Sushi Taro — Kaiseki & Sushi Tasting

Me and my W wanted Sushi… so after a day of work we finally decided to go find sushi. We KNEW we wanted sushi and didn’t know where to go.

THANKFULLY we met up with L and some of W’s friends and we decided on SUSHI TARO – a tiny walk up next to a CVS

Mr Octopussy says hi

So I’ve been back and forth about how to blog about out food since we both got different tastings.. So I’m gonna do it separately.  We shared our food but it’s easier to separate it.

We decided to get two different tastings.   W got the sushi tasting minus shellfish…

Sushi

Liver……. something….. and eggplant

Sashmi

Sushi

He’s so Jiro

We actually both got this soup so you can see more detail on my tasting.. except his didn’t have shellfish i it.

More sexy sushi

W totally shared his sushi with me…

Looked gross.. but very very soft and tender… W wasn’t into the texture as much.. i think it was beltfish.. but still.. NOM

More sushi sexiness..

And for the last course he got MY spicy tuna roll…

And I got the Kaiseki with wine pairing for me…

Kaiseki

Delicious aperitif sake with flower petals…

The most beautiful soft tender tofu

With a yummy pairing

Monkfish, oyster and eggplant

By this point my pairing kept coming super super late.

My Sashimi – DEEEElicious

The soup I talked about before…

Squeeze some lime…

Shrimp, fishcake, fish, etc.. YUM

SOOO GOOOOOD….. fried soba, fried fish, wasabi lotus root, squid, sweet potato, pome seeds, tomato and squid ink fried wakame.

OH and a escargot W helped open for me.

I got a yummy fish… that tasted SUPPPER sweet.. shisito pepper and then some… YUM

A duck meatball in a daikon wrap and surrounded by crabmeat. Sadly the duck meatball was COLD so  only ate around it.

I got W’s sushi in exchange for him getting my maki roll. Eel. Scallop and Salmon. <3

Next time we will try TURTLE!!!

For dessert, W picked the chocolate cake:

And I picked the chestnut cake…

YUMMMMMMMMMM. Will go back.

만두 at Mandu

W and I finally met up with Brent, aside from seeing him for a brief second at Proof.  After the longest avoidance, laziness and procrastination we FINALLY decided on Mandu [K street one, I didn’t know and suggested we walk there, since we always go to the one closer to W’s apt] for lunch.  So off we went.  We sat down right as it started pouring and B got a beer, W got some iced tea and I got….

Aloe Sojutini

SO. ME.  It was delish with chunks of aloe on the bottom and thru-out, lightly sweetened and – what can I say I MUST be Korean on the inside cuz I love the taste of soju.  Love it more than Sake.

Banchan 반찬

Sweet Potato, Sprouts, Cucumber, Cabbage Kimchi, Spicy Mariniated Fried Tofu and Steamed Broccoli

SO good.  I loved the tofu :]  A nice chew to the skin that gave away to a soft fluffy innard and nice heat to it.

B got the Bar Special, Pint of Beer and Pan Fried Mandu and Shrimp Tacos. YUM.

I forgot what kind of dumplings they were but he loved them.  I duno how a big guy like him ate so little.. but then again I think he had like 3 or 4 beers… hahaha..

Soon Doobu
spicy seafood stew w/ soft tofu and egg
Scallops, Squid and Shrimp with Soft fluffy tofu… a poached egg in a spicy broth. SO good.  But probably a bad idea for me to be eating this on such a hot summer’s day OOPS. SOOO worth the sweat tho.

And of course W got his
Duru Jjigee
marinated and spiced pork belly sauteed w/
kimchi and rice cakes, served with steamed tofu

With dduk, rice cakes, of course. SO GOOD.

One of the owners, Danny, also one of W’s friends, came by and let us try his favorite summer dish…. With Sliced Beef, Egg, Pickled Radish & Cucumber, a few other things and you add vinegar, mustard and chili sauce to your liking/taste.  I think it’s called 물냉면, a Naengmyeon :] YUM

The three of us shared this…

And then I got another Sojutini, since I was between two flavors, I got the other one…

Grape Sojutini

This one had fresh skinless grapes on the bottom, it was sweeter than the aloe one – both were delicious.

For dessert we got mango, strawberry and green tea ice cream mochi.  The strawberry one was my favorite!!! The green tea one’s mochi skin was a bit tough and not soft and chewy like the others… it was more cookie like, weird.. maybe it thawed weird or was old?! YUM nonetheless and we gobbled it up in mere seconds.

I tried to open these.  WHY WON’T THEY OPEN?  I want to climb it as well.. TEEHEE…

You can never go wrong with Korean :]

Blade Sushi Bar/Lounge at Fountainbleau

On our last day in Miami, W had an early start to a busy day so I just slept in cuz it as rainy/thundering on and off all day in Miami… woke up around 1130 and got ready to spend a day shopping and eating…

After some shopping around and fell in love with the most gorgeous Philipp Plein seude biege crystalized skull bag/tote… UGH I WANT IT… it was almost 5grand SIGH… AND these jean shoes… I finally headed over to Blade for some sushi.

I was surprised to find out that Bladen and La Vida are actually one.  La Vida is american and Blade is, well duh, sushi/Japanese but you can get both in the same place.

Sushi Bar

My view

Ready to eat

…with my Sparkling Sake Mojito

Sparkling Sake, Bacardi Superior, Fresh Mint, Hand Pressed Lime, Soda, Cane Nectar

Water a la Z with Lime & Lemon

Edamame
Steamed Soy Beans with Sea Salt

It was a huge piping hot STEAMING bowl. YUM!

Octopus Carpaccio
Sweet Pepper, Tomato, Red Onion, Cucumber, Spicy Vinegar Dressing

This was the dish that got people thinking I was in the food industry/restaurant biz hahahaha….

Green Salad
Rice Vinegar, Dressing, Carrot, Radish Sprout

This was so much more decadent than I expected.  Squash, avocado, tomatoes, carrots, amazing. SOOO GOOD.

Naruto Maki
Thin Sliced King Salmon, Crabmeat, Masago, Avocado, Scallion, Vinegar Dressing, Wrapped in Cucumber

Not that great but fresh

Salmon & Scallop Sashimi

The scallop wasn’t on the menu but I asked for some.  And I asked for them to give me thin slices of lemon with it.  Can you believe they charged me freaking 23$ for that one thinly sliced up scallop?!  It was delicious, but I’d hav appreciated more lemon in the slice lol.

Apprently this was too much food for lil ol me?! So said food neighbors… waiter also thought I was in the restaurant biz/food industry cuz I got the octopus hahaha and probably cuz I was picky about scallop.

Half way thru I finished my mojito so I got a Lychee Martini.  Grey Goose, Lychee Liqeur, Orange Bitters, Lychee Juice.  I was trying to eat super slow and enjoy myself and scenary.  Fuck the girl next to me who told her mom “OMG I wouldn’t even go into a STORE by MYSELF” go back to your salads bitches.

Delicious.  I also ended up buying W a Blade Roll / Panko crusted Toro, Pickled Ginger, Asian Pears, XO Sauce and Bleau Roll / Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, avocado, scallion, masago wrapped with daikon, soy onion dressing.  But we didn’t get a chance to try them cuz we were in a hurry to make it to the airport, boo :[ Next time, maybe… lol…

Valentine’s Day 2012

Be My Valentine

I’m not a huge Valentine’s Day person. Most Vdays are linked back to BAD memories or no date at all.  In fact one of my best ones was when a crush of mine in HS took me out, bought me a rose and taught me how to drive. :]  Unfortunately for us, he never knew I liked him, he admitted to liking me later on…. annnnd he had a gf at the time. Woot? Anyways. Tragedy.  While I’m not a huge Valentine’s Day I can’t help but give into it if it’s in my face. This was a great Valentine’s Day :]

Last year I was at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the Patricia Fields Valentine’s Day Costume Ball.. this year was a bit more low key :] But super tasty and fun!!!

Last Year

This Year
This dress looks like a tube top but somehow stretches out into a dress….

Red lips to match my red platform 6″ heels ;]

I worked most of the day and didn’t even start getting ready til late in the day… but I did get a beautiful surprise in the afternoon.. the largest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever received… this tiny little old man who looked like he was 90 carried it all the way to my front door – people who know my house and where I live and how to get to my front door KNOW that sucks balls… but yeah… this was bigger than him.. AND SOOO BEAUTIFUL.

Thanks Love <3

I have late dinner plans with M… so OBVIOUSLY that means we’re gonna pre-drink.. and more importantly, PRE-DINNER!!! So off to DRINK we go.  I love Barbara Lynch…. Obviously… so I was super excited to come here.. it’s in the basement of Sportello – also a Lynch establishment. WOOO!!! Seriously, M knows me way too well… #stalker ;] I had champagne cocktails the whole time, deliciousness and each one was unique~ WOO! He also immediately ordered two things that I LOOOVE

Fried Oysters & Fried Pig Tails

Absolutely AMAZZZZZZZING!!! M knows that I’m IN LOOOOOOVE with pig tails.. these were meaty, fatty and just deliciousness…. while Craigie’s are kinda on the sweet side, these were somehow light fluffy and SUPER fatty and FUCKING AWESOME!  M was sweet enough to let me have most of it. HAHAHA… :] Methinks he enjoyed me nomming on them and licking my lips and dropping it on my legs hahaha #perv ;]

“What else do you want?!”

Yep M REALLY knows me TOO well.. #stillhungry… So hard to choose since there was so much yumminess on their menu…. but obviously I needed to continue my obesssion with Steak Tartare… I still miss my true love.

Steak Tartare: Brioche, Truffle Parmesan Aioli

I LOOOOOVE super chunky tartare and this was a btit finer than what I like but the taste was AMAZING. The meat was super fresh, tender, tasty and YUM YUM I love brioche!

Seriously?

A few drinks and pre-dinner apps later… we were off to our final destination… No. 9 Park :] We already decided the last time we were here to come for Vday… :] Planning ahead hahaha.. altho we WERE supposed to be wearing sweats…

We got the Valentine’s Day Chef’s Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings, there were a few courses that had two options so we got one of each :] at No. 9 Park.. we had resos at 9:45 but didn’t get seated til well past 10 something… good thing we were already getting our drinks on….

Hawaiian Hearts of Palm

Mushroom Vinaigrette, Petite Greens, Black Truffle
Paired with: NV Aubry 1er Cru Champagne Brut

These were SO delicious and definitely made me happy from the truffle fail with M a few weeks ago…  I loooove hearts of palm, and I love that they were the focus of this dish. Amazing.

Pour pour pour

Chilled Peekytoe Crab

Chevril Vichyssoise, Crème Fraîche, American Caviar
Paired with: NV Aubry 1er Cru Champagne Brut

Deliciousness.  LOOOOVE crab everything!!!!!  Looooove caviar everything :] HAPPY HAPPY.. plus I always giggle when I hearcreme fraiche cuz of South Park hahahahha…

Maine Diver Scallop

Smoked Guanciale, Cauliflower, Sauce Périgueux
Paired with: 2008 Simon Bize Savigny-les-Beaune

Is there anything about the flavors and ingredients that are bad at all?! FUCKING BOMB!!!

Seared Yellowfin Tuna

Maine Shrimp, Couscous, Black Olive
Paired with: 2010 Bison Ciliegiolo Rosato 

Super fresh and tasty Tuna. I’m not a huge any kind of cooked tuna girl. I love my tuna rawwwww.. but this was just BARELY seared and delicious. HEHEHE, cute little shrimps and it was super yummy!

Boule de Quercy Raviolo

Celeriac, Dandelion Greens, Bread Crumbs
Paired with: 2007 Lucien Crochet Sancerre Riouge “La Croix du Roy”

We both got one, these were DELICIOUS!  Beautiful fresh pasta, crumbly crunchy bread crumbs… great combo of textures and deliciousness. BOMB diggity of flavors :]

Soooo many wine glasses and we sucked each one down dry

Terrine of Foie Gras

Persimmon, Hazelnut, Quince
Paired with: 2003 Château de Suronde Quarts de Chaume

Creamy and salty… we each had our own, they were HUGE slices and oh so yummy :] I think this was around the time our neighbors yelled at us for speaking too much profanity.. HAHAHA.. srsly, SO much awkward dates going on tonight…

OK I have to say after this the night gets a little fuzzy, more wine was poured, more drinks came and while, yes, the food was banging, I don’t really remember much.

Pekin Duck Breast

Chestnuts, Rillette, Poached Pear
Paired with: 2008 Monpertuis, Châteanuneuf-du-Pape “Suvée Classique”

Prime Ribeye of Beef

Potato Mille-Feuille, Grilled Porcini, Vegetable Blanquette
Paired with: 2009 Margerum “M5”

You are a sexy beast

Out of all the things I don’t remember eating I remember eating this, YUM!

Pomegranate Sorbet

Hibiscus

Chocolate Cream Tart
Pistachio, Banana, Tonka Bean
Paired with: EL Maestro Sierra Pedro Ximenez, Sherry 

Ricotta Cheesecake
Red Currant, Blood Orange, Cornmeal
Paired with: 2010 Marenco Brachetto d’Acqui “Pineto”

Complimentary mini Muffins and Truffles

I actually remember trying a muffin. I think I may have had a frowny face hahaha…. not that it was bad but it was LITERALLY a muffin!

How the hell did we finish EVERYTHING?! Including the wine… How is my liver still alive?! And how am I not 200lbs yet?

OK.. so I don’t exactly remember ALL the details, a bit hazy here, sorry, I blame all the booze beforehand :] Still want more piggie tails, those fried oysters from DRINK… and then the Chicken Fried Foie from last time… I have a feeling I’ll be back soon :]

I love you my Didi baby… my favorite Valentine

A night out at Turner’s Fisheries

My parents’ best friends’ kid is in Boston for school so on Holidays my parents’ like to take him out to eat. We were a little behind for CNY but espeically since I’ve been sick so we rescheduled for the other day…. my mom and I got to Copley Center a bit early to shop around a bit and met up with him for dinner around 7 at Turner Fisheries – yum!  I haven’t been here in a long time so it was good to be back, usually when I’m in the shopping center there I just head to O Sushi to eat [which is right next door]

While my mom met up with the kid I got our table and had a glass of bubbly while I waited…

Yummy bread basket…

It’s 1$ Oysters woohoo!!!! So of course I had to order some for us.  East Coast, local, obviously, my fav, and SOOOO delicious!

1$ Oysters

BANG’S ISLAND MUSSELS

cured vine-ripened tomato, chorizo, sauvignon blanc

So delicious and full of flavor.  The chorizo is crumbled and the tomato were like fluffy flavor punches like a sun-dried tomato…. the sauce was simply fantastical.  I licked this bowl clean… great for sopping up with bread!

CRISPY CALAMARI

pappadew peppers, capers, roasted garlic aioli

I don’t like it when the aioli gets poured all over the calamari because it makes it softer.  But they were lightly fried, barely battered and delicious.

HYBRID STRIPED BASS

butternut ragout, cannellini beans, broccoli rabe

Mommy ordered this and she loved it.  The Broccoli Rabe was a bit on the oily side but the ragout was sweet and delicious and paired well with the simply cooked bass.

GRILLED SALMON

salsify, snow pea, cara cara orange horseradish sauce

I didn’t get to try this, but the kid seemed to love it and ate it clean.

NEW ENGLAND BOUILLABAISSE

northern shrimp, bay scallops, mussels, hook caught haddock, saffron tomato broth, rouille

Obviously this was mine! I looooooove seafood soups… I wish there was more shellfish in it but everything was perfectly cooked and super fresh.  The flavors were banging and the fish was SOOOO tender.  The rouille was buttery, cheesy and seafood-y. YUM

WARM BOURBON GLAZED PECAN PIE

butternut squash gelato

This was DELICIOUS.  The gelato was the best part!  Tasted like Thanksgiving happiness.  The pecan pie itself was a little tart and SOOO GOOD – it wasn’t overly sweet or rich and was chock full of delicious pecans. NOM!

GOLD DUSTED OPERA CAKE

raspberry coulis

A bit on the sweet side but delicious layers of chocolate, hazelnut mousse and chocolate cake.  A delicious and super sweet way to end a nice light meal.

Hot Pot at 上都和食

After a day of shopping, exploring and tea time at WooBar…. we got a Tea Set again… and always some others…

Chicken Satay Skewers with Cucumber Peanut Butter Relish

Bubbles in the Tropics

White Rum, Fresh Lemon, Passionfruit, Champagne

This was so super tasty!!!! I love the passionfruit seeds in it!!! The flavor was great, and ya’ll know how much I love my bubbles!!

Taipei Champagne

Lychee Liqueur with Fresh Orange and Lemon, Topped with Champagne

I’ve always been a sucker for lyrhcee flavored things… especially booze ;] #soasian

…with my mom’s bestie and her daughter, Serena we headed to Hankyu department store, right next door and after wandering a bit we went upstairs knowing we wanted Japanese food.  So sushi + hotpot it was at Uni-Sato 和食 Japanese Fusion Restaurant.

I’m obsessed with buttons and knowing that this was here made me obsessed with pressing it to call the waiters over. *big bong*

Complimentary Oshinko Su/Pickled Radishes

Straight up we ordered the 海鮮味噌紙火鍋, a seafood/crab hotpot set.

Veggies, squid, fish, fish balls, seaweed, etc etc

Miso Soup HotPot

Giant Japanese Oysters & Crab

Fat Juicy and Tender.. reminds me of the ones from Kenka’s.

Peekabooboo ;]

Adding in some veggies

Yummy White Rice

Scallop Sashimi

It was supposed to be half the scallops cooked and half of it raw but I wanted it all raw. These, unlike the ones back in the States, were whole thick fat scallops, I’m used to them sliced thinly… still good.

Salmon Sashimi

This, like the scallops, was supposed to come with cooked AND raw salmon but I asked for all raw… Why is sashimi in Asia so freaking skinny?!?!.. LOL.. I like my salmon nice fat and juicy ;]

酥炸軟殼蟹/Deep Fried Soft Shelled Crab

Ok I know these noodle-like things are made some sort of veg but I can’t figure out what it’s called in engrish, waa. Help?!

Grilled Japanese Fish

Fishy, tender and succulent.. full of flavor.  Came with shaved radish and a nice juicy lime to squirt over it.

Side Salad/Dish of Cold Shrimp, Japanese Taro, Peppers, etc…

Fresh fluffy rice with tea infused 蝦米, tiny shrimp YUM

Miso Soup that came with the Fish set

信田蒸/Chiwan Mushi that came with the Fish set

And finally they came out with our Sashimi platter.. with different fishes, roe, sweet shrimp and delicious creamy yummy uni :]

Sucked the shrimp head dry, ate the tender body.. and of course the creamy uni slid one by one, blob by blob over my tongue and down my throat. Delicious.

Complimentary Dessert of Sweet Red Bean Soup thickened with mochi paste
SOOO GOOD!!!!

This place was delicious. So much more food and so much cheaper than EN from the other day [worst lol]

Unforgettable — Alinea

How do I even begin to explain my experience at Alinea…  It has been on my Ultimate Restaurants to go to since I first heard about it.  Being one of the Top Restaurants in the world, and located in Chicago the timing of going and getting a table there was very limited for me.  This is truly one of the most amazing memorable delicious moments tantalizing every sense and creating something far more grand than the overused “Umami”… Visually sexy, teasingly delicious… some of the best service I’ve ever received and a beautiful modern atmosphere.

Last year, I planned a trip to Chicago for Baconfest, which I go to every year, and Z said that he’d love to accompany me.  This dinner was actually booked more than a month or two in advance, and we had been talking about this since the end of November and early December of last year.  We’ve eaten a plethora of delicious food together but nothing can ever compare to this night.

Trying to pinpoint each dish to the description was so hard for me.. from the wine pairings to each delicate flavor, texture and aroma… all I can leave you with is the visual experience and some commentary from myself.  I’ve written multiple entries trying to describe everything but it all comes down to – you need to try it for yourself.

This oyster leaf will forever be imprinted in my brain.  This oyster leaf, YES, actually tasted like a delicious raw oyster. Completely mind-boggling… all the flavor but none of the goopy mess or texture – just a nice simple delicate leaf.

This was the halibut dish and was SO visually appealing.  I loved the white on white…  everything reminded me of a beautiful snowed in morning.  From flavors like black pepper and coffee which is SO not “white” colored… this was delicious and surprised me with every bite.

A one bite of black truffle dumpling explosion. Orgasmic.

This dish was called snow.  Beautiful isn’t it? Something so simple yet BURSTING with yuzu flavor.

And then came the most amazing part of the night – wait is that even possible?  Chef Grant Achatz came out to presend the dessert to us.

The most beautiful display and work of art EVER.  You don’t get this anywhere else but here at Alinea. Breathtaking and SOOOOOO delicious.

Thanks for sharing this experience and amazing meal with me, Z.

A Celebration at Bouley

Finally after a year of wanting to eat here and several reservations and cancelled ones… I made it here… hard to find and slightly hidden… made it there a little bit early… APPLES!!! It smelled SOOO GOOD.. yep as soon as you walked into Bouley all you see is a WALL OF APPLES!!! I want a wall of apples — who wouldn’t?!

Can’t wait til apple picking in the fall now :] I wonder how often they change out their fabulous apples!!!

Gorgeous, very old school, elegant interior. I got a little giggly because they ended up playing some sorts of asian style music…. soothing… haha like the kind from the historical dramas or freaking Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon style… hahahaha people flying from trees and rooftops [you get the point] JUST LIKE HOME hahah jk

After a short wait we were sitted at a gorgeous, large, table for four… it was just the two of us so we both sat on the couch/booth portion and stared out at the crowd. I definitely felt a little out of place – everyone here looked straight out of a country club… and there I was in a little flaming red mini dress and matching 6″ heels…

Flax Seed Bread & Raisin Bread

The raisin bread was slightly sweet and really fluffy and soft – while the flax bread was chewy and had a nice crunchy flaxseed-y exterior. YUM!

Olive Bread

I’m a sucker for olive bread.. but rarely, actually NEVER have, gotten a sliced piece at a restaurant before.  Olive rolls = <3 As are olive breadsticks… MMMM…. *daydreams about bread*

Amuse Bouche: Pumpkin Soup with Sheep Ricotta and Pinenuts
I ADORE pumpkin soup.. and I’ve noticed all the restaurants in Taiwan love it too hahah, just a random side note there, but this is definitely one of my favorites.  Light, airy.. the sheep ricotta wasn’t gamey at all [which soemtiems I find sheep’s milk to be] OH it was DIVINE!!!!… pine nuts are just SO tasty.. I love the way they chew in my mouth and the flavor explosion.  The crisp on the side was a sugary spun light pine nut delight. Z said it was like popcorn, I still say it was pine-nutty. Irregardless.. delish!

Fresh Malibu Sea Urchin Terrine with Russian Golden Oscetra Caviar

This. Was. Orgasmic.  Fatty, creamy, delightful, cooling in my mouth and just melted into my tongue and left me in a state of bliss. Dinner could be over right now and I would’ve left SO freaking happy and satisfied.

Carpaccio of Kampachi, Young Big Eye Tuna and Striped Amber Jack – Prepared in a Mediterranean Manner
Fresh and simple.  Nothing beats fresh fish.   But.. confused. Three different fish, four different pieces… hahahahah I think I was just silly and not really paying attention to what was what.. to be honest I was distracted by the Uni dish – I loved the mediterranean take on the carpaccio.. as much as it’s good, I’m getting bored of the usual Asian takes on crudos, carpaccios and tartares lately… REFRESHING to have it different :D

Complimentary Dish from the Chef: Trout

Have I yet expressed my love for trout?  I remember growing up in New Mexico and going fishing in the mountains with my dad and friends for trout. MMM, nothing beats delicious fresh trout.  Simple grilled or seared.  My mom still makes it every year for at least Chinese New Years [tradition is to make fish the night before and eat the leftover untouched fish the next day to carry over fortune]

ONWARDS. So trout. It was a rutabaga puree which tasted like Christmas to me. No, literally, I said it tasted like Christmas :] The trout was tender, cooked to perfection and just a solid solid piece of fish! And look.. more pinenuts!!! Definitely seemed to be everywhere in this meal!!!… My belly was definitely happy for the surprise dish!

Porcini Flan, Alaska Live Dungeness Crab, Black Truffle Dashi

I smelled truffle as SOON as I opened the lid. I love getting presented dishes like this. It’s like a birthday or, once again referencing Christmas, Christmas morning! [Although I haven’t celebrated  Christmas AT home in ages… I’ve been in Asia/Taiwan for the long whiles.. hehehe]

The crab meat was FRESH, tender, SO flavorful and a PLENTY.. SO much crab meat, and they were HUGE beautiful chunks.  Soft pieces of eggy plan and then the most delicious truffle broth embracing every spoonful.  I want to spa in this…. omg… truffle massage…

Chatham Day Lobster – Brown and White Honshimeji Mushrooms, Passion Fruit and Mango

After the sad lobster at Market back in Boston I’ve been trying to eat as much lobster, GOOD lobster, as possible, everywhere I go. And yes, unlike usual, I’m actually ordering lobster IN  NYC… I need to stop being biased just because I’m a New England girl [I travel to eat, I’ll even go to Maine JUST because I’m craving lobster!!!]  Two best lobsters in NYC… here and Marc Forgione’s Chili Lobster … NOM NOM QUADRUPLE NOM!

Organic Connecticut Farm Egg, Comte Foam – Steamed Polenta, Artichoke and Sunchoke

How could I refused a dish that has EGG, Polenta, EGG, Artichokes.. and did I mention EGGGGGG?!?!?!… And my head is exploding.. freaking COMTE FOAM?!?!?!?!… delicious!!!.. Absolutely delicious… OKAY, I have to admit, and I’ve brought this up before, while I’m still slightly “haha” about foams, I like to poke fun at how silly they are ever since Top Cheftestant Marcel V, they’re usually pretty freaking delicious!

Perfectly cooked egg.  Gooey, warm… the only thing that could’ve made it better is maybe some of that Texas Toast from Marc Forgione to spoon over.  Or maybe the croissants from Menton. Happiness in every lick and spoonful.

OK. Before I continue on, I just have to say – this is one of the BEST scallop dishes, nay, it’s THE best scallop dish I’ve EVER had! Are you ready? Ready to be blown away? I’m sad because words and pictures can’t do it justice.  This is last meal worthy. This is, take one bite and be killed worthy.

 This is THE perfect scallop.

Live Sea Scallops Prepared in a Tandori Manner with Spices Imported from a Friend’s Spice Shop in Paris, Curried Cauliflower Puree

First, just marvel at how pretty the dish is plated. *moment of silence*

The scallop is cut criss-cross style.. me thinks after it’s JUST bareeeeeeelly steamed. The inside is raw but the outside isn’t.. just a THIN thin layer of cooked-ness.  The spices, the curry, the scallop LITERALLY melted in my mouth.  And I melted…..

Oh and that’s a shrimp.  Also tasty, and a great counterpart to how melty the scallop was.  Ate the shrimp quickly but slowwwwwly savored each bite of that scallop.  I LOOOOVE raw scallops.. back in the day I remember going out and I’d be the only one ordering scallop sashimi – SO glad to see more and more people eating it raw!!!

Additional Dish, Tasting of New York State Foie Gras Roasted with Clementine, Tangerin, Mandarin Orange, Aged Balsamic and Celeriac Puree

This is my gorgeous piece.  Z actually got one that looked like a sliced cut of pie hahaha.  Tender, citrusy and they gave us a delicious anise bread that paired SO well with the fatty foie.  Usually seared foie isn’t that sauce-y and you guys know that I’m not a super sauce-y girl [haha SAUCYYYY] but this was delicious!!!

SO Unfortunately for their entrees, they were out of Venison [which I was most looking forward to trying!!!] but no worries… still a good two other choices :D

Organic Colorado Rack of Lamb – Soubise of Cippolini, Zucchini Mint Puree, Black Truffle Suace

Z thought it was too overcooked, so they quickly redid the dish and replaced it with a nice rare lamb. Z and I like eating our red meat right off the animal [haha] I had a nibble and it was pretty tasty. Not too lamby :]

Organic Long Island Duck Roasted with White Truffle Honey – Chanterelles, Pencil Asparagus, Porcini Puree

SOOOOOO delicious.  The duck just melted in my mouth.. super tender and cooked perfectly…. a great balance of veggies to foam and lots of slices of delicious duck!  While duck needs to be fatty, overly fatty is bad – this was PERFECT duck.  While I usually prefer crispy duck more than anything… sauce sauce sauce :] I’m starting to like sauce!

The BEST Mashed Potatoes I have EVER eaten…

THIS WAS SOOOOOO GOOD.. creamy, buttery and just.. FLUFFY, and dissolves right in your mouth into creamy goodness.  We each got a little bowl and when we commented on how delicious it was, they even replaced us with NEW FRESH HOT steaming bowls.. yayyyy double the mashed potatoes, triple the waistline.  DOOD! I don’t really eat mashed potatoes unless they’re SMASHED [with skin] I think they’re just fatty carby filler food that’s usually mundane – the fact that I ate TOO bowls :] MUST COME BACK FOR MORE [and the venison]

Chilled Orange Soup with Organic Yogurt Sorbet

It was originally supposed to be a coconut soup, but this actually was even better.. nice, light and fruity.  The yogurt sorbet was SO good… frozen fage :] — which I’ve done before….

Sidenote: Make fage yogurt ice pops!!!

Hot Caramelized Anjou Pear with Valrhona Chocolate, Biscuit Breton, Hot Toffee Sauce, Lemon Verbena and Tahitian Vanilla Ice Creams

The lemon totally caught me off guard because it looked like a caramel or some sort of ice cream.. definitely not yellow or fruity.  The pears were cooked well, not too sweet and all the components together just paired so well together!

Hot Valrhona Chocolate Souffle – Vermont Maple and Vanilla Ice Creams, Chocolate Sorbet

Delicious. I haven’t had molten chocolate cake in FOREVER.  I used to be obsessed with Finale’s but now that every other restaurant and their mama serve a molten or lava cake, it started getting kinda old.  But hey, it’s been a few years!!!…

Dessert Tier of delicious cookies, crisps, chocolates, seasame cookies, etc…

Everything was SOOOO GOOD… the sweet caramel crisps.. they had these sesame cookie/crisps candies that reminded me of the chinese ones – and macarons. MACARONS!!!!! YAYYYYY

This has been one of the most amazing meals of my life, definitely one of the best in NYC… considering I’ve been to many of the greats, Per Se, Le Cirque and Le Bernardin, etc…

Chef’s Tasting for Two at Public

While we did have a…. underwhleming brunch the other day here…and while we have been craving our homemade pizza…. Didn’t matter how brunch was, I had been excited about their dinner menu since I first read it earlier last year. Kangaaaarooooo:] I haven’t had this delicacy since I went to Sydney back in ’04. #old MUST GO before we never do…. :]

As you can see, to our disappointment, NO KANGAROO [altho I have heard the venison was really good here AND we had a great venison burger at brunch before] so we added on the appetizer to our list of yummies. Of course we did, it’s how we roll… :]

sour dough, foccaccia, date/ginger bread

They were okay, the foccaccia was a little too doughy for me and I wish the date/ginger roll was more pronounced. The flavor profile sounded so interesting so I was kind of disappointed… Z said he could taste a bit of ginger, I couldn’t :T

sunchoke and celeriad soup, soy marshmallow and smoked paprika oil

paired: chardonnay, frankland estate “isolation ridge vineyard” 2006 [western australia]

Thick, salty, tasted like asian.. hahaha Z thought it tasted like pig’s feet/trotter fat… the soy marshmallow was sweet and interesting, probably my favorite part of the soup… it was REALLY celery-tasting and I liked the tough of paprika oil.

seafood trio:
marinated white anchovy on quinoa croquette with spicy saffron aioli
fried hama hama oysters with shiso, sansho pepper and wasabi-yuzu dipping sauce
scallop with green plantain crisp [the menu had a trout ceviche but we got this instead]

paired with: semillon, peter lehman, 2006 [harossa valley, australia]

Beautifully plated, I’ll talk about them in detail in the close-ups

In order of consumption, right to left

scallop with green plantain crisp

Like i said, it was the wrong description on the menu so I did my best… I don’t remember specifically the sauce but the scallop was seared perfectly. The sauce was a little too salty but I loved the fried plantain crisp on top.

fried hama hama oysters with shiso, sansho pepper and wasabi-yuzu dipping sauce

Nothing ever wrong with a fried oyster. Unfortunately… we couldn’t taste the oyster inside at all. The breading was way too thick [but yummy – yet heavy] the sauce was kind of heavy as well..but the shiso leaf added lightness to the bite and so, I enjoyed it, but mostly like a ball of fried dough.

marinated white anchovy on quinoa croquette with spicy saffron aioli

The texture and the “blandness” of the quinoa really balanced out the delicious strong, but fishy, taste of the anchovy.  Now when I use bland, don’t get me wrong — it worked perfectly. It was a great crunch with the creamy fish… the sauce on it was a little too much and unnecessary and I loved the bite of the pickled red onion… reminded me of Stash‘s awesome homemade pickled red onions

pork and foie gras terrine with peppered pear, mirin glazed pecans, a salad of frisee and truffle dressing

paired: pinot gris, man o war 2008 [walhoke island, new zealand]

I really liked the fresh salad with the sweet meaty pecans.  The terrine was tender and melted in my mouth.. it went great with the crusty grilled bread, which was crispy and hard and just had an amazing charred taste and crunch to it.

crusty grilled bread to go with the pork and foie gras terrine

now THIS is a sexy piece of bread.

Next up, we were supposed to get our extra appetizer we ordered [the kangaroo] but instead was presented with the entree….. after asking them about it, they told us it was a mistake and that the kangaroo was on the house… as was extra wine for the pairing *score*

new zealand venison loin with cabraiales dumplings, oyster mushrooms and salsa verde

paired: grenache, yangarra, old vine single vineyard, 2006[macaren vale, australia]

The venison was cooked pretty rare…. [which is great] You can’t really see it on mine [above pic] but Z’s was beautiful [below]

FYI it was ONE dumpling, a few pieces of mushroom underneath and three slices of tender venison. I wasn’t too fond of the dumpling… found it to be kind of like a undercooked thick pancake – it was okay. But then again I’m not fond of the whole “chicken & dumplings” when I hear dumpling, I think of it asian style, or at least ravioli style [which is totally jipped from Asia DUH] but dumplings aka balls of dough is NOT a dumpling to me. Sorry Britney Spears…

grilled kangaroo on a coriander falafel with lemon tahini sauce and green pepper relish

we actually had only ordered one, they gave us two [and for freeeeee] but it was the same wine pairing as the venison [just more of the same grenache]

This was really good.  The falafel was a little dry and heavy but the kangaroo was just fine on it’s own. I haven’t had kangaroo since way back when in college when I lived in Sydney for a month so it was good to know that I still really enjoyed the meat [think lean veal] It was a great edition to our chef’s tasting, a MUST HAVE when you come to Public.

AND THEN, the best dish of the night:

sticky toffee pudding with armagnac ice cream and hot caramel sauce

paired: pedro ximenez, gonazalez byass, nectar, nv [jerez, spain]

We wanted to get this when we came here for brunch, but because of bad service and disappointing brunch entrees we just wanted to get out of there [sorry guys but service at the bar sucked, table is SO much better]

The service was pretty good and the food wasn’t bad, I wasn’t too fond of the pairings and found things to be a bit oversalty [pet=peeve of mine, but finding it more and more common in dining out in “nicer” places lately]

We took our free vouchers from the restaurant to get free drinks at their sister bars…. so we got a beer at Double Crown and Gin and Jam at Madam Geneva.. it was this delicious pear/ginger jam <3 swoon*

ohmi, ohmy, O YA

I’m sorry Morimoto, I loved your omakase, but it wasn’t as life changing and unique as o ya.

Let me start from the beginning… I’ve been daydreaming about o ya since it opened but never had the proper company to come with me. It’s not everyday you find people agreeing to get 16/17 course omakases…. well I found the right person and we got the 17 course omakase, added 4 more, 4 bottles of sake [their limit there] and then a dessert…

Words can’t really express….

Yuki no Bosha [Junmai Ginjo Sake]

Delicious, fruit, so smooth.. probably my favorite sake of the night, and it went fast!!!

1. Kumamoto Oyster
Watermelon Pearls, Cucumber Mignonette

All oysters need watermelon pearls.. so light but perfect accompaniment to the fresh, delicious oysters…