lunch

American Traditional / lunch / nyc — No Comments
6
Jul 12

Nougatine: Delicious Lunch Prix Fix

Prior to a NY Philharmonic concert, I decided to take my mom to Nougatine which is the front dining area of Jean Georges. We were able to eat a 3-course prix fix menu for $32, which is reasonably priced considering the level of the food and service that we experienced there. Good food, great company, and overall positive experience. Now for the food porn…

For the first course I got a Peekytoe crab cake with celeriac Remoulade, pink grapefruit and ginger. The crab cake had a good amount of actual crab in it and had a nice crust to it.

The salmon baked with lemon crumbs, sweet chili glaze, and swiss chard was well cooked. I particularly liked the lemon crumbs because it cut the sweet chili sauce and paired nicely with salmon as well.

The chocolate cake served with vanilla bean ice cream was rich and delicious. How can you go wrong with warm chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream?

I enjoyed my time at Nougatine. The waitstaff were attentive, the food was well seasoned, and the view was really nice (they’re located right by the entrance of Central Park). Their lunch menu is definitely worth it so make sure to check it out sometime if you have a nice lunch break.

Nougatine
1 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
(212) 299-3900

Breakfast / dinner / lunch / Taiwanese / travels — 2 Comments
3
Apr 12

Taiwan: Foodie Heaven Pt. 3 – Delicious Meals

If you haven’t noticed already, Taiwan is full of food and frankly I have too many pictures to show for it.  Because Taiwan is full of street stands, it’s hard to tell you where half of where these dishes are found.  Just know that this tiny island right next to China is truly a heaven for those who love food and want to be surrounded by it constantly.

And now…onto the food porn!

Typical breakfast – soy milk with fried culler.

Scallion pancake with egg. I really would like to eat this everyday for breakfast!

Tofu with cilantro and sauce. Light and tender.

Tomato beef noodle soup. Delicious…perfect for any occasion!

Minced pork with sauce noodles, right by Taiwan National University.  Very solid and hearty.

Hand-pulled pancake. It’s crispy and light, not oily, and perfect with some soup!

Oyster vermicelli noodles.

Rice ball stuffed with fried culler, pork, and pickled vegetables. SO good to eat in the mornings.

One of my most favorite noodles – yi mian. Every single time I go back, I MUST EAT THIS.

Taiwan has some nice pastries too!

Peanut milk shaved ice. It tastes like peanut butter!

Alright so I think I’ve made all of us hungry, but hopefully this just shows you how tasty Taiwan is so make sure you visit! If you do, let me know when you’re there so I can make some food recommendations!

 

dessert / lunch / Taiwanese / travels — No Comments
22
Mar 12

Taiwan: Foodie Heaven Pt. 2 – Honey Toast


One of the latest dessert crazes in Taipei right now would be for an item called honey toast.  It comes in different flavors and from my understanding, is made popular by Dazzling Cafe.  Located in one of the younger trendy areas in Taipei, it is fair to say that getting a table is hard, (try fighting through all those girls and claim a place on line for a table before opening time).  However, it’s worth trying it out and at least staying at this place for lunch if you’ve waited for a while on a line.

This is the pan-fried duck breast spaghetti served with a cream sauce.  As a pasta fiend, it was actually acceptable as a pasta; the spaghetti was al dente and the duck breast helped with providing a savory flavor to the dish.

I got the scallop and crab meat spaghetti with olive oil, which is light and refreshing.  I didn’t really taste too much seafood, sadly enough, but it was lightly tossed with olive oil, tomatoes, and broccoli.  Always good to get those greens in!

 And now…onto DESSERT!

Pictured is the inside of the banana chocolate honey toast.  You can see that they hollow out this large piece of toast and fill it with deliciousness: vanilla ice cream, chocolate, cashews, sugar coated fried pieces of toast, and topped with whipped cream.  Of course you can’t forget the banana pieces on the side as well.  It’s a box of sweet toast intensity.

Yup, a close-up of that vanilla bean ice cream with cashews.  Delicious.

It is worth a trip to this place if: (1) you’re a huge dessert fiend, (2) willing to wait (even before opening time), and (3) willing to spend above average amount for a meal / dessert.

Dazzling Cafe Pink
台北市忠孝東路四段205巷7弄11號1樓
02-8773-9238
Facebook 

Chinese / lunch / Taiwanese / travels — No Comments
8
Mar 12

Taiwan: Foodie Heaven Pt. 1 – Minced Pork Rice

It’s been a while, but I am back and ready to blog about all these food journeys that I’ve gone through in the past 3 months!  I’ve been working on lots of food pictures so there will be more posts to come (woo hoo!).  Anyway, in December I went to Taiwan, one of the best places to eat-your-heart-out, and I felt like I was home; all I did was eat, shop, and eat some more.  You’ll see what I mean with my pictures:

One of the places I must talk about is 天然紅豆腐, where I ate one of the best minced pork rice (滷肉飯) in my life.  The rice glistened as it was topped with marinated minced pork belly.  Not only did it have the perfect ratio of meat to fat, but it was perfectly salty and the red bits on the side gave it a slightly sweet flavor.  I quickly gobbled up my bowl and wished I had some more. Delicious.

They are also known for their pork blood soup (豬血湯).  Texture-wise it is not like anything you can get in New York; the pig’s blood pieces were soft and tender, paired with a clear soup that was seasoned with scallion made the soup easy to finish.

For those who are thinking about taking a trip to Taiwan, this is definitely a place I would recommend you go to for minced pork rice and pork blood soup.  You will not be disappointed.  In fact, you will want to bring friends and spread the joy of minced pork!

Restaurant Name: 天然紅豆腐
Address: 台北市吉林路319號
Telephone: (02) 2586-2201
Hours: 10AM~10PM
American Traditional / brunch / lunch / nyc — No Comments
21
Mar 11

Motorino – Perfectly Made Pizza

Motorino has been on my list of pizza places to try around the city, and I finally had a chance to go! I somehow always managed to forget to make a trip there considering S’Mac is right next door. Anyway, good thing I ventured there because I got to sit down immediately on a Sunday at 1:30PM versus waiting for those restaurants with massive crowds for brunch.

This here is a beautiful and delicious pizza – their Pizza Al’Uovo which is only available on Saturdays and Sundays. It translates into “egg pizza” and boy is it good. Not only does it have a soft cooked farm egg on each slice, but also fior di latte, chili oil, basil, and pecorino. Everything comes together nicely. As you bite into the slice, you taste the egg yolk oozing and paired with the saltiness of bacon and pecorino, how can you resist? Talking about it makes me want some more…

Alongside the previous pizza, I decided to order their Margherita as a sample for how good a NY pizza truly is. After all, if you can’t this pizza right then how can make any other pizza good? Well, they sure passed the test. The simple toppings – tomato, mozzarella, basil - were all very fresh. The proportion of tomato to mozzarella to basil was perfect. Their dough is really what is most impressive: slightly chewy but not doughy, and not burnt. Oh how I want another slice…

Again, Motorino is definitely worth checking out and eating at. Best $15 you’ll spend on a pizza!

Motorino East Village
349 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-2644

Baked Goods / French / lunch / nyc — 1 Comment
6
Jan 11

Bouley: A Romantic Meal for the Money

Bouley is what I consider a romantic restaurant. Flowers are adorned on tables with the smells of fresh apples infiltrating the room. The waitstaff go around in a relaxed and whimsical fashion, carefully entering the conversations of their guests and gently placing your dishes onto the table. My co-worker and I decided to take a trip to Bouley to celebrate the end of a project, in hopes of partaking in their lunch special - $48 four-course tasting menu.

Bread! What a great start. One of the first things they brought out, and it was freshly baked from next door. HOW FRESH CAN IT GET? Nothing like soft and tender bread to start off a meal. It only makes you think about what other great dishes there are to come.

Jasmine tea-smoked Organic Scottish Salmon with local corn puree, running beans, and toasted fava beans as shown above. Can we say “lick the plate”? It was well cooked and I felt that the ingredients really highlighted the salmon. I didn’t taste the jasmine tea but the other components of the dish provided me enough satisfaction.

All-natural Pennsylvania chicken with blue kale, black truffle gnocchi, Vermont chanterelles, spring chive, and hyssop sauce is pictured above. The chicken was well done, and the gnocchi was surprisingly light.

Hot caramelized Anjou pear with Valrhona chocolate, biscuit breton, hot toffee sauce, rosemary and tahitian vanilla ice cream is shown above. Being a fan of warm / cold desserts I couldn’t help myself in finishing nearly the whole thing (I was ridiculously full after my meal). Chocolate + fruit is always a good call, and combining it with the tahitian and rosemary ice cream cooled it down and complimented the overtly sweet flavors.

And to top it all off, chocolate and petit fours to finish everything (as though you didn’t have enough).   Bouley was a magical experience, full of elegant and delicious well-prepared food. Everything looks thought out and is thought out. Granted dinner might be quite a spend but this is definitely a thumbs up for a fairly priced lunch deal. Definitely worth a try, and a highly recommended date place. I am swooned.

Bouley
163 Duane Street, New York NY 10013 (map)
212-693-7480
davidbouley.com

Breakfast / brunch / Chinese / lunch / travels — 1 Comment
10
Nov 10

A Taste of Chinese Comfort Food: A&J Restaurant

It’s hard to find good authentic Chinese breakfast / lunch food these days. As a Manhattanite, I find myself frustrated with the limited options of this city. In a city full of Chinese people, generations and generations of us, I have yet to find solid comfort Chinese breakfast. Where did I end up? Not Flushing or Brooklyn. Instead I was brought to a place in Virginia called A&J Restaurant.

What kind of name is that? Don’t ask me. All I know is that there were a healthy number of clientele at this place, where steaming bowls of noodle soup and fresh soybean milk (豆漿) were served. Can’t stop drooling? Okay, onto the pictures!

Bean curd with mustard greens and soy beans (毛豆百葉) was a nice starter to whet our appetites. Not too oily and the bamboo was nicely crisp.

Pan fried pork dumplings (鮮肉鍋貼) was perfectly soft yet crunchy at the same time. They had a nice thin dumpling skin while maintaining a fair ratio of meat.

Szechuan Style spicy wonton with hot sauce (紅油抄手) is one of my favorite dishes in general. Granted, the ones in Taiwan I had are still the best I’ve ever had in my life, but their version surely was not forgettable. Though there might have been too much sauce provided for these wontons, they still proved to be a scrumptious bite of spice and savory, with the delicate wonton skin to wrap this delicious package.

Oh yes beef noodle soup (紅燒牛筋麵) is one of my ultimate comfort foods. The intense and steaming beef broth was brought out along with thick noodles and greens. How much more comfort can you get from a beef noodle soup? Yum.

Shredded pork and mustard green noodle soup (雪菜牛絲綿) had a clear broth, possibly a chicken-based stock, which made it easy to slurp and consume without feeling guilty about ingesting oils. We got a Shanghainese style noodle (thin) and went very well with this dish.

Needless to say, I had an amazing time – warm food prepared in the upmost traditional methods to provide the Chinese breakfast food I was craving. My stomach was very satisfied and happy, yearning for more after returning to New York. Perhaps my next mission is to find another place like this in Manhattan. Feel free to mention any places you have encountered like this in the city!

A&J Restaurant
4316 Markham St
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 813-8181

Chinese / lunch / nyc — 1 Comment
7
Jul 10

The Noodle Bar: Cold Noodles, Perfect for a Hot Day

It’s been hot. 90+ degrees hot. That’s why finding a restaurant that provides cooling drinks and refreshing dishes is very important. After wandering around Lower East Side, my friend and I end up making a spontaneous restaurant decision and venture into Noodle Bar.

Even though it wasn’t air-conditioned that particular day, they had both food and drink offerings to chill you out. They have normal drinks, some made from fresh fruit, and also flavored sodas. I stuck to plain ol’ iced water but would be interested in trying out their other beverages in the future.

My mind was only on cold noodles and I ordered their sesame-peanut noodle lunch set. It came with two spring rolls – taro and vegetable – and a side salad. The sesame-peanut noodles were perfectly made; not only was it cooling but also very delicious. The proportion of sauce to noodle was just enough not to overwhelm the entire dish. The sauce also nicely coated the other vegetables (i.e. cucumbers, eggplant) to tie everything together. A tasty plate all for $7.95!

Being an avid noodle eater, I’m just glad that we can enjoy noodles in hot weather. The Noodle Bar is quick, cheap, and worth a trip.

Noodle Bar
172 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002

American Nouveau / lunch / nyc — 5 Comments
29
Mar 10

Eleven Madison Park: $28 Lunch is as Good as It Gets

Good food deals in New York, does that really exist? Yes, I am a telling you that there are reasonable lunch deals at some fine restaurants in the city that are worth trying out. Eleven Madison Park has been on my list, and since the dinner menu is usually expensive, eating lunch there is the best way to go for me. This is good news for the poor / price sensitive foodies out there, so read on.

Eleven Madison Park features a $28 two-course lunch prix fix menu. Even though that might not sound like a lot, with most fine dining restaurants they give you as much bread as you like AND bring amuse-bouche to start off your meals, so you are well covered. In fact, you can probably feel full on a two-course meal.

After quizzing the waiter with numerous questions about what things were, I was able to decide upon the perfect balance to create a surf and turf lunch.

The meal started off with an amuse-bouche; one of them was a foie gras macaron with apple mango chutney in the middle. Even though I am not usually a fan of foie gras, I actually enjoyed the macaron. It started with a salty flavor and progressively ended with a sweet tang. It was surprisingly pleasant to pop into your mouth, previewing the playful ingredient combinations that lay ahead.

This dish was wonderfully constructed, light and refreshing, perfect for springtime. The Balik Salmon was plated with pommes dauphine, frisée, and crème fraîche. I particularly liked the pomme dauphine because of its softness combined with the milky and smooth texture of the crème fraîche that perfectly complimented the smoky, silky salmon. They also placed some salmon roe within the frisée salad, a nice addition to the plate.

The cochon de lait, aka “pigs in milk” or “suckling pig”, was served with rhubarb, spring onion, and ice wine vinegar that poured onto your dish. They had small cuts of the different parts such as the crispy fatty belly. I felt that the rhubarb and ice wine vinegar provided a nice touch of sweetness that helped cut the fatty oily portions of the dish. The only unappetizing part was when I ate the bulb part of the spring onion, leaving me feeling like intense spicy and sharp flavors exploded in my mouth. Aside from that, it satisfied my pork craving.

Although I didn’t order this dish, it was still pretty to look at and worth noting. It is the Scottish Salmon Mi-Cuit. From a small bite I had, the fish was nicely cooked (maybe sous-vided?) and definitely gave the salmon a really silky and smooth texture.

I’m glad I went to Eleven Madison Park for lunch because at least I know that this isn’t just another hyped-up restaurant in Manhattan, and trust me, there are plenty of those. Perhaps one day I can return for dinner, see and taste more of their menu, and get a full dining experience. Until then, relatively cheap lunch prix fixes are the way to go.

Italian / lunch / nyc — 5 Comments
22
Mar 10

Convivio: Taste of Italy with their Lunch Prix Fix

Being a person who longs for eating handmade al dente pastas and delicate yet fragrant sauces, I am on a search for real authentic Italian food similar to what I ate in Italy. I am not sure what places in NYC can provide me this quality of Italian food (so maybe someone can provide me some recommendations), but I am going to go through NY Mag’s Two for Eight, Notable Italian restaurants. The first one on the list to try is Convivio.

It is located at 45 Tutor City Place and as a veteran New Yorker, I didn’t know where that was. Turns out that it is on a small street nestled within Midtown East, right across from the United Nations. At first, I mistakenly go into an apartment building with the same address, and the doorman tells me the restaurant is right next door. I finally make it through the rain and get into the restaurant, which is nicely decorated with warm yet clean furniture: a large mirror, simple and beautiful floral arrangements, and a red velvet seats line the wall. The wait staff is friendly and professional, informing us of the prix fix menu that is two courses for $28, and its conditions:

1. You can choose two courses, either an appetizer + pasta, pasta + pasta, or appetizer + entrée.
2. You cannot have two entrees.
3. Any additional course is $12.

Their pasta portions are sizable for a girl like me, but probably not enough for a boy with a hefty appetite. I ordered an appetizer called Polpettine, tomato braised meatballs and a ricotta salada, since I have been on a quest to find the “perfect meatball” (but that’s meant as a whole other post altogether).

Their meatballs were tender and juicy, but a little salty for my taste. I liked the tomato sauce that came with it because it helped cut the salt and provided a tart and sweet flavor to the meatballs.

Then came the pasta – Pappardelle al Nero di Seppia, which is their squid ink pasta with seppia (cuttlefish), mussels, and swordfish polpettine. The pasta was al dente and the seafood, nicely cooked, provided the unami flavor to the pasta. The swordfish polpettine reminds me of Chinese seafood cake because of its similarity in texture and shape, so that made the dish even tastier and fun to eat.

I walked out feeling not too full or hungry, perfectly satisfied with the lunch. Convivio comes close to what I experienced in Italy, more so than other Italian restaurants that I have encountered in NYC. My intention is to go back for dinner to see how their full menu compares to lunch. As for now, Convivio has given me a small taste of Italy, which is all I can ask for.

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