Ever since I read about the Chef’s Table at the Breslin, I’ve wanted to give it a try. Just like the Bo Ssam at Ssam Bar. But it was hard enough to scrounge 6 people for Bo Ssam (and actually has not happened yet), but 8 people? So when the opportunity presented itself you better be sure that I took it. I think I might have hijacked my good friend Lige’s birthday party. And she’s a good friend to be kind enough to let me repurpose this for my own good. (And she’s one of my best friends so she enjoyed every bite of it.) Hah, I mean I wanted to show her a good time, but I think she might have realized later that she asked the wrong person. Our exchange kind of went like this:
Lige: What should I do for my birthday? Where should I go?
Umi: Do Bo Ssam! OMG, I always wanted to try it.
Lige: I think I’ve all ready been to Ssam Bar…
Umi: But you’ve never done the Bo Ssam! Pig Butt!
Lige: Hmmm…
Umi: Let’s do the suckling pig dinner at the BRESLIN!
Lige: I’ve been to the Ace Hotel/Breslin too! And pork? I am beginning to see a pattern…
The sides were delicious. My favorite was the roasted fennel and the potatoes roasted in duck fat. The brocolli rabe was the least favorite, but a great dish to pair and counter balance such porkiness (and contrast to the starchiness of the potatoes). Man, even the caesar salad was amazing. The anchovy croutons were so flavorful and surprisingly full of punch and bite! They give you SO much food. I don’t think we finished a single side… or the whole pork (Jay, Rubi and I took the pig home and I ate pork for two other whole nights).
The pork, I will admit, might look a little grotesque to some. But when you see it in person… the glistening CRISPY skin… that’s enough to make me drool. I was a little worried about carving the thing, but that’s why my +1 (not shown) was another good high school friend and a pathologist at NYU. “Uh… I don’t know how to carve pork, but I can dissect it for you? Isolate all the muscle and tissues…” You know, that sort of thing. I, of course, did not need to worry since our waiter was fully trained and really efficient with the carving.
Hide-Chan Ramen
248 East 52nd St
New York, NY 10022
So, this girl loves her seafood, but at heart, I’m a porker. Seriously. Two weeks ago when Grub Street reported on a Hakata ramen place opening up where Torys used to be, I made a bee-line. We got in around 7-8pm and waited 5 minutes for a table to clear up. The service was fast and nice and we waited to get our bowls of ramen with drafts of Sapporo. (They also have bottles of Kirin) 5 minutes after our ramen order, we saw two plates of gyoza go by and it smelled amazing. We flagged a waitress down and ordered a plate when she told us there is a 10 minute or so lag for these gyozas (where I knew I made the right decision) and that they might come after our noodles. Uh, dude… does this face look like a face that cares?
Listen. Get the gyoza. It was pretty incredible. I think it beats gyoza you can find anywhere else. The meat is flavored, the dumpling layers are thin and silky and charred on one side, and the sauce they give you doesn’t overpower the dumpling, it isn’t too tart. They even give you some yuzu koshou (pepper) to give it a little bite. For only $5, it’s a winner. Order 2 plates, even.
Other things I saw on the menu were pork buns and mentaiko (salted roe) on rice, both of which we didn’t try. Next time. The ramen menu, of course, is fully rounded with their tonkotsu hakata men, and then variations of extra pork, spicy, and roasted garlic. They also had different “men” or noodles, which are thicker. Finally, they also have tsuke-men hot or cold like in the fashion of Setagaya. The choices aren’t nearly as extensive as Menkuitei (who is all over the map – with no specialty, really) but large enough for all but they all retain a certain Hakata character. Really well done. I forgot to mention, they also have a miso and shoyu (soy sauce) option.
I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen with roasted black garlic called, Kuro Ramen (Black Ramen) and Ryan got the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen with their special rayu sauced called, Kara Ramen (Spicy Ramen). I will say that the Kuro Ramen comes with a huge lump of roasted garlic on the side and the broth of the regular Tonkotsu ramen before mixing was amazing. The roasted garlic added a real smoky burnt flavor that was amazing on the noodles. However, fell short of the “I want to drink every last drop,” measure of broths. By the end the garlic broth tasted too burnt and not enough garlicky. Ryan claimed that he recognized the paste as something Ippudo puts in their broth in small amounts. However, I was sneaking spoonfuls of Ryan’s Spicy Ramen broth, which was pretty damn spicy in the first spoonful, but managed to not get overwhelming as time went on. Finally, the pork belly that comes with the ramen doesn’t quite beat Ippudo, but is fatty, soft and tender. I think the kind that came with our bowl is different then the soy sauce marinated with brown sugar pork that is featured in some of the other concoctions in their menu… which I would be interested in trying.
Having tried the hot ramens, Ryan is a tsukemen kinda guy, so he’s going to have that. I might stick to the regular tonkotsu ramen or spicy ramen. Although what was REALLY killer was couple of spoonfuls of my garlic broth in the spicy ramen. Amazing. Over all, the ramen’s satisfied both of us and was more than enough in terms of portions. It was generous, but not too much and the price point of $10 is much better than Ippudo. Ippudo still has a special place in my heart, but this place definitely usurped Setagaya (where I would still go in a pinch). The feel is similar to Totto (yakitori – still haven’t tried Ramen Totto – not really a chicken broth kinda gal), which is understandable because they are sibling restaurants. I guess Ramen Totto’s porkier half.
On our way in, we bumped into an acquaintance of ours from the concert scene and he apparently comes here all the time. He loves the tonkotsu ramen. Also, right when we were leaving there were couple of Japanese people that came in (most of the other customers were Japanese of the young punk fashion type of crowd) exclaimed, “UMAI!” in his first slurp of noodles. So, definitely check this place out.
Here is the thing, you don’t eat like I do without gaining weight. That’s what I keep in mind on Fridays as I finish jogging 4 miles and prepare to do some strength training, because I’ve put on some weight in the last year. I used to be a lot more fit, but living in Brooklyn and living with a boy who eats anything he wants to, manages to put on like 5-10 pounds, and is still considered skinny… well… get’s a little hard.
Since January, I’ve been working out at New York Sports Club before or after work 2-5 times a week. It’s been slow. Finally, I am beginning to see and feel some improvement. I’m sure it would be faster if I weren’t eating lobster rolls dripping in butter, and then following it with Crif Dogs (get the salty red neck) like 2 hours later or making bacon, crispy hash, and two eggs for brunch every weekend. And although I am still eating like I do and seeing some improvements with ridiculous amount of exercise, with age, it’s kind of down hill from here, eh?
This is why Sam Sifton’s article in an April NY Times Magazine and his blog is so interesting to me. Look at that calorie count on his blog… 3,600 calories in one day? It’s actually not such a frightening number to me, because I HAVE done something like that. I am not even talking about my 3 hour lunch at Momofuku Ko. I am talking about one day during my grad school times… I ate an omelet breakfast, large spaghetti and meat ball lunch, with a large salad at work, then had a large muffin later in class, finished off with a large subway sub and soup… then some beers after class. That was quite simply OVER 3,000 calories. I think I was even smaller then, because I was regularly jogging like 6 mile loops in Central Park. Seriously. What made me eat like that that day? Well, I felt like the ridiculously large pasta at work and I worked in IT with a bunch of large boys carrying large computer equipment from labs. I’m a social eater and I will eat anything they wanted… like their Tsunami pizza with extra sauce and super extra cheese. (Coincidentally the structural integrity of that pizza was weak weak weak) Later on, I had that subway sandwich, because my friend Rob invited me and wanted to chat and spend some time before class. Eh. I think recently, I had a time where I had some lunch at work and my friend Sophear invited me out to a later lunch with hert at an Indian place. I ordered something, you know?
One thing that caught my eye is that he doesn’t only run to fight off the occupational hazard of being a food critic, he runs during the day so that he can get hungry and work up an appetite to each 3-5 different meals a day, in order to work. I hope the Times pays for a nice Equinox membership.
The reasons I do the latter in order to continue the former are about my health, of course. But they are as much about professionalism. No one wants a restaurant critic who isn’t hungry when he sits down at the table, who is still feeling the effects of the Bresse chicken from lunch when he takes in the fried chicken at dinner. (That was a difficult day.) The best restaurants surprise and delight. A restaurant critic ought to be open to both possibilities. He should not feel sluggish, logy, fat.
That really actually must be tough. It’s one thing to eat ramen, because you’re me and always dying for it. It’s another thing entirely to be a normal person ramen after some ribs because it’s your job. I would think that is something that would make you lose perspective, you know? Like for example, at work… producing interactive/online materials for marketing, you eventually lose your fresh eyes to spot mistakes, copy errors, and other little slips that your anal self normally should catch. Or like Ryan when he was listening to edits of his recording, you start to hear mistakes when they aren’t there. You start to argue with you pianist about the different things you hear or don’t hear. You lose perspective. Unlike Sifton, I can pace myself. I’m trying to be better at that now.
Of course, no one is forcing me to eat high caloric food and I can very well pursue some good wholesome healthy good eating… or something… but if that means NOT going to the new pork broth-y new ramen place full of fatty meat and lovely noodles… forget it. Even at work, during lunch, I try to get a salad. Occasionally I am too busy and have to hunt around my vending machine. However, if my lunch buddies happen to be free and invites me to Indian food or Vietnamese Pho… I can’t turn it down. I guess my point is that it’s not that I “can’t” eat healthy… it’s simply that I don’t want to limit my eating experience to just “fueling up.” I also don’t have the heart or will-power to say “no” to food when I am in a social situation. I also like to binge late at night. :P And I probably swear and drink way too much… oh wait… this is like becoming a confessional.
Either way, eating is a lovely experience that I associate with affection, love, and satisfaction. And this kind of means that while I drool over Banana Republic’s recent silk dress sale (where everything was down to $75), I would rather save money to go to WD-50 than spend it on clothes (that will get too tight – HAR HAR HAR). Is that f-cked up? This also means that I will suffer through jogging 10-20 miles a week. (And I will say that during grad school, I used to jog 25-30 miles a week when I didn’t have a job.)
Lobster Friday continues! (For most of June, I have declared it’s Fridays, Lobster Roll Fridays, unofficially…) This week, I consulted NY Mag and decided to venture to the east side for Luke’s Lobster.
Luke’s Lobster
93 East 7th St. (Between 1st and Ave. A)
New York, NY 10009
Whenever I’m in the area, I usually get Caracas. I have to say I never really noticed Luke’s Lobster. Although the line outside for Caracas is overwhelming, Luke’s has a nice big cult following with a constant line inside. I managed to find a seat while our order was being taken. The order took a good 10 minutes to fill, which was a little too long for take out, but totally worth it for the food. The place is pretty tiny with room only for 8 people sitting.
The menu isn’t overwhelming like Mary’s Fish Camp and they do simple seafood fare with little pizzaz and a lot of good taste. They had “Schooners,” whch is their value meals. For example, we got the lobster schooners, which includes a lobster roll, chips, and a drink. You can get crab schooners and shrimp schooners. You can also get a “Taste of Maine,” which is a half of each of the sandwiches, 2 empress claws, chips, and a drink. A “Noah’s Ark,” is double the “Taste of Maine,” and each value meal is a $1-2 off of getting the thing a la carte.
So here is the thing. I really REALLY wanted a Taste of Maine, but I was afraid that I would just really really really want a big fat lobster roll instead of a smaller tasting plate. This is what I struggle with. This is also what’s so hard about eating out with other people. 1) You can’t just order like 3 dishes, they will judge you. 2) You always WANT what they ordered. C’mon, admit it… the grass IS ALWAYS greener on the other side. 3) There is nothing worse than an unsatisfying meal. I can write a book about the joy and neurosis of eating. The latter will probably be the biggest part of the book.
So, this is stop #3 in our Umi’s Crazy June Friday Lobster Roll Festival (TM) (Dude, just look at my user picture). The first two lobster rolls were VERY similar in almost every way. However, Luke’s was lighter, buttery but slightly lemony/briny, on a light toasted buttered bread. The lobster was NOT DRENCHED in mayonnaise, cream, and butter… but I surprisingly loved it! I love cream and butter, and generally I think more the better. However, with Luke’s the lobster is the star. It’s really buttery and satisfying with a sprinkle of a herb mix of tarragon … and oregano(?). It was masterfully crafted. And for half the price of Pearl Oyster Bar or Mary’s Fish Camp, they are clearly the winner. And it comes with a pickle, which is really the way to win my heart.
Listen, I will probably go back to Pearl Oyster Bar for their raw and fried oysters (LOVED their fried oysters. The best around). Maybe I will go back to Mary’s to try some of their other seafood fare (mostly fish), but Luke’s might be the one to beat for lobster rolls, no matter what the price.
I will say that although I like chips, I prefer the shoestring fries with malt vinegar. Miss Vickie’s chips were a little too much and I wanted something more of an authentic flair. I want them to try their hand at some fries. Maybe I am asking for a bit too much. The sodas were delicious, although my date stole my lemon lime soda. I would love for that place to be a place I can get some good lagers or amber ale… but for now… give me my schooners. And I will be sure to try their empress claws, too, next time.
Ryan cooked up some delicious soup with red curry paste the other night. We couldn’t find any egg noodles in Whole Foods, so as requested by Ryan, I got “crinkly noodles.” This was after a little spat on, “Why can’t I just get rice noodles? Or thicker bean noodles? WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE CRINKLY?!” Seriously. However, I deferred to the cook and just rolled my eyes and went with it… because well, hey, he’s cookin’.
I mean here’s the thing. He was cooking, but I was the one grocery shopping after work. He was at home. And he was dictating to me what he needed, and it’s like… so they don’t have egg noodles, and I call him while I am waiting on line to pay. “I WANT CRINKLY NOODLES,” he says to me. ANYWAY.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of chicken broth
- red curry paste
- 1 Can coconut milk
- Fish sauce to taste
- Palm sugar
- 1 Lime
- Chicken breast
- 1 Can water chestnut
- 1 Can bamboo shoots
- Cilantro
- Crinkly Noodles
This is an example of a dish that I absolutely love. I love curry, heartiness, soups, and noodles. Everything I love in the world is in this noodle soup. The end. The broth was delicious. You basically mix in the chicken broth, coconut milk, and red curry paste (to taste). You let that sit, add in the chicken, water chestnut, and bamboo and let it cook together until the chicken is done. Then you add some fish sauce, palm sugar and lime, both to taste. Cook in the noodles in the broth and serve. Garnish with cilantro. It takes a little bit of time, but it is pretty easy to serve up. This makes a lot of curry, so feel free to go with less chicken broth.
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