Daniel - Review

Intro
Daniel - Highly Recommended
60 E 65th St, New York NY 10065
Btwn Madison & Park Ave
Phone: (212) 288-0033

The dudes and I always talk about the best meal we ever had and one of the best for me has always been Daniel. By no means was it perfect, but it was one of those experiences where you knew only this kitchen could produce dishes that ethereal. Fast forward 5 years later and many amazing restaurant experiences under my belt, I was a bit worried this experience was going to be underwhelming. 100% not the case as this proved to be the best restaurant experience I've had states side. Overall, I give the restaurant an 95/100.

Our Menu

Amuse Bouche **
Trio of Peas
Delicious pea flavor running through out with different tastes and textures - earthy, creamy, tart, crunchy. The puree was heavenly, but so were the actually individually cooked peas...what a great way to start the meal.


. . . . . . .

DUCK FOIE GRAS TERRINE ***
date and marcona almond napoleon, baby turnips, spinach
I've had a boat load of foie gras in my day and sadly, I just don't get fired up over foie gras anymore. Well, the one they served here was a complete WTF moment. Maybe the most intense FG I've ever tasted. Mixed with the tart turnips and sweet dates made for a ridiculous combination of flavors.

MOSAIC OF CAPON, FOIE GRAS, CELERY ROOT ***
pickled daion, satur farms mâche, pear confit
Another WTF FG dish. The capon was delicious, tender, and paired perfect with the foie gras. Really perfect...


. . . . . . .

MEYER LEMON ROYALE WITH SEA URCHIN **
North Star Caviar, Barron Point Oyster, Finger Lime, Tapioca Vinaigrette
A bright combination of flavors and textures - huge sea urchin flavor in a nice tender custard. The sea urchin flavor paired perfectly with the briney oyster and caviar.

MAINE PEEKYTOE CRAB SALAD ***
Celery, Walnut Oil, Granny Smith Sauce
Another course - another WTF moment. The crab was perfect in every way - beautiful texture and such a naturally sweet flavor. Combined with the sweet/tart sauce - everything just really popped. This dish would have made Le Bernardin proud!


. . . . . . .

Hazelnut Crusted Maine Sea Scallops *
Morel Fricassée, Swiss Chard, Miners Lettuce, Green Peppercorn Sauce
Didn't love this dish at first, but it started to grow on me. Perfectly cooked sea scallop that was so meaty and flavorful - never had a scallop like this before. I wanted more acidity and brightness though since this was a pretty damn heavy dish with the morels.

ARTICHOKE RAVIOLINI IN SAFFRON SAUCE ***
Littleneck Clams, Squid, Bay Scallops, Anise Hyssop Salad
Another WTF dish - perfectly textured ravioli with such an amazing filling and sauce. Earthy, bright, and paired with the subtly sweet sea food.


. . . . . . .

WOODFIRE GRILLED YELLOWFIN TUNA
Hawaiian Hearts of Palm, Red Kuri Squash, Chorizo Emulsion
The first shock of the night as this dish just didn't work for me. From texture to flavor - everything seemed pretty dull. Again need some more acidity here. The squash was muted and slightly sweet. Also, the tuna didn't pair well with all those flavors.

BLACK SEA BASS WITH SYRAH SAUCE *
Leek Potato Parmentier, Roasted and Tempura Celery
The dish I was looking forward to most was to me - the most disappointing. I loved this dish back in 2005 (my favorite dish of all time), but it was served en paupiette basically wrapped in potato where it crisps up and leaves the sea bass moist and tender. The sea bass was nice this night, but not as moist as I'd like. Also the potato was pretty over salted. It was decent overall, but such a let down from my first memory.


. . . . . . .

ELYSIAN FIELDS FARM LAMB LOIN ***
Braised Radicchio Tardivo, Confit Fennel, Crispy Polenta, Sicilian Olives
After the disappointing fish dishes, this dish totally reminded me I was at Daniel. The lamb loin was ethereal - huge lamb flavor, perfectly cooked where it was meaty and tender at the same time. The fennel, the olives, and the lamb jus were such a perfect compliment.

DUO OF WAGYU BEEF ***
Red Wine Braised Short Rib with Chanterelle Marmalade |
Seared Tenderloin with Chestnut-Potato Gnocchi, Swiss Chard
Another ridiculous WTF dish. Braised short rib is a dish that people do everywhere, but not as well as they serve it here. Rich, intense, and tender as hell. The short rib alone would have made me happy happy, but the perfect wagyu tenderloin put me over the top. Huge meaty flavor and perfect texture with the intense bordelaise sauce.


. . . . . . .

COCONUT LEMONGRASS SOUP **
Mango-Thai Basil Gelée, Poached Pineapple, Coconut Rum Sorbet
This kind of reminded me of a Chinese dessert with the poached pineapple and coconut - just needed some sponge cake. Sorbet was phenomenal, but surprised to say that the gelee's weren't that great - the ones at Ko seemed to pop more.

WARM GUANAJA CHOCOLATE COULANT ***
Liquid Caramel, Fleur de Sel, Milk Sorbet
Another one of those dishes that everyone does - but no one can touch this one. By far the best chocolate coulant or lava cake I've ever had. This actually maybe the best dessert I've ever had. Such an intense chocolate flavor with the liquid chocolate caramel center. This was the only dish the whole night that made me dizzy with pleasure...

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience (95/100)

• Food (9.5/10) – Best food I've had in NYC. Forgot how much sauces really make a great dish a WTF dish - that Bordelaise sauce and lamb jus is still making my mouth water. 10 out of 12 dishes were killer with some being ridonkulous.
  
• Service (9.5/10) – After checking out Le Bernardin recently, it was shocking how much better Daniel's service was. Lots of little attention to details like the little ottoman for my wife's purse and they properly clean up the crumbs after each course (take note Le Bernardin). The food came out at a consistent pace - relatively fatst. And they still have the same ninja system they had in the past where multiple captains are overlooking the whole dining room and as soon as a patron needs anything - SWARM! - multiple people stop by to help you. Also, noticed the entire waitstaff was French which didn't seem to be the case last time
  
• Atmosphere (9.5/10) – Much more relaxed atmosphere than 5 years ago - still extravagant though, but more muted with cream colors. Place was filled with people in their 50's + and surprisingly maybe 30% Asian. The place is very comfortably spacious which was different than Le Bernardin which felt quite cramped. Had reservations and I waited at the bar for my wife. Once she arrived, we were seated immediately.
  
• Price (9.0) – Crazy expensive, but worth it for a special occasion - about $250 a head including tip.
  

Closing Comments
Funny note is I mentioned to my wife how much I always love the dishes I pick for her more - the last time her dishes at Daniel were superb and mine were just OK. It happened again as I liked her dishes more than mine...spectacular experience and would love to go for the 3 course menu.

Tekka Don

I had some left over Big Eye Tuna from an event I did Saturday and made sure I didn't waste it. 
I got home, sliced up the Tuna and marinaded in a homemade "Zuke" (Soy Sauce, Mirin, Dashi marinade) for 20 minutes, and layered it over a bed of rice and some other garnishing sides. 

Makes for a healthy and delicious meal.

No! THIS is a F'n big deal

The last thing I want, is to talk politics... but to quote VP Joe Biden, "THIS is a F'n big deal," guys!

Our President and Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces has endorsed a Ban on Blue Fin Tuna trade.
Now if this International Ban is approved, it means no more Blue Fin Tuna for any of us because it's virtually impossible to sustain regional demand without international fishing.

Without spewing too much of my personal views, please read the link I've attached below.
And make up your own minds.

Editorial

A Chance for the Bluefin

There finally may be a reprieve for the bluefin tuna of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, which are spiraling rapidly downward toward commercial extinction. On Wednesday, the Obama administration endorsed a ban on international trade in these fish. It must use all of its influence to get the European Union and others to follow.

Delegates from 175 nations will soon meet in Doha to determine whether to restrict trade in bluefin tuna. It would take a vote of two-thirds of the members to impose a ban, and much depends on whether other major fishing nations sign on. The European Union, whose members account for much of the tuna harvest in those waters, has yet to take a formal position.

Under the international rules governing endangered species, individual nations can opt out of any agreement. Japan has already said it would ignore a ban and leave its markets open to continued imports — even if the tuna are granted endangered species status. That means that for a ban to succeed, the big exporting countries will have to ensure that their fleets abide by the rules and don’t sell to Japan, which consumes four-fifths of Atlantic bluefin, and other countries that keep their markets open.

There is no doubt that the species is in desperate trouble. Stocks of Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin declined by more than 70 percent between 1957 and 2007, and by more than 60 percent in the last decade alone. Stocks in the Western Atlantic, including the United States, have stabilized but at a very low level. The decline has been driven by a growing global appetite for tuna, and by the rapid mechanization of industrial fishing, chiefly purse-seining operations that allow for the capture of entire schools of tuna at once.

Even with a ban, countries would still be allowed to fish for their own domestic consumption. In the case of the United States, a net importer of tuna, the ban is likely to lead to a rise in price. A ban can be lifted when the fish recover; while it is in effect, the fishing industry will inevitably suffer. But that’s far better than waking up one day and discovering that there are no tuna left to fish.

Banning international trade in any species is a big step. The United States came to it reluctantly and only after other international bodies had failed to stop the decline. Now it has to persuade others — and fashion a winning vote in Doha.

Locanda Verde: Stuffed Mountain Trout

Some co-workers took me out to lunch for my birthday, so I suggested Locanda Verde since I'm a big fan of that place.

It kicked ars as usual and may have been one of my favorite dishes of the year.

My Menu
Stuffed Mountain Trout with lentils, gala apple and pancetta ***
Incredibly tender and flavorful fish that tasted like it was smoked - pancetta is usually unsmoked though. The crisp apples and perfectly cooked creamy lentils put a big smile on face. Big time WTF moment.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way

Beautiful Sunday...

Mr Risotto, the wife and I met up our friends Charissa and Bruce for a fun gorgeous Sunday in NYC. As usual, it was a great day with lots of laughs and lots of food. We hit up Kefi first for a solid brunch, but with the nice weather it made sense to stop by Grom for some gelato. We weren't finished there as Beard Papa was next door, so it only made sense to get some cream puffs. We finished off the day with shopping trips to H&H Bagels, Zabar's and Barney Greengrass - fun food day in the Upper West Side.

Our Menu

Kefi - Spinach Frittata *
Eggs were decent and filled with tons of spinach and topped with lots of cheese. Fun stuff, but I almost liked the side greek home fries better - perfectly cooked potatoes and nice roasted tomatoes.

Kefi - Greek Eggs Benedict **
This dish was so eff'n great. Poached eggs with phenomenal creamed spinach on the bottom mixed with some Greek cheese. Crispy pita chips were perfect complements to everything.

Grom - Pistachio and Straciatella Gelati **
I'm not a big fan of the West Village location because my favorite gelato - Nocciola is always disgustingly gritty. Still gritty up in the upper west side, but the Pistachio and Straciatella gelati was pretty damn good. Intensely flavored and nice and creamy. My fave gelati place is still L'Arte in the West Village thouugh.

Beard Pappa - Original Cream Puff *
These are pretty fun - cream has great flavor, but I wish the pastry was lighter. Still pretty good though.

Legal Sea Foods - Review

Intro
Legal Sea Foods - Highly Recommended
1 Garden State Plz # A8a
Paramus, NJ 07652-2417
Phone: (201) 843-8483

Living out in the burbs, I'm surrounded by many a chain restaurant. Usually that's a bad thing - ala McCormick and Shit, but sometimes you find a gem. Legal Sea Foods is definyitely one of those chain restaurants that I wouldn't mind going to every once in a while. Overall, I give the restaurant an 84/100.

Our Menu

Oysters (PEI and Kumamoto) *
Kumamoto's were nice and sweet and the PEI's were decent. Not bad at all.

Grilled Calamari **
These were shockingly great and not even on the menu - they're usually served fried, but my parents are health conscious. These were very tender with good flavor and served with perfectly cooked orzo, lemon juice, and olives. I can't reiterate how great these were.

Clam Chowder *
Flavorful clam chowder and pretty good stuff. My favorite memories of clam chowder are still up in Newport where the chowder was slightly sweet from the clams and less heavy than the ones here.

New England Lobster Bake **
This is my idea of perfect summer food or in this case nice weather food. Steamed lobster that was flavorful and juicy with a side of drawn butter. Then, they throw in some perfect flavorful juicy mussels, chorizo, corn on the cob and steamers. Really fun stuff although the steamers are a bit gritty if you don't remove the skin.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience (84/100)

• Food (8.4/10) – Nothing fancy, but seafood cooked very well. My wife's tuna which I had one tiny bite was solid as well. Something about lobster and drawn butter. So simple and so delicious.
• Service (7.5/10) – Waitress was pleasant and tried her best although she was late with some items.
  
• Atmosphere (7.0/10) – I hate the Paramus Mall and a big problem with this place for me is it's in what maybe the worst parking lot in America. The place inside though is OK with the standard dark tables/chairs. There's some kitschy things all over the place like sail boats and maps on the wall. Place was a mix of younger couples, families, and older couples.
  
• Price (N/A) – Parents paid for my birthday dinner, so I can't fairly rate this. But it looked like most entrees were around $25 which is a tad pricey in my opine for NJ.
  

Closing Comments
Pretty damn happy with this place and will definitely go back to try the cioppino next time.

Blue 9 Burger - Review

Intro

Blue 9 Burger - Highly Recommended
92 3rd Ave, New York NY 10003
Btwn 12th & 13th St
Phone: (212) 979-0053

Met up the Cardinal for his birthday, so we decided to check out Blue 9 Burger since we were in the area. Now if you're a follower of this blog, we dudes are pretty picky about our burgers and amongst the dudes we have our own very strong burger opinions. Well, all three dudes that went were all big fans of this burger.

Our Menu

Blue 9 Burger Combo **
A surprisingly great burger. 2 double thin patties topped with lettuce, tomato, american cheese, and thousand island dressing - basically a way better version of a big mac. I'm usually anti thin patties since you don't get much juiciness, but here the burgers are incredibly flavorful and pretty juicy without cheating ala Shake Shack and their fried mushroom. Pretty damn delicious and even their fries are popping with good potato flavor.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience

• Food – Best thin patty burger in the city. Makes Shake Shack taste like cafeteria food.
  
• Service – Walk up order, get a beer and wait. Took around 5 minutes to get the burger.
  
• Atmosphere – Tiny joint that seats about 15 people. Got there at 7:30 on a Friday and there were plenty of seats - maybe half full. The place was younger with a bunch single eaters there.
  
• Price – Phenomenal deal here for the quality of the burger. $11 for burger, fries, and a beer.
  

Closing Comments
Love this burger here, but my favorite burger joints are still Bar Artisanal and JG Melon. Still need to do a back to back burger comparison between those two to see who's burger reigns supreme!

The Squire (Chatham)

I gotta hand it to the town of Chatham (Cape Cod).
Not only do they have a well kept little town on the beautiful Cape, these little restaurants serve up wonderful food.

Chatham Squire Restaurant - Recommended

487 Main St
Chatham, MA 02633

(508) 945-0942

I've been to "The Squire" almost every time I visit Chatham and never a bad meal.
Portions are good and the food is tops in my book. Pub grub but just done right. Very homey feel and surrounded by really nice New Englanders.
Put a plate of good food in front of me and I'll overlook the fact they are all Red Sox and Patriot fans.

I still hate Peas!

I'm on the road yet again.
This time I find myself in Cape Cod and I'm exhausted after the 300 mile drive up here.

So I check into my hotel and decide to order room service.
It takes for ever so I go down and just order take out instead.



Out of a relatively short menu, I felt adventurous and ordered the "Carbonara".

Now if they had just called it Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo... it would have been spot on.

Long story short... I ate my dinner and realized at the end of the meal that I still really hate Peas.

Happy St. Patty's Day

I felt it appropriate to celebrate St. Patrick's Day by ordering my favorite sandwich on the planet - half corned beef and half pastrami reuben from Katz's Deli. Highly recommended if you've never tried it before!

Kitchen Fantasy

What guy doesn't want to come home from work and see his lady in the kitchen wearing this?
Alright, for you Budweiser fans out there who'd rather see a girl in a g-string grilling a steak, this may not be for you.

But I'll go for the preppy/well-kept girls who can fix me up a beef bourguignon, or a 4 cheese quiche any day.

*courtesy of William Sonoma (Time Warner Bldg)

Homemade Sausages

Sausage making is probably one of the hardest things to do as an amateur cook.
Controlling the seasoning, texture, filling, and then the smoking and grilling/boiling.
There's a lot of steps in making a good sausage.

But before any of that... let's be honest... it's shaped rather peculiar. Someone had a sense of humor when they came up with the concept.

Now back to my post.
A buddy of mine gave me some homemade sausages the other day.
I got the chance to whip them out yesterday and shared it with my co-workers.

Great flavor, seasoning was just right, texture was a blend of smooth and small chunks, and even had slight smokiness to it.
All aspects of the sausage rocked.

A little bit of awesome dude. A little bit of awesome.

Gyukaku

I met up my colleagues for a "Power Lunch" the other day at Gyukaku.

34 Cooper Square
New York, NY 10003

(212) 475-2989

Gyukaku is doing a great promotional campaign for lunch.
1/2 off all meats during lunch hours.
And... they also have $12 lunch specials running as well.

Go check 'em out.
Surprisingly, the quality of the meats were rather good as well.

Cooking at Home

Was craving some home cooked Japanese Curry this weekend.
And the ladies at work have been asking for their fix as well.

Step 1. Working on my Mirepoix











Step 2. Add Tomatoes, Red Burgundy, Chicken Stock, and Bouquet Garnis.










Step 3. Throw in cubed Seared Beef Shoulder (and stew for 4 hours)

Step 4. In a separate pot, work on caramelizing Onions

Step 5. Add Carrots and Potatoes. Saute and add Water














Step 6. Add Japanese Curry Roux and Stir over medium heat to ensure no clumping










Step 7. Steam Rice (California Koshihikari Rice)












Step 8. Plate piping hot white rice with a slabs of tender beef and ladle curry over dish.

Step 9. Serve immediately. And EAT!

The "Hard Shake"

March 11, 2010, 5:51 pm
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/japanese-master-of-the-hard-shake-comes-to-town/

Japanese Master of the 'Hard Shake' Comes to Town

By ROBERT SIMONSON

Ko Sasaki for The New York Times Kazuo Uyeda behind the bar in Tokyo.

Though living and working half a world away, the Japanese bartender and cocktail-shaking philosopher Kazuo Uyeda has managed to inspire many a Manhattan barroom argument. Most of them have centered on what is called the hard shake, an ornate and controversial method of shaking drinks devised by Mr. Uyeda.

Soon, bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts can question the master in person. On May 3 and 5, Mr. Uyeda, 65, will be making what is being billed as his first appearance in New York. The event, which will take place at the Hiro Ballroom in Chelsea, is presented by Cocktail Kingdom, a company run by Gregory Boehm that sells Japanese barware, among other drinking accouterments. Communicating through an interpreter, Mr. Uyeda will explain his barroom philosophy and demonstrate his techniques to anyone willing to pay $675 for the privilege.

Audience capacity is 110. Also speaking will be Stanislav Vadrna, a Slovakia-born disciple of Mr. Uyeda.

Simultaneous with the seminar, Mud Puddle Books, an imprint owned by Mr. Boehm that specializes in reprinting long-out-of-print cocktail manuals and recipe books, will publish the first English-language version of Mr. Uyeda's book "Cocktail Techniques."

Those interested can contact the Cocktail Kingdom's Web site.

According to the Web site, the ticket price includes admission to both days of the event, an AG cobbler shaker, lunch on both days, cocktails during the event, admission to an after-party on Day 2 with a guest, and other gifts.

AIWF Beef Seminar

Me and the dudes stopped by the AIWF Beef Seminar this past Wednesday and so glad we did. The night started off with some delicious canapes as people were mingling and drinking some wine. The big star was the beef tongue with marrow butter - uber tender beef with great beefy flavor sitting on top of some amazing marrow butter. First time I've had marrow butter, but I could eat tons of this stuff. Me thinks this marrow butter would taste delicious with some fresh pasta...

After the canapes were served, we were treated to a great talk about grass fed beef from Ken Jaffe from Slope Farms and George Faison from DeBragga. It's always so fascinating to hear people in the industry talk about their trade since they're so passionate. Any who - the talks highlighted why grass fed, grass finished beef is so much better for you and the manner in which the cows are slaughtered affect tenderness. I will have to conduct a dudes test kitchen post to see the difference in taste between grain fed, grass fed/grain finished, and grass fed/grass finished beef.

Once the talks wrapped up, we were served some more dishes with the big star being the chocolate caramel tarte. Big time WTF moment and by far the best dessert I've had this year. Phenomenal combination of textures, temperatures, and flavors - the caramel was on the cool side which was really refreshing and the fleur de sel added some nice crunch and just made everything pop. Chef Sean Rembold did a great job with all the dishes and was a cool dude to talk to. Thanks again to Christine (a friend of the dudes) for a great time!

Our Menu

Canapes
Chicken liver mousse with McClures pickles
Crostini with roasted shallot puree & Crimini mushrooms
Beef tongue with marrow butter

2008 Chateau La Gatte Rose
Dry rose from Bordeaux

Main course
Braised brisket
Sheldon Farms mashed potatoes & braised red cabbage
2006 Chateau La Gatte Bordeaux Superieur Rouge
&
2006 Chateau Saincrit Reserve Bordeaux Superieur

Dessert
Chocolate caramel tarte with fleur de sel

Porterhouse

Quick post today.

Porterhouse Steakhouse :
One of my favorite steak houses in Manhattan.
They serve CAB prime dry aged beef.  
And their desserts are pretty darn good as well.

Brooklyn Dem Wants to Ban Salt

State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz is aiming to ban salt in all nyc restaurants. Another waste of tax payer money - I would think there's better use of tax payer money than to have this idiot think of ridiculous ideas like this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/03/11/2010-03-11_assault_on_salt_an_insult_chefs.html?r=ny_local

Negative Effect Bertolli

Bertolli,
You should fire your ad and pr agency immediately.  Your newest ad campaign is completely unbelievable and quite frankly in poor taste. 
After stumbling upon the link below, I feel angry, jealous and disgusted with your choice for spokes people. 
Putting Marisa Tomei next to Rocco DiSpirito is like pairing Jessica Alba with Hitler on Dancing with the Stars. 

 http://eater.com/archives/2010/03/08/rocco-dispirito-and-marisa-tomei-shill-for-bertolli.php

I understand Marisa Tomei plays the roll of "eye candy", so she's more than welcome...
But seeing Rocco "flirting" with Marisa makes me wanna vomit...
I will never purchase another Bertolli product as long as Rocco is a spokesman for them. 

Porthos

Sezz Medi - Revisit

Me and the wife were craving some Italian and there's only two places that come to mind - dell'anima and Sezz Medi. As usual, Sezz Medi did not disappoint - great pastas and a great time. Next time I need to go with more people, so I can have some pizza also.

Our Menu

Fried Calamari and Zucchini served with Taziki Sauce **
Light flavorful coating. Calamari was pretty tender, but the zucchini was to die for. Fried zucchini used to be my jam in high school - my must have hanging out in the NJ diners. These were spectacular though - sweet with the perfect texture - not too crunchy and not too mushy.

Penne Diavolo (daily special) ***
The one thing Sezz Medi does so well is their pasta texture is absolutely perfect - just past the point of chalkiness and a great chew to it. This feels more Italian American to me, but I don't really care...big tomato flavors and tons of roasted garlic with some nice spice to it. So friggin awesome and a big time WTF moment.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana (daily special) **
My favorite dried pasta on the planet is bucatini - basically spaghetti with a hole inside, perfect for all the sauce to get trapped in. Bucatini all'Amatriciana is a classic, delicious Roman dish - pasta with a sauce consisting of guanciale (pig jowl), pecorino, and tomatoes. We had this many a time in Rome and the Sezz Medi version didn't come close in terms of flavor, but it was still damn delicious...

Surprisingly Ridiculous

Momofuku "Ma Peche"
(Mezzanine) - Highly Recommended
in the Chambers Hotel
15 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10019

The highly anticipated 5th restaurant of Manhattan Noodle King David Chang is weeks from open. (No doubt, he's the Abe Froman of Noodles folks)
Located in the Chambers Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, I'm sure they are going to blow everyone away with their concept of a 90 seat French-Vietnamese twist to American Food.
Currently, the kitchen staff is honing their skills by plating up delicious snacks for room service and also mezzanine service over-looking the lobby of the hotel.

I met up fellow "Dude", Devin last Saturday.
I wanted to congratulate Dev on a great article he wrote on Japan that was published as a cover story on Newsweek. (Yah, our Dudes are wicked smart)
And Ma Peche came to mind.
I signaled the Bat-Call and met up at the hotel. The rest is history and might as well be etched into stone and displayed at the Smithsonian.

Lunch : March 6, 2010 Momofuku Ma Peche (Mezzanine)

Homemade Country Pate **
Great texture and flavor is right on. And with Tom Cat Bakery baguettes, it's nothing but awesome.

Guinea Fowl with Foie Gras Pate **
Great balance with the bird and foie.
Not too much else I can say but that I would order it every time I go to.

Fried Brussel Sprouts with NamPlah Essence ***
One of their great originals. Served at Ssam and sometimes at Noodle Bar. It actually goes really well with the pates and baguettes. Perfect acidity and huge flavor.

BBQ Baby Short Ribs **
Better than most BBQ joints in Manhattan. I know these guys are a huge fan of Hill Country so probably was a little challenge to come up with some kind of "melt in your mouth" BBQ.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with house cured Bacon *
Land o Lakes American Cheese, Swiss and Cheddar all melted and sandwiched between a butter soaked white bread. This thing definitely shouts out Team America
Oh, and did I mention the house cured Niman Ranch pork belly bacon?

Chicken Bahn Mi *
Chicken puree molded into rectangular chunks with Namplah dressed Greens and Cilantro on a Tomcat Bakery Baguette.
House Bahn Mi *
Pork products with the usual Bahn Mi fixins.

Certified Angus Beef Sirloin Steak with Fries ***
Certified Angus Beef cooked on a scorching cast iron skillet, then coated with layers of herbed and garlic butter. Served with perfect crispy fries.

Baked-to-Order Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk ***
Like it says. Bake to Order. This was probably the best cookie I've ever had in my life.
Twice as thick as any other cookie I can remember. The edges were perfectly crisp, while the center was still warm and gooey. And the glass of milk was great for dunking.
If you don't like this, you are probably a commie.

As you can see by the magnitude of the meal, this was no casual "let's do lunch" type of lunch.
We ate, and ate, and ate. We even took breaks in between dishes... But the food was so damn good, neither one of us wanted to raise the white flag.

Towards the end, Executive Chef Tien Ho and Chef de Cuisine Sam Gelman came out to check up on us.
And to their amazement, our plates were pretty much clean as a whistle.
Being the food geeks we are, we all laughed and talked about the meal, much like how John Madden breaks down a 4-3 defensive package during an opening drive of a Super Bowl game.
Our jaws dropped to the floor when they told us this was "NOTHING"...
"This" being the magnanimous and heroic feast we just were a part of.

They are in the final stretch of an opening, and just had a tasting for all the sous and executive chefs of the Momofuku empire. All signs point to a trail blazing, rock star opening.

So after careful consideration and complete unbiased opinion...
Devin and I are awarding Momofuku Ma Peche, 5 Michelin Stars. :)
Ma Peche may not be on everyone's radar yet... but it would be wise to keep in mind.
You heard it here first ladies and gents... This place is gonna ROCK your World!!!
American food doesn't get much better than this. In fact, it's never been this good.

Go State!

5 minutes before tip off.
I got my manchego, smoked sausage, chips and salsa, ciabatta and potato salad.

Sundays totally rock! 

Sausages

Snacking on some andouille and boudin blanc while watching reruns of Two and a Half Men.

Weekend is starting out pretty good.

Mystery

Can anyone tell me what these are? And where this photo was taken?

A little Japanese humor

Ramen vs Bloody Mary

Interesting article from UrbanDaddy
Hangover : If you're not in the mood to sip on a remedy (ie Bloody Mary), perhaps you can slirp it away (Ramen).

Sake Ramen at Yushi
official website

245 Park Ave
(between Park and Lexington Ave)
New York, NY 10167
212-687-1900

4 World Financial Center
250 Vesey St
New York, NY 10280
212-945-3096


We hope this finds you alert, well rested and brimming with conviction that all is right with the world.

But if it doesn't, owing to your recent participation in activities possibly including (but not limited to) bourbon, karaoke and other advanced tomfoolery, that's fine too.

You just may need a little assistance today...

It's called Sake Ramen, a hearty, healing lunch of savory noodles drenched in an entire cup of sake, available starting today to stave off last night's lingering demons.

Given your current state of unparalleled clarity, it's hard to express just how urgently you will need this no-nonsense, off-the-menu soother. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. (But also, maybe today and tomorrow.)

When that day comes, you're going to slip out of the office, step boldly to Yushi's counter, flash your ID and receive a large, unassuming soup bowl. In this bowl will be a pile of ramen noodles, slow-cooked and richly seasoned teriyaki chicken, broccolini and a soft-boiled egg. Sitting in 32 ounces of Nanburyu sake-based broth. (It pairs phenomenally with a mild, non-noodle sake.)

Back in the comfort of your lordly place of business (or maybe just behind your desk), you'll discreetly nurse this healing concoction and gather the courage to once again head back out there, thankful that there are only three things in this world that can't be cured by the potent mix of sake and noodles.

And anyway, none of them are in America.

Ben Benson's - Review

Intro
Ben Benson's - Highly Recommended
123 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019-6098
Phone: (212) 581-8888

I used to love steakhouses when I was younger, but the price per satisfaction ratio usually never works for me nowadays. For $125+ per meal, I expect a perfect experience and it always fall short. Either the steak is overcooked or not that flavorful, or the place is just too stuffy. Well, at Ben Benson's the price per satisfaction ratio is definitely tops on my list. Overall, I give the restaurant an 86/100.

Our Menu

Fried Chicken
Chicken was nice and moist and had pretty good chicken flavor, but something about this fried chicken didn't do it for me. Maybe, it's too many runs to Popeye's or Korean Fried Chicken, but I definitely need more seasoning on the crust. Crust here was super bland.

Triple Lamb Chops **
After looking at the other dude's steak sizes, I expected huge lamb chops - not big at all, but still satisfying. Great lamb flavor that was perfectly seasoned. The fat on this thing was spectacular too - so f'n tasty and cholesterolirific.

Creamed Spinach *
Pretty hard to f up creamed spinach and this one is pretty good. No Daisy May's creamed spinach, but still pretty tasty. Nice spinach flavor and good texture.

Two Little Red Hens: Blackout Cake ***
The best thing all night was this cake. It was so moist and had huge chocolate flavor. Everything you want in a chocolate cake was represented here. A big time wtf cake...definitely one of the best chocolate cakes I've had in a very long time.

Two Little Red Hens: Cheesecake *

Cheesecake was pretty damn delicious too. Dense, not too sweet and great texture.

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way

Overall Restaurant Experience (86/100)

• Food (8.4/10) – Desserts were out of control good and everyone's meats were spot on - nothing out of this world but the lamb/steaks were generally great.
  
• Service (8.8/10) – Old time waiters that were pretty funny. Food came out pretty quick.
  
• Atmosphere (9.5/10) – The atmosphere is the main reason you go to a steakhouse - to be loud and obnoxious with your guy friends. Here, there's loads and loads of obnoxious dudes and it's an awesome time. Place is old timey with a little class. Got there at 7:30pm on a Thursday and we were seated right away. Place was a little empty around 9pm though...
  
• Price (9.0/10) – About $85 a head which seemed worth it for the great time that we had. Seems slightly cheaper than most steakhouses since it seems I'm always spending $125+
  

Closing Comments
Maybe my new go to place for steaks. Although me thinks Peter Luger's is still my favorite steak in the city - albeit I haven't been back in 4+ years...