Krista G's Profile
Upscale Dominican. Is there such a place?
Hispaniola is upscale. I think 809 Sangria Bar and Grill is still around, it's a little clubby, I think.
Isn't Rancho Jubilee the place near LaGuardia decorated in a crazy tropical beach style? Could be fun depending on your taste.
Best Sichuan in Hong Kong
I think San Xi Lou sounds like the best option. If I had more time, I would do taste testing around the city.
I have no idea what garlic mud is but I love anything with pork belly, so I imagine it must be good.
Best Sichuan in Hong Kong
While I realize time spent eating in HK should probably focus on Cantonese and Chui Chow food, Sichuan happens to be my favorite and I’d like to have one such meal on an upcoming visit. Since I only have time for one Sichuan meal, I’d like it to be the best possible.
I was interested in Mum Chau’s but was under the impression you needed a minimum of four diners for dinner (there are only two of us).
I tried Da Ping Huo on my previous visit three years ago and enjoyed it greatly, but I’ve already been there so would like something new.
I was wondering about Yunyan, Wing Lai Yuen and San Xi Lou (formerly, Man Jiang Hong, I think from what I've read here). I was under the impression that San Xi Lou was the best of the three but wasn’t sure if it was English-friendly or not.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
http://www.goodiesfirst.com
Thai restaurant near Sukhumvit/Asoke for newbies to Thailand?
Ok, I'll definitely give Suda a try and hope to avoid the poor elephant.
I stayed at the Sofitel on my last visit to Hua Hin, so perhaps this time I'll explore more of the far flung places like the ones you mentioned.
Thai restaurant near Sukhumvit/Asoke for newbies to Thailand?
I too will be near Sukhimvit/Asoke soon and was wondering about a first night meal. I've been to Bangkok before and am adventurous but I know that I won't want to walk far after traveling for nearly 20 hours, and will probably be more in the mood for a sit down meal rather than street stall. Has anyone been to Suda on soi 14? I can't tell if it's a tourist trap or not.
I'd actually like to hear about Hua Hin (if that's not highjacking this thread). I'll be there as well next month and am open to suggestions. I have been once before, very briefly in 2003, but only recall eating at Chao Lay, one of those seafood on a pier places.
http://www.goodiesfirst.com
NY TIMES Dining Out 5/1 Seven New Sandwiches
I'm pretty sure San Antonio still serves the chacarero (though I think my green beans were missing on last visit). I think the closed chilean place the author was referring to was El Guaton on Roosevelt which morphed into a Brazilian joint and now has a new name that I forget.
http://www.goodiesfirst.com
St James Restaurant on Metropolitan Ave/Forest Hills?
There's also My Kitchen on the same block as the theater. The food seems fairly simple, though I don' t know about a private space.
http://goodiesfirst.typepad.com
Schnitzel Haus in Bay Ridge?
I don't eat a lot of German food but I do think Schnitzel Haus is good, better than Zum Stamtisch (even though they have the classic over-the-top atmosphere). I was just there a few weeks ago and once last fall. The portions are big and straighforward. I have no idea about the schnitzels but their pork shank and sausages are very good, sauerbraten was ok.
More on Schnitzel Haus:
http://www.project-me.com/2006/12/schnitzel_haus.html
Sripraphai - Your Favorite Dish(es)
Not to shift the focus to Chao Thai, but I have to second this crispy pork green bean curry recommendation. But I'll order anything with crispy pork in the name.
At Sri, I think that the crispy pork with chile and basil beats the roast pork version (which I accidentally ordered once and was still pleased).
http://www.project-me.com/2007/02/chao_thai.html
are these the best empanadas in brooklyn?
There's a Chilean bakery/cafe in Astoria, San Antonio Bakery #2 that makes baked empanadas. I've only eaten one once because they often run out. They're beefy with a few raisins, olives (and I think hard boiled egg) and are quite substantial.
more on the bakery:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/03/san_antonio_bak.html
Worst food writing ever?
Maybe I'm too caught up with NYC crap, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Daily News "controversy" yet. It's the the first thing that came to mind when I saw the title of this thread.
Background:
http://gawker.com/news/success-stories/restaurant-girl-claws-her-way-from-blogger-to-food-critic-289222.php
http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/food/archives/2007/08/restaurant_girl.php
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"Northern" Thai?
I could be remembering incorrectly, but the past few times I've been to Sripraphai I've noticed a Northern noodle dish on their specials but I'm not positive if it's khanom jeen or not. I'm pretty sure it wasn't khao soi. It was like Thai spaghetti, if that means anything. Kind of like a bolognese but with cucumbers, pickled greens and bean sprouts.
http://www.project-me.com
Sunset Park Chinatown
I would concur with the fresh and simple description. Minus the melon-fish dessert, I didn't find anything unlikable. The pork chops were a little dull, but more boring than bad.
I'll definitely try their dim sum when I get a chance.
Photos and descriptions of dinner:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/08/8th-ave-seafood.html
Crab shacks - Clemente's or Cross Bay Boulevard?
I haven't been to any of the Queens crab shacks, so I'd be curious what they're like, myself. But I do like Clemente's, if only for the feeling that you're not in NYC. I went this weekend:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/07/clementes-maryl.html
Bolivian Andean Cuisine
There's one other Bolivian restaurant in Queens that I'm aware of: Mi Bolivia in Sunnyside (I'm pretty sure it's still there). I've only eaten Bolivian food once so I can't say if their rendition is better or worse than Club Kabu's. I enjoyed their saltenas and aji de lengua, though.
http://www.project-me.com/2006/09/mi_bolivia.html
Exemplary Hyphenated-Chinese (Indian- Cuban- Peruvian- etc.)?
There's a West Indies-style Chinese restaurant in Flatbush called De Bamboo. I've intended to try it but when I'm in the neighborhood I always end up getting jerk chicken someplace else instead
The menu looks interesting:
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/brooklyn/menus/debambooexpress.htm
new seafood restaurant and paraguayan place in williamsburg?
I have no intel to add but was curious about further details on this Paraguayan restaurant. To my knowledge there aren't any in NYC (besides bakeries) so it could potentially be interesting, though with a Williamsburg location it makes me wonder. It's not like there are tons of South Americans hanging around the area.
http://www.project-me.com
Carniceria on Smith St
I tried it last night and thought things were pretty cohesive for only being open a couple nights. Simply grilled Grass-fed beef is featured but the dishes aren't strictly Argentinean. The cuisine is a little more nuevo Spanish (as opposed to Latino) with ingredients like piquillo peppers, cabrales, blood sausage--there's even a goat cheese foam.
The owner mentioned trying to do something less expensive than Porchetta, but since I never ate at the past incarnation I can't say how prices actually compare. It seems like you could cobble together a tapas style meal or for full meat-centric entrees. For what it's worth, I managed to spend around $100 on two appetizers, two entrees and four drinks.
More of my take on Carniceria:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/05/carniceria.html
Anyone been to East Buffet in Elmhurst or Flushing?
I've only been to the Flushing East Buffet location on weekends (brunch and dinner). They didn't have dim sum at all on my last evening visit, but I don't really go for the dim sum since it's nothing special. It's just a fun place if you aren't authenticity-crazed and want to try lots of different things like peking duck, sushi, cold Sichuan appetizers, battered fried frog, shrimp with mayo and walnuts, Korean bbq skewers, etc. It's all over the place in a good way.
My take on East Buffet:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/04/east_buffet.html
nicer latin american in nyc
Ah, I'm eating at Pujol in a couple weeks. I'm not sure that NYC has a restaurant quite like that.
I can't personally vouch for Crema Restaurante since I've never eaten there but it looks like it has potential.
http://cremarestaurante.com/
Neither Mexican nor nuevo latino, but Urena might also be an option. The cuisine is creatively Spanish influenced and the chef is Dominican. The room is a little staid but the food is vibrant.
My take on Urena:
http://www.project-me.com/2007/02/urea.html
Devi - Surprise Disappointment
I recently went to Devi for the first time, and while I wasn't completely blown away, I had a very good experience based on the tasting menu. I didn't try the manchurian cauliflower, but if I'm correct manchurian-style usually implies a Chinese-Indian sauce, that yes, is sweet, sour and tomato-y. Most recipes for manchurian anything call for ketchup. I know people who aren't fond of some Chinese-Indian dishes because of that very sauce. For what it's worth, I liked the saffron bread pudding.
http://www.project-me.com/2007/04/devi.html
"Rare" ethnic restaurants?
Latin American that I didn't see on your list: Puerto Rican, Domincan, Cuban, (all over, sort of), Bolivian (Queens), Honduran (Brooklyn and Bronx)
Asian: Indonesian (Queens) Sri Lankan (Staten Island and East Village)
African: Senegalese. 116th St. Manhattan
There was an article in Sunday's Times on African food and culture in NYC:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/travel/18weekend.1.html?ref=travel
Food prank -- pulled on you or by you
Speaking of the Phillipines, my best friend in high school was Filipino and I used to go to all their family gatherings and parties for the food (no dog in suburban Oregon). I'd eat lumpia and lechon like crazy. But they would also serve dinuguan (blood stew) and tell the little kids that it was chocolate. That freaked me out a bit and I was an adventurous teen eater.
My sister and I put wet, moldy week-old rice (it was pink, if you can imagine) into the pillowcase of a vegan skinhead houseguest who'd turned unwelcome roommate. It was a fitting punishment because he'd dirty all of our pans and dishes and leave the leftover food to rot inside.
http://www.project-me.com
Mexican Moles in America Media
I'm pretty sure that Dona Maria is a Mexican brand. Though food lovers like to believe that everyone outside of the U.S. makes everything from scratch, I tend to think that's not true.
Oddly translated Dona Maria history:
http://www.donamaria.com.mx/demo/english/historia_dona_maria.htm
Project Me
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Best Uruguayan Chivito sandwich in NYC?
They are on the menu at Chivito d'Oro but I've never tried them. But then, I've never tried a chivito anywhere...
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Hopia Ube?
I'm not positive that they have it, but Krystal's in Woodside, Queens is a likely bet. They have a good selection of Filipino baked goods. I've bought slices of ube jelly roll (I think the proper term is pianono) there. The Fil-Am grocery store up the street also has prepackaged cakes and sweets.
Project Me
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Critiquing the Critics -- Time Out New York's obnoxious Sietsema review
I'm curious if anyone has actually read the TONY article in question. I agree that Sietsema is well beyond the burrito-seeking college kid stereotype (I've been very pleased to see Africa and African food getting serious coverage in "Gourmet," thanks to him) and that struck me as off base, but it wasn’t TONY that posited that opinion. The point of the article was critics critiquing the critics in an anonymous fashion. A full jumbled up list of critics from all genres can be seen here:
http://www.timeoutny.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/584/features/the_panelists.xml
Quickly skimming through, food names (though not all critics) that pop out include: Tony Bourdain, Wylie Dufresne, Ben Leventhal, Anita Lo, John Mariani, Jacques Pepin, Regina Schrambling, Arthur Schwartz, Sue Torres, Didier Virot and probably others I missed.
One could assume that an above name was responsible for the Sietsema jab. The snippet came from one Sietsema's own, so to speak, not TONY.
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Savory Meat pies--Whats your favorite
Moroccan bisteeya. The powdered sugar and almond laced pie traditionally contains pigeon meat but I used turkey drumsticks and created one for Thanksgiving. You really have to love the sweet-savory combo to appreciate this one but I think the flavors are amazing.
here's one version (there are a million variations and spellings):
http://www.cliffordawright.com/recipes/bastila.html
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filipino food recommendations?
I would say that the best place for those meaty items is Ihawan. They do bbq, lechon (not sure about a whole pig) and the like. They don't stay open late, though, so not sure about snacking and beer drinking past 8:30pm or so.
Ihawan
40-07 70th St.
Woodside, NY
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Costa Rica-- Imperial beer
I've never been to the Lighthouse Tavern in Park Slope but one of the owners is Costa Rican (the bar seems pretty American). But they have Imperial listed on their website: http://www.lighthousetavern.net/658194.html
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