Dancing Blue Seal

Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q, Houston, Tx

2012-01-19T09:54:00.004+08:00

One of those things that Texans take pride in (besides being Texan that is) is their barbecue. A visit to one of the popular barbecue eateries was definitely in order in this trip. You know this place employs a good smoker because you smell that aroma the moment you pull into the parking lot.

Rudy's dining store is almost akin to cafeteria style dining, but if you don't really care about formal dining ware and eating off some greaseproof paper then this may be just right up your alley because the food here was mighty tasty. The moist brisket and spicy sausage in particular was full of smoky flavor.

14620 NW Fwy
Houston, TX 77040
Neighborhood: Fairbanks/Northwest Crossing
(713) 462-3337

rudys.com

Lao Sze Chuan, Chicago, Il

2011-08-09T00:44:00.003+08:00

Just before heading to the airport, we decided to hit some Chinese food in Chinatown. Lao Sze Chuan seemed to match what we were looking for as we wanted a chili kick. This is a serve of the Chef's spicy dry chili chicken, despite my request to make it as spicy as possible, the chicken didn't really pick up the chili kick unless we ate the dried chilies as well, so that's what we did. Overall the food was very decent and the amount of meat was good for the price.

2172 S Archer Ave
(between Wentworth Ave & 21st St)
Chicago, IL 60616
Neighborhood: Chinatown

(312) 326-5040

www.TonyGourmetGroup.com

The Purple Pig, Chicago, Il

2011-07-18T09:04:00.002+08:00

Wow this had to be one of the best, if not the best meal we had in Chicago. Fearing that The Purple Pig might be another hyped up Chicago joint, we braved some foul weather to get here. The wait at about twenty minutes was nothing to us (after all we're pretty used to waiting much longer at a decent place in Manhattan). Small plate dining prevails here and a nice group allowed us to sample most of their fare. The roasted bone marrow was spot on, another mention should go to the veal shoulder slow roasted in milk and served on some of the creamiest and smoothest mash potato I have ever tasted. If you're in Chicago, you have to drop by The Purple Pig.

500 N Michigan Ave
(between Illinois St & Grand Ave)
Chicago, IL 60611
Neighborhood: Near North Side

(312) 464-1744

thepurplepigchicago.com/

XOCO, Chicago, Il

2011-07-07T03:53:00.006+08:00

I guess no trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to one of Rick Bayless' restaurants. We weren't that hungry or keen on waiting two hours for a table at Frontera so we hopped into the more casual XOCO next door and had some salsa, chips, churros and hot chocolate. With an extensive selection of hot chocolates here to pair with your churros, this place will definitely indulge the hot chocolate fan. The churros were light and airy and amount of sugar was just enough to complement the semi-bitter Mexican hot chocolate that I ordered.

449 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
Neighborhood: Near North Side

(312) 334-3688

www.rickbayless.com

Girl & the Goat, Chicago, Il

2011-05-30T08:53:00.002+08:00

One of the trendier and more popular restaurants in Chicago, Girl & the Goat serves New American fare, which I always felt to be a synonym for some sort of fusion type category. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against fusion but when executed poorly, it just becomes a mix of nonsensical flavors. Fortunately, Girl & the Goat had more hits than misses, the only real bummer being the calamari which was too salty. More interesting dishes include the roasted pork face, goat carpaccio and the hanger steak with Vietnamese style fish sauce. By all means I think it's worth a visit, not sure if it's worth the two month waiting period to get a table on the weekend though.

809 W Randolph St

(between Halsted St & Green St)
Chicago, IL 60607
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, West Loop

(312) 492-6262

www.girlandthegoat.com

Grill 21, Manhattan, USA

2011-05-09T04:13:00.003+08:00

Grill 21 is my go-to venue for Filipino food, well for their crispy pata to be exact which is a whole deep fried pig leg. Sure they have other dishes that are very tasty in their own right such as the pork adobo and tocino but those turn into mere distractions when compared with the crisp and crunchy skin of the deep fried pig leg giving way to moist and juicy meat. The best way to enjoy this is to do without the cutlery and get into it with your bare hands caveman style.

346 E 21st St
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10010
Neighborhood: Gramercy

(212) 473-5950

www.thegrill21.com/

D

Pio Pio, Manhattan, USA

2011-05-04T07:59:00.003+08:00

Pio Pio is one of those places with a small menu but what they do, they do pretty darn well. Specialising in Peruvian style roasted chicken, the chicken here is well marinated and juicy throughout. Even the white meat portions were juicily tasty. The slightly spicy and creamy green sauce that accompanies the chicken elevates a very good chicken to a great chicken. For non-chicken lovers, the jalea fried seafood platter and avocado salad are pretty good too.

210 E 34th St
New York, NY 10079
Neighborhoods: Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Midtown East

(212) 481-0034

www.piopionyc.com

Taverna Kyclades, Astoria, NYC

2011-04-25T08:57:00.003+08:00

This is possibly the best Greek food I've had in New York so far. A stranger to no one familiar with the plethora of Greek restaurants in Astoria; Kyclades never fails to deliver. The food is fresh and bountiful and the prices are very reasonable.

Seafood is the key here, the grilled octopus, calamari and broiled scallops are done simply with a quick heat and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice allowing the freshness to speak for itself. That being said, the non-seafood items here are pretty darn tasty in their own right too.

3307 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria, NY 11105
Neighborhood: Astoria

(718) 545-8666

www.tavernakyclades.com

Posto Pizza, Manhattan, NYC

2011-04-17T09:03:00.003+08:00

So New York and pizza are pretty much synonymous by now but the pizza wars are eternal and everyone sides with their own school. Chicago with their deep dish, the New York slice, Californian style pizza, it's a face-off that goes on forever. Being the pacifist that I am, I personally don't believe in categorizing slices by their origin or style, as far as I'm concerned, there's only a good slice and a bad slice. Fortunately Posto makes a pretty damn good slice, this is a half and half of meat lovers and the shroomtown and despite being quite the carnivore, the mushroom slice with the medley of portobello, shitake, button and white truffle oil definitely was the winner this afternoon. The crust here is of the super thin and crisp variety, which made it "lighter" and perfect for a lunch before heading back to work.

310 2nd Ave
(between 18th St & 19th St)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: Gramercy

(212) 716-1200

www.postothincrust.com/

Boka, Manhattan, NYC

2011-04-08T10:41:00.004+08:00

What's better than fried chicken? Korean fried chicken. I am officially in love with these crunchy juicy morsels. Boka serves korean fried chicken from Bon Chon and they're available in soy garlic or spicy. Those who read my blog should know which one I veer towards. Just wish that the spicy could just pack a little more zing.

9 St. Marks Pl
(between 3rd Ave & Astor Pl)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

(212) 228-2887

bokanyc.com

Super Taste, Manhattan, NYC

2011-03-25T22:50:00.006+08:00

Continuing on with my noodle trend. Here's a piping hot bowl of hand pulled noodles from Super Taste. Sure the meat wasn't the best quality but the flavor of the soup, the bite of the noodles, two dollops of chili oil and that sunny fried egg on top sure was tasty. And all of this plus a serve of dumplings for hardly $10? What more can I ask for?

26 Eldridge St
(between Canal St & Division St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Lower East Side

(212) 625-1198

D

Via Emilia, Manhattan, NYC

2011-03-21T09:09:00.006+08:00

Good to find a decent Italian place near work in case if I'm in the mood for pasta. Via Emilia serves some pretty nice freshly made al dente pastas. This is the chicken and wild mushroom tortelloni in truffle olive oil sauce; as a non-cream-based sauce, this was delightfully light and refreshing. Wish I could I say the same for the service though, I'm not one to gripe about service usually but forgetting orders (especially during the tight lunch hour- one waitress on duty non-withstanding) is not exactly one way to make a customer happy. If there's another redeeming factor; they do have a decent selection of lambrusco!

47 E 21st St
(between Park Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: Flatiron

(212) 505-3072

www.viaemilianyc.net

Excellent Pork Chop House, Manhattan, NYC

2011-03-15T11:38:00.003+08:00

So this isn't exactly like the food in Taiwan but when you're craving some Taiwanese food, it does a pretty good job. Pickled vegetables and stewed minced pork on some pretty chewy noodles, a dollop of chili oil, the grilled pork chop and fried chicken leg and some other side dishes. Just the perfect quick meal for lunch.

3 Doyers St
(between Bowery & Chatham Sq)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Civic Center

(212) 791-7007

excellentporkchophouse.com/menu.htm

Reheating Pizza

2011-03-10T11:49:00.004+08:00

Is this the best way to reheat pizza? "Best" is a strong word, so I don't know if I can commit to that but this sure is one damn good way to reheat a slice.
NYC is the land of good thin slice but often times, my ambition far exceeds my talent and I have a slice or two leftover. Sure eating it straight out from the fridge is a great hangover cure but sometimes, I pretend to be classy and want to heat a slice up. Cranking up my oven seems a tad bit too much for a slice (albeit a rather large slice) so after a recommendation from a friend, I decided to try heating it up on a non-stick frying pan. I took my slice of Lombardi's toss it on the pan, added some sliced pepperoni and it actually turned out REALLY good... damn this thing tasted as though it was fresh from the oven. The trick is to keep the heat really low... and if you want the cheese to go soft a little quicker you could cover it with foil for a bit too. But for now, I'm going to enjoy my slice.

D

RUB BBQ, Manhattan, NYC

2011-03-05T12:15:00.003+08:00

New York isn't the first place that comes to mind when one is thinking about bbq, but fortunately there are some decent bbq joints here that can help with those cravings for smokey, tender flesh. RUB (an acronym for Righteous Urban BBQ) is one of the better ones in town.

We ordered the Baron's Platter which is basically a sampler of their meats which included ribs, pastrami, smoked ham, smoked turkey, roasted chicken, home made sausage, brisket and pulled pork. The pulled pork in particular was extremely tender and tasty although the rest all had a nice smokey flavor. The sides of deep fried "super" fries and onion strings were crisp and had a nice seasoning on it as opposed to the usual one-dimensional salt. Lastly, I think anywhere that serves a mean deep fried oreo for dessert deserves to be frequented at least once.

208 W 23rd St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10011
Neighborhood: Chelsea

(212) 524-4300

www.rubbbq.net

Cold Snow and Baby Pineapples - dbgb -

2011-02-26T11:08:00.008+08:00

"I apologise if you think i'm ranting... but this is exactly a sample of my thought process and of course again.. you don't have to agree with it.. and it's still work in progress and evolving.. but there are many povs in life and i'm just sharing mine with you... but yes.. this is why i think in a global sense.. because essentially all humans the same [sic]... we're just as good and definitely just as bad and we'll all to some degree fit to the bell curve...

i just want to be honest with you because i do think honesty is important... and i rather you hate me for who i am than love me for who i'm not."

D

Kuho 65, Brooklyn, NYC

2011-02-25T09:25:00.004+08:00

So on a particular chilly night, hotpot was definitely a viable option. We decided to check out this place based on a client's recommendation. Hotpot and sushi? Interesting.

We were rather pleasantly surprised with the quality and cleanliness of the restaurant. The hotpots are individual little pots so there's no communal dunking, the food is fresh and replenished quickly. The variety of sauces is also quite decent. The beef in particular was quite nicely marbled.

Expecting the sushi to take a backseat in this meal, the variety of rolls we ordered were definitely better than some non-buffet joints. True, it's not the best sushi in the world but for this price, their spicy tuna rolls do give the rest of the competition a run for their money.

1703 65 St
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Neighborhood: Bensonhurst

(718) 232-5688

Awash, Manhattan, NYC

2011-02-22T11:14:00.004+08:00

Located on 6th street between 1st and 2nd ave, it was my first time trying this place. Have always been on a lookout for decent Ethiopian food after the first time having had it in DC.

Glad to say that the food here wasn't a wash, most of the flavors were distinct and the spice was not overpowering. In particular, the gored gored which is basically spiced raw beef cubes was quite delectable. Finishing the meal with some tej, this place may become a regular for my Ethiopian fix after all.

D

Elx, Barcelona, Spain

2010-11-08T09:23:00.004+08:00

Waking up almost at noon is cause for great eating because we have to make up for the caloric loss in the morning. Luckily for us, we heard of a good paella place just a a short walk from our apartment.

Being the first to be served during the day, we pretty much had the whole dining room to ourselves. Our sampler platter of fried appetizers did the job to wake us up. Crisp but not too greasy, the calamari and codfish fritters in particular were quite tasty indeed.

Of course, one does not come to Elx without having the paella. We decided on a mixed seafood and roast chicken paella. This was definitely bursting in flavor and the rice grains were cooked perfectly absorbing all the flavor from the stock. Despite being cooked together with the rice, the chicken still had a nice crisp and even though we felt it was a tad bit salty, I guess that just gave us more reason to wash everything down with heaps of cava.

Jamon, Spain

2010-10-17T11:17:00.005+08:00

One might argue this, but I personally believe the best cured type of meat in this genre is jamon from Spain. Italian prosciutto, Austrian and German speck, Portuguese presunto still take second place. Why do I like jamon and in particular jamon iberico de bellota so much? The intensity in flavour and "juiciness"(that's right, dry-cured meat which is juicy) is unparalleled. Eaten on its own, with some melon, bread or the more Catalan style Pa amb tomàquet, bread with tomato and garlic rub and a drizzle of olive oil, this stuff is mighty tasty.

D

p.s: I'm not dead, though it feels like it... sometimes

Bar El Tropezon, Barcelona, Spain

2010-07-12T16:49:00.006+08:00

If one wanders off the main strips in Barcelona into the vast winding small street alleys, you may come across nice little gems such as Bar El Tropezon (Carrer del Regomir, 26 tel: +34 93 310 18 64).

This is a plate of mixed spicy chorizo. Salty, spicy and with just the right amount of grease, these went great with beer.

This dish I think it was called la bomba or something like that is essentially like a potato croquette with chunks of ham in it, deep fried and smothered in a tangy combination of tomato and sour cream sauce.

Salted fried cod fish fritters, these actually tasted a lot better than they looked. The exterior was fried just to a perfect crisp to give way to a tasty soft cod fish bite within.

Here's some bread with garlic and tomato rubbed onto it. A rather refreshing side.

Of course when we're in Barcelona, we have to take advantage of her proximity to the water. Here's a daily special of clams cooked in garlic and white wine. Very fresh, the flavor of the clams stands out in this dish.

Grilled baby octopus in garlic butter. Tender octopus that wasn't overcooked, these was pretty delicious as well.

So what's the next best thing to watching the World Cup in South Africa? In Barcelona where the crowds were just crazy all night after Espana's huge win.

Big Nick's Burger and Pizza Joint, Manhattan, NYC

2010-06-06T10:21:00.004+08:00

I seldom venture to the Westside and when I do, it's usually due to a detour from a walk in the park to Big Nick's for some burgers. Big Nick's is somewhat of an institution by now, safe and tasty fare without the need for long waits; trialed and tested to deliver.

Here's the one pound sumo burger. That's right, one pound of pure grounded bovine splendor wedged between two slices of burger bun bread desperately trying to hold it all in. Served with thick cut steak fries, this could pretty much count as one solid meal.

The deli burger, which is a favourite of mine has thick cut savory French toast slices instead of burger bun bread. A slightly smaller patty (still a decent 10-12oz) cooked medium rare and topped with mushrooms and Gruyere cheese. To top up that deli -ook, notice the cute little (and totally redundant) toothpicks with the coloured cellophane wrapped ends.

A straight forward bacon cheese burger that always delivers. Beauty in its simplicity. Like the deli burger, this was requested to be served with waffle fries as well.

Just to make sure we had our vegetable quota for the meal (notice all the salad that came with the burgers too), this is a slice of carrot cake, complete with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with hundreds and thousands.

D

JP Licks, Harvard Sq, Boston, MA

2010-04-26T08:25:00.005+08:00

Your Honour, I plea guilty; guilty to blog neglect. I'm definitely not giving up on this blog but it's just that I'm in this phase of my life right now which just seems to sap away all my time and energy. This is just a quick snap at JP Licks during one of my short breaks. JP licks is a Boston chain cafe which sells ice-cream, frozen yogurts, coffee and cakes. Sometimes, sipping a hot chocolate and dismembering a gingerbread man bit by bit with my teeth are some of the best things in the world.

D

p.s: you can tell he is a bit of a masochist too because he's still smiling despite losing a leg.

Zaytinya, Washington DC

2010-02-15T09:33:00.005+08:00

Waking up to a little Winter wonderland such as this invokes strong emotions within me. Strong emotions because I knew I had f**kloads of shoveling to do before I could leave the house. Well at least the snow had stopped and the three hours of shoveling worked up quite an appetite to justify another meal.

It wasn't our intention to hit another "tapas" style restaurant the very next day but technically Zaytinya does mezze style dishes which is pretty much er... Middle-Eastern tapas. The food here has strong Greek, Lebanese and Turkish influences which were evident in the flavor and selection of dishes.

Warm pita bread on a cold late morning, most welcomed.

Smooth humus with a generous pour of olive oil, this accompanied the bread very well.

Escargots on a bed of mashed potatoes served with a garlic butter sauce, a tad salty but these were still quite tasty snails.

Now this was very tasty, minced lamb kebab koobideh seared just enough to cook the exterior leaving almost a tartare like raw finish within. Delicious!

The homemade veal sausages were also very good with a surprisingly very snappy casing which pretty much just burst forth with full flavor on every bite.

Crisp pita bread filled with seasoned minced lamb, I could imagine this as a nice snack or sandwich to go, the bread remained nice and crisp despite the juicy mince.

Here's a risoni with grilled chicken and shaved parmesan, this felt a little heavy but that could probably be due to the fact that we were already pretty full before this last savory dish arrived.

Zaytinya's rendition of the Turkish delight. Walnut ice cream with Skotidakis Farm goat’s milk yogurt mousse, honey geleé, orange-caramel sauce and caramelized pine nuts. I'm not a big fan of the typical Turkish delight confectionary (way too sweet for me) but this was a nice refreshing change.

And just to balance up the desserts, here's the Greek yogurt and apricots. Muscat soaked apricots, vanilla yogurt cream, apricot sorbet and pistachio powder. Not bad either.

The almost obligatory Turkish coffee ended the meal.

D

Jaleo Revisited, Washington DC

2010-02-08T10:22:00.004+08:00

Whenever I'm in DC, I make a stop by my favorite Spanish tapas joint, Jaleo. I've reviewed this place before, so I skipped the upload of many repetitious pictures but here are some dishes that I tried for the first time.

A starter of smoked chorizo and pata negra (jamón ibérico de bellota apparently), cured meat of the black Iberian pig which was thankfully released for sale from Spain to the USA in July 2008 . Oily, smooth and salted just enough, this was good stuff.

Shrimp quick boiled and drizzled with a chili and garlic infused olive oil was up next. The seafoods really shine at Jaleo and I've never been disappointed with the freshness and quality of the seafood here.

Broiled octopus with baby potatoes; fresh seafood well cooked again with a nice sprinkle of paprika.

A great winter dish was the stew of tenderly braised veal cheek with a medley of mushrooms including fresh porcini! A lot more subtle in taste than the dried ones, this should still delight the porcini lovers out there.

We finished our meal with a pair of desserts including this rich vanilla flan with brandy whipped cream. Deceptively rich, it went well with our coffee.

The service as usual is impeccable and they were still just as hospitable and gracious towards us despite the fact that they were planning to close early that day due to the crazy blizzard. That's a photo from the window by the way.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-25T00:12:00.003+08:00

Wishing all my readers a splendid Christmas and an excellent New Year!

Oh we did get a bit of snow this year, but this is probably only just like summer in Minnesota haha.

D

Mike's Pastry, Boston, MA

2009-12-06T08:49:00.004+08:00

So I do apologise for the lack of updates and the unprecedented hiatus but things have been crazily busy as of late and I stand guilty of blog neglect.

Almost right across the road from The Daily Catch is Mike's Pastry which does some pretty tasty cannoli. It's been getting more and more touristy over the years but I still try to pick up some sweets from them when I'm in the area.

One will be quite spoilt for selection here; the humble cannoli comes in a variety of flavors and fillings;

here's a selection of cookies and various macaroons which go pretty good with bitter espresso and

they have a variety of other sweets as well such as nougat, brownies and marzipan, so most people (who have at least a little of a sweet tooth) would be able to find something here.

So I unwrapped my little stash in my hotel and started with the massive cannoli; I went for a simple creamed ricotta filling dipped and drizzled with chocolate. Sweet, rich and creamy, the crisp shell was flavorsome without being too greasy, just how Mike makes them.

The brownie however, was only decent at best, I guess that was folly on my part to buy American desserts from an Italian pastry shop.

At least the ending was good with this giant profiterole, the mixture of choux pastry filled with fresh cream (not too sweet) and pretty much drowned in rich chocolate sure was tasty.

Littlefield Ranch Premium Texas Steaks

2009-09-21T07:41:00.002+08:00

Those who have been somewhat following this blog over the last three years would know that I tend to veer towards a more carnivorous appetite. Steaks, good quality steaks have a always a special place in my heart and I was recommended the Littlefield Ranch from a friend of mine. Apparently, they provide premium Texas steaks shipped across the USA. Being quite an avid online shopper myself, I thought, "Why not? Let's try some online steaks". The package arrived within the delivery date and was packed quiet nicely.

Within the first outer box was a smaller one packed within styrofoam walls and dry ice.

Despite having arrived on an afternoon on a rather warm day (after a 2 day transit mind you), the steaks and dry ice were all still very nicely frozen. So far, everything was pretty good, they even provided me with a little stick which measured the doneness of the steak, however, that was broken on arrival but no biggie for me really.

The packaging was good but I'm no sucker for pretty packaging. The proof of their product lies simply in only one thing; their steak. After thawing one of the fillet mignons for 24hours in the fridge and letting it rest out for a bit more to obtain room temperature, I rubbed on a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and sealed off the edges in high heat on a cast iron skillet. I then threw the rest of it into my oven to roast on high (450degF). Took it out once it was medium rare, and let it sit for about a minute before putting my blade to it.

Ooh, this was so tender that my steak knife pretty much just glided through it. Normally I'm not a fan of fillet mignon but this was the cut my friend recommended and it was indeed very good. Succulent and juicy despite being frozen; this tasted extremely fresh. This was good online steak, now I'm keen on trying the other cuts; especially the ribeye which looked pretty nicely marbled on their website.

D

The Daily Catch, Boston, MA

2009-08-27T20:21:00.009+08:00

The Daily Catch is definitely one place I would recommend to anyone who is visting Boston. Down in Little Italy, nestled amongst a huge bevy of Italian restaurants is this little eatery on 323 Hanover St (617 523-8567).

The menu is simply just written on the chalk board and everything is freshly bought. So the menu is not extensive, but the quality is pretty damn good.

Fresh tender calamari, encased in a light crisp batter. A sprinkle of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. An excellent appetizer.

This is a big favourite of mine. Squid ink puttanesca, the pasta was done perfectly al dente. I don't really mind the story behind the name of the pasta, if that indeed is the oldest profession in the world then politics would be a close second and the two are not always mutually exclusive. The anchovies and olives in the sauce were so tasty and fragrant; I felt almost like I should have ordered a main serve instead of the entree because this was just so delicious.

For our finale, we had a huge platter of fresh seafood marinara spaghetti. Two whole lobsters, tons of sweet fresh clams and mussels cooked in a tasty white wine marinara broth. This dish alone epitomizes what The Daily Catch is all about.

A refreshing light white to accompany this excellent meal.

D

Happy Belated Birthday DBS

2009-08-11T19:14:00.002+08:00

Three years on... and still dancing.

Here's a picture from just round the corner from my home in Perth... where it all started.

D

East Side Bar and Grill, Cambridge, MA

2009-07-29T08:59:00.004+08:00

So maybe we just didn't feel like having lobster for brunch today or the lobster shack we were looking for was closed on a Sunday (I confess, it was the latter); walking towards Cambridge, hungry as we were, we stumbled on the East Side Bar and Grill which was opened and seemed to be quite popular with the locals, soon enough we found ourselves inside for a little Sunday brunch.

Fried mozzarella is always a nice appetizer, but as I've grown accustomed to the generic mozzarella sticks, these wedges of freshly cut mozzarella before being crumbed and fried to a gooey mess was indeed quite tasty. Accompanied with the tangy marinara sauce, I knew the disappointment of not having lobster would soon dissipate.

I'm a strong advocate of the hearty first meal, so my main of sirloin steak tips, fried potatoes and sunny side-up eggs definitely fitted the bill. The steak tips were well marinated but most importantly the spuds were fried with real butter! That itself deserves extra points.

The other main was a 10oz burger with home-style fries. Pretty decent for a burger but definitely not the best we had, in fact it was a little too dry and definitely not the medium rare we ordered. The fries were tasty though.

Lastly we had a serve of French toast. Served with freshly whipped cream and a fine dusting of icing sugar, it didn't take long for us to smother these slices in syrup and finished off the meal. In the end, not having lobster was actually mightily refreshing and of course, there's always dinner.

Vinh Sun, Boston, MA

2009-06-18T11:11:00.003+08:00

So I always thought that Boston had the oldest Chinatown in USA but apparently that's not the case? I now hear the one in San Fran is probably the oldest one. Anyway, a little pet hobby of mine when I go traveling is to check out the Chinatown, I've had pretty good food in Boston's Chinatown about four years ago, so we went to check out the place and ended up at Vinh Sun.

We started off with deep fried whiting, whiting encased in a crisp and light batter, this was a pretty good appetizer.

On to more substantial protein; the beef short-ribs with green peppers were pretty tasty as well. The meat was fall off the bone tender but still retained a nice a chew. A tad bit oily, but that's the norm for this cut.

And of course, the lobster feast continued, 2 lobsters straight from the tank cooked Chinese style with ginger and spring onions.

Atlantic Fish Co, Boston, MA

2009-06-01T10:49:00.007+08:00

I do apologize for the lack of updates, I've been so busy moving out of my previous apartment. I was also in Boston a few weeks back and boy was I lucky to have arrived when lobster season was just starting. Is it possible to get sick of lobster? After this series of posts from Boston (I had lobster every single day), you tell me.

A quick query from the concierge pointed us towards the nearby Atlantic Fish Co. as the place where the locals go for good seafood nowadays, so off we went. Not making reservations meant we were seated in a little table right in the middle of the dining room, not the most comfortable location but we were hungry so we weren't going to complain. We started off with a simple Caesar salad; crisp leaves, grated parmesan and toasted croutons. Fresh but otherwise unremarkable.

The clam chowder provided a much more substantial start. Rich and creamy, the generous chunks of clam flesh still had a decent bite.

Our first course was a plate of mussels steamed in butter and white wine. The simplicity of its preparation allowed the freshness and flavor of the mussels to prevail.

Very tasty and possibly the plumpest mussels I've ever eaten.

Here's a cute little bib that was given to me just before the main course. A bit of a novelty, I saved my as a souvenir.

Here we have it, the seafood platter of little neck clams and a 2.5lb lobster.

Did I mention I'm glad we came just when lobster season started? The massive claw almost spanned across the entire plate. Claw meat is not too bad but I still prefer the body meat which I think is the sweetest and most succulent.

After the devouring the massive crustacean we were introduced to the dessert trolley and we picked out the signature chocolate cake, which was really only ok. Somehow it was really heavy and thick but perhaps wasn't the thing after all that lobster and dipping melted butter.

The Boston cream pie was way more welcoming. I think the light sponge cake and cold cream made it the more refreshing dessert. It helps that I like cream pies as well.

Atlantic Fish Co. definitely raised the bar for good lobster. I'll have to see if the other restaurants match up over the next five days.

D

Homemade "taco"

2009-04-29T07:55:00.003+08:00

This is basically just a typical sloppy, greasy meal I make when I'm hungry and in a hurry. Stuffed a flour tortilla (yup, I prefer the flour ones to the corn ones) with sliced beef, bacon, tomatoes and some muenster cheese; let everything bake whilst I sneak a quick shower and by the time I'm done, it's all ready. A mess? Yes, but what a tasty one it was.

Asian Legend, Ann Arbor, MI

2009-04-09T08:58:00.004+08:00

The literal translation of Asian Legend is actually "Old Place", I guess it's supposed to invoke memories of nostalgic popular Taiwan eateries. One of the fairly decent Chinese eateries in Ann Arbor, Asian Legend serves food which is touted to be Taiwanese. In all fairness, I think it's more like Chinese food as certain Taiwanese staples are not available, but still the fare is consistently quite tasty, so I try to stop by whenever I'm in Ann Arbor.

We started off with a generous serving of deep-fried pig intestines. Crisp on the outside and succulent within, salt and pepper sprinkled on top gave it a nice flavor. I would have preferred if it was fried a little longer to be crispier but it was still pretty good.

Deep-fried chicken wings with basil and salt and pepper were up next. This could have been a very good dish if not for one flaw, the nasty fragments of chicken bone in almost every bite. It's as though they bashed the wings up a bit to let the flavor in so I had to contend with bone every time I had a chew.

A braised combination of pig ears, cold seasoned beancurd and seaweed. Everything here was good except the seaweed which tasted extremely fishy. I'm serious, it tasted just so off that we barely touched it.

The beef pancake rolls were just as good as I remembered. Crispy spring onion pancakes rolled around succulent braised beef slices. This is a must order whenever I'm here.

Last but not least, we had a serve of the Taiwan braised beef noodles. I was never really a big fan of these noodles to begin with so I guess this was pretty much as good as it got. A tasty broth, some chunks of braised beef, springy noodles and the minced preserved vegetables on top.

Asian Legend isn't exactly hardcore, authentic Taiwanese but it's good and predictable Chinese food. When the pickings are that few in Ann Arbor, one can't be too fussy.

Potbelly Sandwich Works, Ann Arbor, MI

2009-04-01T08:47:00.004+08:00

This is just a one of those toasted sandwiches from the Potbelly Works chain. It wasn't really spectacular but did the thing after that early morning flight. I still think they beat Subway anytime though.

One Dollar Hotdog, Manhattan, NYC

2009-03-20T19:49:00.003+08:00

Like thin crust pizza by the slice, hotdogs are another convenient snack (or meal depending on how many you eat) that are readily available in New York. It's hard not to walk around Manhattan and not see one of those so-called dirty water hotdog stands. I don't even know the name of this one but it's apparently pretty famous as the hotdogs only come up to a dollar after tax and they look pretty big too. Catering to the Chinatown crowd and definitely the Fung Wah Chinatown bus clientale, this hotdog window at the corner of Canal and Bowery has gained quite a following.

So how was it in the end? It was actually surprisingly tasty. It was larger than the average street hotdog and they claim to use quarter-pound all beef dogs here. The casing was snappy and the meat was still quite succulent and juicy. Maybe I was hungry but I did wolf this down pretty quick. Catsup and mustard are free but onions cost extra.

Hagi Sake Bar, Manhattan, NYC

2009-02-11T10:37:00.004+08:00

One of the things on the top of my list when I first arrived in Manhattan was to find a good izakaya joint that would allow my continual indulgence in good sumiyaki fare and the likes. A good friend and colleague of mine recommended a pretty much known secret in the Theater District - Hagi. I don't think this post will add any more publicity than it already has as I've waited before for a table for almost an hour at 1am on a Friday night.

Here are some nicely fried tempura shimeji mushrooms to start our little supper. The batter was a bit heavier and greasier than Tenshin but still very delicious indeed.

This has got to be my favorite here. Pretty much one of my favorites at any place proficient at grilled items on a stick is the fatty pork belly. Nicely charred and simply seasoned with some salt and a drop of lemon juice (to cut through the fat, so it's all healthy now you see), it's all you need to indulge in this tasty morsel.

Here's a sardine stuffed with mentaiko before being grilled. I love mentaiko in any permutation so this was right down my alley.

Kawa; grilled salted chicken skins. That's right, chicken skins.., the stuff some people peel off their KFC to make that piece of oil soaked chicken healthier. This stuff is delicious. Some of the tastiest things in life are the simplest.

Grilled squid with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Grilled just enough to remain tender and not too rubbery, this was good squid.

Now this was an odd one. It was a special advertised as grilled sun-dried squid. It tasted a little bit like those dried cuttlefish snacks but slightly warm... the bonito flakes on it were more a gimmick than anything else. It just tasted very ordinary to me and for 8usd for 4 bite-sized pieces, I was expecting a little bit more.

Deep fried pork belly. Not too bad albeit slightly dry. I still prefer the grilled version on the stick.

Now this I like, probably not something everyone would love but these deep fried chicken gizzards were quite delectable indeed. One serving gives you a pretty large bowl of these crunchy fried pieces but don't count on that thin piece of paper to absorb all the oil, oh I mean juice.

Some more bite-sized snacks. These croquettes were each filled with a nice blob of cheese which melted very nicely when deep-fried.

After a few deep-fried items, my palate begged for something with a cleaner taste. Bonito tataki served with crispy garlic bits, raw onions and a tangy sauce (tasted abit like ponzu). This stuff is very addictive, I've known people to order more than one serve of this at every sitting.

Back to another round of real meat. The grilled beef short ribs were also not too bad but nothing spectacular.

Starting our round of "fillers" was this okonomiyaki on a hotplate. This is perhaps one of the better ones in Manhattan and I've definitely had worst but I've had better as well.

Grilled onigiri was up next. These are like jumbo sized, so it's good for sharing. I think this was filled with salmon.

Last but not least was a seafood yakisoba. Now this almost pushed us over the edge, a very filling mix of noodles and an assortment of seafood. Greasy and savory, this wasn't much to brag about but it certainly did its role as a good filler.

Hagi is definitely one of the better (and more affordable, it's hard for two people to spend more than 80usd here - excluding alcohol) izakaya joints in Manhattan. But that being said, I still miss Kazu.

D

Bone-in Prime Rib

2009-01-28T23:12:00.003+08:00

Although ever since moving to New York, my kitchen has downsized quite a bit, that does not mean that I do not eat most of my meals at home. I often find it still a lot more satisfying to consume a home-cooked meal and contrary to the popular myth, it is not cheaper to eat out than at home in New York City. However, with this compact kitchen, most of my meals have also become relatively simple, no more granite slab cooked steaks or charcoal barbecued ribs, but if there's one thing I can still do, it's a pretty decent bone-in prime rib.

This is a 2lb (or about 1kg) bone-in prime rib picked up from the butcher. Let it rest in room temperature for awhile, you don't want to cook this too cold and definitely not frozen. Season with salt, black pepper and paprika or whatever seasoning you like to taste.

Sear the slab of animal in a pan on high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side. This is to seal in the juice so it'll remain succulent and moist after the roasting.

Put it in the roasting pan and into a pre-heated oven at 375degF (about 190degC) for about 30-40minutes or until medium.

Take it out of the oven and let it sit for about 5-10minutes to allow the juices to be reabsorbed.

Enjoy. Now there's no more need for Lawry's anymore hey?

Five Guys, Washington DC

2009-01-26T06:27:00.004+08:00

I've always found DC to have a nice number of eateries that will fit almost any budget. Although Five Guys is originally from Arlington, Virginia, it's in DC where they really took off, having spawned quite a number of branches in DC, they've gone on to spread to other states.

As their namesake suggests, they do take their fries and burgers quite seriously. Their fries are made from fresh potatoes and prepared almost as when they're ordered. There's a signboard up stating where their fries are from as well. If I'm not wrong, these spuds were from somewhere in Idaho (where else?). Simply seasoned with some salt and black pepper, these were pretty tasty on its own. There's also no reason to order a larger serve because although the size of the cup may vary, they throw everything into a brown paper bag and just fill it up anyway.

There's a bit of a gimmick in their burger nomenclature here, a "little burger" is basically your standard burger and their standard burger here comes with double patties. Needless to say I went for the bacon cheeseburger which came with two very nice and juicy patties. Another plus to this place is that all additional toppings are free, I think I chose mustard, catsup, jalapenos, mushrooms, fried onions, lettuce and tomato. All in all, this made a pretty good lunch. Some aspects of fastfood still remain though, all the patties are only cooked to well-done which is a bit of bummer but they were still juicy enough to be quite delectable indeeed. For fastfood, this is definitely better than your average.

D

p.s: An absolutely happy Chinese New Year to all my Chinese readers out there!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-28T13:15:00.003+08:00

I know this is kind of late but I've just been enjoying being back in Perth and doing absolutely nothing for the past few days, which is in itself a much needed luxury. Just want to wish you all an absolutely fantastic holiday season and a Happy New Year.

D

Grilled Salmon Thingy

2008-12-15T20:21:00.003+08:00

Back in Singapore, well at least for a few days and with all the catching up on local fare to do, there hasn't been much time to post much. This is just a sample of what my tiny kitchen in Manhattan is capable of churning out. Grilled salmon and seared portobello mushrooms on a toasted potato brioche topped with with a creamed caper sauce. Ok... back to more local food now.

Mcdonald's Baked Apple Pie

2008-11-27T07:36:00.003+08:00

This is just something for the guys back home. The apple pies from McD's here are baked; not deep-fried.

What a bummer. Funny as it sounds, I actually miss deep-fried apple pies, at least I'll be home soon.

Amy Ruth's, Manhattan, NYC

2008-11-20T09:23:00.005+08:00

The peace, the serenity...

A lazy Sunday arvo, even the pond turtles were basking in the sun...

the tranquility of... Manhattan? That's right, it's no secret that the man-made Central Park is a little nature getaway for most people living in Manhattan. What's fun about CP is that she spans a rather vast area and walking through it all the way will lead you out to Harlem. Now, since we're in Harlem, why not grab some soul food?

Amy Ruth's has been around for 10 years now and I've been told it's the place to grab some classic Southern style soul food. Soul food is basically an American style of food developed by African-Americans in the Southern region during the 50s and 60s. There's more history to it but I'm just keeping it brief for simplicity.

Cornbread was served at the start. Buttery and fragrant, these little pieces of bread were even still a bit warm from the oven which made very convenient for the spreading butter to melt and seep into every bit of it.

Chicken and waffles. Now isn't this a neat combo? Can't decide what to have for your main and dessert? Just order them both on one plate. Some of the folks around ate the waffle akin to like fries or some sort of side with their fried chicken. Of course there's the option of keeping it to end and eating it more conventionally with syrup. Which one did I choose?

Another interesting sweet and savory mix. Fried chicken with honey. A crispy juicy fried chicken leg doused over with spiced honey. I know it sounds weird but this mixed flavor sort of grew on me. Now even when I head to Popeye's for some fried chicken, I may eat it with some honey (the Popeyes' here provide little sachets at no extra charge).

More sweet stuff, a side-dish of candied sweet potatoes. Now this was pushing it a little, the sweet potatos were pretty sweet naturally and now being soaked in syrup, it was a bit overbearing.

When I saw deep-fried okra on the menu, I thought it'll be like those okra chips you get at Indian restaurants, instead these were battered prior to deep-frying which sort of left the okra still soft. Not too bad really, at least it wasn't soaked in syrup haha.

So how did I do that waffle in the end? Despite all the sweet stuff during the meal, I stuck to conventions and ate it as a dessert with lots of butter and syrup.

Now this definitely made that walk through Central Park worth it. After all, why waste all that exercise?

D

Daisy May's BBQ, Manhattan, NYC

2008-11-11T04:56:00.004+08:00

Even though BBQ is pretty much a Southern thing, luckily there's still some decent BBQ to be found in Manhattan. Daisy May's is apparently one of the better ones around, so I decided to make that huge crosstown walk all across to the West side to sample some of the fare.

The order process is simple, you go up front, tell them what you want, the sides are all there for you to look at and behind in the kitchen, someone's chopping away at your meat. These are the Memphis Dry Rub Pork Ribs. Despite its name, the dry rub actually helped preserve the juicy interior of the meat. The spices used weren't too strong either and made a good balance. This was a pretty good start.

Next up was the Oklahoma Jumbo Beef Rib. Now, I've always been partial to beef ribs and this was indeed one tasty meat on the bone. Charred fatty edges and tender succulent beef rib basted in a BBQ sauce. The was easily my favorite of the night, even though it was more challenging to eat by holding that huge bone.

Kansas City Sweet and Sticky Pork ribs was up next. Cooked till fall off the bone tender, these were tasty although the sauce did feel abit overwhelming after awhile.

If all that meat isn't enough or there's a vegetarian(!) dining amongst you, the sides here are pretty darn tasty too. The creamed spinach, cheddar cheese corn and mash potatoes has enough calories (and taste) in them to justify eating and the mashed sweet potato with brown sugar was a sweet counterpart to all the savory meats.

All of this and a big jar of cold sweet mint tea served in a 32oz mason ball jar made a pretty good BBQ meal.

So who's to say we can't find decent BBQ in Manhattan? Come down to Midtown West and enjoy some good meat.

Forty Carrots, Bloomingdale's, Manhattan, NYC

2008-11-02T06:53:00.006+08:00

The frozen yogurt (or more affectionately known as "froyo") craze in New York has certainly passed its peak but there's still enough critical fanbase for a decent number of Pinkberries and Red Mangoes to be found. Apparently, even before Pinkberry exploded onto the scene in about 2005, Forty Carrots at Bloomie's was already churning out some pretty decent froyo.

Here's a double swirl with original and butter pecan. Even though the original tasted a little tart (I thought it would taste as sweet as "I can't believe it's yogurt!"), the flavor soon grows on you. The butter pecan was surprisingly rich for yogurt and overall the quality was sufficiently creamy to make a nice ice-cream substitute or just a preferential dessert of choice. Tuck away on the 7th floor of Bloomie's is Forty Carrots, a little froyo getaway in the middle of midtown mayhem.

Sunset Dinner, Monterey, California

2008-10-24T19:44:00.003+08:00

After trying some of the fancy offerings Monterey and Carmel possess, on our last night we opted for just a simple takeout dinner from the Asilomar dining hall. Started a little wood fire by the beach, a couple of beers and of course

a glorious sunset.

The Tuck Box, Carmel, California

2008-09-28T08:43:00.008+08:00

Carmel-by-the-sea (or just Carmel in short) is a little town about 20 minutes away from Monterey. It's touted to be pretty upmarket and yuppie and the fact that 80% of the shops here seem to be either an art gallery or an antique shop made that feel even more apparent.

Even the Starbucks here was yuppie and had an assortment of biscuits and pastries that I've never seen in Manhattan.

Since it was too early for lunch, we decided to have a light brunch. We chanced upon The Tuck Box (Dolores & 7th Ave, tel: (831) 624-6365 ) doing rather brisk business and so we took a seat under the warming late morning Sun on a rather cool day.

The bay shrimp salad was a nice refreshing appetizer. Even though the shrimp weren't gianormous, they were fresh and sweet. The salad leaves were also crisp and tasty and required minimal dressing.

Their signature sandwich came stacked with just the right balance of meats. Healthy turkey ham and crunchy fatty bacon, with some crisp lettuce wedged between two slices of lightly toasted bread. Simplicity in its finest. This was somehow very satisfying.

This place is apparently famous for their scones. What makes it interesting is that their scones aren't the traditional English sort (like American biscuits), rather the scones here are the Scottish variety; cooked in a cast-iron pan and cut into wedges. Buttery and very fragrant with the added cornmeal. These were indeed tasty.

The homemade marmalade accompanied the scones exceptionally well.

Of course, no visit to a tea house would be complete without a cup of tea. I'm not a big connoisseur of English teas but this tasted fresh and clean.

Sweetened with a little honey and enhanced with some fresh milk, this cup of tea added a nice finishing touch to the brunch.

The Sardine Factory, Monterey, California

2008-09-24T09:48:00.006+08:00

The Sardine Factory (located on 701 Wave Street, tel: 831-373-3775) is one of the restaurants highly recommended on the Monterey Visitor's Guide. I actually didn't know that, until after this meal but I guess it could only help keep my mind open as we dined that early evening.

The almost obligatory bread at the start. The buns were pretty good but the bread sticks tasted almost stale.

Some condiments to complement the bread, the spiced olives were particularly tasty.

The rich and thick clam chowder was much appreciated on this chilly evening. This stuff was filled with a generous portion of chunky clam flesh.

For my main, I order the calamari steaks, partly out of curiosity but also knowing that since I like calamari so much, I couldn't really go wrong. This was pretty interesting, large unrolled slabs of calamari body flesh coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried till crisp before being topped with a black truffle infused cream sauce. This was actually pretty tasty.

Much of the sauce was absorbed by the risotto with black truffle shavings. A very fragrant and delicious side to accompany the calamari.

D

Breakfast, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Monterey, California

2008-09-19T04:40:00.004+08:00

Dining at the Conference Grounds doesn't really give you much choice since there's only one dining hall and meals are only served during designated hours. Of all the meals here, only breakfast seems to be good. It's always nice and hearty with some form of egg, meat (sausage or bacon) and a carbohydrate filler (pancakes, waffles, hashbrowns). None the less, I'm a strong advocate of hearty breakfasts because I believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the morning.

Trattoria Paradiso, Monterey, California

2008-09-17T09:52:00.004+08:00

Monterey, California is a refreshing change from the bustle of New York City. Even though, I was spending most of my time at the conference grounds of Asilomar, I managed to check out the dining scene along Cannery Row. There are heaps of restaurants lining the beach front, some even giving out free samples of clam chowder but in the end we settled for Trattoria Paradiso because it seemed decently crowded and had a nice view of the ocean.

Warm bread was presented promptly to welcome us on this rather chilly late summer evening. Monterey gets surprisingly cool (cooler than New York even) at this time of the year. I think it's something to do with her proximity to the ocean but it sure made this freshly baked slice very appetizing indeed.

Next up was a clean garden salad. No cream dressings here, just a simple vinegarette and crisp leaves to match the crisp ocean air.

I'm a sucker for fried calamari, so we ordered a plate of this to share as well. Succulent and not overcooked, this was served with a tangy marinara sauce on the side.

I actually forgot to take a picture of my main of crusted sand dabs (a local fish) with lemon butter so you'll just have to take my word for it, that it was pretty darn tasty. I guess, I was just too hungry from that flight over from New York heh.

Street Food Round-up, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

2008-09-09T06:17:00.006+08:00

Of course no visit of Thailand is complete without some grub from the local street food scene. Here's a charcoal grill making nice work of some Thai satays.

The pork was juicy and succulent with that bonus chunk of lard.

The chicken gizzards were pretty tasty too.

The beef had a different seasoning altogether, without any hint of sweetness that satay has, this was just delightfully savory.

Thai nem (preserved pork), quite similar to the nem in Vietnam. Sometimes, this is eaten raw (although it's really preserved in the spices) but here it was grilled on a stick which made it more attractive. The sourish and salty flavor may not appeal to many but I'm quite okay with it.

One of my favorite stalls is the mixed curry rice store. There's almost always something that one will find tasty in the large variety. A huge dallop of meats and a generous drizzle of curry on a plate of steaming hot rice; a humble dish, a satisfying meal.

The common fried insects stall was present as usual. Never had been a big fan of this to begin with, so I gave it a miss this time.

Fried pork collar in sesame seeds. One cannot help but get a bag of this to snack on.

In addition to the more traditional fare were some rather enterprising ones. This one was serving a huge variety of sushi.

They even had little pan pizzas going for under 2usd each.

Last but not least was this cute stall selling a huge variety of little pastries, ranging from tiny savory sandwiches to mini donuts. Even though my trip was rather short, I'm quite sure I ate my fill.

D

River Hotel, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

2008-09-01T04:34:00.006+08:00

Most of my meals were partaken at the River Hotel which kind of makes sense since I was staying there but it's more than that because it helps that the whole River Hotel chain is but part of the bride's family businesses. Thus individual luxury rooms with king sized beds were provided for the special wedding guests (whom I'm conveniently one of). This is a bowl of delicious king shrimp porridge that was served prior to the wedding lunch after the ceremonial formalities.

The porridge is eaten with this side loosely translated as Thai bacon. It's a sweetish, savory pork jerky that's fried and gets really addictive to snack on.

The wedding couple had to consume this traditional dessert of ultra sweet red jelly-like thingy with hard-boiled eggs. I sneaked a little bit to taste and this was sweet!

Unfortunately, I did not take any photographs of the wedding feast itself as I was seated at the most important table and there were way too many seniors there for me to whip out my camera. But I managed to get pictures of some of the food we ate at the River Hotel's restaurant. These were some minced-prawn fritters, which came as a starter to one of our other big meals. Crisp beancurd skin on the outside and chunky bites of prawn within, we knew that from day one, there will be no skimping on quality when it comes to everything; including the food.

Boiled free-range, wild chicken; I'm not a fan of chicken usually as it's just too mass produced and lacks flavor compared to their red-meat counterparts. But free-range and wild running chickens are a different class altogether. The flavor and texture of this bird was so hearty that it didn't need much seasoning to make it tasty.

Another dish with fresh green peppercorns and basil leaves, this time using fish instead of razor clams, but it was just as yummy.

Deep-fried pork marinated with red preserved beancurd. Crispy, salty and greasy, great beer grub.

Fried pork neck with sesame seeds; another staple seen in Thaistreet food. The restaurant version definitely did not disappoint either.

Here's a steamed fish with an assortment of vegetables including Thai eggplant (the green round things that look a bit like hot-crossed buns). The purity of natural flavors were what stood out here and despite minimal seasonings, it wasn't bland at all.

For all the Thai food lovers out there, I know that Pad Thai is almost synonymous with Thai food but my favorite Thai noodle dish is actually pad kee mao (drunken noodles). This stuff is spicier than pad Thai and less sweet. Give this a shot when you're next at a Thai restaurant as a refreshing change over the standard pad Thai and you may become a convert just like me.

The River Hotel provided excellent accomodation and tasty food throughout my stay in Nakhon Pathom. If anyone is planning to travel here, do consider booking your room here.

D

Food by the Sea, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

2008-08-22T09:47:00.008+08:00

After the floating market, we were driven to a local beach which had an array of street stalls serving some pretty nice bites. I'm a big fan of street food and this was definitely up my alley.

Amongst the myriad selections of seafood, some uncommon ones stood out, such as these horse-shoe crabs, where apparently, only the roe is savored.

The ubiquitous drinks stall which serves the creamiest, tastiest iced milk tea.

Now this was the ultimate fake-out. Any Singaporean or Malaysian will know what comes to mind when we see these. It has to be otak right? The spicy coconut- milk-based fish paste which is so tasty when grilled over charcoal.

Turned out it was some sweet sticky rice thingy! I felt like such a fool when I took my first bite.

Grilled scallops by the street are always welcome.

With a dash of salt and some butter and spices, these tasted great.

A whole pot of piping hot steamed cakes. Somehow, I don't know if it was psychological but wrapping the cakes in these leaves gave them a noticeable fragrance over the ones we have in Singapore which are just baked in containers.

After snacking on all the street food, it was time for lunch. The advertising system here is rather unique. All these mascots are dressed (actually it's pretty much only their headgear) as sea creatures and they dance and prance around by the road to entice you to try out their fare.

We settled for this fish dude's restaurant. We were in the mood for some fish this lunch and I guess there is no other method to ascertain a restaurant's standard of fish except from their mascot. Come on, I mean look at him, he's a fish dude!

A pretty much vegetarian salad of onions, raw papaya and cashew nuts was the first dish. A nice, tangy appetizer to kick start our feast.

Next up was a seafood vermicelli salad. This was unassumingly spicy, but still tasty. The lime dressing on the seafood really reminded me of some good ceviche I had not too long ago.

Stir-fried shelled razor clams with green peppers and basil. Absolutely loved this. I'm beginning to be quite a big fan of all the varieties of basil and the sweet flesh of the clam sure complemented the fragrance of the Thai basil.

Next up were some boiled sea slugs which we ate with a chili dipping sauce. Fresh and naturally sweet but it was in the end quite spartan in flavor really.

Boiled squid in a tom yam broth. Crunchy, succulent squid in a delicious savory, spicy and slightly sour tom yam stock. What more can one ask for?

Perhaps some freshly fried fish. Funny how despite this fish being so fresh (like live), our host opted to fry it instead of steaming (the almost mandatory method to "appreciate" the freshness of fish haha). But hey, some people may argue that one can get away with bad fish by deep frying it, yeah maybe if we're talking about fish fingers but even though this was deep-fried, the oil was so intense that within the crisp exterior was fresh sweet flesh which pretty much "steamed" in its own juices.

Last but not least was a hotpot of fresh water river eel. The soup was good and the eel was suprisingly delightfully fatty. The only bummer was the life-threatening number of fine bones which made eating this quite a dangerous task. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the eel and felt so gangster living life on the edge.

D

Floating Market, Damnoen Saduak, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

2008-08-16T09:06:00.005+08:00

There are quite a few floating markets around Thailand but apparently the one at Nakhon Pathom is one of the better ones. I thought it was rather touristy to embark on this little excursion but I heard that even some of the locals frequent this floating market, giving it a little more credibility.

After we parked our vehicle, we took a short walk to the canal where it begins and was greeted by a variety of little boats selling food.

And many other little boats selling deliciously ripe-looking fruit.

The first food boat we stopped by was this little one selling this savory dessert of sorts. I know that sounded weird but this stuff known as "sak koo" has coconut, sugar and chili in it making it really neither here nor there in the confines of dining courses. Apparently, it's an appetizer.

Here's a heap of that sweet coconut with peanuts and chili thingy which is a major component of sak koo.

A variant of it comes with thin rice paper rolls filled with more of that sweet coconut and served with chili and fried shallots. When I first saw this, I was hoping it would taste like banh cuon, er because it looked like banh cuon, but unfortunately, the sweet, spicy, salty flavor was really a taste I could not appreciate.

We stopped by this little shop which processes coconut sugar. The coconut nectar is harvested and boiled under charcoal to form solid coconut sugar.

When it's half-way to the end product, it may be served in the form of this diabetes-inducing beverage. Much as I appreciate the flavors of raw sugar, this was like a big sugar anvil crushing down on me. Pretty sweet, no doubt.

Boil it long enough and it'll thicken and caramelize until it hits a thick brown gooey consistency which is then placed on waxed paper in little blobs (resembling? Let's not go there haha) to cool and solidify.

The sugar is then packaged and sold here for about 35baht (1usd) a kilogram.

Desperately craving something savory at this point in my life, we headed to this boat selling noodles.

A decent soup noodle with barbecued pork slices, fish balls and a good dash of salt and pepper. This was just what I needed.

This stuff was so good, we ordered another version of it which was spicier and redder.

Even though I knew I had enough sugar for the day, just before we were leaving, our host suggested we try the white coconut dessert "kanom twai".

This stuff was actually pretty tasty. For starters, it wasn't too sweet and the rich taste of fresh coconut milk is always nice. Not too bad at all.

Touring the floating market was pretty enjoyable. It's abit like taking the "It's a Small World" ride in Disneyland except without the annoying music and a lot more food.

Oh and did I mention they have alot of fruit?

D

DBS is 2 Years Old!

2008-08-09T19:14:00.006+08:00

Wow! DBS (i.e. Dancing Blue Seal not Development Bank of Singapore) has turned two. Spanning two years over three main countries, so far I think it has been a pretty good run. I know my posts aren't as regular as they used to be, it's not that I've gotten less interested in this but just the constraints in time of my "new" life in the States. I remembered when I first started; posting on almost a daily basis, with shoddy pictures as well haha.

Just some interesting facts about DBS:

A. Why DBS? What does it really mean?
I will take this secret to my grave!! (Cue super evil laughter here, as evil as skeletor from the old He-Man cartoons)

B. Who visits DBS? Where do you guys come from?
The Top 10 countries are:
1. Singapore
2. United States of America
3. Australia
No surprise that the top three countries represent the countries that I spent most of my time in.

4. United Kingdom
5. Malaysia
6. Canada
Interesting how the UK got fourth place, considering the fact that I've not been to the UK or even Europe for awhile now.

7. Indonesia
8. Brunei
9. Japan
10. Thailand

C. Who are DBS' Top Referrers?
In general, DBS gets most of her visits and hits from direct traffic (noone's linking haha) but here goes:
1. forum.hardwarezone.com
2. yummydummy.blogspot.com (not really active anymore)
3. yummyyummyyummy.blogspot.com
4. mykitchenmylaboratory (not really active anymore)
Funny how two of my top four referrers are inactive sites, I guess the golden age of DBS has come to pass as well?

5. blogger.com
6. masak-masak.blogspot.com
7. camemberu.blogspot.com
8. lex-mercatoria.blogspot.com
9. dancingblueseal.blogspot.com (how does one refer oneself???)
10. the-blueplate.blogspot.com

D. What keywords are used in a search that led to DBS?
1. dancingblueseal (duh!)
2. popeye's chicken singapore - er.. I mean there's kind of like only one?
3. Adam Road - Teh halia and fried chicken wings... man.. I do miss my 5am morning runs in Singapore which would end up with this haha, afterall, why waste all that exercise?
4. Kazu Yakitori Cuppage Centre
5. Nanjya Monjya
Although people love Japanese food, a fast food chain still edged them out to be on top haha.

6. Jang Shou Korean
7. che chuoi
8. Nam Sing Bangkok
9. Sin Kee Chicken Rice
10. Menotti
Besides Popeye's, Menotti was the only other non-Asian joint on the top 10 keyword searches, even moreso, that I don't even have a post on Menotti! I do have their sister Riccioti though.

E. Last but not least, a random one for the techgeeks, which browsers are used most often to view DBS?
1. Internet Explorer - 57.28% (Why do people still use IE??? Oh.. it came with the OS... silly me)
2. Mozilla/Firefox - 35.23% (go Mozilla!!)
3. Safari - 4.89% (Steve Jobs would not be too pleased)
Interestingly, I've even had a visit from a handful of people using a "Playstation Portable" browser.

So, DBS, the weblog about food, eating, cooking plus the occasional (ultra) sunset is still about the same thing pretty much. I hope, you guys have enjoyed reading this stuff as much as I have writing it. Let's hope the blue seal will continue to dance for many more years to come.

Bang Wa Pig Leg Restaurant, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

2008-08-04T07:46:00.008+08:00

I have visited Thailand many times but often my stays were limited to Bangkok (which has tons of great tasting food in her own right!). This time round, I found myself in Nakhon Pathom, a little historic city (perhaps the oldest in Thailand) about an hour's drive North, away from the hustle of Bangkok. So what was I doing in Thailand this time round? A very good mate of mine recently got hitched to a wonderful Thai lady and they were having their ceremonial wedding in her home city. The newly acquired father-in-law brought us to Bang Wa Pig Leg Restaurant for a hearty breakfast of braised pig leg. How good is this place? Apparently it won the annual Thailand Braised Pig Leg Competition! Whoa, how's that for a real sport?

Who said open style concept kitchens have to be restricted to upmarket wannabe restaurants?

We started with some herbal soup; each with a whole maryland duck leg in it. This was pretty tasty, especially the use of some preserved vegetable which gave it a nice tang but I was here for something porcine and couldn't wait to get some.

The next soup was definitely something more like it. A savory soup of mixed pig organs and innards. The heart in particular was deliciously firm and crunchy.

The star of the show; braised pig leg cooked to tender perfection. The meat was still firm and succulent enough for a good bite whilst the skin tender and soft for a the perfect contrast in texture. This was definitely good stuff. A special mention for the preserved vegetables served with it which were fragrant and tasty without being too salty.

Pig trotters were up next. Not much meat on these but the skin and cartilaginous bits were a nice chew.

We also had a sideplate of hardboiled egs which weren't really braised in the sauce but soaked in it (more like cold braising). A generous amount of the braising sauce was doused in it making this a simple but yet utterly delicious dish.

Cold iced Thai tea to end off a hearty meal to start the day. I know this little getaway is going to be good.

D

Cookie Dough Pie, Burger King

2008-07-30T09:58:00.002+08:00

I've always liked cookie dough choc-chip ice-cream, so when I saw this on the dollar menu at Burger King (that's Hungry Jack's for my mates down under), I thought to myself, "Why not?".

Well, it turned out to be a sweet and creamy mess. It wasn't really bad actually, just that maybe I expected something richer and thicker, it was more like mousse that had melted a bit. I did like the crust though, tasted like it was made of chocolate graham cookies.

Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs, Denver, Colorado

2008-07-27T09:45:00.004+08:00

I came across this cart along the 16th street mall and apparently Biker Jim's is somewhat of an icon. Now having tons of hotdog carts in New York, I've found them a decent bite on the go but never really anything that special. However, the menu at Biker Jim's proved interesting enough for me to give it a shot.

I've always been a fan of wild meats or game. Some may be put off by the "game" flavor or scent but I guess that's really the lure which make game lovers such as myself seek out such fare.

I remembered ordering three different dogs but to be honest, I can't remember which one was which! I'm quite sure this is the elk jalapeno cheddar dog because it had a hint of spiciness in it.
Bottom-line is all the dogs were cooked fresh, tasted extremely meaty and were good enough for me to down three.

Here's the second one.

And the third. All the dogs were different but none of them were wrong. It's worth trying out the rest on the menu one day. There's also a whole range of condiments and sauces on the side like relish, cheese sauce, mustard, horse-radish etc. One interesting thing to note is that his grilled onions are grilled with "Coca-cola", something I'm sure to try out at my next bbq.

D

The Cheesecake Factory, Denver, Colorado

2008-07-15T08:33:00.003+08:00

The Cheesecake Factory is not really native to Denver, actually it's a chain that started from Beverly Hills, California. I first tasted a slice of their cheesecake in Chicago about four years ago and remembered it pretty good (it helps that I'm quite fond of cheesecake to begin with), so when I chanced upon this one along the 16th street mall, I decided to hop in for a little arvo snack.

We started off with a slice of their popular strawberry cheesecake. Rich and creamy cheesecake with the tart contrast of the glazed strawberries. This was as good as I remembered it to be. The freshly whipped cream on the side had that hint of vanilla which was most welcomed as well.

The hot chocolate was pretty decent. But being a rather warm day, I guess I just didn't appreciate it that much. I also felt it was a little too sweet as I prefer my hot choc slightly bitter.

The Godiva chocolate cheesecake tasted pretty good at the start as it was extremely rich but halfway we got quite tired of it quite frankly. The chocolate seemed to be overpowering the cheese flavor and it was just a tad bit too heavy for us to finish. I still prefer the subtlety and balance of flavors in their strawberry cheesecake.

Wow, if I thought the hot chocolate was too sweet, I guess I wasn't ready for their caramel latte. This stuff will induce hyperglycemia. None of us could finish this bummer of a beverage. I guess, in the end, their conventional cheesecakes are really what they are good for. Hence, the name.

D

Chopsticks China Bistro, Denver, Colorado

2008-07-10T09:44:00.004+08:00

Chopsticks was another highly recommended place to try in Denver. Located at 2990 W Mississippi Ave (tel: (303) 936-1506), they were able to stand strong despite the fierce competition from the high density of Asian restaurants in the vicinity. What I found rather interesting was that although on their sign, they're touted as being somewhat Shanghainese, the owners are actually Taiwanese and Hakka in origin. To the utter delight of two of my Taiwanese-Hakka colleagues, there were some Taiwanese-Hakka dishes on the menu. Well as long as the food tastes good, I'm there.

The first appetizer were deep fried pig large intestines. Most readers will know that I'm quite fond of these delicious crispy entrails. Needless to say, I was rather thrilled to find them here.

The xiao long paus (soup dumplings) were a big let-down. I know Denver was having a slight drought but that's no excuse for these juiceless, dry paus.

Sour and spicy soup was up next. Never really a diehard fan of this soup, but it did help whet our appetites abit.

The Chongqing chicken was really good. Despite coming with the bone, the spicy Sichuan peppers and dried chilies ensured a decent kick of flavor.

Apparently a "hard-to-find" Hakka dish, the stewed pig intestines in vinegar and ginger was surprisingly quite nice. I don't really have a penchant for sour foods entirely but this had a nice savory balance as well which made it quite tasty indeed.

I don't really recall the name of this dish. It was some mixed-up Hakka stirfry of sorts. I don't remember it being foul though, so I guess it must have been fairly decent.

Whoa, cashew nut chicken. This was definitely a pick from the pseudo Chinese foods list but nevertheless, who is not guilty of enjoying even a General Tso's chicken every now and then.

Some fresh vegetables stirfried with garlic. Fresh and crisp with a nice refreshing flavor.

Lastly we had a Taiwanese fried vermicelli which was a pretty nice way to end the meal. It had sufficient smokiness and flavor but most importantly enough grease to prevent the vermicelli from clumping together. Not bad, Chopsticks definitely was a nice breakaway from all the Western fare we had over the past few days. Funny as this may sound, the only let-down dish was Shanghainese, so it may be wise to just stick to the Taiwanese and Taiwanese-Hakka fare.

D

Sam's No.3, Denver, Colorado

2008-07-08T08:06:00.004+08:00

Sam's No.3 is a popular joint not just with tourists but also the locals. In fact, a big group of workmen having a late breakfast here was further affirmation of how this joint is still keeping it real.

The chicken enchilada was a big greasy, cheesy mess. But what a tasty mess this was. The salty cheese was balanced nicely with the generous topping of salsa and the chicken bits were seasoned just right. Although I know it does not look the most beautiful of dishes, its flavor surely surpassed its cover.

Steak plus eggs equals pure genius. That's all I can say. Whoever thought of this "traditional" American breakfast deserves a Nobel prize. A medium rare 16oz ribeye and 2 eggs, both done medium (that's right baby, even the eggs were done medium); this is what I call breakfast!

After all those savory portions we needed something sweet to cleanse the palate. These fluffy butter milk pancakes doused with ample butter, whipped cream and maple syrup sure did the job.

Just to be on the safe side, I had to order one of these mega chocolate shakes haha. Well, what was it they said again? Breakfast like a King, lunch like a King, Dinner like a King? Do pardon my selective hearing impairment.

D

Le Central, Denver, Colorado

2008-07-05T02:03:00.004+08:00

I've never been a big fan of French cuisine, come to think of it, this is probably my first post on French food. Somehow, the idea of dining French conjures an image of undersized and overpriced portions and flavors too subtle for my liking. However, this place was highly recommended so I decided to drop by whilst I was in Denver.

We started off with some refreshing wine.

The first starter was a salad with smoked duck breast. The nutty flavor of olive oil infused with a slight citrus and tangy dressing paired well with the salty smoked duck. The salad leaves were also crisp and fresh with gave a nice textural contrast.

Steamed mussels in white wine and spicy chorizo were next. A dish that can't really go wrong provided your mussels are fresh. Fortunately, these were fresh and plump. The sauce was great for bread dipping.

The escargots served in a mini brioche on a creamy saffron sauce were also pretty good despite the smaller portions compared to the rest of the appetizers.

Baked fish with a blended salsa dressing. Not sure how this is really French but it tasted pretty decent and the fish was sizable chunk.

The baked lobster was a bit of a let down though, I'm not sure if this crustacean wasn't exactly fresh or if it was overcooked but the flesh was more mushy than firm.

The crispy roasted duck leg was actually pretty good despite being drowned in a sauce that was way too overpowering in flavor and saltiness. Once you scrap off some of the sauce and savor the flesh of the duck, it wasn't too bad.

Since Thursday is souffle night, we had to try some. The chocolate souffle was executed beautifully. Light and fluffy in texture with enough chocolate richness.

The citrus souffle was just as good. In fact, I actually preferred this over the chocolate as it had a lighter and more refreshing taste.

We also ordered a slice of their chocolate cake which was really only average. Well all in all, there were some hits and misses here for sure. The biggest let-downs seem to be the mains, the appetizers (especially the mussels with the free flow of shoestring fries) and the desserts were their redeeming factors.

D

New Saigon, Denver, Colorado

2008-06-05T07:00:00.006+08:00

New Saigon at 630 S Federal Blvd is apparently one of the oldest (if not the oldest) Vietnamese restaurant in Denver. This place was recommended to me by a Vietnamese colleague who's a native of Denver, so I was expecting something pretty good.

We started off with the nem nuong. Pretty tasty but somehow I still preferred the slightly coarser mince that gave us a heartier chew in the ones served in Vietnam. Still, it was rather tasty and our hungry party finished it in no time.

Next came a giant platter of various appetizers which we wrapped in rice paper rolls and dipped into the sweet and salty fish sauce. Great for groups, there was a little bit of everything in here. The spring rolls with minced pork and the grilled lemon grass pork chops stood out particularly.

More meat came in the form of grilled lemon grass chicken thighs. Not bad, but somehow the grilled pork chops still had a nicer texture and flavor.

The grilled mussels with scallions were a nice reminiscent of the street-side shellfish I enjoyed so much in Vietnam. These were fresh and plump.

We finished off the meal with a big hotpot seafood in a bath of sweet and spicy broth. Although this was just tad bit sweet, it went well when accompanied with rice. Thanks to JT for the recommendation, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

D

Little India Restaurant, Denver, Colorado

2008-06-02T07:11:00.003+08:00

As with New York, there seems to be a rather decent distribution of Indian restaurants across the rest of the USA. We chanced upon this place as it was rather near the convention center an the all-you-can-eat buffet for under 10bucks seemed pretty reasonable too.

Even though the food was not cooked to order, the steady stream of clientale ensured that it was replenished constantly keeping it fresh on the buffet line. The tandoori chicken although not as charred as I would like tasted well marinated, the deep-fried veggies were tasty enough for me to finish all the vegetables on my plate and the naan had a decent balance of crisp and chew.

There was also a rather good selection of curries which was flavorsome, although none of them were really spicy enough to give me a kick. Interestingly enough, we actually came here twice in a row because we felt the first time was that good.

Buckhorn Exchange, Denver, Colorado

2008-05-25T01:47:00.004+08:00

Going to the first steakhouse in anywhere can be like a mixed bag. On one hand, you have to respect the tradition but on the other, you risk getting caught in a tourist trap. That's why I was little suspicious at first when I stepped towards the Buckhorn Exchange; the oldest steakhouse in Denver, Colorado.

I was soon calmed by the decor. Apparently the original owner was an avid hunter and his trophies are proudly displayed throughout the dining hall.

The breads were served and although I'm not really into breads, these were very tasty. Soft and fluffy with a light and crisp crust, these paired very nicely with the warm, whipped salted butter.

The appetizer was a a game stew which was a medley if elk, buffalo and beef mixed with gravy and sauteed mushrooms. This was pretty tasty, the only drawback was it was really hard to distinguish which meat was which when everything was doused in the gravy.

One of the soup specials of the day was the cream of cheese soup. That's right, cheese soup! I had to try this out of curiosity if more than anything. Thick, creamy and cheesy, this was excellent for dipping the bread into. Great for anyone out there like me who loves cheese.

But ultimately, this is a steakhouse, so what does one do at a steakhouse? They order the biggest slab of animal on the menu. 24oz of boned in porter house cooked till medium rare. It's always such a beautiful sight to see the steak spilling over the edge of the plate.

Aged just long enough for the flavor to mature and with enough interstitial fat to make this a delectable and succulent bite, this was indeed good meat.

Another one conquered. Although I thought it rather funny it was paired with crisps and a funky fruit salad, the tart pineapple and berries actually helped me kept going at this slab till there was none left.

A good steak begs a good dessert. The homemade apple pie with a huge scoop of Haagen Daz vanilla was definitely a good finale to this tasty dinner.

Despite my qualms about Buckhorn being a tourist trap, most of the diners here seem to be regular locals. Decapitated animals, good steak. Nice to know that some traditions still stand strong.

Artichoke Basille's Pizza and Brewery, Manhattan, NYC

2008-05-04T19:38:00.005+08:00

There's a new pizza joint in town. It's so new that the address on their card is actually printed wrong, they don't do delivery yet and their website isn't up as well. But one thing's real, they're located on 14th street between 1st and 2nd ave and they do make a pretty mean slice.

Here's the square Sicilian slice, their crust is slightly thicker here and crunchier which is a little different from those ultra thin New York slices. Italian basil, fresh tomatoes and a generous topping of cheese, the taste of good ingredients was evident from the first bite.

The Neapolitan didn't lose out to her Sicilian sister. The simplicity of ingredients here was revealed in this fresh tasting pizza. The crust seemed a little too thick though but that's something you don't always have to finish anyway.

Ok, now this is the slice worth the wait. Fresh and bubbling from the oven, their signature creamy artichoke and spinach slice is really tasty. After the two slices of tomato tangy pizzas, it's great to chomp down on something creamy and extra cheesy. Not to mention for three bucks, this slice was simply gianormous.

Did I mention how big their signature slice is? Even though, I'm surprised I actually enjoyed three slices without any meat on it, I'm glad that there's a new pizza joint which can give the multitude of pizza places in Manhattan a run for their money.

D

Grand Sichuan, Manhattan, NYC

2008-04-14T06:34:00.004+08:00

Woohoo, I've finally found a place in Manhattan that serves a pretty decent Sichuan hotpot. Sure it's not as satisfying as the now defunct Xiaoping but it comes pretty close.

Here's the soup with enough oil and floating chilies to give it that kick. Somehow, I just felt the broth could be a tad bit spicier. Maybe I'll ask them to amp it up a few notches next time.

This is the beef and it's pretty decent in quality. There are enough streaks of white on this to make it pretty delectable once it's dipped into the hot broth. Thinly sliced enough for quick cooking (and quick eating) these were wolved down pretty quick as well.

The lamb had a little more white on it (white meat is healthier no? haha) but the flavor still shone through. Being someone who's always partial towards lamb, it's hard for me to find anything wrong with it.

The dumplings although bigger than Xiaoping's failed to deliver the same satisfaction. The skin was a little too doughy for my liking. Nevertheless, once it absorbed a fair bit of the spicy broth, it still had a pretty decent explosion of flavor when I bit in it.

I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered the Chinese sausage, these don't really get tender despite boiling them forever and it's a pain fishing them out as well. Next time I'll just get more lamb.

Here's where they have an edge over Xiaoping; besides the hotpot, they have a large array of cooked dishes as well. The sliced shank with spicy peppers and chili oil was pretty kickass. In fact this was as tasty as the stuff served at Ma Po Tofu Restaurant along Beach Road (Singapore) before their chef changed and the food became inedibly wussy.

The chicken fried with flower peppers and dried chilies were also decently spicy, except that there were bits of water chestnut thrown into this. I don't know if they were added for texture or just to bulk it up but I found it rather annoying that the chestnut bits took up almost 50% of the plate real-estate, which should have been exclusive to the meat.

Quick boiled spicy pork belly. Greasy, spicy and just salty enough. It was impressive that despite mult-tasking in both a hotpot and a cooked food joint, this place managed to perform in both categories.

The dandan noodle is perhaps one of the spiciest things here. Well maybe because I told the waiter to literally kill me with the chili but this really hit the spot. The chili hit only comes like 1-2 minutes after you've taken a first bite, for a chilly early Spring evening; this hit the bullseye.

Just make sure to get enough beverage ready if you're not used to spicy stuff. Alternatively, you could ask them to tone it down for beginner's and gradually work your way up because their max level is pretty strong.

Madison Square Garden Hotdog, Knicks VS Nets, Manhattan

2008-03-25T11:12:00.005+08:00

Madison Square Garden is home to many big entertainment events. It's also supposedly home to some pretty decent hotdoggies.

I had a plain dog with mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup. Salty and greasy with a nice snappy casing. Maybe I was hungry, but these were actually pretty good.

The teams soon came onto the court for their warm-up.

After my warm-up, I decided to hit another dog. This time I went for the cheese and sauerkraut. Although it made it slightly more messy to eat, I did enjoy the tang that the sauerkraut imparted. The spiced sweet potato chips were also a refreshing change.

A pity, albeit not surprising; sad to say, the hotdogs were the only things which scored some points tonight.

D

Burgled in the 'Burg, New York Times

2008-03-18T10:23:00.003+08:00

Thanks to another blogger's site, I decided to have a glance at the New York Times (which I do not read at all despite living here) and boy am I glad I did. Check out this article I came across

Excerpt: "At the other end of Manhattan’s culinary spectrum, how a blogger satisfied his nighttime craving for White Castle and Church’s Chicken. [Dancing Blue Seal]"

It's only really a small mention but that I was still like "Wow".
What can I say?

I'm a simple man with simple needs.

Read the full article here.

Sweet Spring Restaurant, Manhattan, New York

2008-03-17T06:30:00.005+08:00

Although the Winter this time round was relatively mellow. We did have that occasional day or two of snow.

On a cold snowy day as such, nothing is better than a hot meal.

Sweet Spring Restaurant (25A Catherine Street, Chinatown) isn't really much of a restaurant really. Heck, with just three dingy tables, I would not even go as far to call it a cafe. But they do serve pretty decent Chinese snacks and little meals for the occasional homesick bloke. This is their version of the "cat ears" pasta in soup dish that I had in Hangzhou; hot and soupy, this was just the thing to break that Winter cold spell.

The first round of savories came in the form of an oyster puff. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy and filled with an oyster and some minced pork within, this sure brought back the memories of the snack I used to eat as a child.

Chinatown is known for their cheap dumplings and everyone has a shop which they swear by. Personally I feel that Sweet Spring does them the best. Although they come at a slight premium (we're talking at 1.25usd for five instead of a competitor's 1usd), I can actually taste meat in these. Their spicy dumpling soy sauce is extremely tasty as well.

All in all, three heart warming dishes and a bowl of fresh homemade soy bean milk for under five bucks. Complaints are impossible.

Papaya King, Manhattan, New York

2008-03-11T09:48:00.005+08:00

Besides the quintessential bagel and thin slice, New York is famous for their hotdogs. You can obtain hotdogs in a variety of forms in New York; from the bare-bones street cart to fancier places. Papaya King has been around since 1931 (in particular this very one on 86th and 3rd), so obviously they must be doing something right.

Started off with the standard hotdog with relish and onions. Not too bad, the hotdog was pleasantly meaty with a snappy casing. The bun was also soft and not crusty.

The curly fries were a tad bit greasy but combined with the ketchup, these salty and crispy spuds were pretty good. I guess I was lucky because I caught them just as they finished frying a fresh batch.

Looking up against the wall, I saw this sign which spoke great words of wisdom. Apparently it's true.

To test the hypothesis, I ordered two chilidogs. The chili was just a little sweet for my liking and could have been much more hotter (in a spice sense). Nevertheless, these were still pretty good and I washed everything else with, you guessed it; a refreshing cup of papaya drink.

With this many locations available, it's good to know I can pickup a good dog when I need one. Besides, if it's good enough for Kramer (Seinfeld fans probably know this), it's good enough for me.

D

Cornelia Street Cafe, Manhattan, New York

2008-03-02T12:39:00.008+08:00

Cornelia Street Cafe has been around for a quite a while (like a thirty years or so?). It's also a great place for some chill-out jazz at night and has been voted as one of the top 100 hundred jazz clubs in the world. That aside, they also have a pretty decent brunch menu, which was why we were here.

We were seated by the window allowing us to bask in some warm sunlight. I'm not usually a fan of sunlight but it was a rather chilly Winter's day, so any heat was welcomed. Besides, I've always enjoyed peering out onto Cornelia street.

I had the duck quesadilla. Definitely not an authentic Mexican dish but it was tasty and meaty without being too heavy. It was accompanied with a nice tangy salsa which balanced off the salty duck flesh and cheese.

She had the pâté platter which came with four thick slices of pâté; two coarse and two smooth. The bread biscuits which came along with the pâté was warm too, which was a nice touch.

To end the meal, we had the butter milk pancakes topped with fresh fruit dusted with icing sugar and doused with a lot of maple syrup. These light, fluffy pancakes infused with the flavor of the sweet molasses are the key to the perfect brunch.

Of course the only thing sweeter in this meal was my dining companion whom I hoped, thoroughly enjoyed the brunch as well.

D

White Castle and Church's Chicken, Manhattan, New York

2008-02-25T09:46:00.005+08:00

So I was watching the trailer for Harold and Kumar 2 the other night, and then decided to watch the first one again. Somehow, one thing led to another and before I knew it I had to get some White Castle. A quick search on the internet revealed the closest one on 525 8th Ave, best part was they're opened 24hrs. I knew I would get my fix.

No crazy adventures between me and my slyders. Even though I didn't order 30; six for a little night snack was pretty sufficient.

Here's a close-up of their double jalapeño cheese burger. Sure brought back the memories of my first White Castle slyder in Malaysia like ages ago (anyone else remembered this?).

Some fried clam strips for the side is always good.

Heck, since this was one of those White Castle and Church's hybrid shops, I decided to get me a four piece with a biscuit too. Now, this night snack was definitely adequate.

D

Jaleo, Washington DC

2008-02-09T11:19:00.012+08:00

Jaleo at 480 7th Street (Tel (202) 628-7949) is a pretty popular tapas restaurant in DC. The concept of tapas is to share a wide variety of appetizers with friends and it's pretty fun really because you get to taste a myriad of different flavors and textures.

We started off with a refreshing red sangria which was tart enough to whet our appetites and not excessively sweet.

Next up was the plate of breads, olive oil and pickled stuff. The breads were ok, they tasted pretty fresh even though it would have been better served warm. I'm slightly prejudiced against the whole "healthier" olive oil with bread thing preferring a slab of salted butter anytime but I guess this is a Spanish restaurant so it can be forgiven.

Next came the smoked salmon on cream cheese topped with salmon roe (ikura). Thankfully the cream cheese wasn't very salty which gave this dish a more balanced edge because smoked salmon and salmon roe always tends to be rather salty.

Then came some delightfully well-fried calamari. Fresh squid, crisp and light batter and dipping mayonnaise, this went fast.

The meat cannelloni baked with cheese was pretty hearty as well. Served whilst the cheese was still bubbling, this piping hot dish was great Winter comfort food.

Of course we had to order a chorizo tortilla (Spanish omelette) in a Spanish restaurant. Somehow the minced chorizo tasted a bit like beef hash and the the oil spilling out from the side was rather overwhelming (even for me), but nevertheless this was still pretty tasty.

The grilled sea bass was excellent with a crisp finish to the skin and a good serve of soft tasty spinach wedged between the slice of fish.

We had to order a straight-up chorizo on a bed of mash because of the lack of chorizo-ness in that tortilla. This tasted like chorizo.

The chicken croquetas was not too bad. A crunchy shell covering soft mashed spuds and shredded chicken. The slight hint of spices (curry powder??) in this made it quite flavorsome.

Deep-fried marinated shark was up next. As with the previous seafood dishes, this was executed excellently as well. The shark tasted like it was brined slightly which helped diminish any fishy flavors whilst still maintaining a nice bite.

Craving some mammal, we ordered the grilled lamb. Not too bad, albeit rather small a chunk but it was tender and succulent.

Another popular tapas dish is the albondigas which is a platter of meatballs. These were good meatballs possibly made with no or minimal filler hence tasting meaty enough to satisfy most carnivores.

Steamed mussels in white wine were next. Fresh mussels in a delicious broth. Served hot and steaming, we would have gotten some bread to soak up that broth if we weren't starting to feel a little full.

Here's another grilled pork sausage on a bed of potato chunks. As good as a coarse meaty sausage can get.

Deep fried potato wedges were pretty much the carbohydrate staple for this meal.

Since we were having such a good run with the seafood, we decided to cram in the grilled squid served on a layer of marinated olive puree. As with the rest of the seafood, this was done just nice as well.

Last but not least, because I love nutella, I couldn't help ordering the rich hazelnut mousse cake to finish off the meal. Rich but not too sweet, this definitely hit the dessert spot.

D

Hail Caesar!

2008-01-28T06:29:00.000+08:00

Occasionally D indulges in a salad and when he does, it's usually of the Caesar variety. Besides, any salad that has more calories than a double Whopper begs respect.

Dressing:
1. Ken's steakhouse Caesar dressing
2. Creamy blue cheese
3. Dijon mustard

Toppings:
1. Grilled smoked Boar's Head bacon
2. Flavored croûtons
3. Roasted garlic almond slivers
4. Grilled bratwurst
5. Whole anchovies
6. Hard boiled egg(s)

The healthy stuff:
1. Romaine or cos lettuce leaves
2. Cherry tomatoes

Method:
1. Wash and arrange the healthy stuff into a big bowl
2. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl
3. Douse dressing onto the leaves and tomatoes
4. Placed toppings on top
5. Indulge

At least this is something I can predictably churn out from my little kitchen =)

Best Wingers Express, Manhattan, NYC

2008-01-22T05:49:00.000+08:00

Sometimes the food that really hits the spot is the greasy stuff from the shop down the street. Best Wingers Express is a small shop in Midtown East which pretty much serves take-out and delivery clientele. They do have a few small tables if you want to dine in and they provide wet napkins because it'll get messy.

They're well known for their spicy buffalo wings which comes in a range of heat levels. Needless to say, only the hottest will do. The outside is really crisp which makes the inner meat suffer slightly from drying but the moist sauce makes up for that.

One of the very few vegetarian options on the menu, these breaded deep fried fresh mushrooms were actually very delectable.

The beef ribs were huge but there was way more bone than meat in this. Quite amusing how they smothered it in a smoky bbq sauce and topped it off with a fried bun.

The buffalo tenders are essentially similar to the wings except it's all white meat and there are no bones to contend with.

The Roman chicken sandwich comes in a surprisingly tasty warm and crusty bun with a tangy blue cheese dressing and chewy melted cheese.

For the slightly more health conscious people, they have a pretty decent grilled chicken Caesar as well. But salad in a joint like this? C'mon, who are you trying to kid?

Sushi You, Manhattan, New York

2008-01-06T09:00:00.000+08:00

One thing good about Manhattan is that there are a fair bit of authentic sushi joints around. I'm a fan of small little family run style shops where the focus is pretty much on the food and no other fancy nonsense. Sushi You is such a place.

We started with the unagi, tobiki and avocado wrapped in thinly sliced cucumber. Refreshing and tasty. The freshness of the ingredients shone through, a good sign of things to come.

The ebi tempura was fairly decent too. Although the shrimp wasn't humongous, they were fresh. The batter could have been a bit lighter though.

For the main we had the chirashi sushi deluxe. This definitely satisfied my sushi craving. Heaps of fresh raw fish piled up onto rice which was cooked and seasoned just right. Sushi You delivered a solid performance tonight and I guess the fact that I was one of only four non-Japanese patrons was a testimonial to their authenticity.

Etete Ethiopian Cuisine, Washington DC

2007-12-29T13:44:00.001+08:00

I truly love trying new types of cuisine. When AH suggested Ethiopian food for dinner I jumped at it immediately. Of course the description of eating chunks of meat with my barehands was a great motivating factor haha.

Injera is sort of like a soft pancake (almost like a dosai/tosai) made from teff flour. It's fermented prior to being cooked so there's a slight sour tinge of flavor which makes this a rather acquired taste.

Besides the additional injera on the side, the base of our serving platter is made out of one huge sheet of injera. It comes with some basic gravies and the food is piled on by the server.

Each different dish is gradually piled onto the same platter.

Once everything is done, we peel off pieces of injera and proceed to eat with our barehands all the tasty morsels that's been placed on the main injera platter. Communal barehand eating; awesome.

Although all the dishes tasted pretty damn good, my personal favorite would be the grilled beef short-ribs. Grilled till they were slightly charred but still maintaining a juicy interior, these savory and spicy treats of meat-on-bone were truly delectable.

We had some fine red wine to accompany the meal and also some tej. Tej is a traditional Ethiopian wine fermented from honey and a form of hops called "gesho". Rather sweet with a slightly muddy(?) flavor, this tasted odd initially but paired well with the tart injera.

Best part about the meal is that you get to eat the plate when you're done! Well.. technically not really the plate but the layer above the plate... which is made of injera... ok.. you get the idea.

There's something so primitive and primal about eating meat with one's barehands that appeals to me so tremendously; this I felt was pure genius.

Etete, my first Ethiopian dining experience and definitely far from being my last.

Cakelove, Washington DC

2007-12-19T02:11:00.001+08:00

This little bakery along U street seemed to be garnering quite abit of popularity, so we stopped by for a look.

Apparently they specialize in cupcakes. At 3usd a pop, these are definitely at a premium compared to some that you get back in Singapore.

Nevertheless the flavors and colors did inspire us enough to buy a little box home to sample.

They turned out to be pretty tasty. The icing on top help kept them moist and buttery even though we ate them at the end of the day.

D

Ben's Chili Bowl, Washington DC

2007-12-06T08:52:00.000+08:00

One of the "must-eats" in DC is a half-smoked from Ben's Chili Bowl. Now why do they call these hotdogs half-smokes? Some say the name came about because the hotdogs are sometimes sliced sagitally when being cooked. Apparently there are different theories about that but I didn't really care as long as they tasted good.

How much of an icon is Ben's? Well they've been here since 1958 and is part of the African American Heritage trail; nuff' said.

The first thing you see and smell when you step into this establishment are the half-smokes being cooked teasingly right by the front window.

Ben's is still family owned and run till this day. Join the line and place your order.

The side of cheese-fries here were pretty mind-blowing. Unlike the one at Shakeshack, none of these chips were soggy and they were heaps generous with the melted cheese. Salty and totally artery-clogging greasy, this hit the spot.

Lo and behold the magnificent half-smoke order with EVERYTHING on it. Coarsely minced pork and beef in an extremely snappy casing served in a soft warm hotdog bun. This is one wiener I can eat almost everyday. If I were to nitpick though, the chili could be spicier but that's all I'm going to gripe about.

I will refrain from making any crude jokes about the superimposed double phallic symbols here haha. Visit DC, drop by Ben's, period.

Thanksgiving 2007 in Washington DC

2007-12-03T09:18:00.000+08:00

Thanksgiving is pretty much an American and Canadian holiday. I'm not going to go into details on what it's about (because there's Wikipedia) but it's a holiday I appreciate due the huge amounts of food consumed. Here's a picture of at the dinner table of my gracious host, AH and family. D's spotting a new haircut but more importantly spotting an extremely hungry tummy too, which explained why he didn't take more pictures of the food he enjoyed that evening!

Round the corner of AH's neighbourhood is a cool wholesale market.

They sell everything here and I mean "EVERYTHING". What the hell is "cow something??!!?".

And living up to the wholesale name, everything here is sold huge bulks too (and look at those fantastic prices!). But AH had a whole list of restaurants lined up for this long weekend, I would have loved to throw some of those ribeyes on the barbecue. Maybe next time aye?

Since the viewing of all the meat drove us to the brink of a hunger frenzy we had to stop somewhere to break our fast.. er.. or just to have some breakfast haha.

We started with some pastries. But what's this? Pastries (read as non-meat) won't cut it for a proper brekky.

A bowl of steaming hot beef soup. Generously served with pieces of short-rib, this was exactly the thing for the cold late Autumn morn.

And of course we had to stuff ourselves with beef tacos just for the hell of it. Tender, well marinated beef chunks on a warm soft taco shell = yum.

This wholesale complex also sells kitchen equipment. Here's D with a badass giant pizza spatula. I so need my own brick oven pizza one day.

A. Litteri. Inc is famous for their cold cuts and submarine sandwiches. Alas, we were too full to have a sub.
But we did pick up a fine selection of cold cuts, a few bottles of excellent lambrusco and I got this apron!

D

p.s: Thanks for all the well-wishes in my previous post, I'm going to reply them personally soon.

Ali Baba Turkish Restaurant, Manhattan, NYC

2007-11-18T21:43:00.001+08:00

I know I haven't been updating this blog as often as I would like to but life has been extremely hectic here. I don't know if anyone's still checking this blog out but I'll still update it periodically. Ali Baba Turkish restaurant is a pretty kick-ass joint (despite the cheesy name) for Middle-Eastern food in Manhattan.

Some warm oven-fresh breads were placed promptly after we ordered and I'm a sucker for warm soft Turkish breads.

The warm, soft and chewy breads went very well with the platter of spreads and dips that we ordered. The humus and yoghurt dip in particular were excellent.

Our hot appetizer of arnavut cigeri (fried tender veal liver) was indeed an indication of how good this meal was going to be. Fried till they were just cooked, these tender cubes of liver lightly seasoned with salt and pepper were just the thing to whet our appetites.

Since this was my first time here, I decided to get a sampler in the form of the mixed-grill because I could not make up my mind. All the meats were tasty and succulent but the donor kebab stood out in both flavor and texture.

The other main ordered was the spicy beyti kebab which consisted of minced lamb marinated with various herbs and spices including ground chili. This was pretty damn good too, I may order this the next time I'm here.

We ended the meal with a complimentary serve of baklava. Crisp but not too dry, flavorsome and not too sweet, an excellent baklava to end an excellent meal.

D

Tasti Dlite, Manhattan, NYC

2007-10-25T08:39:00.001+08:00

There are a few of these scattered across the city and claim in selling tasty low-fat frozen dairy products (notice how they stay away from the word "ice-cream"). Partly out of curiosity more than anything else, I decided to pop in for something.

I settled for the ice-cream cookie sandwich because I'm always of fan of ice-cream sandwiches of some sort. This came in a vanilla-chocolate twist.

Ok.. I don't know what to make of this. It's not frozen yoghurt like how they claim on their website but it definitely did not taste as rich as ice-cream. There's something about how secretive they are in regards to what actually constitutes their product which makes it hard for me to accept that they're entirely kosher (and I don't like how their name is spelt as well). Anyway, this was fun just to try out but I'll go for the real thing the next time.

Menchanko-Tei, Manhattan, NYC

2007-10-14T20:17:00.001+08:00

It's nice to know that there are some decent ramen joints in Manhattan. Menchanko-Tei opens till midnight on the Fridays and Saturdays which makes it pretty convenient for a late dinner.

We started off with the grilled gyutan which was quite tasty but unfortunately sliced too thick. It was also slightly overcooked which made it a tad bit tough.

Their signature menchanko ramen is a soy-sauce based ramen served in a pre-heated cast iron bowl. Steaming hot broth, kept warm continuously; this was very much appreciated in the chilly Autumn weather. The ingredients also tasted fresh and even if I wasn't a fan of cabbage, the shreds here were crunchy and sweet.

Soy-sauce based ramens are nice but I was always a fan of the heartier tonkotsu (pork-bone based) ramens. Even though their Hakata ramen is not their signature dish, it was pretty delicious as well. In fact the broth came close to what I used to have at Ken's, the ingredients are pretty simple though with just a few slices of pork making up the meat.

A nice finishing touch to the meal is the draft Sapporo beer. Sure beats its canned or bottled version anytime.

With two accessible locations midtown East and West, Menchanko-Tei makes herself a rather attractive ramen joint to hit when I get those cravings.

Big Wong Restaurant, Manhattan, NYC

2007-10-01T08:06:00.001+08:00

Nothing beats a bowl of steaming hot pork and century egg porridge for a morning feed. Accompanied by crunchy dough crullers, the smooth porridge had that delicious taste and texture that could only be achieved by the tedious and laborious effort of stirring it slowly whilst it cooks. Big Wong is located on 67 Mott Street ((212) 964-0540) in Chinatown and is opened as early as 7am.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Manhattan, NYC

2007-09-26T10:02:00.000+08:00

I love pistachios! I love ice-cream. A marriage made in Heaven.

D

Grimaldi's Pizzeria, Brooklyn, NYC

2007-09-16T04:31:00.001+08:00

Brooklyn bridge is a pretty cool bridge to walk across for both New Yorkers and tourists alike.

Not only is the architecture rather interesting but the view of

Manhattan from it is pretty stellar as well. But the best thing really about walking the bridge is the exercise you get from it. Haha... I'm kidding!

The best thing is hitting Grimaldi's Pizzeria at 19 Old Fulton St once you cross over.

The choice of toppings here may not be massive but what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. And boy was this quality pizza. Everything tasted top notched. Even the crust was extremely delicious with a nice smoky and mildly charred taste.

These pizzas are baked to perfection in their 800degF coal-fired brick ovens. Was it worth the trek across the bridge? Hell yeah.