Rana Fifteen – Turkish Delights in Park Slope

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Ziggy

Quick, whats the opening lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody? If you said “Mama”, you are in the majority, and wrong. If you said. “Is this the real life?”, you probably looked it up, after thinking Mama first. No matter how many times we listened to it, we are conditioned to think Mama first. It’s either somehow stuck, or the subconscious default answer as to many other things. How did you learn to cook? Mama. Why do you hate Mushrooms? Mama. Why do you rather not re-enter the house after forgetting something and instead ask me to bring it to you outside even if it means wasting precious minutes? Mama.

Mama was the reason why I didnt care so much for fish growing up. Then I realized I only knew her fish, and there’s other fish in the sea. My answer to how I learned to cook is actually Google. Both of our mom’s are typical eastern European “hold the flavor” cooks. When I go to my in-laws, they know to put certain dishes away from me, and the salt and pepper grinders as close as possible. I’m the only one using the grinders. They are so old they’ve become sticky, and although I continue to use them, I suspect most of the flavor is gone by now.

So instead, we live vicariously through restaurateurs that got their inspiration from moms that can flat out cook. Take Rana Fifteen, a newish joint on the border of Park Slope and Gowanus. Owner Ahmet Kiranbay’s mom Rana, as many moms in Western Turkey, would lay out a feast for the senses on every meal. Fifteen dishes approximately. Hence the number of plates you get if you choose the Rana’s Table option at Rana Fifteen. Just pick the main, one of the three sides, and you get everything but the kitchen sink.

They start you off with the appetizers. Like, all of them. And all of them have an ingredient or two that gives them the extra oomph. From the supremely flavorful garlic shrimp, to the perfectly creamy Labneh, to the as cool as the other side of the pillow Tarama fish roe. It will take a good amount of time to try all of them, and it will take an equal of amount figuring out your favorites. I crowned the Labneh, but there was no wrong answer.

As for the mains, so far, unconventionally we tried the chicken and Iskender steak as opposed to seafood. The steak was a nicely cooked strip topped with tangy tomato sauce (hence Iskender), sitting on top of bits of pita with yogurt on the side. I always hesitate to touch the yogurt when things work. The chicken is nicely spiced, albeit not easy to cut. While I enjoyed the two, seeing the octopus and branzino parade around the room, made me dream of coming back for a third feast. Note, this deal is for two people minimum, and you share a main for two. Its more than enough food.

The first meal was brunch, and the concept is similar. Just pick the egg dish and you get that to share plus a thoughtful array of a dozen or so savory and sweet homemade delights including outstanding pancakes and spreads. A symphony of flavors. There are only two egg dishes to choose from, which I kind of like. Less is more. I usually stop reading when I see a Menemen, one of my all time favorite eggy creations. You can have them scrambled, or Shakshuka style

Rana Fifteen is the latest from Ahmet Kiranbay and Armando Litiatco, the duo that brough us another EWZ darling, FOB Filipino. I tend to stalk the chefs I like. This duo is what NYC food is all about. A multinational homage to our ancestors. The Rana experience is closer to eating in someone’s home, rather than eating in a typical Manhattan resto. The friendly “Brooklyn casual” service, and exposed beams are the perfect fit. Meaning, dont expect your glass to be filled every 5 minutes, or even know the name of your waiter. Just go and enjoy mama’s cooking at its finest.

Rana Fifteen
209 4th Ave (Park Slope)
Recommended Dishes: Rana’s Table (Brunch, Dinner)

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sweets Village

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Ziggy

Do you ever cross to the other side of the city for dessert or are you normal? Whether we are finishing lunch in Tribeca, dinner in Hell’s Kitchen, or brunch in Greenpoint, we often end up in East Village. It can take 30-60 minutes to make the schlep, but that’s just part of living here. Unlike in say Florida, or anywhere else pretty much, 30 minutes doesnt feel very long here.

Why dessert in East Village? Same answer as why there’s so much Thai food in Hell’s Kitchen, and do pigeons pee. I’m not really sure. But I suspect its part of the same sad reality I’ve been talking about for many years… location location location. East Village is the last Manhattan neighborhood where mom and pops can still easily open shop. That’s been the case for a while now. But during the last few years, there’s been an inflow of supremely talented bakers essentially completing the picture of Sweets Village.

Between the dessert bars, ice cream, and all the new and old bakeries, you got a wealth of sugary options scattered all over the area. But what makes it an embarrassment of riches is the high quality and the variety of experiences, from a fancy multi course dessert meal to a simple croissant. Ok, not so simple. And as for the quality, I dont ever recall seeing so many lines for sweets on a Saturday afternoon. While you’ll find a bad case of FOMO in every neighborhood these days, in EV its on a block by block basis.

I will not be able to cover all of them, as I have more important things to do, like argue with random people on Twitter, but here are some solid options for your next sweets crawl.

Librae Bakery (35 Cooper Sq) – One of the newer kids already generating much buzz. A Bahrain import, so expect middle eastern influences like Za’atar Labneh Morning Bun. But many, including us line up for the Pistachio Rose Croissants, a rich, airy, ultra flaky pastry, so messy you’ll feed all the resident squirrels on the go.

La Cabra – (152 2nd Ave) – Another new one generating long lines, perhaps the longest of the bunch. A Copenhagen import specializing in coffee, but people flock for the sick cardamom buns. I suspect you’ll see more of that in NYC soon, just like Basque Cheesecakes and other trends.

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar (203 E 10th St) – I’ve written about this place a few times in the past. Chika Tillman is a local legend. Grab a seat at the counter (if you can) and watch her and her talented assistant make magic. Pick the dessert from the menu for $25 and you’ll get a treat before and after. The outrageously light and delicious Fromage Blanc Island Cheese Cake has been on the menu from the beginning. A one of a kind experience in NYC.

Spot Dessert Bar (13 St Marks Pl) – Another fantastic dessert parlor, with full service. Incredibly unique, instagramble creations. Every single item I’ve had here including all the regulars and many specials were insanely delicious. I cant figure out my favorites, though my family is partial to the Matcha Lava, but really just the lava part, not so much the matcha ice cream. The Harvest might be the most famous.

Lady Wong (332 E 9th St) – Another Asian inspired dessert boutique. Run by a creative duo who spent a significant time cooking in high end restaurants in Singapore, including Michelin starred. You’ll see plenty of green items, due to the wide use of Pandan. Give the Panna Cotta a try, especially if you are a coconut lover. A sharp reminder that every dessert should come with a syrup dispenser.

Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe (342 E 11th St) – The grandaddy. One of the last remaining old Italian bakeries, offering fantastic cheesecakes, tiramisu, and all the rest of the classics. Its as old as the Brooklyn bridge!

Caffè Panna (77 Irving Pl) – Not in East Village, but close enough (Gramercy) and worth mentioning. This is where we go for some of the best Affogato in NYC.

This is a good start but there’s much more. Another place generating much buzz is Baonanas and its banana pudding. I havent had the pleasure (as of this writing, this may change any hour). There’s also no shortage of quality gelato and ice cream, although the best are just a bit outside of East Village… il laboratorio, Amorino… But deliciousness has no borders. Bon Appetit!

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LumLum – The Transformers

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Ziggy

Long time EWZ readers, both of them, may remember Pam Real Thai, a Hell’s Kitchen staple for many years. I spent countless hours at Pam slurping on spicy Kee Mao Noodles and the legendary oxtail soup while staring at the slightly crooked portrait of Pam on the wall. The room, with its wooden furniture was comfortable but not particularly attractive. And there was often a slightly unpleasant smell to match the atmosphere. The menus were decades old, with items crossed out with a pen or stickers. But boy, was the food good.

On my Hell’s Kitchen tours, in front of another legend, Gazala’s Place, I used to talk about one of the underlying rules of eating in the area, especially when it comes to Thai food. The worse the place looked, the better the food, and the more local the clientele. A place featuring attractive chandeliers and wall to wall mirrors, usually also features sweet curries of every rainbow color and mostly tourists. But with the growing young demographic of the area, there’s just so much you can rely on locals. Both Gazala’s and Pam are no more.

Resy

Pam’s replacement LumLum (sort of means “yum” – and yes LumLum – Yum Yum is taken) is a stunner in comparison to Pam’s. And its doing its best to debunk the looks theory. While its different in every way, the food, from what I tried so far, is top notch. Instead of the empty room of Pam’s (mainly at lunch time), and the ability to eavesdrop on Broadway executives, its now a packed house of hungry young FOMOs. Which also means forget about lingering here. Expect to finish within an hour, with drooling vultures waiting by the door at peak times.

But its all worth the effort. To open a Thai place in Hell’s Kitchen requires some major Chutzpah. While I still have a soft spot for Pure Thai Cookhouse nearby, I find LumLum the most interesting Thai in Hell’s Kitchen today, and a safer recommendation. Even though I required a second visit to reach this conclusion. LumLum did not only transform the venue, but the neighborhood back to a Thai powerhouse. Here’s the food rundown…

Moo Krob – Fried pork belly. Nice and crispy. Got a bit boring midway, but possibly because I had it solo.

Kra Prow – Thai Basil with minced chicken (choice pf protein). Serviceable classic. A tad on the sweet side which was surprising considering it got two peppers. Their pepper indication should be taken with a grain of pepper.

Steamed fish – Whole fish, whether steamed or fried is one of the specialties here, and this one did not disappoint. Expertly cooked Branzino, with a particularly complementary cilantro lime broth.

Crying Tiger – Possibly the signature here. The steak tasted better than the picture shows, but it was the garlic rice with the crispiness from the shallots, and funky sweetness from the sauce that make this work so well.

Pad Ki Mao – My kryptonite when it comes to Thai food. Not “Thai Spicy” as the chart says, but as spicy as Ki Mao should be, and as flavorful as they come. Although next time I would opt for the seafood option over chicken. You get a choice of Tofu, chicken, beef, mixed seafood, or crab. Leave the crab for…

Nam Ya Poo (turmeric coconut curry with crab and rice noodles on the side) – This was oddly closer to the advertised “Thai Spicy” and had pretty good depth. Dipping the rice noodles in that bowl was food magic. Probably favorite dish here.

Squid ink soup – Didn’t have it but worth noting as its another specialty here. I was mainly concentrating on shareable dishes

Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango – Good for what it is. Not quite as polished as the version at Pure Thai Cookhouse

While the complete makeover made the place much more attractive in and out, LumLum popularity makes it a tad less comfortable than it’s predecessor. The kitchen is like a machine, programmed to get all your dishes out in a timely manner, so you might get them all at the same time. And the table arrangements make for a tight fit. On my second visit, when one of us needed to go to the restroom, we had to draw a plan. Who moves where, and how to avoid bumping into other diners. And in addition to not quite being “Thai Spicy”, its also not quite as “Thai Friendly” as one can expect. But the last time I checked, this is a blog about food. Go!

LumLum
404 W 49th St (Hell’s Kitchen)
Recommended Dishes: Steamed Fish, Crying Tiger, Pad Ki Mao, Nam Ya Poo

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Chveni Cafe – Meet the Newest Georgian Sensation

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Ziggy

Did anyone notice that influencers stopped posting cheese boat pictures, and moved on to Birria? It feels like we are in the midst of a Georgian food inflection point. Much has changed since Tone Cafe introduced south Brooklynites to Georgian bread and Khachapuri a couple of decades ago. You can now find decent Georgian in Manhattan and Queens, but south Brooklyn is where they keep multiplying in an increased pace. Its not just Brighton Beach anymore, but Bensonhurst and now Bay Ridge joining the party.

Chveni Cafe at the north edge of Bensonhurst is probably the closest we’ll get to my old high school (FDR) on this blog. I almost felt the bullying, mainly the ones I initiated, while munching on Khachapuri Chveneburi, a new discovery for me. Its filled with that wonderful Georgian cheese and just enough green onions to satisfy both onion lovers (me), and haters (Mrs Z). Its the one house specialty you wont find anywhere else.

Chveni is primarily if not entirely female owned and operated. A multi talented babushka was running the kitchen during our lunch. And the owners are two best friends who decided to open their first restaurant in a curious but manageable location. Its an area where nothing interesting ever opens, and the only reason to go there until now was for one of those classic Italian pork stores.

Its a full menu in typical Georgian fashion, but you get a sense that the Chvenis can do no wrong. An outstanding rolled eggplant stuffed with a walnut spread. Kupati, huge, juicy, grainy sausages come sizzling, and accompanied with a sauce that compliments them beautifully. Another delicious sizzler is the Shkmeruli, a spatchcocked chicken in milky garlic sauce. Its so crispy and garlicky that you fully forgive the borderline too salty.

Another hit was a cornbread that tasted like a sick Arepa. There’s also a cornbread with cheese. The lone dessert, a huge, fluffy, airy, fresh Napoleon is the best I ever had. But it wasnt until we had the Kharcho soup we took home for next day’s dinner, when we heard the Georgian chant. Or is it Gregorian? It doesnt matter. What matters is that instead of the big chunks of beef we are accustomed to, we got smaller pieces of goodness in a well balanced broth.

Needless to say, this is the start of a beautiful relationship. I dont think I ever had a Georgian meal where everything clicked as such. The room is attractive. The owner (we met one of them) is reserved but friendly, and most importantly knows what Georgian food supposed to look and taste like. Trying the rest of the menu will be a tough task since we’ll be tempted to mimic the last experience. Its that good. Go!

Chveni Cafe
6216 18th Ave, Brooklyn (Bensonhurst)
Recommended Dishes: Khachapuri Chveneburi, Kharcho, eggplant with walnuts, Kupati, Chicken Shkmeruli, Ostri, cornbread, Napoleon

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Haenyeo – Dining Well, Spelling Pourly

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Ziggy

I forget how much I like 5th Ave. The other one, in Park Slope. As soon as you enter it, no matter what area of the city you are coming from, you are transformed into an atmospheric, calm chaos of sorts. And yet very New York, due to the 50 shades of red brownstones (oxymoron?) lining the side streets, and the multi national array of dining options from Caribbean to Israeli, Greek, Indian, and of course French. In the past decade or so, due to the thousands of French immigrants flocking into that part of Brooklyn, new bistros and boulangerie are popping all over the place. French food to me is like Big Bang Theory. I never seek it, but enjoy it whenever I have it. I would love to finally try Le Succulent, among other notables on 5th and surroundings.

But this post is about yet another Korean, Haenyeo. Named after the famous female seafood divers of Jeju Island in South Korea, at the expense of being unpronounceable, and difficult to spell. That’s right. There’s a method behind the title madness. To remember how to spell the name without Googling requires a certain level of concentration akin to the mysterious ability to remember a person’s name after an introduction. What auto shop sells these filters?

This copy and paste gem is run by a husband and mega talented wife team. Sort of like my house. Jenny Kwak is a Korean food pioneer that no one heard about. She opened her first restaurant in 1992, Dok Suni in East Village when she was just 19, before opening a second one with the help of Quentin Tarantino. While the two places eventually closed, they were open long enough not only to garner celebrity fame, but open the door to a plethora of Korean establishments all over town. In fact Oiji and its addictive honey butter chips replaced the very same Dok Suni’s space.

Haenyeo is in the very solid two stars, “very good” category. It has its hits, few misses, and one particular hiccup that not only drives me crazy, but changed the way I order food in restaurants. Bringing the mains before we finish the appetizers is a little pet peeve that grows into a big one at spendy places as such. Its inexcusable really, and I cant even hide my displeasure when it happens. I understand that NYC rent is sky high, but at least let me enjoy something with my wife for a full 90 minutes. Anyway, here’s the food and drink rundown..

The Squid and the Whale cocktail – mizu lemongrass shochu + sesame oil + egg white. Love Sesame oil in cooking, but it was just too prevalent and too weird for me in a drink. I was intrigued due to the rave reviews. Maybe if it came with a side bowl of noodles?

School Girl cocktail – blanc de blanc + elderflower liqueur + lychee. Wife liked it and demands I now make it every Thursday (while pretending to be a school boy, which I dont mind but why does it have to be catholic).

Grilled oysters – seaweed butter, brioche toast. Nice and buttery escargot-like oysters. Not the heavy breaded ones you find in NOLA. Kwak’s husband is from New Orleans hence oysters and Beignets on the menu.

Crispy wings – yang yum. Sweet, sour and spicy. Typical high end Korean wings. Thats a good thing.

Dukboki – fundido saucy & spicy rice cake, chorizo, Oaxaca cheese. Probably our favorite dish of the night. Mexican, some may even say Staten Island inspired (bakes ziti, a SI staple) but unmistakable Korean flavors. Best part is the Oaxaca cheese soaked (eventually) in all that chili.

Sablefish filet – pan sauté simmered in soy garlic sauce. Very good. Like a nice and flaky miso glazed cod.

Kalbi jjim – beef short ribs, carrot, jalapeño. Supremely flavorful, tender short ribs in a thin broth. Served with plain dry white rice for some reason, but still an enjoyable dish.

Sugar dusted beignets – Not bad. Not nearly as fried, or good as the famous Cafe du Monde. More like sugar dusted Gnocco Fritto. Try not to make the mistake I usually make, exhale while biting.

Final cost for two $220, but we ordered an extra dish. Expect something more in the $180-200 range, although I would recommend sharing a main and ordering a bunch of apps instead of what I actually did in this case. Worth checking out.

Haenyeo
239 5th Ave, Brooklyn (Park Slope)
Recommended Dishes: Wings, Oysters, Dubkoki, Sablefish, Short Ribs, Beignets

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tia Pol – Just Basque a Move

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Ziggy

Eating With Ziggy

Tia Pol ShrimpFebruary 9, 2023 Update:

Z-List staple Tia Pol is still the same ol’ Tia Pol.  Maybe not quite entirely Basque, but a multi-region tapas/pintxo playhouse.  The very full menu hasnt changed much since 2004, and to fully take advantage of it, its best to come with a group of 4 or so.  Its not exactly a new and exciting place, so easy to reserve unlike so many places in the city today.  Here’s the latest food rundown.

The Highlights:
Squid ink with rice – Sweet, savory, awesomeness.  A must order every meal for us.
Chicken liver mousse – New menu discovery. Top notch mousse with lovely Sherry notes
Lamb meatballs – A special.  Lamb meatballs at a tapas joint is an automatic order, and this is why

The Solids
Skirt steak – Expertly cooked, flavor packed special
Patatas Bravas – As good as it gets in NYC.
Gernika peppers  –…

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Rezdora – The Good, The Bad, And The Gramigna

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Ziggy

Eating With Ziggy

Rezdora - MozzarellaJanuary 31st, 2023 Update:

Ok, you want the good news or bad news first?  Lets start with the good.  Rezdora pastas still rank with the best of them.  The Gramigna Giallo e verde is a thing of multicolor beauty.  The kind of “white” ragu that sends you back to Italy, specifically Tuscany for me.  A lesson on how to get so much flavor from so little meat.  Another triumph is a Mozzarella di Bufala appetizer with pickled beets.  Every morsel of the oil, basil, and every other ingredient is profound.  Rezdora remains our best Emilia Romagna representative.  However…

This is not the same Rezdora since the Michelin star.  I get that sometimes we pay a hefty price for quality, but I believe we also pay for the privilege to some degree.  A Michelin tax if you will.  If you get it, they will come.  And by they I mean tourists. …

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Indigo {TCI} – A Star is Born

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Ziggy

Fine dining in TCI? Pass. Coming from NYC, we find fine dining in the Caribbean pretentious, overly expensive, and full of hiccups. When you shell out a considerate amount, you cant help but notice all the little things that go wrong. We mostly avoid them these days after being fooled one time too many. Fool me once shame on you, fool me 15 times, I’m a glutton for punishment. But sometimes you want to take your wife somewhere new and exciting, where she can sport her Rent The Runway dress, and matching scarf. And sometimes when the stars align, you hit a homerun. Or in this case, a “Six”. If you know, you know.

Indigo is the brainchild of Australian Andrew Mirosch, the Culinary Director at Wymara. Its the old Gansevoort which recently rebranded to Wymara. Its essentially the new Stelle for those familiar. We avoided Stelle all those years, but social media chatter and early reviews suggested Indigo is the one new kid on the block worth checking out. Indigo is named after one of Mirosch’s daughters. He often flies to Australia to see them, and comes back with highly sought-after Australian Salmon and lamb. As long as he doesnt bring back Vegemite, I think this formula will work for a long time.

Our expectations at places as such lowered over the years. But Indigo is doing its best to lift that bar. The one thing I really like about Indigo happens almost as soon as you sit down. A menu intro by Mirosch himself. Instead of meeting the host at the end of the meal as happens so often, a chat at the beginning helps with the menu navigation and palate matching. Its a game changer for some. It doesnt take long to see how passionate and dedicated he is on freshness and the ingredient driven menu. As with any place on Provo, you need to satisfy a wide range of tastes (ie tourists), and by all accounts it looks like Mirosch got the tools and expertise to do so.

The rebranding to Wymara didnt mean rebranding from sexy. So we, including Mrs Z scarf immediately felt that sense of belonging. I’m pretty sure, if we didnt arrive at Provo senior hour (7), when Indigo was fairly empty, we would have gotten plenty of the usual looks, and the few patrons we saw were simply too busy with the menu. Choosing from the menu turned out to be a difficult task as there were some very interesting looking specials that night. I prefer small menus, and this was definitely not. Andrew Mirosch, the fisherman to the rescue.

We started with the two soups on the menu, including one special. Fish soup was pleasantly creamy and loaded with various chunky delicious fish. But as good as it was, the Conch Chowder special made it look pedestrian. Complex, supremely flavorful, and as good as it gets really.

Second course was a special trio of tapas called “Would it kill them to add another shrimp to make it shareable”. Lobster spring roll and Mirosch’s take on Maryland crab cake totally upstaged the lone sad coconut shrimp which needed the two terrific sauces to give it some life. A flashy but tasty app overall.

Although it was still windy, the island fishermen went fishing after a 4 day break, hence a superb local grouper special. A hefty, perfectly flaky fish, sitting on top of freshly made light fried rice. This dish worked slightly better than the buttery lobster. Indigo has an interesting dessert selection but being a sucker for sticky toffee pudding I stopped reading the rest of the menu. A tad too sweet perhaps, but still enjoyable and something I’d order again.

The service is usually understandably lacking on the islands, but it wasnt the case here. Friendly, proficient, and anticipatory. I dont recall the wine we had as I wasnt planning on writing a dedicated post while there. But this was an enjoyable meal from start to finish. A solid exception to the rule. Go!

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L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele – Eat, Pray, Love, Repeat

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Ziggy

Opening a pizzeria in the heart of Manhattan these days requires some major Bombolone. From the West Village location of da Michele alone one can walk to a variety of pizzerias that are ranked with the best of them… Brunetti, Ribalta, Song’ E Napule, John’s of Bleecker Street, just to name a few. These few are mostly of the Neapolitan kind, the result of the new wave of Italian immigrants. Unlike their Sicilian and Neapolitan predecessors who worked with limited ingredients back in the day, the new wave has access to not only ingredients, but the proper pizza oven.

But all the ingredients in the world wont put you on the map if you are missing the main one, a capable Pizzaiolo. Thats always been the main difference between eating in NYC and Rome or Naples, for the most part. We are getting there, if not there already. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele is the brainchild of Francesco Zimone and Michele Rubini who are expending on the legacy of the original staple in Naples (since 1870). After two visits, needless to say, these two got pizza down to a science, mainly thanks to the all important Pizzaiolos they brought with them.

During my conversation with Michele after my first meal, I learned that these guys are no stranger to the ultra competitive NY pizza scene. More importantly perhaps they are well aware of what it takes to run a successful pizzerie in Naples, in accordance with Verace Pizza Napoletana Association which Michele Rubini is certified with. The Naples location is also famous for being featured in Julia Roberts’ Eat, Pray, Love. It has received so many accolades over the years, it has no more room on its door. Shame you wont see a “Ziggy Approved” sticker anytime soon.

Simply put, this is as good as pizza gets in NYC. The pies are larger than the typical Neapolitan found all over the city. I wrongly assumed they increase the size to please Americans, but Michele told me thats the size in Naples as well. The base is soft, light and perfectly charred. And the ingredients gel together beautifully. There’s a double cheese option for some reason, but not worth the risk of losing a perfectly balanced Fior Di Latte, Pecorino, tomato sauce combo.

Its important to keep it simple with the delicate Neapolitans, and always go with the Margherita, but I cant help but get the Diavola every time I see it. Here its superb, and the spicy salami is actually spicy. The Pesto is the only white one I tried, and its not too shabby either. Two pies can easily feed a hungry three, but not quite 4, unless you order other items. Its a fairly full menu for a pizza joint, and it will get fuller with burgers, fish and steak soon. The multi-room space is fairly spacious, with a long bar, and a third room downstairs that isnt quite ready. Its the most ambitious pizzeria that ever opened in NYC. So far so delicious.

L’antica Pizzeria da Michele
81 Greenwich Ave (West Village)

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Jeju Noodle Bar – Fortune Favors the Brave

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Ziggy

2019 seems like centuries ago. Anything before Covid is now foggy, ancient memory. We often use “pre-pandemic” to describe certain trends and personal habits. For example before the pandemic I would only have Negronis in restaurants like Jeju Noodle Bar. Nowadays its just another Wednesday at Ziggy’s new and improved bar. We drink more at home, and spend more eating out. A full meal at a full service restaurant used to cost on average $150 for two not too long ago. These days its more like $180. Pre-Covid Jeju Noodle Bar was one of the best deals in town as I wrote in 2018. For $45 per person you got a 6 courser for the ages way back then. Then, a nasty virus struck. Michelin!

Michelin of course has its many pros. I just cant think of any at the moment ;). Oh ye, I reckon it’s a great achievement for the establishment, the ultimate accolade really. It often attracts more business, albeit a new, more demanding customer base. It definitely inspire those seeking stars, and keeps the starred chefs on guard. But the cons are too many to list here. One of which is that as a customer, you may pay dearly for the said inspiration and honor.

This is not so much a complaint, but a cool transformation story. As much as I would prefer the old Jeju, I’m genuinely happy for these guys. They reaped the rewards of smart and even brave moves early on, and created a formula that works for many. It was one of a kind back then, and even with the changes, one of a kind today. A Michelin starred semi fancy noodle joint. But its hard to ignore some of the changes, like the star dish Toro Ssam that was included in the original $45 tasting menu, is now a $55 caviar-ed triumph in itself. And the two piece fried chicken app that now includes caviar as well, comes with a $29 sticker shock.

These differences are mainly reflected in its smaller dishes. While its a “Noodle Bar” that specializes in Ramyun, Korean style Ramen, its smaller dishes are its strength and the main reason for the Michelin star. In fact it wouldnt be so wrong to only order appetizers at Jeju, and it would be a mistake to order a filling Ramyun for each person. And then you have the seemingly rotating two dry noodle dishes that are not shown on the main site menu. Last time there was an intense lobster pasta (Gajae-Myun) drenched with a fishy (in a good way) Sauce Americaine, and lobster emulsion. Its like a the pasta version of a sick lobster bisque.

The good news is that many of the small dishes are very shareable, even for four people. Take the half rack pork ribs. Plentiful, fall of the bone, and sauced to sweet and spicy perfection. But I wouldnt expect less for $30. I did expect less from the Gochujang Bokum with a comparably shocking tag of $13. But what I got was elevated comfort food in the form of beef ragu over rice topped with potato crisps, featuring flavors as explosive as the volcanos on Jeju island. The Amberjack, one of three raw fish dishes on the menu is probably the only skippable item we ever tasted here. The delicate Amberjack just got lost for me between all the sauces.

Articles, poems, and children books have been written about the Toro Ssam Bap over the years (eg “Ssam I am”, “Goodnight Toro Ssam”). I believe I even included it in one of my annual, not so anymore, Best Dishes of the year. I will probably resume it this year and pay more attention. The layers of rice, scrambled eggs, fatty tuna, and now Golden Osetra Caviar manufacture an umami filled spoonful. Or make it a freakishly good taco with the accompanied seaweed. Despite the price tag, its an absolute must signature, and such a great complement to the menu.

Its the only “Ramen” place where I would recommend to share one, or maybe even skip altogether. They are solid and worth trying, but just not as life changing as the smaller items. The often mentioned Wagyu Ramyun isnt as big of an upgrade as the price suggests ($45 vs mostly low $20’s). The high quality Wagyu brisket inside the delicious broth is good but not quite as outstanding as one would expect from Wagyu meat. The pork bone based Gochu, and the family Ramyun are well balanced, milky, and just rich enough. Sometimes Tonkotsu ramen can get too rich for my taste.

Wine list is fine. Beautiful decor, though less than ideal comfort levels if you get tables with benches instead of chairs. In the winter time, these benches dont work so well as there’s nowhere to put your coat or hang your man purse. Never sacrifice comfort for aesthetics, kids. Oddly no dessert, another change from the good ole days! Jeju is still a solid inclusion on the coveted Z-List, that some may argue more beneficial for consumers than Michelin stars. Go!

Jeju Noodle Bar
679 Greenwich St (West Village)
Recommended Dishes: Ribs, Gochujang Bokum, Toro Ssam, Gajae-Myun, Gochu Ramyun

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