Chatham Sq Restaurant – Chinese (Dim Sum), Chinatown

Posted on June 25, 2009 by writeawrong

Lately we’ve been on a dim sum streak. It’s the ultimate recession meal plan.  As mentioned in our previous dim sum posts, we’re usually too lazy (and hungry) to get up and make it all the way down to Chinatown before the big rush on the weekends. However, this one time we had early afternoon plans in the area and Dim Sum fit perfectly into the schedule, so we set out to check out Chatham Sq Restaurant, at the corner of Mott and Chatham Square (across from Dim Sum Go Go).  It’s a much smaller place than the main Dim Sum bastions (Jing Fong and Golden Unicorn), but is just as busy as the larger restaurants with equally high turnover, making it good for small groups and impatient (redundant) New Yorkers.

THE GOOD

chatham3

The star of the show. Steamed shrimp rice crepe/rolls. Nothing fancy here, just a great crepe skin and fresh shrimp.

Fresh, perfectly steamed crystal shrimp dumplings. Some of the best we've had in Chinatown.

Fresh, perfectly steamed crystal shrimp dumplings. Some of the best we've had in Chinatown.

Steamed Char Siu Bao, or BBQ Pork Buns. Sure, you can get these almost anywhere in Chinatown, but these were served fresh and hot, with a very tasty BBQ pork filling. We saved one for the road as dessert.

Steamed Char Siu Bao, or BBQ Pork Buns. Sure, you can get these almost anywhere in Chinatown, but these were served fresh and hot, with a very tasty BBQ pork filling. We saved one for the road as dessert.

THE NOT SO GOOD

We were in a rush and didn’t feel very adventurous, so we made a few bad judgment calls trying to play it safe.  Next time, we’re just going to order what the old grannies at the other tables are ordering.

Here are some of the other less notable dishes we encountered:

chatham2

These are supposed to be Shao Long Bao, but were small, wrinkled, and overcooked with no soup.

chatham4

Some sort of firm, flavorless fishcake. Not horrible, but a waste of space.

They look nice, but were super doughey on the inside, like they were filled with extra dumpling skin. All dump, no ling.

They looked nice, but were super doughey on the inside, like they were filled with extra dumpling skin. All dump, no ling.

All in all, the bill for two (very stuffed) people came out to less than $22.  Well worth waking up a little early on the weekend to do brunch the Chinatown way.

Filed under: Cheap, Chinatown, Chinese, Dim Sum, Good for Groups, Sit Down | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Jing Fong Dim Sum Restaurant

Posted on June 10, 2009 by writeawrong

5 E Broadway, between Catherine St and Chatham Sq
(212) 732-0797

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Chinese, Dim Sum
Favorite Dish(es): Steamed Rice Rolls w/ Shrimp $4.95, Steamed Chive & Shrimp Dumplings $4.95, Turnip Cakes $4.95

Jing Fong is a huge restaurant with a flagship restaurant in China, with a full course menu catering to large groups and wedding banquets. This is one of the biggest and most well-known dim sum establishments in Chinatown that pretty much defines the weekend dim sum experience. But we’re too lazy to get downtown on the weekend before noon, so we opted to check out their “Dim Sum On-Demand” during the week after work. It may sound like a new service from your local cable tv provider, but it’s basically just a few of their favorite most popular dim sum dishes available any time. It’s definitely worth your while to wake up early one weekend to sample their entire selection at their peak freshness, and experience NYC Chinatown dim sum at its best. For convenience, you definitely sacrifice freshness, but it’s still good enough for those midweek cravings of shrimp rice rolls. Worth a visit.

jingfong1

jingfong2

jingfong3

jingfong4

jingfong5

Filed under: Cheap, Chinatown, Chinese, Dim Sum, Good for Groups, Sit Down | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Viet-Nam Banh Mi So – Vietnamese (Sandwich Shop), Little Italy (Chinatown)

Posted on May 22, 2009 by writeawrong

ferrara21

369 Broome Street (between Elizabeth St & Mott St)
(212) 219-8341

Located on the fringes of Chinatown on the Little Italy side, this is a tiny deli specializing in Banh Mi, an extraordinary Vietnamese sandwich quickly rising in popularity across the city, with good reason. It takes classic elements of Vietnamese cuisine, BBQ meats and both fresh and pickled veggies, and puts them into a sub / hero roll – perfect for eatwalking around downtown on a nice day. There are many combinations of Banh Mi and each place has its own special rendition, but the basic banh mi fillings usually consist of: 1) a main seasoned meat, 2) Vietnamese “salami”, thin slices of something like a fish hotdog (e.g. Japanese “oden”), 3) pickled slaw-type salad of julienned carrots and radish, 4) cucumber slices, 5) a few sprigs of cilantro, and 6) an optional spicy element – either fresh slices of jalapeno or some Sriracha-based sauce. On our first visit, we opted for the chicken version, which was marinated in a sweet and salty BBQ sauce, similar to the kind typically used for Vietnamese pork chops. We ordered it spicy, and I believe this place used straight Sriracha sauce, which goes well with just about anything from eggs to pizza, and went perfectly with this sandwich. The roll was soft, fresh, and chewy, like the kind used in a Philly cheesesteak sandwich (not quite an authentic D’Amoroso roll, but still great for this purpose). The pairing of the sweet and sour pickled slaw with sweet-savory meats is quite a powerful combo that makes this sandwich disappear rather quickly. We’ll post pics of the pork sandwich, the flagship standard, next time we go back. Which, after seeing this pic again, makes me think will be sooner than later.

banhmi1

banhmi3

Filed under: Cheap, Chinatown, Little Italy, Take Out, Vietnamese | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Dizzy’s – American (Diner), Park Slope (Brooklyn)

Posted on May 15, 2009 by writeawrong

511 9th St, Btwn 8th Ave & Prospect Park W
(718) 499-1966

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: American, Diner, Eclectic
Favorite Dish(es): Huevos Rancheros $8.75, Corned Beef Hash $4.50

Cool, funky little diner-style restaurant with outdoor seating in the heart of Park Slope. Great for brunch on a nice Sunday afternoon, but be prepared to wait a little bit during peak brunch hours. They’ve got a fairly eclectic menu ranging from Tex-Mex and Asian to classic American diner cuisine, but you’ve got to try the Huevos Rancheros, Mexican-style eggs with beans and salsa. Their corned beef hash is made fresh from scratch, and is mostly all beef. They serve assorted mini-muffins and cornbreads before the meal arrives which are pretty good, but you could just save them for dessert. Their cook staff are amazingly fast and fun to watch in action. Servings are generous, and come with whole wheat bread, in healthy Brooklyn style. Work it off with a brisk walk through the park a few blocks away.

mini muffins to start

mini muffins to start

hard at work on a gazillion eggs

hard at work on a gazillion eggs

huevos rancheros

huevos rancheros

homemade corn beef hash

homemade corn beef hash

Online Menu

Filed under: American, Brunch, Not Cheap, Park Slope, Sit Down | Leave a Comment »

Dim Sum Go Go – Chinese (Dim Sum), Chinatown

Posted on April 16, 2009 by writeawrong

farmer2

5 E Broadway, between Catherine St and Chatham Sq
(212) 732-0797

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Chinese, Dim Sum
Favorite Dish(es): Steamed Rice Rolls w/ Shrimp $4.95, Steamed Chive & Shrimp Dumplings $4.95, Turnip Cakes $4.95

No, this isn’t a place for takeout dim sum, which would probably be a bad idea anyway. It is, however, a cool little spot at the edge of Chinatown where you can get dim sum whenever you want it, if you wake up late on the weekends (like we do) and miss the early morning brouhaha at the larger dim sum establishments such as Jing Fong or Golden Unicorn. You’ll find some of the more popular dim sum dishes including an assortment of steamed dumplings, turnip cakes, sticky rice, fried dough balls, and steamed rice crepe rolls, but they also have a full dinner menu as well. The dim sum is still the main attraction here. The dishes are prepared fresh and come out steaming hot, unlike most other places, and you pencil in your own order on a little crib sheet as soon as you sit down. The only drawback is that their dim sum is a bit more expensive than other traditional dim sum places, but if quality and convenience matter to you, then you get what you pay for. Make sure to get there before 4 PM if you’re going to order the Steamed Shrimp Rice Rolls, the crepe-like dish with sweetened soy sauce on top. As you can see from the pics below, we missed them this round.

Soybean snacks, pungent sweet and sour sauces, spicy dried pork sauce

Soybean snacks, pungent sweet and sour sauces, spicy dried pork sauce

Turnip Cakes

Turnip Cakes

Chive & Shrimp Dumplings

Chive & Shrimp Dumplings

Crab Dumplings

Crab Dumplings

Online Menu

Filed under: Chinatown, Chinese, Dim Sum, Good for Groups, Not Cheap, Sit Down | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Food Destination: Ithaca, New York (upstate)

Posted on March 24, 2009 by writeawrong

travel_ithaca

Places Visited:
1. Maxie’s Supper Club
2. Hot Truck @ Shortstop Deli
3. Doug’s Fish Fry
4. Purity Ice Cream
5. Hazelnut Kitchen

Having lived in Ithaca for 4+ years while serving time at Cornell, I always enjoy making the trek upstate to get a breath of fresh country air and relive foggy memories of yesteryear. While we originally planned to go wine touring, all the great food stops along the way kept us plenty occupied… and our bellies full. Here are a few of the highlights.

1. Maxie’s Supper Club
635 W State St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-4136

This is a pretty new spot in Ithaca that opened up a few years ago, and offers real smoked BBQ and a raw bar, both of which are pretty rare for Ithaca. The BBQ was pretty decent, the cheese grits were super saucy, and the andouille sausage was mighty zesty. Raw clams and oysters were half price during happy hour, and it was great to wash them down with some good local brews on tap. All in all, a great find.
maxies1
maxies2
maxies3
maxies5
maxies6

2. Shortstop Deli
204 W Seneca St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-1030

Had to stop by the 24-7 Shortstop Deli down on Seneca for a late night grub session, since now they’ve got the famous Hot Truck subs, a Cornell tradition. “TMBC” – six meatballs with sauce and mozz on a half loaf of toasted french bread. And they even have totally sustainable, eco-friendly cutlery and glassware too. Ithaca is becoming quite a progressive town for others to take note.
shortstop
shortstop1
shortstop3
shortstop4

Doug’s Fish Fry
3638 West Rd
Cortland, NY 13045
(607) 753-9184

Doug’s Fish Fry in Cortland is a personal tradition that I always highly recommend to any fried seafood lover. Their East Coast-style fried fish recipe truly takes the cake, in my book. Lightly battered cod in crispy breadcrumbs, using generous chunks of fish caught fresh and shipped in from Boston, served with a zingy slaw and chunky fried taters with skin on. They also fry up scallops and clams on certain days of the week. Mmmmm mmm. Totally worth the trip.
dougs1
dougs2
dougs3
dougs4

Purity Ice Cream

700 Cascadilla St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-1545

Purity Ice Cream is like a blast from the past. Super creamy, buttery, thick, rich, old-fashioned churned ice cream where you can taste all the flavors without any of them overpowering each other. Watch out for the “Goose Tracks” though! (Inquire within.) Good stuff in any weather.
purity1
purity2

Hazelnut Kitchen
53 E Main St
Trumansburg, NY 14886
(607) 387-4433

Our final stop on the dining expedition was a cozy little joint with a quaint rustic feel in Trumansburg by the Seneca Lake wineries, owned and operated by a super nice husband and wife couple. The food is fairly upscale but with a great local upstate flavor and vibe, using only fresh readily available local ingredients. Chef Jonah switches up the menu seasonally. Our vegetable pot pie dish had fresh parsnips and celeriac, and the huge Conan-portioned pork chop was locally raised and rubbed with fine coffee from an Ithaca beanery called GimmeCoffee, which now has a cafe down in Soho. Talk about keeping it local. Definitely call ahead, as the whole town seems to be coming to this spot on the weekends, probably with good reason.

hazelnut1
hazelnut2
hazelnut3
hazelnut4

Needless to say, we ate a good time in Ithaca. We’ll be back to eat some more soon.

Filed under: American, BBQ, Date Places, Dessert, Food Destinations, Not Cheap, Organic, Seafood, Sit Down | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

CUPCAKE WARS!

Posted on March 18, 2009 by writeawrong


In this taste-off, we put some of NYC’s favorite cupcake joints to the test for the highly prized NYNYEATEAT “YumYum Award”. Using the Red Velvet Cupcake as the test subject (for no reason other than it’s my favorite), we’re judging based on moistness, flavor, frosting, and that overall melt-in-your-mouth factor.

The contenders, in no particular order:

A – Magnolia’s
B – Buttercup
C – Billy’s
D – Crumbs
E – Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Best of luck! And the tasting begins…

A – Magnolia’s (new bigger location w/ seating!)
magnolias
Price: $3.00
Cake: It’s very red. It’s very dense, crumbly, and dry. A subtle cocoa flavor, but SALTY.
Frosting: Instead of their signature thick, sugary frosting, this one comes with whipped buttercream. We didn’t care for it much.
Overall: Poor cake. Ok frosting.

B – Buttercup
buttercup3
Price: $2.25
Cake: It’s light and fluffy. The kind you can eat huge mouthfuls of and finish in 3 squishy bites.
Frosting: A buttery cream cheese frosting…very buttery.
Overall: Very yummy cake consistency and good cream cheese frosting. I would definitely crave this one.

C – Billy’s
billys1
Price: $2.75
Cake: Super moist, rich, and just buttery enough. Decadent cocoa flavor.
Frosting: Moist and buttery cream cheese frosting.
Overall: Excellent cake + frosting combo!

D – Crumbs
crumbs
Price: $3.75
Cake: It’s a huge cupcake. Dry. Tastes like cardboard – old and like from a pre-mixed package.
Frosting: Very sugary. Tastes old and packaged.
Overall: Tastes old and packaged…we’re not impressed.

E – Sugar Sweet Sunshine
sugarsweet4
Price: $1.50
Cake: Good consistency, moist enough.
Frosting: Whipped cream cheese frosting is very good.
Overall: Very good cake + frosting combo. Great price.


And… the overall melt-in-your-mouth winner of the YumYum Award goes to (***drumroll please***)…

Billy’s Bakery.
billys_yumyum
Billy’s takes the cake!

Billy’s Bakery
184 9th Ave (btwn 21st & 22nd St)
www.billysbakerynyc.com

Filed under: American, Bakery, Chelsea, Date Places, Dessert, Lower East Side, West Village | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Imperial Palace – Chinese (Seafood), Flushing (Queens)

Posted on February 22, 2009 by writeawrong

136-13 37th Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 939-3501

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Chinese
Favorite Dish(es): Pork Ribs in Black Bean Sauce Sizzling Rice Casserole ($11), Sauteed Dried Squid with Vegetable, Mixed Seafood Dish

To be honest, we only came to this place because Joe’s Shanghai was too packed (even in Queens), and it was right next door. We’re sure glad we did. The menu features a lot of seafood dishes you won’t find in Manhattan, let alone in most Chinese restaurants we’ve been to. This place’s specialty is a steamed sticky rice dish with lobster or crab, served in a huge bamboo steamer that serves a family of four. We opted for the smaller sizzling rice casserole dish with tasty little pork rib tips in black bean sauce. We also had a perfectly cooked squid dish with a green chive-like vegetable that we’ve never had before but was tasty and had a very interesting texture. To finish, they usually give you a plate of canned lychees and pineapple, but this time we also got a cup of red bean porridge, which is usually served on special occasions like Lunar New Year. The food here is clean, flavorful, and comes out fast. This restaurant is well worth the trip to Main Street Flushing. On the weekends, you can take the LIRR CityTicket for $6.50 roundtrip and get there in under 20 minutes.

Sauteed Squid w/ String Beans

Sauteed Squid w/ String Beans

Pork Ribs w/ Black Bean Sauce Rice Casserole

Pork Ribs w/ Black Bean Sauce Rice Casserole

Red Bean Porridge

Red Bean Porridge

Filed under: Chinese, Flushing, Good for Groups, Not Cheap, Queens, Sit Down | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Shanghai Gourmet – Chinese, Chinatown

Posted on February 22, 2009 by writeawrong

ferrara21

100 Mott Street, between Canal and Hester Sts
(212) 966-3988‎

Pricing: Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Chinese
Favorite Dish(es): Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings ($8.95), Spicy Beef Stew Noodle Soup ($8.95)

This is a pretty cheap and clean place on the Soho side of Canal that has pretty much everything Chinatown has to offer, from really good fresh soup dumplings to noodle soups and roast meats over rice. Everything we’ve ever ordered has been pretty good here, even the Kung Pao Chicken for more common tastes. We’re no experts on Shanghai cuisine, but this place seems to do it just fine.

Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings

Crab and Pork Soup Dumplings

Crab and Pork Soup Dumpling

Crab and Pork Soup Dumpling

Beef Noodle Soup

Beef Noodle Soup

Filed under: Cheap, Chinatown, Chinese, Dim Sum, Sit Down, Take Out | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Dieci – Italian, East Village (St. Marks)

Posted on February 12, 2009 by writeawrong

angelshare2

228 E 10th St, between 1st and 2nd Aves
(212) 387-9545

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Italian
Favorite Dish(es): Tomato Mousse Crostini (appetizer, $5), Homemade Black Taglioni (entree, $15)

First I want to say…I finally got to try squid ink pasta. I’ve been wanting to get the infamous “black tongue” ever since I heard about it.
Having said that, I’m not sure this is the necessarily the best place to get true pasta.
It’s an Italian restaurant run by Japanese cooks and wait-staff. You can see some Japanese influences in the decor, presentation of the food, and portion-size of the dishes. We had the crostini sampler with 4 different spreads and 2 different pasta entrees. I honestly couldn’t really tell the difference between the squid ink pasta and regular pasta other than possibly the squid ink ones were chewier…? Maybe a little seafoody taste…? The pasta with meatballs was pretty good, but the sauce was a little too cheesy and salty.
Overall, it’s not the epitome of true Italian, but we thought this place was worth mentioning for the cool & cozy atmosphere. It’s a good date-place with a nice vibe and very personable service.

Online Menu

Filed under: Date Places, East Village, Italian, Japanese, Not Cheap, Sit Down | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Next Page »