Andy, Anzu, and Asian Art

This year, my birthday happened to fall on Super Bowl Sunday. But rather than miss out on all the Super Bowl festivities, Esther decided to take me out and celebrate a day early instead.

On the advice of her co-workers and Sherry, Esther thought she'd take me to a restaurant called Anzu for dinner. But before dinner, we thought we'd spend the day nearby in Union Square at the Asian Art Museum.

Even though the museum carries art from China, Korean, and Japan, we spent most of our time in the Japanese sections. (I love all things Japanese, and it was, after all, my birthday, so Esther couldn't argue). Being an art museum, most of the exhibits were about the evolution of Japanese art from ancient to present. I'm not a really big art buff, but it was still kind of neat.

We also got a chance to check out their famed Chinese jade collection. Jade is apparently a very hard substance, and back then, the only way to shape it was to grind it with sand. And yet they were able to make some truly breathtaking pieces of art. Amazing.

After the museum, we headed over to Restaurant Anzu. It certainly lived up to its reputation as a steakhouse; that was some of the best ribeye steak I've ever had. Well seasoned, so succulent.

Actually, at first, my steak was overcooked and dry. I wouldn't have known better if I hadn't tried Esther's steak. What a difference! I told the waiter, and he said it wasn't a problem, and came back a few minutes later with another steak. This one was perfect! So tender, and bursting with juices with every bite. The manager even came by to apologize and told the cooks to give me a bigger cut! (and it was definitely bigger). I'd definitely recommend this place.

By the way, I'd recommend getting the shiitake mushroom sauce. I found it really brought out the flavor of the meat. All steaks come with a sauce of your choice, and Esther was the one who actually ordered the shiitake sauce. But after trying it, I couldn't get enough of it, and that's saying a lot, because, as most of you know, I usually can't stand mushrooms.

Anyways, thanks Esther for a great birthday celebration!