Eggs Benedict at Sel De Mer in Brooklyn, NY

As we had to be in Williamsbug on a Sunday afternoon, I looked on google map for restaurants nearby the location we were going to and noticed Sel de Mer. I rapidly glanced at the menu and proposed to Jodi to go there for brunch. 

The inside of the restaurant fits the name, decorated with sailors portraits as well as objects all related to the sea. I wonder if the owner comes from the Bretagne region (Brittany) in France as the theme is definitely from there.

As we were waiting for our food to come, they gave us some bread and butter, the latter being topped with crystals of salt (in France, salted butter is mainly eaten in the Bretagne region).

Then, came our dishes. For brunch, they have a small menu, with a majority of egg dishes. So we went for that. Jodi got the eggs and avocado.

The dish was composed of crushed avocado, cilantro, two poached eggs, on toasted baguette, mixed greens and home fries. As Jodi does not like poached eggs, she asked them to cook them longer, request that they executed without any problem. This was a very good dish, refreshing, the restaurant not being shy on the amount of avocado they put in it.

On my side, I got the Eggs De Mer:

It was two perfectly poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, sambuca cured salmon on an english muffin, with mixed greens and home fries. This was delicious: they put a nice amount of salmon that was both fatty and delicate. It was simple but well executed. We also both got the home fries and these also were perfect: crunchy, cooked all the way through, probably baked rather than fried.

This was a great brunch and the eggs were delicious and...cheap. This is definitely a place I want to go back to, for brunch, but most certainly for dinner as they seem to have some mouth watering seafood dishes.

enjoy (I did)!

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Sel de Mer

Khe-Yo in Tribeca, NYC, NY

I never had Laotian food before and admit that I was thrilled to try Khe-Yo when I heard that acclaimed Chef Marc Forgione was associated to the restaurant. Yes, Khe-Yo is the result of the association of a terrific triumvirate, the main character being Chef Soulayphet Schwader whose family escaped from Laos in 1975, after the communists came into power. Years later, not being able to find good Laotian food in the city, he and his partner Nick Bradley joined Chef Marc Forgione and opened few months ago a Laotian inspired restaurant in the thriving TriBeCa area. Of course, as I never tried Laotian food before, I cannot comment on the authenticity, but, anyway, they never presented their restaurant as authentic Laotian; more Laotian inspired, bringing to the table Southeast Asian cuisine, with for instance some flavors resembling Thai cuisine or some dishes Korean ones as you will see below. 

We went there on a Friday night, after an open studio night at the New York Academy of Art. Fortunately we had a reservation, because this place was packed from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. 

I am not sure if they had staff issues, but the service not what I would have expected and, honestly, we just wanted to leave at some point. Not that the food was not good (it was delicious), but the noise level was very, very high, making it difficult to hear each other. So my advice: no romantic dinner or date there, except if you want to make sure you do not hear what the other person says... 

There, no bread and butter, but rather sticky rice with a crushed eggplant sauce that was very smooth and a bit smokey, and with a Thai chili sauce fairly hot called "the bang bang" sauce, in a way reflecting the sound my foot made banging on the floor expressing how spicy this was. 

Although they say on the menu that "sticky rice tastes better when eaten with your hands", I ate it with the sole utensil present on tables: a spoon. Yes, because some of the dishes are made to be eaten with your hands; for others, they will bring you what you need, such as chopsticks. But, to make sure you have clean hands before dinner, like a good little boy or girl, they bring you a wet towel as soon as you order. 

Menu wise, this is of course not your usual dishes or ingredients: mainly meats, few seafood and, unfortunately only one vegetarian entree, it features animals like quail or poussin. 

We decided to try few appetizers. The first one was Ping-Sai-Ua-Moo or grilled Laos style sausage. 

It was a nice presentation and, in fact, all the dishes were well plated and looked appetizing. On one side of the sausage was a mango and peanut sauce (the peanut taste was predominant) and on the other side some lettuce. Although the way to eat it was not explained by the staff, I understood (hopefully) right away that I had to eat it like Korean BBQ, putting a slice of sausage on top of a leaf and add some sauce. 

It was delicious: the lettuce adding a bit of crunch to a sweet and savory combination that was delightful. The sausage had a nice char adding more flavor to the dish. 

The second appetizer was Nam-Khao or kaffir lime sausage with crunchy coconut rice. 

To simplify the description, it was like rice balls, but made with coconut rice, crunchy on the outside from being fried and very slightly softer on the inside. It was perfect with or without the sausage that was a bit spicy. 

For the entrees, Jodi ordered the Khoua-Lhon or wok-fried glass noodles. 

At that point, they brought her chopsticks. It had a nice amount snow peas and sugar snaps in it. Although delicious, I found this dish a bit disappointing, as not original or standing out. 

On my side, I ordered the Goong-Phet or chili prawns:

It was composed of ginger scallion toast and Thai basil sauce. This was a succulent dish, delightfully tasty. The prawns were quite big and perfectly cooked, bathed in a sauce that was slightly spicy, the heat slowly building up in the back of my throat. The toast was good, but I thought that there was too much of it and replaced it with sticky rice at some point.

To go with our meal, I ordered a Laotian beer that was perfect:

The food definitely met my expectations: creative and sublime, although I was surprised to see that they only offered ice cream (coconut or salted caramel) for dessert, making us feel the meal was incomplete. The only negative there was the noise level that made this experience less pleasant than it should. Next time I will bring my noise canceling headsets...

Enjoy (I did - what did you say?)!

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Churrasco at Fogo De Chao Brazilian steakhouse in NYC, New York

Fogo de Chao (means "fire on the ground" in Portuguese) is a Brazilian steakhouse located Midtown Manhattan that opened few months ago, in December 2013. It is a chain in fact with multiple locations in Brazil, where it originated, and in the US (Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Las Vegas...). 

Typically, when you know you are going to a Brazilian steakhouse, you know you need to wear stretch pants, because it is all you can eat. Now, that is what I call paradise for meat lovers! And it is not all you can eat passable food most of the time: it is all you can stuff in high quality meat. Here is how it works:

The staff goes around the restaurant with large skewers (coming from "churrasco", concept of grilling skewers of meat over a wood fire, the churrascaria being the restaurant serving them) and will check a chip that is given to you, at your table. The chip has two sides: green and red.

The red side that says "No, Thank You" means that you do not want any meat, and the green ("Yes, please), means you want them to serve you some meat from the skewer.

The pace can be fast; for instance, this is what I ended up with after just couple of minutes:

The portions may not seem big, but you can ask for more and do not forget that they are walking around anyway, ready to serve you again.

Before I go into detail more about the feast I had, let me tell you few things about the place itself.

I guess I could describe it as an elegant, dramatic, stunning 16,000 square feet restaurant. At the entrance, you can see a huge representation of O Lacador (a gaucho in traditional outfit), symbol of Porto Allegre where this place originated in 1979.

Upstairs is the bar and downstairs, the restaurant.

Similar to other churrascaria places, there is a gourmet salad bar.

I admit that I only went to see what was there, because I came for the meat, not the salads! Proposing a salad bar is a good way to make sure people will stuff themselves and eat less meat...

This salad bar was quite big and included mozzarella, beets, asparagus, shrimp,...As well as some salami, cheeses or smoked salmon.

But what was truly surprising was the applewood smoked bacon bowl:

and this whole parmiggiano reggiano cheese:

On our table was also a basket of cheese bread or pao de queijo:

The recipe apparently comes from Sao Paulo and interestingly it is gluten free. I liked it, but found it slightly dry.

Now, concerning the meat, they serve something like 16 different kinds, ranging from beef, pork, lamb or chicken. I tried:

The pork sausage or Linguiça.

These sausages are seasoned with garlic and paprika, and slow cooked.

Chicken legs:

I usually limit how much chicken I eat in these places, not because I do not like it, but rather because I prefer saving myself for prime meats!

The leg of lamb:

The Fraldinha or bottom sirloin:

This was my least favorite, the meat being a bit tough.

The Alcatra or top sirloin:

The beef ancho or prime part of the ribeye:

The filet mignon:

The flank steak:

The picanha or prime part of the sirloin:

The meats were really good and of high quality, tender and juicy. The outside had a nice char and, sometimes, you could taste a bit of salt that enhanced the flavor of the meat. My favorite was the filet mignon, the flank steak, the ribeye and the leg of lamb. My least favorite was the bottom sirloin and prime, but it might be because of the cuts they served me.

With the meat were three sides, also in unlimited servings:

Mash potatoes:

Crispy polenta:

Fried bananas:

These sides are pretty standard for this type of restaurant. My favorite was the fried banana. You may think these are plantains, but they are bananas that are simply fried with a bit of condensed milk, giving them this nice sugary coating.

You would think that I would stop there, but no: I could not resist trying their desserts. The first one was the flan.

I did not like it as it was way too dense. However, their tres leches cake was spectacular!

And trust me, after such a feast, it was difficult to resist.

I am glad that Fogo de Chao came to NYC. Not that there are no churrascaria in the city, the most known being Churrascaria Plataforma, with one location close by, but because they definitely serve some great pieces of meat that puts them on the top of NYC steakhouses. One thing I should add is that if you are vegetarian, you can just get the salad bar, or they propose a fish of the day. Sorry, I did not and will not try them, preferring to indulge in what this place is known for, but if they are as good as the meat, you may not regret it!

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, NYC, NY

Before, when I went to Chinatown to eat, it was to have some Chinese food, but it did not include ice cream, until now. We discovered the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory thanks to our friends Gary and Jen, after a brunch at Tartinery that left us hungry for something sweet. We went twice and each time, the place was busy.

What makes it stand out? They have been making homemade ice cream for more than 30 years. But not just your regular flavors, like the vanilla I tried once with Nutella. 

Or coconut like Jodi got, once with chocolate sprinkles:

And once without:

No, some combinations are quite interesting, like the durian, this Asian fruit I tried many years ago in Singapore and that you can find in stores in Chinatown. 

In Singapore, at the time, it was forbidden to carry it in public transportation or to bring it to the hotel because of its pungent smell. I remember that we ate it after putting plastic bags on our hands so they would not smell...

The taste was good, particular but good and indescribable. 

So there, at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, they sometimes have ice cream made with durian. Sometimes not, because they vary the flavor for the joy of their customers avid to try uncommon flavors. And I am definitely one of them!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Dumbo, Brooklyn

Alright, I finally made it to Grimaldi's, on a week day to avoid the mass of tourists and New Yorkers who want to have a piece of the most famous pie in New York. 

It was probably a smart move as we showed up few minutes before opening time and there was already a line. Tourists for sure, from France, Germany or Japan, as well as a pizza tour.

This place is impressive, located right under the Brooklyn bridge, it is an old Bank building. But it is not the original location: it was originally at 19 Old Fulton, few steps from it, where now sits another pizza place, Juliana's, opened by the original owner of Grimaldi's, Patsy Grimaldi himself. Yes, because Grimaldi's was sold by Patsy in 1998 to Frank Ciolli as Patsy wanted to retire. Few years later, Frank Ciolli had to find a new place, his landlord refusing to renew the lease because, allegedly, of problems with rent and city taxes. Hence the new location. Few years later, regretting selling, Patsy decided to do a come back, opening Juliana's where Grimaldi's was first open. Needless to say that it started a feud between the two owners, that I am not sure is settled today.

We got seated pretty fast, in one of the tables on the left after entering the restaurant.

There, you cannot order a slice and have to pay cash. So, we looked at the menu and considered the many toppings they propose. We went for a small pizza (6 slices) with mushrooms, ricotta and meatballs.

After a short wait, our pizza arrived. Ok, let say that it is 6 large slices...

Not only it looked appetizing, but it smelled fantastic, freshly cooked in the coal oven.

I truly appreciated that they put a lot of the toppings we ordered (especially the ricotta and meatballs) and did not simple drizzle few of it. The crust was nicely charred, with a delicious crispness on the outside. The tomato sauce, that I believe is cooked in advance, had a wonderful taste and it was great that they put a reasonable amount of it on the pie.

This was a succulent pizza, the crust, cooked in the coal oven, being incredibly good. I understand now why Grimaldi's is considered one of the best in the US.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Talde in Park Slope, Brooklyn

I wanted to try Talde, the eponymous restaurant of Chef Dale Talde in Park Slope, for a while, but I admit that I do not like to wait for hours to get a table. So, as I was off on a Monday, we decided to show up for an early dinner. 

I was intrigued by the Asian-American menu considering the impressive resume of Chef Talde who worked in renown restaurants (Jean George's Vong in Chicago, Buddakan or Morimoto, to name a few), getting his inspiration from his Filipino's roots. You may have seen him on Top Chef, showing an incredible talent as well as a bad temper...

So, here we are, at Talde in Brooklyn. The 75 seats restaurant has a beautiful decor: black wood with Asian carving, definitely neat and slick. 

In the back is the kitchen where you can admire the crew prepare uncommon dishes. 

The concept is simple: small or large plates preferably for sharing. So we shared!

Our first appetizer was the yuzu guacamole. 

Served on crispy rice, they propose it with ham or vegetarian. We chose the latter. Not only the presentation was sublime, but it also was scrumptious. I really liked the transition of texture, from the soft guacamole to the crispy rice.

Then, we got the Hawaiian bread buns. 

As they come by three, we ordered the three proposed combinations that were served with garlic vinegar mayo and pickled shallots:

Filipino sausage:

Crispy market fish:

Shiitake mushroom:

These little sliders were fantastic, the three of them being packed in flavors. The sausage was my favorite. 

Then, we ordered the glass noodle stir fry. 

Not sure what the Buddha style mentioned in the menu means, but it was very good. I admit though that I expected the noodles to be crispy, but it was not the case. 

The last dish was the Korean fried chicken:

It was delicious pieces of chicken (crispy and moist), placed on a kimchi yoghurt sauce that was quite spicy, but so good that I did not care if my mouth was on fire.

It was served with grapes and mint that helped cool off my palate. If you like fried chicken, do not miss this dish. 

Thrilled by the originality if the dishes, we were anxious to see the dessert menu. Unfortunately, there was none and they only proposed one dessert that, although original, did not appeal to me. This was really the only disappointment there, the rest if the meal being beyond my expectations. Now I know why there is so much buzz about Talde!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Waffle and Wolf in Brooklyn

Waffle & Wolf, located in Williamsburg, has an interesting statement: it is a “refined fast food” restaurant serving gourmet waffle sandwiches. Yes, you read properly: waffle sandwiches! It all started in 2011, when Chef Daniel Richardson and its co-owner Arman Sen decided to serve a refined version of American recipes, wrapped in waffles. 

This is a tiny place for sure and we were surprised that it was not bigger, probably mistaken by the establishment next door that has the same exterior. So, you order at the counter and they will call you once your sandwich is ready. The menu proposes both savory and sweet recipes and you can chose which type of waffle you want, between buckwheat, cornbread or regular. 

I decided to order #29:

It was made of smoked salmon, lemon-dill-caper cream cheese, spinach and red onion. This was fantastic, the waffle pairing perfectly with the ingredients, as well as a bagel would. In fact, know that the batter of the waffle is made with less sugar so it goes well with the savory recipes. There was also a lot of salmon there and, at the beginning, I though that I would be hungry and would need to order another one, the waffle being thinner than usual.

Jodi decided to order the #18:

It was made with olives (not inside, but baked in), hummus, cucumber and arugula. This was also really good, although it became a bit soggy after a while.

I really liked the food at Waffle and Wolf: it is not only original, but delicious. I will definitely go back to try their sweet waffles next time!

Enjoy (I did)!


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Italian lunch at Bricco in Hell's Kitchen, NYC,NY

I found Bricco looking for a reservation Midtown, on open table. Not sure I would have found it otherwise, the street it is located on not being that busy. Opened by restauranteur Nino Catuogno, the restaurant serves Southern Italian cuisine with a Northern Italian flare.

It is a big place for sure, painted in pastel colors matching the tablecloths and napkins, and with some interesting art on the wall.

In the back is the wood fire oven where they make pizza:

As well as the Carciofi Al Forno or brick-oven roasted artichokes:

And probably the focaccia bread they brought to the table (I found it stale):

When I looked at the menu, I could not miss the Polipo Alia Griglia or grilled octopus:

I love grilled octopus: it is definitely hard to prepare as it needs to be cooked enough so it is not rubbery and I believe, needs a nice char that enhances the taste.

It was served over a mesclun salad and topped with a mint sauce that had a very refreshing taste, without overpowering the octopus. If you like octopus, this is for sure a dish to try there.

I also tried the Melanzane In Carrozza or baked eggplant and mozzarella that was delicious.

For the entree, I chose the Fettuccine Integrali Alla Contadina:

These were homemade whole wheat pasta in tomato sauce with sausage, fennel's seeds and a touch of cream. Well, more than a touch! It was good, but very, very heavy: the pasta were perfectly cooked and the sauce to die for, very rich, with a nice hint of fennel that came through from time to time.

The food at Bricco was good, with reasonable prices. Unfortunately, I did not have time to get dessert, the dishes taking time to come to the table...But trust me: I left with my belly full!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Wasabi Sushi and Bento, Times Square, NYC, NY

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

I was recently invited to Wasabi Sushi and Bento, the outpost of a fast casual Japanese grab and go restaurant popular in London that opened in February in Times Square. It is always exciting to try a new place, trying to find what makes them different and stand out. For sure, Japanese cuisine is fairly popular here, between the Japanese restaurants, the non Japanese restaurants serving sushi like Rue 57 or 5 Napkin Burger, the supermarket or deli offering sushi boxes to grab. I admit that I would never order sushi in a burger joint or grab a box made who knows when from a supermarket or deli. 

So let's see what Wasabi Sushi and Bento is! Before talking about food, let's talk about the place. It all started in 2003 in London, when its owner, Mr Kim, a Korean born immigrant, got the idea to  offer high quality Japanese classics for takeout at reasonable prices. He now has opened 36 locations across the UK and is branching out to the US with this first location that is of a nice size, with impressive high ceilings, white walls and floors that are immaculate, the main color standing out being the green from the stools.

In the back is the open kitchen where you can observe the crew preparing some food cooked all day long, making sure that what you eat is fresh.

At Wasabi, you can pick either sushi, salads or hot food (photo below), including soups. 

It is grab and go, that is nothing extraordinary, except for sushi: you can grab individual pieces rather than a sushi set, allowing you to compose your meal at a reasonable price.

So I decided to compose my dinner with a bit of everything:

I grabbed different pieces of sushi:

• hosomaki (thin rolls),
• nigiri (thinly sliced fish over rice),
• Maki (large rolls made with two or more fillings wrapped in rice and nori).

Here is some of what I tried:

Tuna Nigiri:

Salmon Nigiri:

Tamago Nigiri (Japanese omelet):

Crabmeat and cucumber maki:

Inari Nigiri (deep fried tofu):

Tempura Veg maki:

Avocado Hosomaki:

Cucumber Hosomaki:

This was really good, each of the pieces I tried tasted fresh (they are made that day and never served the next day). Little I know that the owner, Mr Kim, is committed to serving sustainably-sourced yellowfin tuna and salmon. 

The last sushi I tried was a first for me: it was the Chicken teriyaki onigiri, a triangle of rice tied in nori and flavored with chicken teriyaki.

I had to follow the instructions to unwrap it:

Et voila!

It was served cold and had some nori inside. Very tasty, it had a slight kick that tickled my throat.

Of course, I also had to try some hot food. First was the grilled teriyaki chicken bento box:

Chicken in a teriyaki sauce on a bed of stir-fried cabbage mix, served with rice, garnished with pickled cucumber, red ginger & sesame seeds:

If you like chicken, this is definitely to try, the meat, although smothered by teriyaki sauce was quite moist.

Next was the Chicken gyoza tanmen, a soup made with super thin rice noodles with lots of fresh vegetables in a delicious house-made broth:

It was a very good soup, made with plenty of veggies like Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, pak choi, carrot, onion or snow pea. But the star of the dish was the gyoza itself that was fantastic!

At the time we went, they did not have any more ramen, that they also serve, because they prepare their broth in advance, cooked for 8 hours, and serve it until there is no more.

Last was something sweet. I chose a Daifuku that is mochi filled with Azuki (sweetened red bean paste):

It was a delicious way to end a great discovery. Wasabi is a great way to get high quality Japanese food in the busy area that is Times Square, allowing its customers to create their own menu at very reasonable prices. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Gotham West Market - part 4/5: The Cannibal

When I saw that Le Cannibal was at The Gotham West Market, I was definitely intrigued. I heard few times the name of the restaurant, but never went. I was wondering how this name was found, what type of food they serve, and if I had to eat my dishes Walking Dead style. So, this is an offshoot of the main restaurant located on the East side, that defines itself as meat, beer...and cycling, the name coming from a famous Belgian cyclist, Eddie Merckx, who had a prestigious career in the 60's and 70's and was nicknamed "Le Cannibal", because of his insatiable appetite for victories.

I felt reassured that I could follow the good manners my parents taught me and that we would not eat out of a large pot, simmering on an open fire. 

Similar to the different restaurants I have tried at the GWM, you can either sit at the counter or in the common area. We decided to sit at the bar, in front of the kitchen, to see how dishes were prepared. I admit that it was a good place for this, but not for the smoke coming out from their oven, sometimes profusely...

The menu is all about meat, with very few options for the vegetarians or for people who cannot find anything to order. I mention the later because it is not your regular meat there: no steaks or roasted chicken.

At best you can have some salumi, but otherwise, it is more on the creepy side or let's say unusual. They have few seafood options like the octopus terrine or the rock shrimp. Otherwise, it is pates, sausages, tartares, as well as more elaborated dishes. The most popular that we saw going out of the kitchen was the bone marrow.

It looked amazing to the point that I regretted not having ordered it. They first bake it in the oven (probably using the broiler), then put scrambled eggs and then mushrooms.

So, here is what we had:



First we ordered the pretzel (homemade):

It came with a sauce made with beer and cheddar.

The pretzel was delicious, served warm, perfect with the sauce that definitely had beer in it, from the hint of it that came through.

Then, I ordered the pig's head terrine or fromage de tête:

Yes, as its name indicates, it is made with the head of a pig, the flesh after removing the brain, eyes and ears to be precise. Eating this definitely matches the name of the place...

It you wonder what it taste like, I would say that it had a gelatinuous texture with a lighter taste than ham, a bit salty, especially with the capers that were added. It was served with a lemon butter that I did not like at all.

Then, I got the lamb and gruyere sausage:

It was served with an arugula pistou, an hibiscus-date puree, and a bulgur salad. I really liked it: the sausage was similar to a merguez sausage that I love and it had a sort of Mediterranean flair, although a bit elevated with the sweet hibiscus and date puree.

I guess you are wondering what Jodi ate there. Well, she first ordered the brussels sprouts:

They were served with some mint and ham gremolata (mix of herbs with a bit of ham). It was good, although I prefer brussels sprout a bit more cooked.

We also shared a cheese plate:

The cheeses were:

A cheddar from Indiana (Milton creamery):

A blue di buffala from Italy:

And a goat cheese from Vermont:

Fortunately, this cheese plate was on the menu so Jodi could eat! It was a nice selection that was served with bread and I admit that I used the pretzel bread also.

It was overall a nice discovery, but they definitely have a challenging menu if, as mentioned before, you prefer more common dishes. Anyway, if you really want to try with people, do not forget that it is a food court and that, while you satisfy your palate with such dishes, they can order some other delicious food in the other restaurants.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	The Cannibal
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Flatiron / American New
	* Street Address
	113 East 29th St. (bet. Park & Lexington Ave.), New York, NY 10016
	* Phone
	(212) 686-5480

The Gotham West Market - part 3/5: Genuine Roadside

At Gotham West Market, away from the hustle and bustle of the main food court is Genuine Roadside, a casual sandwich shop with its own dining area, from AvroKo Hospitality Group, who also owns Saxon+Parole and Public. Well I guess it is it's own dining area, though I witnessed a group of people sitting at one of their tables and getting some food from another restaurant (I have names!). 

The seating area is definitely comfortable, especially if you want to avoid sitting at a counter of a restaurant or hate communal tables. 

Decor wise, it is suppose to reflect a certain nostalgia, from the old photos on the walls, to the old radio and cassettes. 

They also provide games, so you can play while waiting for your order. 

Food wise, it is more for the carnivore than vegetarian, the later having very limited choices. But if you like burgers, pork, chicken or seafood, this might be your spot. 

The way it works is that you order at the counter, and they will give you a buzzer that will vibrate and light up when your food is ready. 

Our food came after a reasonable wait. 

Jodi ordered the sole vegetarian sandwich from the menu: The High Five Mushroom burger.

It is made of a marinated portobello mushroom that is grilled, topped with dill, tomato, Swiss cheese and their house sauce. It is a very good sandwich, flavorful, and you do not need to be vegetarian to appreciate it.

On my side, I ordered the buttermilk battered chicken sandwich:

I think I inhaled it: it was delicious! The chicken was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and moist inside, it was paired with sambal mayo (sambal is a spicy Southeast Asian condiment made with chili pepper and salt) and a celery and apple slaw, giving a sweet and spicy taste. This is definitely recommended.

To counteract the spices and stay hydrated (???), I ordered a vanilla milk shake.

It was quite a good one, thick, but not to the point that when you will try to get it through the straw  it will be too hard, and not too milky, having a nice vanilla taste (they probably use vanilla syrup).

We enjoyed the food at Genuine Roadside. It is a bit on the pricy side considering the food they serve (for instance, the fries are extra, that is crazy: they could throw few fries with the sandwiches), but it might be justified by the quality if the ingredients. I would definitely go back to try some other sandwiches.

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

The Gotham West Market - Part 2/5: Tapas at El Colmado

Next stop at the Gotham West Market: El Colmado, a Spanish tapas bar. I was pretty excited to try it, because I love the opportunity to try plenty of dishes as tapas (small plates) allow you to do. 

When dining at El Colmado (spanish for "The grocer", "to celebrate the artisanal olive oils, vinegars, and preserved seafoods for which the country is famous" as they say), you can either order and sit in the common area, or sit at the bar.

We went for the latter and picked a spot in front of the kitchen, allowing us to watch them prepare dishes crafted by Chef Seamus Mullen and his team. Just looking at this and the minutiae put into the presentation, we knew we would be there for a treat. 

So we had a look at the menu that proposes a large number of plates, some small, some even smaller as you order the number of pieces you want (it is the case for deviled eggs, ham croquettes or langoustines). If you are vegetarian, there are few options. 

We decided to start with the Huevo Al Diablo or deviled eggs. 

They were not your regular deviled eggs: they contained some smoked bacalao and roasted peppers. They were really good, the taste of the mayonnaise not too pronounced, and with a nice smokiness coming through. 

The second dish was the croquetas de jamon or ham croquettes.

Ordered by piece, it was very soft and creamy inside with a crispy shell that was not greasy at all. 

After that, we got a classic: tortilla or Spanish omelet. 

I really liked it. At first, I asked for mayonnaise, but there was really no need for it, the omelet being so moist and tasty.

Then, we had to try some cheese and chose to order the Queso Fresco ahumado (means smoked) served with delicious slices of bread toasted and brushed with olive oil.

It also had guindilla and rosemary. This homemade cheese was basically ricotta, this is the kind of cheese that has a very subtle taste. It therefore needs either something herbaceous, nutty or sweet to enhance the taste, hence the perfect pairing with the toasted bread and olive oil, as well as the pieces of roasted pepper that were put on top of it. However, I did not notice any smokiness...But still, delicious.

Next was the pulpo a la plancha that is octopus served with marinated potatoes and a spicy olivada (olive spread made of olives, olive oil, spices and herbs).

I like the dish that had not only a great presentation, but also a great taste. The octopus was quite tasty and very tender. I would have just liked some more char to it. Complementing them with the soft marinated potatoes was a good idea.

The last entree was the special of the day: mustarda verde that was, in a nutshell, a salad served with fried chickpeas, raisins and some cheese similar to parmesan.

Jodi loved it. On my side, I found it good, but was not wowed by it to the point that I would order it again like the rest.

Of course, we could not leave without trying a dessert. We decided to try their torrija or French toast.

I am not sure what all the ingredients were, but it was one of the best French toast I ever had! I know: it is a bold statement, but you would try it, you would agree! The brioche bread was perfectly soaked in the custard that I believe was vanilla. They used a torch to create a fantastic sugar/caramel crust that added a nice crispiness to the dish and topped it with orange peel.

We finished our meal full and glad that we tried this place, with already plans to come back (I saw them prepare these amazing lamb meatballs...). So, definitely, El Colmado is a tapas place on top of my list.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	El Colmado
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Hell's Kitchen / Spanish
	* Street Address
	600 11th Ave., New York, NY 10036
	* Phone
	(212) 582-7948

The Gotham West Market - Part 1/5: Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop

The part of Hell's Kitchen that is on 11th avenue is clearly not the best to satisfy an appetite. Or should I say was not, since the Gotham West Market is definitely changing everything! Some say that this place was created to lure renters to the Gotham West building, but they definitely did not stop there, as people start to know this place. We went on few occasions and, on the week end, it gets crazy crowded and it is difficult to find a spot to sit. 

It is like a food court where you can either sit at the counter of the restaurant or take your food and eat it on one of the tables in the common area(s).

There, you have plenty of choices: Ivan ramen for some delicious Japanese dishes (ramen or donburi), The Cannibal for the carnivores or The Sandwich Shop for...sandwiches.

So, when we went there, we tried quite few restaurants that will be featured in the coming days posts:

Ivan Ramen:

We went to Ivan Ramen couple of time after Jodi's cousin, Jessica, recommended it. The stakes for ramen restaurants are high considering the number of places that are present in the City, some successful, others just average. Adding to that that the owner, Ivan Orkin, is not Japanese, I was definitely curious. His story is fairly interesting: originally from Long Island, he discovered Japanese culture and cuisine at age 15, when working as a dishwasher in...a Japanese restaurant. After majoring in Japanese culture and literature, he lived in Japan and opened a restaurant there, before opening the location at The Gotham West Market, perfecting his soup recipe and testing it on his Japanese wife!

The menu is fairly straight forward, with three non vegetarian ramen and two vegetarian. If soups are not your thing, they also propose rice balls calls donburi with either fish or pork, as well as curry rice with rib-eye. We decided to try their ramen.

Shio Ramen (left) - Vegetarian Shoyu (right)

You first order at the counter, give your name, and, shortly after, they will call back your name giving you your order.

Each time, Jodi went for the Vegetarian Shoyu:

It is composed of enoki mushrooms, arugula, bathed in a soy sauce and vegetable soup. 

The eggs, perfectly cooked, are add-on ($2). 

And the noodles are rye noodles. I admit that I liked it a lot, the broth being very flavorful and the noodles slightly al dente. What I also liked is that it is a pretty simple soup, combining not too many ingredients, but still tasty. 

On my side, I tried the Shio ramen:

The broth is made with sea salt, chicken and dashi broth. It has pork chashu and I added an egg also.

It was so good that I finished it, although I found that the amount of pork was very small and I should have asked for extra pork. The noodles were also rye noodles.

The last ramen I tried was the Roasted Garlic Mazemen :

It is made of chicken and dashi broth, roasted garlic, nori. I ordered it "fully loaded", meaning with extra pork chashu, an egg and roasted tomatoes ($17). 

The broth was a bit thicker and definitely saltier and very garlicky (we probably were protected from vampires for few days). I was so thirsty after eating it! Not sure I would take it again. However, the "fully loaded" formula was great: their pork chashu is delicious and the roasted tomatoes superb.

I really liked Ivan Ramen: it might not be the cheapest, but it is definitely very good.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Ivan Ramen
	* Overall
	★★☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Hell's Kitchen / Japanese
	* Street Address
	600 11th Avenue (Bet. 44th & 45th St), New York, NY 10036
	* Phone
	(212) 582-7942

Tabélog event at Skál on the Lower East Side

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Skál, what a strange word, except if you speak old norse where it means "cheers". It also means little bowl, representing the concept of small dishes to share that compose the menu and are even present in the decor.

Skál is where Tabélog organized a meet and greet event for the bloggers who are actively participating in the content of the site. I think it is great as it brings food lovers together. It was also the occasion for their CEO, Kenta, to announce the expansion of the site to other states like California (congrats!!!). There, I had a nice evening talking with Lord of the Fork, Cutie Patroller, The Restaurant Fairy, Lea_K and Johnny Prime. There, food was more photographed than people and they conveniently set all the dishes in an area so we could take our time to take a pic. 

So, Skál is a Scandinavian restaurant located in the limit of Chinatown, where Chef Ben Spiegel (who worked at Noma in Copenhagen) crafted an original menu using products locally sourced. 

I also spoke with one of the owners, Christophe, a fellow Frenchman, who talked to me, with passion, about the restaurant and their future projects to expand it. I got a tour of the facility and could not miss the large selection of wines in the basement. They propose 27 wines from 12 different countries that they source at small producers all around the world, as well as beers from Iceland that are not that easy to find in the city. 

It is a small place with an interesting decor considering the raven (not to mistake for a crow) that sits on top of the bar. It is not that they are fans of Game Of Thrones, but because the raven is the emblem of Iceland. 

Food wise, we got a nice sampling of their menu. Here is what they served us:

Well fleet oysters served with a versus and chamomile:

Pickles (seasonal vegetables in their own brine):

Long Island duck wings with mussels and red seaweed:

Heirloom carrots prepared with burnt honey, buttermilk and dill:

Beef tartare served with fermented ramps, little neck clams and Sorrel:

Salt cod croquettes with a horseradish remoulade:

Smoked mackerel served in an onion with whey and foie gras:

Scandinavian donut with vanilla cream:

This was a very exquisite sampling, some of the dishes being truly original. I wonder if the duck / seaweed and mackerel / foie gras dishes were not a take on surf and turf! If it was: chapeau. If it wasn't: chapeau. 

After this event, I am looking forward to go back to Skál. 

Thanks to Tabélog and Skál for this wonderful evening!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Skál
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Chinatown / Scandinavian
	* Street Address
	37 Canal St., New York, NY 10002
	* Phone
	(212) 777-7518

Dinner at Left Bank in the West Village, NYC, New York

Last week, I had a fantastic dinner with my friends from Tabélog, Sachiko, Kenta and Shouhei. If you read this blog, you probably remember my encounter with Tabélog, a year ago. Tabélog is a restaurant review site with over 40 million users in Japan, expanding now in the US. Their reviews are not anonymous, leveraging bloggers and putting an emphasis on photos, that is great considering that a photo is worth a thousand words. But, what I like also is that the team loves food as much as the bloggers they meet and it is always fun to exchange experiences and good addresses.

This time, we had dinner at Left Bank, a restaurant that defined itself as "an American tavern, inspired by Greenwich Village itself, and influenced by European sensibilities". At first, I thought it referred to the rive gauche (literally left bank) in Paris, that is, beyond a location, a movement of writers, artists and philosophers like Pablo Picasso, Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine, Henri Matisse, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and many others. You many not know the term rive gauche, but, if you went to Paris, you probably heard about Boulevard Saint-Germain or the Boulevard Saint-Michel.

I arrived a bit early (I hate to be late) and toured the restaurant to take some photos. What I like is that there is a bit of space between tables and they did not try to maximize the space.

When I looked around, I could definitely sense a European feel, reminding me a bit restaurants in Paris, especially La Butte Aux Cailles, where I use to live.

The menu, crafted by Chef and owner Laurence Edelman, is of a good size, offering small plates as well as just few choices per section (raw bar, appetizers, pasta, meat / poultry /fish, vegetables), made with ingredients provided by local farmers.

We decided to start with drinks. On my side, I ordered a thyme and ginger cocktail:

We then shared few appetizers / small plates. First was the chicken liver pate:

The presentation was appetizing and rustic. You may wonder what the layer around the chicken liver pate was. Well, it was butter! And I admit that it went well together. This is definitely a dish I recommend.

Then, we had the Mongolian fish dumplings:

It had a nice acidity from the lemon and were perfect for me as I do not like when the shell is too thick.

Then, we shared the lobster puffs with champagne cream:

This is definitely an elegant dish, the champagne cream pairing perfectly with the fresh cream puff, but keeping the lobster the star of the dish.

For the entrees, we started first with the homemade parpadelle, served with sunchokes and fava beans:

That was one of my favorite entrees, the pasta being succulent and the dish being hearty.

Next was the suckling pig porchetta:

It was served with English peas, thumbelina carrots, ramps. This was a very good dish: the pork was very good, with a nice amount of fat, paired with a bold sauce that did not overpower the meat.

Last entree was the iron roasted split chicken:

It was prepared with roasted shitakes, escarole and puffed wild rice. I was not a big fan of the escarole, but certainly was of the chicken that had a crispy skin, heavenly salty, and moist inside.

To stay healthy (of course), we also ordered roasted cauliflower:

I admit that I just had a bite to try, preferring to focus on the meat...

Last was dessert. We went for the olive oil cake with candied hazelnuts:

This was sublime: not the lighter dessert, but a perfect one to end a wonderful and fun evening.

Thank you to the Tabélog's team for the invite and great evening at Left Bank, a place that is now on my list of restaurants to go back to! 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Left Bank
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	West Village / American New
	* Street Address
	117 Perry St. (corner of Greenwich St.), New York, NY 10014
	* Phone
	212-727-1170

Parm in Nolita, NYC, New York

On a Sunday afternoon, we were walking in Nolita, looking for a place to eat when we passed in front of Parm, on Mulberry St. We were so pleased to see it that we both shouted "Paaarm!" at the same time. Yes, this place was on our wish list for a while, since we saw their baked ziti featured on the TV show Unique Eats. So, I guess at this point you know what we would order...

This place, opened in 2011, is an offshoot of Torrisi, located few steps away. It is a small place:

Bar and delivery takeout at the entrance:

Small dining room in the back:

With an open kitchen where you can see the Chef and crew prepare the dishes.

We decided to sit at the bar, overlooking a part of the kitchen, watching the magic happen.

The menu is not that large, that is understandable for such a small restaurant. Anyway, I prefer a small menu well executed rather than a large one poorly delivered. At Parm, they propose few vegetables, salads, sandwiches or this mouth watering baked ziti.

You are probably wondering what the big deal is. Well, first of all, after baking the ziti, they fry them in a pan, giving to the sides a nice crunch.

Second, there is a lot of cheese: mozzarella and ricotta.

Last there is a lot of tomato sauce, so it is not dry like baked ziti can be in some restaurants.

So, definitely, this dish is worth the trip and no wonder why our plate was empty in a matter of seconds.

We also decided to try one of their sandwiches and hesitated between the eggplant Parmesan and the meatball one. We picked the later.

We chose to go with the hero bread over the roll or plate (served with a salad or ziti).

I liked it: they used the same tomato sauce as for the ziti and put lots of mozzarella cheese, in a hero bread that was perfectly soft. The meatball itself was good and flavorful, however, I wish it was slightly burnt on the outside to give a nice crunchiness and add texture to the dish. But still, it is a good dish.

We were glad to find Parm on our way and I can't wait to go back to try their other sandwiches. Well, I can't wait to go back to eat this ziti!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Parm
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Lower East Side / Italian
	* Street Address
	248 Mulberry St. (bet. Prince & Spring St.), New York, NY 10012
	* Phone
	(212) 993-7189

Umami Burger in NYC, New York

Ah, burgers! One of the most American dish ever, known all around the world, but unfortunately not always with a good representation (I am talking about the fast food chain). Well, I mentioned few times in this blog how teenagers and young adults love Mac Donald's in France, and I recently read that people are thrilled to hear that Burger King is going to make a come back in the country, planning to open 40 new restaurants. Seriously, if your benchmark for burgers are these fast food chains, then you got it all wrong. When I came in this country, I got it all wrong, craving a quarter pounder and eating some on a weekly basis, if not several times a week. Until I tried the Burger Joint, Corner Bistro, BLT burger and others. Now, I only go to Mac Donald's for the milkshakes and the fries that are some of the best.

But burgers are not reserved only to fast food restaurants or diners: more and more restaurants, sometimes high end, propose a burger, most of them trying to make it unique. For instance, DBGB from acclaimed Chef Daniel Boulud proposes one with pork belly confit and morbier cheese. Another of his restaurants, DB Bistro Modern, with foie gras. 

So, what would make Umami Burger unique, with lots of people saying that they have the best burgers in the City? That is what I was going to figure out. To learn a bit of history about this chain, know that it started in 2009 in Los Angeles, when Adam Fleischman, the owner, passionate about wine and cuisine decided to bring to the masses his twist on burgers. The logo is pretty amusing as it looks like lips made with a bun, hence their motto: get your lips around our buns.

We tried to go on a Saturday night, a little before 7pm, thinking that the crowd would come later. Big mistake! The place was packed with people waiting for tables. So we decided to go somewhere else and try this place the next day, for lunch. As we were not sure how crowded it would be, we showed up a little before 12pm.

The place was empty. As the time passed, we saw families coming, some of them with strollers, this time of the day being more kids friendly, and the only time when parents craving a burger would be able to come, skipping the expense of a nanny to satisfy and sudden urge for a burger.

It is a big place, with a slight industrial look thanks to the air conditioning system. Unlike lots of the burger places today, you do not order at the counter, but rather sit at the table where they will give you a menu; nothing fancy, just the delivery menu.

Umami is what is called the fifth taste, after sweet, sour, bitter and salty. At Umami Burger, they created some combinations that bring together sweet and salty. Because of this, they do not allow for any substitution. You will not find also a classic cheeseburger. There, everything is their own creation.

As we were waiting for our burgers, they brought us some sauces for our sides:

From left to right: jalapeño ranch (spicy with really a taste of jalapeño), aioli, spicy diablo (very spicy, it is their version of siracha sauce) and umami ketchup.

Then came the burgers. Jodi decided to try the Umami burger.

As you can see, the burgers are branded with a big U. The Umami burger is made of shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, parmesan crisp and umami ketchup. The bread is a Portuguese bun that has a bit of honey, giving to it a nice sweetness.

It was just ok for me, the taste being too sweet, masking the flavors of the meat.

On my side, I ordered the truffle burger.

Also on a Portuguese bun, it was composed of house-made truffle cheese and truffle glaze that were dripping. The beef patty was perfectly cooked medium, juicy and very flavorful, not overpowered by the hints of truffle that emanated from the burger. I split it with Jodi and we literally inhaled it.

With it, we decided to order their jumbo onion rings.

They were impressive and very good, although a bit greasy, delicious with the sauces they brought to the table. I admit that my favorite sauces were the jalapeño ranch and the spicy diablo, even if they were spicy.

I loved the truffle burger at Umami Burger: it is probably one of the best I had so far. They propose other combinations with truffle that I definitely will have to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Umami Burger
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	West Village / American New / Burgers
	* Street Address
	432 6th Ave. (Between 9th St. & 10th St.), New York, NY 10011
	* Phone
	(212) 677-8626

Peruvian lunch at El Anzuelo Fino in Woodhaven, NY

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

I recently got invited to El Anzuelo Fino (The Fresh Fishhook) in Woodhaven, Queens. This place opened in 1998, after the owners, Maria and Amilcar Torres, who opened a restaurant with the same name in Lima, Peru in 1982, decided to relocate to the US. It is a small place, with definitely a neighborhood feel. A family business for sure: Amilcar was inspired by his mother to become a Chef and Boris, his son, followed the same path after falling in love with this industry at the age of 12, while working with his parents. Later on, after being trained by Peruvian Chefs, Boris attended the French Culinary Institute and worked in NYC restaurants including Red Rooster, Boulud Sud, Nuela, La Mar, and Raymi before taking over the management of El Anzuelo Fino. 

The decor there is really simple, if it is not for the stone wall with fishes in the bottom, swimming freely, probably knowing that they would not be served as ceviche. Because I learnt from my friend Chef Vanessa Greeley, who is from Peru, that ceviche is definitely, with lomo salteado, a specialty of the country. 

For our first immersion into Peruvian cuisine, our host was Maria Torres herself. She explained to us the story behind the restaurant, as well as the passion her family has for this business.

Before I talk about the food that was presented to us, let's talk about the beverages. First is wine: they do not have a wide selection there, but if you are curious about Peruvian wines, you should be satisfied.

They also have cocktails, like the Pisco Sour that Maria prepared for me. 

It was made with Pisco and just 2 drops of Angostura for the sour taste.

This is definitely not something you would drink like milk...

If you prefer non-alcoholic beverages, they have shakes, as well as the chicha:

Chicha is a drink made with purple corn that is boiled for 2 hours and then prepared with fruit like apple and pineapple.

It is quite sweet and thick, with a taste that I cannot really compare to anything. It was our first encounter with purple corn, that I never tried before and that we would retrieve in our dessert.

With our drinks came cancha, that is dried corn that is fried.

In fact, as we were eating, they were preparing a batch:

Then, we started our discovery of Peru. The first dish was a ceviche made with pollock fish (ceviche de corvina).

It was served with sweet potatoes, French corn and onions.

I liked it: it was fresh and refreshing with a nice lemon hint.

The second dish was the veal hearts or anticuchos con papa cocida y choclo:

I love veal heart, so I was glad they served us this dish where the meat was accompanied with French corn and some potato. I admit that I mainly focused on the meat that was perfectly cooked and had a nice char from the grill.

Next was the pulpo al olivo or grilled octopus topped with a creamy black olive sauce.

This was just an ok dish for me as there was unfortunately too much sauce and I ended up removing it from the octopus that was very good and tender.

Then came the lomo salteado, a dish prepared with some top sirloin that is diced and cooked with onions, tomatoes and French fries. I liked it: original in a way with the fries mixed in, the meat and sauce were tasty.

The last dish was the corvina a la macho.

It is a fish filet (it depends on arrival, this time we got flounder) that is cooked in a secret sauce and covered with some seafood (octopus, calamari and shrimp). If you like seafood, it is a nice dish: all the elements were perfectly cooked, the calamari and octopus were not tough, and the sauce, that cooked for 3 hours, was delicious.

We then finished with dessert and got the mazamorra morada or purple corn pudding:

Just the rice pudding part was delicious and creamy, but with the purple corn pudding, it was fantastic! The left part of the pudding was prepared, besides with corn, with pineapple, vanilla, lemon and anise. It is definitely a good alternative to a simple, but delicious, rice pudding.

The lunch at El Anzuelo Fino was quite good and a nice discovery of Peruvian food, with dishes that were interesting to try. Know that they have a sister restaurant in Jackson Heights, opened in 2008. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	El Anzuelo Fino
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Woodhaven / Peruvian
	* Street Address
	9801 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven, NY 11421
	* Phone
	(718) 846-0909

Tapas at Tia Pol in Chelsea, NYC, NY

What I love about tapas is the concept: small plates perfect to have with a drink (or two) or to share with others, as well as how comforting some of these dishes can be. So, we went to open table to try to find a tapas place and noticed Tia Pol, conveniently located next to the High Line, where we took a walk to digest...

Tia Pol was opened by Heather Belz and Mani Dawes in July 2004, to celebrate the Spanish cuisine that the owners experienced few years before, when living or traveling to Spain. The name itself comes from a cat Mani Dawes befriended back then. 

This is an exiguous place, a hole in the wall, that feels warm and unpretentious, more like your neighborhood joint.

In the back is a larger room that is either used when there is an overflow of customers in the main part of the restaurant or for private parties.

Besides tapas, the menu offers different large plates for lunch, brunch and dinner. But we were there for tapas. They have a nice choice, mainly with either meat or fish. So if you do not eat any, your choice will be limited, a pattern pretty common in such place.

We started off with a cheese platter:

It was composed of manchego cheese:

A goat cheese:

The last one, I missed the name...

They were served with some walnut and raisin bread.

Then we got the croquetas de jamón or ham croquettes:

We had the choice to order the small or larger serving. We chose the smaller one.

This was delicious: the outside was crispy and not greasy and the inside soft with a nice smokiness and saltiness from the ham.

Then, we ordered the tortilla española or Spanish omelet.

It was very good and I did not even need the mayonnaise with it as it was tasty and moist. 

The next dish was huevos rellenos al pimentón de la vera or deviled eggs with smoked paprika.

Slightly spicy, I truly appreciated the fact that the taste of mayonnaise was not too pronounced.

After that was the crema de hígado de pollo or chicken liver mousse:

As Jodi does not like chicken liver, I ordered the smaller portion. Served on a toasted bread, it was drizzled with some sort of sauce made with Pedro Ximénez, a white Spanish wine grape, that added a nice sweetness to the dish. I really liked this dish. 

The last tapas was the pinchos mourns or lamb skewers:

The smaller portion included two skewers made of cubed lamb cooked with moorish spices (mix of several spices such as cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper...). That was a succulent dish, the lamb being perfectly cooked and the spices giving a very flavorful taste to it. I regretted at this point not having ordered the larger portion!

Of course, we could not leave without dessert to accompany my espresso and Jodi's tea...

And we picked the churros:

Churros are Spanish fried-dough pastries, sometimes referred as Spanish doughnuts. This is a very addictive dessert or snack (like any fried stuff, no?). They were served with some melted chocolate. I think that they disappeared from the table in couple of minutes...I definitely recommend them.

We had a fantastic lunch at Tia Pol: the food was very good and prices reasonable. I really like the fact that, for some dishes, they propose smaller portions, allowing us to try multiple dishes. If you are looking for a tapas place, I highly recommend this one.

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Tia Pol
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Chelsea / Spanish
	* Street Address
	205 10th Ave., New York, NY 10011
	* Phone
	(212) 675-8805

Ben's Kosher Delicatessen in NYC, New York

I love delicatessen food and New York has quite few good places like Junior's or Second Avenue Deli, without forgetting the world renown Katz's (world renown for the movie When Harry Met Sally rather than for the food). So, I noticed Ben's deli on my way back from Bonchon Chicken and we decided to try that place. 

Interesting decor to say the least, resembling more to a place coming straight out of a comic book rather than a traditional deli with all these flashy colors. 

It started well: when the hostess sat us at a booth, she got yelled at by the waiter who told her in a nasty way that he had enough work. Not very professional for sure. So she apologized and sat us in a different section where at least the waiter was nice, but I hadn't that the service was overall slow. 

As we were looking at the menu, they brought us some pickles:

And some coleslaw. 

I love that and it was good that we got it because it took a while for our order to be taken. The good also took some time to come. Then, finally! 

Jodi ordered two dishes: the matzoh ball soup.

And the knish. 

Both were subpar compared to what you can eat in other restaurants. The soup lacked flavor and the outside of the knish was a bit tough. The inside however was delicious. 

On my side, I could not resist ordering the pastrami burger. 

It was a beef patty with some pastrami on top between a toasted challah bread. 

It was served with homemade fries that were skin on. The fries were unevenly cooked. However, the burger was pretty decent, the meat being cooked as ordered (medium) and it was juicy. The pastrami however was a bit tough because thin and overcooked. Not sure it was of the best quality anyway, but for sure a heart attack on a plate that I ate with Russian dressing...

This was definitely a disappointing dinner and clearly Ben's Kosher Delicatessen does not measure up with Junior's, Second Avenue Deli or Katz's.

Enjoy (...)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!