I am so behind on writing about all the places I have been to in the last year or so… But still want to spread the words on the great dining places we visited, so here we go! We discovered this gem of a restaurant last fall, called Sesamo, offering Italian-leaning dishes. We were going to a show, so we wanted to dine somewhere nearby, but not a tourist spot. It is on a corner lot with a nice outdoor seating.

The inside was a nice size, not huge but roomy, loved the ambiance with the dark wood and exposed red bricks. With the dimmed lights and contemporary jazz music, it sure was the perfect atmosphere for relaxation. They had a large bar, fully stocked, and lots of wine options. We arrived off-peak time before the dinner rush, and super friendly host and staffs greeted us immediately, we felt very welcomed.

We started off our dinner with a couple of cocktails. They offer a good variety of cocktails, zero-proof mocktails, sake, beer, and wine. Something for everyone! Some of the names of their cocktails were creative and even a bit funny too. I went with Autumn Thyme ($18) made with Mr. Boston, Lemon, Blood Orange, Blackberry, Tyme, Cinnamon, and bitters. As soon as it arrived, the amazing aroma of berries filled the air around it. It was made elegant and beautiful, loved the look. It was very fruity and sweet without being too sweet. Really tasty, I enjoyed it! My husband chose Child of Divorce ($22) made with Mezcal, Scotch, Grapefruit Bitters, Agave, and “Alimony” Tincture. Didn’t I say they are creative and even a bit funny on some of their cocktails? LOL. It was super strong, and had aroma and notes of smoke, which was great. A deep flavor ready to make you relaxed, or get you ready to talk to your therapist? LOL.

We ordered Kissing God ($12) from the small plates section of the menu. It is their homemade citrus peppercorn butter served with Anadama Bread from Pain D’Avignon Bakery. Now, another great thing about this restaurant is that they have a “glossary” page in their menu, where they explain all the ingredients/food that you might not be familiar with, like Anadama Bread, Agnolotti, Bottarge, etc. So, you don’t have to wonder what it is that you are ordering. How great is that? Back to Kissing God. The butter had a nice citrus flavor like orange. Super creamy and light, whipped, and elegantly sweet. It was really good! Bread is perfectly toasted, airy and fluffy. Although they are not complimentary bread, but I say it was worth every penny.

For the rest, we decided to try their “Pre-Theater Prix Fixe” ($55/person) which has a choice of appetizer, main, and a dessert. Sounds great! We each chose a different appetizer. Bluefin Tuna Nigiri made with Tuna Tartare, Crispy Sushi Rice, Spicy Mayo, Nori, and Salmon Roe. Arancini made with Pomodoro, Basil Aioli, Risotto, and Parmesan.

I was a bit worry about the Tuna Nigiri with crispy rice, since I had ones that has super crunchy rice that was not pleasant. After a bite, I was happy to discover Sesamo does this just right. The crispy rice was crunchy without being too hard nor too crunchy. It was great! Tuna tasted fresh and very flavorful, quality you can taste. And salmon caviar (ikura) on top was amazing addition to add that extra rich flavor.

We love arancini, so if we see it on a menu, we may not be abe to resist… Thier arancini had a nice sweetness to it, with risotto cooked just right. The melty cheese gave the perfect touch with that little salty flavor. Tomato sauce was so flavorful, we used some of the bread to pick up all the sauce.

We got a second round of cocktails at this point, and we both chose Figs Espresso Martini ($18). It is made with Vodka, Coffee Liqueur, Espresso, and Fig Syrup. I have never heard of such uniquely flavored Espresso Martini, so I was excited to try it. The Espresso came in large coupe glasses, providing ample portion. It was super delicious! Strong, great coffee flavor, although not much fig coming through, just a hint. It was really tasty regardless, we enjoyed it!

For the main dishes, we chose Agnolotti and Duck Ragu Rigatoni. Agnolotti is made with homemade Ricotta, filled with Agnolotti, Ginger Scallion Pesto, Carrots, and Parsnip, topped with Crispy Parmesan. Duck Ragu Rigatoni is made with Duch from upstate NY, Fresh Tomato Sauce, Garam Masala, Parmesan, and Basil.

Agnolotti was so good! Pasta was plump, cooked to just the right texture. Filling was almost creamy, and had a bit of sweetness to it from the ricotta. Sauce was so flavorful even though it had mild, mellow flavor. Parmesan crackle was good too, adding that extra salty flavor.

Ragu had nice sweetness to it, and it was so juicy! The sauce was super delicious! I don’t know what else to say other than amazing. Generous amount of Ragu, so meaty and filling. Packed with bold flavor that is also very comforting.

For dessert, since they had two options to choose from, we ordered one of each. First one was Matcha Tiramisu, made with Ladyfingers, Matcha, Amaro, and Candied Hazelnuts. It had that natural matcha bitterness to it, which was nicely balanced against the sweetness of the cream and ladyfinger. It was interesting and tasty. Enjoyed the crunchy hazelnuts, adding extra flavor and texture.

Second one was Chocolate Katsu Bread, made with Miso Caramel and Whipped Creme. It sounded quite unique, I was intrigued for sure. I love how Sesame has so many Asian/Japanese inspired dishes/desserts! Katsu chocolate warm to hot. Super fluffy and light inside.

They have two gender-neutral bathrooms in the back. The one I used was small, but not tiny. It smelled so good, and very clean. The interesting thing was that it didn’t have a mirror…

The staffs were super efficient, they took a great care of us. They came to check on us often, water glasses always filled, even cleaned off the table and changed our silverware between dishes! Everyone was friendly, courteous, and welcoming. We loved all the food and drinks here, we would be sure to return for more in the future!

Sesamo – 764 10th Ave, New York, NY 10019