We lucked into a table at Eyval, one of Brooklyn’s hottest Persian restaurants.

Venerated as a low-cal treat without the compromise of froyo, Tasti D-Lite couldn’t open locations fast enough. Then the venture capitalists promised a global empire.

We were hungry and walking down the street when we came upon this deli that looks like its straight out of a vintage Italian American magazine. We decided to try it, and it was great.

Let me begin by saying we were in the Flatiron district. I know, those words sound silly even as I type them out. Why would anyone be there of all places? My wife was at a coworking space and we were meeting my brother who was coming from the Upper West Side, and suddenly it seemed like the easy place to meet.

Shalom Japan has been around quite a while, opening back in 2013. The chefs are a married couple, Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi, and the menu is a collaboration merging their two respective culinary cultures – Jewish and Japanese cuisine. The result, of course, is remarkable. The restaurant remains at hit on tastemaking sites like The Infatuation and they regularly receive the Michelin Bib Gourmand.