The birth of my new blog: Nosh On Me

I love food, and there is absolutely no question about that. I have also kept a personal blog in which I also posted about the restaurants and eateries I have visited. But I realized I wanted to centralize all the food-related posts in one area to entertain other foodies like me.

So I present to you nom (Nosh On Me), my first ever official food blog in which I will post about all the delicious outings, dining hall food, home food, etc.

Below are imported food posts from my previous blog. Expect the future ones to be more detailed, more juicy, more delicious.

nom.
Jane

A Delicious Affair: Rialto at Charles Hotel

Last Saturday I went to Rialto Restaurant at Charles Hotel with Audrey and her family, who came to visit for the 375th birthday and the Harvard College Parents Fund event. The bread basket had crusty wheat roll with soft inside, Parmesan sticks, and focaccia bread rubbed in garlic oil.

The dinner started with a pleasant glass of red wine. I am not a wine connoisseur and have not had much wine, if not at all, but this wine tasted not too strong, not too bland. Just the right amount of preservation.

I had Lobster bucatini with green and red tomatoes, chilis, saffron ($16) as an appetizer. The bucatini tasted a bit undercooked because it was a bit hard and difficult to choose. The tomato sauce with bits of lobster meat and cubes of tomatoes was savory, but I sort of wanted more sauce because I ended up just eating the sauce and not the bucatini.

I ordered the day's special, grilled char with vegetables and some sort of risotta and grilled jumbo shrimps. This sounds crazy, but I really like the heads of shrimps and the black gooey intestine stuff because they are full of flavors! Haha. The char was a bit fatty and the skin was grilled to black and very crispy (didn't eat the whole thing). I like that the char was cooked medium rare because that kept the juiciness of the fish. The risotto was a bit too buttery, but there really wasn't much for me to truly grasp its taste.

The dinner ended with Caramelized autumn fruit tart with maple cream and candied lemon zest ($12). I enjoyed the fig but the rest of the dessert was a bit too sweet. Well, it was just the right level of sweetness, but I need to watch my waistline so I had to be cautious about eating haha. The peach was the perfect texture, the tart and the bottom was not like a typically pie crust in a tart, but softer (more butter, perhaps?). I like the balance between warm peach and a dollop of cool maple ice cream on top.

I really enjoyed the food, but more so the lovely time and interesting conversation I had with Audrey and her family!

A Reward Well-Earned From Studying

While working on some work yesterday, I received a text message from Tyler inviting me to a dinner in Boston with his blockmates. At first I didn't want to go because 1) I was so immersed in my work, 2) I have been a lazy bum in the last couple of days and 3) I went to Boston twice last week. But I would never turn down an opportunity to hang out with the boys in Adams.

Turns out Erik made a spontaneous reservation at the Harvard Club of Boston for dinner, so we took a cab to the clubhouse around 7:15 and had a pleasant dinner there. I got the broiled haddock with jasmine rice and scallion cake, which was quite delicious! I asked to skip the butter because I am watching my waistline...All the guys got the duck confit, which was tempting to order only because it came with acorn squash. Haha

Traditional Harvard Club Broiled Boston Haddock, Jasmine & Scallion Rice Cakes, Roasted Asparagus, Gingered Carrots Topped with Maitre d´ Butter. The haddock was juicy (can't stand dry fish!) but I wished it had been broiled without the bread crumbs on the outside. The highlight for me, however, wasn't the haddock, but the rice cake. I think it was lightly pan-fried because the rice cake was super crunchy.

Sea Salt & Oil Poached “Duck Confit”
Pan Seared with Porcini Mushroom Ravioli with Marinara & Brandy Soaked Plums
Roasted Acorn Squash & Micro Greens with Roasted Garlic Aioli

It was a really long dinner because we didn't leave the clubhouse until around 9:30, granted that we took lots of group photos and toured the place for a bit.

We walked along Newbury street, which was very reminiscent of my Boston Buddies outing with Katya just a week ago. Wow, I really am doing a good job of leaving Cambridge this year. We spotted a small mouse in Boston Commons. Yikes.

After we came back to Boston, Ash and I had a ladies night out with Monica and Luciana. We went to the Donkey Show, which was definitely a new experience that I would not mind not repeating again...a bunch of guys in g-string isn't my thing. Haha

I am glad I had 5 hours in the day to relax and have fun. Enough with studying 24/7!

Waffling Up At Zinneken's

There is a new waffle place in town, and I visited the eatery with a videographer from the Crimson to report on it.

Zinneken's, located on 1154 Mass Ave., serves fresh Belgian waffles, which is different from American waffles in that it is made of dough rather than liquid batter. The space has been vacant since a creperie there closed last year.

The menu featured signature waffle ($4.70) with various toppings, including fresh fruits and sweet sauces) that cost $0.50 to $1 extra. I tried The Gourmand--signature waffle with whipped cream, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of caramel sauce ($6.70).

The waffle was chewier and doughier than the veritaffles, but considering its size I don't think the price was worth paying for.

The last time I was here, I actually just got the signature waffle without all the extra toppings, and I could taste the waffle better.The place itself was quaint and homey, definitely an ideal space to get some busy work done, but not so much dense readings.

Another thing--the waffle has sugary syrupy thing inside that makes it chewier. Well, at least I tasted it the first time I had it but not so much in this one.

A Delicious Affair: Takemura

My momma told me to never go out for sushi on a rainy day—something about the sushi chefs not serving a fresh filet of fish on those days, she said. I usually listen to what Mom says, but I was craving sushi so much the other day that I just had to be the disobedient daughter.

Because I was lounging at the Harvard Kennedy School around dinnertime, I decided to go to the nearest Japanese restaurant called Takemura (18 Eliot St. Cambridge, MA). The atmosphere leaves something more to be desired, as I was not a fan of its plain wooden furniture in a dimly lit basement. Since I came with a close girl friend, thus not needing a romantic setting, the atmosphere didn’t matter too much.

Takemura’s extended menu offers a wide range of food, ranging from sashimi to udon noodle to even Korean food. The most impressive menu, however, was the different specialty roll with unique names like “Obama Maki” and “Red Sox.” Despite the weather, I ordered a nigiri sushi platter ($16.95), chef's choice of assorted fillets of raw fish served on sushi rice, while my friend had Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap ($12.95), a Korean delicacy of beef, fried egg, and assorted vegetables served on a bed of rice in a sizzling stone pot. We also decided to share salmon-scallop roll ($10.95), scallop and cucumber roll with filet of salmon and slices of avocado on top.

There was a large group of 10 dining in the restaurant, so the waiter told us that our sushi roll might be delayed a bit. We sipped on a warm cup of green tea and citron tea as we waited for our food.

The first entrée that graced our table was Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap. The sizzling sound of rice, together with the savory smell of beef, vegetables, and egg frying in the hot pot, made my mouth water. We squirted a dollop of red pepper paste and mixed all the ingredients together. The phrase “Saving the best for last” is so suiting to this dish—the lightly scorched rice that sticks to the bottom of the hot stone pot is crispier than potato chips, a perfect ending to a delicious, healthy dish.

While we were busy digging our spoons into the hot stone pot, the waiter brought the nigiri sushi platter and salmon-scallop roll on white, rectangular plates. The sushi platter had six pieces of nigiri, or raw filet of fish (two tuna, salmon, shrimp, yellowtail, mackerel) over rice, as well as six tuna maki. Both the shrimp and yellowtail nigiri were a bit on the dry side, and the rice could have been seasoned with more flavors. Furthermore, there was an imbalance in the amount of tuna and rice in the maki because all I could taste was the rice.

(This isn't exactly what we had, but it's close enough)

On the other hand, the salmon-scallop roll was a sweet surprise to an otherwise mediocre dining experience. The layers of avocado and salmon on top added visual attractiveness to the sushi roll with thin slices of cucumber and scallop. The sushi pieces were so big that I had to eat them in two bites. The fresh salmon melted right as it touched the tip of my tongue. The mishmash of crunchy cucumber and slimy scallop provided a fantastic textural combination.

Although the restaurant was packed despite it being a weekday night, the waiter constantly refilled our tea as soon as it ran out and asked us about our food. Overall, Takemura is not an exceptional, four-star quality restaurant, but a decent place for anyone craving one food item the Harvard dining hall can never serve.

Korea This Winter?

My tutoring lessons are wrapping up, which only means the days until I go back to the U.S. is creeping behind my back. Even a couple days ago, I was quite depressed about leaving Korea so soon, but not anymore. It's not that I won't miss Korea or I'm ecstatic about going back. Instead, an opportunity arrived and I caught it.



Yesterday while Skyping Mom, she told me she received a text message from someone asking for me. She told me grandma's number, and soon after the cell phone rang. The person turned out to be a girl I met at Harvard dinner in Seoul Club, and she asked me if I was interested in joining a non-profit that she has created. The non-profit is hosting a winter leadership camp for Korean high school students, and if I were to be on the board member, I would create a lesson curriculum and help with logistics. The perk is that I would get to come to Korea this winter with the airfare paid for by the sponsor of the non-profit! I can't quite describe my joy except that I am so grateful for this opportunity.



After tutoring Sally for the last time today, I met up with the creators of the non-profit for lunch. We discussed the non-profit and what is expected of me as a board member. Unless something unexpected happens, it is set in stone that I will be flying to Korea again in 4 months. Whoop~



Anyways, to continue my food posting, we went to an Indian restaurant called Dal. The boneless chicken tandoori was a bit too spicy and the chicken curry too creamy, but I was pretty hungry so it all tasted good nonetheless. I had to gulp down several glasses of water while eating this chicken tandoori.



I always say Indian food is one of my favorite cuisine, but I don't like it when the curry comes out way too oily & creamy, i.e. when the oil floats on the surface, as was the case for this curry. I guess I should just eat Indian food in the U.S.

Eat Till You Drop

When I tell my friends I have been in Korea all summer, the typical questions are as followed:



"What are you doing?"

"How are you liking it?"

"How's the food?"



The last question stumps me every time. How am I liking the food in Korea? A simple answer is: it's too great.



I love food, and I am a voracious eater. The only reason I am able to maintain my body is that I am a rather picky eater as well. There are many things I avoid, both for my health and my eccentric taste bud. For example, I don't eat pork (bacon, pork chop, sausage, etc.) because pigs scare me. I realize it's quite irrational, but this fear prevented me from consuming pork for so long that if I tried eating it now with a blind eye, I still can't do it because it upsets my stomach. I also dislike anything greasy (fried food), creamy (cream-based sauce), or chocolatey (I'm partially allergic to chocolate...).



Despite my picky taste, I still love trying new food. And today I got to eat food--albeit not new--until my stomach erupted in pain from overdose.



I crossed the Han River twice today instead of relying on public transportation; I foresaw that my day would involve lots of food consumption so I emptied my stomach in advance by exercising. I first met up with a guy from Harvard and had Chinese food. The two of us ordered mapa tofu (spicy tofu with minced meat), vegetable fried rice, noodle in clear broth with seafood and vegetables, and shrimp dimsum. The food was decent, but I realized I am not a huge fan of Chinese cuisine because it uses too much oil.


The small serving was mapo tofu was just the right sized because I didn't eat it much--too much chili oil floating on the top. The fried rice was likewise a bit too greasy for my liking.

I have had better shumai (shrimp dimsum). Nothing special with these ones, except for the oozing juice inside.

We then shared the famous Meal Top patbingsu, which, by the way, is a summer dessert I am absolutely sick of because of this article on patbinsgu that I wrote for Chosun Ilbo. I had to visit 15 cafes in 5 days, and my stomach was in pain for a long time afterward.



After this feast, I did my last day of tutoring with Belle, and her parents bought me dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant called Anna Bini. The tomato salad with fresh mozzarella was so delightful! I usually don't like cheese (that's actually one of the many food items I dislike), but I could eat this mozzarella every day! It was chewy and savory at the same time. Great texture!



The cream pasta with squid ink black noodle is the restaurant's signature dish, but since I don't like cream-based pasta, I only had a bite to be polite.



I ordered black olive oil pasta, which surprisingly wasn't as oily as I had expected! I liked the seafood in it, especially the lobster tail.



I am also not an omnivore, so I only had two pieces of steak. The only time I can tolerate steak is when it's cook to rare so that I can taste the tenderness of the meat, but this was cooked to medium. Bleh.



We ordered this chicken, broccoli, and bacon risotto at the end because the parents thought the food wasn't enough. The mom put a heaping spoonful on my plate to try, and I had such a difficult time finishing it because the chicken was fatty and the risotto had bacon in it :( I didn't want to seem wasteful so I ate the whole thing.



Anyways, my stomach is crying inside right now because it is full of food, but I am just eating as much as I can before I leave Korea because the food at Harvard doesn't even compare. And I need to get a little fatter, anyways.