December 23, 2011, 12:40 pm

Robataya NY, a “Secret Weapon”

By DANIEL MAURER

In Timeout’s roundup of the best restaurants of 2011, associate editor Chris Schonberger writes that when guests come to town, his “secret weapon” is to offer them a seat at Robataya NY’s counter, where the chefs “leap in front of you to pluck raw ingredients from the bountiful, market-style mise-en-place — a whole red snapper, maybe, or earthy eryngi mushrooms — then hop back to their prep stations, where they work their minimalist magic.” Tip from The Local: Keep an eye out for fried fugu (or blowfish) on the specials menu.