Onigiri and Tonjiru

2 of my favorite Japanese (household) dishes.

For making a good Onigiri, you must use Japanese short grain rice. Any other just won't do.
Japanese short grain rice is not only delicious right out of the cooker, but also at room temperature. It's probably the only rice I know that tastes good cold.
Tons of flavor and texture to give it a nice toothsome feel.

Tonjiru is a hearty pork miso soup with a ton of root vegetables. You won't find it at restaurants much, but it sure is a popular dish in the the household.

This pic was taken a few days ago at the Japanese Culinary Center in Manhattan. They held a little workshop for people interested in Japanese cooking.

Very cool.

Dumplings 水餃子

Had a party last night (more to report on that) and had some left over dumpling skin and filling.
So i plopped in front of the TV with my dumpling station and cranked out a few more while watching some Australian Open Finals this morning.

Que bella e delisioso.
I think mom would be proud of this batch.

Quick Dude Eats

Internet went down at my company so it has been a loooong couple days. I just got home and am writing this at 3AM. What do I reward myself with? 3 thighs from Popeyes.

Say that with me:

3 thighs from Popeyes

Tasted like gold

Eat a Drum and Get Wicked

FLAV's FRIED CHICKEN
916 North Second St.
Clinton, IA 52732
(563) 241-9999 (Yes FLAV delivers)


Ever wanted to go to Iowa? Welcome to the FlavaDome! Former Rapper of Public Enemy and Successful Entrepreneur, and now culinary artist- FLAVOR FLAV... has opened an FFC in Clinton, IOWA. In fact, (see video in link abvove) seems as if before the days he took the stage with Chuck D and Terminator X Flav was firing up some dishes at the Uniondale high school. Get to this place before its Going Going Gone.

Harry and Izzy's - Review

Intro
Harry and Izzy's - Dude Grade: B
Indianapolis Airport
Indianapolis, IN

I was looking for a place to watch the Jets/Pats game at the Indy Airport and one of my buddies mentioned Harry and Izzy's is the perfect place. Harry and Izzy's is the more casual sibling to St Elmo's which is generally considered the best steakhouse in the city. I didn't expect much from this place as I was eating in the airport, but I was actually happily surprised - bartender was very attentive and friendly. Pretty tasty stuff and a great place to grab a bite to eat while waiting for your flight. Definitely recommended.

Our Menu
Izzy Plate (comes with all of the below)

3 Piece Shrimp Cocktail *
Meaty shrimp that was cooked perfectly. This thing is drenched in this cocktail sauce that's spiked with a ton of horseradish. Locals seem to love this stuff, but I could only handle a teeny bit - it really kills all flavor of shrimp.

Pork Slider *, Filet Slider **, and Caesar Salad
Pork slider reminded of tonkatsu (fried pork) which was pretty fun. The big winner for me was the filet slider which was basically filet mignon cut into a square so it would fit into a bun. It worked out so well as the texture was perfectly melt in your mouth which worked well with the bun. Also, the flavor of the filet was just beefy enough. Nothing to write home about for the Caesar.

Lotus of Siam Creators Have Left the Building...

The recently dude reviewed Lotus of Siam now gets a grade of incomplete as the creators of Lotus of Siam have left NYC permanently. Looks like it's due to differences with the owner and some health reasons. Bummer since the food was pretty delicious although the prices were a bit too high. Definitely not going there ever again...

Some excerpts explaining why they left:

In the interview, Ms. Chutima said the restaurant “seemed more like Cru and not what we have in Las Vegas, where families and college students feel comfortable.” She added that “it’s a different clientele and not what we want.”

In an earlier e-mail, Ms. Chutima said: “My parents wanted to share with our guests what my mother had learned from her grandmother since she was a little child; unfortunately, our partner here in New York seems to have a different vision, a vision far different from what Lotus of Siam Las Vegas had. Our reputation is at stake; as a result, we are terminating this relationship in order to protect our morals and values; also, to protect the image of my parents, who have worked their hardest for the past 25 years.”

Lotus of Siam - Review

Updated: The original creators have left the restaurant

Intro
Lotus of Siam - Dude Grade: B-
24 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (212) 529-1700

I love me some Thai food. It's such an exciting cuisine where it marries heat, sweet, salty, and sour leading for some big flavor bombs. My golden standard used to be Sripraphai in Woodside, Queens but it has been dethroned by this newcomer. Lotus of Siam originally opened in Las Vegas and it was roundly praised as the best in the city and some even said best in the country. Now, the chef/owner (Saipin Chutima) is opening up a branch in NYC and we are definitely lucky. Definitely the best Thai food I've had in the tri-state area and recommended from this dude although the prices are a tad high.

Our Menu

Tod Mun Plar ***
A WTF caliber fish cake with great flavor and texture - uber fluffy. You could really taste the fish with the spices enhancing the fish cake perfectly. Add the refreshing and bright red curry and cucumber salsa and you're in heaven.


Kao Pad Kra-Pao
stir fried rice with fresh chili, garlic & thai basil

The wife and I tend to like Thai fried rice since it's satisfying and generally really flavorful. This however was pretty bland. No salty, sour, sweet, spicy thing going on. Just rice that's barely seasoned.

Pad Thai *

The wife loves pad thai, so we always get this dish. This was riding the borderline of greatness as the texture of the noodle was ridonkulous - chewy and uber satisfying. Also, the texture of the ingredients were spot on. Unfortunately, this was slightly on the sweet side which was a little bit of a bummer. Still a very good dish.

Kang Dang **
red curry made with fresh & dried red chilis, coconut milk, thai basil & bamboo shoots

My usual go to dish is a red curry and this is one of the best versions I've ever had. Great creamy texture and a big punch in flavor. Also, surprisingly the rice texture and flavor were awesome - uber satisfying.

Tapioca Pearls ***

Couldn't find the dessert menu anywhere online, so didn't get the name; but this was a big time WTF dessert. I never think about ordering dessert at a Thai restaurant, but this piqued my interest and I was rewarded with a texture and flavor bomb. The texture of this thing was great with a nice soft chewy thing going on with the pearls. Also, the dish was creamy and slightly sweet - not too sweet. An overall awesome dish.

Sticky Rice **

Another great dessert that was pretty satisfying. The rice had a nice chewy texture backed by a subtle sweetness. The egg custard thing on top tasted exactly like the chinese egg tarts (dan tat), but with a more a fluffy egg texture. Pretty delicious.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way | (no stars - poor to average) | * Good | ** Great | *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience

• Food (B+) - Generally pretty delicious food and surprised that the desserts were WTF caliber. Watch for the spice though, since my wife thought each dish was a little too spicy for her.
  
• Service (C+) – Food came out very quick although the servers didn't seem very pleasant.
  
• Atmosphere (B) – They didn't change anything from Cru's original decor - maybe new chairs? Still the same decor with lots of variations of blond and dark brown wood. We got there at 7:30pm on a Tuesday and were seated immediately. Even with the snow outside, the place was completely packed. There were more groups than couples and the age varied widely from 50's to 20's.
  
• Price (C) - Prices are a bit expensive for Thai food. About $18 for a thai curry where you can generally get that for $13. Is it worth the $5 difference? I believe it is not, but it was still a very tasty curry dish. Also, a lot of entrees are in the 25-30 price range with some people complaining about the portion size - I didn't mind though.
  

Closing Comments
Sripraphai used to be the king, but the quality has slipped over the last 5 years. This place is the king for me now and although the prices are a bit high, I will definitely go back to try the other dishes - especially the entrees.

Momofuku Bo Ssäm - At Home!

I’m walking through the grocery store to pick up bananas, or something menial like that, and in the meat department there’s a bin of pork butts. “$9/lb… now $1/lb.” Sheeeeiiit. I picked up three 10-pound suckers; two for me, and one for my coworker who I was BBMing with at that second.

I get home and wonder what am I going to do. Well, what do I usually do when I want to do something special? I contact Porthos.

Text message from me to Porthos: Dude, I got a 10 # butt. What should I do with it?
Porthos: omg OMG OmG
Athos: I already know it’s gonna be good.
Porthos: Dude, this is probably my favorite pork dish even more than dong po rou.
Athos: OMG OMG OMG!

Porthos takes cell phone cam pix of Momofuku’s cookbook, sends it to me, I review, and I’m ready to rock & roll.

Some background: David Chang, owner & chef of the Momofuku restaurants, is a pork master and is no holds barred when it comes to giving flavor. I had a sampling and was blown away as I described here. This is a dish that you need to place your order at least a day ahead and costs $200. (Of course you get a bunch of meat-eating buds and split the cost as shown here and here). I tell you this so you have an idea of how special of a treat this is for me…. us.

I gotta be honest, when I was making it, it did not look too attractive. When I took my first taste – FRACK I was in heaven! Oh yeah, this chit is good. I gave some to friends and coworkers, and it was confirmed that it was a hit. A few weeks later I decided to venture deeper and make accompanying sauces & Boston bib lettuce (to make it into wraps hence the ssäm (Korean for "wrap")), brought everything to a party, and it was a huge hit. (To this day, they still ask me to remake it.) And even then, I’m sure heading up to NYC and having the real dealio would make me tear up with joy. Anyway, try it yourself! Here’s how (straight from the book!):


Ingredients for piggy (sauces below)
1 whole 8 – 10# bone in Boston pork butt
1 C granulated sugar
1 C plus 1 T kosher salt
7 T light brown sugar

How
1.) Put the pork shoulder in a roasting pan, ideally one that holds it snugly. Mix together the granulated sugar and 1 C of the salt in a bowl, then rub the mixture into the meat; discard any excess salt & sugar mixture. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and put it into the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
2.) Heat the oven to 300°F. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and discard any juices that have accumulated. Put the pork in the oven and cook for 6 hours, basting with the rendered fat and pan juices every hour. The pork shoulder should be tender and yielding at this point – it should offer almost no resistance to the blade of a knife and you should be able to easily pull meat off the shoulder with a fork. Depending on your schedule, you can serve the pork right away or let it rest and mellow out at room temperature.
3.) When ready to serve – turn the oven to 500°F.
4.) Stir together the remaining 1 T salt and the brown sugar and rub mixture all over the pork. Put it in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes until the sugar has melted into a crisp, sweet crust.

Ingredients for sauces
Sauce 1
1 C kimchi with oysters
1 T soy bean paste

Sauce 2
2 green onions sliced
1 red chili pepper sliced
I clove garlic sliced
1 jalapeño sliced
1 t sugar
1 t salt
1 C canola oil

How
Sauce 1
Pulse the kimchi until it’s like a chunky salsa. Stir in the soy bean paste.

Sauce 2
Mix everything together.

Finale
Get a leaf of lettuce, put some pork in it, add sauces, and if possible, top it with a freshly shucked oyster. Wrap it up, put it in your mouth, and feel the bliss. This, I have yet to do. The first time I made this, I was mucking around with things I had at home and used tortillas, spinach, ponzu sauce, horseradish, and just different combinations. Some made sense; others didn’t. Whatever; it was all about piggy.

And my coworker? She was keeping it real and went to her roots and made Puerto Rican pernil with it. She showed me recipes. Next time!

Bill's Bar and Burger

Bill's Bar and Burger - Rockefeller Center

6 West 51st Street N

New York, NY 10019

Lot of discussion in the blog lately about best burgers in NYC. I'm partial to JG Mellon and maintain no one else comes close but happy to try out the competition. Bil's Bar and Burger in the Meatpacking has been around for a few years and recently opened up a midtown location so I figured I would give it a try. Its surprising how big the place it is - two huge floors just for a burger joint. I went with the 8oz version of "The Classic" which is cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickels, and Bill's special sauce. The result - kind of your average pub-style burger - nothing spectacular. Little disappointed based on a lot of the reviews out there. I would say for the money its probably better value since $8 for a burger is not a bad deal.

I did try their Disco Fries. I've never had Disco Fries before and after having some of these I cant understand the hype. And also between cheese sauce and heavy gravy how does one even know if the soaked fries were any good. Overall - not a bad place, good service and atmosphere and for the price its a decent burger but no where near worthy of being a Top 10 Burger Joint in this city. I'd highly recommend sipping on a few of their custom made beers including BILL's BREW, courtesy of Six Point and the highly refreshing COLD ASS BEER. Its worth the $6 to even say it to your waiter.

Disco Fries - Too Many and you won't be "Stayin' Alive"

Walter's Hot Dog Stand - Review

Intro
Walter's Hot Dog Stand - Dude Grade: C-
937 Palmer Avenue
Mamaroneck, NY 10543

There's a famous hot dog stand in Westchester County that people seem to rave about, so I figured why not check it out since I was in the area. Walter's Hot Dog Stand has been around since 1919 and seems to be a landmark.

Now I love me a good hot dog, but I just didn't get what the fuss was all about here. We waited in the cold for about 10 minutes and what we got was a decent hot dog - not bad by any means, but definitely not worth all the praise and waiting. The actual hot dog was butterflied so I guess you get more surface area getting nice and crisp, but the hot dog flavor was a little m'eh. Also, there was some structural integrity with the bun as it completely falls apart and the texture is mushy due to the drenching in butter I'm told.

My standard for hot dogs is still Libby's Lunch in Patterson, NJ where you have a crispy dog on top of big meaty flavors. Walter's doesn't cut it for this dude.

Kajitsu - Revisit

Intro
Kajitsu - Dude Grade: B+
414 East 9th Street
New York, NY 10009
Phone: (212) 228-4873

For the wife's b-day, we decided to revisit Kajitsu since we loved it so much the first time around. Kajitsu is one of these vegetarian restaurants that make you not miss meat at all - great textures and flavors. This second time around we went with the Hana menu (8 courses) and although we were pretty damn happy, we weren't as happy as the first time around. Still a great time, but our previous visit consisted of all ** and *** dishes.

Our Menu

Grilled Walnut Sesame Tofu *
Grilled Walnut, Wasabi, Soy Sauce
The texture is the interesting thing here where the tofu is kinda like a combo of panna cotta and mochi. Flavor was good with the fresh wasabi waking everything up, but the whole thing (texture/flavor) seemed to be missing something.

Vegetable Pot-au-feu with Yuzu **
Rutabaga, Cabbage, Green Pea, Kintoki Carrot, Cherry Tomato, Yukon Gold Potato, Rice Paper, Cipollini Onion
Beautiful clean flavors. The individual vegetables in the broth had great pronounced texture and flavor - my favorites were the carrot, cherry tomato and potato.

Grilled Kabu Turnip with Sake Kasu Sauce ***
Tiny Turnip, Turnip Leaf, Butternut Squash and Cous Cous Cake with Black Miso Sauce, Daikon Sushi
100% a WTF dish where all three components were killer. The Kabu Turnip had the best texture and amazing flavor - definitely tasting like the most delicious turnip with a subtly sweet flavor. Daikon sushi totally worked in terms of satisfying texture, great flavor, and works as a palate cleanser.

Nama-Fu Tempura with Azuki Bean Sauce **
Pumpkin Fu, Yomogi Fu
Great texture on this where it's crisp on the outside, but chewy on the inside. Flavor is solid too with the bean and pumpkin.

House-Made Soba
Leek, Grated Radish, Scallion, Horseradish
Not a big fan of the soba here. The texture is ok, but the flavor is only decent.

Vegetable Hot Pot with Kiritanpo *
Maitake Mushroom, Taro, Nappa Cabbage, Nametake Mushroom, Burdock Root, Mizuna, Mitsuba, Yam Noodles
Problem here is by the time we got to this dish I was actually pretty full, so it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been since it was such a large hot pot. The flavors were a little muddled here as well, but still relatively tasty.

Snow Ball Mochi **
Strawberry, White Bean Paste
Mochi had great texture and flavor and was really eye opening. The accompanying ice cream tasted good, but the texture was a tad odd to me - not totally smooth. Overall though, still incredibly delicious.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way | (no stars - poor to average) | * Good | ** Great | *** What the F – in a good way

White House State Dinner: China

The prez is hosting another state dinner tonight for the Chinese President - looks like an all American dinner. Here's a link with the official details.

Dinner Menu
D’Anjou Pear Salad with Farmstead Goat Cheese
Fennel, Black Walnuts, and White Balsamic

Poached Maine Lobster
Orange Glazed Carrots and Black Trumpet Mushrooms
Dumol Chardonnay “Russian River” 2008

Lemon Sorbet

Dry Aged Rib Eye with Buttermilk Crisp Onions
Double Stuffed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach
Quilceda Creek Cabernet “Columbia Valley” 2005

Old Fashioned Apple Pie with
Vanilla Ice Cream
Poet’s Leap Riesling “Botrytis” 2008

Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot review – Athos

Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot

2972 Gallows Rd

Falls

Church, VA 22042

Rating: B-

Food: C

With the Chinese population as big as it is in the Washington, DC area, I thought there would be more hot pot places. Surprisingly, I never found one. (Perhaps I didn’t look hard enough?) I thought that may be a lucrative opportunity and in the back of my mind, alongside a zillion other ideas I have – but never do – I thought perhaps I should open up a huo guo establishment and be the next slumdog millionaire by being the only racket in town. Too late; Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot opened in March 2010. I learned the owners of from Sichuan province in China, which is good, because hot pot is from there.

I went there on a weeknight, and there was one other table besides ours that had people. It looked like the place is set up for a buffet as well. Perhaps lunch? I was only focused on the hot pot. I was in a situation that made it hard to gauge the place: some people were there already & ordered, I was meeting a bunch of people I never met, and then I was kind of “running the show” since I’ve done hot pot so many times, both in the US, China, at restaurants, and at home. When it finally came down to eating, I felt like it was the place to get your hot pot craving fixed, but if you’re looking for quality, go next door to the Chinese supermarket, Great Wall, and buy everything yourself to do at home. I really need to go back to give it a better review, but having hot pot enough times, I’m quick to give this place a B-. I would normally give this place a C, but I took it up 2 notches, since this is comfort food that just gives you good memories, puts a smile on your face, and brings friends & family together. I don’t recall the price, but I think people thought it was too pricey. Like a typical dude, I just threw in $40, which includes the bill, tip, and I-know-I-overpaid-but-someone-will-still-bitch-but-don’t-bitch-at-me charges. The food didn’t blow me away, but I wasn’t let down. The one thing I recalled that I liked were the small dumplings that I cooked in the pot. The skin wasn’t thick as they seem to be when out to eat, and the pork filling was quite flavorful. When having hot pot, the meat and veggies come second after the oil. The oil is very important. This wasn’t as flavorful or as spicy as I usually take it, but again, it was ordered by the time I arrived. Now that it’s January, hot pot sounds perfect right now. I should give it another try. And heck, here I am writing this a few months later realizing that the people I met that night are darn good people, and we’ve met and hung out several times since. Food is life!

Pork & Kimchi Lunch

Sometimes this dish tastes way better than it looks. And sometimes it looks perfect and doesn't carry a bite at all.

But for $9, I'll take my chances.
And on this day, the Gods were on my side.
I shall erect a statue of Kimchius, the Greek God of Kimchi.

This container of goodness, rice, soup, another container of pan-chan, that's a good deal in any book.

Pigs at the 'bucks

Really guys? (bare with me. my little rant of the week)

If we take away all communist and countries with military dictatorship out of the equation, our local law enforcement may be the epitome of the phrase, "Lazy Turd."

OK, clearly we live in a land of law and for the most part, and we are leaps ahead in most aspects when compared to other leading nations of the world.

So when I see patrolmen kicking back at 3:45pm at a Starbucks off the local highway, and their patrol cars double parked outside, it irks me. Whether they are on shift or not, when in uniform, act like it.

You and I pay their salaries/pension and 95%(I'm being nice) of the time, they aren't much help at all.

I wonder if this Starbucks would receive a Board of Health citation for not taking out the trash?
Oink Oink Oink.

Oyako Don 親子丼

This dish never gets old.
Chicken and eggs in dashi broth over rice.
Fantabulous!

Tamarind Tribeca - Review

Intro
Tamarind Tribeca- Dude Grade: A- for lunch
99 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 775-9000

My favorite Indian restaurant in NYC was Tamarind in the flatiron district, so when I saw another branch open up in Tribeca I figured I had to check it out. What Tamarind does better than the majority of Indian restaurants is they use excellent ingredients, infuse them with great Indian flavorings, and cook the items generally very well. This was a nice change of pace from the over hyped Vij restaurant in Vancouver where the food was above average fusion Indian with unacceptable wait times and prices.

Our Menu
Executive Lunch Menu

Amuse Bouche - Puffed Rice **
What I looked for in an amuse bouche are flavors/textures that really open up the palate and this fits the bill perfectly. A nice acidic bite followed up with the complex Indian spices (sweet/spicy) and crunchy, yet light texture. Perfect way to start a meal!

Shrimp Balachau **
Sun Dried Prawns in red chilies, malt vinegar, ginger, garlic

Like I've mentioned before when you get Indian food at your local curry joint, it's usually dry, poor quality meat covered up by a flavor curry. These prawns showed what Indian food should be - big juicy, meaty with great shrimp flavor - enhanced by the complex and acidic Indian spices. A huge winner for me here.

Bamai Gosht *
Lamb with browned onions, aromatic smoked spices, fennel seeds, and okra

I love lamb meat and the seasonings and flavoring were spot on - good lamb flavor and intense curry. But, my gripe was the lamb meat was a bit dry. Still a tasty dish though.

Kele Ki Margul Kadhi **
Plantain cooked in chickpea flour, yogurt, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and red chilies

Sloppy plating as you can see, but the flavors were awesome. Again a nice bright, creamy, and acidic dish that had a great texture and sweetness to it.

Smoked Goat Cheese Naan ***

I love me some Naan and after the subpar Naan at Vij, this blew me away. Airy, chewy, and ridiculous with the rich goat cheese. I don't care if this is gimmicky and even considered fusion - this is a big time wtf naan.

Dark Chocolate Mousse filled with Rasmalai ***

A phenomenal way to end the meal. The mousse itself was a tad dense, but the flavorings were complete WTF. Rich chocolate with a beautiful fruity syrup and inside the mousse was an airy, creamy, and sweet rasmalai.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way | (no stars - poor to average) | * Good | ** Great | *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience

• Food (A-) – Flavorings were so in my strike zone. Indian food should be exciting bright and complex - and every single dish fit the bill. The lamb was the only weak spot of the meal. Plating was generally good as well.
  
• Service (B+) – Servers were attentive although not super friendly. Food came out at a perfect pace. When we told them we had an hour since we had meetings, they made sure we were done much before then.
  
• Atmosphere (B+) – Great place for a business lunch. Tall windows with lots of sunlight coming through and it seemed to be a real bright and airy modern looking place. The place was pretty empty for 12pm on a Friday, but it was snowing a tiny bit outside. There was only one other group in a large place that seems to seat about 100+.
  
• Price (A+) - $24.50 for everything I describe above. The best deal in NYC.
  

Closing Comments
I will 100% go here again for Lunch and definitely want to check out what's up for dinner. If you want to impress on the cheap for lunch, this is the go to spot in my opinion.

Crab Cakes

My neighbor called us over for some homemade crab-cakes yesterday.
Gotta tell ya, Maryland's got nothin on us Jersey City folk. LOL.

No fillers, tons of lump crab meat, and piping hot out of the pan.

I never thought I would like crab-cakes this much. Big fan now.

Instant Ramen

The Genre can vary from a $0.60 pack to a $4.99 "Gourmet" instant ramen pack.

It's not too often I think too much into a pack of instant ramen, but this $1.99 bowl was something special. Easily better than a lot of restaurant ramen bowls in the city, I highly recommend anyone who's no more than a 20 minute ride away from Mitsuwa to hop in there cars and pick these up.

I guess they are on sale this weekend so hurry. But even if these ran $2.99 or even $3.99 a bowl/pack, I'd still buy a bunch and stash them in my office drawer for a quick lunch.

Dim Sum

Me likey!

It's season

Get your fill on Ama-Ebi folks. It doesn't last too long here in the states.
Well at least not here in NYC.

Head scratcher

There's probably close to 2# of food on this plate. And for a chain restaurant to charge $6, and be profitable, I dare not ask what or where they source the ingredients.
Leave it to a place called Panda Express to fill the stomachs of America's Mall-Rats.

Dumplings 水餃子

Best dumplings money can by. Thank god for Flushing Chinatown.

Kanye, now in the kitchen

Don't know what to make of this. 

Kati Roll

When it comes to street cart food, I probably partake at least once a month. Sometimes a sit down meal just isn't in your cards and a boy's gotta eat. Nothing better than a quick order, some pocket change and a happy grin to follow.

Well the other night. I was at the office til late and heard the stomach growl. I was on my way home but I foresaw traffic at the tunnels and didn't want to be hungry/cranky all the way home.

My local street cart maestro was just packing up and so I quickly ordered this "Kati Roll" from the menu.

I had never seen a Kati Roll before. But I felt the adventure in the air and ordered one. I LIKE it!

You get 2 meat options, chicken or lamb. It's reheated on the flat top and the Halal version of a Chinese Scallion Pancake is made to order right there. Assembled with a touch of lettuce and onions, then dressed with the mysterious White Sauce and your option of Spicy Sauce, this little $2.99 monster is Out Of This World Delicious!!!

Street Cart Vendor on 45th St btw 2nd and 3rd. Closer to 3rd.
(Lamb Kati Roll)

Overall - (A)
Taste - ( A) big flavors and made to order
Price - (A) $2.99
Service - (B-) bit slow