Crepes at Cafe Jolie in Hell's kitchen, NYC, New York

Coming from France, where crepes are pretty popular, I was thrilled to try Cafe Jolie in Hell's Kitchen. Not that I crave crepes as Jodi makes them regularly, but still: thrilled! 

If you do not know what they are, crepes are thin pancakes that originated in west of France, in a region called Brittany. The recipe is pretty straight forward, except that people usually use white flour, instead of the original buckwheat that will give to the crepe a stronger taste and darker color. Also, Crepes can be savory or sweet: some people use beer for savory, others milk for sweet. Personally, I use milk as I do not have time to make two different batters. 

So, here we are at Cafe Jolie. The place is more like a casual restaurant where you order and pick your crepe at the counter and go sit somewhere. Similar to a pizza place in fact. While you wait, you can learn some French...

They make their crepes on crepe makers, instead of a pan, as any creperie would. 

The restaurant was not that crowded, but apparently it is because they deliver a lot. They told me that, in average, they make 120 Crepes in the evening. 

I ordered the traditional ham and cheese, called The Amsterdam. 

The crepe looked very nice and had a lot of ham and cheese in it. Unfortunately, it was not fully cooked, probably because the crepe was not flipped to cook on both sides. 

Jodi ordered La Petite Mort:

Dinner at Zuni in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, New York

Each time we passed in front of Zuni, located in the lower part of Hell's Kitchen, it was packed. So we thought that there must have been a reason for that! So, as it was cold outside, we decided to try it as we did not have enough courage to look around for a new place to try for this blog that would have tables available.

That time too, it was packed. They told us that the wait would be 10 minutes: not bad; so we stayed. The host was trying to persuade us to sit at a table near the window, where even a waiter told him that it was difficult to reach. We refused and said that we were ok to wait a little longer.

Don't be fooled like me: Zuni serves New American cuisine, not Italian...Yes, I should have checked the menu before entering!

The place has a decent size and an interesting decor, full of colorful paintings. They have few booths that I love; understand that in France we do not have booths and we only saw them in movies and TV series (you would be surprised how many American TV series I know!).

When we got the menu, I have to say that I had a bit of a hard time to pick, that is fairly exceptional for me...I do not know: nothing was very inspiring or appetizing. So I made a choice out of despair.

Before the food came, they brought us some olive bread and some muffins:

The olive bread was a bit too chewy, the blueberry muffins had a weird taste and the corn muffins were a bit too spicy...Started well!

Then came the appetizer: the corn fritters.

They were served with honey and a spicy chipotle mayonnaise. The fritters were fantastic: not greasy, they were not too heavy and very tasty, with some corn in it. I loved the idea of putting honey with it: it gave a delicious sweetness to it and, if mixed with the chipotle mayonnaise, it balanced the spiciness of it (although it was subtle).

Jodi ordered the Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Watercress, Belgium Endive and Radicchio, with Pear, Apple and Sun Dried Cranberries:

Mini Doughnuts at The Doughnuttery in Chelsea Market - NYC, New York

Chelsea Market is definitely the perfect place for food lovers: there, you can eat all sort of delicious food that will make you want to come back or even stay there...One of my last discovery there is the Doughnuttery, that replaced People's Pop weeks ago (see my review of People's Pop). After the success of doughnut joints like The Doughnut Plant, one may wonder what makes the Doughnuttery different. First of all, they make fresh mini doughnuts using a small doughnut machine, where you can see these small delicate cakes form.

The machine will drop some dough in the hot oil and the doughnut will cook, navigating from right to left, until being dropped in a plate. Then, the doughnuts are either dipped or filled with the flavor you pick. They either propose elaborate doughnuts such as:

• The cacaoboy (Cacao nibs, sea salt, black),
• The Urban Monkey (Green coffee, banana, coconut) or
• The PBCP (Peanut Butter, cayenne, pretzel).

Otherwise, you can simply get a cinnamon sugar, a powdered sugar or a sprinkles one. We decided to go for 6 doughnuts for $6. Originally, we thought we would be able to try 6 different flavors, but the not so nice person serving us, said that it was not possible.

So we went with two cinnamon sugar, two powdered sugar and two sprinkles doughnuts. They came hot and fresh. They were pretty good, but were a but doughy. They were decent, but I prefer The Doughnut Plant; in fact for $6, you can have much better doughnuts there! Even for $6, you can get bigger and better doughnuts at Dunkin Donuts!!!

I think I will pass next time!

Enjoy (the post)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Sandwiches at Bite in the East Village NYC, New York

Continuing our exploration of the cheap eateries near Union Square, we ended up at Bite, a small restaurant that serves Mediterranean / Middle Eastern food.

Their menu offers and interesting variety of dishes: salads, soups or sandwiches, chili (???)...I was surprised however that they did not serve falafel!

We decided to order two sandwiches. The first one was the Middle Eastern mushrooms:

It was composed of sauteed mushrooms, hummus, goat cheese and Middle Eastern salad. The bread was ciabatta. The first bite was good, especially because they put a lot of goat cheese, but I could not get past the texture of the mushrooms that were probably canned. They would have used fresh mushrooms, this sandwich would have been fantastic!

The other sandwich was the Sabih:

Opening Ceremony at BCD Tofu House in Korea town, NYC - New York

Before reading this post, please note that, in accordance with the FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I was contacted directly by the restaurant or a PR and that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

April 25th was an exciting day for me: I was invited to the Opening Ceremony of BCD Tofu House, located in Korea Town. For sure, I did not expect what happened once there! Let me narrate the evening and you will see how it turned out!

I think I went only once to a restaurant opening ceremony, many years ago and I do not even remember which restaurant it was. So I was excited when I received the invitation from BCD Tofu House to attend their event! If you follow this blog, you know that I love Korean food and discovered this cuisine when traveling to Korea many years ago. I still discover new dishes though from time to time...

BCD Tofu House gets its name from Buk-Chang-Dong, a city in Korea where Mrs Hee Sook Lee, the Founder and CEO of the company received her first cooking training. 

So, the place is spacious with two floors and a earthy atmosphere thanks to the decor made of wood, dark for the most part. It got crowded pretty quickly with an audience representing the press, the blogger community, but also the Korean community, such as Seung Ki Min, President of The Korean-American Association of Greater New York or Young Hyun Kwun, President of The New York Society of Korean Businessman. The President and Founder of BCD Tofu House, Mrs Hee Sook Lee, was also present to welcome the guests and cut the ribbon.

Courtesy of AD Group Communique

The Master of Ceremony was Michelle Park, food and fashion reporter at NY1.

Yes, it was a full ceremony and not just let's cut the ribbon and have some food! The program was the following:

• Opening Remarks by Michelle Park.
• BCD Introduction.
• Congratulatory remarks from Seung Ki Min, President of The Korean-American Association of Greater New York or Young Hyun Kwun, President of The New York Society of Korean Businessman.
• Welcoming Remarks from Mrs Hee Sook Lee.
• Special Guests acknowledgment.
• Prayer.
• Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.
• Vision statement and closing remarks.

Well, what happened is that at some point they asked me to come to the ribbon cutting ceremony to represent foodies. I was a bit surprised and accepted as it was a great honor, but thought that they wanted me in the background. Once the prayer was completed, they called few people and asked the others to step outside the restaurant, in the street. They then asked me to wait a bit and made me line up after the people that were just called. Suddenly, they handed me over some white gloves and a pair of scissors! Holy Cow! I realized that what they asked me was not to be in the background, but rather to be part of the ribbon cutting!!! As I walked out, people spread out across the ribbon and I ended up in the middle, on the left of Mrs Hee Sook Lee!!! My main thought was: "Do not screw up! Do not cut the ribbon before everybody!!!" Once a person shouted "BCD", we cut the ribbon and shook hands, happy and honored at the same time! That was fantastic to be part of this! 

Courtesy of AD Group Communique

Note: I am the fourth person from the right on the photo!

Now, let's talk about food! Prior to the dinner, they served us some hors d'oeuvres:

Shrimp Potato Rolls:

It was delicious! First the shrimp was big and well cooked. Then, the potato crust reminded me of hash brown and paired perfectly with the shrimp.

Grilled Tofu Skewer:

The tofu, that was firm, was sandwiched between a piece of pineapple and a tomato. It was interesting because one was giving the sweetness and the other one the acidity that enhanced the flavor of the overall skewer. Pretty good!

The Third Hors d'Oeuvre was a Fried Pork Dumpling:

This one was my least favorite: too crispy and greasy for me.

I decided to order soju, a distilled alcohol very popular in Korea.

This one was made with sweet potatoes!

Then, they started the dinner with the traditional banchan or small dishes. There served my favorite: Kimchi!

It was very good and a bit spicy! I have to say that Kimchi is the dish I always expect when I go to a Korean restaurant! You can also find some at Whole Foods...

Spicy Raw Crab:

It was a fresh crab marinated in a spicy and garlicky red pepper sauce. Well, for sure the sauce was spicy. As for the crab, I cannot say because it was a bit difficult to eat the meat. Not the best dish for a press event!

Pickles:

And zucchini:

These two were good and balanced well with the spiciness of the other dishes.

There was also  a dish made with gelatin that I tried:

It had no taste and I confess that I only had a bite...

They also served us Jabchae that are glass noodles:

One of my bosses who is Korean used to say that French people are always fond of this dish and...he was right! It was the first time I tried them at room temperature and I admit that it was perfect. In Korean cuisine, they are usually made from sweet potato starch. 

Then came the LA Galbi or BBQ Pork Rib:

I think this was a phenomenal dish! The meat might not have been as tender as I expected, but it had so much flavor, similar to the flavor you would get with a bulgogi, thanks to its marinade. Eating it with the chop sticks was a bit of a challenge, but I had enough motivation to overcome it...

Then came the long awaited soon tofu or tofu soup:

The tofu in it was soft (soon in Korean) and therefore absorbed the delicious flavor of the broth made with beef and seafood. Mrs Hee Sook Lee told me that it was 100% organic. It came piping hot and we broke a fresh egg in it so it could cook in the soup!

And it was served with white rice:

This soup was delicious: very comforting, it was perfect because slightly spicy and very tasty. The mix of seafood and meat was really good and the only negative was that the shrimp had its shell, but I guess it is to render more flavor to the dish. If you do not like tofu like I use to, it might be the dish that will change your mind!

After we ate the soup, they brought us some rice in a broth that was supposed to clean our palate:

It was made with the white rice that was cooked in a stone bowl and then a broth was added to it. I had a bit of it and the taste was particular for sure.

Last was dessert:

Apparently, it is typical for celebration and Holidays. I confess that I do not know the name of this dessert that was made with red beans. I did not like the taste of it.

So we definitely had a good time at BCD Tofu House. For sure, it was the Inauguration of the restaurant so the service was perfect and we could expect some good food. I will go back another time as a regular customer to try other dishes, especially the bibimbap and the bulgogi! If you go, I suggest the LA Galbi, Jabchae and Soon Tofu soup that were excellent.

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post or the photos, feel free to share it using the toolbar below or to write a comment! 

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Dinner at Nobu in Tribeca, NYC, New York

We were very excited to go to Nobu in Tribeca! We wanted to treat ourselves in the restaurant of Japanese Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, whose partners include Robert De Niro (yes, I am talking to you!). He created dishes inspired from his background but also from his experience in South America (Peru and Argentina). 

Having a reservation was a bit of a challenge for the week end and we got one at 6:15pm on a Saturday. From outside, the restaurant was very discreet. Inside, it was very elegant with its earthy tones and Japanese aesthetics. The place started to get busy pretty quickly. We even saw Matt Dillon who was having dinner and were wondering if we would see other actors as we went there during the Tribeca Film Festival. No luck. 

The menu was pretty extensive, showcasing traditional Japanese dishes like sushi and sashimi. For sure, having sushi and sashimi at Nobu might be good but we felt that we would miss the whole point of this culinary discovery.

We decided to try the following dishes:

For appetizer, we ordered the Spicy Miso Chips with Bigeye Tuna:

The scale on the photo is close to what we got! It was small and clearly more an Amuse Bouche rather than what I would call an appetizer. It would have been better with at least 4 pieces! It was good though, a little on the sweet side, it was not as spicy as it advertises. 

Then we got the Kumamoto Oysters with Maui Onion Salsa:

The presentation was very nice with the oysters presented on crushed ice. The scale on the photo was again close to reality: small. The problem is that I could barely taste the oyster: the onion salsa was good but too overpowering for my taste.

For entrees, Jodi ordered the Fish and Chips Nobu-style:

Hot and Cold ramen at Ramen Takumi in NYC, New York

As I thought my frenzy for ramen would have to be put on hold as the temperature rises, my cousin Jessica, who follows this blog and has given me some good addresses, mentioned the cold ramen. I was a bit intrigued by it as I always imagined that dish very hot. So when we went to Ramen Takumi, located nearby Union Square, in Greenwich Village, I decided to try. Well, remember: Ramen means Noodle Dish in Japanese. 

So we went there and as most of the ramen places, it was busy and the service was pretty fast. That day, exceptionally as one could say, I passed on the appetizer and went straight to the ramen! 

Jodi ordered the Shio Ramen:

The Shio Ramen broth, lightly salted, was served with two pieces of pork was were phenomenal (tender, tasty with a bit of deliciousness people call fat...), bamboo shoots, a salt flavored egg (half, perfectly cooked - soft yolk), seaweed, scallions and noodles (of course!). It was a very good dish!

I ordered the Hiyashi Ramen-Natsu:

Lulu's Bakery in Queens, NYC, New York

David, one of my coworkers, brought some pastries from Lulu's, a bakery located in Queens. It was a box full of fresh mini size pastries. So, as I am fully dedicated to this blog, I had no other choice than trying few of them...

The first one was the Lulu's, a cream puff that is the specialty of the place.

The shell was very fresh and well cooked (when slightly overcooked, it can overpower the entire pastry), and the vanilla bean cream inside was very light.

Then, I got an eclair:

The top was made of some delicious dark chocolate and the inside was a vanilla cream. The shell was similar to the Lulu's. I really liked it, because of the combination of the chocolate glaze and the vanilla cream that complemented well.

The last was definitely for chocolate lovers. I call it the Dark chocolate cream puff!

It was smothered in a dark chocolate and had a very dark and dense chocolate cream inside.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the three pastries from Lulu's bakery that I tried: they tasted fresh, made with quality ingredients and, most importantly, were not too sweet, allowing people to eat several (plenty?) of them. A good address for sure!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Buns at Baohaus in NYC, New York

Baohaus is a hole in the wall located in the East Village that serves Bao, these steamed bread-like buns that originated in Chinese cuisine. Interestingly, I discovered them in Japanese restaurants and was persuaded they were from Japan...But no, they are definitely not!

The place, opened by Eddie and Evan Huang is tiny!

You do not go there for a romantic dinner or to hang out; it is more grab, eat and go, except later in the evening.

The menu offers several types of buns as well as rice dishes for reasonable prices. But, if you have a good appetite, 4 to 5 buns will be necessary to satisfy it...Each portion is one bun, allowing to try few of them.

Here is what we got:

The Uncle Jesse (front) and Broccolini BAO:

The Uncle Jesse consists of organic fried Tofu, served with crushed peanut, cilantro, Haus Sauce, and Taiwanese red sugar.

The Broccolini Bao was a tempura Broccoli, served with Zha Jiang bean paste, shitake mushrooms, and daikon.

Cheese Fondue at Vintner Wine Market in NYC, New York

Fondue is an awesome dish when the weather is not too hot: not only it is good, but it is perfect to fill up your belly on a cold day! 

I went to few restaurants that serves it: Artisanal and Kashkaval where I sure enjoyed it! Walking in Hell's Kitchen, we noticed Vintner Wine Market (also called Ninth Avenue Vintner). It is a small and quaint place that sells wine, beer (they have a huge selection) and cheese from all over the world: France, Italy, etc. 

When we saw that they had cheese fondue on their menu, we definitely had to try it! 

We went for the Swiss one as it is more traditional.