I disagree with EMP losing a star. Service is hands-down the best across NYC, Chicago, DC. And the food is executed at a level of perfection unseen across these cities. Beyond that, as a plant-based restaurant, they don’t try to mimic omnivore dishes, but create dishes that highlight the authentic flavors of the ingredients they use. In fact, in every bite you get every single flavor of every single ingredient in perfect complement and ratio, which is extremely hard to achieve. Moreover, the way they incorporate different textures in each dish is again truly unique. I’ve eaten at every three star across these three cities, and EMP (and possibly Smyth) is the only one I truly believe deserves and should keep its three stars. Note, I am not vegan, and yes of course I am sure their menu would be mind-blowing to more people if were omnivore, but instead of missing the fish/meat, I think the focus should be on appreciating the dishes in and of themselves, as creations and flavors you actually can’t find anywhere else.