It’s been a while since we wanted to dine at Keming in Hoboken, especially as we saw that they have dim sum. But I admit that I was a bit nervous because lots of Chinese restaurants use MSG and a large amount gives me a terrible headache (cream of tartar helps though). So we decided to go on a Saturday evening. Although it was not crowded, the place filled up quickly.
They have a large menu but we mainly focused on the dim sum. Here is what we tried:…
I always enjoy a big bowl of ramen during the cold days and we were looking for a new place to go following a fantastic lunch at Ippudo, one if not my favorite ramen place in the city. That is how we ended up at Teppen Ramen, Midtown East. As we arrived, the small place was not that crowded but started to fill up as we ate our soups.
I do not know if you have noticed that Indikitch, the Indian fast casual chain changed its name few months ago to Deep, a less meaningful name that simply associates the restaurant with its new owner, Deep Food Inc. Surfing on the fast casual craze, this place serves a bunch of classic Indian dishes: biryanis, chicken tikka Masala, lamb vindaloo...with the possibility to mix and match protein (Chicken, lamb, paneer -they also have grilled mushrooms for vegetarians) and sauces (tikka Masala, vindaloo, korma, saag, kadai). But when we saw they have Kati rolls, these Indian wraps made with paratha bread, we could not resist. Each order comes with two Kati rolls but they are a bit rigid with the order as they refuse to accommodate a different filling for each roll and you end up with two of the same. Well, I should mention…
I had Wallsé, the Michelin Star restaurant of Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner on my radar for a while and we finally decided to go on a Saturday, early evening. Taking its name from Wallsee, a small village on the Danube river where the Chef grew up, Wallsé is the third project of Chef Gutenbrunner, after Cafe Sabarsky in the Neue Gallery and Upholstery Store: Food & Wine. Considering the latter, art seems to be a passion for him, Wallsé having Impressive pieces, especially the portrait of the Chef by Julian Schnabel that dominates the dining room.
We were walking around downtown Hoboken for some errands when we decided to get some food. As the weather was not that great (cold and rainy), we thought about going to Zafra’s for their hot chocolate that was once on the top 10 best in America. Unfortunately, as we arrived in front of the restaurant, we realized that it was a different place: yes, we missed the news end of November that Zafra’s was closing and a new venture opened a week later under the name of Chango’s Kitchen, still serving Latin-Cuban cuisine, with a menu quite similar if not identical to its predecessor. I am not going to complain about that as Zafra’s had a great menu. Here is what we had:
Last Tuesday, I was invited at Sushi by Bou in Jersey City, a hidden gem tucked in the back of Ani Ramen House on Newark Avenue, a less than a 10 minute walk from the Grove St Path train stop. Sushi by Bou (Bou comes from the name of the Chef and owner David Bouhadana), defines itself as a omakase speakeasy that is the right way to define it: a speakeasy for its location as even being inside Ani Ramen House, I would have not find it if not directed (they are working on signage but it reminded me Burger Joint when it was a sort of secret place only few people knew about, hidden inside the Parker Méridien, …
It’s been a while since we went to Taim, an Israeli vegetarian restaurant with few locations in the city. So, as we were going to a cooking class downtown in the Summer that started at 12pm, we decided to stop there for a quick bite. Good that we went early as they only have few seats! We decided to order two things: the babaganouj that is a spread made with eggplant with a nice smokiness, and, instead of falafel that Taim is known for, we ordered their sabich, a sandwich made with fried eggplant, egg, hummus, tahini…
Caffè Concerto Paszkowski is like Rivoire, one of these institutions that are all over Florence. Going there is a must do to enjoy a nice afternoon at Piazza della Repubblica. Founded in 1846, it had the name Caffè Centrale until 1930 when it took on the name Paszkowski after being acquired by the Società Carlo Paszkowski & C., an Italian beer company, that made it a beer hall and cafe. Interestingly, it was designated as a National Monument in 1991.
As the weather in Florence during our trip turned a bit cold and rainy, we decided to find a place for hot cocoa and ended up at Rivoire, a popular and fancy cafe located on the side of Piazza della Signoria. This place is an institution: opened in 1872 by Enrico Rivoire, a chocolatier of the Savoy royal family, this place, run by the Bardelli brothers, has a fantastic view on the Piazza that is perfect for people watching, in an elegant setting.
While walking in the streets of Florence, we saw Trattoria Dall’Oste and decided to go there for dinner, after seeing their dry aged room from the outside of one of their restaurants. So here we were, having to wait outside for some time, although the restaurant was not that crowded as you can see on the photo below.
We found Lo Scudo while walking behind the Duomo in Florence, attracted by the meat displayed at the window. We loved it so much that we went there twice during our trip: once for lunch and once for dinner, trying various dishes and of course the steak. This place is less than two years old but the owners, Alessandro and Federico succeeded in creating a nice atmosphere, very welcoming, where tourists and locals mingle. This is the kind of restaurant that truly knows what hospitality means and their food was superb.
Similar to Borgo Antico, we went back to Trattoria Zàzà, a restaurant located in the busy area of the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo (The San Lorenzo Central Market that exists since 1874), where hordes of tourists gather to buy bags, belts and other goods made with Italian leather, where bargaining is mandatory, like a game in which everyone will win. The market itself offers a bunch of local products, from vegetables, to meat or seafood, with creepy sightings like the skinned rabbits ready to be cooked.
We were looking for a place to eat near Canal street when we stumbled upon China Blue, the sister restaurant of Cafe China, a place I visited last year while going through some Michelin Star restaurants. I was not sure what to expect but, as we entered, we felt immediately that we would probably have a memorable lunch. Yes, the decor is beautiful with all its Chinese ornaments and the dining room spacious enough to allow for some privacy, at least at lunch time (we went on a Saturday at noon).
Time for ramen! That is what Jodi and I thought when planning a day to the city and we decided to go to Ippudo West Side for lunch. Early enough to get a seat before it started to get packed. As we were showed our seats at the counter, the hostess shouted in Japanese something like “there are two guests sitting at the counter”, followed by a “welcome” from the staff.
As we were walking on 47th street to go to The Terrace and Outdoor Gardens for dinner, we passed in front of Hong Kong station, a Chinese restaurant with an interesting menu that would satisfy vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Located on the ground floor of the Night Hotel, in the heart of Times Square and I did not imagine how big this place is, with the decor at the entrance, especially the red lanterns standing out.
The first time I went to Junior’s was more than a decade ago, one of my friends talking about the cheesecake all the time and since then, I consider this deli to have the best in New York. There was just one location I never went to: the original one in Brooklyn that opened in 1950 under a different name, being a diner first. For sure, this was less crowded than in its sister restaurants in New York and I felt that it had an authentic feel to it, some sort of nostalgia.
When Schnackenberg’s closed in Hoboken, I was so disappointed. I liked that place that was like an old school luncheonette serving classic American dishes at a reasonable price. And so, replacing it by a salad joint was kind of an insult to the history of the previous place. Setting foot at The Garden Street Farmers Market, Alfalfa was even a pop-up in Schnackenberg’s. So, after several months, thinking about eating a salad (it happens), we decided to try this place. As we entered, I noticed that it was completely gut renovated, with only few tables left and a side with books and pillows that give a relaxed feel to the joint.
Going to Black Barn is like stepping in a farm in the heart of New York. Located North of Madison Square Park, this place is a true find: this farm to table restaurant’s kitchen is headed by Chef John Doherty who spent 25 years in the kitchen of the Waldorf Astoria. For sure the decor is amazing and I wished I could have visited their second level: thanks to their high ceilings, they built the structure of a barn and the main dining room overlooks the open kitchen and a wine cellar that is quite impressive.
