Lunch at Sushi Damo in NYC, New York

It has been so many years we have not been to Sushi Damo, an elegant Japanese restaurant located Midtown West, right behind the Time Warner Towers. Tough location for sure, being off the beaten path, except if you are staying at the Hudson Hotel...

This place did not change and still has this zen atmosphere.

The menu, crafted by Executive Chef Takashi Okamura, has all the standard Japanese dishes you would find in any restaurant, as well as some interesting creations, such as the braised lamb in apple-soy sauce or the grilled Chilean sea bass in butter reduction.

We started off with some appetizers. The first one was the pork gyoza.

Brunch and Lunch at Schnackenberg's in Hoboken, NJ

Schnackenberg's is one of the oldest restaurants in Hoboken, opening in 1931 few years after the founders, Dora and Henry Schnackenberg, came to the US, immigrating from Germany. This soda shop remained opened until being purchased by Eugene and Joyce Flinn who also own Amanda's and the Elysean Café, two of the most popular restaurants in town. After undergoing renovations for few months, the restaurant reopened in December 2013. So, it was time for us to try it! We went twice: once for breakfast and once for lunch (the lunch menu is available after noon).

Entering there is like traveling in the past, not only because of the decor and the different artifacts witnessing the old time, but also because of the overall atmosphere: from the music (lots of Frank Sinatra who was from Hoboken), to the uniform of the staff. 

Right at the entrance is the old cash register that did not leave the place.

As well as an old mirror that probably had some history.

When we went for breakfast, we sat at the bar where large cakes were on display. These cakes are not prepared in this place, but by a bakery in a neighboring town. 

Jodi tried the coconut cake, but did not like it though.

However, we tried their homemade donuts that they sell for $1 and they were delicious.

They have different kinds and we went for the cinnamon sugar.

I started off with some coffee, served in a mug with the mascot of the restaurant on it, a mascot that we will see on every plate.

As it was brunch, I went for the eggs Benedict.

E-San Thai in Murray Hill, NYC, New York

We were recently invited to E-San Thai, a Thai restaurant located off the beaten path, in Murray Hill. This place opened in September 2012 by Chef Toi Kumdang who also owns a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, Khao Sarn. From outside, the restaurant has nothing really distinctive, besides the bright yellow sign. At the entrance, first is the bar:

Then, on the right is the dining room, with its vaulted ceiling and warm colors.

There were not that many elements of the decor to remind you that you are in a Thai restaurant, except maybe the plastic lotus flower that was on every table:

Or the display on the right side of the bar:

We sat at one of the tables and

I started the lunch with a Thai Iced Tea, drink that I always order with Thai food.

I love the dark orange color with gradation of this drink. It was good and not too sweet.

Then the first appetizer was the vegetable spring rolls:

They were made of cabbage, carrots, celery and glass noodles, and served with a plum sauce. I found them delicious: they were crispy, not too greasy and there was the perfect amount of shell.

The second appetizer was the E-San sausage, that is a house specialty made with ground pork seasoned with Thai herbs.

It was good and tasty, the spices really coming through. I wish however that it was served with a kind of mustard or sauce to dip in.

The last appetizer was roti canai:

I love that dish that is kind of a fusion between Indian and Thai food. It is composed of a roti or paratha that was a bit thicker and less greasy than what I am used too. The bowl contained a dish made of a curry similar to a massaman, with potatoes, onions and chicken; it is the first time I got it with chicken as usually they propose it without meat. It was a delicious dish that I definitely recommend.

Then, we got Pad See Eew that are thick noodles, tofu, egg and broccoli, bathed in a black soy sauce.

Again another good dish: very tasty, I truly appreciated that it was not too salty.

The second entree was the Pineapple Na-Na, a crispy duck with a pineapple curry:

I was scared at first that this dish would be spicy, but it was perfect, having a little kick that  was well complemented by the sweetness of the sauce, as well as the pieces of pineapple. The duck was perfectly cooked and had a nice crunch.

It was served with white rice.


But what was the most spectacular was the sea bass that came after that:

It was a whole sea bass that was smothered with a sauce midly spicy and served with vegetables. The fish was perfectly cooked, moist and flaky, and the sauce was a bit sweet, with just the perfect kick. I never think about ordering fish, moreover a whole fish, in Thai restaurants, but this dish may have made me change my mind! If you go to E-San Thai, don't be freaked out by the mouth of the fish and enjoy it! I did!

Then, it was time to have dessert! The first one was the fried coconut ice cream that is one of their best sellers:

Fried ice cream is an interesting concept: the ice cream is first dipped in a batter and then fried. I can just tell you that I had to move fast with that one; not because the ice cream was melting, but because Jodi could not stop eating it!

That is true that it was delicious: the outside was a bit crunchy and the ice cream smooth, probably made with coconut milk. Another recommendation!

The second dessert was Thai donuts:

They were served with condensed milk and peanuts:

I liked them with or without the condensed milk...This is a very comforting dessert, a guilty pleasure that no one can resist, even after a full meal like the one we had!

With the desserts, I drank a Thai Iced Coffee that was a first for me:

It is like Thai Iced Tea except that the tea is replaced by coffee. I guess I will consider this drink the next time as I really liked it. It has a nice smokiness that I guess came from the coffee itself.

The lunch at E-San Thai was very good and made me want to discover more Thai cuisine. I often order "standard" dishes like Chicken curry Massaman, but there are so many other dishes to try. Of course my choices are also driven by the prix-fixe that restaurants propose, where unfortunately only these "standard" dishes are offered. I think it is a mistake, because there is so much to discover, and E-San Thai is the perfect spot for it.

Enjoy (I did)!


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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Brunch at Lafayette in Greenwich Village, NYC, New York

After watching an episode of Unique Sweets, we had Lafayette in our list of restaurants to try. And we tried it! We decided to go for brunch, as the item displayed on the tv show was from the bakery. In fact, we did not think that restaurant was so big at that time, because they only showed the bakery located at the entrance.

They had lots of delicious things there, prepared by Chef Pâtissière Jen Yee and Boulanger James Belisle:  from standard viennoiseries (croissants, pains au chocolat, pains aux amandes) you find elsewhere in New York, to delicacies that I had when I was a kid in France, such as the Petit Beurres.

These are homemade, not like the ones I use to have that were mass produced and that I love to dip in a café au lait. Well, I did not try these...yet!

So, back to the restaurant: it is huge! On the left side is the dining room:

And on the right side is the bar with its classic look and amazing display.

We sat at one of the tables that had a banquette on one side, like a half booth.

Some patrons chose to sit next to each other on the banquette, but I decided not to as I like to see the person I am talking to...

Jodi ordered a tea as a beverage:

And I ordered a coke. Yes, no espresso this time!

I am happy I took a photo of it so I can remember it, considering that it was $5 for just a glass of soda!!! This is crazy!

Then it was time to try what we were coming for: the coconut banana chocolate croissant or pain au chocolat a la banane et noix de coco.

Let's be honest here: it was mainly for Jodi as she loved coconut. 

Imagine a pain au chocolat cut in half where some banana will be spread over as well as a coconut frangipane. It was quite good, having the flakiness and buttery taste of a pain au chocolat, as well as the texture of a frangipane (almond paste that you find in almond croissants). However, I wish they put two bars of chocolate and that there were more pieces of banana. Jodi, however, was in heaven!

For the main dishes, we had quite a large choice of French dishes prepared by Chef Andrew Carmellini and Chef de Cuisine Damon Wise: duck confit, beef tartare or Pâté Maison. French specialties, yes, but interpreted and brought to a higher level by the chef. For instance, the beef tartare is served with a quail egg; the duck confit with curried lentils and crème fraîche. 

Jodi ordered the egg white frittata with mushrooms:

It was good, but there were mushrooms only on one part of the omelet, the other part being just egg whites.

On my side, I ordered the soft scrambled eggs vol-au-vent with chèvre and leeks:

When the dish came, I could definitely smell some truffle that was present in the sauce. If you wonder what vol-au-vent is, it is like a well made with puff pastry that you would fill with whatever you want. This vol-au-vent was probably homemade; it was flakey and deliciously buttery. Inside was the scrambled eggs that were very soft and not dry, the way I like them. It was a good dish, however, not enough if you have a normal appetite and only order this. I think they should have thrown some potatoes with it.

I think the food at Lafayette was decent and we got good service there. Would I go back? Probably, but maybe more for the bakery than the restaurant that is a bit overpriced.

Enjoy (I did)!

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