Chow Bar - Review

Intro
Chow Bar - Not Recommended
230 W 4th St, New York 10014
At W 10th St
Phone: 212-633-2212

Fiancee's friend was visiting and we wanted to take her out to an Asian place that has a decent fish and vegetarian menu. Looked up good ol' NY Magazine for some potential places and Chow Bar was recommended, so I was figuring why not - I've passed by this place before and was always curious to check it out. Man what a bad decision. Overall, I give the restaurant a 60/100.

My Menu

1) Crispy vegetable spring rolls – Recommended
2) Summer rolls - Highly Not Recommended
3) Crispy Roast Duck in Black Vinegar Sauce – Average
4) Crispy whole fish - Average

Dish Comments
1) Standard spring rolls with an overly sweet sauce. Crispy and stuffed with some mushrooms. It was decent, but then again most things fried are pretty good.
2) A what the f moment here and not a good one. Summer rolls were insanely bland and was stuffed with an abundance of shredded lettuce. Absolutely no flavor. Then, the peanut sauce was a soupy green mess with absolutely no peanut flavor. Did not bode well for the upcoming entrees.
3) Ok. So I like crispy duck and we've had lots of it before. This was an interesting combination with almost a sweet chocolate sauce. Unfortunately, the duck was not juicy or flavorful. Basically crispy and overly fatty, but not a good fatty. And the scallion pancakes were a joke - basically a flavorless crepe with a little bit of scallions.
4) A whole fish that was served with a way too sweet sauce. The fish itself was OK (crispy but not juicy), but the sauce was a color of orange that does not exist in nature.

Overall Restaurant Experience (60/100)

• Food 6.5/10 – Ok, so the food was pretty average to terrible (summer rolls). Not really ridiculously terrible, but I would never want to eat that stuff again.
• Service 7.5/10 – Food came out very quickly. Nice wait staff and host.
• Atmosphere 7.5/10 – A smaller sized restaurant that has lots of asian colors and motifs. A decent amount of people at the bar. All couples there Friday night. We arrived at 7 and were seated immediately. Good energy at the bar.
• Price 4.0/10 – So, even though the food was not terrible, the price was a joke for the quality. All entrees are around $20+ and definitely not worth it. The 4 pieces of summer roll was $10 and was completely terrible.
  

Closing Comments
Maybe a cool place to hang out for a drink, but 100% stay away for the food. Still a good time, but this was due to the company rather than the place. I would recommend Fatty Crab for a similar Pan Asian style food with some good crowd energy - food there is 100% better. That's two places that NY Magazine has missed the mark - Spotted Pig being the other one...

P*ong - Review - Revisited

Intro
p*ong - Recommended
150 W 10th St, New York 10014
At Waverly Pl
Phone: 212-929-0898

After the sub par meal at Chow Bar, we wanted some desserts that would turn our frowns upside down - oh ya I pulled that out. Luckily for us, p*ong is right around the corner from Chow Bar so we decided to go based on our previous visit there - which was really the opening night of the place. They made huge improvements over our first trip. Overall, I give the restaurant an 80/100.

My Menu
OK - so the menu here looks like it changes a lot. Totally different from what we had the first time and I can't find the menu we had online. The p*ong (as well as menupages and nymag) website have things that aren't there now. So, I'll try to best describe them below since I didn't grab any pictures of the menu.

1) Chocolate Truffle (shaped like a bar)– Highly Recommended
2) Chocolate Financier with Ovaltine Ice Cream – Recommended
3) Foie Gras with Chocolate, Red Pepper Jam, and Persimmons - Highly Recommended
4) Chocolate Martini - Recommended

Dish Comments
1) This dessert represents what to expect at p*ong - complex flavor for dessert that really pops in the mouth. Basically a super dense chocolate bar that was very thick and kicked up with some spicy chilles. Sublime dessert.
2) Another classic p*ong type dessert showcasing Asian ingredients - here the Ovaltine Ice Cream. Great warm chocolate cake and the Ovaltine Ice Cream is an interesting touch - not very sweet, but it tastes 100% like Ovaltine.
3) Great combination of flavors here. The Foie Gras is decent but the combination is great. The red pepper jam tastes exactly like red peppers, but it's sweet and slightly spicy. Combine the chocolate and persimmons and the FG really sings.
4) Bartender recommended this Chocolate Martini since it went well with the FG - man he was definitely right. A little strong for a girly drink, but the "chocolate clouds" were awesome. Basically, cream that looks like marshmallows and tastes great in the drink.

Overall Restaurant Experience (80/100)

• Food 8.5/10 – Desserts are so complex and flavorful. Everything was beautifully plated - wanted to take pictures but my camera does not work well with low lights. Don't like rocking the flash at restaurants since they usually look terrible and plus I don't like blinding my fellow eaters.
  
• Service 7.0/10 – The bartender was not super friendly, but the food came out fast - so can't complain. All the servers look like they all had attitudes - much different from the first time.
• Atmosphere 8/10 – Same comments as last time. This time we got there around 9:30pm on a Saturday and it took about 20 minutes to get seated. It was very busy that day and a lot of people were waiting.
• Price 7.0/10 – Pretty pricey stuff here. Paying fancy meal prices for desserts without the fancy meal. The total bill was around $80 which is pretty pricey for desserts. However, I was still happy at the end.

Closing Comments
Great desserts here and much better than the first time around. However, I would say I would probably go to Chikalicious (203 E 10th St) before p*ong for the price. For the same price at Chika, you get an amuse bouche, dessert, and petit fours - great variety. p*ong however is definitely a go-to place for complex desserts.

Restaurant Ichimura

Restaurant Ichimura - Highly Recommended
1026 2nd Ave, New York 10022
Btwn 54th & 55th St
Phone: 212-355-3557

I had the great pleasure of dining at Chef Ichimura's counter the other night.
My colleague at work called the chef and told him I was coming with a few friends and was taken care of very well. Thanks M!

Chef Ichimura is not a flashy man. Nor is he overly talkative like a lot of other sushi chefs out there. Minimalist in design, the restaurant is clean and bright. In addition he plays uplifting Edith Piaf CDs and Rat Pack ensembles in the background while you enjoy his creations.

I would say the man is in his late 40s early 50s and is just comfortable with his life. His sushi is pristine and gentle hearted. Nothing too in your face... (like Gari)
Generous portions and great balance.
But the most impressive element of his sushi is his blade work. The fish take on a different aura when he slices them up. They are then crafted on his fingers with quick precision, meticulous craftsmanship and then quickly placed in front of you to consume.

One by one, I popped these bite sized pieces of heaven into my mouth.
And each time closing my eyes as I chewed and enjoying the flavors of the fish, then the rice, and then the combination of the two as they meld together and become one.. continued on by the pleasant aftertastes as it slides down my throat when I swallow.

Hirame
Kinmedai *
Madai *** (Shimo Zukuri)
Shima Aji *
Iwashi ***
Yaki Maitake **
Matsutake Dobin Mushi
Botan Ebi **
Uni
Ikura
Mirugai *
Toro **
Shiro Anago *
Tamago
Yama Imo to Shisho Maki
Negi Toro Maki ***


- Key to the Stars -
* - Great
** - Excellent
*** - Out of this World !!!

Oyakodon Recipe

Oyakodon (Oh Yah Ko Dohn) - literally translates to "parent-kid bowl".
Kinda weird but it works. Chicken and egg combo dish served in every Japanese household.

The key lies in the Dashi Tsuyu. Dashi being the flavors extracted from bonito flakes and kelp broth. And Tsuyu is just another word for broth with soy sauce, mirin and sake.

Aramis is a big fan and wanted me to post my recipe for this dish. So here it goes.

Ingredients : (try to always use organic. not only is it better for you, it tastes better because it was raised or farmed the old fashioned way...no antibiotics, hormones or pesticides. your body can do without any of those agents.)

4 Chicken Thighs - Look for Jidori Chickens or Organic/Cage Free
1 Onion
1 Scallion
1 Cup Dashi Tsuyu - Make sure you adjust the concentration. It usually comes 3 or 4 times concentrated. This is where you will get your Umami.
1 T Soy Sauce - The better the quality, the deeper the flavor.
4 Eggs - Organic of course
Togarashi or Shichimi chili flakes
Steamed White Rice (preferably Koshihikari Rice)

Cut chicken thighs into 1 square inch pieces and sautee till lightly brown.
Add thinly sliced onions and toss for 1 minute.
Add 1 cup of Dashi Tsuyu and let simmer for 1 minute till onions are translucent and soft.
Beat eggs to 70% homogeneous and evenly pour over the chicken reserving 10% for final presentation.
Cover the pan and cut the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Uncover and pour remaining egg mixture on top.

Gently ladle the concoction on top of a steaming bowl of Japanese white rice.
You can garnish with some chopped scallions and Japanese chili flakes.
Serve with a spoon or chopsticks.
Accompanied with Miso or Chicken Broth Soup.



Here is a recipe I posted earlier in May on Oyakodon.

Umami

Umami (Oo Mah Mi) - is becoming a hot "buzz" word in world of cooking.
This full-rich flavor description is catching on, and more and more people are becoming aware of this natural flavor component.
I think it's great for the general American population to learn a bit about how other people approach food in other countries and cultures.


as per Wiki :

Umami ( 旨み、旨味, うまみ, Umami^?) is one of the five basic tastes sensed by specialized receptor cells present on the human tongue.^[1] The same taste is also known as xiānwèi (traditional Chinese: 鮮味; simplified Chinese: 鲜味) in Chinese cooking. Umami is a Japanese word meaning "savory" or "meaty" and thus applies to the sensation of savoriness—specifically, to the detection of glutamates, which are especially common in meats, cheese and other protein-heavy foods. The action of umami receptors explains why foods treated with monosodium glutamate (MSG) often taste "fuller".

In as much as it describes the flavor common to savory products such as meat, cheese, duck, and mushrooms, umami is similar to Brillat-Savarin's concept of osmazome, an early attempt to describe the main flavoring component of meat as extracted in the process of making stock.

Frantoia - Olive Oil Review

After the disappointing olive oil Masserie diSant'eramo, I decided I wanted a better olive oil and felt like I needed to buy a new one...immediately after I bought Masserie. Yes, I know this is a problem I have, but damn it, I like olive oil. I decided to buy good old faithful Frantoia to see how it would compare. It is definitely recommended.

• Region - Sicily. Sicilian oils really have the deep rich flavor that I dig
  
• Bottle - Clear bottle, but you can see how awesome the oil looks
  
• Oil - This oil is super green and is really viscous. It has legs, kinda like wine, where if you tilt the bottle the oil ever so slowly drips down the sides. It also has bits of stuff at the bottom of the bottle, which I feel gives it that extra tastiness.
  
• Description - I've tried this before so the label description wouldn't persuade me, but it's "made in the antique Sicilian oil pressing tradition!"
  
• Price - Mad expensive at Whole Foods. $19 for 16.9 fl ounces but worth it in my opinion. This is an oil that you won't cook with, but you would use to finish a plate with.
  
• Flavor - Rich and flavorful, very viscous. Compared it side by side with Masserie and the Frantoia was thicker and more flavorful. Still not perfect by any means, but it will definitely do - an oil I had in Rome almost made me cry, so I'm still a lookin for a "go to" expensive oil.
  

Masserie diSant'eramo - Olive Oil Review

OK, so I go through a lot of Olive Oil (extra virgin of course) and I always try to find some new oils to try out. I am by no means an olive oil expert, but these are the characteristics I look for when I shop.

• Region: Either from Sicily, Tuscany, or Liguria
• Bottle: Preferably a dark bottle to prevent light from damaging the oil
• Oil: A really green oil that looks thick and viscous
• Description: I know it's all marketing mumbo jumbo, but if I'm having a hard time deciding between oils the description sometimes might persuade me.
  

Here's one that I found from Garden of Eden and I was hoping for good things - Masserie diSant'eramo from Bari (regione Puglia), Italy. Unfortunately, the oil is just OK. I usually expect a very rich flavorful oil with very earthy notes. It should make a simple spaghetti with parmiggiano reggiano dish taste great.

Masserie diSant'eramo has decent olive oil flavor (hints of artichoke) with a little spice, but it's a little muted and not that thick - not what I'm looking for. A good test is to put a little oil in a spoon and have a taste. Repeat with a little salt. There are better olive oils out there, but Masserie still tastes decent and better than most commercial brands you find out in the supermarkets. I would not recommend this though (price was $16.99 for 17 fl oz), because I feel there are better oils out there.

Jersey Subs

Got a sub yesterday for lunch and I can't say enough how much I love them. For those, who don't know what a sub is, it's a colloquial New Jersey term for sandwich. Now, there are different styles of sandwiches even in Jersey (Hoboken's fresh mozzarella sandwiches will be discussed in a later post), but I'll focus on the Central Jersey sub.

What makes a great Jersey sub, is the soft fresh bread, drenched in oil and vinegar, lots of fresh shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, and heaping mounds of meat - usually Italian because, hey there's a reason why the Sopranos are in NJ. The combination of textures (soft bread, crunchy lettuce and onions) and flavors (saltiness of the meats and sourness of the vinegar) are heavenly.

My personal fave is a turkey and swiss sub with a little mayo, lots of oil and vinegar, crunchy bacon, lots of crunchy lettuce and onions, juicy sliced tomatoes, and loads of turkey...give it a try the next time you stop by the N W Jers.

Silver Pond - Review

Intro
Silver Pond - Slightly Recommended
230 Main St
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: 201-592-8338

Have been looking to check out Silver Pond for a while based on recommendations from family and some reviews online. It's hard to get good dim sum even in NY's Chinatown. Silver Pond is serviceable, but really not worth the price. Overall, I give the restaurant an 73/100.

My Menu
1) Clams in Black Bean Sauce - Highly Recommended
2) Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls (Cheong Fun)– Average
3) Tofu Skin stuffed with Veggies – Not Recommended
4) Fried Noodles – Highly Recommended
5) Pork and Shrimp Dumplings (Siu Mai) – Highly Recommended
6) Shrimp Dumpling – Highly Recommended
7) Chicken Feet (Fung Zao) – Recommended
8) Garlic Chive Dumping – Recommended

Dish Comments
1) This was off the hook good. Very fresh and super tender and flavorful. So f'n good and setting the bar really high.
2) This was OK. Basically tender rice noodles stuffed with shrimp and topped with a sweet soy. Not that good for some reason to me.
3) Tofu skin stuffed with shitakes, tofu pieces, noodles, and maybe even enoki mushrooms? Great texture, but where's the flavor. Plus, this thing was cold.
4) This was super addicting and very tasty. Basically fried semi-crunchy noodles with onions and scallions.
5) This is one of my all time favorite dim sum items and Silver Pond knocked it out of the park - juicy and flavorful.
6) Really haven't had this style of shrimp dumpling too much, but it was again juicy and very flavorful. This wasn't made well though, as it fell apart when you picked it up - but I didn't care...this was hella tasty.
7) When you eat chicken feet, it's a little scary to look at but basically you suck the skin off the feet and eat the cartilage around the feet. I've had this numerous times before and this was decent.
8) This was so f'n tasty, but unfortunately this came out cold. Very disappointing, but this was still very tasty.

Overall Restaurant Experience (73/100)

• Food 7.9/10 – In terms of dim sum, this was pretty tasty stuff. Unfortunately, some of the food comes out cold which is ridiculous...food still tasted good though.
  
• Service 7.3/10 – Waitresses were very nice, but the host was pretty rude to everyone. Food comes out very slow in terms of dim sum which could be because they don't use that many push carts. Mainly ladies walking around with trays holding the dim sum.
  
• Atmosphere 7.5/10 – Standard Chinese restaurant that's slightly nicer than some of the holes in Chinatown. Mix of Chinese, Koreans, and non Asians. Lots of families here. Got there at 12:30 on a Sunday and got a table at 1pm...this place gets packed.
  
• Price 6.5/10 – For two people, Dim Sum should usually run you $30 ($3 a dish) unless you go to town and order everything. This ran us $45 (around $5 a dish) which I think is really pricey for dim sum. Flavor is sill good, but not that good for the price.
  

Closing Comments
Good dim sum is so hard to come by and this place is decent, but the price is a big turn off. I may go back and next time bring more people. But, this is not a go to place and I will still need to find another dim sum joint.

Saturday Night Dinner

Made some dinner tonight for the wife.
She wanted lamb chops so I headed over to the nearest supermarket to pick up some goods.
2 hours later... Voila!

Tonight's menu was Cauliflower Soup, a Mesculin Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette, and Lamb Chops with Mushrooms and Roasted Vegetables.

Cauliflower Soup :
Made with Cauliflower, Chicken Stock, Milk and Seasoning.
And making good use with my Braun 200w Immersion Blender.
Simmer cauliflower in chicken stock for 20 minutes. Hit it with the stick blender and add milk or cream. Season and ladle in bowl. Serve hot or cold.

Mesculin Salad :
Greens, Tomatoes and Mizkan Salad Dressing
It is what it is.
Easy breezy...




Lamb Chops :
Roasted Lamb Chops, Portabello Mushroom stuffed with Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms
French rack of lamb, score the fat cap, season and sear in high heat to seal in the juices. Coat with a layer of mustard and place in oven at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove for 5 minutes and throw it back in the oven for another 10 mintues. This should get it Medium Rare.

Stuffed Portabello :
Sautee shiitake mushrooms, onions and garlic. Invert a portabello mushroom and stuff. Roast at 325 for 15 minutes.

I was pretty hungry myself and didn't feel like making a wine sauce, so I just served the lamb chops with some stone-ground German mustard.

One last thing... a bottle of Shiraz and it was time to chow.

Yasuda vs Gari

So now I've been to both... It's time to weigh-in on the pros and cons. And crown my Fave.

What could be more opposite than these two Masters of Fish.
One is a pure Edo-style Sushi Chef who has honed his craft to preserving and exercising the traditional origins of sushi.
The other is a master of layers and manipulator of taste. His dishes are unique and extremely dynamic in flavor.
I'm pitting these two against one another for the shear sake of naming a #1 in the city. Hey, we're Americans... We like that kind of stuff...
I understand there's Kuruma Zushi, Hatsuhana, Sushi-Den, Sushi Seki, Masa, Ichimura, and maybe even Ushiwakamaru to consider... But for the time being, let's keep it between these two dynamically opposite chefs.

Every army has it's General and Lieutenant. #1 and #2 respectively.

Battle 1
#1 Yasuda (Mr. Yasuda) vs #1 Gari (Mr. Gari)
Technique : Tie (5 - 5)
Presentation : Tie (5 - 5)
Personality : Tie (5 - 5)
Showmanship : Tie (5 - 5)
These guys are perfect.

Battle 2
#2 Yasuda (Mr. Okuno) vs #2 Gari (Mr. Tomono)
Technique : Okuno (4.5 - 4)
Presentation : Tie (4 - 4)
Personality : Okuno (4 - 2)
Showmanship : Okuno (4 - 3)
Okuno san wins.

The winner in over all points go to Sushi Yasuda.
As far as Sushi goes, tradition, purity and simplicity is what captures my heart. One can easily see and experience Yasuda's honest approach to sushi and I genuinely appreciate his uncompromising will to preserve authenticity.
Gari's sushi is after all, a play on the ingredient and manipulation of tastes and textures.
It is very good in it's own right, but the essence of a sushi restaurant must lie with the naked ingredient, and therefore Yasuda is my ultimate Sushi Restaurant here in New York.

for now...

No-Knead Bread

Since it is already so widely known, some would say there is no need for yet another blog entry about the now famous no knead bread recipe that appeared in the NY Times just about a year ago...but not the Dudes on Foods. This dude baked a loaf for 2 other Dudes (along with several honored guests) this past weekend and it received the highest compliments from all in attendance.

I have baked this bread no less than a dozen times in the last year and have even experimented with some different flour combinations (various percentages of wheat, rye, etc.). Almost all were very good and some were amazing, but my favorite is still using regular unbleached flour to make a European style white loaf. The times when it wasn't top notch were probably due to using some old flour or dead yeast or not getting the oven hot enough, but even then it was still enjoyable.

Porthos had inquired about the water used and it was tap, as he noted that the mineral content affects the quality and flavor of the bread. My tap is in Queens, so I wonder if the urban legend relating the quality of NYC pizza to the NYC water supply is true.

Alas here is the link (if you didn't find it feeling lucky with Google already):
Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Frightening Food

Since it’s Halloween, I thought I’d post pictures of food that is considered frightening that I personally have eaten. I have eaten a lot more, but I don’t have pictures. Some of you will look at the pictures and wonder why some are frightening, but then again, that was the point I was making with my Matrix article.

And since it’s Halloween, let’s talk about candy for a second. Who doesn’t love Whoppers??? Those chocolate-covered malt balls are one of the pieces of candy I used to look forward to when I was younger. I gave some to the British girl in my office once, and she literally spit them out into a napkin. Then she went back to her desk to eat spotted dick. It’s that whole comfort zone again.

Please click on the slide show to bring you to another site where there are captions that accompany the pictures, so you can read what you’re looking at. Then again, try looking at the pictures without the captions. It may look tasty. Then you’ll be surprised to learn it’s something you thought would be awful. These pictures are in no particular order, either; just random pictures of food I ate.

Happy Halloween!

No Trans Fats = No Good

I'm not really sure what happened the other day, but I had a bad experience at a KFC.
Yah, how can Fried Chicken be bad? It's unfathomable.







I really don't know how to sugar coat this so I'm going to give it to you straight.
Kentucky Fried Chicken now Sucks.
I have a sneaking suspicion it's their new No Trans-Fat Oil they use to fry the birds. The result is an underwhelming, no crisp but soggy piece of burnt protein.
fyi - I ordered both the "Original" and "Crispy" and they both were soggy. A major let down.

Corporate, Take Note!!!
Yah, it's probably better for you in the long run, and you have to adhere to government policy, but if you are going to sell Fried Chicken, you better make it damn good. It's your business!
You've had generations of repeat customers come back for more because you gave us a product we couldn't easily make at home at a reasonable cost.

Well, you are now serving us bad fried chicken and any suburban housewife can replicate that.
I'd rather pay more and receive a better, if not great product than being utterly disappointed with a horrible product cause you guys skimped out on the cheap oil.
Either you change your oils to a significantly higher quality No Trans-Fat Oil, or crank up the fryer and rework the flour seasoning to make sure it crisps up better.
What the hell is your Corporate Chef doing? Fire him and hire a new one!

You've already lost one big fan. How many more can you afford to lose everyday?

Tomato Sauce and Tomato Soup

So I was watching Colameco's Food Show and noticed they were doing a profile on A Voce, one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. One thing that caught my eye is the really simple tomato sauce they make - it's basically just tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil with minimal manipulation. Now I have to say, Mario Batali and his informative show, Molto Mario, got me into cooking food like they do in Italy, so I always used his basic tomato sauce recipe. No more, A Voce's tomato sauce blows it away. I tried the real deal at A Voce and it was a complete "what the f" moment.

Tomato Sauce alla A Voce
On the show, A Voce uses fresh tomatoes, but tomatoes suck now so I used the canned San Marzano's - Italy's best tomatoes. I had a San Marzano can from Costco - so hence the 106 oz can used...you can obviously use less. The key is the tomatoes have to taste real good just plain - pop one in your mouth and it should be slighty sweet and very rich. The sauce will be a revelation on how a tomato sauce should taste - real tomatoes, nothing else - it really helps to strain the juice, since most sauces use the juice which mutes the tomato flavor.

Ingredients
106 oz of canned San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 sprig of basil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

1) Remove the whole tomatoes and poke a hole with your thumb to let the juice out. Place all the whole tomato pieces in a strainer in a bowl - make sure there's enough room so it strains properly. Let sit for 2 hours.
2) In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil over low heat. Add garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes. After 3-5 minutes, the room will smell like garlic and basil.
3) Remove the strained tomato pieces and place in a pot over high heat. Salt and pepper the tomatoes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add oil - not all of it, just use your judgment - should probably be about 2-3 tablespoons worth. Stir around and break up most of the pieces. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Taste and re-season if necessary. If you like the consistency and flavor of the sauce, remove from the heat.


Tomato Soup
With the strained tomato juices from the sauce, it made perfect sense to make tomato soup. Make sure to save one or two pieces of tomato to give the soup more body.

Ingredients
106 oz of canned San Marzano Whole Tomatoes, juices only
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 shallot thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 sprig of basil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
pesto
toasted white bread cut into cubes
salt and pepper

1) Set a large pot over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and shallots. Saute for 3-5 minutes - make sure it doesn't burn, but just gets soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to one minute.
2) Add tomato juice and a tomato or two to the pot. Bring to a boil then simmer the mixture. Add the parsley and basil and salt and pepper.
3) Simmer for 15-30 minutes until it tastes right and has the correct consistency.
4) Pour the soup mixture in a bowl and add olive oil, the bread cubes, and pesto. Buono appetito!

Sushi of Gari

Sushi of Gari - Highly Recommended
402 E 78th St, New York 10021
Btwn 1st & York Ave
Phone: 212-517-5340
Fax: 212-288-9235

I've been obsessing to go to Sushi of Gari for a while and so Sunday was the day my dreams came true.
My wife and I got a call from a friend from Japan and he invited us to have dinner in the city.
Good sushi was due and we made the call to visit Gari. My first, my wife's third time.
When it comes to sushi, I'm a purist.. and I gotta say, I didn't want to "love it", but it was just that good.
Gari himself wasn't there, but this place definitely gives Sushi Yasuda a run for his money...
Polar-opposites when it comes to the execution of sushi... but like anything good, when you are the best at what you do, you're doing something right.

Sushi of Gari is Extremely PRICEY but well worth the experience.
Therefore unless you print money in your basement, this is a once a year "treat yourself cause you deserve it" kinda place.

As always, at any qualified Sushi joint, the rule of thumb is to go with the Omakase Menu... and so we did.
I was informed (after sneaking in 3 shots) that pictures were not allowed... booooooo.

** - Madai with Salad Greens (vinaigrette sauce with a fried renkon chip)
- Snow Crab with sweat Ponzu
* - Tuna with Grated Daikon and Ponzu
* - Smoked Salmon
*** - Salmon with Roasted Tomato
*** - Toro with Takuwan
** - Mirugai with Sauteed Parsely in Butter
** - Tuna with Tofu Sauce
** - Charred Ika with Uni Sauce
- Kohada with Kabu
- Hirame Ceviche
- Sawara with Mekabu
* - Shima Aji
** - Foie Gras with Daikon
** - Karasumi with Daikon
** - Uni
** - Anago with Sansho Buds
*** - Chu Toro
- Oshinko Maki

* - Aka Miso Soup with Mitsuba & Nameko Mushrooms
* - Robert Mondavi 2002 Chardonnay

$750 later, we walked out happy and full.
Yes, it's a hit to the wallet, but an occasional treat is definitely good for the soul.
Can't wait to go next year.

Wow!

- Key to the Stars -
* - Great
** - Excellent
*** - Out of this World !!!

Meatballs Extravaganza

Will there be too many Meatballs?
That was the question I asked myself 5 minutes before I got to Aramis's place Saturday for a little planned potluck dinner.
Aramis, Mr. Risotto and I each made some kind of meatball dish and brought it over to the eat-fest.
We ate, and ate, and ate... until we couldn't move anymore and found ourselves sitting slouched on a couch as if ready to hibernate for the winter...
All the meatballs came out "excellent". I'm glad we got together and kicked ass with a little home cookin'.

Porthos - Greek Meatballs with Tatziki Sauce
Side Dish: Mac 'n Cheese - Penne with a bechamel/cheese sauce made with Artisanal cheeses (Piave and Roncol)

Aramis - Italian Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Side Dish: Spaghettini with Garlic, Oil, and Pecorino Romano
Side Dish: Roasted Broccoli

Mr. Risotto - Swedish Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce (subbed for Lingonberries)
Side Dish: Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Mr. Risotto's Bomemade Bread

I still want to dabble with the Chinese "Lion's Head" meatball, Japanese "Tsukune" Chicken meatball, and perhaps some kind of stuffed meatball... One with a cheesy center, or foie gras mousse center core. So when you cut into it, goodness just oozes out onto your knife and fork...
Mmm mmm good I say.

Reason Why I Love Pasta - Pantry Raider

Not panty raider...sinners. The great thing about pasta is it's an easy and delicious way to clean out your pantry and fridge. These are dishes that I enhanced by going through the fridge to see what I needed to get rid of.

Farfalle with Roasted Broccoli and Croutons
I love roasting broccoli until it gets almost blackened. You really taste the sweetness of the broccoli that way and get a nice roasted flavor. I had some leftover bread, so I toasted up some croutons which added such a nice nuttiness and texture to the overall dish.

Ingredients
1/2 box farfalle
5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 bunches of broccoli, trimmed and cut into pieces similar in size to the farfalle
extra virgin olive oil
3 slices of multigrain bread (any bread would work)
Parmiggiano-Reggiano

1) Add olive oil to cover both sides of the bread slices. Toast until crispy. Cut into cubes and add salt and pepper.
2) Set pan to medium high heat and add oil. Add broccoli stems only and add salt and pepper. Turn until sides are really dark brown or almost black. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove stems.
3) Add the broccoli crowns - salt and pepper again. Make these nice and caramelized as well. You can do this method in the oven, but it takes much longer to get it to caramelize. Add garlic and remove from the heat after 1 minute - make sure garlic doesn't burn.
4) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a large handful of salt and throw in the farfalle.
5) Add all the broccoli pieces back to the pan on high heat. Add farfalle to pan when it's almost al dente - 1 minute under the box time. Add a little pasta water (if needed) to loosen up the mixture. Always taste the pasta to make sure it's perfectly al dente.
6) Add farfalle and broccoli to the pan. Add bread crumbs around, top with grated parmiggiano, and finish with more oil.


Linguine Octoberfest
So I was thinking of doing some type of sausage and cabbage thing. When I looked in the fridge, I saw a nice German wheat beer leftover from one of the UFC fights, so I said why the f not. The dish came out great - the beer adds such a rich flavor almost like an intense stock. I added balsamic vinegar cause I was thinking apples and cabbage are usually a good combo. Didn't have any apples, so I added balsamic vinegar to get the sweet sour thang that Italians do love.

Ingredients
1/2 Box Linguine
Some type of Italian Sausage (preferably not from the grocery store)
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
2 boxes Brussel Sprouts
1 bottle of your favorite wheat beer
2 tablesppons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1) Half the brussel sprouts, remove the core, and slice up the sprouts.
2) Add a gallon of hot water to a large pot. When water comes to a boil, add a large handful of salt and the pasta.
3) Set a large pan to medium high heat and add the oil. Brown the sausage on both sides and remove from the heat. When cooled, slice into bite sized portions.
4) In the same pan, add brussel sprouts and sautee with garlic using the sausage fat still in the pan. Salt and pepper. Add maybe 1/2 the bottle of beer (should 1/2 cover the sprouts) and place the sausage back in the pan. Add the vinegar, cover the pan, and finish cooking the sausage, but make sure not to overcook. More beer may need to be added if not the pot, then to your belly.
5) Add the linguine when it's just about al dente. Cook another minute or until the pasta is perfectly al dente.
6) Plate the dish and finish with some oil. Buono appetito or guten appetit!

After Hours with Daniel: Season 2

My favorite food related tv show, After Hours with Daniel, has started airing new episodes again. This time the focus is the Los Angeles area. Although it's always amazing seeing Daniel's command in the kitchen, so far the two episodes (Pizzeria Mozza and Hatfield's) have more guests from Hollywood instead of the food world. I guess it makes sense considering it's in LA, but I'd rather hear stories about food and the kitchen instead of the casting couch. A tad disappointing, when last year, the majority of the guests usually were master chefs like Eric Ripert and Jacques Pepin. Still it's fun seeing Daniel making heavy, anti-Californian food like tripe and head cheese and serve it to these Californians.

The Little Owl - Brunch Review

Intro
The Little Owl - Recommended
90 Bedford St, New York 10014
At Grove St
Phone: 212-741-4695

I’ve been dying to check out The Little Owl since everyone has been raving about it. I was reluctant to go for Brunch though, since I wasn’t feeling the brunch menu. Good thing that I acquiesced to the fiancée and stopped by – this place serves a killer brunch. Overall, I give the restaurant an 80/100.

My Menu
1) Poached Eggs – Highly Recommended
2) Mushroom Omelette – Recommended

Dish Comments
1) Perfectly poached eggs, braised greens, hollandaise sauce, and a sausage bun concoction. This dish was wonderful and the richness of the eggs and sauce were cut by the greens. The sausage buns were a little odd, but still good. Even better with the crispy slices of baguette.
2) A perfectly cooked mushroom omelette (reoccurring theme) filled with parmesan cheese and topped with either truffle oil or truffle butter. Such a fluffy omelette and inside are tasty crimini mushrooms. The only thing that I had against this was I wanted a more eggy and creamy taste – which were probably drowned out by the truffles and parmesan. Also, the fact that it came out insanely hot probably didn’t help either.

Overall Restaurant Experience (80/100)

• Food 8.5/10 – Perfectly cooked eggs. A great brunch.
• Service 7.5/10 – Food came out very quickly. For some reason though, I didn’t like the attitude of the waitress. She came off as a little bitchy. Also, noticed there were some black bits in the milk for the coffee – not cool…
• Atmosphere 7.5/10 – Super tiny place – seats maybe around 20 tops – and it definitely felt a little cramped. We sat at the bar which was nice since you could see the cooks with the open kitchen. Place was filled with a mix of groups of girls, solo eaters, and young and old couples. We got there at 1pm on a Saturday and ate immediately.
• Price 8.5/10 – Place was reasonable for brunch – dishes were around $12. For the quality of the food (and quantity), it was definitely worth the price.

Closing Comments
The dishes were cooked very well, so I’m very curious to see what they can do for dinner – although it’s much pricier for dinner – around $25-30 per entrée.