misschopsticks's Profile
best spicy soups?
Love, love, love yuk gae jang. Tried Kunjip and Kum Gang San, but I prefer Won Jo. Woo Chon also does a good one.
Durian Fruit
I personally love the taste. The closest description I can come up with is a super creamy, sweet, roasted garlic custard... You either love it or hate it.
I get my durian from the largest durian stall in Chinatown. The guy there is great, he'll cut it up and box it for you, even vacum pack it so it doesn't stink on the subway. Some tips: ask for a really sweet one, and key: defrosted (frozen durians don't thaw well outside of their skin). Also, you can buy durian flavored wafer cookies in Chinese supermarkets (yum!).
Durian stall - Grand and Bowery NW corner
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-first-durian.html
Baked Bread - Where is NYC's best baguette?
http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/22781/
This article points to several: Almondine (Brooklyn), Pain d'Avignon, Amy's Bread, Balthazar, Le Pain Quotidien, anad Sullivan St. Bakery (in order of best to just-ok).
Personally I've only tried Balthazar and Amy's Bread, and MUCH prefer Amy's baguette. Balthazar's is just not as flavorful.
Chinese food/Beijing style
I haven't personally encountered any authentic Beijing style food in the city (actually, it's difficult to find Beijing cuisine anywhere in the US). You may find limited Beijing-style dishes in certain restaurants, but you're safest bet is to take them to eat Peking duck, a quintessential Beijing food.
I find the Peking Duck House in Chinatown does the best job at Peking Duck.
Being from Beijing myself, I'm interested in knowing if others have found any good Beijing food in the city.
WD-50
Thanks Rrems & Charlie B's for posting your thoughts on WD-50! Your comments really helped me decide what to order Sun night.
My b/f and I enjoyd both the corned duck and foie gras appetizers. We liked the kick of horseradish in the corned duck, without which I think the dish would have been rather bland. I loved the playful presentation of the foie dish, for such a traditional/high-end item I think WD did a good job of deconstructing what foie “should” look like and how it “should” be eaten. Taste-wise, the foie by itself was really salty, but not when eaten with the jam, and quite delicious.
We chose duck again for the main course, and it was cooked to pink perfection. I agree with Charlie B on everything about this dish, except perhaps that I really, really loved the almond polenta. So creamy and what interesting texture! The Wagyu was also cooked beautifully and meltingly good. Unlike Rrems, I actually enjoyed the coffee gnocchi but when eaten together with cipollini onions. The slightly bitterness of the coffee was counterbalanced by the sweetness of the onion, and both elements shared an earthiness (very clever WD). The beef itself was great, but even better eaten together with the coconut cream. I thought the coconut cream enhanced the richness of the beef, but the b/f thought it detracted from the flavor of beef... well, I appreciated the subtle sweetness. However, I was a little distracted by a slightly weird tacky texture that’s left in my mouth from the thickened coconut cream.
Dessert was good… not mindblowing, but good. I liked that you can actually smell the coconut, but agree that the sorbet was better than the actual cake. Did not like the salty coconut cubes… weird. I had a problem with the cherry covered chocolates too. The outer cherry membrane was plastic-like, with little taste of cherry. But the chocolate mousse on the inside was good. Their chicory ice cream was awesome though. Totally memorable conclusion to the evening. Perhaps, the best thing I’ve eaten the whole night.
A few things I didn’t like about the restaurant itself. The décor was serious and rather disjointed. Color scheme was dark and a weird color combination. It just didn’t set the right mood. And the tables that seat 2 were set too close together, very uncomfortable. Otherwise, service and food was very good.
If you were moving out of NY, where would you eat?
If you're moving to SoCal, you must have Peking Duck at Peking Duck house (Chinatown not Midtown) before you leave b/c there's no decent Peking Duck in LA. Even the "best" Peking Duck at Lu Din Gee in San Gabriel Valley pales in comparison.
It'll also be interesting to do a few food comparisons. Eat Joe's Shanghai before you leave and compare it to Ding Tai Fung's steamed dumplings (it's a tough call!). Also, Menchanko's Hakata ramen vs. Shinsengumi's Hakata (I'm partial to Menchanko's).
Forget the bad reviews, head to P*ONG ASAP
Loved P*ong as well. Everything on the menu had a sweet element, including items listed as savory, but not an overwhelming sweetness. The flavors were very well balanced. We had cauliflower soup (with chestnut puree and truffle oil) to start. I enjoyed the truffle oil, otherwise it is a little on the bland side... My b/f's favorite was the Berkshire pork. I really liked the duck (will try to recreate it at home). I liked the Foie Gras tacos (nut encrusted chocolate tuille with foie gras mousse) from the "sweet and savory" section, but this is definitely a dessert. This dish might have benefited from a stronger foie gras flavor, and I didn't enjoy the spicy jam, otherwise it's really quite good as a dessert. A must try dessert is the warm date cake, and the pineapple tiramisu is my personal favorite.
The place is tiny, so be prepared to wait a bit. I went on a Friday night and the place was packed 9:30 - 11pm, but it was odd how the place completely emptied out at 11pm.
Kee's Chocolate--favorite flavors?
My favorite of all time is a toss-up between Green Tea Mango and Passionfruit. HEAVENLY!
Tiramisu is luscious, smooth and melt-in-your-mouth good.
Pignoli (pine nut) if you like nuts.
Thai Chili is awesome, but not if you don't like spicy! It has a kick.
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/10/kees-chocolates.html
where do you buy supplies?
Speaking of those stores on Bowery... how are they in terms of quality?
Anyone been to the Italian winebar a couple of doors up from Marseille on Ninth Ave?
If it's owned by the same people as Marseille, it could be Nizza, which is really next door to Marseille. According to a post in MenuPages, they actually share the same kitchen. I went there only for some wine (Italian), but didn't try any food. I'd venture a guess that if they share the same kitchen, the quality of food might be the same. Just a guess. And it might come down to whether you want Italian or French. I don't know if atmosphere is that important to you but I think Marseille is a little darker, sexier. Nizza's brighter, livelier. And although Nizza is a smaller restaurant, it feels less intimateto me than Marseille.
Best delivery options to 38th & Broadway
I don't live too far from there, and I've been having OK luck with Delivery.com. Sort through restaurants by Food Quality to browse. But I like Home on 8th for Chinese food (kind of addicted to their steamed dumplings and they're really fast, at your door within 20-30 mins). Yatra does amazing Indian breads but you must order before 9pm. Wouldn't recommend getting soups from Yum Yum (Thai), I always have indigestion afterwards, although their noodles are good.
where to find sauteed pea shoots (dou miao) in chinatown?
Woah, I actually prefer the soft tender leaves, which is what I grew up with. I must go to Wu Liang Ye then.
By shoots, you mean the stems right? Joe's Shanghai almost always serve shoots/stems.
New Yorkers, Please help!
Francisco's Centro Vasco is definitely a great neighborhood place for seafood.
http://centrovasco.ypguides.net/
159 W 23rd St, Btwn 6th & 7th Ave in Chelsea.
friend in town - needs pho!
Third Cong Ly, but after I found a bug leg in my soup there (not to say you will if you go), I've been seeking out alternatives. Nha Trang is ok... but I've been going to Pho Tu Do for the past few weeks. Their broth is a little on the sweet side, and one time very anise-y. Either way, a more flavorful broth than Nha Trang in my opinion. But ask your friend if he/she doesn't mind a sweeter broth. Wouldn't recommend going to Pho Bang. Something not right about the broth that could be MSG, not very beefy, yet it's like strong.
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/12/cong-ly-best-pho-in-city-but.html
Definitely search this board for other threads
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/467793
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/467440
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/234260
Need recs: got my bo ssam, now what?
That's casting a very wide net... If you liked Momofuku, that kind of modern, asian influenced cuisine, then I'd suggest P*ong, although it's more of a small-plates tasting place with tiny portions, the flavor combinations are out of this world. And stay for P*ong's desserts, which are really the highlights of the restaurant.
But since you're already going to have Momofuku, perhaps something different the 2nd night. Uniquely NYC... hm Peter Lugers if they like steak?
There are so many choices! What cuisine/type of food are you're looking for?
Dinner in Mid-Town Tonight
I'd go to Menchanko Tei for their Hakata Ramen (try their oden bar, and rice balls are pretty good). 43-45 W. 55th St. Btwn 6th and 5th Ave, really close to your Sheraton.
A little bit south, Sapporo ramen is ok, although I much prefer the Hakata, Sapporo's Special Ramen would be my second choice. 152 W 49th St, Btwn 6th & 7th Ave.
Both places are good for 1-person dining and are definitely not going to have anything to do with super bowl.
Perry St -- best $24 lunch in town
I agree! Best $24 lunch in town. Went there recently and although the service was a little confused (two orders wrong), the food was visually stunning and tasty. My personal favorites were the Shrimp appetizer (dusted and grilled succulent shrimp, served with butternut squash puree and pumpkin seeds) and Peekytoe Crab Salad. Their Chocolate Pudding was not very exciting... but the White Chocolate Mousse was good, particularly the yuzu sorbet on top. My friend is in love with their mozzarella appetizer (I thought the pineapple overwhelmed the subtle cheese), but to each their own!
The pics are 1) Amuse bouche of celery root soup with cranberry foam, 2) Shrimp, 3) Chili oil poached red snapper.
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2008/01/sat-brunch-at-perry-st.html
Sapporo W 49th Special Ramen Soup?
My bad! Silverjay's right. Setagaya is for shio.
What say you... Minca for shoyu? Heard Rai Rai Ken's shoyu is supposed to be good.
Momofuku New Space
Don't go to Momofuku for their noodles!!!
Yes, the name is deceptive, you'd expect mind-blowing noodles from a "noodle bar", but it's their non-noodle dishes that really shine. Best pork belly ever. I think they should change their name...
Sapporo W 49th Special Ramen Soup?
Best ramen at Menchanko is actually their Hakata (milky pork broth). Although, their broth has become watered down lately. I wouldn't recommend any of their other ramens.
If you wanted Shoyu ramen you should have gone to Setagaya.
tea and sympathy
Terribly cute but overcrowded. Lovely tea, but I didn't like the food. I had the shepherd's pie which was oily and salty, the gravy must have separated or something b/c it was both watery and oily. Bangers and mash was also overly salty. Wouldn't eat there again, BUT they had wonderful tea!
Chinese New Year!
I actually think the crowd adds to the festive vibe and quite an experience (but yeah, it's super crowded). Oooh, you can buy these firecracker things that (if you're lucky) have these parachutes shooting out which everyone clamors to grab (I guess it's good luck). The grabbing gets quite competitive though.
Food-wise: My family always does hot pot at home for New Years... Since I won't be home this year, I might get some spicy hotpot at Grand Sichuan (midtown). Went to eat at Peking Duck House (Chinatown) last year on CNY. Wouldn't recommend it if you want to eat just duck b/c they only offer a prix fixe menu.
Btw, eat a whole fish on the day of the new year for prosperity rest of the year!
best chocolates in manhattan
Definitely Kee's has the best chocolates. But Kee's chocolates don't keep/travel well b/c they're so fresh. And actually the shop assistants will tell you that they're best for immediate consumption. I wouldn't keep them for longer than 1 or 2 days, so I don't know how that would work out in terms of taking them to Boston.
Vosge, Marie Belle and Torres all make pretty and impressive presents, but taste-wise not as good as Kee's.
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/10/kees-chocolates.html
Best hot chocolate in the city?
I love Mariebelle's hot chocolate too! Particularly their European style hot chocolate. It's very thick, chocolatey smooth and not sickeningly sweet. I think b/c the "European style" isn't made wth milk, it's not overwhelmingly rich. But beware, b/c it's so thick, it's not really made for gulping, more so to savor in tiny little sips.
I've had their dark, mocha and spicy flavors, and I like spicy the best. Don't get the spicy if you can't handle heat, there's definitely a kick!
Best Pho in Manhattan?
I third Cong Ly. It seems to be the popular choice on other threads too http://www.chowhound.com/topics/446078
Their soup is the best in ctown, and that's really what good pho is all about right? Noodles are not too clumpy and has good bite.
Although I have to say, it's not the cleanest place in town. I was sitting next to a wall which had dead insect parts lying on the paneling. Unfortunately I must have brushed up against it or something, and ended up with a bug leg in my pho. I'd still go back for their pho though!
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/12/cong-ly-best-pho-in-city-but.html
Pho: Where to eat it?
I second Cong Ly. Tried other places recommended on chow but Cong Ly won hands down. Most flavorful soup, best noodles and meatballs.
HOWEVER, be forewarned. Last time I went, I found a bug leg in my soup. I don't think it came from the kitchen b/c there was a pile of dead insect body parts lying on the wall paneling next to where I was sitting. It's more than likely that drafts of air could have carried the leg onto my pho, or I could have brushed up against the wall.
Regardless of how it happened, I'd go back to Cong Ly any day and brave the chance of another leg in my pho. Cause their pho is just that good!
http://misschopsticks.blogspot.com/2007/12/cong-ly-best-pho-in-city-but.html
Why does Durian make me sleepy?
I find it odd that every time I eat durians, I feel extremely sleepy and must take a nap! Does anyone else have this problem? And why am I affected this way?
