Monday Morning, Patisserie Claude

Monday breakfast at Patisserie Claude after a wonderful birthday weekend with Zubair...Po, Tartine, and En Brasserie...posts to come soon! ^_^

This morning, we had coffee and a quiche each, warmed to order, and then shared...

...a single brioche...

...and one very, very lovely apricot tart. What a way to start the day :)

Patisserie Claude
187 W 4th Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 255-5911

Ciao for Now

Saturday morning brunch at Ciao for Now with Marie (who's visiting this week all the way from Hawai'i!) and Ariel, who I have not seen in the longest time.

This new location of Ciao for Now on the north side of 12th Street (they used to be on the south side of the street) is sooo much bigger! There's a ton of seating, lots of exposed brick, flowers on all the tables...so cute, so cute ^_^

On weekends, they offer a short brunch menu -> fresh squeezed orange juice paired with your choice of huevos verde, pancakes, french toast, BLT + avocado, or an omelette for $9. It's a pretty fair price, imo. You order at the counter and they'll deliver to your table.

Marie and Ariel went for the Almond Brioche French Toast...

...while I did the Huevos Verde. Those are little containers of sour cream and salsa off to the side. All brunch dishes come with a side of fresh fruit - today's set included blueberries, strawberries, honeydew, and oranges.

I usually stick with drinks and pastries at Ciao for Now, but it was fun branching out onto their "real food" menu this morning. Can you really blame me for falling victim to their sweets? Look at those Maple Pecan Sticky Buns! Heehee.

My last Ciao for Now visit before this was to the Avenue A location with Diana. We met up one lazy afternoon, and tucked ourselves at a table way in the back of the shop.

I had the iced green tea with lemon, ginger, and honey...

...and Diana had an iced chai and hummus sandwich.

Dessert? A bitty pineapple muffin which I blogged here on Serious Eats New York :)

Ciao for Now
523 East 12th Street
New York NY 10009
212-677-2616

Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote

The other night, Robyn, Diana, Greg, Nick P. and I met for dinner at the Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote, the newest branch of bistro that originated from Paris. Read Nick Solares' coverage on SENY here.

There was a lot of dessert.

But we'll get to that later ;)

The menu offers but one entree, and that is steak. Steak that comes with fries, salad and bread. You are however, allowed to order your steak black & blue, rare, medium, or well-done. Robyn, Nick P, and I had it rare, Greg went with black & blue, and Diana, well-done. First comes the (butterless) bread...

...followed by the salad outfitted with walnuts and a mustard dressing.

The steaks is served in two portions. What you see above is the first serving. As soon as you've downed that place, the waitresses, dressed in French maid outfits, sweep by with another serving. Those golden fries came cold the first time around and then piping hot the second time. Talk about inconsistent. The strip cut comes doused in a sauce which Nick reports is "...a closely guarded secret. Heavy on the butter, it reportedly incorporates blanched chicken livers, mustard, and thyme." Nick offered more details on the steak in the post I linked above...but I'm here to tell you about dessert, heeeheee ^_^

First off, options are aplenty. APLENTY. Especially considering the fact that there's just one entree, heheh. Second, none of the desserts are particularly good or satisfying. Some are classic, some are fun, none are memorable, and one is completely drowned in Grand Marnier. Excessively so.

My favourite of the bunch? "Le Vacherin du Relais," pictured above, an alternating tower of crisp meringue and ice cream, all drenched in silky chocolate.

Creme Brulee - nothing extraordinary...simply forgettable

The Semifreddo must have been 80% Grand Marnier and 20% Semifreddo...I suppose these proportions could be a blessing for some...but skewed to such an extreme, I found it pretty inedible.

Six vanilla ice cream filled profiteroles come with a pour of the same chocolate sauce as the Vacherin du Relais. Swimmmmming in chocolate. Chilly two-bite numbers, it's hard to hate profiteroles, even poorly made ones, though thank god these were decent.

And chocolate cake two ways - classic and flourless.

Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote
590 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
(212) 758-3989

Perry St

Saturday birthday brunch for Zubair, right after he won a bunch of squash matches :D

This was my second visit to Perry Street - the food this time around was markedly better than my last visit just over a year ago. The one thing I distinctly remember about that last visit was just how terrible the desserts were. The worst way to end a meal is with crappy dessert. And that's how we ended lunch in 2008, with meringue spikes over a lifeless pile of creme. It still remains in my head to this day as the crappiest dessert I've ever been served in a restaurant.

Luckily, this time around, dessert turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Strawberry and rhubarb shortcake, warm molten chocolate cake, both with ice cream. The savoury dishes were also much improved, though the aloof and sometimes confused service was still a bit lackluster. Have they done away with the amuse? The Spring Pea Soup with Parmesan Foam was nice touch. Nothing showed up this time though.

Regardless, between house made sodas and mimosas, this proved to be a rather enjoyable visit. Company played a big factor as always ^_^

Photos follow below:

Lilikoi-Chili Soda

Peekytoe Crab Salad with Champagne Mango and Asparagus

Crispy Calamari with Yuzu Dipping Sauce and Sesame...compare with last time.

Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Crunchy Potatoes and Creamy Herbal Spinach...no potatoes in 2008, but there was "Liquid Gruyere".

House Made Gravlax with Poached Eggs, Toasted Brioche...compare the same dish.

Strawberry Shortcake

Molten Chocolate Cake

Perry St
176 Perry Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 352-1900

Photo Splodge: "The Sweet Life with Jansen Chan"

Last Thursday, Zubair and I stopped in for "The Sweet Life with Jansen Chan," a tasting of sweets from Oceana's pastry chef. Location: Design Within Reach: Tools for Living. There were a total of nine different sweets, though my favourites were definitely a tie between the Chocolate Chip Custard Bars and the Raspberry and Lychee Panna Cotta with Toasted Angel Food Cake

Photos follow below :)

Blueberry Mochi Cake...

...the whole tray!

Miso Fruit Focaccia

Mini Maple Tapioca Pie with Chocolate Cream

Almond Meringue and Raspberry

Chocolate Chip Custard Bars

Raspberry and Lychee Panna Cotta, Toasted Angel Food Cake

Salty Honey Roule

Cookies: Shortbread, Snickerdoodle, Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

Salty Caramel Filled Doughnuts...more? ^_^

Conde Nast Traveler

Super duper thanks to Joyce, who's comment in the last post alerted me of some pretty neat news...I'm in this month's issue of Conde Nast Traveler! Wheee! hehe ^_^

As soon as I saw the comment around 1am last night, Zubair and I ran to the 24 hour magazine shop next to L'arte del Gelato on Bleecker & 7th Avenue to pick up an issue. So exciting!

Just a tiny blurb on page 104, but I thought it was pretty cool ^_^ Makes me miss Thang's avocado smoothies and lunches at Andy's back home...hopefully I'll get to make a trip back to Hawai'i later this year.

Happy Sunday :)

Dosa Man

Zubair and I met for a quick lunch in Washington Square Park earlier this week. The weather was just so lovely, I couldn't imagine not eating outside. Luckily, the line at the Dosa Man cart wasn't long, so we shared a Pondicherry Dosa and few snacks. The Pondicherry Dosa is stuffed with curried potatoes, bell peppers, and carrots. On the side, coconut chutney and sambar.

Pictured here is a duo of fried Samosas and a Veggie Roti tucked in the middle. A bunch of different sauces, can't recall them all, but I loved them nonetheless.

How to eat? I would dip the samosa in the sauce and then munch away, but Zubair was used to eating it in a different manner, which ultimately proved to be much more efficient. He cut the samosa into bite-sized pieces and mixed them with all the sauces - this resulted in sauce covered samosa nuggets. So very awesome :)

N.Y. Dosas
Washington Square South
(917) 710-2092

Locanda Verde...Bakery!! ^_^

The sight of new bakeries always make me smile, especially if the goods on hand are as delicious as those from Locanda Verde. I stopped in Karen DeMasco's new bakery earlier this week...the staff was a sweet as could be, and the pastries, even sweeter.

I couldn't settle upon just one pastry, so left with a slice of almond cake and strawberry-rhubarb puree (see my SENY post here), blueberry-polenta muffin, and strawberry scone. I AM IN LOVE.

It's been a while since a truly awesome bakery opened up in this city, so you can probably guess just how excited I am! I got a bit lost down in Tribeca...I know the West Village like none other, but throw me in Tribeca and I'll be walking in circles. Luckily I managed to pass the newest location of Grandaisy Bakery and fit in a few snacks there. Oh! And the new Billy's Bakery opens up nearby this Saturday. That should be exciting too. But for now, I am infatuated with Locanda Verde.

I haven't eaten at the restaurant, and to be honest, the bakery makes me so over the top happy, the restaurant is secondary. I must go back verrry soon...so many things to try...hello, olive oil coffee cake and oatmeal cookie sandwiches! ^_^

Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-3797

Arirang

Kimchee

Dinner with Robyn and Jess at Arirang in K-town.

Pickled Daikon

Chinese hand-pulled noodles, I am very familiar with. But Korean hand-pulled (and knife-cut) noodles? This was a completely new world!

Tea

First, read Robyn's Serious Eats post on Arirang here. She offers a more detail on that post than I will here. I accompanied Robyn on her second visit, along with the very awesome Jess who speaks Korean fluently and helped tremendously with ordering ^_^

We shared one massive, MASSIVE bowl of seafood kar-jeabe and a seafood pancake...I'm a pretty big eater, and the three of us put together could barely finish both those dishes (granted, I had a slice of Artichoke pizza right before this o_O).

Pictured above is the seafood kar-jeabe...

...which has a mix of both torn noodles...

...and knife-cut noodles...like dumplings, minus the filling. Pretty awesome, huh?

Then we moved onto the seafood pancake, which was equally enormous. Super crispy surface, and chewy, almost mochi-esque innards strewn with cuttlefish and green onions.

Six huge triangular wedges to an order...cut and dip...

...into a vinegar-shoyu-chili sauce. Nomnom.

Arirang
32 West 32nd Street, 3rd Floor
New York NY 10001
212-967-5088

He Fixed Eggs. We Made Dinner. Truffles at Kee's. Yoghurt and Cookies on Sullivan.

Saturday morning. Zubair asked, "would you like me to fix some eggs?"

"Yes, please!"

And there you have it. Nutty slices of toast, salami, cheddar, two fried eggs and a healthy serving of Tabasco. With coffee, of course :)

Post-brunch, we headed down to Kee's Chocolate on Thompson for our weekend serving of truffles. Four is the perfect number. Last week we did the quartet at Jacques Torres, this week Kee's. Perhaps Bespoke or La Maison du Chocolat next week!

First, Pistachio Truffle...

...then a Smoked Salt Truffle...

...followed by an Almond Truffle...

...and finally, Honey and Saffron.

We whittled the afternoon between Soho and the Village, running errands, and dipping into The Yoghurt Place II on Sullivan Street for dusty sweet Almond Cookies...

...and Greek Yoghurt with Fig & Apricot Jam and handful of Almonds.

The all day on-and-off drizzle of rain turned into a downpour as we headed home, so instead of dining out we decided to cook dinner.

"What shall we make?"
"Lamb!" he declared.

We stopped in at the nearby Ottomanelli's on Bleecker Street for a few pounds of lamb leg. Then off to Gourmet Garage for a few staples to complete the meal. Zubair prepared a spicy Pakistani lamb dish he grew up with...one he had spoken about many times before, so you could imagine how excited I was to finally taste it ^_^.

Ingredients: a TON of chili peppers, garlic, lamb, fresh tomatoes, mint, and a bit of yoghurt.

We prepared a refreshing Cucumber, Tomato, Corn, Lemon, and Mint Salad to accompany the lamb...

...along with Mint Raita and Mango Achar (not pictured).

The lamb is sautéed in olive oil with chilis and garlic, then stewed with fresh tomatoes and plenty of spice, a touch of yoghurt and mint to finish. Clockwise from bottom: Cucumber Salad, Lamb, Hot Griddled Pita, and Mint Raita. I should have remembered to snap a shot of the Mango Achar...it was delicious.

I rarely cook for myself, or have proper home-cooked meals in the city, but on those rare occasions where I'm lucky enough to enjoy a meal from scratch, I can't help but think of how we ought to do this more often. Company plays a large factor, of course ;)

To end the meal, wine and Baklava I had prepared the day before. We cooled off the night with drinks and company at Grey Dog's and then a friend's place. To sum - one of the most sweet and simple days I've had in a long time. Flawless ^_^

Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 334-3284

The Yoghurt Place II
71 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 219-3500

Ottomanelli & Sons Prime Meat Market
285 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 675-4217

Cafe Zaiya: Fish Sammmmmich

For a paltry $3.75, this Fried Fish Sandwich from Cafe Zaiya made me really, really happy. A big poofy bun, fried white fish, LOTS of tartar sauce, and a slice of American cheese. Oh. And some lettuce too, hehe.

Happy Friday! ^-^

Cafe Zaiya
18 E 41st Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 779-0600

Cupcakes. It Seems...

...that, between yesterday and today, I simply cannot stop eating cupcakes. Cupcake after cupcake after cupcake. I can most certainly eat a few more...and will likely do so tomorrow.

Ever get one of those cravings? Those cravings that only intensify every time you try to satisfy it?

I'm suffering (or is that enjoying? ;) one of those cravings right now.

Yesterday it was the Dirty at Sweet Revenge with Zubair. We ate the cupcake utensil free, leaving cocoa powder stains on our chins and big grins on our faces...

...and as he took the last bite, I convinced him to stroll over to Magnolia's for another cupcake. Because. This was a different cupcake. And therefore a different creature entirely. In addition, the Magnolia's cupcake was topped with a mocha buttercream whereas Sweet Revenge finished off with dark chocolate ganache. It's like night and day!

Today, I took advantage of the free mini cupcakes from the Cupcake Stop Truck parked at 14th Street and 5th Avenue. I really craved a chocolate-chocolate cupcake but wound up with mint-chocolate, as they had run out of the former.

And because eating a mini cupcake does nothing but make you crave a bigger one, I stopped in at Sugar Sweet Sunshine for the "Ooey Gooey", a chocolate cupcake with chocolate-almond buttercream.

Then I went home and ate some real food.
But now I'm craving a cupcake again.
This is ridiculous.

Sweet Revenge
62 Carmine Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-2240

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

Cupcake Stop
Moves around in a truck

Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 995-1960

Saturday Afternoon @ Hampton Chutney Co

Saturday, 2:00pm -> my first visit to the Hampton Chutney Co in Soho. Zubair had a dosa craving, and because our first two choices - Chennai Garden (too far north) and the Dosa Man in Washington Square Park (only open on weekdays) didn't work, we found ourselves making a short stroll down to Price Street.

The menu is pretty extensive and it wasn't easy to settle on just one! Luckily enough, we each narrowed it down to the same two dosas, which we shared.

First, the Tuna with Cilantro Chutney Dressing, Avocado, Arugula & Tomato Dosa...

...with a side of Curry Chutney.

Then, the Curry Chicken, Spinach & Balsamic Roasted Onion Dosa...

...with Mango Chutney.

And because the weather was so warm out, we cooled down with cups of Iced Cardamom Coffee and Chai. Post-lunch sweets at Jacques Torres, and then homemade smoothies...simple afternoons are the best ^_^

Hampton Chutney Co
68 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 226-9996

Friday Night, Saturday Morning

This cheese, Jasper Hill Bayley Hazen Blue, is now a Friday night tradition. The first wedge came about at the movies with a bottle of wine. And the second, with cups of tea during that horrid bout of laryngitis. But we're back with the wine this week...

...one particular red that pairs beautifully with the cheese. Zubair is obsessed with this wine - it's the same one we brought to the movies. This pairing is even better when eaten and drunk indoors while it is pouring rain outside. Such was Friday. We left only for a brief pizza jaunt at Spunto's and sweets at Rocco's, post to come later.

The weather was much nicer Saturday morning. What better way to celebrate than with a stroll through the Greenmarket and a quart of strawberries ^_^

Happy Sunday!

El Quinto Pino

Two meals, in photos.
First, Friday night snack with Zubair last week.
Second, a stop in with Jess last month.
Note: Eggplant and Salt Cod appear at both meals, but with different preparations.

With Zubair ->

Basil Gin Lemonade

Milk Punch with Brandy

Salt-Baked Cod

Fried Eggplant with Honey and Sherry

Pringá - Braised Meat Sandwich

A firm sheep's milk cheese - I cannot recall the name at the moment. Will check and get back to you on this ^_^

Casadiella. Serious Eats post here.

With Jess ->

Garbanzos and Spinach

Fried Salt Cod

Uni Panini

Eggplant with Honey

El Quinto Pino
401 W 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 206-6900

Itzy Bitzy Patisserie Macarons

June flavours for your viewing pleasure ^_^
In case you didn't already know where to get them...

Raspberry-Chocolate Macaron

Spicy Chocolate Macaron

Spicy Chocolate Macaron

Cabernet Macaron

Houjicha Macaron

Chocolate-Chocolate Macaron

Voice

My voice is slowly coming back...ever so slowly. The Luo Han Guo really does work wonders - thanks for all the comments in my last post demystifying this curious fruit. I'm drinking cup and cups of the liquid as I type ^_^

I was clearing though photos from last week and came across this one I took Friday night. When Zubair and I kick back for a late night movie, wine and cheese is typically involved.

We settled onto the couch.

"No more alcohol," I pointed at my throat and exaggerated a whisper. We had just come home from an evening at El Quinto Pino and Mayahuel where I failed to obey my doctor's order of sticking only to hot water, hot tea, hot soup, hot (insert non-alcoholic liquid).

The wine disappeared along with him into the kitchen. I heard a beep, some fumbling, and clanking, and then out he came with a tea tray in hand. Tea pot, cups, sugar, and everything! So thoughtful!

Oh, and the cheese, we cannot forget the cheese. A half-pound wonder of Jasper Hill Bayley Hazen Blue. Same type that we brought to the movies two weeks ago. Addicting in the least ;)

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-3289

For Laryngitis

Whole

I lost my voice a few days ago. It's just starting to come back now, but I was mute for most of the weekend. This is especially hard when your job requires that you do a good deal of talking ;) I had to substitute with a lot of hand gesturing and whispering.

With Holes

Mom called yesterday and demanded that I go to Chinatown in search of something she pronounced as "looo hong gua". She instructed me to buy a few of these kiwi-shaped creatures, prick holes with chopsticks, and boil them in water. Drinking the water is supposed to ensure a speedy recovery from a sore throat and bring your voice back.

Innards

The resulting drink is surprisingly sweet and very, very soothing. Best served warm. I wish I knew the English name for these kiwi-balls, but they can be found all over Chinatown (I got mine on Mott, slightly south of Grand Street)...and well-priced at three for $1.00!