Save the (tentative) dates!

Can't wait for this summer's restaurant week! Some of nyc's best (and most expensive) restaurants will set up 3-course prix fixe lunches and dinners for approx. $24 and $35 respectively. The exact dates have not been made public yet. I suggest visiting the official site (www.nycvisit.com/restaurantweek) to check for any updates. But for now About.com claims that the dates are July 16-20 and July 23-27 (http://gonyc.about.com/cs/restaurants/a/restaurantweek.htm)
In anticipation for one of the best times of the year, let's review some of the restaurants I went to for NYC Winter 2007 Restaurant Week:

1. BUTTER (415 Lafayette St.) Environment: A chic version of the outdoor American landscape with lots of wooden décor, and a glowing wall print of a birch forest in the main dining room; warm, mellow lighting and colors; almost lounge-y atmosphere especially when seated in the plush booths
Food: Delicious! I recall many of the courses having an almost fusion-like influence with rather unexpected combinations of ingredients and hidden flavors – for example, popcorn and butternut squash soup. (Cuisine is New American)
Overall: I had a lovely meal and definitely intend to come back again; meanwhile I’ve been recommending it avidly.
Side-notes: This location used to house “Belgo”, a Belgian restaurant chain with some of the best mussels and fries I’ve had and an extensive collection of beers (including really yummy fruit ones – yes, I’m such a girl). Anyways, it closed, obviously. Boo hoo. I can’t tell you why though as I’ve never been to this one, but I have fond memories of frequenting the one in Covent Garden while in London, perhaps the quality wasn’t up to par here or that there’s less acceptance of Belgian dishes? Apparently, there’s a Belgo in HK too … must make a note to search that up.

2. BLUE WATER GRILL (31 Union Square West)

Environment: The décor harkens back to an era in the past that I can’t quite place my finger on – perhaps a mix between the 1920s, the ballrooms during the inter-war years, and some art deco influenced bank? (The result is slightly generic, yet old school). It’s pleasant enough. Although, this place gets quite bustling during peak hours as it seats approx. 300, so not the best destination for an ultra-intimate conversation if that’s what you’re seeking.
Food: It’s all about the seafood, and it does not disappoint; fresh and prepared so that a lot of the natural flavors are retained. Good oysters too.
Overall: A comfortable, elegant yet unpretentious atmosphere where the food is for the most part impeccable and straight to the point.
Side-notes: I’ve only been to the main dining room, but there’s a live jazz room downstairs too. I also came back here for my graduation lunch and even my mom liked it; she’s a real tough cookie to please, so that’s something.

(The "Shellfish Castle")

3. TAVERN ON THE GREEN (Central Park West at 67th St.)

Environment: Cheesy and tacky, or lavish and ‘magical’ décor (depending on your POV) with 6 different dining rooms. The setting is supposed to be all enchanting and stuff, but it had the opposite effect on me. I think I would’ve appreciated it more if I were 8 years old.
Food: Large portions but mediocre at best, although the lobster bisque is worth a mention. (Cuisine is Traditional American)
Overall: Honestly, I would not come back here again unless I had to.
Side-notes: The place is officially a tourist trap. The extent to which they acknowledge this (other than the blatant existence of a gift shop) is further demonstrated by a roaming photographer that makes you stand up with your table for a photo and then tries to sell it right back at ya … just like at an amusement park ride. Hm, not so classy.

(We were seated in the "Chestnut Room")

4. ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA (17 Barrow St.)

Environment: Situated in an old carriage house; lots and lots of red décor, red roses, baby grand piano, dim lighting and long tapered candles. (We found the candle flame really annoying cuz it flickered a lot so we ended up blowing it out, heh.) But hey, if you’re the uber-romantic type.
Food: Not impressed. Although people keep telling me good things about the food here so maybe they just skimped on Restaurant Week. (Cuisine is Traditional American)
Overall: Meh … the food, service and atmosphere were okay, but just okay … swayed by public opinion, I suppose I would be willing to come back here to give it a second chance
Side-notes: “New Yorkers may agree on very little, but this pricey classic gets a landslide vote for New York's most romantic dining experience.” (NYMag)

I heart octopus balls

Let’s talk about some Japanese soul food now, and forget about all health concerns for a lil’ while. TAKOYAKI (aka ‘octopus balls’)! No, they are not octopus testicles of any sort, but savory bite-size spheres made with egg/flour batter, with an octopus piece inserted inside each one, and then topped off with bonito flakes, seaweed seasoning, mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce. Makes for a really great sharing snack, as they usually come in a set of 8.

The 2 places I’ve tried them in Manhattan are:
1. OTAFUKU (236 East 9th Street, near 2nd Ave.)
This hole-in-the-wall take-out place specializes in takoyaki and okonomiyaki. (The latter is a pan-fried batter pancake, kind of like takoyaki but in pancake form … it’s also filled with a large component of shredded cabbage. I am not a fan of cabbage, so I stick with the takoyaki.) Anyhoo, the takoyaki here is gooood! They’re larger than the ones at Yokocho and are filled with a decently sized piece of octopus. The ever so slightly crispy exterior gives way to delectable gooeyness once you bite into it ... mmm.

2. VILLAGE YOKOCHO (8 Stuyvesant Street)
The inside of this popular restaurant is made to look like the courtyard of a little Japanese villa of some sort, really cute. The takoyaki here isn’t as good as the ones at Otafuku. That’s ok though, since there are so many top-notch authentic Japanese tapas to try. (I even had ground raw yam once; the dish looks almost identical to snot and has the exact same consistency too … yum?). All the dishes are reasonably priced. Among the ones that I’ve tried, I recommend the tofu (both the uncooked seasoned kind and the tempura one), the beef bowl (comes with a raw egg to crack over your rice), and the various ‘fatty’ fish.
Sidenote 1: We saw the one and only, perfectionist, and dessert-extraordinaire Chika (from CHIKALICIOUS) here. If this place is good enough for her, really then, it must be something.
Sidenote 2: I kept on calling this place ANGEL SHARE for the longest time due to the fact that the restaurant houses a bar by that name; which can be accessed by a ‘hidden’ side door upon first entering. They make delicious drinks, but also abide by a set of rules, one of which they do not seat parties more than 4.

Now, back to the takoyaki. In Hong Kong I have been doing some food-research and concluded that THE place to get them is at GINDACO, which is a chain across HK with some shops closing as late as 1 AM.

What if heckling 'fat people' was as accepted as heckling smokers?

I just finished watching “Super Size Me” and felt impelled to blog: DO NOT EAT FAST FOOD! (ooor, if you really really crave it, maybe once a month in moderation with a flawless healthy diet). Over the course of 30 days, director/writer Morgan Spurlock subsisted purely on McDonalds. A perfectly fit fella at the beginning, we witness his physical health deteriorate at unbelievable rates. By the end of what becomes a life-threatening experiment, he gained 25lbs, experienced liver damage, and sexual dysfunction amongst many other equally unpleasant side effects. (It musta sucked to work off all that weight)

Granted it was an extreme experiment – and it has instigated numerous responses, many of which have attacked the documentary showing that this kind of transformation would never happen in a realistic setting – it was clever, timely and impactful. This Spurlock bloke really knows how to address a situation.

Shortly after the release of this (’04) Academy Award nominated documentary, McDonalds eliminated the ‘super size’ option off their menus and started including ‘healthier’ choices. They claim that these decisions were not at all influenced by the movie … yeah right. Either way, Spurlock deserves a pat on the back for attempting to shake fatty America back to its senses. As on a grander scale, what the movie attacks is not McDonalds but the obesity epidemic itself, one that is continuing to sweep America in an alarming fashion. (1 in every 50 Americans morbidly obese … crazy!)

The film itself is properly entertaining and educational. One really grows to like Spurlock’s earnest and engaging character, and a sense of twisted admiration develops for his ‘self-sacrifice’. There are quite a few moving parts to the film. One of the more memorable moments for me (although not necessarily poignant in the conventional sense) is when Spurlock throws-up after struggling to finish his first super-size meal (and yes, we are shown the puke as well).
So … uhm, I guess I will not be eating McDonalds for a while then?

(Sidenote: Although, I admit that I will probably indulge myself maybe once between now and July; I swear HK McDonalds tastes better than the crap in NYC).

Crackberry

My notable mention of 2007: PINKBERRY!
Pinkberry has been one of my biggest obsessions since the beginning of the year (I'm on their 'groupie list' now). This LA based fro-yo chain has 3 locations in Manhattan so far. The one I frequent the most is definitely the one in K-town, on 32nd St, although the line is so terribly long here. (More on the delightfulness of 32nd St. in another post). Popular enough that imitations are popping up all over the place, and not even attempting to hide how copy-catty they are. April just recently told me about "cactusberry" (seriously, what kind of name is that?)
The divine combination of tangyness, sweetness & lightness is quite unlike any other. However, not the cheapest soft-serve around, the cost adds up. I probably have accumulated a Pinkberry bill that could support a drug habit. So far it's been worth it, as taste-wise it has never disappointed me yet (except when particular employees act all stingy when putting your toppings on ... such as when this one dude started counting the number of raspberries -__-).
My fav combo: Plain w/ Strawberry, Fruity Pebbles and Mochi *
* Sidenote: Mochi is not displayed outside with all the other toppings; you need to especially as for it ... although this "secret" topping ain't so secret no more due to it being published in a NYTimes article. Jennifer Steinhauer writes "it's like asking for 'animal style' at In-and-Out." (Wow NYTimes really likes their exposes huh).
"Sorry ice-cream, I'm on my way to Pinkberry ..."

Summertopia v.2007

So uhm it's summer again ... that lull in the year where I actually remember 'oh, I have a blog, I should update shouldn't I?' Over the next few months I'll hopefully make this place a bit more polished and spiffy. Hm, where to start?

A brief preview of what to expect:
FOOD has played practically a principal role over the past year in my life. So many amazing places worth mentioning!
MUSIC tastes have evolved a little, and grown even more eclectic.
MOVIES & BOOKS are always an inspiration.

Currently in HK for the next 2 months. Back in NYC mid-July :)