House of Heroes

"The colorful interiors seem primed for flash photos, making the menu more daring than it needed to be. Here, organ meats and dry-aged fish are two of the lures at this sleek Soho newcomer from restaurateur Ariel Arce and chef Aaron Lirette. Spaghetti comes with blood sausage, and beef tongue is also a Heroes menu feature. Cocktails also take their chances, using memorable ingredients like spiced plum and charred corn, exclusive to Heroes. Upstairs, Pearl Box, sibling cocktail bar with its own interior design scape, is ready for a date." - Emma Orlow, Eater Staff

"Heroes, from the person behind Tokyo Record Bar, looks like it’s going to be all style over substance: drippy candles, waiters with chore coats, Gen-Z purple banquettes and the same old raw tuna on the menu. And there’s no doubt this place—along with their upstairs bar Pearl Box—is a stylish Soho spot where you can drink a cocktail named “Plum” or “Corn” while trying to guess the brand of sunglasses being worn indoors by the person next to you. But look beyond the tuna, and there’s some more interesting, offal-oriented food too: like smoky, funky morcilla spaghetti, and grilled beef tongue on a polished silver skewer with a golden ornament on one end. While not every dish here works, it’s not for lack of effort. A savory croissant—almost a croissant-muffin hybrid—is served with black garlic butter, while seared scallops with a nori and bacon emulsion evoke passed hors d’oeuvres. Peekytoe crab comes draped in a savory crepe and covered in green curry. None are perfect bites, but they’re all compelling background noise for the prime Soho people-watching, accompanied by a glass of wine from a list with lots of exclamation points and an aggressively playful font. Food Rundown photo credit: Camelia De Jesus Raw Bluefin Tuna We made fun of this dish and for that, we’re sorry, because this is actually a beautiful plate of shingled fatty and lean bluefin tuna. It’s pretty barebones—more sashimi than crudo—but if you just want some high quality fish and seaweed, it’s a good starter. photo credit: Britt Lam Morcilla Spaghetti This pasta is the dish we’ll come back to Heroes for. The blood sausage is transformed into a savory, bright, slightly spicy sauce, and it’s served with chewy spaghetti—almost more reminiscent of thicker ramen noodles than pasta. photo credit: Will Hartman Beef Tongue Skewer Stacked on a skewer that’s long and ornate enough to knight someone, this barbecued beef tongue is tender, sweet and savory. Make sure it’s on your table (and that you don’t take anyone’s eye out). Peekytoe Crêpe The flavors here—green curry, brown butter sauce—are a bit out of whack, and mask the sweetness of the peekytoe crab. You don’t need to order this. photo credit: Britt Lam Fried Sushi Rice We like this very umami dish of crispy, creamy chunks of fried rice balls get a tableside pour of mushroom dashi, and topped with crispy maitake. Dry Aged Black Bass The fish fridge at the restaurant’s entrance isn’t reason enough to order the $70 dry-aged bass. Though located under a section of dishes “Made With Love For Two,” it’s barely enough of a portion for one—though the few squares of fish are well-cooked and seasoned. photo credit: Britt Lam Stuffed Chicken Essentially a sort of chicken cordon bleu, stuffed with prosciutto cotto and cheese, this is the entree to get. It’s filling, the mushrooms are funky and salty, and the vin jaune sauce is bright enough to tie the whole things together." - Will Hartman