My trip to Europe: Le Lido Plage in Aix-Les-Bains, France
There are places where the location primes over the food and Le Lido Plage in Aix Les Bains (France) is surely one of them. Not that the food was not good, but we picked this place because it is located right next to the Lac du Bourget, a beautiful lake where fish, ducks, swans and swimmers coexist.
When the weather permits, the restaurant will only serve at the terrace, overlooking the lake and the private beach.
We went on a Sunday, to celebrate my Dad's birthday. They offer a menu à la carte, or prix fixe (know that in France, menu means prix-fixe, not to confuse anybody). We went for a prix-fixe that included appetizer, entrée and dessert.
All of this accompanied with some delicious white and rosé wine to cool us down on that warm journey. I should add that if you need a hat, they will lend you one, and I was happy that I had one, because those that you can borrow, will for sure make you regret that you forgot yours.
To start, Jodi got the burger of tomato and mozzarella with pesto and tapenade.
The presentation was beautiful, the tomato replacing the bun and the mozzarella, that was delicious, the meat patty. It was a nice combination: I did not really care about the pesto, but the tapenade was fantastic with the tomato and mozzarella, elevating the dish that would have otherwise simply be a tomato and mozzarella salad.
On my side, I had the beef carpaccio:
I definitely did not regret that choice: it was perfect, the thin slices of beef melting in my mouth and perfectly balanced, with not too much acidity.
Then, for the entrée, Jodi ordered the fried filet of perch, served with French fries and tartare sauce.
Imagine fish and chips, but French. I liked it, although the fish was a bit greasy and the fries just ok.
On my side, I got the filet of lavaret, a European white fish, served with a butter sauce, rice and ratatouille.
I liked it, the fish being perfectly cooked and flakey, but would have liked more sauce as the rice was a bit dry. However, the ratatouille was delicious, quite comforting with different flavors depending on which vegetable ended up on my fork. The addition of some small chickpeas was a good idea, as not only it added a nice flavor, but also some texture.
Last was dessert. Jodi went for the creme brûlée.
I went for the white chocolate panacotta with a red berry coulis.
I admit that I preferred the creme brûlée that was sublime: it was a vanilla one and we could definitely see the vanilla beans. The panacotta was not set at all, being too liquid. Too bad.
The meal at Le Lido Plage was good overall, dishes from the menu being better than the prix fixe according to my brother who went few times. It is a good place if you'd like to enjoy a decent meal in a restaurant with a stunning view.
Lido Plage
Chemin du Lac
73100 Tresserve, France
Enjoy (I did)!
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My trip to Europe: Les Jardins de Sainte-Cécile in Grenoble, France
This post is the first of a series from our last vacation in France and Italy.
The lomo is veal and we asked not to have any, request that they accommodated without any problem, making this dish vegetarian. It was very refreshing, with a sort of tomato salad on one hand and a delicious and refreshing gazpacho on the other, without forgetting the tomato spread on top. Nice red matching the color of the restaurant!
Ok, I admit that a translation will be difficult...It was seared salmon with a hazelnut and soy sauce, roasted cherry tomatoes and zucchini. It was delicious: the fish was perfectly cooked, rare in the center and paired perfectly with the hazelnut and soy sauce for an added saltiness and nutiness.
For a first celebration of my Dad's birthday, we went to Les Jardins de Sainte-Cécile in Grenoble, a restaurant located in an old convent.
Interesting place for sure: it is the home office of the Edition Glénat, a popular French editor, and has been complemented recently with the restaurant, where the Chef and his crew refined classic dishes.
The decor is pretty amazing, the convent being modernized in a way, with the red and black theme used for the chairs, chandeliers as well as the walls covered with wine bottles, giving a feel of both trendy, but still classic restaurant.
The wine cellar is located downstairs, where I could not miss the bottles of Coca Cola...
But, one of their main assets is definitely the garden, that is of a nice size, allowing for tables not to be too close to the others.
The only negative was the service that was not to the level you would expect in such restaurant: very slow, a bit clumsy and missing manners that you would expect anyway in any places. Fortunately, the food was pretty good, original and the presentation was sublime.
We started off with an apéritif. Jodi ordered an orangina, and I decided to try a Spritz, a Northeast Italian wine cocktail. It was made with Campari and some carbonated water. No prosecco.
Then, Jodi ordered the Déclinaison de tomate, pétales de lomo, croquant au parmesan:
The lomo is veal and we asked not to have any, request that they accommodated without any problem, making this dish vegetarian. It was very refreshing, with a sort of tomato salad on one hand and a delicious and refreshing gazpacho on the other, without forgetting the tomato spread on top. Nice red matching the color of the restaurant!
On my side, I ordered the Dôme de foie gras, cœur de chutney de fruits, tressé de chocolat that is a foie gras with a fruit chutney in the center and a chocolate dome.
Very creative: I never had foie gras with chocolate. It is fairly common to eat foie gras with a chutney like fig and to drink it with a sweet wine, but I have never seen it with chocolate. The difficulty there was to make sure we did not put too much chocolate as it would overpower the foie gras otherwise.
For the entree, Jodi ordered the chaud-froid de saumon mi-cuit, sauce noisette et soja, oignons rouges, tomates cerises rôties, chemisée de courgettes:
Ok, I admit that a translation will be difficult...It was seared salmon with a hazelnut and soy sauce, roasted cherry tomatoes and zucchini. It was delicious: the fish was perfectly cooked, rare in the center and paired perfectly with the hazelnut and soy sauce for an added saltiness and nutiness.
On my side, I ordered the Filet de bœuf en croute roulade d’herbes et blettes, Poêlée d’asperges en deux façons.
It is like a beef Wellington in a way, except that there is no foie gras and mushroom between the meat and the puff pastry, but spinach.
The meat, that was tenderloin, was as expected, rear, the temperature of such dish being driven by the color of the puff pastry. It was fantastic: juicy and tender, I loved the combination of the meat with the puff pastry, the latter adding a nice buttery flavor to the dish.
The meat, that was tenderloin, was as expected, rear, the temperature of such dish being driven by the color of the puff pastry. It was fantastic: juicy and tender, I loved the combination of the meat with the puff pastry, the latter adding a nice buttery flavor to the dish.
For dessert, Jodi ordered the Chaud froid meringué dans sa nage de fruits rouges that was a meringue in a red fruit soup.
On my side, I ordered the Croquant coco pistaché, crème acidulée, boule de neige givrée aux citrons verts.
It was supposed to be a croquant of coconut and pistachio with a lime ice cream. I loved the latter, but not the croquant part that was not at all what I expected: not crunchy, I did not like the flavor that did not really taste like coconut. I for sure preferred Jodi's dessert that was phenomenal: not too sweet, it was very refreshing and a great combination.
We of course finished our meal with an espresso.
It was definitely a good meal, a bit pricey though. If they work out the kinks in the service, this will definitely be one of the gastronomic destinations in Grenoble.
Enjoy (I did)!
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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Chikalicious Dessert Bar in the East Village, NYC, NY
So, after a first tentative to go to ChikaLicious Dessert Bar and ending up in their Dessert Club, we finally made it. We showed up couple of minutes after they opened, allowing us to get a table, but also to take photos comfortably.
Minutes later, the place was packed! Know that his is small and that they only accept reservations for large groups.
This location is totally different from the other one: a more refined decor as well as a different menu. Here, no cupcake or dossant (a fusion of a croissant and a donut, competitor to the Cronut from Dominique Ansel). At ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, you get a prix-fixe for $16 that includes an amuse-Bouche, a dessert and some petits fours.
The desserts can be paired with a dessert wine for an additional $8 that we did not consider, Jodi preferring a tea:
And myself an espresso:
Both served in a nice china.
That day, the amuse-bouche was Cara Cara orange (sort of navel orange) with a rosemary ice cream.
This was a surpising start, the rosemary ice cream being very original, with only a slight taste of rosemary that worked perfectly with the orange.
Then we got our desserts of choice. Know that, as dessert choices change on a regular basis, you may not be able to order what we ate. Jodi ordered the mango-pineapple tartare on crispy kataifi with coconut sorbet and white rum purée.
On my side, I ordered the warm chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream and red wine sauce, that looked like a smiley.
I admit that when the dishes came, I was a bit surprised by the small size of the desserts. Still, the presentation was beautiful and I really liked them, especially the warm chocolate tart whose center was completely liquid, similar to a chocolate soufflé. I admit however that I did not really like the red wine sauce that was served with it.
We then got some petits fours:
Coconut marshmallow:
Bacardi rum chocolate cookies:
Earl grey tea cakes:
All were good, especially the chocolate cookies (probably because of the rum...).
The desserts at ChikaLicious are quite good and elegant, with a fantastic presentation, the Chef showcasing a lot of creativity. However, for $16 without a coffee or tea, I find it slightly overpriced.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Greek cuisine at Snack EOS in Hell's Kitchen
As we were walking on the low part of Hell's Kitchen, we noticed this restaurant with this heavy oak door and floor to ceiling windows that looked like a wine bar, modern and at the same time rustic. We looked at the menu and decided to try it for dinner. We just discovered Snack Eos, a Greek Taverna that opened in November 2013.
It is not a big place, but it has sufficient space to accommodate large groups as it was the case when we went there. The menu is Greek, but refined and we were thrilled to try some of their small dishes to get a good feel of the place.
First they brought us an amuse that was made with chickpea and olive oil, a nice way to start:
We then started with a dip sampler.
Melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant, red peppers, garlic, tahini and parsley):
Muhammara (roasted red pepper, pomegranate, walnut, harissa):
These dips were served with grilled pita that I think was homemade.
Overall, it was very good and a nice way to start our dinner. Besides the Muhammara, these are fairly classic, that one being interesting with its texture slightly dry and the kick given by the Harissa.
Then, we got saganaki, but, instead of being flambé, it was served with a tomato jam, pistachio, sumac and some balsamic vinegar for some acid.
It came very hot in a skillet, the dish still bubbling. We ate it on a pice of pita and altogether, it was similar to a pizza. I should add the they put lots of cheese and if you are a fan of it, this dish is for you.
After that, we got pork and lamb meatballs.
They were served with a tomato sauce, feta yogurt and pepperoncini. It was a miss for me, the texture of the meatball identical to what you get when ground meat is undercooked (we checked and it was not).
The last dish we tried were the braised lamb sliders.
They were served between a toasted brioche bread, tzatziki slaw and pickles. Although good, I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting more flavors from the lamb. They use the shank and, even if not dry, it did not have that bold flavor that one would expect from a lamb burger, making it different from a regular burger or even short ribs.
Even if we did not like all the dishes, I liked our dinner at Snack Eos and would not mind going back to try their grilled whole branzino or their crispy chicken skin "under brick".
Enjoy (I did)!
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Red Farm in NYC, NY
It has been a while since we wanted to go to Red Farm, this place being highly recommended by our friends. We made it early on a Saturday as the time before, when we tried, there was a huge line waiting outside.
We were seated right away at the bar, side by side, all the booths being used for four people, leaving us with this option or seating at the communal table, that can be nice sometimes, but too close to the persons seating next to us.
I was curious to know why this restaurant was called Red Farm, but only got a vague answer that was more a guess: first, the owner, Ed Schoenfeld ({R}Ed?), is always wearing red, from his glasses to his jacket. Second, he wanted to create a restaurant with a farm feel. Hence Red Farm.
For the farm feel, it is fairly on point, with the multitude of plants decorating the room.
Menu wise, this is where it gets surprising: they serve dim sum! And they have a nice selection of it, clearly not your regular ones But if you are not into dim sum, they have plenty of other creative dishes, small or large, mainly made to share, prepared with meat or seafood.
So we decided to share a bunch of dim sum. First were the pan fried pork buns.
They are smaller than what you usually get in Chinese restaurants, and, although pan fried, they were very soft, with a wonderful sweet and savory taste.
The next dish was the mushroom and vegetable spring rolls:
This was another stunning presentation, the spring rolls being shaped like carrots and held by a cucumber. The shell was a bit greasy, but I did not mind, the stuffing being flavorful.
Then came the pork and crab soup dumplings.
I think the person who first created a soup dumpling was a genius. I am sure you wonder how they get the soup inside the dumpling. It is not with a syringe: they freeze it before wrapping it in the shell. The only time I tried this dish was at Joe Shanghai, so I was interested to see if it was as good; and it was.
I put the dumpling in a spoon
And ate it from the top
At first, you get mainly the dough, then dough and soup, then all the components, the pork being more present than the crab.
Then we tried the four mushrooms dumplings.
These fried dumplings were made with shiitake, oyster and black trumpet mushrooms. This was my least favorite dish: a bit greasy, the shell overpowered the taste of the mushrooms. We learnt later than they offer them steamed and that it is better. I wish they told us that before!
Last, was one of my favorite and very creative dish: Katz's pastrami egg rolls.
It was served with a delicious Russian dressing. Imagine this combination of deli and Chinese cuisine! It works! You have the crunchiness of the egg roll and the sublime taste of the pastrami perfectly coming together.
We did not get desserts as we had other plans, but we will for sure go back to Red Farm to try some sweets as well as other dishes. This is definitely an enjoyable experience!
Enjoy (I did)!
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The original Brother Jimmy's BBQ on the Upper East Side
After burgers, the second specialty I always recommend friends and family coming from Europe to try is BBQ. as I mentioned in prior posts, what we call BBQ in France is grilling. Little I know that in Denmark, they are familiar with the BBQ as we know it here. I knew about smoked fish, but not meat, and Our friends Anne and Klaus even have a smoker at home.
Anyway, our place of choice was Brother Jimmy's BBQ, but not the location near Madison Square Garden I reviewed, but the one on the Upper East Side, that is in fact the original restaurant. As we went on a weekday, the place was empty. Not that it helped with the noise level, considering that the music was literally blasting.
It is a fairly big place with four distinct sections :
The main dining room:
The main dining room:
The back dining room:
The second dining room with the kitchen in the back:
With its wood everywhere, it had a very rustic and country feel, with, on the wall, artifacts to remind you you should have worn your stretch pants.
To start, we decided to order fried pickles (served with ranch dressing), a dish definitely unknown in Denmark. It was a good way to show that anything can be fried, and when it is fried, it is good!
Then, we went for Jimmy's Pig Pick, a sampler dish where we got Northern ribs and BBQ chicken (you have a choice between this or pulled chicken, brisket, pulled pork or other types of ribs).
I admit that I thought it would be bigger as we ordered the one for two people. I am not sure if this was the result of a confusion when we ordered. Anyway, it was enough food considering we were planning on having dessert later on.
The chicken was very good: moist, I loved the sweetness if the BBQ sauce with it. The ribs were also delicious, tender, falling off the bone. I should mention that, with the Pig's Pick, came a salad. Needless to say that I did not care about it...
As sides, we got some cole slaw, as well as hush puppies:
Jodi decided to order a bunch of sides:
Fried Brussels sprouts:
Corn bread:
Mac & cheese:
Tater tots:
All of them were quite good, my preference going to the tater tots and corn bread.
The lunch at Brother Jimmy's BBQ was succulent and comforting. It is definitely a great place to eat some authentic American BBQ.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Italian dinner Family style at Carmine's in NYC, New York
There are institutions in NYC and Carmine's is definitely one. It is not just experiencing some good Italian food, but also eating it family style, like you would do at home, sharing huge plates of delicious food, where taste matters more than presentation. So we decided to go there with the Kroners, our Danish friends. Good that we had a reservation, because it was packed, unexpected for a Wednesday night!
We went to the restaurant on the Upper West Side that is in fact the original restaurant, opened in 1990. This place is huge: I am not sure how many people they seat in the dining room, but it was quite impressive, tables being for four people or more. Well, being two could be challenging considering the quantity of food served, although you can take it home.
At the entrance is the large bar where you can either wait, drink or eat.
Upstairs is the dining room.
The menu is pretty traditional, so there is no surprise there. As we were six, they suggested to order one appetizer, one pasta and two entrees. We kind of followed their advice, although replacing one entree with a (large) side.
As we were waiting for our food, they brought us some bread.
The focaccia was just ok for me, tasting a bit stale.
Then came our appetizer: tomato and mozzarella.
Nice plate: the star was definitely the mozzarella that they make there. It was soft and tasted fresh.
Then came the spaghetti (store bought) and meatballs that were the size of my fist.
Coincidently, there were six meatballs; I am not sure if they considered one by person or not. These meatballs were delicious: tasty, not dry with a delicious hint of herbs.
The pasta sauce was succulent: thick, it is not just made with tomatoes, but also with beef, and you may end up with delicious pieces of meat in your plate. We all finished our plates, regretting that there was not more.
Then came the chicken saltimbocca:
It is chicken breast cooked with ham and mozzarella, served on a bed of spinach and bathed in a wine sauce. I was not that thrilled by the spinach (I prefer them with cream to offset the bitterness), but really liked the chicken that was perfectly cooked.
Last was our side: eggplant parmigiana.
Ok, they call it a side there...It was definitely big, with an impressive presentation, a knife stuck on the thick block formed by the multiple layers. It was delicious, the eggplant really shining. I just regret that there was not more tomato sauce on it.
Needless to say that we were full at that point (ok, I admit that the hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookie from City Bakery did not help...). So, no dessert. That was fine considering the fantastic dinner we had at Carmine's. I should mention the very good service and the noise level that requires you to scream to be heard. But hey, this is the price to pay and it is worth it.
Enjoy (I did)!
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5 Napkin burger in Union Square, NYC
Our friends from Denmark, Anne and Klaus came recently to visit New York with their kids Signe, Emile and Jonas. We spent some time with them and had to live up to our reputation of foodies (I hate that word). So we picked few places, some of them really representative of Americana. So, of course, we went for burgers. We had to take into account few things: first, there needed to be vegetarian options, Jonas being vegetarian. Second, there should be, a least, a classic cheeseburger. So we de facto eliminated Burger Joint and Umami Burger (although I still salivate like a Pavlov's dog when thinking about the truffle burger there).
So, we picked 5 Napkin Burger. I went already to the original one in Hell's Kitchen, but never to the one in Union Square. No surprise there: the decor is similar, representing a slaughterhouse, the cleanliness indicating that it represents it after the slaughter. One cannot miss the hooks hanging
Or the multiple scales displayed all over the restaurant.
If you have never been to 5 Napkin Burger, let me explain to you how it was born. It all started at Nice Matin, a French restaurant located on the Upper West Side. One of their most successful dish was a burger where the meat was so juicy that you needed five napkins for your hands. The owners of the restaurant Simon Oren and Andy D'Amico then got the idea to open a restaurant where their signature burger would be the star. Since then, it has been a success story, with few restaurants in the city, as well as in other cities.
But do not imagine that the menu offers only burgers, as it's name could lead you to: they serve other dishes, including salads and...sushi! Interesting! Not sure I would think about ordering sushi there.
The Kroners got their burgers, but, of course, we did too...Jodi ordered the classic cheese, an 8 oz. beef patty served with American cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, on a sesame brioche bread.
It was very good, the meat being juicy and very tasty, topped by a nice amount of cheese.
But it did not measure up with the 5 Napkin burger that I ordered.
The beef patty was literally smothered with Gruyere, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli.
A bit messy for sure, but who cares? Certainly not me who needed more than 5 napkins to clean my hands, the juiciness of the meat adding to the delightful mess.
To go with the burger, I of course ordered a milk shake. Usually, I order a vanilla one, but I got tempted by a cookies and cream that had little pieces of oreo cookie in it.
Everything was fantastic there and it was the perfect introduction to the next few meals we planed for our friends! I certainly did not regret the choice of 5 Napkin Burger: this is definitely one of the best in the City!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Eggs Benedict at Sel De Mer in Brooklyn, NY
As we had to be in Williamsbug on a Sunday afternoon, I looked on google map for restaurants nearby the location we were going to and noticed Sel de Mer. I rapidly glanced at the menu and proposed to Jodi to go there for brunch.
The inside of the restaurant fits the name, decorated with sailors portraits as well as objects all related to the sea. I wonder if the owner comes from the Bretagne region (Brittany) in France as the theme is definitely from there.
As we were waiting for our food to come, they gave us some bread and butter, the latter being topped with crystals of salt (in France, salted butter is mainly eaten in the Bretagne region).
Then, came our dishes. For brunch, they have a small menu, with a majority of egg dishes. So we went for that. Jodi got the eggs and avocado.
The dish was composed of crushed avocado, cilantro, two poached eggs, on toasted baguette, mixed greens and home fries. As Jodi does not like poached eggs, she asked them to cook them longer, request that they executed without any problem. This was a very good dish, refreshing, the restaurant not being shy on the amount of avocado they put in it.
On my side, I got the Eggs De Mer:
It was two perfectly poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, sambuca cured salmon on an english muffin, with mixed greens and home fries. This was delicious: they put a nice amount of salmon that was both fatty and delicate. It was simple but well executed. We also both got the home fries and these also were perfect: crunchy, cooked all the way through, probably baked rather than fried.
This was a great brunch and the eggs were delicious and...cheap. This is definitely a place I want to go back to, for brunch, but most certainly for dinner as they seem to have some mouth watering seafood dishes.
enjoy (I did)!
And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Khe-Yo in Tribeca, NYC, NY
I never had Laotian food before and admit that I was thrilled to try Khe-Yo when I heard that acclaimed Chef Marc Forgione was associated to the restaurant. Yes, Khe-Yo is the result of the association of a terrific triumvirate, the main character being Chef Soulayphet Schwader whose family escaped from Laos in 1975, after the communists came into power. Years later, not being able to find good Laotian food in the city, he and his partner Nick Bradley joined Chef Marc Forgione and opened few months ago a Laotian inspired restaurant in the thriving TriBeCa area. Of course, as I never tried Laotian food before, I cannot comment on the authenticity, but, anyway, they never presented their restaurant as authentic Laotian; more Laotian inspired, bringing to the table Southeast Asian cuisine, with for instance some flavors resembling Thai cuisine or some dishes Korean ones as you will see below.
We went there on a Friday night, after an open studio night at the New York Academy of Art. Fortunately we had a reservation, because this place was packed from the moment we arrived to the moment we left.
I am not sure if they had staff issues, but the service not what I would have expected and, honestly, we just wanted to leave at some point. Not that the food was not good (it was delicious), but the noise level was very, very high, making it difficult to hear each other. So my advice: no romantic dinner or date there, except if you want to make sure you do not hear what the other person says...
There, no bread and butter, but rather sticky rice with a crushed eggplant sauce that was very smooth and a bit smokey, and with a Thai chili sauce fairly hot called "the bang bang" sauce, in a way reflecting the sound my foot made banging on the floor expressing how spicy this was.
Although they say on the menu that "sticky rice tastes better when eaten with your hands", I ate it with the sole utensil present on tables: a spoon. Yes, because some of the dishes are made to be eaten with your hands; for others, they will bring you what you need, such as chopsticks. But, to make sure you have clean hands before dinner, like a good little boy or girl, they bring you a wet towel as soon as you order.
Menu wise, this is of course not your usual dishes or ingredients: mainly meats, few seafood and, unfortunately only one vegetarian entree, it features animals like quail or poussin.
We decided to try few appetizers. The first one was Ping-Sai-Ua-Moo or grilled Laos style sausage.
It was a nice presentation and, in fact, all the dishes were well plated and looked appetizing. On one side of the sausage was a mango and peanut sauce (the peanut taste was predominant) and on the other side some lettuce. Although the way to eat it was not explained by the staff, I understood (hopefully) right away that I had to eat it like Korean BBQ, putting a slice of sausage on top of a leaf and add some sauce.
It was delicious: the lettuce adding a bit of crunch to a sweet and savory combination that was delightful. The sausage had a nice char adding more flavor to the dish.
The second appetizer was Nam-Khao or kaffir lime sausage with crunchy coconut rice.
To simplify the description, it was like rice balls, but made with coconut rice, crunchy on the outside from being fried and very slightly softer on the inside. It was perfect with or without the sausage that was a bit spicy.
For the entrees, Jodi ordered the Khoua-Lhon or wok-fried glass noodles.
At that point, they brought her chopsticks. It had a nice amount snow peas and sugar snaps in it. Although delicious, I found this dish a bit disappointing, as not original or standing out.
On my side, I ordered the Goong-Phet or chili prawns:
It was composed of ginger scallion toast and Thai basil sauce. This was a succulent dish, delightfully tasty. The prawns were quite big and perfectly cooked, bathed in a sauce that was slightly spicy, the heat slowly building up in the back of my throat. The toast was good, but I thought that there was too much of it and replaced it with sticky rice at some point.
To go with our meal, I ordered a Laotian beer that was perfect:
The food definitely met my expectations: creative and sublime, although I was surprised to see that they only offered ice cream (coconut or salted caramel) for dessert, making us feel the meal was incomplete. The only negative there was the noise level that made this experience less pleasant than it should. Next time I will bring my noise canceling headsets...
Enjoy (I did - what did you say?)!
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Churrasco at Fogo De Chao Brazilian steakhouse in NYC, New York
Fogo de Chao (means "fire on the ground" in Portuguese) is a Brazilian steakhouse located Midtown Manhattan that opened few months ago, in December 2013. It is a chain in fact with multiple locations in Brazil, where it originated, and in the US (Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Las Vegas...).
Typically, when you know you are going to a Brazilian steakhouse, you know you need to wear stretch pants, because it is all you can eat. Now, that is what I call paradise for meat lovers! And it is not all you can eat passable food most of the time: it is all you can stuff in high quality meat. Here is how it works:
The staff goes around the restaurant with large skewers (coming from "churrasco", concept of grilling skewers of meat over a wood fire, the churrascaria being the restaurant serving them) and will check a chip that is given to you, at your table. The chip has two sides: green and red.
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The pace can be fast; for instance, this is what I ended up with after just couple of minutes:
The portions may not seem big, but you can ask for more and do not forget that they are walking around anyway, ready to serve you again.
Before I go into detail more about the feast I had, let me tell you few things about the place itself.
I guess I could describe it as an elegant, dramatic, stunning 16,000 square feet restaurant. At the entrance, you can see a huge representation of O Lacador (a gaucho in traditional outfit), symbol of Porto Allegre where this place originated in 1979.
Upstairs is the bar and downstairs, the restaurant.
Similar to other churrascaria places, there is a gourmet salad bar.
This salad bar was quite big and included mozzarella, beets, asparagus, shrimp,...As well as some salami, cheeses or smoked salmon.
But what was truly surprising was the applewood smoked bacon bowl:
and this whole parmiggiano reggiano cheese:
On our table was also a basket of cheese bread or pao de queijo:
The recipe apparently comes from Sao Paulo and interestingly it is gluten free. I liked it, but found it slightly dry.
Now, concerning the meat, they serve something like 16 different kinds, ranging from beef, pork, lamb or chicken. I tried:
The pork sausage or Linguiça.
These sausages are seasoned with garlic and paprika, and slow cooked.
Chicken legs:
I usually limit how much chicken I eat in these places, not because I do not like it, but rather because I prefer saving myself for prime meats!
The leg of lamb:
The Fraldinha or bottom sirloin:
This was my least favorite, the meat being a bit tough.
The Alcatra or top sirloin:
The beef ancho or prime part of the ribeye:
The filet mignon:
The flank steak:
The picanha or prime part of the sirloin:
The meats were really good and of high quality, tender and juicy. The outside had a nice char and, sometimes, you could taste a bit of salt that enhanced the flavor of the meat. My favorite was the filet mignon, the flank steak, the ribeye and the leg of lamb. My least favorite was the bottom sirloin and prime, but it might be because of the cuts they served me.
Mash potatoes:
Crispy polenta:
Fried bananas:
These sides are pretty standard for this type of restaurant. My favorite was the fried banana. You may think these are plantains, but they are bananas that are simply fried with a bit of condensed milk, giving them this nice sugary coating.
You would think that I would stop there, but no: I could not resist trying their desserts. The first one was the flan.
I did not like it as it was way too dense. However, their tres leches cake was spectacular!
And trust me, after such a feast, it was difficult to resist.
I am glad that Fogo de Chao came to NYC. Not that there are no churrascaria in the city, the most known being Churrascaria Plataforma, with one location close by, but because they definitely serve some great pieces of meat that puts them on the top of NYC steakhouses. One thing I should add is that if you are vegetarian, you can just get the salad bar, or they propose a fish of the day. Sorry, I did not and will not try them, preferring to indulge in what this place is known for, but if they are as good as the meat, you may not regret it!
Enjoy (I did)!
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The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, NYC, NY
Before, when I went to Chinatown to eat, it was to have some Chinese food, but it did not include ice cream, until now. We discovered the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory thanks to our friends Gary and Jen, after a brunch at Tartinery that left us hungry for something sweet. We went twice and each time, the place was busy.
What makes it stand out? They have been making homemade ice cream for more than 30 years. But not just your regular flavors, like the vanilla I tried once with Nutella.
What makes it stand out? They have been making homemade ice cream for more than 30 years. But not just your regular flavors, like the vanilla I tried once with Nutella.
And once without:
No, some combinations are quite interesting, like the durian, this Asian fruit I tried many years ago in Singapore and that you can find in stores in Chinatown.
In Singapore, at the time, it was forbidden to carry it in public transportation or to bring it to the hotel because of its pungent smell. I remember that we ate it after putting plastic bags on our hands so they would not smell...
The taste was good, particular but good and indescribable.
So there, at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, they sometimes have ice cream made with durian. Sometimes not, because they vary the flavor for the joy of their customers avid to try uncommon flavors. And I am definitely one of them!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Dumbo, Brooklyn
Alright, I finally made it to Grimaldi's, on a week day to avoid the mass of tourists and New Yorkers who want to have a piece of the most famous pie in New York.
It was probably a smart move as we showed up few minutes before opening time and there was already a line. Tourists for sure, from France, Germany or Japan, as well as a pizza tour.
This place is impressive, located right under the Brooklyn bridge, it is an old Bank building. But it is not the original location: it was originally at 19 Old Fulton, few steps from it, where now sits another pizza place, Juliana's, opened by the original owner of Grimaldi's, Patsy Grimaldi himself. Yes, because Grimaldi's was sold by Patsy in 1998 to Frank Ciolli as Patsy wanted to retire. Few years later, Frank Ciolli had to find a new place, his landlord refusing to renew the lease because, allegedly, of problems with rent and city taxes. Hence the new location. Few years later, regretting selling, Patsy decided to do a come back, opening Juliana's where Grimaldi's was first open. Needless to say that it started a feud between the two owners, that I am not sure is settled today.
We got seated pretty fast, in one of the tables on the left after entering the restaurant.
There, you cannot order a slice and have to pay cash. So, we looked at the menu and considered the many toppings they propose. We went for a small pizza (6 slices) with mushrooms, ricotta and meatballs.
After a short wait, our pizza arrived. Ok, let say that it is 6 large slices...
Not only it looked appetizing, but it smelled fantastic, freshly cooked in the coal oven.
I truly appreciated that they put a lot of the toppings we ordered (especially the ricotta and meatballs) and did not simple drizzle few of it. The crust was nicely charred, with a delicious crispness on the outside. The tomato sauce, that I believe is cooked in advance, had a wonderful taste and it was great that they put a reasonable amount of it on the pie.
This was a succulent pizza, the crust, cooked in the coal oven, being incredibly good. I understand now why Grimaldi's is considered one of the best in the US.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Talde in Park Slope, Brooklyn
I wanted to try Talde, the eponymous restaurant of Chef Dale Talde in Park Slope, for a while, but I admit that I do not like to wait for hours to get a table. So, as I was off on a Monday, we decided to show up for an early dinner.
I was intrigued by the Asian-American menu considering the impressive resume of Chef Talde who worked in renown restaurants (Jean George's Vong in Chicago, Buddakan or Morimoto, to name a few), getting his inspiration from his Filipino's roots. You may have seen him on Top Chef, showing an incredible talent as well as a bad temper...
So, here we are, at Talde in Brooklyn. The 75 seats restaurant has a beautiful decor: black wood with Asian carving, definitely neat and slick.
In the back is the kitchen where you can admire the crew prepare uncommon dishes.
The concept is simple: small or large plates preferably for sharing. So we shared!
Our first appetizer was the yuzu guacamole.
Served on crispy rice, they propose it with ham or vegetarian. We chose the latter. Not only the presentation was sublime, but it also was scrumptious. I really liked the transition of texture, from the soft guacamole to the crispy rice.
Then, we got the Hawaiian bread buns.
As they come by three, we ordered the three proposed combinations that were served with garlic vinegar mayo and pickled shallots:
Filipino sausage:
Crispy market fish:
Shiitake mushroom:
These little sliders were fantastic, the three of them being packed in flavors. The sausage was my favorite.
Then, we ordered the glass noodle stir fry.
Not sure what the Buddha style mentioned in the menu means, but it was very good. I admit though that I expected the noodles to be crispy, but it was not the case.
The last dish was the Korean fried chicken:
It was delicious pieces of chicken (crispy and moist), placed on a kimchi yoghurt sauce that was quite spicy, but so good that I did not care if my mouth was on fire.
It was served with grapes and mint that helped cool off my palate. If you like fried chicken, do not miss this dish.
It was served with grapes and mint that helped cool off my palate. If you like fried chicken, do not miss this dish.
Thrilled by the originality if the dishes, we were anxious to see the dessert menu. Unfortunately, there was none and they only proposed one dessert that, although original, did not appeal to me. This was really the only disappointment there, the rest if the meal being beyond my expectations. Now I know why there is so much buzz about Talde!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Waffle and Wolf in Brooklyn
Waffle & Wolf, located in Williamsburg, has an interesting statement: it is a “refined fast food” restaurant serving gourmet waffle sandwiches. Yes, you read properly: waffle sandwiches! It all started in 2011, when Chef Daniel Richardson and its co-owner Arman Sen decided to serve a refined version of American recipes, wrapped in waffles.
This is a tiny place for sure and we were surprised that it was not bigger, probably mistaken by the establishment next door that has the same exterior. So, you order at the counter and they will call you once your sandwich is ready. The menu proposes both savory and sweet recipes and you can chose which type of waffle you want, between buckwheat, cornbread or regular.
I decided to order #29:
It was made of smoked salmon, lemon-dill-caper cream cheese, spinach and red onion. This was fantastic, the waffle pairing perfectly with the ingredients, as well as a bagel would. In fact, know that the batter of the waffle is made with less sugar so it goes well with the savory recipes. There was also a lot of salmon there and, at the beginning, I though that I would be hungry and would need to order another one, the waffle being thinner than usual.
Jodi decided to order the #18:
It was made with olives (not inside, but baked in), hummus, cucumber and arugula. This was also really good, although it became a bit soggy after a while.
I really liked the food at Waffle and Wolf: it is not only original, but delicious. I will definitely go back to try their sweet waffles next time!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Chikalicious Dessert Club in the East Village
ChikaLicious Dessert Club is an offshoot of ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, located across the street from one another. I wanted to go there after people at work mentioned it to me. I also wanted to try the Dough'Ssant, their response to the Cronut from Chef Dominique Ansel. We decided to show up early on a Saturday afternoon, thinking that there would be a large crowd. I admit that our target was the dessert bar and not the club that we did not know exist. So when we arrived and saw the doors closed until 3pm, we were a bit disappointed. Then we turned our back and saw the dessert club, empty!
We rushed inside of this tiny place that was empty. I like when there are not too many people, so we have enough time to make up our mind about the pastries. There are not that many in fact, but enough to make us think...
We decided to first try the chocolate chip cookie:
We immediately picked it because of the large quantity of chocolate that it seemed to have and we were not disappointed. Not the best chocolate chip cookie, but a decent one.
Then, we picked the TiMo or Tiramisu Mochi:
That was fantastic: inside the mochi shell was a delicious tiramisu. I am not sure how they are making it, but it is surely successful.
Jodi could not resist ordering the coconut lychee marshmallow:
If you like coconut, this is definitely for you!
Last, was the Dough'Ssant:
As I mentioned, it is the equivalent to the Cronut, but know that it is not fried, but baked, making it, suposedly healthier...Unlike the cronut, besides the demand, they offer different flavors: plain, nutella, Meyer lemon, caramel...We decided to go for crème brûlée.
It was sublime, light, it did not have all the layers of a croissant, but was still airy. Similar to the cronut, there is some custard inside (all Dough'Ssant have a vanilla creme inside) that adds to the decadence of this pastry. I liked it, but would not put it at the same level of the cronut. I just consider it different.
Price wise, it was reasonable as we ended up paying $20 for all of these plus a double espresso and a tea. I liked it and already have my sight on what I will order on my next visit...
Enjoy (I did)!
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Italian lunch at Bricco in Hell's Kitchen, NYC,NY
I found Bricco looking for a reservation Midtown, on open table. Not sure I would have found it otherwise, the street it is located on not being that busy. Opened by restauranteur Nino Catuogno, the restaurant serves Southern Italian cuisine with a Northern Italian flare.
It is a big place for sure, painted in pastel colors matching the tablecloths and napkins, and with some interesting art on the wall.
In the back is the wood fire oven where they make pizza:
And probably the focaccia bread they brought to the table (I found it stale):
When I looked at the menu, I could not miss the Polipo Alia Griglia or grilled octopus:
I love grilled octopus: it is definitely hard to prepare as it needs to be cooked enough so it is not rubbery and I believe, needs a nice char that enhances the taste.
It was served over a mesclun salad and topped with a mint sauce that had a very refreshing taste, without overpowering the octopus. If you like octopus, this is for sure a dish to try there.
I also tried the Melanzane In Carrozza or baked eggplant and mozzarella that was delicious.
For the entree, I chose the Fettuccine Integrali Alla Contadina:
These were homemade whole wheat pasta in tomato sauce with sausage, fennel's seeds and a touch of cream. Well, more than a touch! It was good, but very, very heavy: the pasta were perfectly cooked and the sauce to die for, very rich, with a nice hint of fennel that came through from time to time.
The food at Bricco was good, with reasonable prices. Unfortunately, I did not have time to get dessert, the dishes taking time to come to the table...But trust me: I left with my belly full!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
There is a new burger place in town! Yes, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries opened a week ago, replacing Bombay West an Indian restaurant that closed. At first, I thought it was another place to celebrate the Jersey Shore, like the now defunct WindMill tried to. But in fact, it refers to the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, where the owners, brothers Dave and Fran DiFerdinando use to go to get fresh hand cut fries that gave them the idea to open their first establishment, serving mainly French fries, cooked at different temperatures in peanut oil, giving them a nice taste and slight crunch, keeping the inside soft. But customers were asking for more and they decided to add burgers to the menu. Today, this franchise has locations in Georgia, California, Maryland, Texas...
Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
And now a brand new location in Hoboken that, despite the Art and Craft Festival, attracted the crowd.
Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
The way it works is that you order at the counter: you can either pick one of their signature burgers or build your own. They will then give you a number and bring your order at your table.
Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
It came fairly quickly. First was my vanilla milkshake that I could not resist to order.
milkshake at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
On my side, I ordered a double patty with American cheese, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, ketchup and mayo.
burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
We ordered one order of those delicious fries that were cooked skin on and delivered their promises. I wondered why the patties did not look perfect; it is because they are made with fresh ground meat (not frozen) and shaped every morning by hand.
burger at Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Hoboken, NJ
And these burgers delivered too! The buns that were like brioche were fantastic, the meat perfectly cooked medium, juicy, with a nice char on the outside, and with cheese oozing from between the patties. Definitely great burgers and I cannot wait to try some other combinations as well as their cheesesteaks! So, you guess: I'll be back!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Wasabi Sushi and Bento, Times Square, NYC, NY
Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
I was recently invited to Wasabi Sushi and Bento, the outpost of a fast casual Japanese grab and go restaurant popular in London that opened in February in Times Square. It is always exciting to try a new place, trying to find what makes them different and stand out. For sure, Japanese cuisine is fairly popular here, between the Japanese restaurants, the non Japanese restaurants serving sushi like Rue 57 or 5 Napkin Burger, the supermarket or deli offering sushi boxes to grab. I admit that I would never order sushi in a burger joint or grab a box made who knows when from a supermarket or deli.
So let's see what Wasabi Sushi and Bento is! Before talking about food, let's talk about the place. It all started in 2003 in London, when its owner, Mr Kim, a Korean born immigrant, got the idea to offer high quality Japanese classics for takeout at reasonable prices. He now has opened 36 locations across the UK and is branching out to the US with this first location that is of a nice size, with impressive high ceilings, white walls and floors that are immaculate, the main color standing out being the green from the stools.
In the back is the open kitchen where you can observe the crew preparing some food cooked all day long, making sure that what you eat is fresh.
At Wasabi, you can pick either sushi, salads or hot food (photo below), including soups.
It is grab and go, that is nothing extraordinary, except for sushi: you can grab individual pieces rather than a sushi set, allowing you to compose your meal at a reasonable price.
So I decided to compose my dinner with a bit of everything:
I grabbed different pieces of sushi:
- hosomaki (thin rolls),
- nigiri (thinly sliced fish over rice),
- Maki (large rolls made with two or more fillings wrapped in rice and nori).
Here is some of what I tried:
Tuna Nigiri:
Salmon Nigiri:
Tamago Nigiri (Japanese omelet):
Crabmeat and cucumber maki:
Inari Nigiri (deep fried tofu):
Tempura Veg maki:
Avocado Hosomaki:
Cucumber Hosomaki:
This was really good, each of the pieces I tried tasted fresh (they are made that day and never served the next day). Little I know that the owner, Mr Kim, is committed to serving sustainably-sourced yellowfin tuna and salmon.
The last sushi I tried was a first for me: it was the Chicken teriyaki onigiri, a triangle of rice tied in nori and flavored with chicken teriyaki.
I had to follow the instructions to unwrap it:
Et voila!
It was served cold and had some nori inside. Very tasty, it had a slight kick that tickled my throat.
Of course, I also had to try some hot food. First was the grilled teriyaki chicken bento box:
Chicken in a teriyaki sauce on a bed of stir-fried cabbage mix, served with rice, garnished with pickled cucumber, red ginger & sesame seeds:
If you like chicken, this is definitely to try, the meat, although smothered by teriyaki sauce was quite moist.
Next was the Chicken gyoza tanmen, a soup made with super thin rice noodles with lots of fresh vegetables in a delicious house-made broth:
It was a very good soup, made with plenty of veggies like Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, pak choi, carrot, onion or snow pea. But the star of the dish was the gyoza itself that was fantastic!
At the time we went, they did not have any more ramen, that they also serve, because they prepare their broth in advance, cooked for 8 hours, and serve it until there is no more.
Last was something sweet. I chose a Daifuku that is mochi filled with Azuki (sweetened red bean paste):
It was a delicious way to end a great discovery. Wasabi is a great way to get high quality Japanese food in the busy area that is Times Square, allowing its customers to create their own menu at very reasonable prices.
Enjoy (I did)!
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The Gotham West Market - part 5/5: Court Street Grocers
The last restaurant we visited at The Gotham West Market was Court Street Grocers, an outpost of the Brooklyn food shop. Smaller than the other places there, they offer a menu composed of mouth watering sandwiches, mainly for carnivores, the vegetarian options being limited, although I have no doubt that they would accommodate.
So we sat at the counter, overlooking the small kitchen.
Jodi decided to order their grilled cheese sandwich.
It was made of four different cheeses (Swiss, Pecorino, mozzarella and cheddar) and tomato mayo, squeezed between two slices of brioche bread. So, if you are a cheese lover, this is definitely good stuff! I was scared at first that it was too burnt on the outside, but in fact, it was fine. As they were generous with the quantity of cheese, it was deliciously gooey, oozing from the sandwich, like a call to be eaten.
With the grilled cheese came a side of pickles:
On my side, I ordered the Italian combo:
It was prepared with mortadella, salami, hot copa, mozzarella, Swiss, Pecorino, arugula, red mayo, a hoagie sauce and vinaigrette. As they were out of hero bread, we went for a ciabatta.
Not only it looked appetizing, but it was scrumptious, packed in flavors, each layer contributing to a great taste that made us regret it was not bigger.
With our sandwiches, we simply ordered a coke and chips.
This was very good: my favorite was the Italian combo that is definitely recommended. On top of that, the service was courteous and efficient. Definitely a good sandwich place to know.
Enjoy (I did)!
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