Hide-Chan Ramen in NYC, New York

In the last press dinner I attended at Oficina Latina (check my review of Oficina Latina), we discussed about the ramen phenomena. One of the attendees of Japanese origin mentioned this place called Hide-Chan Ramen in Midtown East. We went on a cold Saturday thinking that it would be the perfect dish to warm up our bodies. We showed up a little before they opened, at 12pm, and surprisingly, there was no line of people waiting for the restaurant to open. In fact, 15 minutes later, the restaurant was packed, with mainly Asian customers, that is always a good sign! 

Similar to any ramen places, you can sit at a table or at the counter, facing the kitchen. We sat at a table in front of a wall decorated with masks from either Disney characters, manga or super heroes. 

On the table, they had several kinds of seasoning, such as sesame seeds or red ginger that you can put in your dish:

We started off our meal with pork buns.

It took a bit of time for the buns to come, but I guess it might be because the kitchen just opened. These buns were good, but the pork was almost dry and there was not that much on it. I definitely prefer the ones I ate at Rai Rai Ken or Momofuku Noodle Bar. 

Then came our ramen. Jodi ordered the vegetarian one. 

The colors were fantastic and vivid. Jodi ordered a poached egg that they brought on the side with some seaweed. 

And they also brought some avocado separately, that was much appreciated compared to the disgusting avocado in the soup we got at Totto Ramen. 

The broth was light and tasty and they served a lot of noodles in that bowl!!! The noodles had a firm consistency: in fact, you decide how you would like them (very firm, firm, medium that is al dente or soft). 

On my side, I ordered the Deluxe Ramen. 

The bowl looked beautiful and the smell was amazing! The ramen was made of various veggies like corn, bamboo shoot, pork (lots of it), a boiled egg, seaweed and of course noodles (firm). I started off by tasting the broth: it was spectacular! A bit salty, it was flavorful and the pork fat was no stranger to it (you can ask for Hakata meaning lots of pork fat contents in the broth)!!! Then, the pork was delightfully tasty and tender. I was definitely trying to make each spoon different: sometimes with pork & broth, sometimes with pork & egg & broth, etc...

I have to say that I really enjoyed the ramen at Hide-Chan Ramen and it is in the top for me with Ippudo and Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Press Review at Oficina Latina in NYC, New York

I was recently invited to a press dinner to review Oficina Latina, a restaurant located in Nolita. 

Before you read this, please understand that the restaurant knew who we were.

I have to say that this restaurant surprised me in many ways that you will discover in this post. I did not check anything before going, facts or reviews, because I did not want to be biased...So here I am on Prince street, on my way to that place. Fortunately, I had the number because I passed right in front of it!!! Not that the entrance was very discreet, but more that it did not look like a restaurant, but more a bar from outside. In fact, the bar is in the front and the dining room further away. Once you are there, there is an authenticity and rusticity that you cannot miss and, you would be transported randomly to places, you would think that you are in South America! It seems that this feeling is partly due to the way the restaurant was furnished, with items either imported or specifically customized for it. 

It had a certain warmth to it, thanks to the bricks and diverse artifacts that gave a traditional feel to the place. Fortunately, they did not exaggerate the use of white tiles, that can sometimes, if too white and too present, give the impression you are eating in a bathroom...

I also liked their own version of a communal table that was original and had a nice presence in the room. 

As I mentioned first, I thought it was a bar before thinking restaurant. They do show some creativity in the cocktails they are serving. For instance, I tried a delicious blackberry caipirinha ! 

Not only it tasted good, but it looked good too! Funny thing is that the napkin they gave with the cocktail had printed on it: Me darias tu numero de celular (Would you give me your phone number)! Practical...

So let's talk about food now! Chef Abraham Trinidad prepared a menu featuring a selection of classic dishes inspired by the Pan-American highway in Latin America. So it was the promise for culinary travel and I was ready for it!

They served us three appetizers, one entree and a dessert, paired with some wines from South America (they have a large selection). 

The first dish was Ceviche de Calamari Y Vieras:

Coming from Peru, this dish is made of a lime poached calamari and thinly sliced scallops mixed with celery, cilantro and pineapple (they sometimes decide to switch the pineapple with mango according to the Chef).  It was a very good and refreshing dish where I appreciated that the calamari was not rubbery! The pineapple was a nice addition that gave some sweetness to the dish. Wonderful!

Then, we got the Pulpo a la parilla:

This dish is from Ecuador; it is a grilled octopus with cilantro (again?)  dressing served on a potato and celery salad. The octopus was definitely the star of the dish: very tender, it had this grilled taste that was enhanced by the sauce. When we spoke with the Chef, he mentioned that the octopus was slow cooked the same day to ensure such a tenderness. Chapeau! 

They would have served it without the potato and celery salad, it would have been fine for me (with of course more octopus!!!).

The next appetizer was Spicy Pork y Pollo y Aguacate Arepas:

This time, it was Venezuela that was featured, with the arepas, these little pockets made with corn flour and filled with various ingredients. There, there were two kinds: one with spicy pork (on the right) and one with a chicken and avocado salad (on the left). I loved the presentation that made it looked like street food, as well as the fact that the color of the arepa matched the filling. My favorite was definitely the spicy pork one that had a bit of kick and was very flavorful. The chicken one was so so: I could definitely taste the avocado, but barely the chicken, maybe because there was too much mayonnaise. 

Then, for the entree, we got a Jarrete de Cordero (Mexico):

It was a lamb shank braised and slowly cooked with vegetables (and a tiny bit of red wine), served with  a sweet plantain puree. This was my favorite dish! I love lamb, but more cutlets, but have to say that this was fantastic! The meat was melting in my mouth and was very tasty. I loved the contrast between savory from the lamb and the sweet from the puree! A great dish to try!

Last, came dessert. We got an Aguacate Flan.

This is an avocado flan, creation of the chef! Yes, you read right: an avocado flan. The flan was delicious and I was very surprised because most Chefs do not know how to make desserts and usually serve standard desserts! So, to go to the extra mile of creativity was astonishing. 

The flan, dense and creamy, was served with a blueberry sauce that was perfect because the flan itself was not too sweet and the blueberry sauce added the necessary sweetness to make it a dessert. The taste was very delicate, with a subtle avocado taste. In fact, the Chef uses three avocados to make sixteen flans. I would have had a choice of dessert, I have to admit that I am not sure I would have picked it; in fact I would have probably tried the tres leches that I heard is delish! But I did not regret it and recommend it!

I had a fantastic dinner at Oficina Latina that was a true culinary adventure along the Pan American highway! I will definitely have to go back for brunch or dinner there!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Ramen at Menkui Tei in NYC, New York

I am wondering if, to make tons of money, people should not open a ramen restaurant!!! Each time I went to any restaurant of this sort, it was packed and there was a line outside! This time, I went to Menkui Tei (literally "noodle eating shop"), a Japanese noodle shop located Midtown Manhattan for lunch. We had to wait for a table for 10 minutes (not bad), but I can tell you that the place was very crowded and people were happy to see us leaving...

I ordered one of their best sellers: the Hakata ramen.

It is made of a pork bone broth, straight noodles, roast pork, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, scallion, pickled ginger and sesame seeds. I also asked for a boiled egg, but I wished the egg was not cooked all the way through and that the yolk was runny so it mixes with the broth. I think the star of the dish was the pork: it was delicious! Tender and very tasty. I liked the broth, although the ones at Ippudo or Momofuku are far better and tastier. But still, it was a good dish! One last element that was nice was the ginger, that came through from time to time.

Menkui Te offers a nice alternative Midtown; It might not be the best ramen in town, but it is a good address to know if you are craving noodles!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To eat!

Kouign Amman at Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC, New York

Jodi and I went to Dominique Ansel Bakery after watching a segment on their Kouign Amman on the TV show Unique Sweets. The bakery, located in Soho, is heaven for anybody with a sweet tooth! Anyway, if you do not have a sweet tooth, they also have a lunch menu...

We went in the afternoon and we could clearly see that a lot of the cakes they made were already sold out! I was a bit disappointed because I was not only coming for the Kouign Amman, but also for the Paris-New York, a pastry that is a spin on a Paris-Brest (puff pastry with a hazelnut cream that I love - Dominique Ansel made it with peanut butter!).

Anyway, we came for their specialty: the Kouign Amman. So you probably wonder what this is! This is a cake from Bretagne, a region on the west coast of France, made with a croissant dough and layered with butter and sugar. If you eat it, do not tell your cardiologist because there is a lot of butter!

On the show, we got the impression that the Kouign Amman was small so we decided to order two of them...and a cake.

The Kouign Amman was divine! Buttery, flaky, airy with a bit of crunch from the sugar on the outer shell, sugar that caramelized for the most part. We literally inhaled it. I just wish they warm it up a bit as it seems it is the way to eat it. When I think that I had to come to New York to try it for the first time! It was expansive though: close to $6 a piece.

The cake we chose as the Paris-New York was sold out, was the religieuse. 

A religieuse is a traditional pasty made of two cream puff stuffed either with chocolate or vanilla custard, topped by a chocolate frosting. Dominique Ansel made it differently: no chocolate but rose flower cream. Although I enjoyed the part with the frosting, I did not really liked the rose flower cream. So it was not the best choice.

With that, we got a hot chocolate to drink, but I found it too bitter...

I will definitely have to go back to that place to try their other pastries and have another Kouign Amman. I bet that going in the morning, for breakfast, would be the best time to eat them warm! Sacrebleu!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Bouchon Bakery in New York City!

Several people I know told me that I should go to Bouchon Bakery, located on the third floor of the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle. I went a first time to try their brioche and decided to go back! The place is pure madness, overcrowded by people trying to indulge on those delicate pastries and sandwiches that they sell.

So we went there on a Sunday, after a visit to the Moma. I decided to order again the brioche!

For sure, it is small. But so good! It is buttery, airy and has a hint of orange flower that balances the flavor. I loved it!

Jodi went for the chocolate chunk cookie.

Yes, I wrote chunk and not chip and clearly, at the first bite, you understand that they are very generous with the chocolate! This cookie is decadent ! Although there is tons of chocolate, it is not too sweet. The cookie itself was chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Pure heaven! I would put it second after City Bakery!

I heard that their almond croissant is fantastic! Another reason to go back!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Vietnamese Food at Chapa's in NYC, New York

We passed by ChaPa's Noodles and Grill, a Vietnamese eatery, several times and each time, this restaurant was packed. So we decided to give it a try. In fact, we gave it two tries! The first time we went and picked various dishes and then saw many people ordering their Pho (a Vietnamese dish consisting of broth,  rice noodles, herbs, and meat); so we decided to go another time to try the Pho.

So, the first time we went, we shared several plates.

The crispy calamari or Muc Chien Don:

I loved it: the calamari was not rubbery, the batter well cooked and very crispy, not greasy at all. The sweet chili sauce gave a nice Asian twist to this dish!

The veggie dumplings - steamed:

I liked these: the main problem I have usually with vegetable dumplings is that the shell can be very thick. These were perfect and very tasty!

The crab cakes:

It was made of crab meat seasoned with green onions, lemon and panko crumbs. The sauce on top was a spicy lemongrass mayonnaise. Although not the best crab cakes I ever had (lots of filler and not as much crab meat as I like), it was a nice Asian version of a crab cake and the lemongrass mayonnaise was a killer!

The Vietnamese Crispy Rolls (Chia Gao):

Inside the fried rice paper, were pork, taro, mushroom, carrots and glass noodles. Although a classic dish as opposed to most of the dishes we had so far, it was pretty good and tasty; the kind of dish that has a certain comfort into it...maybe from the frying part...

The Fried Tofu Mon Chinh:

This was my least favorite dish! The rice is on the left of the plate and looked like a thin net made of rice that was tasteless. I guess the idea is to make like a crepe with it, but I probably did not do it correctly...

Then we had the Pho: the vegetarian one.

And the meaty one called the Super Bowl:

Both came very, very hot! The Super Bowl had shrimp, squid, brisket, steak and beef balls. I enjoyed the seafood, although not that much and hated the meat: it was tough and the beef balls tasted like some processed meat (disgusting)! Both dishes were just ok and did not have the wow factor I was expecting! Even the broth was missing some depth. It was disappointing.

Last, for dessert, we ordered each time we went the black rice pudding:

Yes, you read well: we ordered it twice! It was so good! The black rice had a great chewy texture and with the coconut milk, it was to die for! Too bad they do not put enough milk on it!

So I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. We had some great dishes and some others not that great. Considering the number of Vietnamese restaurants in NYC, I am not sure, even after writing this review, that I would go back...Although the black rice pudding is fabulous!

Enjoy (I did)!

Italian Doughnuts at Bomboloni in NYC, New York

I think there is a misconception in Europe about doughnuts! Yes, There are always associated to the US, thanks to number of movies were you see people (shall I say mainly from the police force?), eating them. They have nothing unique in the sense that many countries have a similar treat, but a different name. You do not believe me? Check this out:

- The sugar twist is called chichi in South of France. I had quite a few when I was a kid...

- Germany has the Berliner.

- Italy has the Bomboloni!

If you are curious to try a Bomboloni, go to...Bomboloni on the Upper West Side! This joint offers these delicious filled doughnuts with plenty of mouth watering flavors: coconut, nutella, creme brulee, tiramisu, apricot, strawberry...

Jodi decided to order the coconut one:

I ordered the Nutella one!

The doughnut itself was nice and airy. The fillings were good, although I would have liked to taste more of the Nutella! I certainly appreciated the fact that this was not too sweet!

It is definitely a nice treat and the creativity they show with their fillings makes me want to try more flavors...

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheba in NYC, New York

The first time I had Ethiopian food was at Meskerem, that is just few steps from Queen of Sheba! As I explained in my post on Meskerem, we decided to try after hearing my cousin Jessica talk about the wonderful experience she had in an Ethiopian restaurant in New Jersey. We were also excited to try as we followed Marcus Samuelson during his appearance on Top Chef Master, where he tried sometimes to showcase some Ethiopian flavors.

The name of the restaurant comes from a monarch of the ancient kingdom of Sheba that is referenced in various cultures, one of them being Ethiopian. The restaurant has a nice decoration with wooden chairs and traditional baskets for sharing.

So, if you do not like eat get your hands dirty, this is not the restaurant for you, although I am sure you can ask for a fork...But then you would miss the experience!

Jodi ordered the Sheba Vegetarian combination plate.

It was composed of:

• Misir Wot: split lentils stewed with onion, garlic and blend of mild ethiopian herbs.
• Ater Kik Alecha: split pea cooked in onion, garlic and olive oil, mild yellow dish with a touch of turmeric and subtle blend of herbs and spices. It reminded me of yellow dal in Indian cuisine.
•  Shiro: split peas milled together with a blend of berbere, herbs and onions, slow-cooked into a creamy dip.
•  Shimbra Asa: chick peas flour molded dumpling style sauteed and cooked in berbere sauce.
• Gomen Wot: finely chopped collard greens cooked in their own steam with mild seasonings and olive oil. This was pretty good and well cooked as the collard greens were not bitter at all.
• Atakilt Wot: fresh string beans and long cut carrot cooked in tomato sauce with our rich blend of seasonings. This was just ok for me: the veggies were undercooked.
• Cabbage Wot: cabbage, potato and carrot cooked with onion and garlic, with a touch of turmeric.

On my side, I ordered the Taste of Sheba combination dish.

It was composed of:

• Yebeg Wot: freshly made lamb stew.
• Yebeg Alicha: a mild stew of diced and on-the-bone lamb.
• Tibs Wot: dices of lean beef seared on hot skillet then slow cooked in a hot berbere stew.
• Menchet Abesh Wot: lean beef grounded and cooked in mild green pepper sauce, red wine and jalapeno and seasoned with ginger and garlic.
• Menchet Abesh Alecha: lean beef grounded and cooked in mild sauce and jalapeno and seasoned with ginger and garlic.
• Zilzil Tibs: beef marinated in awaze, olive oil, red wine and stir fried with onions.
• Gomen Besiga: marbled cuts of beef slow-cooked in a mild onions sauce with chopped collard greens. garlic and blend of alicha seasonings

The best was the Yebeg Wot. Otherwise, I found the meat to be tough. I even think that I preferred the vegetarian platter!!! Go figure!

All of this was of course served with Injera that you use as your utensil to eat. It was pretty good.

There was definitely lots of unusual flavors. I liked the experience, but I guess this is not the type of food I would crave, contrary to Indian for instance. 

Enjoy (I did)!

Pierogis at Veselka in NYC, New York

It has been a while I wanted to try Veselka, a restaurant located in the East Village, that serves Ukrainian cuisine. Interestingly, Veselka is located where it used to be Little Ukraine and you can still see some of its presence, between the Ukrainian Church, Ukrainian Museum or Ukrainian school!

The restaurant reminded me a bit of Katz's deli, probably because of the decor that appears similar to what it was when they opened in 1954 (not that I was there), as well as the large crowd waiting for a seat. We went there at 11:30am on a Saturday and it was already packed! Normal: people came for breakfast in this 24/7 joint. 

Although the menu offers traditional breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles or eggs, we decided to try typical Eastern cuisine dishes. We started off with soup. Jodi ordered a Matzo Ball soup.

I ordered the Borscht soup.

Soups are homemade and we ordered the small portions. I was imagining smaller portions to be honest! This was a nice size for $4.75! The matzo ball soup was very good: the matzo ball was soft and tasty and the chicken soup, that contained some real chicken, was delicious. 

The borscht was very good and you could definitely taste the beets that are used. It was served with sour cream that I dipped in the soup: fantastic!

We then wanted to try pierogis (dumplings). We picked cheese pierogis as well as potato pierogis. 

We decided to get both pierogis fried so they had a bit of crunch on the outside. 

Both dishes were served with homemade apple sauce and sour cream. The potato pierogis were also served with some delicious caramelized onions. I liked the pierogis, but definitely preferred the potato ones as the cheese ones were a bit bland, not because of the shell but because of the farmer's cheese they use, although there was some sweetness to it. I would have preferred a goat or swiss, but for sure, it would have nothing to do with Ukrainian authenticity...

In fact, I will retrieve the same farmer's cheese in the cheese blintze.

This was a disappointing dish as all I could taste was the cheese and the blintze itself was overpowered by it. Too bad!

So, although I did not like everything I ate, I will probably come back to Veselka to try some other dishes. I like the casual atmosphere and the very comforting food.

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

The best Banana Cream Pie ever - Redeye Gill in NYC, New York

If you go to The Redeye Grill, it is not for their steaks or their seafood! Surprisingly, I would only go for one of the most delicious banana cream pie I ever had! Forget Billy's Bakery and just go to The Redeye Grill!!!

It is the third time I had this dessert and each time I was in heaven! Ok, I had steaks in the past and never tried their seafood. Except last week...When I went back for lunch. I like the decor of this restaurant that looks like a cafe and has a beautiful raw bar with an impressive selection of seafood: fish, shrimp, scallops, you name it! I started off with the Diver Scallops.

It was served with oyster mushrooms. The scallop (listen Gordon Ramsey!) was perfectly cooked with a nice sear on both sides. It had just enough salt on top and tasted fresh. The pairing with oyster mushrooms was fantastic and kind of elevated the dish.

Then, I chose the grass fed 8oz New York strip.

They dry age the meat for 28 days to tenderize it and accentuate the flavor. I asked for a medium rare temperature and got a medium to medium well one! As I had limited time, I could not ask for another one! The steak was dry for sure and I was really not impressed by it. It was served with French fries that were however very good! Note that the only sauce available besides ketchup is A1 steak sauce: they do not have other sauces like mayonnaise.

Then came the long awaited banana cream pie!!!

The piece they serve you is big! The crust is a graham cracker crust that was buttery and not too sweet at all. It was thick enough not to be lost in the overall dessert! They they have this heavenly creme patissiere that smothers the bananas and is topped by a probably homemade whipped cream. The first bite is an invitation to over indulge for sure! It is definitely freshly made and when eating it, you are not at all feeling a sugar rush. This is a hit!!!

I would probably go back to The Redeye Grill, skip the steaks (every time I went it was so so), order seafood and for sure eat that banana cream pie!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Totto Ramen in NYC, New York

Last year, I discovered ramen. So I was very excited to go to Totto Ramen, after the feasts I had at Momofuku Noodle Bar and Ippudo. Each time we passed in front of this joint, there was a big line, so we definitely wanted to try it! If there is a line, there must be a reason!

We arrived at 11:30am, knowing that they opened at 12pm; there were already few people waiting. What you have to do is put your name on a list and they will call you to sit you. The place is very tiny, so you have to be patient and pray that people will eat quickly and leave, and that you will not have in front of you a group of people who did not see each other for 10 years and are trying to catch up!!!

So we sat at the bar. I like that because we had a direct view on the kitchen and were able to see the cooks making noodles, bouncing them up and down to remove the excess of water, as you can see on the video below.

We started off with the Char Siu Bun.

It is a bun stuffed with braised pork belly (char Siu) and tartare sauce. This was so so: like eating a blob of fat with just a little bit of meat. 

Jodi ordered the vegetable ramen.

The presentation was phenomenal with all the colors. The dish was composed of a Konbu seaweed and shiitake mushroom based soup, with seasoned avocado, seasonal vegetables, Yuzu paste, sesame oil, salted kelp and lime. First of all, the avocado had a weird taste and the overall dish did not have a balanced taste, more like a potpourri in a soup (for a nice breath all afternoon?).

I ordered the Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen.

The dish is a chicken based broth with chicken, scallion, onion, char siu pork, and a nori. Jodi and I added a soft boiled egg to our ramen. I was very disappointed by my dish: the chicken was tough and bland and the soup tasted just like a chicken soup without any additional flavor that would make it different from a...matzoh ball soup!!! I guess the only thing I liked was the egg that was perfectly cooked, a bit soft with a runny yolk.

So, this was disappointing: I was expecting a festival of flavors, similar to our experience at Momofuku or Ippudo. So I will pass next time as it is not worth the wait for me!

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I just want to Eat!

Bibimbap at Miss Korea BBQ in NYC, New York

In our quest for the best Bibimbap, this fantastic Korean rice bowl dish, we decided to go to Miss Korea BBQ in Korea Town.

When we arrived in the restaurant, we were asked if we would consume alcohol. As we said no, we were sent upstairs, on the third floor (probably because their second location did not have a liquor license and they wanted to preserve the main one to their customers who would order some). They told us that this was the same menu and same cuisine. As the elevator was out of order and we proceeded to take the stairs. This was like going to a hidden and secret place, in these dark staircases (ok, maybe I saw too many James Bond). 

So here we are in the restaurant on the third floor! I do not know if the one downstairs has the same decor, but this one was modern.

Once we ordered our food, they brought us the banchan, these little plates that usually start a Korean meal. These dishes were not that great I have to say! The only thing I liked was the turnip and the fish skin. Otherwise, they had some fish that had a very strong taste and the kimchi was replaced by a bok choy salad that I did not really like.

They also brought us a soup made with a beef stock base (it was the special soup of the day apparently). The soup was just fine. Anyway, we were there for the bibimbap, so I did not mind not loving it!

For Bibimbap, they have a vegetarian one that is cold or a selection of hot ones, made with tofu & mushroom, beef, chicken, pork or seafood.

Jodi went for the tofu & Mushrooms. She asked for a raw egg also.

On my side, I asked for the kimchi and Bulgogi (marinated beef).

Although I appreciated the taste of the beef, the main problem was that they added seaweed to the bibimbap, giving a fishy taste to the dish. Without it, it would have been decent...
The mushroom and tofu bibimbap was a bit bland and definitely, after having tried some homemade tofu at Cho Dang Gol in NYC, it is difficult to appreciate store bought tofu!

So, definitely, Miss Korea BBQ is not the best bibimbap place we were looking for...I guess the quest continues!

Enjoy (no comment)!

Cookies at City Bakery and Rocco's in NYC, New York

I guess this past week end was a cookie discovery, in the sense that we got to try some cookies for snacks. The first joint we went to is City Bakery; not that we went there for their cookies, but more for their hot chocolate. The second one, is Rocco's on Bleecker street.

City Bakery is supposedly known for their hot chocolate and I read recently an article ranking it best hot chocolate in the US. It said: "Made from pure melted chocolate bars and topped with homemade marshmallows, this thick hot chocolate is F&W editor in chief Dana Cowin's favorite version in the country". 

So, here we are at City Bakery: the place is packed! We can see lots of people with a cup of hot chocolate, food and cookies. As we ordered, we could not miss the chocolate room behind us...Promising!

As well as the rack full of freshly made cookies in front of us!

That was so tempting that we decided to get a chocolate chip cookie!

It was a nice size and you could definitely see that there was a lot of chocolate! Not the type of cookies where you are looking for chocolate chips! This cookie was one of the best I ever tried! It was not too sweet, was chewy and heavenly buttery. The photo below will show you that they do not cheat their customers when it comes to chocolate:

The hot chocolate however was a bit disappointing...

It started well though! Imagine a cup full of melted chocolate with a homemade marshmallow in it. I was so expecting something scrumptious...It was not the case. I am not sure what chocolate bar they use or if it is because I ate some cookie before, but I found it just ok. It is not like the hot chocolate at Max Brenner where I drink a bit and then will finish it in few minutes. In fact, I left some of it, that is very rare with me. 

The second bakery is Rocco's.

We were just walking in the street when we saw all these big cookies at the window!

Look at the size of the cookies next to the Linzer tarts! They had plenty of them: s'mores, twix, chocolate chip, dark chocolate chocolate chip, chocolate peppermint... And inside, it was as if we found heaven for sweets!

I ordered a twix cookie and Jodi a chocolate chip one. I took a photo of each of them next to a lemon, so you can see the size of it!

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Twix Cookie

I love twix and was pretty excited to try a twix cookie! Unfortunately, you could barely taste the twix. The cookie was not soft and not chewy, too sweet and lacking butter. The chocolate chip one was not better and tasted more like a crumbled vanilla cookie than anything else. They were disappointing. 

I think the mistake with Rocco's is that it is an Italian Bakery, so we should have tried some Italian specialties such as cannoli or Napoleons. As for City Bakery, I would go back to try their other cookies or just get again their chocolate chip cookie!

City Bakery - 1

Rocco's - 0

Enjoy (I did)!

L'Ybane Wine Bar in NYC, New York - Permanently Closed

Entrance of L'Ybane in NYC, New York

I passed many times in front of L'ybane, a wine bar few blocs away from Times Square. So, after seeing Lincoln in the movie theater, we decided to try that place. We then came back a second time. This post is about both times!

L'Ybane is a Lebanese restaurant that has also a location in Nice, South of France. They offer a wide range of Mediterranean dishes in full size or tapas style. I have to say that I love tapas, because it is a good way to try different dishes and sharing a dinner is a wonderful thing.

Beaujolais nouveau at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

The decor reminds me restaurants you would find in France and the atmosphere, besides the fact that our waiter was French, was very European.  They have a pretty impressive wine list, that is not surprising when you see all the bottles on the wall, in the bar area. Luckily, we were there couple of days after the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau! They offered a bottle for $28 or by the Glass for $9. I chose the glass that was a very good deal considering the quantity served.

Jodi and I decided to order few appetizers and then dessert.

We started off with tapenade.

Tapenade at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

It was a traditional one, made with black olives and served with crostini. It was well done and was not salty at all that is an issue I found sometimes with this dish. The crostini was good, but a bit greasy.

The second appetizer was the merguez.

Merguez at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

Merguez is a lamb sausage that I love and can only find in few restaurants. It can be spicy. At L'Ybane, it was not. However, the sauce it was served with was!

The third appetizer was grilled eggplant with yogurt.

Grilled eggplant with yogurt at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

This was fantastic! The eggplant was so good and well made. It had this great grilled eggplant taste coming through! At that point, I did not care about the tomatoes and cabbage that were also part of the dish.

Then the last one was the vegetarian moussaka.

I also loved it: it was very tasty, between the eggplant, peppers and crushed tomatoes, and very light!

Then, for dessert, we ordered the baklava and the key lime pie.

Baklava at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

The baklava was good but a bit dry.

The key lime pie however was delicious!

Key Lime pie at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

This was a great first dinner there, with a fantastic service from one of my fellow compatriots and so, we decided to go back! The second time, we went again for some plates to share.

We started off with the cheese plate.

Cheese plate at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

The plate looked good: lots of cheese and seedless grapes. Unfortunately, they put some nuts on top of the grapes and cheese! They should tell their customer ahead of time as some people do not like nuts and others are allergic! Although their was a nice quantity of cheese, it was not a great selection: brie, swiss and ricotta salata. Disappointing!

The second dish was eggplant fritters.

Eggplant fritters at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

It was just ok. The eggplant was barely cooked, probably because they sliced it too thick.

The third dish was the goat cheese salad.

Goat cheese salad at L'Ybane in NYC, New York

Jodi loves goat cheese salad! Each time we go to France, she enjoys it! This one was extremely disappointing! The cheese was just put on a piece of stale bread. 

So the second time was not good in term of food and service (the waitress did not even check on us). This shows that restaurant experiences can vary and it is not because you have a bad experience one day that it will not be great the next. Except if it is awful of course! Because of our first experience at L'Ybane, we will probably go back and continue discovering, hopefully, great dishes!

Enjoy (I did...the first time)!

Cupcakes from Billy's Bakery in NYC, New York

If you live in New York, there is a big chance that you heard about Billy's Bakery. Located in Chelsea, this bakery is an institution for the sugar lovers. I discovered there an amazing banana cream pie and pineapple upside down cake (see Billy's bakery review here). What I love when I go to Billy's is the butter smell when you enter in the store: it makes me hungry (one would say that I am always hungry though).

So this time, we went for cupcakes. Jodi decided to go for a chocolate cake and vanilla frosting that is a pretty standard one.

You cannot not notice the nice ratio cake / frosting that is important: the best part in a cupcake is the frosting!!!

The cake was good and moist. However, the vanilla frosting was very sweet. Too sweet!

On my side, I ordered a banana-nutella cupcake.

It was clearly missing some frosting. Anyway, I could barely taste the nutella! I was so disappointed as I love this scrumptious hazelnut spread! The cake was good, moist, with a nice banana taste coming through.

So I was a bit disappointed. I should probably stick with the banana cream pie....

Enjoy (I did not this time)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

 

Brunch at Bar Boulud in NYC, New York

I am a big fan of Chef Daniel Boulud. Few years ago, Jodi and I had a little celebratory dinner at Daniel, his eponym fancy restaurant in New York City and we still talk about it (what was great is that they offered a vegetarian tasting on top of the regular tasting, but also, for each course, proposed two choices of dishes).

So, one Sunday, we decided to go to Bar Boulud for brunch. I love brunch: it is so good and comforting. As I have a good appetite, I decided to go for the three course prix fixe ($32). Jodi did not.

I liked the restaurant: the decor is simple and very "organic" with its light wood, but still modern with its tunnel shape.

If you go downstairs, you cannot miss the impressive wine cellar that I bet has some incredible bottles!

So here we are for brunch! I was so excited to try that place! Let's start with what Jodi ate as she only ordered one dish!

She picked the Omelette avec pommes rissolees (omelet with sauteed potatoes).

The omelet was made with ham, swiss cheese and mushrooms. It was a nice omelet: perfectly cooked, meaning not overcooked and no brown color on it (Wolfgang Puck would be proud). The potatoes were delicious: cooked all the way through, soft in the inside and crispy on the outside.

On my side, it started with a choice of one viennoiserie (croissant, chocolate croissant aka pain au chocolat,...).

I chose the chocolate croissant. It was fantastic! Buttery, flaky and airy with a nice amount of chocolate. Too bad it was a miniature one because I could have eaten more of it!

Then the first course was the pate grand mere:

The pate was made with chicken liver, pork and cognac. With the pate, came some delicious, fresh and crispy bread.

I enjoyed the pate: dense and tasty, it was very traditional. I just wish the portion was bigger...

The second course was the croque monsieur.

When I ordered it, I was convinced that if I were to have a great croque monsieur, it would be in a French restaurant. I was wrong. Although there was a good amount of cheese, it was very, very dry. The portion, here again, was small, although this time, I did not mind it...

The third course was the dessert. I ordered the Ile Flottante or Floating Island.

Ile Flottante is a French dessert made of a vanilla steamed meringue and a vanilla sauce (creme anglaise). It was very light, not too sweet. The meringue was perfectly made, meaning dense and light. I just wish there was more here again and there should put more vanilla sauce. I did not really care about the praline though...

So, the brunch was so so and the quantities pretty small. Not that I was hungry after that, but still! I was a bit disappointed as I expected more from Daniel Boulud.

Enjoy (I almost did)!

And remember: I just want to Eat!

Bibimbap at Wonjo in Koreatown - NYC, New York

After going to Cho Dang Gol (review posted 2 days ago), we wanted to go to another Korean restaurant, in our search for the best Bibimbap (rice bowl). So we ended up to Wonjo, in the heart of Korea Town. This place is definitely known considering the line in front of the restaurant when we left (we went early fearing the crowd). This restaurant has 2 floors and serves some Korean BBQ also.

So we started with the traditional Banchan (small plates).

I always enjoy them! This time, I especially liked the tofu:

It was fried and dipped in soy sauce with some jalapeno on top. Delish! They also gave us the usual and acclaimed (by me) Kimchi (fermented cabbage):

With the Bibimbap, they served us a miso soup.

It was a nice touch, but I was just waiting for my bibimbap!

Jodi ordered the Tofu bibimbap:

And I ordered the chicken teriyaki bibimbap:

Both came extremely hot and both were...bland...We had to add some soy sauce and I added some spicy sauce to get some flavors. This was very disappointing!

So, definitely, Wonjo is not the place for me for Bibimbap...I will have to try somewhere else or go back to Korea Palace!

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Korean Food at Cho Dang Gol in NYC, New York

After I went to Korea Palace (check the review of Korea Palace here) with my colleagues few weeks ago, I promised Jodi that we would go to a Korean restaurant to try a Bibimbap, a rice bowl dish that can be declined in many ways. So I searched on the internet for the best Bibimbap in NYC and that is how we ended up at Cho Dang Gol.

We went twice in fact...So, first time for the Bibimbap and second time to try a Jjigae (stew).

Both times, we got the small appetizer plates (banchan) that any Korean restaurant would serve you. 

Each time I went, it was different, at the exception of two sides: the tofu and eggplant pancakes (bottom left) and the Kimchi (fermented cabbage).

Kimchi is and will always be a favorite, although it can be spicy. And these pancakes were exquisite! Especially the tofu ones that were melting in my mouth! I just wish they were proposing them as appetizers too!

Jodi ordered the dol sot bibimbap.

They provided a scallion sauce with it to add some flavor to the dish. As you can see on the photo, there is a raw egg. But it will not be raw for long as the bowl where the dish is served is extremely hot and will continue to cook the ingredients for a while!

On my side, I ordered the squid bibimbap.

As you can see on the video, the food was sizzling and there was a lot of squid! The secret is not to mix too often the ingredients, so the rice will burn a bit in the bowl and create this heavenly delicious rice crust! This dish was good, but necessitated some soy sauce to boost the flavors. 

The second time, we decided to try Jjigae that is a Korean style stew. Jodi ordered the Juk Suk Cham Dubu that was simply homemade tofu with scallion sauce.

The dish came also in a very hot bowl and was served with scallion sauce and rice. Looking at it, you would think that there is nothing particular about it. In fact, what is special is the fact that the tofu is homemade! And you can taste it! It is soft and silky with a delicious soy taste. I had some in the bulgogi  Jjigae I ordered and some were big chunks of it!

This was very, very hot, but so good! It had an egg in it, beef and some amazing tofu! I surely finished the bowl!

I liked the food at Cho Dang Gol, although I preferred the Jjigae over the pricey Bibimbap! I think that the Bibimbap at Korea Palace was much better and more flavorful! But for sure, their tofu is fantastic and would make people change their mind about it!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Spot Dessert Bar in Koreatown - NYC, New York

I was very excited to try the new location of Spot Dessert Bar in Korea Town, on the third floor of Food Gallery 32! The experience we had in the East Village was memorable and I cannot stop thinking about the Green Tea Tiramisu that was the highlight of this discovery (see the review of Spot Dessert Bar here)!

I like Galley 32: lots of food choices and hidden secrets, Spot Dessert Bar being one of them, but I am sure not for too long! The place was the only one opened on the third floor and quasi empty. It is not like the one in the East Village that offers a large selection of incredible desserts. This one has a limited menu. There is of course their best seller: the chocolate green tea lava cake that we tried the last time we went there! 

We decided to try two of their desserts. The first one was the Golden Toast.

It is an interpretation of a French toast, made of a honey buttered toast, condensed milk ice cream, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This was divine! The toast was a brioche that had a delightful buttery taste. Your palate was catching many different flavors, from the butter, to the honey, with the need sometimes to balance the flavors and counteract the sweet taste with the whipped cream. It is a must have!

Then, we tried the Kabocha Brulee Cake.

It is a pumpkin cake served with condensed milk ice cream, walnut soil and a jasmine flower wafers. Although I enjoyed the ice cream (not sweet fortunately!) and the top part of the cake (brulee), I did not really like that one. Not that this creation was not good, but more the fact that I do not like pumpkin cake (I tried few after that).

Even if I did not like the Kabocha brulee cake, this place is amazing, especially if you like desserts and moreover, desserts with a twist!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Patron, Mexican Grill in NYC, New York

After watching the last James Bonds (Skyfall) in a movie theater in Times Square, we decided to find a restaurant on 9th avenue. Several times we noticed Patron and we thought it would be a good idea to go there as it has been a long time we ate Mexican food and we were kind of craving it. So we thought that joint would satisfy that crave...

The place is divided into two parts: the bar with its communal tables and the dining room. We got seated in the bar area.

The menu offers classic Mexican cuisine, from tacos to burritos and fajitas. We decided to share some appetizers and sides.

We started off with the Queso Fundido.

It was served with some homemade tortilla:

At first, it is fine and I would say even good, especially if you like cheese! But then it starts to be too much grease...At least the tortilla were good. Not sure it was a good choice!

We also ordered some guacamole.

That we ate with tortilla chips. 

This guacamole was the worst I ever ate! You had the impression that they just put chunks of avocado in a bowl! It was lacking lime and seasoning. Horrible!

And it was not the rice and beans that made me not regret to be in that place! It was bland and they were not that generous on the portions!

At least, there were the maduros!

These fried plantains with cream were delicious! The sweetness of the plantains was counter balanced by the cream (crema), making it a great dish.

Fortunately we got the plantains, but trust me: this is a forgettable experience! The food was really forgettable for me!

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat !