Category: <span>Asian</span>

An Choi- a noodle place for hipsters

AnChoi03Because of the cold weather; because my friends been bombing me with Instagram photos; because, just because… I’ve been craving for a bowl of pho…
Imagine the goodies in the hot simmering broth. Sweet onions, soft tendon, moist homemade beef balls, tender brisket, meaty thinly sliced flank, oxtail…..
Awwww… Just thinking about it makes me drool. So on this cold afternoon, I travel to lower east side to get a taste of An Choi, a much revved about place in LES.

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From outside looking in, it’s tough to get a sense of what I am walking into. It is dim lighted. The darkness gave the place a mysterious vibe. Bare dry walls, pipes, and an immobile street cart in the front double as take out counter. Little table with little steel stools, the place reminds me of those noodle stalls or street hawkers in the alleys of Asia. Where it’s dark, shady even dirty, but have unbelievable good food. I did spent a fair amount of my teen years squatting at those places. An choi seems to disguise itself as one of those places. Especially the bathroom. The red lighted room totally feels like those questionable back room, where graffiti and posters are on top of each other, you’d walk half way in, took a peek and walk back out. This however is a more coordinated effort and it do the trick. I applaud the effort, the place is cool…… The food….. Not so much….

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There is a bar in the next room
There is a bar in the next room

Price is about a dollar or two more than my “go-to” Viet place on Bowery street. I ordered the pork and crab spring roll, and the deluxe pho, the stable of any Vietnamese noodle place.
Spring rolls came in 3s, arrived just minutes after my order was taken. By the look of it, immediately I have my doubt. The color is not right. Too light, looks like they only took a dip in the oil and didn’t swim long enough to get the color nor the crispy skin… And only a piece of lettuce? The roll itself…. Blend.. Without the fish sauce, absolutely tasteless ?

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The pho landed the table not long after spring roll. It came with a separate bowl of pickled onions and the usual side plate of bean spout, pepper, basil and cilantro. The pickled raw onion was crazy good. A little sour, a little salty, and fresh, sweetness.

At first look, this deluxe pho looks great. Nice amount of thinly sliced flank, the broth is clear, and there’s even oxtail in it…. But once the chopsticks sunk in… Mayday! Mayday! Houston, we have a problem. The rice noodle stickers together!!!!? why!?!?! This is a number one offence of any noodle dish!!!! Certainly should not happened to a hot bowl of pho…I can feel my heart tying up as I try to untangle the noodles. And because the noodles didn’t get the cold water treatment, they are on top of each other and continue to cook. And some broke in pieces, some became mush. Ugh!!! At this point, I’m very annoyed. No matter how good this bowl will be, the crime has been committed. And the bowl wasn’t nearly as good as I hope it to be. It’s not rich enough To carry the noodle. Most place use tons of msg to make up for not enough time in slow simmering the broth. An choi seems to have hold back on msg, but time still need to be spend…. Although they have oxtail into the soup, which should add creaminess and enrich the broth, but the oxtail I had seems to have just been in the soup for less than 2 hours. What a shame… I’m speechless, disappointed…. ?

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An Choi | 85 Orchard St | Jan, 2016

SomTom Der vs Zabb Elee

SomTom Der and Zabb Elee are located within two blocks of east village. On this year’s Michelin list, one Thai raised, the other fell. We visited both places in October to determine whether we should trust the system when it comes to asian cuisine.
Both SomTom Der and Zabb Elee listed to be Authentic Thai cuisine. To be specific, a Northeastern Thai region name Isan. According to wikipedia, Isan bordering with Laos and Cambodia. The majority of people that lives there are actually Laos. And the Lao’s influence not only to the language there, also culture and food as well.
The one that raised is SomTom Der, got it’s first star this year. With addresses in 3 different cities, we are calling it a chain. This location in alphabet city is the only one outside of Asia, the other two are in Ho Chi Ming City and Bangkok.

STD03Somtum Der (one star)

Opened mid 2013, got one star this year, Somtom means papaya salad. We arrived on a early evening, the place was very empty. Despite the fact we have a reservation; the hostess said we can only be seated when all parties are here. And so we waited patiently at the little bench at the entrance. Our co-conspirator was running very late that night. After about half an hour, we finally asked to be seated so we can start ordering. Turns out that we just need to ask the right person.
Long commute table in the middle, fish traps lights, pine wood wall & ceiling. Very modern asian. Huge menu with colorful pictures, everything looks appetizing, but a bit confusing. The sets of menus we were given did not match each other. Make it somewhat difficult for us to communicate what item on what page we want to order. On the last page of the menu, there are two full pages of “Recommended Combination”, but no price listed. There were a set that matches what we were going to order, so we asked the waitress.
“Oh these are only suggestions of what would be a good combination. They are not actual sets. You would still have to order them individually.” She explained.
WHAT?! I’m confused!!
You have a nice idea, already put together, but not go through with it. I don’t understand.
So we continued to study the menu. They don’t have pork neck meat!?!  But they have raw sausage…? That’s interesting. Never had raw pork sausage before. Didn’t think pork can be eaten raw. But we tried it anyway. It was… interesting. Didn’t taste like pork at all. Wasn’t smoky either. The texture was kind of like the cold spicy chicken feet that you can found in Hong Kong dim sum. It is definitely interesting, but not sure if I would want to order it again though.
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STD09Goong Chae Nam Pla– Thai prawn sashimi with house special green chili sauce.

STD11Moo Ping Kati Sod– grilled coconut milk marinated pork skewers.

STD10Moo Rong Hai Der & Khao Ji– house special grilled marinated pork.

STD12Nam Sod– marinated raw pork sausages

Food are decent, but nothing to write home about. Service is warm but slow. Aside from missing order, dishes came out fairly slowly. Some certain staff obviously need training, he couldn’t help us with the menu, and don’t know what some of the dishes are either. Is it worth a michelin star….

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Zabb Elee went another direction on décor. It is clean and white. Instead of fish trap, they use bird cage instead, for the lights over the bar.. What’s up with Asian and cages?? It is simple and elegant here. Staffs are nicer and service is faster here.

ze04Som Tom Poo Plara– Papaya salad with preserved crab

ze06Duck Larb– shallot, fresh mint, scallion, cilantro, chili powder, and lime dressing.

ze08Kao Moo Dang– roast pork, sweet sausage, half boiled egg

ze10Moo Yang– Grilled marinated pork with sweet tamarind chili sauce

ze05Kana Moo Krob– Sauteed Chines broccoli with crispy pork

ze09Goong Chae Nam Pla

ze07Pla Dook Dad Deaw– Crispy Marinated catfish with Thai Herb with sweet tamarind sauce

Like most non-high-end asian restaurants in town, both places could care less which plate is appetizer or main course. They either all come at the same time, or come out whatever whenever it is ready. It is not much of a problem I guess, if the table is big enough to place it all.
Really spicy!!! But very authentic. The burning sensation is not a joke. I couldn’t say which raw shrimp I like better but I certainly like the SomTom more here at Zabb Elee. And I would definitely rate it higher than SomTom Der. But the grills pork neck meat is still the best at SriPraPhai.

ze11(October, 2015)

Mu Ramen- hit & miss

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Manga and anime is considered a culture in Japan. They are not only for kids, but also for adult. And I grow up with them. I should say heavily educated by them. No, I’m not talking about Pokémon, Sailor Moon, Gundam or even Dragon ball Z. Although those are the better known series with Americans, they are not the best quality. Some of those content are, what I would consider, not appropriate for children. All those battles, war, fighting, whatever the original intention was, kids only absorb violence. The kind I’m referring to are more “soft-hearted”. A little more context, somewhat more meaningful, and more inspiring. One particular series I rushed home from school for was “Mister Ajikko” by Daisuke Tersawa. The story is about a young culinary prodigy- Ajiyoshi Youichi, his passion for cooking and his path to becoming a great chef. The series often feature culinary competitions between this young boy and other well established chefs. Rumor has it that this manga series is the inspiration behind the wildly popular “Iron Chef”, which itself inspired other cooking competition reality shows.
It would be a different style/ type of culinary in each episode, Italian, French, European, Chinese, and of course, traditional Japanese. I remember how Youichi travelled everywhere in search for the best bamboo stick for Yakitori. There was an episode about how to make the best dumpling. It’s ridiculous that one person can master all different kinds of culinary, but at least it portrayed a glimpse of the hard work of any chef and their dedication to their art. For example, there were several episode entails how to make a good bowl of ramen. The ingredients and time that was put in to making a good broth; the temperature of the water when cooking the noodle; most importantly the art of making ramen. Most ramen chefs, I mean “real” ramen chefs spend their lifetime refining the technique. These anime leave a distinctive impression in my mind. And I have the upmost respect for a good bowl of ramen.

mu keyThe NYC ramen scene is very crowded, and still rapidly growing. And the one place that claimed all top critics’ list currently is Mu Ramen. I have to admitted, we have been putting off Mu ramen. Mu ramen does not take reservation, and I heard there’s quite a wait. With some planning, we arrived at Mu ramen at 5:15p on a weekday. Doors open at 5:30 and there’s already a line. There are 16 seats with 8 bar stools, Mu ramen is a cozy spot. Open kitchen pair with noodle bar; long commute table, with a “rock” garden dividing the two sides. Look carefully, the rocks are talking to you.
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There are a couple new item on the menu. “Peel N Eat” shrimp and a cold noodle “Hiysahi Mu”, and we also ordered the very “instantiated” Tebasaki Gyoza (chicken wing with foie gras), and Tonkotsu. And of course, U & I….

mu07Peel & Eat
No “Mu”ssels tonight, but there are shrimps. Shrimp came in a “Chinese take-out box” with head on. The spicy cocktail sauce is very good. Not too sweet and packs a kick. However, shrimps are tasty enough by themselves and no sauce is needed. May be they can think about serving yuca fries with the sauce? I’d totally order it. Shrimps were tasty and fresh enough. But I felt that it was undercooked a little bit because the shell did not come off easily. Nevertheless, it was very good.

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Tebasaki Gyoza (14)-deep fried chicken wings stuffed with foie and brioche
Chicken wings however….. was only hype and no smile. Over-coated and very greasy.😒

mu08U&I (24) – uni, spicy maguro, ikura, rice, sesame roasted nori
This is a Chirashi but not a Chirashi. It has all the ingredient of a chirashi but not with sushi rice, just regular rice…. Think Korean style. Everything was very fresh. The bowl could be a little bigger but it’s a still a deal.

mu12TONKOTSU 2.0 (15)- “tonkotsu” pork based soup topped with chashu pork jowl, kikurage, menma, and scallions
The traditional Tonkotsu— ramen was perfectly cooked, even after the ramen have been sitting for a while. The chewiness is still there. And it should be that way. Noodle’s body should be able to maintain throughout the time to consume the whole bowl. Broth is rich, and deep. With drips of black sesame oil, it added aroma, the broth seems a bit greasy. The Pork is way too fat though. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good slab of pork belly. But the pale white fat just give me a mouth of grease.

mu13Hiysahi Mu(R)
While the Tonkotsu is a bit oily, the cold noodle is the perfect counterbalance for us. And a great ending note of the night. Cold noodle is a blessing in Summer time, and this one is awesome. Its clean and fresh with a bit of sweetness. My only wish for it is maybe add some fresh wasabi to spice it up, and slice the “ham” thinner?! Noodle is the right texture but overall very happy with this.

While the two most hyped items seem to be a miss for us, the two brand new items were a hit. Is it worth the trip? Maybe. With the waiting time, if it is 2 hours? Maybe not. But I didn’t have to wait. So get there early if you are going. (June, 2015)

PS. My apologies for the subpar quality pictures….

Tuome- fusion!?!

click to view slideshow
click to view slideshow

I hate the word fusion. It’s Been so overused. And everything seems to be fusion anyway. Take Chinese food for example. Do we want to call crab Rangoon a fusion dish? Seriously, there’s no such thing as crab Rangoon in all of China. It’s clearly something Chinese Americans dream up and put it on the menu, and Americans order it. So is it fusion?

Having said that, I have no choice but to declare that Toume is a fusion restaurant. Partly French, partly american, partly Chinese. I hope that chef Thomas Chen won’t find it insulting that we call his food fusion. After-all, he is Chinese, with influence of Jean Georges, Eleven Madison Park and Commerce. Toume is a small cozy place in alphabet city. Brick walls, wood furniture, dim industrial lighting. Its a comfortable spot that feels like home.

There were 4 cocktails on the menu, and we had them all and love them. Each one has distinctive different taste. And I love the Jade Ginger the most. May be it is because of the hot weather.

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THE JADE GINGER(left)—vermouth, cucumber, celery bitters
So refreshing!!! Very cucumber. There is a hint of ginger’s spicy in the aftertaste, that keeps me wanting more. The roasted sesames around the edge were very good too.

EAST VILLAGE BLOSSOM(right)—brut rose, hibiscus and blood orange
FIRE IN THE SKY

tuome04taro clip and cream cheese with spice and sesame sprinkle. But just one taro chip?!? 🙁

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EGG— deviled, crispy, chili
Really like the devil egg. So simple but has so many different texture. Its like a very good scotch egg wrap with panko, deep fried and sichuan spicy sauce on top.

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OCTOPUS — pork xo, brown butter, fingerling potato
House-made XO sauce (caramelized pork, Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, garlic chives, fish sauce and pine nuts) is crunchy, but a bit dry, and totally separated from the octopus. A bit disconnected. The octopus is crispy on the outside and tender insider, but the juice had been lost.

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VEAL— asparagus, lapsang sochong, shishito

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DUCK— pea shoot, grapefruit, chinkiang
We didn’t order the PIG OUT, just because we wanted to try more things. And also because, we believe that it would be no match to the traditional “Chinese crispy pork”. Both main courses we have were very “modernly” plated. But other than the ginger/ scallion garnish on the duck, I don’t see how these two are “fusion”. To me they are very “American”. Honestly I was disappointed. Asian, particular Chinese are known to marinate the meat. The veal and duck obviously did not get that treatment. Yes, it was cooked to the perfect temperature, but even with juice, they were blend if without the sauce.

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PEA SHOOT— fermented shallot, sichuan chili
Pea shoot which is in season, is very fresh and nicely cooked. Could have use a little more sichuan chili sauce though.

Dessert is Chinese beignets with vanilla ice-cream, red bean and goat milk caramel. Doesn’t matter how you dress it up. It is still deep fried bun, and we have no interest in that… at the end of the dinner, chef Thomas came out and greet every diner. A very nice touch. so… I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth. (May, 2015)tuome12