Classic American Brunch at The Smith NYC

Brunch is my favorite meals of the week for two reasons. First, unlike breakfast, lunch, or dinner that occurs every day, brunch typically happens only once a week, usually on a Sunday morning. The rarity of its occurrence definitely makes it special. Second, I stay up late on Saturday nights and sleep in on Sundays, so I am often very hungry when I wake up. Arguably, food tastes so much better when you are hungry. 

Just a couple blocks from where I am living in Midtown, there is a restaurant called The Smith, a casual American Brasserie serving brunch, lunch, and dinner that transforms into a bustling bar at nights. The restaurant was completely packed when we got there around noon for brunch. We were seated about 20 minutes later. One thing I realized is that The Smith is definitely not the place to be if you are seeking a place to have a quiet brunch because it is extremely loud...to the point you cannot hear the music playing in the background or the people you are having conversation with.

The Smith was serving items from both the brunch and the lunch menus. The Lobster Roll ($25), served with a side of French fries, had a huge portion. The generous serving of fresh, plump lobster meat was mixed in with spiced aioli, diced tomato, scallions, and arugula. The bun was lightly buttered and then toasted. The French fries were very skinny.

As the name suggests, the Simple Scramble ($15) was a classic brunch menu with home fries, three pieces of apple smoked bacons, and egg white scrambles. I tried a little bit of the home fries, which had some spices and tangy seasonings.

I didn't want to start the day with a full stomach, so I ordered the Shrimp Salad ($21) with basil viniagrette on the side. The salad was served in a huge bowl full of avocado, fennel, tangerine slices, frisée, and plump shrimp. I liked the variety flavors in frisée (bitter, sweet, etc.). The salad had too much pepper in it though because it was really salty.

Because we enjoyed our first time at The Smith, we decided to check it out two weeks later. The Roasted Chicken Salad ($19) wasn't as colorful as the other one. It had arugula, apple, walnut, brie, and grilled onion.

I decided to have another classic brunch entree: Smoked Salmon Benedict ($19), which was served with home fries on the side. I knew the hollandais sauce would upset my stomach, so I asked the waitress to skip it.

The eggs benedict was served on a lightly toasted English muffin. It had an ample load of smokey smoked salmon, poached egg, and a sprinkle of basil.

I used to dislike egg yolk, but I really like it now especially in poached eggs. The way the egg yolk "pop" and seeps into the cracks in the English muffin is quite amusing. I am glad I didn't get the hollandais sauce because the egg yolk itself was rich enough.

New York City's Chinatown Adventure

To continue the theme of ridiculously cheap food in New York City (See post on takoyaki Japanese snacks), my friend and I decided to go to the quintessential place for all things cheap: Chinatown. This was meant to be a culinary adventure through Chinatown, so instead of settling on one eatery/restaurant, we decided to hit a couple spots that are known for their Chinese delicacies.

The first spot we visited was Prosperity Dumpling, a tiny hole in the wall famous for its dumplings (as the name suggests). Most people had dumplings to-go because the place was tiny. There were about eight stools with a tiny table sticking out against the wall. My friend ordered Chives and Pork Fried Dumplings (5 for $1). The dumplings looked too greasy so I didn't try them.

She also ordered Chives and Pork Boiled Dumplings (10 for $2). The skin of the dumplings were a bit too thick, and I am not sure if the content inside was actually pork.

We split the Vegetable and Shrimp Dumplings (10 for $3.50), which were slightly more expensive. These dumplings may look small, but they are packed tightly so I got full really quickly.

The vegetable and shrimp dumplings surprisingly had a big shrimp inside. These weren't as juicy as the pork dumplings, but I much preferred them nonetheless.

I would say the ratio between the chive and the shrimp was 1:1. Quite impressed! I would definitely order this again. Also $3.50 for a filling meal in NYC is such a bargain.



After the dumpling appetizer from Prosperity, we walked a couple blocks to Joe's Shanghai, which is famous for its xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings. There was a long line of people waiting outside, so it took about 45 minutes to get a table for four. Joe's Shanghai has already established some fame in the city, having been recognized by New York Times Restaurant Guide, Gourmet Magazine, and Zagat Survey. Without hesitation, we ordered two orders of Pork Steamed Buns (8 for $4.95), which were served in a wooden bamboo steamer over a bed of cabbage.





This was actually my first time trying proper xiaolongbaos. The key to eating these are to place them on a soup spoon and make a small hole with your teeth to suck out the juices, and then eat the skin with the meat inside. You have to be careful not to burn your tongue. The dumplings were juicy and savory.

In addition to the soup dumplings, we ordered Fried Rice Cake with Beef ($7.95). I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this dish, but it was very similar to the Korean glutinous rice cake and beef in slightly sweet soy sauce, sauteed with cabbages, onions, and spinach.

I would definitely order this dish again. In fact, I preferred the rice cake to the soup dumplings, the latter of which the restaurant is famous for. The rice cakes were chewy, while the beef was tender. My friends and I were quite stuffed after Joe's Shanghai that we decided to skip our third stop, a noodle place. Until next time!

Where Is My Avocado? Smoked Salmon Crepes at Crepes on Columbus NYC

Crepes used to be the food item that I went out to eat when I lived in Davis, but since coming to Harvard, I haven't been able to find a decent creperie to satisfy my craving for this French delicacy. While spending this summer in New York City, a friend of a friend recommended Crepes on Columbus in Manhattan Valley. Even though the neighborhood was slightly sketchy, the restaurant seemed to have been remodeled recently. 

I waited for about 10 minutes for my friend to come from work. Like any other bored person would do,  I spied on both the restaurant goers as well as people passing by the store. I also loved taking a peak at the table next to me as the waiter brought their food because it made it so much easier for omeone as indecisive as me to choose what I want for dinner.

It turns out that my friend isn't a huge fan of crepes. Instead, she ordered the Prosciutto Sandwich ($10.75) with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and pesto. It also came with a salad on the side.

The bread looked like baguette, but I think it tasted like French bread. I don't eat pork so I don't know what the sandwich tasted like. my friend said the prosciutto was slightly dry.

I chose the savory Smoked Salmon crepe ($12.75) with ratatouille, egg, scallions, and basil creme fraiche. However, I modified the menu to cater to my taste bud, so I substituted egg and basil creme fraiche with avocado and spinach.

The crepe had two surprises, one of which was pleasant, the other not so much. First, it was packed with smoked salmon and spinach! I tried to cut it with a knife but this proved to be difficult because the inside would ooze out. The second, not so pleasant surprise was that it had guacamole instead of avocado...I was expecting fresh avocados! Also, the combination of smoked salmon and guacamole was weird. The crepe was crispy enough when I first got it, but it quickly became soggy.

Classic Japanese Snacks of Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki at Otafuku

The New York City food scene has a distinct dichotomy. On one hand, there are premier luxury restaurants like Per Se, Le Bernardin,  and Morimoto. On the other hand, there are cheap eateries and hole in the wall (quite literally). One such place is Otafuku, a Japanese eatery in East Village.

Otafuku, albeit a Japanese restaurant, doesn't serve any sushi. Instead, it specializes in takoyaki, which are bite-sized baked octopus balls. My friend and I decided to share Combination B ($9), a mix of takoyaki and okonomiyaki, or Japanese-style cabbage pancakes.



The eatery is so small that you can't even wait inside for your food, but have to step outside. I'm sure the sales plummet during the winter and when it rains...After waiting for about 10 minutes, our order came out. The girl behind the counter drizzled the takoyaki with mayonnaise, sweet sauce, and some green powder, as well as bonito flakes.

There were six takoyakis that were about the size of golf balls. I asked the person to not put mayonnaise on my balls (haha). I am not quite sure what the green stuff was...it certainly didn't add much flavor.

Even though the balls are bite-sized, I ate them in two bites. Because these treats are baked in something similar to a waffle maker instead of fried, the outside wasn't too greasy. The batter might have been a little undercooked, however.

There was an octopus inside the takoyaki. I wasn't too fond of the three textures of chewy octopus, crispy outside, and mushy inside. I was fine after eating just three of these, but if I were to eat the entire plate, my stomach would have hurt a lot. I don't have any pictures of the okonomiyaki, but with no regret because it tasted awful. The cabbage pancake was way undercooked, so I felt like I was just eating the batter. Yuck.

 

NYC Restaurant Week 2012: Protein-Rich Mediterranean Feat at Ilili

For NYC Restaurant Week 2012, I made a vow to explore cuisines I have never tried before, including Russian food from Brasserie Pushkin. For my second stop, I decided to try Ilili, "a contemporary Lebanese restaurant offering inspired Mediterranean cuisine," in Flatiron.

When my friend and I arrived at 6, the restaurant was already packed with foodies taking advantage of the Restaurant Week. Shortly after being seated, the waiter brought us amuse-bouche of seasoned pita chips and yogurt & olive oil based dip with olives.

The pita chips were crispy and dusted with savory seasoning that I really enjoyed. The yogurt dip was a bit too thick, and the olive oil made it even richer.

Lebanese cuisine is pretty heavy on carb. The waiter brought three pieces of warm, freshly-baked pita bread. I wonder what made them puff like this...The inside of the bread was soft and chewy.

The restaurant week at Ilili offered two appetizers from the list. For my first appetizer, I chose Kibbe Naye, or steak tartare with onion, burghul, and mint on a shallow pool of olive oil.

The presentation of the dish was satisfactory. I personally love the scent of mint, so I thought the leaves on top was a nice touch to the steak tartare. When people think of steak tartare, most people think it is just raw meat. However, this dish had bites of grounded ginger, garlic, cloves, scallions, and other vegetables mixed into the meat itself. I couldn't really taste the burghul, but the pickled onions on top were quite refreshing.

My second appetizer was Chicken Livers with pomogranate molasses, lemon, and sumac. The dish had a huge portion! And to think that this was only the appetizer...The chicken livers were served in a hot iron skillet.

Livers have a distinct bitter aftertaste. The meat is also much denser and the texture is slightly grainy. The sauce used for the dish was similar to soy sauce except with the same stickiness of teriyaki sauce. It made for a great dipping sauce for the pita bread.

My friend chose Mouhamara, walnut and red pepper dip, for one of herr appetizers. These are balls of walnuts and sundried peppers with pomogranate molasses.

This is a Falafel dish with tahini sauce. Falafels that I have seen in the past are usually round balls of fried garbanzo beans, but these were cube shaped and made with fava beans. They were garnished with shreds of bell peppers and chives.

The waiter was kind enough to pace our meals so that our stomachs are somewhat digested by the time the next course came to the table. After we finished our grand appetizers, the waiter brought our entrees. He poured fermented aleppo nage over char-grilled Black Bass. FYI, a nage is a flavored liquid used for poaching delicate foods. The broth is usually flavored with white wine, vegetables, and herbs, and then reduced and thickened with cream or butter.

My friend said the dish was very light. Because I am lactose-intolerant and the sauce had butter/cream, my stomach probably would not have been happy had I consumed this dish.

Instead, I got the Lamb Chops with salsa verde and roasted tomatoes. Although the Restaurant Week prix fixe menus are $35, this entree required a $7 supplement. The plate was presented with two racks of lamb with fresh greens on top.

I must have been protein-deprived. Now that I look back, I have ordered all dishes super heavy in protein! From steak to chicken to lamb...well, I certainly am glowing in front of my lamb chops.

Unfortunately, right when I placed the knife over my lamb chops, I realized that the meat had been cooked medium! I am a rare/raw meat eater (see steak tartare above), so without even taking a bite, I asked the waiter if I could get it cooked rare instead.



The second plate of lamb chops cooked much faster. Sadly, the lamb chops were also smaller and much fattier. I had to navigate through so much fat that I am pretty sure the actual consumption of lamb meat was less than 4 oz. The lamb chops were also served over a bed of olive oil, which I thought was completely unnecessary. It is already loaded with fat, so there is no need to add more! Overall, the meat was just too heavy for my liking.

Ilili only offered one dessert: Chocolate Cake with vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle. It was by far the ugliest dessert I have ever seen at an upscale restaurant. On a round plate was a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream and a round chocolate cake. The server brought out a cauldron of chocolate sauce and poured it over the dessert. It just seemed too messy.

Since I can't have dairy, I got a trio of raspberry sorbet. It was a refreshing way to wrap up my otherwise extremely heavy dinner. The flavors of raspberry were very strong. Overall, my experience at Ilili peaked too high to begin with that it only had a downward path to go.