The Avocado Smoothie

There are many (edible) things that make me smile, but few that make me smile so much that you can actually see my teeth. I'm a tight lipped smiler, out of habit, but once in a big while, something will be so delicious that for a brief moment, I forget to keep my lips together. Things that fall into this category: Kaka'ako's Kitchen's bread pudding, hamachi, foie gras, Vietnamese eggplant, jai and...

...The Avocado Smoothie. My affection for this drink has been documented before. Many times over, in fact. It's the one drink I search out everywhere I go. While in school at Claremont, I'd truck back five or six orders at a time from Mr. Baguette in San Gabriel Valley every time I was lucky enough to bum a ride off someone. I'd drink two and stash the remainder in the freezer, slowly rationing them so that I would never run out before my next visit. During summers in Vietnam, I'd start the day with a smoothie, and end with another in the evening, the creamy chill slipping down my throat, cooling from the inside out. But in New York, (and if there were ever any reason to despise New York, this would be it), NO ONE MAKES AN EXCELLENT AVOCADO SMOOTHIE. You can find many bad ones, and a few good ones, but that's about it. How is it possible that a city which offers so much, absolutely FAIL at the avocado smoothie. It's pathetic.

Here in Hawai'i, we're lucky to live on an island that not only offers an abundance of awesome local avocados, but also, numerous restaurants with crazy good avocado smoothies. I've sampled a fair share, though not all. I'm quite content with what I have found, and I have one favourite.

In the Maunakea Marketplace there's a boba stand call Thang's. Anyone who claims to love avocado smoothies must go there now. Right this moment. The menu is an awesome sight: pennyworth juice, durian shakes, jackfruit smoothies... goodness, so much deliciousness. The durian is particularly tasty, but the Avocado Smoothie is the only one you want, no, need. How does one begin to do a proper avocado milkshake justice? It's a bit like this, but better: chunks of fresh avocados, a generous pour of condensed milk, then a bit of whole milk, and then ice. It couldn't be simpler. And yet, the TASTE. OH MY GOD. Ridiculous! At Thang's, they fill the bottom of the cup with some boba (overcooked according to many, but that's exactly how I like boba), and then slosh in a tower of the creamy pale green shake. It's perfectly thick, enough so that the straw stands straight, but not so much that it must be spooned. And the taste? Oh maannn, okay so. You know how good a really fresh, finely ripened avocado tastes right? Pair that with a lace of chilled sweetened condensed milk and crushed ice. Oh yes. Oh god. Liquefied avocado gone creamier, slightly sweeter and all the more bold.

Just another food item that makes Hawai'i special :)

Thang Coffee & Bubble Tea
1120 Maunakea Street
Maunakea Marketplace
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

Korean Plate Lunch & Shave Ice at Ward

Today I woke up and it just felt like one of those days. You know, one of those days? The kind of days where you just need, need MUST HAVE plate lunch? Yah, it was one of those days. Oh man, whenever one of THOSE DAYS hit me in NYC there was nothing I could do because the only kind of plate lunch that would satisfy was a 12 hour flight away.

But today was different. I could actually do something about it! So I hopped out of bed and straight to the Don Quixote location of Yummy's. Everyone has their favourite place for Korean plate lunches, be it Gina's, Palama Market or Yummy's. Yummy's is the most corporate of the three. But it's also pretty tasty, and you can't argue with that. When I crave fish jun or meat jun I go to Palama Market, but when I just want meat meat Yummy's is the best choice.

The hard part was deciding just which meat I wanted: kalbi, bbq chicken or teriyaki beef? Too hard to pick. So I got them all in the form of a combination plate. It's gorgeous huh? You can't see the bbq chicken in this photo, so let's look at this one below...

Oh goodness, you see that, soooo beautiful. The bbq chicken here is awesome, tender charred meat, always on the salty side (but that's how I like it). Piles of sweet teriyaki beef layer on top and kalbi to finish it off. Now that's a proper lunch. The plate comes with two scoops of rice (like every good meal should) - I like to pile the meat on top of the rice so that each and every white grain soaks up all the juices/fat/major tastiness.

You get a choice of four sides which you point and pick right after you place your order. My usual four sides = kimchee, long rice, shoyu potatoes, and mayo potatoes. But apparently I've gotten so fat since my last visit home that no one in my family can recognize me! Good golly! According to my relatives I must go on a diet. Bah! I compromised though, replacing my beloved shoyu potatoes and mayo potatoes with the rolled omelet and seaweed. Not quite the same, but I was still a happy camper.

Dad and I went to Marukai in the afternoon to buy poke and sashimi for dinner. While shopping around I had sudden itch for shave ice. After all it was such a lovely day, so why not? Last summer, my friend Radford showed me this place hidden in the Ward Farmer's Market just steps from Marukai. Unfortunately it was closed at the time, and I never had a chance to return before moving to NYC. I made a mental note to return, and today was the perfect opportunity.

The "storefront" (more of a booth) was empty when we arrived. Lights off. No humans to be seen, just a lone shave ice machine and a mini fridge. A sign said, "Please Ring Bell for Service." I rang once. And twice. And then once more. And waited a bit longer. A friendly voice cheered from behind the curtains, "I coommmmiiingg!" And out came a lady, every bit as friendly as the voice would have led one to believe. She took out a block of ice and turned on the machine. She made dad's order first, a li hing mui and pineapple combination.

I had li hing mui and lilikoi, the most fantastic combination ever (unless you're allowed three flavours, in which case the third should always be lychee). It's so hard to describe how refreshingly delicious shave ice on a warm day (and when it is ever not warm here? ;) tastes, the best way to find out is to come taste it yourself. Finely shaved ice doused in li hing mui syrup, see, click for this photo here, those dark red speckles are li hing mui powder...sooooo ono! The fruity lilikoi, a sweet summery yellow, is the perfect offset to li hing mui's tart pucker.

I ate the shave ice at that once long bench outside Marukai with dad and it felt like I was on vacation. Which I guess I am. Funny to think of it that way.

Yummy's Korean BBQ
801 Kaheka St.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814

Stanley's Chicken Market
(yes, you can get chicken and shave ice in one place!)
Ward Farmer's Market
(808) 593-9989

Taking a trip...

...around the island with my family. Be back tonight, a happy belly filled with Ted's Pies and Romy's...and perhaps a stop at Sunnyside for even more pies, and Tai Pan or Jack's for breakfast! For now I'll leave you with this photo Buddy, caught sleeping at grandma's house last night. Happy Memorial Day :)

Gecko on the Curtains, Li Hing, Fried Rice, Shoyu Poke @ Costco, and Xi Mui Soda

Gecko on the window curtains

It feels good to be back home, but a bit foreign and weird at the same time. I've lived in Manhattan for less than a year but it frightens me how quickly the city changes a person. Both a little for the good and a little for the worse. I always categorized my time during college as time away from home. Three months in school followed by a month winter vacation home in Hawai'i, then five months school, and a three month summer back home. Hawai'i was home base. No matter where I went, I needed to go home to recharge. And every time I went home it felt so incredibly good. A type of good that encompassed both the want and need to return home. It was an emotion which coupled excitement with satisfaction of filling an inherent need. Each visit was wonderful, and then never failed to hurt when vacation was over and I had to return to school. The plane rides to Hawai'i were exciting, and those back to college were depressing.

It was a little different this time around. On Thursday's flight to Hawai'i, while happily anticipating the trip home, I found myself eagerly looking forward to coming back to NYC. It threw me off terribly and I did not know what to make of it.

Duane the Pig, our new family member

It still feels good now. Just a different kind of good. Perhaps I've been away for too long. I caught myself in a slip the other day. My roommate Shann and I were talking about our flight schedules.
"What day you come home?" she asked.
"June 2"
"What? Wait. Oh no, I mean hooome."
"That is when I...oh! Ack. Home. Like Hawai'i home."
"Uhhh...yeah."
"Ahhhh"
That was the first time I've called a place that was not Hawai'i, home. A sharp pang hit my stomach the second I realized what I said. It felt like I betrayed someone or something.

Shoyu Poke @ Costco, Saturday Morning

The other day I was talking with someone about the notion of home. That someone was born and raised on the other side of the country but has lived in the city for nearly a decade. He calls NYC home. I think that's fair. It made me wonder if I could do the same, I mean, same in the way that I could say that with confidence and not feel that sharp pang and simultaneous brain fuck that goes, how dare you so quickly change teams! Time will tell, I suppose.

But lets get on with the day, shall we?

I'm still somewhat under the weather with the strange cough/cold that's been going around, (thank god for good health insurance :), so I've been hibernating the last few days, getting better, and only venturing for family dinners. I made li hing mui apples for breakfast the other day. Though I suppose 'made' is the wrong word, seeing as it takes only apples + li hing mui, and about 60 seconds worth of effort. Refreshingly delicious nonetheless, the tart pucker of li hing offsetting the crisp apples. These get gobbled down quick, no matter the time of day, and the only evidence ever left are red fingerprint stains. People on the mainland are really missing out some goodness, huh? I wish someone would open up a massive local food store in NYC and introduce local food to the rest of the world. I'd be there everyday.

Have you had Xi Mui Soda before? It helps a great deal with scratchy throat, though I drink it all the time, scratchy throat or not. My dad keeps this giant, seemingly endless, jar of preserved xi mui in the kitchen cabinet. Pop open a can of 7-Up, drop the xi mui in, pick apart the plum with chopsticks, and drink up. Sometimes I add li hing mui powder when I'm in the mood. But when I'm not feeling well, then I simply replace the 7-Up with club soda and squeezed limes.

For lunch, Dad brought back fried rice from the Mini Garden down on Beretania Street. Finally! Real fried rice!! I sat in the family room, ate the fried rice crossed legged, shorts & t-shirt, while reading the Friday Honolulu Advertiser. It felt so very real. On that note, I'm also trying to get accustomed to having so much space. It just occurred to me when I went to sleep that first night back that my bedroom was bigger than my entire apartment in NYC. Now how ridiculous is that?

Mini Garden
2065 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96826
(808) 946-3828

To Get to Hawai'i:

Two hours from LGA to Atlanta.

Followed by a four-hour layover in Atlanta, the majority of the time spent wandering around the food courts in various terminals, where I...

...ate the worst Chinese food of my life at Mandarin Wok in Concourse B...

...and a tasty serving of Ben & Jerry's Half-Baked in a sugar cone.

A nine-hour flight from Atlanta to Honolulu involving three movies and a stomachache coupled with minor dizziness, and a cough/cold/sore throat I've had the last few days.

But all that matters is...I'm back in Honolulu!

...and my mom made soup (with my grandma's wontons) while I rested my okole on the couch watching the local Channel 3 news. It's good to be back in Hawai'i :)

Tuesday Night On a Whim...

...involved dinner with Don at Otto. Waits for two were 40 minutes around a quarter to 9pm, so we put our names down at the bar and luckily scored two seats in just 15 minutes. A great bartender coupled with some of the best dishes I've had at Otto made the night highly enjoyable. Up until yesterday's meal I though Otto to be just decent - tasty, and a good value, but nothing more. Well it turns out that (aside from the gelato) I've been ordering all wrong. A meal at Otto for me always = pizza or pasta + awesome gelato for dessert. I've been very stupid indeed for it is the whole top half of the menu, including small dishes of vegetables, meats, fish, and cheese is what you should focus on. It's also the half of the menu I've neglected the last few years. But not to worry, I'll be making many more returns to Otto in the future. Dishes like...

…the English Peas & Prosciutto will keep me returning, for it was equally delicious as it was visually appealing, with just enough of oil and mint. This photo doesn't even begin to do the spring colours of fresh peas justice, they practically glowed a sunny green, offset by the buttery pancetta. The peas, crisp and sweet, popped in your mouth a few a time, pancetta melting into each nibble.

The waiter brought out our order of Fava Lonza at the same time and I didn't know quite which one to dive for first, for they both looked incredible. Razor thin cuts of savory lonza (made from the pork tenderloin) with fresh fava beans (oh man, look at the soft green shades!) and pecorino cheese. Ridiculous.

Thin enough for you? :)

We moved onto the testa, pressed with oranges, adding a decidedly light but decadent whisper to the creamy gelatinous meat. The testa was so delicious the first time we tasted it two weeks ago, that before even walking into the restaurant last night, we had already decided to order it. However, this time around, especially in comparison to the fava lonza, the testa was less appreciated and left in the shadows. With that said, it's still worth ordering over and over again.

But our main reason for the visit was this dish pictured above: Bucatini with Ramps & Guanciale. We've had it once before - this warm tangle of bucatini noodles tossed in a pungent ramp pesto and savoury cuts of guanciale, finished with dusting of garlicy breadcrumbs…we had to have it again. So we did.

We also ensured room for another dish that piqued our curiosity: the Pasta Alla Norma. Rigatoni with tomatoes, cubes of roasted eggplant, basil and pure white splodges of bufala ricotta. A dash of red pepper flakes was just what the pasta needed to bring it all together. Don still liked the ramp bucatini more, but I think I've found a new favourite pasta - it was the doubtlessly the ricotta splodges which pushed it over edge for me. Next time I shall request twice as much ricotta on the dish :)

Post pasta, we took a little breather, and I had sips of Don's nocino, made in house. I don't know much about liqueurs at all, but I am learning quite a bit from Don, who I kid you not, qualifies as a human encyclopedia on liqueurs.

The tiramisu came soon afterwards, and oddly enough, dessert, which is always the highlight of my Otto meals, for the first time, fell very flat. It also happened to be the first time I've ordered a non-gelato dessert here. And it will be the last. (Except for the budinos - pudding fall in a category all their own ;) But as far as the tiramisu went, save for the rich zabaglione crema, a little of everything was wrong - unexpectedly big chocolate chunks hidden between layers, and an espresso soaked sponge cake crusty and hard.

But by the point I was so very content with the meal that even a lousy dessert could barely put a damper on the night. Besides, we had a quite a few sweets from Sripraphai waiting for us in the fridge back home...

Otto
1 Fifth Avenue
NY, NY 10003
(212) 995-9559

Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Dinner

I should have known it was going to rain that Sunday morning. The sky was grey in the AM and there was an unmistakable chill in the air - I could feel it through the windows. Usually, on those mornings, I'd dive back under the covers, never to arise till my tummy commanded otherwise, demanding something warm and hearty. But no, on that particular Sunday we had a plan, a bike ride, in fact, and in spite of the moody sky, nothing could get in the way. I quickly changed into athletic-esque gear (something I have not done in ages) and dashed over to Don's place. On the way, I stopped by Abraço for our morning drinks, an iced coffee for myself...

...and a latte for him.

He had breakfast set out by the time I arrived, a plethora of goodies from the most awesome Jewish deli ever, Russ & Daughters. Bialys and bagels, whitefish salad and horseradish cream cheese. Indeed the breakfast of champions. Into the toaster went the bialy (for myself) and bagel (for him), and out hot we smeared on fresh the cream cheese, horseradish speckled, alongside creamy whitefish salad. Cracked black pepper, and bite, bite, bite till there was no more. The only thing we missed was red onions and capers. Perhaps next time we will also include their famed wasabi tobiko.

Energized, we hopped onto our bikes, down Second Avenue, then Canal Street and finally onto the Manhattan Bridge. Halfway across it started to rain. Just a drizzle. A steady drizzle as we biked through Brooklyn to the Flea Market for sweets and pastries (check Serious Eats for the post on Thursday :). The rain started to come down hard soon after and we hid under the church awning, hoping it would let up. But it only got worse. So we took in a deep breath and got back on the bikes for a late afternoon trip back to Manhattan. It poured the whole way back, and aside from sopping wet clothes and a slight chill, I must say, biking in the rain is tremendous fun.

Back home, the dark skies called for a warm dinner and Don cooked something, some many things, wonderful, exceeding all expectations as he usually does. We started with bowls of miso soup, plenty of tofu and onions...

...then moved on to the chawan mushi, steaming in little red Le Creuset pots. Notice they also match the new kettle we have? ;) Hehehe. Savoury light, I slid spoonfuls of the eggy custardy into my mouth, letting it slide like silk before completely disappearing. The eating was, effortless.

I was in a miso-y mood that day, and because I always clamour for spicy food, Don braised spicy-miso chicken (dark meat only, please) and potatoes. Oooooh. This is winter food at its best (even though it is already May...what can we do, the weather is all funky stuff). We tucked the meal away with bowls of rice, and of course, make sure to eat our vegetables...

...in the form of crisp sugar snap peas and garlic. Fried in Benton's bacon fat. Does that still make it a vegetable? ;)

Abraço
86 East 7th St
NY, NY 10003
(212) 388-9731

Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston St
NY, NY 10002
(212) 475-4880

Pudding for Breakfast, Pudding for Dinner

Buttercup Bake Shop

On some mornings, when yogurt won't do, cereal & milk sounds unappealing and fruits feel strangely too healthy, I dash to the bakery. Amidst a bounty of coffee cakes, brownies, cupcakes and pie, I never fail to make a beeline for the puddings. My obsession over pudding knows no boundaries. Home in Hawai'i, I dote after Bread Pudding, in the San Gabriel Valley, you'll find cups and cups of Vietnamese Durian Pudding in the fridge. But here in Manhattan, the city I currently call home, Banana Pudding is my weakness. Chocolate Trifle Puddings are a close second. And Rice Pudding third.

Buttercup: Chocolate Trifle

On weekdays, the pudding bakery of choice is Buttercup Bake Shop. It is the same order every time - one of my few food habits that will never change. "Half Banana Pudding, Half Chocolate Trifle." The girls at the counter always make sure to ask which you prefer on top/bottom, which I think, is quite thoughtful. Such details are important :)

Buttercup: Banana Pudding

Banana pudding at Buttercup has noticeably improved over the last year. A pudding that was once folded with too much whipped cream, is now more dense and luxurious. Previously heavy on Nilla Wafers, they've found balance with thicker layers of pudding between. The best part? Bananas are cut lengthwise (and then into three)! So instead of the circular bits found at similar bakeries, these are rectangular, which is good, because the circular ones were always too small. The Chocolate trifle has too much vanilla whipped cream (as opposed to chocolate cream) to live up to the name chocolate trifle, but oh well, you can't win them all.


Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Where one ought to go for a proper chocolate trifle is Sugar Sweet Sunshine. As much as I like the puddings here, I try not to patronize SSS often - the owners are catty and the service, however little there is, leaves a sour taste. Unless that boy with short brown hair is working. He's nice.

SSS: Chocolate Trifle on top, Strawberry Trifle on Bottom

With that said, I'm nonetheless a proponent of their Chocolate Trifle, an intense crazy bath of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and chocolate whipped cream. It's overkill, yes. It'll like you with the crappiest toothache ever, yes. And maybe a root canal (but hopefully not).

SSS: Strawberry Trifle on top, Banana Pudding on Bottom

My first love at the bakery was Banana Pudding, and there was a point in my life where I would come here for dinner a few times a week. No one said you can't have pudding as dinner. I loved the Vanilla Pudding:Nilla Wafer:Banana ratio and the generous ladles of plush bliss. This pudding was my staple. My starting ground. But after recent visits to Buttercup in the last month, I'm changing teams. Something about lengthwise bananas cuts is quite attracting, heheh. And you'll surely be better treated there. Argue as you must, but I strongly believe that the people/service factor counts for a fair share of any dining experience whether it be fine dining or, in this case, a bakery.

As for the Strawberry Trifle? I'll be lusting after this one during hot summer months. Sweet, though surprisingly refreshing (who thought cake could be refreshing?), and strawberry studded with a lemony twist, it's a fine warm night treat.

Buttercup Bake Shop
973 2nd Avenue
NY, NY 10022
(212) 350-4144

Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington St
NY, NY 10002
(212) 995-1960

A Little Quiet Here This Week...

...but that's cause I've been at work on this post for Serious Eats! :) I'm covering one bakery a week (madelines, cakes, and anything delicious), so check in at Serious Eats on Thursdays for something sweet.

Hope everyone's having a good day...we're so close to the weekend!

I Told You...

...I'd be back when the craving hit once more. I think, no, am certain, I'm addicted to Pampano. The fact that my new client is located 62 steps away doesn't hurt, especially when coupled with daily 1:30pm cravings for Mexican. Today it was a duo of tacos in carne asada and pollo, both tucked into warm corn tortillas. The grilled-to-order filling is generous, which is justly expected considering the $2.75 price tag. Fresh fried chips, a serving of everything from the condiment bar, a seat out in the open courtyard and well...maybe the workday isn't so bad after add!

Pampano Taqueria
805 3rd Ave
NY, NY 10022
(212) 751-5257

Saturday & Sunday: Meals Between Meals

On weekends, Don and I never have just breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Instead, we have pre-breakfast snacks, a sort of breakfast followed by a proper lunch and then many, many afternoon treats and drinks, dinner in the later evening, and then another smaller meal, and maybe a third or fourth dessert afterwards.

Most of our meals/snacks are eaten out, but the ones I enjoy the most are the ones we create ourselves. Don takes care of the savoury side, and I do the sweet, so it works out quite nicely.

Highlights from this weekend:

We made our weekly visit to the Greenmarket on Saturday morning for basic staples: eggs, Ronnybrook milk, and anything else that catches our eyes.

The ever trendy ramps are in season, (and just as quickly, are about to go out of season), so he got a few of those cause, can you believe it - up until this weekend, I've never had ramps before!

I was in the mood for pasta, so we went straight for the fresh beet pasta from Hudson Valley Farmhouse...

...and made little meatballs from the sun-dried tomato and chardonnay sausage at Flying Pigs Farm. With a generous hand of browned butter and plenty of talent, Don whipped up a most ideal spring dish in less than an hour.

The beet pasta turns a gorgeous pale pink after cooking, the colour accentuated with sautéed ramps, butter, and sweet little rounds of sausages. Complete, no? "Wait!" he said, when I nearly took the first bite. I paused, and because sometimes, more is more, Don grated slivers of fresh parmesan, turned the black pepper a few rounds and then finished with just a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Perfect!

While he was working on the pasta, I got to start on brioche dough. We took turns babysitting the dough over the afternoon, with plans to turn it into a Sunday morning snack. Vanessa brought over brioche tins, and Don shaped the dough into classic brioche à tête.

Now wouldn't it be lovely to wake up to this every morning? A dozen warm golden brioche, just minutes from the oven and a jar of Greenmarket raspberry preserves from Philip's Farm. Extra pats of butter always welcomed.

Don noted that it was on the yeasty side - perhaps I let the sponge sit for a tad too long before mixing it in with the dough, good to keep in mind for next time. I was happy with the texture, though wish it browned more evenly. I'll have to play around with the oven temperatures and rack setting. Post brioche, we went out for lunch at Taim, and then came back to...

...bake mini madelines using this recipe Kathryn recommended. Notice this is the first time we've made mini ones? Don just got a darling pan from Broadway Panhandler but a few hours before, and I simply could not wait to put it to use. Don't worry, we did not eat it alllll alone - they were shared with friends at dinner an hour later :)

Hands Down...

...my favourite weekday lunch in midtown east to date. Hats off to Ian for the tip off :)

The Alambre Burrito at Pampano Taqueria, nestled in the Crystal Pavillion food court. $8 buys a flour tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken, melted cheese, and poblano rajas. Cilantro speckled rice, diced tomatoes, onions and a quick smother of pureed beans - without a doubt, surely more than the sum of its parts. My attempt to save half for dinner was futile - the whole burrito disappeared, bite after bite. Best decision ever. The warm chips, just out of the fryer, and a DIY salsa bar is an added bonus, worth every single calorie and then some.

I could feel the craving return when Ian wrote of his usual order, "the chilorio, which I sometimes have them add poblano rajas to... mmmm." Will be back next week!

Pampano Taqueria
805 3rd Ave
NY, NY 10022
(212) 751-5257

Will Be Back Soon...

...even tomorrow, maybe?

But for now, busy, baking madelines...lime zest, fresh vanilla...a warm oven on a cool day, oh my, oh my. Perhaps honey & lavender on another occassion, dark chocolate & hazelnut on another? The possibilities are endless.

P.S.
Thank you, Don, for the abundance of vanilla beans, citrus fruits, and letting me invade your kitchen :)

Montreal, Part III: Kitchen Galerie

(Note: photos from this post taken by Don)

9pm. Kitchen Galerie. Dinner with Don.

The concept: three chefs run the entire show, front and back of the house, cook, clean, serve and everything else in between. Ingredients: all straight from Marché Jean-Talon just down the street. The food: simultaneously wildly indulgent, yet honest and satisfying. As Don noted, "this is they kind of food I could eat every night, though in smaller portions."

Jean-Philippe, one of the three chefs, welcomed and made us instantly feel at home as he sat us at the last open two-top. He introduced himself and presented a menu with far too many temptations - dishwasher foie gras, anyone?...and let us off to debate the options. It wasn't too hard to decide as our hearts were fixated on the côte de boeuf, which we "super-sized" ("like you say in the States," Jean-Philippe explained) with black truffles and sear foie gras. He started us with an tempting amuse - a bite of lamb terrine, surely a sign of the night to come.

The terrine was followed by a dozen oysters, red wine mignonette. A basket of crusty baguette and dishes of soft salted butter. We slipped the oysters one after another, while observing the kitchen and diners, both exuding quiet energy, tamed excitement - concentration in the kitchen, appreciation at the table.

In the lull between oysters and the main, the chef arrived at our table with two petite red casserole dishes. He set them on the table and lifted the lids to reveal a little treat of "risotto aux trompettes des morts, épinards, huile de truffle". We tucked away the risotto in marveled silence, creamy and toothsome with an abundance of trumpet mushrooms, gentle shavings of parmesan reggiano sharply melting into each bite.

It was at this point in the dinner when our afternoon eats at bakeries and markets settled in and I realized that I was indeed, quite full. However the given circumstances demanded an order of mind over matter, or rather, mind over tummy, so I held my breath and anticipated the côte de boeuf with a hearty appetite.

The dish was meant two, and we knew it would be large. But we were in for a true shock when the chef proudly walked over, both hands occupied by an enormous white dish. Three feet long and one foot across, the dish took up the entire table. He announced, "côte de boeuf rôtie, jus à l’estragon et légumes racines avec foie gras poêle, truffle noire," and we dived in. Where to begin? Seared foie gras teasingly layered over the côte de boeuf, an intoxicating rich seal of fatty bliss? Or, perhaps the generous shavings of crispy black truffles - the very first I've ever tasted. Why we might just to decide to break into the beef itself, ridiculously tender with crackly charred edges, mounded upon a buttery puree of potatoes innocently soaking up the savoury drippings. Baby carrots, string beans and yellow beets, fresh from Marché Jean-Talon, were simply delicious on their own, but made all the more with a pour of the beef jus.

We ate and ate, until we could eat no more. Then we just one last bit: truffle, foie gras, and beef all locked in one heady bite. Polished off with a round of potatoes, and a crisp baby carrot, stem and all. Last, a pour of the deep red wine he had selected for the evening - the entire bottle sipped away far too quickly.

And dessert? Oh goodness yes, you bet there was dessert. If you're going to all the way, may as well indulge to the very end, closing on a sweet note. The menu options were simple and unfussy, exactly what this type of meal commands. For Don, crème brulee, and for myself, a chocolate brownie.

Towering, with a thin crackly surface, the warm brownie arrived crowned with vanilla whipped cream and a single sweet strawberry - the first of many I hope to indulge in this summer. The real highlight was a generous smear of gooey hot fudge, dark and impossibly rich, the texture edging into pudding territory. And with that, we called it a night with glasses of sauterne, and wound back out into the dark, four hours later.

Kitchen Galerie
60 rue Jean-Talon Est
Montréal, QC H2R 1S5, Canada
(514) 315-8994