Check the Pulse

I am a frequent diner of the Pulse cafe in the Sports Club/LA in Rockefeller Plaza. For my birthday, (today, August 16th), I decided to treat myself (well, okay, my dad was treating!) to a sit-down full meal lunch in the restaurant.

Always a happy customer of the cafe, I was confident we'd have a great experience in the more formal dining room. And I was not disappointed.

Considering my lunch hour is truly just an hour, time was of the essence. The dining room was packed, but most people looked like they were finishing up so I didn't think we'd have to worry about the timing.

My father and I were seated in the back, against the wall, so we had a great view of the entire restaurant.

For appetizer he had the miso soup, which was "delicious" in his view. [That's a big compliment from my father.] I ordered just a simple mixed greens salad, which was served in a gorgeous green ceramic bowl. The salad was just right. The dressing was light, fruity with a little tang and not overpowering at all, which is the worst thing you could do with just greens. The cherry tomatoes tossed in added just the right amount of flavor and color to the big dose of green.

My entree was another appetizer of Lobster Spring Rolls. They were as I expected them to be--light and delicious. The vinegary sauce was just light enough to add some tang and was also perfect. My father ordered the fish special, which was a Wild Sea Bass. And while he ordered the prix-fixe menu, they gave him an entree-sized portion! I sampled the fish and the local tomatoes and it was just sublime. Light, flakey, perfect seasoning--very light. Just perfect!

For dessert, my father had ordered the fruit skewers with chocolate dipping sauce. I thought I was in heaven just sampling the fresh succulent fruit with the chocolate, but since I'm in a celebratory mood and announced that it was my birthday, they brought out two complementary espresso-sized cups of chocolate pudding with whipped cream and a mint garnish. What a superbe luncheon!