Clinton Street Baking Company

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Breakfast and tagged with 7-grain toast, Biscuits with Jam, breakfast, Clinton Street Baking Company, Country Breakfast, Eggs, Hash Browns, Salad, Scrambled Eggs, Smoked Salmon June 15, 2013

The first time the Boyfriend and I tried to have breakfast at Clinton Street Baking Company, we underestimated their popularity. We arrived at 9:30am (they open at 8:00am) and were given a 1-hour wait time. Since we had other plans afterwards, we opted to head over to the trusty Cornerstone for breakfast instead.

The second time we tried to have breakfast at Clinton Street, we were given a 20-minute wait time instead (we arrived at 8:30am this time). We decided to stay and wait since we had made the trek over. After about a 25-minute wait, the hostess called for us and we were seated at a table-for-two by the kitchen. I didn’t really mind since I got to take a peek at all the delicious food coming out.

I was caught between their famous Blueberry Pancakes or the Smoked Salmon Scramble since I love smoked salmon. I finally decided on the Smoked Salmon Scramble ($17.00) after some deliberation – the pancakes would have to wait for next time. The dish features eggs scrambled with smoked salmon and scallion creamed cheese, a side of mixed greens and 7-grain toast. These were the best scrambled eggs I have ever had. The eggs were fluffy, the smoked salmon was delicious and the scallion cream cheese gave the dish a definite kick. I highly recommend the scramble!

The Boyfriend opted for the Country Breakfast ($13.00), which features three eggs any-style, maple-cured ham, hash browns and a buttermilk biscuit. The eggs were fine and the maple-cured ham was quite delicious. I didn’t steal much from his plate since I was so concentrated on mine. But I must remark on the biscuit. I’m not usually a fan of biscuits in general but Clinton’s Strawberry Jam is to die for! I could gladly come here just to eat the biscuits with that jam. The jam was very fresh and tasted like real fruit. Mmmm!

We also got a side of Onion Rings ($7.00) since the Boyfriend hasn’t had them in a very long time. Onion rings aren’t really your typical breakfast food but they were pretty darn good. They didn’t leave either of us with onion breath, which was a big plus.

I wanted to order a piece of their Chocolate Banana Cream Pie to go but they didn’t have any that day. I’m a big fan of Banana Cream Pie so I was pretty sad when our waitress returned with just our check and no pie. I guess this means I’ll have to come back soon to have a slice! I definitely want to return to try the pancakes.

Zenkichi Part 2

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Japanese, Tapas and tagged with Chicken Meatballs, Homemade tofu, Hot Udon, Japanese Tapas, Kakuni, Pork Belly, Sesame Mousse, Tuna Carpaccio, Williamsburg, Zenkichi June 10, 2013

After our first visit to Zenkichi, we were itching to go back. There were just so many amazing things about our first visit that we knew we had to go back. When I saw another Groupon deal for Zenkichi, I jumped on it and we were on our way to one of the most romantic restaurants in New York City.

This time we were given a booth on the 2^nd floor instead of the 1^st floor. Last time, our booth was in between three other booths with couples on either side of us. This time, we were given a booth that was by itself with only one couple behind us. There was a little bamboo curtain that our waiter opened each time he approached our table. He would also alert us whenever he was about the curtain so as to not surprise us.

Just like last time, our waiter alerted us that if we needed anything we could press the call button but we didn’t need to at all. He came back periodically to check up on us and pick up any used dishes. We didn’t even need to call him!

First up, was a lightly battered fried cod that was from our waiter for being return customers. It wasn’t a huge portion but it was very nice of them to recognize us. I’m always incredibly impressed by the service at Zenkichi.

Next up was the Cold Fresh Tofu ($7.95) that we have had on our earlier visit. Zenkichi’s homemade tofu is the best I have ever had. Despite the raving reviews others have given to institutions like Hibino, I still think Zenkichi cannot be beat. They have this refreshing dashi sauce that is so light that it doesn’t overpower the tofu. I can come to Zenkichi and order three of these and be completely happy!

Our second dish was the Kakuni, or pork belly ($10.95). The Pork belly is another repeat dish but it was so good last time that we had to have it again. Their pork belly is very savory and filling. The pork belly is always very tender and flavorful. The best part, however, is the fact that one order is more than enough for the two of us to share.

For our second visit, we wanted to try something new so we opted for the Tsukune Chicken ($10.95), which are chicken meatballs cooked on a bamboo stick and served with soft egg dipping sauce. They cook their meatballs in one stick instead of separate chucks. They have a bamboo scooper for you to cut the meat with. The presentation wasn’t what we’re used to but it was definitely flavorful. The meat was very soft and chewy. The dipping sauce, which is served cold, was a very nice contrast to the hot meatballs.

Our last hot dish was their Hot Udon ($14.95). The udon was incredibly soft and chewy. I could tell this wasn’t your typical dried-just-put-in-boiling-hot-water udon that you buy in supermarkets. This was very fresh and well-cooked udon. The broth was a simple bonito-dashi broth, which was nice and sweet. It wasn’t too salty or over-spiced. The portion-size was also great to share between the two of us. We each got a serving size of two bowls of udon each!

We also tried the Maguro Carpaccio ($14.95), which is tuna sashimi served with a green yuzu pepper sauce. The tuna sashimi was very fresh. The yuzu pepper sauce was a bit sour, which took some getting used to. The tuna sashimi was a nice break from all the savory dishes we were having.

After our main dishes, we opted for one dessert to share since we were pretty full. We’ve read great things about their Grapefruit Gelee dessert but we opted for their Frozen Black Sesame Mousse ($6.95) since we enjoyed it so much last time. The thing I like about this dessert is that it tastes like sesame ice cream but doesn’t have the same frozen texture. I hate it when ice cream gets freezer burn! The Sesame Mousse is sweet enough without being too sweet, which is exactly what I look for in desserts.

There is absolutely nothing bad I can say about Zenkichi. I love this place because I never feel rushed and I always feel like I have the utmost privacy. I can hear the conversations around me but it was never too loud. I never felt like I was sharing dinner with anyone else at the restaurant except my date. The best part? Kids under 14 aren’t allowed in the restaurant so you’ll never have any crying or tantrum-throwing children ruining your meal. You also don’t have to worry about children running all over the restaurant and knocking things down. When you’re trying to have a romantic date, Zenkichi is definitely the place to go.

Traif

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in American and tagged with Arugula Salad, Baby Back Ribs, Bacon Doughnuts, BBQ Sliders, Big-eyed Tuna, Braised Short Rib, Budino, Coffee Ice Cream, Family Style, Heart, Japanese Eggplant Tempura, Piggy, Pistachio, Red Grapes, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Snap Peas, South Side, Strawberry-Cinnamon, Sweet Potato Fries, Traif, Tuna Tartare, White Chocolate, Wiliamsburg June 6, 2013

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Traif, located in the South Side of Williamsburg. Traif is definitely not located in the hip side of Williamsburg – if anything, the neighborhood made me think of where I grew up in Sunset Park. But don’t let that deter you from paying them a visit. They have a 27 rating for food on Zagat and although I don’t always trust Zagat, this is one time where we should. Traif’s rating is right smack in between 1 Michelin-stared Nomad and 2 Michelin-stared Marea. Just keep that in mind as I wax poetic about one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten in my life.

We arrived at 6pm on the dot, which is when they open. We were just wandering around the neighborhood because we were early. When we popped in through the door, the male host actually had to ask the female hostess if they had any walk-in tables left. Good thing we came at 6pm on the dot because we managed to snag their only walk-in table available. Lesson learned: always make a reservation because this place is super busy.

We were seated in the back of the restaurant and right across from the kitchen. They don’t have an actual kitchen – it’s more of a tiny area behind the bar with a stove and an oven. I have no idea how they create such delicious dishes in such tiny a space but I’m not complaining. Our waitress came over almost immediately and explained to us first-timers that Traif is family-style dining in which every dish is shared by the table and there are no traditional appetizers or entrees. We placed our order and our very first dish came relatively quickly.

We started from the top and worked our way down the bottom of the menu since it goes from light to heavy. Our first dish was the Arugula Salad with snap peas, red grapes, currants, feta cheese and a spiced vinaigrette ($7.00). The salad was very refreshing and was a great way to start our meal. The red grapes were surprisingly very sweet and the vinaigrette was very light. The balance of sweet and sour really opened up our appetites for the rest of the meal.

Our next dish was the Spicy Big-eyed Tuna Tartare, served on top of Japanese eggplant tempura ($9.00). We had underestimated how good this dish would be. The tuna was extremely fresh and flavorful. But paired with eggplant tempura, something both of us had never even thought of before, it was even better. The combination of the spice and saltiness was a taste explosion in our mouths. The creamy tuna combined with the crunchiness of the eggplant for a very complex texture. This is definitely one to satisfy all the Japanese-food lovers out there.

Our third dish was their Strawberry-Cinnamon Glazed Baby Back Ribs ($10.00). Both the Boyfriend and I are not usually a big fan of ribs. They’re sticky, messy and often get stuck in your teeth whenever you tear into them. But these were completely different and I wouldn’t mind eating ribs everyday if they all tasted like these. First, the ribs are extremely tender. They all fell right off the bone with a light tug with my fork. There was no sticky mess when we ate these. Second, the flavor! I never knew strawberry could taste so good on ribs. These were so sweet and so succulent.

Our fourth dish might be my favorite. I use the word “might” because everything tasted so good that I can’t really pick a clear winner. We opted, on a whim, to try the Salt & Pepper Shrimp with Cauliflower ($10.00). The flavors and the texture really blew me away. The shrimp is lightly battered and and fried, which allowed it’s natural juices to stay in the shrimp. This is definitely not your typical fried shrimp. The combination of salt and pepper was really balanced. You’re all probably wondering why I love this dish since it sounds so simple. But it wasn’t simple at all. There was a buttery and creamy taste to the shrimp but for all we knew, it wasn’t oily or greasy like butter. I just couldn’t explain what I was eating! The Salt & Pepper Shrimp isn’t mentioned much on Yelp, but I highly recommend it.

Our final savory dish is BBQ Braised Short Rib Sliders, served with sweet potato fries and smoked paprika aioli ($9.00). The short rib was extremely soft and tender. Each bite practically melted in our mouths and we barely had to chew! The sweet potato fries were very crunchy and cut very thinly. I liked this method because I actually felt like I was eating fries and not a mound of sweet potato. The smoked paprika aioli was amazing! I’m not always a fan of aioli as a fries dipping sauce but this one really blew us away.

After we finished our meal, our waitress came by to clear our table and offer their dessert menu. We knew what dessert we wanted already but a glance at the menu made us order a second dessert. The first to arrive was the White Chocolate Budino with pistachio ice cream and whipped cream ($7.00). Budino is a dessert that’s similar to pudding or custard. But let me tell you, the budino we had was fluffier than any pudding or custard we have ever had. The whole cup was so soft and pillowy. The Boyfriend isn’t really a fan of dessert – he’ll have one or two bites but then he leaves it all to me to finish. Not this time though! We demolished this dessert so fast because it was just so good. It wasn’t overly sweet and it was just so fluffy!

And alas, we reach the famous Bacon Doughnuts served with coffee ice cream ($7.00). There aren’t really words to describe these doughnuts – it was that heavenly. The doughnuts were softer than any doughnut I have ever eaten. You can cut through them with a spoon in one go. They were warm and sweet but with a slight crunch from the bacon bits on top of them. The warm sweetness of the doughnuts just meshed so well with the cold bitterness of the coffee ice cream. I applaud the chef for thinking of such an odd combination. After we finished, we wished there was more. I think that if you give this to any anti-dessert person, even they will gobble it up in seconds!

The great thing about Traif is that you get some complimentary items before your meal and after your meal. Before our meal, we received a tiny cup of Strawberry Gazpacho to open up our appetites. It was delicious! The sweet and sour mixture really helped open up our appetites and stomaches for the incoming feast. After our meal, we received two tiny pieces of fresh watermelon with sweet molasses and lime juice. Such a nice and refreshing way to end our meal!

The service was also very quick and attentive. If it wasn’t our original waitress, it was other waiters and busboys checking up in our table to take away dishes and change dishes. The beer selection, while a bit on the expensive size, proved to be very strong. Most beers are about 4.5% abv but these were up to 11.5% abv! There are legit no complaints about my meal at Traif – not even one! Everything was delicious from start to finish. I don’t think I have ever appreciated the combinations of very different flavors up until my meal here. If I could rate Traif out of 5 stars, I would give them 10! Absolutely amazing!

Cull & Pistol

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Seafood/Raw Bar and tagged with Chelsea Market, Connecticut Style, Cull & Pistol, L'Arte del gelato, Littleneck Clams, Lobster Place, Lobster Roll, Long Island Clam Toast, New Bay Fries, Old Bay, Orange Creamsicle, Raw Bar, Seafood June 4, 2013

I noticed Cull & Pistol on Yelp’s new businesses listing a few weeks ago and read through the reviews. Although was only a small amount of reviews, most of the feedback have been positive. I’m not in the Chelsea area often so I mentally noted the restaurant for future usage. I had forgotten about Cull & Pistol until one day when the Boyfriend and I had just walked the High Line in 90 degree weather and wanted to hide inside Chelsea Market. Lo and behold, Cull & Pistol was right next door to our destination spot of Lobster Place. Lobster Place was really full so we opted to try Cull & Pistol instead since we were looking for somewhere to sit and cool off from the heat. We were greeted immediately be the hostess who sat us by the bar. We were able to see the workers shucking and cleaning oysters, clams and other types of seafood. While we were waiting for our food, we noticed that the workers behind the bar all wore Lobster Place uniforms. We found out later that Cull & Pistol is the restaurant offshoot from Lobster Place and all their seafood comes from next door. You’re guaranteed fresh seafood every single time! We started off with half a dozen Littleneck Clams ($1.00 each), which is served with their housemade cocktail sauce and vinegar. I thought that the vinegar wasn’t quite strong enough and the housemade cocktail sauce was a bit too chunky. It didn’t really slide onto the clams that well. The clams, however, were very fresh. They did not smell or taste fishy at all. In fact, I didn’t even need the vinegar or the cocktail sauce to go with the clams. They were so fresh that I could’ve eaten them straight up by themselves! We opted to share the Long Island Clam Toast ($11.00), which is served in a mixture of Dickson’s tasso ham and a garlic aioli on grilled ciabatta bread. The Yelpers did not steer me wrong! The tasso ham and garlic aioli worked together really well and provided one of the most unique mixtures I have ever eaten in my life. The result was an extremely creamy and salty combination that gave so much flavor to the steamed clams. I highly recommend this dish! I could come here, order two plates of these babies, and be the most content person in the entire restaurant. We also decided to share the Lobster Roll ($24.00), which is served with a side of New Bay fries. They offer their lobster rolls Connecticut style or Maine style. Both the Boyfriend and I prefer Connecticut style lobster rolls so we decided on that one. We both hold Red Hook Lobster Pound as our favorite lobster roll so we compare every other roll that we have to it. Cull & Pistol’s lobster roll really put up a good fight. The lobster is steamed and tossed in a butter and lemon sauce. But I think there’s more to it than just butter and lemon. It was a lot wetter than your standard lobster roll, which ensured that the lobster stayed juicy and not dry out (unlike Lobster Joint’s lobster roll). There was also a distinct taste of something else a little spicier. Regardless of what it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also really liked the New Bay fries, which are basically thin fries with Old Bay seasoning. The thin fries were really crispy and crunchy! After our meal, we were given complimentary gelato from L’Arte del gelato! It’s a tiny portion but they got so many extra points because of it. I love restaurants that give out tiny complimentary desserts instead of offering a dessert menu. It prevents me from overeating and it’s a nice little sweet end to a great meal. We received an orange creamsicle gelato, which was absolutely delicious. I will definitely need to pay L’Arte a visit! The service was quick and attentive. Our food arrived in a timely manner and we never felt rushed to leave. I think I’ll continue to come to Cull & Pistol instead of Lobster Place. You get the same delicious seafood but in a much nicer setting with more gourmet options. The prices are pretty fair and they even have their own bathroom in the restaurant. You don’t have to go outside and line up for the public bathrooms in Chelsea Market!

Lobster Joint

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Seafood/Raw Bar and tagged with Connecticut Lobster Roll, Fish and Chips, LES, Lobster Joint, Lobster Roll, Mussels, PEI, Steamed Mussels May 31, 2013

Lobster Joint is one of the places that I’ve heard a lot about on Yelp, bookmarked on Yelp and then kept saying that I would go one day. One day turned out to be a sunny weekday afternoon. The Boyfriend and I had both woke up late and didn’t make plans beforehand so we decided to venture over to the Lower East Side for some seafood.

Lobster Joint is a mix of cafeteria style and sit-down restaurant. You order at the counter and they give you a number to bring to your table. There are a few benches and high tops for you to choose from and it’s mostly communal sized. Once your food is done, a waiter brings it over to your table.

We decided to start with the Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels ($9.00), which is steamed in an onion, herb broth and served with a buttered toasted roll. The mussels were pretty good but just a tad on the small size. The broth was pretty delicious and tasted good soaked with the buttered roll.

We opted for the Connecticut Lobster Roll ($17.00) instead of the Maine style because we like our lobster hot and buttery. This roll was really the only disappointment in our entire meal. The lobster was a bit too overcooked and there was hardly any seasoning on it. There was no butter and the lobster was barely warm. My favorite Connecticut style is still Red Hook Lobster Pound’s, which comes piping hot and tossed in hot butter.

We also shared the Fish and Chips Platter ($14.00), which features beer-battered fish filet with a side of fries. The filet was huge! I’m used to fish and chips coming in several pieces but this style was quite good too. The fish was very tender and juicy. The fries were also pretty good. The only thing I would add is some Old Bay seasoning on the fries.

The service was quick and attentive. Our waiter came over to take away finished platters periodically. The dining room is filled with light and was very airy, which is why we sat and talked for about 30-45 minutes after we finished our meal. It was just so comfortable! They didn’t rush us to go and gave us space until we decided to leave. I’ll probably be back to try Happy Hour, but I won’t be ordering the Connecticut lobster roll next time.

Mission Chinese Food

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Chinese and tagged with Bacon, BBQ, Beer, lower east side, Mission Chinese Food, Pigtails, rice cake May 29, 2013

The Boyfriend and I were trying to find a beauty salon in the Lower East Side when we stumbled onto Mission Chinese Food. Mission Chinese has been on my “To-Go” list for a while now but since I heard so many rumors about the 2-3 hour wait times for dinner, we never got around to trying them out. Since the nail technician was on vacation at the beauty salon, we decided to have lunch at Mission Chinese instead. Our wait time was only about 15 minutes for a table for two.

As we waited, we looked over the menu, which consists of small dishes and large dishes. While you wait, you can actually see the cooks in the kitchen. The kitchen makes up the long hallway before the back of the restaurant where the tables are. All the tables are hidden behind a thick curtain, which we were led through. The back of the restaurant is actually quite small. A part of it is the bar, which is stocked with the liquor for cocktails and beer. We both ordered a beer to go with the grease and oil of the dishes.

Since we were having an early dinner later on, we decided to share a small dish and a large dish. Our small dish was their BBQ Pigtails ($11.00), which features pig tails covered with a smoked Cola BBQ sauce and served with potato salad. This dish was amazing – perhaps my favorite of the day. The pigtails were soft and tender on the inside and the sauce was a great complement to the texture. The potato salad was also pretty good – especially wen it was slathered in the BBQ sauce.

Our large dish was their Thrice Cooked Bacon ($12.50) that is served with Shanghainese rice cakes, tofu skin, bitter melon, and chili oil. The dish had a little bit of spice but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. The heat of the dishes disappeared after a few bites, which means that it wasn’t very spicy. The bacon was delicious but the highlight was the rice cakes, which were soft and chewy. I think this is one of their more mild dishes so if you’re not a spice-lower, this dish is definitely for you.

Mission Chinese is definitely not authentic Chinese food but I still thought it was really good. It’s not something I would be able to eat in Chinatown or with my family, which is what makes it unique for me. The décor is definitely not your typical Chinese restaurant décor. The music is also not your typical Chinese restaurant music. Mission Chinese is one of those restaurants that you need to try for yourself before you judge it. I know I’ll definitely be back to try out the heat of some of the other dishes.

Nomad

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in American and tagged with Affogato, Black Truffle, Carpaccio, Chicken Breast, Chocolate, duck, Foie Gras, Graduation Dinner, King Crab, Lamb, Milk and Honey, Nomad, Roast Chicken for Two, Tagliatelle May 23, 2013

I have heard so much about Nomad that I knew I had to put them on my list of restaurants to try. Nomad, which is located inside of its namesake, the Nomad Hotel, is located in Chelsea on 28^th street. After months of just sitting on my list, I finally found an occasion that would justify spending so much on a piece of chicken – my college graduation.

As per suggestions, I made my reservation a month in advance. And even doing so, I was only able to snag a 6pm reservation on a Saturday. I would’ve preferred a 7:00pm or 7:30pm reservation but I’ll take what I can get. We arrived around 5:30 since we came straight from the graduation ceremony and was seated right away. They were also very nice about adding another seat since my good friend also joined us for dinner.

After ordering, we were given a mini loaf of freshly baked bread. The bread consisted of chickpeas and rosemary, which were both scattered throughout the loaf. I have to say, this was one of the nicest complimentary breads I have ever been given in a restaurant. We were given one loaf before appetizers and then another loaf while we were waiting on our entrees. I really appreciated this because it gave us hungry people something to nibble on while we waited on our entrees.

We opted for appetizers to share since we were all starving from skipping lunch that day. First, we have the King Crab Tagliatelle ($28 for large portion). This is cooked with meyer lemon and black pepper and you can really taste the lemon in it. The king crab was served hot and buttered, which mixed wonderfully with the al dente pasta. It was one of my favorites during the night. I highly recommend ordering this dish to share.

Next up is the Lamb Neck appetizer, which was served with glazed lettuce hearts. There weren’t many pieces of lamb in the dish but from the two pieces that I had, the lamb was very tender and didn’t have that smelly-lamb taste. The glazed lettuce was also quite delicious and flavorful.

Our last appetizer was the White Fish Carpaccio. We were a bit taken back by the appearance of the dish but do not let the oddness fool you. The fish was very fresh and had a very crisp taste to it. This was a serious contender for appetizer of the night because it’s simple and clean taste was extremely refreshing. I really recommend this dish as well. But make sure you get your own because it is really that good!

As we were munching on our second loaf of bread and chatting, our waitress brought over my Roasted Chicken ($78 for two). I had managed to swindle my mother into sharing the chicken with me. They present the whole chicken to you tableside first. They then take it back for around 15 minutes as they cut up the white meat and cook the dark meat with mushrooms.

The Roast Chicken breast is sliced into two portions and served on separate plates. It sounds extremely plain and mundane but it’s really not ordinary at all. Underneath the crispy chicken skin is a layer of black truffle, foie gras, and brioche that seals in all the juices of the chicken. The mixture brought a slight saltiness to the chicken. The chicken itself is also very moist and succulent. It is definitely the most perfectly cooked piece of chicken breast that I have ever eaten in my life.

The dark meat of the chicken is sliced into slivers and cooked in a ranch-cheese sauce along with mushrooms. The dark meat portion was pretty good but it wasn’t as good as the breast of the chicken. I felt that the ranch-cheese sauce overpowered the taste of the chicken a bit too much.

My friend ordered the Duck, which is roasted and served with beets, pistachio and coriander ($34.00). The duck was very tender and flavorful. It’s definitely one of the best duck dishes that I have ever had (with the first obviously being Peking Duck). I’m usually not a fan of beets but I thought it mixed very well with the duck. The portion size was also fairly generous, considering this is a higher-end restaurant.

For dessert, we decided to share the highly recommended Milk and Honey ($13.00), which is three scoops of vanilla ice cream served with crumbled oat biscuit shortbread and dehydrated milk flakes and drizzled with honey. I didn’t really care for the dehydrated milk flakes but I enjoyed the combination of shortbread, honey and ice cream. The crunchiness of the shortbread meshed really well with the smoothness of the ice cream.

We also shared the Chocolate ($14.00), which is sort of a deconstructed chocolate tart served with caramel, hazelnut and fleur de sel. I loved the deconstructed nature of this dessert because it allowed me to combine whichever parts I wanted. The chocolate chunks almost melted in my mouth and meshed really well with the tiny scoop of ice cream in the middle of the dish.

I opted for an Affogato ($8.00), which is basically a scoop of vanilla ice cream that is topped with a shot of hot espresso. Our waiter presented the combination to me separately and then helped me pour the espresso into the ice cream. The bowl was really cute and came with two tiny biscotti pieces. I had started getting really sleepy during our meal because I had been up super early for graduation services that day but the espresso kept me up far into the night.

Their cocktail and wine list is very extensive – to the point that I didn’t know what to order at all. I asked our waitress for her recommendation and she was spot on. I requested something on the sweet side and she recommended a cocktail with a rhubarb base and a hint of strawberry. It was a pleasant pink color and tasted just the way it tastes. I love it and extremely appreciate it when a waitress or waiter knows their menus – both drink and food. Our service was impeccable and there was not a single complaint that night. This was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life and I’m glad I decided to spend my graduation celebration at Nomad.

Ihawan

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Filipino and tagged with Avocado Milk Ice, BBQ pork, Crispy Pork, Filipino, Ihawan, Lechon, Queens, Woodside May 22, 2013

Dinner Outing time! This time we ventured to Woodside in Queens for some authentic Filipino food. A Filipino friend suggested Ihawan instead of Maharlika in Manhattan because it’s a lot cheaper and a lot more authentic. I can’t attest to the authenticity because I have nothing to compare it to but Ihawan is definitely a lot cheaper!

We were seated right away and given menus to look over. Since it’s a club-sponsored dinner outing, we each had $20 to order food and I took complete advantage of it. I know the ices are usually eaten as dessert but I got an Avocado Milk Ice ($5.00). It sounds and looks kind of weird but when mixed thoroughly, it is delicious! The avocado is very buttery and when mixed with the milk, it is absolutely divine! If you don’t want it for your main drink, definitely try it for dessert!

I ordered the Lechon Kawali ($7.75), which is served with liver sauce and rice. Lechon is pork chunks that are deep fried until it’s super crispy. It tastes a bit like Chinese Roast Pig but a lot crispier. The liver sauce that you dunk it in is sweet and tangy, which makes for a nice combination with the salty pork. I got my Lechon as an appetizer but it’s definitely a big enough portion for an entrée.

My entrée was the BBQ Pork Skewers ($7.75), which comes two to an order with rice. I wish I could be more eloquent in describing these but I really only have two words – so good! I’ve never had barbeque like this before. The pork was cut thinly and very well seasoned. Most of the time, I don’t like barbeque pork because it tends to be dry but this was not the case at all. They sell the skewers at $2.50 each so if you don’t want to commit to an entire meal, try one out!

Everything at Ihawan was absolutely delicious! The food was all very well seasoned. For my first time trying Filipino food, I was not disappointed. If you’re in the area or just looking for an adventure, definitely try out Ihawan!

Yuji Ramen

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Japanese, Ramen and tagged with Bowery, Cheese, Daily Broth, Mazemen, Pop-up, Ramen, salmon, Shoyu Ramen, Smorgasburg, Whole Foods Market, Yuji Ramen May 15, 2013

The Boyfriend and I have known about the Smorgasburg inside the 2nd floor of Whole Foods Market on Bowery Street for a while but we haven’t gotten a chance to try them out until now. Basically, every month they feature a new pop-up restaurant that will serve up something unique to customers. Yuji Ramen has been extended until the end of August. They specialize in Mazemen, which is a new style of broth-less ramen that are served with a variety of toppings. I decided to try their Salmon & Cheese Mazemen ($9.00), which features cured salmon, cheese and lemon. The combination sounds a little gross but I can assure you that it was one of the best ramen dishes I have ever had. The noodles were bouncy and chewy. The cheese sauce had an Alfredo pasta sauce consistency and mixed very well with the ramen. The salmon portion was also generous and mixed very well with the melted cheese. It was so delicious! The Boyfriend opted for their Daily Shoyu Ramen ($9.00), which has a different broth everyday since they source their bones from the Whole Foods Market. I had a quick bite of the ramen, which had a very nice tasting broth and bouncy ramen noodles. The Boyfriend absolutely loved the broth. He even drank the entire bowl of broth, which he didn’t even do at Ippudo. The portion sizes aren’t really enough to fill you up for lunch or dinner. But we were looking for a semi-filling snack since we skipped lunch but was eating dinner a about three hours. It was absolutely perfect for our snack! I left pleasantly full without being too full for dinner later on in the night. I loved my ramen dish and will definitely be back before May is over to have it again!

Dokebi

Posted by cookiesandnoodles in Happy Hour, Korean and tagged with Bibimbap, Dokebi, Galbi, Japchae, Korean, Passion Fruit, Seafood Pancake, Soondobu, Sorbet, Tacos, Williamsburg May 8, 2013

After watching Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown episode on California’s Korea Town, I was craving some good old Korean food. The Boyfriend’s parents have had Dokebi in Williamsburg before so we decided to go there. The parentals like Dokebi because, unlike K-Town in Manhattan, there’s always space for parking and the service is always better.

We arrived around 6:30 and were seated right away. Our waitress brought over a series of banchans – including kimchi, pickled radish, potato salad, bean spouts, spinach and fish cake. We finished our first set pretty quickly since we had 5 people and they were really nice about bringing over a second set. I love it when a Korean restaurant doesn’t huff-and-puff about bringing over more banchans.

It’s not on their official menu but they do have Happy Hour from 5-7pm and it features $4 drafts and $5 well drinks. The best part is that they have Stella Artois on draft! I don’t often see Stella on draft at a restaurant and when they do have it, it’s not often part of Happy Hour specials. Another extra point for Dokebi!

We opted to start with two seafood pancakes ($7.00 each). The pancakes are smaller than those you’d get at a typical Korean restaurant but they were pretty good. Both pancakes weren’t as crispy as I like them but they do satisfy the craving.

Since everyone raves about the tacos here, I opted to try their Short Rib taco ($4.00 each). The taco is stopped with short rib sautéed in their Korean BBQ sauce and served on two soft corn tortillas. It was absolutely delicious! After watching the show and seeing the Korean tacos served on the famous Koji Korean-Taco truck, I was really craving tacos and this one definitely hit the spot. I can see why some of the other tables only ordered tacos and nothing else. The short rib was so tender and flavorful that I didn’t even need to add hot sauce (but it did taste extra good with some hot sauce). I can definitely see myself coming back just to eat the tacos.

We decided to order one Soondobu ($12.00) to share since we also wanted some other things on the menu. Their soondobu comes with purple rice, which is a lot healthier for you than the traditional white rice. I also really like the taste of the purple rice because it has a different texture than the traditional white. And now onto the soondobu, which was super spicy. I’ve had my share of soondobu before but this one was extremely spicy! It’s definitely best to mix it with some purple rice before eating.

We ordered two Bibimbaps – the Pork Bibimbap ($13.00) and the Mushroom Bibimbap ($12.00). Their bibimbap comes in a hot iron bowl, which causes the rice on the sides to get hard and crunchy. Best part of bibimbap! I was the designated mixer since I bibimbap is my usual go-to-order when it comes to Korean food. I noticed that were was very fair ratio between ingredients and rice in each bowl. Sometimes, when I’m mixing, I notice that there is too much rice in comparison to vegetables or meat. This was not the case here. I thoroughly enjoyed the bibimbap at Dokebi because I had a spoonful of veggies and rice with each bite.

We also ordered one Japchae ($12.00) for the table. We often get Japchae in other Korean restaurants and we wanted to see how Dokebi was compared to the others. I thought Dokebi did a fairly good job. It wasn’t the best Japchae I have ever eaten but it was definitely pretty good. The big issue with the dish was the usage of cabbage. I don’t often see cabbage in Japchae and I actually love cabbage. But they severely undercooked the cabbage in this dish and it gave off a very bitter aftertaste.

They don’t have any special desserts here but they do have some tongue-soothing gelatos and sorbets. I opted to share the Passion Fruit sorbet ($4.00) with the Boyfriend so we could cool down our tongues after the spicy dinner. The sorbet was very smooth and the semi-sweet and sour taste worked very well after the heavy salt and spice in our dinner.

All in all, Dokebi provided us with a very good dinner. It’s definitely not as authentic as the restaurants in Manhattan or Queens but it definitely hit the spot. Dokebi will satisfy your Korean food cravings and give you something new to try

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