TWO may be an unusual name for a restaurant, but not when you already own Four (Four Food Studio and Cocktail Salon in Melville), one of the most popular and successful eateries on Long Island. The creative and talented people behind the new TWO have given us a unique dining experience on many levels.
The site was the former home of Royal Lancer and, more recently, Harpers, but the new owners totally gutted the spacious multi-floor interior and created a unique setting for lunch or dinner. For a romantic night out or a date with your friends or family you must experience TWO.
We went with another couple and met them in the spacious bar with multiple TVs. Contiguous to the bar is a sushi and Yakitori bar with booth seating facing the sushi chefs as they work away.
The maître d’ led us to a table in the next area that had an informal sleek feeling with one wall stunningly displaying rows and rows, from ceiling to floor, of wine bottles. There is a more formal third area featuring a beautiful stone wall.
The dining adventure begins with naan bread, crispy and just out of their Tandoori ovens. Many of the dishes are repeated for lunch but at a lower price point. What’s fascinating about the choices is that you can spend as little as $2 to $6 on creative kinds of chicken and meat skewers from the Yakitori bar. We sampled five; each was tastier than the last. Or you can have a huge, 36-ounce dry-aged porterhouse steak for two or a bone-in dry aged 20-ounce rib eye steak!
We chose the skewers for appetizers and I sampled a soup with a poached egg in the middle that was luscious to the taste buds and something I had never seen on a menu.
For our main courses we sampled fish, chicken and steak dishes and each one was cooked to perfection. Although we didn’t order it, at the next table they had the biggest, tallest hamburger I ever saw. It was served with bacon, cheddar cheese, grilled onions, lettuce and tomato on a large bun and accompanied by crispy French fries. It looked mouthwatering!
As always, no meal is complete without a sampling of the dessert menu. Here, it’s a celebration. At the next table a family was laughing as the waiter presented a large silver bowl that was smoking. Yes, “steam” was coming from the bowl. Actually, we found out it was ice cream being prepared at the table.
The liquid nitrogen mixed in a metal bowl until the cream becomes ice cream and causes the steam.
Since we wanted something different we enjoyed four different choices of fruit tarts and cake, one more delicious than the other.
As you can tell, I was very impressed with the quality of the unique menu, fairly-priced food, stunning environment and professional service. Try it, you’ll love it.
TWO Steak & Sushi Den
1270 Union Turnpike
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Telephone: 516-358-2222
Web site: www.twoonline.com
Hours: Monday – Friday, lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Limited menu from 3 to 5 p.m.
Dinner from 5 to 11 p.m.
Saturday 4 to 11 p.m. and Sunday 3 to 10 p.m.
Credit Cards: All majors
Handicapped accessible
Parking: Valet and self
Catering: On and offsite
