Skip Salt Bar in Manhattan

I recently dined at Salt Bar in downtown Manhattan. Salt Bar is a typical lower east side hang out that draws in neighborhood folks by offering $1 oysters. But unless I'm in New Orleans where oysters are abundant, I'm skeptical of any oyster offered at $1, especially if there is no information provided about its origin.

So, I opted to try their main menu instead. I ordered their poached flounder curry with carrots and spinach, which was priced at $19. It should have been priced at $2.

The "poached" flounder was actually a defrosted fish fillet. It had a bland, watery taste, which led me to believe that it was a few days old. The carrots sticks were taken straight from the snack bag. They were lazily thrown in the curry and were served raw (yes, raw!). The sauce itself had potential, but it was diluted by water from either the spinach or fish.

I couldn't believe that they offered a dish that received little to no care. Salt Bar is located in a neighborhood that offers very good food. If it doesn't reexamine the quality of its food and the execution of its dishes, I'm afraid it won't survive Manhattan's cutthroat restaurant industry.