A lot of the food that I transfer from fork to mouth is complicated. Some of it dazzles me, some doesn’t, and I write my reviews accordingly.

As time passes, though, it’s the less frenetic stuff that tends to stand out in my memory. The juicy rosé-colored slab of roast beef, the egg on toast served Mumbai style, the île flottante that vanished on my tongue leaving behind just a memory of transient happiness — these are some of my favorite dishes from new restaurants in New York, listed here in no particular order.

EGGS KEJRIWAL AT PAOWALLA It’s a fried egg on toast under melted Cheddar that stands out from all others because of a throat-catching green chutney that has a glossy underpinning of coconut oil: 195 Spring Street, SoHo; 212-235-1098; paowalla.com.

ALSACE-STYLE PHEASANT AT LE COUCOU Oh, just beautifully juicy pheasant breast, a little meatball of braised pheasant leg cooked in cabbage, and enough wobbly foie gras to make you forget that the United States recently held an election: 138 Lafayette Street, SoHo; 212-271-4252; lecoucou.com.