Pumpkin and Apple: The Best Pie and Cake for This Thanksgiving

You will want to save plenty of room for dessert this Thanksgiving if you want to indulge in delectable desserts created by the renowned pastry chef Francois Payard. I had the opportunity to sample some of Payard's extensive collection of Thanksgiving-themed creations. My top picks are the Pumpkin Meringue Tart and the Pomme Verte, each showcasing two of autumn's best flavors: pumpkin and apple. The Pumpkin Meringue Tart, a fancier play on pumpkin pie, is the more traditional treat for Thanksgiving. Puree of oven roasted spiced pumpkin is layered atop caramel glazed dough and baked to perfection. Atop the pumpkin puree is creamy, bruleed marshmallow that resembles the taste and texture of sweetened whipped cream. The marshmallow is topped with orange zest, crystallized ginger, and toasted pumpkin seeds for extra dimensions of fall flavors. Having a slice of the Pomme Verte is like biting into a Granny Smith apple. The cake is smothered in slightly tart, yet sweet green apple mousse. Underneath the glossy mousse are layers of soft, cinnamon and honey-infused apple bits and crunchy almond crumbles on top of fluffy coconut dacquoise. Decorated with sliced apples and macarons on the side, the Pomme Verte is sure to please the eyes and the mouth with its striking visual appearance and a duo of crunchy and smooth textures. Besides these mouthwatering sweets, Payard's Thanksgiving lineup includes caramelized apple tart, chocolate and hazelnut mousse cake, gingerbread spiced pound cake, chocolate and truffle gift boxes, and much more. I will definitely be skipping the second serving of the turkey and stuffing for a slice (or two) of these desserts!

Delightful Japanese Dessert at Cha-An Teahouse in East Village

Of all the cute little Japanese/Asian-inspired dessert places in East Village (ChikaLicious, Spot, etc.), Cha-An is my favorite because of their presentation, interior (such a cute tea house decorated with wooden floors/tables/booths, bamboo room dividers, rice-paper shaded lamps, etc.), and - of course - taste!

Cha-An's chef Tomako Kato is actually trained in French pastry, having apprenticed at Bouley Bakery with Bill Yosses, the Obamas' White House pastry chef. She has worked at Russian Tea Room and Le Bernardin before opening her own restaurant in 2005.



Cha-An offers a savory menu, but specializes in afternoon tea and dessert. I visited Cha-An with a large group, and we ordered a bunch of desserts to share. The Green Tea Roll Cake came with a scoop of sake ice cream and sweet red beans, and topped with thin cookie. The green tea roll cake had plenty of smooth green tea cream inside with a thin layer of red beans, which helped to moisten the cake. I would have liked a bit more green tea flavor. I couldn't taste the sake in the ice cream at all, but maybe for the better :) 



An order of Homemade Mochi includes three pieces. You can mix & match different flavors like green tea, black sesame, and earl grey chocolate. We had two green tea and one black sesame, and these are served in the shape of a snowman - so adorable! 

The mochi is PACKED with ice cream inside. Usually the ratio between mochi and the ice cream is pretty high (as in a lot of mochi and very little ice cream), but it was the opposite at Cha-An. I would have almost liked a bit more chewy mochi. 



My favorite was the Black Sesame Creme Brulee. Served in a beautiful black ceramic cup, the soft creme brulee (with crackly top, of course), had an amazing black sesame flavor. The black sesame ice cream in the middle and the rolled-up black sesame wafer (studded with more black sesame) added to the intense flavor. 

The scoops of Jasmine and Green Tea Ice Cream was delicious as well, but given the variety of really unique desserts, there was nothing too special about these ice cream. Definitely skip and try other things!

Finally, the Deconstructed Strawberry Pie with sake ice cream (again...not much sake flavor) was beautifully presented. I didn't like the flaky layers of pie crust. They should have used fresh strawberries, not the ones drenched in sugar. 



This dessert was beautiful to the eyes, but not tasty to the mouth. Maybe I disliked it because it was the least Asian-inspired.

Nubar, a Hidden Gem in Harvard Square, and Molten Chocolate from Finale

For those of you who ask what my favorite restaurant is in the Square, I can answer you without hesitation: Nubar Restaurant in Sheraton Commander. Because Nubar is a little further out from the Square, a lot of people don't know about it, but this restaurant serves some amazing food!

First of all, the atmosphere of the restaurant is noteworthy. The restaurant has comfortable yet contemporary design. The dining room and bar/lounge are divided by a modern fireplace. The lighting in the restaurant reflects its warm, cozy environment. My first time at Nubar was definitely an unforgettable experience, both in terms of its food, service, and atmosphere, so I was very excited for my second time.

I don't normally eat pizza or sausage, but one item in the flatbread menu caught my eyes. I decided to try the Sweet Italian Sausage, Herbed Ricotta, and Spinach Flatbreads ($12). The flatbread was served on a long, rectangular plate and cut vertically into about seven pieces. Each piece had ample amount of mozzarella cheese  with chunky Italian sausages and bits of ricotta cheese and spinach tucked underneath. The flatbread was sprinkled with some basil. The dough was thin and crispy. The flatbread was perhaps in the oven for a little too long because top layer of the mozzarella cheese was slightly burnt.

This is Pat's Littleneck Clam Roast ($22), a dish I wish I had gotten! The round plate had handful of toasted angel hair pasta with bacon, zucchini ribbons, baby shrimp, littleneck clams, and garlic, and tossed with white wine and olive oil. My favorite part of this dish was definitely the toasted angel hair pasta because it had crunch texture. Definitely going for this dish the next time I come :)

The Pan Seared Diver Scallops ($25) had four plump scallops with a ragu of beech mushrooms and a succotash of sweet onions, corn, beans, and fresh herbs. Other than the fact that it was too salty, the scallops were pan-seared nicely with crispy outside and juicy inside.

For dessert, we went to Finale in Harvard Square for its signature Molten Chocolate ($9.95). This standout dessert is baked-to-order, so be willing to wait at least 15 or so minutes! The warm chocolate cake with a gooey center is served with a scoop of coffee gelato, topped with milk chocolate covered almonds and Valhona chocolate sauce.

Again, I am not a huge fan of chocolate, but I definitely enjoy a bite or two of this dessert. As you dig your spoon into the warm chocolate cake, the center oozes with chocolate sauce like a lava. My favorite part is definitely watching the sauce spilling over.

The balance between warm chocolate cake and cold coffee gelato is interesting. The almonds also add crunchy layer to this delectable dessert!

NYC Restaurant Week 2012: Elegant Russian Dining at Brasserie Pushkin

As a foodie, I have tried many different cuisines, ranging from French to Korean to Ethiopian. I have never had proper Russian food, but that was about to change when I made a reservation at Brasserie Pushkin. According to its website, Brasserie Pushkin offers "a contemporary interpretation of Russian haute cuisine as seen through the cosmopolitan lens of New York." Without a doubt, I was excited to try this place!

Upon entering the restaurant, which is located in Midtown West near Central Park, I was immediately impressed with its luxe decor. The walls were decorated with European frescos that reminded me of the Versailles. We were seated on a comfortable velvety chairs. The waitress even offered a mini-stool next to the seat for my purse because in Russia, putting your bags on the floor meant it would bring bad luck, such as losing your money. Attention to little details like this presaged a great beginning to my culinary experience at this upscale Russian restaurant with French influence in Midtown West.

Brasserie Pushkin was offering Summer Restaurant Week menu. For appetizer, I chose the "Vinegret" Salad. The presentation of beets, pickled cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage packed together in a can-shape, with greens on top and quail eggs & salmon roes on the side was absolutely stunning. I was almost afraid to eat it!

The quail eggs & salmon roe combination was a miss for me. The roe had too strong fishy taste that it completely shielded other flavors. It was pretty though!

The dish made me wonder what the chef used to bind the vegetables together because I didn't taste any mayo. Perhaps starchy vinegar, if such thing even exists?

The greens on top of the root vegetables were really fresh as well. I don't think the vinaigrette was necessary since the root vegetables already had some seasonings.

It sort of broke my heart to devour the salad because I wanted to stare at its beautiful presentation forever! Not only did the salad look beautiful, it also tasted delicious.

The Pelmeni, traditional Russian dumplings with beef, pork, and lamb inside, resembled six golf-ball like pelmenis had sprinkles of parsley on top and served with some sort of sour cream sauce on the side. The dumplings were quite juicy and the exterior wasn't too doughy or thick.

For the entree, I chose Pike with Spinach. On my plate was a medium size piece of steamed/roasted pike over sundried tomato sauce and spinach.

The pike was cooked perfectly! I hate when my fish is overcooked that it tastes too crispy, but this pike had nice crispy outside with soft, tender inside. The dish also tasted really healthy.

Unfortunately, I did not like the sauce underneath. It probably had 10,000mg of sodium! Way too salty...The sauce was extremely overpowering. I almost think the chef accidentally poured a bucket of salt.

Petite Original "Pojarsky," or veal and chicken cutlet with housemade crouton crust, is the dish that my friend ordered. It was served with three round-cut pieces of potatoes and sauce on the side.

Pojarsky is the restaurant's signature dish. I am not a huge fan of fried food, so I didn't try. It's basically gourmet chicken nugget. Haha.

Finally for dessert, I had Medovik, Russian traditional dulce de leche and honey cake. Because it was my friend's birthday, the waiter brought a little candle too :)

There were gold leaflets on the plate as well. I now have gold in my stomach.

Medovik had multiple, crepe-like layers of honey cake and caramel cream. Unfortunately, the cake was too dense and sweet for my liking, especially since I much prefer lighter, soft cakes.

The waiter sort of went overboard with the birthday celebration because he also brought two cups of dry ice. I wasn't sure why, but I guess that's Russian tradition?

The trio of Macarons was probably one of the best macarons I have ever tasted! When I first got the plate, I was disappointed because they weren't the colorful macarons I was used to seeing, but boring beige, dark brown, and light brown colors.

But that first bite changed all and any of my qualms. The meringue outside was crispy and chewy, while the cream inside was full of flavors. I would recommend Brasserie Pushkin...perhaps not its entree, but definitely the appetizer salad and dessert selection!

A Friend's Birthday Dinner at Catalyst

To celebrate my friend's 20th birthday, a group of us went to Catalyst Restaurant in Kendall Square near MIT. This relatively new restaurant serves modern American cuisine with French influence. According to its website, Catalyst uses products centered on locally grown organic produce and wild and farm raised food from sustainable practices.

The five of us started the meal with two appetizers to share. The first dish that came to the table was the Curried Tempura Asparagus ($10) with Deviled Egg Aioli and Pickled Ramp Salad. Fried food, along with pork and cheese, is something I do not eat, but I made an exception for this tempura asparagus. The tempura batter was crispy and seasoned perfectly that it did not need any dipping sauce. I have never had tempura asparagus, only tempura potatoes, onions, shrimp, carrots, etc. The pickled ramp salad was refreshing. I did not really taste the deviled egg aioli.

The second appetizer was Lobster Strudel ($15) with Bisque Emulsion and Herb Salad. It was a special appetizer of the day.

I really enjoyed the bitter greens in the salad. It accompanied the slightly creamy insides of the lobster strudel nicely.

The strudel looked like Chinese egg role from the outside. It actually didn't taste that much different, except it was filled with lumps of lobster meat and some sort of creamy sauce. The outside wasn't fried flour, but baked phyllo. The outer layer of the phyllo was crispy, but the inner layer became soggy from the fillings.

For my main, I got the Herb Crusted Salmon ($27) with mushroom, fava beans, pesto, asparagus, and lemon sauce.

The salmon seemed to have been rubbed with more pesto than herb. I didn't taste any of the herb crusted on top.

I really like the strong scent of lemon layering the bottom of the salmon. The sour zestiness of the lemon went well with the fatty salmon. Also the fava beans and the asparagus both had nice textures.

The salmon was cooked rare-just the way I like it! It was so juicy and melted right in my mouth.

Bacon Wrapped Saddle of Rabbit ($28) on a bed of mashed potatoes with sherry jus.

Tournedos of Beef ($28) with Rainbow Chard, Taleggio Ravioli, Garlic, and Parsley Bordelaise Sauce. It looked like a person staring at you!

Roasted Blue Cod ($27) with Olive Oil Crushed Butterball Potatoes, Mussels Chowder, Bacon, and Herb Nage. What an interesting choice to have a filet on top of chowder.

No matter how full people are, they always have more room for dessert ;) Because we had hard time choosing our dessert, we decided that we might as well order everything on the menu. This is the restaurant's signature dish, Butterscotch and Passion Fruit Pudding ($9) with Warm Pound Cake Croutons on the side.

This was by far my favorite dessert. The butterscotch pudding had the right amount of sweetness, and it was so fantastic when dipped with the pound cake croutons, which was quite dense, yet moist and tasty! It tasted like denser version of churros without the sugar & cinnamon on the outside. I would definitely order this again.

Pear-Almond Financier ($9) with House Made Crème Fraiche Ice Cream and Candied Almonds. The financier is a light, moist teacake, similar to sponge cake. I only had a bite of this. Nothing too spectacular.

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake ($9) with White Chocolate Ganache and Caramelized Pineapple Coulis was my second favorite dessert.

The dollop of creme on top was smooth, light, and airy, while the lemon pudding cake had a similar texture to a very fluffy cheesecake with a pretty strong lemon taste. The pineapple coulis reminded me of mango salsa. I also loved the white chocolate ganache at the bottom that I scraped it with my spoon :)

Finally, the Chocolate Fondant Cake ($9) with Caramel Glaze, Hazelnut Streusel, and Banana Coulis was served with a candle on top for my friend's birthday.

I am not a fan of chocolate so I can't say much about this, but if you are a chocoholic, you will love this dessert. The cake was very dense with a strong strong dark chocolate flavor!