Fantastic Italian Dinner at Vasco and Piero's Pavilion in London, England

A friend of a friend (interesting) suggested that we go for an Italian dinner at Vasco and Piero's Pavilion in the heart of Soho.

This is a small restaurant that was packed all evening. I like the simple decor and the atmosphere that gave the impression we were in somebody's house!

After they sat us to our table, they graciously offered us some prosecco.

This was a nice gesture from them and a good sign that this whole experience would be fantastic!

We ordered some appetizers first. As soon as we saw that they had some burrata on the menu, we ordered it!!!

It was served with cherry tomatoes. The burrata was amazing! The shell was soft and the heart creamy. I could have eaten this all day! It tasted so fresh!

The second appetizer was a pear carpaccio.

That was fantastic! The pear was juicy and sweet and it complemented very well the sharpness of the parmesan. It was a great dish: simple, tasty with clean flavors.

Jodi ordered some tuna.

It was seared and served with lentils and spinach. This was delicious! The tuna was perfectly cooked and moist. The presentation was very appetizing. A great dish!

On my side, I ordered the homemade tagliatelles with beef ragu. I went for the small size as they proposed small or regular.

This was fantastic too! The tagliatelles were soft and eggy and the beef ragu was to die for! Thick and tasty with bold flavors. I think I could have licked the plate.

Last was dessert. As we were in an Italian restaurant, we went for the tiramisu.

It was a phenomenal way of finishing this fantastic dinner! It was very light and creamy. Not too sweet, it had good hints of coffee. Fabulous!

This is definitely a great place to dine in! I loved it and would certainly go back the next time I am in London!

Enjoy (I did)!

Christmas Market in London, England

One day, walking near the London Eye, this spectacular Ferris Wheel on the Thames river, we found a Christmas market. It was packed! I fact we saw two sections: one was a chocolate festival (you read right: a chocolate festival!) and the other section, a more traditional market with food and mulled wine. A lot of vendors were proposing hot chocolate, but the best we got was the one made with a chocolate cube on a stick!

What they do is that they pour some hot milk, then add some marshmallow (if you want some) and put a cube of chocolate that is on a stick.
You then stir with the wooden stick until the chocolate is completely melted. This was fantastic! First of all, the hot chocolate was made with milk, not water! Why would you make a hot chocolate with water??? I know that some people would do it because they think that it is less calories. It is like ordering pizza with a diet soda: you are still eating pizza! As the temperature was cold, it was the perfect treat!

Then we ended up in the more crowded section of the market.

You had there plenty of food like waffles, donuts, crepes, candies...They were even selling some cheese.

We did not even consider these cheeses as our next stop on this trip would be France, the country of fromage!

So, as we walked around, we first picked up some candies by the pound and then ended up near a German restaurant stand where we got some amazing French fries!

We did not eat more as we had to go to an Italian restaurant later in the evening: Vasco and Piero's Pavilion. Stay tuned...

Enjoy (I did)!

Bonne Année 2013!

Happy New Year 2013!

I cannot believe we are already in 2013! And I Just Want To Eat passed 18 months of existence, soon approaching the two years mark. Why are two years important? Because a lot of blogs stop after one to two years as people start them because they think it is cool and then realize that it demands a bit of work. I know that lots of people only see the fun side of a food blog that is to go eat and find the excuse  of the blog to eat whatever they want (I admit I use that excuse a lot...). 

But, writing a post with nice photos (the natural light is the biggest challenge) demands a bit of work. Depending of a subject, I can spend more than an hour on a post and, like most bloggers, I will work on post as soon as I can and schedule it, explaining why there is sometimes a lag between the visit at a restaurant and the post itself. This became apparent with Stage Deli! I went there in September and the post finally made it online in November, two days after they closed!!! Talking about that, 2012 has been a terrible year for the restaurant industry with a lot of businesses affected either by the economy or rent increase. We saw for instance Stage Deli mentioned previously, Gallagher's announcing they will close or the loss of the Meatball Factory whose owner, David Martin was a Top Chef alumni. So sad...

 2012 was definitely a year rich of surprises, good and bad. Here is a bit of a retrospective!

The worst:

• Nick and Steph's Steakhouse and their Mac & Cheese made with processed cheese.
• Carlo's bakery and the disgusting cupcake and cannoli.
• Minetta Tavern and its overpriced burger.

The best:

• Vetri by Marc Vetri in Philadelphia
• Colicchio and Sons and its amazing dinner experience
• Ippudo and Momofuku Noodle Bar for their fantastic ramen!

The discoveries:

• Jeanne et Gaston
• Matt & Meera an Indian-American fusion (located in Hoboken - now closed).
• The Red Hook Lobster Pounds for their fabulous lobster roll!

The list would be too long... There are so many places to try! What is interesting are the trends, like ramen that made a big mark this year! I have to say that I love it and considering the number of ramen restaurants opening these days, you will for sure see more reviews...The culinary scene is definitely moving and people are more and more curious to try different cuisines. I was asked recently if I eat a lot at French restaurants and I answered negatively: there are so many different cuisines and misconceptions or ignorance about some of them: Japanese is not only sushi, Italian is not only pizza and pasta and Ethiopian does have food on the plate!

So I am sure that 2013 will be full of good and bad experiences and I do not mind the bad ones as nothing can be perfect and it is what is making this blog fun! So I hope you will enjoy: I will for sure! 

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

If you like this blog or the photos, please share it with your family and friends!

Horrible Fish & Chips at The Round Table in London, England

Over the week end we were in London, we were walking around Covent Garden, when we decided that it was time to entertain our stomachs! We decided to go to a Pub to enjoy some traditional food. We ended up at The Round Table located on St Martins Court. Nice traditional pub with a particular smell that clearly indicates that there is a lot of beer around...

So we go there and they told us that we have to order at the bar (the table next to us did not know and we had to tell them as they were wondering why nobody was taking care of them).

So I decided to order Fish & Chips. They had the traditional one made with cod and proposed a larger version called...the Cod Father!

After a long, long time, our food arrived!

The Fish & Chips I ordered was made with cod and was served with fries, peas and tartare sauce.

This was horrible! The peas had no taste; the fries were mushy and the fish was terrible! The batter was oily and not cooked all the way through and the fish was probably frozen. The tartare sauce not only looked weird, but also tasted weird. This was disgusting!

Jodi's sandwich was not better!

It was a cheddar and pickle sandwich. The pickle overpowered the cheese. I think I only enjoyed the bread. So bad.

That was so disappointing! Next time, I will pass my way! And by the way, the table I mentioned before that did not know you had to order at the bar was still waiting for the food when we left...

Enjoy (the photos)!

Fish & Chips at Seashell on Lisson Grove in London, England

If there was one dish I had to try in England, it was Fish & Chips. You can get some good ones in pubs in New York, but it is not the same! As I mentioned in the post to introduce the trip (My trip to Europe), although I went several times to London before coming to the US, I first tried this dish at...Epcot in Disney Florida! So we looked up on the internet for the best Fish & Chips places. We wanted first to go to the Golden Hind that was listed number 1 on one of the websites, but, believe or not, it was closed on Saturdays for lunch!!! We could not believe it! Why would you be closed for lunch on Saturdays??? So, as we were trying to find our way to the Imperial War Museum, we asked a very nice person in the street if she knew a good Fish & Chips place. She told us to go to Lisson Grove street and then ask people for a known place there. 

So, here we go, walking towards Lisson Grove street. When we arrived, we asked a guy at a bus stop if he knew a well known Fish & Chips place. He indicated Seashell on Lisson Grove. So that is how we ended up there.

It was a clean place with a modern decor: for sure, you would not go there for the ambience! By the way, you remember the guy at the bus stop who told us that this was the known place for Fish & Chips? We saw him walking in the restaurant few minutes after  and I caught him on the camera! We probably asked the owner! That was pretty funny!

So we looked at the menu and there were proposing a dozen of different ways to have the Fish & Chips: the traditional with cod, with salmon, filet of sole or even langoustines! I decided to go for the traditional one.

The food took time to come, although the restaurant was not that crowded. But when it came, I did not regret it! The piece of fish was big! It tasted very fresh and was flaky, cooked all the way through. The batter was crispy and not greasy at all. I appreciated the fact that there was no bone in it! It was a delicious dish! The fries though were not that great: too soft and undercooked.

Jodi went for a salad.

It was nice and simple.

The Fish & Chips was delicious, although a bit pricey and I would have preferred a place with more character!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to Eat!

Treats at Fortnum & Mason in London, England

Over the week end we were in London, we met with my cousins Catherine, Sarah and Flavien for a tea at Fortnum and Mason. In fact we heard about that place from friends who went there few years ago. The place is fantastic with all these never seen before items such as a music cookie box. But for sure, it was pricey! Pricey but crowded, I guess with people just looking around out of curiosity. Of course, as it was the Holidays, their windows were full of scenes such as the one below:

Fortnum and Mason has different restaurants, from the fancier to the more casual one. We ended up on the latter one, called The Gallery. It was a nice place with a nice causal atmosphere, surrounded by windows overlooking the street. We were lucky that my cousins arrived in advance and already had a table as the place was packed and there was a bit of wait (it was around 3pm). Of course, when we arrived, we could not miss the table full of cakes that I am sure was full of delicacies earlier that day! For sure it made us hungrier!

We could have done the full tea but it was too much food and we already had lunch. The "full" tea was composed of open sandwiches, scones, cupcakes and tea, for 22 GBP. 

So we had instead tea

A delicious hot chocolate (fortunately made with milk and not just water!!!)

And some pastries!!! We ordered a spectacular chocolate cake!

That is what I call a chocolate cake! The cake was moist and the icing really, really good. Not too sweet, it was a perfect choice. It has been a long time I did not have a nice chocolate cake like that!

We also tried the chocolate raspberry cupcakes.

This was also fantastic! The cake was also moist and the icing delicious. The pairing of the chocolate and raspberry was, not surprisingly, working! These 2 pastries are definitely recommended!

On the side, Sarah ordered as her lunch, the Goodwood Rosé Veal Burger topped with Fortnum’s Goose Foie Gras and Hand-cut Chips. 

They also provided some homemade mayonnaise. I never had a veal burger and I enjoyed it. Of course, the foie gras was a big plus! The meat was perfectly cooked and juicy. The taste was less stronger than beef for sure. The fries were crispy outside and soft inside. 

We really had a good time with my cousins and meeting there was a great idea. Fortnum and Mason's is the perfect place to meet family and friends for a relaxed afternoon! Just make sure you do not come too late as they close at 5pm...I thought tea was at 5pm!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Dinner at Bob Bob Ricard in London, England

Preparing the trip to London, we wanted to have a nice dinner and we found out this place called Bob Bob Ricard. I have to admit that at first we wanted to eat in one of Gordon Ramsey's restaurants, but there was no reservation available. Reviews of Bob Bob Ricard were good and after looking at the menu, we decided that it would be the place to go. For sure, this restaurant is fancy and pricey, but it was our treat on our London trip. So we dressed up and ended up in Soho, in this art deco restaurant. The place was big for sure with an interesting decor. Downstairs, they had an impressive wine cellar.

We sat at a booth and immediately noticed the button to call for champagne. But no, I did not press it...

We looked at the mouth watering menu and saw that they served a beef Wellington for 2. We always wanted to try it, as it is always on the menu on Hell's Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey and we never had the opportunity to try. Well, this is a British dish and we were in a nice restaurant in London, so we were thinking that they probably made it well...They told us that it would take 45 minutes to cook, but we were ok with that!

So, they proposed to bring some bread.

It was very good and crispy, served with some French butter (beurre d'Isigny). In fact I mentioned the bread, because we discovered that it was not free...Pretty interesting as usually you do not pay for bread when you eat in a restaurant!!!

So, then came the beef Wellington!

The presentation was spectacular! They brought it to us on a wooden plank before slicing it. And I can tell you that we were right to skip the appetizers! It was huge!

They served us a nice slice and put some juice on it. The meat was cooked medium rare (the temperature of the meat depends on how long the puff pastry needs to cook). The crust was crispy and buttery and there was a phenomenal layer between the pastry and the meat, that was made of foie gras, mushroom and truffles. I could not taste the truffles, but it was delicious! And the meat was very tender (it was a 28 days aged filet of Aberdeenshire Scotch beef)! 

With the beef Wellington, we ordered some truffled mash potatoes (yes, again mash...):

The portion was definitely small and it was too bad as the mash was fantastic: the truffle taste really came through! It was a great side dish for the beef!

Of course, we could not leave without having dessert...We decided to go for the BBR signature Chocolate Glory.

It was a sphere made of chocolate Jivara mousse, chocolate brownie, meringue and passion fruit jelly. They poured some hot chocolate sauce on top of it...This was awesome! Not too sweet with lots of different flavors from the different components! It is definitely a dessert I would recommend!

This was a fantastic dinner and a great opportunity to try a beef Wellington. Although pricey, it is a great restaurant, with a great decor and service. A place to go to!

Enjoy (I did)!

My trip to Europe - December 2012

I was recently in Europe, in London and Paris! Needless to say that one of my interests was food, although England does have a bad reputation when it comes to cuisine. It has been years since I have been in London, the last time being December 2006! Going for the holidays is always exciting: there is a certain energy in the air, emphasized by the fantastic decorations that can only be found during this period of the year. I admit that I thought London did a fantastic job with all the lights and I was disappointed by the lights on the Champs Elysees in Paris! 

So, first stop was London! When we left, we definitely wanted to try some pub food, specifically Fish & Chips. Imagine that the first time I tried this dish was not in London, despite my multiple trips there. No, it was at...Disney - Epcot in Florida....I know: that sounds weird but it is true. I went there few years ago with Jodi and we decided to dine at the International pavillion where you have all types of restaurants from many countries: Japan, China, Canada, France, Mexico...And they have England with the Rose & Crown Pub. We had fantastic fish & chips there. Interestingly, the entire staff in the restaurants are from the country they represent, to add some authenticity.

Back to our trip: after checking in our hotel, we started our quest to find a pub. You would think that it was easy, but it was not as we were located in a business area. We ended up at the New Moon on Gracechurch street. This pub had a warm atmosphere and a phenomenal ceiling, all red! Supposedly, it has been featured in movies like James Bond or Tomb Raiders...

Well, this is where our experience stopped: they did not even acknowledged us!!! We were the only ones in the establishment and they did not say hello or check if we wanted anything!!! So we decided to leave as, if it was the way they were treating their customers, their service was probably slow and inefficient and their food not worth it. That is how we ended up at Mother Mash, located on Leadenhall street!

Mother Mash is a small restaurant that serves Pies and a traditional British dish: bangers and mash!

The place was pretty bright, modern, but quite small. We stayed on the first floor and at first, it was fine, as there were not that many people, but at some point, customers started to come in and it was very crowded. The restaurant opened few years ago and only started recently to propose food to go, explaining the wave of hungry business customers who stormed the place. Unfortunately, the staff focused on these customers, instead of us and our food took forever to come! After being ignored at the New Moon Pub, this trip started well...

The menu was simple and we decided to try the mash potatoes. The ordering was done in 3 steps:

First you pick your mash, then the type of sausage, then the gravy.

We both got the Cheesy Mash, made with milk, butter and cheddar. For sausages, Jodi got the vegetable and herb one with a vegetarian gravy (served on the side).

On my side, I ordered the lamb and mint sausage with the traditional gravy, made with the juice of the sausages and vegetables.

The food came barely hot (thanks to the slow service I guess...) and the portions were small. I was lucky that Jodi did not finish her plate...

The cheesy mash was fantastic! Dense but with some creaminess and with a nice mix of cheddar and butter taste! The sausages however were just ok: the vegetable and herb sausages had a weird taste; the lamb and mint sausages barely tasted lamb as the meat was overpowered by the mint. I also enjoyed the traditional gravy that was far better than the weird vegetable one! It was very comforting.

Even if the sausages were not that great, we loved the mash that was delicious! I would definitely just go back for this. Hopefully, the next time, the service will be better organized...

Anyway, it was good to have a light lunch as we went for a nice dinner at Bob Bob Ricard later that day. Stay tuned...

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!

Pizza at Dusal's Italian Restaurant in Freehold, NJ

Recently we were in Freehold, NJ and needed a quick bite. We ended up at Dusal's, an Italian restaurant and Pizzeria.

The restaurant has two rooms: in the front is for the pizzeria and in the back, the restaurant. We decided to try three of their slices:

The plain slice:

It was good, although pretty standard. The crust was thin and crispy with a nice char in the bottom.

The Sicilian pie:

Good, with lots of cheese and a nice pizza sauce. However, the crust was a bit hard on the corner.

The white pie:

This was a great pie because they put a lot of ricotta all along and not only some patches of it! Also, they did not load it with garlic that overpowers the cheese. A hit!

So, Dusal's is definitely a great pizza place!

Enjoy (I did)!

Recipe: Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Here is a very easy recipe for a delicious Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

Ingredients:
- 7oz (200g) of butter
- 7oz (200g) of powdered sugar
- 7oz (200g) of white flour
- 5 eggs
- 1teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1teaspoon of almond extract
- 1packet of yeast
- 1can of sliced pineapple

Steps:
1 - Prepare the cake batter:

• Melt the butter and integrate it with the sugar
• Incorporate one by one the eggs
• Add the sifted flour and the yeast
• Add the almond and vanilla extracts
• Add some of the pineapple juice from the can

2 - Make a caramel:

• In a saucepan, melt some brown sugar and water to make caramel
• Bring to a boil

3 - Assemble the cake:

• In a cake pan (I use a springform pan), pour the caramel and then lay the slices of pineapple.

• Cover with the cake batter, making sure that no batter goes under the pineapple slices.

4 - Cook the cake:

• Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Cook for 35 to 50 minutes (check if the cake is cooked with a knife).

When the cake is cooked, put it on a plate, pineapple up, and let it cool. Et voila!

Bon appétit!

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 !

Nick & Stef's Steakhouse in NYC, New York

It is no secret that I love steak and that I consider that meat in this country is far better than what I ever had in Europe ! So I always enjoy a trip to a Steakhouse! This time, we ended up at Nick & Stef's that is supposed to have been voted in the top 10 Steakhouses in NYC!

So we were on our way and trust me, we had to find it! Because of construction, it was kind of hidden! This is not your typical steakhouse with leather and wood all over: it had a modern setting that sets it apart.

Jodi ordered the petite filet mignon (medium):

The meat was perfectly cooked but missed the mark in term of tenderness and taste: it did not have this delicate taste that this piece of beef usually has.

I ordered the ribeye (medium rare):

This was a nice piece of meat (24 Oz) and was cooked to perfection. It had a lot of fat though, that could be a turn off if you do not like it. It was tasty, especially in the area close to the bone. Not the best I had, but good!

With the meat, they propose different sauces (for free). We picked the bearnaise that was perfect!

For a side, we ordered the Mac & Cheese with a parmesan crust.

When the plate came, it was very appetizing thanks to the nice parmesan crust on top. It seemed also very creamy. Unfortunately, it had this horrible taste of processed cheese (velveeta?) that even overpowered the parmesan crust on top! I do not understand why a steakhouse would serve Mac & Cheese made with processed cheese! 

We were hopeful that dessert would make us forget the average dinner we had. We went for the cinnamon fritters.

They were served with three sauces: vanilla, chocolate and caramel. The fritters themselves were fantastic: served hot, they had a nice sugar and cinnamon taste. I could have surely eaten tons of them! The sauces however were not that great, at the exception of the caramel. The vanilla had no taste, while the chocolate had a weird off taste!

So, it was a very average dinner that sunk with the velveeta Mac & cheese! This place is definitely overpriced for the quality of the food! I would believe that it was voted in the top 10 steakhouses in NYC, if there were only 10 steakhouses (it would be the last), but it is not the case and there are plenty of better ones: Ruth's Chris or The Old Homestead being good examples!

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Press Dinner at Thalassa in Tribeca - NYC, New York

I have been invited to a press dinner at Thalassa, a modern Greek restaurant located in Tribeca that is celebrating its 10 years of existence. Remember when reading this post that it is a press dinner: food is complementary and the staff knows who we are. 

Interestingly, I went to this restaurant 10 years ago. I was asked why I never went back and the answer was simple: New York City has so many restaurants that I was just trying different ones. Do not ask me if I remember the food: it was too long ago. However, I remember that the lights were less dimmed (I always notice the light for my photos)...So, I was really excited to go back and try their food! 

The restaurant's specialty is seafood as the name Thalassa (Sea in Greek) suggests. This also comes through with the decor as you can see in the photo of the bar below (you can see sails on top).

I like the modern and sophisticated decor of this three levels restaurant. The 30 foot long bar made with ivory marble looks fantastic as well as the main dining room with its white leather chairs and huge columns. It is also nice to see that they left space between tables so you do not have the impression to eat with people you do not know...

They also have an impressive wine list and you can have a glimpse to their wine cellar if you go downstairs. Their cocktail list is also interesting and showcases Thalassa's creations. I went for a Greek pear martini (that I asked in a regular glass because I hate martini glasses: I always end up with some of the cocktail on my shoes!!!). It was fantastic! The taste of the pear really came through and it was not strong at all.

So, as I mentioned, this is a seafood restaurant; they have an amazing display where you have a fresh selection of fish and shellfish. It was beautiful!

Apparently, you can select what you want to eat directly from there. I saw these huge king shrimp called Garides: I bet that grilled, they are fantastic! Looking at this display can only make you hungrier than you were before. At least, it worked for me! We had the opportunity to meet the Chef, Raphael Abrahante. We learnt that he is a native of New York of Puerto Rican origin who never set foot in Greece! During his culinary study, he discovered seafood and got passionate about it. He then worked in a Greek restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, before becoming the Chef at Thalassa.

After we sat at our table, they served us some olives and hummus.

The hummus seemed to be freshly made and had a strong chickpea taste. It was served with some homemade bread that was very good. In fact, they brought us later on some pita that was also homemade and delicious!

Then, they brought us some meze. Meze are small dishes served in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Balkans. It is great for tasting and also sharing!

The first one was a cod fritter.

It was an amuse bouche. Very good and not greasy that is always appreciated with fritters!

The second meze was zucchini and eggplant chips.

I really liked it, although I would have preferred it hot. The chips were crispy and not greasy with the veggies perfectly cooked. They were served with tzatziki sauce that was a perfect pairing!

The last meze was Pikilia Mediterranean dips:

They were served with some homemade pita. I have to admit that I do not recall all the dips, but for sure I noticed the first on the left that was an eggplant caviar that was fabulous. The tzatziki sauce was also delicious. It is clearly a perfect dish for sharing and start a meal!

Then came the first course: Grilled Octopadi from Portugal.

It is a grilled octopus served with micro organic greens, olive oil and a red wine vinaigrette. This was my favorite! The octopus was perfectly cooked, not chewy and had a nice char. I loved the fact that you could really taste that it was grilled. I would not have minded a bit less vinaigrette though.

The second course was veal dolmas (grape leaves).

The grape leaves were stuffed with veal and rice, and drizzled with Avgolemono sauce (sauce made with egg and lemon). This dish did not work for me: although the stuffing was good, there was too much grape leaves, making it tough and bitter. The sauce other wise was good with a nice subtle lemon taste.

The third course was the Maine Diver Scallop wrapped in Kataifi filo, served with a sheep's milk butter and kalamata olive reduction.

I was excited to try this as it seems it is one of their signature dishes. Unfortunately, I did not like it. I think the main issue is that the dough was too greasy and there was too much of it, so you could not taste the scallop. I then tried to eat the scallop alone but it tasted bland. For sure, I acknowledge the fact that it is difficult to make a complicated dish that would not overpower the delicate taste of scallop.

The fourth course was the Mediterranean Lavraki (Branzino or Loup de Mer in French).

The fish was served with a New Zealand Langoustine, a garlic almond mousse and okra. I liked the langoustine that was conveniently separated from the shell.  It was perfectly cooked and fresh. However, I did not like the fish that was slightly overcooked, maybe because it sat before being brought to the table immediately. The garlic almond mousse was good, but too cold compared to the rest of the dish.

Then came an assortment of dessert. In fact I think we were lucky to try all of them! I do not remember all of them, but clearly remember the panna cotta that was topped with some delicious caramelized pear, the valrhona molten chocolate cake and the Greek yoghurt that was served with toasted walnuts. All of the desserts looked phenomenal and were delicious. This was a nice surprise to finish the meal! 

Although I did not like all the dishes and we had to wait a long time between each of them, I had a good time at Thalassa with my fellow bloggers. When we were there, there was even a guitar player who played quietly in a corner of the restaurant, contributing to the relaxed atmosphere of the place (there is live music every Wednesday). I like the concept of modern and elevated Greek food, although sometimes less is better and one of the particularity of Greek food, especially for seafood, is to cook simply the main ingredient so it remains the star of the dish.

Enjoy (I always do)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Stage Deli in NYC, New York - CLOSED!

If there is one thing we do not have in France, it is Delicatessen or Deli. Each time I have family or friends visiting, I strongly suggest them to go to a deli and try a sandwich. But not a regular salami or turkey: rather pastrami or corned beef. In fact, the way I knew corned beef when I was a kid was totally different: my mom used to buy these cans that contained some fatty ground meat that in France we call corned beef. She was adding it to a tomato salad. It was delicious, but I am wondering if it was really made of corned beef! Well, sometimes it is better not knowing what you eat...

So, my friend Benny and I decided to go to Stage Deli, a deli that has been opened for more than 70 years. I guess we could say that they compete with the usual suspects: Katz, Junior's, 2nd Avenue Deli or Carnegie Deli, not far away.

The place looks like any deli that has been at the same location for years: old fashioned with old photos, most of the time tilted...
This always gives a certain charm and authenticity to the place.
Of course, at the entrance, there is the usual cake display:

To be honest, none of these cakes look appetizing...

The menu has the traditional deli items like matzoh ball soup, knishes or chopped liver. It also has some sandwiches with Celebrities names such as the Adam Sandler, Kathy Couric or Aretha Franklin. It all started in 1937 when the founder of the deli, Max Asnas, invited his famous patrons to the carving board to create their own sandwiches.

We decided with Benny to share an appetizer and a sandwich as, based on the prices, most of the sandwiches were big....

We started off with chopped liver.

It was served with pickles, a sliced onion and some rye bread. I really enjoyed it! The chopped liver was dense and very tasty and the bread delicious. 

We then went for the pastrami and corned beef reuben!

It was huge! So huge that they made it open face. They were nice enough to allow us to have two types of meat in it, the pastrami in the bottom and the corned beef on top.

The way they do it is put the bread in the bottom, then the meat, then some sauerkraut for some crunch and then some swiss cheese. For sure, they were generous with the portions! There is no way a single person can eat this alone (don't challenge me!)! Unfortunately, it was just ok for me: the corned beef was good, but the pastrami was not as fatty and tasty as it should. Also, I prefer a regular sandwich as it allows you to have all the flavors at once: bread, meat, sauerkraut and cheese. This was definitely not a reuben I would dream about; not like Junior's or Friedman's lunch in Chelsea Market!

So it was an ok lunch finally and I was not wowed by the food. Instead of going to Stage Deli, I would rather go to Junior's or Carnegie Deli close by. 

The last thing I would add about this place is that you also get the experience of the rude service! Similar to Katz. Except that I do not think it adds any charm to the whole experience!!!

Update: This post has been prepared few weeks ago and I just learnt today that Stage Deli closed due to a rent increase! So sad to see businesses opened for that long face such issues with rent!

Enjoy !