Pigging Out in NYC

Dining by the Waterfalls at Villa Escudero

2012-01-16T14:36:00.000-05:00

The two hour drive from Manila to Villa Escudero, a popular weekend getaway from Manila located on the border of Laguna and Quezon provinces, flew by and we arrived at our destination in a famished state, ready for a big Filipino lunch.

Mind you, this was only my second visit - and the first one since I was a kid.

Thus, my recollections of Villa Escudero were non-existent, other than riding on the carabao drawn carriage, and eating lunch by some waterfalls. Had things changed over the years, or were these still part of the experience?

The answer came quickly. After paying the Php1,400 ($32) admission, a quick ride on the carriage pulled by "Maganda" (Beautiful) led to the waterfalls where a buffet lunch was served. Remove your shoes, dip your feet into the refreshing cool water and taste the wonderful viands and desserts for the next hour or two. That's certainly what we did.

tapioca dessert

don't forget to grab some 'pasalubong' from the roadside stands on the way home

Pick your Pintxos in San Sebastian

2012-01-02T21:05:00.002-05:00

"Choices, choices...", I sighed, as I surveyed the numerous plates laid neatly side-by-side on the bar at Tamboril, a restaurant just off the main square in old town San Sebastian. "So many pintxos to try", referring to the elaborately-prepared, colorful bite-sized creations that rested on each plate, "and only three meals a day".

Tamboril was the second stop on my lunch hour, preceded by a drink of txakoli (a cloudy white wine) and a taste of two dishes at another bar. Known as tapas in all of Spain, these appetizers were referred to as pintxos in San Sebastian, a charming seaside city located in the Basque country, a region in the northern part of Spain where the eponymous language rules.

In Basque country, there is a unique way of presenting and ordering pintxos. Instead of the dishes being enclosed inside a glass case, tradition dictates that they be laid out on the bar. Patrons are handed a plate and go from one end of the bar to the other to pick whatever pintxos appeal to their eyes and stomach, socializing along the way with other customers.

Once they have finalized their choices, depending on the bar, the attendant either adds up the bill based on the price of each dish (if prices are not the same), or waits until after the patron finishes eating and simply counts the number of pintxos consumed. The latter was more prevalent in the past, but since it wasn't quite fool proof (i.e. toothpicks stuffed inside pockets were not uncommon), thus I experienced it only once.

With all these dishes begging to be tasted, I decided that instead of eating sit-down meals at restaurants, a more ideal strategy would be to go on a pintxo crawl for every lunch and dinner during my visit to San Sebastian.

In addition to variety, the pick 'n choose method eliminated the guesswork involved in choosing food from a foreign language menu, and made for quicker meals - in just half an hour you're done and off to the next joint. For lunch and dinner I'd hit three different places, ordering a couple of pintxos in each one, along with a drink which was either the above-mentioned txakoli or low-alcohol cider.

Ah, the selecting part - that's where I was gripped by moments of indecision, especially if they all looked delectable. One personal guideline is to opt for the more elaborate creations (as the pics hopefully illustrate) instead of the more typical croquettes, Spanish omelet or jamon iberico straddling a piece of bread. Or sometimes I'd chose based on how colorful a particular pintxo looked, and hope for the best.

Newbies to the Basque pintxo culture could be forgiven for being squeamish at the thought of other people's errant fingers brushing against adjacent pieces of food, or wonder exactly how many hours the pintxos have been sitting around, but unlike other regions of Spain, tradition has overcome efforts to eliminate the practice here.

Another surprising part is that waste (napkins, toothpicks) are simply disposed of by chucking them on the floor. However, it is said that the quality of an establishment could be measured by how much detritus adorned its floors.

With the concentration of establishments in old town San Sebastian, It's quite hard to chose among them. There are a couple of ways around this - one can take a somewhat pricey two hour pintxo tasting tour with like-minded foodies that goes to five or six different bars and samples two or three dishes at each one.

A cheaper alternative would be to spend significant time, as I did, in between meals consulting the website Todopintxos which suggests various routes for pintxo discovery, and where voters rate individual dishes and places. The effort is very much worth it, this I can personally attest to, as I smile at the memories of the delicious pintxos and pat my stomach contentedly.

Creamy pastries in Portugal

2011-07-01T11:30:00.001-04:00

"So why is it called bolas de Berlim?", I asked Paula, a local Portuguese whom I met at the hostel in Porto. "It didn't come from Germany, did it?".

Paula laughed, then replied "No, of course not. Because it has two halves, with the thick cream in the middle. Sort of like East and West separated by the wall".

This bizarre explanation with outdated political reference notwithstanding, the bolas de Berlim is just one of many sweet treats in pastelarias' display cases that entice passers-by to ogle and stop for a quick snack.

While critics might harp that Portuguese cuisine doesn't rise to the same meteoric heights as their larger Iberian neighbor, in the sweets department it's definitely no slouch.

My personal favorite is the pasteis de nata, sweet custard tarts topped with burnt caramel and surrounded by a flaky crust. Four cafes lined the seven-minute walk from my hostel in Lisbon to the metro stop, so every day I would venture inside a different one, order two pasteis with cafe con leche, and devour them standing at the counter. Hard to beat that for a mid-morning snack.

In Aveiro, a traditional pastry called ovo mole still rules. Shaped in different forms such as shells, fish, and clams, these treats have a very thin wafer-like exterior, and a very sweet inside made of egg yolks and sugar.

I found the ovos moles quite addictive, and found an excuse to pop one into my mouth every few minutes, only to discover to my chagrin that my newly-purchased box of twelve is now empty. Oh well, time to go back to the store for more.

There are lots more Portuguese pastries that I haven't tasted, possibly for the better, health-wise. Just these three alone brought my sugar intake to stratospheric levels, and only lots of walking offset the calories (how many, I didn't want to know) that were consumed. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking Portuguese food isn't great, but cast your eyes towards the pastelarias.

Yemas de Santa Theresa in Avila

2011-06-20T10:07:00.002-04:00

Busloads of tourists congregated at the tiny overlook off the main road, jostling for position to snap photos of themselves with the walled city of Avila in the background.

Avila has long been famous for its association with St. Theresa, the female patron saint of Spain. Her presence in this town is unmissable, with her remains inside the eponymous convent.

Thus, much like the backpacker circuit, this was just a stop on the religious pilgrimage circuit, along with other well-known hot spots such as Fatima, Lourdes and Santiago de Compostela.

I happened to be in the area and purchased a box of yemas de Santa Teresa. In addition to appropriating the saint's name, these sweet egg-yolk and sugar concoctions have been produced since 1860, so they must be pretty good.

Darn good they were. And very sweet. Too sweet. Couldn't resist popping these bite-sized delicacies into my mouth for a quick sugar fix, or just because. After two days, the box of twelve was entirely demolished, with no assistance from anyone. (Not that I offered).

I would have wanted to get my hands on another box to carry me through the rest of the week, but another trip into town was not in the offing. Visitors to Avila should make sure to sample these yemas for a different kind of nourishment after touring all the important spiritual sites.

On the tapas trail in Madrid

2011-05-29T08:36:00.002-04:00

After a hectic English language volunteer week in Valdelavilla, I came back to Madrid with my new friends, both Anglos and Spaniards. Yup, that's what being together for six entire days will do to people - we'll always look back at the fun times in that tiny village in Soria province.

But first, plans were made to hang out over the weekend and do what everyone loves best: going for tapas in Spain, hitting a few places in one night. First up on Saturday night was MJ, who along with her boyfriend brought Rebecca, Joanne, Aileen and myself on a walk around the main sights in Madrid (whose details I won't bore you with). The food fest started at Taberna Almendro 13 in La Latina for some huevos rotos (broken eggs), pictured on the right, a concoction of sunny side-up eggs, jamon bits and potato chips. We also had roscas de jamon, a round ham sandwich which everyone shared, washed down by vino or cerveza, of course.

David, another Spaniard on the program, met up with us at Plaza. Sta. Ana, and together we headed to another one of MJ's (and apparently, lots of other locals') favorites, Las Bravas - a casual joint specializing in Spanish fast food. The wait for a table did not deter us, and soon we were gorging on orejas (pig's ears) and patatas bravas (potatoes with spicy sauce).

At first MJ wouldn't tell everyone about the pig's ears, preferring to keep it a mystery, but since I spoke Spanish I knew what she ordered. Any trip of mine wouldn't be complete without eating some weird animal parts, so I was quite eager to taste them. The pig's ears were pretty tasty actually, but some Anglos didn't like biting into the cartilage, so I ate more than my fair share of the dish.

Last stop for the night was nearby Villa Rosa for some drinks and dramatic touristy flamenco. We didn't have anything to eat anymore; sometimes it's amazing how these little bites fill you up without noticing it.

Same meeting place and same time on Sunday, but with different Spaniards - Ignacio, Antonio and Jose Luis, three of the most popular participants in the program.

After some sightseeing we headed over to a hole-in-the-wall joint off Plaza Mayor for some bocadillos - sandwiches stuffed with meat or seafood. JL recommended the bocadillos de calamares (fried shrimp stuffed inside a roll) plus more carbs in the form of patatas bravas, which were less spicy than last night's.

Once again, the cramped space was packed to the gills, and you can quickly become good friends with diners at adjacent tables given the close quarters. Everyone seemed intent on wolfing down their huge sandwiches in the least amount of time. .

The tour went on to the next place specializing in mushrooms which seemed a bit hokey, with the cave-like atmosphere, but the chatty piano player who played contemporary Beatles and Pink Floyd hits ("Original Spanish music is really nice to listen to", Antonio quipped wryly), and the mushrooms made up for it.

I forgot what exactly these were called, but our group was full at this point, and the Anglos were just clamoring for more wine, so off we went to La Latina in search of good vino. Last stop was Taberna Tempranillo on the street Cava Baja, a wine bar with an unparalleled collection of bottles and a perfect place to sip, relax and talk.

Part of me didn't want these nights to end - it was great to discover these places and dishes that I normally wouldn't have found nor sampled on my own (given the infinite number of establishments in Madrid), but more so the pleasure of new friends' company. Here's to fun times, lasting friendships, and more English conversations. Salut!

Cheapskate Chronicles: Frugal Eats in Madrid

2011-05-23T13:19:00.002-04:00

Eating out in Spain can be an expensive proposition. With tons of restaurants in the major tourist zones in Madrid (Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, etc), if one isn't careful then it is easy to spend lots of money.

Luckily, your cheapskate traveler has done some legwork in figuring out how to eat good food in Madrid for less euros. Here are a few strategies.

Go for the menu del dia. Most restaurants offer a fixed-price daily menu during lunch time. This typically costs 9 or 10 euros, and includes two courses, bread, a drink (wine, beer or water), and coffee or dessert. If this sounds like a lot of food, well that's the idea. The dishes below aren't too shabby for the price, eh? Now you know why the Spaniards need a siesta after lunch.

Get free food. Yes, sometimes there are free things in life. At most tapas bars, ordering a drink comes with a plate of tapas, usually olives, or potato chips.

Although not quite filling enough for a meal, this small snack can tide you over until the late dinner time - 9pm at the earliest, and even then you might have the restaurant all to yourself.

Just don't load up on the booze at one place, or the free tapas might wind up costing you. Moreover, it is customary for the Spanish to eat a couple of small plates at one place, move on to the next to sample their specialty, and so on. Remember, when in Madrid, do as the Madrilenos do. (Or something like that).

Skip the restaurants and tapas bars. There are a lot of small cervecerias offering bocadillos, or snacks. Usually these are sandwiches stuffed with calamari, sausages or ham, and cost as little as 2.70 euros ($4).

Or you can go to a market like Mercado San Miguel and choose among the freshly prepared products from the different counters. At left are jamon iberico sandwiches (2.50 - 3.50 euros or $3-5) which are quite filling.

Finally, remember: No tipping! Don't be a dumb Yank and give an automatic fifteen, or worse, twenty percent gratuity.

So, these are just a few strategies to reduce the cost of meals in Madrid. In addition, just follow common sense advice like checking a restaurant's menu before sitting down, and avoiding tourist traps.

Be sure you're not among the hapless tourists who got snookered at this restaurant. Check out these prices - 11.50 euros for a mixed salad! And the place was packed to boot. I do get a kick out of other people getting fleeced, as well as a pang of pity. Allow me my moment of schadenfreude as I munch on sumptuous jamon iberico washed down with vino, knowing I paid much less than for a bunch of leafy veggies.

Porras or Churros - Deep fried goodness at Chocolateria de San Gines, Madrid

2011-05-14T09:18:00.001-04:00

The whole world calls them "churros", these deep-fried strips of dough that are eaten for breakfast or a snack, preferably dunked in hot chocolate. However, in Spain, these fat greasy long fingers are called "porras". And the place to be in Madrid to try these is Chocolateria San Gines, tucked behind an alley just off Calle Arenal.

follow the sign to Chocolateria San Gines

Open since 1894, Chocolateria de San Gines is open round the clock, just in case you feel like a midnight snack. Immensely popular among locals and tourists, there is plenty of outdoor seating but like those in a hurry, I stood at the long, marble counter inside and ordered a "chocolate con porras" (3.50 euros, two strips) for a late breakfast.

The cup of hot chocolate was just to my liking, not cloyingly sweet at all. (A local I met at a tapas bar mentioned a preference for a competing chocolateria, due to its sweeter chocolate, but the name of the establishment esapes me).

While busy dunking my porras and biting into it, I could peek inside the kitchen where their skinnier counterparts, called churros (this is getting confusing), were being dunked in a huge fryer in long strips, then cut into shorter straws as they came out. These thinner strips came four to an order, and below is a visual (taken at Mercado San Miguel), to illustrate the difference.

If hot chocolate doesn't tickle your fancy, most locals simply dunk their fat or skinny greasy fix into their cafe con leche, and that seems to work splendidly as well. Perhaps I will find out for myself tomorrow. Or tonight.

Eataly's bicerin - non delizioso

2011-04-25T20:54:00.001-04:00

There are many reasons to visit Eataly, that mecca of food devoted to everything Italian. One can dine in any of the six restaurants, buy Italian specialty goods or simply dash in for a quick espresso. The hunt for edible confectionery suitable as a birthday gift explained my presence at Eataly on a warm Sunday afternoon.

I fortuitously glanced up at the board above the coffee bar and laid my eyes on the word "bicerin".In a couple of previous posts, I had claimed that this sweet treat from Turin was served only at Pubblico Espresso Bar in the Village - but here was evidence to the contrary.

Eager to sample Eataly's version of bicerin despite the warm weather, I found an empty seat at the counter and took a sip. And another. Whereas my lips expected the taste of cold cream intersecting with hot, robust espresso and sweet chocolate, the layer of cream, alarmingly thin in appearance, was equally overpowered in taste.

A bit of consolation was the Lavazza coffee used in the bicerin, at least that counted for something. I stirred the remains of the concoction, a big no-no, my disappointment apparent to all who cared to notice and my mind racing to find an explanation for this humdrum offering from Eataly.

Compared to Pubblico's bicerin, this was dreadful, or had I just been spoiled? No doubt the ingredients at both places were equally beyond reproach, but the harried baristas at Eataly whom I overheard mixing up customers' orders did not inspire confidence, compared to the sight of Francesca and Alessandro shaking the container of cold cream lovingly.

I did find some pistachio spread and truffles for my friend, so the afternoon wasn't a total waste. Perhaps I'll try a couple of flavors of gelato on a hot summer's day at Eataly, but cozy Pubblico will always be my place for bicerin.

P.S. Excuse the lousy photos taken with a mobile phone.

Bicerin redux at Pubblico Espresso Bar

2011-04-06T16:39:00.002-04:00

Bicerin, specialty of Pubblico Cafe

Not quite sure why it took over a month to revisit Pubblico Cafe in the Village for some bicerin, but a blustery un-springlike Saturday afternoon provided the perfect excuse to drop by.

This time I happened to have a real camera with me, in contrast to my first visit when I used my cell phone to snap a few pics that were quite lousy.

Strains of Amadou and Mariam's music greeted me as I entered the cafe. It was deserted except for Francesca, the friendly Italian counter person who shared my interest in the blind couple's music, and who managed to convince me to sample two freshly-delivered cookies. Good thing too since my taco lunch left me craving some dessert.

The tart, intense raspberry chocolate cookie (Francesca's favorite) was to my liking, as well as the wine-infused biscuit with anise.

But let's not forget what I came for - another taste of bicerin. I recounted to her how I gave in to Alessandro's enthusiasm the first time, and what a delicious surprise my first taste of the specialty from Turin was.

I was wary of having built up Pubblico's bicerin in my mind, and being disappointed the second time around. However, I'm glad to report that was definitely not the case - the perfect blend of chocolate, espresso and hand-shaken cold cream, accompanied by the cookies and the New York Times magazine, provided a pleasant late-afternoon interlude. And, I hope the photos are much better this time.

Bicerin, a sweet treat from Turin, has pulled into the station

2011-02-21T16:39:00.005-05:00

"Quite a number of storefronts have changed lately on MacDougal St.", I noted, as I started walking northbound along the block from the Bleecker St. intersection, "and not really for the better". It seemed that most of the new food establishments were just re-treads of the same tired concepts found elsewhere.

The sign from a new cafe promising the best espresso caught my eye - and given the swirling winds and frigid temps, my growling stomach, and just a general appetite for discovery - before you know it I had climbed up the few steps and stepped inside Pubblico Espresso cafe.

The young, beaming counter person (alas, his name I forgot) greeted me warmly, and suggested their specialty - bicerin, a concoction made of espresso and melted chocolate, topped by a layer of cream and roasted coffee beans, which he claims is "only available here in our cafe - in the entire city!" in heavily-accented Italian. I assented, of course - did I really have a choice? Bicerin was totally unfamiliar to myself, and his salesmanship and bold claim were intriguing, to say the least.

While waiting for my order to arrive, I pondered - given that New York City has been having a love fest with all things Italian - witness the success of many recently-opened trattorias, pizzerias, tavernas, and most notably, Eataly - it seemed inconceivable that some novelty Italian food item that hadn't yet conquered our shores.

Finally, he brought over the glass of bicerin to my tiny, round table - only one of four in the cozy, narrow sliver of a space. With the only other patron deeply engrossed in his newspaper, the server found time to give me more background information on bicerin. "It's from Turin - they make the best there - the best!" (imagine the same accent as the restaurateur Poppy on Seinfeld).

Meaning "small glass" in Piedmontese, bicerin is meant to be drank without mixing the hot and cold parts together - "No, no, no...", warned Poppy, wagging his finger for effect. Feeling the heat as I touched the glass, I waited a few minutes before diving in. The top layer of cream was sweet, but not overly so, countered by the dark, roasted espresso and chocolate - the intersection of these elements as the first taste hit my tongue and lingered there was just perfection.

Further reading:
As recently as 2006, during the height of the Winter Olympics in Turin, the New York Times profiled this wonderful warming drink, and noted that it couldn't find a place serving bicerin in the city.

A Seafood Feast @ The Crab Pot, Seattle

2011-01-07T14:51:00.001-05:00

After some sea lion watching at the Seattle Aquarium, we had a couple of hours to kill before the Harbor/Locks/Lake Union cruise in the afternoon. Since it was around lunch time, it was only fitting to gorge on seafood at The Crab Pot right on the waterfront, steps away from the boarding docks.

We had seen The Crab Pot's ad on the Seattle free map given out at the hotel, and although I was a bit skeptical and thought it was a tourist trap, my friend was insistent upon smashing those crabs with a mallet, as their ads showed. Well, I reluctantly agreed, conceding that their ads were kinda cute.

Perusing their menu, we decided on "The Westport" seafood feast - an assortment of dungeness crab, shrimp, mussels, clams, andouille sausages and a heapful of corn on the cob and potatoes. All these were laid out atop a paper sheet on our table, and the obligatory bibs (guaranteed to many anyone above the age of 12 look ridiculous) and mallets disbursed. Off to the races!

I actually did not like eating crabs because it took quite an effort to extract the meat out - apparently I am in the minority, as there was no letup of patrons coming inside The Crab Pot. Most of them, as I suspected, were tourists lured by the bountiful servings, reasonable price, and "good enough" quality. I had to admit though that it was quite fun wielding the mallet and having my way with the poor dungeness crab.

We managed to polish off all the seafood on the table, leaving only some of the fillers - corn and potatoes. Food was ok, nothing exceptional, and I didn't really feel quite full and craved more seafood. Now that we had gotten The Crab Pot experience out of our systems, time to move on to better establishments.

It's a Great Day for Chowder at Pike Place Market

2010-12-27T00:45:00.001-05:00

Every visitor to Seattle visits Pike Place Market, most to view the fish mongers throwing salmon across the room whenever a sale is made. On the other hand, our primary concern was the consumption, not the viewing, of food. The heavy winds and intermittent rain made us crave for something to warm us up, so we ended up at Pike Place Chowder for some soup.

Had to chuckle at the missing letter "F", possibly erased by an impatient patron while standing in line. I soon busied myself studying the menu and trying to figure out which soup to order. Truth to tell, everything seemed so good and appealing, other than Manhattan Clam Chowder (not a fan of it), with a couple of soups being voted "Nation's Best", as indicated in bold red.

In the end, I opted for a large cup (a whopping 16 ounces) of smoked salmon clam chowder, and devoured the not-too-thick hearty potato and clam-filled bowl of goodness to the very last drop. Also split a lobster roll with my friend, which I felt was so-so. Was somewhat surprised at the reasonable prices, or maybe I'm too used to NYC rates. Thus fortified, I felt ready to venture outside and face the elements once more, eager for more downtown Seattle sightseeing.

Drool, drool...NY Mag's "The 35 Best Pork Dishes in NYC"

2010-12-15T12:40:00.003-05:00

Well, I read this article in the print edition of New York magazine last night - "The 35 Best Pork Dishes in New York City" - promptly went to bed still salivating, and wowed to email the link to all of my friends first thing in the morning. (Resisted sharing the fatty news on Facebook though, not sure why).

So, I went to the New York Mag website to look for the article, and was blown away by the slide show - all 35 awesome pictures will make you drool!!! Suddenly, my stomach was growling, I was licking my lips, and wondering "When is lunch?". Oh, it's only about three hours away.Not a good idea to check out the pictures on an empty stomach.

fatty goodness - Porchetta sandwich

So, as I went through the slide show, I noted the places I've been to, like Porchetta in the East Village (its namesake sandwich pictured above) and Num Pang Cambodian sandwich shop (though it doesn't really seem Cambodian to me), as well as the ones I've always (x3) wanted to try but never got around to doing so yet - best example is picture 14 - Hakata Tonton's pig feet (tonsoku) - of which thirteen (thirteen!) varieties are served in that tiny restaurant.

Man, this is definitely going to be my next project - sampling all 35 "best pork dishes" in 2011 - and New Year's resolution to boot! Let's sing Auld Lang Syne to usher in the new year, and look forward to "~~eating healthier meals~~" literally PIGGING out - cholesterol be damned!!!

A essayer! Lapin et ris de veau (Thanksgiving sans Turkey part deux)

2010-12-09T15:18:00.004-05:00

Tourists are scarce in Quebec City this time of year, even in the Quartier Petit Champlain where hordes of them crowd the tiny alley with all the artsy shops. The snow and bitter cold wind probably had something to do with it, but that didn't matter to me. A more pressing concern was my growling stomach, and since it was just about lunch time, I started to peer closely at the restaurant menus displayed outside each dining establishment nearby.

Upon the advice of my guidebook, I checked out the offerings of Le Lapin Sauté first, but seeing that it was somewhat busy and having second thoughts about eating their specialties - rabbits (lapin in French)- although the maple and raspberry rabbit does sound terribly divine, I walked around the corner and almost as soon as I started perusing Bistro Sous le Fort's menu, a staff member came out to beckon me inside their restaurant. How could I resist?


rabbit meat egg rolls

My adventurous palate was hankering for something unique, so I mentally checked off the egg rolls de lapin (rabbit meat egg rolls). Perhaps I had a twinge of regret in missing out on the highly-rated Le Lapin Sauté, and considered this the next best thing. The words A essayer! ("Must try!") tipped the scales in favor of the egg rolls over a plateful of comparatively humdrum escargot. They proved to be quite tasty- a tad on the spicy side but the flavor was balanced by the honey and ginger sauce. Definitely an significant upgrade from your greasy Chinese takeout egg rolls.

calf sweetbreads (ris de veau)

It proved much harder to choose a main course. Initially I debated between two of my favorite standbys, steak frites and duck confit, and those ginger and root beer spare ribs sound mouth-watering ("vraiment savoureuses (really tasty)!", exclaimed the menu).These superlatives notwithstanding, I found myself muttering "ris de veau (calf sweetbreads)" to Rafa, my engaging waiter who insisted on conducting our dialogue in French.

Mind you - the sole occasion I had tasted sweetbreads (pictured above) was at an Argentinian steakhouse in Queens, where those innards came as part of a mixed grill. I didn't even know what they were at the time, and when a subsequent Google search revealed exactly the assortment of animal parts I had just eaten, my amusement just increased. I found the taste of sweetbreads agreeable though, and they were soft and chewy, so who cares what they really were?

Now it was time for an encore - I enjoyed Bistro Sous le Fort's version of calf sweetbreads as well, devouring every last bit that even Sherlock Holmes would be hard-pressed to find traces of the crime. I did go easy on the potatoes though. (you know, carbs). Rafa offered some dessert or coffee, but I declined, content to sip my beer and ponder the tasty alternative Thanksgiving meal I just had.

In the Mood for Crepes (Thanksgiving sans Turkey) in Quebec City

2010-12-04T14:53:00.013-05:00


Le Billig in Quebec City

I have to confess - I've never liked turkey, stuffed or otherwise, and can't really stand eating it. Not even once a year for a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Anyway, I've always taken the opportunity to travel somewhere on the long 4-day weekend. This year was no exception, and I found myself enduring the cold weather and snow in Quebec City. The entire city was covered in the white stuff, so basically it felt that I had fast forwarded to Christmas.

I was in the mood for something different. On the Quebec City Food Tour (here's a review) that I took, one of the stops was Le Billig, a small creperie-bistro located just outside the walls of Old Quebec in the St. Jean Baptiste neighborhood, away from the tourist hordes. According to our guide, the restaurant's name refers to the flat, circular grill that is used to make crepes, and that Le Billig serves authentic buckwheat flour crepes ("galettes") that are the specialty of Brittany, France.

the Savoyarde

I decided to return to Le Billig for lunch the next day. Enormously hungry from the effort of walking in the snow, I followed the waiter's recommendation and ordered one of the house's specialties, the Savoyarde (onions, bacon, cheese, and potatoes) over a thin layer of crepe. That proved to be a good choice - a delicious, hearty meal washed down by une bolée of sparkling Kerisac apple cider, also from Brittany. (Another discovery: I prefer my apple cider chilled instead of warm. And alcohol content definitely helps).

La Salidou

Delighted at my discovery, my meal, and considering that my return flight was due to leave in a few hours, the decision to maximize my crepe consumption was a no brainer. This time I had to select from among the fifteen or so savory dessert crepes, but in the end I opted for "The Salidou", composed of salted butter, home-made caramel and Chantilly. It was tough picking a winner between that and "The Ecstacy", made of dark chocolate and dark chocolate ice cream, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for caramel. Another fortuitous choice to cap off my quick Thanksgiving escape from turkey in Quebec City.

Miss Favela, Williamsburg

2010-11-24T11:38:00.007-05:00

I rarely venture into Brooklyn, and as far as I recall I've only been to Williamsburg only once before. Sad, isn't it? However, as it so happened T. was in town for a conference and was willing to drive the GPS-equipped rental car anywhere, so we racked our brains together trying to think of a new restaurant in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

In a flash of inspiration, I recalled a tip given to me months ago by a Brazilian acquaintance, who raved about the food and atmosphere at Miss Favela in Brooklyn. A Google searched ensued, and pretty soon we were stuck in Chinatown traffic en route to the restaurant, which was located just under the Williamsburg bridge.

funky Miss Favela

For the unfamiliar, a favela is basically a shanty town in Brazil. In Rio, millions of people live atop hills in favelas. Although associated with drugs and gangs, nowadays they've become a mainstream attraction, so much so that a typical tourist activity in Rio is to take a guided favela tour. (Emphasis on "guided". Mind the flying bullets).

Miss Favela - one can just imagine the looks-conscious cariocas holding an annual beauty pageant to crown "Miss Favela" - evokes the look and feel of a typical favela with its funky, gritty and colorful surroundings. In the bathroom, I especially got a kick out of turning around and coming face-to-face with an ATM machine built into the wall, akin to a safe.(Dang, should've gotten a pic of that).

chopped beef brazilian style: beans, collard greens, banana and fried eggs

The food looks quite tasty, doesn't it? (For once, I have awesome food pictures thanks to T.'s fancy, complicated SLR camera). Miss Favela serves typical Brazilian fare, and the dishes taste as good as pictured, portions on the hearty side, and prices were moderate. Since I had already eaten a bit at home, I only opted for an open-faced omelette with sausages (not pictured), but check out the Picadinho A Carioca above.

brazilian beef jerky with fried yucca

I'm not quite sure what made me even consider Brazilian food, nor of my acquiantance whom I've been out of touch with for a while. Perhaps it was due to my travel plans to South America for the holidays, which were unfortunately aborted. So, trying out an authentic, unfancy Brazilian restaurant seemed like the next best thing. And after a visit to Miss Favela, I'd say I'm definitely on to something. Maybe I'll even withdraw $$ from the ATM next time.

For the full set of photos from Miss Favela Brazilian restaurant in Williamsburg, click here. Photos courtesy of T.E. Bakke.

Preview

Great Belgian Beer bars in NYC

2010-11-19T10:42:00.004-05:00

Where to find Great Belgian Beer in NYC

After years of barely drinking any beer (and not having much liking for the watery light beers that were my default options), I've become obsessed with Belgian beers since last year.

The catalyst for this transformation was my trip to Belgium, where my friend Luc introduced me to the wide variety of Belgian beer styles - lambic, geueze, dubbel, tripel, Flemish ales - culminating in the highlight of my week-long trip - a visit to St. Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren, where the namesake delicious Trappist beers are brewed. Quite a treat for this beer novice considering that the much-coveted Westvleteren 12 is hard to find even in Belgium. In New York City, forget about it.

Anyway, a year has passed since that trip, and I've been tasting more Belgian beers either by buying them at the liquor store (Whole Foods Bowery is particularly outstanding), or at the Belgian beer bars/restaurants in NYC (The Belgian Room, Vol de Nuit, Petite Abeille, Resto) or at outstanding bars in general (The Ginger Man). If I see a Belgian beer I haven't tasted before, most likely it will be purchased on the spot or placed on the "must try" list.

Whenever I talk to people and mention Belgian beers, quite a sizeable number of them have this concept of "Belgian beer" as the mass-produced InBev brews like Leffe, Hoegaarden, and Stella Artois. If that's what you like, then nothing wrong with that. However, especially in New York City there are many more brands available, being served at a ton of bars and restaurants, so here are a few recommendations on where to find great Belgian beer in NYC.

Menupages vs. Urbanspoon

2010-10-25T10:48:00.010-04:00

Whenever I want to check out New York City restaurant menus or reviews, I usually visit two websites: Menupages and Urbanspoon. These two well-designed and informative sites make it easy to find a restaurant depending on which cuisine I'm in the mood for, and which neighborhood I want to schlep to.

Today I want to focus on a couple of features that
distinguishes one website from their competitor, based on my personal experiences using both.

As far as completeness of restaurant menus is concerned, I would give the edge to Menupages. Moreover, Menupages offers the option of viewing the menus online, as well as in Adobe PDF format. This is much more user-friendly and convenient as opposed to Urbanspoon, which only offers the PDF option.

This might be my inner geek talking - but Urbanspoon's implementation of the "View the Menu" needs improvement. They rely on external links to each individual restaurant's website, and we all know how those links can become invalid after site redesigns.

To illustrate, I searched for a few of the restaurants I dined at recently, and clicked on "View the Menu". In some cases this brought up a broken link ("The page cannot be found"), so much so that for Otto Pizzeria, I couldn't resist clicking on "Edit Restaurant Info' and changing the external link to point to the correct page on Otto's website.

On the other hand, while user-generated reviews have their place, I give props to Urbanspoon for including links to "official" critics reviews like the New York Times, in case us self-proclaimed foodies are curious if the pros agree with our opinions.

But what I believe is the real innovative feature of Urbanspoon is their program for food bloggers. Yes, you've seen them - those ubiquitous folks who take hundreds of photos of their dishes before digging in. (Oh, the self-restraint!)

Simply by adding a small piece of code that Urbanspoon provides, food bloggers can link the restaurant reviews on their own sites to Urbanspoon, so their posts appear on the website after a few days. Quite a few New York City food bloggers (only 379 of them, whoa!) have already discovered this (check out the blog leader board). By clicking on each blog name, you will see all the restaurants they have reviewed and their ratings - like this blog's.

Pretty neat blog integration feature, huh? In this respect, Urbanspoon rocks!

Battle of the Beignets, scratched

2010-09-17T14:01:00.013-04:00

All the New Orleans guidebooks tout a "can't-miss" delicacy called the beignet, a deep-fried pastry made from dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar, so we looked forward to doing a "Battle of the Beignets" comparison during our brief stay in the Crescent City.

In the blue corner, the heavyweight champion - Cafe du Monde, the New Orleans institution that popularized the beignet. Established in 1862, Cafe du Monde is open 24 hours a day, and serves only the beignets and coffee. No soup for you!

In the red corner, the upstart challenger, Cafe Beignet, which has already won its share of fans who claim its namesake beignets are superior. Cafe Beignet has several locations in the French Quarter and serves sandwiches and other baked goods as well.

Since Cafe Beignet was a shorter walk from the hotel, we decided to have breakfast there the next day. It was jam-packed with tourists waiting for fresh, hot beignets to be delivered to their table. Each order came with three beignets, and I could hardly contain my excitement for ours to arrive.

Finally, our beignets arrived, and I took a bite. It was hot, tasted like dough, and a bit of let down. So this was the much ballyhooed beignet?! Don't get me wrong, it was all right but certainly nothing spectacular. An order was quite filling though, but we didn't like them that much to polish off all three.

The next couple of days, I thought of trying out the beignets at Cafe du Monde, but my heart and stomach just weren't into it. The lengthy queues (as pictured) at seemingly all hours was the final nail in the coffin, so sadly the "Battle of the Beignets" was a giant non-event. Give me a doughnut or French macaron anytime.

Louisiana Bistro, NOLA

2010-09-13T15:55:00.009-04:00

Seeking to escape the rowdy crowds, trash and smell of puke on Bourbon St., we ambled one block north along Dauphine St. and stumbled upon the somewhat simply-named Louisiana Bistro. I was initially surprised to see the BP logo imposed on the restaurant menu displayed inside the glass window case.

Intrigued, I read the menu a bit more closely and was quite amused by the descriptions that captured the locals' frustration with another disaster that threatened their livelihood. Check out the verbiage for the "Dirty Bird" in the picture, as well as the small letters underneath the huge "BP" heading. If that's not putting a humorous spin on the dire situation, I don't know what is.

On the spot, we decided to have our dinner at Louisiana Bistro and managed to procure a reservation. Despite warnings about the safety of Gulf seafood (a misconception anyone in New Orleans is eager to dispel), I threw caution to the wind and ordered the bpq shrimp in black pepper sauce.

They were a tad too spicy for my taste, but that didn't deter me from devouring all four of them. I offered one to M., but I could sense some reluctance due to the oil spill situation, so didn't push it. I happily explained my bravado by saying that "if President Obama can serve Gulf seafood for his birthday, then I too can safely consume them."

An intriguing dinner option at Louisiana Bistro was their "Feed Me" tasting menu. This multi- course offering showcases the chef's latest ideas and freshest ingredients, and costs $39 (3 courses), $49 (4 courses), or $59 (5 courses).

I inquired with the waiter about how "Feed Me" works, and he replied that basically the chef comes out for a brief chat with each diner on his/her food preferences, and then creates the dishes based on that. Thus, unlike a set menu, the dishes can vary for each patron at the table.

Unfortunately, M. wasn't up for it, so I wound up just getting the "drum meuniere" for my main course, described as "pan fried puppy drum on bourbon-mashed potatoes and creole meuniere sauce". I had never heard of a fish called drum before but chalked it up to general ignorance about Gulf Coast seafood. The dish was quite tasty, and both M. and I liked it. No (B)itching (P)lease!

Westvleteren: The Hunt for the "Best" Belgian Trappist Beer

2010-07-20T15:41:00.014-04:00

Where to find Great Belgian Beer in NYC

When I landed in Brussels for a week-long vacation, I was a certified Belgian and Trappist beer (brewed inside monastery walls, though not necessarily by monks) novice, but my friends Luc and Carl wasted no time in indoctrinating me about the various styles of Belgian beer - lambic, kriek, gueuze, Trappist, tripel, dubbel, Flemish reds, etc etc. - and of course we spent quite a lot of time tasting all these "liquid gold", including a particularly hilarious experience at Dulle Griet bar in Ghent.

Through sheer luck, I was able to participate in the annual Belgian Beer Weekend at the Grand Place in Brussels - it was amazing: fun atmosphere, hundreds of different Belgian beers available, and surrounded by incredible architecture. Travel memories should all be like this.

Even though I had done some Lonely Planet guidebook reading about Trappist beers, I hadn't really tasted any prior to my trip except for Chimay. I was particularly intrigued to sample Westvleteren, the rarest among all Trappist beer and voted as the "best beer in the world" (we know how meaningless these "best of" lists are) by a website a few years ago. This honor simply resulted in more people driving through the Belgian countryside on the way to St. Sixtus Abbey in the town of Westvleteren. Pretty much the only way to get your hands on Westvleteren beer is to call the St. Sixtus abbey hotline and pick up a few cases (three cases annual quota), or relax at the nearby In De Vrede cafe and drink all afternoon.

So, when Luc and Carl suggested a road trip to Westvleteren, even a Trappist beer newbie like me realized this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and quickly replied, "Sure. When?". Our adventure (pictures here!!) commenced the next day from Ghent, and within a couple of hours we were outside the abbey, taking videos of the abbey workers loading cases into customers' trunks (lucky bastards), and then drinking Westvleteren 12 and Westvleteren Blonde at In De Vrede. At the small shop inside the cafe, I also bought a Westvleteren glass and even some Trappist shampoo (which didn't work out too well)!

And yes, Westvleteren 12 is an incredibly delicious beer. I savored each sip, trying to prolong the sensation on my taste buds. Although most of the Trappist beers are available stateside, Westvleteren is the exception. The monks frown on their cherished product being sold commercially, unfortunately. (Having said that, on two occasions I've tasted Westvleteren in NYC, but the beer came from the establishment owner's personal collection). Most Belgian beer enthusiasts can only dream of tasting the trio of Westvleteren beers (Westy 12, Westy 8, and Westy Blonde), but thanks to my friends, I had stumbled upon the Holy Grail just like that (or at least it felt like that). Lucky Belgian beer newbie me. A votre sante!

P.S. Click here for a few recommendations for great Belgian beer bars in NYC.

Pocari Sweating like a Pig in this Heat

2010-07-19T21:52:00.014-04:00

I am beyond ecstatic tonight. On my trip to Japan a few months ago, I got addicted to Pocari Sweat, which is basically their equivalent of Gatorade. Despite its off-putting name (it does NOT taste like bottled sweat!! hahaha. So named because it replaces electrolytes lost when you sweat. Get it?) which makes me smile every time I see the distinctive blue colored logo on a bottle, Pocari Sweat became part of my daily purchases at the ubiquitous 7-11 (or Family Mart) convenience stores, or as shown below, at the even more ubiquitous vending machines dotting the landscape in Japan.

Why did Pocari Sweat become my favorite drink? Well, it tastes like Gatorade but only half as sweet. No annoying lingering taste of bubble gum in the mouth too. So, after coming back from the trip, I'd always wondered "Where can I find Pocari Sweat in New Jersey?". And tonight I just found out the answer: Mitsuwa supermarket in Edgewater, purveyor of all things Japanese. What a no-brainer. Sadly, it took a while for my brain to even think of Mitsuwa, even though it's only roughly a half-hour drive away.

Pocari Sweat is sold there in different-sized bottles, so I opted for the largest one - 2 liters of the stuff which will come in handy during this never-ending heat wave. It also comes in powdered form which I wasn't aware of, but the instructions on the package are in Japanese (duh), so I'll stick to the bottled version.

And guess who used to endorse Pocari Sweat way back in the 80s? No less than our favorite supermodel Cindy Crawford, who is shown stabbing imaginary opponents with her sword and who appears to have sweated a lot in the making of the video, what with that heavy armor covering the top half of her body.

Oddly enough, the bottom half of Cindy Crawford's body is covered only by some shiny flesh-colored material that I'm quite sure isn't meant for the battlefield. Oblivious to her wardrobe malfunction, Cindy practices her gladiator sword moves, then eventually tires of this charade (after picking up a hefty paycheck, no doubt), then cools off with a refreshing Pocari Sweat. As nonsensical as TV commercials get, but great fun nonetheless.

Petite Abeille

2010-07-17T23:28:00.008-04:00

Petite Abeille ("Little Bee", just above the head of Tintin's statue in the photo) is one of a handful of Belgian restaurants in NYC. I'm not sure many people even realize it is Belgian; most probably assume it is French. For me though, the Tintin theme is enough to know Petite Abeille is in fact a Belgian restaurant. And yeah, the waffles, mussels, and extensive Belgian beer selection as well.

You could be forgiven for not knowing who Tintin is. Created by the Belgian artist Georges Remi (better known as Herge), our favorite journalist (who doesn't seem to do much writing) cum detective stars in one of the most successful comic strip series ever ("The Adventures of Tintin"), and is surely the most popular Belgian comics character. Aided by his faithful dog Snowy and friends Captain "Billions of Blistering Barnacles" Haddock and Professor Calculus (Tournesol in the French version), Tintin goes all over the world and dons numerous disguises in his pursuit of bad guys.

I'm not quite sure why the Tintin comics strip isn't that well-known in the United States; hardly anyone I talk to is familiar with it. Nonetheless, Tintin occupies a special place in the history of Belgian comics and is prominently featured in the Comics Strip Center in Brussels, which I was lucky enough to visit. Click here for some pictures and a video of Professor Calculus. Moreover, there are Tintin retail outlets in Brussels and Bruges selling apparel, bags, and other merchandise related to our hero's adventures.

Oh, back to Petite Abeille. During my meals there either at brunch or dinner time, the food has always been excellent, and the staff accommodating. The mussels never fail to disappoint, and I'm always happy to pair a Trappist beer with the food. Petite Abeille has four branches scattered all over Manhattan, and while other Belgian restaurants also offer the same dishes and beers, no place feels quite as Belgian as Petite Abeille.

Konnichiwa (fake) sushi lover

2010-07-12T22:39:00.003-04:00

Though still groggy from my 14-hour nonstop flight from JFK to Narita airport, I managed to somehow navigate Tokyo’s subway system (no easy task, check out the image map) and found the ryokan (Japanese style inn) that I was staying in, albeit after inflicting my rudimentary Japanese on helpful locals who pointed me the right way.

Determined to eat as much as humanly possible during my vacation in Japan, I went for a stroll around the Asakusa neighborhood (where the ryokan was situated) to check out the restaurants and grab a quick meal (The in-flight meals proved inadequate in filling up the big belly).

Stumbled upon Koppabashi, which is the kitchenware district (a perfect analogy is the Bowery's lighting district) of Tokyo where all merchandise related to operating a restaurant are sold.

The item of interest that caught my eye were the "fake sushi", almost life-like pieces of fish that are used by a typical Japanese restaurant for displaying their offerings in a glass window display case outside their establishment. If I was just a little bit more famished, I would've popped the fake sushi into my mouth, plastic wrapping and all.

(Clicking on the image above brings you to the food replicas slide show).

Check out more Japan posts here.

A Pis of Manneken for breakfast

2010-07-02T09:57:00.016-04:00

Breakfast in Japan usually consists of something I pick up from the pastry aisle at the generic 24-hour convenience store. This is mostly out of convenience but partly due to the kick I get out of perusing the hundreds of varieties of cold canned coffee, which in my opinion can be boiled down to exactly two: black and au lait. Oh, and of course, to pick up my daily fix of Pocari Sweat.

One morning, my half-shut eyes spotted what looked like a Belgian...excuse me, a Liege waffle, and true enough, that's what it was. A closer examination of the waffle package showed the Belgian flag proudly displayed on top, as well as one of Brussels' most visited landmarks (read: tourist trap), the Manneken Pis.

I could hardly believe my eyes. How could a Japanese company have appropriated this much-loved Belgian icon, him with the fabulous wardrobe, and plastered the Manneken Pis' image on a cheap snack to be hawked at every 7-11, Family Mart, and Lawson's outlet across Japan? Why isn't the Belgian trade minister screaming loudly at the WTO for sanctions?!

My indignation was short-lived, however. I tore into the package, and pretty soon was munching contentedly on the waffle. Tasted quite good, actually, though hunger can muddle one's thinking.

As I pondered the situation, the more my views shifted to admiration for the business acumen of the company. After all, wasn't it clearly a master stroke to use a cliche associated with a foreign country to market products to the local population? The use of the Belgian flag seems rather dubious and over the top though.

Checking the website for more information led to nowhere, as it was purely in Japanese. (Or maybe the "Click here for English" was also written in Japanese. Hahaha). Anyone care to translate and help shed more light on this?

All aboard the Sushi Train!

2010-07-01T13:59:00.015-04:00

Update: One of my friends said, "This is all very nice, but what do you do if your favorite sushi just never reaches you?". Hmmm, more food for thought.

Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines, if not my most favorite. Although New York City has tons of Japanese restaurants offering sushi, yakitori, ramen, and even curry, I haven't really found one that offers conveyor belt sushi.

There are probably a few places out there that I'm not aware of, but they're far from being ubiquitous, unlike in say, Australia, where the conveyor belt sushi ("Oh, the sushi trains!", exclaimed my Aussie friend) places are everywhere, usually operated by proprietors of Japanese descent. Great for them, but why not NYC? Isn't that strange?

Sushi Train video

If you've never heard of conveyor belt sushi, that's exactly what it is. The sushi plates are placed on a rotating belt that moves around the sushi bar, with prices varying according to the color of the plate. As the plate that catches your fancy passes by, simply reach out and grab it from the belt. Your bill will be tallied up after wards according to the number and color of plates you have consumed.

Fortunately, my vacation in Japan gave me a couple of opportunities to hop aboard the sushi trains, so to speak. Not that I made it a point to do any research on kaiten sushi places, but rather stumbled upon them while sightseeing - one in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and the other in downtown Kyoto.

During my initial conveyor belt sushi experience, it took me a few moments after sitting down at the counter to figure things out, like where the tea cups were and how to get water from the nearby spigot. Everything is truly self-service, although the staff is happy to assist if you wish to ask the chef for a custom order.

Watching the sushi rolling merrily along the train tracks proved quite entertaining, though the signs puzzled me since I don't speak any Japanese. Sushi plate prices are clearly indicated on a chart and start at around $1.50 for two pieces of fish (e.g. tuna, salmon), and increase for more special items (e.g. eel).

Sushi Train video

I found the conveyor belt sushi dishes to be quite fresh and delicious, contrary to some people's dismissive attitude towards kaiten sushi places as being "fast food sushi". Since they're part and parcel of Japanese culture, some of the world's most meticulous consumers, I wasn't surprised about the high quality standards though.

On each occasion, empty plates 8 or 9 deep were stacked up in front of me at the end of the meal. The self-service aspect also meant lunch took less than half an hour, leaving more time for on-a-full-stomach post-meal contemplation: why aren't conveyor belt sushi restaurants more common in New York City (or the USA in general)?

Starbucks sells French macarons...

2010-06-23T15:07:00.014-04:00

in Japan!!! I had popped into Starbucks for a much-needed hot cup of Joe. It had been drizzling all day in Tokyo, and I had unwisely refused to carry an umbrella, thinking that my water-resistant jacket would suffice. By mid-afternoon I was soaked, shivering, and seeking shelter somewhere.

Thus while standing in line the Shibuya branch of Starbucks, I spotted these macarons (not macaroons) and figured, "Why not?". Cold and tired, I was in need of refreshment. Moreover, the macarons were perhaps the last thing I expected to see in Japan, and I was a bit curious why Starbucks sold macarons here, and not in the United States. (New York City has a handful of specialty shops selling macarons, but not Starbucks).

My excitement evaporated upon my first bite of the vanilla macaron, and my face contorted into a grimace. Ugh - the taste was all wrong - too sweet, too artificial. The macaron lacked firmness - the expected chewiness did not materialize; instead, the entire confection crumbled into pieces right in my palms. Thinking I'd have better luck with the citrus flavored macaron proved to be wishful thinking.

On the upside, I was lucky to get a seat on the second floor of Starbucks which provided an excellent vantage point for witnessing the famed Shibuya crossing. Car traffic in all directions comex to a stop, and hordes of pedestrians from five different places scramble across the intersections on the way to their destinations.

Below is the best among the various Youtube videos I found - it was shot on a clear day though.

This scene was immortalized in the movie "Lost in Translation" with a bored Scarlet Jo aimlessly wandering around Tokyo , and I believe Sofia Coppola shot the scene from the same Starbucks vantage point. The crowds on this wet Saturday afternoon were a bit thin, but the sprinkling of colorful umbrellas mixed with the predominantly transparent ones was a sight to behold nevertheless. That provided some consolation for the disappointing macarons which I came across in other Starbucks branches on subsequent occasions, but wisely refrained from buying.

Otafuku

2010-05-04T14:41:00.010-04:00

Fancy some Japanese pancakes and octopus balls for a quick lunch? Just to clarify for the squeamish - they're not actual octopus genitals (I can't even fathom what those would look like), but more like boiled octopus rolled up in the shape of a ball.

A couple of classmates and I decided the weather was perfect for a quick stroll to East 9th St. and re-visit Otafuku, a small storefront selling basically three different Japanese street snack foods: takoyaki (the above-mentioned octopus balls), okonomiyaki (Japanese style cabbage pancakes), and probably the most mainstream among the three choices, yakisoba (fried noodles with veggies). For a closer look, check out the pic below.

Adventurous eaters and chronically indecisive people will probably want to try on of the combination platters to sample a couple of these somewhat unfamiliar dishes (and perhaps to hedge against a unsatisfying lunch). So this is basically what we did to ensure that we would taste all three, but since everyone was eager to try the takoyaki, we all wound up with box B or C as our lunch option.

The takoyaki and okonomiyaki are somewhere beneath all those bonito flakes, with the octopus balls also smothered with some kind of sweet sauce. When asked by the counter person which toppings we wanted, I simply indicated "everything", though not knowing what that term included. I did see specks of scallion and mayo among the things that he was suddenly putting on top of our food at blizzard speed.

We decided to sit and eat on the lone bench outside the storefront, somewhat amused at the curious stares we elicited from passers-by. They probably wondered what those strange-looking items were in our plastic take-out boxes. And why we were devouring them with gusto in public.

The octopus balls (six of them) were bigger than expected, piping hot fresh off the grill (don't stuff the entire thing in your mouth!), and were quite tasty. It took a while to finish the entire combination platter though, since it was more food than we thought - yet another nice find on the East Village for a reasonably-priced filling lunch.

As one of my friends says, "It's just like the tiny stalls in the small alleys of Tokyo". Ah, music to my ears - guess I'll find out in a few weeks' time how the New York octopus balls stack up to the original.

World Food Series #2 : Mussels (Belgium)

2010-04-17T11:08:00.000-04:00

People are always surprised when I tell them that steamed mussels are the national dish of Belgium. If I had a penny for every time someone says "Oh, really?", accompanied by an astonished expression on their faces, then I'd be able to buy all the Liege waffles my stomach desires.

The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, the mention of the words "Belgian cuisine" conjures up images of fine chocolates, world-renowned Trappist beers, Belgian (technically Brussels and Liege) waffles, and Belgian (don't call them French) fries. So quite understandable for mussels to get lost in the shuffle. I'm still wondering if Brussels sprouts are in fact from Belgium, but I'll leave that question to be answered another day.

Mussels are usually served in big pots, and come in different flavors. They can be cooked in natural herbs, in white beer (usually Hoegaarden), provencale (tomatoes, onions), mariniere (white wine), or Thailandese/l'indienne (in curry). As with every dish, a side of pomme frites serves as an accompaniment, with mayonnaise and mustard as dipping sauces. This "weird" combination has also elicited a lot of incredulous responses, believe it or not.

On my trip to Belgium last summer, my friend Luc and I ate mussels a couple of times, and after seeing him frown and shake his head at my ineptitude in getting the mussel meat out, Luc offered to demonstrate the "proper" Belgian technique for eating them. The Belgian way requires the use of no utensils, and I found it to be quite nifty and conducive to the consumption of mussels. In short, brilliant!!!

Check out Luc's mussels eating demonstration in the video below. Even with no prior acting experience, he didn't appear nervous and performed his role confidently, needing only two takes.

World Food Series #1: Skyr (Iceland)

2010-04-15T13:15:00.002-04:00

Iceland is now in the news because of the volcano eruption that grounded thousands of flights all across Europe. Whoa! Not bad for a small country of 300,000 people who make a living primarily through fishing.

Hearing about Iceland makes me nostalgic about my trip there last year - there's so many memorable experiences to remember including the Blue Lagoon, Golden Circle, food in Rejkjavik - should I go on?

Speaking of food, one food from Iceland which I've developed a liking for is Skyr, a smooth, creamy yogurt that comes in different flavors. Thick, not-too-sweet, and best of all, non-fat!!! So far, I can only find at the the Whole Foods branches nearby, and although it is at least double the price of other brands of yogurt, that hasn't stopped me from cleaning out the shelves every time I visit! (I do wonder though whatever happened to the small bendable spoons that are supposed to come with each cup).

For more about the health benefits of Skyr, check out their official website.

Burger Creations

2010-03-14T14:05:00.007-04:00

The never ending rain and swirling wind gusts made me feel glad, for once, that I would be spending the entire day cooped up inside the computer lab. However, we did have to brave the lousy winter weather come lunch time.

Walking gingerly around puddles and the sight of numerous overturned umbrellas that were abandoned or blown away from their owners' grasps made for some comfort food.

So, I suggested that we pop into Burger Creations on E8th St. (near Broadway), where I had been a couple of times before and had enjoyed their huge, juicy burgers. In fact just a week ago I was devouring the Parisian burger (one of a dozen or so variations, which does present a bit of a predicament since they all sound so yummy), and this time opted for the Fuji burger topped with scallions, mushrooms and teriyaki glaze.

The hot, crispy fries also never fail to please me, so much so that I wind up finishing all of them, which I never do anywhere else. Probably because they're not salty, and don't have the consistency of cardboard.

Our stomachs full (a bit too full, actually) and our hands wiped clean of the flowing juices that each bite brings forth (the number of napkins we went through was scandalous, better bring your own hand wipes), V. and I lingered for a bit, waiting for the rain to die down a little before going back to class. Somehow we felt better, our spirits refreshed, despite the inclement weather. Comfort food does work wonders.

Porchetta

2010-03-07T12:01:00.008-05:00

My all-day Saturday class at NYU is pretty grueling, however, the school's proximity to the East Village and its bountiful lunch spot choices provides at least some consolation.
My new friend V. and I excitedly plan our lunch escapades, and after having sampled ramen (Ramen Setagaya), pho (Pho 32), and okonomiyaki (Otafuku) the previous three weeks, I suggested we venture to Porchetta for a pork fix.

A big hit among New York City's foodies when it opened a couple of years ago, I had been dying to try Porchetta's pork sandwich after a oouple of friends gave it the thumbs up. So what exactly is Porchetta? Their website provides this mouth watering explanation: "Roasted pork with crispy skin, highly seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices, garlic, sage, rosemary and fennel pollen. Typical plate of the Roman cuisine. Slow cooked Italian fast food."

Got that? All I can say to the proprietors of Porchetta is, "You had me at 'crispy skin'". For those of you out there who need visuals, is the image below sufficient?

Occupying a tiny storefront on E7th St., Porchetta's menu options are pretty much limited pork on a bun or with veggies on the side. Inside a glass display sat an entire side of a pig, glistening so that I couldn't take my eyes off, and the smell wafting through the air making me even more aware of my growling stomach.

Seating is extremely limited, but it was a nice spring day so we opted to devour our sandwiches on the benches outside. The description did say "slow cooked", so an order of patience is necessary as well while your porchetta is being prepared. It doesn't help to see other diners savoring every morsel of their meals, that's for sure, like the guy in the first picture. (Pretty nifty reflections too, don't you think, a technique I learned on a photo walking tour in Boston).

Finally, about ten minutes of salivating, the counter person called my name and I rushed in to grab our plates. The meat is quite moist and flavorful, the crispy skin crackling when your tooth makes contact reminded me how much I missed eating "bad" fattening pork dishes, cholesterol be damned. V. and I agreed it was quite filling, each bite heavenly. Slowly we trudged back to the campus building, discussing next week's lunch options and wondering which one could possibly top Porchetta.

$25 Fried Chicken Fridays @ Patroon

2010-02-04T19:27:00.013-05:00

Save for the occasional outing to Popeye's at the mall food court for some spicy goodness, my fried chicken eatin' and finger lickin' days were long gone. Heck, I even switched to the Colonel's grilled chicken at KFC, although my stomach still growls after a full meal due to the puny leg and thigh pieces. Or maybe it was the extraneous breading on the fried chicken that actually fills you up.

However, when my friend C. suggested checking out Chef Charles Gabriel's celebrated fried chicken, I was intrigued. I was aware of her quest for the perfect bird, and some of my suggestions (including Popeye's) had not impressed her. We thought of dragging ourselves all the way to Harlem, but as we were psyching ourselves up for the "big trip", we heard the great news - Chef Gabriel will be serving his iconic dish at Patroon in Midtown every Friday. The downside: it would cost a cool 25 bucks for three pieces plus two sides and corn bread. Seriously, $25 for fried chicken? (Mentally calculating how many meals at Pollo Campero this is equivalent to). The last time I read the paper there a recession going on.

We managed to drag two other friends to Patroon last Friday. I immediately liked the warmth of Patroon's earth-toned walls decorated with black-and-white photos of classic New York landmarks, the soothing soft lighting, and white tablecloths. It reeked of quiet dignity and looked like an expensive place. Well, it WAS an expensive place, judging from the prices on the menu and the $15 margaritas we were sipping. So, blowing $25 on fried chicken didn't seem quite out of the ordinary.

I scanned the room and noted that most of the other diners were feasting on the fried chicken dinner. Although momentarily distracted by the Restaurant Week menu, ultimately all four of us (including one friend who hasn't eaten poultry in years) decided to order the fried chicken as well. The hard choice really was deciding which two sides to get - I figured since I was eating bad stuff (health-wise) anyway, I'd skip the veggies and opt for the fattening mac-n-cheese and candied yams.

Three pieces of Chef Gabriel's fried chicken later, we all agreed it was pretty good - non greasy, moist, meaty, not too spicy/salty, no extraneous breading. Skin was pretty crunchy, and got stamped with the non-poultry eater's approval. On the other hand, the side dishes garnered less positive reviews, and in truth they were mostly just okay.
Curiously enough, the couple both were blown away by the cornbread, while I thought that Boston Market's was much better. The banana pudding made me happy though, but I was the only one who really enjoyed it.

In the end, as we forked over our $25 plus tax and tip (don't ask me to do the math again), there was no denying it - that was one heck of an expensive fried chicken meal. Couldn't resist quipping that we need to rush to the nearest hospital, not to have our cholesterol levels checked , but to get our heads examined. Was it worth it? Let's just say that next time I'm craving some chicken, Bon Chon will be the one to satisfy it.

Market by Jean Georges (W Hotel, Boston)

2010-01-10T23:31:00.002-05:00

"Sorry, we are fully committed for tonight", chirped the table reservation agent who took my call, her response sounding rehearsed. Oh well. Guess it was a bit presumptuous to call up one of Boston's newest and hottest dining spots, Market by Jean Georges, at the last minute and expect to get a table for two. On a Saturday night, no less. "However, we do have a bar area which does not require reservations", she added helpfully.

That provided us enough glimmers of hope to jump into a cab (no chance of walking on this frigid winter night) for the short ride to the newly 0pened, ultra-hip W Boston Hotel which housed Jean Georges' latest foray into the Boston dining scene. We walked past the boisterous crowd at the hotel lounge area and found the restaurant. Market wasn't your typical stuffy upscale restaurant by Jean Georges though with the servers reciting each dish's individual ingredients, but the menu was more on the casual side (with a dash of Asian-inspired spice), with classic dishes emphasizing fresh, local ingredients.

Luckily, seats were available at the bar area, which was located at the far end of the restaurant. Diners sitting here have their back turned to the tables, but it didn't feel quite separate, as you could simply turn around to survey the crowd (a bit more mature than the young and attractive types at the lounge). We decided to try the six course Market Menu ($58), to get the full treatment. This pre-selected menu consists basically of three appetizers, two main courses, and dessert served in smaller portions.

(top) Rice cracker crusted tuna, citrus chili emulsion
This dish was a clear winner and our favorite. The crunchy rice crackers topped with spicy chili was truly amazing!

(top) Foie gras brulee atop toasted brioche, pineapple meyer lemon jam
Quite unique presentation - I've never had foie gras served like this before, on top of brioche and with covered with caramelized sugar. Well, I love foie gras in whatever shape or form. Not sure what the lemon jam was all about though.

(top) Seared shrimp with ginger and basil

(top) Striped bass in sweet and sour broth
Another dish that I loved. The fish and veggies were awesome, yet the tasty broth managed to steal the spotlight. It was good enough to drink, and drink it I did - to the last drop!

(top) Lamb chops with smoked chili glaze,king oyster mushrooms and broccoli
Sorry, but have to rate this one as a miss. The chili glaze overpowered the lamb, and a whole bag of salt must have spilled on the veggies. The lamb itself was tender and not too gamey, and probably better eaten without the glaze.

(top) Warm chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream
A classic Jean Georges specialty. A bit predictable, sure. Chocolate was just right, not cloyingly sweet, so I managed to eat all of it. (Calories don't count while on vacation).

Overall, it was great to experience dining at Market by Jean Georges on our brief visit to Boston. Although I did notice a couple of the "fully committed" tables stay forlornly unoccupied during the entire three hours my behind was parked on the bar stool. So much for that.

The Golden Arches Packed Up Their Knives and Left, no Padma needed

2010-01-04T15:05:00.002-05:00

I didn't quite know what to make of this cartoon that recently appeared on the front page of the Reykjavik Grapevine, a weekly paper that chronicles all things happening in the capital city of Iceland. A brief backgrounder: In late October 2009, the global fast food chain McDonald's announced that they were closing all three outlets in Iceland due to high operating costs brought about by the worldwide financial crisis. Importing all those buns, beef, and ketchup became too expensive.

Hence, the Reykjavik Grapevine decided to come up with "Three Reasons why Icelanders will miss McDonald's". At first glance, and keeping in mind my brief introduction to Icelandic humor (chronicled here), I burst out laughing and marvelled at the sarcasm of the creators. Freaking brilliant, I thought.

Later on, the more I obsessed about it, doubts crept into my mind. Was it satire, or was there a grain of truth buried somewhere? Imagine your neighborhood McDonald's closing down - would you say, "Oh well, such is life" and move on, or would you be urging your congressman to give them a bailout? Maybe the Icelanders were sad about losing the Golden Arches.

So I went back and forth, back and forth - don't McDonald's burgers contain real beef? Or were they lying all this time and it was really some synthetic stuff like those healthy veggie burgers that I switched to that taste like cardboard? (Counter argument: Maybe Icelanders simply don't like beef. They do eat a lot of seafood). And I conscientiously drop loose change into those collection bins for the Ronald McDonald House, was that a scam too? (Rebuttal: Maybe Icelanders don't like giving to charity and expect their government to take care of everyone's welfare).

Finally I came to "McDonald's employees are happy". Really? Since when? Unless the counter people in Reykjavik had drastically different demeanors from the ones in New York, "happy" isn't the word I'd use to describe them. Unmotivated and unhurried are more like it. No counter argument will convince me otherwise.

So, after all this analysis, I have to go with my initial impression. It is satire. I think. Whatever. Here's a Reuters article (with video) chronicling Icelanders lining up for their last Big Mac.

P.S. That is one mighty scary looking Ronald McDonald who does look like he loves ~~to eat~~ children.

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Read about Saegreifinn's lobster soup and mink whale.

Belgian Beer - simply the best!

2009-12-19T10:46:00.001-05:00

Note: A slight change in scenery. This post is from my recent trip to Belgium.

I admit, before my trip to Belgium I only had a passing knowledge about Belgian beers. Mainly the brands I see at the liquor store - Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, that's about it. (For some reason i actually assumed Stella was a British import). However, after a week going around the country drinking at different pubs with my friends Luc and Carl, highlighted by our visit to St. Sixtus abbey in Westvleteren, I have seen the light.

Beer is to Belgium as wine is to France. Beer drinking culture pervades this tiny country of 10.6 million people, with 150 breweries producing about 800 different types of specialty beer ranging from the world-renowned Trappist (brewed by monks inside monasteries), lambic (“wild” beers produced by spontaneous fermentation), and kriek (lambic beer mixed with cherries, a “ladies” beer), to mention a few.

In short, Belgians appreciate variety and high quality stuff, and despite the relatively high alcohol contents of their beers they rarely drink to excess nor get drunk.

One of the highlights of my week-long trip in Belgium was sampling a wide variety of their home brews with my friends Luc and Carl, both of them beer connoisseurs whose houses are equipped with beer cellars. Their precious bottles reside there awaiting to be popped open on some unknown date for a special occasion.

Thanks to these two beer masters who served as drinking buddies and teachers, my beer adventures were loads of fun (as you shall see), and my crash course in Belgian Beer 101 ensures that I will never order a Bud Light again. Ever. Nor a Heineken ("80% Marketing, 20% Beer", sniffs Carl).

Follow our adventures in this beer slide show that I created. Note that each beer comes in its own distinctive glass with its own logo. Serving a Westmalle in a Chimay glass is guaranteed to incur the wrath of Belgian beer fans. Drinking from the bottle (as we do here) is an even bigger no-no. No plastic cups, por favor.

Pictured: Kwak beer served in its distinctive tall round bottomed glass, held in place by a wooden stand. Read a fantastic anecdote about this drinking adventure here.

Saegreifinn's World-Famous Lobster Soup (plus some Mink Whale)

2009-12-10T22:01:00.003-05:00

Note: A slight change in scenery. This post is from my recent trip to Reykjavik, Iceland.

I knew vaguely that Mark Bittman was a food writer for the New York Times, though I never really followed his blog posts. And then I saw a couple of episodes of the TV show "Spain: On the Road Again", where he and three cohorts (including the actress Gywneth Paltrow and famous chef Mario Batali) savor culinary delights all throughout Spain. Oh, so that's him...then I promptly forgot what he looked like. Honestly, what male would take their eyes off the lovely Claudia Bassols for one second to look at some guy?!

My opinion turned in his favor though, when R. sent me his review of the seafood restaurant Saegreifinn. Bittman raved about the lobster soup at this rustic shack situated right by the harbor in downtown Reykjavik. My appetite was whetted further after reading yet more press about Saegreifinn - see owner Kjartan joking around with a journalist in this Three Sheets Iceland video, as well as a Amateur Traveller podcast mentioning Saegreifinn and yes, the lobster soup.

Scanning the assortment of fish skewers on display, the mink whale caught me eye - I asked the lady manning the counter what it tasted like. She replied, "Somewhere between beef and liver". Though not especially fond of liver, my adventurous instinct was unable to resist such a novelty, thus I decided that mink whale it would be. You know, in the spirit of "When in Reykjavik...". And of course, a steaming bowl of lobster soup each for R. and I, shivering as we were from the freezing temps.

(Note: Before you hate me, mink whales are not endangered, and it is legal to eat them).

The much-hyped, world-famous lobster soup lived up to its billing. Slightly sweet, filled with chunks of local lobster (see pic). The mink whale? Well, the waitress' description was right on target - it looked like beef and tasted like liver. Neither great nor bad, though we both agreed that R.'s grilled cod was the tastier dish between the two, and that Saegreifinn's reasonably-priced seafood is a welcome departure from most of Reykjavik's dining scene where sticker shock is the norm.

On the way out, guess what I spotted tacked on the wall by the door - a yellowed newspaper clipping of Mark Bittman's review, no less. Well done, MB. Maybe now I'll pay closer attention to "Bitten". Just maybe.

I say Macaron, you say Macaroon

2009-05-03T17:35:00.012-04:00

As I was preparing for my trip last year to Paris, a friend alerted me to the sumptuous macarons at the French pastry retailer Laduree, raving about the smooth, creamy fillings of said confections. For some nebulous reason, I absentmindedly thought she was referring to coconut macaroons, which are delicious and which I heartily consumed in the past, and thus although I wandered along the Champs Elysees I neglected to make a visit to Laduree's pastry shop. Six months after returning from Paris, by happenstance I read a blurb about the newly-opened Macaron Cafe serving those tiny delicacies did my mind wander back to that conversation, and I realized my colossal blunder and vowed to rectify this error.

Located in a somewhat nondescript part of Midtown, Macaron Cafe is pretty easy to miss unless you are looking for it, as I was. Once you step inside, however, the vibrant colors of the paintings and inviting couches entice you to stay, relax, have a nice cup of tea accompanied by whatelse? - the lovely macarons, of course - which come in sixteen different flavors. Enthralled at the choices, I stood in front of the glass counter, pondering which varieties to sample, debating inside my head, "I want this. No, I'll try that one instead", all the while conscious of the French female attendant's amused gaze upon me. Couldn't help wondering if she thought I'd say "Give me one of each (all sixteen)". Finally I selected the pistachio and tiramisu, and savored each tender, chewy bite. Sweet, yet not cloying. Why, oh why, are they so small???

If I hadn't been in a rush to get to an appointment, doubtless I would've stayed and noshed on more macarons (not good for someone trying to shed pounds), so I settled for buying a twelve-pack box as a present to my friend. So far it sits inside my refrigerator, untouched. Hopefully, midnight cravings won't hijack the macarons from their intended receipient. As for Laduree, I heard spring time is lovely in Paris...

Cambodian Cuisine

2008-10-06T15:26:00.014-04:00

Much to my dismay, I realized that Cambodian restaurants are a rarity in the city. This is rather puzzling, as restaurants serving the cuisine of its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam are ubiquitous. I became conscious of this fact after getting a craving for some fish amok, the signature aromatic coconut curry-based dish usually served wrapped in banana leaves or inside a coconut shell (pictured). Almost every meal during my week-long trip to Cambodia included either of these two dishes. As if reading my mind, this article On the East Side, Cambodian Two Ways appeared in the New York Times, and intrepreting that as a sign from above, I dragged a couple of equally curious friends over to the newish, somewhat blandly-named Cambodian Cuisine to see how the food was.

What we found was a spacious restaurant that felt a bit too big and oddly-shaped - perhaps it was a retail establishment before. Adorning the walls were paintings of Cambodian countryside scenery which were somewhat garish, but the real gems were the framed photographs of Angkor Wat and the Bayon lining the narrow staircase leading downstairs to the brilliantly-laid out unisex bathroom area. On to the food - the menu included typical Cambodian dishes, but the fish amok was not among them. Instead, chicken amok was offered, and M. took the bait at my urging - when it arrived I could only stare mouth with agape at the omelette-like concoction on the plate (pictured), never could I have imagined chicken amok to morph into this saucer-like shape - however, as M. allowed me to sample a piece of his "omelette", it was in fact quite tasty and transported me back to Phnom Penh for an instant.

S., on the other hand, opted for a hearty soup-based dish called "samlor Mchoo Krocurng", described as "your choice of meat together with celery and sweet basil cooked in a lemon grass flavored soup base". I had the same soup as an appetizer and despite an aversion to celery, thoroughly enjoyed the interplay of its flavor and the lemongrass, and managed to finish all of it. S. seemingly felt the same, as not a drop of the samlor was left in sight, but I suspect she was assisted by M. whose belly was not filled up by the chicken amok "omelette". Not that I blame him. (On the right is a picture of Cambodian seafood soup as prepared at Friends, a non-profit tapas restaurant/training school for street children in Phnom Penh).

As for me, I ordered the beef loc lac and though it was pretty ordinary the portion size was substantial. Despite some initial negative feedback on the level of service at Cambodian Cuisine, the wait staff were helpful and answered our questions knowledgeably. There was only one thing missing, really, and on the way out I inquired of the manager, "Are you going to offer Angkor beer anytime soon?". She smiled knowingly and replied, "A few customers have asked that. We're working with the distributor, so maybe sometime soon". That and fish amok would be enough reason for a return visit.

Tacos Matamoros

2008-09-29T11:38:00.001-04:00

I confess. I had no clue where Sunset Park was and had no desire to find out. That is, until I got the email from Paula about the dinner she was organizing at Tacos Matamoros featuring barbecued goat. Having been to a few of her dinners, I knew one thing for sure: the food would be great and plentiful. Thus, I found myself RSVP'ing in a heartbeat and looking forward to devouring the meat and checking out the neighborhood.

Alighting from the subway and walking towards Tacos Matamoros, my initial impression of Sunset Park was that it was like being in Mexico. Mexican establishments dominated, true there were some Ecuadorian restaurants as well, but generally it was Little Mexico everywhere. To give you an idea, literally across the street from Tacos Matamoros were Tacos Xochimilco and El Mexicano, to name two other restaurants. A bit confusing at first to a newbie, but a minor stumbling block in the quest for good food.

The way Paula set up the dinner with the restaurant was that there would be multiple courses of appetizers followed by the main course. The first to come out were the chorizo nachos (pictured above) that were simply amazing that I ate too much despite my conscience and heart yelling at the same time, "Stop!". Vegetarians, get ready to cringe. After three slices of this (and surely a few days worth of grease and salt intake), my stomach must've been two-thirds full already, so the somewhat "relaxed" pace of service somewhat gave me time to regroup while chatting with the other people. The tostadas de ceviche soon followed, basically assorted seafood ceviche with a sharp, semi-sweet sauce served on a tostada. Another appetizer I enjoyed, being a big fan of ceviche who doesn't indulge in it nearly enough. Unfortunately this time there was only one tostada per person. Bummer!

There were actually two main courses for the night: on the left, the barbacoa cabrito (goat) being readied on the taco and shortly stuffed into my mouth, and on the right, the pollo a la mexicana (chicken) which as expected, was hot, hot, hot! The heat subsided after the welcome appearance of the waitress clutching a jar of water, and after that I filled my stomach to capacity with the cabrito, and was one of the last people left standing as the others slowly (wisely?) wound down and waited for the flan with cinnamon to arrive. Truly a delicious meal at reasonable prices. Dessert-wise, although the only option was flan, I was so taken with it that I got a doggy bag for a second portion (and somehow resisted doing the same for the cabrito), only to have the syrup spill all over my jeans on the subway ride back home as I drifted in and out of consciousness after a wonderful pig out session. Nevertheless, now I know where Sunset Park is, and I will be back.

Les Fetes Galantes

2008-06-25T21:56:00.015-04:00

Sadly, our trip to Paris was coming to an end. It had been a great (if fattening) six days of indulging in mostly French food and snacks. I developed a fondness for the ham and cheese baguettes that somehow made the rain delays at Roland Garros a tiny bit more bearable. On the one night we decided to take a break, I disregarded my rule of thumb of NOT dining at any establishment specializing in two different cuisines, and had some delicious Chinese and Thai dishes at a restaurant near the hotel. Also, adding to the fun was getting our orders and questions across to the proprietor in a mish-mash of stilted Mandarin, broken French with a little English thrown in.

Anyway, walking down the quiet side street rue de l'Ecole Polytechnique in the Latin Quarter, we chanced upon the intimate Les Fetes Galantes, peaked inside and scanned the menu, and then decided to dine there the following night for our last dinner in Paris. I'm not sure exactly why we decided that, maybe it was because Les Fetes Galantes epitomized the intimate, family-run restaurant serving classic French dishes that we were looking for, or maybe the location helped - a bit away from the circus atmosphere of numerous restaurants situated side-by-side on busy streets that ensnare so many tourists.

The chef's wife (whose name escapes me) ushered us to a table and patiently waited while we took our sweet time deciding which dishes to sample from the 25 euro 3-course prix-fixe menu. Not an easy decision to make, as they all really seemed so tempting! I opted for the three cheese goat salad (pictured above) and duck confit, while my brother P. decided on the sumptuous cream of mushroom with foie gras soup and steak. While waiting for our orders, we passed the time examining the hundreds of business cards, handwritten notes from satisfied customers praising Chef Bibi's cooking, diners' pictures, and assorted foreign currency bills tacked onto the walls surrounding our table.

The meal was excellent in every aspect, the service prompt yet unobstrusive, and we even fell into conversation with the diners at the adjacent table who recounted their sighting of Karl Lagerfeld, but not being fans of haute couture they were unaware of his fame, much to the disbelief of the museum security guard who told them who the man everyone was looking at was. I heartily recommend Les Fetes Galantes (gallant party?) for an authentic slow-paced celebratory French meal. Quite the perfect ending to our Parisian sightseeing, tennis and food holiday, and at night's end two more business cards were enthusiastically added to the collection on the walls.

An American Breakfast in Paris

2008-06-22T21:37:00.014-04:00

Ahh...Paris...images of delectable French cuisine come to mind - foie gras, escargot, etc - all those rich, fat-laden dishes that break a dieter's will and wreak havoc on his regimen (ahem). My brother P. and I spent most of our 6 days in the City of Lights devouring crepes, croissants, baguettes, steak, duck confit (only me, actually :-D), and of course, "chien chaud" (hot dogs). One morning, in search of something that would tide us over spending the entire day at Roland Garros watching tennis and not having to line up at the concession stands, we consulted my guidebook and decided to hit Breakfast in America, which fortunately was just a couple of blocks down Rue des Ecoles from the hotel.

Brightly lit and decorated like a typical American diner (much nicer than Tick Tock diner in Jersey!), BIA offers home-sick expats a taste of food back home, and crazy tourists who insist on eating American food while abroad something to blog about (laughing at my own clever self-referential joke haha). I liked the decor - perched atop the ledge on the periphery were objects that invoked Americana - a football helmet, a plate with the familiar "Route 66" sign, an old cash register, a blender (why?) - to name a few. Picture frames of movie scenes set in a diner, most notably Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan at Katz's Deli (never been there...shame, shame) in "When Harry Met Sally" (never seen the movie...duh), adorn the walls as well.

I chose the Veggie Omelet with cheese which made me feel irrationally self-satisfied, knowing that I had somehow resisted more artery-clogging breakfast options (steak and eggs! Is this Denny's or what?!), ignoring the cholesterol-laden eggs and cheese on my plate. The portions, as expected, were super-sized. And after days of ordering trop cher espresso in those miniature cups, a familiar bottomless mug of cafe Americain provided the caffeine fix to start the day on the right foot. Service was superb - not only were the staff attractive, but for once I dropped any effort of blundering with tourist French, and simply addressed the staff in English. Now that's something I could get used to - feeling right at home in Paris.

Cinco de Mayo @ Crema Restaurante

2008-05-11T14:59:00.001-04:00

Every year Cinco de Mayo rolls around, I bemoan the drunken debauchery that ensues and wearing my "party pooper" hat, delight in telling anyone within hearing distance that Cinco de Mayo isn't such a big deal in Mexico and that it is not their Independence Day (that would be Sept 16, dear misinformed reader). So why then do we care so much about Cinco de Mayo to celebrate it? I don't know, but probably because Americans love any excuse to break out the booze and get smashed.

Anyway, after getting wind of the special Mexican five-course prix-fixe meal with a French twist at Crema, my sentiments towards Cinco de Mayo shifted to the positive. And get this, as if that doesn't sound appetizing enough, each course comes with a Milagro tequila pairing. As chef Julieta Ballesteros explains in this article, this week-long festival pays tribute to the former Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian who ruled Mexico from 1864-1867 and left behind a French culinary stamp before his tragic end. So enough talking, let's get on with it!

First off was the chipotle-lime French onion soup pictured above (call me stupid, but I didn't realize the French actually came up with French onion soup, after all they weren't responsible for French fries, right?). If you've had enough of too heavy, too cheese laden French onion soup, then this is welcome relief! The chipotle-lime provided quite a strong kick and a fiery start to the meal. Next came the duck enchilada suiza topped with pieces of foie gras (what could be more French than that?). Been a while since I had this delicacy, so I was left yearning for more after eating my allocated one piece. Never mind that I am on a diet. Props to Crema too for the presentation of this dish.

I should probably mention the tequilas that accompanied the first two courses. The first one was a French lavender Milagro mini-margarita, then accompanying the foie gras was a pear infused Milagro silver. Both were pretty smooth and delicious, though not too overpoweringly strong. The waiter gave us actual pear slices soaked in the tequila too, for good measure. This all changed with the tequila for the next course which was a thin slice of chorizo frisse with greens. The pairing for this was tequila au poivre - yes, you read right - "with pepper"! Totally made my head spin, 80 proof liquor infused with black pepper. That was really hot, whew! (searching for a glass of water). Also, if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can actually see the bits of pepper floating around.

The last main dish was queso flameado ala francesca, a baked casserole of Chihuahua cheese and mushrooms served with tortillas. Among all the main courses, I liked this one the least. To compensate, the accompanying full-bodied Milagro Anejo (which was poured into big wine glasses, up to this point we were drinking the tequilas from miniature containers) hit all the spots and kept me warm and happy while I pondered how the people in the Jalisco region of Mexico cope with all the tequila in their midst.

Lastly, time for dessert. Tonight's offering was crepes con cajeta y nuez (crepes with caramel and nuts) with pear slices topped by ice cream. It wasn't as sweet as I had hoped for (well, it did say caramel so expectations were raised), so left me feeling somewhat flat. Nevertheless, glad I forsook my usual stuffiness and came out on a fun, delicious, and refined way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. A toast to Crema's novel, brilliant concept and Milagro's wonderful libations.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House

2008-05-10T14:33:00.001-04:00

That is #6 (rice with bean curd and pepper) from the rice dishes listed on Vegetarian Dim Sum House's menu. I've developed quite a liking for it (preferably with white rice, although brown rice is also an option), and in the interest of healthier dining, I've been going to this big, sparsely decorated restaurant for the past few Sundays. That black stuff is mushroom or fungus, I need to show the photo to my Chinese teacher to make sure :-D. Other rice dishes I've tried are rice with bean curd and curry sauce (also good) and rice with spicy bean curd (never again, too much celery!).

Oh yes, the vegetarian dim sum dishes. There is a wide assortment, but it's pretty much hit-or-miss. I liked the fried turnip cakes, but not much else. Somehow the fake (oops, "mock") meat doesn't do it for me. Moreover, just because it's vegetarian doesn't mean it's healthy if it's deep fried and greasy!!! Vegetarian Dim Sum house also serves dishes made of mock chicken, mock pork, mock beef and even mock seafood - so in a sense it's heaven for vegetarians. For now, I'll stick to my usual #6 and papaya juice for a cheap, filling lunch option.

Fatty Crab

2008-03-29T15:37:00.003-04:00

My obssession with Fatty Crab's short ribs was threatening to take over my life. Tasting the tender ribs braised with lime, coconut and chili at the Choice Eats food event whetted my appetite for more, thus I was desperate for an excuse - any excuse - to drag friends over to the Meatpacking District and re-enact savoring the spiciness of the dish tempered by the coconut flakes - this time with an entire order, not just a morsel. As luck would have it, J.'s birthday was just around the corner, and when C. and I got around to discussing possibilities for a celebratory dinner, there was but one name that floated out of my lips - Fatty Crab! I hasten to add that I knew J. would look forward to trying another one of their specialties, Dungeoness crab with chili sauce, so it wasn't totally self-serving. Haha.

Fatty Crab turned out to be really small. And packed to the gills. Decor was...what decor?! We waited near the bar area, artfully dodging the other patrons' elbows and wait staff scurrying about the restaurant, and tried to carry on a conversation over the blaring hip-hop music. After a few minutes, our casually-attired, mildly-attractive server led us to a basic wooden table near the kitchen and explained Fatty Crab's philosphy ("dishes are family-style, meant for sharing, and come in no particular order"), and steered us to their specialties. J. and C. busied themselves craning their necks in the servers' direction and talking about them. "Well, they look like members of a boy band, actually", said J. "Is that so?! More like backpacker types found in the beaches of Thailand or small towns in Guatemala", I countered.

The timely arrival of the Fatty Duck ended this spirited debate, and we concentrated on this variety of flavorful chunks of meat instead. The duck was a tad too salty for my taste, though the sugar coating balanced it a bit. Both J. and C. enjoyed the Dungeoness crab, especially dunking the pieces of toast into the yummy chili sauce, and before we knew it we were ordering more bread (for an extra $4). That was great news for me, not being much of a crustacean fan, as it was left to me to devour most of the short ribs and coconut rice (not part of a grand scheme. really). We were quite full after finishing these three dishes, so decided to just cancel the oyster omelet that never showed up - a small misstep by our friendly band member or backpacker server, whichever you prefer.

Excellent Pork Chop House

2008-03-24T15:55:00.008-04:00

Lunchtime on Sundays in Chinatown is often a mob scene - scores of tourists lined up outside the grand dimsum emporiums near Mott St., and inside diners are crammed shoulder-to-shoulder that you can't help but eye the neighboring table's entree selections and overhear the sordid details of their chatter as you peruse the menu. Opting for a more sedate lunch away from the crowds, I strolled a few blocks towards the relative calm of Doyers St. and chanced upon Excellent Pork Chop House. Although I've walked past this restaurant since the 90s, for one reason or another haven't had occasion to sample their eponymous specialty, which borders on amazing considering how big a fan I am of pork chops. "Let's see if the pork chops here live up to their billing", I thought, amused at the restaurant's bold name.

Munching on a generous portion of pan-fried pork chop over rice with ground beef and veggies ($4.75), I surveyed the scene. Like most Chinatown restaurants, most tables were occupied, not by hip young people but by families with strangely obedient children; decor was at best minimal, though on the wall directly above my table was a glass display case containing a collection of Chinese statuettes and Precious Moments dolls dressed in gowns. The noise level was atypically muted - the scene reminded me of those lonely, depressing Edward Hopper paintings showing people sitting at the counter of all-night diners - in fact the only semblance of semi-loud conversation took place among three teenaged-girls at the next table eagerly discussing, from what I could surmise, their homework from Religion class. Something about the foregiveness of sins. A fitting topic on Easter Sunday, I chuckled to myself.

Choice Eats (and Drinks) @ Choice Eats

2008-03-14T15:54:00.007-04:00

So, after an extended absence from both blogging and dining out (other than cheap, filling Sunday lunches in Chinatown), what better way to kick off 2008 posts by talking about a superb dining and drinking event last week. As shown in the graphic above, the food tasting event in question is the Village Voice's Choice Eats, featuring 30 or so restaurants handpicked by their food critic Robert Sietsema. I rarely have occasion to read the weekly paper (though the number of TS escort ads never fails to astound), and have never read any of Mr. Sietsema reviews, but this didn't stop me from joining about 50 other members of my World Food Lovers dining group in line outside the Puck building, freezing our body parts off as our stomachs grumbled and excitement levels increased.

Once inside, we were greeted by two roomfuls of restaurant booths offering dishes of ethnic cuisines ranging from Bangladeshi to Cambodian to Nepalese. A veritable feast for world dining enthusiasts. Despite my intent to pace myself, I made a classic rookie mistake by getting dazzled by free booze. Before I knew it, I had downed a shot of Jagermeister and some white wine - on an empty stomach. At S.'s urging, we lined up for the short ribs accompanied by sticky coconut rice at Fatty Crab, which turned out to be one of the best dishes we tasted that night. Another favorite was the sweet dessert at Madiba which had me and S. shamelessly lining up for another portion. The server recognized her as a "repeat customer" and his face broke out into a huge smile, much to her relief.

Some members of the group compared notes on their favorite eats (Deshi Biryani is the bomb, apparently), while I alternated among hitting as many of the restaurants' booths as possible, ogling the beauteous ladies at the Fragoli table, and the libations. Several local microbreweries were represented, and among the beers I tried, I especially enjoyed the Toasted Lager from Blue Point Brewing Company out in Long Island (who knew?!). Happily enough, they informed me that their brews are available at Whole Foods. Yay.

As you can see, I was enjoying myself too much to take any pictures. They might have come out a little blurry anyway LOL. Check out these event pictures though from the World Food Lovers site. In the end, we all left stuffed, happy that we came early (some tables ran out of food by 830pm), and eagerly counting down to next year's food tasting event.

UPDATE: Scoured the web for other bloggers' takes on the Choice Eats event.
Here are a few more lucid and detailed ones than mine.

Soopling at Salty/Savory/Sweet
Jessica at Food Mayhem
Dave at Eating in Translation

Wondee Siam II

2007-12-11T21:37:00.001-05:00

"Squid in love?! Who could resist that?", I wondered to myself, chuckling at the thought of two squids trying wrapping their arms around each other, at the same time pondering how these cephalopods kiss (do they shoot ink at each other?!). Described in the menu as "sauteed crispy squid with string bean and chili paste sauce", I did go ahead and order the dish. Tonight's Pepperheads outing was at Wondee Siam II, a nondescript restaurant in midtown West offering reasonably-priced authentic Thai food. We were there to try a few dishes recommended by David's friend, who was a native of Thailand and raved about Wondee Siam II. I had been to the restaurant on several occasions a few years ago but hadn't been adventurous in trying their spicy offerings, thus wasn't all that impressed.

Our group of 12 was split into two tables. Among the six entrees our table sampled, the chicken pad thai noodles (first picture) stood out for two reasons: the heat it packed and the hints of bacon in the flavor. In most Thai restaurants, it is prepared with a tangy, semi-sweet flavor, but tonight's version was a pleasant surprise. It was the way it caught up with you too - after chewing on some noodles, just as you're conversing with your neighbor or scooping morsels of another dish onto your plate, the burning sensation in your throat intensifies and pretty soon the roof of your mouth is crying out for a fire extinguisher. Gulping down water or beer doesn't help, a lesson we learnt all too well at Sigiri. Dairy does the trick though, so I poured the coconut milk base of the pork green curry (surprisingly un-spicy) over white rice and scarfed mounds of it to stabilize my taste buds. Another standout dish was the yum woon sen, a cellophane noodle salad with shrimp, chicken, and chili, among others, that the other table shared with us. This was even more lethal than the pad thai, and despite the smaller serving I ate it had me grabbing at any liquids on the table.

The steak of Siam (2nd picture) with sweet sauce provided a welcome contrast to the mostly spicy dishes, and it came with sticky rice inside the bamboo container. Other entrees sampled were fried whole red snapper (pla rad prig) and crispy duck (duck kra prow), both fairly standard. (At this point, it is obvious that our group had overdosed on chili sauce). Oh, and yes, despite its fancy (and very un-Thai sounding) name, the squid in love didn't prove to be anything special. Maybe it was the preparation, since I prefer squid to be either grilled and a bit on the charred side. So-so fried ice cream capped off this interesting meal at Wondee Siam II. I enjoyed most of the entrees, and am humbled yet glad to realize that with if you order the "right" dishes, Wondee Siam II is worthy of return visits.

Loreley

2007-10-16T21:59:00.001-04:00

I hadn't eaten German food since, well, yesterday, when our cafeteria decided to hold a belated Oktoberbest celebration (sans alcohol. lame-o) that inflicted spicy sausages and dreadful sauerkraut on unsuspecting employees. Although that made me swear off cholesterol-laden sausages for a year, strangely enough when David's Thrifty Gourmets group decided to have an outing at Loreley, I jumped at the chance to join them. Mostly for a taste of German beer and lively company.
Things got off to a good start when we entered the restaurant and were greeted by the enticing, skimpily-attired image of Loreley, an alluring maiden who, according to German legend, lured many a sailor to his death with her hypnotic singing. I personally think that's hogwash - it's the see-through blouse and long legs that did the trick. LOL.

On to more important matters. Loreley's interiors can best be described as sparsely decorated. It's all large wooden tables and chairs and makes no pretense of being upscale. We were led into the crowded, lively outdoor dining area, which consisted of yet more long wooden tables and benches occupied by revelers partaking of the outstanding beer selections. In fact, if you close your eyes and really stretch the imagination, it's easy to imagine being in the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, albeit on a miniature scale, filled with NYU students instead of Germans, and without the robust frauleins holding eight gigantic beersteins in each hand. After much deliberation, I decided to go with the Schneider Wiesen Edelweiss, a special Oktoberfest brew from Munich. This pleasant beer turned out to have an after taste similar to astringent (beer connoiseurs, feel free to flame me), but check out the cool specially-labeled glasses below!

Ah, the food. Decided to give German sausages another try, and ordered the Wurst Teller mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffel Puree (sausage platter with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes). The mashed potaoes were yummy, the sauerkraut I didn't touch and insisted on foisting upon V. who sat across from me, the sausages were somewhat bland so I dipped them generously into the mustard. One weiner actually looked and tasted like supermarket Oscar Mayer. Hmmm. As my custom is, I started taking pictures of the multi-colored sausage dish. When M. saw this picture (on the left), he quipped, "Now, that looks vaguely pornographic", which elicited a belly laugh from yours truly. Trust me, it was funny. Or maybe it was the half-liter glass of Edelweiss beer working its magic that made it seem funny.

On the whole, the entrees were uneven. The Gebratener Schweinerucken mit Zweibel, Kartoffel-knodel und Rotkraut (pork loin with onion sauce, potato dumplings, and red cabbage) is quite a mouthful to pronounce, and that's about all my seatmate L. ate before declaring it inedible. Out of curiosity, I tried a little of the pork loin, and it was dried out from overcooking and I agreed with her assessment. V. opted for the "Rhineland-style" goulash whose appearance was so unappealing that it made me nostalgic for the Czech goulash I had in Prague (it was that bad). Nevertheless, V. gamely finished every morsel of it and complimented the spatzle side dish. At the other side of the table, D. and his cohorts enjoyed the potato pancakes and sauerbrauten, and thought the sides (mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, red cabbage) were fresh and tasty. A mixed bag, basically.

Would I return to Loreley? To sample specialty, seasonal beers - sure. And to get another glimpse of the nymph Loreley. See, she's got me under her spell already.

Food Vendors @ Red Hook Ball Fields

2007-10-14T21:08:00.000-04:00

I'm sure by now you've heard of the food vendors at the Red Hook ball fields who serve up cheap, delicious food from their homelands. Tacos and huaraches from Mexico, pupusas from El Salvador, ceviche from Ecuador, all side-by-side served in tents with long communal benches. In fact, word of mouth has spread (and NY Times articles written) that roughly half of their clientele are non-Hispanic. Since I had a hankering for ceviche, I took the F train to Smith St. and met up at the Red Hook ball fields with my fellow world food lovers.

I arrived late to find that the others already chomping on their quesadillas. Based on Paula's recommendation, I walked over to a tent with the banner 'Guatemala' and got a tamale (ground corn meal with pork wrapped in banana leaves; first picture) and some jugo de pina (pineapple juice) to wash it down. All for a surprisingly cheap $4.50, so much so that I bantered with the cashier, "Es demasiado barato" (Too cheap), to which she shot back, "Ok, ten dollars!". Next stop was the Ecuadorian tent for a container of ceviche mixto (uncooked seafood and fish marinated in lemon) that some people were hesitant to try owing to some fear about hygienic preparation, but eventually they relented and everyone agreed that it was pretty good. The tamale as well was roundly praised, with Paula going so far to say that it's the best she's ever had. High praise from a 20 year veteran of the culinary industry.

Feeling a little bit hungry, I ventured over to one of the Mexican tents and ordered two tacos. Didn't count on the spiciness of the pork that had be scrambling for another drink, this time some lemonade. Along the way, I shared in some of the food ordered by the other people in the group. The 2nd picture above shows some spicy chorizo, and to the left is a picture of a pupusa from one of the two El Salvadorian tents, basically a thick, hand-made corn tortilla stuffed with pork and cheese, or other fillings. The plantains on the side were coated with brown sugar and thus very sweet, just the way I like it.

Read more about the Latin American food vendors and their struggle to stay permanently at the Red Hook ball fields.

Eating ASAP @ New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe

2007-10-02T20:09:00.001-04:00

Just so you know, the "ASAP" in the title means "Assorted Strange Animal Parts", and the picture on the left is a dish of duck tongues. Feeling queasy now? Our fearless leader Dave of the World Food Lover's Dining Out Group decided to crank up the adventure level and brought eight members of the tribe to New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe restaurant in Chinatown for some tasty bites of animal parts not to be found at your corner Chinese takeout joint. Or, the icky stuff, if you will. Duck tongue was one of the appetizers we ordered, and I did not care for it at all. Felt somwhat like swallowing hair down my throat.

The jellyfish was a little better, somewhat lacking in taste yet crunchy. It wasn't so popular at the table though, everyone was more focused on the beef tendons and ox tongue. I preferred those dishes too, although they were much better at the Pepperheads' meetup at Grand Sichuan St. Marks I attended just about a week earlier. Can't complain though, I love the tendons in general.

Moving on to the entrees chosen for this adventure trip. That huge thing swimming in thick brown sauce is sea cucumber (left pic), which was lacking in taste and the sauce was kinda lumpy. Not appetizing in general. There was also eel with chives, but seriously...eel no longer qualifies as exotic, for me anyway. What I did love was the dish of pig intestines (right pic, somewhat out of focus) - simply superb! With a silky smooth texture, it was just like eating braised fatty pig skin...heavenly! Muy delicioso! Ok, before I run out of superlatives, I'll just say it was easily my favorite dish of the night.

Lest you get the impression that we ate all funky stuff, the group did order some more conventional dishes, like crab, squid, and veggies (I don't eat veggies so wasn't sure which one). So less adventurous diners were sated as well. However, they're not worth writing home about so moving on to the final dish to make sure we all went home with our bellies full: pork belly with bean curd, which is essentially bacon or at least similar to. I liked this dish as well, especially the fatty parts. Doesn't everyone? ;-D

Sripraphai

2007-09-27T18:27:00.001-04:00

Amazingly, after years of reading rave reviews in the NY Times and other magazines breathlessly proclaiming Sripraphai as the "best Thai restaurant in NYC", it had never occured to me to take the #7 train out to Woodside to sample their dishes. And whenever I was in the area, it was to dine at Perlas ng Silangan or another of the Filipino restaurants nearby. So to make up for lost time and satisfy my taste buds, I made plans to meet outside Sripraphai with G. and J., both long-time patrons who were only too happy to describe what I had been missing all along. Stomach growling, I could hardly wait.

The first thing I noticed was how big the restaurant was. The original dining room was spartan and small, but with their popularity Sripraphai has expanded and now has two additional long, narrow and more alluring dining rooms, as well as a spacious garden decorated with hanging flower pots and flanked by water fountains. In short, the place is now glammed up. And crowded. Our party managed to land a table in the garden (the dining rooms were all packed), which was probably the best choice on this pleasant late summer night. I deferred to both J. and G. in choosing the dishes, only nodding my assent from time to time, as I busied myself studying the wine list (another recent addition) and pictures menu.

The chicken pad thai was tasty, without the overly sharp tangy aftertaste I find in other Thai restaurants. G. and J. insisted on ordering the soft-shell crabs with chili garlic and basil leaves, and after a bite I understood why. Normally not a fan of crab, I would definitely come back for this especially tasty dish. We only had it medium spicy, but the heat was sufficient for me. Perhaps in the winter months we can turn the heat level up to "hot". The other dish we shared was a fried whole red snapper with lemongrass sauce, which was also good but could benefit from a little more sauce. As the picture shows, we devoured most of it anyway :-) Although the tables around us were mostly occupied, the noise level was still manageable and didn't drown out our conversation. And after a glass of wine, you'd be hard-pressed to believe you're in Woodside, Queens.

As we prepared to leave, G. and J. were still discussing Sripraphai's Cinderella transformation, but at least a few things haven't changed: the prices are still reasonable for this reliable outpost of authentic Thai cooking, the service is still just adequate, reservations not taken, and credit cards not accepted. Not enough reasons to deter me from hopping on the 7 train again soon.

Sigiri

2007-08-13T20:10:00.001-04:00

You could be forgiven for assuming Sigiri was an Indian restaurant, being just around the corner from Curry Lane (or Spice Alley) on E6th St. where at last twelve Indian restaurants (an unscientific count I made while strolling along that block) via for your business. Sigiri, however, is the only restaurant in Manhattan specializing in hot and spicy Singhalese cuisine, or Sri Lankan food, if you prefer. Don't feel bad - I wasn't familiar with the term either, nor had I tried the cuisine before until a week ago. Did I mention the words "hot and spicy?". Well, if hot and spicy food is present, then you can be sure that the Pepperheads are not far away!

The management of Sigiri was nice enough to close down the restaurant to accommodate our group of 28 die-hard Pepperheads. David, our head Chili chief, worked with them to come up with a multi-course menu that guaranteed a hot, steamy night for everyone. Things started off with the appetizer sampler (dhal vade, fish cutlets, vegetable spring rolls, and fish spring rolls) which whetted our appetites for the stronger stuff. Then, the floodgates opened. In quick succession arrived the fish curry, beef curry, chicken curry, pork devilled grill, and dhal curry (lentils) - all fiery yet flavorful dishes that reduced the Pepperheads to a silent bunch concentrating intently on wiping our perspiring foreheads (and teary eyes), unbuttoning our top collar buttons, whining about the A/C, and gulping down glasses of water to put out the fires inside our mouths, which turned out to be quite ineffective. (Tip: the Sri Lankan mango cordials will do the trick). Some of the more genial Pepperheads were seen laughing and trying their best to cope with the stratospheric spice level, while others just sat shell-shocked waiting to regain sensation on their overwhelmed tongues.

At the end of the night, everyone agreed that this was the hottest meal (and biggest challenge) the Pepperheads had ever experienced, and Sigiri was an amazing discovery worth sharing and returning to.

Cho Dang Gol

2007-07-23T22:29:00.002-04:00

Coming off a week-long trip to the Czech Republic that was excellent in all respects other than the culinary department, I was in the mood for a pig out session in the company of other committed foodies. Thankfully, one of my favorite Meetup groups, the NYC Pepperheads, had an event going on - fiery Korean food at Cho Dang Gol in K-town. As the mission of the Pepperheads states, the group seeks to bring together people who like to sample cuisines that challenge the tastebuds (read: hot 'n spicy).

Pictured above is the seafood and tofu soup that I chose for the appetizer. Not too spicy, but definitely delicious and a great start to the meal. I already felt a bit full after finishing that and eating some of the traditional Korean pancakes. Other choices were kimchi/tofu soup and the milder vegetable/tofu soup, both of them similarly delicious according to the people at my table. To the right is pan fried spicy pollock which I couldn't get enough off, and apparently most felt the same way, as I snagged but one piece before it all disappeared.

But most of all, the entree that made me glad I had a bottle of OB Korean beer at hand was the pan fried spicy squid with noodles, veggies, and tofu on a hot stone plate. This one simply exuded raw HEAT!!! Eventually the sweat beads started to appear, and I was gulping down water as fast as the waiter could refill the glass. Whew! That capped off one heck of a meal, which along with the free-wheeling conversation/debate at the table, made it quite an enjoyable night with the Pepperheads. I eagerly await the next hot 'n spicy outing.

Kyotofu

2007-05-08T14:46:00.000-04:00

Never one to pass up on dessert, ventured into Midtown to search for Kyotofu, the relatively new Japanese dessert bar getting a lot of positive buzz. It was a bit hard to find (if you're unsure of the address or cross streets, as I was), with only a small red-lined sign set against the whitewashed wall to indicate the wooden door entrance. A full-height glass window entices passers-by to peek inside at all the happy folk by the bar downing their desserts and sake. The simple, low-key, elegant design extends into the minimalist dining room which is lined with white cushions, combined with wooden panelling and recessed lighting.

My friend R. had been to Kyotofu a few times, and since she had a lot of recommended desserts I opted for the three-course Kaiseki dessert sampler ($15) with sake pairing (additional $12). No, I wasn't trying to get drunk :-D. The picture on the left is the signature sweet tofu served with kuromitsu black sugar sauce topped by candied apricot. Mmmm...simple yet delectably sweet! The sesame shochu (distilled Japanese liquor) on the rocks provided a complimentary strong, bright finish that jolted my taste buds.

Next up was the Japanese okayu rice pudding, made with ginger infused soymilk, seven spice tuile and candied ginger (I admit, I'm reading off the cardboard menu). It is not the one pictured to the right. That one was ordered by R., and is the warm raspberry mochi chocolate cake topped by green tea anko cream, almond nougatine and kinako gelee. Yet another sharply sweet fancy-schmancy concoction especially the raspberry inside the chocolate.

Last course were a couple of chewy green tea-dipped cookies with almonds and sesame seeds paired with plum sake, a lighter less sweet version of plum wine. Speaking of sake, due to a minor snafu with bringing out the sake pairings, Kyotofu management provided complementary glasses of Komekome (Happy Bride) seasonal sake to our table, which was easily the best among the ones I tasted. R. and E. agreed with my assessment as well. A lovely gesture on their part.

Kyotofu offers a dizzying array of cocktails (shochu caipirinha anyone?), sake, and appetizers (e.g. cheese, rice balls) as well. Perfect for a light snack or after-hours hangout.

Big Onion Multi-Ethnic Eating tour

2007-04-28T21:20:00.000-04:00

So, I had a free afternoon and felt like walking around the city while munching on goodies from different cuisines. Thus after a few years of putting it off, decided to join the multi-ethnic eating tour offered by Big Onion, which snakes its way through the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown. It's actually a combination walking and eating tour, with commentary regarding the neighborhoods' history, settlers, and architecture given by the guides, but we'll focus on the food and places we stopped at to nosh (a way of saying I forgot all about the historical part).

First stop was Kossar's Bialys, the oldest bialy bakery in the USA and a Lower East Side landmark. I've never had one before, so this was a good intro into the chewy, doughy baked Polish roll (somewhat similar to a bagel). Verdict: tastes ok, though not really something I'd eat on my own (for the record, I don't like bagels either. Give me a Dunkin Donuts Boston Creme donut anytime).

Then off we were to visit The Pickle Guys, which offer a huge variety of pickles, tomatoes, olives and more. They make the pickles by storing them in barrels and letting them sit in salt brine with garlic and spices for a period ranging from a day to six months. Ignorant as I was about pickles, I was surprised to find several varieties, like "1/2 sour pickles", "3/4 sour pickles", "horseradish pickles", and so on - who knew?? Certainly not me, who comes in contact only with the pickles on top of my Big Mac. We all got one pickle each but I politely declined my share. The other 29 people (mostly groups of tourists) savored their pickle contentedly. Bah.

Crossing over into Chinatown, our guide J. ducked into Lucky King Bakery and brought out assorted goodies - delicious cookies and other treats. Another bakery we visited later in Chinatown was May May Chinese Gourmet Bakery where the tour ended. Despite its name, May May actually sells all sorts of food - I had discovered a year ago that they offered several varieties of Chinese rice dumplings, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings (meat, red beans) and wrapped in bamboo leaves. They offered us two pieces of dimsum each - one a conventional pork siomai, and the other a vegetarian dumpling. Tasted ok, but I've had better dimsum.

Finally, in Little Italy, we stopped at Di Palo's Fine Foods, one of New York's great family-owned Italian stores renowned for their cheese, prepared foods, and other traditional Italian delicacies. By this time the tourists had filled up on the bialys, pickles and cookies, thus it was my turn to uncontestedly gobble up the extra mozzarella balls (molto bene!) and thinly-sliced sausage. Unquestionably the highlight of the food tasting tour.

"Look, ma...no sushi!"

2007-04-15T22:05:00.000-04:00

It was ironic that I, possessing minimal cooking skills, actually ventured into the Cooper Square branch of Gyu-kaku, the Japanese BBQ chain specializing in tableside grilling of meats, fish and veggies. Thing is - as their slogan proclaims, "Be your own chef". Um, ok.
The restaurant itself is huge, dimly-lit and packed with groups of mostly Asian diners, who looked like they knew how to operate the smokeless braziers that were guaranteed not to make your clothes smell like grilled Kobe beef (says Gyu-kaku's site, and something I can attest to).

Our group of six (damn two no-shows!) hungry chowhounds opted for the Shogun and Geisha prix-fixe menus. Notwithstanding the title of this post, we did have some raw fish - the first appetizer was salty, diced chunks of ahi poke, a Hawaiian tuna delicacy. Next came more appetizers - kimchee (willingly gave away my share), salad, gyoza soup. By now we were raring to taste some juicy meat dishes and test our culinary skills (the others, anyway).

The server brought plates of US Kobe toro steak and my personal favorite Kobe kalbi (short ribs, pictured) and instructed us to grill them on each side for 45 and 30 seconds, respectively. The foil-wrapped asparagus and mushroom medley followed quickly, and these had to be left on the grill for 3 minutes on each side - the tell-tale sign that they had to be turned over was if the foil expanded. Hysterically enough, our group seemingly possessed a combination of poor listening and comprehension skills, as there resulted some mild confusion as to which dish had to be grilled for how long, and we had to ask the server to repeat the instructions. Good for some chuckles and kept the group's spirits animated (helped along by the sake).

Oh yeah, throw in poor time keeping skills as we sometimes lost track of how long the veggies had been sitting there while we yakked away, but the mushrooms and veggies were none the worse for wear and tasted delicious like all the other dishes. Pretty soon, Tai and Joel (the primary grill masters) got the routine pat down and worked their magic on the Chilean sea bass, harami (skirt steak), chicken basil, and shrimp garlic. Trust me, it was every inch the glorious feast that it sounds like.

Dessert provided a pleasing end to a fun, interesting and entertaining evening. The first one was a nostalgic favorite for all Boy Scouts out there - S'mores with marshmallows and chocolate (milk or dark). I let Joel do the honors in toasting my marshmallow lightly, as my camping skills are even more non-existent than my cooking skills. We were a bunch of happy campers (pun intended) munching on this sinfully rich, gooey treat.

Gyu-kaku's signature dessert, Dorayaki ice cream, followed suit. The pancakes are grilled for five (count 'em!) seconds on each side, and topped with a choice of green tea, red bean or vanilla (boring!!!) ice cream. An innovative if somewhat strange combination. The pancakes pictured seem to have been ever-so-slightly burnt but nonetheless tasted amazing. Dining at Gyu-kaku is a wonderful experience for every meat lover - even if you have to do your own cooking :-)

Pam's Real Thai food

2007-04-10T15:29:00.001-04:00

"Dinner at 5:45pm?! And we need reservations???". I typed the quizzical reply to my friend's email. If only she could see my eyebrows shooting skyward. Before pressing the Send button, I added sarcastically, "This isn't Nobu or Le Bernardin, right?". No, but what THIS was, as I discovered, is one of the most authentic Thai restos in the city - Pam Real Thai (is this bad grammar or what?!) on W49th St. & 9th Ave. In contrast to most places that water down the intensity of their dishes to suit the American palate, it's a no-holds-barred smorgasbord at Pam Real Thai. Lest you make the mistake of misjudging the hotness of each dish, the number of tiny chili peppers indicate the likelihood that you'll be frantically reaching for the glass of water.

We started of with the excellent som tum (green papaya salad), a mixture of shredded green papaya with garlic, chili, tomato, lime juice, and peanuts. The sharp, tangy lime juice contrasted with zesty chili produced an indescribably delectable taste. Another appetizer we tried was the hae guen, crab meat wrapped in bean curd sheets and served with sweet chili sauce (notice a recurring theme here?). This one tasted ok, if lacking in flavor. On the whole, somewhat forgettable.

The main courses were all excellent and ultra-spicy. In addition to the obligatory pad thai, our group had the crispy duck in chili sauce ("recommended by Village Voice", an opinion I concur with) and staring at you from the picture, a whole deep fried red snapper in basil sauce, bell pepper and chili. As you can imagine, by this time we wiping off our sweaty foreheads, loosening our collars, and heavily sniffling. All that HEAT!!! For good measure, I ordered sweet Thai iced coffee to eliminate any chance of my tongue bursting into flames.

And wouldn't you know it? By 6:30pm all the tables at Pam Real Thai were occupied, and by 7pm a waiting line had formed. Simply amazing, given the resto's spartan (ok, cafeteria-like) ambiance and non-acceptance of credit cards. Happily, great food trumps bad decor, so much so that they have a newly-opened branch two blocks over on 47th St. called Pam Real Thai Encore. This location is a more hip, dimly-lit version offering the same food at the same reasonable prices. Make sure to visit them before it becomes as widely-known as the original.

Lip-smacking Luzzo

2007-03-28T22:43:00.000-04:00

Just when we were at a loss where to celebrate AJ's 40th (!!!) birthday, his Italian acquaintances recommended Luzzo's Restaurant in the East Village, serving authentic Neapolitan coal-oven pizza. According to them, this was the best place in the city - an honor that many establishments lay claim to.

It was a bustling Saturday night at Luzzo's even at 7pm. The cozy front seating area, flanked on one side by a brick wall with pots and pans hanging from it, led into a bigger dining room where the chefs prepared and tossed the pizzas into the huge coal ovens. We were hard-pressed to choose among the twenty different styles of pizza, but eventually opted for the Martha, topped with bufala mozzarella, fresh truffles and prosciutto. (I rooted hard for Martha, being a big lover of prociutto). Predictably enough, everyone loved it, and I found the soft chewy crust a pleasant surprise.

To wash down the delectable pizza, appetizers (calamari, potato crochettes, rice balls, mozarella sticks) and Trio di Carne (with leftover tomato sauce being mopped up, as shown), the staff in their charming Italian accents suggested their best wine, La Lumia Cadetto - made from Sicily's most popular red grape used in the region's bestselling wines, the Nero d'Avola. We then drank to AJ's milestone and health, cheered our good fortune in discovering Luzzo's, and agreed that a return visit to Luzzo's was in order to sample the other nineteen pizza varieties.

The Wing or the Thigh...Yum!

2007-03-20T15:48:00.001-04:00

I had passed by A.O.C. (L'Aile ou la Cuisse) a few times and had always wanted to eat there, more so recently given my increasing interest in la cuisine francaise. The restaurant resembled your classic neighborhood French bistro, the blue color maybe? Looking up the intriguing name in my French-English food dictionary yielded "The Wing or the Thigh", coincidentally my two favorite chicken parts. That settled it - I'm going in!

The front area of A.O.C. was fully occupied, and after a few minutes waiting at the bar and overhearing snippets of French conversation, our party was led into the spacious dining room at the back. The contrast was from the noisy, jampacked front area was a pleasant, if startling, surprise. There is also a seasonal outdoor garden ideal for peaceful summer dining. So, the place is huge! Couldn't have figured that one out just by casually walking past it on the street.

For starters, had the delectable escargots with garlic and parsley. Instantly reminded me of my trip to Paris, and I wish the order came with more than six escargots. Made up for it by mopping up the sauce with the bread, so much so that I became almost full from that alone. But wait! The main course is still coming - confit de canard or duck confit.

Doesn't that duck confit look mouth-watering? Well, trust me - I still remember the crunchy skin crackling as I chewed, and the moist, flavorful duck meat. It came garnished with frisee salad, cauliflower gratin, and sweet Grand Marnier sauce. Not really knowledgeable about wine pairings with duck (note to self: ask Kiki), but opted to treat myself to a glass of Rhone Valley syrah to finish off the superb lunch at A.O.C. in style.

For more information about A.O.C., check out their website.

Happy Year of the Pig

2007-02-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Mindful of the winter storm slush and barricades, the throngs patiently waited at the intersection for the light to change as the cars on Canal St. slowly passed by, tangled up in the usual traffic. Members of New York's finest were on hand to regulate the flow of pedestrians crossing onto Mott St. As the newly-arrived descended upon the area, they found themselves jostling with yet even more visitors on the confetti-laden streets, most of whom had their digital cameras or camcorders held high up in the air, trying to capture every scene from the Chinese New Year festivities.

Two feisty looking dragons, accompanied by drum beats and squealing trumpets, strutted their way down Mott St. followed by a huge crowd that virtually made the street impassable. After performing a brief mambo in front of each establishment, the dragons would then make their way inside to better ward off the evil spirits. After all, who doesn't want a fresh start to the New Year? Numerous celebrants held long, thin noise makers - as they are wound, a loud pop guaranteed to scare the living daylights out of unwitting passers-by is released, while simultaneously a shower of colorful confetti shoots out of the tube. Some couldn't quite grasp how to work the noise maker though, eliciting much giggling among their family members. A crowd pleaser, indeed.

After a few minutes of loitering and watching the festivities, I took a circuitous route along the parallel side streets and arrived at my destination, Mr. Tang, for the true purpose of my foray into Chinatown on this crowded day - a sumptuous banquet with friends. What could me more appropriate to celebrate the Year of the Pig than by pigging out on an eight-course meal, including succulent peking duck? As expected, the assorted meat, poultry and seafood dishes were demolished in due time - so, to all my readers, Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Super Sushi Samba

2007-02-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

I was skeptical when we decided to have my birthday dinner at Sushi Samba. But trying to decide while walking down Park Ave. on a cold miserable night was not my idea of fun, so I relented. Reasons for my skepticism? Well, pardon me for being somewhat suspicious of a restaurant that serves three cuisines - Japanese, Peruvian, and Brazilian - as if mastery in one isn't enough. Also, Sushi Samba's gaudy, bright orange interiors, loud music, and attractive bartenders lent an aura of style over substance. And of course, everyone knows that Samantha (or was it Miranda?) dined here in an episode of "Sex and the City", thus attracting mobs of celebrity-seekers and camera-toting tourists. Are these sufficient enough?

Took a while for our party to figure out what we wanted, we kept flip-flopping among dishes from the cuisines mentioned above. They all sounded so good. Started off with a pisco sour, the Peruvian national drink. It came just as expected, with egg white foam on top, and tasted as good as the ones I've had in Peru. Food-wise, I stuck to the small plates and ordered king salmon ceviche (uncooked fish marinated in lemon) and shrimp anticuchos (skewers) over corn. Struck gold with both dishes as they were perfectly executed. Had to admit, I was impressed...make that very impressed.

As per our usual practice, my dining companions and I freely shared the various small plates we ordered. Other standouts were chicharon de calamar, with its light cornmeal coating and tamarind sauce leaving a sweet sensation on the tongue, and the miso-marinated sea bass anticuchos which were devoured in a snap. Just when I was about to get more...they were gone!!! No wonder then that they were the general consensus for best dish of the night.

We stumbled out of Sushi Samba delighted at our discovery. I was happily disabused of my preconceived notions and despite the adage that a "free meal is always delicious", I am eager to return to Sushi Samba for seconds.

Le diner au Le Tableau

2007-02-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

Although I'm reaching that point when I dread that annual reminder of loss of youth, it still excites me when my friends offer to celebrate my birthday in style by voluntarily spending their money on filling my belly and plying me with drinks. Especially if the resto and cuisine are a grand departure from our usual cheapo haunts. So that is how I found myself at Le Tableau, an intimate bistrot moderne in Alphabet City, last Sunday night. M. highly recommended this place and while waiting for her to arrive, I sat at the miniscule bar at the left of the entrance drinking sauvignon blanc and surveyed the red-colored walls decorated with contemporary paintings and framed mirrors. The day's specials were crawled on a huge chalkboard on the far wall towards the kitchen, though with the dim lighting it was hard to decipher the handwriting.

With fond memories of the Paris trip still in mind, I started off with the "Escargot Classique with butter & garlic sauce". How fun it would be to try to pry them out of the hard shells with those tiny forceps! However, the escargot that arrived looked much different than expected. They were already out of the shell, came with a light white sauce, and came with a generous helping of spinach! Horrors! (No big fan of veggies, as you can tell). At first I thought the restaurant staff had made a mistake because in the dim light I couldn't see the escargot under all that spinach! The dish tasted pretty good, actually, but I do miss the butter and garlic classic way of preparation.

We fared better on the entrees. The salmon strudel with fingerling potatoes (left) was flaky and sufficiently moist. The pan roasted monk fish (right) was just cooked right, and the cauliflower puree underneath was simply superb, even though I initially mistook them for mashed potatoes - again I blame the dim lighting, and my general unfamiliarity with veggies :-D

For dessert, we chose from the hard-to-decipher specials board and wound up with a creamy, not-too-sweet ricotta tarte with white wine and thyme sauce (left), and gianduja chocolate cake. Both desserts were simply delicious, especially when washed down with two glasses of Rosa Regale Brachetto 2004 sparkling red wine. I am so enamored with this wine from the Tuscan region of Italy that I am on a mission to hunt it down at my local liquor store. M. had the St. John's Commandaria dessert wine from Greece to pair with the ricotta tarte, which I found somewhat (for lack of a better term) cough-syrupy.

In all, Le Tableau offers good simple French dishes, attentive wait staff, extensive wine list, and a conducive atmosphere for a quiet, relaxed dinner. Check out their website.

Chugging Tea at Cha-an

2007-01-28T22:26:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: A slightly different version of this post also appears here at Associated Content.

Despite growing up in a tea-drinking culture and being aware of its health benefits, I never really found the stuff appealing, preferring to ingest my daily dose of caffeine through a four-cups-a-day coffee habit. On the rare occasion that I am forced to drink tea, I usually opt for mint tea with heaps of sugar - picked up from my vacation in Morocco, minus the tea leaves of course. Fortunately, the opportunity to expand my knowledge of this beverage arose when I met Kiki of Tea Tour NY, and was able to attend the Japanese tea tasting event held recently at Cha-An tea house on East 9th St.

Situated unobstrusively between a parking garage and an Irish pub, I spotted Cha-An's sign and climbed up the stairs led into the low-lit, spare main room. The fifteen or so tea enthusiasts in Kiki's group were there to sample eight different varieties of Japanese and Chinese teas, including Matcha, the powdered green tea served in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. Food accompaniments included some light tea-time fare, and the Cha-An Tea Set (15-grain rice and assortment of 6 mini-appetizers) for those who opted for it. We kicked things off with two varieties of Sencha tea, described by Kiki as the most refined and sophisticated of Japanese teas. Both tasted good (even from a non-expert point of view), though I preferred a stronger flavor. At the same time, we snacked on the green tea biscuits and truffles (pictured), both delicious and perfect for those with a sweet tooth, yours truly included. Sadly, only one piece of each was allotted per person - maybe next time I can devour an entire order of the truffles.

The next tea was Genmaicha, sometimes referred to as "popcorn tea" because of the roasted brown rice combined with the green tea. Genmaicha didn't go down well in our table, with most of the participants disliking the burnt flavor, but I personally thought it was fine and liked the stronger roasted flavor. In addition to the light, flaky sweet potato samosa (yet another recommended appetizer), I also started working on the cha-gayu (15 grain rice) and the other mini-dishes that came with the Cha-An tea set, including bamboo shoots, seaweed, and sumptuous chicken with eggplant. And yes, the tea just kept on coming - next in line was Hojicha, a lower grade of tea than Sencha but quite popular to drink before sleeping due to its low caffeine content.

The green tea used for Japanese tea ceremonies, Matcha, was served as well, followed by Tencha, the base tea used for making Matcha. The food pairing with the Matcha tea was sweet rice cakes with a light soybean powder coating which were yummy and ate a lot of, since the people at my table seemed full already. At this point my unsophisticated tea palate had gotten somewhat confused what with the different varieties, but I recall liking the Hojicha and Matcha, and finding the Tencha somewhat bitter. For a change of pace, the last two teas served were Chinese teas - one had a chrysanthemum flower inside the pot, the memories of the fragrant smell and sweet aftertaste still linger in my mind. The last one was jasmine tea. If it sounded like we drank a lot of tea, well...we did! Time flew by quickly, and before we knew it three hours had passed.

To cap off the fun, interesting, and educational tea tasting event, Kiki gave each of us as a parting gift an assortment of tea sachets from Harney and Sons. Everyone had a great time, and full credit goes to Kiki's efforts and passion in sharing her love of tea. As for me, while it is doubtful that I will be giving up my cups of Joe anytime soon, further experimentation beyond my tired mint tea routine is in order - a cup of Dragon Pearl Jasmine does sound enticing in the morning.

Gastronomic Delights with Gustavo

2007-01-23T14:15:00.000-05:00

It saddened and shocked me when Gustavo remarked that he hadn't been enjoying the food. Here we were in Paris, one of the exemplary culinary cities in the world, thus surely a good meal could be found just by walking into any proper restaurant. But then I recalled some of the meals he'd had so far - the crappy chicken and spaghetti at the Italian pizza place (don't ask...sigh), the crap at the cabaret Moulin Rouge, and of course, who could forget the crappy Christmas dinner at our hotel in London with the inedible beef, inedible pork, inedible lamb...well, inedible everything, really. Thus, I boldly declared to him, "Come sightseeing with me tomorrow, and I promise you won't eat any crap".

The next day saw us take the metro to Montmartre, the lovely neighborhood teaming with cafes, restaurants, and eye-catching, mouth-watering food shops (refer to 1st photo...we stood outside the window staring and salivating). The streets are perenially jammed with tourists, as well as artists willing to do your portrait. Despite the crowds, Montmartre retains its appeals and is a must-see for anyone visiting Paris. After some sightseeing which included me huffing and puffing my way up the circular staircase to the dome of the Sacre Couer church for some great views of the city (paying five euros for the privilege, no less), Gustavo and I were ready for lunch. We were spoiled for choices, and after scrutinizing the prix-fixe offerings of a few restaurants we settled on Le Progres.

After some delay in deciphering the written-only-in-French menu (I generally avoided restaurants with English menus, preferring to torture myself... seriously, the absence of English-language menus correlate to better food), and with the aide of my trusty French-English food dictionary and restaurant guide, we finally managed to make our choices. Not normally a fan of salads, I nevertheless had the seafood salad and lamb chops, while Gustavo had soup and breast of duck with honey sauce (pictured), which was superb according to him. My dishes were equally tasty, and I liked the seafood salad enough to devour all of it. So both of us were happy campers as we came out of Le Progres for more exploring. Predictably enough, a couple of hours of sightseeing later, we were both famished and eager for a snack. Luckily, we stumbled upon a tiny (only eight seats) crepe place near the Centre Pompidou.

Again, it took a while to place our order, both due to the numerous choices written on the board, and trying to figure out what they were. Unfortunately, the proprietress didn't speak English and couldn't quite answer our questions, compounding our woes. She, however, kept demanding in a loud voice what our order was despite our hemming and hawing, much to the amusement of the group of six Italians occupying the rest of the tables, who awaited each of mine and Gustavo's mangled French phrases with bated breath, followed by comments amongst themselves and then uproarious laughter coupled with pitying glances in our direction. Not all was lost however, as the crepes proved satisfying.

As it was our last night together in Paris, we met up with Jo and Amy back at the hotel. I suggested that we have dinner at Le Hangar, a family-run restaurant serving excellent, reasonably-priced French food in the Fourth Arrondisement. Le Hangar was recommended to me by my friend Maureen who dined there almost every night on her trip to Paris a few years ago. Tucked away in a dead-end alley and somewhat challenging to find, I had dined there by myself a couple of nights ago and thoroughly enjoyed my appetizer, lentil soup with foie gras, and main course - duck with foie gras and potatoes. Thus, I thought this would a good choice for exposure to real French food and to wash away the memories of all the crappy food we've had. Try as I might though, I had difficulty convincing either of the other three to order the lentil soup with foie gras, although I let them have a taste. For the main course, Amy ordered the gnocchi, Jo and Gustavo both had the beef stroganoff which came with deep-fried potato balls that melted in your mouth, while I had the foie gras over mashed potatoes (pictured).

Happily enough, everyone was pleased with their food. Despite the hard-to-read handwritten menus (in French only, bien sur) and no credit card policy, I wager that my companions would return to Le Hangar on future trips to Paris. For dessert, I had Le Hangar's special "mi-cuit" (warm, I think) chocolate cake which was superb and unanimously loved. Overall, not only was it a great meal, but also a pleasant and fitting end to our trip. As for Gustavo, he seemed pretty pleased with the day's adventures and at the chance to expand his gastronomic palate, so I can confidently say my promise to him was fulfilled. Now, Gustavo, about trying those escargots...

Pricey High Tea at the Savoy

2007-01-09T16:21:00.000-05:00

The lone culinary highlight in London was partaking in the British tradition of high tea, in this case at the luxurious, opulent five-star (everything our hotel was not) Savoy hotel. Since every attraction and museum in London was closed on Christmas day, there wasn't much to do so I got dragged into eating sumptuous biscuits and scones, flaky French pastries and tarts, and delicate sandwiches by the girls. To wash all this down, each of us also got a pot of tea (flavor of your choice), and not being a big tea drinker I opted for my usual mint tea, a habit carried over from the trip to Morocco.

The privilege (yes, that's what it is) of high tea at the Savoy doesn't come cheap - GBP31.50($63), not including the service charge. There is also a "Champagne high tea" option which for an additional GBP7($14), includes a glass of the bubbly. Two of us (me included) got caught up in the holiday euphoria and fell for this scam, but thankfully the usually efficient Savoy staff made an error and billed us only for one Champagne high tea. I have to admit the food was really good, and the staff just kept bringing more and more scones and sandwiches and tarts - so even if it's debatable that it was worth it, at least we stuffed our faces trying to get our money's worth. Also managed to generate disapproving glances from an older British couple at the adjoining table by acting like super-excited tourists. Total bill per person: a whopping GBP35($70). Someone please do something about that darn exchange rate.

Yummy Mole Poblano

2006-12-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

What is that brown, rich, thick, chocolatey sauce surrounding the sunny side up eggs??? Looks a bit like chocolate, doesn't it? Well, it is in fact a complex type of mole (the Mexican version of a curry) called mole poblano, a specialty of the city of Puebla which is about an hour away from Mexico City. Although I wasn't able to visit Puebla on this trip, mole poblano is readily available in other parts as well. Half of fifty or so ingredients in this extraordinary mixture are different types of chile, but the most notable ingredient is - yes, you guessed right, chocolate!. If you're cringing this very moment and wondering what this concoction tastes like, well I'd be the first to encourage you to definitely try it. And for the record, it tastes like spicy chocolate, to me anyway. Does that help, or still hard to imagine? Definitely yummy though. As with most authentic Mexican dishes, the tortilla cannot be far behind. Under the eggs is a layer of ham stacked between two tortillas, so it makes for quite a filling meal.

Another dish that I normally have for breakfast is huevos rancheros, which is fried eggs on a tortilla with hot hot red salsa. And of course, the ever-present staple of Mexican cuisine and invariable accompaniment to egg dishes - frijoles or beans. In this case the beans are served up mashed, as shown on the left side of the picture. I have to admit that the spiciness was quite addictive, and I've developed a liking for ranchero-style meat entrees. If ever you are in need of a jolt, just order one of them - easy on the sauce though, or your mouth will feel like its on fire, or better yet just be sure to have a tall glass of water or soda at the ready.

So, the next time you visit your neighborhood Mexican resto (NOT Taco Bell, duh), scan the menu and take a chance on mole poblano dishes.

P.S. For NYC and area residents, a good place for mole poblano is Pio Maya (Taqueria Mexicana), on West 8th St. near 6th Ave. It's a tiny joint doing most take-out business and not much to look at, but great for cheap, authentic and filling Mexican food.

Let Your Fingers do the Grocery Shopping

2006-10-12T22:05:00.000-04:00

Yes, online shopping has definitely become part of the mainstream - people spend billions of dollars without batting an eyelash on books, music, travel, clothing, toys, and other stuff, but how about this one? Groceries!! Pointing and clicking for fresh produce, meat, seafood, and dairy products sound unthinkable?! Not to me!

Lest I be accused of extreme sloth, let me point out that lugging grocery bags from the parking garage to the 33rd floor ain't my idea of a picnic. And there has been many a time when I wanted to clear out entire sections of Whole Foods, but alas, the prospect of carrying my purchases while walking to the PATH station and then up and down the stairs has been too daunting, thus I have to practice self-control and keep it to twelve or so items at a time. This in turn leads to more time and effort spent schlepping to Whole Foods or ShopRite, which gets annoying really fast especially when the lines at the checkout counters resemble that of popular rides at Six Flags.

There MUST be a better way. Thankfully enough, someone actually did something about it - in the from of Fresh Direct. This is the new way to shop for food - just point and click, and voila, it's delivered right to your door the next day! Isn't this the greatest thing since sliced bread? :-) The website itself is very conducive to shopping, with vivid pictures that are guaranteed to make you drool and detailed descriptions of the wide array of specialty foodstuffs available. Moreover, I love the wide selection of organic foods (trying to eat healthier) and some hard-to-find favorites, like fruit yogurt drinks in different flavors and super yummy coffee creamline milk (no bovine growth hormones!) from Ronnybrook Farm, and bottled peach oolong (Fair Trade certified, to boot) and mint tea (ah, nostalgic for the good ol' days in Morocco) offered by Honest Tea.

Not only that, Fresh Direct has enlisted Chef Terrance Brennan of the renowned Manhattan restaurants Picholine and Artisan to come up with ready-to-eat meals, some of which look quite mouth-watering. Surely my next order will include some of them, probably the shrimp romesco with paella rice and chorizo. Hmm...or make that the equally tempting but quite pricey boneless rack of lamb with goat cheese orzo and ratatouille...oh, life is full of tough decisions. Sorry, was that your stomach growling in hunger? ;-P

Ok, back to my initial Fresh Direct experience. The delivery person arrived at 8:15pm, way earlier than the designated delivery time frame of 10:30pm to midnight and wheeled in three huge boxes which I unpacked excitedly. In a few minutes, I became delirious at the sight of all the food, helped along by the sweet aroma of the organic Fair Trade Nicaraguan Segovia coffee (double certification, hooray) which I can't wait to try tomorrow morning. Been quite a while since I've been this excited to wake up on a workday. The only minor quibble I have are the cracked eggs (only one of the half-dozen survived intact), but serves me right for including them in the order at the last minute. Now, excuse me while I get started on these organic zero-trans fat guacamole chips and garlic cilantro salsa.

UPDATE: After completing the Fresh Direct first-order feedback survey, they gave me a $25 off coupon code on my next order, if placed within the next 2 weeks. FREE FOOD GALORE!!!

Chowtime @ Crema

2006-09-25T21:03:00.002-04:00

It struck me as somewhat odd that I hadn't had much occasion to sample the delights of the cuisine south of the border, not counting sporadically treating myself to the #5 Chalupa combo at Taco Bell. I totally miss the gorditas!. Of course no one seriously thinks the talking chihuahua is selling real Mexican food, so I was glad that my Meetup brunch group recently had brunch at the hip restaurant Crema in Chelsea. As you can see, the sign outside its doors proudly declares that it was voted "#1 Best Mexican" by Citysearch.

Our group immediately took a liking to the bright interiors which gave a light, welcoming vibe. The predominant orange hue reminded me of the similarly-colored shirts I used to wear to work that attracted quite a lot of raised eyebrows. LOL. As most of us were starved, we ordered from the brunch menu immediately and eagerly sipped the mimosas while waiting for the food to arrive.

Finally, the food came, and I managed to hold off the urge to dig in immediately, and took a few snapshots - all in the name of research not only for the readers of this blog, but also for my upcoming trip to Mexico (you heard it here first!!).

Top left: Huevos motulenos, fried eggs over a tostada with black beans, turkey ham, avocado penela cheese and fresh salsa
Top right: Taquitos de Huevo Al Chile Guajillo, rolled flour tortillas filled with scrambled eggs and guajillo chile paste; beware, the sauce is hottttt
Bottom left: Tortitas de Elote Dulce, sweet corn flan fritters with goat cheese and rojas poblanas
Everyone's verdict was: not only do the dishes taste great, the presentation is quite enticing as well. A second visit to try the other brunch menu items is in order. For more details about Crema, check out their website here.

Sugar Fix @ Pasticceria Bruno

2006-09-08T22:29:00.000-04:00

THAT is one of the sumptuous, delectable desserts at Pasticceria Bruno on Bleecker St., the dulce de leche cheesecake. I stumbled upon this place when I went on the Walking and Eating Tour of Greenwich Village, and after seeing Pasticceria Bruno included in the book "New York's 50 Best Places to Enjoy Dessert", it was a no-brainer. I had to take one for the team and devour sweet pastries in the name of research.

Pasticceria Bruno, along with its sister establishment Bruno Bakery, is run by the award-winning Italian pastry chef Biagio Settepani. He was named one of the best pastry chefs back in 2000 by Pastry Art and Design magazine. Both places have the works - all sorts of pastries, tarts, cakes, cookies, bisotti, etc. to make your mouth drool and ensure that choosing would be a tough proposition.

Finally, after peering intently at the items within the display case for ages, decided on both the dulce de leche cheesecake and mango mousse. I found the former to be a little too sweet, while the latter was simply perfect and something I'd go back for. (No surprise here, since I love mangoes). Will surely try the cannoli, zupetta, sfogliatella, and other Italian specialties on my next visit.

To learn more about Pasticceria Bruno and Bruno bakery, check out their website. Make sure to click on the "Pastry Shop" option on the menu to see their wide selection of pastries.

Run, Don't Walk, to L'Ecole

2006-08-20T12:19:00.000-04:00

Would you let an apprentice barber cut your hair? Or do you prefer to watch Broadway shows with the understudy substituting for a lead star? Not that it matters. If yes, then you'd be right at home at L'Ecole, the restaurant at the French Culinary Institute. If no, after having a 5-course dinner there, you'd no doubt be impressed by the creativity and taste of the menu selections. Finding out that the same dishes were prepared not by top New York chefs but rather students of the institute would just add to your amazement.

As you can see from the photos during a recent visit, the food looks absolutely delicious and actually is. At $40 (increased from $35 recently) for a 5-course meal which includes BOTH a fish and meat entree, it truly is an amazing bargain. And the portions are not bite-sized, as the case most often is in Manhattan's French restaurants.

It is pointless to discuss specific menus here, as not only are the menu selections different for the 6pm and 830pm seatings, but they also change everyday (so you can conceivably dine there for an entire week without eating the same dish twice), but for more information check out the L'Ecole website here

La Carte sans Prix

2006-08-16T22:03:00.000-04:00

Devoted readers of this blog no doubt would already have checked out the "NY Times Food Critic's Blog" (under Links), but for those who haven't done so, this recent post titled Disappearing Ink makes for some very interesting reading, not only the actual entry itself but more so the 100+ readers who have weighed in.

In a nutshell, the issue raised is that of menus which DO NOT show the prices of the food items contained therein. Why on earth would anyone request such? Well, consider this: If you happen to be taking someone to dinner on a date, and for some reason do not wish her to see how much money you're throwing away on her in the hopes of getting...never mind. Personally, I would opt for the opposing tactic. LOL

Here is the link again to the blog post.

Those farmboys in Omaha

2006-08-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

Decided to skip my scheduled Brazilian group dinner and dashed home to load the latest shipment of Omaha Steaks into my freezer, of which is attached a snapshot showing some of the $158 worth of beef. Yes, it's fair to say that I've become a fan of their juicy, tender and most importantly, affordable corn-fed beef (Yes, I am aware of how destructive this is to our planet, and of the merits of grass-fed, free-roaming cows uninjected with hormones).

They first came to my attention when my company, in a rare fit of good sense, decided to hand out Omaha Steaks gift certificates as a holiday gift, in lieu of those monstrous Harry & David fruit baskets that often just sat outside my apartment door for days, waiting for my arrival from some foreign country. Boy, those filet mignons were good! So decided to order some more - six 6oz sirloin steaks, to be specific. Threw in a key lime cheesecake as well to maximize the order value given the tiered shipping cost. Those were promptly devoured over a weekend.

That only meant one thing - time to ramp up the stakes and put that "Add to shopping cart" button to good use. Unleashing my carnivorous instincts (not that any attempt has ever been made to hide them), the following items were soon ordered and arrived within a few days inside a giant foam box filled with dry ice.

4 6oz filet mignons
4 8oz ribeye steaks
12 7oz top sirloin steaks

Heck, Omaha Steaks even threw in 6 hearty gourmet steak burgers, as some sort of summer grilling promotion. Now I only needed a grill to make that happen. Lamenting about this to my friend J., she suggested that I throw a party to consume all that meat, to which I replied, "Yeah, let's throw a burger-eating party and invite only 6 people". Seriously, what better time to go on the Atkins diet, now that the craze has died down and beef prices are sagging due to an oversupply caused by mad cow malady fears?

P.S. And yes, Omaha Steaks is based in Nebraska, and has been in the biz since 1917. Those folks must be doing something right. Check them out.

Salsa is Hazardous to your Health

2006-05-10T20:52:00.000-04:00

No, not the condiment - though that induces its fair share of burning throats and teary eyes. We're talking about salsa, as in burning up the dance floor while grooving to Latin beats. Don't quite see the connection? Let me explain.

For the past year, my Thursday nights have been reserved for salsa class in NoLita. (I wish I could say that my skills have progressed substantially, but my recent "demotion" from Intermediate to Pre-Intermediate class shows otherwise. Sigh. Another topic for another day). When the weather is nice or if I feel like it, I walk the mile and a quarter from the PATH station all the way to the dance studio, and inevitably pass by the numerous tempting restaurants, snack places, and food shops. (Two of them, Eileen's Cheesecake and Rice to Riches, were profiled in this blog previously).

Another of the unique snack places that has managed to entice me is Beard Papa, a Japanese chain offering ultra-creamy delicious out-of-this-world cream puffs (filled right before your eyes!!!), which took NYC by storm when it opened its first branch on the UWS back in 2003. Then, long lines snaked around the block for a taste of these heavenly ultra-creamy delicious out-of-this-world (did I mention this already?) cream puffs. Sadly, a bit out of the way for me, thus it was great that two branches have opened in Lower Manhattan - one in Astor Place and the other in the Village.

On the verge of hunger after an intense hour-long salsa workout plus the fact that I normally don't eat dinner beforehand, my defenses usually weaken and I surrender to the temptation of purchasing a half-dozen cream puffs (usually the regular flavor, but they also come in mango, strawberry, green tea, and others depending on the day of the week). Oh, the agony of holding the box in my hand as I wait for the train back home. As soon as the elevator dings on the 33rd floor, I rush out and once the door to the apartment shuts behind me, I rip open the box and shove a whole piece right inside my mouth (see pic in case you cannot visualize such barbaric behavior)and savor the sweet delight. Somehow a couple cream puffs usually lie untouched till next morning's breakfast. In a few cases, all six spend the night sleeping soundly inside my (rapidly expanding) belly - after all, the store recommends that the cream puffs be eaten within 24hours!. So much for all that salsa, walking, tennis and treadmill at the gym.

Walking & Eating Tour of Greenwich Village

2006-04-06T23:13:00.000-04:00

This is a review of a 3-hour "Greenwich Village Food and Culture Tour" I took which visited several restaurants and food specialty stores in the neighborhood, with stops for delicious tastings along the way. Quite the must read for foodies, I have to say.

Due to copyright issues the full text of the article cannot be posted here, but click here to read the review on Associated Content.

Review: Masa (NYC) - 4 1/2 Oinks

2006-04-04T00:14:00.000-04:00

Note: A longer version of this post appears in the Associated Content website. Click here to view

Restaurant: Masa
Location: NYC (UWS)
Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: Sky-high
Dress Code: none
Website: www.masanyc.com

Items Ordered: Masa has no menu. They only offer a $350 prix-fixe omakase menu, not including tax, tip nor drinks.

Comments:

Yes, Masa's outrageous price begs the question, "Can any meal be worth that much?". In the guise of field research, your scribe snagged a reservation at the 10-seat counter (recommended for enjoying the experience rather than the dimly lit tables on the side) to find out if Masa has the game to back up his audacity.

The place has a spare, lightly furnished feel to it. The brown walls were somber, and didn't detract any attention from the star attraction: Masa and two of his acolytes who were center stage, with all the sushi and other ingredients ready at hand. Our front row seats gave us a great view of the performance (which is what it really is): how the sushi was sliced into thin strips, how the sauces and garnishings were carefully put in place, and even how real wasabi was ground up (most restaurants use the fake stuff - the taste is incomparable).

Things started off with six courses of appetizers which included clams, caviar, and blowfish prepared two different ways. (If not mistaken, this highly toxic fish which is prized as a delicacy in Japan causes instantaneous death if the chefs do not prepare it in the proper manner - ah, the hazards one must endure). Another notable appetizer was uni (sea urrchin) risotto, unfortunately the serving size was minimal. My personal favorite were the three pieces of hamachi (yellowtail) and two pieces of foie gras which were dipped in a boiling pot for the briefest of moments, and then dipped in sauce before putting into your mouth...quite superb.

The main course consisted simply of twenty pieces of sushi (I counted, and the chef confirmed it). The chef carefully prepared each one, put a small amount of soy sauce on the top, placed it in the plate in front of us, and then told us what type of fish it was. We were meant to eat it with our hands, no further dipping required. Each piece of sushi was of a different fish except for a few, for instance a raw sweet toro, and then cooked toro which was my favorite. Sea urchin sushi wrapped in leaves was another one that stood out.

Overall Rating: 4 1/2 Oinks (out of 5). Overall, a very unique experience with uniquely prepared appetizers and sushi. Highly recommended for sushi connoisseurs, those who want a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and those with too much money.

Re-Inventing Rice Pudding

2006-03-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

Regardless of whether you enjoy eating it or not, you'd have to agree that rice pudding ranks right up there as one of the most boring foods ever created. Good for a quick nutritious snack, most people (like me) just pick up tubs of Kozy Shack at their local supermarket whenever its put on sale.

Well, this being New York City, it comes as no surprise that someone has come up with a better mousetrap. Rice pudding has gotten a makeover, thanks to the folks at Rice to Riches (http://www.ricetoriches.com). As you've probably already guessed, they sell one thing and one thing only - rice pudding - but in 21 different flavors! Sounds like a silly concept, but judging from the crowds on both of my visits, it's all the rage.

First, the hip-looking storefront in Nolita with the cylindrical-shaped window allows great views into the brighly-lit and colorful store, attracting passersby to come in and sample the goods. They did a great marketing job as well, giving the different flavors fun-sounding names, ranging from the playful (Chocolate Chip Flirt) to the romantic (Take Me to Tiramisu) to the Jimi Hendrix throwback (Sex, Drugs, and Rocky Road). Moreover, the pudding is served on colorful (e.g. orange, green, etc) disposable cups that look straight out of the Ikea catalog.

On two separate visits, to the detriment of both my wallet and waistline, I tried four different flavors: Pistachio Protest, "Category 5" Caramel, Chocolate Chip Flirt, and Coast to Coast Cheesecake - and I had to admit all were pretty good. Among them, my favorite was the Pistachio Protest (but then I love pistachio ice cream). I asked the two baby boomers eating at the same communal counter what they were having, and they raved about the Sex, Drugs and Rocky Road (although they might just have been nostalgic about their youth LOL).

A few flavors as also available in take-out packs (see picture) - in case you don't want to consume all the sugar in one sitting - they make a really great breakfast (trust me) and makes you forget that at the end of day, what you're eating is just rice pudding.

Update: Notes about Links and Upcoming Posts .

2006-03-08T23:23:00.000-05:00

Hello readers,
Sorry I haven't posted much lately - delay is due to my pre-occupation with my other hobbies (salsa, going out, writing articles), studying up for an exam which was given earlier this afternoon, and I admit, a touch of laziness. Don't worry though - I have a couple of new discoveries (hint: two dessert places) that I will share soon, I'm just going back and sampling more of their offerings before making a full report - to the detriment of my waistline and finances.

Also in the works are reviews of 3-hour walking 'n eating tours: one in Greenwich Village which I went on last weekend, and another one of Chelsea/Meatpacking District that I'm joining this Saturday.

Please note that I added a new link (under Links) called "NY Times Food Critic's Blog". In addition to the weekly restaurant reviews in the Times' Wednesday Dining section, Frank Bruni also shares his thoughts on several issues related to the restaurant industry on his blog. His posts are enjoyable and interesting reads, especially the one when he samples the culinary (and visual) delights at Hooters :-).

Please leave your comments or email me

Do You Want Learn Chinese or Lotto Numbers with your Fortune?

2006-02-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

Not really big on purchasing food online, unless the day comes when you can have KFC fried chicken delivered to your door within an hour of keying in an online order. However, in the course of surfing other peoples' blogs (most of them woeful), I stumbled upon this site which provided such a laugh-out-loud moment that I am compelled to share it with everyone.

I came across Cookie HQ by accident, an online purveyor of all kinds of cookies you can send to your loved ones on any occasion imaginable (in fact, their motto is "Cookie Gifts for Life's Occasions"). But what really put me in hysterics was the section "Giant Fortune Cookies" - they offer around 30 varieties of beautifully decorated fortune cookies which weigh just under 1 pound and are almost the size of a football (refer to pic of the M&M Madness). At $27.95 each, these are somewhat pricey, but hey - can you name a more imaginative, unique and quirky food gift item around? It cannot be determined though if the cookies came with that thin strip of paper holding a cliched fortune.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Cookie HQ, nor have I ordered any of their items. Thus I cannot attest to the quality, flavor and freshness of their products.

Please leave your comments or email me

Review: Minado - 3 1/2 Oinks

2006-02-18T16:06:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Minado
Location: Morris Plains, NJ; Little Ferry, NJ; NYC
Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: Moderate ($16.50 lunch/$27 dinner buffet - weekend prices)
Website: www.minado.com

Items Ordered: eat-all-you-can buffet

Comments: Struggling to load a barely used treadmill into a U-Haul truck on a Saturday morning was not my idea of fun. However, once we had finished loading the remaining pieces of furniture, one of the hungry guys suggested having a big lunch at Minado (Morris Plains), a much-talked about chain of Japanese buffet restaurants.

Had heard of Minado from different sets of friends who've tried the branches in Little Ferry (always mobbed) and NYC, and feedback had generally been positive. The branch at Morris Plains was huge and packed with mostly Asian clientele who came not only for the sushi, but also a wide range of hot Japanese dishes. Also counted ten different types of salad, of which I tried and liked two: soba salad and ceviche salad (very spicy!). Sushi wise, among the highlights of the varieties I sampled were the inari roll (sweet tofu with rice filling), salmon skill roll, volcano roll (hard to decipher what's inside but delicious), and crispy salmon roll (ate 6 pieces). One of the special rolls, seafood volcano, was liked by several members of our group but the taste wasn't to my liking.

After we stuffed our faces, it was tempting to take a nap but we remembered we had a truck to drive to the new house and unload stuff from.

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 Oinks (out of 5). A good choice for indulging your Japanese food craving. Quality of sushi is good, nothing great. Do not eat for 24 hours prior to your visit (jk).

Dessert Favorite: Payard's Patisserie (NYC)

2006-02-12T16:26:00.000-05:00

Pictured is the Chinon, one of the delicious signature pastries found at Payard's Patisserie on Lexington Ave., between 73rd and 74th St. After lunch at Orasy, we decided to take a brief stroll around the neighborhood, and as the snow started to fall, Payard's was the place that came to find for refuge. As usual, it was packed with early-afternoon snackers who've heard of this place's reputation for finely made desserts.

The Chinon, according to www.payard.com, is made of pistachio dacquoise, with wild cherries on a chocolate wafer. Sounds fancy? It damned well tasted great. Pistachio and cherry combination is a must-try for everyone who has a sweet tooth. Despite my expanding waistline, I also ordered the Japonais (milk chocolate mousse, yuzu citrus cream, and sacher biscuit) - initially while munching on the outer edges of the Japonais I thought it was too "chocolatey", but when I got nearer to the core it was totally different! The citrus flavor provided a perfect complement to the sweet mousse, and the taste was quite heavenly, a verdict shared by my two friends.

With the display cases containing a multitude of tempting desserts, and the pictures on the menu all looking so delectable, it was hard to make a decision on which pastries to choose. Perhaps repeated visits have to be made to sample the full range of offerings at Payard's. In the meantime I shall content myself with drooling over their website's pics.

Review: Orsay (NYC) - 4 Oinks

2006-02-11T23:46:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Orsay
Location: NYC (UES)
Cuisine: French
Cost: Moderate
Website: www.orsayrestaurant.com

Items Ordered: escargot, petatou, hanger steak, tuna belly

Comments: My friends decided to treat me to a birthday lunch and suggested this neighborhood brasserie. The escargots with garlic and parsley butter were delicious, as the case was also with the other appetizer, petatou. This is a mixture of warm potato and goat cheese - a little bit heavy due to the portion size and cheese. I had never tried nor heard of it before, but ordered it because the menu highlighted it as a "Chef's Suggestion". An adventurous choice that turned out pretty well.

The tuna belly was wrapped in bacon and came with bordelaise sauce. Again, a "Chef's Suggestion" that proved to be on the mark. The frites that came with the hanger steak were soggy.

Overall Rating: 4 Oinks (out of 5). A solid choice for French cuisine in a classic brasserie. A return visit is planned to sample other intriguing dishes.

Filipino Food Favorite: Perlas (Queens)

2006-02-08T22:05:00.000-05:00

Got a text message from J., asking if I wanted to go to Perlas for lunch. He hadn't had Filipino food in a while - given last week's crazy eat outings at Bouley, Nobu, JoJo, and Masa, I agreed that a return to some native food was in order so we decided to meet up there, along with R.

"Perlas" is actually Perlas ng Silangan (Pearl of the Orient), one of the better and more authentic Filipino restaurants in NYC. It is located right under the elevated #7 line in Queens, on the block where all the businesses seem to cater to the needs of expatriate Flips, including a bank branch for remittances, air cargo delivery for those sending home huge boxes containing assorted "imported" goods, a mini-grocery to buy Chippy and Clover Chips, and a few restaurants (five, at latest count) satisfying the cravings for high-cholesterol dishes the way we remember and want them.

We actually like schlepping all the way out to Queens just for the food - we ordered our usual favorites - crispy pata, chicharon bulaklak, sisig, and ginisang mungo with chicharon. (Sorry, am unsure about English translations). Crispy pata (Pig's legs?) was tender and succulent, the deep fried skin was to die for. Sisig (pig's ears?) is always something I personally crave for, and it is consistently well-done here. After an extended pig out session (literally, as all our dishes contained pork), thought of having some special halo-halo for dessert, but I simply would've exploded right on the spot (or at least, my pant buttons would have).

Another positive for Perlas are the relatively reasonable prices. Total damage came to around $13/pax. Best to go with a group to sample different dishes and indulge yourself in the artery-clogging Philippine cuisine.

Cheap Eats: New Pasteur (NYC)

2006-02-07T20:40:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: New Pasteur
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Location: Baxter St. (Chinatown)

Along with its neighbors Nha Trang and Thai Son, these are a formidable trio of cheap yet filling restaurants on Baxter St. across from the courthouse.

The place is quite small, and nondescript. Ambiance is non-existent. Service is extremely efficient. The few times I have dined here, the food has always been excellent and remarkable for such a low price (rice dishes are roughly $4-5, huge bowls of pho around $4.50). The last time I had "Com Suon Bi Cha" (barbequed pork chop and shredded pork, steamed egg with white rice) which was a wee bit more expensive at $5.75 but a very satisfying meal (especially for someone starving after burning off calories in a salsa class). The curry shrimp ("Com Tom Xao Cary") is very spicy.

A dessert worth trying is Rainbow Ice, a sweet mixture of three kinds of beans and milk. Hard to beat New Pasteur when dining on the cheap, as tons of jury duty hopefuls have found out.

Dessert Favorite: Eileen's Special Cheesecake (NYC)

2006-02-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Behind that unassuming little storefront in NoLita, Eileen's Special Cheesecake serves one of the best cheesecakes in NYC (Veniero's and Juniors are no match!!). I first tried their plain cheesecake and blueberry mouse tart, and those were simply amazing. Since then I've been recommending the place and bringing my friends over there to sample some of their heavenly selections. Luckily, the studio where I take salsa classes is literally across the street from Eileen's, so after burning off those calories I head over and put them on again! LOL.

For out-of-towners, or those wanting to share with their friends, Eileen's also sends cheesecake via overnight express to anywhere in the US. You can check out pictures of their delectable cheesecakes at their website, www.eileenscheesecake.com, as well as ordering and shipping information.

Also, Eileen's has been voted as one of the "Top 50 Places to Enjoy Dessert" in the city, so it's safe to say that it's ideal for pigging out in NYC.

Review: Nobu (NYC) - 4 1/2 Oinks

2006-02-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Nobu
Location: NYC (Tribeca)
Cuisine: Japanese-Peruvian
Cost: Very Expensive
Dress Code: none

Items Ordered: Since this was our first time at Nobu but had heard so much about the restaurant, we opted for the 8-course omakase menu ($120) to be able to sample a few signature dishes.

Comments:

A few years ago, Nobu was one of the hip restaurants which helped put Tribeca on the restaurant map and developed a reputation as a celebrity hangout. These days, the dining crowd is more mainstream - divided among couples on date, families with young children, star searching tourists - but the food has remained top notch.

The tasting menu comprised these items, with some comments alongside the notable dishes:

a) salmon tartar with caviar dipped in wasabi sauce
- strong wasabi flavor accentuates but doesn't overwhelm the salmon, it was fun drinking the sauce on its own once you get used to the taste
b) kumamoto oysters with soy and ginger
- fresh, refreshing after taste
c) yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno and greens
d) black cod with foie gras
- simply excellent!
e) striped bass tiradito style
f) miso soup with clams
g) 5 pcs assorted sushi
- nothing extraordinary, I suspect this is meant to fill up the diner's stomach
h) warm Valrhona chocolate souffle cake with ice cream
- the best dessert I've tasted this year, worth coming back just for this

With most of the dishes unique and delicious, it was hard to pick a favorite but if pressed, I would go with both the black cod/foie gras and kumamoto oysters. Portions were Japanese-sized (euphemism for tiny), but at the end of the meal our stomachs were full. Service, as expected, was prompt and courteous.

Overall Rating: 4 1/2 Oinks (out of 5). Overall, a very good experience. Food is first-rate. Definitely will come back as budget allows.

Review: Mr. Tang (NYC) - 3 1/2 Oinks

2006-01-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Mr. Tang
Location: NYC (Chinatown)
Cuisine: Chinese
Cost: Cheap
Dress Code: none

Items Ordered: An 8-course lauriat was ordered for Chinese New Year celebration. Dishes include fish maw with crab meat soup, Peking duck, beef with curry sauce, salted fish fried rice, Buddha's delight, steamed sea bass, sauteed mixed vegetables.

Comments:

The highlight was definitely the succulent Peking duck. A second plate was ordered to satisfy everyone's craving. The sauteed vegetables were popular as well (although I didn't touch it), and though swimming in oil it wasn't as heavy as it looked. I personally loved the beef and ate most of it, as well as the salted fish fried rice. Fish was ok, looked somewhat smaller than usual. The Buddha's Delight for some reason still not fully explained (unless you count, "the chef forgot") did not contain tofu.
"Service - fast and curt, when you could get their attention".

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 Oinks (out of 5). Overall, a satisfying, filling, reasonably priced meal to bring in the Year of the Dog.

Review: Bouley (NYC) - 4 Oinks

2006-01-28T23:51:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Bouley
Location: NYC (Tribeca)
Cuisine: French
Cost: Very Expensive
Dress Code: Business Casual (lunch), Formal (dinner)
Website: www.davidbouley.com

Items Ordered: Since this was our first and perhaps only time to dine at a top end restaurant by David Bouley, we opted for the 4-course lunch tasting menu ($48) to be able to sample a few signature dishes.

Comments:

Service staff were formally dressed, gracious and well-trained, as can be expected from an establishment of this caliber. At times it seemed like there were too many of them, since we had numerous servers bringing the food or taking away the dishes from the last course. Perhaps that's the reason why the price of admission is steep.

While not distinctive from the outside, the aroma of apples in the tunnel leading to the entrance of the restaurant provides a nice welcome into the uniquely designed interior. The walls and curved ceiling were painted dark red, and the effect was somewhat similar to dining in a fancy cave.

My tasting menu selections were as follows (to the best of recollection):

a) sashimi quality tuna
b) salmon with orange sauce
c) slices of duck
d) warm pineapple meringue

I liked most of the dishes, especially the excellent medium rare duck. On the other hand, the salmon was so-so and the orange sauce overwhelmed the fish. The portions were a bit small, and were devoured almost instantaneously. Bouley also has a nice assortment of bread which are rolled out in a cart to your table - I tried the pistashio bread which was quite tasty.

Overall Rating: 4 Oinks (out of 5). Overall, a good upscale dining experience at a high price. Probably will come back on a date or special occasion.

Review: Lounge 11 (Hoboken) - 3 Oinks

2006-01-27T23:07:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Lounge 11
Location: Hoboken, NJ
Cuisine: Italian
Cost: Moderate
Dress Code: Business Casual
Website: www.lounge11bar.com

Items Ordered: fried calamari, chicken francaise, vanilla gelato

Comments: This place is more of a bar, with several tables added in for diners. At the back there is a lounge where a DJ plays live music starting at 10pm or so. It surprised several Hoboken natives in our group that the place serves dinner at all, and it came even more of surprise to the organizer that there were quite a number of diners at 730pm, since according to him, "the place is usually dead". Guess Restaurant Week helped in drawing a bit of a crowd.

The fried calamari appetizer lacked flavor. The chicken francaise was well-executed but fairly standard. The waiters weren't well-trained either, as they kept asking which dish was ordered by whom as they were brought to the table.

Overall Rating: 3 Oinks (out of 5). Nice bar/lounge with yuppie crowd, but don't come for the food. Service could use some improvement.

Review: City Lobster (NYC) - 3 Oinks

2006-01-26T23:12:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: City Lobster
Location: NYC (Midtown)
Cuisine: Seafood
Cost: Expensive
Dress Code: Business Casual
Website: www.citylobster.com

Items Ordered: lobster bisque, tuna carpaccio, pan fried lobster, key lime pie

Comments: We went to City Lobster two years ago for Restaurant Week and loved it, so we decided to come back and order pretty much the same food items (their Resto Week menus seemed to stay the same). Lobster was good but a bit dry and ultimately disappointing due to our great experience in the past, and I've certainly had much better lobster in Roatan (Honduras) recently. The lobster bisque was well=liked by all, and I enjoyed the tuna carpaccio as well. Dessert was disappointing - key lime pie didn't have the same sharp, tangy flavor but tasted more like custard.

Overall Rating: 3 Oinks (out of 5). Nice atmosphere, but food not as good as before.

Review: Oddfellows (Jersey City) - 3 Oinks

2006-01-25T17:19:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Oddfellows
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Cuisine: American (Cajun)
Cost: Entrees between $11-18
Dress Code: Casual
Website: www.oddfellowrest.com

Items Ordered: chicken fingers, blackened codfish, warm bread pudding

Comments: Couldn't resist trying this spot for Restaurant Week. There are bars on two levels as well, and a big dining area. Chicken fingers were hot and crunchy. Blackened codfish was ok, the salsa topping was very tasty though. The side of beans reminded me of canned pork n beans from childhood. Maxine had cinnamon cheesecake for dessert, which didn't taste anything remotely like cheesecake. My bread pudding was good, even if I don't like raisins.

Overall Rating: 3 Oinks (out of 5). Nice after work hangout. Food is pretty standard.

Review: Kwan Thai (Pearl River) - 4 Oinks

2006-01-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Kwan Thai
Location: Pearl River, NY
Cuisine: Thai
Cost: Entrees between $7-$10
Dress Code: Casual
Website: http://www.kwanthai.com/restaurant.shtml

Items Ordered: tom kha gai, chicken curry with crispy noodles

Comments: Was brought here by colleague who raved about the place. Food lived up to its billing - tom kha gai soup was EXTREMELY spicy, causing me to break out in a sweat (in winter time!). Chicken curry was good too, portions were more than adequate. Everyone liked their dishes, one colleague said that the pad thai noodles were one of her best meals in a while. Soda is a bit expensive ($2) but they give you a huge glass (not a can) which comes in handy as you try to extinguish the flames inside your mouth. Place is a bit drab, but the great food and friendly service make up for it.

Overall Rating: 4 Oinks (out of 5). Recommended for cheap filling lunch specials. Sure to become a favorite being close to work.

Life is Easy with Online Reservations

2006-01-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Hopefully after checking out Menupages.com (talked about in previous post), you've already decided which restaurant to visit, when to dine out and who your companion will be. Now, for the hard part - making reservations.

In the past, one would need to look up the restaurant's phone number either in the Yellow Pages or by doing a search on Google, and then trying to get through to the reservations line. But if you're someone like me who dreads talking to strangers on the phone, or making repeated calls and getting a busy signal, now there exists a better alternative. A new website called Open Table offers the ability to make free, instant online reservations to over 4,000 participating restaurants all over the United States.

The way it works is simple. Just select a restaurant and date/time, and the number of diners, and availability (or lack thereof) is instantly displayed onscreen. If you decide to make a reservation, it will be instantly confirmed and stored in the restaurant's reservation system. Can't get easier than that. In the event that your plans change, cancelling or modifying your reservation is also a snap. Needless to say, I've found this site to be very handy in making Restaurant Week reservations!

Manhattan Restaurant Menu Sneak Peek

2006-01-19T17:10:00.000-05:00

Let's say you wanted to dine out on a special occasion, like a anniversary, birthday, and the like. Or maybe you want to impress a client and wanted to take him to a high end restaurant. So you're thinking, "Wonder how much it would cost? And what entrees do they serve? Do they have vegetarian options?".

Well, if the restaurant of your choice happens to be in Manhattan, one of the most diverse dining capitals of the world, then you are in luck. One of the most invaluable resources I've discovered is MenuPages, which lists the menus of over 4500 (and counting) restaurants in that part of NYC. Moreover, you can search for restaurants by neighborhood and cuisine. For avid foodies, there is also an "Advanced Search" option which will surely hook you up with the right matches.

Probably the most useful feature is the ability to read customer ratings in four categories: food, service, value and atmosphere, as well as the essay reviews. Sometimes the conflicting reviews adds to the fun (and uncertainty), but in most cases it is worth the trouble to find out what feedback other diners have written.

To check out Menupages, click here. Happy pigging out!

Review: Sushi House (Hoboken) - 4 Oinks

2006-01-18T11:05:00.000-05:00

Restaurant: Sushi House
Location: Hoboken, NJ
Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: Moderate (Entrees from $11-$18), sushi/sashimi prices reasonable
Liquor: BYOB
Dress Code: Casual

Items Ordered: salmon sushi, spicy salmon roll, tempura roll, miso soup, fried green tea ice cream

Comments: Miso soup was delicious, with a more pronounced flavor than other restaurants. Sushi was fresh and delicious, and portions were generous. Spicy salmon roll a bit too spicy. Service was speedy and courteous. Highly recommended is the fried ice cream which comes in two flavors: green tea and red bean.

Overall Rating: 4 Oinks (out of 5). Recommended for delicious, reasonably priced sushi.

Hudson Restaurant Week

2006-01-17T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well, after years of being overshadowed by NYC, the restaurants by the waterfront in New Jersey decided to get into the act and hold their own Hudson Restaurant Week. This two week festival is held on the same weeks as its NYC counterpart, on the weekdays of Jan 3 - Feb 3 (coincidence? I think not).

So, for those who get sick at the mere thought of schlepping into the city for great eats, you might want to check out the list of participating restaurants here. With some of them literally a couple minutes walk from my doorstep, I'm simply salivating!!! Any reviews you wish to share will be welcomed, so go out there and pig out!

NYC Winter Restaurant Week is here

2006-01-17T14:05:00.000-05:00

As in years past, New York's finest restaurants are serving up three-course prix-fixe lunches and dinners at a fairly reasonable (all things considered) price for TWO WEEKS ONLY (Jan 23 - 27, Jan 30 - Feb 3) this winter. Yes, prices have gone up: $24.07 for lunch, $35 for dinner - not including beverages, taxes and tips. The good news is that it still affords us unwashed masses probably our only chance to sample the cuisine at these fine establishments without breaking the bank.

Click here for a full list of participating restaurants. I personally am looking forward to it, and trying to get friends together for some delicious meals. What's great is that reservations can be made online at Open Table, though not for all participating restaurants. Among the restaurants I've tried in the past are Compass, Django, City Lobster, Inagiku, and Aureole. Most have been pretty good, some border on amazing. So take a look at the list, make those reservations, and let's pig out at the NYC Restaurant Week!

Welcome to Pig Out NYC!

2006-01-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this blog comes from my brother's upcoming visit to NYC later this month. In preparation for his arrival, we have been exchanging emails to plan our culinary adventures at some of the city's top restaurants, and excitedly making the reservations. So while driving home today, I thought, "I should create a blog about this". A few moments later, it struck me: I should create a blog not only about the pigging out that will occur during his 4 days here, but about ALL of my interesting food experiences. And not only mine, but also my friends', some of whom eat out way more often than I do, surrounded as they are by numerous temptations.

So this blog will mostly chronicle my eating adventures, and thus contain restaurant reviews and recommendations. About good and bad experiences, in cheap hole-in-the-walls and upscale jacket-required restaurants alike. Mostly in NYC, some in Jersey. And some from wherever destination I travel to. Contributions from my friends stuffing themselves will be featured as well. So without further ado, grab your forks and let's eat!