Posts Tagged With: restaurants

Best Dishes in Hell’s Kitchen – Round 4

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Ziggy

Rest of the rounds can be found here

Oxtail Fried Rice at Blue Ribbon Sushi – Responsible for roughly 27% of my wet dreams. We are blessed with all sorts of crazy fried rice dishes all over town (Ivan Ramen, Gato, Pure Thai), but this one may top them all. Adding to the richness are bits of bone marrow, and on top of all this craziness is an egg omelette. Once you mix it all, you get something really special. This Blue Ribbon is inside the 6 Columbus Hotel, and depending on who you ask it may not be exactly in Hell’s Kitchen. Some sites like Yelp think it is, and if you ask me, deliciousness should know no borders (I just came up with this)

Tofu at Danji – I smell this dish as soon as I go in. Along with the fiery Korean Wings (some of the best in the city), Bulgogi sliders, the tofu is a must order for me on every visit. The fact that its a tofu dish alone, and its on this list speaks major volume. Four rectangles are flash fried, and topped with ginger scallion dressing, and that wonderful soy vinaigrette I smell upon arrival. The result is crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and incredibly delicious throughout. You will want to eat every single detail of this dish.

Steamed Pork Buns at Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen – These are Xiao Long Bao, aka Soup Dumplings, not the pork buns we know and love (Momofuku, Ippudo). In fact everything about the place is confusing. The Ramen is not exactly Ramen, there’s no Kung Fu anywhere, and the pork buns are not pork buns. But they are quite spectacular, once you develop the art of eating them properly. You may want to hold a napkin in your right hand initially as you may splatter some juice on your neighbor. But practice will make perfect , and after a few of these babies you will be eating them like a pro. Just scoop it up unto the soup spoon (add some vinegar before or after), nibble once to make a hole, let the steam out for a few seconds… attack. This is not a place to linger, nor for a fancy pre-theater meal, as you may share your table with common folk who may not be wearing Louboutin.

Oxtail Soup at Pam Real Thai – This is a no-brainer since I included it in the Best Dishes of 2014. Delicious lasting heat, complex broth, with two hefty meaty bones. Fatty in all the right places, like slow dancing with your mother-in-law. If my mother-in-law could cook like this, I would have an affair. I believe it has miracle powers (cured all my flu like symptoms, and frontal balding). It’s my favorite soup in the city of Ramen. Disregard the lazy, minimalistic decor at this old timer (compared to the rest of the Thai in the area). Though once you try Pam’s cooking, the decor will look like something out of a contemporary French country catalog

Pastel de Crema at City Sandwich – Yes, we are listing the city’s top sandwich stop and not having a sandwich. Criminal in a way. Until you try these things at this Portuguese inspired joint. Yes, I suppose you can find them in your nearest Chinatown as well (They were introduced to China via Macau while under Portuguese rule). This is the Portuguese national snack. A creamy egg custard inside a flaky crust. But if an egg tart is not to your liking, try their mini Panna Cotta

Categories: Midtown West, New York City | Tags: Blue Ribbon Sushi, City Sandwich, danji, food, Hell's Kitchen eats, Kung fu Little Steamed Buns, Pam Real Thai, restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment

Take Your Daughters to Roberta’s Day

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Ziggy

I, Ziggy U, because Google will not allow accounts without a last name a la Cher, hearts Roberta’s pizza. I’ve been eating Roberta’s pizza for the past two years. I’ve been stung by its Bee Sting, and started riots when they stopped offering it at Madison Square Eats. I’ve been touting its pizza and recommended Roberta’s to total strangers asking for pizza and even non pizza stuff (Can you recommend a good shoe lace store in Bushwick that wont break the bank). I’ve gone to the annual Roberta’s festival in its back yard once where they give away the pies for free. I’ve done it all. Except for one tiny little detail… Eat at Roberta’s. Up until yesterday I’ve never eaten inside Roberta’s. I’ve gone close a few time. Remember the Zizi Limona post last year? I didn’t feel it was fair to Zizi to mention that we were actually on our way to Roberta’s that day, but the wait for a table was over an hour.

That’s the norm at Roberta’s. Over one hour waits. Regulars will be drooling over the pictures here, not so much for the all too familiar food, but the empty tables. This is Wednesday at 3:30, nap time at hipsterland, and perfect timing before 4-5 where only pizza and Romaine salad are available. Why are there long waits? A) Its extremely popular B) The pizza is great C) There’s nothing else whatsoever in the immediate area, but empty lots and graffiti filled structures. Its also pretty freakin far. We somehow, by pure Hanukkah miracle, survived the drive and ensuing meal without the unimaginable: The youngest’s phone dying.

We started with a salad, which turned out to be $5 more expensive since in true a la carte fashion, the bread and butter is a menu item. This is a New York trend that I hope reverses soon as I didn’t find much wrong with the concept of receiving the bread and butter for free. Here, you expect to get something that resembles this, but instead you get something that you normally get for free elsewhere, albeit a nice warm baguette and butter that was a little oversalted. The Romaine “I cant believe its not Caesar” Salad was as good and fresh as Romaine Salads can get, with candied walnuts, Pecorino and mint.

Ribs or Carbonara? Ribs or Carbonara? “We are out of the Ribs”. That settles it me thinks. The Carbonara arrives looking nothing like traditional Carbonara, and more like some heated yellow mess, was surprisingly quite delicious. The Guanciale was missing its snap, but the pasta was peppery, eggy and rich. We attacked this thing with full force. The pizzas were the same classic Neapolitans we’ve been enjoying for years. Margherita was perfectly light and airy, and so was the busier secret menu item Bee Sting with the honey and Soppressata. Try it at a food festival near you, or take the schlep over the bridge and then some

Roberta’s
261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: best pizza in Brooklyn, food, pizza, restaurants, Roberta's, Roberta's Pizza, Travel | 1 Comment

Momofuku Ko – Son of David

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Ziggy

On this fine second Seder eve, the beginning of Nutella week (I only eat Nutella with Matzah), I’ll start with a question I’ve been asked many time. How can Jesus be the son of David! Jesus was born 1000 years after David, and yet he is repeatedly described in the new testament as the Son of David. Was David the first ever sperm donor? I didn’t think so. Mmm, a moment of silence as I reflect on the fact that I haven’t and most likely never will produce sons. I get this moment every now and then, bare with me. But the answer to our questions is that its just a Messianic title, like “Son of god”. Jesus, born in the city of David, Bethlehem, was the long awaited Messiah, deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

Coincidentally (or not) “Ko” means “Son of” in Japanese, and Momofuku Ko is the son of David Chang, the long awaited Messiah that came to free us from French dominance, and who broke all the rules and then some, like an inspired blogger suddenly writing with run-on sentences. Chang like Ko, is a trend setter that continues to reinvent himself. In a recent editorial piece by Chang about the flux state of ramen in NYC, I couldnt help but notice the extensive profanities in the piece. Some may say Vulgar. I say fucking inspiring!

The best way I can describe Ko is like this. A religious experience for non-religious food geeks. A rather indescribable event that perhaps you should not read much about beforehand, like the back of the Netflix white sleeve envelope. Even the cuisine itself is not something you can categorize. The default “American (new)” is perhaps the closest but only because its the default, and not because its comparable to anything else in its category (with the possible exception of Atera and a few more). Yelp lists it as “Korean, American (New)”. Might as well say “Turkish, Uyghur, Fried Chicken”.

You almost need to become religious when you try to make reservations. You have to open an account with fuku, set a reminder exactly two weeks before the date you want at 9:55 am and start flexing the fingers. At 10:00 am reservations open, and at 10:05 they pretty much close. If you miss your big chance, they can put you on a calling list in case someone cancels on the same day. For me it required a small village, with “fuku” texts from friends reminding me after many failed attempts.

Its counter seating, with ample room between you and other guests. The 2.5 hours meal costs $175 and features a set menu of 18 or so dishes. Overall it felt like what a 2 Michelin star in NYC should feel. Professional, efficient, yet not too stuffy at all, even though you cant drop a napkin without someone handing you a fresh one within seconds. Part of the enjoyment is sitting there watching the cooks do their thing, including someone we dubbed Momofuku Eddik who looked like our friend Eddik.

Describing the dishes at Ko can be as complicated as describing Japanese elder porn. I dont usually take notes while I eat so I will try to do my best describing and will omit some that were not so memorable, like the millefeuille, the only photo not taken (probably around the time I spotted Mr Chang. I’m glad he didnt recognize me because I was having way too much fun with Mrs Z and didnt feel like being bothered)

Lobster Paolise was the highlight of the early round of small bites, served in a cylinder shell like a shot glass. Paloise is essentially minty Barnaisse. A terrific Vegetable Roll followed by less memorable millefeuille and pomme soufflee. Madai (Japanese Snapper looking Sea Bream) served raw with clear jellied consomme and shiso was a nice little transition to the lightweights. Razor Clams swimming in basily pineapple dashi was perhaps the first wow moment, only to be followed by much bigger ones. Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) aided by dry aged beef fat was meaty yet delicate. Then comes a sensational Venison tartare with fermented black bean puree and shredded fried brussels sprouts providing a nice crunch. One of the best dishes of the night

The Mackarel Sawarazushi that we saw our new friend Jay torch time and time again during the meal, was well balanced, and not as strong as mackerel can get sometimes. Surprisingly, in a way I preferred the dashi (soup) they made with the mackerel with shredded King Oyster Mushrooms and Asian Pears. Like the sickest Miso soup you will ever eat. Soft scrambled eggs with Osetra caviar and breadcrum-like fried potatoes was quite the dish. Add the homemade bread and radish butter and you got a triumph. Like breakfast at Putin’s. Momofuku, change the name to Breakfast at Putin’s

The Pilmeni/ravioli like Kaboocha squash dumplings were light and springy. A nice transition to the heavyweights of the meal (perhaps its a good time to say, skip lunch). The lobster dish was another winner. A few pieces of lobster tail with sweet potatoes and some sort of lobster espuma which was like the greatest lobster bisque on the planet. When you make the sweet potato almost match the lobster in taste, for this sweet potato hater, you are doing a lot of things right. The best way I describe the pork piece is steroid injected, beefed up incredibly delicious Canadian bacon. They brine that thing for 6 days. Add some Kimchi and onions and you got yourself an Ooooboy! If you didn’t have your religious experience by now, it will probably arrive with the frozen foie gras liberally shaved on top of Lychee, candies pine nuts and Riesling Jelly.

The desserts, while perfectly acceptable, did not carry the similar oomph you get with the rest of the menu. A Huckleberry sorbet with bee pollen, minty chocolate tart, some mignardises in a form of tiny macaroons. The best thing was the last warm dessert that’s not on the menu but reminded me of a sticky toffee pudding.

Needless to say, put this Momofuku high up there on your NYC bucket list. The first slot sounds about right.

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: David Chang, food, Momofuku Ko, Momofuku Ko NYC, restaurants, Travel | 8 Comments

Mission Chinese 2.0: Possible

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Ziggy

December 20th, 2016 Update:

Mission Chinese Food continues to tickle and tackle my taste buds. But at the same time its becoming more and more apparent that not all dishes work for everyone, and my ability to properly select from this menu is shaky at best. It almost seems like its strength and claim to fame, the ultra fiery stuff, is also its weakness. People either love the numbing heat or hate it, while the hate is strong enough to keep its Yelp score shockingly low for a place with such profile. But even much of the love.. “The wings were KILLA, but I couldnt finish more than 3” is questionable. In a normal world, you dont recommend a dish you personally gave up after ~~eating~~ laboring a quarter of it.

To me the strength lies in the more subdued plates. Like the Green Tea Noodles, and the simple but proper fried chicken. A less subdued solid discovery is the addictive spicy noodles with peanuts, and cold shrimp that dont bring much to the table. But the shocker the other day was the expensive, great sounding Fragrant Crab Rice that turned out to be bland and uneventful. It was essentially a bucket full of dry rice, with crab that is totally lost, and no scent to speak of. Here, such dish can quickly turn into an expensive side dish to balance the heat from other dishes. This is also where the Tom Khallins drink comes in handy. Go, still, but not as enthused as before.

March 28, 2015:

Yesterday I got a disturbing text from my barber. It wasnt so much about the content of the text, but rather the fact that I got a text from my barber that was alarming. Initially I concluded wrong number, but then I remembered that my barber was the only person I know that calls me by the wrong name. I gave up correcting him 5 years ago and simply play along. “Terry, I moved to the other side of the mall, by Macy’s. Please confirm that you received this text”. After confirmation, he was very delighted that I showed understanding, and opted to stick with him!?! Well, why on earth wouldn’t I. Should I consider perhaps that the other side of the mall is further away from my house? Maybe he’s implying lack of parking? I’ve only been with him for 16 years. Should I drop him because the other side of the mall doesnt have an Auntie Anne’s soft pretzel stand, and simply hire one of the old schmucks taking a nap at 10 am? I always show up to a Bunny Ranch-like lineup of sleeping barbers to choose from.

In similar fashion Mission Chinese Food moved from the LES to Chinatown, pretty much the same distance as my barber. Danny Bowien, and MCF opened with a bang initially, even winning in a rather shocking fashion the coveted Best New Restaurant of 2013 from the New York Times. Not too long after, it was closed by the Health Dep’t, reopened shortly after, only to close for good shortly after that. For its fans this unfolding was difficult to watch. As difficult as watching a baby seal getting clobbered to death. If I would only have a nickle for every favorite Chinese restaurant closed at some point by the Health Dep’t, I would have a Quarter by now. Who cares if there’s evidence of mice. As long as the mice and I are not there at the same time.

The new space, compared to the old, is comically stunning. Like a bizarre cross between a fancy diner, a steakhouse, and a Lucky Cheng’s. It kept some of the furniture from previous tenant Rosette, including a pizza oven which they utilize for pizza and bread. Comfortable booths, chandeliers, and Lazy Susans unlike the Lazy Susans at my Doctor’s office where you just got lazy women named Susan. When you add this all up, including the many mild additions to the menu, you get something you can bring your family, or even your in-laws. But contrary to the way it looks inside, and the sign outside, it is very far from your average Chinese joint.

Started with one of the most unique drinks in recent memory (about a week give or take). Tom Khallins – Old Tom gin, coconut milk, kaffir lime, lemongrass, ginger, chile, and sesame oil served in a small tea bowl. After this and Pok Pok I’m really starting to get into those coconuty drinks.

The “Bread Service” is essentially a delicious smoky round Laffa with kefir butter spread. It comes with a price tag ($7) that will make any Israeli or Arab shiver, a la the Jerusalem Bagel at Bar Bolonat. Although the great free cilantro and scrambled eggs dumplings leave less room to complain. One good reason NOT to get the bread is that it takes a lot of space on the table that you will struggle for very soon.

The Cumin Lamb Ribs while on the fatty and chewy side were somehow more satisfying that the previous version. The Dates in this dish alone are worth the price of admission. On the other hand, the Kung Pao Pastrami went from my favorite to least favorite of the night. The pastrami this time was much more charred, with texture closer to the potatoes it came with rather than that great pastrami of 1.0. It wasn’t bad overall, but the rest of the lineup was just better.

Like the great Beef Jerky Fried Rice with Beech Mushrooms. Wildly flavorful, but only the second best fried rice dish of the day (oxtail fried rice @ Blue Ribbon near Columbus Circle for lunch). And if I would have to pick a favorite this night, it would probably be the Green Tea Noodles with ginger scallion, hoisin, and the great matcha flavor which makes the dish. The only issue with this one is that the noodles are so stuck together (not so much in a bad way), that its difficult to remove a portion if you are sharing. Eat this like Chinese eating rice.

Mission Chinese Food
171 E Broadway
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Tom Khallins, Beef Jerky Fried Rice, Green Tea Noodles, Cumin Lamb Ribs

Categories: Lower East Side, New York City | Tags: Best Chinese Food in NYC, food, Mission Chinese Food, Mission Chinese Food NYC, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Is Maialino Turning Stale?

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Ziggy

Malfatti

Maialino has always been one of those easy, solid, high probability recommendations over the past 3 years. I’ve recommended it to people not only looking for “Italian” in NYC but also “Not Italian”, with the hopes that if anything will convert them this is it. I’ve been singing its praise to restaurant owners from Naples to Alba while touring the country. I’ve been a fan of Nick Anderer for years, and since meeting him at the Parla/Bonci event at Paulie Gee’s, had some fun conversations with him at Marta, which is one of my favorite new places in town. Hence, its somewhat awkward for me to write this post, but I’m doing it out of love and appreciation, not hate. I would hate to see the place turn into another Union Square Cafe

The meal wasnt terrible by any stretch. But the name carries certain expectations, and anticipations, especially when its a special birthday dinner with the family. I always think about that walk to the park with my friend Val and his Bulldog Rocco who out of sheer excitement, farts his way the entire length of the walk until he finally gets to his favorite pooping spot. You can feel and smell the anticipation along the way. But imagine if after all these years, Rocco finds out that his spot has been discovered by a Yorkshire Terrier, or worse, replaced by a condominium development. Something was off the other night, and I’m hoping it was just a Sunday night off-night

The Salumi here has never been a strong suit to begin with, although I found the selection plate still orderable partly due to lack of other desirable options (where’s that octopus when you need it). The Mortadella for example is cut thick with texture and taste resembling its bastardized Bologna more than actual Mortadella.

The Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara still delivered, although the Cacio carried a little less magic than in the past. But that Guanciale in the Carbonara, I can chew on that forever. Or more like 5 minutes, which is like a lifetime in Guanciale years. The Pappardelle was just fine. Chunks of tender nicely cooked pork with light cream. Not your typical Ragu, and missing that beautiful marriage between meat and pasta.

For main we shared another pasta, the Malfatti with the braised Maialino (suckling pig) and arugula. But wait a minute, this dish looks familiar. As in 7 minutes ago familiar. Way too identical to the Pappardelle, but sounded much different. “Malfatti” I suppose is a very loose interpretation of something misshaped or badly formed, and I’ve always associated it with ugly pasta-less (more like gnocchi) ricotta/spinach dumplings as in Al Di La in Brooklyn. But here it looks like hand ripped thin pasta, like Pappardelle “squares”. The pig had decent flavor if not a bit one-note (salt), but by this point we were craving for something more Raguish. The Garganelli which I enjoyed in the past with rabbit could have filled the void but was missing in action.

Very often one dish can make or break a meal, and in this case the decider was the Oxtail. When I had the dish before, the beautiful tender meat was easily falling off the bone in liberal fashion. This time I had to work hard managing the unrendered fat, distributing the kill like a mother wolf feeding her three babies. The surprising highlight of the evening was the panna cotta look-alike Cheesecake with sour cherries. Hope I’m still welcomed at Marta, but if not I’ll understand

Categories: Gramercy, Flatiron, New York City | Tags: food, Maialino, Maialino NYC, restaurants, Travel | 4 Comments

Crackpot Kitchen {TCI}

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Ziggy

First, the confession. I was not in a rush to get here. For selfish reasons I enjoy discovering new places on the island, and make an effort to visit them as soon as I can. Some (Caravel) work better than others (Fresh Catch, Kalooki’s). When we like a new place, we get this sense of accomplishment that fixes just about everything.. rashes, frontal baldness, etc. The weather may suck but at least you are eating well, and unless they shutter for not being on the beach, you will eat well next time as well. Crackpot was the exception, as I tried to avoid it for as long as I could. “Unassuming” was just not the word one could describe this one after coming out of the gate rather strong. Reports of Chef Nick indulging elsewhere just weeks after the opening added to the confusion, and intrigue at the same time.

Fast forward a year later (commercials included), chef Nik and company, not only weathered the storm, but managed to survive at what I call the closest middle of nowhere location in the world. Taking over the former Lemon space, Crackpot is in the middle of a large abandoned development one needs to drive into even though its walking distance from some of the resorts. And to get there, one needs to maneuver between a series of potholes, a can of coke, and three cats carrying a wounded cat on a stretcher. Not much changed decor wise since the previous tenant left (after a nasty split, but that’s for another blog. Divorce Courting With Ziggy?).

Servers, efficient, albeit acting as if they just graduated from server academy. Nick, the famous son of Smoky, and local cooking show personality stopped by apologizing for his attire, although it was way too dark to even see what he was wearing. I apologized for my attire as well and we moved on. The place overall felt as if Coco Bistro and Flamingo’s hooked up, got drunk and produced a crack baby. But food wise, everything worked for the most part

The conch salad was a little different than the norm. On the zestier, fruitier side of things, with bits of pineapple, and melon finely intermingled among the usual conch salad suspects. Not bad at all. The lobster salad was of the cooked variety, essentially a crab salad gone wild. Conch fritters were more like conch kebabs, skewered, surprisingly delicious even while lacking that outside crisp. The ribs here were quite wet and with good flavor. More sauce on side (for the Stern fans) was totally unnecessary. Not sure where they rank on the island but somewhere behind Chinson’s and Caicos Cafe’s version I suppose.

Got my Goat fix here and I must say this was a good goat curry. Minimal dryness, and quite addictive, although this blogger is a bit more obsessed with Goat curry than the next guy. They also have a good looking Oxtail cooked with Guinness. The one glaring fail of the evening was the Grilled Lobster. A dry, overcooked mess with stuffing, and other various concoctions on the side that didn’t work.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Crackpot Kitchen, Crackpot Kitchen Turks and Caicos, food, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

A Gentleman’s Guide to Pok Pok

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Ziggy

Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown Thailand” with Andy Ricker is one of my favorite food episodes of all time. It was real, it was fun, and it gives you a good size glimpse of what exactly is behind Ricker’s motivation… women! Yes, food and the culture are probably high up there, but its probably the women that made the man move back and forth and back again for 20 years. Even some of the servers at Pok Pok NY including the boys were a sharp reminder that you are at a Ricker establishment. I vividly recall one particular moment from that episode where they visit a family run shack somewhere remotely, where Ricker starts flirting with a girl pretty much in front of her parents. Now that is some Chutzpah.

The last time I was accused of being a gentleman was the last time we visited Turks and Caicos, where I kept opening the car door for Mrs Ziggy. But that was because I can never get used to the location of the wheel and keep opening the wrong door. At Pok Pok blvd in Red Hook Brooklyn, Mr and Mrs Hummus Whisperer and us got to open three different Pok Pok doors; The Whiskey Soda Lounge while munching on the famous wings (the only item available from the flagship menu), Pok Pok NY (the flagship), and Pok Pok Phat Thai (Pk Pok light) just for the hell of it. A fun meal overall, and vastly different than the 9th Ave Thai some of us are so used to. Here’s the food rundown

Pok Pok Boar Collar

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings. I don’t know who this Ike guy is but I’m guessing he is a good guy, and an honest citizen, and probably a fantastic cook. These are plus size Amish wings that are seasoned in such a way that you will contemplate not washing hands for a few days.

Het Paa Naam Tok – Spicy forest mushrooms with soy sauce, lime and chili powder dressing, shallots, lemongrass, mint, cilantro and toasted rice powder. Perhaps the only dish I didn’t care much about. Sounds exciting at first but the result was way too much acid for those delicate mushrooms. Probably works better with meat

Kaeng Hang Leh – Northern Thai sweet pork belly and pork shoulder curry with ginger, palm sugar, turmeric, tamarind, burmese curry powder and pickled garlic. This was really good. Super tender pork in a rich, sweet but tasty brown curry. An important note to Yelpers: Pork Belly is in fact fatty

Muu Paa Kham Waan – Boar collar meat rubbed with garlic, coriander root and black pepper, glazed with soy and sugar. Grilled over charcoal and served with chilled mustard greens and a spicy chili/lime/garlic sauce. Even the slightly overcooked Boar didn’t stop it from being the dish of the night. Its all in the sauce of gods that could even make your car keys eatable. Fantastic dish!

Pok Pok Khao Soi

Khao Soi Kay – Northern thai mild curry noodle soup made with curry paste recipe and coconut milk, served with house pickles mustard greens. A little trickier to share but Khao Soi as good as I ever had

Cha Ca “La Vong” – Vietnamese catfish (or as they call it in South Florida, Grouper ;)) marinated in turmeric and sour sticky rice, fried in turmeric oil with scallions and dill, served on rice vermicelli with peanuts, mint, cilantro and mam nem. One of my favorite dishes here and something I’ve had before. Before you even take your first bite, the herbs aroma make their mark and tell the brain “this is gonna be exquisite”

Winged Bean Salad – This was a special. Florida grown crunchy sliced Winged Bean pods mixed with prawns, pork and a hefty amount of Thai Chilies. The spiciest dish of the night by far, and something I would definitely order again.

Dessert was as exciting as Thai desserts can get. A not so smelly Durian scented creation on sticky rice with coconut milk. Slightly less successful than the similar pumpkin at Pure Thai Cookhouse. The Affogato was your good basic Affogato but with Churros-like doughnuts. The lone clunker was the ice cream sandwich which didn’t work for any of us.

Pok Pok NY
117 Columbia St, Brooklyn
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Wings, Catfish, pork belly and shoulder, Boar Collar, Curry Soup

Pok Pok Catfish

Pok Pok – Bean Salad

Pok Pok Mushroom Salad

Pok Pok affogato

Pok Pok Durian

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: Best Thai in NYC, food, Pok Pok Brooklyn, Pok Pok NYC, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

15 Shades of Caicos Café

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Ziggy

Ladies and gents, brace yourself. Its the moment you’ve been waiting for. Ever since you discovered the Turkey and Cascos Islands as your co-workers call them (“You back… how was Turkey and Cascos”), the question you always wanted to ask but were too afraid for some reason; What to order at Caicos Café, the top restaurant in Providenciales. If you agree, great. If you disagree, even better. You just need a little help that’s all.

Although I live 1300 miles away, and have a serious eating disorder (NYC did this to me), I’ve written about Caicos Café more than any other restaurant in the world (trying to sound dramatic, but really it doesn’t mean anything. I could have said NY but I chose not to). I’ve written stories, reviews, blog posts, mentioned them in every WWH Seven dishes column, and children books (“Goodnight Grouper”). So instead of writing yet another boring blog post about our recent meals there, I decided to write about what dishes you should target on your next visit (which is really the same thing, but sounds much more interesting, doesnt it?).

Resume: somewhere between 15-20 meals. Here are the up to date standings of the most visited restaurants:

1) Pure Thai Cookhouse (NYC) 60-70 meals

2) Chicken Over Rice Guy around the corner (NYC) 50

3) Caicos Café (TCI) 15-20

4) Mom (Brooklyn) 12

We often joke that we could potentially eat every dinner of a week’s long trip at CC, and have a great and different meal every night. One day we may finally do it. And you can bet your sweet tooches that we’ll have some sort of combination of the following

Grilled Calamari Skewer – Starting with the no-brainer. On the menu since pretty much day one, and something we must have on just about every visit. Spiced grilled Calamari on a skewer, sitting on top of cannellini beans, mussels, grilled bread with the most perfectly complimentary light sauce. Great dish

Gnocchi – Another must for us. A dish that saw many iterations, but the result is always the same. Fresh homemade potato Gnocchi, whether with tomato sauce, mushroom sauce, bigger Gnocchi, smaller Gnocchi, doesnt matter. Pillowy, melty goodness without fail each time.

Lobster Salad (Seasonal) – A delicious recent discovery. Not sure what took us so long

Escargot – Rivals the former Caicos Cafe, and the current Le Bouchon du Village for best on the island

Wahoo Carpaccio – An occasional special, and another absolute must. This is the only way I can truly enjoy this firm dude, and now I have to order more because my entire family is into it. Like eating sea butter

Lobster Fra Diavolo – Possibly the most popular dish during lobster season. Flambeed with Brandy, along with chili, parsley, garlic, light tomato sauce, and most importantly plentiful of tasty, tender, never chewy lobster morsels. Other similar dishes on the island pale in comparison

Seafood Tagliolini – Another one of those menu staples. Pernot flambéed with various fish and shellfish, spices and a hint of parsley and lemon juice. Love the flavors in this one

Orecchiette – A seafood break for the meat lovers. Orecchiette means “small ears”, normally mixed with sausages and Broccoli rabe. Here Chef Max blends in a sweet and spicy sausage ragu with Broccoli and Parmesan cheese. Another menu staple

Pumpkin Ravioli – A new favorite in the Ziggy familia. I normally hesitate ordering it (its pumpkin ravioli!), but one bite is like a shock through the system. Roasted pumpkin, 5 various cheeses, pecans, brown butter, thyme, and more Parma cheese to top it all. More flavorful than all the Tortelli di Zucca we’ve had in Parma.

Seafood Casserole – This is a very popular dish outside of the Ziggy circuit. The only time I ordered it I was too sick to eat anything, but I’ve enjoyed similar creations by Chef Max.

Baby Back Pork Ribs – This is where that crazy versatility is showing. I imagine a full blown Italian style scheduled transport strike if this is taken out of the menu. Its that popular. Marinaded with Jalapeno, honey, paprika and lime juice, wet rubbed with Bourbon BBQ sauce… Winner

Grilled Local Grouper – Only available as a special, which means you are getting a fresh locally caught grouper. Not Swai, not Tilapia, not Carp! Simply grilled to perfection with vegetables sauteed in lemon-mint extra virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes, capers, olives & basil salsa, mashed potatoes. Hint: notice the weather is lousy? Guess what, no grouper today, as the weather is lousy for the local fishermen as well. What you’ll get on the other menus is the frozen or [Enter your favorite Vietnamese catfish here]

Anything with Octopus – Pay close attention to the specials here. When he gets those Portuguese Octopuses via Miami, oooooh boy, watch out. Grilled just by itself, or as part of a pasta like Troccoli alla Chitarra utilizing his guitar (Chitarra). So so good

Affogato with Bailey’s – A traditional must for us, and something we order often in NYC as a result, leaving us almost always disappointed

Pear and Mango Tart – Honey, Butter sauce, vanilla ice cream. Sometimes apples, sometimes pear, always delicious.

Buon Appetito!

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best restaurants in turks and caicos, Caicos Cafe, Caicos Cafe Turks and Caicos, food, restaurants, Travel | 6 Comments

The Caravel {TCI} – New Fish on the Block

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Ziggy

When East Met West, sparks and tuna rolls flew, until East abruptly left, leaving just light fixtures behind. What took its place? Ice Cream, from West. No thank you. But wait, putting my prescription snorkeling goggles reveals an extra “A”. So to lure people in while avoiding franchise fees? No. The extra “A” is for Authentic, as in local food. How’s that for banal. The writing, not the place. I’m not quitting my job, dont worry. Mrs Z said no.

Caravel is for the ship, not the ice cream. A rather new local hotspot on the main road just east of Ocean Club West. In addition to the former Sora lights, you have a bar with TVs, and big boy camera friendly oversized tables. The place was packed with chatty happy locals. So in order to take that new, fresh shot below we had to ask everyone to get up, clear their plates and wait outside for a second. Because with quality cooking this good, there’s no way the place can be empty, right? Ok, maybe the word is still spreading. Lets expedite that spreading shell we.

There’s a quiet ongoing war on the island for the rights to the island’s top Fish Tacos. Cabana’s Bar and Grill at Ocean Club East makes a batch so satisfying that they require a password to get in to park. ‘Somewhere’ certainly has its fans somewhere, though I’m still searching for the fish in those. Hemingway’s even with the slight sweet tone courtesy of the mango chutney was the front-runner. The Caravel version is almost like a nice combination of the three. The former Mr Grouper chef packs fried fish with cheese, and various veggies inside toasty flower shaped tortilla shells and serves it with an Arsenal of sauces. “Fried” is a turnoff, but its lightly battered, and expertly cooked to flaky perfection. And none of the other ingredients overwhelm the delicate fish. Unless you go a little crazy with that sick homemade hot sauce. Add any of the three you prefer, but the hot one added a nice oomph for my palate

I wasn’t expecting much from the Jerk Chicken plate that disguises as a chicken sandwich on the menu. We just wanted some jerk as we normally crave on the island. It didn’t disappoint. Liberally spiced, juicy, and just tender enough.

Well done Caravel with an “A”. I hope unlike Sora, you stick around a little longer. Much longer. In that location, quality and a specialty dish will be key, and from our vantage point, all the ingredients for success are in place.

To get to Caravel, walk or drive east past Seven Stars, Caicos Plaza, entrance on the left right past Ocean Club West.

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best fish tacos in turks and caicos, Fish Tacos, food, restaurants, The Caravel, The Caravel Turks and Caicos, Travel | Leave a comment

Provo – Food for Thought 2015

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Ziggy

Caicos Cafe – Grilled Calamari

Another fun eating trip on the island we call Providenciales. The weather was a mixed bag of sun, clouds, wind and seaweed. An island version of Guess is in the works, where you try to guess which hotel got the seaweed this morning. February may not be the best month to experience Grace Bay at her best, but its the best month to escape the Gotham frozen tundra, among many other reasons. We are back rejuvenated, even if a little bruised. The seas were angry for much of the week, and the palapas were just standing there. “Why the scar? Did you belong to a gang? Tough childhood? ” “Nope. Ran into a a palapa”.

As I stated in the past I dont write negative reviews for various reasons. One of which is the increased cost of Krav Maga trained body guards these days (my depandant duo unexpectedly quit last month). However, since this is just a harmless not so Google friendly recap, I offer a rare glimpse of the good and the ungood…

Kalooki’s – The new kid on the Blue Hills block produced mixed results overall. A mature, promising feel, friendly knowledgeable service in an inviting location by the water. Lemongrass Seafood Chowda was the New England creamy kind, good but forgettable once compared to other chowders we had later on. The cod fritters were like thin plain latkes that Jewish moms throw out because they didn’t come out as the other latkes. Jerk Chicken and Ribs were missing that oomph that Sailing Paradise used to deliver just down the road. Whole fried Snapper was a little over fried, but manageable with good flavor. No comparison however to what they do with it in Bugaloos. Not terrible by any means, but there’s plenty of room for growth.

Caicos Cafe – More of the same from our old fave after two more meals. CC continues to hit on all cylinders, and chef Mad Max shows he still got tricks up his sleeve. A food recap here may result in a dangerously long and tedious paragraph, so instead I will offer you these suggestions. Pay close attention to the right side of the menu, the left side, and the specials insert page in between. What I’m trying to say is over the years we pretty much had every single item on the menu, and the hits keep coming. I will try to write a more detailed post about some of our favorites soon

Le Bouchon – Another must for us at this island institution. They should really name a street after them, or a village at Beaches… “Le Bouchon du Village” or something. Julian and papa continue to fill the chalkboard with all sorts of French inspired goodies. The classics continue to shine, including the always delightful Escargot. More than worthy of garlic breath Mrs Z. We love the soups here (conch chowder and black bean soup) especially on those cold winter nights when the temps dip from 82 to 80. The great Steak au Poivre is still the main draw, while the grouper, and lobster were expertly grilled as expected.

Lupo – This is becoming a regular lunch spot for us. I don’t see Lupo as an Italian restaurant, but more of a fun sidewalk café with an Italian inspired menu. The smoky lettuce continues to be a favorite, the refreshing caprese continues to refresh, but the bulky Arancini, oozing with deliciousness, stole the show early. The basic flatbread pizza filled one void, and the Orecchiette filled another. Desserts are always good here, especially the top notch Tiramisu

Crackpot Kitchen – Dubbed Crackpot-hole Kitchen by me on the message boards. On the way to this closest middle of nowhere establishment you essentially need to maneuver between a bunch of potholes, a can of coke, and three kittens. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this place which came out of the gate rather strong. But we liked it enough to return and recommend. The conch fritters (more like kebabs) were different and quite good. The lobster salad was essentially a crab salad gone wild. The conch salad was fruitier and zestier than the norm. The ribs were of the wet and flavorful variety, and the goat curry was that island goat curry we know and love. The glaring big miss was the grilled lobster, a dry overcooked mess. But we’ll be back for sure for more

Caravel – Brand spanking new, in place of Sora which closed last year. The funky Japanese lights remain intact which gives the place a rather strange look, and the ice cream-like name doesnt help. But the few items we tried by the former Mr Grouper’s chef were very promising. In particular, the fish tacos; lightly fried to flaky perfection, inside toasty flower shaped tortilla shells. Add the homemade hot sauce and you got perhaps the new fish tacos to beat. The jerk chicken was another winner. Its on the menu as a sandwich, but they can plate it. Go!

Bugaloos – Another regular spot for us after a morning at Taylor Bay. People enjoy the coconut cracked conch and the conch salad is always a winner, but we come here for the magnificent Sautéed Whole Snapper. Gorgeously cooked with onions, bell peppers, thyme, garlic, and coconut milk producing this light sauce that compliments the fish well. For the time being Bugaloos has replaced Las Brisas for us on the south side, but you still need to get to LB at least once to for the views.

Via Veneto – Broke my heart, Fredo style. Not even Al Fredo could have saved these pastas. Sadly not much worked on this particular night. Between the bland Gnocchi with Shrimp, the Carbonara that got boring in a hurry, the stringy, chewy lobster with the linguine, and the pricey Fettuccine whose truffles lost their luster. I was a fan after the first meal when they first opened, but I dont think we’ll be back.

Coyaba – After a long hiatus we decided it was time to revisit this old friend, and the result was a mixed bag overall. Wine menu filled with 2010 Barolos all over $100 is the first clue about the price levels. Lobster Bisque was still satisfying but the creamy Gnocchi got even creamier. The Thermidor was still good, but felt heavy sooner than expected. Same kind of heaviness was present in the Ravioli, while the lone shining star was the $60 Snapper for two.

Flamingo’s – Another regular lunch spot for us. Rum punches are strong, and the Curries Groupers are even stronger. Don’t worry if the menu doesn’t mention them… “x Curried Groupers please” one for each person. And if another item does some magic, like the jerk chicken did on this day, consider its a major bonus.

Seaside Café – A lunch and a dinner is now firmly part of the rotation. The Blackened Fish Sandwich and the Peruvian Conch Salad are still the lunch musts, while the Tuna Sashimi and the Lobster Risotto are the staples for dinner. New discoveries were the excellent Conch Chowder, and a Japanese style Salmon that was the topic of conversation for the next few days (we really need new topics to talk about)

Hemingways – Only half of the family made it here this time, for the great fish and chips and fish tacos fix. Nothing changed.

Sweet T’s – Still the best deal in town. On the way from the airport last time, on the way to the airport this time. As you exit the Airport road, and start smelling that fried chicken, just follow the smell to the round pink building.

Coyaba Molten Cake

Categories: Turks and Caicos | Tags: Best dining in Providenciales, food, Providenciales, restaurants, Travel, Turks and Caicos | 3 Comments

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