Skál 01-31-2015

Location: 37 Canal St.
Time: 2:30pm
People: RB, CK and myself

List:
-One of my oldest friends lives in Iceland, and I have a pleasure of seeing her every March. To prepare our annual meeting, we visited Skal ("cheers" in Icelandic, pronounced as scowl, but I know she would correct me) on Canal Street in Chinatown. NYC's obsession with Nordic cuisine seems to continue.
-At this cheerful Icelandic, Nordic-themed spot, there are plenty of house cocktails and new American style menu without too many uniquely Icelandic specialties.
-Truffled Broccoli omelet ($14, with ssam jang potatoes and mixed greens) was excellent. The potatoes were crispy with a kick of spice.
-Berkshire Pork Belly Sandwich ($12, with ssam jang, black garlic and daikon) was flavorful and tender, and the bread was pleasantly crispy.
-Banana Pancakes ($14, vanilla bean and thyme foam, goat butter) were thicker than Icelandic pancakes, ponnukokur, but it was as round and large as I could recall.
-If you are in the area, definitely stop by for a drink!

Bassanova Ramen 11-30-2013

Location: 76 Mott St.
Time: 4pm
People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: The original ramen burger creator/ramen blogger, chef Keizo Shimamoto's anticipated Bassanova Ramen is a perfect spot for the coming cold winter. This LA native's famous green-curry ramen and tonkotsu are available here in this Chinatown shop as well as at their original Tokyo location in Shinyoda district. So what we are tasting here is the first American outpost of the Tokyo ramen spot, by a Japanese American who brought the L.A. flavor of ramen to Tokyo similar to Ivan Orkin.

Walking through the Ugg and Michael Kor donned, fake handbag hunting tourists on Canal Street on a weekend is something I would like to avoid, but for Bassanova, it is all worth it. There are simple bowls of ramen all under $15 as well as various tsukemen. Vegetarian Tsukemen ($12, black truffle oil, baby corn, pepper, spring greens, grilled okra) is excellent, and the thick, chewy noodles are simply divine. This is a serious contender to Totto's amazing organic veggie ramen.

RB's Tondaku Wadashijiru Ramen ($14, berkshire pig tonkotsu soup, wadashi, porkloin chashu, menma) is full of dashi flavor that brings a lighter ramen experience with umami impact. You really cannot take dashi out of Japanese cuisine, and it is no wonder this is one of the popular dishes at the Tokyo location.

I hope to go back for their signature Tondaku Green Curry Ramen ($15, green curry soup, shrimp, zucchini, okra, paprika, coriander) as well as gyoza. The service is a little laid back but exceptionally polite and friendly. No alcohol yet. Cash only.

Aux Epices 07-05-2013

Location: 121 Baxter St.
Time: 2pm
People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: Beloved Tribeca establishment, Franklin Station Cafe reincarnated in a small spot, formerly occupied by one of RB's lunch spots, Bluebird Sky. With Malaysian homestyle food and French flair in a relaxed setting, the Canal street frenzy feels like a world away.

Prices are somewhere between Chinatown and SoHo, just like its location. It is also a perfect place for a Southeast Asian cuisine novice as well as experts who have visited every Malaysian and Indonesian spot in Elmhurst.

The portions are quite generous while maintaining the light, clean flavors. From laksa to nasi lemak, Malaysian old favorites are present with more refined notes. Salad with cucumber, mango, jicama and vermicelli is light and refreshing. The crunchy texture and the sweet and salty flavor make this dish a true summer staple.

The seafood laksa ($12.95) is voluminous. The egg noodles, fresh muscles and prawns soaks up the delicious buttery curry sauce. The side order cone shaped mound of coconut rice is also CK's favorite.

You shouldn't really compare this place to more griddy, hall-in-the wall favorites like Taste Good in Elmhurst. Aux Epices is definitely more delicate with a touch of downtown chic. For the quality of food and the calming vibe (and great lighting-- I want to do my makeup here everyday), Aux Epices is a little gem on Baxter Street.

Cheeky Sandwiches 07-14-2012

Location: 35 Orchard St.
Time: 3pm
People: RB, CK and myself

Cheeky Sandwiches, offering New Orleans style sandwiches in the outskirts of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, is a hidden gem. This hole in the wall attracts regulars who all seem quite familiar with the lovely sandwich handler behind the counter. Although this does have a very artistic LES vibe, this is essentially a tribute to New Orleans, rough and cheeky. "A toast to the ducks that live in the swamp," painted on the white brick wall catches our eyes.

There is a one bench seating and some counters with stools, and you get to watch them make the sandwich if you so choose. The menu includes six sandwiches, biscuits, eggs, chicory coffee and beignets, and veggie fans, rejoice! Out of six sandwiches, two are vegetarian, and one is seafood.

My veggie muffalata ($7.25, pickled mix of veg, swiss on olive roll) was fresh with the vibrant and delicate flavor, and the texture was quite well balanced. Every bite included the delightful combination of crusty yet soft bread and finely chopped olive and pickled vegetables. A meatless muffalata seems almost sinful, but this sandwich remains true to the spirit of the sandwich, and even the carnivore purist RB enjoyed this one.

"Sea"--the oyster and/or shrimp poboys ($8.50, you can make it half and half) are obviously their popular dish, and RB thought his 'half &half' was deliciously crunchy and seasoned.

There aren't many New Orleans inspired eateries in NYC yet, but Cheeky is certainly a great, highly addictive start. Simple ingredients with the right amount of bread in a low key setting--Oh, I feel like I'll be one of their cult followers.

Excellent Pork Chop House 06-14-2012

Location: 3 Doyers St.
Time: 7:30pm
People: 13 Ramen and Friends: RoRo, Alexis, JLam, JBH & Friend, BLee, RK, CB, Yasmin, Merry, Kavie, RB and myself

Feelings: At our Ramen and Friends group outings, we usually try to venture out to the most exotic, peculiar places, but sometimes all we need is just an excellent place. Such a place is Excellent Pork Chop House. Deep in the alley of Doyers in Chinatown, Excellent Pork Chop House offers a clean, hearty Taiwanese style cooking at an exceptionally reasonable price.

On Thursday night, the restaurant was packed with locals and families, and more and more kept coming. I was worried about the large group, but they were able to easily accommodate us without any issues. The service was possibly faster than any fast food joint. We ordered, and a few minutes later, our dishes started to arrive before our eyes like a magic trick. "The service was super fast. Our food came out within minutes of our order," Yasmin added.

The menu features tasty variety of appetizers, Taiwanese shaved ice, noodles, rice cakes, soups and what else--pork chop. BLee said, "I thought the pork chop lived up to its name: it was excellent, with great flavor. The portions were huge and great value." Merry also thought the pork chop which was seasoned with five-spice was nice and flavorful, but not overpowering.

For appetizers, cold dishes are highly recommended. The jellyfish with garlic sauce ($3.50) was fresh, and the subtle, refreshing flavor certainly would be a perfect dish for the warm months ahead.  The marinated seaweed and dried bean curd ($3.50) was also excellent with noodle like seaweed and chewy texture of dried bean curd.

The portion for my shrimp noodle soup ($5.25) was large, and it was subtly flavored. It was certainly out-shined by various pork chops nearby but quite chewy and tasty nonetheless.

What makes this place stand out more is its Taiwanese shaved ice, which comes with three toppings of your choice. I am almost 34, and I can have dessert for dinner whether the server judges me or not. Although the ice was not as soft and fine as what we had hoped for, there is nothing better than having that special treat on the dinner table.

If you are ever in the grungy street of Doyers, stop by at this excellent, Excellent Pork Chop House for some pork chop, cold appetizers and shaved ice for an introduction to Taiwanese cuisine. They will not disappoint.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor 08-09-2011

Location: 13 Doyers St.Time: 7:30pm

People: 16 Ramen and Friends: Binx2, SaSha, Rich & Friend, RoGo, Alexis, KaV, Punj, JBH, StevenC, Effie, JR, MKang, JLam from MeSoHungry, RB and myself

Feelings: The gentrification of many New York neighborhoods has kicked many locals out of the city, and for those who can barely afford to live here, we see a vanishing New York: a giant mall on the island of Manhattan filled with banks, Duane Reade, Starbucks and condos. Sometimes the loss of traditional culture is a good thing--it makes people less prejudiced and opens their culture to others. In the case of New York City, each neighborhood used to represent unique traditional customs and food, but when those started to disappear and replaced by yuppies and hipsters, what do we have left?

In the midst of this change, what happened to Nom Wah is a miracle. The oldest dim sum joint in the city was recently renovated while a new owner faithfully preserved the old dining area. His mother must be a Tiger Mom like mine--I would not even question destroying the 90 year old historical space. Respecting the elders, traditions, and history is something I want to cherish in this youth oriented culture we live in now.

Since the face-lift, Nom Wah has been a beloved spot for both tourists and foodies alike. When I entered the restaurant, it instantly brought me back to Wong Kar Wai's highly stylized masterful drama, "In the Mood for Love." Although I missed the graceful presence of Tony Leung in perfectly tailored suit, this modest spot will take you back to the mid-century feel without a hint of irony or theme restaurant ambiance. Both Effie and RB mentioned that it was the first time they have seen check patterned tablecloth at an Asian restaurant. "I fully expected to start eating Italian," said RB.

Although they serve dim sum, this is not one of those large dining halls with cart service you may see in Chinatown. This is a tea parlor after all. Just like Vegetarian Dim Sum House nearby, you mark your selections with a pencil and give the sheet of paper to them.

Except the still frozen-in-the-middle vegetable dumplings ($2.50), almost all the members at the table enjoyed the food and service. The "Shrimp Sui Mai ($3.50) and scallion pancakes ($3.50) were my favorites. And I actually liked the taste of chicken feet, go figure," JBH said. Our resident tea aficionado SaSha enjoyed the tea selection and said that tea is usually free in restaurants like this, but for the price we got a strong, satisfying pot of oolong that easily served three of us. "Much better than the free tea at most restaurants." The pot of oolong tea unquestionably complimented their famous almond cookie. If you are not a big dim sum fan, I'd recommend you to stop by for just the tasty, soft almond cookie and a pot of tea. If there was a Chinatown version of Seinfeld, I could easily envision Jerry and George hanging out here over some tea.

It is a fact that in recent years, the best Chinese food is found in Flushing, not Manhattan Chinatown. And while my favorite dim sum spot remains Ocean Jewel in Flushing, and as StevenC thought the food at Nom Wah was not the highest of the quality, sometimes it is not just about the food. It is about the dining experience. It is about history. So why not take your future spouse to Nom Wah for your first date? You could someday come back to the same location with your grandchildren and say, "I took your grandmother here on our first date." Be a part of their history--I'm sure the history of Nom Wah will live on.

Cha Chan Tang 04-26-2011

Location: 45 Mott St.

Time: 7:30pm

People: 19 Ramen and Friends: ALev, MLev & Matt, MGru from Dessert Landscapes, JLam from MeSoHungry, MGill, Jill, Sekita from KikaEats, Rich, SaSha from Tea Happiness, MerryL, BLee, Rich, Punj & friend, MKang, Jocelyn, RB and myself

Feelings: If there is a such thing as "reverse fusion" (as StevenC appropriately put), Hong Kong style diner and tea house, Cha Chan Tang could be labeled so. This tea house where they serve affordable Western fusion dishes and tasty tea is widely popular in Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. You may think people in Japan are always eating some authentic exotic cuisine, but in fact, many younger generations in the city prefer these Western fusion dishes.

I tried to show people this experience at the Tokyo Bar (now closed) outing, but I received rather negative reviews from the group. It was a complete nostalgia for me, but the food got lost in translation.

Cha Chan Tang in Chinatown also created the similar stir from the group. While the group raved about their Hong Kong style iced milk tea, "the food was generally disappointing," said MerryL. "I guess it was born out of the coffee shop idea, which makes sense--the drinks are the main attraction and the food it an afterthought."

BLee agreed that this spot "evoke(s) nostalgia for those from or familiar with Hong Kong." She did add that she would probably will not return despite their large servings and reasonable prices. "It isn't one of the outstanding places in Chinatown."

Rich also felt this was not really proper dinner food; it was after school comfort food. "Probably it has its uses, but with so many great places right nearby, why bother?" said Rich.

The restaurant was packed with young, rather hip and fashionable Hong Kong natives on Tuesday night. The servers are also quite attractive here with the on-trend Asian makeup and hairstyles. Although the food was not reviewed well, their sweet glazed bread balls with condensed milk were soft and scrumptious. Also Portuguese style chicken, baked spaghetti, and seafood cream dishes were one of the better ones. I would not recommend ordering any Chinese dishes here since you can get better food nearby.

So what is this diner's purpose? Asian natives, especially women, often don't drink alcohol due to a high percentage of alcohol intolerance. While many Americans go for a Happy Hour, the Brits to a pub, and the French to a cafe for a pint or a glass of wine, we go to these tea houses/diners. I still miss going to the tea houses pre or post dinner, or just to have a quick bite. So if you are ever on a date with a girl from Japan, I would highly recommend meeting her at a tea house. Your Japanese girlfriend can drink like a fish? Well, you hit a jackpot.

Noodle Village 02-08-2011

Location: 13 Mott St.
Time: 7:30pm
People: 20 Rabbity Ramen and Friends: ALev, MLev, MGru from Dessert Landscape, JLam from MeSoHungry, LauraE, TrishP, MGill, Jill, Sekita from KikaEats, Rich, JRath from Rath & Co., Mike, SaSha from Tea Happiness, MerryL, Yasmin, StevenC, PMont, BLee, Caylin and myself

Feelings: The festive Ramen and Friends crew celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit at Noodle Village in Chinatown. As an organizer, hosting a monthly outing could be overwhelming and tedious (Lotus of Siam was a nightmare.), but this was the easiest transaction of Ramen and Friends history. They were superbly accommodating to 20 of us, and they even called me to see what sort of table arrangement we wanted.

Many of us thought the service was attentive, and both SaSha and Jill mentioned that the servers kept filling their cups of hot tea. "Service was better than expected," MerryL added. "They were very nice and accommodating, especially since a group like ours is probably their biggest nightmare."

The fried pork dumplings and scallion pancakes were a big hit of the appetizers. They should really call the scallion pancakes "scallion donut" due to its interesting shape. The dough had a good chewy texture, and the filling was flavorful. I also enjoyed their homemade rice crepes that came with creamy sesame sauce. They were the Chinese equivalent of peanut butter sandwiches with delicious carb and filling nuttiness.

As MerryL pointed out, their non noodle dishes were ironically better than most noodle dishes. "Bland, bland, bland," MGru referred to her noodle dishes, but her curry and rice hot pot had more flavor. MGill also enjoyed the rice hot pot with pork and salted fish and eloquently explained,"The rice was just right- sticky, chewy, and on the edge of pot, crunchy without being dried out. The bits of salted fish were a smack of flavor, even more so than other places I've had." This guy should have his own food blog.

Sekita thought her curry dish, oxtail with curry sauce lo mein was "rich, slightly spicy and really flavorful." While everyone enjoyed their more bold flavored curry or meat based dishes, BLee's and my shrimp dumpling noodles were more sensible and mild. It is difficult to find gingerly flavored Chinese food in the U.S., so this was a welcoming surprise. The portion was small, and MGill agreed that overall, portions at this joint "were intended for solo orders, rather than family style."

As SaSha said, the food here was not as greasy or heavy, which I particularly enjoyed. No wonder this is one of RB's favorite lunch spots. This is the kind of Chinese food I could have everyday without feeling sick, but at the same time, it is a bit unmemorable. $13.50 per person for sharing quite a lot of dishes was such a great deal, and Noodle Village will definitely considered to be one of the better Ramen and Friends outings of this coming year.

Jing Fong 11-26-2010

Location: 20 Elizabeth St.
Time: 12pm
People: JLam from MeSoHungry, RB, CK and myself

Feelings: When I was little, my grandfather used to take my parents and I to a Chinese restaurant once a month. The memory of sharing Chinese food, specifically Dim Sum, stays with me as a heart warming family event. (Plus my grandfather always used to follow up by buying me some clothes or shoes!) Perhaps this it the reason I crave Dim Sum during holiday season.

Despite my fascination with sample sales, I don't participate in Black Friday, so we instead headed over to perhaps the most famous Dim Sum restaurant in the city, Jing Fong. I would usually prefer to go to Flushing for some cheap and tasty Dim Sum, but I was not sure if CK could endure the long 7 train commute after our Thanksgiving Long Island trip the night before. Also JLam had a fantastic idea of going to what's normally the overcrowded restaurant on Black Friday since people must still be full from the night before. Although it was still relatively crowded, we got seated without any wait. I am not sure if JLam's speculation was correct or the big "C" sanitation report at the front window scared some tourists away.

Since we were seated on the stage, coincidentally where all the non Chinese people were seated, the cart ladies seldom came to our area to show us their goods. I did not see a lot of my favorite dishes, but we managed to gather rice noodle rolls with shrimp, turnip cake, buk choy, pork buns, fried calamari, shumai and sesame balls. Most of the dishes were saltier than I would have wanted and not as fresh as Ocean Jewels, but we enjoyed our Yum Cha nonetheless. Who knows, this might be our new Black Friday ritual from now on.

Sanur 04-13-2010

Location: 18 Doyers St.
Time: 7:30pm
People: 10 Ramen and Friends: JBH, PMont, Laura, GiselaM, Rich, BLee, PunJ, StevenC, RB and myself

Feelings: Friends of Ramen and Friends met up at the basement of Sanur, Indonesian and Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown. It is not only a little difficult to find this place but the upstairs take out portion of the restaurant looks cramped and intimidating, and you would never know that there is a basement dining area. The stairs are really steep and narrow and not preggers friendly, but once you arrive at the basement, it is spacious, and the service is quite friendly and attentive.

The menu included both Malaysian and Indonesian specialties at a very reasonable price. We usually end up paying at least $12-20 per person at our monthly outings, but we only paid $10, including tax and 20% tip! They probably have the cheapest Roti Canai around at the price of $2.25. It did not have chicken in the curry sauce as many places do, but vegetarians such as myself appreciated the lack of meat. JBH, Rich, Laura and StevenC all enjoyed these Roti Canai, but Rich and I did not feel it was as good as the ones of Taste Good in Elmhurst. JBH added that it was a bit sweeter than Taste Good. We also enjoyed the roti with eggs called Roti Telur, which is popular for breakfast but also perfect little snacks.

After ordering several dishes off the menu, it was difficult to distinguish Malaysian and Indonesian, but the Hokkien Noodles with brown sauce was the most popular and disappeared from the table the quickest. As StevenC mentioned, it was more of Southern Chinese flavor rather than Malaysian, but it was well executed. Salted Fish with Eggplant Casserole was also popular for those who enjoy the salty flavor and are used to the idea of preserved fish in a dish.

My Pearl Noodles was well cooked, but it tasted more Chinese than Malaysian. I loved the texture of pearl noodles, but I wish it had more flavor and spices. For taste and authenticity, Sanur did not come close to Taste Good. The flavor at Sanur tends to be a bit one note and not as bold as I'd want it to be. I'd have to agree with what Rich said: It's worth a visit, but you have to order carefully or you can end up with a lot of things that taste the same. But if you prefer Chinese style Malaysian, you would enjoy the flavor of this place. And who can go all the way to Elmhurst every time you crave Malaysian food anyway? It is good to have a backup locale in Manhattan, and when it's actually cheaper, that's even better.

Takeout from Pho Bang 03-10-2010

Location: 157 Mott St.
Time: 7pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: One of the great things about your spouse working in Soho is that he has the easy access to cheap and tasty takeouts from Chinatown after work. Today, RB picked us up some bun dinner from Pho Bang on Mott Street. He previously ordered lunch from there, and the strong aroma of fish sauce inconvenienced his coworkers greatly. This distinct fish odor usually means delicious and more authentic Vietnamese, so I could not wait to try their food.

I had Bun Cha Gio ($5.50, spring rolls on rice vermicelli) with two small containers of fish sauce. The spring rolls were crispy with a thin skin, which made them less greasy and more delicious. The sauce was incredibly fishy as it should be, and it completely took over the entire apartment.

RB ordered his favorite, Bun Cha Ha Noi. ($5.95, Ha Noi style grilled pork on rice vermicelli) When you order this dish, everything comes in separately: a bag full of greens, and separate containers for the noodles, grilled pork and pork meatballs, and fish sauce. He assembled them meticulously and equally offended the apartment with the smell of sauce and pork. The noodles were nicely cooked and remained cold, and the pork was very tasty but greasy. They really give you a lot of greens, but he would have enjoyed more variations of greens.

Finding decent bun and pho can be quite difficult in Manhattan. Some are unnecessarily garlicy or salty, and some are just too bland and soggy mess. Pho Bang is perhaps one of the better pho and bun restaurants in Manhattan. But please make sure to eat this either at the restaurant or at home, and avoid aggravating your coworkers. Fish smell at work is never a good idea.

Golden Steamer 02-28-2010

Location: 143A Mott St.
Time: 4pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: Two words: Pumpkin Bao. I am sold! Despite its oddly dirty sounding name, this Chinese bakery located right in front of Saigon Bakery has amazing steamed buns. At a low price of $.75, you can bite into this fluffy pumpkin bao heaven. It is not overly sweet, and the pumpkin filling inside is very creamy. They are not generous on the filling here, but I am one of those strange eaters who enjoys the bread more than filling, so I am completely satisfied. I would have bought the pumpkin bao without the filling! It was that good.

They offer various steamed bun selections as well as a dim sum menu, but on Sunday afternoon, they were of course completely out of all the dim sum items. They do have a counter with some stools here, but it is more of a takeout joint. It would be fun to pick up some turnip cakes and rice noodle rolls on Sunday morning and have a little dim sum party at a park when the weather gets warmer.

I am already dreaming of the pumpkin bao. RB conveniently works near the bakery, so perhaps he might pick me up the six pack of baos. ($3.75, if you are reading this, RB.)