Burger at Colicchio and Sons in NYC, New York

Last year, we went to Colicchio and Sons for Jodi's Birthday and had a memorable dinner there! In my post (check out my review of Colicchio and Sons here), I mentioned this guy at the bar who ordered a burger that looked delicious. So this time, we decided to try it out! 

Imagine this burger, called the TC burger: the blend of meat (apparently secret) is topped with drunken onions (in wine) and aged pecorino cheese, and then gently squeezed between a homemade brioche bun previously toasted. 

The burger was served with homemade BBQ chips and a pickle.

The ratio patty / brioche was perfect and the burger was cooked to the requested temperature (medium) with a nice char outside. When I cut it into two, it rejected lots of juice: definitely not a dry burger and I enjoyed the juiciness of the meat until the last bite (sometimes all the juice is gone and you end up with a dryer piece of meat between your fingers). 

It had fantastic flavors and that day, there was truffle in it (not sure they put some all the time) that we could definitely taste. The meat had a strong taste and did not get overpowered by the aged pecorino or the drunken onions that liberated wine flavors that paired well with the meat. The first bite was divine, as were the ones following it. Quickly, you realize your plate is empty...so sad...

With the burger, were served some BBQ chips that were good, but I wish they were just homemade potato chips; it is just a personal preference though. 

What was great on the plate was the pickle that had a surprising sweetness. It reminded me of an episode of Top Chef where the contestants had to serve a dish where a pickle was the star. CJ decided to serve a burger that was, according to Chef Colicchio not that good. After tasting his, I understand why CJ screwed up...

I would like to mention the service also: I think that Colicchio and Sons knows what hospitality is! The service was courteous, efficient and made us feel welcome. Seems to be the motto there: hospitality! 

To conclude this post, I would say that the TC burger is for me the top in its category (burgers more than $15, this one being $18 at the time of this post). I will definitely recommend it moving forward to the burger fans I know!!!

Enjoy (I surely did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
 

MBG burger at Madison Bar and Grill in Hoboken, NJ

Madison Bar & Grill is a very popular Bar / restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey. We went there couple of times and had mixed experiences about it: their Sunday brunch buffet is fabulous! They serve a wide range of dishes that can satisfy any palate: from seafood, with fresh shrimp and oysters, to meat, to the fantastic creme brulee French Toast! If you have a good appetite or want to try plenty of delicious dishes, this is a good deal.

Then, we went to their first seating menu: for a little over $18, you get an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. When I went, I had the crab cakes, the free range chicken and the cannoli. This was a very average experience: the crab cakes were just ok and a bit greasy, with lots of filler; the chicken was dry and bland and the cannoli not good. 

But this time, I went specifically to try their burger! It is called the MBG signature Blue Label Burger. Such name is an invitation to indulge! 

As you can see on the photo above, they branded the brioche bun! So, the burger comes with skin-on French fries. I asked for the patty to be cooked medium and picked cheddar for the cheese (they also proposed Swiss, provolone or American).
The meat (dry aged beef) was perfect: medium as requested and very juicy, it had a bold taste making me think that they do not use any filler in it. There was a perfect ratio bun to meat and the bun was deliciously toasted. This was definitely a great cheeseburger! They just need to perfect the French fries that were good, but did not have anything extraordinary (you know what I mean if you went to Minetta Tavern).

On a healthier side, Jodi ordered the Warm Herbed Goat Cheese Salad:

It was made of mixed greens, carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and dressed with an oven-roasted tomato vinaigrette. I liked the fact that it was a different take on a classic salad: it was not just goat cheese put on top of the veggies or on top of a piece of toast. It was like a croquette and a good one in fact: not greasy, it added a nice crunch to the dish. Perfect!

We finished the meal with the Chocolate Molten Cake:

The presentation was very appetizing! It had three components that worked perfectly together: the chocolate cake, a tahitian vanilla gelato and a strawberry sauce. It was good, but I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting the chocolate to ooze in the center; the cake was probably a bit overcooked! 

I did not regret giving another chance to the Madison Bar & Grill and was pretty satisfied at the end of the meal! It is definitely a good spot for brunch or for a good burger!

Enjoy (I did)!

On the way to a food exhibit at the Museum of Natural History

We decided to go to the Museum of Natural History to see their exhibit, Global Kitchen. I really wanted to see it because this exhibit is about food, culture and nature: it not only explains the food chain, but also give a glimpse about the food in other cultures. Of course, we could not go to this exhibit with empty bellies! So we first stopped by Sapporo Ramen that was recommended by our cousin Jessica. Yes, I know: ramen again? I love it, what can I say!

We tried in fact to go to Sapporo ramen last Friday for dinner, but the restaurant was packed and we ended up at Pho 66 for a different kind of noodle soup (but this is another post...). So we decided to show up early on Sunday to avoid the crowd and were lucky because the restaurant only started to get busy after noon. 

Similar to other ramen restaurants we went to, we could sit at a table of the kitchen counter to see the cooks making these succulent dishes. We chose the table. What I liked first is that they propose different types of broth and explain what they are on the menu, so you can decide if you would like a traditional one, a salty one, etc. They also have, for $11, a lunch special, where you can pick your ramen and an appetizer: pretty good price I would say. 

So we started off with pork and vegetable gyoza (dumplings):

They were 3 of them and they were fried on one side. It was very good: the meat was not dry and the shell was thin, soft and perfectly cooked, with a bit of char that gave them some delicious crispiness. We ate them with some soy sauce.

Jodi ordered the Shoyu Ramen, the most traditional style of ramen - a light, soy sauce based flavor, and added a boiled egg and bamboo shoots.

I ordered the Shio Ramen, a clear, salt based flavor that uses a mineral rich sea salt and is infused perfectly with chicken stock. I added a boiled egg and some pork shoulder.

The noodles were thin and perfectly cooked. The boiled eggs were also perfect: the yolk was slightly runny with an amazing orange color. In terms of broth, I preferred the one Jodi picked as it was more flavorful, with bolder flavors. The shio broth was good, light and not too salty, but I would have liked a bit more chicken taste. The pork however was fantastic: tasteful, it was very tender. 

I definitely liked Sapporo Ramen that is in my top 3 ramen restaurant after Ippudo and Momofuku Noodle Bar so far!

As the day was kind of nice, we walked back up and went to Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Building, on Columbus Circle, as I heard that they were serving Kouign Amman, a very buttery specialty from West of France that I tried at Dominique Ansel Bakery recently (Check out my review of the Kouign Amman at Dominique Ansel Bakery). For those who never had Kouign Amman, imagine a croissant with much more butter and sugar. 

The one from Bouchon Bakery was incredibly good! Flakey, it was very, very buttery. I think I prefer the one from Bouchon Bakery than the one from Dominique Ansel Bakery just for that reason!!!

Walking further uptown, we ended up at the Museum of Natural History. Before going to the Global Kitchen Exhibit, we wanted to see the butterflies (no link between the two exhibits although I am sure that butterflies are delicacies somewhere...). I could resist to post few photographs of them: they were beautiful!

After that, we went to the Global Kitchen exhibit:

I liked the introduction that said:

"Food is not just about nourishment. It helps to define us, as we share meals with family, friends and communities - to give thanks, remember the past, celebrate the present and look to the future."

This is so true! 

The exhibit was well laid out, giving you information about certain facts that many of us ignore. For instance:

- India produces nearly 30% of bananas, more than central and South America combined. 99% of its production is sold and eaten in India.

- More Brazilian sugar ends up in the gas pump than in groceries as it is transformed in Ethanol.

- over 2,000 species of insects are eaten worldwide. 

- There are 40,000 bean varieties.

- The Aztec used cacao beans as a currency. You needed:

• 3 cacao beans to buy a turkey egg.
• 300 cacao beans to buy a large turkey
• 1 cacao bean to buy a ripe avocado

They even displayed a replica of an Aztec market:

And all over the exhibit, you had the possibility to smell different scents: cinnamon, lemon, garlic,...

At one point, there was a kitchen, where they served us a tiny sample of coffee with condensed milk.

The website of the Museum gave the impression that there would be some food tasting from all over the world ("join us for tastings of seasonal foods—in the exhibition kitchen"), but it was not the case. This was a bit disappointing I have to say as we were expecting it and the tiny cup of coffee was a bit ridiculous!

We continued anyway through the exhibit that had some interesting facts about how food has been transformed and bred. For instance, they showed a square melon from Japan. 

It was not the result of any breeding, but because the farmers grow them in glass boxes!

I also discovered some variety of potatoes that I have never seen before!

It was pretty interesting and fun! I am sure Adults and kids would be interested, but I just wish that it was included in the price of the ticket for the Museum that was not so cheap! This exhibit runs until August 11th 2013.

Enjoy (I did)! 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Cheap Lunch at V{IV} A Thai restaurant in NYC, New York

Usually, for a cheap delicious lunch, I am thinking about eating Thai or Chinese as most of the restaurants serving these types of cuisines offer lunch specials or lunch menus that are usually good deals. Viv is no exception, although, entering in the restaurant, you would think that you are in a fancier version of most of the Thai restaurants in NYC or even in a lounge! The decor is splendid with black everywhere: from the walls to the ceiling, to the granite tables. It is a great choice to make the colors of the food stick out!

So I went for the lunch menu that offered an appetizer and an entree for less than $8. What was interesting is that they proposed choices for the appetizers; usually, you only get a spring roll. At Viv, you could get:

Spring rolls:

Edamame:

Or Fried Calamari:

I ordered the fried calamari that were fantastic: not rubbery and not greasy, it was crispy and the sweet chili sauce with it made it scrumptious!

For the entree, I ordered my usual Chicken Curry Massaman:

There was a nice quantity of it and as you can see, they were generous with the avocado that was ripe. The sauce was divine and had just a bit of kick. The only negative was that the pieces of chicken were too big. Otherwise, it was a very tasty dish.

Viv is for sure a great place for a cheap lunch: definitely an address to keep in mind!

Enjoy (I did)!

Brunch at Market Table in NYC, New York

We went for brunch on a Sunday with some dear friends to Market Table in the West Village. This place was packed: that was a good sign! When we entered, we could see the kitchen facing the entrance and there was a fantastic buttery smell coming from it. We sat at our table and asked for some coffee and tea, before ordering what would hopefully be a great brunch!

The menu was a normal size for brunch, that I always appreciate as sometimes you end up with a big menu and do not know what to pick. On top of that, I prefer a restaurant that executes well a short menu than a restaurant that is all over the place and serves a bunch of average dishes. 

I decided to order one of my favorites for brunch: the eggs benedict!

The poached eggs were served with prosciutto on delicious buttermilk biscuits. I can tell you that these eggs were perfectly cooked! I hate when poached eggs are overcooked!

The yolk was perfectly runny! There were also few homemade potatoes that were very good. I have to confess that I was surprised at first by the small quantity of potatoes on the plate. But in fact, the biscuits fill you up pretty quickly.

Jodi ordered the bacon, spinach & fontina scramble with whole wheat toasts.

The eggs were perfect too: moist, not overcooked, they had a nice quantity of fontina cheese in it. Pretty nice dish.

Market Table is a nice choice for brunch, although a bit overpriced for the quantity served (the eggs benedict were $16, same price as the burger). I might go back to try their pancakes or braised duck possole though...Oh, and I forgot to mention that you can leave a comment or note on the notebook they use to bring you the bill!

Enjoy (I did)!

Brunch at Locanda Verde in Tribeca - NYC, New York

Tribeca is a splendid neighborhood in downtown Manhattan: quiet, it is known for its Film Festival thanks to Robert De Niro, celebrities (Robert De Niro - again- with his restaurants) and its luxurious lofts that I unfortunately only saw on TV shows! 

Jodi and I wanted to go for brunch and I got the idea of Tribeca from my last visit there, to review Thalassa (check the review of Thalassa here). I looked up for restaurant and found Locanda Verde, where Chef Andrew Carmellini serves Italian cuisine. It is a gorgeous place with high ceiling in the tradition of Tribeca, wood everywhere and leather banquettes. There was definitely a warm atmosphere mixed with a feeling that it is the hype place to see and to be seen. In fact, couple of minutes after we came, we saw Katie Holmes and Suri!!!

We decided to share an appetizer and then have each an entree. We started off with the Sheep’s Milk Ricotta:

It was served with some toasted bread (burnt orange as they say, but not sure I tasted the orange flavor), truffle honey and herbs. It was very light, refreshing and delicate. You could definitely taste the truffle and I loved the sweetness of the honey that was accentuated by the cheese, ricotta being not very tasty if eaten alone. It was the perfect appetizer to share. A bit more honey would have been better considering the generous amount of ricotta they give you.

Then, Jodi got the zucchini frittata:

It was served with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese. This was just ok for me: the eggs were well cooked and moist, but the zucchini could have been cooked a bit more. I also expected more goat cheese and there was only a tiny portion of it!

I ordered the Soft Scrambled Farm Egg Crostino:

It is in fact scrambled eggs, served on a piece of toasted bread, accompanied by some speck and a salad made with leeks and mushrooms. The scrambled eggs were perfect: not overcooked, they were fluffy and moist. However, the salad was way too salty! A good dish though!

We skipped dessert as we wanted to have it somewhere else...

I enjoyed my dish and the appetizer, but the frittata was just ok. It is a good place though, but a bit pricey, that is not surprising for Tribeca...

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

French Vegetarian at Table Verte in NYC, New York

Before you read this, please note that this post is about a press dinner: understand that the restaurant knew who we were and this was a complementary dinner.

Going to a French Vegetarian restaurant sounds like an oxymoron so I was extremely curious to go to a Press Dinner at Table Verte, located in the East Village. I had vegetarian experiences previously either in true vegetarian restaurants like Gobo, Zen Palate or Angelika Kitchen, as well as Asian restaurants where vegetarian dishes are always available (think about Indian, Chinese or Thai)! But French? I was excited to see what it was all about!

So, here I am, walking to this place, passing the crowded Saint Marks Place, and ending up on the same block as Caracas, the Venezuelan restaurant that serves delicious arepas! Fortunately, I always rely on the address because I could have passed next to Table Verte without noticing it: no extravagant lights or outside decoration. The place is tiny with its 38 seats (each table is green, matching the name of the restaurant) and I retrieved there the type of atmosphere that I was used to when living in Paris, especially at La Butte aux cailles, in the 13th district, close to Place d'Italie. La butte aux cailles has these small restaurants, very casual, warm, where the food is the star and where you feel so comfortable, you tend to forget you are in a restaurant and are just enjoying the moment you share with others at a meal. In fact, the press dinner was on a Tuesday and the place was packed. I did not notice though that they were rushing people so they had to eat quickly and free their tables for other customers as it is customary in a lot of restaurants in New York. 

I did not meet with the owner, Chef Didier Pawlicki (Taureau and La Sirène), but had a quick chat with Executive Chef Ken Larsen. Chef Larsen was classically trained at the French Culinary Institute, and spent few years as a Chef in France, near Nancy. There, he discovered that French people attach a lot of importance to food and that everything on the plate has to be good, including the garnish.

Later, being himself a vegetarian, he decided to make these garnishes the star of the dishes, without trying to recreate proteins with tofu or seitan, crafting a menu with not only vegetarian, but also vegan and gluten free dishes. I was pretty intrigued, of course as a Frenchman, but also because vegetarian has not always been successful in the past (Angelika kitchen was terrible!).

We started the dinner with a medley of salads that the Chef proposes on his menu - Le plat froid:

• Celeri rave remoulade: shredded celery root marinated with lemon juice and dressed with homemade mayonnaise.
• Lentils vinaigrette: lentils served with a brunoise of carrots (carrots are first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing small cubes), celery and leeks with Dijon vinaigrette.
• Beets with horseradish seasoned with shallots, tarragon and herbs.
• Assiette de carottes: carrots, chickpeas, leeks and raisins in a lemon spiced vinaigrette.

I really liked it: rustic, pretty traditional, it easily reminded me of a dish my family would serve at the beginning of a meal (in France, the entrée is the appetizer). I truly liked the flavors and appreciated the fact that it was not overdressed. The assiette of carottes had definitely a Mediterranean influence thanks to the raisins. The salads were served with some delicious homemade onion focaccia bread that I could have eaten entirely!

The next dish was the cassoulet vegetarien, served with yam cake.

I would not have associated the yam cake with French cuisine, but the cassoulet is definitely one of the most famous French specialties from the South West and I could hardly imagine what the vegetarian version would be! If you never had a cassoulet, know that it is made of white beans with different meats: pork, duck or goose. This one, that was vegan and gluten free, was made with mixed beans that were stewed with roasted shallots. Normally, the restaurant serves it with wild rice, that is not how you would serve it in France. This time, it was served with a yam cake that was delicious! It was made of layered sweet potatoes seasoned with nutmeg and cinnamon. This was smooth and sweet, and paired very well with the cassoulet: going from sweet to salty was fantastic. We even told Chef Larsen that instead of serving the cassoulet with wild rice, he should always pair it with the yam cake! He told us that he would definitely consider it and that in fact, he likes to have feedback from the diners: that is how he came up with some ideas of items, such as the vegan chocolate ganache cake!

I loved the cassoulet because it was very hearty with great flavors: it was definitely a surprise, because it stood up on its own and I did not miss any meat in it! I was also thinking that this is the type of dish that people could try to make home.

The next dish was the Gnocchi Parisien au gratin: Chef Larsen's own version of Mac & Cheese. 

It was made with truffles, white sauce and Swiss cheese. This dish was fantastic! First of all, they used real truffles and not truffle oil: you could tell the difference. Then the gnocchi were very light and not potato-y. This dish was very rich, but it was so good that I finished the side portion they served us; I cannot imagine eating the full size by myself...although, knowing me...

As Table Verte is a French Vegetarian, they could in fact stay true to their theme and call the gnocchi "vegetarian quenelles"!

Last, came dessert!!! We started off with the long awaited Tarte au chocolat vegetalienne et sans gluten (vegetarian and gluten free chocolate tart):

As mentioned above, it was based on the suggestion of a diner. The crust is made of overcooked rice, raisins and almond flour. The chocolate ganache is made with chocolate and avocado (not surprising as avocado can sometimes replace butter because of its fatty content). I liked the crust that was crunchy, but did not really like the ganache where the dark chocolate taste was a bit lost.

However, the next dessert was amazing! It was a banana brulée!

This was a great way of finishing the meal! It was made of banana, nilla crackers, Crème Pâtissière (custard) and had a caramel crust similar to a creme brulée. The crème was smooth and definitely tasted banana. It was not too sweet and perfectly set, like a fusion of banana pudding and crème brulée! Definitely a dessert not to miss!

This was an incredible and sensational dinner! I did not know what to expect, but this concept not only makes sense, but works! I really liked the passion of the Executive Chef that really came through his food. Apparently they started to serve brunch, so I will have to go back to see what they have!

In conclusion, Table Verte can satisfy any type of diner: vegetarian or not! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Ramen at Rai Rai Ken in NYC, New York

Ramen being the new trend, I asked around if people knew some good places that I did not know and my co-worker David came up with Rai Rai Ken in the East Village. So here we are, on our way to that restaurant. We passed by Ippudo that is so far one of my favorites for ramen (see the review of Ippudo here): as usual, there were plenty of people lining outside, waiting for a table. We arrived at the address and then I saw, at first, that the restaurant was closed! What a shame! 

Then I realized that they relocated 2 numbers down the street! Such a relief! Well, you know how it is: you have a plan you are excited about (yes, eating ramen is not earth shattering, but still!), and then it falls flat!

We entered the place that feels kind of zen with its wood all over. I like the concept of most of the ramen restaurants I went so far where you can sit at the counter and watch the kitchen.

The place was not that crowded, contrary to all the other ramen places we went to, but we were ready to give it a try! 

So, we started off with the pork buns:

I really liked it : the pork was perfectly cooked and moist and had just enough fat (it was not like Totto Ramen that was mainly fat!). The buns were soft and did their job in allowing me to eat that dish without ending up with sauce on my pants...The pork buns had a lot of flavors accentuated by the particular taste of the hoisin sauce. It was definitely a splendid appetizer!

Jodi ordered the vegetarian miso ramen:

It is a soy bean base broth with fried bean curd and vegetables. She asked, as usual, for a soft boil egg.

On my side, I ordered the curry noodle soup:

It was composed of: pork and chicken broth, in a curry based soup topped with roasted pork, boiled egg, scallion and seaweed. 

The presentation of the soups was fantastic: colorful with the egg (half for me???) standing out! The broth of the vegetarian miso ramen tasted and looked more like a curry infused broth than a miso one. The bean curd was pretty good, especially after being left in the broth for a bit. 

The curry broth was good, but not the best I had so far. It had nice bold flavors for sure. I think the star of the dish was the pork that was here again well cooked and tender.

Last, were the noodles: good and cooked al dente so they can continue to cook in the very hot soup. 

So, it was good: not the best I ever had, but a good alternative if you cannot get a seat at Ippudo.

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to Eat!

Virgil's Real BBQ in NYC, New York

It is no surprise that I love BBQ and when we have people visiting, it is often an option for lunch or dinner. So, this time, we went to Virgil's Real BBQ, near Times Square. The place has the feel of any BBQ places I tried: wood all other and a delicious smell of meat as soon as you enter. It was a Friday night and the place was packed! 

This whole experience started well when they gave us a towel instead of a napkin on the table.

It was definitely promising!

So we ordered food! Jodi got the Mac & Cheese, as I was going for a sampler and we were planning to share a bit.

The Mac & Cheese were so so. The cheese did not have a great of a taste and it was not as creamy as I like...

On my side, I ordered the pick 3 BBQ combo.

You pick 3 BBQ dishes, 2 sides and it is served with corn bread. I chose the BBQ chicken, the pork ribs and the beef brisket. The sides were mash potatoes and a biscuit with honey butter. Let's start with the sides: the mash potatoes were good and dense. The biscuit was terrible and the corn bread had a weird taste: clearly not your traditional corn bread...unfortunately! Clearly not the best choices.

Then the meat: the brisket was good but a bit dry. Fortunately, each table had some sauce, mild or hot to make it better! The chicken was the best part: moist with a nice and tasty skin. The worst was the rib: very dry!

I was disappointed by Virgil's BBQ. I think Brother's Jimmy and Southern Hospitality are far better: better meat and better sides. So, I will forget that one...

Enjoy (the post)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Burger and Barrel in NYC, New York

It has been a while since I wanted to try Burger & Barrel, although more interested by the burger than anything else...One would think anyway that if you have burger in the name of a restaurant, the kitchen will be able to serve an amazing one! So, we were supposed to go to the Angelika Film Center to see the West of Memphis (that I recommend) and I proposed Jodi to go have a burger before the movie. It was late afternoon on a Saturday and the place was packed! The restaurant had a warm atmosphere with an impressive collection of wine bottles on the walls. 

So we ordered our burgers. I went for the Mushrooms and gruyere one. 

It had on top of it some caramelized onions. 

Jodi ordered the vegetarian burger that was composed of a patty made with chickpea. Apparently a recipe of the house!

Both burgers came with two large onion rings and fries. 

My burger was fabulous! Perfectly cooked medium and very juicy! It tasted meat for sure! The bun was a light burger bun, very soft and not toasted. You could taste a hint of salt from either the mushrooms or onions and it was perfect, just enough. I inhaled that burger! 

Jodi's veggie burger was just ok. It reminded me of falafel (normal: it was made with chickpeas), but it was missing some texture (see photo below). 

We finished the meal with a banana cream pie.

It has some chocolate chips on top that I did not really care about. The banana cream pie was made with a thick graham cracker crust (fantastic) and real bananas! It was delish! As a separate note, I am still wondering why the chocolate chip fell off the tart...

I was satisfied at the end of the meal and pretty excited to have found another great place for burgers! Definitely a place to recommend and that I will add to my favorites!

Enjoy (I did)!

新年好 Xīnnián hǎo - Happy Chinese New Year!!!

The Chinese New Year that celebrates the year of the Dragon is a big event in New York City! But do not only think about parades and celebrations: think about food!

I love Chinese food and was lucky enough to go to Asia few years back to develop a real taste for it as a lot of restaurants tend to Americanize the taste to serve a larger crowd.

So, below are the Chinese restaurants I really like in NYC (clicking on the name will bring you to the review and address):

The Golden Unicorn in chinatown for Authentic Hong Kong style dim sum:

My favorites were the sticky rice, crystal shrimp dumplings and BBQ pork buns!

Szechuan Gourmet in Midtown West:

I loved their General Tso Chicken as well as the spicy scallops with roasted chili peanuts.

Wu Liang Ye, a family style restaurant serving an authentic Szechuan cuisine (spicy!). Also ocated Midtown.

The Kung Pao chicken was to die for!!!

 For an upscale meal, China Grill in Midtown:

My favorite appetizer was the Tempura Tuna Sashimi that was served with a hot mustard champagne sauce.

Enjoy and 新年好!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Authentic Hong Kong style Dim Sum at the Golden Unicorn in NYC, New York

Our cousins, Jessica and Michael proposed us to go see The Hobbit with their entire family and to eat before in a Chinese restaurant offering soup dumplings. I have to admit that the only restaurant serving dumplings I knew, besides Joe Shanghai, closed, so I did not have any address to suggest. Fortunately, a co-worker from Michael proposed the Golden Unicorn.

I was pretty excited to go there because I love Hong Kong style dumplings, where the staff pushes carts full of dumplings and propose them to you. If you order them, they will put a stamp on a piece of paper so they can keep track of what you eat for the check.

I had the chance to experience it in Hong Kong in the late 90's, for my first lunch there. I like the playfulness of it: they tell you what it is and you order it or not, not always knowing if the dish is what you expect or if you will even like it. Also, the food keeps coming and sometimes, even if you have a lot on the table, you may add a dish that you really like, ending up with too much food...

So, here are the dishes we ordered:

BBQ Pork Buns

Crystal Shrimp Dumplings

Pork Buns

Pork Ribs

Pork Shumai

Shrimp Shumai

Spinach and Shrimp Dumplings

Steamed Shrimp Rolls

Fried Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice

Bean curd rolls

My favorites were any dishes with shrimp, in particular the crystal shrimp dumplings and the steamed shrimp rolls. Sometimes, you are wondering where the shrimp are, but not there! Also, the BBQ pork buns were spectacular! The bun itself was so light and then in the middle, you discover this fantastic pork smothered in BBQ sauce. Last was the sticky rice either fried or cooked in banana leaf: it was so tasty and I love the texture!
My least favorites were the shrimp and spinach dumpling (the spinach overpowered the dish), the bean curd rolls (they had meat in it by the way and we thought they were vegetarian) and the pork ribs that did not look appetizing and were a bit tough.

I really enjoyed that lunch and we had a good time! The Golden Unicorn is definitely a great place for authentic dim sum!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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)!