Revisite: Chinese lunch at Szechuan Gourmet in Midtown West, NYC, New York

Szechuan Gourmet is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants outside Chinatown. Located Midtown West, this place is always busy; I am not surprised considering the very reasonable prices and how good the food is. They have an extensive menu that features some classic and not so classic dishes as you will see in this post, satisfying the meat eaters as well as the vegetarians.

We went there with my co-workers to celebrate the birthday of our friend David. As we were a large party, they sat us in their private dining room. Interesting room: you will not find any Chinese paintings, but European paintings where the subjects bare it all! 

We decided to share and let David take care of the order. We started off with scallion pancakes:

This is a very comforting dish and perfect if you had one too many drinks...It was crispy and not greasy, which is often the problem with that dish.

The second appetizer was the vegetable dumplings:

They were perfect: often, the shell is too thick and there is not enough stuffing. There, the shell was thin and the filling very tasty.

The last appetizer was the vegetable spring rolls:

Again another delicious fried appetizer, very comforting. 

Then the entrees started to come. First was the eggplant in garlic sauce:

This is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. For sure you need to like garlic because, after eating this, no vampire will approach you for days...The eggplant were perfectly cooked, melting in my mouth, with that delicious smokey taste so particular to that vegetable.

Then came the fried rice:

It was good, not the best I ever ate, but good.

After that came the crispy orange chicken:

That was a fantastic dish: the chicken was moist and crispy, smothered in a deliciously sweet sauce.

Then, we tried the Ma Po Tofu:

This dish had a beautiful color, but don't be mistaken: all the red is chile and that was spicy! Yes, it was good, but very spicy.

The last entree we tried was surprising: Jumbo Prawn in mayonnaise.

Just hearing the name of the dish, it does not sound really Chinese, nor appetizing. Apparently, this dish came from Hong Kong. It was a very good dish: the shrimp were crispy, mixed with broccoli and pineapple for some sweetness, and the creamy sauce was delicious, with a very very slight mayonnaise taste. For sure, the next time I see that dish on a menu, I will order it! 

Last was dessert:

It was Tang Yuan,  round soft rice cakes with black sesame filling, dipped in syrup.

I tried to photograph the filling but it was a bit challenging not to move...

I liked it, although I would have liked the syrup to be sweeter. The texture of the ball was similar to mochi, maybe a bit softer.

We had a good time at Szechuan Gourmet: good food, good company and good prices. This remains one of my favorite spots for authentic Chinese food in Midtown Manhattan. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Cheap eats: Alberto's Pizza and Cheesesteaks in Chelsea, NYC, New York

Wandering close to Union Square, we found Alberto's Pizza and Cheesesteak. I admit that I wanted to try it not for the pizza, but for the cheesesteak as I love that sandwich and was a bit disappointed when I went to Shorty's. 

This is your typical pizza place and you do not go for the decor, for the service or to get some warmth (except probably if you are a regular customer). 

I ordered a cheesesteak with onions and provolone that they prepared on the grill, next to the entrance.

Petit Déjeuner at Le Pain Quotidien in NYC, New York

If you recall, few weeks ago, I posted about a chocolate tour in New York City. Well, the tour started at 12pm and we decided to have breakfast in the city earlier that day. Our place of choice was Le Pain Quotidien, one of our favorite places. Don't be fooled: Le Pain Quotidien is not French but Belgian! This franchise is present all over the city and they have fantastic breads and viennoiseries such as croissants or pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant).

I love this place also because it has this rustic feel with all this wood and the communal table in the center of the room.

Jodi simply ordered a pain au chocolat:

I admit that the pain au chocolat at Le Pain Quotidien is one of my favorites in the city: flakey and buttery, it has a bit of crunch on the outside that is divine.

She had it with tea:

Bonne Année!!!

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you all celebrated the new year well!

As 2014 is starting, let's review a bit 2013 for I Just Want To Eat!

I cannot not start this post without talking about the Cronut!

Some people say that this craze will soon stop: I do not know about that and it seems that, even with the cold weather, there are still people lining up to get this fantastic pastry (fusion between a donut and a croissant). For sure there were copycats, like the Crumbnut from Crumbs, but it was not up to par with the original. Most importantly, Dominique Ansel, that I consider a pastry genius (he makes a brioche where the center is a chocolate soufflé or frozen s'mores), launched a trend where we will probably see pastry chefs come up with original creations, maybe not to get the same attention, but rather as a challenge.

In New York, it was also the year where French bakeries have been popping up, especially Maison Kayser and Francois Payard, my preference going being the latter.

Dinner at Inakaya in Times Square, NYC, New York

We found Inakaya by sheer coincidence, walking on the side of The New York Times Building in Times Square. From the outside, we already saw that it was an upscale Japanese restaurant. We tried to go a first time, but it was packed and the wait was way too long. So the second time, we reserved a table.

They sat us at the large counter that oversees the kitchen. 

It was full of Japanese elements that were intriguing and integrated well in the decor, highlighting the fact that this was not a usual place.

After we sat, they brought us some wet towels:

And we ordered some green tea.

While sipping our tea, we noticed that the people on the other side of the counter were carrying some sort of wooden peels, similar to the ones that restaurants use to put and remove pizza from the oven.

A couple of minutes later, we saw one of the staff putting a dish on the peel and reaching out across the counter to a patron, who took it from there. That was quite surprising and amusing!

So, it was time to order. We went for classic dishes:

We started off with Robata-yaki or grilled vegetables. The first one was eggplant:

I love eggplant and, when eating in a Japanese restaurant, we usually order nasu (the Japanese word for eggplant), that is eggplant in miso. This dish was really good: simple, keeping the eggplant be the star, it had a nice but not too pronounced char taste.

Korean lunch at Don's Bogam in Murray Hill, NYC, New York

On Christmas Day, we decided to eat in the city before going to see the second installment of The Hobbit, with Jodi's cousins Jessica and Michael, their sons Alex and Brian and their friends Andrew and Manuel. As I was not sure what was open, I went to open table to try to find a good place to go. That is how we ended up at Don's Bogam, a Korean restaurant we passed by several times but never tried before. The name is interesting and I asked the waiter who was not sure how to explain it, so here is my interpretation: Don is the name of the owner; Bogam is an ancient medicine. Therefore, Don's Bogam is Don's medicine.

It is a BBQ and Wine Bar and for sure, you cannot miss the wine part when entering, with its modern L-shape bar, and the dining room sections separated by empty wine bottles.

The main dining room is big and had some warmth thanks to all the wood, from the floor to the tables.

The seating is interesting though, as it is floor level with chairs without legs to be comfortable. Going in and going out was a bit challenging, though entertaining...

They first brought the banchan, these small side dishes that are always exciting to see: you never know what you will get.

It was composed of:

Some Korean zucchini or Chosun Hobak:

Eggplant:

Seaweed:

Soy:

Potato Salad (always surprising to have that!):

Kimchi cabbage:

Kimchi radish:

Spicy squid:

My favorites were definitely the squid and two kimchi, all of them having a nice kick.

Then came our entrees: all of us ordered bibimbap, these rice dishes that come in a very hot bowl. Don's Bogam has a nice selection, either with meat or vegetarian.

Jodi ordered the Dubu-beoseot, made with tofu, mushrooms and vegetables:

On my side, I ordered the Galbi bibimbap, made with short ribs:

The galbi bibimbap had this fantastic smell coming from the meat that emanated from the bowl. The meat, although slightly overcooked, was delicious and tasty. In the bottom, the rice was already burnt, making a crust that was deliciously crunchy.

I loved the galbi bibimbap and the photo below can attest on how good it was:

The food was delicious and everybody liked Don's Bogam. The service though was just ok and I am not sure if it was because our waiter was not happy to work on Christmas Day: we ordered tea and never got it. We asked for an egg in the bibimbap and when the dishes came, he simply say "No, no egg". But, despite that, I would definitely go back! Oh, I forgot to mention that they have a gluten free menu too!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Product review: Booskerdoo coffee - Monmouth Beach, NJ

If you follow this blog, you probably know what my favorite drink is. It is not wine, margaritas, cognac or whiskey. No, it is coffee. I drink lots of it, all day long, to the point where, if I do not get enough, I am not feeling too good: this is called addiction. I drink it black with no sugar, but sometimes, I do not mind un cafe au lait (coffee with milk) and I discovered last year the Macchiato from Illy that, although pricey, is exquisite. Interestingly, I love coffee to drink, but I am not a big fan of coffee in desserts, with the exception of tiramisu.

I stopped using sugar in coffee few years ago, after reading an article where the writer explained that it usually takes few weeks before getting accustomed to this. So I tried. At first, I did not like it, but after three weeks, I was fine. Considering the amount of coffee I drink, cutting on sugar was probably a good idea.

What could explain my addiction is that coffee is an institution in France: people drink it for breakfast, after lunch or after dinner, and sometimes in the afternoon, when socializing with family and friends. Except in tourist places such as Les Champs-Elysées in Paris, you can just sit at the terrace of a café for few hours, enjoying each others company or watching people: a lot of time, nobody will bother you, asking you to order something to be able to stay. Don't be surprise also to see kids sipping a cup of coffee at a café: it is the only "adult" drink they can have, alcohol not supposed to be served if you are not 18 years old (although they never check the age of the patron...); it is also the cheapest.

So I was excited when I was contacted to review coffee from Booskerdoo, a micro roaster located in Monmouth Beach, NJ. I received three different coffee beans that were freshly roasted, because they do not have a warehouse and roast the coffee right before shipping it.

Authentic Mexican dinner at El Maguey Y La Tuna on the Lower East Side, NYC, New York

I was recently invited to El Maguey Y La Tuna, a restaurant located on the Lower East Side that serves authentic Mexican cuisine. As a blogger, I love these press dinners, not only because you get to meet other people who love food, but also because you often meet with the owner or Chef who will give you some information or back stories that you would not have as a regular diner.

I admit that I had no idea what the name of the restaurant was referring to and thought that Tuna was...tuna! In fact, it means "The Tequila/Mezcal and Prickly Pear Plants". It is a family owned and operated business: in the kitchen, Executive Chef Leonides Cortez and his wife, Sous Chef Manuela Cortez. At the front of the house is their daughter Maria who gave us plenty of hints that evening.

It is a medium size place, with a 45 seats capacity that, as Maria mentioned, was designed to make people feel like they are in the family kitchen, a feel perfectly rendered by the terra-cotta floors, the wood and tile tables and the white tile walls, decorated with photos (one of them is Maria's grandmother, overlooking the dining room and emphasizing the importance of family), as well as ceramic from Mexico.

We started off with drinks. I could have gone for a Mexican beer but decided to go for their margaritas that they flavor with fresh fruit puree. 

I ordered the mango margarita that is my favorite flavor. 

It might not have been the best margarita I ever tried, but I liked it, although a bit dangerous because you couldn't taste the alcohol too much making it taste like an innocent drink...

I also tried, out of curiosity the jalapeño margarita (don't think I drank two margaritas: that will never happen!).

I never heard of such a drink and if there would not be jalapeños floating around, I would have never guessed what it was. It was refreshing, not spicy as I would have expected.

We started the dinner with chicken tamales that they made especially for the Holidays as Maria told us.

We had to unwrap it to discover the filling made with chicken and masa (a corn dough), that we ate with green salsa.