03.09.10
Posted in New York City Reviews at 00:22 by Dominique
100 Mott & Hester/Canal Sts., 212-966-3988
Great for: scallion pancakes, soup dumplings, crispy half duck, any Shanghai specialties
I am half Shanghainese on my mother’s side. When I was growing up, I thought that nian gao, scallion pancakes and juicy dumplings were totally normal things on a menu. After all, we had them every time we went out. It wasn’t until I had to forage for Chinese food on my own that I realized how difficult it is to find Shanghai food, well-made or otherwise.
These are the best scallion pancakes I have had in years, and I’ve had them in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Vancouver and San Francisco. They are fluffy and don’t even need sauce, which I can’t remember ever not needing. Somehow they are many-layered without being thick, and crispy without dripping with oil. My only wish is that they would have more than four per order. But at $1.75/order, that is not a problem.
The soup dumplings, also known as xiao long bao,s are generally excellent. They are a little inconsistent with the thickness of the skin; the first time, too thick, the second time, perfect. In any case, the flavor is to die for; most importantly, they always have lots of “soup.” In case you didn’t know, do not shove the whole dumpling in your mouth. Put it in a Chinese soup spoon, bite a little hole, and slurp out the juices. Add any sauces you may desire and nibble at the rest. If you eat it all in one bite, you will burn your tongue and/or throat and your friends will laugh at you while your eyes water in pain.
The only places in the city that compete with the quality of the soup dumplings are Shanghai Pavilion and Chinatown Brasserie. (Forget Joe’s Shanghai, it’s overpriced and for tourists who don’t know any better. Sorry to burst your bubble, tourists.) Plus, you get eight dumplings for $4.25, or with crab for $6.25. That is crazy cheap, not to mention crazy good.
The wonton noodle soup had very interesting, atypical wontons with giant chives, pork and shrimp in translucent skin instead of white. The noodles were the big fat white kind and the broth was a little too subtle, but still quite good. Maybe the noodles needed to be steeped longer – they were too big not to be flavored.
The waiters were fast and pretty polite, especially for a Chinese place. It’s quite big with standard Chinatown décor. This place is a godsend!
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $15
Noise level: quite noisy
Chance of walking in: not great, plus they’re always busy and close at 9pm most days.
The crispy half duck is also excellent. A juicy, crunchy delight bursting with flavor, it is a miracle at only $11.
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03.03.10
Posted in Asian, Japanese, Midtown East, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 17:10 by Dominique
213 E.45th St. & 3rd/2nd Aves., 212-867-5454
Great for: trying lots of small things, robata (grill) items
I have wanted to try this place since it opened and I heard terrific things about it. Finally, one lunchtime I got to go. Now I want to have dinner there too, especially since I didn’t get to try any robata things. Who knows when that’ll happen, though.
The amuse bouche of grilled octopus was terrific; meaty, not rubbery, and very unexpected at lunchtime (the fact that they served an amuse bouche, not the cephalopod itself). That is only the third time in my life I have unreservedly enjoyed octopus. To the kitchen: bravo!
P got organic teriyaki chicken over rice, which came in a nice, hefty, delicious portion. I was very hungry and did the lunch special where you can get two different things for only slightly more than the price of one. My grilled washu beef was delightful. (Washu is a hybridization of Kobe and Black Angus.) I rarely eat rice, but if you pour such tasty sauce on it I will be forced to happily eat all the saucy bits. I also really liked the salmon flakes with salmon roe over more rice. They clearly craft their dishes with care here, and it showed.
I was pretty full by this time, as you can imagine, when out came a complimentary tiny apple pie flute. I enjoyed my nibble of it, as I did the carafe of Otokoyama Kimoto. The service is deferential and extremely polite, as it is at most Japanese restaurants. This one certainly stays on my list.
Rating: 7.5 / 10, pending dinner visit
Our cost: $70 (lunch, 1 carafe sake)
Noise level: polite hum
Chance of walking in: maybe decent, but I’d probably call ahead.
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Posted in American, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, SoHo, rated 8 to 8.5 at 01:04 by Dominique
264 Elizabeth & E. Houston Sts., 212-966-9640
Great for: everything, private parties
I am so happy to discover a great new restaurant in my neighborhood. Plus, it’s really close to SoHo Billiards, where the Boyfriend practices, so we’ll probably be coming back often.
We started with perfectly cooked mussels with andouille, white wine and herb butter. They were terrific. Not gritty and the sausage was perfectly salted. The broth was so yummy I actually used bread to eat more of it.
In an attempt to be healthy, I got the striped bass with potato purée, snap pea emulsion, grilled onion and sopressata. There was no sopressata that I could find but the dish was just lovely, with nice soft fish and some crunchy skin. It was kind of a small portion and the peas were a little unexpected but overall I really liked it. My included side of local greens in soy vinaigrette was absolutely great. I loved the dressing and the leaves were a little big but I was delighted to stuff it all in my mouth. His shell steak au poivre was also terrific. The meat was evenly cooked and there were lots of fries with wonderful garlic chili mayo.
We had very friendly service. It’s really cute inside, with an inner dining room after you get past the large bar. There’s a back room with stripper poles for private parties. (The next time I do a birthday dinner, I’m so there.)
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Our cost: $85 (1 big app, 2 Lionshead pilsners)
Noise level: convivial hum
Chance of walking in: it won’t stay undiscovered for long – you probably want to call first.
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02.22.10
Posted in Asian, Greenwich Village, Japanese, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5, small plates at 23:56 by Dominique
11 Barrow St. & W.4th St., 212-675-7775
Great for: interesting little plates
I was supposed to audition for this show in the far West Village. They said I should watch it first to be sure I wasn’t offended by the religious mocking. I knew I wouldn’t be, but it’s always nice to see a free show. Except this one. The singing sucked ass, the story made no sense, and if the people had got up on stage and masturbated it would have been far less solipsistic and annoying. In any case, we ran away as soon as the show ended, to a place with redeeming qualities.
We both got the chashu ramen. A simple broth with just noodles, scallions, very thin pork slices and and radish bits, it’s pretty good. I give them props for doing something simply and well. $14 is a little expensive for what it is, though. We got more mileage out of the bottle of organic Sho Chiku Bai Nama.
Our service was nice and the place seems quite popular. There are lots of interesting little plates I’d try in a more adventurous mood.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $55
Noise level: depends how drunk the other patrons are
Chance of walking in: not good.
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Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Midtown Central, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 7 to 7.5 at 22:27 by Dominique
10 W.32nd St. & 5th/6th Aves., 212-594-4963
Great for: entrées, probably barbecue (everyone else had it)
This was a lucky spin of the Koreatown restaurant roulette wheel. We did not get barbecue this time, because I wasn’t sure the Boyfriend would like it – we’re slowly expanding his thoroughly American food horizons – but I would happily come back and try it.
There were lots of pickled vegetables in the small plates. The chawan mushi and tofu were the best. We enjoyed the giant pizza-roll-looking mandoo. They’re definitely a good value at that size.
His je yuk dubu kimchi, a boneless chicken breast in house sauce, was impressively tasty. It didn’t look like a whole breast’s worth of meat, and was a little odd, but we really liked it. The beef and seafood soondubu was also good,. It was spicy and tasty and the tofu was silky, as proper soondubu should be. Much better than BCD Tofu House.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $55
Noise level: fairly quiet
Chance of walking in: good.
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02.16.10
Posted in Asian, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, SoHo, Southeast Asian, rated 6 to 6.5 at 23:50 by Dominique
196 Elizabeth & Spring/Prince Sts., 212-925-3310
Great for: ginger fried chicken, hobo noodles, dates on a budget
Lovely Day is sort of a SoHo institution, so people were pretty upset when they closed for several months last year after fire damage. Fortunately, they managed to get back on their feet and their beloved ginger fried chicken was not lost.
That chicken is good and juicy, but they should make the pieces smaller so the flavoring gets to more of the meat. I love the accompanying aïoli, basically a spicy mayo. The kimono fried shrimp with sweet chili sauce was fine, not a standout. I wish it were spicier.
The Boyfriend’s pad thai with shrimp was pretty good. There was too much sweet fish sauce – it was better when doused in hot sauce. A Thai place really should have better pad thai. I was tempted by the special of Chilean sea bass but couldn’t pass up the chicken hobo noodles. It was satisfying, though the chicken could be moister. The best part was the addictive and lovely, soft but not sticky noodles.
The green tea ice cream was fine and so were the nice waiters. We liked the cute log cabin décor. The quaint and homey thing keeps the vibe low-key. The place was packed on a cold Wednesday at 10pm including every seat at the bar. I guess people are very happy it’s open again.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $55 (one green tea ice cream, 2 non-alcoholic drinks)
Noise level: noisy but not too bad
Chance of walking in: they’re always packed. You can only make a reservation at lunch. They’re open until 11pm every day though.
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Posted in American, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, West Village, rated 7 to 7.5 at 17:18 by Dominique
99 7th Ave. South & W.4th St., 212-645-0600
Great for: dates, jazz, large entrées
My dear friend D and her girlfriend A invited the Boyfriend and me to a seminar nearby and we weren’t quite ready to call it a night afterward, so we wandered into Garage for some dinner. I’ve seen the place for years and never been inside – I was definitely missing out. It’s not a very wallet-friendly place, but it definitely is kind to the palate.
I really enjoyed my bay scallop linguine with asparagus in Champagne cream sauce. There were lots of little scallops and ample sauce, which was a bit sour from the Champagne but still tasty. The Boyfriend’s chicken and smoked mozzarella ravioli in light Parmesan alfredo with prosciutto and peas was absolutely wonderful. Fortunately there was such a generous amount, I got to eat some of it. We especially loved the terrific garlicky sauce.
D liked her Chilean sea bass in lemon-thyme beurre blanc with homemade spinach gnocchi and sauteed broccolini. A’s fettuccine and pan-roasted shrimp with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach had extra large shrimp and was also delicious.
We really liked the cute décor and the homey, warm atmosphere. Try to sit in the upper balcony if you can. It’s a lovely date place, though quite expensive.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Out cost: $150 (only entrées + 2 glasses white wine)
Noise level: music is a good volume and the talking isn’t too loud
Chance of walking in: it’s pretty packed.
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02.10.10
Posted in food-related musings at 15:14 by Dominique
I have been going to all these inspiring, fun foodie events! I kept meaning to blog about them but I’ve been super busy with my other careers and playing housewife (I’m a slow chopper and a perfectionist. Not an efficient combination). Anyway – first there was the free Word of Mouth event about Online Media and the Future of Food Writing. It’s amazing how many people turned up. Housing Works was packed. I was really excited to see Ed Levine from Serious Eats and it was inspiring, but a bit overwhelming, to hear how many other food sites are out there. I guess it’s good that my blog has a clearly defined niche or I’d be even more lost in the shuffle.
The Boyfriend and I went to Hill Country to use my Blackboard Eats coupon when I stumbled into a foodblogger party, courtesy of Hagan Blount and his 93 Plates project. I met some other interesting people – hello Diva Jackie! – and realized that I should be networking a lot more if I want to make any headway at all.
Which is why I actually paid to go to the Culintro Future of Food Journalism seminar. It was, as all verbal discussions of food and writing tend to be, a little bit omphaloskeptic, but I actually learned some stuff this time. I’m not a trained journalist, though I’ve read enough books and issues of the Economist and New Yorker to have a pretty good idea of the ethical rules. It was nice to discover that I have been instinctively following them the whole time.
I like being more involved in the foodwriting world. The Boyfriend is helping me improve the website and I am thinking of new things I can do. I might write a little more about things I cook at home, since I do that nearly every night, and I think I will try to stick to a posting schedule. I’ll throw my hat over the fence and say Mondays and Thursdays will be the magic days from now on. Tomorrow is my birthday, so there, by publishing this I am ahead already!
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01.21.10
Posted in food-related musings at 14:00 by Dominique
I am hungry all the time. I also try not to eat sweets, since they are empty calories and not filling to me. This is a problem when I’m away from home and just want a little snack. You can buy a candy bar or brownie or tons of other treats, but where are the non-junk savory snacks? As much as I love chips, they’re empty calories too. Jerky is out, Hot Pockets require equipment, and sandwiches or pizza slices are usually too much food. Fast food dollar menus tend to have smaller foods, but a burger is still not healthy or small enough.
My favorite solution to this conundrum is Café Zaiya. They have a location on 41st near Madison, and inside Kinokuniya Books on 6th and 41st. Their onigiri is great! A palm-sized triangle of rice with tuna, salmon, or shrimp inside, wrapped in crispy seaweed, is exactly the healthy, tasty small bite I’m looking for. And at not even $2, it’s a great deal. I wish more places had it. We have sushi and udon at nearly every random deli and café; onigiri is just as easy to make. This could be the solution to America’s much-discussed obesity epidemic!
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01.06.10
Posted in East Village, Latin, New York City Neighborhoods, New York City Reviews, rated 6 to 6.5 at 02:42 by Dominique
304 E.6th St. & 2nd/1st Aves., 212-253-5888
Great for: tequila lovers with deep pockets, dainty eaters
I wanted to do something nice for the Boyfriend, and we’d decided to move in together the next week (I know, I know, crazy fast, but it’s working), so I figured what could be better than taking a Mexican food- and drink-loving guy to a tequila bar/restaurant? Turns out I should probably have taken him to Crema, although we did find a lovely new tequila we both like.
We started off with good croquetas. The one of chorizo was slightly better than the cheese and smoked tomato one. We preferred the seared shrimp and scallops stuffed with chorizo and roasted sweet pepper. They came in skewers and we could have eaten a few more, for sure.
I also enjoyed his tacos with chicken, cilantro, radishes and lime. They were insanely hot in places – someone definitely didn’t understand how crucial dicing and spreading out peppers is – and otherwise crispy and quite nice. My entraña with chimichurri over summer corn pudding with pico of tomato, radish, red onion and Mexican oregano was only fine. It felt like a small amount of steak. I enjoyed the pudding, at least. We definitely needed more tequila to forget how much we were being charged for eh food.
The cocktails are pretty good. I liked the suro-mago, though I was puzzled that it came in half a tumbler. I don’t know why they didn’t just put it in a smaller glass. The amor morado came in a more appropriately sized container and was also good. The Boyfriend said his margarita was good, not terrific, despite people saying it’s Mayahuel’s specialty (but then the Cali boy is picky). He loved his 2 ounces of Siete Leguas, which is strong-tasting yet approachable. It was so good, we got a bottle at Astor Wines later.
This is an overpriced, New York-y type of place. Our waitress knowing her tequila saved them half a point. It’s pretty decent compared to some of the swill that passes for Mexican here, but at these prices I kind of expect a little more, and a bit better, food.
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Our cost: $135 (regular dinner + 4 cocktails)
Noise level: noisy until late
Chance of walking in: not great, but it’s still new.
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