Writing With My Mouth Full

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    • Sentosa

      39-07 Prince Street, Flushing, Queens
      718/886.6331
      $45 for three, with two drinks, without tip

      A stopover in Flushing after picking up my father from the airport proved to be worth the trip for less than $45. We’re big fans of the roti canai. I suppose roti canais are all the same but we really liked Sentosa’s version of the curry chicken and potato dipping sauce.


      Roti Canai

      Satay bores me because they always serve them as an hor d’oeuvre in parties and weddings. Sentosa’s was “grilled to perfection”–dry and flaky–and the sauce needed to taste more like peanuts.


      Beef Satay

      One of my favorites was the lobak with deep fried ground meat and the shrimp pancakes even though the fried tofu was unexciting. I loved the chili sauce better than the Hoisin.


      Lobak

      I liked the nasi lemak, a plate of anchovies, curry chicken and a hard-boiled egg with coconut rice.


      Nasi Lemak

      The beef rendang tasted like any other beef rendang I’ve tasted. But their seafood tom yum soup was delicious. I love the sourness of the lemongrass together with the spice of the seafood broth.


      Seafood Tom Yum Rice Noodle Soup

      Note: All photos taken by a cell phone camera

    • La Oaxaqueña Restaurant

      1969 Amsterdam Avenue corner of 158th Street
      212/283.7752
      about $20 for two, without drinks, without tip

      We always point to this restaurant when we would drive by from the west side highway. One lazy Saturday, we finally stopped by for an early lunch.


      It’s like a fiesta inside

      One of our favorite places in the world is Oaxaca in Mexico so just the name of this place intrigued us. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the time of the day to eat mole–for us, at least–the Oaxaqueñan blend of chocolate and chiles sauce, so we tried their tacos and ordered one of their sandwiches to go instead. The goat taco, which they called the barbacoa so I assume it was slow-cooked, was nothing special; it was actually quite bland. The chorizo and the beef taco were pretty good but not spectacular.


      Tacos!

      Later in the day, we unwrapped the Oaxaqueñan sandwich made of roast beef and ham. We wondered if the beans gave it its name because otherwise, it was just a messy Cuban sandwich.


      Do beans make a sandwich Oaxaqueñan?

      I don’t have to do a return trip to La Oaxaqueña but I’m glad we tried it.

    • Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca

      110 Waverly Place between MacDougal and Sixth
      212/777.0303
      about $900 for six, with a lot of drinks, with tip
      ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

      For my annual pilgrimage, I was diligent and booked a table exactly thirty days from our dinner date to get a prime spot at 9pm for six people. It was to celebrate Cameron’s and Peter’s birthdays. I’d like to think that for friends, I’m extra thoughtful.

      There is no need to explain why I’m giving Babbo yet another four. I’ll let these photos do their job:

      There was also the marinated fresh sardines with caramelized fennel and lobster oil, the epic grilled octopus with “Borlotti Marinati” and spicy limoncello vinaigrette and the spaghettini with spicy budding chives, sweet garlic and a one-pound lobster, the unforgettable lamb’s brains, plus three other desserts and three bottles of a rosé champagne and red wine. After four hours, we were way above our heads to even recall every detail. It was a very good night. I love me some Mario Batali.

      Related post/s:
      I was younger back then but I already knew good food

    • Pier 2110 Seafood Restaurant

      2110 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard off 126th Street
      212/280.7437
      $110 for two, with two drinks, without tip
      no stars

      Updated, 2007: Pier 2110 was short-lived

      I’ve been living more than twelve years uptown, three of those in Harlem. When I go to a restaurant in the neighborhood, I’ve come to expect that there’d be little to no ambiance and the food will be very simple but down-to-earth. So when a new restaurant bills itself as “Harlem’s Newest Jewel”, I believe it but I expect more.

      The Korean-owned Pier 2110 tries hard to be that jewel, but so hard everything comes out garish and overpowering. I know they mean well, serving seafood dishes the locals are already accustomed to and revitalizing the neighborhood, but for a $21 plate of pork chops, I don’t want steamed broccoli with it smothered with plum sauce and then call it “plum-glaze.” My catfish was equally intriguing on their menu: pan-roasted with sweet potato purée, broccoli florets, fig and rosemary compote and bourbon cider sauce. But for $19, I didn’t expect an overcooked limp fillet with a soup of mashed potato.

      They’ve been up and running for almost a month now but the service still needs a lot of sharpening. The maitre d’ didn’t have our names in the computer even though I secured reservations a day before. (No shorts and sneakers allowed, by the way!) A busboy interrupted our waiter and his announcement of the specials to let us know that the rolls were still in the oven. We waited for a few minutes to get our waiter’s attention to ask for a knife to eat our pork chops with–he picked up the knife from the table setting next to us. (He came back with a steak knife after we rejected that.) In between courses, he brought out the bottle of Purell–I am not kidding–so we could squirt and sanitize our hands. He offered us tea before the dessert menu which I thought might be a good way to end our lackluster evening. To our surprise, he came out with a beautiful jeweled box full of…Celestial Seasonings tea bags.

      The restaurant’s decor is ocean-themed, but their idea of high-end reminds me of the Red Lobster in Times Square. There are cascading water on glass walls and small fountains, stained glass artwork and aquariums everywhere. There is a “sushi” station offering all kinds of California rolls in the middle of the room, perhaps the same space where Billie Holiday used to perform during the Vaudeville Era. (In fact, the building used to be the Alhambra Theater in 1905.) The staff was very attentive, but Pier 2110 has to offer the kind of service–and food–that’s worth $110 for two people.

    • Savoy

      70 Prince Street corner of Crosby
      212/219.8570
      about $125 for two, with two drinks, without tip
      ♥ ♥ ♥

      Three people splitting nine small plates and three Indian pale ales for $25 each isn’t such a bad deal for a New York City lunch. Our afternoon selection for one over-heated summer day:

      Roasted beets vinaigrette with horseradish, orange and thyme
      Market string beans with harissa and garlic
      Yucca fries with house-made ketchup
      Bulgarian feta with tomato and urfa pepper
      Salt cod fritters with sweet pepper vinegar
      Guanciale and local cherries and fennel
      Tuna confit and marinated summer squash
      Greek potato spread with almond and garlic
      Turkish red pepper and walnut dip

      Minus the different kinds of bread that came with each plate, everything was light and refreshing. All the ingredients are seasonal and from local farmers, including the guanciale, or pig’s lower jaw meat. Delicious.

    • The Tasting Room

      264 Elizabeth Street off Houston
      212/358.7831
      about $150 for two, with two drinks, without tip
      ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

      Update: The Tasting Room is closed. I’ll miss you.

      I am separating this review from the original restaurant’s because a new location deserves a new writeup. Renée and Colin Alevras’ new space is definitely bigger than the one on 1st and First. The wine bottles have their own room now and a beautiful sliding stable door opens up in the back. Because I went during their first trial night, I wasn’t sure if it will be another dining area or if it will remain as a storage room. (Stay tuned to find out!) Past the bar and sitting area in front, the new digs open up to a roomier space. The lighting is warm and comfortable that dining in there made us forget it was the hottest day of the year outside.

      Moving into a new location usually means sacrificing something, but The Tasting Room seems to have brought everything with them to the west side. My sugar snap pea soup was a cooling summer starter topped with green peas and small and crusty pieces of pork belly. The Muscovy duck terrine was delicious, but what stood out was its side of parsley and pickled shallot salad with homemade Worcestershire sauce. And what would The Tasting Room stand for if not the season’s freshest ingredients from local farms? The chantarelle mushrooms with roasted Japanese eggplants in garlic confit was so beefy, their daintiness fooled us. It was a complete meal on its own. The Tamworth pork loin obviously came from a happy pig: sweet, succulent and juicy. The swiss chard’s bitter taste was the perfect accompaniment. We split the tomato and strawberry sorbet for dessert and had enough room to finish our glasses of Shiraz and Channing Daughters white blend.

      Besides the new bar that can whip up some refreshing Moscow mules, everything at The Tasting Room is pretty much the same–I’m so glad they are.

      Update: Yes to the extra dining room behind the sliding stable doors.

      Related post/s:
      When The Tasting Room was young and small

    • Summer 2006 Getaway Part 2: Jones Beach, Long Island

      On my way to Jones Beach for the first time this season, the Dr. texted and told me that he will be out by noon. He wanted to tag along. This was a big deal to me considering I was there almost every Saturday last summer. So I packed lunch for two–angel-hair pasta, roasted chicken from the Spanish store down the block and some watermelon slices with a big bottle of water–and met up with him at Penn Station. By 2pm, we were on the beach.

      We situated ourselves on my usual spot. It’s less crowded because it’s in between the couples with children and the happy gays, two groups who don’t want to be near each other. We rented a big umbrella and ate our lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing and reading clips from The Times while the Dr., well, slept and slept.

      Four hours later, we got stuck on the road because of a car accident along the way. The ten-minute shuttle bus ride to the train station took more than an hour. We caught the 8pm train back to New York City and had dinner at Grand Sichuan before we trudged back to Harlem. Our sunny Sunday went as quick as the Boston Kreme doughnut the Dr. bought for me while in Long Island.

    • Grand Sichuan International

      229 Ninth Avenue at 24th Street
      212/620.5200
      about $60 for two, without drinks, without tip
      ♥ ♥

      New York City has some great selection of Chinese food. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include Sichuan, the spicy kind. When I crave the flavor of numbing Sichuan peppers, I go to Grand Sichuan International in Chelsea. They have a few branches in the city, but I frequent the one in Chelsea. No matter what time you visit, it’s always crowded. The service is inconsistent, but their kung pao chicken is always right and the dan dan noodles always spicy.

      It ain’t Monterey Park outside of Los Angeles, but it will have to do.

    • My Befana

      116 West Houston Street between Thompson and Sullivan
      888.6.BEFANA
      about $50 for two, without drinks, without tip

      Set-up like a deli, only more classy with beautiful tilework on the floor, “la befana” is the Italian version of Santa Claus. What we know as the feast of the Three Kings is celebrated by Italians with good food to close out the Christmas season. How do they know how to do everything right?


      Immaculate counters

      Chef Daniele Baliani opened My Befana as a nod to his childhood in Italy after successfully establishing Pantheon Adventures, a tour company which leads small groups throughout the Mediterranean in search of gastronomic and cultural delights. Now he’s in a spotless space on West Houston serving pork chops with cranberries, flank steak with caramelized shallots, duck with soy, ginger and honey sauce and lamb in tzatziki sauce.


      Tuna sandwich


      Broccoli rabe

      Lunch is a steep $12 for an entree and one side. Dinner is a better deal for $18 for an entree with two sides. If you are too busy to make it to their SoHo space, you can call the 888 number and get their Mediterranean food delivered to your apartment, your office or the gym. If I could eat stuffed grape leaves everyday, I would.

    • Hurricane Hopeful Surf Bar

      139 North 6th Street between Bedford Avenue and Berry, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
      718/302.4441
      about $50 for two, without drinks, without tip

      Brought to my attention by that stand-off with Bobby Flay, the Hurricane Hopeful Surf Bar claims to have the best clam chowder in New York City. It was ninety degrees but that didn’t stop us from tasting and judging them for ourselves. We ordered the crab and corn chowder and the popular haddock chowder for about $6 each.


      Corn and crab chow-dah

      Now, I don’t really know anything about chowder. I’ve had several during multiple visits to Maine and Boston and I’ve tasted them watery like broth and thick like bisque–I just don’t know what proper chowder is like.

      At Hurricane Hopeful Surf Bar, my ignorance didn’t matter because they are all really good. The consistency is in the middle and I liked them that way. But skip the other items on the menu when you go. The conch fritters were mostly made of batter. The red snapper ceviche was very watery and tasted of sweet orange juice.


      Soupy ceviche

      The space looks miniscule from outside but it extends all the way at the back to an outdoor garden decorated with small paper lanterns. The sand on the floor takes you as far away as, well, some beach in the Northeast but the service is exceptional. For a busy Saturday night, our waiter treated us like real ladies, making sure we were okay with everything during that one balmy summer night.

    • Angel-Hair Pasta with Summer Vegetables

      Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

      angel-hair pasta
      3 large vine-ripe tomatoes
      a handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half
      1 small garlic clove, minced
      2 tbsps lemon juice
      fresh basil chiffonade
      3 small squash, cut in smaller pieces
      a handful of haricots verts, trimmed
      a handful of sugar snap peas, trimmed
      salt and pepper

      1. Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. Set aside.
      2. Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for less than 4 minutes. Shock in iced cold water to stop cooking. Drain.
      3. In another pot of boiling salt water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
      4. In a large bowl, grate tomatoes using the grater’s largest holes, discarding the skin. Toss pulp with grape tomatoes, garlic paste, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables and the pasta and toss some more to combine. Sprinkle with basil.

    • Naeng Myun, Korean Noodles in Cold Broth

      Adapted from a Korean calendar photo

      Ingredients:
      half a pound of London broil, rinsed
      1 package of buckwheat noodles
      3 cloves of garlic, minced
      2 shallots, cut in half
      1 hard-boiled egg, sliced thinly
      1 small daikon radish, sliced thinly
      a few slices of pickled radish or cucumber (from a Korean store)
      a few slices of Asian pear
      4 tbsps rice vinegar
      2 tbsp sugar
      1 tsp sesame oil
      chili powder
      salt and pepper

      1. In a large stock pot, add London broil, garlic, shallots and salt and pepper with enough water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, or until meat is cooked through, occasionally skimming foam and fat.
      2. Strain the broth into a large container, discarding solids. Add half of the rice vinegar, half of the sugar and salt to taste. Place the seasoned broth in refrigerator to chill.
      3. Meanwhile, cook buckwheat noodles in boiling water until tender, about 12 minutes. Rinse with cold water several times, gently squeezing the noodles each time to make them chewy. Drain.
      4. Soak the radish with the rest of the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand for a few minutes then drain. Toss and sprinkle red pepper powder and drizzle with sesame oil.
      5. When ready to serve, place about a handful of noodles in a soup bowl. Top noodles with meat slices, radish, cucumber, pears and egg. Ladle cold broth. Serve with kimchi and roasted seaweed.