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

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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Fortunato Brothers, Italian Bakery in Williamburg, Brooklyn, NY

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

 

Continuing my discovery of Brooklyn, I gladly accepted the invite I received from Fortunato Brothers Bakery in Williamsbug, an all Italian bakery that opened in 1976. Family business for sure, the establishment's name reflecting the association of three brothers from Naples, Michele, Mario and Sal. Today, they transmitted their passion to their sons, Biagio and Biagio, as well as Frank, another member of the family, and another Biagio! I admit that I met with Biagio, but I have no clue which one!!!

So, as we approached the bakery, we could not miss the delicious smell coming from it, as well as the small Fiat cars in front if it. 

The shop is fairly big, with a seating area on the side that is perfect to enjoy an Italian espresso, a homemade gelato (they have twenty different flavors, my favorite being nocciola or hazelnut), or a cake. 

But of course, the best part was the display, where we could salivate in front of the large choice of cakes and cookies:

As we were close to Easter, they had plenty of items prepared especially for the occasion, some sweet:

and some savory, such as the meat pie that we tasted. 

It was a delicious combination of ham and ricotta wrapped in a crumbly dough. 

So we sat in the seating area, waiting for our tasting, when we noticed a cat sitting (or shall I say sleeping) next to our table.

His name is Rocco: he is the bakery's owners cat and you might see him either sleeping, walking around, or coming to you to get pet or to play. 

Biagio served us a combination of pastries that were mouth watering. Small size though, when possible. I have to say that I love when bakeries offer pastries in a smaller size, as it allows us to try several.

The first I tried was the baba au rum.

It was fantastic: soaked in rum and light. 

There was also a Napoleon:

Similar to the French mille-feuilles, I was glad to see that it had icing and not sugar on top (the best part) and crème pâtissière inside.

The only problem: too small: it was so good that I would have eaten several of them!

Next was the Sfogliatelle (Italian for small, thin leaves/layers):

What is interesting about this pastry is the multiple layers that wrap around a filling made of ricotta, almond flour and candied fruits.

I liked it, but admit that, with a similar dough, I preferred the lobster tail:

It is bigger, but lighter.

In fact, this pastry was invented by Italian-Americans in the 1900s. So, the same dough, but, inside, the filling is made of a cream similar to whipped cream.

Then we got a cream puff that was glazed with a thick layer of dark chocolate.

Inside was a vanilla custard that was delicious and had a perfect consistency.

Following was a classic: cannoli.

It was very good: the ricotta filling was fantastic, not too sweet, and the shell tasted fresh and was crispy. It was my second favorite after the baba.

Last was a cookie called Deliciosa.

It was made with a moca cream. I admit that, although I love coffee, I did not like it.

These pastries could not be eaten without a shot of Italian espresso.

You may think that it was it, but it was not: Biagio proposed to bring home whatever we wanted to try. As Jodi put it, it was like bringing a vampire to a blood bank...

So I went in front of the display and simply (?) asked for some Italian cookies.

So our visit was followed by a cookie tasting.

Here is what we tried:

Rainbow cookies:

Pignoli:

With the equivalent made with pistachio:

Biscotti:

And various cookies.

My favorite were the rainbow cookies and pignoli, maybe because I love any cookie or pastry made with almonds.

So, Fortunato Brothers was definitely a nice discovery of an Italian bakery that seems to stay true to itself, serving customers with traditional Italian specialties, all homemade. Not to mention not too sweet, allowing me to try all of these without falling into a sugar coma!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Fortunato Brothers Cafe
	* Overall
	★★★☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Williamsburg / Italian
	* Street Address
	289 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
	* Phone
	(718) 387-2281

Doughnuts from Dough in Brooklyn

One of my colleagues, Jason, brought some doughnuts one day for breakfast. They were from Dough, a doughnuttery located in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. With all the doughnut places in New York, I was curious to see what would set Dough apart. On top of that, I am a huge fan of the Doughnut Plant, so my expectation was very high. 

At first, you cannot miss the size of these doughnut that are fairly big, the size of a bagel. They are yeast doughnuts, as opposed to cake doughnuts. 

Although large, they were soft, chewy, airy and fluffy, not too heavy. And yes, I tried all of them...

Here is what we had:

Hibiscus doughnut:

Coconut doughnuts:

Glazed doughnuts:

Chocolate doughnuts:

Cafe au lait doughnuts:

I was curious what the hibiscus doughnut would taste like, not that I never tried hibiscus before (I had a hibiscus lemonade once at Angelica Kitchen). Do not imagine a flowery taste: it had a nice sweetness and I would not have known it was hibiscus, I would probably think it was food coloring...

The chocolate doughnut was delicious too and would satisfy any chocolate lover, the icing being very chocolate-y. But my favorite was the cafe au lair one that had some crumble as well as nuts, adding some nice texture to it.

I liked the doughnuts at Dough, not only because they taste good, but also because of their originality. However, they would had some filling, it would make them seriously compete with the doughnut plant.

Enjoy (I did)!



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Restaurant Information

tabelog.us

	* Restaurant Name
	Dough
	* Overall
	★★☆☆☆
	* Neighborhood / Cuisine
	Bedford-Stuyvesant / American Traditional / Desserts
	* Street Address
	305 Franklin Ave. (At Lafayette Ave.), Brooklyn, NY 11205
	* Phone
	(347) 533-7544

Dinner at Fushimi in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York

In the past weeks, I have been discovering Brooklyn's dining scene and I have to admit that there are quite few gems there! The last one I discovered is Fushimi, a Japanese restaurant located in Bay Ridge, where we were invited for dinner. Fushimi has two meanings: first it is the name of a city in Japan; second, it means "Clear water" in Japanese.

They have three locations: Bay Ridge and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, as well as Staten Island where they serve the same menu, an Asian fusion of Japanese, Korean, Thai, French and American cuisine, crafted by Executive Chef Chul Kee Ko.

Chef Chul Kee Ko has an impressive resume: born in Seoul Korea, his mom owned a popular Japanese restaurant, where Chef Ko helped in the kitchen at age 14. Then he went to the French Culinary Institute, before working for Jean Georges and Buddha Bar in Washington DC. The training in the latter allowed him to spend two months at the Buddha Bar in Paris. 

The restaurant is surprising: from outside, it looks like a club with the blue lights. Then, when you enter, the first room is dominated by the red and blue fluorescent bar, giving a lounge-y feel to the place. But it is not just a bar area, there are tables and booths were people can dine. I counted three more dining room, making this place quite big.

In the main dining room, you can sit at the counter, observing the Chef prepare the food, next to a small seafood display.

In the back is a cellar containing an impressive collection of sake.

I started the evening with a yuzu citron martini:

It was made of yuzu sake, citron (lemon) vodka, PunZone organic liqueur (vodka). It was good with a nice citrus-y taste, but clearly not something I would sip like milk...

The first two dishes were from their New Year's eve menu. It started with Four Senses of Lobster:

They took 1 1/2 lb lobster and prepared it 4 ways.

Tiradito that is similar to a ceviche, where slices of the lobster tail were topped with caviar and a spicy vinaigrette.

Sushi made with the claw meat, some homemade lobster oil, some sea salt, and of course some rice. This was to be eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.

Lobster salad: First was a brush of pesto on which the salad was placed. it was composed of asparagus,  snap peas, cherry tomatoes, crunchy cauliflower (tri-color - I can recall purple, green) and a carrot confit (the carrot is cooked 3 hours at low temperature in olive oil).

The sauce was an orange vinaigrette. The lobster was topped with a Meyer lemon and pineapple jam that gave a nice acidity to the meat.

Special Roll made with different types of lobster meat, rice, avocado and mango, topped with a sweet aioli.

The presentation of the dish was beautiful and the creativity of the Chef being undeniable. It was like a progression of flavors, some the simplest to the more complex flavors. My favorite was the sushi, then the tiradito / ceviche and then the salad, each of them being delicate and elegant. However, I did not like the roll, whether it was the texture or the taste, the lobster being a bit lost.

The second dish was the Black Garlic Magic of Seafood:

Another beautiful dish, very colorful. It was like a tartare of lobster, lump crab meat and seared scallops, topped with black garlic and put together with a creamy aioli that let the seafood shine. It was accompanied with a brunoise of vegetables that added a nice crunch to the dish (carrots, French beans, cauliflower). This was another successful dish. Definitely, the black garlic was intriguing. It is aged for 6 months and has a soft texture and a more subtle taste that definitely did not overpower the dish.

Then came the rack of lamb:

Another fantastic presentation and a great dish! The lamb was seared in 7 spices and brushed with Dijon mustard that created a nice coating. Then it was slow cooked to obtain a meat cooked medium and heavenly juicy. It came with haricot verts and crispy mashed potatoessimply made with yukon potatoes, butter, salt and pepper, a perfect side for the lamb.

After the succulent lamb dish, came the filet mignon:

Chef Ko poured a sauce similar to the one you can find in shabu shabu, made with a port wine reduction, shallots, beef stock and butter. 

It came with a roasted shishito pepper, a pan seared oyster mushroom (did not really like it), panko crusted mash potatoes (delicious and crunchy), a roasted cherry tomato and one of the best sweet potato purées I ever had (there is crème fraîche in it!). But the best part was the filet mignon. I typically never order meat when not in a steakhouse; but, to my surprise, this was very good! The meat was tender, deliciously seared and topped with some kosher salt. Although juicy, it paired perfectly with the sauce that has a nice sweetness. The meat was cooked medium to medium rare, and even Jodi who likes her steak well done loved it!

At that point, I am not sure I could eat more. But then, they brought us some desserts...The first one was a warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream (perfect to cut the sweetness and bitterness of the chocolate).

We cut it in the middle and observed the chocolate oozing from the center. It was fantastic!

Then, we had a trio of crème brûlée:

The flavors were: vanilla.

Green tea

Coffee.

I thought that it was a great idea to offer a crème brûlée tasting and it was the perfect quantity as it was not too big and not too thick. The custards were perfectly set, not too sweet and the caramelized top was very good. My favorite was the vanilla, then coffee, then green tea (that was not bitter by the way).

The last dessert was a panna cotta made with Greek yogurt and topped with a yuzu citrus gelée. 

This was my least favorite dessert: I did not like the texture of the panna cotta and the yuzu citrus gelée taste was too pronounced.

This was definitely an unexpected dinner at Fushimi: the food was fabulous, taste wise and presentation, showcasing the creativity of Chef Ko. This is not your typical Japanese restaurant. However, if you want a more straight forward Japanese dish, they have that also on their menu! Whether you live or not in Bay Ridge, Fushimi is worth the trip...

Enjoy (I did)!

 

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

Villabate-Alba in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York

I admit that when I moved in the US, the only true Italian desserts I knew was the famous tiramisu. I do not recall having seen an Italian pastry shop, except in Marseille, South of France, when my parents used to go to this bakery to buy some Italian bread. For sure I traveled to Italy few times, but still, I can only remember the tiramisu or the gelato of course. Other desserts were unknown to me. Then I came to New York. My first cannoli was a disaster: not good at all and making me ignore this delicious pastry for many years, until Giorgio's in Hoboken.

So, on top of the usual excitement to discover a new place, I was excited to see what treasures Villabate-Alba had. This pastry shop and bakery is located in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, close to the Italian restaurant Il Colloseo that I posted last week. Believe it or not, but we went to these places the same day, hoping to optimize our time, sacrificing our diet...There, we got to meet with Anthony Alaimo, the son of Angelo Alaimo, who, with his other son Emanuele, started a bakery more than 30 years ago, naming it Villabate that is also the name of the town in Sicily they come from. Close by was a pastry shop called Alba. When the owner retired, he sold his shop to Angelo and that is how Villabate-Alba was born, merging the bakery and pastry shop altogether, making it the oldest in Brooklyn.

Villabate-Alba is not your small pastry shop and you may think, looking at the photo above, that it was quiet. It was not: I took this photo between two waves of customers. Yes, at some point it was packed and I cannot blame people who go there considering what this place has to offer.

When you enter, on the left, you cannot miss the gelato that they continue to offer, even if the temperature has dropped. I was glad to see that they have nocciola / Hazelnut that is my favorite flavor with praline, bringing me back few years ago, when Jodi and I were in Venice and Rome and had gelato everyday (keeps you hydrated!). 

Then is the counter where you can have a nice coffee with some pastries, or even breakfast.

When you go around the store, you see an incredible number of cakes, some looking amazing! Anthony told us that they also custom made cakes and showed us some of them that looked like edible works of art. They probably should get a show on TV (I guess this idea was already taken...).

The fruits below made with marzipan.

So we went at the counter where Anthony made us try few specialties. The first one was a Cassatella:

It is a white wine ravioli filled with ricotta (I should mention that their ricotta is imported from Sicily).

The shell was crispy and nicely sweet and the inside so smooth, it was divine.

In fact, it was perfect with an espresso.

Then we got to try some pignoli and some rainbow cookies.

The pignoli were fantastic: soft inside, not too sweet, it is perfect if you love almonds as the cookie is made with it.

The rainbow cookies, also made with almonds, were delicious because you definitely could tell that they were made with fresh ingredients and the strawberry really came through.

And then, when we thought it was time to go (to our next stop in Brooklyn...), Anthony brought us this:

It was very nice and generous of him and we could not refuse... So, we had to get a tasting.

Sfogliatelle:

The outside was definitely crispy with multiple thin layers; however, I did not like the inside that was made with sweet ricotta cheese and semolina: it was too heavy and dry for me.

Red velvet cake:

It was filled with cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. That was a nice Italian version of the red velvet cake (that was perfectly moist by the way)

Cardone: cookie crust infused with ricotta cheese, dipped in liquid sugar, fondant and then dipped in almonds.

That was one of my favorites. It was crunchy, thanks to the almonds and the cookie, delicately sweet thanks to the fondant, but smooth, thanks to the ricotta.

Baba au rhum:

So, this is not an Italian pastry: more Polish. It is made of a light cake imbibed with rum. This one was good although slightly overcooked, but not dry at all (and I remind you that it was rum...).

Iris:

It was a delicious twisted roll with ricotta inside and topped with cinnamon sugar. I loved it: light and, again, not too sweet, it had this wonderful ricotta cream inside that paired well with the roll that was a bit airy. Second favorite!

Of course, the cannoli, filled with ricotta:

They were of a nice size. The shell was fresh and crispy and the filling divine, with a nice cinnamon touch. 

Napoleon:

This definitely looked like the French mille feuilles, but with a vanilla cream rather than a crème pâtissière. Sometimes, the icing is replaced by a thin layer of confectioner sugar, but, at Villabate-Alba, the icing looked and tasted similar to the one I am familiar with. I admit that I ate more of the top than the bottom part though... 

Zuppa Inglese horn:

The shell was similar to the sfogliatelle, crispy with lots of thin layers, and the inside had a very light cream that was delicious.

Foret noire slice:

First of all, this cake looked amazing. It was light and had several layers, alternating cream (strawberry or coffee for instance) and a very good and soft sponge cake. 

I am not sure what the next one is called, so I name it the Mandarin thrill:

It was a light cake with a quite good filling that had a nice mandarin taste.

Cassatini Siciliani:

It is a smaller version of the Sicilian Cassata, made with marzipan and filled with ricotta. This was my all time favorite and I had to battle with Jodi who, usually, does not like almonds...Strong recommendation!

The last cake was made with rainbow cookies and had a light strawberry mousse in the middle.

 I liked the rainbow cookie, but did not like the cream.

All these cookies were great and I just wished that they had a store in my neighborhood. Or maybe it is a blessing that I do not have one, because I would be there everyday, few times a day, all the time (hopefully I do not sound too creepy...). For a delicious and authentic Italian experience, Villabate-Alba is definitely recommended.

Enjoy (I surely did)!

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

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Il Colosseo in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York

Last week end, Jodi and I were invited to Il Colosseo (The Coliseum), and Italian restaurant located in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, that opened in 1991, at a time where the area was an all Italian neighborhood. There, we met with Giulio Mannino, the son of the owner, Lorenzo.  He gave us a bit of history about his family who comes from Sicily and explained to us that he worked in the restaurant business since age 14. He also told me that the dishes at the restaurant are straight or derived from family recipes.

When you enter the restaurant, there is first the bar area.

Then, you pass an arch to go tot the dining room with its open kitchen in the back.

There is definitely a feel that it is an old Italian restaurant where you would eat traditional dishes.

Also visible from the dining room is the wood fire brick oven where they make pizza.

Apparently, when they opened, they were the first to have such oven in Brooklyn. 

Giulio decided to make us try different dishes that are on the menu. We first started with the Misto Mare, an appetizer plate composed of octopus, shrimp and baked clams:

The octopus and shrimp (that were of a nice size) were deliciously grilled, giving them a nice char; simply grilled I should say, letting them be the star. The octopus, purchased from one of their friends in Bensonhurst, was perfectly tender that is not a given, and they served the full animal...

However, I did not like the baked clams: too much breading and I could barely taste the clam.

The next appetizer is a classic: calamari fritti or fried calamari.

It was good, maybe not the best I ever had, but good, the calamari itself not being rubbery. It came with a sauce that I guess was marinara, that was a bit watery.

Then, we tried their eggplant pizza or Pizza Melanzane, made in the brick oven.

After Capizzi recently, I am rediscovering eggplant pizza. Often, there is too much breading or the eggplant is cut so thin you cannot taste it. At Il Colosseo, it was big chunks of eggplant, so I could enjoy the texture as well as this particular taste this vegetable has, both smokey and sweet.

The crust of the pizza was nicely charred with a crispy outside and a soft center. There was also a nice amount of cheese on it. So it is definitely a great pizza to try.

After the pizza, we tried the pasta: penne a la vodka.

They gave us each half portions that we had a lot of food to try. I cannot imagine eating a full portion anyway by myself (although...).

Let me tell you: that sauce was fantastic! First of all, there was enough sauce, that is not always the case in restaurants. Second, they make it with fresh tomatoes and a touch of cream, so it is still light but tasty. I could have licked my plate (I think I did...).

The last dish was chicken Francese.

The way this dish is made is by dipping the breast (often pounded to make it thin) in flour and egg, cooked in a skillet and smothered by a light lemon sauce. At Il Colosseo, they dip the breast in butter and sauté it with white wine and lemon. When it came, you could definitely smell the white wine and lemon. The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist and the sauce was delicate, not overpowering. Nice dish if you like chicken.

After this feast, Giulio proposed to have some homemade desserts...How could we say no? We started off (or I should say finished?) with tiramisu.

That was a fantastic tiramisu! It was light and creamy. What is interesting about this dessert is that you will not find one identical tiramisu in pastry shops or restaurants: they all have their own recipe. At Il Colosseo, they add a bit of anisette to it. It was perfect with an espresso:

The second dessert was the Italian cheese cake, made with ricotta, of course.

When I tasted it, it reminded me a bit of a tourteau fromagé, a specialty from the Poitou-Charentes region in France, except that it did not have the thick shell, burnt on top, that the tourteau has. However, the texture, lightness, freshness and taste was very close. This is definitely not your regular cheese cake, the American version being denser. I really liked it, although between the two desserts we tasted, the tiramisu was my favorite.

This was definitely a delicious meal: if you are looking for traditional Italian dishes that will transport you to Italy, Il Colosseo is a good spot for you!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dinner at Aji 53, Japanese restaurant in Brooklyn, New York

I did not know what to expect when I received an invitation from one of the partners of Aji 53, Kevin,  proposing to dine in one of the three restaurants located in Bay Shore (original), Smith Town and Brooklyn. 

Aji means "Taste" and 53 comes from the address of their original location in Bay Shore: 53rd exit and located at number 53. So they made 53 their lucky number. We decided to go to the Brooklyn location for a dinner last Tuesday.

The restaurant in Brooklyn opened last June. Its predecessor was another Japanese restaurant called "Yoshi" that apparently had some issues. When we entered, we immediately saw that it was not a standard Japanese restaurant, but rather a higher version of it. On the right side was the dining room that was split into two parts: one with red booths and the other one with regular seats. 

On the left, the incredible marble bar with its blue lighting, giving a lounge-y feel to the place. 

Then, in the back, the counter where you can sit and watch the Chef prepare sushi and sashimi.

We started off with some drinks, Jodi going for a green tea:

And me, ordering one of their signature cocktails: The Cucumber Cooler:

It was made of Pearl cucumber vodka, Saint Germain, pineapple juice and fresh shredded cucumber.

It was delicious, with a nice cooling effect, but was definitely a dangerous drink, because you could drink that as if it was just some juice...

We started the dinner with appetizers. The first one was Five Way Sashimi:

It was composed of sushi grade tuna in a ponzu sauce:

Striped bass with a Dijon mustard sauce:

Salmon with a truffle sauce (you could definitely smell the truffle when the dish came):

Yellowtail with a Jalapeño and yuzu sauce (that had a nice kick):

Albacore tuna with a ponzu sauce and salmon roe:

First of all, the presentation was fantastic with beautiful colors. The fish were the selection of the day, the Chef shopping on a daily basis at the fish market (closed on Sunday). It was definitely high quality fish, paired with sauces well chosen and not overpowering the fish that remained the star of the dish.

After that, we got the tuna gyoza:

It was made of cooked spicy tuna wrapped in a wonton and deep fried, served with guacamole and an apple sauce. It was an interesting creation, showcasing a fusion that will be present all along the dinner (started anyway in the first course with the jalapeño). I did not really taste the apple sauce, however, the dumpling had a nice crunch and paired perfectly with the guacamole that neutralized in a way the spiciness of the tuna.

The next course was called Ocean River:

 It was raw salmon wrapped around wasabi lobster and avocado, served with a truffle yuzu dressing.

There again, we could smell the truffle and the colors, with a predominent orange, were beautiful. It had a smooth texture and the yuzu added the necessary acidity. However, I was expecting a kick from the wasabi, but it was not the case.

Then came the warm sautéed wild mushroom salad:

The mushroom smell emanating from this dish was incredible and very appetizing. The sauce was simply made of olive oil and truffle purée. There were different kinds of mushrooms, all organic: butternut, shiitake, oyster and beech.

At the same time, they brought us another dish with mushrooms: Kuromame scallop.

It was grilled scallops, served with mushrooms and asparagus, bathed in a delicious black bean miso. The mushrooms and asparagus added a nice texture and there was a nice balance of flavors in this dish that was one of my favorites.

Then came another fusion dish: Beef short ribs.

It is one of their popular dishes. The short rib is marinated in sake overnight, then slow braised for 4 hours before being smothered in a house made BBQ soy sauce. The result, a meat that falls of the bone without the help of a knife.

I liked it, but it was my least favorite, surprising considering that I love short rib and BBQ, The sauce was delicious, not too salty and nicely sweet, but the meat, although tender, had a bit of cartilage.

After that, we tried the rock shrimp tempura:

Rock shrimp are a variety of shrimp that has a hard, spiny shell similar to a lobster. The shell is "hard as a rock", hence the term rock shrimp. This tempura version was crunchy with a nice kick. It was so good, I could not stop eating them!

We then tasted the Chilean Sea Bass, fish that was imported from Japan, marinated in Saikyo miso, then broiled.

It was served on a sweet potato mash. The fish was perfectly cooked, flaky and moist, with a nice caramelization. This was a delicious dish, perfect for fish lovers who only eat cooked fish.

At that point, I started to be really full and Kevin proposed to have some Sake. They have a nice selection there, with tastings graded standard, expert and premium.

Kevin served us the premium tasting:

It was composed, from left to right:

• Sayuri Nigori: Japan's number one selling unfiltered sake. The restaurant describes it as "refreshing aroma, natural sweetness & smooth aftertaste".
• Wakatake Daiginjo: rice milled to 50%. The restaurant describes it as "full body, medium dry and rich, smooth as silk with aromas of pineapple, papaya and roasted nuts".
• Horin Jumai Daiginjo: rice milled to 50%. The restaurant describes it as "delicately fruity nose, well balanced, smooth & clean finish, with a hint of pear".

Not being a connoisseur of Sake, it was great to be able to compare each of them. I sipped the sake for what was unexpectedly coming: a sushi and sashimi sampler!

It looked fantastic and we could not not try this amazing selection! 

It was composed of:

Sushi made of salmon, yellowtail (bon-hamachi) and big eye tuna:

Octopus:

Sashimi made of slices of big eye tuna and yellowtail:

As well as salmon sashimi:

Next to the damon was the fresh wasabi. They serve fresh wasabi because good quality fish deserve good wasabi!

Monster roll (salmon and avocado inside, topped with grilled Alaskan king crab and Louisiana blue crab meat, served with eel and chili sauce:

Okinawa roll (spicy white tuna and blue crab, wrapped with soy bean nori and topped with albacore white tuna and avocado, served with yuzu creme and pineapple chili puree.

The freshness of the fish was again undeniable and the creativity of the rolls sensational, bringing different flavors together perfectly. 

At that point we were really full, but could not resist a dessert...They brought us a home-made mochi ice cream:

One was made of peanut butter and the other one mango. It was the perfect way to finish this incredible meal.

Aji 53 is definitely not your regular Japanese restaurant: it proposes creative dishes, fusion or not, at reasonable prices, made with high quality ingredients. My only regret is that they are not in our neighborhood!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

My nephew culinary visit: day 3 / part 1: 67 Burger in Brooklyn, New York

On Sunday, we went back to Brooklyn for some shopping and ended up at 67 Burger, a burger place located at 67 Lafayette street in Fort Greene. I remembered this restaurant because we went there few years ago, for my first immersion in Brooklyn.

Similar to lots of burger places, you can either order from their menu or build your own burger. Then, once you order, they give you a number and will bring your food at your table.

Our food came fairly quickly. As Valentin likes blue cheese, we ordered the Western burger, made with BBQ onions and blue cheese, cooked medium.

We also ordered a cheeseburger with Cheddar:

Jodi built her own and went for a veggie burger with avocado and goat cheese (great that they were proposing goat cheese as a choice: it is pretty rare).

All the burgers were good and juicy. I preferred the Western over the cheeseburger because it had more flavor. Jodi's veggie burger was also good and perfect with avocado and goat cheese.

For sides, we shared some fries that were cooked skin on:

And some onion rings:

I preferred the onion rings that were missing a bit if salt though, but were not that greasy, over the fries that I prefer crispier.

It was good although I would not go specifically for their burger, but if you are in that area, it is a good spot.

Enjoy (I did)!

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My nephew culinary visit: day 2 / part 1 - Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, NY

We could not miss the occasion of my nephew's visit to go to Smorgasburg, the food festival that takes place every year in Brooklyn. We kept thinking that we should go so many times, but we had this image that it would be a pain, because far. We were wrong. In fact, recently, I ended up quite few times there and really enjoyed it, drooling in front of so many cool restaurants...

So here we are, at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg (it was a Saturday), located few minutes from the subway stop! Big place with a beautiful view of the New York skyline:

Despite what you may think looking at the photo, it was packed. 

We were very excited and decided to look around before hitting the first food joint, but it did not take us too long to start our food experience. First stop was Milk Truck Grilled Cheese:

We do not have grilled cheese in France, just croque monsieur, but a simpler version than the one you see in restaurants: no béchamel, just butter and a slice of cheese that will be cooked in a toaster. So it is pretty similar.

We decided to try the Ham and cheese:

It was made of Niman's ranch applewood smoked ham, Vermont aged cheddar and Colman's mustard on Blue Ribbon Bakery rosemary Pullman bread. It was very good, hot, perfect for a cold day. It had lots of cheese and a thick slice of ham, and the bread was deliciously crispy. 

We also tried the Milk Truck classic, made with aged Wisconsin gruyere, cultured butter on a Balthazar levain Pullman bread. 

It was delicious, with tons of cheese and, again, this delicious crispiness of the bread.

Next stop was Brooklyn Piggies for pigs in a blanket:

Another dish you will not find in France: sausage wrapped in a dough, whether croissant, biscuit or , like here, a puff pastry.

We decided to eat them with mustard and a BBQ sauce. They were delicious: the puff pastry was light and flacky, perfectly paired with the sausage that had a bit of smokiness.

Then we ended up at an interesting stand: Cheese Pops.

They serve cheese of course, but like lollipops or skewered, and propose a raclette one:

A bit of France there, but also Switzerland as they melt the cheese the way they do in that country for raclette, under a heated source:

So, the raclette pop is a skewer with pickles and roasted vegetables:

They will melt on top the cheese:

Et voila!

It was good, but there was definitely not enough cheese and the $9 we paid were not worth it...

Our next stop was at the BeeHive Oven:

There, they serve biscuit, that I love! They were cooking them on premisses, so they were fresh and hot.

We decided to order the simplest one: with butter and honey for $2 a piece.

That was so good! These biscuits were one of the best I tried so far, and so comforting. 

Next to it was Inglorius Yakitorius:

Where they propose yakitori of all sort: beef or chicken, but more intriguing, heart, liver or cartilage, cooked on their grill.

We decided to try the chicken heart and the chicken liver.

We decided to have them salted rather than with a sauce, so we could really taste the meat. It was very good, tender, but I was missing the char I love on grilled meat. Not to mention that Jodi was horrified, especially when she saw a valve on the pice of heart I was going to eat.

The last savory stop was Brooklyn Bayou for alligator chili:

It was made with alligator, andouille sausage, pork shoulder, tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic. We could see the pots of chili behind the counter:

They served the chili with some rice (overcooked) and some sour cream to counteract the spiciness.

It was good, but a bit overpriced ($10), although I do not know the price of a pound of alligator...If you ask me what it tasted like, I would be unable to answer, because they were so many ingredients smothered in the sauce, that it was not possible to identify it. I guess the only components we clearly identified was the sausage.

The last stop was S'more bakery:

We could not let Valentin leave without trying a S'more! 

We went for the S'morgasm, a sandwich made of two cinnamon sugar and clover honey graham crackers, a layer of Callebaut semisweet chocolate ganache and a bourbon-Madagascar vanilla bean marshmallow that is torched:

And here is the little sandwich:

Not only it looked good, but it tasted heavenly good! The marshmallow was so gooey and sticky, with a nice char taste. Definitely a great way to finish this culinary experience!

That was fantastic and I am happy that my nephew (and I) could try some food that you cannot find where he lives. My only regret is that we did not go earlier to Smorgasburg!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Hunter's in Brooklyn, New York

We were recently invited to Hunter's, a restaurant located on the thriving Smith street in Brooklyn. It is a young restaurant considering that it opened in November 2012. Its name and different drawings on the menu and their website screams hunting, and the association of hunting and restaurant made me think, besides meat and animals like boar or deer, of natural / organic products. Well, Hunter is the name of the dog of the Chef, Angelo Schifilliti, who co-owns the place. I can tell you that when talking about his dog, we could see a light in his eyes: he loves him so much that he gave his name to the restaurant!!!

The place has a nice decor, with exposed bricks, tin ceiling, wooden floors and wooden furniture. We went for dinner and the light was dimmed and warm, giving an intimate feel to the place. The restaurant was unusually packed for a Tuesday and they were slightly understaffed; however, it did not affect the service that was extremely courteous and efficient, and not only to our table. I mentioned to Jodi at some point during dinner, that it reminded me a little bit the restaurants at La Butte Aux Cailles, a popular area in Paris, full of bars and unpretentious restaurants similar to this one. 

When I learnt that they were participating in the Shaken and Stirred best of Brooklyn cocktail contest that day, I inquired about the cocktail list. It is made of two categories: signature and seasonal. I decided to go for the Handsome Hound (guess to whom it refers to?) that is one of their signature cocktails. 

It was made of Breuckelen corn & rye whiskey (the bottle is used for tap water!), orange & barrel bitters, sweet vermouth and brandied cherries. I can tell you that this cocktail delivers and is perfect if you like whiskey!

Then, we had a tough time deciding what to order. The seasonal menu is small, but here were so many things I wanted to try. So we asked our waiter what their popular dishes are and followed some of his suggestions. I ordered the chicken liver & bacon mousse, one of heir signature dishes. 

It was served with a deliciously sweet shallot marmalade, pickles (carrots, onions and haricots verts - string beans) and some bread. They present it in a rustic way, on a piece of wood, stacking the different components next to each other. The mousse was fantastic: smooth and a bit smokey (not too much), thanks to the bacon. I ate it with and without the shallot marmalade that added a nice sweetness to the dish, counteracting the sour taste of the pickles. 

Jodi ordered their butternut squash agnolotti (home made!):

They were served with sage brown butter, spiced pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and Brussels sprouts. This was spectacular! The agnolotti were thin, so there was a nice proportion butternut squash / pasta. The brown butter was perfect with it and I loved that they put the pumpkin seeds that added some crunch. It was my favorite dish. Also,t they serve in two sizes: appetizer or entree. 

For entree, Jodi ordered the Mac&Cheese, made with fusili pasta, smothered in Parmesan, cheddar and gruyere. 

It was very creamy and they were generous with the amount of cheese! It was topped with breadcrumbs that added a nice crunch (again?). It is an entree and it might be a good idea to serve it as a side!

On my side, I decided to go for the chicken. I admit that I hesitated with their burger, but the burger is not seasonal. 

It was a roasted organic chicken (good serving), butterflied, laying on sweet potato mash and roasted Brussels sprouts. The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist. I loved the garnish: the Brussels sprouts were delicious and the mash had this nice sweetness hat made me want to have more. 

Then, it was time for my favorite part of the meal: dessert. Ok, I lied: my favorite part is The meal!!!

Jodi ordered the ricotta fritters with dulce de leche:

They were made to order and came hot. I think this is the kind of dessert that can be addictive! I ate them with or without the dulce de leche that was a bit dense. 

I decided to order the nutella bread pudding. 

It was a nice piece, served with whipped cream. In term of consistency, it was perfect. I really do not like dry bread pudding and this one was soft and moist. It was good, but I admit that I expected the Nutella taste to come through. 

This was a great experience: delicious food and great atmosphere. I really like their menu that is not big and it shows hat it is better to have a small menu executed well rather ham a big menu poorly executed. In fact we asked the Chef how he creates his menu and he said: "I serve what I would eat". Of course, he goes through quality control: his wife, who is the only person who tells him the truth about his food, bluntly, a sentiment familiar to Jodi when she asks me my opinion about her painting...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

CLOSED - Dinner at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Brooklyn, New York

Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

Last Saturday, we were invited for dinner at Glow a Thai restaurant and lounge located in Bay Ridge. There, our host and owner, Anthony Loupos and Chef Suwanna Amatmontri, who is from Thailand, proposed a tasting that went beyond regular Thai food. They pride on proposing street food and creative dishes, made with ingredients chosen and bought on a daily basis in local markets.

I was excited for sure because I love Thai cuisine and we were ready for a culinary experience! 

Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

So, as I mentioned, this is a restaurant and lounge. When you arrive, you face the pink lighted bar with its white stools, that definitely gives a modern and lounge-y feel to the place.

Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

Then, the main dining room, with its large painting of Buddha.

Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

And the exposed bricks, that give a warm feel to the place. In the back, there is a fish tank with lotus flowers on top, symbol of fortune in Buddhism.

Lotus flower at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

The last element of the decor that I liked was the rotating double fans on the ceiling, that added to the modern, but simple feel of the place.

rotating fan at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

As it is a lounge, it has a wide variety of cocktails, some of them being unique, like the Drunken Gummy Bear that I tried!

drunken gummy bear at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

Don't be mistaken: gummy bear does not only apply to the two pieces of candy used for decoration: there are gummy bears in the drink! The way they make it is using liquid nitrogen!

drunken gummy bear at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

They put liquid nitrogen in the glass on the right to chill it and in the glass on the left to crush the gummy bears that you can still see in the bottom. Then, they will mix it with vodka, lime juice and simple syrup (sugar syrup). Et voilà !

drunken gummy bear at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

It was good and definitely sweet, loaded with vodka! 

Thai iced tea at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

Jodi ordered a Thai iced tea that was delicious (the recipe is standard, but trust me: I had some bad ones in the past!). 

Thai iced tea at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

This was a very good Thai iced tea.

To finish with the drinks, before talking about what we ate, I tasted some Thai wine from Monsoon Valley, made with a blend of grapes.

Monsoon Valley wine at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

I admit that I had no idea that there is such thing as Thai wine, as it is rarely featured in wine menus. It was a pretty decent wine and Anthony explained that it is perfect when paired with spicy food as it will cut through the spiciness. 

Food wise, we were there for a treat! Anthony proposed to pick the dishes for us. We started off with the appetizers. Curry puffs for Jodi:

Curry puffs at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

This dish, that is street food, was made with chicken, potato, onions and yellow curry, served with a cucumber relish. This was a great appetizer and there was not too much chicken, so ok for Jodi to try it. The shell was made of puff pastry, that added a nice crispiness to the dish. The cucumber relish was perfect, as it added some freshness, pairing perfectly with the bolder flavor of the potato and curry filling.

Then, there was the Thai crab cake:

Thai crab cake at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

My previous experiences with crab cakes in Asian restaurant has not been that successful (greasy, lots of fillers), and I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the dish coming. It was a pretty decent crab cake in fact! A bit sweet and spicy, you could definitely taste the crab that I believe was made with the meat from the claw.

Thai crab cake at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

The sauce with it was a sweet chili sauce that was perfect with the crab cake.

Then, they served the entrees. For Jodi, massaman curry with tofu:

massaman curry with tofu at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

They propose it with chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, but more surprisingly also with squid, sole or tilapia! The other ingredients were carrots, onion, potato and peanuts. It was served with white rice:

white rice at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

Massaman curry is one of my favorite Thai dishes and this was really good! Not spicy, it was very flavorful and I loved the fact that the tofu was soaked in the delicious sauce.

On my side, I got Pad Grapow Moo Kai Dow or minced pork and basil served with a fried egg.

Pad Grapow Moo Kai Dow at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

This was a huge plate! It had lots of flavors and you could play with the different components, sometimes eating it with the egg white, sometimes with the runny yolk, and sometimes simply with the rice and pork. It was a bit spicy, but clearly, if it wasn't, it would not have been a successful dish. It is not that my mouth was on fire, but more the spiciness started to build up in the back of my throat; the Thai iced tea was perfect then to soothe it.

Then was time for dessert! I admit that I rarely eat dessert in Thai restaurant, maybe because of lack of knowledge of Thai desserts, or simply because the Thai restaurants I went to did not propose anything out of the ordinary. The first dessert was standard I would say: mango with sticky rice:

mango with sticky rice at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

This was fantastic: first of all, the mango was delicious and very tasty. Then, the sticky rice was generously bathed in coconut milk. This was a bit addictive.

The second dessert was off the menu: Thai iced tea ice cream.

Thai iced tea ice cream at Glow Thai restaurant and lounge in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York

They took the ingredients of Thai iced tea and made the ice cream with liquid nitrogen. The result was incredible! We could definitely taste the Thai iced tea and the ice cream was extraordinary creamy, the liquid nitrogen freezing it so fast that the ice cream crystals are very small, creating this wonderful texture. If you go there and they serve it, you definitely need to try!

No need to say that at the end of the meal we were stuffed! I have to say that I did not expect such a delicious meal and thought it would just be another Thai restaurant! I think what sets apart Glow from other Thai restaurants is the originality of the menu, where, on top of serving traditional dishes, they serve street food as well as creative dishes! And if you like to start with a cocktail, they go beyond just the martini!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

The Chocolate Room in Brooklyn, New York!

The chocolate room: what a teaser! I mean if you like chocolate and are passing by, there is no way you would miss an opportunity to try it! That place is fantastic: when you enter, the smell of chocolate smothers you, coming not only from the display, but also from the small kitchen adjacent to the dining room, where they make everything that is on the menu. 

Just looking at all these chocolates, made me drool!

I could not not try to have a sneak peek of the kitchen!

The dining room is small, with the walls covered with art related to chocolate, overlooking the backyard of the building. 

The menu is a serious invitation to indulge, with some mouth watering desserts: brownie sundae, Chocolate Room pudding, black bottom butterscotch or chocolate fondue...Yum! I just wished they had a sampler!

Our waiter was great: fun and giving us lots of information, making us feel welcome. He started off by bringing us some chocolate sorbet for tasting.

The sorbet was delicious: it had a fantastic dark chocolate flavor. 

Then, We went for one of his suggestions: the chocolate layer cake (three layers!!!), that is one of their best sellers!

It was a big slice for sure! But it was so good: the cake itself was light and was surrounded by a delicious layer of fudge. I truly appreciated the fact that it was not too sweet. 

Then, we ordered some homemade ice cream: Madagascar vanilla bean and Belgian chocolate.

The ice cream was creamy, in the vanilla,  the vanilla beans were apparent, and was my favorite of the two, the chocolate being very good too, not bitter and not too sweet. I like that combination of flavors that complement well each other. 

With the ice cream, we could also order some toppings. We went for a silky coconut whipped cream. 

If you are a coconut lover, it is definitely something to consider. Similar to the others, it was not too sweet and you can tell when whipped cream is homemade.

This was definitely the perfect spot for dessert and after visiting it, I just wished that when my parents sent me to my room, it was the Chocolate Room!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Lunch at Awash Ethiopian restaurant in Brooklyn, New York

I was recently invited to the Brooklyn location of Awash, a restaurant serving Ethiopian cuisine. In fact, Awash has three locations: the original one on Amsterdam that opened in 1994, one in the East Village, that opened in 2004 and the latest one in Brooklyn, more precisely in Cobble Hill, that opened in May 2012. We spoke a bit with Boge, who, with her sister, owns the place and gave us some insight about the restaurants and the menu.

The restaurant has a good size, with a bar on the left:

On the right, next to the window, you can decide to eat in these woven baskets, perfect if you would like to share your meal and enjoy a totally different experience.

Then, the dining room, with its warm red color, paintings and photos.

Boge explain to us that Awash is one of the main rivers in Ethiopia and that it is a reminder of their childhood. Their menu consists of family recipes that is always great as it passes along from generation to generation, with sometimes this little secret that makes a dish unique. I tend to think that Indian and Ethiopian cuisines have few similarities, from the spices, to the use of lentils that reminds me of dal. They use so many spices and condiments, the most common being: ginger, garlic, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon...

In fact, Boge told us that they purchase their spices in Indian grocery stores. Indian food is quite popular in New York, with lots of restaurants and even the whole area of Murray Hill that is often called Curry Hill, but Ethiopian is not. There are for sure few restaurants: Awash, Meske or Queen of Shebah to name a few, but it is very limited compared to Washington DC for instance. On top of that, the only chef of Ethiopian decent is Marcus Samuelson who showcases more traditional American cuisine (Red Rooster) or his "adopted roots" from Sweden with Aquavit. If he were to open an Ethiopian restaurant in New York, it could make people want to try this mysterious cuisine.

    

When eating in an Ethiopian restaurant, you can either ask for a knife and fork, or simply use the bread, called Injera, that is made with a flour called Teff. 

It is an interesting bread, that looks like a crepe and has the consistency of a sponge!

I admit that I would not eat it alone, but with food, it is pretty good. You take a piece of it and scoop some food with it.

Et voila!

So it was time for us to start our discovery of Awash! First were the appetizers.

Sambusa:

At the beginning, I was wondering if it was like a samosa, but I quickly saw (or tasted) that it was not! It was a pastry shell made of phyllo, that is filled with spiced vegetables (collard greens - not bitter-, potatoes and carrots)  and fried. It was served with a vegetable sauce.

I liked it with and without the sauce. The shell was crispy and the inside, although spicy, was delicious. My mouth started to be on fire, but I could not stop eating it...

The second appetizer was Mushroom tibs:

The presentation was really colorful and these mushrooms fantastic: fresh with a nice sautéed taste, they were smothered in a berbere sauce. They were served with onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. There was definitely a kick in this dish, but overall, it was good.

Then was the main dish, or shall I say dishes!

It was a combination platter that we shared with Jodi, made mainly of vegetarian dishes sitting on an injera bread! This presentation was beautiful with all the colors! So, here is what we got:

Special tibs (in the center): beef cubes sautéed with onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeños and awaze (paste of hot peppers). It is one of their signature dishes.

It had this vibrant red color coming from the sauce that fortunately was not spicy (except of course when eating a jalapeños...) but was very flavorful. The beef, cut in small cubes, was tender and completely smothered by that sauce! 

Brown whole lentils (off menu):

Yemisir Kik Wak or split red lentils cooked in berbere sauce:

Yater Kik Alicha or yellow split peas cooked and seasoned with onions, peppers and herbs:

These last two reminded me of the Indian dal in a way! There were my favorites, each of them having a different taste, more pronounced in the Yemisir Kik Wat because of the berbere sauce. 

The next dish was Shiro: ground, mildly spiced chick peas cooked with chopped onions and tomatoes. 

It was like a thick paste packed in spices. Good dish too.

There was also Gomen, or collard greens cooked with onions, garlic and green peppers:

I do not like collard greens, so I cannot really comment on that dish, that I tried anyway...

Key Sir Alicha or red beets, carrots and potatoes:

The color given by the beets was fantastic! All the veggies were fully cooked and had a bit of sweetness.

String beans and carrots cooked and seasoned in a spicy garlic sauce:

Nice dish, but I have a doubt about how spicy it was as some jalapeños of the special tibs overflowed a bit in that dish...

Some salad:

It was a good addition to attenuate any fire that some of the dishes may have created!

Shimbera assa that are chickpea balls (off menu):

You could think of them as denser version of falafel. I liked it, especially the sauce that I guess is the berbere sauce.

Butcha, (off menu), made with chickpea:

This was interesting because it looked like scrambled eggs, the color probably coming from the use of turmeric. It was ok for me: I preferred more the dishes with sauce.

I ate my meal with some Ethiopian beer called Meta:

It had a sweet taste that was perfect whenever the spiciness started to build up in the back of my throat, although I admit that most of the dishes were not spicy, that I truly appreciated (if you like spicy, I am sure you can ask them to add spices).

It was a nice lunch and a great discovery of Ethiopian cuisine. Similar to my past experiences in Ethiopian restaurants, I really enjoyed the vegetarian dishes and if you are non-vegetarian, try the special tibs: it was awesome!

Enjoy (I did)! 

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!