Because I’m a pig…

Jusssstttt got back from dinner at Mercat. The reason was this. We ordered every savory dish on the special menu by the two guest chefs (12ish) + razor clams with bacon vinaigrette and brussel sprouts. A lot of food and wine as usual. Nothing to write home about really and especially since my favorite was the razor clam dish which came from the regular menu. By the end of it I was just really hungry for real tapas…pan con tomate, sizzling shrimp in garlicky olive oil, boquerones, bacalao fritters, you name it…argh!!!

For desserts we went with the churros with hot chocolate on the regular menu. It was disappointing to see the least. I needed real, satisfying desserts!!! Our group parted ways and on my way home I couldn’t stop thinking about my last Michel Cluizel bar and how good it would taste on a piece of toast with a sprinkle of sea salt! (infinitely better than the tragic churros)

My favorite!

For your reference, I was in Spain about a month ago (hence all this Spanish craze). We had a layover at Charles de Gaulle and that’s where I picked up all these Michel Cluizel bars for cheap! This one pictured above is my favorite so far (Noir – Sao Tome) – smoky and spicy with loads of character or as the back panel described it, “[the beans] make this highly aromatic chocolate, whose exceptionally long taste combines toasted, spicy and herbaceous notes with flavours of ripe tropical fruits and liquorice sticks.” And that long taste bullcrap, YOU’LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY MEAN AFTER YOU TASTE IT!

So I got home, took a pee (because my bladder was exploding!) then got right to business. Here’s the deal: Amy’s sourdough bread toasted and slathered with olive oil, cut it up and top each with a square of the aforementioned chocolate, then broil and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt.

YUM YUM YUM! I had four pieces of those. With a glass of sherry. After a 4-hour dinner. I’m a pig, and damn proud of it.

Mercat
45 Bond St.
New York, NY 10012
(212) 529-8600

Happiness for 3 bucks at Ronnybrook

$3 Ice Cream Sammich!! (strawberry ice cream with chocolate chip cookies)

This got me so giddy I forgot to pay for it! I don’t know what inspired me to pick that girly flavor since I’ve always associated strawberry ice cream with this cloyingly sweet, artificial tasting pink glob of crap. Well whatever it was, I am now a convert, thanks to Ronnybrook. It was sweet AND tart and fragrant of fresh strawberries with a killer creamy consistency. Pair that with fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and you’ve got yourself edible happiness for just 3 bucks!

Free Range Chicken Sandwich with Avocado, Bacon and Grafton Cheddar

Those not looking for a sugar rush, Ronnybrook Milk bar offers a few simple savory options to suit your appetite. The brunchy items were passable and entirely skippable, so those not looking for a sugar rush, go get yourself a sweet tooth implant or you shouldn’t be coming here in the first place.

Cast-iron Eggs with Asparagus and Roasted Potatoes

Though, to be fair, they definitely deserved credit for the exceptional roasted potatoes. But if you’re going to eat a whole bowl of potatoes — which I positively encourage — then might as well finish with an ice cream sammich, right?

Ronnybrook Milk Bar (at Chelsea Market)
75 9th Ave. (between 15th & 16th St.)
New York, NY 10011

Fish

Had an intense sushi craving yesterday, and being the destructively indulgent person that I am, I took the proper measure to quell the craving…

Tomoe Sushi-Sashimi Combination

The portion was generous and the pieces ginormous, repeat, GINORMOUS — you really have to be in the mood for big big pieces of raw fish or it can be repelling. I got stupendously full as usual, though the fishies weren’t quite as amazing as I’d remembered…

And since we’re on the subject of fish, here’s an homage to my top weekday dinner choice for the last two months:

Chirashi!!!

Via SeamlessWeb of course! Oh how the memory of you evokes flashes of nostalgia and nausea at the same time… This very beautiful version here was from lunch at Gari a few months back, courtesy of my former boss.

Salmon

More Chirashi

Left: Mille Crêpes; Right: Gari’s Choice (lightly fried dough filled with red bean paste, green tea ice cream)

Despite the gorgeous presentation, Gari’s fish was kinda meh. One of those strictly corporate restaurants (i.e., expensed meals only)

Tomoe Sushi
172 Thompson St. (between Bleecker & Houston)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 777-9346

Sushi of Gari 46
347 W 46th St. (between 8th & 9th Ave.)
New York, NY 10036
(212) 957-0046

Giada’s Birfday Partay at Blue Hill

and I wasn’t invited, WTF. What’s the deal Gia?? Thought we were friends!

Not as good as Blue Hill’s Chocolate Bread Pudding eh?

Alright, so I might have been left out from Gia’s VIP list but luckily my Dining Club did not forget about me :). Very untrue to form, D, M, L, Shar, Sofs and I all managed to arrive at Blue Hill in Greenwich Village within 10 minutes reservation time. Once the nudging and whispering and a round of boobie/bobblehead jokes subsided (we love you Giada!), our waiter came by with a helping of ficelle-like breadsticks. Each cylinder was perfectly warm, porous with just enough air bubbles, chewy and enormously addictive. We simply lost count of how many baskets we went through…Dr. Atkins would’ve winced in disgust.

Then came six shot glasses of dubious, colorless liquid complimentary of the kitchen. “What is it?” Free alcohol?? “Ohhh, Tomato Water! Ahhhh!” With the drink’s identity revealed, we each took a sip and were all sort of caught off guard by the taste, the intensely savory tomato-ey taste. Amazing how such innocuous looking liquid could pack in so much flavor they might as well call it tomato essence or tomato potion. It was refreshingly tomato-ey, the way you wish all supermarket tomatoes would taste like instead of the insipid whatever we’re stuck with.

Among the three appetizers six of us shared — Stone Barns Greens Ravioli, Stone Barns Tomatoes and Maine Crabmeat — the tomatoes were my favorite: jewel-hued tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces, doused in olive oil and their own juices, then joined force with crunchy cucumber, basil, tomato sorbet and the lone meaty grilled peach. Party in my mouth! The ravioli was also popular with the girls, stuffed with shredded unidentifiable summer greens — let’s call it USG for short — and topped with yet another mound of wilted USG. But no matter, they were light and delicious, USG and all, the way you wish all ravioli could taste like in the summer months (if you even had the craving for ravioli during summer that is.)

Come to think if it, the shot of tomato water was a perfect way to induct diners into the Blue Hill experience — the pure taste of nature’s bounty and the vibrancy of the season distilled into two intensely provocative sips. Quite a rite of initiation into the not-so-secret society where seasonality and farm-fresh ingredients reign supreme.

And if that philosophy wasn’t clear in the shot of tomato sweat or the veggie-centric starters, the entrees would surely set you on the right course. My Poached Duck with Peas and Pistachios was just that: a heap of duck on a pool of peas. No vertical presentation. No unnecessary garnish. No usual squiggles of this sauce here and that sauce there. And I didn’t have to strain my tongue and hurt my brain trying to differentiate 10+ ingredients slyly disguised in a vertical stack, a squiggle or what have you (not that I hate doing that). At Blue Hill, duck looked like duck and tasted like duck, and it was extremely succulent and tender (sous vide?). Peas were sweet and plump and studded with pistachios and a hint of mint. The striped bass was accompanied by a piquant pistou of local summer vegetables that made me think rainbow and sunshine. Grilled cobia (a kind of fish) was startlingly meaty and tasted like chicken. Seasoning was spare, the virtue of fat and textural contrast downplayed, and the duckiness/vealiness/peaness took center stage. It was honest and straightforward and thoroughly enjoyable.

And then our clean-plate club got momentarily distracted by the candlelit chocolate cake coming from the kitchen. Wait…no way! It’s Giada’s Birthday!!! OMG happy birthday to youuuuuu! Then we clapped. Of course.

We tried all five desserts on the menu and I must say the Summer Berry Coupe was my personal favorite — if I had to choose one. The majority of our table seemed to like the Chocolate Bread Pudding which tasted more like a really dense, dark chocolate souffle and to me didn’t live up to the hype. (Even Giada said she didn’t want to eat her cake so she could save room for the chocolate bread pudding! No this is not called eavesdropping, it’s overhearing.) The other combinations like the blueberry cheesecake with corn ice cream just failed to strike a chord with us. Still, all the berries were plump and juicy. Maybe it was the lacking sense of decadence but I honestly couldn’t say I was satisfied with their desserts.

But again, it’s very possible that my palate was already unreliable by that point. Thanks to Clear Creek’s pear eau de vie. Thanks to Sofs and Eric Asimov.

Blue Hill Restaurant
75 Washington Pl. (between 6th Ave. & MacDougal)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 539-1776

Lobster rollin’ encore!

I know this seems a bit ridiculous. Lobster rollin’ two weeks in a row? Excessive much???

Now let me give you the context: my good friend D recently landed a full-time offer at NBC–yes, a full-time job at NBC. YAY!!! CONGRATULATIONS D!!! I’m so happy for you =). That said, don’t you all agree that this special occasion warranted a grand celebration? The day was set for Saturday, and guess where D wanted to go? Pearl Oyster Bar! It’s true, I just had a lobster roll a mere week ago, but if the person landing the job–the one being celebrated–wanted lobster rolls, again, then what could I say?

HELL YES! LET’S GO! LOBSTER ROLLS ENCORE BABY!!!

So off I rode down the 1 train, again, to that disorienting intersection of Christopher & 4th. (fyi, Pearl and Mary’s are just blocks away from each other. Quite convenient for those promiscuous lobster roll fans who don’t just set their hearts on one camp, since they can simply put their names down at both places and see which place calls first.) Of course, there was a long wait. No problem! I was too happy to stroll around and spend some time at Murray’s Cheese Shop. You see, when you put me in a store like that, especially when I’m hungry, you know a mini-spree is in order. I ended up with a 1/2 lb of prosciutto, 1/2 lb of pate de canard, a sizable wedge of this cheese called piave that smelled so much like parmigiano-reggiano (a good sign!), and then…drumroll…a thingy of burratina!! (Read about my newfound obsession with this ridiculously ethereal cheese here.) Anticipate a report on this.

D holding up the precious Lobster Roll!
Shoestring Fries on T‘s plate in the backdrop

All happy and radiant from our Murray’s purchase, we walked back to Pearl and tucked ourselves in at the cramped bar. Some celebratory wine was ordered, and what ensued was one deliriously happy meal that would put Micky D’s to shame. Long story short: D and T each got a lobster roll. I ordered the pan roasted scallops. T proclaimed this to be the best meal of his life. T started talking to the lobster in the poster on the wall. “Dear lobster, thank you for sacrificing yourself for us…” T declared Pearl Oyster Bar the happiest place on the planet (on par with Best Buy). D and I couldn’t agree more.

I had some of D‘s lobster roll and it totally confirmed my sentiment last week. The lobster salad had significantly less mayonaise than Mary’s and you could actually hold it up! There was no celery in it, or maybe there was but it was undetectable. I take back the part about lobster chunks being too big–there’s no such things =p. With just the right amount of mayo, the absence of celery, and super-skinny shoestring fries that maximize the ratio of crispy exterior to the mushy inside, Pearl’s lobster roll is most definitely my favorite in town, and now I say with full confidence.

Pan Roasted Sea Scallops with Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus, and Shitake

Alright, I know some explanation is needed for why I copped out with the scallops. What the hell right? I know, I know. I deserve all the yelling. This sudden wave of health-consciousness descended upon me–stupid voice of reason telling me I just had the doubly mayonaise-drenched version last week and penance was to be enacted–so I went ahead with the scallops. The wholesome foursome were cooked beautifully, velvety and all, and the shitake was crispy and smoky, a nice accompaniment. But still, it was no lobster roll. I kept glancing longingly as D and T immersed themselves in theirs. The voice of reason must be quelled next time.

Finally, it’s time to order dessert–the long-awaited out-of-this-world good blueberry pie! Our waitress cruised by and I beamed, “Can we please have the blueberry pie?” I beamed more. Waitress said, “Oh I’m so sorry. We don’t have blueberry pie this season. Instead, there’s the apple crumble…it’s seasonal…and there’s also BLAH BLAH BLAH and BLAH and BLAH BLAH, or you can have the hot fudge sundae. It’s really good…”

I was almost teary-eyed. I think I actually felt vindictive against seasonality and nature for a few seconds.

But no time to lament–SJ was also having a birthday dinner that night. I parted with D and T then headed to Magnolia Bakery to pick up some cupcakes for birthday boy. Despite my personal gripe against Magnolia and cupcakes in general–they’re so throat-clogging dry and sickeningly sweet!–I found myself going back time and again to this place (or other similar-minded shops), each time fetching a double-digit number of the saccharine cupcakes for the birthday girl/boy or anybody deserving to feel special that particular day. It’s confounding…I still don’t get the deadly sweet vanilla-vanilla cupcakes but I keep buying them for people (the double chocolate ones are ok, especially when eaten drunk). Well, I guess there’s a certain allure to the fluffy pastel-colored frosting and the petite-sized single portion. Their cultish status contributes too, I guess. They’re just cute and whimsical and they make the receivers feel extra-special…or that’s what I think. Oh I don’t know why I’m trying to rationalize all this. Sorry for the babbling!

Clockwise from top left: a quartet of cupcakes for birthday boy; Banana Pudding aka better-than-sex pudding; a clearly emotionally purchased cupcake for moi; Coconut Layered Cake for BFF

Since the wait was a soul-sucking 20 minutes, I further rationalized that it would make more sense if I bought more items; hence another mini-spree as pictured above. Their banana pudding is actually quite good and mildly addictive. Thanks to J for introducing me to it.

Murray’s Cheese Shop (Greenwich Village location)
254 Bleecker St.
(between 6th and 7th Ave.)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-3289

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-8911

Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 462-2572

Lobster rollin’

Last Saturday, to celebrate the end of my bedridden condition, Baybala and I made a trek down to the West Village for some good ol’ lobster rollin’. (My poor suite was hit by a mysterious plague. Three of us were somewhat deathly sick for a collective period of one week–I know, yuck. It was the weakest time of my life, and the sickness sort of accounted for my inactivity here too, well partially…but yea, be sympathetic!) But sick or not, I definitely had been fantasizing about this lobster roll business for a while. It got so bad that, for two days straight, all I could think of was lobster rolls, daydreaming about chunks and chunks of fresh lobster meat…all squished in some uber-buttery crispy hot dog bun…dripping in mayonaise…I mean…drowning…ahhh…and also shoestring fries as a bonus…so artery-clogging but so utterly wonderful! Doesn’t that just sound like the ultimate cure for some stupid virus???

I was supposed to wait a little longer to go with D and AJ, my two lobster roll buddies, but alas, the situation was far too urgent and grave. Forgive me lobster roll buddies! With Baybala as my partner in crime, I was set on going to the new Ed’s Lobster Bar in Soho. Ok, I’ll admit it…it’s the ice-cream sammich they talked about on Grub Street. But doesn’t that just look realllllly good? And the guy was a longtime cook at Pearl too, so I thought it’d be worthwhile to check it out. Unfortunately, most of the reviews on Chowhound weren’t too auspicious. Orgasmic-looking ice-cream hot dog will have to wait…so sayonora to Ed (for now). We were headed instead to Mary’s Fish Camp in the West Village, hurrah!

Louisiana Crab au Gratin

We got there around 6ish and the place was already packed. Baybala and I had to wait 30 minutes, meh–whatever, could’ve been a lot worse. We shared an appetizer of Louisiana Crab au Gratin. The puny cup held a mixture of heavy cream, cheddar cheese, and huge lumps of crabmeat, so quite predictably, it was really good. (Seriously, how do you make something bad-tasting with that combination??) Its rich fattiness warmed my heart.

Lobster Roll!!!

After the quickie warm-up, our lobster rolls arrived. They were delightfully drenched in mayonaise and overflowing with beautiful lobster meat–’twas a heartwarming sight indeed. I took my first bite and…mMmmmMMMmmMMm…it was so worth the wait. Hail the New Englanders!! All power to them for their mighty contribution to the greatness that is the American cuisine! What a colossal crustacean feat!! Oh yeahhhh!!

Awkward phrases and annoying alliteration abound, but of course, the inevitable question remains: so how did it compare to Pearl’s? (and yes, how many calories was in that one lobster roll???). Well, as much as I enjoyed the evening, I would have to say that Pearl’s is still my favorite. This is going to sound tres silly, but I thought the lobster pieces in Mary’s lobster rolls were a bit too large and the presence of the chopped celery, well, a bit too present–one less teaspoon would’ve been perfect for me. Plus, the mayo-drippiness did get a bit too drippy too. Don’t get me wrong though…Mary’s lobster roll was still the most satisfying item I put in my mouth since I got back from spring break (oh how I miss LA!). But after all, if I’m dropping 28 friggin dollars on that one damn roll, then I deserve to have all my idiosyncratic preferences fulfilled right? I’d hope so!

Hot Fudge Sundae

Finally, as a conclusion to our oh-so-healthy-heart dinner, Baybala and I shared an order of the Hot Fudge Sundae, a nice end to this decadent meal of fatty comfort food. But still, I’ll have to admit I was very bummed out that they didn’t have blueberry pie on the menu–totally looking forward to having a super-Maineiac meal (another reason why I’d prefer Pearl Oyster Bar over Mary’s Fish Camp since Pearl’s blueberry pie was so out-of-this-world good).

So yes, I’m sorry for the long period of inactivity (there’s this thing called school, unfortunately). But now that I’m done with the sickness and most of my club obligations, I’m really hoping to spend more time here. It’s my happy place =). Stay tuned!

Mary’s Fish Camp
64 Charles Street (at 4th Street)
New York, NY 10014
(646) 486-2185

Gimme some assss :: Bo Ssam

So…I know it’s been a while, but let’s pick up right where we left off, shall we?

The morning after that momentous day D. Chang’s Ssam Bar rose to NYT two-stardom, Sofia messaged me. It went something like:

SYL: I think it’s time for the bo ssam

AH: Are you serious?? OMG. OMFG. Hells yeaaaa! yippeeeee

SYL: YAY. I’M SO EXCITED. YAY PORK BUTT!!!

AH: YEA, ME TOO. YIPPPEEEE. PORK BUTT FEAST!!!

I had been fantasizing about this pork butt business for a while. Everywhere I went, it just seemed like everybody was doing it, you know what I mean? Obviously I felt the need to join the rank. Sofia and I started gather round a group of dedicated eaters, made the fateful reservation, and tada!! I’m proud to announce that this past Friday, eleven of us all got ass, a beautiful bootilicious porcine ass nonetheless. It was an event to be remembered: a decadent pork butt orgy to usher in spring break–how ironically timely, eh?

In case you’re curious, Sofia wrote up a wonderful account of the evening over at her blog. Now I feel no need to burden you anymore with my crappy writing. Enjoy the crappy pictures. Buh bye!

All accoutrements ready, awaiting the main star

Ahahah, gotcha over there! Of course, my loyal readers (like five of you? Thank you. I love you more than my other friends, but let’s keep it secret ;p) would know there’s no way I would end a real entry without hitting that 500 word count. So, since Sofia already recounted the night of gluttony in all its porky detail, I’m just going to do what I do best here: WHINE. The blog is called food and whine for a reason, duh!

Disclaimer: Despite my bitchin’ and moanin’ below, Ssam Bar is still one of my favorite places to eat in the City. All these whines are based on my personal tastes. They are subjective and should not dissuade you from going there (if you haven’t been, that is. Because if you have, you’re hooked, and right at this minute you’re thinking, “Who the hell do you think you are?? You unfaithful bitch,” or something along that line. haha, am I right?

Main Sea Urchin with Tapioca, Whipped Tofu, and Scallion

1. Main Sea Urchin with Tapioca, Whipped Tofu, and Scallion – so this was a very visually pleasing dish. The colors I liked. The tastes? not so much. It’s not that I don’t like sea urchin or foamy whipped thing or tapioca balls; I just didn’t like them together. Actually, I almost liked the dish, but something in there was off for me. I enjoyed the airy texture of the whipped tofu, but oh my god, the yuzu! I hated the yuzu in there. I can see why you would want to have some sort of acid somewhere in that dish to cut through the unctuousness of the sea urchin, but the yuzu tang was just, ugh, too floral for the uni. And the big tapioca balls, sorry but you don’t belong there. They were too sweet and chewy, and they contributed nothing to the dish. Ok, I take that back. Maybe their sliminess did contribute something, but flavorwise, it just didn’t work. I think I would’ve liked this dish if it was just sea urchin, whipped tofu (no yuzu infusion contamination infiltration please!), and then maybe something refreshing and crispy like…hmmm…shiso leaf tempura? or maybe even the Korean kkaennip? or a tempura of some other Asian minty varietal. Or, if we want to keep the acidic flavor, maybe a pickled something…like okra? Will okra stay slimy and sticky if it’s been pickled? Or maybe braised okra will do. Sea urchin needs something slimy. That viscous slime inside the okra would’ve been perfect. Or, alternatively, if we want to stick with the tapioca idea, I think the smaller pearl tapioca would work ten times better, so you would have an island of sea urchin and an island of whipped tofu floating in some dreamy pearl tapioca liquid, ok maybe sabayon (a la Thomas Keller’s Oysters and Pearls. Actually, this dish did remind me of Oysters and Pearls with the seafood-tapioca action going on there). But yea, maybe the pearl tapioca sabayon could be lightly flavored with dashi, lightly being the operative word. Ok, I’m actually really curious now. Perhaps someone can tell me how to whip tofu to get to that texture so I can try out all these combinations? =)

Chawanmushi with Black Truffle, Snails, Edamame, and Scallion

2. Chawanmushi with Black Truffle, Snails, Edamame, and Scallion – aka Tello’s Chawanmushi. Is Tello a real person? If yes, I want to marry him, so he can make this chawanmushi of his for me all day everyday. This dish hit all the right spots for me, from the smooth beyond perfection texture to the delightful bits of edamame at the bottom. TELLO, MARRY ME!!!

Three Terrine Sandwich (aka Banh Mi)

3. Three Terrine Sandwich– still the best banh mi in the City for me. I shall revisit all my favorite bahn mi places in LA now that I”m here and report back whether Ssam Bar’s version is indeed the best of the best.

Aside from those three dishes, we also got my favorite, grilled rice cake + sausage + collard + kimchee, and the grilled sweetbreads, which were cooked perfectly. No whining over there, nope.

Raw Oysters

4. Bo Ssam – this was massive. I propose that we break it down to its components.

4.1 Oysters – I almost slurped mine down before the pork butt arrived, but then our waiter rushed over to stop the sacrilege from happening, lol. He said to save it for the ssam…and I did. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the oysters to be that complementary to the pork, or the ssam, due to some major salt spill issue to be discussed below.

4.2 Condiments – so along with the oysters, bibb lettuce and rice, we were also given 4 kinds of sauces to customize our ssam with: napa cabbage kimchee, kimchee puree, ginger scallion sauce, and sea salt. My problem was that everything tasted salty. By itself, it was salty ok, but together with the pork (which was quite salty, in a good way) it became too salty. A few people in our party complained that the kimchee was not sour or spicy enough, which I agreed, and I think that would’ve helped the ssam as a whole too. I would love to see another sauce added to the trio, something complex and sweet and maybe tart rather than salty. I think onion marmalade would work quite well too.

Saucage for the Bo Ssam (kimchee puree, ginger scallion sauce)

4.3 Bibb Lettuce – they’re crisp and beautiful. No complaints here.

4.4 Rice – I really wish they used more glutinous rice than whatever kind they had there. The rice got hard towards the end from sitting too long outside. Stickier rice, like Japanese or Korean kind, would withstand the long duration on the table and absorb the pork fat and all other sauces better, I think. I wonder how the ssam would taste like with coconut rice–jasmine rice cooked with coconut milk and a tad bit of brown sugar. Really nutty and fragrant rice with a little hint of sweetness…mmm

Pork butt in all its glory

4.5 HUUUUUGE Pork Butt – our raison d’etre! haha just kidding, more like our raison de trekking down there. How do you say that in French? No whining here. I just wish the crispy skin: mushy flesh ratio were higher, but I know that’s not really within their control…oh, fatty me.

When people tell you, Bo Ssam is a lot of food, you need to believe them, JUST BELIEVE. This meal was a lesson in humility as we quickly realized that our supposedly hyperelastic stomachs weren’t quite that elastic and our appetites indeed limited. *oh gasp* Witnessing your waiter dividing the unfinished pork into three sizable containers for you to doggybag home was an ordeal no self-respected glutton should ever go through, I tell ya.

So bottomline, I did enjoy the Bo Ssam experience a lot and would love to try it again (not anytime soon though and not without a 2-liter bottle of Evian by my side ;p ). You ask, so what’s your problem really? No, no problem. Somehow in my poor little head I had thought that Bo Ssam would be the ultimate Momofuku Ssam Bar experience, but really it’s not, not for me at least. Now I think my ultimate Ssam Bar experience would be to order every friggin item on their menu along with a twelve-pack of Hitachino Red Ale (despite the fact that they don’t come in twelve…but you get the idea)…mMMmMm… who’s in?

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500

 

Cookshop: the addendum

I finally went to Cookshop for brunch last Saturday! (as I had so giddily announced in this entry after a romantic proclamation of my love for the place).  Here’s evidence:

Buttermilk beignets with winter fruit compote and apple cider sauce

We started out with the beignets (again, per Sofia‘s recommendation). This is one of Cookshop’s most popular items and very rightly so. I really loved the fruit compote.

Poached eggs with Virginia ham and multigrain toast in three-cheese fondue

The beignets’ plate was wiped clean in less than five minutes, but even after that we were still agonizing over which brunch items to order. Aditi settled for the poached eggs in three-cheese fondue and I went with the huevos rancheros.

Cookshop’s interpretation of huevos rancheros

Our eggs arrived, and my oh my, I thought their dinner portion was extremely generous, but brunch portion was humongous. Aditi‘s poached eggs (so amazingly spherical!) came poised atop a thick slab of Virginia ham, all resting on a wholesome hunk of multigrained toast. Then, the best part of all, the whole thing was happily drenched with three-cheese fondue. So rich and so good! Calorie-counters, this is not the place for you.

And then, there was my huevos rancheros. Here’s the breakdown: three baked eggs, tomato ranchero sauce, really good beans, lime-creme fraiche, red onion, jalapeno & cilantro salsa, and monterey jack cheese. Very tasty and aesthetically pleasing to boot! I especially loved the red onion + jalapeno garnish.

Needless to say, we didn’t have room left for dessert, but even without the dessert we were already in paradiso (and actually went on to Chelsea Market for more fooding fun). Again for the second time, I really really recommend Cookshop for both brunch and dinner. But if you decide to go for brunch, please make sure to go with a beastly appetite, and dude, get the beignets!

A week in review (part deux): eating can take you places

Time:               Monday Jan. 15, 7:00pm 

Location:         West Chelsea, unassuming corner of 10th and 20th

Hypothesis:     I, the whiner, make poor life decisions (as Mi would say).

Abstract          
It’s crunch time, 5:30pm the night before the start of a full week of relentless interviews. As other Wall Street hopefuls engaged themselves in some last minute immersification in this very very thought-provoking, life-changing literary piece called the Vault Guide to Finance Interviews, I, a very poor life decision maker, decided it’s about time to catch up with my dear mentor/friend Shar and responded to her post (Sorry Shar! It would be too selfish of me to not share this with other people. =p):

CLASSIFIEDS

Single 21 yr old avid Miss Piggy who believes she has skills in the kitchen but mostly in consumption is responding to post made by Miss Hsieh on her Facebook. Petite, Asian, voracious eater and willing to travel far and wide for her food. Adventurous, discerning palate and an appetite that can beat a brontasaurus on certain occassions. Willing to detox liver in preparation for a night of alcohol consumption as well.

Look forward to a rambunctious evening filled with much ooh-ing and aah-ing over pretty, dainty fare, or of stuffing her face with comfort foods. Please contact the author of this post for more information, and feel free to invite other fellows and fellellas (female fellows) to join in the fun.

Dates available are Thurs. 01/11; Sat. 01/13 (evening only); Sun. 01/14 – Wed. 01/17 for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, or supper unless otherwise indicated. Reservations for dates are closed for the last half of the month of Jan. until late Feb./early Mar. Reservations for March can be made two (2) months in advanced but are subject to changes due to the author’s rather spontaneous flights of fancy and episodes of indecision. Please excuse any confusion that may result from this product of the author’s extremely boring life as a graduate.

(She really wrote this to me. hahaha. How can you not love her, right? =p )
As Shar and I toiled over where to go for our long overdue fantasmical, romantical dinner date, then all of a sudden – it was like a blitz episode of divine intervention – I was hearing all these voices telling me, “Cookshop, Cookshop.” How could I not heed the guidance of these mysterious deities (or more like Frank Bruni, Hal Rubenstein, and Sofia Leung who have raved and raved and raved about this little gem, and Sofia, please note that I put you in the same sentence as Frank Bruni, haha)? So merrily I skipped down to the subway station and off I went to meet up with Shar at the unassuming corner of 10th Avenue and 20th Street, our rendezvous for the night.

Because I am working on keeping each entry down to a 500-word-length (in response to all your much-appreciated feedbacks) and  because Mr. Bruni’s review of Cookshop is much more comprehensive and eloquent than any gibberish I could ever spew out, I’m just going to keep it brief here:

GO TO COOKSHOP NOW. IT’S CURRENTLY MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN THE CITY. GO NOW. THEY MAKE SUCH GOOOOOOD FOOOOOD.  EVERYTHING TASTES VERY FRESH AND IT’S ALL ORGANIC OR LOCALLY GROWN (OR PURPORTED TO BE). OK, YOU HAVE TO GO THERE NOW AND GET THE SPICED FRIED HOMINY FOR STARTER.

And I don’t have a picture of the spiced fried hominy, quite possibly one of the most addictive snacks in the City. Hulled kernels of corn get a dip in the batter then deep-fried and seasoned to perfection. Only 4 dollars! GET IT.

Then our entrees arrived (we weren’t even half done with the hominy!) Service was friendly and incredibly (also a little excessively) fast the night we were there. Shar got scallops (4 big hunks!!!), and I got duck (huge portion also). WORTH IT. GO NOW.

Maine diver scallops with romanesco cauliflower, lemon tahini, and pine nut-golden raisin gremolata

Catskill duck breast with wild rice, kumquat, pomegranate, and almond

WHOLESOME GOODNESS. The scallops and duck were so fresh and cooked perfectly. I’m usually pretty picky with duck breast because oftentimes they are overcooked and stringy, but Cookshop did it perfectly, and I was thankful for that. Besides the main stars themselves though, I was especially blown away by the vegetably, grainy, nutty concoctions that accompanied both the scallops and the duck – very innovative combination but still delicious and fresh-tasting – real palate teasers. The wild rice-kumquat-pom mix with its citrussy flavor and contrasting textures was probably one of the best duck accessories I’ve ever had – it kept the whole dish relatively light and enjoyable until the very end, which is not always the case with fattier or gamier protein like duck or lamb, or so I think.  

Winter fruit crisp with creme fraiche ice cream

And for dessert, we shared a fruit crisp comprising all the wintery fruity flavors – prunes, apricots, plums, to name a few. The warm crisp came with a small scoop of creme fraiche ice cream which complements the sweet and tart and crumbly crisp beautifully. The scoop was so tiny that we had to order second. Shar and I, bottomless pits indeed.

Now you ask, how does this have anything to do with the title of the post? Well, it has to do with the hypothesis I proposed in the beginning. Although the food was definitely worth the trip, I did suffer some serious guilt pang on my way back from dinner – maybe the timing really was off….maybe I should have stayed home…crap I wasted 3.5 hours…crap I have interviews tomorrow…

Well, I wasn’t remorseful for long. You see, I put food down as one of my interests on my resume. More specifically, the last line of my resume read, “Avid cook and amateur restaurant critic” (I know I’m silly). For better or for worse, a good number of interviewers noticed that and asked me questions about it. One interviewer asked me what my favorite thing to cook was (no favorites. It’s the means not the end, well at least if that’s how the question was phrased). A GS interviewer, whom I think was trying to test if I had lied about my interests (apparently people do that. what idiots?!?), asked me to pick a restaurant for a business lunch with his private client (Gramercy Tavern). He made me list out my reasons and asked how many times I’ve been there, in an inquisitive way (Yea, I didn’t like him too much). Then finally, an MS interviewer asked me to name my three favorite restaurants in New York. Man, that was a hard question, but I said Momofuku Ssam Bar, Fatty Crab, and Cookshop. Then another interviewer came back in from lunch break so the first interviewer relayed my answers to her, then she bursted out, “Oh my godddd, Cookshop was sooooo gooood. I went there for Sunday brunch. The brunch was sooooo diviiiinne. Oh my goddddd, I have to go there again.”

I knowwwwww. I love that place too. The dessert was soooooo gooooood. 

*instant connection*

So it turned out, I ‘ll be working at MS this summer. I’m sure that was not exactly why they picked me, but I like to think that it’s our mutual love for Cookshop that got me the job. It just makes for a much better story that way.

So no, I don’t make poor life decisions. I might go eat at the wrong time,  but it was the right place. I make good decisions. Hypothesis rejected with 100% level of confidence =p

Cookshop
156 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 924-4440

p.s. I’m going there again tomorrow for brunch. I really love this place!

A week in review (part une): an ode to David Chang / before the tempest

The tempest being one full week of relentless interviews, 6 in total. It was hellish, but definitely an invaluable experience. I learned a lot about finance, about the markets, and about myself (I’m sorry for being such a melodramatic fruitcup…but whatever). Thanks everyone for your continual support and encouragement. You guys are awesome. I have amazing friends! I’m dedicating the following three installments to all of you (like this means anything, haha).

If you’re a close friend of mine,  you probably know I have an elephantine chef crush on David Chang, the talented mastermind behind Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam Bar. I don’t know what it is (well, actuall I know, it’s his food), but all of New York foodie aristocrats seem to be so smitten with him and just can’t stop talking about the dude. His speedy rise to fame is rather mindblowing, and really I don’t think there’s any other young New York chef who can claim to have gotten quite as much press as DC and his restaurants have in the past two years. The press absolutely adores the guy, and so does yours truly!

I think my first visit to Noodle Bar was during the summer of 2005. I’d just read all these rave reviews on NYT and NYMag, and suddenly everybody was gushing about the Berkshire pork and the pork buns and the ramen with poached egg. So one balmy day, my noodle buddy A and I made our fateful trip to the East Village premise. I remember ordering the Momofuku Ramen and watching DC preparing our noodles right in front of us. He was so stringent about serving the ramen at the right moment. I remember seeing him scolding his waiter for wanting to bring the bowl out too soon and then myself being so intrigued by that – someone who cares so much about his food! And then our two orders of Momofuku Ramen arrived. Oh, they were revelation. I remember marveling at the perfectly poached egg and thinking what a genius he was for pairing bamboo shoots and wakame seaweed with sweet corn kernels and fresh peas. Of course, the star was the Berkshire pork, so delicious and soulfully tender, and last but not least, the flavorful broth and the ramen itself. It’s like a tasty reverie in my mouth. Love at first taste! 

After that summer I went back several times, but no experience ever matched that first time when DC was there behind the counter. I tried the much-heralded pork buns and they were excellent; the pork was superbly fatty. The ramen, however, was never quite as revelatory as that first bowl that marked my rite of passage. The broth was starting to taste a little too salty even to my NaCl-philic palate. But again, I never saw DC there during my subsequent visits, so my suspicion was that his absence and the resulting looser quality control were causing the salt spill in the soup. Well, I loved him still.

And then we fast forward to August 2006. After much hype and speculation, Momofuku Ssam Bar opened to warm and welcoming reviews from, who else, the foodie aristocrats. It is such a novel idea on so many levels. First, Ssam Bar has a split personality: it’s a Chipotle-style Asian burrito joint by day, and a hypercool late-night grub bar with a style I can’t really pinpoint by night. Seriously, for my MS interview one of the interviewers asked me to name my top three restaurants in New York so I mentioned Momofuku Ssam Bar, and he asked what kind of food it was, and I couldn’t find a word for it…I ended up saying that it was comfort food but not in the traditional sense. It’s a mix of familiar Asian dishes tweaked to perfection and whimsical inventions that still hit the spot. Does that make sense? Yea, I can’t really put my finger on it…I ended up telling my interviewer to just go try it, haha. I hope he took my advice.

I can’t believe it took me that long to get to my point. I am so wordy. But my point is that I love the food there, even more so than Momofuku Ramen (much more so!). This is pure passion and creativity tranlated into edible terms. There’s really nothing like it. I’ve been there a few times since it opened, and the first two times I was there, the chef gave us free stuff! First time it was DC. He was busy tending to some dubious-looking pale green substance in the blender, so we asked him what it was. He told us he was doing a little experiment (Oh my god! I was so friggin excited. I was having a conversation with David Chang!!!) But anyway, we were too wrapped up in our ssams and so didn’t bother to ask him more questions.  Again, I know I’m repeating myself but the guy really is a genius, and the ssam that we were eating was one testament to his culinary vision. My Momofuku ssam (it’s like a burrito but with nontraditional fillings) was a yummy assemblage of his signature Berkshire pork, azuki beans, onion marmalade, kewpie mayo slaw, red kimchi puree, bean sprouts, edamame, rice, and I probably left something out. Once we were done with our food and ready to get our check, DC sent out a plate of raw diver scallops with a dollop of lemon rind foam (the aforementioned dubious pale green substance!) and kombu sprinkle. It was just so cool for him to give us a sample and ask for our comments. 

DC: Did I fail? 
AH: The foam is too bitter.
DC: It’s supposed to be bitter. Do I get an A+?
AH: It’s still too bitter. B+
DC: Hah, I don’t take anything below A+’s.

Ok, so this first installment is taking a little longer that I expected. But read on, my friends, delicious grub ahead. The second time we went there we actually got to try the late-night menu, and that’s really where the magic happens. Starter was oysters with a cooling topping of melon salsa. I didn’t like it too much. The oysters were too small and the melon didn’t stand up to the brininess of the oysters. We also tried the three terrine sandwich, which was really just an haute couture version of banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) – perfection. We were debating between two apple salads (something with pork jowl? yes James?) so Joaquin (DC‘s partner) made us a sample of the other one we didn’t order (yay, more free stuff!). We also tried the dok dish, which is definitely my absolute favorite item on the menu. It’s a mixture of grilled dok (Korean rice cakes), kimchi, collard green, and ground beef/pork. This is comfort food at its height, in my humble opinion. I was a little disappointed that DC wasn’t there (haha), but Joaquin was so friendly he even gave us the contact number for the purveyor of their Berkshire pork. I think I still have it, so let me know if you’re interested.

So, I am getting to the real point now. Last Saturday D, Gilbey and I made our way to East Village for yet another helping of DC‘s delicious comfort food. It was very packed so we had to wait a little bit. Although the wait wasn’t that long, I think I’d definitely go on a weeknight next time – less crowded, no wait, and easier access to the prime seating (at the bar facing the kitchen in the center) which means full frontal chef-gazing.

But of course, now it’s time to order. By that time, the three musketeers were ravenous due to the 1-hour subway ride and 20-minute wait. First we got the grilled rice cakes with kimchi, collard green, and ground pork. My favorite! I know it doesn’t look too appetizing here, but it’s one of the most satisfying things you will ever eat.

Grilled dok with kimchi, collard green, and ground pork

Gilbey ordered this because he couldn’t eat pork. Ahh, but we’re in pork Disneyland! It was delicious nevertheless. Very clean and fresh, as D has noted.

Grilled Spanish Mackarel with ume, lemon, pickled daikon, and ponzu sauce

This is my personal favorite also, a stew of beef and ox tongue with cinnamon, lemongrass, and…argh the third spice/herb’s name is eluding me. Anyway, the stew was a perfect hearty fix for the cold wintery night, and it came with crusty grilled ficelle for us to sop up the sauce with. The beef and the tongue, especially, were meltingly tender. We’re such beasts that we had to request for more bread.

Beef and ox tongue stew with cinnamon, lemongrass, and mystery herb

Gilbey also got the organic chicken ssam. After his first bite he said, “this is like an explosion of flavors in my mouth!”

Organic chicken ssam

In addition, we also got the signature Berkshire pork buns, which seemed to get fattier and fattier every time I tried it, but no complaints here.

It took us about an hour to get down, twenty minutes to get seated, but only forty minutes to inhale everything, like everything.

So, my point is…

how can you not love the dude when he makes food this good???

 I ❤ David Chang!

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500