Dinner at Ben & Jack's Steakhouse in NYC, New York

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

Following the review of Empire Steakhouse few weeks ago, we have been invited by the owners, the Sinaraj brothers, to try their sister restaurant, Ben & Jack's Steakhouse, located in Murray Hill. I was for sure excited: steaks are for me what shoes are for Jodi!

I was also curious to see what the difference would be between the two Steakhouses. Well, Ben & Jack's has definitely more a steakhouse feel than Empire Steakhouse: dark wood and dimmer lights were no stranger to that feeling. We were greeted by Jack Sinaraj who chatted a bit with us. He told me that the two restaurants share the same menu, so I asked him why they did not call Empire Steakhouse, Ben & Jack's and his answer was so true: calling it the same would have made it seems like a chain and they consider they are more a family restaurant, "hard working family". I understand the thinking as I never went to The Capital Grill because it is a chain and its name makes it look like it, although I heard several people talking about it very positively. I think that, when people think about chain steakhouses, they do not associate them with quality. 

When we sat at our table, we recognized certain items, such as the bread and butter:

Or the Steak sauce with the name of the restaurant on it:

I decided to drink a Pinot Noir, my favorite wine with steak:

As an appetizer, Jodi ordered the Caesar salad that she liked last time:

The salad was again delicious, with lots of parmesan cheese and crispy romaine. It was also not overdressed.

I decided to go for the Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Cocktail as I tried the Maryland Crab Cake last time:

The crab was on a piece of lettuce presented on a bed of ice.

They also brought some tabasco and horseradish with crackers, to get some kick. The crab was fresh and well cooked. I preferred this appetizer over the crab cake as the lump meat is more delicate and tastier than the claw meat.

Then, we got our steaks!!! Jodi ordered her filet mignon, medium:

And I ordered a Ribeye, medium-rare:

These pieces of meat were huge: the filet mignon was 14 to 16 ounces and the Ribeye between 29 and 32 ounces. The Ribeye, served bone-in, had this delightful meat smell and a nice char on the outside. It had a nice amount of fat that I did not neglect, as well as the meat next to the bone that had a bolder taste...It was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender (the knives they give you are not these heavy steak knives some steakhouses use, but the meat was so tender that it was not a problem!). 

The filet mignon, although tender, was slightly overcooked and not very juicy. Between the two, the ribeye was clearly the best!

To go with the steaks, we ordered some mash potatoes:

And the sauteed mushrooms that we liked last time:

Both were excellent: the mash was light and well seasoned; the mushrooms were perfectly cooked and tasty, with some pieces of onions here and there. Last time, we tried the onion rings and cottage fries, so I have to say that they offer nice alternatives for sides (although I still missed my Mac & Cheese...).

Then, came the time to order dessert...Believe or not, after this feast, we still had room to have dessert! We ordered a tiramisu:

And a Crème brûlée:

The tiramisu came with the fantastic homemade whipped cream we had last time:

We definitely enjoyed the tiramisu: very good and light, it paired well with this heavenly delicious whipped cream (there was a lot of it). However, I did not like the Crème brûlée that had not set properly.

To accompany our desserts, we got some tea and espresso:

We definitely had a good time at Ben & Jack's Steakhouse and here again, the service was exceptional. If you go there, I definitely suggest the ribeye that was spectacular!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Japadog and Pommes Frites in East Village, NYC, New York

Hot dog and fries. Isn't it a good combination? Yes, I think it sounds (and hopefully tastes) good. We have been passing by St Marks quite a few times recently and when I saw that Japadog and Pommes Frites were so close, I convinced Jodi to go to both places. 

So, on a Saturday, we started our Food excursion (these two places were not the only one that day...) with Japadog, specialized in Japanese hot dogs. Well, after the Japanese burger at Kobeyaki, why not!

The place is pretty colorful! 

You first order your food at the counter and when it is ready, they will call your number. 

When they call your number, you get your hot dogs and then put whatever toppings you want, especially if your hot dog comes naked.

Jodi decided to get the veggie dog:

The sausage was quite good for a vegetarian one!

On my side, I went for the Yakisoba that has soba noodles and is made with the arabiki dog (sausage made from coarse ground pork).

I also tried the Terimayo that is composed of Teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed. It is their signature hot dog.

Between the two, I preferred the Yakisoba: tastier and more flavorful. On the second one, the seaweed were a bit too overpowering and...sticking to my lips!

Japadog was good and original, but it stops there for me. I liked it, but not to the point where I would have to definitely go back!



Then, after Japadog, we decided to go to Pommes Frites that is around the block from Japadog.

I had high expectations about that place! Imagine that: a place that only serves fries! If you only cook one item, it must be really good!

So we entered the place that is quite small, with just few seats.

Interestingly, every table or counter has a hole to hold the fries:

So, we ordered at the counter and could not miss the giant fryers:

So, there, you pick your fries and then decide what kind of sauce you would like with (you can either get the sauce on top of the fries or separately.

They have tons of mayonnaise: pineapple, roasted garlic (that would be aioli), sweet mango chutney...for a fee.

We decided to try the poutine:

Poutine is a Canadian specialty made of cheese curds and gravy on fries.

We also tried regular fries:

Both costed us $10. It was a lot of food! The poutine was good: a bit salted because of the cheese and very hot.
The fries were salty too and not that great in fact! I was a bit disappointed because they were not very crispy like good fries are.

I am not a big fan of Pommes Frites. The concept is fun, but their fries are definitely not up to the par with Minetta Tavern that has the best fries I ever had! Try the ones at Minetta Tavern and compare them to Pommes Frites: you will understand what I am talking about!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dinner at Ember Room in NYC, New York

When I want to try some food, I can be pretty persistent! Yes, this is third attempt to dine at Ember Room in Hell's Kitchen. The first time we went, the place was packed and the wait was 1 hour: Too bad, we were hungry and passed. The second time, we had a reservation for lunch but found the restaurant closed: I guess this time, they passed on us! So the third time, we had a reservation for dinner and, as we say, third is the charm!

Surprisingly, the restaurant was not as packed as before. They sat us in the room upstairs, that is more quiet in fact. I liked the decor with the dark wood, the weird ceiling decorations that looked like hearts, that made me think I was somewhere else!

The waiter greeted us and ask us if we ever came there. As we said no, he told us that the restaurant was owned by Chef Kittichai. Chef Kittichai! What you do not remember? He is the partner of Spot Dessert Bar, this fabulous dessert place on St Marks that serves spectacular desserts, mostly traditional with an Asian twist (check here my review of Spot Dessert Bar, but do not drool on your computer!).

One of the dishes I really wanted to try there was the Chocolate Ribs:

I know, it sounds weird and fewer attempts to try dishes where they mixed chocolate with meat were unsuccessful (for instance, the duck with chocolate sauce at China Grill). There, it was delicious: the chocolate was not overpowering and had a subtle, but definitely present taste. The ribs were fantastic: tender, they fell off the bones, so there was no need to eat with my hands (although I would have had a good excuse to lick my fingers...).

Jodi decided to go vegetarian and got the naked veggie burger:

A veggie burger is naked when there is no bun. The veggie patty was made with different kind of vegetables like peas and carrots and was smothered with the "Ember sauce" that tasted like a spicy BBQ sauce. It was served with a mixed salad, onion rings (very crispy) and tofu fries. I liked the veggie patty: very tasty with a bit of texture. However, the sauce was quite spicy and they should probably warn their customers so they can ask to have it on the side. I was not that thrilled about the tofu fries that were a bit bland. Jodi loved them though.

On my side, I ordered the Ember Room original Lobster Roll:

The lobster roll was pretty good: served with a salad and fries, it was made of celery, mango and chunks of lobster. The mango gave a refreshing taste to the dish and some sweetness, but I wished the mango were more ripe. I liked it, but it is far from being as good as the Red Hook Lobster Pound!

For dessert, we got the Lemon mille crepes cake:

This dessert was pretty good: light and not too sweet, it was made of layers of crepes with some lemon cream (more like a mousse in fact) in between each layer. It is definitely a dessert to recommend!

We had a delicious dinner at Ember Room and were glad that we gave it another chance! It is definitely a good address to know in Hell's Kitchen for an original meal!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Lunch at Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar in NYC, New York

It has been a while since I wanted to go to Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar; I was curious, probably because of the word Chocolate in the name.  I was imagining dishes made with chocolate like Seppi's, the restaurant that used to be at the Parker Meridien Hotel proposed in its Chocolate Brunch. I was wrong. Only desserts and drinks have this fantastic ingredient.

Anyway, we were there, one week day I was not working, so we could benefit from the lunch prix-fixe at $9.95. The place was nice and modern and the service courteous and efficient.

Before we started, they brought us some bread with some tapenade, a black olive spread that was delicious and not too salty.

I ate it with a sip of Coke...

Jodi decided to order a salad. She ordered the Italian Fruta Mista:

The salad looked fantastic: colorful and very appetizing! It was delicious and very refreshing with all the fruits (mango and strawberries) that paired perfectly with the mozzarella.

On my side, I ordered the prix-fixe for $9.95. For a starter, I ordered the eggplant spread and for the main, a mini panini, Prosciutto Di Parma, composed of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, aged parmesan cheese and basil. It was served with a salad. When the plate came, I was really surprised by the quantity...

It looked nice, but was quite small. For sure, if you have a good appetite, this is your appetizer! It was good though! The panini was crispy, however, I wish there was more stuff inside as you could barely taste the cheese. The eggplant puree was very good and tasty.

As I was still hungry and wanted to experience the chocolate part of the restaurant, we decided to order the chocolate molten cake:

It was good and the chocolate inside was gooey. That is what I am talking about!!!

Lunch at Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar was good but clearly not enough for me! Fortunately, we had other eating plans for the afternoon...But this is another story!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Dinner at Empire Steakhouse in NYC, New York

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

I was invited by Empire Steakhouse for dinner, to try some of their dishes. I have to say that I was really excited about it as I love steaks! I said it many times on this blog: the meat in the US is much better than the meat in France, even meat from a boeuf Charolais! I think restaurants, especially steakhouses pay more attention to serve the best quality ("prime" label) and more and more are dry aging their meat, a process that allows the meat to be tender and with more flavor. I always tell visitors from France that they should go to a steakhouse and each time, they recognize that my assertion above is true.

To give you an idea, Empire Steakhouse has been founded by the Sinaraj brothers who also own Ben & Jack's in New York. They get their meat from local markets and dry-aged them for 21 to 28 days. Too bad I could not see their dry-aging room: I bet I would have drooled all over the floor!!! Apparently, they are serving around 1000 steaks a week!

The decor is different from most of the steakhouses: this 180 seats is not dark and full of leather or dark wood. That's good: at least I can see what I am eating as we say that we eat first with our eyes! I also could have a nice conversation with Jodi without screaming as I noticed that most of the Steakhouses are loud!

They sat us at a table that conveniently overlooked most of the dining room and the restaurant was packed (it was a Saturday evening)! 

They first brought us some bread and butter:

and I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir that is one of my favorite wines when eating a steak, because it is fully bodied and pairs well with the taste of the meat, moreover with stronger flavors like lamb.

For starters, Jodi ordered a Caesar salad.

There was a nice quantity of cheese on it and the salad was not overdressed. So it was a good start.

On my side, I ordered one of my favorites appetizers in a Steakhouse: crab cakes!

The presentation was very nice and the crab cake decent, but not the best I ever had. I thought at that point that they were made with the meat from the claw that is less tasty and has a bit of sweetness (I confirmed it later with the restaurant). So I did not get that smooth taste so particular to crab. 

For steaks, instead of going for their signature dish that the porterhouse is, we decided to order our favorite pieces of meat. Jodi got the filet mignon (16 oz):

And I got the ribeye, bone in (24 oz):

Both steaks were cooked to perfect temperature (medium for Jodi - pink in the center -  and medium-rare for me). They were a bit juicy (I prefer more juice personally) and very tender. But, between the two, I preferred the ribeye (I always do!): it had a nice char, a bit of fat (love it!) and was even tastier close to the bone. With the steaks, we tried their own steak sauce that was pretty good.

For sides, we had the onion rings and cottage fries (that are in fact chips):

It was very good: both were not greasy nor soggy. The fact that they proposed homemade chips (that were crispy by the way) is a nice alternative to fries.

We also ordered some sautéed mushrooms with onions:

This was fantastic and even better than the onion rings and potato chips!

The sides we got were good and they offer a very nice choice; I just wish that Steakhouses put on their menu a killer Mac & Cheese that is the perfect side for a steak, especially if truffles are added...

At this point, we got just enough courage to order a dessert. We decided to go for the key lime pie:

It was served with a nice quantity of homemade whipped cream:

First of all, it was great to have the whipped cream because it cut the sweetness from the pie. I could have eaten that whipped cream, that was very light, just straight from the bowl! 

The key lime pie was light and not too sweet. The crust was like a Graham Cracker crust and was slightly buttery. Good dessert!

So, we had a nice dinner at Empire Steachouse. What is interesting is that the owners worked as waiters at Peter Luger, same as Wolfgang Zwiener, the owner of Wolfgang's Steakhouse, that I visited already. But, contrary to Wolfgang's Steakhouse, they brought with them the basic rules that make the difference between good service and hospitality...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Ramen at East Noodle and Izakaya in NYC, New York

As the weather is still good to enjoy ramen (meaning not in the heat of the Summer!), we decided to go have this delicious dish for lunch. At first, we wanted to go to Ramen Setagaya, even if it had a B rating...As we were there early, we decided to walk around the block. We then saw Ramen Misoya that had miso ramen with corn that, from what I understand, is typical from Hokaido. So we decided to go there instead, despite the same B rating. Again, as we had a bit of time, we walked further and this is how we found East Noodle and Izakaya with its A rating. Imagine that at that point, we had 3 choices and had to decide how to pick; well, it was not that complicated: we chose the restaurant with the highest grade! That is how we ended up at East Noodle and Izakaya.

It is a nice size restaurant compared to the other ones and was not very crowded. 

The decor is very colorful with beautiful lanterns surrounding the counter and dark wood for the floor and furniture.

Jodi ordered the Shoyu ramen, that is made of a pork broth with soy sauce, braised pork, vegetable and a boiled egg.

I ordered the Pork Belly ramen that is apparently very popular there.

The broth was pork based and it was served with pork belly, vegetables and a boiled egg.

In both dishes, the pork was very good, tasty and tender, although I preferred the pork belly that was fattier. Both broth were fantastic: light and not too salty, they were quite flavorful. The noodles were tender and in fact, the one in the Shoyu ramen were more on the yellow side than the other, maybe because they contained more eggs.

We really enjoyed the ramen at East Noodle. I think that it is a good alternative to Ippudo if you go for the food, that is cheaper, and less for the ambiance. 

Last, know that in Japan, they say that ramen is great when you have dinner with somebody you do not want to talk to (they have to concentrate on slurping). Just a little tip in case you end up in with a bad date...

Enjoy (I did)!

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Lunch at Midtown Philly Steaks in Hoboken, New Jersey

Why aren't cheesesteaks as popular as burgers? I do not know! Because cheesesteaks are fantastic, as long as, for me, they meet three criteria:

• Soft bread,
• Tender and juicy meat,
• Lots of cheese.

I have been a big fan of cheesesteaks after I tried them at Geno's in Philly (check out my cheesesteak experience in Philly).

So we went to Midtown Philly Steaks on Washington street for lunch. The place used to be another cheesesteak joint called Philly Cheese Steak Hoboken. I never tried it, but decided to try the new one.

The place is small, with only 6 seats.

Two of the seats overlooking the street.

The menu offers cheesesteaks, but also chicken, salads and hoagies.
We therefore decided to try their cheese steaks

and a hoagie:

The two sandwiches, that were big, looked fantastic and very appetizing. They were made with the same soft bread. 

The cheesesteak was definitely a good choice and met the three criteria I mentioned above: soft bread, tender and juicy meat and lots of cheese. Each bite was melting in my mouth, that is great, because with either tough meat or bread, the experience would not have been pleasurable at all. 

The hoagie was the Sinatra hoagie, made with Genova salami, ham, provolone, Iceberg lettuce, tomato, Raw onions, olive oil and oregano. It tasted very fresh and all the colors of this sandwich made it look spectacular. I liked it although I would have liked a bit less iceberg lettuce. 

Midtown Philly Steaks is definitely a place to have in mind: they serve great sandwiches for a reasonable price (less then $20 for 2 sandwiches and 1 soda).

Enjoy (I did)!

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Japanese Burger at Kobeyaki in NYC, New York

A Japanese burger! Doesn't that sound cool? Well, that was something I had to definitely try! In fact, I noticed Kobeyaki few weeks ago, when we went to BRGR.

The place has a nice and simple decor that is a mix between a burger joint and a Japanese restaurant.

The way it works is that you first order the food and then pick it up at the pick up counter.

You can order burgers, rolls, bowls, salad or soups. We were there of course for the burgers! Once it is ready, just pick up your tray full of these nicely wrapped items you just ordered!

Each burger was served with  lettuce, cucumber, carrot, cabbage, scallions and kaiware (daikon radish). Jodi ordered the veggie burger:

It was made of grilled vegetables, portobello, cream cheese, panko, spicy mayo and nori (seaweed). It was good but quite messy to eat as it was kind of falling apart. It was also missing a bit of texture...

I ordered the Kobe beef burger:

It was composed of kobe beef, teriyaki onions, teriyaki ketchup and spicy mayo. I loved it! It was very good, tender and juicy, with some fantastic flavors that were with no doubt inspired from Japanese cuisine!

For the sides, I was a bit disappointed as the choice was limited! The fried item they had was the tempura sweet potato fries.

They were superb: not greasy and a bit crunchy. Interestingly, Jodi who does not like sweet potato ate few of them! To dip them, do not look for regular ketchup or mayonnaise! No, try the teriyaki ketchup, wasabi mayonnaise (my favorite) or the spicy mayo.

The burgers at Kobeyaki are quite good and a nice fusion between a standard dish in American cuisine, prepared with Japanese flavors. Definitely something to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Danish cuisine at Aamanns Copenhagen in NYC, New York

As I mentioned in my bio,  I tend to talk more about food than anything else when I come back from a trip, even if I was astonished with what I have seen...For me, traveling is a whole experience: I will not go to, let say for argument sake, Italy and eat French food or a burger! I will want to eat some local food. Traveling everywhere is a nice wish, if not a dream. But eating different cuisines is not, especially in New York City, where there are so many restaurants that serve food I would have never tried before. For instance, you do not need to go to Ethiopia to eat Ethiopian food! Well, now, you do not have to go to Denmark to try Danish food! We wanted to try Danish food because Jodi has a friend, a fellow artist named Anne (you can check Anne's website here), who lives in Denmark and we were curious about the Danish cuisine. Anne mentioned Aamanns-Coppenhagen in Tribeca; so here we are!

I have to say that I did not know what to expect from that place. This place has a spectacular setting: the ceilings are very, very high and they have an incredible bar with a shelf that goes so high that I doubt anybody would try to get the bottle on top! The furniture is modern and looks a bit like the furniture you would find at Ikea in term of style (well maybe a Scandinavian style?). What I truly appreciated there is the fact that there was space between tables (great, I did not have to hear the conversation of the other guests)!

After we sat, they brought us a bottle of water that had a black stick in it.

At first, I thought it was some sort of licorice to give a taste to the water, but there was no specific taste. So we asked the waitress and she told us that it was Japanese charcoal, used to purify water. I am glad that I did not try to take a bite of it! 

Of course, waiting for the food, I ordered a glass of Aquavit, a snaps distilled from grains or, in Denmark, from potatoes.

Aamanns serves different flavors. I ordered cranberry, but as they were out of it, I ended up with a lemon aquavit. This was good, but strong (it contains approx. 40% alcohol). 

Concerning the food, what I really like about that place, is that they offer a tasting menu for $46 called Taste of Copenhagen ($34 for lunch). As we wanted to try different dishes on the menu, this is what we ordered!

The first dishes were Smørrebrød:

A Smørrebrød is an open faced sandwich. When we asked the waitress what it meant, she said that Smør is butter and brød is bread. It makes sense! So, we had 4 of them (from left to right):

• Salted brisket, horseradish cream, pear and parsley
• Kale “tartare” with endives, apples and walnuts in a creamy vinaigrette
• Roast beef sirloin with crispy onions, remoulade sauce and freshly grated horseradish
• Beet-cured hake, scallions, dill and rosemary

The bread used is rye bread, but not the typical rye bread you find here: it is denser and more like a multi grain rye bread. I really enjoyed the Smørrebrød, especially the layers of flavors. Well, in fact the only one I did not like was the Kale "tartare" one as I am not a big fan of kale...And on top of that, the rye bread is homemade!!!

Then was a Herring tasting. It was composed of:

Herring pickled with juniper berries, black pepper, all spice and bay leaf, with capers, egg, onions and crispy rye bread:

Herring in spicy tomato compote with fresh tomato and endives:

I loved it! The first one was a little sweet, but they smartly put capers on it, that gave some saltiness to the dish. The taste of the herring was less strong than in the second one, where it really came through. I did not find the tomato compote to be spicy personally.

As Jodi does not like herring, they graciously accepted to serve her a fish cake:

This dish, called “Fiskefrikadeller” was a pan-fried fish cake served with remoulade, pickled cucumber on rye bread.  

It was very good! The fish cake was not greasy and was a bit crispy. I admit that I forgot what the fish was...It was a white fish, flaky with a delicate taste, similar to cod.

Then, we got a beef tartare and a pork pâté:

The beef tartare was served with an egg emulsion, tarragon, cornichons, capers, onion rings and crispy potatoes. It was good but a bit bland. I think that the potatoes and capers were a nice addition as it gave some texture, crispiness and saltiness to the dish, that would have otherwise be boring!

The second dish on the plate was the pâté of pork served warm with parsley, aquavit, fresh hazelnuts, pickled apples, celery and watercress. I loved it! It had bold flavors that were fantastic and was rustic at the same time. It was definitely one of my favorite dishes!

Last, we finished with cheese served the Danish way with butter-fried rye bread and a sweet and spicy relish:

Although I love cheese, I was a bit disappointed because I expected some Danish cheeses. Instead, they served us Brie de Meaux and Mimolette from France and a German cheese similar to blue. I think that, as they did not serve any Danish cheeses, they should have proposed a dessert like the rye bread cake that is on their menu. The best part of this was the rye bread that was fried in butter! It was so good!!!

The meal at Aamanns-Copenhagen was delicious and the tasting, a great way to try different Danish dishes, probably a bit elevated for the restaurant, although I cannot tell you if it is like that in Denmark. The food and the atmosphere were nice, but I have to mention that the kitchen was a bit slow...

The real question after this meal is: now that I have eaten Danish food, does that make me a Viking?

Enjoy (I did)!



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Croque Monsieur at La Maison du Croque Monsieur in NYC, New York

Union Square has lots of cheap and delicious eateries, probably because of the proximity of NYU. Our last discovery is La Maison Du Croque Monsieur, the place of Yves Jadot and Alberto Benenati from La Petit Abeille.

I do not remember that Croque Monsieur was that popular when I was in France. My Mom used to cook it from time to time, very simply, and there were even, sometimes, some variation of it, with Crème fraîche and a slice of tomato. Because Croque Monsieur was a quick and simple sandwich to make, we never put any Béchamel sauce. The original version of Croque Monsieur was with cheese (usually Emmental or Gruyère cheese) and ham. The béchamel inside and outside makes it a fancier version, not to mention when there is béchamel and cheese on top: even fancier!

So, La Maison Du Croque Monsieur is serving a simpler version, as well as some variation of it, using cheese from Murray's. 

It is a small place with two tiny floors. We ordered and then went upstairs where they brought us our food.

Of course, we decided to try the original Croque Monsieur, Croque Mr Henry, made with jambon de Paris (ham), Béchamel sauce and a choice of cheese (we picked Comté  from France).

The second Croque Monsieur was Mr Eduardo (Bresaola, Béchamel, Smoked Mozzarella & Truffle Oil).

I have to say that I preferred Mr Eduardo: tastier, it had fantastic flavors from the bresaola and the smoked mozzarella, with the truffle oil really coming through. The original Croque was good, but the flavors did not stand out. I think it was missing a bit of béchamel sauce and cheese.

We also got one Croque for dessert...The Mr Gonzalo.

It was made of banana, nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread) and mascarpone.

This was succulent! Think about it: banana and nutella are the perfect combination for either a sandwich or a crepe. The mascarpone was kind of non-existent in it, maybe because there was not that much. This sandwich was slightly warm, so the nutella was melting a bit, dripping down on my fingers...A bit challenging to eat, but who cares! 

Even if the original Croque Monsieur was not my favorite, I really enjoyed La Maison du Croque Monsieur! It is an original and very affordable place: $32 for 3 sandwiches, chips and a bottle of water. Not bad!

Enjoy (I did)!

 


And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Burger at Hoboken Bar & Grill in Hoboken, New Jersey

I was craving a burger and Hoboken, with its many, many bars, has a lot to offer. We could have gone to Five Guys, but I wanted to try something new. That is how we ended up at the Hoboken Bar & Grill on Washington street. The new part of the experience over there concerned the burger as we already ate there once. I remember that I had sliders and did not really like them because they were too dry; but I have to admit that cooking sliders is not that easy as the piece of meat is so small, it is easy to overcook it.

So here we are, in the dining room, close to the large bar. Of course, eating in a bar, the music was so loud that it was difficult to hear the conversation...

So, we ordered our food. Jodi went for the egg white omelet, made with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and goat cheese.

There were also some fruit and potatoes. The omelet was good and there was plenty of goat cheese! However, I did not like the potatoes that were undercooked and had a weird seasoning on it. I prefer potatoes cooked all the way through and a bit crunchy!

I ordered the One pound Angus Burger.

I hesitated with the blue cheese burger, but decided to go to what seems to be their signature one. The burger was made with bacon, fried jalapeno, pepper jack and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun (not toasted). It came with fries, black onion rings and 3 sauces: ketchup, honey chipotle and BBQ sauce.

When the burger came, it was huge (well one pound patty...)! It had a nice and appetizing presentation with the onion rings on top of it and the three sauces. I liked the fact that there was no lettuce and tomato as I am not a big fan of it! I cut the burger into two equal portions and saw that the meat was very juicy! The first bite was divine: first, you get the softness of the bun; then the crunchiness of the bacon and the subtile heat of the fried jalapenio. Then the gooey of the cheese (nice quantity) and the taste of the char on the meat. Last is the fantastic taste of the patty that was not overpowered at all by all the components of the burger. There was no need to add any sauce to the burger and I only used the sauces to dip the fries that were ok, not exceptional. My favorite sauce was the BBQ one, but I have to say that the honey chipotle was delicious too, but spicy!

The onion rings were well done: the batter was crunchy and the onion was cooked. It was not too greasy also. 

The burger at Hoboken Bar & Grill was spectacular and well priced ($15 at the time) for a big burger! I will definitely add it to my list of best burger places!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Neapolitan Pizza at San Matteo Pizzeria in NYC, New York

After watching the TV show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" that took place in Naples, and seeing some mouth watering Neapolitan pizza, we decided to try San Matteo on the Upper East Side. What I did not know, before watching the show and looking on the internet, is that there are certain rules to follow for the pizza to be called Neapolitan. These rules can be found on the website of The True Neapolitan Pizza Association. For instance:

• The dough ball must weigh between 180 and 250 grams.
• ingredients should be flour type "00", sea salt and water with a Ph of 6 to 7 (with a temperature of 20 to 22 degree Celsius). The yeast must be compressed, biologically produced.
• The pizza is created with a single dough ball, with a motion from the center outward, and with the pressure from the fingers from both hands. From the center, the thickness must be about 0.4 cm (+ or - 10%) and the border 1 to 2 cm.

These are just few examples, but there are plenty of rules such as which tomatoes to use. And I do not know why, but knowing this made me look at the pizza differently!

So here we are on the Upper East Side, excited to go to a restaurant that is making such pizza. Walking there, I have to say that we could have missed it, also because we were not expecting such a tiny place!

I liked the place: small with a lot of character, it had some authenticity to it and a rustic feel.

In the back of the room, was the brick oven, another criterion to have a pizza called Neapolitan!

We started off with the burrata:

The plate was very appetizing and had fantastic colors between the green from the salad and the olives, the red from the tomatoes and the black of the balsamic vinegar, that contrasted perfectly with the white of the burrata. If you do not know what burrata is, it is made of mozzarella (outer shell) with cheese inside. Fresh, it is exquisite!

From the discussion we had with the people from the restaurant, we understood that there were shipping their mozzarella directly from Italy!

This burrata was good, but not the best I ever tried for sure. I found that the mozzarella was a bit tougher than it should be. I, anyway, enjoyed it!

Then, we got a pizza! We decided to go with a traditional one: the Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil).

I could have definitely eaten that pizza myself. Again, the contrast of colors and the blob of the crust made it extremely appetizing. Just look at the crust on the photo below and tell me you would not want a bite of it!

Yes, that crust was fantastic, as was the pizza! It tasted fresh (they put fresh basil leaves) and they were generous with the mozzarella. It was soft in the center and crispy on the outside. Perfect and yummy!

San Matteo is definitely a little gem on the Upper East Side! The food is good and the service courteous and fast. I definitely want to try other pizzas over there!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

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Bibimbap at Bann in NYC, New York

You know, sometimes you taste a dish and it becomes The Dish you would like to try in many restaurants, to find out which one serves the best, if the flavors can be different from one restaurant to another or simply because you like it! For me, it is all of that for Bibimbap! What is strange is that I do not have the same reaction with fried rice, although Bibimbap could be compared to it in a certain way (I hope I am not offending anybody...).

One of my colleagues, Hamid, suggested to try Bann, a Korean restaurant that also has bar and lounge at the entrance, making it look fancy.

The layout of the restaurant is quite interesting in fact: when you enter, you pass the bar, then the kitchen with its counter, and then you see this big dining room that was very dark.

After we ordered, they brought us the usual Banchan, these small dishes they serve you in Korean restaurants.

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed because usually, they bring you 6 to 8 different small dishes. Here it was only three and only the kimchi was great!

We got ourselves the Dol Sol Bibimbap. Jodi picked the vegetarian one and I got the chicken one.

In fact, mine was similar to the one Jodi got, except that it had chicken. This chicken was moist and tasty and overall, the dish was very good and flavorful. The stone bowl was extremely hot and did its job by burning the rice and creating a crust that was fantastic! 

Outside of Koreatown, Bann is definitely a place to recommend for bibimbap!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
 

Brunch at Zafra's in Hoboken, NJ

We went to Zafra few years ago for lunch and then dinner and decided to go back after we saw an article about the 15 best hot chocolate in the US where Zafra was nominated #15. So, we decided to complete out experience with brunch! 

Zafra is the creation of Cuban-born business partners and friends Maricel E. Presilla and Clara Chaumont and has been opened more than a decade ago in Hoboken. The place is small, with only 22 seats. We decided to go early so we would not have to wait as, previously, we saw people waiting outside. The place was still empty, but started to get packed at about 12:30pm. 

We, of course, ordered the hot chocolate and picked some dishes. Unfortunately, when ordering, they told us that their fryer died and they could not serve anything that was cooked in it! In fact, half of the menu was unavailable. I prefer when they tell us in advance, so I am not disappointed because I pick dishes that are not available. What was surprising though is that they did not even serve plantains because of the fryer! Don't they know that you can fry food in a regular pan???  After few minutes, we finally found some dishes they were able to make...

First came the hot chocolate. 

It looked like a regular hot chocolate, but with a nice cream on top. Based on the consistency and taste, it was probably made with milk and not water. The hot chocolate (from Venezuela) is in fact thickened with machica, a blend made of toasted barley, brown sugar and cinnamon. This was delicious! The hot chocolate was not really thick, surprisingly not sweet and you could definitely taste the cinnamon. I think that without the machica, it would have been an average drink, but thankfully, this blend of grains enhances the flavors and it makes it a wonderful drink. In fact, making machica is not difficult:

• 1/2 cup of ground toasted whole barley
• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon 

1. Mix all the three ingredients in a bowl.
2. It can then be added to a hot cocoa!

Then came our appetizer. We chose Pimientos del Piquillo Rellenos de Frijol Refrito y Tres Quesos

(Piquillo Peppers from Navarre Filled with Refried Beans and Three Spanish Cheeses, Savory Sauce)

It was delicious! I loved the fact that part of the cheese was slightly burnt, giving a bit of texture and adding the great taste of burnt cheese to the dish. The peppers had a very little kick, and I wish that there was a bit more refried beans. But overall, a nice and light appetizer.

Then, Jodi picked the Cuban version of French toast, made with pressed bread. 

It was served with almonds, walnuts, raisins, banana and mango. It was a disappointing dish! First of all, the mango was not ripe and I am surprised that they put it on the plate as, when cutting it, they must have seen it was no good. Then, the taste of the bread gave the impression is was dipped in water rather than in a batter; fortunately, there was the maple syrup to give a bit of taste. 

On my side, I got Dos Huevos a su Gusto con Chorizo o Jamón, Llapingachos de Papa y Queso y Tostadas

Two Eggs any Style (I chose over easy) with Chorizo or Ham (I picked chorizo), Pan-Fried Ecuadorian Potato and Cheese Patties (it says patties on the menu, but there was only one!), Pressed Cuban Toast.

The dish was good, although I would not go back there just for it. The chorizo was fried, enhancing the saltiness of it; the eggs were perfect, and I dipped the very good pressed bread in the runny yolk. The potato and cheese patty was good but nothing extraordinary, lacking a bit of cheese.

For dessert, we wanted to have the Tres Leches cake but they told us that they did not have it. Do they make it in the fryer too??? So we ended up with the Venezuelan crepes filled with dulce de leche.

The crepes came cold and I truly think that this is because they sat there before being brought to our table. The crepe itself was thick, but good. However, there was too much dulce de leche.

So this brunch was not memorable. The kitchen and the service seemed overwhelmed and the fryer situation did not help. I would not have gone to this restaurant before, I would have thought that it was overrated. I will probably have to go back at some point to try the dishes I really wanted; Hopefully the fryer will work!!!

Enjoy (I barely did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Press Dinner at Thalassa in Tribeca - NYC, New York

If you follow this blog, you will probably think that this is deja vu! No, you are not mistaken: I went to Thalassa already for a press dinner and the review was just ok as there were some mishaps. So, their PR proposed that I come back as they acknowledged that there were some issues that night I went. I accepted of course as, after I wrote my review and posted it, I checked other bloggers' reviews and they seem ecstatic about that place. After all, everybody can have a bad day and I wonder if, knowing that you will serve people who will write about your food, can add a bit of pressure to the kitchen.

As a reminder, when you will read this revisiting post, please remember that the restaurant knew who we were and served us a complementary tasting menu of their choice.

So what makes Thalassa different from other Greek restaurants in the city? It is definitely the fish selection. Anyway, doesn't Thalassa mean "The Sea"?

They have this great fish display where you can see the fish selection and you can order fish by the pound.

In fact, the Chef, Raphael Abrahante, told us that he tries to only buy wild fish as opposed to farm raised. Of course, the price will be different from the market to the plate.

So, here I was at Thalassa, still remembering the place: modern with a spectacular decor designed by a French architect, Jean-Pierre Heim. The bar still looked fantastic with the blue lights and I decided this time to order a ouzo mojito, as we were waiting for other guests to arrive.

The cocktail was pretty good, combining perfectly the anise flavor of the ouzo and the mint. They definitely score some points on the cocktails as I still remember the delicious Greek Pear Martini I had last time.

Once everybody was there, we sat at the table and started our dinner. It seemed very familiar: olive oil, olives, eggplant with roasted red pepper and crostini.

Then, started our culinary adventure that I thought would not stop...

The Cod Fritter:

It was a perfect bite: tasty and not greasy, this is the type of dish I would for sure eat at Happy Hour.

Horiatiki or what any of us would call a Greek salad when ordering in order not to sound ridiculous!

It was composed of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers with Dodonis feta. Light an fresh,  I liked the fact that they removed the skin from the tomatoes, leaving the crunchiness to the cucumbers and peppers.

Pikilia or Mediterranean dips:

This is a great meze to share. They were served with warm homemade pita.

My favorite remains the eggplant dip for sure!

Zucchini and Eggplant chips:

It was fried zucchini and eggplant with Tzatziki sauce (kind on the middle of this veggie tower) and saganaki graviera cheese. I started with the saganaki that was fantastic! I love that cheese, that is a bit salty and has a semi firm texture. The chips were awesome: slightly warm, they are crispy and not greasy. They paired perfectly with the tzatziki sauce.


Next, we got the Bakalao:

Bakalao is cod croquettes with garlic–almond mousse over sliced roasted beets. First of all, the color of the beets was beautiful! Then, the taste of the dish was fantastic: the croquette was perfectly cooked, a bit crispy, with the fish still moist. The beets were a nice pairing with it.

The Octopodi:

This is one of their signature dishes: grilled octopus, extra virgin olive oil & red wine vinegar, gigantes beans. The octopus was amazing: it had a nice char and was very tender, thanks to the technic, that includes massaging from the Chef!

Then we got two ceviches:

The Fluke Ceviche

The Arctic Char Ceviche

The ceviche were very refreshing and had a nice acidity. It was served with fried oysters that were pretty good. The fish was and tasted very fresh and delicate.

The tartare trio:

It was composed of Royal Dorado, Tuna and Lavraki (aka Branzino or Loup de mer - Lean white fish with mild, moist tender flakes) with taramosalata, tzatziki and garlic almond mousse drizzled with truffle oil. It was a nice an refreshing appetizer. The garlic almond mousse was very good, however, I did not taste any truffle oil.

The Main Diver Scallops:

This is another signature dish. The last time, I did not like it at all, but this time, it was a hit! The perfectly cooked scallop was wrapped in kataifi filo with sheep’s milk butter and Kalamata balsamic reduction. The shell was crispy, a bit messy to eat if you like clean bites, but it was so good, with a nice balance between the butter and the acidity of the balsamic reduction. Fantastic!

The last dish before dessert (I started to get full at that point!) was the Branzino (aka Lavraki or Loup de mer):

They brought it whole, so we could see it, before cutting the filets and serving it to us with collar greens.

The fish was perfectly cooked, flakey and moist. It was served with capers that added some saltiness to it. I really liked it, but there were quite few bones...

The feast was not over! After that, came desserts! Know that the Chef has not been trained as a Pastry Chef, that is amazing considering the desserts below!

Valrhona Chocolate Molten Cake:

I love this type of cake, except when the center is overcooked and not overflowing, which was not the case here!

The Mastiha Panna Cotta:

It was topped with fresh strawberries. I loved it! It was so light and not too sweet! Perfect!

The Baklava:

I was disappointed by it: it was unfortunately dry! Too bad as it was the only traditional Greek dessert!

The Ekmek:

Ekmek is Kataifi & Cream with Pistachios wrapped in a Valrhona Chocolate Dome. The dome was a bit tough to break.

But when broken, it was a nice sight! This was a delicious dessert: the filling inside the dome was more like a creamy ice cream with a bit of crunch from the chocolate. One of my favorites!

This dinner was spectacular and night and day compared to the first Press Dinner I attended last year. The fish was really the star! So, I definitely changed my mind on Thalassa! Surely a place to recommend!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
 

Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria in NYC, New York

I am a big fan of Chef Mario Batali and used to watch him on Iron Chef America. I love his spirit and creativity; he does not seems, at least on TV, to be one of these Chefs who think they are better than everybody else. What he did with Checf Bastianich at Eataly is phenomenal, bringing the best of Italian food in the heart of NYC!

So, this time, we went to Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria. The place is big, with three main rooms. The first one reminds me of Eataly with the high tables where you can have some delicious food:

We sat at the main dining room, that was very classy but had a rustic feel to it. 

Another similarity with Eataly is the way they serve bread, in brown paper, with some delicious olive oil:

Interestingly, they played some Italian opera, that sometimes was a bit too aggressive for my ears, but quite funny considering that I could easily imagine Chef Batali singing it while cooking.

We decided to share some antipasti (from my most to least favorite - clockwise):

• Eggplant Caponatina: eggplants with tomatoes and pine nuts.
• Funghi Misti: sauteed mushrooms.
• Brussel sprouts.

Then, we got the Quattro Formaggi pizza:

The cheeses are: mozzarella, taleggio (one of my favorites!), cacio and ricotta. As you can see on the photo, the way they serve it is different from other pizzerias: usually, the different cheeses are mixed. Here, they stand on their own quarter of pizza! I was at first a bit disappointed as I love when the pizza is overflown by cheese that are mixed together. But, then, I was able to try each of them and it was great! My favorite was of course the taleggio, then the cacio, the ricotta and the mozzarella. The pizza sauce was delicious with a rich tomato taste, and the thin crust of the pizza was splendid.

Last, I ordered a hazelnut hot chocolate with whipped cream and shortbread (was in fact a biscotti):

I loved it! I was scared at first that the hazelnut would overpower the chocolate, but it was not the case: the rich flavor of the cocoa came through and was really comforting. This is definitely a great hot cocoa!

We had a great lunch at Otto Enoteca & Pizzeria: they have a large choice of antipasti that are a nice option for sharing and I would probably go back to try some of their homemade pasta or a different kind of pizza. Note that they offer a large selection of wine and even give some wine classes over the week end.  On Tuesdays, they sometimes host wine and cheese events!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Dinner at The Turtle Club in Hoboken, New Jersey

We were looking for a new dining experience in Hoboken and the name of that place, The Turtle Club, caught our eyes (ears? or even stomach?) This is a very old place for sure and I think the owners kept the old atmosphere alive inside: lots of wood and an arch between the two main rooms. The place was very dark and we only saw the room on the right side of the restaurant. In fact, I am not sure if I should call that a restaurant or a bar with a menu...

It was a Tuesday night and there was not that many people there at the beginning; people came later. We started off with bruschetta.

For $8, you can pick three different kinds. We decided to go with: 

• Gorgonzola and toasted garlic.
• Tomato and basil with olive oil.
• Goat cheese and balsamic honey glaze.

It took forever for the food to come and I do not mind if the food is exceptional, but it was not the case: this was so disappointing! The bread was barely toasted; the tomato and basil was dry. At the end, I only liked the other two because you can just spread the goat cheese or gorgonzola on a piece of bread and they would be good. No need to be a Chef to do it right!

Then, I ordered the fish tacos:

It was three tilapia tacos with a soft taco shell stuffed with corn salsa, romaine, cilantro and sour cream. On the side was a very average (and not homemade I guess) guacamole and a very dry rice and black beans. Let me start by telling you that I did not finish the dish. The fish was dry / overcooked and tasted very fishy. 

Jodi went for the ginger and soy glazed mahi mahi:

The mahi mahi was also dry / overcooked. Too bad because the sauce was pretty good.

So at the end of the day, it was not a great experience: the wait staff seemed overwhelmed although very courteous and attentive to our needs and I would think, based on what we got there, that the issue was the kitchen. This was really a forgettable experience and I think that they should probably stick to bar dishes instead of trying to make a food that is too elaborate. Although, one would think that fish taco are not that complicated....

Enjoy (the post)!

Lunch at Benoit in NYC, New York

I had lunch at Benoit recently! Benoit is a classic Parisian brasserie that Chef Alain Ducasse opened in 2008, replacing La Cote Basque. What I did not know is that there is an original Benoit in Paris that opened in 1912 by Benoit Matray. This family restaurant was then sold in 2005 to Alain Ducasse. I might have to check that out the next time I am in Paris, although, it seems to be a bit pricey (not that the one in NYC is not)...

I was excited for sure as I recently read some articles about Alain Ducasse who was ranked number 6 Most successful Chef by Forbes in 2012 and number 1 of the French Chefs in revenue: 120 Million Euros, 27 restaurants all over the world and 19 Michelin stars (the second is Joel Robuchon with 75 Million Euros, 16 restaurants and 28 Michelin stars). 

People often say that Benoit is a casual brasserie: I kind of disagree! It is an upscale brasserie with a splendid decor, especially the huge vase in the back of the dining room, the walls covered in mirrors and the old style ads.

While we were waiting for out meal to come, they brought us some delicious  gougères, that are cheese puffs (choux).

These savory delicacies were light and airy. They are a bad idea to serve before lunch, because you can't stop eating them!!!

The traditional bread and butter followed.

So, here are some of the dishes I tried!

The country salad: frisée, lardons, poached egg and croutons.

I am not a big fan of frisée salad because it can sometimes be very bitter, but it was not the case. I liked the light dressing. The poached egg was perfectly cooked and created like a secondary sauce. It was very delicate.

The escargots de Bourgogne:

They were good, especially the parsley and butter sauce that I could just eat with bread!

The special of the day: seared scallops:

I have to admit that this being a special and as I never take notes, I do not remember what the sauce was made of...They were served with salsify, that I usually do not like, but not this time. The scallops had a nice sear and a bit of salt on the outside that gave a little crunch. Unfortunately, I found them to be undercooked inside. 

The cassoulet:

It has been a while since I had cassoulet and in fact, I thought about it thanks to the vegetarian cassoulet I had at Table Verte recently! The way they serve it and the way it looks is very rustic: I love it!

Cassoulet is a traditional dish from the South West of France. It is a slow cooked casserole made of white beans and meat, usually pork and duck. In this one, there was duck confit, pork sausage and pork meat (not sure if it was pork belly).

The dish was rich and earthy. It was definitely slow cooked all together and was not just put together once I ordered it! The beans were melting in my mouth, as did the duck that was delicious and did not have too much saltiness to it. This is the perfect example of a traditional French dish where the taste supersedes the presentation.

Then I could not leave without having the Baba!

Baba is a yeast cake that will be saturated with a hard liquor, usually rum. At Benoit, it is Armagnac. They first bring the cake, pour the armagnac and then put some delicious homemade whipped cream (they leave you the rest of it on the table in case you did not get enough...). This is the second time I have this dessert there and it is fantastic! Definitely a recommendation!

Interestingly and for those with a sweet tooth, they give you a delicious homemade meringue cookie when you leave! What? After all this food?

Benoit definitely met my expectations! Delicious food, great service in a beautiful decor!

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
 

Burger at BRGR in NYC, New York

It had probably been 2 years since I went to BRGR that used to be one of my favorite burger restaurant. You probably wonder why I did not come back if it was so good. The answer is simple: there are so many places that are serving burgers now, that I really wanted to try different ones. So, I was excited to go!!!

The restaurant is still the same: two large tables at the entrance (8 seats), seats at the counter or close to it, and the tables with a very colorful banquette made of cushion that looks like buns. 

Concerning the food, you first order at the counter and then they give you a number to identify where they have to bring the order. You can either pick the burgers they propose, or build your own. For this, you have to pick:

- the patty (grass fed beef, turkey or veggie),

- the bun (brioche or whole wheat),

- the cheese (cheddar, american...)

- the sauce (ketchup, mayo...)

- toppings (mushrooms, onions, pickles...)

Jodi got the beef patty with a brioche bun, cheddar, sauteed mushrooms and pickles.

I ordered a beef patty with a brioche bun, sauteed mushrooms, ketchup and mayo. Believe it or not: I completely forgot to ask for cheese!!!

Anyway, I got some of the burger from Jodi...The meat was very good: cooked medium, it was very tasty and juicy. Unfortunately, the bun, that was not toasted and although very good, was too thick and the proportion bun / patty was at the disadvantage of the beef. 

For sides, we got fries, sweet potato fries and onion hay. 

We got in fact what they call on their menu the trio. It was pretty good and not too greasy. My favorite is definitely the onion hay!

I was a bit disappointed by the burgers at BRGR, not because of the meat, but more the brioche that kind of overshadowed the beef patty that was good. What I like though is the fact that they propose several sides. Not on the top, but still to be mentioned.

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Tasting of Chocolate by Ayo

One of my colleagues, Fabien, brought one day some chocolates that one of his friends, Ayo, was making and started to sell over the internet. I told him that I would be interested to do a review, as long as it was understood that if I did not like the chocolates, I would have to be honest about it (honest, not mean of course!). He said that he would speak with his friend and few weeks later, I met with Ayo Yusuf, the founder of Chocolate by Ayo who brought me a box of chocolates for tasting. 

What is interesting is that Ayo, who was born in Nigeria, is an architect and not a pastry Chef, who discovered a passion for truffles after reading an article about two sisters chocolatiers. Once he had perfected some recipes, he decided to offer them on the web. Think about it: the web is how lots of businesses started, allowing them to perfect their product(s) and see if there was a demand for it. That is how for instance Stick and Pop, that I visited back in 2012, started, before opening their first place downtown.

More interesting is that 15% of each purchase will either go as a donation to a charity that you pick, or to a charity that Chocolate by Ayo selects. I think that it is a fantastic concept: you cannot feel guilty of succumbing to the pleasure of eating these delicacies as you are surely doing it for charity, right?

So, here I am, ready for my tasting. Of course, I did not need to be pushed for that. First, I noticed that the packaging was very professional. I opened the box and discovered two layers of truffles, each layer made by four different truffles, some of them with a decoration on top (I love when there are layers because when you sadly think you are done, there are still some chocolates under...). All the truffles had a different shape: a dome, a heart, round...

The box contained the following truffles:

• Mango Tango: trio of mango, pineapple and banana.
• Chili Jam: this one must be an experiment as not described on the website.
• Lovers truffle: with its heart shape, the filling was composed of an herbal Rooibos Tea blended with saffron, rose petals and honey.
• Fruit ABC's: consists of their signature blend of apples, bananas and coconut purees.
• Orange marmalade: needless to say that the filling is made of...orange marmalade.
• Dulce de Leche: Dulce de Leche paste with a bit of cinnamon, vanilla extract and coconut shavings.

Before I tell you what I think about these truffles, know that the ingredients to make them are either natural or organic. It is also vegan as the milk used is almond milk, either homemade or purchased at Whole Foods Market.

You can imagine that the testing was very intense...The difficulty is that at some point my taste buds were saturated with chocolate. Nevertheless, I had to, once again, sacrifice myself for this blog! As I mentioned, the packaging of the chocolates is professional. The various perfect shapes and the feel of the chocolates too. My favorite ones were the Dulce de Leche and the Lovers truffle. In the lovers truffles, you could definitely taste the honey that counteracted the bitterness of the chocolate. The Dulce de Leche was splendid: clean flavors with a slight hint of cinnamon and vanilla. The others were just ok for me: I wish they had much more filling inside, so I could taste the ingredients and they were overpowered by the bitterness of the chocolate. In fact the chocolate was extremely bitter and a bit dry for my taste. 

I have to say that I admire the creativity and motivation behind Chocolate by Ayo! And Thanks Ayo for allowing me to taste them!

Bonne chance et bon courage! 

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Information about Chocolate by Ayo:
Chocolate by Ayo Website
Ayo@chocolatebyayo.com