5 - not chewy at all
Grease Factor: 3.5 out of 5 - lot of it
Tentacles: NO
Dipping Sauce: Sweet chili sauce - good heat

Notes: After hearing raves about the calamari @ Republic...naturally I had to try it and I was sadly disappointed! I was a huge an of Republic back in my high school days and I still pop in here and there for their Viet sandwich combo but the calamari was lackluster. IT seemed to be over fried (dare I say almost burnt) and didn't really taste like what fried calamari is supposed to taste like...nothing chewy about it, just a firm bite to the taste. it was just basically squid rings deep fried with a side of sauce... No garnishes for this calamari, just a simple plate of greasy rings...one would've thought we were eating onion rings! Batter could've used some herbs or some jazzing up... I will say I did like the sweet chili sauce as the dip, gives it a nice contrast but granted, it is an Asian restaurant... good portion for one person but sadly this might be a plate you give away to someone else...

THE DISH

Place: THE DISH @ 201 8th Ave between 20th and 21st St

Price: $6.95 ON Sundays, $9.95 all other days

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 3 out of 5 - good bite
Grease Factor: 3 out of 5 - lettuce absorbed most of the oil
Tentacles: YES
Dipping Sauce: Marinara - thick - not watery

Notes: Stumbled into this place after a drunken night of debauchery... Don't know if this was the $6.95 or the usual $9.95 portion because it was not enough for one person... or maybe they were running low since it was late that night...who knows? The calamari was covered in Italian breadcrumbs (the type you find in the grocery store with all the herbs already in them)... typical lemon on the side, marinara sauce to dip the little guys in - appreciated that the sauce was thicker than most since I love a good chunk of tomato with my squid legs! It also wasn't too coated in the breading which can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask... but overall a satisfying plate of calamari on a late night... almost a tapas sized portion for the rich folks in Chelsea

YAKITORI

Place: YAKITORI @ St. Marks Place and 3rd Ave

Price: $5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 *****
Crispy-ness: 4 out of 5
Chewy-ness: 2 out of 5
Grease Factor: 3 out of 5
Tentacles: YES
Dipping Sauce: NONE

Notes: TENTACLE LOVERS LISTEN UP! This is the place to indulge in a ton of fried squid legs! Freshly deep fried to perfection, these squid legs are dipped in batter that is drenched with Japanese seaweed! These critters may look greasy but let that oil drip down to the blotting sheet on the bottom and enjoy. No dipping sauce is included (or necessary for that matter) , just a piece of lemon adds a citrusy tang to the already delightful seasoned calamari. Those that like a good bite to their calamari will definitely love this dish, no chewy tentacles at all. At $5, it's a good appetizer for one person that crave their fix.