The Critics Take on Bara's Fried Chicken, Prova's Cold Plates, and More

Ryan Sutton's restaurant review for this week will drop later today, but in the meantime, here's a roundup of what the rest of the city's critics are talking about:

Pete Wells doesn't file a formal review this week, but he does pay a visit to Dan Barber's food waste pop-up, WastED (which is now ended): "I had one of the best times I've enjoyed in a restaurant in the last year. The food was great, full of the surprises that happen when cooks run into inspiration at full creative tilt. Almost every bite was delicious, with a few exceptions. 'Repurposed' buns did not knock Martin's potato rolls from their place in my heart. I had trouble getting at the fried monkfish wings, which were shaped like a V, with most of the good stuff jammed down in the crevice." [NYT]

Tejal Rao likes the French/Japanese Bara in the East Village: "the fried chicken at Bara is very good. Distractingly good. Deeply golden and crisp, it requires just the slightest of enterprise to crack through. Your reward is hot, properly seasoned meat that's a bit juicy without veering toward the slippery...chef Ian Alvarez also sends out a fantastic mayonnaise walloped with yuzukosho, a Japanese chili-citrus paste, along with a thin chili-vinegar and some miso-mustard." One star. [Bloomberg]

Zachary Feldman reviews the Bhutanese Ema Datsi (which Eater's Robert Sietsema reviewed last week): "Ema datsi, a Bhutanese concoction that arrives at the table looking like a spa treatment for serrano peppers...The chiles lounge in a pale-yellow cheese sauce so smooth and lush that it almost makes you wish there were tortilla chips on hand. It's heavenly. It's also remarkably eco-friendly: A cloudy potato soup, made with the whey left over from the cheese-making process, is served alongside." [VV]

Stan Sagner loves the pizzas at Prova, but docks it a couple stars for using cold plates: "Why does Prova get only three stars for such sublime pies? Simple idiocy...For some reason, Prova presents its piping hot masterpieces atop ice cold ceramic plates. The result, on multiple visits, was that the pizzas lost all their heat (and almost all of the joy) by the second slice." Three stars. [NYDN]

Adam Platt found the food at Ralph Lauren's scene Polo Bar just okay: "The decorative Polo Bar burger (a tower of bacon, Cheddar, and potato bun) is serviceable as haute burgers go, although if you're in the mood for a dose of comfort after elbowing your way through the riotous boutiques along Fifth Avenue, I suggest the roast chicken (with generous pools of gravy and a buttery mound of mashed potatoes), or Ralph's corned-beef sandwich, which is a kind of glorified midtown Reuben served with a great twirl of fries in a silver cup." One star. [NYM/GS]

THE ELSEWHERE: Ligaya Mishan enjoys the Russian food and horseradish vodka at Masha & the Bear. Hannah Goldfield goes to see whether Javelina lives up to the hype. Gael Greene checks out the splashy, sceney Zuma.

THE BLOGS: Gothamist is a fan of Santina, the Infatuation is charmed by Sisters in Clinton Hill, Restaurant Girl loves Shuko as much as everyone else does, NY Journal is not at all impressed by Hunt & Fish Club, Chekmark Eats says Essex is good for a big group, NYC Foodie eats pizza at Emily.