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My husband and I recently took a road trip over a long weekend and I finally got a taste of real Maine lobster roll! I did a ton of research on where to eat, since that was our primary goal for the trip (eating our way through Maine), and came up with the Clam Shack in Kennebunk. The fried clams are definitely the thing to get there, and the lobster rolls aren't bad at all.
I've never tasted such flavorful and sizable whole bellied clams before. The batter was perfectly seasoned, and I didn't mind the Ken's tartar sauce. The only drawbacks are 1) the price...half a pint cost about $15 2) aggressive sea gulls that would steal your lunch. We literally lost 3 pieces of fried clams when a sea gull came over our heads and stole them while in flight. They weren't kidding with those sea gull warnings, so pay attention!At first, I didn't think much of their lobster roll until I had one from another joint days later. At first bite, I was blown away by the lobster meat in the bun. It was so very tasty (because they cooked the lobster in sea water) and so very meaty. There was no celery or mayo in the filling, so it was pure lobster goodness. We ordered one roll with mayo and another with butter, and both were smeared onto the bun, not on the meat. I preferred the butter version better from the Clam Shack - it just went better with the lobster meat and the roll, which I will definitely talk about later. 
Unlike lobster rolls I've had in the past, the lobster meat at the Clam Shack was not chopped up into smaller pieces. Instead, the tail meat was sliced in half. I felt like I was eating lobster in a bun. Pure. Lobster. Goodness.
Sadly, the bun dragged down my lobster roll experience. It's not the usual sweet potato bun that most lobster rolls use, which I think matches better with the saltiness of the lobster meat. On top of that, the texture of the roll didn't work for me. Add to it that although the inside of the bun was nicely toasted, it was not warm at all. However, it wasn't a bad lobster roll. In fact, I learned to appreciate Clam Shack's lobster roll package after having one from another joint. I just wished the lunch didn't put a hole in our wallet...Maine eats really add up!
Summer is sadly over, but I'm looking forward to the cold weather so I can have shabu shabu (Japanese term), or hot pot (what we Chinese call 火鍋). This brings back such warm memories of my time in Hong Kong enjoying this with my family. Hot pot is as traditional and basic as it gets and it's super easy. It's a no fuss, intimate meal that can be fun for two or a large family. Your guests do their own cooking in a boiling pot of broth (or two pots for a large family). All you need to do is wash the veggies ahead of time!
What you'll need at least are:- equipment: an electric soup pot (I imagine a slow cooker set on high might work), chopsticks and small chinese spiders
- soup base (chicken broth would suffice)
- mushrooms
- vegetables (Chinese leafy greens or nappa cabbage will do)
- rice vermicelli
- tofu
- dipping sauce: soy sauce or any other concoction
After you've got your basics figured out, it's pretty much up to you. You can have some thinly sliced meat (so it cooks faster), seafood...the sky is the limit. Cook whatever you want in the pot, dip it in some soy sauce, and enjoy. We were lucky enough to have king crab and wagyu beef when we attended a soft opening of my friend's shabu shabu joint in Flushing, Queens a while ago. It was yummy!
I absolutely loved their broth, and you can make your own dipping sauce at their bar. The service was attentive - they came around a few times to add more liquid to our pots when it got cooked down. They have beer, all types of appetizers, sides, bubble tea, shaved ice...you name it. Try shabu shabu at home, or go out and try it at a shabu shabu joint (above are photos from our meal at Minni's Shabu Shabu). Either way, it will definitely warm you up.
My husband and I made a pact that we'd try out our neighborhood restaurants in CT at least once a month. We haven't really followed it, but I must say that we've tried a good handful of pizza joints so far: Remo's Brick Oven Pizza, Coalhouse Pizzaria, Colony Grill and now, Hope Pizza.
In our research, my husband stumbled upon this blog where the authors sample the pizza joints in Stamford and around the tri-state area. They ranked these establishments on a scale of 1 to 30, 1 being the worst, 30 being the best. I found it most interesting that the authors described their mission was to benchmark all pizzas against those from Stamford. Why? Stamford is not a culinary capital, as far as I can understand, that it can serve as a benchmark. I had my doubts, but was curious to check out exactly what was behind Hope Pizza's packed parking lot on most nights and what was worthy of its high 24 rating, way above Coalhouse, which I thought was quite good for Stamford. 
Hope Pizza had the appearance and the menu of a diner, except with the name that implies a pizza joint. It is mostly a Greek diner that serves diner food and pizza of course, with one of the pizza toppings being gyro. My husband and I ordered a large pie, split between mushroom on one half and sausage & pepperoncini on the other half. When our server brought our pie to the table, my first impression from the buttery, fresh out of the oven aroma and the appearance of the pie was reminiscent of Pizza Hut. 
On the plus side, the pie came piping hot and had a crunchy (not soggy) bottom. On the huge minus side, the pizza was topped with canned mushroom, a generous amount of cheese, and an even more generous amount of pepperoncini.
My husband felt adventurous and had ordered buffalo wings that he later regretted. All in all, I can see why families go to Hope Pizza. It's a place where you can bring your screaming kids, make a mess, and have a night off from the kitchen. Its mediocre food serves as a somewhat passable substitute to ordinary week night dinners, canned ingredients and all. I understand that there are different kinds of pizza out there that people prefer, but after having the good fortune of having pizza from many of NYC's finest, the Pizza Hut style simply isn't my cup of tea.
My siblings and I recently managed to snap up one of the hottest tables at the Bar Room at the Modern during NYC restaurant week. The tables are hard to come by due to its large restaurant week menu (limitless, really). On top of that, it's a relatively new restaurant from Danny Meyer, the great restaurateur of big names like the Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern.
I was happy to return to the Bar Room after having been there last year for restaurant week. Unfortunately, the law of diminishing return applied here. Lucky for you, I have plenty of photos to share, thanks to my sister, the photography lover.
Like last year, I started off with the Upside Down Tuna Tarte. I remembered how tasty and inventive it was, but had forgotten that I didn't like the relatively large dice of fennel, cucumber and most of all, raw onion. I found the size of the onion dices packed too much of an unpleasant punch.
My siblings kicked off their meal with Fresh Grilled Shrimp and Tarte Flambée. When our server placed the shrimp dish onto the table, I noticed a slight bounce that was a sign of perfectly cooked shrimp. And they were! The with green cabbage and gruyère salad that accompanied the shrimp was refreshing and tasty. As for the Tarte Flambée, it was very much like a large, thin crust pizza. The smoky aroma of the bacon on the tarte was so very enticing. 
For my entree, I had the Crispy Atlantic Cod, which was deceiving because I had expected the fish to have a crispy skin from being pan seared. I would not have imagined from the name of the dish that it was an upscale fish and chips (without the chips). That aside, it was a very fine fish and chips. The batter was fried to a perfect golden brown.
My sister had a "taste" of literally 3 pieces of Pan Roasted Hanger Steak cut from a larger steak. Size aside, she thoroughly enjoyed the dish, especially the young garlic flan. The flan was delicate and rich, with a sweet garlic aroma. The fried bits on top of the flan provided a perfect contrast in texture.
We ended the meal with the Pistachio Dark Chocolate Dome and Strawberry Soup. I had expected a hard chocolate shell on the dome, but I realized that it was a coating of chocolate sauce when my fork sunk right into the delicate and creamy dome. The dome was rich and airy at the same time. The only item on the plate that didn't work for me was the amaretto gelée, which I felt didn't go with the dome. As for the Strawberry Soup with buttermilk panna cotta, I have never seen my brother leave his dessert unfinished. In all honesty, I don't know why he ordered that item since he's not a fan of panna cotta. 
All in all, it was a very fine meal. I just wish the portions were more consistent - the Tarte Flambée was an oversized appetizer while the Hanger Steak was more of an appetizer size.
To avoid the law of diminishing return, I should return to the restaurant in another couple of years, or order something different next time.
I've always thought of Chikalicious Dessert Club (the dessert to go outpost straight across from Chikalicious) as the place for Chikalicious rejects, you know, those who either can't get in or don't want to go on the long line. But I've heard so much about Dessert Club's cupcakes and eclairs that my husband and I decided to give it a try one night. It was so very tempting to stand in line at Chikalicious for their three course dessert...the line wasn't that long! I practiced a lot of self restraint that night. 
Image from New York Times
The red velvet cake itself was texturally perfect, but I found the taste of the cream cheese icing to be overpowering. My husband didn't like the taste of the smores cupcake - I don't have an opinion on that, since I'm not a smores lover in general. As for the macaron, I had really high expectations since it was inventive and looked so good. Sadly, the texture of the sandwich halves were not like the classic macarons like I had expected - it was sticky on the teeth and gummy, sorta like a baked meringue. As for the sorbet, it reminded me of ice cream that sat in the freezer for such a long time that you can taste small ice particles in each bite.
I sorta felt like a Chikalicious reject (probably because I want to go there all the time). While Chikalicious will always be my first choice, I won't mind going across to Chikalicious Dessert Club to try out other items in the future.
I admit, I'm a Chinese food snob. I accept American Chinese food, but just when I thought I've seen it all when it comes to American Chinese food, I come across this.
Now, this is a real first. What's fried plantains doing on the Chinese take out menu? I guess you have to cater to what your customers want!
I've been using vanilla extract from McCormick, which is widely available in your local supermarkets, and all the while I've been drooling over the premium Nielsen-Massey brand that I see on almost all cooking shows. Finally, I have it in my pantry now! 
I admit, it's a splurge, but there is definitely a noticeable difference between McCcormick and Nielsen-Massey. The former has a strong alcohol scent, while the latter is more subtle. The Nielsen-Massey extract has a sweet fragrant vanilla smell, which adds to your final baked goods. I was so excited to use it to make our anniversary pancakes, which were extra special!
My husband was in a Japanese mood one weekend, so we stopped by Mitsuwa in NJ to do some window shopping. I just love the neat packaging and the exotic ingredients in Japanese goods. Instead of window shopping, we left with some items. My husband was salivating when he saw berkshire pork belly - he just had to have it.
As for me, when I saw these fish cakes, I was intrigued. 
I scanned through the ingredients list. MSG aside, the burdock used to make them reminded me of the Japanese fish cakes I had from Hong Kong: 
We also got some fragrant shishito peppers and udon. Off we went to make a quick & easy dinner!
My husband and I have been limited by the local supermarket choices here in our town in CT. We've been spoiled in NYC and Boston, where there were more supermarket choices. Currently, there's only Stop & Shop and Shop Rite in our neighborhood. To get quality fresh fish, which we used to make for dinner at least once a week, we would have to drive at least 20 minutes to other nearby towns.
There's Stew's, whose fish selection is great but is a tad better than the usual local supermarkets in terms of quality. There's Whole Foods in Greenwich, but it was the smallest Whole Foods I've ever been in. Plus, I didn't enjoy shopping with women sporting fur coats in the winter. Then, a couple of weeks ago, Whole Foods unveiled its new and large Darien location, a somewhat shorter drive.
I was so very happy to see their fish selection. We left with some fish for dinner that night, quinoa and our favorite nuts medley. Oh, let me tell you about their nuts medley. It's got everything under the sun except for peanuts, sorta ironic huh.
Among the nuts are pistachios, corn nuts, almonds, chickpeas and fava beans. My favorite? The crunchy almonds, fava beans...
...and corn nuts (large and small). The larger one is quicos from Spain.
My least favorite is chickpeas, because of their chalky texture, although I do like the fried chickpeas at Prune.
All in all, our supermarket situation is looking a bit better, and will be even better when Fairway opens in our town this fall (supposedly). To top it off, Whole Foods is looking for a location in our neighborhood! I can't wait!
My husband and I have been doing a good part of our grocery shopping at Stew Leonard's since we moved to CT, mostly because of their incredible prices on milk, their fresh beef and their fresh cider donut holes. So imagine my disappointment when I cut into their Golden Delicious apples the day after I brought them home:
The fuzzies weren't in one apple, but two! What are the chances of that?
My husband was craving NY and something new. He did some homework and brought us to Txikito, which features the cuisine of the Basque Country. It's a casual little restaurant on an unassuming block in Chelsea. I had no clue what I was walking into, since I didn't do the research. Let me tell you, I've never had food like this in NY. It made my tummy very happy. I wished I could say the same for our wallet.
Txikito's menu is dominated by small plates at non-small plate prices. My favorite item by far was their squid ribbons with a sweet onion and pine nut sauce (Txipiron "Encebollado"). The lovely ribbons cut from squids were cooked a la plancha, giving it a nice delicate grilled taste. The sauce added the perfect richness to the dish, which looked clean and simple but tasted far more than that. It was so good, I had to hold myself back from ordering another one.
Everything else we had were just as good. The Bouqueron (anchovy), served on bite sized toasts, had just the right amount of sweetness and acidity from a sliver of piquillo pepper. The Gambas Plantxa (shrimp), was tasty and simple in its preparation - I only wished the giant shrimps had a fresher taste. As for the meat dishes, my husband declared that Txikito had the best tongue (Lengua) he's ever had. Morros Prensados (veal jowl terrine) and its delicious fattiness completed his meal.
Unfortunately for us, we're not the only fans of this restaurant. Turns out that David Chang of Momofuku is one too. Look out for the stampede!
It's no secret that I love Chikalicious, and I'm sharing that love with you again. I was lucky enough to go there not long ago and thoroughly enjoyed my three course dessert. Sadly, I can't say the same for my husband, who I didn't know had a weak stomach for kiwis. One of the items on their ever changing menu was a Short Bread Napoleon with Lavender Kiwis. 
As for myself, I had the Pineapple Sorbet with Lemongrass Panna Cotta, paired with a lovely glass of La Spinetta Moscato d'Asti. The lightness of the sorbet was perfect with the richness of the panna cotta.
I was very happy to see that Chika was still working behind the dessert bar even after their very well-deserved success and new ventures (Dessert Club, a deal with a hotel I heard). Not much in NYC stays the same, but I really hope this place does. I'll overlook their hours changed to being closed 3 days a week - Chika needs her rest so she can have more energy to make more delicious desserts! :-) See past Chikalicious posts:
Chikalicious (this is where I first declared my love for the place after numerous visits)
Chikalicious, Round II
Dear America's Test Kitchen,
I am a food enthusiast and a fan of America's Test Kitchen. I would be more than happy to be your Chinese fact checker, a person who I believe you need.
Sincerely yours,
Martha Fung
Tempting as it may be, I didn't send them a letter like that. I love America's Test Kitchen, but their latest Cook's Illustrated magazine put doubt in my mind. To me, America's Test Kitchen is the authority on putting science behind cooking, ingredients and equipment. I never thought they would get facts wrong. So imagine my surprise and disappointment when I found this on the back cover of the March & April 2010 edition of Cook's Illustrated:
Among the list of Asian vegetables presented was Chinese Broccoli (芥蘭), which is a leafy green vegetable with a tough but edible stem. Having grown up with plenty of Chinese vegetables, I knew that wasn't it. What was illustrated was Shanghai Bok Choy (上海白菜). Bok Choy (白菜) translates to "White Vegetable," which is the appropriate name for the illustration.
Over the weekend, my husband and I went out to NYC to do some furniture shopping (furniture stores are somewhat limited here in our area in CT). Sadly, we did not have enough time to stop by any of the participating bakeries for Macaron Day 2010, as mostly all of them were located in Midtown. On the bright side, we stopped by Public, one of our favorite restaurants, for brunch. I had always depended on Public for their bloody marys and something different & tasty. While the former had slipped in quality, I still enjoy their refreshing approach to food.
I always get their delicious Tea Smoked Salmon Benedict for brunch, so I thought I would try something different this time around. I ordered their Ginger Spiced Lychee French Toast, a relatively new item on their menu. The golden brown french toast sat on a lemongrass dark palm caramel that resembled chocolate sauce. Although I did not taste ginger or lemongrass, I thought it was nicely done dish. I've never had lychee with french toast before, and I'd say it added a needed lightness to french toast that's often rich and heavy. 
The highlight of brunch was the Quinoa Hash. I'm relatively new to quinoa, so being introduced to this grain-like crop in such a way made me see its many possibilities. The hash had a wonderful mild falafel-like spice. I especially loved the crispy exterior that was enhanced by the crunchy little grains, a perfect contrast to the soft and slightly moist interior.
I really hope the bloody marys at Public go back to the way they were. For now, I'm fully inspired and will definitely be attempting the quinoa hash at home in the future.
I've had my head buried in books and in my house for a while now, so imagine my surprise and excitement when my sister forwarded me a link to the first annual Macaron Day 2010! Apparently, the day was started 5 years ago by Pierre Hermé, another wizard of macarons in Paris (sadly, I was so in love with Laduree while I was in Paris that I did not even consider Pierre Hermé.) Francois Payard, the French pastry & dessert king, is now carrying the torch in the U.S.!
In honor of Macaron Day today, more than two handful of bakeries are offering one free macaron per customer. The list includes all the macaron heavy weights such as:
- Bouchon (average to good macarons in my opinion),
- Payard (very good macarons...probably haven't changed since the original Payard Patisserie & Bistro had sadly closed),
- La Maison du Chocolat (a different kind of macaron),
- Macaron Cafe (very good macarons but I have yet to blog about them),
- Almondine (I've heard a lot about their macarons but have yet to try),
- Madeleine Patisserie (not recommended), and more.
You will definitely find this macaron fanatic in Macaron Day 2010! I am sad though, to think that the growing popularity of macarons in the U.S. might make them less special in my eyes (ala law of diminishing return). A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted how these babies have gotten very popular, so much that even McDonald's in Paris are offering macarons now and even Starbucks in the U.S. have offered them during the holidays. Word had it too that Trader Joe's is now selling frozen macarons. Sigh.
Although I am worried, I do believe that there are true macaron fans out there who have tasted the real, authentic macarons from France and know how to spot the bad ones here in the States. I just hope macarons won't turn into what Chinese food have turned into in the U.S. - that it adapts to the American taste buds and loses its authenticity.
See past macaron posts here:
I LOVE Macarons
Financier
Look What I Got My Hands on?
Bouchon Bakery
Payard
I'm not a big fan of food coloring, the most popular ones I've seen being red #40 and yellow #5. I'd rather see food companies use something natural, like beet juice for red and turmeric for yellow.
Now, I've heard of color being used on fruits to make them look better, but never have I seen that stated on packaging. Needless to say, I was surprised to see it in the sack of oranges my husband brought home recently.
My question is, if the food that is being produced tastes good, why add coloring? That only makes me suspicious in consuming the food.
Manna House Bakery, my favorite spot for pineapple buns (菠蘿包), was reported by Grub Street to have lost its lease on Grand St., NYC. These buns are Chinese breads with a sweet crunchy topping of sugar and egg. Despite its name, there's no pineapple involved. It is the scoring by the knife that creates the look of a pineapple exterior - some bakeries do it, some don't (Manna House belongs to the latter camp).
Ah, the days when I used to run down just around the corner to the bakery to get some warm, freshly baked pineapple buns in the morning. Thankfully, they still have 2 other stores, the nearest being a block away on Mott St. Let's hope they won't go anywhere.
"What's a Tangelo?" I asked when I spotted these intensely orange colored fruits at Whole Foods. Turns out they're a cross between grapefruits and tangerines. 
They were really juicy with a mild sweetness. I would say they tasted like mild tangerines. 
Even though I'm not a big fan of grapefruits, I don't mind tangelos much. But if I want a tangerine, I'd go for a tangerine.
Japanese pork bun enthusiasts swear by those by Momofuku or Ippudo. My preference? Ippudo, hands down.
The Japanese pork buns of these two rivals have delicious pork sandwiched between so-called Peking duck pancakes (I don't agree with the pancake label, but that's another story). What makes Ippudo my pick? Their delicious sauce that makes the pork so moist and succulent. Ippudo's pork bun (Hirata Bun) is a slice of pork belly with lettuce, mayo and a spicy sauce wrapped in a steamed bun. The lettuce adds freshness and a crunchy texture to the soft pork belly. And as if the pork isn't rich enough already, they had to add mayo to seal the deal. While Momofuku's pork bun is good and its slice of pork belly is thicker, it didn't pack as much of a punch as Ippudo's. Ippudo's sauce kicked Momofuku to the backseat - it has a touch of spiciness and is flavorful but not overpowering, and there's just the right amount of sauce to perfectly complement the pork.
If you look at Momofuku's version above, you'll see a rather thick piece of pork that's pretty light on sauce. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but just not as good as Ippudo's. If there is a word I can use to describe what distinguishes Ippudo's pork bun from Momofuku's, it's harmony - it has that melt in your mouth goodness.
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