Hong kong station

Bon Bon korean fried chicken

And kimchi coleslaw

Grand Sichuan

St Marks @ 2nd/3rd ave

a few standouts from last night:

• loofah
  
• twice-fried pork
  
• tea duck
  
• chong ching chicken
  
• wontons in chili oil
  

soup dumplings were okay. sweet-potato curry was decent. rest, though, was standout.

Taim

Harissa-flavored falafel sandwich -- soft fresh pita, warm freshly-fried falafel, great salad, all drenched in sauce, and absolutely glorious. on off-days, it's acceptable. but when they're on... they're 100%.

Lovely way to spend the winter...

New Green Bo

Bayard St at Mott Street, Chinatown, New York

Even though New Green Bo is always jam-packed, with a line snaking out the door, I suspect that the farangness of the line should be telling. It's always a decent meal, but never as good as across the street at New Yeah.

Last night, the four types of dumplings were... good... fine... okay... But these are soup dumplings! These are supposed to be a warming, calming, nurturing. A substitute for a good hug. A cheap way to tolerate a winter's night. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't find any of that in these. Not a semblance of it. These were just dumplings.

The scallion pancake was greasy and didn't taste like much at all - maybe a little like cardboard dipped in peanut oil, truth be told. And the lo mein (?) that someone ordered, with baby corn, really wasn't worth the space it took up on the table. (I've come to believe that any dish with baby corn isn't worth the space on the table. I've nothing against the vegetable, but it reeks of middle-America Chinese.)

The only standouts were the Snow Pea Shoots, a late arrival at the table, but a nice garlicky, pungent, bold-green addition to the cardboard-generic-ness of the rest of the meal. And the dessert -- Sesame Rice Ball In Soup (pictured above) -- was everything it sounds like, and was absolutely divine.

Dishes to try next time (from window reviews):

• shrimp with seaweed
  
• tong po pork
  
• fried yellowfish with seaweed
  
• duck cooked three ways
  
• mock duck
  
• fried eel in ginger sauce

New Malaysia

Halfway down the Chinatown Alley, Chinatown, NY

Aish -- this used to be my favorite can't-fail always-absolutely-superb Malay restaurant. Guaranteed to be packed, few farangs ever present, and spicy, tasty, superb foodie food. Floors so greasy you had to step lightly, infallable recommendations, and nasi lemak to make you realize you've never tasted nasi lemak before.

But with the coming of the new year, the last three visits have left me with one sure belief: their old cook quit. or died. or ran off to singapore to cook the few meals I ate there. in any case, they must have changed their cook. The food is now lousy. Every now and then, there's a standout -- last week's Roti Canai (not pictured) was amazing. Perfect buttery fried roti, with a small bowl of amazing tasty chicken curry. The ice kachang was fantastic and weird.

but everything else form the last thee visits -- bland hainan chicken with dry rice, (again, dry) beef rendang that bore no semblance to the firey bold rendang of visits past, a char kueh teow that tasted like midwest Mall-sold pad thai (actually, it tasted like noodles in a thick brown sauce). an inedible nasi lemak. a barely-okay roti canai (pictured).

Last night, I asked for a dish that would slap me in the face with the flavors. I mimed it out, to be sure she understood. the waitress thought for but a second before recommending homemade tofu. "are you sure? I want to be slapped with taste!" again, I mimed a slap followed by an explosive smile at a plate. she nodded, "yes, with pork!" I gave it a shot, and -- unlike any amazing tofu dish I've ever had -- and just like every bland boring tofu & vegetable plate I've ever regretted -- this was edible. and that's really kind of it.

Tea-licious

Mott St, just south of Bayard St, Chinatown, NY

Wow. The bubble tea? Sure, it's fine. (Bubble tea always seems to be. Can you really mess it up?)

But the $1.50 toast with condensed milk? Omg! Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!!! Thick wondrous, crunchy, light bread, with the milk of the gods drizzled over it, almost as an icing. Worth every penny of that buck fitty.

Province Chinese Canteen

305 Church St @ Walker, NY, NY

Spare rib and kimchi sandwich -- absolutely gorgeous, on just about the fluffiest dims(y)ummy roll ever. $4.50

Braised Pork Shoulder Sandwich -- so fatty, with a chubby pickle sitting on top. almost oozing with love. same roll, same price, same tasty wonderment.

recommend getting the sandwiches one at a time -- they arrived seconds after I'd sat down (on the hunking big danish tables with flat bench seats) andf the second was cooling by the time I finished the first.

Bangkok recap

 

re. 6. Open Air Market by Wat Pho (aka market at Ta Chang)
fantastic food and fun location! great hainan chicken -- spicy, tender, juicy, and flavorful. absolutely amazing pad thai from the woman 2nd-furthest from the dock, in the middle. the larb gai, spicy as hell, from the shops along the wall, was good, but stingy servings (just a sprinkling of meat over a mound of rice). som tam (papaya salad, "2 chilis") was nowhere near hot enough -- maybe ask for 4 next time? the mangosteens were incredibly expensive and half of them were moldy (I'm just going to presume this is the worst time to order them?). decent, but somewhat bland, glass noodles with chicken and greens. and my brother found these little gelatonous doughy balls and dumplings that were great -- chewy and filled with peanutty goodness.

10. Food Court at MBK Mall -- we first found ourselves in the 5th floor food court, which felt like I was in kentucky -- farang everywhere, smelled of antiseptic bleach, and every sign ("chinese food") was clearly printed in english. we redirected to the 6th floor, where it felt a little less tourist-directed. later, though, we passed a small food court on the 4th floor that looked to be the perfect street-foodie treat. anyhow, this is all about the 5th floor, and I ultimately wasn't so impressed at all:
- oysters in hot plate -- enh.
- steamed pork with rice -- tough, bland, and not at all tasty.
- pork knuckles over rice with tons of fat - the first taste was a wham of flavor, but after that, it really wasn't much to write home about the fat slices dipped into the chili sauce made it worth ordering, but probably wouldn't get it again.
- som tam - medium spiucy, swimming in nam pla. really loved it.
- mama noodles with chicken and gravy - wide, flat rice noodles with a thick sour sauce, and greens, was okay.
- tom yum kang was underwhelming.
the two standouts were definitely:
- muslim chicken curry with rice - wow. this was a knockout. very indian, but sour, tasty, spicy. absolutely fantastic.
- spicy seafood fried rice - excellent. reall great.
re deserts:
- sticky rice with durian -- I'm not a durian devotee, but based on reports, wanted to give it a shot here. anyhow, with each bite it became a little more palateable. from tasting "like car exhaust" to "not so bad"... my chinese brother insists you just not inhale, which seems to defeat the purpose to me.
- fried balls filled with bacon/shrimp/other stuff, and doused in mayo and thick soy sauce -- while the sign insists they're a hit across japan and australia, these were not worth it.

sukhumvit 38 - a cute little food stall area just 1/2 block in from sukhumvit. the chicken satay was cheap as all getup, but was thick thickness, consistency, and taste of cardboard. (reminded me of the beijing dumpling stories.) hainan chicken was aces. a really nice spot to sit and watch the street, though.

ana's issan - gorgeous spot. the dinner was, by all accounts, delicious, although I didn't get to enjoy half of it thanks to the copious chilis that left my mouth quite numb throughout the night, and led to beer after beer trying to wash the pain away. from my notes, the sausage with green chilli peppers was amazing -- but dear *** please try and avoid the whole green chillis deep inside the sausage. deep fried sea bass with thai spices and chilli sauces was gorgeous. the roadside chicken wasn't very edible at all -- lots of neck, and bones -- but everyone at the table insisted it was normally amazing -- we got the last 1/2 chicken they had, so perhaps we just got the one they'd been planning to throw out.

suan lum night bazaar - still operating, and still huge. couldn't resist a mangos & sticky rice. swimming in coconut milk, and delicious, just as I'd remembered. (the thai cover singers with backup dancers on stage made it all the more fun.) (also stopped in for a little karaoke in the minibooths to whet my appetite.)

oriental hotel - desserts for mum's birthday. the mango with sticky rice was dreamlike... the most perfect I've had. tapioca balls in coconute milk with raspberry syrup -- first few bites were pure tapioca pleasure, but the glory petered out pretty quickly, and it became just a bowl on bits floating in coconut milk. but those first few bites? mmmmm.

single best dish of the few days there:
fried rice with chicken, at some two-table shop on charoen nakhon, north of taksin bridge. sorry I don't have a name, but it proves the old adage about BKK, that the best food you'll have will be a nameless shop on a busy street.

forgot a few restaurant names which I'll try to update with later...

next trip:

• need to hit this polo fried chicken place -- you guys all seem to love it
  
• rut & lek (soi texas? somewhere in chinatown)
  
• khrua rommai (from post above)
  
• yok yor marina (with floor show?)
  
• soi pradit for breakfast
  
• NYT article on street food
  
• Or Tor Gor Food Market - across from Chatuchak - from WSJ's top 10 restaurants in Asia. 101 Khampaengphet Road
  

Fatty Crab (Malaysian)

(643 Hudson St, Meat Packing)

Wow. Mind-blowingly good.

Chicken Wings
Crispy Pork
Nasi Lemak
Rendang
Fatty Duck

London recap

Quick roundup of memorable London meals:

*** Arirang Korean Restaurant (31-32 Poland Street, Soho)


*amazing* stuff. bi bim neng myun (spicy cold noodles with cold meat and hard-boiled egg) was, as always, gorgeous. worth the pain. the pork bbq was fantastic. kim chi jigae was spicy and awesome.

* Busaba (Thai, 22 Store Street, British Museum)
crowded hipster Thai. it was fine. good, even. but not that memorable. mussaman duck, pad thai, and roti. fairly cheap, better than my neighborhood joints, but not terrific.

***New Tayyabs (Pakistani, 83 Fieldgate Street, Hoxton)
wowzers. those pakistanis really know how to torture. all the anglos were weeping -- the air was thick like mace with burning spices. the food, just as hot, was so good you couldn't stop eating it. lamb chops on the bone were heavenly. keema naan, so moist. arrive early to beat the queue (which was huge by the time we left). I don't recall the vegge dish being memorable, but I could be wrong. (channa? I can't even recall.) Service was insanely fast, sloppy, and the food was served from vats that you pass on the way to the bathroom. Must return. Bring alchohol.

**Masala Zone (Indian, 9 Marshall St, Soho)

Two big ol' thalis - the first, goa prawn curry, definitely worth eating. the second, chicken mangalore, worth returning time and time again for. loved it. the paratha is so buttery it's like eating a piece of godliness.

Belgo Noord (Belgian, 72 Chalk Farm Road, Camden)
Enh. It was fine... not amazing. Probably due to the fact that it was NYE, they were drunk or distracted, there were kids running around the restaurant with balloons. The company, at least, was fantastic.

***Satay House (Malaysian, 13 Sale Place, Paddington)
Wowzers! Just ordered their hoity-toity version of Nasi Lemak, but it blew my mouth off. Loved it! Wanted to return but never managed to. (Too many Malay options to explore in London!!!) The Banana Fritter dessert (pisang goreng) was merely acceptable, but I could have also just still beenthinking about my main course.

***Malaysian Student Union Dining Hall (Malaysian, 13 Sale Place, Paddington)


Okay -- now this was so amazing. it's across the street and in the basement of where you would logically expect to find it (based on street numbers). we ordered two meals... one was a point-and-pick of hard-boiled egg in red sauce, lamb curry, fried egg & pickles (pictured) - wow!!!! - and the other meal was a beef rendeng nasi lemak, I think, and that was just insane! so spicy, so tasty, and so cheap! (we could have ordered one dish for the two of us, but still force-finished the entire meal.)

***Ranoush Juice (Lebanese, Edgeware Road, Marble Arch)
Of course, the old traditional. The old standard. Lamb shawarma to obsess over. (Dry chicken shawarma to be disappointed with.) Hummus and vine leaves to desire. Oh yes. (Note: Don't try going at 3am on NYE.)

Garfunkel's (UK, 114 Praed St, Paddington)
Why, oh why? No no no.

Metropolian Cafe (Italian/UK, Edgeware Road, Paddington)

Greasy greasy diner run by a manic Italian and his daughter, neither of whom can stop running up and down the restaurant. Filled with homeless (or merely academic?) folk. Cheap, tasty, probably all defrosted or from a can, but really worth it.

Re: Laila (Middle Eastern)

440 Seventh Ave, at 15th St, Park Slope.

No.  NO!  NONONONONO!  Never eat here again.  Quite positively the worst thing I've ever put in my mouth.  I'm serious.  Old over-fried falafel, wretched hummus, and salad that was cut into larger-than-bite-sized chunks.  (Including the base of a head of lettuce.)  It was as if they wanted me to never return.  At 1:45pm, the place was completely empty -- it made sense.  The waitress kept complaining to me about how sick and bored she was.  Wow.  Never return.

Moustache (Middle Eastern)

265 e. 10th st @ Ave A, NY

1. the service was terrible.  this really seems to be such a huge sticking point with me.  in an almost completely empty restaurant, the waiter ignored me until I was comfortable at a table, with my jacket off, my magazine out, etc, etc, and then demanded I move to a far smaller table in a large puddle of water.  almost every table was empty!  I balked, so he moved me to another table the same size as the first, but with coats strung on all of the chairs.  instead of moving them, he wandered off, leaving me to approach the people at the other two tables, asking them to move their coats.  he then proceeded to ignored us for the bulk of the meal.  we had to walk into another section of the restaurant (quite literally two rooms away) twice -- once to ask for the bill, and then again to ask for change.  with three waiters, and only four tables of customers, in a huge restaurant, you might expect slightly, or far, better service.

2. the food was not worth it.  bonnie's soup was fine; her salad was passable; my middle-eastern lamb pizza, however, was such a thin layer of what I can only describe as lamb spread (the same consistency and amount as a "buttery spread," or a "cream cheese spread") on a cracker-thin layer of baked pita, that I left wanting a second supper.  had it tasted interesting, or exciting, or even good, that would have made it worth while.  instead, it really didn't taste like much at all.

instead of a second supper, I went out for a glass of whisky.  which suited me far more.

Roomali (Indian lunch)

27th Street, just east of Lexington Ave. NY.

 

Best. Roti. Ever.

Sorry, couldn't resist. The roti was so buttery and gorgeous and melted in my mouth like nothing ever before. It was like a perfect but soft croissant
rolled flat. Then wrapped around a buttery well-fried egg, and a cluster of Chicken Tikka that would make any yob cry for joy. And the aloo roti, against all odds, was perfect as well. Spicy as hell, and tastily perfect. I can't wait to go back to this place... I've been thinking of it every meal since. (And sadly, comparing every meal since to it.) 

Daltons Bar & Grill

611 9th Ave @ 43rd, NY

Worst.  Burger.  Ever.

Inedible.  I wish I'd paid them the $25 and then gone somewhere else for dinner.

Bar BQ (ummm... bbq)

689 6th Ave @ 20th, Brooklyn, (718) 499-4872

okay, I know there are those who would say "what do you expect from barbeque in park slope?", but then again, there are others (like me) who sometimes have a need... an emptiness that needs filling... no matter the consequences. And so a chowhound search for bbq in brooklyn led to Bar BQ, 9 blocks due south of here. The place itself is great -- a small local bar, a couple at the counter doing the crossword, a quartet of old guys laughing it up in the back. Pity the food just wasn't all that great. The mac & cheese was real dry. (Most of the food felt as if it'd been sitting under a hot lamp for hours.) The beans seemed completely free of any pork. The ribs were dry, but tasty. And the pulled pork, for me the most important ingredient, was just okay. Again, dry. But okay. Doused in bbq sauce, it was tasty. I'd go back, but I definitely wouldn't take any NC relatives there. (Unless it was for bourbon sampling - the bar boasts the best bourbon collection in all of NY, I recall.) 

Shake Shack (burgers)

Madison Sq Park, NY. shakeshacknyc.com






One double hamburger (rare), shack burger (medium), cheese fries, and regular fries. and a bud and a glass of riesling. Hong-An was horrified that I'd never even heard of the Shake Shack. "It's an institution!" she cried. "Every New Yorker has been there at least once!" Well, I guess I'm finally a new yorker. And wow, it feels good. Moist, amazing burgers. I wish I'd ordered my Shake Shack burger rare, but it was still gorgeous to the mouth. Even though crinkle-fries make me think of british school lunches and frozen birds-eye fries, these were perfect. the burgers ranked with In&Out, the fries surpassed. And beer and wine in the park? Made for a delicious meal. Apparently lines get crazy sometimes, but we didn't have to wait. 

Cocotte

337 5th Ave, at 4th St, Park Slope

  
Such a cute inside...  exposed brick walls with crummy (but wonderfully appealing) coffee-shop style art on the walls.  Mason jars for tap water.  Old reggae albums playing quietly.  Perfect lighting.  I wanted so much to adore the place, and yet everything else was just terrible.  The service was friendly but completely absent -- five or ten minutes to get menus, longer to get the check.  (I actually had to walk to the back to ask for it.)  The food, as well, awful.  Dense, mostly flavorless, complimentary banana bread.  Brioche that I ordered was also dense, also flavorless.  I feel like scambled eggs with salmon should arrive mixed, cooked into a harmony, but here it was served as an ugly, tasteless omelette with salmon carelessly layered on top.  However it's supposed to be served, this didn't work.  When we did finally get the bill, with tip, it ended up being $40.  Far too much for a meal I really didn't enjoy.

Coffee Shop

29 Union Sq West, New York, at 16th St. 212-243-7969

The waitresses here are referred to in the same hushed, obsessive tones as the women of Estonia.  It's generally staffed by a cabal of models and actresses, all desperate to be discovered, and aloof as all hell.  Now last night, for some terrible reason, most all the waitresses were men.

Sat at the bar.  Stuck with the standard cheeseburger and garlic fries.  Fine.  Whatever.  Service sucked.  After taking our drink order, of two beers, the waitress wandered off, talked to some friends, joked around with others behind the counter, played some grab-ass, took a couple of other orders, wandered around, disappeared, came back, joked some more, then poured our beers and brought them over.  It was representative of the rest of hte night.  Charles tipped 8%.  I thought he was far too kind.... I tipped half that.

Some balk at the idea of under-tipping -- but to not offer napkins with a burger and fries, and disappear before the question is halfway from my lips?  When we ask to split the bill on two credit cards, the waitress takes forever, then only brings back one credit card and receipt.  "I'll do the other one later," she said.  Huh???  "Can you just bring my card, I'll pay cash."  "Oh, I don't know how much it is -- I didn't split it very evenly."  Huh???

Minca Ramen Factory

536 E. 5th St., Aves. A / B, 212-505-8001


Wow. So the first few bites of this dinner were mind-blowingly good. Radish salad, doused in a peanutty sauce, followed by Char-shu Ramen with the Shoyu (Chichen/Soy) broth. The radish salad, actualy, was far too big and not so exciting, but the pork slices in the ramen were so tender and fatty and blasting with flavor. The broth was thick and gorgeous and loaded with salt. Those first few bites, I was in heaven.

But then you know that feeling when you have a wild rich desert, and no matter how good it is, at the 1/3 marker, you start to feel sick? This was far too rich. Far far too flavorful. And so salty. Focused on those first few bites, I kept eating, kept forcing my way through this insanely big bowl of ramen... and by then end, I was ready to have my stomach pumped. (Looking at the pictures, I start to feel a little nauseous.)

Never thought I'd say this, but if I go back, maybe I should try something a little more bland. ;)