Category: <span>James Beard awarded</span>

Txikito- great Spanish in Chelsea

click to see more photos
click to see more photos
Friends were requesting to have tapas for dinner, and it just so happen that the thrillist daily news alert in my inbox that day was titled: The 14 Best Spanish Restaurant in America. Very suprise that there is only one on the list in NYC — Txikito in Chelsea on 9th Ave. The menu was very difficult to dissect. Names of most dishes on the menu were unpronounceable for me that I won’t even try to attempt. Then I saw the picture of the squid ribbons, nothing matter anymore, we have to go there.


Txikito (pronounced “chick–KEE–toe”) means little in Euskara, a language spoken by Basque people, who reside in northeastern Spain. This neighborhood basque place is owned and operated by Alex Raij and Eder Montero. The husband and wife team were recent semifinalists for Best Chef in James Bread Award. Front door opens to a little bar, and main dinning room is in the other room. It a long ,cozy, warm room that built like a fishing boat. Faded Shiplap wood as wall, cute little red table and wood chairs. It is very relaxing and welcoming. The front of the main dinning room is actually a rolling glass garage door. It was a little chilly at night, so it wasn’t open. But it would be a gorgeous afternoon, sitting here slipping a delicious sangria, when summer come and this door rolls open. We ordered a ton of food, and these bite size dished just make us wanting more.

Foie Micuit
Absolutely love the Foie Micuit. The rich, creamy, thick cut, velvety foie gras with crunchy toast, with a bit of sweet jello atop. Man, what would I give to have this as breakfast every morning….

Txangurro
Txangurro is another bite that makes you want more and more. It kinda echo the richness of the Foie Micui, but in a different sense. This one is crabmeat gratin on top. Baked, warm, still rich and creamy.

Pulpo
Pulp is an artfully plated octopus carpaccio. It was surprisingly simple, just some lemon oil, a little bit of herbs, a little bit of spice, and voila. Octopus was sliced paper thin, great to carry the flavor of the mixture, and not rubbery at all.

Txipiron "encebollado"
Txipiron “encebollado”!!! the squid ribbon is really a must try here. It was very interesting. We have never have squid like this before and it doesn’t resemble as a squid dish at all. The squid was shredded into thin spaghetti-like noodle. It come in a light but rich broth of sweet onions and pine nuts. It was utmost interesting dish we have had in a while.

Most dishes we had were great (see pic here). Beef tongue is crispy but not oily and juicy enough. Lamb was tender, rich and full of flavor. We also had a couple pork dished, but they were not such shinny stars as others. (April, 2015)

Cosme- Best New Restaurant 2015 in NYC

cosme
click to see slideshow

Cosme has been buzzing since it opened in October. It already claimed Best New restaurant on a almost all the reviews there is. And better yet, it had made the finalist list in that category on James Beard Award. So as we imagine, table is hard to grab. Luckily, on the first week of spring, we finally got in.

The bar out front is packed. Asides from bar stools and table, there were several knee-high table with sofa in the front room. I’m guessing it was meant to be lounge area, but since not everyone get a reservation, there were parties there having their dinner at the lounge. It’s petty awkward. The knee-tall table could pass for appetizers and drinks, but for entree, it won’t be comfortable.
Dinning room is dark but vibrant. There were built-ins throughout the place shelving varieties of wines . There were a couple larger table in the dinning room. Perfect for bigger groups. Sleek wood table with a small plant at each, adding a little bit green to the otherwise colorless room (the walls are actually green, but with the dimmed lighting, I barely noticed it).

El Ninja and Scoville Sour
El Ninja and Scoville Sour

    The drinks menu would take an hour at least to study thru. Cocktails on the 1st pages, other than the wine list, there is a full page on Mezcales, then another full page of tequilas. We heard the Mezcal were amazing, but the cocktails were hard to pass up. We had the El Ninja and Scoville Sour. It was beyond superb. Both had perfect combination. Just a bit sour then come a hint of sweetness. Both scream SUMMER!!! The El Ninja has a piece of dehydrated pineapple in it, after soaking in the cocktail, it makes a delicious snack. I wish I can have it everyday!

cosme

    The menu is divided into 3 sections. The first is obviously appetizers, most of it are curdos, and all seems very appealing. The 2nd section is a little confusing. It has us scratching our heads. Is it salad? 2nd appetizers? Or first course? But since we already knew we were gonna get the Duck Carnitas for entree, that help us make the decision to skip the entire 2nd section.
tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip
tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip
    Complimentary starter for the table is tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip. It packs a little kick but not enough to burn, just enough to wake up my palate.
Avocado, bone marrow salsa, cucumber 18
Uni tostada with Avocado, bone marrow salsa, cucumber 18
    There are a lot of avocado in the appetizers menu. Both of our appetizers have avocado in it too. The Uni totsada comes on a little plate. Fresh, sweet uni on top a layer of avocado, with bone marrow salsa underneath all atop a thin crunchy tortillas with a little bit of jalapeno on it. While I totally forgot that bone marrow in the mix, it’s a delicious little bite. So many different texture and flavors. All ingredients are super fresh, almost don’t need any seasoning and they compliment each other perfectly avocado’s creaminess, tomatoes’ freshness, play very well with uni’s rich and sweetness.

with salsa mexicana, avocado 20
Smoked raw sepia with salsa mexicana, avocado 20

Sepia is a kind of cuttlefish. Served in a oversize bowl, this smoked sepia with salsa was a bit oily for me. I would appreciate a little more acidity and spice in the dish to brighten it a little more. But nevertheless still a wonderful little bite. Avocado in this case was just for decorating.

    Duck carnitas, onions, radishes, salsa verde (to share) 59
    Carnitas means little meats, but this duck carnitas is anything but little!!!
    Brightest star of the night. Since we shared the duck, which means we couldn’t taste as many dishes or varieties as we would want. But this is a choice we do not regret. Simply because this is the BEST duck EVER!!! Daniel Humm, your duck now has competition. The duck was absolutely heavenly. Tender, juicy, and rich. it was like pull pork in duck form but much more tastier. No need for a knife. Meat was easily separated by fork. The skin of the duck is sweet. Served in a cast iron pan, there is a layer of duck fat at the bottom, but it didn’t feel heavy at all, certainly adds aroma. We had worried that it would be too salty for us, but it wasn’t at all. The juice from the duck is its best natural seasoning. The portion was generous. It can definitely serve more than two. The duck came with a stack of fresh tortillas, along with chipotle sauce and a spicy sauce. Tortillas served in a folded napkin. They are warm and fluffy!!! I love the smell of the flour and the warmth it felt. There were a lot of meat, there were some radishes and cilantro that come with the duck, which add crunchiness. But with the amount of meat, I wish there were more veggies to counter balance the meat. Or I’d gladly order a side of cucumber or radish on the side if that were an option. Between the 2 of us, we couldn’t finish the duck, but it made an exquisite sandwich the next day.
    Husk meringue with corn mousse.
    t was not as sweet as we were afraid of. It was savory-sweet and it was perfect. It’s creaminess, and the shell-like outer layer gave it great contrast. Use a spoon to crack it as if it’s an egg. It does have the same texture. There were even a hint of salt on the shell. There were enough instagram pictures of the dish to let us know what to expect. But when I crack the shell, it didn’t flood out like lava as I thought it would, it just restrained in the shell, but it was velvety. The salty-sweet contrast reminded us of the our beloved “milk & honey” at NoMad. So glad we saved room for dessert.

Cosme is well worth the hype. Mexican superstar Chef Enrique Olvera hit everything on point! From cocktails to desserts, Cosme exceed out expectation. It was a delicious night. We only wish we could have space for more. We will definitely be back, and next time, we are bringing help, so we can sample many more dishes and Mezcales.

Batard

click to view slideshow
click to view slideshow
I don’t often go to Tribeca. It is an inconvenience place for me. Subways are not close by, and I always get lost. But there are so many excellent dinning options in Tribeca. To name a few, Bouely, Atera, Junsik, Brushstoke, Nobu…… I was genuinely upset when Corton decided to close its door. In its place, is a beautiful fine dinning restaurant – Batard. Backed by the same group that is responsible for Nobu and Tribeca Grill, Batard opened last year, and immediately has won over the critics. Peter Wells gave it 3 stars, and also named it one of the best new restaurants in 2014.
We went to Batard the day after the “faux” snow storm Juno, it was freezing cold outside. We opened the door to a very warm welcoming place. Wood floors, faint yellow walls, chandelier, it is very formal, elegant, refined. It was 7pm, dinning room was half full. Dinners seems to be more sophisticated, more of a country club crowd, whispering conversation. We sat down in the deep corner of the dinning room. From we sat, we could get a glimpse of the kitchen’s ceiling. If the kitchen and dinning room is actually separated by glass instead of a wall, so the action in the kitchen is in full display, it would make me so happy.
batard
The first thing that Batard did made us happy is warm bread. We were each offered a poppy seed roll and a olive french baguette. The olive baguettes smelled so good. Both crunchy on outside and soft spongy inside, serve with creamy whipped butter, most importantly, warm!
batard
My co-conspirator ordered a cocktail. The server sat the cocktail down on the table with a coaster, what is unique about it was that the coaster was printed with the cocktail’s name and it’s ingredient. Very smart and detail. The menu breaks down to 8 appetizers, 9 entrees, 4 desserts and a cheese cart to choose from. We both chose 3 course menu opting out of cheese.

batard

    OCTOPUS “PASTRAMI”
    braised ham hock, pommery mustard, new potatoes

batard

    RED SNAPPER
    mandaarinquat, grilled squid, fennel

We were a little disappointed when we didn’t see sweetbread on the menu, since we heard so many good things about it. We had the Octopus Pastrami, and Red Snapper for appetizers. Octopus legs were pressed into a brick form, with chunks of ham hock, dressed with an excellent whole grain mustard. Octopus was not as good as the one at 15 East, but still very tender and good pair with the mustard. Red snapper was sweet. Mandarinquat not only added acid and brought out the sweetness of snapper, also added color to the dish. However, the olive oil was a little too much that almost covered. The celery was a little bitter, I would prefer it to be apple or maybe asian pear. But the little bits of squid was amazingly good.
batard

    DUCK BREAST
    foreleg pear, mushroom crêpe, duck liver mousse

Duck was beautifully cook. Perfectly medium rare, tender and juicy. There is a spring roll like mushroom crepe. Very moist and well season, although I wish the crepe would be a little crispier. I absolutely love the pear, so sweet and fresh; and the duck liver mousse was just as good as it could be. The only thing the didn’t fit in this plate was the matcha like green power underneath the duck liver mousse. I couldn’t make out what it was. It was powder like, green breadcrumbs but have absolutely no taste.
batard

    VEAL TENDERLOIN
    “tramezzini,” trumpet mushrooms, sweetbreads, sauce diable
    It is a veal medallion wrapped in a pastry like golden crust. It had the crunch I expected. But I would like my veal a little more red. The trumpet mushrooms gave the dish a different texture.

batard

    CARAMELIZED MILK BREAD
    blueberries, brown butter ice cream

batard

    ARBORIO RICE PUDDING
    preserved raspberries, earl grey-milk ice cream

Desserts were good, not too sweet, I have heard a lot of good things about this caramelized milk bread. It was very good, very fluffy, but the caramelized sugar coat might have been a little too much. For us, this milk bread is something can be easily acquired at a Japanese bakery, and there were places that we have had better, so we were a little confused why so many people were head over heels about it. Nevertheless, everything we had was great and elegantly presented. And for its reasonable price tag, we’ll be back. (Jan, 2015)
batard

15 East

15 East main dining room
After about 3 weeks I started this blog, one of my friends asked me, “what happen to 15 East? I’m surprise you don’t have it up yet.” The reason this was a question is because anyone who knows me knows that I’m crazy about sushi, and 15 East is my favorite sushi place in NYC so far. The truth was there are too much materials and I don’t even know how or where to start.

Over the years, we have been to numerous sushi places in the city, but not one has satisfy us the way that 15 East does. Time after time, we keep going back and Chef Masato continues to impress us. Like most Japanese sushi chef, Chef Masato devoted a lifetime to his skill and never stops thriving for better. That was very well communicated via his food. Every time, there was always something new, something exciting, something better.

May it be a new taste innovation, a new presentation, a new flavor combination or something we have never seen before, Chef Masato never failed to surprise us. Before the meal even ends, we were already planning our next visit.
Scallop with uni hand rollTomago
If you have watch the film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”, you would know just how important and how much time it takes to master a simple tamago or the crispiness of the seaweed. To some places, they were almost afterthoughts, which they don’t pay attention to. But at 15 East, these were just the two of many examples proving they are continue to improve. I have to be honest. Several years back when we first went to 15 East, the tomago was very ordinary, the hand roll lacked that crunchiness of the seaweed. But half a year later, when we went back, the seaweed was as crispy as a potato chip. The Tamago, although it was not yet the “Jiro/Nakazawa” standard, it was petty close.
Slow poached octopus Grilled Japanese conch and grilled smelt
Omakase starts with Chef Masato’s signature soft poach octopus. Tender, juicy, full of favor, it was better than steak! The “30 minutes massage” preparation really pays off. If you are not having omakase at 15 East, please, order it, this is a must have! It would change your mind about octopus. But if you are at 15 East, why would you not grab the seat in front of Chef Masato and let him take care of you?! From the first piece on, he pays attention. He notices without asking what makes you smile and what kind of flavor and texture impress you, then he would go on and adjust/ tailor the omakase to fit your taste. I mean, isn’t that what omakase supposed to be?

Uni (Santa Barbara)

Yes, you might be able to get the same kind, same grade of fish elsewhere, or even the same flavor combination, but you cannot get this kind of service and attentiveness. And the food is absolutely exceptional! Melt in your mouth Toro, crunchy sweet clams, everything was dreamy. Every piece was artfully crafted. Sushi rice was cooked just right and perfectly balanced; fishes were top grade, lightly press onto the rice and slightly brushed with soy sauce, or sea salt, or yuzu. And then, there were pieces that were so rare and exotic, that I have only had it here at 15 East on this side of the globe. Not only sushi is extraordinary, if you still have room for dessert, the tofu is must have. House made, dense but soft with red bean sauce pour over. And don’t forget the soba, freshly made in-house daily, the night I had it, it was pair with ikura and uni. Soba was just al dente, certainly better than some of the most raved ramen places in the city. We call it our bowl of happiness. At 15 East, every bite is memorable. We are in a sushi heaven when in 15 East and I can’t wait to go back.