Orang3

The Return?

2010-01-07T00:54:00.000-08:00

It's been such a long time since my last post. Life just kind of took over once school was over. I am contemplating whether or not to start blogging again. If anyone still visits this dieing blog please leave a comment. I just need some motivation to write again.

Oh... I never noticed till now that my blog settings made it so that only registered users could comment=/ Sorry about that. I just changed it so that everyone can leave a comment.

Happy New Year=)

Cyrus

2008-07-22T13:59:00.001-07:00

Dinner at Cyrus is definitely one of those meals that you will remember and talk about for quite some time. The food was wonderful and the service was excellent. Having been to Terra and Redd, I can say Cyrus certainly worthy of 2 Michelin stars. Ever seen my meal at Terra(1 star) I was dieing to see what a two starred restaurant would be like. Now I know what an extra star means, attention to detail. First, the dishes are far more intricate(more on this below). Second, the level of service. You never really see when the ninjas come to refill your water. They always lead you to the bathroom and always wait for your to return and hand you your napkin(it was a long meal we went to the bathroom twice). They offered a scarf to Jen when she looked like she was cold. What I was most impressed with was the actual table service. It seem like they have a one waiter-one plate rule. So with every dish came two waiters that served the food in perfect unison. That’s the front of the house. From the back of the house, the food always came out at the right time. We would wait maybe 3-5 minute after we finish for the next dish to arrive. A cool thing that the kitchen does is you can order as many dishes as

Canapés- A 3 tier display of cute little bite size treats designed to hit all the taste senses.

Umami

Pan seared big eye tuna- small pieces of seared tuna with a hint of ginger and maybe scallion in a tiny spoon. okay

Salty

Trout fritter- small marble sized fritter. Bit on the salty side but I think it was intention. okay

Sweet

Pork dumplings-a mini dumpling with a sweet pork filling. I think it taste like char sui bao(bbq pork bun). The pastry skins was mediocre at best when compared to "real" chinese xiao long baos( steamed dumpling). soso

Bitter

Grapefruit jelly with campari( an alcohol with a bitter overtone)- a tiny diamond of grapefruit gelee garnished with a tiny knotted orange peel. I was amazed at the level of detail i'm seeing. The knotted orange peels wasn't just for show, it added a nice crunchy element to the gelee. good

Again i am wondering what the chef's intentions were for this dish. Am i over analyzing his dishes or is there another level of appreciation to chef Keane's cuisine that can be easily overlooked. Considering the caliber of the chef in question here I would suspect the latter. I now understand why people enjoy analyzing literature. Because it’s freakin COOL to see something that you THINK other people don't. Okay let me explain. So far you can see quite a bit of Asian influence in the food, ie shittake broth, pork dumplings. So what if the tiny garnish of orange peel was another incorporation of Asian cuisine into French. What if, the orange peel wasn't orange but instead a kumquat. And that the knot in the peel was not just for looks, but purposefully placed there by the chef utilizing a Chinese cooking technique( this might be used in other Asian cuisines but as far as i know i have only seen it in Chinese dishes). When using golden needle mushrooms, Chinese cooks tie knots in them to add texture. Cool huh? Well I think it is=)

Sour

Shiitake broth- a warm and tangy shiitake broth. okay

Individually the canapés were nothing spectacular, but collectively the

canapés did a nice job at hitting the right notes exciting the palate for the tasting to come. Bring on the food.

Bread and Butter

A small fist size baguette roll torn from a larger corn plant shaped loaf (what do you call bread that looks like this?

We were served two styles of butter: salted French style cow's milk and lighty salted American goat's milk. The French butter had a luscious yellow hue and tasted just like how it looked, rich and creamy. The goat butter was not as rich as the cow butter but it did have a pleasant grassy/clover aroma on the finish. It’s like being transported to the pastures that the goats grazed on. I prefer the richer and saltier cows butter though. There were also two types of salt: Fleur de sel and Hawaiian red sea salt. To be honest I can't tell difference in taste between the two. Texture wise the fleur de sel has a much better crunch to due to its giant diamond flake crystals. I have seen several brand of fleur de sel but none of them had crystals quite as big. Some were this about this < > big- great

Amuse Bouche- Chilled cucumber soup with micro greens salad.

This looks like something from a sci-fi movie, a perfect sliced disk of french breakfast radish floating in a vibrant green soup served in an egg shaped glass bowl nestled on a stark white plate. Also floating in the soup are some small lavander/white flowers buds. They did not taste like anything to me but Jen said they added some crunch to the soup. To the side was a mini tumble weed looking sphere of mico greens with soy dressing. The texture of the soup was like a thin jelly, lets call it a consume. I had a problem with how salty this soup was. As soon as the soup hits your tongue it becomes overwhelmed with salt. However the saltiness does fade leaving you get a nice cooling flavor of cucumber. Perhaps this was the chef's intention for the contrast in flavors, though interesting, I would really prefer to look at this dish than to eat it. Being much more sensitive to salt than me, Jen could not force herself to finish her soup after all eating all the pretty flowers. pass

1^st course-Chilled ratatouille soup with olive oil poached king salmon

A large than inch sized cube of salmon topped with a quenelle of eggplant puree garnished with micro basil and crispy salmon skin. The poached salmon had an interesting texture and looks uncooked. At first I was worried about the soft texture of the fish as i worked my forked into it. One bite and my concerns were gone. I was amazed at how intense the flavors were. Neon lights flashing in my brain- "This is what Salmon taste like". Some how they have managed to capture the essence of the salmon from bother raw and cooked state. Did I lose you? Lets me explain, i am so totally getting into this over analyzing business. I don't know if i can come up with the right words to properly describe what I’ve tasted. So instead let me give you an example. Think of clean sweet seafood flavors when eating a piece of high quality O-toro salmon sashimi. Now, while chewing on that you eat a piece of broiled salmon. From that you get a meaty/fishier texture and flavor to your mouth. That’s sorta what I tasted. The poached fish had both the delicate sweetness of uncooked salmon and the fishy flavor, in a good way, of cooked salmon. Poured table side around the salmon was a chilled ratatouille soup, which tasted like tomato bisque. I like the acidic edge of the soup, which cuts through the fattiness of the salmon. good

2nd Salt cured foie gras and peach torchon with toasted crumpets

The chef has really thought this though. The transition to this dish from the last was beautiful. I was craving something savory after the finishing the tangy soup. The foie gras was velvety smooth and melts in your mouth like butter. I can only compare it to my other foie experience from Redd. This was much smoother and less gamey. Even though it was a torchon the texture was like the mousse I had at Redd, yea it is that creamy! The mini disks of toast crumpets were crunching on the outside and a chewy interior, think dense english muffin without all the large holes, with a interesting aroma of yeast. I dig the yeasty flavor. Did anyone else think crumpets were mushrooms? The texture was a bit to dense for me and I would have preferred a lighter broche. The combination of peach and foie was good but nothing special. I think it could have been any fruit that provides the correct balance of sweetness and acidity. Give me something that is in season Mr. Keane! -excellent

3rd Poach lobster with local egg,spring onion, uni(burrowed picture)

Poached Maine lobster with some lobster foam with a poached egg topped with Santa Barbara uni and spring onions. A rich and decadent dish loaded with luxurious ingredients. I first ate the seductive looking piece uni sitting on top of the egg, sashimi style before it gets warmed up. So what does the supposed best uni in the world from Santa Barbara taste like? It was not fishy at all nor was it bitter, just the clean sweet taste of the sea with a lingering scent of fruit. The lobster was nice cooked and was sweet and succulent. Yet the most amazing item on the plate was neither the uni nor the lobster, but the humble egg. The waiter informed us that the egg was from a Bantham chicken and was laid that morning. I would have believed him even if said they had a chicken in the kitchen laying the eggs to order. This was one awesome poached egg. When you pop the yolk, liquid gold oozed across the plate and enhanced everything it touched. This my friends was probably the thickest and richest yolk i have ever tasted. And I've have my fair share of egg yolks and rice. On the inside I was secreting hoping, more on the verge of begging, for some steamed rice, with some more of this egg. Since licking the plate is frowned upon I cleverly utilizing some bread to mopped up the remaining yolk on the plate. Dish as a whole- very good. THE Egg- Sublime

4^th Duck breast with sweet corn and chanterelle mushroom, spiced duck jus.(burrowed picture)

Three pieces of thinly sliced duck breast, the almighty Liberty farm, resting on top of a sweet polenta like mush. The skin was nice and crispy and the meat rare. More Asian influence here, I think it was 5 spice flavored. I would have liked it to be cooked a bit more. I enjoy the texture of cooked duck meat a lot more than when it is raw. We opted for one of our plate to be fitted with the day’s truffle special add on. Since I have never had truffles before I figured why not. A honking fist sized Austrian black truffle was brought out and sliced tableside. I was extremely disappointed with this supposed gourmet delicacy. At the price tag of $20 for 3 slices I would have expected something with extraordinary flavor. Instead I get something with a faint taste of raw mushroom. In fact I wasted ½ a slice when I at it with the sweet corn, I couldn’t taste it at all. The best part of this dish was the sautéed chanterelle mushrooms. At first I thought they were another cut of duck meat. It had a nice meaty quality to it. I didn’t realize they were mushrooms until my second piece. Okay

4.5^th -Lime and watermelon palate cleanser.(burrowed picture, not even the right flavor)served and eaten within 30 secs did not have time to take pictures.

Resetting the taste buds with the crisp clean taste of citrus and melon. Mmm clean and ready for more food.

5^th Waygu beef with kombu and cherry tomatoes, ponzu

This was one of the dishes I was looking forward to when I heard the menu. I’ve been wanting to try what wagyu aka kobe beef taste like. By the way did you know that in Japan there are 15 grades of beef with 15 the highest grade kobe. The best beef in the US, USDA prime, would rank only at 7. I digress. An ounce size slice of beef on top of kombu with a crispy sushi rice cake and daikon salad. There was also a tiny seaweed like garnish which I can’t figure out( looks like vine of grapes). The beef was nicely seared on the outside and rare in the middle. The marbling fat in the meat was beautiful. The meat was much more tender than any filet mignon I’ve ever had and with much more flavor of beef. The first bite was the best though, because there was a bit of sea salt on it. Damn why didn’t I think of adding my own from the jar on the table! So stupid… The rice cake was also very good. Taste like sushi rice with a crunching outside with a hint of ginger. I don’t like ginger but I thought it was actually a nice touch to the rice. Kombu was a bit to salty to eat on its own, but okay with the beef. The tart cherry tomatoes help cut the richness of the beef fat. A well balance dish with great flavors and texture.

6^th Cheese course

The cheese cart was a bit intimidating. Luckily we didn’t have to choose. The cheese guy probed us with a few question to determine our taste preferences and then choose 7 different types of for us to try. I’d say there was about 25-30 types on the cart. Unfortunately I can’t recall most of the names of the cheeses we had. So the best I could do is describe them by taste. Excuse my poor descriptions; my experience with cheese is quite limited.

Starting from the bottom right and going clockwise.

I think a local cheese from Marin. mild and chalky
Another chalky texture cheese but with a more interesting taste. The first word that pops into my head is “ash” and I can’t think of a better word. I think it was wrapped in grape leaves.
A gooey cheese from Spain or Portugal that was scooped with a spoon. It sat on the plate like stiff mayonnaise. I like the texture of this cheese much more than the previous two. The taste was even more awesome. This cheese was screaming jack fruit to me. It’s wild!
Triple cream Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamy, I’ve seen and read about this cheese so I remembered=) A decent brie without any quality that was particularly memorable.
“Adult Cheese” as the cheese guys calls it because it is full of rum. I knew this was going be some hardcore stuff when I saw that it was runny and was kept under a glass dome. I couldn’t taste the rum, but I wish I had a glass to wash the horrid taste from my mouth. This has got to be one of the foulest tasting thing I’ve willing placed into my mouth, joining the ranks with stinky fried tofu and moldy cheese jelly bean(yes I am an idiot, but at least I now know the flavor source and its so much worst). It really wanted to spit the cheese out as soon as I had it in my mouth. It was only out of politeness that that forced it down with some alcohol( Only 12yr old bourbon can rid the stench from your mouth). Exactly how bad was it? Think a very pungent blend of sweat, mold, old sock and rotten flesh. This cheese is only for the true cheese connoisseur! I tried to taste this cheese a second time like all the other cheese but as I brought it close to my mouth the smell alone forced me to drop it.
Local white cheddar. Semi hard cheese. Nice but not great. Well at the time it was very good cause lets be honest everything is good after you’d had sh** in your mouth.
Some type of gorgonzola- I am normally not a fan of bleu cheese and find it too pungent. Again, after the “adult cheese” this was like a walk in the park.

Accompanying the cheese was a bunch of mini grapes, spiced nuts and nut cake thingy.

7^thStrawberry Verjus Soup with Yuzu Parfait

The best tasting component of this dish was the spearmint granite with white chocolate garnishing the yuzu parfait. The parfait itself was like a custard/jello panna cotta. Which was nice but not great. The orange crisp resting between the parfait and the granite tasted like caramel and kind of sticks to your teeth. The WOW factor of this dish was certainly from the granite. One bite and I find myself asking “what flavor is this???” It’s had a pure, refreshing and extremely clean taste, which is very rare when it comes to desserts. Just the right amount of sweetness that fades away leaving behind a wonderful spearmint aroma. At first I thought it was basil until I asked the waiter. Mint and basil are sorta in the same family right? The strawberry verjus added table side looked great adding popping color to the dish. Taste wise it was just like off season sour berries. – Okay dish -sublime granite

8^th Chocolate Beignets

A triplet of deep fried chocolate beignets filled with salted ganache and coated with sugar. I believe the crimson sauce was a chocolate cherry reduction. On the other side of the plate was a lemon grass mascarpone on a palmier cookie and cherry compote. The beignets taste like brownies. Decent but not great. The mascarpone was good though, very light creamy texture with a hint of lemongrass. – good

Mignardises

And finally, the candy cart that we’ve been staring at the time whole night. The server at first the server asked us to choose what we want but ended up just giving us some of everything.

White chocolate truffle- very smooth and not to rich, good

Dark chocolate truffle- good

Tootsie roll- looks like the classic tootsie roll and with the exact texture. But this actually taste like chocolate- nice

Raspberry jelly- This was very good, nothing like the nasty pasty stuff you get for Christmas in those assorted candy boxes. The jellie had great texture and the flavor was more intense than eating real fruit. excellent

Butter mint- taste like pillow mints-good

Sugar cookie- tiny vanilla cookies that is slightly chewy-okay

Milk chocolate melty- homage to the Lotte chocolate melts? -good

Caramel- I normally find caramels to be too sweet, but this was very good.

Lollipop- A surprising touch of ginger turns an other wise boring sugar lollie into something unique.- good

Fig salad + cheese

2008-06-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

IMG_2547, originally uploaded by aznkey23.

We started with a cheese and meat platter. Forgot to take pictures cause we were so hungry.

The three types of cheese we picked were:

Cow's Milk
eille viere morbier
Franche-Comte, France
It has a creamy brown crust, the interior is two layers of glossy, yellowish-ivory paste, separated by a thin flavorless layer of ash. This separates the morning milking from the evening milking. (raw milk)

A hard funky cheese, strongest of the three. my least favorite

Goat's Milk
Cypress Grove Chevre of McKinleyville, California.
It's a goat's milk cheese that is aged for at least one year. Midnight Moon has a warm, nutty flavor with hints of caramel.

Semi hard cheese that's pretty smooth on the palette.

Sheep's milk
Camembert. New York
Can't find it on the menu online now.
I liked this one the most and found it to be the most complex. I liked the textural contrast between the creamy center and the gelatin like rind. The taste is mild and very creamy. There is a very noticeable peppery finish that comes through after you shallow the cheese.

Grilled figs with panchetta and pecans on baby arugula. My initial impression was that the arugula was too strong. As i ate more I became less sensitive to the pungency. Thinking back now I think they forgot to put the cheese on it=/

pan seared ribeye with white chocolate, celery root and wasabi sauce

2008-06-11T21:09:00.001-07:00

pan seared ribeye with white chocolate, celery root and wasabi sauce, originally uploaded by aznkey23.

After seeing this sauce on top chef i had to try it out. It's definitely an interesting combination, though on the sweet side. Maybe it if better on fish than on beef. I really enjoyed the rutabaga which tasted like cross between a daikon and a potato. I've never had it before so it's a new venture for me. Also my first time cooking beets too. Peeling the warm beet feel like open heart surgery as crimson beet juice gushed everywhere. I drizzled the cubes with some olive oil infused with home made raz el hanout( interested in trying what the real blend taste like, mine was not bad) On the side is some Alfredo pasta.

mongolian pork flaps with red cabbage cole slaw

2008-06-11T20:52:00.001-07:00

mongolian pork flaps with red cabbage cole slaw, originally uploaded by aznkey23.

mongolian style pork flap?( the piece of flap that is behind a spare rib).

chicken curry with eggs

2008-06-11T20:51:00.001-07:00

chicken curry with eggs, originally uploaded by aznkey23.

curry and fried eggs are a great combination

chicken- chili bean paste with peanut butter

2008-06-11T20:49:00.001-07:00

chicken- chili bean paste with peanut butter, originally uploaded by aznkey23.

Been busy at work so I haven't cooked at home much.

panko fried oysters with cumin glazed carrots

2008-03-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

on a bed of curry tomato basmati rice plus a blistered egg.

Chicken and spinach soup w/ dumplings

2008-03-15T20:34:00.001-07:00

My twist on the southern classic of chicken and dumplings. Broth was modified from the Terra cod recipe and the dumpling was from a southern cookbook from the library. Very Tasty.

Backs and inner chicken parts of 2 chicken

3 quarts water

Bring to boil add chicken, skim scum

Add ½ large carrot, peeled and chopped

Strain, shred some boiled chicken meat or add fresh chicken

Reduce to about 1 quart or less

Add

1 tbs soy, less than
1 tbs mirin
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 slice of ginger
1 ts salt or less, taste it.

Add spinach, 1 bunch, about 3-4 cups
Boil for 2 mins
Remove form broth

Make the dumplings

Dumplings(make like 1/4 of this recipe, unless you really like dumplings).

2 c flour
1 c chicken broth
1 ts salt
1 ts baking powder

Mix and cut into strips, make smaller long ovals

Add thinly sliced carrots to broth and bring to boil.

Add dumplings and cover. Simmer for 13 mins

Add chicken and spinach. Serve hot

Asian Flank Steak

2008-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

I think anything with soy sauce in it is considered "Asian".

flavor could use a bit tweating, but the steak was tender and juicy.

soy, ginger, sake, tabasco

Chocolate Review

2008-03-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

I was at the enormous westfield mall in SF a few weeks ago. Other people went shopping for clothes, but I of course bought food. I picked up the two chocolate bars at Bristol farm after getting pass angry boycotting unionized workers. They both pretty good, i recommend you try them.
Chuao Caracas- Milk chocolate bar with almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios 41% cacao. Soft snaps, very smooth, filled with whole nuts, i mean every bite. If you like dark, they have a 60% one too. $5.99 / 100g

Voges Black Pearl- Dark chocolate w/ Wasabi, ginger, black sesame. 55% cacao . Clean snap, complex blend of flavors, pretty smooth. The back of the package teaches you how to enjoy this exotic candy bar. Though it sounds a little hoity toity, i think it works. You first taste the ginger, then you get the cocao, follow by the wasabi, finishing with the sesame.
The second place i went to( actually the second place i bought stuff at cause i really went to all the food and cooking stores which brings me to, how can they not have any fine gourmet stores like sur la table or william sonoma!) was Cocoa Bella.

I felt like the fat kid at Willy Wonka's Factory. The placed looked like a jewelry story, U shaped glass cases filled with chocolates. The chocolates were separated into country of origin and then by the chocolatier, now that is hardcore. They even have a little bio on the chocolatier, "Blah is a graduate of the culinary institute of america and has spent his last 5 years working with Ferran Adria at the world renown El Bulli....." I'd say there was at least a 100 different type of chocolates to chose from, it was very very hard to chose.
Michel Cluizel-France- champagne- very good
Laderach- Swiss- zabaglione - didn't eat the whole thing, good from what i tasted
Amedei- Italy-milk chocolate truffle- above average
Knipschildt-USA-berry- above average
Marquise Sevigne-- France- Coconut- good
the flavors might not correspond to the correct maker, they are not labeled so this is my guess.
Though i don't recommend that you go out of your way to try these, i do suggest you go to the store and take a look at the enormous selection they have.

Ubuntu- Vegetarian

2008-03-15T19:13:00.001-07:00

Life ain't so bad without meat...

Cauliflower cast iron pot- The first thing that hits you if the wonderful aroma when the waiter removes the lid. Resting on top of of the cauliflower in cream sauce is a heaping quenelle of finely chopped garlic. An interesting element in this dish is orange segments. It adds nice freshing touch of acid and sweetness to the creamy dish.
top- mushroom pizza- iono, level of CPK.
bottom- bbq brussel sprounts w/ grits- so this is what brussel sprouts taste like. Not bad, but not going for seconds
Beet salad with grapeful and avocado. Interesting salad, hint of mustard and dirty after taste, I mean terroir.
Citrus winter float- I'm usually not a fan of sorbets because they tend to be too sweet and you get sick of it half way through. This was surprisingly good though. On the bottom is some type of pastry cream with grapefruit and orange segments. Then some type of ice and some more cream i think. And on top a scope of grapefruit sorbet and lemon granite. It wasn't super sweet so i'll guess they used club soda instead of sprite. There was also i think a kifer lime oil or essence drizzle on top, the aroma was very nice.

High Roast Chicken

2008-03-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

w/ crispy potato

BBQ chicken liver- took the chicken livers and threw them in some lee kum kee bbq sauce. Poor man's foie gras.

2008-03-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

The one star experience

2008-02-17T09:47:00.000-08:00

A slight leap in the blog queue.

Last night a group of friends and I went to Terra in St. Helena for dinner. Originally we had planned to go to Ad Hoc but we couldn't get reservation. Our second choice turned our pretty well though, hell it was awesome.

What we ordered.

Fried rock shrimp with Fomi Brown's Organic Greens and chive mustard sauce- regular fried shrimp.
Capellini with caper vinaigrette and Japanese cucumbers- pleasantly light pasta appetizer, didn't really taste the capers, which i dislike.
"Sopa de Ajo" Spicy garlic and bread soup with Poached lily's egg- didn't get the chance to taste.
Lobster tortelloni in saffron lobster broth with cipollini onions- you can definitely taste the present of lobster in the sauce. tasty
Panko crusted Miyagi oyster on Pork belly kakuni in black vinegar sauce- Combination of the crispy oysters with the rich and tender pork belly was awesome. Fat on Fat, the work of a genius. This dish was surprisingly not greasy.

Broiled sake marinated black cod and shrimp dumplings in shiso broth. Flavorful yet not over power the taste of the fish. Broth was delicate. Did not taste the shiso though. A refined dish.
grilled maine lobster and hokkaido scallops with garlic parsley forest mushroom sauce-did not taste
grilld kurobuta pork with yukon gold potato puree and green olive raisin caper salsa- tasty but not memorable
grilled libtery farm duck breast on chantrelle and chestnut risotto with saba sauce- tasted like fillet mignon.
grilled sonoma lamb loin chops with puntatella, cauliflower and garum- again decent, but not memorable.

Eureka lemon cake with meyer lemon ice cream and hukleberry sauce- did not taste
hot chocolate and churros- chocolate was a bit to spicy
apple and quince crepe with apple cider sacue and dulce de leche ice cream- decent
orange risotto in brandy snap with moscato gelee- interesting contract in texture and presentation.
tira mi su- did not taste
pineapple sorbet and dulce de leche ice cream with coconut tuile- biggest tuile i've ever seen

winninger bruck
CDP Blanc

All in a day's work

2007-12-16T22:48:00.001-08:00

My second trip out to New York city to get my mack on. Originally we planned to go for the legendary prix fixe dinner at jean gorges for lunch, but do a mis understanding we end up going to ethiopian, which was the second choice. God it still painful to think about this. On our way to the ethiopian restaurant we passed by the chocolate lady so it's required that we pay our friend a visit. The chocolate lady is really Kee's Chocolate and she really isn't our friend but my cousin likes to think she is. We were really excited when we found out they have the creme brulee filled chocolates, they usually don't have it or it's sold out. We boought
3 creme brulee- oozed with a runny custard filling, not sure if you can call it creme brulee without the brulee. Maybe she should have added some sugar chunks. Flavor was pretty good though, not too sweet.
1 white chocolate pistachio- not bad, but not memorable.
1 rose and leechi macaroon- nice, not as good as Le Maison du Chocolat though.

Jacque Torres

Big WONG's

The Secret Menu

2007-11-27T10:59:00.000-08:00

It's funny how I can spend so much money on food yet be so frugal on other things. Vincent and I went to an outlet in Upstate New York. The place is pretty damn big. After shopping for a good 4 hours we both found something we liked at Kennith Cole. Vincent leather jackets was like 400ish and sporty one was 130ish. We took some time to think the purchase over at the food court over a nathan's hot dog. Torn and frustrated we left empty handed. Still upset we talked more about whether we should get our jackets on the ride back. We then sorta joked how it wouldn't have taken us more than 5 minutes to decide if the same amount of money was use for food. But in honest truth, I really would just spend the $130 on a nice meal without hesitation. Then Vincent said " Screw this lets go eat at that good Japaneses place I told you about, I'll pay. Lets just eat the jackets." Sounded good to me. But it was no fun eating alone so we called Sally to join us. Also, if she does come, we don't have to pay=) Oh, the day was starting to get better already.

If you weren't looking it would have been pretty hard to find the tiny entrance to the restaurant. According to Vincent this place is where real Japanese people go to eat after work, having some drinks and eat some snacks. My aunt pro purveyor friend told them about the place. Speaking of the pro friend, I think she sounds pretty awesome. So the business she runs is Japanese plate and bowls, utensil stuff. And she would go from restaurant to restaurant with her catalogs trying to make sales. A humble beginning with just one person running the show. Now she is like the number 1 retailer for all japanese restaurants that want restaurant supplies. From Mitsuwa markets to Nobu restaurant, they all order from her. PRO. Anyways on to dinner.

Most of everything here is order from a Japaneses only secret menu. In fact, Vincent had to ask 3 times for them to bring the correct one.

Deep friend chicken cartilage.
Crunchy and gelatinous, savory and deep fried these nasty chicken bits would certainly make a great snack for drinking beer though they taste great on their own.

Japanese beef carpacio
Lightly seared beef slice thinly toped with some raddish and alfalfa.

Stew pork belly
Slight sweet with hint of soy and mirin this melt in your mouth piece of fatty pork is to die for,and we probably will. The little dab of horse radish gives it a nice little kick. It may look very fatty and too heavy to eat, but i assure you it is not greasy at all. God i want some right now. If my arteries are to be clog, I would want this to do it.

Agedashi Tofu
Lightly battered tofu deep fried swimming a warm soy broth with daikon and scallion. I love deep fried tofu, therefore I love this.

Grilled pork salad
Soy marinated grill pork that's suppose to be from a special part of the pig, tossed with carrots, scallion and alfalfa.

Stewed pumpkin

_______________________________________________
Still hungry, seconds round of orders

Sushi combination
Didn't remember to take a picture till after most of the stuff is done. I think it was a pretty standard plater with tuna, salmon, california rolls, hamachi. We also order uni, ikura and some hand roll. The first piece of uni was okay, the second one was blAHH.

Tempura plate
the typical shrimp and veggies
______________________________________________________
still hungry, bring the menu plz.

Clam Miso soup

Green tea custard
A rich green tea custard thats slightly bitter, not sure if it was from the caramel or the alcohol in the sauce.

Great meal. And even better when you don't have to pay. Thanks Sally!!

Breakfast of Champions

2007-11-27T10:31:00.002-08:00

Nothing like a power breakfast to jump start the day. Staying at Vincent's place is awesome because my aunt is an awesome cook. Word on the street is that this is the best place to smooch. For the breakfast have some pickled daikon, looks like bright yellow korean stuff, some wakame? egg omelet with salmon and green onions, sausages and fish cake. And of course you have to have it all with rice and miso soup. Oh a glorious morning it was. This vs a bowl of cereal, enough said.

the choices

2007-11-20T10:18:00.001-08:00

After our fishing trip, i think, Vincent and I decided it was the perfect time to go have some Indian. The good time to do so since no one else seem to like Indian cuisine. Oh yea, we also went through St. Marks for some wicked fries at Pomm Frits. It is basically a place that sells thick cut fries with about 30 different types of sauces. I think we got the garlic mayo, but whatever it was it was good.

Deciding on which restaurant to eat at is usually no easy task. But this time it was even harder. The street we were on had like 7 different Indian restaurants. We decide to forgo Vincent's usual joint and try a new place. Ok Zagat we will trust you this time.

The lamb samosa we ordered was pretty good. Ground lamb meat with spices and veggies wrapped and fried in a light pastry. Eat it with a little mango CHUTney to give it a hint of fruity sweetness for a nice balance to the spice.

This place also had the best mango lassy i've had. It was super smooth, none of that nasty mango pulp that get stuck in your teeth.

leftovers

2007-11-20T09:58:00.001-08:00

Picture 246, originally uploaded by aznkey.

When greedy foodies go on road trips they want to eat and try everything even they have no room. The result, look at all the stuff we brought back. It must be properly disposed of.

cookie from the double tree, granola, white cheese puffs, keebler cookies, cake from finale, bread pudding, sticky bun, clam cakes, hoho, sun chips, rice crispy treats

George's of Galilee

2007-10-31T18:36:00.001-07:00

Picture 233, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Finishing our fried clams left us hungry for more. But jumping back into a now 1 hour line was just not an option. But no worries, we had other plans in mind. We were 30 mins away from another seafood shack that was said to sell 10,000 clam cakes a day. Something we had to try.

We were all excited to try some clam cake since we never had it before. But i think our expectation might have been a little too high. I image a clam cake to resemble something like a crab cake but with clams. So what i found at george's of galilee was a major disappointment. A fritter with tiny chunks of clams was not was i expected. I might as well order a clam chowder with a funnel cake, at least it would have tasted better. But on the upside, it was cheap, 12 for 3 something. All was no lost, the little green cup of frozen lemonade in the background was kick ass. The best lemonade i've had in a long time.

Flo's Clam Shack

2007-10-31T18:20:00.001-07:00

Picture 221, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Leaving Boston we drove to Rhode island for some seafood. First stop Flo's clam Shack. Like many of the other places we've been to so far we got their in time to just beat the crowd. After a 20 min wait in a line resembling a Disney land ride we got what we wanted.

Fried clam bellies. Fresh clams and deep fried. How can you fuck it up?
A crispy light batter encasing sweet tender clams. Delicious.

quahog

2007-10-31T18:15:00.001-07:00

Picture 223, originally uploaded by aznkey.

What is a quahog you ask?

It's a clam stuff with some mysterious filling. I guess it's like turkey stuffing or something. The guy said it was one of their specialties so we got one. Tasted exactly how it looks, pasty and spicy with hint of bell peppers. Will i buy another one? Probably not.

Raw bar

2007-10-31T18:11:00.001-07:00

Picture 212, originally uploaded by aznkey.

So i finally get to try raw clams and oysters. Much better than i expected. In fact i kind of want some now =/ The clam have a natural sweet seafood taste with mineral finish. zinc? The oyster were not as sweet but had a nicer aftertaste. Both floating in a tiny pool of salt natural brine. I prefer the oysters.

Breakfast of Champions

2007-10-31T18:05:00.001-07:00

Picture 198, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Okay it wasn't exactly breakfast. But since it was our first meal of the day i would like to consider it so.

Oh yes it was here that we finally banned Vincent from ordering beverages.

Roast beef sandwich

2007-10-31T18:02:00.001-07:00

Picture 207, originally uploaded by aznkey.

I loved the crispy onions in the sandwich. look! Look!

broccoli quiche

2007-10-31T18:01:00.001-07:00

Picture 206, originally uploaded by aznkey.

egg muffin

2007-10-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

Picture 204, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Now this is what i call a egg muffin. Mcdonald's ain't got nothing on this! Look at the size of that egg patty. Reminds me of tamago at sushi places.

smoked salmon with cream cheese and arugula

2007-10-31T17:57:00.001-07:00

Picture 203, originally uploaded by aznkey.

i was going to order this by felicia beat me to it. Good choice though.

Sticky Bun

2007-10-31T17:55:00.001-07:00

Picture 201, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Have you ever seen a bun this nice?

Last night in Boston

2007-10-31T17:52:00.001-07:00

Picture 157, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Stuff from our peking duck banquet we headed back to your hotel. Oh yea we had to stop by finale to pick up some desserts first.

2007-10-31T17:47:00.003-07:00

Picture 181, originally uploaded by aznkey.

2007-10-31T17:47:00.001-07:00

Picture 189, originally uploaded by aznkey.

2007-10-31T17:46:00.003-07:00

Picture 187, originally uploaded by aznkey.

2007-10-31T17:46:00.001-07:00

Picture 185, originally uploaded by aznkey.

the token veg

2007-10-31T17:44:00.001-07:00

Picture 182, originally uploaded by aznkey.

And for the last course we had soup made from the duck carcass and daikon. A great soup, but we were just too full by then to finish it.

intermission

2007-10-31T17:42:00.001-07:00

Picture 179, originally uploaded by aznkey.

The greedy bunch we are, ordering additional food was of course a necessity. Here we have a plate of chow fun with beef. It was pretty good, but it was weird that they served it on cold noodles.

course 2

2007-10-31T17:40:00.001-07:00

Picture 178, originally uploaded by aznkey.

So what do you do with the duck after you eat all the skin? Well you take the meat and you eat that. The next course was bean sprout with duck stir fry. This was awesome. By far the best utilization of the duck meat i've seen. Usually they just serve the meat on the side. Sweet and crunchy sprout plays quiet nicely with the savor duck.

in the wrap

2007-10-31T17:38:00.001-07:00

Picture 177, originally uploaded by aznkey.

King fung

2007-10-31T17:37:00.001-07:00

Picture 176, originally uploaded by aznkey.

A hole in the wall, King Fung is perhaps the smallest chinese sit down restaurant i've been in. The capacity of the place probably fit no more than 25 with 4 booth and a large rectangular table. The outside was no better. A tiny reddish shack off to the side of a busy Boston street corner. But whatever, like the Michelin I am here for the FOOD, and only that.

We called in the day ahead to order our three course peking duck meal.

Our server first brought out the whole roasted duck to show us before it was carved. The first course was the crispy skin of the duck served with Chinese pancakes. Aside from taste a good indication of good peking duck is how well it's roasted and carved. The skin should be nice and crispy and there should be no fat or meat on it. The picture above is the ideal piece peking duck. You wrap the skin with scallion and hoisen sauce in a warm flour pancake. Yum. Certainly one of the better peking ducks i've had.

Boogers

2007-10-06T18:12:00.001-07:00

Picture 159, originally uploaded by aznkey.

big boy

2007-10-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

Picture 135, originally uploaded by aznkey.

because it has BACON

little boy

2007-10-06T18:09:00.001-07:00

Picture 139, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage

2007-10-06T18:08:00.001-07:00

Picture 133, originally uploaded by aznkey.

woot, pictures are finally here. Here we are at a nice burger shack across the street from Harvard campus. They have a long list of interesting burger all named after political figures. I can't remember exactly what we ordered, but i think this one is the Dick Cheney. All of burgers we order were giant juice grease bombs, in other words, they were good. Add to boot some thinly battered onion rings and sweet potato fries.

Mistral

2007-08-16T14:39:00.001-07:00

GetImage.ashx, originally uploaded by aznkey.

I really wish that we have pictures that does justice to our experience at Mistral. The lighting in the restaurant was way too dark for our camera's to get good pictures. The picture above i stole online, see how everything is a yellowish hue. Nice atmosphere,but nono for pictures. The place was pretty crowded when we got there at 8 so I'm pretty sure that reservation was a must. We were slightly relieved that we weren't kicked out for being under dressed. For the most part though people were dressed well, only a few slobs pushing the limit of business casual. We were seated towards the back by their while cellar in a booth. The atmosphere of the restaurant was quite lovely, it was classy but not pretentious. Service for the most part was good, more on that later. The volume of the room was pretty loud so there wasn't the need to whisper for fear of being rude. Ok enough fluff talk, on to the food.

The meal began with some nice bread and butter/spread. No wait, make that Awesome butter and wicked garlic spread. I was the first one to dig into the bread while everyone else was looking at the menu. I don't really know how to describe the taste, I just remember saying after my first bite " this butter is reaally goood..." I guess everyone thought i was just hungry or something because I was like on my third piece of bread before anyone else dug in. The yummy garlic and herb was nice and mild, which is nice cause no one like garlic breath. While this was not the first time we finished a bread basket, it was certainly a first for finishing all the butter and spreads.

Now about the service. We sat for a long time maybe like 15 minutes before our orders were taking. I was getting kind of annoy and expected better service at a restaurant of this caliber. However, when our waiter finally arrived he did immediately apologize and explained his reasons. So he took our orders and between the four of us we ordered every item on the prix fixe menu. I felt like a really messy eater as i sat staring at the bread crumbs on the table while we waited for our food. I was just about to brush it off on to the floor when another waiter came with a scoopula like device to scrap off all the bit of food from the table. This table cleaning happen in between each course throughout the meal, neat huh. ookay food....

Summer Tomato Gazpacho with Cilantro Crema & Crab

2007-08-16T13:41:00.001-07:00

Summer Tomato Gazpacho with Cilantro Crema & Crab, originally uploaded by aznkey.

This chilled tart soup refreshes your taste buds while teasing your appetite. At first i was expecting to taste salsa in a bowl but it was much better than that. The cilantro creme and crab meat played nicely off of the tomato helping to tone down the acidity. I couldn't tell that the creme with cilantro though. A beautiful appetizer that leaves you ready for the next course.

Chilled Corn Soup with Rock Shrimp & Avocado, Jalapeno Oil

2007-08-15T23:31:00.001-07:00

Chilled Corn Soup with Rock Shrimp & Avocado, Jalapeno Oil, originally uploaded by aznkey.

I'm am seldom wowed by what I eat but this time I am truly impressed. Hands down the best corn soup i;ve ever had. The first thing that comes to mind when the first drop of soup hits your tongue is how light this soup is for something that appears to be cream based. The next sensation you experience would be your taste buds screaming CORN! It's amazing how a soup so light can pack so much flavor. It's like drinking the essence of corn. The key must be access to some impeccable corn combined with skilled roasting technique.

Free Range Chicken Breast & Confit Leg with Toasted Cornbread, Caramelized Peach

2007-08-15T23:14:00.001-07:00

Free Range Chicken Breast & Confit Leg with Toasted Cornbread, Caramelized Peach, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Sylvia's dish.
The breast of the chicken was nicely roasted with crispy skin. It was moist and tender, though flavor wise it was nothing special. The melt in your mouth confit leg however was wonderful. The cornbread was toasted to perfection with a soft moist center, receiving the title of "the best corn bread I've ever had" from Sylvia. The corn niblets on under the chicken was also very fresh and tasty, probably used to make the chilled soup.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Summer Vegetable & Couscous Salad

2007-08-15T23:04:00.001-07:00

Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Summer Vegetable & Couscous Salad, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Vincent's order.
The salmon was light seasoned allowing the fish to speak for itself. I thought it was either over cooked and not juicy enough for me. Everyone else seemed to have liked it though. The bed of couscous with tomatoes and zucchini was a light side. I enjoy the chewy texture of the couscous. Decent but not WOWed.

Skillet Roasted Sirloin Steak with Watercress-Potato Hash, Gorgonzola &

2007-08-15T22:49:00.001-07:00

Skillet Roasted Sirloin Steak with Watercress-Potato Hash, Gorgonzola & Port Wine, originally uploaded by aznkey.

This is what is ordered. I check their regular menu and this dish alone would have cost more than the whole 3 course prix fixe @ $42
Another impressive dish that I would consider paying full price for. The only complaint i have is that I wish i had more of the tasty port wine reduction. You'd think that the dribble of red sauce is just to decorate the plate right. Wrong! The sweet aromatic reduction packs an explosive flavor and accentuates the beef. The sirloin itself was perfectly cooked to medium as requested with a nice and crispy crust on the edges. The bed of potato hash with watercress underneath was also delicious satisfying the need for carbs when you eat meat. The slab of Gorgonzola cheese add a nice touch of pungency to the dish if you like that, i could do without it. But damn it give me more port wine sauce!

Warm Stonefruit Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream

2007-08-15T22:27:00.001-07:00

Warm Stonefruit Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream, originally uploaded by aznkey.

I expected the cobbler to be at least a bit warm but instead it was served at room temperature. It was still great though, I'm sure I would have finished it if i wasn't so full. The crumble on top had an excellent balance of texture between bread like and crunch. The scoop of pale vanilla ice cream was certainly home made and packed with a billion tiny seeds. The cooked peach underneath was a bit tart for me, but i guess it is okay if you eat it with the ice cream.

The other dessert which i don't have a picture of was a dark chocolate mousse. It was a bit more dense than some of the other mousse i've had. But it was certainly rich, dark, and smooth.
Overall but desserts were decent, but not exceptional. I guess I also expected a bit more on presentation. I mean, presentation wise, it could have been made in any other kitchen.

middle eastern desserts

2007-08-15T22:02:00.001-07:00

middle eastern desserts, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Lobster roll & chowder

2007-08-15T21:56:00.001-07:00

Lobster roll & chowder, originally uploaded by aznkey.

After lunch at Finale we walked around Boston following the freedom trailer which led us through historical landmarks in downtown. Quincy market was where everything was happening though. Lots of little street vendors, nifty stores and of course a HUGE food court that made up a third of the place. The sight of all the food venues stretching down what seem like an endless aisle when you first enter is breath taking. Choosing what to eat becomes a difficult and daunting task. Your eyes furiously scan every glass display while your brain tries to match the awesome aromas your nose is picking up. Could it be the grill scallops wrapped in bacon? Or is it the Italian sweet sausage. Maybe the chicken curry or smoky chipotle cheddar popcorn ... SIgh if only i had multiple stomaches like a cow. So we settled for a lobster roll and clam chowdA. Can't go wrong with mayonnaise and chunks of lobster in a roll, i mean really. The chowder was just as delicious, rich and creamy.

Fried dough

2007-08-15T21:21:00.001-07:00

Fried dough, originally uploaded by aznkey.

There is really no resisting deep fried foods for me. The fumes from boiling vats of oil call out to me. I just had to buy one. I'm thinking this is probably a boston thing because i've never seen it before. I was expecting something like a funnel cake just in a different shape. I was wrong=( It was actually dough, so the texture was more dense and dough/bread like. Also it could have used a bit more powder sugar since it was pretty thick, a good 3/4 inch thick. I suggest sticking to funnel cakes my friends!

Finale

2007-08-15T20:46:00.001-07:00

finale, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Lunch at Finale. Not bad, but certainly a bit disappointing for using up a "restaurant week" card. Should have known better, they are known for dessert and not haute cuisine. The 3 course prix fixe lunch was 20 each and this is what we had...

fig bread

2007-08-13T14:38:00.001-07:00

fig bread, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Yummy bread with a fig center. I liked the texture of the crunchy seed.

Soup du dour

2007-08-13T14:36:00.001-07:00

split pea soup, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Split pea soup with ham and chicken noodle. We all got soup instead of the salad. We should have at least tried on salad. Amateurs. The split pea soup had a good flavor to it. I just i wish had used a finer strainer. The chicken noodle was average with freshly cooked al dente pasta.

white pizza

2007-08-13T14:30:00.001-07:00

white pizza, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Grilled chicken, caramelized onions, feta and lemon cream sauce. This pizza would have been awesome without the feta. Maybe because we don't really like it. The caramelized onions were sweet and deliciously and the the crust was light and crispy. We would have other the other pizza with basil and tomato i bet it would have been kick ass. Note to self- Don't prevent yourself from ordering common items in fancy restaurants. Simple can be delicious.

Duck Confit

2007-08-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

duck confit, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Duck confit served with mango chutnet, stone ground mustard, cornichons and baguette.

Sorta disappointing since three of us order the confit expecting it to be awesome. The duck meat was dry along with the baguette. The mango chutney reminded me to chinese plum sauce. The tiny pickles were cute though. The duck that we will soon have will so blow this out of the water.

2007-08-13T14:19:00.001-07:00

molten chocolate cake, originally uploaded by aznkey.

molten chocolate

2007-08-13T14:18:00.001-07:00

molten chocolate cake 1, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Their signature dessert- baked to order warm chocolate cake with a gooey center served with coffee ice cream and milk chocolate covered almonds.

I was not a fan of the cake. The cake was not very cake like, sorta mushy. I really like the coffee ice cream though. It was super coffee-ey.

Cheesecake

2007-08-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

cheese cake, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Cheesecake with chocolate florentine cookie with strawberry compote.

The creamy cheese cake went well with the fruit compote since it was not flavored. I prefer my cheesecakes to be lighter, but everyone else seem to like it. The cookie seems like a caramel brittle to me.

Want a cookie?

2007-08-13T14:02:00.001-07:00

double tree complimentary cookie, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Apparently Double Trees give out warm cookies when you check it. Not the best in the world, but not bad either. Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. They were obviously not fresh baked, but were kept warm to give an illusion of it.

A humble beginning

2007-08-13T13:56:00.001-07:00

lunchable, originally uploaded by aznkey.

2007-08-13T13:51:00.001-07:00

midnight snack, originally uploaded by aznkey.

We left for Boston on Thursday night and of course we get the munchies on the way there. God bless 24 hour markets. Everything seemed tasty and we ended up dropping $30 on junk food. Hopes were that it would last the whole trip.
Ration
Lunchables- mini hot dogs
Lunchables-mystery nuggets
keebler cookies
cape cod chips
cheetos white cheddar puffs
sun chips french onion
wildoats orange soda
sprite
rice krispy treats
mixed box of cereal bars
yodels

Let talk about the lunchables. They were Vincent's, no one else was brave enough to eat them. Asides from the ham and cracker sets none of the other meals seem edible to me. Oh well he was warned..

"vincent, how is the chicken?"
" Nasty. Why did you think i ate it so fast? So I didn't have to taste it."

Russian Roulette

2007-08-08T08:41:00.001-07:00

el fishy le tomate, originally uploaded by aznkey.

We played a dangerous game last night. Some people were hurt. Some were extremely lucky. No one knew they were playing... We were having our detox dinner last night and It was certainly unsuspected for Felicia to say that a tomato she just ate tasted like fish. She described the horrid taste of raw fish that she had just experienced to her skeptical audience. My aunt suggested that she may have been eating a piece of fish before hand. And my uncle said that there was no way his home grown tomatoes, fresh from the yard, could taste like fish. Unless... the bowl they were in was used to defrost the fish we were having. He then took a tomato from the bowl and ate it. Frustrated, Felicia stated that she was not stupid and was sure that it was not the fish we were eating. Having doubts myself I tried a tomato myself and agreed with my uncle that the tomatoes were fine.
We continued to eat. About 10 minutes later I reached for another tomato and boy was that a mistake. There was an explosion of foul fish in my mouth that reminded of me of a rotting corpse plant. I was close to vomiting as I tried to tell everyone that I had just experienced the sensation that Felicia was describing earlier. A smile appeared on Felicia's face, she was not crazy. We tossed ideas around for what could have been the cause of this phenomenon. There was still doubt in those who have not yet been enlightened. Dinner was almost over when my uncle screamed, " EHHh I got it. I got it!" as he splat into his bowl. He had just bit into the last tomato.

Detox day 2

2007-08-08T07:42:00.001-07:00

Miso Cod, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Dinner

Miso cod
We didn't have miso paste so I used an instant miso soup packet.

miso packet
brown sugar
white wine
murin
dissolve miso and sugar in pan with mirin. Add wine and set it on fire. Set aside.

Sear pieces of cod in a hot pan with a few table spoons of olive oil. When cod is nicely colored and cooked turn off heat and add some of the miso sauce. Swirl it around.

Mean while heat another pan and saute some julienned carrots and onions. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of aromatic alcohol, i used chinese rice wine. When carrots are tender add scallion.

plate it.

Veggie stir fry

2007-08-08T07:30:00.001-07:00

Veggie stir fry, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Couldn't come up with a better way to use up all the veggies in the fridge.

wierd looking bell peppers
zucchini
carrot
red onion
cabbage
mushroom
chicken bullion
soy
salt & pepper

Lunch

2007-08-08T07:26:00.001-07:00

Basil garlic penne, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Basil, garlic and tomato with whole wheat penne. Tasted okay, but it needs a little extra something to solidify the flavor. Maybe more olive oil, maybe more bacon, maybe some butter=0 However that would defeat the point of detox. It was a light meal though, even after a large plate it didn't leave me heavy in food comma so i guess it was what i intended. A light meal.

Detox day 1

2007-08-06T22:39:00.001-07:00

citrus shrimp, originally uploaded by aznkey.

To prepare for our eating frenzy Boston trip we have decide to do a bit of healthy detox eating before hand. Today i made some tomato cabbage soup, mapo tofu and citrus shrimp. An odd combination of chinese and california cuisine i know. The shrimp was pretty good, the secret is in the awesome square plate. Lets give it a fancy name- Pan seared citrus shrimp on a bed of corn,avocado, and cara cara orange salsa.

eye balling
shrimp marinade

orange juice - 2 tbs
lime juice-2 tbs
salt- pinch
pepper-pinch
fish sauce-1 ts
ketchup- very little
brown sugar- 1 tbs
honey-1 ts

Salsa
1 cara cara orange -segmented
1 avocado
2 tbs of chopped red onions
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs olive oil
1 ear of corn- kernels removed and boiled
salt and pepper to taste

Le creme puff tower

2007-08-06T22:23:00.001-07:00

Le creme puff tower, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Wait a minute, what is this doing here? I'm not supposed to be cooking...

Disneyland

2007-08-06T22:21:00.001-07:00

Jim's, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Here we are lining up for Disney's latest attraction, Jim's Steak. Okay, maybe not. We are in Philly for some of their Cheese steak sandwiches. Freshly cooked top round steak with white american cheese, mushrooms and grilled onion on a soft roll- worth the wait my friend.. worth the wait.

SriPraPhai

2007-08-06T22:15:00.001-07:00

dessert case, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Lunch at SriPraPhai was a blast. Since we had 9 people there we got to order alot of food. Say it with me, VARIETY. My cousins and I were all mesmerized by the dessert case by the entrance.

thai desserts

2007-08-06T22:03:00.001-07:00

thai desserts, originally uploaded by aznkey.

From the top and going clockwise.
Unripened mango with a savory dipping sauce made from palm sugar, dried shrimp, fish sauce and lime juice.

Sweet rice cake that is sorta like a mochi

Loch chon- chewy rice noodles flavor with a special thai plant extract in coconut cream.

Don't know what this is called- Rice flour mochi like things covered with coconut shreds that you dip in palm sugar with toasted rice crispies

Tup tim- Jack fruit, jello, water chestnut wrapped in mochi all swimming in coconut milk and syrup.

coconut jello- the texture of this does not taste like jello, because it's made with agar gar so it;s harder than regular jello and more.. brittle?

thai fried rice

2007-08-06T21:53:00.001-07:00

thai fried rice, originally uploaded by aznkey.

I am a sucker for thai fried rice. 8 out of 10 times i'll order this, the other 2/10 it will be pad see ew if possible=p

thai noodle

2007-08-06T21:50:00.001-07:00

thai noodle, originally uploaded by aznkey.

i didn't try this, so i can't tell you what it taste like

duck noodle

2007-08-06T21:49:00.003-07:00

duck noodle, originally uploaded by aznkey.

raad nah

2007-08-06T21:49:00.001-07:00

raad nah, originally uploaded by aznkey.

a soupy relative of pad see ew, but this one is just ridiculously soupy. I have never seen it served in a bowl before.

pad see eew

2007-08-06T21:47:00.001-07:00

pad see eew, originally uploaded by aznkey.

been craving this for a while

hoi tot

2007-08-06T21:45:00.001-07:00

hoi tot, originally uploaded by aznkey.

My favorite dish of the day. Seafood pancake made from green mussels fried to perfection, even the mussels were crispy! Dip it in a little sweet hot sauce mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

curry puff

2007-08-06T21:40:00.001-07:00

curry puff, originally uploaded by aznkey.

these were okay. the filling was tasty but the pastry was too mushy. I must find a way to convince my aunt to give me her awesome recipe. Tyler, if you are reading this, Get me your mom's recipe!!!

shrimp ceviche

2007-08-06T21:37:00.001-07:00

shrimp ceviche, originally uploaded by aznkey.

raw shrimp in a thai lime vinaigrette with green chili and mint. Better than i expected.

papaya salad

2007-08-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

papaya salad, originally uploaded by aznkey.

a refreshing salad made with unripened papayas

Dinner

2007-08-06T20:48:00.001-07:00

before, originally uploaded by aznkey.

After many many hours of pondering and walking we decided on having Spanish food for dinner. Still the same day, 28th. It was so hard to pick a place when there were so many choices to choose from. There was just about every single cuisine you could think of available within the 4 block vicinity. Anyways, on to the food. Excuse the fuzzy picture, it's the sangria. We had some calamari, mussels, some sort of fried meat balls, seafood paella, sausage and bell pepper pork chops, and chicken stew. Too much food to fit on the table.

lalo

2007-08-06T20:40:00.001-07:00

lalo, originally uploaded by aznkey.

after lunch we went to cafe Lalo for some desserts.
Here we have a chocolate madness.

Maze at the London

2007-08-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

So for my birthday, we had lunch at Maze at the London. Lets see how the infamous Gordon Ramsay's restaurant fared.

Hand dived sea scallops roasted with spices, golden raisin purée and cauliflower beignets

2007-07-30T12:05:00.001-07:00

Hand dived sea scallops roasted with spices, golden raisin purée and cauliflower beignets, originally uploaded by aznkey.

felicia and I both got the scallop. Lightly seasonly with curry powder and pan seared to a nice golden brown. I liked it=)

Salad of market greens, haricots verts and crispy shallots with herb mayonnaise

2007-07-30T12:03:00.001-07:00

Salad of market greens, haricots verts and crispy shallots with herb mayonnaise, originally uploaded by aznkey.

greensXD the truffle mayo didn't really taste like my potent bottle of white truffle oil

Smoked rainbow trout, avocado, sauce mousseline, fennel crisps

2007-07-30T12:01:00.001-07:00

Smoked rainbow trout, avocado, sauce mousseline, fennel crisps, originally uploaded by aznkey.

could use cracker to help with the texture a bit, but overally i liked this one.

Carnaroli risotto with grilled asparagus and black trompette mushrooms

2007-07-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

Carnaroli risotto with grilled asparagus and black trompette mushrooms, originally uploaded by aznkey.

looks like the base for the crab risotto on hell's kitchen right? A delicious risotto if you enjoy mushrooms.

Gilthead bream with native lobster risotto, lemongrass and Thai basil

2007-07-30T11:58:00.001-07:00

Gilthead bream with native lobster risotto, lemongrass and Thai basil, originally uploaded by aznkey.

Hands down my favorite dish of the day. Also happens to be my entree=) The bream on top was perfectly cooked. The skin was very crispy and the flesh nice and flaky. The lobster risotto undernearth was also very good with several nice chunks of lobster.

fluke

2007-07-30T11:55:00.001-07:00

fluke, originally uploaded by aznkey.

steamed fluke on a bed of squash with roasted fennel i think. The fish is nicely cooked.

Red wine braised shortrib, horseradish gnocchi and spiced tomato relish

2007-07-30T11:53:00.001-07:00

Red wine braised shortrib, horseradish gnocchi and spiced tomato relish, originally uploaded by aznkey.

finally get to taste gnocchi, did not like the mushy texture. The beef was nice and tender. I found the tomato relish to be a little to overpowering.

Vanilla crème brûlée with Mascarpone and plum ice cream

2007-07-30T11:47:00.001-07:00

Vanilla crème brûlée with Mascarpone and plum ice cream, originally uploaded by aznkey.

This savory icecream was my favorite. It's slightly salty flavor reminds me of thai desserts.

Blueberry and lime cheesecake with lemon crème and Amaretti biscuits

2007-07-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

Blueberry and lime cheesecake with lemon crème and Amaretti biscuits, originally uploaded by aznkey.

This didn't really taste like traditional cheese cake. More like a mousse triffle. The lime gelee on top is nice and refreshing. Not sure i like the tiny greens on top. The tiny amaretti biscuits were very nice. Crunchy outter texture reminds of macaroons.

Valrhona chocolate fondant with green cardamom caramel, sea salt and almond ice cream

2007-07-30T11:37:00.001-07:00

Valrhona chocolate fondant with green cardamom caramel, sea salt and almond ice cream, originally uploaded by aznkey.

a chocolate souffle with a gooey chocolate center

Passion fruit and rum baba with mango tartar and frozen yogurt

2007-07-30T11:36:00.001-07:00

Passion fruit and rum baba with mango tartar and frozen yogurt, originally uploaded by aznkey.

The aroma from the passion fruit puree was heavenly but unfortunately the texture of the baba was very disappointing. Think soggy and graining muffins.

maze

2007-07-30T11:34:00.001-07:00

maze, originally uploaded by aznkey.

complementary after meal sweets. Chocolate truffles with gooey caramel filling and peanut butter brittle.

butter

2007-07-30T11:16:00.001-07:00

butter, originally uploaded by aznkey.

hunk of butter that looks like cheesecake.

celery soda

2007-07-24T12:20:00.001-07:00

celery soda, originally uploaded by aznkey.

So I spot this shady concoction when we went to pick up cheese cake from Junior's(supposed the best in new york) and had to try it. First thing that came to mind when i drank it was " wow, that's celery". No joke, this celery soda taste like liquid celery added to sprite. It's not horrible but certainly not good eats. But for whatever reason i keep drinking it and finished it.