My Favorite Bites And Drinks At The Eddy, A Charming “Black Sheep” Of Curry Row

Amidst a stretch of nondescript Indian restaurants in Manhattan's East Village, The Eddy - a charming New American restaurant - appears to be the black sheep of Curry Row. But there is nothing disgraceful about being an outcast in this case. In fact, The Eddy stands out even more with its creative cocktails and flavorful fare that have delighted diners since it opened about 1.5 years ago.

DRINKS
While my typical go-to drink is a glass of Cabernet, I had to make an exception to try The Eddy's signature cocktail. From its expansive drink menu, the cocktail that immediately caught my eyes was the Bedrock Fizz.

Bedrock Fizz

This dreamy concoction combined Old Tom Gin, apricot brandy, and Aperol that has been infused with Fruity Pebbles. On top was a fluffy bed of meringue, which was created by shaking cream and egg white for approximately 30 minutes. The bartender then poured a glass of fresh seltzer for a dramatic rise of the meringue and sprinkled a spoonful of colorful Fruity Pebbles. Soon enough, I was drinking (...or perhaps, "biting" into) the most whimsical cocktail I have ever tasted.

APPETIZER
The Bedrock Fizz was just the beginning of my food journey at The Eddy, whose food menu draws flavors and inspiration from around the globe to spotlight seasonal produce and local proteins. The tapas-style appetizers were ideal for sharing. Some of my favorites included:

Crab Toast with Cilantro Aioli + Guajillo Chili

Atop a grilled, bite-sized toast sat a generous portion of lump crab meat mixed in with cilantro aioli. The crispy toast was then drizzled with guajillo chili sauce for a subtle kick of spiciness.

Butter Poached Barnstable Oysters with Sunflower Granola

I no longer have any qualms about eating cooked oyster after trying this dish. The plump, butter poached oysters were not only seasoned perfectly, but also topped with sunflower granola for that crunchy texture.

Beef Tendon Puffs with Dill Creme, Smoked Trout Roe, and Charred Onions

There was a lot going on in this dish. The airy, crunchy beef tendon puffs were dressed with a dollop of refreshing dill creme and topped with salty, smoked trout roe. The chef sprinkled charred onions (don't be fooled...it's not seaweed!).

ENTREE
I couldn't decide between land and sea for my entree. Luckily, the solution presented itself: Get both and share with my friend!

Seared Scallops with Pioppini Mushrooms, Cashews, and Bonito Carrot

Sometimes I receive a plate of food that is too pretty to eat - and this scallop dish was one of them. The plate included three plump scallops that were perfectly seared on the outside with charred edges and juicy, chewy inside. These scallops were laid on top of golden bonito carrot puree with a side of sauteed pioppini mushrooms, carrots, and other greens.

Wagyu Chuck Steak with Crisp Potatoes and Charred Lettuces

The medium rare wagyu chuck steak from The Eddy was so tender, and I finally understood what it meant by "melt in your mouth." The steak had just enough fattiness to add flavor without tasting too greasy. The crispy potatoes and charred lettuces on the side complement the dish.

DESSERT
No matter how full, there is always room for dessert! At this point, I was done deciding between option A and option B. I wanted to end the dining experience at The Eddy with a loud bang, and order all the desserts on the menu.

Malted Milk Ice Cream, Caramel Apple, and Cardamom Panna Cotta

The Eddy magically combined both sweet and savory flavors to its desserts. The creamy Malted Milk Ice Cream had oozing Amaro Abano foam on top with crunchy pistachio crumb and celery. The tender Caramel Apple with walnuts and smoked milk foam had crispy cheese cracker on the side for another layer of flavor. Finally, a bed of Concord grape ice topped with basil, olive oil, and sea salt laid atop creamy cardamom panna cotta for the perfectly refreshing way to end the meal.

Boston Restaurant Week: Savory Bluefish at EVOO Restaurant in Kendall Square

After spending the summer in New York City--the culinary epicenter of the world--I became quite spoiled in terms of food. I especially loved the deals I got through Restaurant Week. Although I would have preferred to visit restaurants during non-Restaurant Week to enjoy their regular menu and full service, my wallet was certainly a lot happier with the budget-friendly prie fixe menu. I was fortunate enough to be in Boston to try out Restaurant Week while it was in session in the city. My team and I went to EVOO Restaurant, which is located in Kendall Square.

EVOO stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In accordance to the name of the restaurant, we were served extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixed in with chopped garlic and parsley. The sliced baguette was toasted, per request. I am usually not a fan of olive oil because it tend to be too heavy for my liking, but this olive oil had a distinct taste that I couldn't keep my toasted bread away from dipping into it. I would have liked more balsamic vinegar and less garlic though.

The 3-course prie fixe lunch menu included an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $20.12. My friend ordered Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with diva cucumbers, prosciutto dust, and mint foam. I think all soup needs to be hot, or at least warm, so the concept of chilled soup confuses me.

 

I wonder how they got the foam on the soup. I didn't get to taste it, but apparently the mint flavor wasn't strong enough. The combination of fruity and savory seems interesting.

Another appetizer on the table was Tomatoes, Basil, Mint, EVOO, Coarse Salt, and Burratini. It was basically a plate of all the ingredients drenched in olive oil. Burrata, which is a type of cheese made of mozzarella and cream, reminded me of a pouch. I liked seeing different varieties of tomatoes. 

I knew I would be way too stuffed if I didn't get something light as an appetizer, so I opted for the Lettuce, Little Tomatoes, Corn, Radishes, and Goat Cheese salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette. Even though the menu indicated that I will be served lettuce, what came to the table was a bed of slightly wilted spinach. 

I also asked for no dressing, but the chef instead put so much salt and pepper that it had really strong, salty flavors. 

Underneath the bed of spinach were radish, corn, tomatoes, and goat cheese. The sweet goat cheese and corns complemented each other pretty well. I thought the red radishes had some bitter aftertaste that I didn't like too much. 

For appetizer, everyone on the table except two people ordered different dishes so there was some variety on the table.

For entree, however, everyone must have felt a bit fishy because we all ordered Backroom Smoked Bluefish Fillet with Corn Risotto, Grilled Zucchini, and Nectarine-Basil Relish. 

I had absolutely no regret about getting the bluefish because it was absolutely delicious. The fish had sweet nectarine relish on top with savory corn risotto and grilled zucchini underneath.

The problem I often encounter when ordering fish is that it's usually overcooked that it ends up tasting really dry. However, this fillet was cooked perfectly, if not slightly undercooked, which is just the way I love because it maintains all the juice.

The corn risotto wasn't too creamy, yet still had the rich flavor of a delicious risotto. The rice was also cooked nicely because it wasn't that mushy. The sweet, fruity relish added an interesting flavor to the savory dish.

I didn't realize how delicious bluefish was before I took my first bite. The fish was rubbed with spicy seasoning that added an extra layer of flavor.

The fish had an excellent, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Nom nom nom. This is a dish I could eat over and over again. I also liked the grilled zucchini and the risotto.

To cap off my 3-course lunch, I had Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Cream. I am not a fan of chocolate, but I was really craving something gooey that day so I ordered the truffle cake, hoping that it would resemble something like a molten lava cake. The round chocolate cake was served on a pool of toasted marshmallow cream with a basil leaf on top.

The outer edge of the cake was slightly dry, but the inside was molten and gooey. Since the cake is truffle-based, it was really rich and dense. I much preferred the marshmallow cream to regular thick cream.

One other dessert on the table was Peach-Berry Crisp with Sweet Corn Ice Cream. Just based on what it looked like, the dessert seemed very buttery, especially the cobbler on top. Also, the peach/berry compote seemed quite artificial too.

I would have never guessed that the ice cream was sweet corn flavor because it just looked like plain vanilla ice cream to me. Overall, I enjoyed my restaurant week experience at EVOO, and would definitely order the bluefish multiple times.

Fancy New-American Dinner at Nubar

The cliche "You are what you eat" encourages people to eat healthier because, after all, you are what you eat. Food sustains you, food gives you energy, and food brings joy to your life. Thus, I find it completely justifiable to splurge on fine dining every once in a while. Cheap food is something my family cannot tolerate because that is essentially tantamount to putting poison to your body. Well, perhaps not as extreme, but you get the point.

A couple weeks ago (yes, I apologize for not updating sooner. I have been so busy!), I went to a newly remodeled restaurant in Sheraton Commander called Nubar, which serves new American cuisine. According to its website, it emphasizes a comfortable bar and dining experience. The restaurant is named after the hotel’s owner Edward Nubar Guleserian, whose family has owned and operated the hotel and restaurant for three generations.

After we made our selection, the waitress brought a bread basket with three different types of warm, toasted bread.

I really like the olive bread. The savory black olives enhanced the warm, moist, and chewy interior of the bread.

Whereas the olive bread had hint of savoriness, the cranberry bread, which had ample amounts of dried cranberries embedded throughout, was sweet and tangy. Again, the inside of the bread was so warm and chewy. I could honestly get full just on the appetizer bread.

My friend I ordered the Meze Plate ($11) to share.

The appetizer was basically a long grilled flatbread cut into six slices with five different dips placed in between the flatbreads.

Here we have the Herbed Ricotta, Lentil and Bulgur Dip, and Olive Salad. The Herbed Ricotta was a little too thick and rich for my liking. The Lentil and Bulgur dip needed a bit more seasoning.

My favorite was probably the Olive Salad dip! The salty, savory olives balanced out the warm flatbread really nicely.

Here we have the two remaining dips: Eggplant Salsa and Pickled Peppers. I am a huge fan of eggplant (my second favorite vegetable after butternut squash!), so the salsa was inevitably delicious. I expected the pickled peppers to be slightly spicy because I thought it had jalepeno, but it was very mild.

Besides the dips, I also loved the flatbread! It was grilled to perfection with beautiful panini/grill marks on the outside, and just thick enough to have something to chew. Here, the thickness is the key because if it's too thick, the flatbread tastes too doughy, and if it's too thin, you don't get the texture.

The olive salad! We couldn't finish the appetizer because we were too full from the appetizer bread already. Besides, our main entree came as we were eating the appetizer and we didn't want to completely ruin our appetite from being too full.

I was really debating between two menus: Potato Gnocchi or Pat's Littleneck Clam Roast (Toasted angel hair pasta, baby shrimp, garlic, white wine, olive oil). In the end, I chose the Potato Gnocchi ($19) with absolutely no regret whatsoever.

The gnocchi was accompanied by chanterelles, roasted fall vegetables, fresh herbs, and piave cheese. I asked to be light on the cheese, and certainly they just put a little shaved cheese on top that I could easily take out. I wished I had known that they sprinkled pine nuts on top because then I would have asked it to be taken off...

The dish looked very healthy and fresh, probably because of the colorful vegetables and fresh spinach. The gnocchi served in the dining hall is often DRENCHED in oil, but that was not the case for this entree!

I am not quite sure the crispy greens on top, but it was so savory! I wonder if it had been fried, which would explain its crispiness.

The potato gnocchi was so good! I loved that it was pan-fried on the outside for the right amount of crispiness without being too rough on the edges. I don't like gnocchis that are mushy all throughout, so this was perfect!

I almost felt like I was eating salad because of the greens and the roasted vegetables. I love root vegetables (squash, sweet potato, turnips, etc.) and the dish sure wasn't stingy on providing that! The grilled mini onions were roasted to golden perfection.

The gnocchi overdose! I couldn't finish the dish, but it tasted almost as good the day after :)

My friend was choosing between the Duck Breast and the Grilled Organic Salmon (Lentils, Horseradish and Glazed Root Vegetables), and the waitress, without hesitance, recommended the Duck Breast ($27)

The slices of duck breast was roasted with Caramelized Heirloom Apples, and served with Red Cabbage and Confit Potatoes.

I would have never guessed something as savory and juicy as duck breast would go with sweet caramelized heirloom apples!

Hmm not a fan of fingerling potatoes, especially when cooked confit (basically cooked in fat).

The visual presentation of the dish could be improved because the sauce at the bottom looked a bit messy.

The duck breast was so juicy and tender, according to my friend. Unfortunately, I don't eat duck because it's usually too fatty (just like pork).

I especially loved the red cabbage, which, like the caramelized apple, tasted sweet. It almost had the texture and the sweetness of cranberry sauce.

Now that I think back, the dish reminded me of a Thanksgiving meal! The duck is like the turkey, the red cabbage & apple is like the cranberry, and the potato is like mashed potato/stuffing!

Devoured. Yum :)