Food & Pixels – Page 19

The Clocktower

In the early 1900s, The MetLife Company Tower, aka the Clocktower, was the tallest building in New York. Well, time has passed and a lot has changed. As we all know, New York has a brand new tallest building, and MetLife has long outgrown that space and moved in 2005. Since then, the building has undergone renovation. Early this summer, this beautiful landmark opened its door to become the new outpost of Edition Hotel in New York. And it feels natural to have Michelin starred chef Jason Atherton operate its fancy hotel restaurant. After-all, the acclaimed young British chef already runs the restaurant at the Edition in London.

From the lobby, pass the bar, at the end of the living room like fireplace sitting area, there is a spiral staircase, or rather a beautiful twisted curvy sculpture. Follow the dimly illuminated stairs, it will take you to the second floor of the boutique hotel, The Clocktower restaurant.

The room is GRAND. I was told that this was once the office of MetLife executives. Wow! I would want to work here too! This gorgeous place feels more like a fancy cigar clubhouse than office. Mahogany wood paneling, marble fireplace, purple velvet pool table, these all smell very old money. The place is classy, comfortable, and artsy. There are walls to walls of gold trim framed vintage photo of celebrities, 50s, 60s, 70s, its glorious. It needs a moment, actually, more than a moment, to take these all in. look around and let my imagination flows… cigar smoking gentlemen in their tailor-fitted 3 pieces suit chilling by the fireplace; elegant ladies in the little black dress or ballroom gown, wearing their artsy headpiece slipping cocktail, quietly giggling… anyway that’s what I imagine the scene would be in early 1920s.

Back to reality. So what to do in such a fancy clubhouse?

You get a drink!!!

The cocktails here are excellent!

There are 7 mixed drinks on the menu. Each one is unique, creative, and playful.

All 3 different cocktails we had are fantastic. I don’t really get why Gap Year would be served in a tiki bamboo glass, although it does have the tropical flavor thou. I’m complaining only because I didn’t have enough. The American Cereal Killer is absolutely killing it! The glass milk carton contain and the red and white swirl straw, with milk like liquid. So playful and adorable. Just don’t feed it to the kids.

Dressed crab, crispy uni, apple batons, lemon purée

Diver scallop, radish, pomelo

Both dishes are beautifully plated, severed on half shell on an silver plate ice bed. Cevchie/ curdo are very fresh. Both are delightful but… both have excessive amount of sauce. Scallop and crab are practically drowning in the dressing. And what a waste of uni. If someone told me those curton, I wouldn’t know the difference. I couldn’t taste the rich, velvet flavor of uni. If they could hold back on the dressing, both would be a stunning dish, look and taste.

Smoked salmon Benedict
Home fries were great. Not oily at all, perfectly crisp. The Benedict is… Benedict. It is decent, nothing wow about it.

Full English breakfast two eggs any style with toast, garlic and herb pork sausage,bacon, tomato, portobello mushroom, black pudding.

Being an English restaurant, we would think they would nailed the breakfast. Honestly, I was disappointed. Pork sausage and black pudding were blend, dull, desperately need seasoning. The bacon is stiff, should be call bacon jerky. That tiny little piece of burnt tomato and half a tiny slice of portobello mushroom were … pathetic. The corner supermarket’s breakfast wrap at where I stayed in Dublin was better than this. I was really disappointed…
why did Grub street name this place the best brunch in town?? should we not have get the breakfast?
The burger on the other hand was excellent.

Dry aged ½ lb burger, bacon, cheddar, churchill sauce, red onion, chips
My friend who had the burger said it was fantastic, even better than the black label burger at Minetta Tavern. Meaty, juicy, and that little heat in the sauce makes it perfect. The fat cut potato fries… chips are great, but just five!?! a little stingy, are we?

Came along with the bill, was a little treat in a vintage tin can. Reminded me of those from the 70s, where from the look of it, you know those fancy biscuits and crackers inside are $$$. those kinds of can that when you finished all the goodies, you still keep the tin can for keepsake, to keep your childhood treasure in. And inside is exactly those little fancy treats, soft crumbly shortbread cookie is my favorite. I took a toffee brittle for later and slowly savor in the savory dark chocolate chip covered with peanut crumbles. And yes, I do want to keep the box.

For the drinks, we would definitely come back. Maybe we will find time for dinner. But what I really want…. is to sit by the gold plated oval bar, pretend to be one of those legendary folks that are in the picture on the wall. Or perhaps a game of pool on that purple velvet table?!

(Nov, 2015)

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.

Somtum 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.
STD08 SomTom

STD09 Goong Chae Nam Pla– Thai prawn sashimi with house special green chili sauce.

STD11 Moo Ping Kati Sod– grilled coconut milk marinated pork skewers.

STD10 Moo Rong Hai Der & Khao Ji– house special grilled marinated pork.

STD12 Nam 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….

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.

ze04 Som Tom Poo Plara– Papaya salad with preserved crab

ze06 Duck Larb– shallot, fresh mint, scallion, cilantro, chili powder, and lime dressing.

ze08 Kao Moo Dang– roast pork, sweet sausage, half boiled egg

ze10 Moo Yang– Grilled marinated pork with sweet tamarind chili sauce

ze05 Kana Moo Krob– Sauteed Chines broccoli with crispy pork

ze09 Goong Chae Nam Pla

ze07 Pla 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)

The Fat Radish- A charming place in LES

Opened by a catering company, the Fat Radish has been residing in LES since early 2011. it’s a really cool, chill place. We arrived on a early autumn evening, and was immediately taken by the warm welcoming lights. A coffee bar out front double as a foyer, and a cruiser bike park by the wall. It feels like I am just visiting a friends place. Pass the hallway where we hang our jackets, coffee bar extend into a wine bar, and open up to a beautiful dinning room. Expose brick wall, large commute table in the middle, huge rustic mirror bouncing off lights, it is all very pleasant, charming.

Oysters!!!

Scotch Egg– seeded Mustard, cornichons
These Scotch Eggs are huge!!! Lightly crusted, soft sausage wrapped with perfectly cooked egg. A two sided of scotch egg should be share with 4 instead 2 person. Love,love, love the little pickles!

Deviled Brussels Sprouts– Bacon, Thai Chili
Using Bacon fat to combat the sprouts’ bitterness. Genius!

Celery Root Pot Pie– Gruyere Cheese, Black Garlic
So, so, so good! Crust is fluffy and crunchy. Open it up, and the celery root aroma smell like I have been transported to a barn in England country side, and a pot of creamy celery soup is on the stove, boiling, and I can’t wait to dig in. it taste as good as it smells. It warmed me up and wrapped me around with it’s coziness. I wish I have this on every rainy cold winter night.

Peeky Toe Crab Gratin– Leeks, Aged White Cheddar, Sherry
Moist, and plenty of crab. The fat of white cheddar is really comforting, hearty. A fantastic dish to share. It would be wonderful to have this as a dip dish on a Sunday football party. Only problem is, to get me to let go of the bowl. However, it is too heavy to eat on its own. I only wish there were more bread. Seriously, four little piece of bread is not enough!!!

The Fat Radish Plate– seasonal vegetables, brown rice, adzuki beans. served with tahini, carrot-ginger, pickled cabbage

Montauk Diver Scallops
Perfectly seared scallops on top of a bed of sweet Potato Mash.

Monk fish Thai Green Curry– wild rice, coconut milk
Not a big hit at the table, sauce was too thin and watery.

Roasted Dutch Morgan Chicken– spinach, cornish pasty, shallot jus

Food is British at the Fat Radish. Some are light but flavorful; some are hearty and comforting. Price tags are friendly as well.
It is loud here. Because people let loose when they are happy. And we were happy here. What a lovely place.
Places like this is why we love lower east side.

(October, 2015)

Domodomo

The first and only hand roll bar in New York, Domodomo opened about half a year ago, operated at the old location of Ushiwakamaru. It is the same space, but somehow felt deeper and a lot narrower. Now it became a long stretch of sushi bar, with just a handful of tables in the front. The set up feels a little like Neta, but with a much more affordable price tag.

Sake list is not extensive, prices are very reasonable. We were surprise to spot sparkling sake on the list.
The laminated 1 page menu looks simple enough, a la carte section is meant both for appetizers and main course; miso soup, salad and pasta, udon are all in the same category….. Sushi by piece are really affordable, ranging from $4 scallop to $9 Chu Toro. Then there comes their proud specialities- Hand Rolls. The combo/ course/ Domokase, on the other hand, would require some studying. They all seems great, which makes it hard to choose from. And we did the math, the courses are a more economic way to go.

I really appreciate the patient of our waiter. After several rounds of questions, we ended up picking a sushi course and a hand roll course. We learned that we can substitute a few things, all we need to do is ask.

OYSTER SAMPLER $19
-Jumbo oyster with scallop, yuzu foam, ikura; Kumamoto with momijo oroshi; Blue point with mango salsa

Of course we had to have the oyster sampler. It came with 5 oysters: a jumbo oyster with scallop, ikura, in yuzu foam, 2 Kumamoto, and 2 Blue Point. While it does look good in all the instagram posts, the jumbo oyster fell short to impress. It wasn’t jumbo at all. The yuzu foam on top was way excessive, only to cover up that inside only holds a tiny little piece of oyster. Out of the 2 little bite we had, we felt the scallop and the squid by it’s texture, but the oyster was way too tiny to taste. Again, the yuzu form totally overpower the oyster, the whole thing…. where is the “jumbo” oyster?compare to that truly huge giant oyster at Saikai, this one may be it’s great, great, grandkid. The Kumamoto and the blue point were refreshing with their respective garnish.

CHAWANMUSHI $6 – Egg custard, black truffle sauce

Shrimp apple salad $12 – Arugula, candied apple, sweet chili shrimp

SUSHI COURSE $52
The sushi course comes with edamame, 8 pieces of sushi, a blue carb hand roll and an unagi hand roll. We don’t really care about the edamame, so we opt for the chawanmushi; and we chose to have a yellowtail hand roll instead of unagi.
The sushi are good, fishes are fresh. A fair comparison would be Saikai, but cheaper. The sushi comes in no specific order. The fact that blue fin tuna is served first have us wonder. But they are decent. I only wish that the marinated botan ebi didn’t come with the caviar. Yes, it may seems extravagant, but totally unnecessary. In my opinion, them two don’t go together, they contradict each other. The Botan Ebi can do better without it.

Hon Maguro Blue fin

Fluke

Sea beam

Yellowtail

Branzino

Madai

Smoked Kanpachi – surprisingly good, really smoky favor.

Scallop

Marinated Botan ebi with Caviar

Hand rolls came after sushi. Don’t expect the snow-cone shape hand roll you are used to. While the nori are perfectly crisp, my disappointment was the fish. The fishes in the hand roll were way too cold. So cold that we cannot taste it’s flavor. We expressed our concern to the chef. But he said that the “box” fridge’s is set to a certain temperature and can’t be changed. That’s odd, cause the temperature of fishes for the sushi were fine. We later found out that sushi didn’t have the same issue is because it was let out for a while before they were made into sushi and served. We only know that because we ordered some more sushi later, and they were too cold as well.
Blue crab hand roll

UNI HAND ROLL– Uni, chive
We also had an extra uni hand roll. Well, roll it is not. Seriously, it is just a piece of sushi on a piece of nori. Uni was good, but how could this be a hand roll?
A piece of uni sushi is $8, the hand roll is $12. So a piece of nori is $4??

UNAGI HAND ROLL-House smoked eel, chocolate kabayaki sauce
Again, it is a piece unagi sushi on nori…… but, to credit DomoDomo, Unagi is house smoked, and very flavorful.

UNI PASTA $17 – Squid ink pasta, cheddar dashi, caviar
Uni pasta was another disappointment. Squid ink pasta was blend, certainly not house made, and a overcooked too. It didn’t have the texture nor the tasted. The cheddar dashi did not help either. It was to watery to be carried by the pasta.

HOJICHA PUDDING

A hand roll bar, is an interesting idea. However, for our night here, sushi seems to have be a better choice because of the temperature. But like any new idea, it needs time to refine. For it’s price, Domodomo do have good quality fish. Perhaps we will be back. They do have good nori.
(November, 2015)

Food & Pixels Posts

The Clocktower

SomTom Der vs Zabb Elee

The Fat Radish- A charming place in LES

Domodomo