Choice Eats 2009

Choice Eats 2009. Two Words: SO CROWDED.

But we got there early, so that was cool. Super thanks to Zach, for bringing me as his plus one :)

Three favourites from tonight's event:

1. Peaches Market: Barbecued Beef Shortribs, Anson Mills Grits and Joint Smoke

2. Dirt Candy: Portobello Mousse with Pear Fennel Compote

3. No. 7: Vanilla Pudding with Miso Bananas and Homemade Vanilla Wafers. Pastry Chef Amanda Clarke is awesome! :)


A few notes and other dishes worth noting:

1. Momofuku Milk Bar was the first to run out (of cookies). Not surprising ^_^

2. The recently opened Baoguette (see Ed's review here) had the longest line from the beginning of the night till the end.

3. I was excited to see Queen of Sheba at the event. They do the best rendition of Menchet Abesh Wot in the city.

4. The bomboloni (jelly, chocolate, cream) from Motorino's were a world apart (in a not-so-good way) from the ones Eric and I ate at the restaurant just two weeks ago.

5. My mouth was on fire by the end of the night - there was so much spicy food! Cabrito clearly thought ahead of time and paired their Jalapeno Rellenos (Roasted Jalapenos Stuffed with Pollack, Pepitas, Capers, and Raisins) with little cups of horchata. Good thinking.

6. From Fatty Crab: Nasi Lemak - Coconut Rice, Chicken Curry. They put a dab of this spicy dark red paste on the left side of the dish, I know not what it is called, but it is addictive.

6. ...and this is Chopped Liver from Eisenberg's. Oh, how I wish I was born Jewish.

That's all for now, happy Wednesday! :)

Click HERE for the full Flickr Set from the event.

Itzy Bitzy Patisserie...

L to R: Chocolate-Caramel, Chocolate-Lilikoi, Jasmine Tea, Chocolate-Mint, Black Sesame-Azuki Bean, and Alphonso Mango Macarons

...in the month of April. New flavours for April 2009 are out, huzzah! A bazillion thank yous to Mitzy and Ferry for driving all the way out to the West Village just to drop them off :)

Though they're all wonderful, it's hard not to play favourites, so let me tell you now. The Mint-Chocolate is INSANE. Mitzy uses a ton of fresh mint in these macarons and the flavour shines though quite strong, perfect with the dark chocolate. That, along with Black Sesame (with Azuki Bean Ganache!! How nuts is that?), and Chestnut-Matcha (not available this month) hold place as my three all-time favourite flavours.

Macaron by macaron breakdown below:

Chocolate-Mint Macaron

Black Sesame Macaron (with Auzuki Bean Ganache)

Chocolate-Caramel Macaron

Jasmine Tea Macaron

Alphonso Mango Macaron

Chocolate-Lilikoi Macaron

Itzy Bitzy Patisserie Website

Oh Man.

This droolworthy photo came via email from Mark (super thanks!), who was recently in Honolulu.
Location: Alan Wong's
Dish: "Mini Loco Moco"
Breakdown: Mochi Crusted Unagi Meat Loaf, Sunny Side Quail Egg, Wasabi Kabayaki Sauce
Quoted: "It was heavenly."

Anyone want to send over a roundtrip ticket from NYC to Honolulu? I can leave on the spur of the moment! ;)

Happy Monday ^_^

Sushi Yasuda

Over the phone the reservationist, a gentleman, said, "we will see you on Tuesday. Mahalo Nui Loa!"

"Thank you...wait, WAIT! Mahalo Nui Loa? How do you know that?" I was surprised. That's the first time anyone has said "Mahalo Nui Loa" to me over the phone upon making an NYC restaurant reservation.

"Of course I know Mahalo Nui Loa! How could you not?!"

And it turned out that the gentleman had lived in Honolulu for the last 21 years, only minutes away from my family's home. Small world :)

On Tuesday, I took 3rd Avenue bus, dropping me right at 42nd, one block away from Yasuda. I entered through the glass sliding doors, just in time for the last seating. The people on either side of me at the bar, a couple, and two men, were finishing up their meal upon my arrival.

The two men wore suits, muttering hedge fund nonesense. They both declared their love for uni and an aversion to ikura. They had beer with lunch. One, the older one, was in the middle of a divorce. It's ridiculous how much you can overhear in a restaurant when dining alone. The couple on my left were visiting from Korea - a very talkative male and his counterpart, a quiet female.


I came for the lunch prix fixe ($24), the one Su-Lin wrote about last year. It's a swell deal considering the average price of sushi in this city. I've had this sushi craving for the past few weeks...a ridiculous, intense craving that has overidden any desire for doughnuts, bread pudding, and even, gasp, banana pudding.

I've been told there's no better place to fulfill a sushi craving than at Yasuda. So here I was. The prix fixe starts with a choice of soup or salad. I went with the latter, studded with crunchy fish bits, ginger dressing on the side.

It was after the salad that things started to go astray, as they often do. The diners on either side of me had left, leaving me alone with Yasuda himself. Stupidly, it took me an entire ten minutes from when I first sat down to realize that I was sitting in front of Yasuda himself. And I had him all to myself.

Holy Joy.

Well, I can't do just the prix fix, I thought. Let's just have fun!

And so we started with sashimi, a glistening trio of Sea Bass, Kama Toro, and Tai. And then dashed on to the Orata and Hamachi. Between bites of utter bliss, I learned that Yasuda and I favoured the same bakeries in Hawai'i, including the now missed Kimuraya in Kaimuki. He has traveled to Hawai'i numerous times and was familiar with Alan Wong's and many neighborhood spots. The words soon merged into another conversation about the very big eels on Canal Street, which turned into a creamy bite of Freshwater Eel.

Kobashira came afterwards, followed by the Wite King Salmon roll. That was the end of the prix fixe.

And now? Now what?

Yasuda looked at me with a grin, more?

I wanted more. Oh yes. I wanted that toro spotted from afar. And uni. One, two, or three. And ikura, of course!

Ok! More! Yes!

We started with the uni, which disappeared in my mouth as quite as it arrived. I silently cursed myself for not slowing savouring the bite. He saw my disappointed look and and asked if I liked it. The problem was, I liked it too much.

So I had one more.

And then one more. OH GOD IT WAS SO RIDICULOUSLY GOOD.

And then he said we should move on.

So we did. I have this unbashful love for ikura, the taut texture and then the endless pop, pop explosion with each bite. We stopped at two. Though I could have easily done a dozen. Now that would be intoxicating.

Then he said I should try the Toro. And I did. And if my pocketbook was thicker, I would have been back every day of the week.

The last piece was the Oyster, chilled, slippery, cut by the lighest sprinkle of salt.

But oh yes! Dessert. Sorry, that was the real last bite, haha. Red Bean Mochi Ice Cream.

And then it was all pau, all over. I realized the restaurant was empty.

As the host slid open the door for me to exit, he said, "Mahalo Nui Loa, we will see you soon!"

Mahalo Nui Loa?

It was him! The man on the phone! I turned around, and then he smiling knowingly and said, "it's great to see another kama'aina here." I smiled back.

And that smile never left my face for the rest of the day.

No, no, not the day. The week. I've still got that smile on my face :)

Happy Friday!

Sushi Yasuda
204 East 43rd Street
NY, NY 10017
(212) 972-1001

Sugar to Make Your Heart Beat Faster

Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a busy and awesome day at work...here's a short round-up of my most recent Sugar Rush posts for Serious Eats New York :)

Post Here
Where: AQ Kafe
What: Budapest Log

Post Here
Where: Simon Sips
What: Double Cream Cake

Post Here
Where: Verē Chocolate
What: Chocolate Brownies and Pump'dcorn.

Post Here
Where: Klee Brasserie
What: Kaiserschmarren

Post Here
Where: Lady M
What: Gâteau Aux Marrons

Post Here
Where: Billy's Bakery
What: Banana Cream Pie

Post Here
Where: Lula's Sweet Apothecary
What: Brownie Sundae

Post Here
Where: Bespoke Chocolates
What: Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramel

Post Here
Where: Murray's Cheese
What: Tumbador Chocolates

Post Here
Where: Skyway Malaysian
What: Soy Bean Milk and Grass Jelly

OK. See you tomorrow :) Am off to make MOFFLES for dinner tonight. hehehee.

Flushing: Best North Dumpling, White Bear Dumpling, Xian Famous Foods, House of Yun Ho at Flushing Mall, Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, Sun Mary Bakery

First, read Kathryn's Chowhound Post here. Her post is more comprehensive than mine would have been, so I shall simply supplement with photos and a few words. My photos are listed in the same order as Kathryn's post, so read the Chowhound post with my photos side by side, and you'll get the full story :)

A few Sundays ago, Robyn, Kathryn, Joe, Diana, Greg and I met up in Flushing with empty stomachs and an appetite for dumplings. We found dumplings, oh yes we did, in addition to Mango Shave Ice, You Tiao and Dou Chaing, and the most fascinating Asian bakery I've come across in a long time.


Stop One: Best North Dumpling
Pork and Fennel Dumplings


"Aquatic Food and Leek" Dumplings - bitten.

Stop Two: White Bear Dumpling
Wontons in Hot Oil. This was hands down the most visually appealing dish we had all day...

...and easily my favourite! :)


Stop Three: Xian Famous Foods

"Liang Pi Cold Noodles"

Lamb "Face" Salad

"Lamb and Cumin Burger"

"Pork Burger"


Stop Four: House of Yun Ho at Flushing Mall
Kathryn came back with a ton of treats! Clockwise from bottom left: beef patty sandwich, shao bing, sesame seed and scallion bread, you tiao.
Hot tou chaing (soybean milk) - unsweetened

The you tiao is wrapped by a shao bing. Combined, they make a sandwich called "shāobing yóutiáo." The carb-on-carb sandwich is dipped in hot bowl of soy bean milk. Some people like to sweeten the milk a little, but I just like it plain. There's also a savoury version of the soy bean milk (it's super lumpy, almost like congee).
Beef Patty Sandwich
Diana came back with not one but two bowls of ice cream!! Green Tea and Red Bean.
Behold, Mango Shave Ice. With. Plenty of condensed milk :)

Stop Five: Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings

Read Joe's Serious Eats New York write up on Nan Xiang here. That specific post had me drooling over xiao long baos for weeks!

They may appear deflated, but blame in on the angle at which I shot the photo, and not the dumpling itself :)

Innards

Stop Six: Sun Mary Bakery

Wrapping up the fresh baked pineapple cakes.

Not only were these fresh, but they also had a little, very welcome surprise inside...

...salted egg yolks! This it the first east coast pineapple cake I've had with salted egg inside - I've found it all over parts of mainland China and LA, but never in Hawai'i or NYC.

I also picked up an (extra-flaky) dan tat...

...and a moist walnut and date cake (it's labeled as a "Half Sugar Longan Walnut Cake" though there was definitely no longan in the cake). The "cake" is more bread-y than muffin-y, but I actually preferred it that way. And, similar to most Asian pastries this was pleasantly light on the sugar.

And that was Sunday in Flushing. ^_^

Best North Dumpling
35-08 Roosevelt Avenue
Queens, NY 11354
(917) 834-4991

White Bear Dumpling
135-02 Roosevelt Avenue #5
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 961-2322

Xi'an Famous Foods
1-28 Main St, Basement #36
Flushing, NY 11355
(718) 885-7788

Flushing Mall
133-31 39 Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 888-1234

Nan Xiang Dumpling House
38-12 Prince St.
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 321-3838

Sun Mary Bakery
13357 41st Rd
Flushing, NY 11355
(718) 460-8800

"Like Asian Gnocchi, Or Mini Savory Malas(s)adas"

Oh man, next time I go home to Hawai'i, I'm headed straight for Kai Sushi in Kailua. From this week's Honolulu Advertiser review:

"Another little gem not seen much on other local izakaya menus are potato mochi balls ($4). They're like Asian gnocchi, or mini savory malasadas, sitting in a pool of, yes, sweet soy sauce. The light delicateness of the mochi balls could use a more subtle bath, but it's still a must-order dish."

Positively dreamy! :)

Philly, Day Three: White Dog Cafe, Saturn Club (for Coffee)...and then back to NYC :)

The bus leaving back to NYC was scheduled to leave at 1pm and we woke up just before 12pm. And we were hungry. With no time for a proper breakfast, but with the much appreciated guidance of John, we headed to nearby White Dog Cafe to pick up morning pastries, and then next door for coffee.

Sorry, this post won't be exciting as the last few :) I'm drained on the energy end with a few (positive!) changes in life, but I should be back up to speed by tomorrow! Maybe I'll have chocolate cake for breakfast heheheh.

Morning baked goods from White Dog Cafe included Peanut Butter Muffins...

...wedges of Pecan Crumb Cake...

...and Raisin Scones. All served with Honey and Apple Butter.

Then we dipped into Saturn Cafe, which just also happens to double as a hair salon. How convenient is that? ;)

Hot coffee for all. And then a short bus ride back to NYC. It feel awesome to dash off for a weekend, but the feeling of returning to the city simply cannot be topped - it's nothing short of exhilarating.

Thanks again to John for being a super, super amazing host :)

Happy Saturday!

White Dog Cafe
3420 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 386-9224

Saturn Club
3426 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 387-8981

Philly, Day Two, Part Two: Heung Fa Chun Sweet House, Pat's King of Steaks, Capogiro Gelateria, and Medusa

Following our morning meal at Reading Terminal, Steph, John and I made a short walk to Chinatown and straight into the doors of Heung Fa Chun Sweet House. Here we were astounded by a menu that offered dofu fa in a fancy of forms...including a SAVOURY version. Savoury! Can you believe it? I had no idea savoury dofu fa even existed. 
There's also plenty of ches - coconut milk and sugar syrup based. Taro, tapioca, red beans, peanuts, grass jelly. Like. EVERYTHING. I also spotted a fried noodle dish, though that wasn't listed on the menu. 
Here's the savoury dofu fa. Isn't that quite sight? We didn't order this, but the gentleman next to us, who clearly found humour in my fascination, asked if I wanted a photo of the dish :) The dofu fa is topped with fried onions, shrimp bits, and green onions. Not sure what the "broth" is. 
We had the sweet dofu fa in its plainest form with a pour of ginger-syrup. Back in NYC I go to that shop with the red awning on Mott Street (right before you hit Pell Street). Nothing's more amazing than cold dofu fa in the summer, and a hot dofu fa on a snowy day, or when you're feeling under the weather!
To finish, a hot cup of fresh dou chaing. Sweetened just a little.

About ready for a nap, we drove back to John's place and wore down our brains with a few truly horrid (and yet soooo good) television shows. The weather was pretty decent so we went up to the roof and watched a Saturday Philly afternoon from high above. 

And climbed the ladder to nowhere.

Soon enough, our bellies were rumbling again and we drove over to Pat's for another cheesesteak. Pat's is the more understated of the two "rival" neighboring cheesesteakaries, though both were packed that Saturday evening. We parked right in front of Geno's - I swear those neon lights just set you into a trance. I felt like we were at a carnival. The drunken crowds of people celebrating an early Saint Patrick's Day simply added to the complete picture.

Steph and I had our first cheesesteak the night before at Jim's but we were excited to try Pat's, which "everyone" said was much better.

I didn't find that there was huge difference in the cheesesteak itself (though it is a million times more awesome "wit whiz" than it is "wit provolone." Mushrooms are also a must have. Pat's edges out Jim's by a slight bit, only because the "steak" at Jim's was cut too fine for my preferences. (Though the pulled pork from Dinic's at Reading Terminal wins over any cheesesteak in my world :)

I nabbed a few of John's cheese fries...tasty, tasty ^_^

Cheesesteaks and fries did not sufficiently clog our arteries, so I suggested that we head right on over to Capogiro for our third gelato trip in two days. The 20th Street location is much better than the 13th Street one because here they have GELATO SANDWICHES. And gelato cakes. Big cakes and little cakes. All composed of gelato. At 13th Street they only have gelato by the scoop.

Behold, hazelnut gelato tucked between two salted chocolate cookies. A ramekin of whipped cream on the side, because my dear, one can never ever have too much whipped cream.

Capogiro was followed by Medusa, seemingly dark, but more friendly than you'd imagine (and that's a good thing! :)

The night? A fun mix of dance and drink. It has recently come to my attention that I am wholly incapable of dancing with people. All the dances I've studied in the past has conveniently enough, involved only myself. One person. Never had to think about keeping beat or rhythm with another. I should really work on fixing this in the near future, heheh.

Happy Thursday :)

Heung Fa Chun Sweet House
112 N 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 238-8968

Pat's King of Steaks
1237 E Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 468-1546

Capogiro Gelateria
117 S 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 636-9250

Medusa
27 S 21st Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 557-1981

Chocolate, Vanilla, Frozen.

A hip-hip-hooray to Steph for Thursday, 7pm cheer in the form of an ice cream sandwich. AND she's baking oatmeal banana bread tonight. Apartment-mates just don't get any better than this :)

Philly, Day Two, Part One: Reading Terminal Market

The plan was to wake at 8am on Saturday morning and dash off to the Reading Terminal Market for a breakfast of hoagies, pulled pork, apple dumplings, chocolate, and pretzels.

We ended up waking closer to noon, victims of a late Friday, beer (it was Beer Week in Philly) and wine. And the ridiculously comfy bed that John had set out. Steph and I couldn't get over how much SPACE there was in the home - with a living room easily twice times the size of ours. You don't realize just how little room there is in the city until you leave and its like whoa, this is what it is like to live in a "normal" home.

But in the end, I wouldn't trade my current lack of space in the EV for anything in the world ^_^

Energized by hot coffee, we piled into John's car, with a pile of notes from U-E's guide to the Reading Terminal Market - we couldn't have done this Reading Market trip without his post! We retraced his steps with a few minor changes.

Change I: pulled pork instead of roast pork at Dinic's.
Change II: Fisher's Dutch Treats no longer makes pretzels so we got the ones from Miller's Twist instead.
Change III: Passed on Bassett's ice cream for an third trip back to Capogiro's.
Change IV: Had the Blue Cheese Fudge in addition to the r&d chocolates at Fair Food Farmstand.

So...here we go!

Stop I: Dinic's Roast Pork and Beef

Find the menu here. We were torn between the ROAST pork and the PULLED pork, but the decision was made to go with PULLED when the gentleman in front us, "a born and raised South Philly boy" urged us to go the PULLED route. God was it good. We had it topped with "greens" and devoured the whole thing in barely a minute with hot juices soaked into the bun and dripping down our wrists. Next time, we'll add on "greens" along with provolone and peppers!

Stop II: Salumeria

Ordered: The Italian Hoagie, complete with mortadella, coppa, spicy capicola. You'll be asked, “the works?” And you must enthusiastically respond, "yesyesyes" as the woman behind the counter piles smothers on a tangy vinaigrette and follows with layers of raw onions, lettuce, sweet roasted peppers and provolone.

Stop III: Dutch Eating Place

It's called a Hot Apple Dumpling. Could there be a more beautiful trio of words?

This photo alone should be sufficient. Buttery pastry harboring a single pitted apple, lightly spiced with cinnamon and baked till the innards get all tender and molten, the pastry golden just so. To eat: warm and pour over the cup of heavy cream. Sit next to the piano player two stalls over and whittle away the afternoon.

Stop IV: Miller's Twist

We were sad to learn that Fisher's Dutch Treats stopped making fresh pretzels awhile ago. But the woman we spoke with pointed to the crowded stall directly across from them and said, "that's where you should go for pretzels."

And we did, ordering a single warm, buttered pretzel, topped with chunks of salt. It was ridiculous. Growing up in Hawai'i, the Pretzel Maker at Kahala Mall was my default after school snack - especially on Thursdays when it was $1.50 pretzel day. I was a loyal holder of the green pretzel stamp card, buy 12 get 1 free. Mom, sister and I must have gone though dozens of cards.

And then I moved to NYC where the food is amazing but the pretzels are hard. If anyone knows where I can find a good soft pretzel here, please let me know :) I'm fond of the ones at Cafe Katja on the LES but you can't just drop by for a pretzel to go. Is there really no place where one can pass in just for one warm, soft pretzel with a generous dip of butter?

Stop V: Fair Food Farmstand

We picked up a few chocolate confections here. First, a duo of Fleur de Sel Caramels by a local Philly company, r&d chocolates. These were forgettable at best, better sea salted caramels can be found back in NYC.


The Blue Sue Dark Chocolate Fudge with Birchrun Hills Blue Cheese was substantially more enjoyable, rich chocolately buttons speckled with bits of raw blue cheese.

A little more stuffed than we had anticipated, we leaned back on the metal chairs a digested. The we did the logical thing and took a walk. We walked right over to Chinatown to eat more, then went home for afternoon naps and bad television...then set off to Pat's for cheesesteaks, another trip to Capogiro's, and closed off the night at Medusa. Post to follow :)

Have a super happy Wednesday!

Reading Terminal Market
51 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 922-2317

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Caught the 5th Avenue Parade near Central Park today. I know not where the Parade began or ended, but my little nook across the street from Bergdorf's was a perfect viewing spot.

Stopped a few minutes to watch - I was the only soul along those blocks with nary a hint of green, heheh.

It took forever to cross the street. But that was fine, because today, there was no need for a mad dash to anywhere. It felt awesome.

I stopped in the Apple Store for a new ipod.
And then swung downtown for a hair appointment. New cut today :)

Will be back with a Philly post tomorrow. Hope your Tuesday was lovely!

Philly, Day One: Two Stops at Capogiro Gelato in Three Hours, Jim's Steaks, Continential, and Tria

On Thursday, Steph and I had lunch at Zabb City, literally 66 steps from our apartment. They've got a $6.95 lunch special which is an awesome deal. AND they're right next door to Momo Milk Bar...that is awfully convenient.

Over our bowls of Thai chicken soup...

...and pad kee mow, Steph said, "why don't we ever travel together?" And so, the following morning, we packed our bags and made off to Philly for the weekend. It was as easy as that.

The main reason I don't travel to nearby cities more frequently is because I have short patience for bus rides. It's silly but true, and a mindset I must work on fixing. The ride to Philly (my first trip!) was two hours - not too shoddy. We arrived in the late afternoon and dashed down to gelato on 20th Street with our weekend bags and a sweet tooth.

In my dream world, the gelato boy and I would have fallen in love and we would escape to to Italy and master the art of gelato making. Post gelato-apprenticeship, we'd move back to NYC, purchase a West Village townhouse and open a gelateria across the street.

But alas, real life presented a different (though no less wonderful) story. Steph and I ordered the biggest gelato cup on the menu, complete with four flavours and a side of whipped cream. Pistachio, Bacio, Cassatta Siciliana, and Turkish Coffee Gelato made up the quartet. My favourite was a tie between the Bacio, complete with toasty hazelnut bits, and the Cassatta Siciliana, a ricotta number with candied orange zest. As for the Pistachio, I think L'arte del Gelato is significantly better, in terms of flavour, though not necessarily texture.

Whipped cream makes my heart go pitter patter, pitter patter :D

We ate quick, hoping to make it over to Reading Terminal Market for warm buttered pretzels before the market closed. Unfortunately we were too slow, and the market had just closed. Not to be let down, we wiped our tears and walked further down south to Jim's Steaks for a pre-dinner snack of Philly cheesesteaks.

Cheesesteak with Provolone, Mushrooms and Peppers. Just a nice little appetizer, hehee.

Post-cheesesteak, John picked Steph and I up for dinner at the Continental. Here we had what must be the city's largest tower of...

...shoestring fries. Chinese mustard sauce on the side. We also shared a few plates, including...

...French Onion Soup Dumplings...

...Scallops Au Gratin, Potato, Bacon, Mornay...

...BBQ Chicken Quesadilla and Avocado Sour Cream...

...and Pan Seared Hanger Steak with Blue Cheese and Red Wine Sauce.

After dinner, another gelato craving came about. And when I have a gelato craving, I HAVE A GELATO CRAVING. So we went back to Capogiro, only to the 13th Street location instead of the 20th Street location.

Why not go to both if you can, right? :)

This time around I had the medium cup instead of the large, which was probably a good idea, considering we just had our first cup no more than three hours ago. Toasted Almond, Dark Chocolate, and Thai Coconut Gelato. A fine flavour combination.

And because the night was still young...

...we headed to the nearby Tria right after to finish off the very lovely and low-key evening with wine and beer.

And that was our first Friday in Philly :)

Zabb City
244 E 13th St
New York, NY 10079
(212) 529-8770

Capogiro Gelateria
117 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 636-9250

Jim's Steaks
400 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 928-1911

Continental Midtown
1801 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 567-1800

Tria
123 S. 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 972-8742

Capogiro Gelateria
119 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 351-0900

Steph and I Just Want...

...to say "hiii!" from Philadelphia. A million thanks to John for hosting/driving/eating a lot of food with us over the weekend ^_^

Gelato, gelato sandwiches, whipped cream, wine and beer, french fries, pulled pork sandwiches, warm pretzels, pastries, coffee, cheesesteaks, hoagies, apple dumplings, dofu fa, and chocolates to come soon.

On This Friday Morning...

...I woke up, made a hot cup of tea...

...put on my second favourite hat...

...and went out to recently open Simon Sips for...

...cake.

A very delightful slice of Double Cream Cake to be exact.

And then I walked home to...PACK. We're off to Philly in an hour! Objective: GELATO. See you upon return :)

Oh! And you must watch this ->

Remember Kelly, Scout and Lexi? They (the dogs, not Kelly ;) are on our local (Hawai'i) news station, KGMB 9, today! Soooo cute. See here :)

Simon Sips
72 E 1st Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0614

A Little Cookie List

Jack's Stir Brew - See the Previous Post

My last few weeks have been speckled with cookie cravings at the random hours of the day. I'll wake from bed at 6am and the first thing that pops to mind is...cooookie! Thank goodness for easy mobility in the city. It guarantees instant satisfaction for this nonsense ^_^


I frequently find myself in front of the display case at Momofuku Milk Bar in the early morning, contemplating my first bite of the day. And while I've certainly had one too many breakfasts of pistachio or chocolate cake, cookies seem a touch more appropriate for a morning meal. Corn, blueberry...take your pick. My heart lies with the Compost cookie (complete with pretzels, potato chips, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and coffee grounds)...

...with the Cornflake-Marshmallow-Chocolate Chip cookie coming in a distant second.

During the afternoons I like to wander over to Abraço for a buttery cured olive number...

....or the airy light and fragrant rose water meringue. Goodness I love this cookie.

Cookies like the Jacques Torres mudslide cookie fall on my list of things that make me grateful to live in NYC. Dark, and over the top indulgent with plenty of walnuts, and more chocolate than flour, this cookie is certainly a drug in and of itself. It's a fairly well-known cookie - Jacques Torres even sells a cookie mix for it. But the mix is pricey, you're best off making the recipe.

When I'm in a totally flourless mood I head straight for Payard Patisserie where the Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookie sets me straight. I most often chase this cookie with a short bus ride down 5th Ave for plenty of shopping. Or window shopping at least ;)

Just before training classes this morning I stopped in at nearby Paradis for a chocolate chip cookie - light, almost poofy. A good standard chocolate chip cookie, though nothing particularly memorable.

Those who frequent any NYC location of Oren's must have noticed the jars of single-bite cookies stored near the cash register. I'll often get one or two of the Chocolate-Chocolate Cookie as an afternoon pick-me-up. Dunked in a hot cup of coffee, the chocolate chips get all melty making for a fudge-esque bite. They outsource all their baked goods, but I'm not sure which bakery these cookies come from.

And of course there is always the classic fallback - City Bakery (or Birdbath if you're in the EV or WV) for that big happy chocolate chip disk. And if chocolate chip isn't intense enough, go for the Double Chocolate Cookie. Thumbs up for the Coconut Cookie and the seasonal Gingerbread Cookie.

But everyone knows that the melt in your mouth Peanut Butter Cookies mounds is the single best item at the bakery :)

One cookie I no longer enjoy are the ones from Levain Bakery. I used to like them a lot back around 2004 and 2005, but now I just find them cloying and single dimensional in flavour. They're loved by a number of people, but in all honestly I find the severely under-baked, under-salted and enormous heft of a cookie quite disgusting.

I'm still on the fence about the Ruby et Violette cookies (pictured above: Maple Walnut and Chocolate Chip)- they're pretty swell and warmed upon order. Nonetheless, they're also overly sweet and SEVERELY overpriced. Like ridiculously overpriced to the point where I can't help but break down the cost of each bite.

My attempts at shoe shopping in the Time Warner Center never fails to fail because I am inevitably and immediately drawn to Bouchon Bakery every time I enter the shopping complex. First on the agenda. One chocolate bouchon. Second on the agenda. TKO cookie. Or the Nutter Butter. Depends on the mood. Both are well worth the calories.

Over at Joe the Art of Coffee on Waverly, the Raspberry Thumbprint Cookie by Tom Cat Bakery is my go-to coffee companion. Though once I had a taste of Olivia's Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie (by That Chick Bakes), and that was pretty nice.

But oh yes! How could I forget?! The best peanut butter cookie in this city has got to be the Vegan Peanut Butter Cookie from Cake Shop. I've turned to this huge, floppy, almost cake-like cookie many a nights when I lived on the Lower East Side. Robyn first turned me on to this cookie in Fall 2007 and I've been addicted every since.
While we're on the subject of "healthy" cookies, make sure you stop in at Life Thyme in the West Village. There's a bakery section in the back of the market with some killer cookies. The Vegan Oatmeal Raisin (ingredient list) is my favourite of their selections, though you really can't go wrong with any flavour. A quote from Robyn's blog, "Their ginormous vegan organic cookies (tollbooth cookie, get it!) are better than most regular ones I've eaten. They taste like cookie dough! Deeeelish." Be warned, these cookies are so filling they could easily be passed on as meal.

You "need" to eat at the Redhead to get the free Chocolate-Oat Cookie that comes with the check (see my Serious Eats write-up). But who's complaining when buttermilk fried chicken and a shrimp & grits is on the menu?

At 3 for $1.95, the Chocolate Chip Cookies at ChickaLicious Dessert Club are a hit or miss, often falling on the slightly under-baked side. I like to buy a trio on each visit, and eat one on the walk home, and warm the rest up in the oven - midnight snack! :) By the way, ChickaLicious just started serving Shave Ice! How wonderful is that? Menu here. Condensed milk, azuki beans and mochi ball toppings...dare I say, it's almost like home.

I've always had a soft spot for the crumbly (some might deem it dry) Molasses Cookie at Tisserie. It's a bummer the Union Square location closed, but it's a short trip uptown for this and their Triple Chocolate Cookie, which borders on brownie territory.

And for Black & Whites? My favourite is at William Greenberg's on the Upper East Side! :)

Other cookies worth mention:
- the cookie plate at Gramercy Tavern
- tea infused shortbread at Amai Tea House
- Rose & Black Pepper Thumbprint Cookies from Whimsy & Spice
- Chocolate Dots at Oro Bakery
- Chocolate Chip Cookie from Grounded in the West Village
- Petrossian's Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Milk & Cookie's Chocolate Mint Cookie
- Chocolate Chip Cookie from Pichet Ong's Batch Bakery
- Insomnia Cookies (when delivered from good friends late at night :)
- The super thin Tate's cookies found at most bodegas

OK. Man that was a long post :) Now I have SUPER INTENSE pizza craving. Have an awesome Wednesday!

Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar
207 Second Ave
New York, NY 10003

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

Jacques Torres
350 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 414-2462

Payard Patisserie
1032 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10021
(212) 717-5252

Paradis
114 4th Ave
New York, NY 10003
(646) 416-6709

Oren's
Various Locations

City Bakery / Birdbath
3 W 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 366-1414

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
(212) 874-6080

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle
At 59th Street - Third Floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9366

Ruby et Violette
457 West 50th Street
New York, NY 10019
(718) 728-6250

Joe the Art of Coffee
141 Waverly Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 924-675

Cake Shop
152 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 253-0036

Life Thyme
410 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011
(212) 420-9099

Redhead
349 E 13th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 533-6212

ChikaLicious Dessert Club
204 E 10th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-0929

Tisserie

William Greenberg
1100 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10028
(212) 744-0304

Saturday Morning Breakfast...

...at Jack's Stir Brew in the West Village means one thing.

Chocolate Chip Cookie, warmed to order. Buttery crisp edges, a faint whisper of vanilla, melting chocolate chips and a soft gooey center.

Now that is what I call good morning.

Jack's Stir Brew
138 W 10th St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-0821

Thank You! :)

Thank you for the super sweet comments on my last post, and all the supportive and congratulatory emails...it is much appreciated! ^_^

I wish I could tell you that my new career was something absolutely crazy awesome. Like I've become a full-time jazz dancer or food writer or hat milliner. Alas, it is none of those. But it's something equally swell in my opinion.

Real estate runs in the family and it's always been a passion of mine. I obtained my license last year, and have waited for the right opportunity to make a move. The right opportunity came. And I made the move.

And I am so ridiculously over the top excited.

Will be back soon with food-stuffss...almost forgot for second that this is a food blog, heehee. Hope your Sunday was delightful! :)

I Quit My Job...

...two hours ago. New and very VERY exciting career change to come shortly. Be back later with more! :)

Super over-the-top happy, happy, happy Thursday!! :D

(still out sick, but being this joyful cures anything)

Out Sick. Saturday Eats.

It must be the random weather fluxes. I get sick about once a year. Usually during March. Am currently in bed with a massive blue bathrobe, a big pink blanket, and an even bigger copper comforter. The sheets are navy. Some pillows are white, others are yellow. There are far too many colours.

Hopefully will be better by tomorrow. Till then, would you be interested in...

...a crocodile? Teehee. Found at the Deluxe Market in Chinatown.

Other random eats from Saturday.


Morning hot chocolate with fresh Ronnybrook Farm Dairy's whipped cream at the Greenmarket.

I wasn't expecting much from the hot chocolate itself, for it was fresh whipped cream that I craved. Unfortunately the cream wasn't whipped thick enough, thus oozzing a thin, somewhat liquid-y mass.

Shall stick with the tangy and thick yoghurt drinks in the future. Strawberry is the best flavor, with Mango coming in a close second. And oh! The coffee milks are some kind of wonderful, not to mention the Ginger Creme Brulee ice cream...::droooll::

Greg also picked up a baguette for the subway ride en route to see Mitzy at the Brooklyn Flea Market. Baked goods from the Greenmarket aren't noteworthy in the least.

Later that afternoon, we went to Chinatown's Sun Light Bakery for fresh steamed noodles, which I learned about via Mitch.

$1.50 gets you this! Pretty awesome, huh?

Corner 28 in Flushing does the same thing, but they've also got $1 Peking duck buns right next door. Thanks to Kathryn for introducing me to that stand! :)

The menu features two types of jook - one sweet and one savoury, a few different steamed buns, and the highlight...cheong funn steamed to order. Pictured above are the five different types of cheong funn you can pick from. Chicken, pork, beef, lup cheong and shrimp. Can't remember the fifth one. Scallions added upon request. No extra charge. Boy, I love this place.

Removing the noodles from the steamer contraption.

Fresh out of the steamed, scraping off the noodles.

Squirting on the shoyu and hot sauce.

And then...ta-dah! We got two types of noodles. First, the lup cheong and shrimp...

...and the beef and scallions.

We walked around a bit more, stopping in at Hon Cafe for Hong Kong nai cha, and then to...

...Saigon for banh mi. Back in Hawai'i and LA, I'd have banh mi's on a bi-weekly basis at the very least. But I have never eaten an NYC banh mi for fear that it won't live up.

And you know what?

Banh Mi Nem Noung, Thit Nguoi, Cha

It didn't live up.

Banh Mi Pate & Cha

The pate wasn't thick and creamy the way it is at San Gabriel's Mr. Baguette, or Bale in Hawai'i. We split two different banh mi's - the "Pate and Cha" and the "House Special." I preferred the former for it's abundance of pate. While it might not be as good as that in the west coast, decent pate is better than no pate at all. Forgot how much I missed that stuff. During elementary school, grandpa would buy pate by the pound from Bale, and slather it on Saint German baguettes for my after school snack.

Banh Mi Nem Noung, Thit Nguoi, Cha

Danny did a nice post on Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich here.

And of course, one must never consume a banh mi without a cup of ca phe su in hand...

...iced for myself...

...and hot for Greg...

And that was my first NYC banh mi experience. There will be many more to come. Till then, must go to sleep...I feel a fever coming back on.

Sun Light Bakery Corp.
160 East Broadway
New York, NY 10002
(212) 608-8899

Hon Cafe
70 Mott Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-1431

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich
369 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-8341

Good Morning Sunshine

Look at the NYC snow fall this Monday morning...absolutely crazzzy ^_^

Itzy Bitzy Patisserie in March! :)

New macaron flavours for the month of March are out! Huzzah, huzzah! ^_^ Itzy Bitzy Patisserie's flavours are as follows below:

Black & White Macaron

Chocolate-Grand Marnier Macaron

Chestnut-Green Tea Macaron (this flavour was first featured in November 2008, and still remains my favourite flavour to date :)

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Macaron

Dark Chai Macaron

Lime-Ginger Macaron

Mitzy - the incredibly talented woman behind all this magic :)

Find Mitzy's macarons at Tafu or at the Brooklyn Flea Market on weekends.

Happy Sunday!

Thank Youuuu...

...to my very awesome mom and dad for mailing the most recent surprise package. Every now and then, my parents send over random gifts just because. Those are the most wonderful type of presents - ones given for no particular reason whatsoever :)

The most recent package, which arrived yesterday, was particularly swell. These "happy packages" are often a random collection of objects, or food...this time around it was clothing, shoes and bags.

First off, a splendid pair of red and black heels...

...and a silk black dress with heavy beading around the neckline - I am especially excited about this one.

A new office bag for work.

And a long black jersey dress and blue cashmere cardigan.

My mom and dad are indeed the most wonderful parents in the world as far as I am concerned :)