Parm (NYC)

Much to my dismay, I still haven't featured all the wonderful places from Doah's Hungry's DC & NYC Food Tour that happened... seven months ago (eek).  This may make me the worst food blogger ever, or maybe the best because I'm sharing some of the best places each city has to offer.  Take your pick! ;)

Parm is a shop that specializes in cooking up lovely, breaded cutlets of chicken, veal, or eggplant.  So while there are plenty of other yummy-sounding items on the menu, my attention went directly to this:

Full online menus here.

Since I stopped by Parm for a "mere snack," I ordered the Chicken Parm -- or what Tom from Parks & Rec calls, a "chiki chiki, parm parm" -- on a roll.  Would that make it a chicky chicky, parm parm, samdoozle?.  Anyway, a humble choice, you would think...

Chicken Parm Roll -- $9

Wha-zaa!

The roll is regular-sized, but the chicken parm, covered in mozzarella glory, is almost twice the size of the bun and around the size of my face.  Wowee!  But who's complaining?  Not I.

Another angle of the impressive chicky chicky, parm parm breast.

Mainly, I'm not complaining because the sandwich is good -- really good.  The generous portion of breaded protein may not be ideal for the heart, and the soft sweet roll may not be good for the waistline, but when it's chilly outside and you want something warm and hearty in your body, this is where you go. And this is what you eat.

Unfortunately, the restaurant space is quite small, but once you're happily noshing away, you'll hardly notice that you're practically sitting on top of the person sitting next to you.  There's no such thing as personal space in NYC anyway.  But for the food, it is all so worthwhile!

More reasons to check out Parm: (1) It's owned by two Italian-American guys "who, once had a restaurant of their own, decided to cok what is a kind of soul food for them and for millions of other Americans, even those with no Italian ancestors"; (2) It's located on Mulberry Street (aww); and (3) It provides Comfort food with a capital "C."

Parm it up, friends!


View Larger Map




dine-in date: March 19, 2013; 2pm
order: Chicken parm; meatball parm; eggplant parm; pizza knots.
cuisine: Italian
location: NoLita | 248 Mulberry Street (btwn Spring & Prince)
subway stops: Broadway/ Lafayette; Prince St; or Spring St.
hours: Sun-W: 11AM - 11PM; Th-Sat: 11AM - midnight
websites: { Parm | yelp | facebook | instagram }
attire: Casual
notes: No reservations
other reviews: { gastronomy | just add cheese | NYT | much more }

Eataly (NYC)

Though a lover of LA, if there's one U.S. city I could live in purely for culinary reasons, it would be NYC.  Hold the rotten tomatoes (or applause) for a sec and hear me out.   I live in LA, was raised in LA, and will forever love LA -- it's home.  And with so many varying ethnicities and cultures, what a good home it is!  But maybe because it's so vast, its streets so congested, and parking impossible or overpriced, it's just tougher to eat your way through LA than through NYC.  That said, I have no plans to move to the Big Apple, so "until I see the light," I'll stick with my food tours.  When I was in NYC a few months ago, the first place I hit up was Mario Batali's Eataly.


"Eating is an Agricultural Act."

Eataly is a food market that also has multiple restaurants.  It first opened in Turin, Italy in 2007 and in NYC in 2010.  There're rumors that another location will open in LA soon.  More info on Eataly's history here.

Located at 200 Fifth Ave, Eataly NYC boasts five restaurants: La Piazza, Il Pesce, Le Verdure, La Pizza & La Pasta, and Birreria.  In Italian fashion, the restaurants are located throughout the marketplace to mimic an "al fresco dining" experience.

After learning that the wait for a table at La Pizza & La Pasta would take over an hour on a Monday night (typical?), we put our name down and went upstairs to the rooftop beer garden, Birreria, which thankfully had no wait (atypical?).



Formaggi -- Parmigiano, Asiago Fresco, Ricotta Fresca -- 3 for $11

Salumi -- Sopressata -- Single plate for $11

Birreria also serves salads, sausages, and entrees ranging from grilled portobello mushrooms to grilled lamb chops.  Best of all, there are casks and casks of beer.  There's outdoor patio seating too, which unfortunately I didn't get to take advantage of given the rather uninviting NY weather at the time.

After a quick bite at Birreria, we went back downstairs to La Pizza & La Pasta.  To get a sense of how much I enjoyed the food, let me just say this: For a brief moment, I reverted back to my time in Firenze, where I consumed one of the best pasta dishes in my life.  There wasn't one particular dish that did this for me.  Rather, it was a combination of the rich potato gnocchi, light but pesto-y lasagne, and the perfectly-cooked seafood paccheri.  Paired with several glasses of red wine, everything complemented each other splendidly.  La Stella is technically a pizza, but it's listed as an antipasti and is served in an entree portion.  It was delicious. 

Gnocchi al Ragu di Agnello -- housemade potato gnocchi with braised lam shank ragu -- $19

Pasta Al Forno al Pesto -- Lasagne with pesto, Bechamel sauce, and green beans -- $16

La Stella -- pizza with cherry tomatoe, arugula, shaved Grana Padano fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil from Sorrento -- $13

Paccheri con Sugo di Mare -- shrimp, calamari, and scallops with tomato, garlic, white wine, and parsley -- $18

Eataly has gotten some bad rap for being overpriced and overhyped.  Maybe there's some truth behind that, but from my one dinner at Birreria and La Pizza & La Pasta, I can confidently say Batali is doing a really good thing there.  For that reason, I can't wait for Eataly to make its LA debut.  Salute!


View Larger Map



cuisine: Italian
location: Flatiron, NYC
nearest Metro: 23rd St.
websites: { E | yelp | facebook | twitter }
attire: Casual
notes: Don't go here if you're not a fan of long waits or pricier foods.  Go here if you appreciate quality and have an open mind/ heart for Italian food.
other reviews: { NYMag | NYT | Serious Eats | Amuse Bouche }

Lucques

As a huge fan of Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne and the greatness they create at A.O.C, Tavern, and the Hungry Cat, I was very eager to finally visit Lucques.  Goin and Styne sure know what they're doing because the meal surpassed my every expectation -- and trust me, I had some high expectations.

Note: Apologies in advance for the poor quality of my photos.

Dinner Menu -- 12.29.12

A little background for those who care: Lucques is a French term for green table olives.  The meaty, but sweet olives can essentially be paired with anything.  Here, we started our evening off with a small plate of Lucques with salted almonds.  Two of my favorite things!  This is the moment I knew I was in for a huge treat.

Les Lucques avec roasted almonds.

As appetizers, we opted for the spiced lamb loin and the roasted kabocha squash with burrata.

The Spiced Lamb Loin was presented on a bed of dandelion leaves, roasted carrots, black olives, cumin, and feta.  The photo below is terrible, but the lamb was seared to perfection, and the vegetables were flavorful with just the right amount of spice from the cumin and salt from the feta and black olives.

Spiced Lamb Loin -- $19

Oh burrata, how I love thee.  But surprisingly, it was the roasted squash and brussel sprouts that shined.  The pepito pesto, which was paired with something similar to a balsamic reduction, enhanced the flavors in the veggies to the point where they distracted me from the burrata.  What?!  That never happens!  Good job, squash + sprouts.

Kabocha Squash with Burrata -- $19

Believe it or not, the meal gets better.

Voila the Grilled Market Fish (Barramundi, aka - Asian seabass) with black rice, curried cauliflower, and persimmon-pomegranate salsa.  It was my first time having barramundi, a fish with flaky flesh and a mild flavor when cooked.  But the mildness of the fish didn't reduce the richness of the black rice or the sweet tanginess of the persimmon-pomegranate salsa.  Each bite was so heavenly, I can't even properly describe...

Barramundi over black rice with persimmon-pomegranate salsa - $32

But the real ticket winner, by maybe a hair, was the Grilled Pork Chop, dressed with chorizo fried potatoes, sweet peppers, and a black olive chimichurri.  Holy moly, are you joking me?  I've never had a pork chop so perfectly grilled and matched with the slightly spicy and crispy chorizo potatoes.  I could've done without the chimichurri, but it certainly didn't take away from the deliciousness that I so happily chomped on.  Bravo, bravo!

Grilled Pork Chop -- $32

For dessert, I was surprised with the Creme Fraiche donut with pumpkin ice cream, marshmallow, and roasted pepitas (aka - pumpkin seeds).  This dessert has my name all over because 1) I love creme fraiche, 2) I love pumpkin, and 3) I don't love donuts, but I've been in a donut (or Doahnut) phase recently.  And let's be real; you can't go wrong with adding marshmallow.  Plus, the lovely early greeting only brought a smile to my face.

Creme Fraiche Donut -- $12

The restaurant is a bit tough to find as the facade is covered in leafy greenness.  But despite its elusive exterior, you'll feel right at home as soon as you walk through the wooden black doors.  Upon entry, you'll find a full bar on your right, a back patio straight ahead, and tables throughout the rest of the space.  The tables and chairs toward the middle of the room, which is where we sat, are situated very close to each other.  In a way, you'll feel a sense of communal eating.  If that's not the kind of intimacy you want, you'll probably find more privacy sitting along the sides of the restaurant.  Despite the close proximity of the patrons, there's something nice and strangely warm about chatting with your neighbor about the deliciousness of a certain dish or sharing your thoughts on certain topics.  I'm convinced this is because everyone is generally pleased with their meal -- good food puts people in good moods.

While I can't say Lucques is "the" best restaurant in LA, I can honestly say that it's the best meal I've eaten in a very long time.  It's a lovely place, deserving of all the hype.

Thanks for the early bday meal, PJ!



View Larger Map



cuisine: New American
location: West Hollywood
websites: { L | yelp | facebook | twitter }
parking: Street meters or valet
attire: Smart casual
notes: They do Sunday Suppers!

Wildwood Restaurant

During my five months in London, I ate at Wildwood a total of four times.  That's a lot for me, considering I'm an avid trier of new places (and not a victim creature of the "same-place, same-dish"routine - ahem).  But sometimes when you find a reliable place, it's worth every re-visit.  After two lunches and two dinners on four separate occasions, I can honestly say Wildwood holds a special place in my heart.

photo courtesy of london-eating

I first discovered Wildwood by happenstance.  The couscous restaurant that we wanted to try was closed so in our somber moods, we wandered around South Kensington until we came across this corner place.  "Soups, Sandwiches, Pizzas." "Okay."  When we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by large vases full of olive oils and a faint warm scent of garlic and rosemary.  Instant like!  Needless to say, the meal that followed was delicious.

Fittingly, I returned to Wildwood for one of my last meals in London.  This time, my company included some members of the "London Crew" (endearingly dubbed the "LC") and our beloved mum, KH.  Amidst sweet reminiscing, laughing, and plenty of win(n)ing, we buried our heads in the following:

Peri-Peri Chicken Penne - spicy chicken, spinach, and cherry tomatoes, tossed in a creme sauce

Spaghetti with Tiger Prawns - cherry tomatoes, scallions, and chilis in a creamy white wine sauce

Seafood Risotto - calamari, salmon, and prawns with chili and white wine

Spicy Sausage & Goat Cheese Pizza

Courgette & Spinach Rigatoni - crispy slices of courgette (zucchini), spinach, chilis, tossed with parmesan and toasted pine nuts

And last, but certainly not least,*

Baked Chicken Pasta - tomato sauce, creme fraiche, scallion, topped with mozzarella and prosciutto

So good.

*The Baked Chicken Pasta deserves a few more lines of praise in this entry.  Other than the creme fraiche, there's nothing spectacular about the ingredients in this seemingly simple dish.  At first bite, there is no immediate explosion of flavors in your mouth.  No instant food-gasm.  No dramatic pause or clenching of one's arm in a very un-British "OMG" moment.  But after that initial taste, the truth begins to sink in; individually, the ingredients are solid, but together, they speak a whole different and beautiful language.  I tried to re-create this (check out my next entry), but my hot, cheesy mess couldn't even compare to Wildwood's nostalgia-stirring goodness.  All this to say, my friend who accompanied me on my first trip here ordered this entree twice -- once after appetizers and once in lieu of dessert.  Maybe he's cray-cray, or maybe this baked chicky-chicky pa-pa is really that good.  Get your food rakes ready.

Another thing worth noting, but not pictured here are the appetizers.  While I'm sure all of them are delicious, you must, must try the Garlic & Rosemary bread and the Mozzarella Garlic Bread with Caramelized Onions.  Must.

Wildwood, I hope to see you again.  'Til then, be well and keep SoKen alive.




cuisine: American/ Italian
location(s): South Kensington + 9 other locations around London
nearest Tube station: Gloucester Road (Piccadilly line)
website: { WW | yelp }
attire: Casual
notes: Great for a power lunch or a casual dinner.

Barcelona

My first impression of Barcelona was two-fold: (1) Hm, quite dirty and more metropolitan than I imagined; and (2) Holy moly, why is it so chilly??  Sadly, my plans to go swimming in the Mediterranean was quickly deterred by the fact that the daily high barely hovered around 65F.  So instead, I stopped by a H&M and bought a pair of ballet flats and skinny jeans (my flip flops weren't working for me and as for the jeans, they were only 10 euro!).  What - the weather made me.


Perhaps what requires less justification is what I consumed physically (maybe).  First, I was pleased to finally see what I believe to be "traditional tapas."  Yet among the traditional small plates, there were some unusual players as well.  Case in point: 

Baked Camembert on a stick, rolled in honied peanuts and topped with a drizzle of fruit preserve

It was delicious.

Sampler tapas plate (anchovies, clams, prawns, croquettes, grilled chiles)

Fresh seafood Paella

For C's birthday dinner, we trekked to the beach area for some bomb [dot] come paella.  I was holding out on paella up until this point (7 days in Spain), so I knew this was going to be a special dinner in more ways than one.  I ordered seafood paella, and about 40 minutes later*, a heaping plate greeted my salivating face.  Naturally, I cleaned it like a champ.  I might as well have licked the plate and gnawed on the shrimp heads and mussel shells, but I'm not THAT barbaric.  But seriously, delish!

*Note: If your paella order takes less than 30 minutes, be wary.  Some places will try to trick you by serving you frozen paella.

For lunch the following day, we trekked back to the beach area for lunch at a local champagne/ sandwich bar called Xampañería Can Paixano or La Champagneria.  Since two of my friends recommended this place to me on separate occasions, I knew this had to make my "must-visit" list... and oh my, was it worth visiting!  First, the "cave" of a place is probably the size of your standard tennis court in length, but much skinner in width.  Half of the width is dedicated to the "kitchen" and counter, and part of the length acts as a cellar for the different champagnes.  When we pushed our way in, we were greeted by sheer madness -- people were yelling orders, merrily drinking and laughing, and noshing on rolls stuffed with fatty meats.  The ambience reminded me of Grand Central Market in Downtown LA with far less space and a heartier vibe.  After several minutes of being pushed around, we managed to place our sandwich orders and A and I split a bottle of rose champagne (on top of the individual glasses we initially ordered).  Because of the overall energy of the place and the underlying feeling of being rushed, we downed everything in record time... and suddenly, the world became a happier place.  In our happy place and before my usual post-drinking sleepiness kicked in, we walked towards the beach for our afternoon siestas.  

Post-beachside nap, gelato was consumed.

Espana is great!
(But America is greater). :)

Granada

When people ask me about my favourite place to visit, my thoughts keep returning to Granada, Spain.  My initial impression of Granada when we pulled into the bus station was "Wow, it's like Mexico... a decade ago."  Those same thoughts crossed my mind during our cab ride from the station to our hostel, the White Nest, which by the way, was probably the raddest hostel in all of Granada.  But as we roamed the streets -- the many narrow streets that twisted and turned and unexpectedly ended -- I began to really love the city... more than Madrid.

Here's the scoop on Granada: it's relatively small compared to Madrid and Barcelona, but it's rich with culture, it is one of the few Spanish towns that still offers free tapas (with any beverage, alcoholic or not!), and it's beautiful (La Alhambra - nuff said).

The Alhambra alone, is a reason to visit Granada.  This is where the high government officials and Nasrid sultans lived in the 13th-14th centuries.  Aside from being the last Moorish stronghold in all of Europe, it boast a fortress, palace, and beautiful gardens.  While I don't really know much about architecture, there's something breathtaking and appreciative about the ornamental architecture about adorn all the buildings (great Arabic influence).  Book early, though!

Anyway, did I mention how the entire city serves free tapas with the purchase of any single beverage?  We're talking any kind of beverage, and we're talking sandwiches, fries, "ham"burgers -- atypical tapas that were all very delicious and increasingly got better with each additional drink.  My travel mates and I did not buy a single meal during our 2-day stay in Granada.  Incredible.  Here're are some of our freebie foods:

Churros con chocolate were purchased... but for like 5 euros.

If you're a fan of big cities, Granada won't be for you.  But for those who like to escape the hustle bustle of the cityscape, this humble town may be for you.

Barcelona comes next!