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Last night I went to Bistro 33 Midtown.

Ordered 3 Small Plates:

1. Prawns Everyway: 6 prawns, 2 prepared 3 different ways. Two were tempura battered and in sweet and sour sauce, 2 were prepared with a garlic cream sauce, and two were in a mango and cucumber salsa. Big shrimp. Very tasty. The salsa would have been better served chilled with the hot shrimp instead of everything warm.

2. Grilled Flat Bread: You get a 6"X6"? square of (soft) flatbread, warmed and spread with Cambazola butter, green apple, and frisee. The flavor combination was really superb. I don't normally like hints of gorgonzola or stinky cheese, but it was just a hint and it paired so well with the apple! The bread part would have been much better if it had been more crispy. I asked for some balsamic vinegar and they didn't have any. I thought it sort of bizarre for a "gourmet" restaurant not to have BV in stock...wtf? Anyway...

3. Kobe Mini Burgers: No, not Kobe Bryant, ya sils! Kobe BEEF! YUM. 2 of them. Served with the criss cross fries. The buns were buttery brioche and grilled, yet still soft...They were cooked perfectly medium, at first I thought they were medium well done, but I cut open the burg and there was a bit of soft pink! I actually sort of like that if it is top grade beef or lamb. Not for everyone I realize... The burgs were topped with carmelized onions and gouda goat cheese, the cheese actually sort of crumbled and managed to fall off during bites... I wish the cheese would have been in more of a slice form, a mild cheese like muenster would have been nice without overpowering the beef. And, they didn't need any condiments. The taste of the beef was enough. I had not had beef in ages, actually! So maybe that was why I liked it so much. Still, I could have easily ordered the turkey burger counterpart they had available.

Also Ordered 1 Panini

The Rainier: Roasted Chicken, Smoked Mozarella, Carmelized Onions, Mango Mayonnaise on Herb Foccacia. I was not crazy about this sandwich. The bread was pretty good, but not browned/grilled enough, and the chicken,cheese, onions, and mayo looked like chicken salad goop on the sandwich. It was all mixed together on the bread. It did not LOOK very appetizing, but was palatable. The flavors seemed muted, and it could have used some balsamic v., but once again, there was none to be found.

The restaurant is kind of small compared to Mikuni's, and the interior is very matrix-looking. A lot of metal finishings to be found, the doors and fixtures, etc. There are crazy chandeliers above the bar that appear to be blown glass. They look like blowfish or something. I was not THAT impressed with the wine selection, but do try the Zinfandel on the list. It was very good.

Overall, I recommend this place. The service was awesome. We were almost given too much attention, actually... But, that is much better than too little attention, in my opinion. If you aren't vegetarian, do order the burgers ($11.95) and split them with someone! Massaged beer fed cows had a good life, it's OK.