I Just Want To Eat! 5/31/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/31/17

Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ - closed

Porter Collins, the new venue of Anthony and Liz Pino who gave us Anthony David's and Bin 14, opened just 2 months ago in an area that is developing. It is true that the North part of Hoboken needs more restaurants and Porter Collins is for sure a good addition, serving cocktails as well as a modern American menu. We went there early on a Saturday evening, still suffering from jet lag from our trip to France.

Bar area at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

There are two areas: the bar, fairly cozy and the main dining room, quite bright thanks to the floor to ceiling windows, and with a beautiful painting of an octopus, signaling the predominance of seafood on the menu.

I started off by ordering a Manhattan, a delicious cocktail made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, cherry hearing and Averna Amaro bitters.

Manhattan cocktail at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

We then decided to share the raclette flatbread that was made of raclette cheese, egg (it was supposed to be sunny side), wild mushrooms, Philly hot peppers and herbs. I liked it: it had not only a lot of cheese, but also lots of mushroom. However, I could have passed on the hot peppers that were spicy.

Raclette flatbread at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

The second appetizer was my favorite: I chose the Charred Octopus charred octopus with salsa verde, marble potatoes and crispy chorizo. The presentation was beautiful and the octopus was delicious and well cooked, being delightfully tender with a nice char. However, I could not care less about the chorizo that was maybe too much on the plate. It was good, but I thought it did not need it.

Charred octopus at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

For her entrée, Jodi chose the bibb wedge salad that she asked for without bacon

Bibb wedge salad at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

And I picked the small Littlenecks & Spaghetti made with tomatoes, pancetta, chilies and roasted garlic. It was very good, a perfect size after all these appetizers (and before dessert). I loved the subtle kick it had and enjoyed the delicious sauce that I guess was made with white wine.

Littlenecks and spaghetti at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

Last was dessert. We decided to go with the banana foster bread pudding. It was good, but I admit that it just looked and tasted like a banana bread pudding (there would have been caramelized slices of banana, I would have probably conceded it was a banana foster bread pudding). A creme anglaise would also have been better with the bread pudding that was slightly dry.

Banana foster bread pudding at Porter Collins in Hoboken, NJ

Overall, we had a delicious meal at Porter Collins: I like that place and cannot wait to go back to try some other dishes, especially the burger and their bottomless brunch. I am glad such place opened Uptown Hoboken and I am sure that they will be successful!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Porter Collins - 1426 Willow Avenue, Hoboken, NJ 07030

I Just Want To Eat! 5/29/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/29/17

Dinner at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

Interesting how things can be coincidental: I ended up at Thai Sliders in Chelsea the day my friend Benny told me about this place, although he was referring to their location in the Financial District. The restaurant itself is nice, not big, but with a sense of space probably coming from the high ceiling that is garnished with some metal sheets that gives the place a sort of authentic feel.

Dining room at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

Food wise, I was excited to try their sliders. I chose two of them:

Sliders at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

The first one was the Nuur Slider, made with steak and a Thai style mayo.

Nuur Slider at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

The second was the Kai Slider, made with chicken glazed in coconut milk and peanut sauce.

Kai slider at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

The sliders were ok, the proportion bread / meat being unfavorable to the later and the steak being a bit tough.

Jodi went for the pad see ew that was much better, not the best, but better.

Pad see ew at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

I should mention the Thai ice tea I had with my meal that was delicious.

Thai ice tea at Thai Sliders, Chelsea, NYC, NY

Overall, I was a bit disappointed by Thai Sliders. Too bad, because it could have been promising. Would I go back? Probably not: there are so many Thai places in New York that serve great food...

Enjoy (...)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Thai Sliders - 150 8th Avenue, NY, NY 10001

I Just Want To Eat! 5/27/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/27/17

Lunch at Kang Suh in KTown, NYC, NY - Closed

We wanted to get a bibimbap on a cold day and decided to try Kang Suh, a restaurant located right at the beginning of 32nd street. It is a huge place, with multiple dining rooms, the one where we got seated being quite big, but not that crowded...

Dining room at Kang Suh in KTown, NYC, NY

Upstairs dining room at Kang Suh in KTown, NYC, NY

They started off by bringing us some banchan, these little side dishes that I am always looking forward to getting.

There was:

Kimchi:

Potato salad with apple:

Potato salad at Kang Suh in KTown, NYC, NY

Squid:

Radish:

Mushrooms:

Seaweed:

It was a good start and I could not wait to get the main dishes. When we ordered, we were a bit confused because they had bibimbap on their menu, as well as gopdol that was described as "rice with assorted marinated vegetables cooked in a sizzling stone bowl". Well, looked like a bibimbap to me, but when we asked, they told us that, the bibimbap dish on their menu was cold and the gopdol was what we call bibimbap. No comment: to this day and as I am writing this post, I am still confused. Anyway, Jodi ordered the godpol with tofu. The dish was just ok, a bit bland for me.

Godpol with tofu at Kang Suh in KTown, NYC, NY

On my side, I went for the bokkum bap, a rice fried in a wok. Instead of kimchi or vegetables, I chose the beef version that was quite good: delightfully greasy, it was very flavorful and the beef was nice. I thought it was a fairly comforting dish.

Beef bokkum bap at Kang Suh in KTown, NYC, NY

The meal at Kang Suh was good, although the godpol was not that great, maybe the choice of tofu instead of beef not being the best in term of flavor. I would go back and try their BBQ next time as I am a bit on the fence...

Enjoy (I did!)

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Kang Suh - 1250 Broadway, New York, NY10001

I Just Want To Eat! 5/25/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/25/17

Family style dinner at Tony's di Napoli in Times Square

Times Square is not the best area to get great food, lots of restaurants focusing more on foot traffic than anything else, not caring if people would have a good time and great food, so they would come back. But there are exceptions and Tony's di Napoli is one of them. We often go to this family style Italian restaurant when people visit: the food is good and prices are quite reasonable. The last time we went was with our friends, the Yates, who came visiting.

Tony's di Napoli in Times Square, NYC, NY

Bread basket:

Fried calamari: deliciously crispy, not greasy and perfectly cooked, not at all rubbery.

Fried calamari at Tony's di Napoli in Times Square, NYC, NY

Caprese rustica salad made with mozzarella, tomatoes and croutons:

Caprese rustica salad at Tony's di Napoli in Times Square, NYC, NY

Spaghetti with meatballs: a must have! These large meatballs are fantastic and we always order them. I wish I knew how to make them: they are tasty and not dry at all. And that sauce is delicious.

Spaghetti with meatballs at Tony's di Napoli in Times Square, NYC, NY

Eggplant parmesan: another great dish that we always order.

Eggplant parmesan at Tony's di Napoli in Times Square, NYC, NY

Nutella cake: normally, desserts are for 2 to 3 people, but I could not share this one...

Nutella cake at Tony's di Napoli in Times Square, NYC, NY

We had a great time, with great company and great food. If you are looking for a family style Italian restaurant in Midtown, Tony's Di Napoli is the perfect plate.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Tony's Di Napoli - 147 W 43rd Street, New York, NY10036

I Just Want To Eat! 5/23/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/23/17

Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY - Closed

It's been a while since I wanted to go to Momofuku má pêche, one of the many restaurants of Chef David Chang, my favorite being Momofuku Noodle Bar. Yes, I wanted to go there to try their signature dish: the habanero fried chicken. It was not that hard to get a reservation on O pentable. In fact, I was surprised that the place would not be more crowded for a Friday night. When you enter into the building, the first think you will see is Momofuku Milk Bar where Pastry Chef and founder Christina Tosi offers a bunch of delicious treats.

Momofuku Milk Bar at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

Dining room at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

In term of drinks, they have a nice selection of cocktails, beers, sake and wine. I decided to go for the bonji old fashioned, a cocktail made with bourbon, black sugar and bonji (a cold-pressed liquid seasoning made in the style of tamari and soy sauce from fermented grains). It was ok, having too much bourbon that hid the other ingredients that I was looking forward to tasting.

Bonji Old Fashioned at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

Food wise, they offer small and large plates, as well as very large dishes for 3 to 5 people. For the appetizer, we decided to order the corned beef buns, served with cabbage and 1000 island dressing. I liked it, the buns being very soft and the filling delicious, with a delightfully fatty corned beef smothered with that delicious sauce.

Corned beef buns at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

For her entree, Jodi picked the roasted rice cakes made with mushroom, kale and garlic chives, the only vegetarian main dish (if you are vegetarian, you will have only a couple of dishes on the entire menu, unless you settle for side dishes). I liked her dish, especially the texture of the rice cakes that have nothing to do with these rice cakes you find in supermarkets.

Roasted rice cakes at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

On my side, I went for the habanero fried chicken, their signature dish. It came in a bucket, with some lime that kind of helped soothe a bit my mouth, although I would have prefered having some daikon that would have been more effective, the chicken being quite spicy, the habanero being in the brine and batter (on a scale from 1 to 10 of spiciness, I would say that it was a 7). The chicken was really good, not greasy, crispy on the outside and moist inside. There were 5 pieces of it and was served without any sides, that surprised me considering it was a $28 dish.

Habanero fried chicken bucket at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

Habanero fried chicken at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

Last was dessert. We decided to go for the banana bread pudding, made with plantain chips that added a nice crunch, dulce de leche and labne ice cream. I liked it, at the exception of the ice cream that tasted really weird on its own (I would have preferred vanilla ice cream).

Banana bread pudding at Momofuku má pêche in NYC, NY

I liked my meal at Momofuku má peche: it was good and creative. I would go back definitely and recommend it, unless you are vegetarian...

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Momofuku má pêche - 15 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 5/21/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/21/17

Dinner at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

So we are back at Indian Accent, the contemporary Indian restaurant from Chef Manish Mehrotra located at The Parker Méridien Hotel, midtown Manhattan. This time we were there with some of our blogger friends, for a fantastic evening filled with laughter and amazing food.

The restaurant itself has a nice vibe and is the kind of place were you will spin your head to look at the dishes passing by, their presentation being beautiful.

When they asked us if we wanted to order drinks, I made the exact same mistake as last time and asked for a lassi: they do not have any! I was again surprised as this is a classic beverage and, finally, decided to order a cocktail called Smoke & Spice, made with ras el hanout infused Islay scotch, allspice dram (liquor flavored with allspice berries), and a flamed orange. I picked it because I was curious about the ras el hanout spices that I use when making couscous. This was really good, refreshing, with a nice aftertaste of orange and spices.

Smoke and Spice cocktail at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

Then, they came with a mysterious box filled with some little balls that were an homage to street food.

Amuse bouche at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

As well as a pumpkin shorva or soup and too small blue cheese naan that were addictive.

Blue cheese naan at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

For dinner, we went for the 4 courses. For the appetizer, I went for the crab claws, accompanied with butter pepper garlic and cauliflower. Slightly spicy, it was delicious, the crab being perfectly cooked and the sauce very tasty.

Jodi went for the potato sphere chaat served with a white pea mash.

Potato sphere chaat at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

Then, mid-course. Soy keema, quail egg, lime leaf butter pao for jodi. This dish was amazing and the presentation sublime.

Pathar beef kebab, bone marrow nihari for me (I could not resist the bone marrow).

Bone marrow nihari at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

Main course. Paper roast dosa with water chestnut and mushrooms for Jodi:

For me, braised lamb with prune korma and Rajasthani pearl millet khichdi:

Braised lamb at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

As an accompaniment, we both picked a kulcha (type of leavened bread), with mushrooms for Jodi and with hoisin duck for me, a spin on Peking duck that might originate from Indo-Chinese cuisine.

Mushroom kulcha at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

Hoisin duck kulcha at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

Last was dessert. Jodi went for the doda barfi treacle tart, served with a vanilla bean ice cream. If you go, this is the dessert to order.

Doda barfi treacle tart at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

On my side, I went for the makhan malai, made with saffron milk, rose petal jaggery brittle and almonds.

Makhan Malai at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

At the end of the meal, we got the opportunity to visit the kitchen where we met with Chef Vivek whom treated us with a mango sorbet that was superb.

Tandoor oven at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

Mango sorbet at Indian Accent in NYC, NY

This was a wonderful evening and the food was outstanding. Every dish was an explosion of flavors and the presentation was amazing. There, the Chef crafted an elegant menu elevating dishes to a level that would satisfy not only people who love Indian food, but also others, the amount of spices being very measured. I definitely recommend Indian Accent: you will not regret dining there!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Indian Accent - 123 W 56th Street, Midtown West, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 5/19/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/19/17

Kati Rolls at Desi Grub near Times Square - Closed

I love Kati Rolls, a sort of wrap made with paratha bread, typical street food, that originated in Kolkata, India. So I was excited to go to Desi Grub, a place we found walking on 40th, on our way to Port Authority. It is a small place, with just few seats and an open kitchen from where they will cook your rolls to order.

Open kitchen at Counter at Desi Grub, NYC, NY

Here are the rolls we tried:

Egg roll (the simplest on the menu):

Chicken Tikka Roll:

Chana roll ordered not spicy (it is normally a Spicy Chana roll):

Shami kebab roll (made with minced lamb):

Shami kebab roll with egg at Desi Grub, NYC, NY

Spicy shrimp roll (not that spicy I have to say):

Spicy shrimp kati roll at Desi Grub, NYC, NY

My favorite roll is the shami kebab that is very flavorful (I love lamb so it is an easy sell) and my least favorite is the spicy shrimp as I thought the shrimp were way overcooked. I love their bread that is delightfully greasy. One roll is fine if I want to be reasonable, but I do not mind a second one as they are of a decent size.

As a beverage, each time we went, we got their mango lassi that is very good, and perfect if your mouth is on fire.

I like Desi Grub: it is not at the level of The Kati Roll Company that is few blocks away, but I find their Kati rolls pretty good and reasonably priced.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Desi Grub - 200 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018

I Just Want To Eat! 5/17/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/17/17

Cannelle Patisserie, French Bakery in Long Island City

I sometimes go to a place and wish they were in my neighborhood. This is what happened with Cannelle, a French bakery located in Long Island City, where we went for Jodi's Popup Show. We had to go early to setup her art at the Rockaway Brewery Co and and I proposed to go have breakfast at Cannelle.

We got a table, but, trust me, it was challenging as that place was quite busy in the morning. Of course, in that area, there are not that many options, but I also soon discovered that it was also probably because it was fantastic, very authentic.

Viennoiseries at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

Here is what we had:

Chocolate croissant (flakey and buttery):

Chocolate croissant at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

Pain viennois (reminds me when I was a kid and ate that with...butter):

Pain viennois at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

Kouign Aman (a specialty from Brittany, think about croissant with more butter and sugar on the outside, caramelized):

Kouign Aman at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

Lemon tart: alright, this was not for breakfast. We in fact went back in the afternoon, before the show, so I could get my coffee fix and I could not resist.

Lemon tart at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

For beverages, Jodi got her tea, and I got a double espresso as well as a fresh squeezed orange juice.

Espresso at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

Orange juice at Cannelle Patisserie in Long Island City

Everything was very good and traditional. They have a nice selection of pastries (damn, I saw too late they have a Mille-feuille), and sandwiches, although some of them were less classic like the chicken and Roquefort sandwich. Price wise, it was quite cheap compared to most of the French bakeries you find in New York City, the rent probably playing a big part of it. Overall, it was great. Considering that it is not too far from Manhattan (short distance by train), and the beautiful river front that is few blocks away, I cannot wait to go back there!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Cannelle - 5-11 47th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

I Just Want To Eat! 5/15/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/15/17

Celebration event of Sushi Seki's placement in "Wine & Spirits Magazine- NYC 50"

This week, I was invited to a wonderful event at Sushi Seki Times Square, to celebrate the placement in Wine & Spirits Magazine - NYC 50 (where to eat and drink well in NYC right now). I have never been to that place, but, believe me: after what I have tried, I will surely go back, especially after trying some of the signature dishes of Chef Seki, that I wish I met that day.

Here is what I had:

For beverages, this event was full of top producers, serving not only beer or sake, but also shochu, whiskey and champagne. For the latter, I knew already the Lanson brand as I remember that my grandfather used to buy it whenever we celebrated an event or a Holiday.

Bottles of Lanson Champagne at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Glass of Lanson Champagne at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

There was also a wine-style sparkling cider from Cliffton Dry, a refreshing drink that had nice notes of pear, honey and citrus with a clean apple finish.

Clifton Dry Wine-style sparkling cider at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Cliffton Dry Wine-style sparkling cider at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

They also proposed Shochu that I tried in a drink I will talk about in a few, as well as Japanese whiskey.

Japanese whiskey at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Shochu at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

But, there was one table people could not miss: Sakeman! Well, there were two guys wearing masks that most of the people mistook for Mexican wrestlers because of the lucha libre inspired masks, but with a small difference: each character has a letter in the front, forming the word "sake" (I got to meet the "S" and "K").

Sakeman at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

The cocktails I tried at Sushi Seki were fantastic: well balanced, not overly strong, and refreshing. The first one was called "Ringo Thyme", that is exclusively served at the Times Square location, made with the sparkling cider mentioned above.

Ringo thyme at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

The second one of the Yuzu cocktail, made with shochu. shizo, yuzu honey and yukari salt. It was in fact my favorite.

Yuzu cocktail at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Food wise, they served some delicious hors d'oeuvre, some of them like the tomato seared over salmon sushi being signature dishes. Here is what I could try:

Seared tomato over salmon sushi: a surprising combination that is like a Japanese bruschetta.

Seared tomato over salmon sushi at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Hamachi sushi with jalapeño:

Hamachi sushi at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Yuzu miso cod:

Chicken yakitori:

Soba noodles:

Gobo (burdock root):

Gobo at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

Shrimp and lotus root:

Veggies with dashi and bonito flakes:

Oysters:

Oyster at Sushi Seki Times Square in NYC, NY

The food at Sushi Seki was delicious and tasted fresh. This event definitely makes me want to go back and try some other dishes. I am not surprised Sushi Seki is named in Wine & Spirits: this is well deserved!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Sushi Seki Times Square - 365 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

I Just Want To Eat! 5/13/17 I Just Want To Eat! 5/13/17

Untitled at The Whitney Museum

Our friends Jen and Gary wanted to go to the Whitney Museum and then have lunch at Untitled, the restaurant located on the first floor of the museum (art without a title is named "untitled"). I admit that I was not sure what to expect there, thinking that the food would probably be overpriced and subpar. I was wrong! At Untitled, Executive Chef Suzanne Cupps crafted a small contemporary American menu perfectly executed and served in a modern dining room with lots of light thanks to the floor to ceiling windows. And if you are curious like me, you can even observe the ballet happening in the open kitchen.

Dining room at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Open kitchen at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Here is what we had:

Bread basket with butter (not sure what kind of bread it was, probably with cereal, but it was delicious and earthy):

Bread and butter at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Bread at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Butter at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Burger for me, made on a soft brioche roll, cheddar cheese and crispy onions. It was fantastic: juicy, very flavorful, I did not even need to add any ketchup on top of it. It came with roasted potatoes, aioli and another sauce that I cannot recall...

Burger at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Jodi got the soft scrambled eggs served with cloumage cheese and grilled bread (she asked for it without the scallions). These were some of the best scrambled eggs I ever had: soft and very creamy.

Soft scrambled eggs at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Last, we were ready to get the check when Jen remembered that they serve a very good cookie. So we ended up with cookie and milk. And what a cookie! Chewy, very chocolatey with big blobs of chocolate and delightfully salty in some parts, it is on top of my list.

Cookie and milk at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Cookie at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Milk at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

They also propose cocktails and beers, but I went for their spiced pear (quite good) and an espresso. Jodi went for a tea.

Spiced pear at Untitled at The Whitney Museum, NYC, NY

Overall, we had a great brunch at Untitled: although a bit pricey, they serve a delicious brunch in a nice atmosphere. But if you go, I recommend the burger and the cookie: that will do it!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Untitled - Whitney Museum, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10014