Live To Nibble

The longest break

2010-09-11T09:49:00.003-04:00

I am taking a long break from blogging at the moment. Averaging 3 countries a month is no joke, especially when half of that time Facebook and blogger are censored. I'll try to get back to posting hopefully by October.

Post #419: Lakes, snow-tiped mountains, and pork!

2010-06-16T16:32:00.003-04:00

I am thinking of starting every post with Hokkaido is breathtakingly beautiful! There are an amazing number of lakes nested between snow-tipped mountains. This is one of my favorite lakes on this trip because of its temperamental color-changing qualities. On this sunny day, we arrived to find turquoise water in the deep and dark green patches near the shore.

It's hard not to feel that life is worth living if only to see this kind of sights another day.

Of course there is also the grilled pork to live for. Shiretoko is famous for these pork rice bowls besides the lakes. The tiny restaurant we were recommended to go to had seats for about ten. Being so popular, we all had to eat with another ten watching from the door. But it's hard to care when the entire room is permeated with the smell of searing pork fat on the grill in an open kitchen that took up more than half of the room. Much less aggressively seasoned than the color may suggest, these slices were examples of balance, between fat and lean that is. Really quite perfectly salty sweet over rice. It was even more exceptional with a side of fresh daikon salad.

Post #418: Hello Hokkaido!

2010-06-15T09:38:00.003-04:00

Hokkaido is the second largest island of Japan and the nation's number one supplier of agricultural products. It is also insanely beautiful, boasting 22% of the entire country's forestry. Our 8 day GPS and satellite phone guided trip through the eastern parts of the island took us into hills of pink moss, fields of tulips, and miles and miles of pastures populated by happy cows.

We also filled our stomachs with loads of fresh veggies that would be exorbitantly priced elsewhere, even in Tokyo as I found out during my four day stay there. These irredecent purple eggplants were my absolute favorites lightly pickled and eaten with slightly sweet sake.

While this is not Kobe, there were plenty of wagyu beef for the having (number 1 producer of cows and dairy). The preferred method of eating is charcoal grilled. Look at that beautiful marbling!!
We were given a ball of beef fat with which to oil the grill, but really there was no need. The meat itself just melted and seared beautifully on the hot grill. This is not a steak to eat by the slabs. It's simply too rich for that, but in small mouthfuls, it's juice squirting heavenly. Our entire meal at the this log cabin restaurant called Bibi's included four orders of meats of various cuts and fat levels plus sake came up to only $100. Now that's value for money!

Post #417: best start to the day

2010-06-12T08:40:00.003-04:00

The best thing about being in Japan, Korean, China, or many other Asian countries is the feast that one has for breakfast. How good is it to wake up to this!

The part that makes me the most happy is the soft boiled egg. Without fail, it's always gooey in the center and bright orange. The joy!

Post #416: more raw fish of the best quality - Sushi Kanesaka

2010-06-10T08:55:00.004-04:00

E and I braved the rain to keep our lunch reservation at Sushi Kanesaka. The place has a Michelin 2 star, but the distinction is not advertised at all due to the Japanese dislike for it. Similar to many great sushi spots in Tokyo, this one is also hidden deep in a basement with a barely noticeable entrance on the street level. Luckily E's ability to read Japanese alphabets plus my ability to read Kanji (the Chinese characters that are still used in modern Japanese) allowed us to navigate around quite efficiently.

Our sushi chef for lunch was by far the most friendly I've ever encountered. His willingness to speak English and wonderful service really made the whole experience so much more enjoyable.
At this top level, it's hard to compare the fish quality between Kanesaka and Kyubey. What did differentiate was the texture of the rice. Kanesaka's version is just a bit more vinegared and quite a bit more al dente. Viewed from the underside, the grains looked rather distinct. I prefer this version when paired with the firmer white fish pieces, but the more buttery fish types seemed to do better with the softer textured rice at Kyubey. Although all this is really hair splitting talk. Either one is WAY better than any I've had state side. On a side note, the Tokyo Nobu was just around the corner from my hotel. I was told by the hotel staff that if I wanted something average and easy (not cheaper), I could just go there. :)

An awesome piece of fatty tuna.
Then for contrast, a clean flavored slice of lean tuna.

Look how that skin shines and the flavor was so clean, it was hard to believe that it is a skin on piece.

This is definitely the most beautiful and non-fishy piece of aji I've ever had. My compliment on its fresh sweet flavor got our chef to comment that he heard that Americans use mayo on their sushi, he supposed that it is because there is a need to hide the fishiness...

The chef kindly gave a single piece on the left side, so the photo would show the neat composition by hand on the right.

Very very sweet clam.
The eel here was the most different I've ever had. The piece was so soft, it literally melted in my mouth. I think I prefer my eel with a bit more texture, but the consistence here was definitely an experience.

Somehow I failed to take a photo of my uni piece. I guess being my favorite, I was too busy easy to think about photo. The chef, upon hearing that I was heading to Hokkaido, said that I'd have even better uni there. I was doubtful then, but having now consumed a good quantity of the best stuff in Hokkaido, I am completely convinced that he was right. Hokkaido does indeed have the best uni, which you will see in a later post.

Post #415: Starting on Japan- Kyubey

2010-06-09T07:03:00.005-04:00

I had a few days in Tokyo on my own before heading to Hokkaido. It has been quite awhile since my last solo international trip, so I was quite excited to eat whatever I wanted at exactly when I wanted. For my first meal, I didn't have to go far. Hotel Okura where I stayed had a branch of Kyubey, which some Japanese consider the best traditional sushi in Tokyo.

With sushi this fresh, even bad lighting can't hide the glistening. This is just the standard set, but already satisfying enough.

These look like little scallops, but are in fact bits of clam. Very sweet and chewy.
This piece with garlic paste changed my whole thinking on no strong flavors with sushi. It was so yummy!
Best bites of the evening these were. Eel with and without the house made sauce gave a great side by side comparison. My preference here was for the non-sauced one with just a bit of salt on top. This preference was proven true again when my husband and I ate eel rice as our last meal in Japan. Somehow the sauce changes the texture of the eel into a more firm state in addition to flavor.

To me, sushi is first and foremost about the fresh fish, but the rice texture and quality comes at a close second. At Kyubey, the rice is on the softer side and slightly less assertive. When I post about sushi Kenesaka later, you should be able to see the difference visually.

Post #414: mix of sweets

2010-05-22T11:30:00.002-04:00

We had a little girls get-together and desserts were naturally a part of the equation. In the foreground are the Muss & Turner goat cheesecake and whoopie pie. In the back are cupcakes from the Cupcake Factory. The winners included the goat cheesecake even though it's not particularly goat cheesy. It was very very fluffy and smooth. Of the cupcakes, the most moist was the strawberry. The best frosting went to the salted caramel.

I am off to Japan, Tokyo and a bunch of cities in Hokkaido. So there will be a two week period with no posts, but I'll be back with some good eats for sure. :)

Post #413: A meal of parts - Busy Bee Cafe

2010-05-19T09:53:00.004-04:00

To live the full Atlanta experience means to sometime explore the parts of town that are not so like every other city. Many of these parts are just minutes from the comfort zone, like the stretch of older Atlanta where Busy Bee sits. At 11:30, the little cafe is quiet and empty. But half an hour later, the line is out the door.

If you don't immediately recognize the main course, it's because it is not something that gets on most menus anymore if it ever did. That's also why my eyes were quickly drawn to it. Not so easy on the eye, the grey pork neck bone blocks took some work, but were immensely satisfying once my fingers were all coated with pork fat and all the crevices had been picked clean.

Fox Bro still has the best banana pudding, but this is honestly made and everything I expected.

The sweet potato pie is the more fluffy and slightly less sweet type. It goes down quite a lot easier than some of the denser ones that tend to accumulate a sheen of oil on top.

Definitely come early and watch the place come to life.

Post #412: Fantastic mother's day brunch - Restaurant: Park 75

2010-05-11T05:41:00.004-04:00

You can't beat an elaborate hotel brunch when it's done right. And the Four Seasons does it just about perfect for mother's day. The setting was beautiful with lots of hydrangeas adding soft colors to the gilded space. The experienced servers provided superb service and warm smiles all around. Since service charge was included with every bill, there was no need to wait for a specific person.
Lots of quality goods were available including ample lobster meat in the soup, large slices of prime ribs, lamb chops, and huge chunks of snow crabs. I ate an entire plate of just crabs as my second course and felt awesome! :)

Post #411: A long break

2010-05-08T05:45:00.008-04:00

A food blog cannot survive when there is no food to write about. I wish that was the reason for my four week long silence. That would have been a good reason. But it wasn't the case. What happened to me was paralysis from too much travel and food. I was simply overwhelmed with photos and couldn't bring myself start.

Now jet lagged in my still messy bedroom from unpacking last night's luggage, I decided that a decision to either move forward or stop altogether must be made. Well, you know which ended up being my decision. So here are a sampling of some of the most interesting stuff I ate all over the place. I may or may not go back to write more about food from these cities, but at least I can now move forward. :)

Above is an exceptionally soft and fragrant plate of white tuna crudo I enjoyed lounging around at the outdoor tables of Bocanova (Jack London Square, Oakland, CA) while watching spring sunlight dancing on the water of the breezy harbor.

Back in San Fran, I ate a quick meal at the Plant Cafe Organic at pier 3, where the gluten free, dairy free, sugar free cheesecake really intrigued. It tasted not at all like a cheesecake, but was very good in its own nutty dense way from pine nuts and pistachio.

We had the great luck of enjoying one of the rare clear days in LA. From the terrance of the Getty, it was possible to see all the way across LA.

J's cousin and her husband are big fans of the Pico kosher deli in LA. I ordered my pastrami sandwich with a layer of chicken liver pate. The sweetness from the pate cut the salt of the pastrami rather nicely. I do have to say that I prefer the fattier pastrami from Katz.

Then I was quickly off to nyc for a case. Soon after landing, I found my way to sit at momofuku licking korean bbq sauce dripped off a hefty Korean bbq rib sandwich. Afterwards, I turned the corner to hit up momofuku's milk bar for this adorable soft serve called cereal milk. It tasted exactly like its name.

Lots of meet ups with old friends from my Goldman Sachs days before law school included sharing the best burger I can remember having at the beyond popular Minetta Tavern. From the moment we entered at 5:30, the place stayed jam packed.

One of the greatest advantages of lunching alone is the possibility of scoring a single free seat at an ultra popular restaurant. This was the case at Spotted Pig. Since I had already burgered out at Minetta, I skipped the cult burger and went for the other fan favorite, the gnudi. What can I say, this was creamy heaven in a bowl.

Weddings bring us to Singapore many times a year it seems. This time the four seasons dining room served up a head intact suckling piggy as one of Liam & Dawn's nine course banquet. The head pieces were particular sticky and crunchy.

J came down with a horrible stomach flu that left all of us exhausted for days. When he finally became well enough to eat, he surprised me with date night at Kuriya, the chic establishment atop the roof garden at Orchard Central, one of the new mega shopping centers on Orchard Rd. We were lucky to be in time for the same day fresh uni airlifted from Japan. The bright mustard color flesh glistened like jewels and glided cross the tongue so delicately, it was almost like eating ice cream.

For J's birthday, we hit up Jaan on a gorgeously clear day. Yet again there was something new to look at on the Singapore horizon. The trio of buildings of the new Sands casino held up an impressive roof garden, which I heard will have installed on it some equally impressive restaurants by this summer. Next time.

The set lunch came with some interesting choices including this seafood boudin blanc. Considering the hot and humid weather here, it was a bit too rich in any quantity more than a few spoonful. But those few spoonfuls were very good.
Yet another birthday lunch took place at Singapore's well known Les Amis. I've never had eel soup before and it was quite a nice surprise. Tender eel flesh held on to a great smoky flavor and did not get washed out by the soup base, which was fragrant with fennel.

Okay, I am going to stop here before getting too carried away with this first come back post. Hopefully this sort of makes up for the long absence.

Post #410: No name, but don't fear - Restaurant: Abaee Noodle

2010-04-06T10:43:00.002-04:00

There is no english name on the outside and the shopping stripe doesn't even directly face the road. But the at the very far end of the stripe is worth the effort of seeking it out.

Abaee specializes in Korean Sausage, really just a nice way of calling a blood flavored sausage. It's not all blood of course. The majority of the stuffing is actually clear noodle, onions, and spices. The blood simple binds, adds color, and imparts a mineral flavor. Try it without thinking things over and you'll probably like it.

The sausages go into everything from platters (seen above), spicy soups, and stir fries. If you are fearful of the taste, stir fried with kimchee is most definitely the way to go. Everything from the bright colors and spicy/sweet taste is appealing. Also try the kimchee mandoo here. It's a thin skinned type that is full of stuffing and very well seasoned.

Abaee Noodle

2476 Pleasant Hill Rd., Duluth, GA, 30096

(770) 817-0906

Post #409: Supper at Lucques (Los Angeles)

2010-03-30T09:31:00.003-04:00

It's not Sunday, but the supper is no less delicious on the very adorable back patio.

My lamb.
His ribs.

Post #408: This is more like Batali - Restaurant: B&B Ristorante

2010-03-14T11:02:00.004-04:00

After that mediocre meal at San Marco, I wasn't expecting much from B&B. But the wait was short and the room looked inviting.

So I sat, got a glass of wine and relaxed. Then came my amuse of rustic chickpeas on toast. The brown color looked rather unattractive I must say. The taste, however, got me to sit up a little straighter. Perky vinegary and refreshingly green from the olive oil, the peas softened quickly on the tongue, a lovely contrast to the toast.
What followed was one of the best grilled octopus I've ever eaten. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that before grilling, the octopus enjoyed quite some time in the braising pot. The result is something that is incredibly soft in the meaty middle yet nicely charred towards the ends. The watermelon radish didn't do much for the taste, but it sure was pretty as a garnish.
The beef cheek ravioli were of slim constructing out of house made pasta and had a nice chew. The beef checking filling was intensely savory, but just a tiny bit too minced for my taste.
I took my server's suggestion and ordered the lemon tart. Then I wondered why all lemon tarts don't come with the crunchy pecan bits on top. So lovely with the sweet tartness.

B&B Ristorante
The Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
702- 266 -9977

Post #407: Basic nice fries - Restaurant: Thumbs Up Diner

2010-03-10T08:14:00.003-05:00

Before I go back to finish up Vegas, let me share with you a quick but satisfying lunch I had recently at the Thumbs Up Diner in Roswell. Unlike the Edgewood Ave. location near my condo where there is always a line out the door during the weekend, this place was sufficiently filled, but not full.

My turkey melt and fries were the kind of no frill classics one hopes to find at a place like this. The fries had a very pleasant light crunch and were devoid of mealy centers that I hate.

Thumbs Up Diner

1140 Alpharetta Street
Roswell, Ga 30075
(770) 642-8980

Post #406: Not quite Otto - Restaurant: Enoteca San Marco (Las Vegas)

2010-03-06T04:31:00.003-05:00

Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich have quite a little empire going in Vegas. On the casual end, there is Enoteca San Marco, where the menu is similar to that of Otto, one of my favorite places for pizza and gelato in nyc. So it was with a bit more expectation than I normally harbor for a casual Vegas restaurant that I sat down for an early business dinner.

A salad started things off strong. Other than the messy appearance, the fresh greens and tangy dressing set off the salty prosciutto rather nicely.

The pizza is where things went off course. While this pie's view from top resembles its cousin from Otto (see here), we soon figured out that it definitely didn't come from the same mother. First, the outer crust was dense and hard like one of those breadsticks served inside plastic wrapping at second rate Italian joints. Second, the underside was one uniform colored plane with no bubble or char. Other than the fact that the cheese was high quality and the sauce was bright, the pie tasted like it was made of a dough board. Major disappointment.

The gelato saved the day though. I guess frozen concoctions travel much better. My olive oil gelatio tasted just like I remembered, faintly green, grassy, a little salty, and very creamy.

Enoteca San Marco

3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South (Venetian shops)
Las Vegas, NV 89109-8941
(702) 266-9969

Post #405: Vegas is for eating - Restaurant: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

2010-03-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

I am no gambler. I consider myself too lucky in life to also be good at cards. As such, Vegas for me is about work and food. Assuming no one is interested in hearing about work, let's talk food.

The first night after work, I hit up L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon solo. Cheerfully red, the chic inside transported one away from the gambling floor right outside.
I spent the next couple of hours facing this view into the open kitchen. Behind the wheat grass and hanging apples, chefs busied quietly assembling salads and broiling fish.

That's a lot of bread for one, I thought. I needn't have worried. They were all so excellent, I downed half quickly with the nutty Brittany butter.
This amuse set the tone for the dinner (rich and decadent) right off the bat. It looks like a shot, but actually is a pretty dense warm foie mousse that needed a spoon for scraping the bottom. Faintly sweet and super smooth, this was one heck of a bite.
After the rich foie, came the rich mussel soup. Despite the smallish bowl, there were about a dozen plump mussels floating underneath the ample cream soup. My favorite things were the crunchy croutons that were crispy and yet melty.
This was the best bite of the evening, a supple and sweet piece of fresh langoustine flash fried inside a whisper of a rice wrapper. It was the perfect balance of crunch and soft.
The main course, a salmon, was the weakest link. It simply wasn't special enough to follow the progression of the meal. The lattice potato pieces on top were tasty in the way only potato chip products can be.
Of course dinner isn't complete without the restaurant's famous mashed potato. Despite the countless breathless reviews I've read about the to die for butteriness of this dish, I wasn't prepared for the saturating amount of butter. Really, it was hard to tell if there were any potato products in there at all. My lips were coated by the buttery fume before they ever touched the stuff. In all honesty, it was all a bit too much... Maybe the few weeks in Asia had taken my tolerance for richness down a few notches.
Before dessert, there were cheeses. Once again, the breads were awesome, especially the walnut raisin one with its faintly moist sweetness. It paired particularly well with an aged Comte. It recalled a similar one I had at l'Arpege in Paris back in November.
When I ordered tarts, I didn't expect this! Every single piece was meticulously made and was as tasty as they were pretty. Best of all was the butterscotch one in the middle. Intensely stick and toffee like, it was worth all the effort trying to get it off my teeth. :)

Highlight #283: When all things fail, there is Bo Yang Tang

2010-02-24T10:04:00.000-05:00

I am by no means health obsessed, but it is a fact that I NEVER get sick. I can't remember catching a cold in recent years. My mother confirmed that I've actually never had the flu or gotten sick enough to go to the hospital. Even when hubby came back from China and spread a nasty cold to all his employees, from the tall and strong to the fit and lean, I remained just fine.

J, however, is not as lucky. Work stress and constant travel bring him down sometimes. During his most recent cold, my homemade chicken soup just didn't quite go far enough. So on the second night of the lingering chill, I took him to eat Bo Yang Tang.

Normally, hubby's heaty body type makes black goat meat, one of the most extreme on the Chinese heat scale, unsuitable to consume (he breaks out almost immediately upon consumption). But this time his cold had all the signs (cold sweat, lingering cough, etc.) of what the Chinese call depleted heat. So for once, he was ready for Bo Yang Tang.

Bubbling hot in its stone pot and full of potent ripe green onions, slices of black goat meat, black mustard seeds and spices, the steamy Bo Yang Tang got J sweating within minutes. J particularly enjoyed the plentiful tender goat slices. By the time we left the restaurant, J felt well enough to sing in the car.

I on the other hand needed something a little more mild that night and there was nothing more perfect than gingseng chicken, an unseasoned hot pot in which a whole smallish chicken stuffed with rice and jujube is cooked in a gingseng base. Liking things less salty than normal Korean level, I am very happy to play with the salt on the side. I felt healthy just smelling this.

There aren't too many places around Atlanta serving both of these dishes, so we are very happy to have this dependable one to go to despite the longish drive.

Bang Ga Nae
3312 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite B
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 417-7769

Highlight #282: Better late than never - Happy Lunar New Year

2010-02-18T12:12:00.006-05:00

Nothing beats home food during Chinese New Year. A little snow in the yard didn't hurt either. As the Chinese saying goes "a good snow shower foretells a bountiful year." Let's hope so.

Mom cooked so I brought along some champagne and a box of dried persimmons, her favorite. With nothing added, these natural "gummy bears" (coined by my friend Erica) are delightfully sweet, chewy, and healthy.

Mom, who loves to invent new dishes, created her own five spice flavored bean curd in the oven. It had a really lovely nuttiness and deep five spice flavor.
My travels continued on New Years day. In between meetings, we caught a break to dine on some extremely excellent Shan Dong dumplings at the appropriately named Shan Dong in the Oakland, Ca Chinatown. The northern Shan Dong folks, unlike the perfectionist southerners, prefer their food filling and less manipulated. As such, these dumplings are gigantic and not at all meticulously constructed (in comparison to those made by my guests during my last dumpling party here or these at Ding Tai Feng here.)
But boy was the pork and cabbage filling juicy. Even the thick dough was baby bottom soft and faintly sweet. We couldn't help but stuff our faces! What a way to start the year!

Highlight #281: Regal Cantonese - Restaurant: Regal Palace (Hong Kong)

2010-02-11T14:58:00.001-05:00

Hong Kong is full of five star hotels and I dare say that every one of them has a good if not excellent anchoring restaurant. Being the only place in the region pegged to the US dollar, the Hong Kong's five star hotels are actually quite affordable to dollar wielding folks.

Our temp home, the Regal Hotel Hong Kong, has a Michelin one star, Regal Palace, which specializes in Cantonese food. Before our drive to the airport, we had a last meal here starting the with requisite Cantonese "old fire soup."

For the Cantonese, dinner also properly begins with a soup. And by soup, they mean a long and slow cooked clay pot creation started early in the day.

While the soup is chock full of goodies such as chicken, beef, pork, ribs, gingseng and other Chinese herbs, the soup is served without these things inside. Rather, the solids are separately presented on a plate (see middle of table), more for viewing (so you know what went into the soup), than for eating. It is believed that all the goodness had already seeped into the liquid, which is very mildly seasoned and drank for health and awakening of appetite. When herbs are used, it is especially important to choose the type of "old fire soup" suitable for ones particular temperament. So not only making of the soup is an art, the same goes for the choosing and drinking of the soup.

After our chicken and gingseng soup, we moved on to the tasty matters. I ordered some classic dishes to send off our friend. That included a juicy plate of roast pork, which our friend claimed to be the best he ever had, a plate of cold braised beef brisket, and a palate purifying fish and mushroom stew.

One restaurant speciality that took us by surprise was this fried white fish in a slightly tangy sauce. The coating was so light, it was virtually grease less. Rather than flaky, the fish inside was as moist as tender tofu.

Before I could stop her, our server cut up this whole piece of soy braised pork. To give us a visual of how tender the meat is, she did this not with a knife, but with the edge of a small plate. See how neat the cut edges are? This was one piece of tender meat.

While the egg tarts may attract your attention here, what I really want to talk about is the "ginger juice collision milk" in the foreground. The unique name is a literal description of this dessert in the making. Fresh ginger is roughly stumped in a mortar to produce a small amount a juice for the bottom of the bowl. Milk is then slow boiled with some sugar to just shy of boiling. The control of temperature is super important here as it determines whether and how well the milk will congeal. Slightly cooled (again temp important), the milk is fast poured into the bowl with a flourish, causing the collision with the ginger juice. How the collision happens is apparently also important to ensure consistency of the final product. Once poured, the bowl is not touch to disturbed the cooling. The cooled bowl is then chilled until service. It is said that the proper texture is achieved for this dessert if a porcelain soup spoon placed on top will not break the surface. It's one of my very favorite things to eat for both the creamy texture and the unexpected hint of heat from the ginger juice. This one was texturally very good, but a little muted in terms of the ginger.

Highlight #280: Early last century meets early this century - Restaurnt: Fu 1088

2010-02-06T20:54:00.003-05:00

If this looks like someone's home, well it was. Specifically, it was the Shanghai home of 李鸿章's (one of the most influential government figure during the time of the last emperor. He was in charge of international affairs) youngest son. There are three billionaires among Li's descendants. I am not sure if this youngest son is one of them, but I know for sure that he is wealthy.

This Shanghai home is now transformed into a restaurant named after its auspicious address (1088). The Fu in front of the number refers to happiness and prosperity. Prosperous, the restaurant certainly is, although it is difficult to tell from the street (there is no main dining room and the entrance is very private with only a few black uniformed valet drivers.) But all of its private rooms, renovated from the former mansion's bedrooms and sitting rooms, are always booked during meal hours.

The menu is a study in refined dining rooted in Shanghainese cuisine.

Even the street fare dishes, such as this drunken chicken, is dressed up here with a fine shaving of soy and yellow wine flavored ice.

The vegetarian goose received major praise from my father-in-law. Indeed, the crispy soy skin nicely approximate the crackling of the real thing and the savory filling held massive flavor.

This simple shrimp dish was all about texture. Each little shrimp was bouncy and slippery. I enjoyed popping them one at a time with just a few drops of the light vinegar.

The hairy crab cream was served here out of the shell. It definitely saved one from all the digging and judging by the amount of roe, lot of crab died for this cause. A bit of western influence took form in the toasted soldiers on the side.

This is hands down the most refined way to serve the humble red cooked pork I've ever seen. Each glistening piece was equal part lean, fat, and skin. The ones who like to pick off the lean should just skip this excellent dish, because eating anything less than the whole is an insult to the heritage, the chef, and the establishment.

The baked cod is very much a Chinese interpretation of the miso cod. I enjoyed it, but no more than the Japanese version.

The fish soup noodle, on the other hand, was magnificent. Judging by the milkiness of the soup, you might think that some sort of cream product was involved in its making. Nope. It's all from the fish. I've learned the trick from quite a few failed attempt to make a similar fish soup at home. The key is to sear the whole fish at the right temperature with its skin on, then adding water directly to the pan. Just a few minutes of simmering releases the milky liquid from the fish. If the fish was boiled without searing, you'd end up with a clear fishy soup even after hours of boiling. This one is not just creamy and sticky, it's also intensely umami, almost like a curry. The hand pulled noodles soaked up the soup nicely.

We also had a number of very fresh veggie dishes, but they were as special to show.

The meal ended with a passion fruit ice cream that melted into a layer of black sesame paste. Quite nice and refreshing.

Highlight #279: Michelin is only for Gwailos

2010-01-29T07:19:00.006-05:00

Michelin came to Hong Kong and Macau in 2010. The welcome was not warm, not from the Chinese anyway. Call it superiority complex acting up or whatever, but no Chinese honestly believes that Gwailos (Catonese slang for foreigners) really know anything about the depth of Chinese cuisine, especially when all the regional nuances are concerned. The Hong Kong authoritative magazine on fine living actually included a letter from the editor-in-chief titled "Don't believe Michelin."

Resentful feelings aside, Michelin did give my favorite soup bun venue, Din Tai Feng's HK flagship, a one star, which in my eyes was quite on point (the food is spectacular, but the setting is shy of the three star golden standard.) The remaining star distributions on the two islands, however, do raise many question marks.

At Din Tai Feng, a meal should start and end with buns. We like to start with a steamer of crab and pork soup buns. Unlike the true Shanghainese version, DTF's take has thin and stretchy rather than thick (in comparison) and fluffy skin. The soup is ultra rich and intensified with crab roe.

Beyond the standard soup buns, almost everything that comes in a steamer is good here. These shrimp xiao mai are also soup filled and are quite what the Chinese call bouncy, meaning toothsome with some resistance, a good quality indicator for fresh shrimp.

The veggie dumplings have more than thirty handmade folds each. It's trance inducing to watch the helpers in the kitchen make these at break neck speed.

We like to progress to hand pulled noodles. Here are two very different noodle dishes made from the same batch of noodles. First up is this clear brisket noodle soup. If you are used to seeing briskets in heavy sauces, this is a revelation. The very plain looking brisket is immensely beefy and fall apart tender.

This Taiwanese Dan Dan noodle is a twist on the original from my native Sichuan. I am no purist, so I like this much peanutier and much less spicy version. When mixed, the peanut dust on top evenly coats each strand of noodle and form a peanut butter like paste with the spicy sauce.

Naturally dessert also comes in a steamer. Aren't these red bean peach buns just over the hill adorable? I love giving each fluffy one a nice squeeze to burst the skin before biting into the warm and melty middle.

Highlight #278: What we call Snow Frog

2010-01-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

We Chinese have a deep rooted belief in food for healing. The line between medicine and cuisine is blur. Even at banquets, a good host is always aware of his/her guests' conditions and orders the dishes accordingly. For example, at one business lunch near Shanghai, our hostess thoughtfully ordered up a very pretty rock sugar hasma soup steamed inside papaya for all the ladies. This dish is known to be particular good for the skin as hasma (snow frog's fallopian tubes) is harvested during the snow frog's 100 day hibernation under the snow and is full of beneficial hormones for energizing cell regeneration. The papaya further includes loads of helpful enzymes to help the digestive system absorb all the nutrients.

It may sound nasty to some, but the taste is really very pleasant, especially when served with honey and coconut milk. The hasma has a slight chew like the tapioca balls at the bottom of a cup of bubble tea.

Highlight #277: Lots of food

2010-01-21T08:09:00.002-05:00

It's very slow to upload photos here in Singapore, so I'll save the majority of the photos from China, Hong Kong, and Singapore for when I get back next week. In short, I've been eating lots and lots of the above. :)

Highlight #276: Miller Union

2010-01-16T22:40:00.000-05:00

Writing this post from Hong Kong makes me miss Atl immensely. Not that I don't eat well here. Hong Kong is for sure a foodie mecca. But living in Asia always requires more work. There is no going anywhere without navigating the people, the noise, the traffic... Anyway, you'll get to see some of that when I hit Singapore and finally upload the photos.

Miller Union was easy. Warm, cozy, and comfortable. Even the dishes carry on the feeling.

Poached egg in celery cream was a genius take on rich and creamy texture. Other than the slight lack of salt, we were all in love with it.

Foie with apple jelly succeeded on all fronts. In particular, the sweet/tart jelly perked up the taste buds.

My rabbit dish, despite not being recognizable as bunny, was well seasoned.

The herbal ice cream flavors of thyme, rosemary, and sage were assertive and lingering. The chocolate torte on the other hand was just meh.

Highlight #275: Ramen in LA

2010-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Four hours before flight, we found ourselves in Little Tokyo area of LA. Most of the restaurants lining the street we parked on where sparsely populated. But in front of Daikokuya there was already a line of shivering people trying to avoid the wind.

Naturally we had to eat there. We were smart enough to put our name down and then duck into the restaurant next door for drinks and appetizers. When we returned half hour later, we were up! The specialty here is a black ramen.

Warm and deeply savory. First bite was incredibly flavorful. After ten bites, it got a bit salty for my system, but I am somewhat sensitive to salt. The noodle here is the thin and slightly waxy kind. It provided plenty of chew.

327 E 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
TEL: (213) 626-1680

Highlight #274: Ramen in OC

2010-01-12T18:30:00.000-05:00

This post will be pretty much useless to those who want to find this place in Orange County... I was taken here by a relative and saw no road sign. Besides the Chinese/Japanese characters stating "Red Dragon" near the door, I found no English sign.

We waited about fifteen minutes for one of the ten or so small tables to open up. By the time these deliciously crunchy and juicy gyoza came, I had to fight off the chopsticks to get a photo.

The ramen here is the thick hand pulled kind. The house broth is sticky from meaty essence. Most of all, I love the soft boiled egg.

The spicy version is not so much spicy as extra sticky and savory. Great for a cold winters day.

Highlight #273: Rushed LA - Restaurant: Osteria Mozza

2010-01-11T18:56:00.001-05:00

I am always rushed in LA. After three trips, I have only seen snap shots of the city. But I always ate well. At the last minute, my dining companions scored a late reservation at Osteria Mozza, where we found Nancy Silverton happily dishing out fresh mozzarella behind the marble mozzarella bar.

Naturally we got some. The fresh burrata with bacon to be exact. I am sure you can already tell from the photo this bundle of joy's supreme creaminess. Silverton's bread also cannot be beat.

Pastas were wonderful. The calf brain ravioli was really stellar and was left mostly to me since the other had some issues with the heady matter.

Everyone loved the orecchiette with sausage and swiss chard. The very meaty sausage flavor left quite an impression.

Pillowy gnocchi with wild boar ragu.

The guy who scored the reservation insisted that we must try the porcini-rubbed rib eye bistecca. Apparently it's his favorite steak in the whole world.

Awesomely pink in the middle. Buttery but still a bit chewy. The meat textually is not the most delicate I've had, but very enjoyable as a large steak when too much marbling in every mouthful would be simply too much. Where this steak really excel is in the earthy yet slightly sweat rub. It left one salivating long after the stomach was full.

The stuffed quail, while not getting as much attention as the steak, was wonderfully flavorful in its own right.

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 297-0100

Highlight #272: Nice vibe - Restaurant: Bistro Niko

2010-01-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

It makes me feel a bit giddy every time I get pass China's massive firewall to gain access to facebook and blogger. It's silly since I am just using the work VPN and doing nothing fancy. But still, there is a bit of that excitement associated with getting away with something. :)

So coming from Shanghai, I give you Bistro Niko right back in Atlanta. Love the cheerful vibe!

Croque madame, as you can see, is not exactly a revelation and the fries were not super crunchy. But then again, it's not easy to find good fries in Paris either. I'd come back here for the overall vibe and good enough food.

Onion tart was not what you'd expect a tart to be. Fortunately, the description does paint the picture of a sort of pizza. This was a bit greasy.

Baba was enormous. Somewhat dry, but alright when pieced and allowed to soak in the sauce.

Overall, I liked eating here, not because it was top notch food, but for all the reasons one goes to cheery cafe to spend a rainy afternoon in Paris. The vibe is good and the stomach gets filled.

Bistro Niko
3344 Peachtree Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 261-6456

Highlight #271: Better late than never, happy new year - Restaurant: Paces 88

2010-01-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

We wanted somewhere low key but celebratory for NYE and this spot right next to the band and fireplace and bar was pretty much perfect. We started off slow.

Then later...
Then after midnight...
But before all the festivity started, we filled our stomachs with the NYE meal at Paces 88.

Amuse of cool lobster in warm soup.

Seal foie with jelly. The whole meal was exemplified by this, nothing too adventurous but all very well prepared.

Seared scallop.
The dumpling looking things are mashed potatoes. Nice medium rare.

Trio of desserts.

Paces 88
88 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

Highlight #270: We ate Rome (Part IV) - Restaurant: La Gensola

2010-01-06T08:49:00.000-05:00

I am off to China again, but Rome continues on the blog.

Our favorite shop owner in Rome (she runs a fabulous shop full of odd gems off the Milan runway) sent us to her favorite fish restaurant for a last meal in the great city.

Wine storage in the tight restaurant.

Tuna tartar. Not classic Rome, but nonetheless loved by the young Romans.

Fried calamaris.

My fish. . . almost ready. :)

Tender, sweet, and drenched in olive oil. I really didn't need the last generous pour, but the Romans love it.

Highlight #269: We ate Rome (Part III) - Restaurant: Checchino Dal 1887

2010-01-05T07:19:00.000-05:00

Really busy December and January. I have and will continue to travel lots for work. And now I find myself sitting on top a moutain of food photos from Paris, Rome, LA, and Atlanta. Rather than making the images wait for my words, I will simply let the photos speak for themselves, with just a little word help here and there. Happy New Year!

One of the oldest places to eat in Rome.

Cozy upstairs.

The pastas were a revelation. Now I know exactly what al dente means.

We drank a lovely amarone with the meal. Fantastic!

Highlight #268: It's almost Christmas!

2009-12-24T14:07:00.003-05:00

A very lucky guy already had his gingerbread waffle in bed.

Some newly baked rugelash are waiting to go to a good home.

All prettied up and ready to hit the road.

Pierre Herme's chocolate nutella tart got a down home makeover as a southern pine nut chocolate nutella and sea salt pie. A few more hours and we'll be ready to eat!

Happy holidays everyone!

Highlight #267: We ate Rome (Part II)

2009-12-19T11:36:00.000-05:00

I knew just the thing to break up all the walking in Rome and sweeten the hours between lunch and dinner. We ate lots of gelato.

First, we went to Giolitti. This cheerfully crowded old store not far from the pantheon is brightly lite and hard to miss.

The massive selection is definitely a nightmare for the indecisive. Especially when there is a line of folks starring at the back of your head. Fortunately, we are not the indecisive sort. My standby pistachio and hazelnut were super awesome. Extremely creamy, this style is by far my favorite guilty pleasure in Rome.

That is not to say that I don't want to visit a gelateria of an entirely different style also. Il Gelato di San Crispino near the Trevi fountain is the polar opposite of Giolitti. While Giolitti is warm, messy, and crowded, the well-hidden San Crispino is quite, sterile, and lab-like. All of the gelato are shielded from view under shinning silver covers.

The pistachio here is much cleaner in flavor, but in turn, lacks a bit of oomph. The famous honey flavor, however, is absolutely stellar. All of the floral and nutty notes in the natural honey showed through. Definitely a must try.

Highlight #266: We ate Rome - Restaurant: Dar Poeta

2009-12-15T10:44:00.013-05:00

After high brow Paris, Rome seemed even more chaotic and messy than I remembered. How does one organize a city with ruins to trip over in every direction.

It was fascinating to see the originals that inspired the many famous monuments in Paris.

I always have great luck when traveling. Like having spent a whole afternoon eating lunch in Paris and then discovering that we hadn't missed our museum time because it also happened to be the day that the Lourve opened until 10 pm. In Rome, we found ourselves in the festive Trastevere during that inopportune time between lunch and dinner (Italians eat late. No dinner before 8 or 9). Lucky for us, Dar Poeta, the famed pizza joint on a very small side road in the area was open for lunch on that weekend day and the staff kindly waved us in for pizza while the they prepared for dinner. This gave us an opportunity to eat, drink, and linger until the mass showed up. When they did, the place became so jam packed, the waiting patron literally stood over the tables near the door.

To settle any questions about style, the menu announced right up front that Dar Poeta is neither ultra thin Roman style nor chewy Neapolitan style. It is somewhere in between in a camp of its own.

The brick wood burning oven roared in the kitchen throughout the day. For such a rustic place, the ventilation system was impressive.

To ease into our pizza experience, we started with bruschetta topped with fresh tomato, basil and a beyond awesome tuna sauce. What can I tell you about the tuna sauce? It's extraordinarily creamy with a multidimensional umami taste that reminded me of a top quality fish sauce from Asia.

We ordered the signature Dar Poeta pizza topped with housemade spicy sausage and zucchini.

The crust, as you can see here, is resilient but still thin. The underside was nicely charred. Even more importantly, it had no signs of moisture near the center.

As such, each slice can be picked up and folded without problem. No drippage at all! The moisture that plague our Atlantan pies never set in here.

House wine was super cheap at 4 euro for a large carafe. We drank two carafes on our own... And this was all before our official dinner elsewhere... Vacation is good. :)

Highlight #265: We ate Paris (Part III) - Restaurant: L'Arpege

2009-12-12T05:53:00.000-05:00

I am SOOO behind on posts. Work really ramped up after Paris and Rome, I barely had time to pack, fly, work, sleep, and eat of course. Only yesterday was I able to take a breather. After a day of rest, I am finally ready to tell you all about the incredible meal we had at Arpege just before Thanksgiving.

For a 3 star, Arpege's dinning room is sparsely decorated, especially when compared to my other favorite, the opulent Le Meurice. But once the lunch crowd filled in, the well-dressed folks made up the scenery nicely.

We ordered a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose to toast the holiday. The sparkly salmon pink bubbly was just perfect for the amazing vegetable fare served. Our first taste was pea and squash puree on top of a crunchy housemade turnip chip. Light, elegant, flavorful, and texturally pleasing, it was a nice introduction to chef Passard's famed vegetable tasting.

A second round contained a creamy potato puree that was like a very rich mashed potato.

Then our meal officially began with the restaurant's signature Arpege egg. Slow boiled orange egg yoke mixed with cream, sherry, vinegar, and maple syrup created a taste explosion in the mouth. The flavors grew richer and deeper as I dug into the very thick yoke at the bottom. This one really showed genius and set the tone for the Passard experience.

Unwillingly parted with the adorable egg, we were comforted with a white onion and parmagiano reggiano gratin. Even though still early in the meal, a tread was already forming. Chef Passard seemed to enjoy pairing sweetness with savory and does it with an expert hand. This shallow dish held unseen depth in both quality and balance.

For the Chinese, dumplings are meant to satisfy in quantity. But here, Passard's delicate creations were a refined study in texture. Each vegetable filling had a different mouth feel ranging from fine and smooth to chunky and crunchy. Our favorite was a walnut filling that surprised with an infusion of nutmeg.

A sugar beet slice baked in Guérande grey salt crust looked striking in its simplicity. We were instructed to eat the unpeeled crust with each bite. We followed the instruction and understood why. The salt crust brought out the plentiful sweetness in the unadulterated beet. It's definitely the sweetest I've ever had.

Squash veloute with smoked bacon cream boasted an extremely smooth texture and plenty of smokiness from the bacon. This would have made a wonderful warm treat on a crappy rainy day like today.

A risotto made from celeriac delivered another intense dose of Parmagiano. The tenderized celeriac mimiced the texture of al dente rice quite successfully.

The couscous with garden vegetables was a colorful sight to behold. The portion was much larger than the previous courses. Even thought it's all vegetables, this combination had a meaty feel. The fine grained couscous was a nice texture contrast to the vegetables. I got very full from this plate.

But then, there were these beautiful looking scallops. Who can say no? A little chewier, these were more meaty and savory than tender and sweet. Personally, I felt this sole non-veggie dish was the only one in the meal that fell off the awesomeness scale.

From the large cheese cart, we each chose three to four cheeses of varying age to try. The hands down winner of our total combination of 12 was a 6 year old comte packed with intensity. If one could be knocked out by a tasty punch, this was it.

We finished the meal with a very pretty apple tart. The pale apple flowers actually tasted quite different, much more tart, than the single red sweet one in the middle. The salted butter caramel sauce was super rich and good enough to lick on its own.

You know how I feel about macroons, so imagine my delight in seeing these rare vegetable ones (green: celery, white: carrot, pink: beet). The white carrot totally surprised me with the most distinct carrot flavor and yet was so delicate.

The entire lunch took four hours. While we were on vacation, most of the other patrons looked like they were dressed for work. Yet they lingered on. I really wonder how they got away with it. :) Thank goodness the Louvre opened until 10pm that night, so we missed nothing.

Highlight #264: We ate Paris (Part II) - Patisserie: Pierre Herme

2009-12-03T09:59:00.013-05:00

There is beauty abound in Paris, especially at night. I particularly enjoy going to the Louvre on Wednesday night, when it opens until 10pm. The crowd is much thinner and the lights are amazing.

It's not often one gets to take a photo of the glass pyramid without a line in front of it.

It's also nice to linger in the halls at will.

But beauty does not only exist in the museums. It hides inside discrete doorways too.

While all of this dizzying display at Pierre Herme may throw some off their tracks, I was determined.

I came all the way across the ocean only for these! My beloved macaroons! Look how the chestnut pair flecked with gold shimmer in the back!

Robust yet delicate, the chestnut macaroon hides a little secret, a candied piece of chestnut, one of my favorite French Christmas candies.

Of course, I had to get my beloved pistachio. So sweet, so tender, so adorable! I wait years for these between visits!

Highlight #263: We ate Paris (Part I) - Restaurant: L'Ourcine

2009-12-02T09:39:00.014-05:00

On my fourth trip to Paris, I finally managed to wrestle the man into coming along for a little romance! :) Luckily, he was in the mood to enjoy some food and wine after weeks of intense work.

With no contracts to revise or negotiations to prepare for, I liberally indulged in the newly released beaujolais nouveau 2009 like Parisians all over the city. Not too tanic or overly nuanced, this was a simple kind of "happy" grape juice drunken purely for joy.

For our first Parisian lunch after a none so pleasant flight (I sat next to a man the size of laughing Buddha except he didn't make anyone laugh), we dropped in for a cozy lunch at L'Ourcine in the quaint 13th, a short walk from the Latin Quarter and our hotel. The vest pocket size place was exactly what we needed, small, warm, and homey.

As always, I was mistaken for Japanese by our server (this happens about 20 times on each trip ). After apologizing profusely for his mistake, he sent out a couple of compliments from the chef, a mousse twist on coquilles Saint Jacques. The sauteed scallops were blended into the rich mousse and the usual bread crumb topping was presented as croutons. This very interesting twist on a classic foretold the coming neat plays on tradition by chef Daniere, who trained with the fame Yves Camdeborde (La Regalade).

Our set lunch included a choice of a starter, a main, and a dessert for 31 Euro. I chose the salmon confit as starter. Rather than a true confit, the salmon was salt cured, but was not salty (it was just a little stringy). The tangy slaw on top balanced out the quite rich puree (I guessed spinach, but couldn't tell for sure).

Jason asked for the braised beef presse, which came studded with a good sized piece of foie. I stole much of this very flavorful and beefy starter.

I gladed added a supplement of 15 Euro for the main that I just couldn't take my eyes off of, a sauteed pigeon with a fist size piece of pan seared foie gras. Imagine the most tender piece of dark meat near the bone of a duck leg and you get the texture and flavor of this pigeon. For every mouthful, I combined a nice chuck of pigeon with a good slathering of foie. Heavenly! I even painstakingly gnawed away at the itty bitty leg.

Jason's pork roast was much easier to eat. I was too busy to spend much time with his.

To balance out the very rich main, I ordered the fromage blanc with a mango sauce as dessert. I totally ignored the fresh cheese after tasting the amazing tart and sweet sauce as vibrant as the color. I felt truly refreshed afterwards.

Jason settled on the homey pot de creme and seemed very happy with the choice.

After lunch, we took a leisurely walk back to our hotel for a good nap. I've really learned to appreciate Jason's non-rushed approach to sight seeing over the years. Paris will always be there. We were there to relax and enjoy, which meant that we'd take our time. We woke up in time for a nice drive through all the beautifully lit sites of Paris, including the Eiffel as it sparkled on the hour.

Happy Thanksgiving from Paris!

2009-11-26T12:59:00.002-05:00

No photos yet. My camera's SD card doesn't work with Jason's laptop and I failed to bring the cable. So... Please wait a few more days. But so far, we have had some amazing meals here!

L'Ourcine for lunch (Chef Daniere trained with Yves Camdeborde, who seemed to have trained every great bistro chef in Paris. Terrific pigeon with foie gras.)
La Coupole for a midnight supper (Hemingway's old hangout is just as packed today. Not mind blowing food, but solid nonetheless)
L'Arpege for lunch (I have heard it called the most exciting restaurant in Paris right now. And it really may just be! It's AMAZING what chef Passard can do with the pristine vegetables from his three gardens outside of Paris.)
La Ferrandaise for dinner (This hidden away restaurant on a small street in St. Germain des Pres is still not discovered by tourists. Cute as a button, the Ferrandaise moo moo cows on the wall look even happier than the Californian ones from the ads back home. Chef Chaignot who previously worked at the famed Bristol sent out regional favorites from Auvergne. My partridge was a game lover's dream. The full flavored meat ranged from light to very dark pink and tasted progressively terroir enhanced by color as well. Awesome!)
Thanksgiving meal tonight is still yet to be determined as our dining companion Jenna fell sick with a stomach flu... We don't feel quite right going to the special American Thanksgiving meal she planned on our own.

We are off to Rome tomorrow. Will let you know how the food situation goes there.

Off to Paris and Rome

2009-11-23T14:02:00.003-05:00

We travel a lot for work and are pretty good about mixing what we need to do with what we want to do on these trips. But once in a while, we also need just a pleasure trip. Taking advantage of time off during Thanksgiving, we are heading off on a 7 day fun trip to Paris and Rome. I may or may not post during this time. Enjoy your holiday!

Highlight 262: Sweet Melissa knows her pancakes

2009-11-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

When jetlag woke Jason up early on a Sunday morning a few weeks back, I was not happy. I count on the early morning hours for myself, to drink coffee alone, to eat breakfast alone, to really just be alone! This husband of mine likes group activities when he is up and about. He saved himself by suggesting brunch out. I perked up. We never brunch out early. This was our chance to try something different. We showed up at Sweet Melissa around 9am and found a bustling room.

I need starch in the am so went straight for the pancakes. Crisped near the edges, the buttermilk batter remained fluffy and tender inside. With every bite, there was the distinct buttery taste. I splurged for the real maple syrup. There is really just no point ruining good pancakes with the one dimensional artificial stuff.

Jason likes his protein. He almost never deviates from a loaded omelet. This Cheddar cheese filled chubby thing was simple and to the point. My one bite revealed nicely salted eggs and full flavored sausage and cheese. The albino biscuit sort of looked uncooked. Despite the appearance, it was actually quite fluffy if not crusty.

Sweet Melissa

127 E Court Sq
Decatur, GA 30030-2521
(404) 370-1111

Highlight #261: Beachside eating- Restaurant: Jellyfish (Punta Cana)

2009-11-18T13:53:00.008-05:00

I couldn't leave Dominican Republic without at least trying something local and outside of the resort. So one evening, six of us walked a mile or so down the beach to the beautifully lit Jellyfish.
As expected, the relatively concise menu focused on seafood. For starters, we ordered the calamari, fried shrimp, and a sausage hash. Everything was just fantastic.

The single most precious bite was the simple looking fried shrimp. About the size of a grown man's thumb, the piping hot flesh glowed with translucency and was super light and crunchy outside. The great shell almost felt sandy like the texture of a shortbread cookie.

I ordered the impressive looking lobster. It was good, but compared to the wonderful fish dishes the others got, it was actually the dud of the evening. The flesh was just a little too hard and the butter sauce a little too heavy.

One of the best fish dishes around the table was this Dominican preparation of a snapper. The very milky flesh needed very little else and the bright pepper accompaniment really brighten up the palate.

From the very sparse dessert menu, we selected the flan. This must be the most dense flan I've ever had. It's almost approaching the consistency of a fudge. I had no idea if that is the Dominican spin on flan. I did, however, appreciate the intensified caramelization.

Jellyfish

Here is link that shows how to get there

Highlight 260: Resort eats II

2009-11-17T19:06:00.008-05:00

The second day, while I attended more seminars, Jason went deep sea fishing. It's not fishing season, but the boat managed to come back with one!

Then we laid around and spent the afternoon in the shade.

Occasionally we watched all the colors.

For some reason, napping all afternoon makes one hungry... By night fall, we were more than ready to hit restaurant number 2, Passion. Jason is normally game to eat anything I want to order. Everything from ant larvae to goat hoofs. But he never shares my veal, out of respect for his late brother, who did not touch the stuff. Having no one to pass some of this very tender chop to, I ate way too much. No regrets though since most of the time I don't order veal when Jason is around, knowing that I'll be stuck with all the loft over.

Someone made this truffle cake with a chocolate freak in mind. It's all dense chocolate and no fluff. For me, who needed a little contrast, the light cream center was a very welcomed distraction. All in all, another satisfying meal at the resort.

Highlight #259: Resort eating - Restaurant: Vento (Paradisus Palma Real Punta Cana)

2009-11-16T18:06:00.011-05:00

(photo from resort website)After months of flying around non-stop for work, Jason wasn't too excited about getting trapped at an all-inclusive resort with a bunch of lawyers. He worried about having no escape.
When the sun came up and revealed the white sand beach and turquoise pool, he changed his mind.

The water was calm enough to swim without working too hard. The soft sand massaged our feet with every step.

Even at near capacity, the resort had plenty of places for him to hide from the world and read a book in the breeze, while I spent hours absorbing useful information at the seminars. :)

By nightfall, we washed off the sand and hit the Mediterranean restaurant at the resort called Vento. The menu was short but competent enough.

Not expecting too much from resort food, I was pleasantly surprised by the first course, a foie gras mousse. Light and flavorful, it went down smooth and worked just as well on its own as with the dinner rolls. I had a moment of let down when the rolls felt cold to my touch. I suppose there is no need for that in the tropic, but indulgence is never about need, is it?

I requested the duck as my main. Again, very flavorful even if the duck was just a little too cooked. The play between savory duck and tart/sweet apple kept me pretty content. In the next four days, it became apparent that flavor is the thing that this resort does very well. I hardly had a single bland thing on this trip, which, in my opinion goes a long way to counter the typical mass feeding blahs. When things can't be of the best execution, at least make them taste good. These folks knew their stuff.

Three of us cleverly ordered all three desserts to share. The lone peach tart turned out to be stellar, while the other two were also quite above average. I particularly enjoyed the very crumbly crust of the tart and the well balanced sour to sweet ratio.

HIghlight #258: Cure for rainy day blues

2009-11-10T09:33:00.006-05:00

Rainy days such as this just feels blah, especially when it happens so early in the week. Why not perk it up with something strong yet comforting. How does a simple version of 40 cloves chicken sound?

This is normally a stove top dish, but I like to leave things in the oven to free up time for other things. As such, I've tweaked this dish for oven preparation. With oven preheating to 350, I seared up two whole chicken legs (salted and peppered). Breasts are fine also, but in this house, we like flavorful meat.

Once the chicken is seared to my liking (skin side darkened, but not charred), I remove them and add in a whole bunch of garlic cloves. There is no need to count to 40, just eyeball it. Toast the cloves to a nice golden color then drop in a bunch of thyme leaves. I like thyme with chicken so in went about ten sprigs worth of leaves. Following that, a glass of white wine was also added. At this point, it's a good idea to let it reduce a bit before seasoning with some salt and pepper. This braising liquid sounds really simple, but the garlic and thyme combo does something magical in the oven, I swear.

At this point, put the chicken back in, skin side up (the underside is much better at absorbing flavors) and stick in the oven for an hour.

In the mean time, I like to cook a veggie dish with the leftover thyme and a pot of brown rice. This time, I had mushrooms and celery on hand, so they went into a pot together with a bit of concentrated chicken stock and a splash of dashi. Towards the end, I salted and peppered the softened the veggie.

The results are super comforting and really quite good for both body and soul. And you'll be amaze how many whole garlics you can eat without taking a break.

Highlight #257: Much more than just chili at Chomp & Stomp

2009-11-09T10:25:00.014-05:00

Despite having lived 5 minutes from cabbagetown for the past four and half years, this Saturday was the first time that I made it to Chomp & Stomp, the annual festival of chili and bluegrass. Good thing I started early (around 11:15am). By the time the chili service began at noon, the line to get the "chomp" stamp was down and around the street.

Before the crowd showed up, I scouted out the chili vendors that looked most promising. Right away I saw Fox Bro., my favorite bbq restaurant. The ladies with ladles made sure I understood that their brisket chili won the top award last year. I made a note to come back.

On such a gorgeous fall day, there was really nothing better than a festival in the park. By the time I checked out all the art vendors, plenty of folks had already found spots on the lawn in front of the bluegrass band.

I don't like to wait, so while the chili vendors held back their ladles before noon, I checked out the other snacks. This retro cart was dishing out hot dogs and such. I didn't try. My precious stomach space had to be saved for the "must eats."

Before long, I locked in on one of these "must eats." Farmer Mike with his large white beard looked as impressive as his pile of pitch black smoked pork. Pieces are taken off one by one and hand shredded for sandwiches.

I took mine to a sunny spot in front of the band. Once I started chewing, the music faded into the background and all I heard was the humming of heavenly piggies. What's really exciting here was a great mix of pork fat bits with lean shreds. Every mouthful was moist and juicy. The sauce, thankfully, was also not too sweet.

After my pork sandwich, I walked down a few stalls and found my next "must eat." Initially, I didn't pay much attention to this simple vendor setup until I smelled meat charring in the pan. Then I saw the name "Grind House" and a light bulb went off. It's the new burger joint in the Sweet Auburn Market that I have been meaning to check out. They weren't serving burgers, but little sliders for $2. Perfect for a taste.

Being a slider, there was no choice for doness and the slider came preloaded with cheese and pickles. The ketchup was my addition. For a small piece of meat, this was really juicy and worked well with the soft roll. The pickles help to cut through the fattiness a bit. It reminded me of an in-n-out burger. The only area for improvement was the salt level. The patty tasted bland without the ketchup, cheese, and pickles. Perhaps a personal preference, but I like my patty seasoned. Not so seasoned like a meatloaf, but definitely salted.

Of course, I had to get some chili. Fox Bro.'s winning brisket chili was indeed good, in an assertively spicy, tangy, and greasy way. It's not one that I can put away by the large bowlful due to the large amounts of rich brisket chunks, but I also didn't have to worry about popping Beano (no bean inside).

Chomp & Stomp exceeded my expectation by a mile. I'll definitely be back next year and it won't be for the chili alone either.

Highlight #256: Wholesome goodness - Restaurant: Ria's Bluebird

2009-11-07T08:10:00.002-05:00

I often think of Ria's in the summer time because of the patio. But after a massive mosquito attack there this past summer, I was scared to visit until Jenna proposed it for our ladies lunch this week. Fall is the perfect weather to be out on the patio. The mosquitoes are DEAD! And the cool air is blocked by the see through plastic curtain. Finally, I can just sit and enjoy my food. And enjoy I did. This is not earth scattering stuff, just simple and wholesome things. My turkey melt was full of not too salty turkey slices separated by fat chunks of avocado. No fries to choose from on the sode, so I got the sweet potato and felt quite healthy.

Ria's bluebird
421 Memorial Drive SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 521-3737

Highlight #255: mixing of cultures

2009-11-06T15:23:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I was served a chicken & sausage gumbo at the home of Louisiana native. I've had real gumbo before, but never with a scoop of potato salad on top. A little research revealed that it is actually the preferred the way for many natives who cook and eat gumbo at home. Although at the restaurants, it is never served that way. However, potato salad is almost always found on the menu and can be ordered for that purpose. A little further research traced the origin of this practice to the influx of German immigrants to Louisiana in the 18th century. Very interesting! As for taste, it was good, but not indispensably good. The gumbo didn't cry out for potato salad the way it did rice.

Highlight #254: Fun people+awesome food+cult wines=one heck of a party

2009-11-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

We all know or at least heard of those special people who throw amazing parties. It's an art, not a science. Every year I look forward to Christie's parties (previously documented here and here.) The woman has a knack for putting together a guest list that ensures fun for all. Having worked and played with her for some years, I know from experience that she is one cool lady. But I am certain even readers of this blog would get a sense of this woman's fun loving nature, if only judging from the coolness of her friends. :)

Christie has a thing for supporting the High museum and its wine auction. In return for her generosity, the High provides the forum for her butt kicking parties. This year, the venue was the Wisebram's beautiful home in Vinings.

After days of continuous rain, we were blessed with a bright sunny day perfect for appreciating the beautiful fall colors from the Wisebram's lovely back deck.

Of course, it's not a wine party if there is no wine, so we started things off with Iron Horse bubblies and a three liter bottle of 2002 Au Bon Climat Hildegard white blend. This blend had great acidity and a surprising whiff of yeast amidst the vanilla. The mouth feel was smooth and it tasted faintly of tropical fruits and buttered toast. The yesty nose made for a great champagne alternative.

There is nothing quite like a roaring fire on a fall deck to bring old and new friends together. Something about warmth in crisp air gets into everyone's spirit.

Before long, people started to goof off. (lovely host on left)

Inside, the Muss & Turner chefs churned out artful nibbles for the hungry guests.

For those who cannot wait, there was a fully loaded charcuterie board for sampling. The chorizo, whose spiciness excited our waiting palates, attracted ample attention.

Every few minutes, the ultra friendly servers came by with a new creation from the kitchen. Here we have a white anchovy on black pepper cracker with cornichon slaw, all nut free to put a smile on Robert's face. It was my first bite at the party and its briny and acid nature really whet my appetite.

What I tasted next was one of the simplest but most exciting bites of the evening. A tender endive leaf held together cubes of vanilla roasted pears with Gorgonzola & aged balsamic. The ingredients were of superb quality and worked together like a charm. I am determined to reproduce this for home consumption this holiday season.

No successful party is music free. And live is always better. Christie had the great fortune of living her early party days during one of the most happening music eras and we all got the benefit of that sound this evening. :)

After the early warm up, we got into serious wine business. Dick Denny, our wine master for the evening, gave an introduction to the large list of wines (18 wineries/vineyards were featured and this doesn't even include the different varietals) we'll be tasting as the evening progressed.

I haven't seen this kind of line up at a private event since those eight hour Sundays I spent at the AIA trying to pass the International Sommelier Guild's levels 1&2 certification. And there is not even a teacher here to remind me to spit. :) (Btw, I highly recommend this course at the AIA to anyone who loves wine. Yes, eight hours every Sunday for four month does sound like a big commitment. But you walk away with such a new perspective on drinking wine, it forever changes the way you learn and taste. The most empowering thing I learned is that the whole tasting experience is personal as each wine is different and ever changing. Despite what the experts may say, no one can tell you absolutely what you should smell, taste, or love. You get to decide. Cool, no?)

For precisely this decide-for-yourself reason, Dick particularly encouraged a blind tasting of the 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir and a Dunah, both from Russian River (KB is about three times the price of the Dunah). I did the tasting. Price aside, my preference was for the KB. The earthier and more barnyardy nose, baked fruits, and heavier body weight were very attractive to me. But for those who prefer a more herbal nose and a less rich style, the Dunah had great refined red fruits and a nice lingering finish.

The Muss & Turner chefs stopped working temporarily to enjoy some sips. Chef Chris Hall and the Muss & Turner folks are close to finalizing a new restaurant in the midtown area. Let's all hope that they pull through soon. These are very fun folks to hang out with and they make unpretentious good food.

Soon it was time to eat again. Here is a seasonal scallop on sweet potato puree.

Another crowd pleaser was this pickled shrimp and local rattlesnake bean topped with a bacon concoction.
But my favorite of favorites was this extra smoky and creamy smoked north Georgia mountain trout with apples. Normally, fish does not stand up well to the stronger red wines, but this smoked trout was mighty enough to stand shoulder to shoulder even with the syrah lot.

The most wonderful pairing of the evening was this duck confit in herbed crepe with macerated blueberries washed down with the Kosta Browne. The duck's earthiness sought out its counterpart in the wine and validated the classical marriage of duck with pinot noir.

A little spontaneity in the kitchen by chef Hidinger proved that more is sometimes just more. What you see here is a spoonful of sinful pleasure. Can you say bacon, cream, and foie gras in the same sentence without going breathless? I think not. :)

Side effects of the sinful spoonful included uncontrollable hugging of the chef. Totally involuntary!

Let's just say that I dripped all over myself eating this slider and didn't even know it. The tangy and sweet sauce really hit the spot and benefited from the sinus clearing qualities of the red onions. Along side the slider, I tried a pair of syrahs (the 2004 Dutton Estate and the Qupe from Santa Maria). The Dutton had some great dark fruits, soft spices, and felt velvety smooth. The Qupe on the other hand, was a bit hot and brooding. I didn't have enough time for it to sit in the glass, so never found out if it mellowed out more later. At this point, I had a short exchange with Dick, the wine master for the evening, who asked what I was enjoying. I shared with him my preference for the Dutton and he had the best response "oh good, that's the one with my name on it." Sure enough, a close inspection of the label revealed "Dick Denny Cuvee." Nice!

Around dessert time, a pair of Colgins were popped open. Being one of the original cult wines, they are hard to get, so I have never had the pleasure of tasting either. Needless to say, this was a treat. First up was the 2005 IX estate syrah. Maybe because it didn't get a chance to breath before being poured, the nose was a bit closed off initially. But one thing I could tell immediately was a nice balance. I really wish we had more time to sit with this to observe the changes in the glass, but I had to enjoy the stewed berries that just began to bloom quickly before the next one was poured. I did, however, pick up a faint note of licorice at the end. For some reason though, the finish on this wine dropped off abruptly.

The 1998 cabernet sauvignon from Herb Lamb estate had a pretty distinct green vegetable nose (maybe that's why the herb lamb name? :)). This was not a heavy bodied wine and also had a nice balance. But yet again, the finish closed off fairly fast and left me somewhat wanting. I am wondering if I am really missing something here by getting such a quick snap shot of the wine and no observation of development. It reminded me of an article on David Doyle, the owner of a $40 million cellar. In the article Doyle said that one major draw back of severely inflated wine prices is that even collectors feel that it requires a gathering to warrant tasting of a great wine. But in doing so, no one gets to experience what's truly beautiful about a wine, its ability to morph over a period of time.

Wine aside, we got some excellent desserts. I am glad that Jenna took this photo before I started licking off the milk chocolate mousse with macadamia nuts and sea salt flakes (not pretty).

Also passed around were these cubes of pumkin cake with pumpkin frosting. I love moist cakes and these were right up my alley.

I am not a big peanut butter fan, but these truffles were nice and not at all over powering. It must have been the light salty notes that drew me in.

We opened and finished every single bottle of wine (not all shown). Luckily, not a single bottle was corked.

We certainly look happy by the end, don't we?

Thanks to all these wonderful folks for making this special evening happen (left to right: Woodie and Steve Wisebram, Christie, Marg and Dick Denny).

Highlight ^253: How nice of Chloe!

2009-11-02T18:18:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Chloe of Chow Down Atlanta, I am now the proud owner of these monster babies. Chewy, dense, and ENORMOUS! Read her review of these BB monsters here. After four years, I thought I've already gotten over my cravings for those nyc bagels (I used to live walking distance to H&H and Barney greengrass, but my favorite was ess-a-bagel). Now the craving is back!!!! It's probably time for a trip up there to visit friends and get my bagels!

On a side note, I absolutely love how my "egghead" looks on longingly at the bagels. :) Cutie pie!

HIghlight #252: Snack best - Restaurant: Cakes & Ale

2009-10-31T12:56:00.004-04:00

There is a lot of good food to be had around this town. At almost every meal out, I find something to like. But it's not everyday that I end up LOVING every single bite tasted. Such was the case last night at Cakes & Ale.

I never sit at a table here, mostly because I never plan ahead when we end up here. We head in when we head in and then we wait for an opening at the bar. I don't mind because I love bar seats, especially these ones. Hefty counter slabs surround the lone bartender, who is always friendly and ready to talk about the beers on tap. If you are a cocktail person, try those. She makes great ones. I like to taste them when other orders, but I stick to my wine.

I like to share small plates off the daily menu written up on the large blackboard on the wall. This time, us two girls only wanted small nibbles. Boy, were these quality nibbles. The baked oysters were done old school with spinach soaked in cream and topped with plenty of fresh bacon bits. If you've loved the steak house versions, you'll like this one and appreciate the tremendous difference that fresh ingredients make. The gnocchi was the fluffiest I've had in a long long time. You'd think that the squid in comparison would be much chewier, but no, they were oh so tender and lovely.

To finish things off, we ordered the figgy pudding, which I've had last year around this time. I really love this. Very figgy and sticky, each bite shows so many layers flavor in the mouth. I particular like the slight saltiness at the start and the unexpected sour cream (rather than whipped cream) on top. Just lovely.

Cakes & Ale
254 W Ponce De Leon Ave
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 377-7994

Highlight #251: Pizza party in the kitchen - Restaurant: Antico Pizza Napoletana

2009-10-30T08:39:00.010-04:00

First of all, let me just say that pizza preference is a personal thing. No one has the right to tell you what style is better than another. You have to decide for yourself. If you want to know, you have to try and decide if you like Antico.

With that said, there are some factors that contribute to a good pie, no matter how you like it. For one, a super hot wood burning oven helps with both flavor and char. Something magical tends to happen when your pie bakes in an oven that is super heated to just short of 1000 degrees.

I have no idea how Antico beat the system to receive a permit for not one but three of these babies when other equally ambitious pizza joints cannot even manage to get one, but I am so glad that it got them. When you see the setup of this place, there can be no question that these pizzaiolos here love these ovens (the kitchen is about three times the size of the take-out and serving areas combined).

With a little advance planning, our group of 7 got to sit at the sole table in the kitchen rather than squeezing at the large communal table near the take-out counter. Beyond having more room to move around in, we also had the perfect view of the pizzaiolo in action. To further enhance our enjoyment, we brought along some of our own vino to wash down the fresh pizza.

Orders were taken directly by the pizzaiolo at the oven and were ready in under five minutes (three minutes to put together and two to bake). Chloe of Chow Down Atlanta, who had previously spent three hours here taking photos and documenting the making of the pies, recommended the San Gennaro (above) and the diavaolo (below).
After one round, all of us agreed that the ingredients here are at a superior level rarely seen elsewhere in the city. The Neapolitan style (somewhat doughier and chewier than the popular crispier types around town), however, was not everyone's favorite cup of tea. Although we all enjoyed the hot wood oven flavor and gorgeous char. I personally loved the chew and char combination. But if you are a slow eater like me, I'd recommend the diavaolo over the San Gennaro due to the San Gennaro's tendency to collect condensation of moisture released from the juicy tomatoes in the topping. Regardless of what you get though, these are quality pies.

If you are an artichoke lover, the capricciosa shows off a tasty version, fragrant and not at all slimy or mealy.

I did not expect so many choices for dessert having only heard about the cannoli. But there they were, beaming at us from the bright display fridge right near the door. We selected a nice collection, including the cannoli that has gotten a lot of press, a raspberry tart, a cup thingie with a name too difficult for me to remember, and a few other. (Disclaimer: Live to Nibble is no professional blog and I do not diligently take down names of dishes nor make any definitive comments as to their deliciousness.) We all loved the cup thing the most, but all were wonderful in a homey and rustic way (words of Gene, the man behind Eat, Drink, Man).

As mentioned above, you may or may not love the style served at Antico, but I do think you should give it a try if only to experience something made with passion by folks who grew up loving and eating it.

Antico
1093 Hemphill Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-724-2333

Hightlight #250: Jewelry party - Restaurant: Fourth and Swift

2009-10-29T09:45:00.006-04:00

Every year October brings such an overwhelming amount of fun and food (it's my birthday month), I have a hard time keeping up with the posts. This year, lovely June of June Shin handmade jewelry (www.juneshin.com) agreed to combine a mini jewelry show with my birthday happy hour. The original venue was set to be Repast, but I just couldn't work out the details with their event manager, so we switched to Fourth and Swift and what a great way to go! Everyone, from the chef to the manager to the staff, was so super friendly, we not only had help set up June's jewelry, we even got situated in the comfortable private area with a glass wall into the kitchen without any of us having ever asked for it. There is nothing better to make a party host feel good than attentive staff. I highly recommend this place for your holiday parties.
In fact, I may end up throwing my husband's company party there. We'll see if I can convince everyone to drive down.

June brought such an amazing collection, almost everyone that came bought something. Here is Jacinta with her gorgeous pink ring.

Trudie with one of her many pairs of earrings.

After the happy hour, about ten of us stayed for dinner. The deep fried Brussels sprouts immediately caught my eye on the starters menu. Proving that deep fried anything is good, these were super although without the tell tell characteristics of deep frying. The outer shell was just lightly crispy, but far from being greasy. The inside was just tender and not at all mealy. I really enjoyed the balsamic dressing, which countered the slight bitter bite of the sprouts with just the right amount of acidity and sweetness.

Look at my beautiful duck! Really nicely seared and cooked to a pink medium rare, the tangy berry infused sauce served as a great counterpoint to the natural richness of the duck meat.

We ordered no dessert because my friend Jessica kindly brought me a peanut butter caramel tart from Chocolate Pink. Everyone at the table got a tiny piece, which was just enough to covey the deliciousness of this dynamite dessert in a small package. Even though we didn't order it, Fourth and Swift does have my very very favorite ice cream, a macadamia and salted caramel brittle concoction to die for (it is unfortunately a special item only available sometimes).

Fourth and Swift
621 North Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30308-2857
(678) 904-0160

Highlight #249: Childhood favorite found at Craft bar

2009-10-27T15:20:00.003-04:00

Sichuan, where I grew up, is known for excellent beef jerky. Like most famous eats, there are a few variations. One version features super thin beef slices that are dried to a crisp and saturated with a hot chili oil so when put up against the light, one can see through it. It's very cool, but not my favorite. My favorite is a version that starts out in a five spice and chili infused braise and then dehydrated to a chewy but still resilient texture. And that is what I found at Craftbar. Amazing and so nostalgic. I don't know who is making it, but he/she deserves to be awarded honorary Sichuanese.

Another exceptional plate we had the same evening featured beef tongue in its best form, soft and super tender. The flavor was light yet so spot on. If you are a tongue lover, you must try this!

Craftbar
3376 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 995-7500

Highlight #248: Hotel worth eating at - Restaurant: 700 Drayton (Savannah)

2009-10-25T12:39:00.005-04:00

Usually I don't recommend hotel eating in America, but there are exceptions. On our recent weekend trip to Savannah, we found wonderfully satisfying eats at the century-plus Mansion at Forsyth.
It's hard to believe that such an enormous mansion was once the living quarters of a single family. Fronting the beautifully green Forsyth park, the red brick mansion looks as grand as ever in the warm autumn sun. Inside, the high ceilinged halls have been updated with a modern artsy twist. The corridors leading up to the large ballroom as well as hallways extending to all the rooms are now galleries of varying sizes. The collection of art is eclectic and cheerful. Combined with the warm lighting, the place is very cozy despite the availability of space.

The equally warm diningroom welcomed us with over sized leather chairs that I could have slept in. Our server started us with two glasses of bubbly, which he kept refilled all night. Wanting something light, I started with a fall maple apple slaw salad. Normally, I am not a fan of eating salads in restaurants. But this one sounded truly intriguing. A base of thinly sliced granny smith apples were mixed with thinly sliced cabbage, dried cranberries, and toasted pecan bits. The mix was then dressed with a maple syrup vinaigrette. On top it all sit a few intense slices of sharp cheddar. It's hard to image how the array of flavors would taste in the mouth, but it all worked! So crispy and refreshing. The restaurant kindly split the salad for the two of us, a plus in my book.

We were recommended both the mixed grill of fresh seafood and the updated duck with brussels sprouts. Between the two, the duck was the hands down favorite. While the seafood was indeed fresh in the mixed grill, they were covered with way too much butter to exhibit any true seafood flavor. The duck, on the other hand, was cooked just right to retain a nicely pink center and was balanced in sweetness and acidity. The sprouts were also a little crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, the way I really like. Then there were the matchstick sweet potato fries. Now, how could anyone not like those.

Jason picked the dessert because he wanted something tart and fresh. These were super plump berries. A little sweet and quite a bit of tart. Nice with coffee, but not quite like chocolate or ice cream if you know what I mean. :)

700 Drayton
700 Drayton St.
Savannah, GA 31401
Tel: 912.238.5158

Highlight #247: A revived institution in Savannah - Ice cream parlor: Leopold's

2009-10-20T12:46:00.006-04:00

Leopold's first came to exist in Savannah at the beginning of the last century with the arrival of three Greek brothers. Peter, the middle brother, passed the shop down to his son Stratton. After some years of operating the storied ice cream parlor, Stratton closed it down to head to Hollywood to pursue a career as a film producer. Savannah mourned the lost.

Decades and many hit films later (e.g., MI 3), Stratton came home to Savannah in 2004 and reopened his family's ice cream parlor. The marble counter and soda fountain all came from the original shop as well old photos decorating the front wall. but right next to those hung movie posters and movie star photos from films Stratton worked on.

From the two dozen or so ice cream flavors, I chose my favorite, pistachio, which showed much old world wholesomeness, from the pale green color to the plentiful nuts. The pistachio flavor was pronounced yet not artificial.

Jason had an old fashioned malt with chocolate ice cream, a reminder of the good life in historical Savannah.

Leopold's
212 E Broughton St
Savannah, GA 31401-3402
(912) 234-4442

Highlight #246: Not the Italian grandma's pasta with meat sauce

2009-10-16T12:30:00.005-04:00

You may have noticed from my handful of posted home meals that I am not a recipe cook. Cookbooks I like. I look through them for inspiration, but when I am in the kitchen, I can't be bothered with words. I just go.

Ground chuck was on sale at Whole Foods, which was perfect for something saucy to chase away the chill brought in by the recent drizzly weather. I like to brown my ground meat by first salting a dry hot pan. This way I get a very nice salty crust on the meat without any additional oil. Breaking the ground into bits also encourages browning and prevents steaming in meat juice, which is yucky. To cook for two, I use only half lb of ground and the bits fit perfectly in the medium sized pan. But if you use more, you may need a bigger pan or do in batches.

When the meat bits are well browned, I remove them and use the rendered fat for browning half of a large onion and two cloves of garlics. If some bits of meat refuse to get out of the pan, I just leave them and not worry about it. :)

After some good caramelizing of the onion, I put in a spoonful of Italian seasoning to toast and then pour in a can of tomato chucks along with two to three leaves of chopped basil. I am always sipping wine while cooking, so in also goes a quarter of glass of what I happen to be drinking. This time a rioja. Salted and peppered to my liking, I let the mix come to a boil and then leave it on simmer for an hour or so.

This is a great thing to do when I have some work to do in the mean time. There is a certain warm happiness that builds in the house as the smell of meat sauce fill the rooms.

Twenty minutes before eating, I put on a pot of water and salt it aggressively. In goes some dried pasta. I like the hefty and chewy kind with a shape that holds on to some sauce. Just before perfectly al dente, I dump the pasta into the hot sauce (adjusted again for salt and pepper first) and finish the cooking in the sauce pot.

With some roasted asparagus, this makes a very comforting cool night dinner.

Highlight #245: One closed, but another still going strong - Restaurant: Blue Fin Sushi

2009-10-13T10:41:00.005-04:00

We drove up to Suwanee for Yasu, only to find the restaurant papered up. Disappointed, we turned back towards Duluth and dropped by Blue Fin Sushi. Not only was it still there, the food we got were awesome.

First, we received some glorious sashimi. The Uni was particularly buttery. The clams and scallops were also refreshingly cool and sweet.

The garlic baked clams were as big as my palm and very plump.

But best of all was the enormous tub of champon. When I say enormous, I mean the size of a family size serving bowl. When it come to the table, my husband and I just had to laugh. Champon differs from regular ramen in that it uses a much thicker and more chewy noodle. The soup is also particularly sticky and dense from long hours of boiling chicken and pork bones. The toppings consisted of a mix of pork and seafood lightly pan fried in lard. Very heavy, but so intensely good. We haven't seen this dish much in Atlanta and were super happy to eat it.

Blue Fin Sushi

2863 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Duluth, GA 30097

(770) 232-5004

Highlight #244: Simply perfect - Restaurant: Watershed

2009-10-12T12:49:00.004-04:00

No fries, no salad, just one perfectly grilled cheese sandwich to satiate the child within. Watershed's modern southern lunch is simply perfect.

As is the best chocolate cake in town.

Watershed
263 Decatur St NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 546-1150

Highlight #243: Copycat - Restaurant: Murphy's

2009-10-09T11:44:00.002-04:00

The thing about good ideas is that they spread. Remember that fig/procuitto/balsamic pizza at Stella's this summer? Well, now there is a flatbread appetizer looking just like it at Murphy's. I prefer the chewier pizza crust to the cracker like flatbread, but the idea is still a good one.

Murphy's
997 Virginia Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 872-0904

Highlight #242: A forgotten gem - Restaurant: Anis Bistro

2009-10-07T13:11:00.009-04:00

With new restaurants opening on a weekly basis, the news sources have little incentive to revisit neighborhood oldies. That's a shame because there is definitely something to be said for a place that not only survives but gains and maintains regulars year in year out. In my neighborhood, there is Wisteria. In the quiet stretch of Buckhead off of Pharr road, there is Anis Bistro.

At the bar, there is always a group of french speaking patrons, eating bistro favorites, talking to each other, and watching French TV programming. In the summer time, the shaded patio is where the action is. On this cool drizzly evening, we opted for the smaller dinning room inside, where the lighting is warm and hand drawn map on the wall unmistakably says France.

Our table of four shared a salt cured salmon. The jewel colored salmon was cool and supple. Salted, but not too saturated, I was still found the bursts of salt from the capers welcoming.

We also shared the special of escargot in a tomato spiked cream sauce. It was different and interesting. But because escargots are really texture eats and do not absorb flavors well, my preference remains with the classic preparation involving drenching in hot butter, garlic, and parsley.

When the menu says short rib, it means a whole head size chunk of it. A sharp knife is provided, but was not touched. Fork tender, pulling this baby apart by the forkful was a decadent exercise. The polenta had a sandy texture, but not unpleasantly so. Lovely dish!

Our server recommended the creme brulee and she was right on the money. With every bite, I could see an abundance of dark vanilla specks and the flavor confirmed it. The flourless chocolate cake on the other hand was just a little dry.

Anis Bistro
2974 Grandview Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30305-3214
(404) 233-9889

Highlight #241: So begins birthday month - Restaurant: Pricci

2009-10-04T12:40:00.003-04:00

The month of October has an eternal theme - feasting. Yes, eating is something I do every month, but October, being birthday month, is particularly food filled. This October started off strong with lots of friendly dinners on the agenda. First, we were off to Pricci with a couple of friends.

Parents of three, our dinning companions never can wait to start some adult conversations. In the midst of so much talking, I completely missed the chance to take photos of the prosciutto pizza and fried calamari. But even more importantly, I forgot to take a photo of the house bread with a superb goat cheese marinara dip, which was so tangy and good, I could seriously have made a meal of it.

I did, however, manage a photo of my rabbit agnolotti special. Seriously yummy was this super creamy, buttery, and intensely meaty dish, I had all my neighbors digging in.

We shared two sweets, a pair of hazelnut bars and a zuccotto. As one of my dinning companions noted, the zuccotto was a bit of a let down, looking so grand and then tasting so . . . fluffy? The cake shell was just a little bland and so was the cream filling. The dried fruits were a little odd as well. But we all agreed that the hazelnut bars were decadent, rich and dense, it had lot of hazelnut flavors going as well. Two bars were more than enough for three stuffed adults and a nibbler.

Pricci
500 Pharr Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 237-2941

Highlight #240: The best party of the year - V. Sattui

2009-10-02T09:42:00.012-04:00

In 25 years, Dario Sattui went from borrowed equipments and a living room distribution to owning one of the most beautiful vineyard/winery in Napa. So when he invited us to an anniversary harvest ball, we couldn't say no.
The place was decked out with lights and champagne free flowed everywhere.

We took our drinks down to the cellar to check out what's to come in the near future.

Our beautiful place setting included 10 wine glasses, hinting at the over abundance of wine to come.

The menu was designed and executed by Michelin chef Stefano Masanti of Madesimo, Italy, who flew in with his team of 7 for the event.

A trout carpaccio started the eating. We drank an off dry gamay rouge with this. Pretty on pretty.

Followed by a pike burger paired with V. Sattui's 2006 Napa Valley Chard.

The savory courses climaxed with a super tender beef cheek. Served with it were V. Sattui cabs from 2005, 2004, and 1995 (the 25th year vintage).

A team of musicians and comedians entertained throughout the meal.

We finished with chocolate gelato served with three sauces that came in a 25th anniversary bottle box, which was subsequently filled with a bottle of port to take home.

After the food, we went on to dance the night away in one of the tasting rooms and drank even more V. Sattui wines.

This was definitely the BEST party of the year!

Highlight #239: Neighborhood fun place - Restaurant: Apres Diem

2009-09-29T12:10:00.004-04:00

A few years back, Apres Diem was our neighborhood Friday night hangout. Then the hangout group went through some people shifts and we stopped going there. That is until this past week, when I was invited to birthday dinner/drinks in the AD courtyard with a new group. A few hours under the stars reminded me of all the good times. The wine list is not long here, but very drinkable. The food is not too fancy, but tasty enough. most of all, the atmosphere is always vibrant, even on a weeknight. Who can resist a happy place, not me.

My salmon looked quite messy, but had a nice warm and pink center. The sauce had enough ginger to clear sinuses, which was oddly addictive.

Most importantly, the birthday girl liked it all very much.

Apres Diem
931 Monroe Dr NE # C103
Atlanta, GA 30308-1778
(404) 872-3333

Highlight #238: Californian Italian by Chiarello - Restaurant: Bottega (Napa)

2009-09-27T11:00:00.003-04:00

Many food people automatically assume that TV chefs can't cook. I am no hater. I have a healthy level of respect for anyone who can talk, smile, chop, and put together a pretty plate all in half an hour. But I agree that the level cooking skills on TV run the gamut. Recently, Michael Chiarello scored a big one for the group of real chefs turned TV personalities when he came in top three on Top Chef Master.

The day after a big party in Napa (which will be blogged when I can come up with the energy to narrate through all the courses and wines) our party of four slow movers congregated on the couch studded patio of Chiarello's Bottega in Napa. A few minutes of sitting under the cheerful orange shading of the patio did wonders to revive us from the previous night's haze. Soon we were hungry.

What arrived next were a bit of Italy and a lot of California. First up a house mozzarella and tomato salad. Beautiful California tomatoes paired superbly with the milky, almost runny, fresh mozzarella.

Grill octopus was lightly flavored atop fresh and lightly dressed arugula.

I couldn't resist the enormous short ribs I see going to other tables and had to claim one for myself. Lucky I did. Soft, meaty, and sticky, it was the perfect day after party food, much better than fries. Although I did steal some of that too from Jason's skirt steak.

Bottega
V Marketplace
6525 Washington Street, A9
Yountville, CA 94599

Highlight #237: Unexpected delight - Restaurant: Dosa (San Francisco)

2009-09-26T09:03:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time, I was one of those travelers who plan out every meal on the road. Invariable, plans are frustrated and the frustration would take something away from the entire trip. After five years of traveling with Jason, the ultimate non-planner, I am a much happier person. I still plan, but only loosely. Mostly, it's just a list of where I'd like to eat if timing and location happen to work out. If I am feeling super ambitious, I'd make a reservation, but would be flexible enough to change or cancel. By being flexible, we have had some extremely delicious experiences that would never have happened if we insisted on sticking to plans.

On this trip, I initially plotted to celebrate a birthday at Foreign Cinema, but then realized the foolishness of that plan (they have a very new baby and it's a weeknight). So we proposed to visit at their home after a quick dinner on our own. We found parking near Valencia St. when the SF heavy wind picked up, forcing us to duck inside Dosa, a modern Indian restaurant.

It smelled wonderful inside, spicy and yeasty. The dramatic yet modern chandeliers drew the high ceilings closer and cast a cozy glow on the space. We took a banquette two top, my favorite kind. Ordering was simple. I ignored all the curries and went straight for the name sake dosa. A spinach and green onion one to be exact. The neatly wrapped and stacked dosa rolls are less dramatic than the usual too large for the plate whole ones, but the neat bundles were easy to attack. Faintly crunchy on the outside, the inside was of a tenderness only fermented rice can achieve (think mochi, but slightly sour). The sourness was tempered by both the warm spinach filling and the tongue tingling potato curry for dipping. After finishing the whole plate, I felt light yet satiated and ready to step out into the wind.

Dosa
995 Valencia St
(between Liberty St & 21st St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 642-3672

Highlight #236: The perfect lunch crawl - San Francisco

2009-09-24T10:42:00.006-04:00

I don't get to do this often because it requires a couple of hours in the middle of a workday, but when I can, there is nothing more appealing. What I am talking about is a lunch crawl along 18th st. in the mission district of San Francisco.

It starts at the corner of 18th and Guerrero at a place that has no big sign outside except for the small lettering right about the door handle. It says Tartine. You can't miss it because of the constant crowd in line and at the sidewalk tables. Inside, the bakery cases are loaded with lots of pastries and cakes and the yeasty smell of bread permeates the air. Order a sandwich, any sandwich. You won't be disappointed.

This time it was goat cheese pressed on walnut bread for me. Sounds simple, but it is divine, because the bread here is unparalleled by any other. I swear it took the hands of god to achieve that perfect crust on the outside and impossibly elastic bread flesh within. The locals agree. The breads consistently sell out within half an hour out of the oven. Being California, there is also a short but nice little wine list. Get a glass, because you'll want to linger a bit.

I often dine alone and this is a fun place to do it. I take my glass of wine to join the long communal table near the window. When the sandwich comes, everyone at the table looks up to admire the gorgeous and HUGE mound of deliciousness. The surest way to make some fast friends is to offer some to share. I've had some very interesting conversations here. Unfortunately, this time the conversations invariable turned to the impact of the economy on the California way of life. We all felt lucky to still be eating at Tartine. :)

After the massive sandwich. I'd waddle down the street a couple of blocks to Bi-Rite creamery, my very favorite in the US. I sometimes taste another flavor or get a combination of flavors when I am feeling greedy, but I never fail to get the all-time palate pleaser, the salted caramel.

On a sunny day, I'd sit outside on one of the wooden benches with my little cup of heaven. There is nothing like licking salty, creamy, and caramely goodness off the little wooden spoon while watching the amazing way sunlight filters through the leaves above. The rest of the world can wait.

Tartine bakery & cafe
600 Guerrero Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 487 2600

Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th Street
(@ Dolores)
San Francisco CA
94110

Highlight #235: Another bakery in Napa - Bakery: Sweetie Pies

2009-09-20T14:18:00.006-04:00

Bouchon is no double the most mentioned Napa bakery in food publications. But ask the locals and they will tell you that it's far from being the only or the best in town. One that is said to be superior is Sweetie Pies located in the middle of a section of charming renewed downtown shops on Main st.

I arrived at 8am seeking coffee and starch. While the cake display looked mighty tempting, I decided it was still a bit too early for so much sugar.

Instead, I took to the outdoor table a lemon poppy seed scone, a warm mug of cafe au lait, and a free copy of SF Chronicle. The slightly glazed scone lived up to all my expectations. A harder icing crusted shell was sweet but not too sweet and gave way to moist and soft crumb in the middle. Despite the large softball size, the scone went down with far less heft than one might have imagined. I shall be back for the cakes another time.

Sweetie Pie
520 Main St
Napa, CA 94559-3353
(707) 257-7280

Highlight #234: Off to SFO today and looking forward to some ice cream

2009-09-18T10:15:00.002-04:00

Salted caramel ice cream at bi-rate, here I come. :) Also on the list Foreign Cinema, Ubuntu, Harvest Ball at V. Sattui with a Michelin chef, and eats in Monterey/Carmel. Stay tuned.

Highlight #233: bakery part is still best - Parish market

2009-09-17T16:35:00.006-04:00

Finally I got around to order some savory stuff at Parish Market. Did I pick the wrong thing? I think I did. This roast beef sandwich had plenty of beef, but was rather bland, tough to chew, and even harder to eat with the large onion rings and sliced meat sliding all over the place. The brioche, however, was as lovely as all of the other bakery items I've had at Parish, all buttery and pillowy.

Parish Market

240 N Highland Ave
Atlanta, GA 30307

(404) 681-4434

Highlight #232: homemade bak kut teh

2009-09-15T04:50:00.003-04:00

Bak kut teh, meaning tea bone soup, actually contains no tea, but is rather consumed with tea. Because of its intense savory taste, high nutrition value, and medicinal properties, it has become the post drinking comfort food of choice in Singapore. I didn't get to drink much in Singapore, but got bak kut teh as a homemade treat at Jason's aunt's. The basic recipe is so easy, I decided to DIY. Again, I don't measure much and simply do by feel.

First, boil a little over a lb of ribs in enough cold water to cover. Remove the scum from the top and drain. Put the ribs back in the pot with about 5 cloves of garlic, 1 thumb sized portion of Chinese angelica (dong gui), about 2 tbsp of whole black peppercorn, a couple of tsp of sugar, about 5 whole star anise, about 1 tsp of salt, about 3 tbsp of dark soy sauce, and maybe 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for an hour uncovered or until the ribs are tender. Skim again and season the soup with salt, sugar, and dark soy.

When serving, make a dipping source for the ribs from sweet soy sauce and fresh ground chilies.

Highlight #231: Favorite brunch - Restaurant: Canoe

2009-09-14T05:44:00.008-04:00

It's good to be home, to be able to drive without fearing for my life, and to have wine whenever I want (okay, maybe not on Sundays, but still.) On Sundays, few places around town are as inviting as the garden of Canoe.

Let's not forget the food. These scones are not the dainty things found at a fancy afternoon tea. Each one is about the size of my whole hand and so tender and crumbly. My favorite of the four flavors (cheddar, raisin, ginger, and orange) is the ginger. Sweet, but not too sweet, it has a great little after bite from the ginger. The three kinds of spread that came with the scones were pretty great also. Of course, the honey butter stood out above both the quince and the fig.

Considering the richness of this brunch, it's wonderful that Canoe offers things in half portions. The half bowl of soup is just enough to satisfy, but not too much to kill the rest of the meal. After all, the stomach knows exactly how much cream is in that soup no matter what I try to tell it.

It's hard to believe what's in front of me is only a half portion of the signature pheasant and egg. It's very nice of Canoe to split this dish between Jenna and me. If you are not used to eating pheasant, you will love this as a first taste. The meat is off the bone and very tender. It could pass for any full flavored dark meat. The egg had a lovely runniness that made the whole mix even richer.

We ended the great meal with a chocolate caramel bomb. Our server told me to knock open the shell with the back of my spoon. My first attempt did nothing, so I went hard for the second try. As you can see, I was a little over zealous. It is quite a pleasure to watch the caramel ooze out though. Like everything else before it, it was very rich in the most satisfying way. We ate about a quarter of it and gave up. A wonderful wonderful brunch.

Highlight #230: Definitely the best view, but best food? - Restaurant: Laris (Shanghai)

2009-09-10T18:43:00.010-04:00

What you see here is the view after "lights out" in Pudong, meaning this is what Pudong (the commercial area on the east bank of Shanghai) looks like when the majority of the lights are turned off or dimmed. Now imagine farmland covering all of this. That's what Pudoing looked like 15 years ago. The pace of progress in Shanghai is astounding.

I am viewing this from 3 on the Bund, one of the most happening buildings on the west bank. Like its neighbors, this Western style building, at the beginning of the last century, was a part of the foreign concession in Shanghai. It would look right at home next to any stately building or museum in DC or nyc. Most of these buildings on the Bund still house banks. But #3 has undergone massive internal renovation to become the home of Armani, Jean George, Whampoa Club, and Laris, where our belated anniversary dinner took place.

Laris is one of the top chef-driven western restaurants in Shanghai. Its Australian chef David Laris is on site almost daily and came to chat at the table this evening. The space on the 6th floor is large and decked out in white marbles, but felt warm under the soft lights.

Laris's beautiful plating is definitely on par with its class in the world and the view of Pudong outside the window is incomparable. Unfortunately, the taste department lags behind the two. Take these scallops. Despite their appetizing appearance were pretty bland and tasted deflated. The cauliflower puree did little to make up for the lack of flavor, although the popcorn looking fried cauliflower florets were interesting.

I think Jason ordered this soup purely for the fried frog legs. The base is a lime seasoned rice broth similar in idea to the Greek rice and lemon soup avgolemono. Perhaps because I grew up eating only savory congees, sourness and rice combinations never really appeal to me. With my bias, I found the lime not quite sharp enough to make a statement. The frog leg fritters, however, were super fabulous. Even coming out of the soup, they were impossibly crunchy. The meat was also tender and well-seasoned with salt and pepper.

I initially wanted to order something more unique, but ended up getting the miso cod because it is the chef's signature. It turned out to be a great decision and was quite different from the other miso cods. Rather than the white miso normally used for this dish, the chef chose to work with red miso, which has a much more assertive fermented taste. He also took a step back with the sugar level to let the red miso shine without much competition. The end result was intense, but not overpowering. A great dish.

While at dinner, our server booked a table for us at the roof top bar, where one can enjoy some live music and the bright Pudong lights. Jason got his cigar, while I sip away at my cognac. Not bad, not bad at all. :)

Highlight #229: I am calling this the "best" - Restaurant: Ding Tai Feng (Shanghai)

2009-09-09T20:09:00.006-04:00

It took me two years and more than ten visits to various famous xiao long bao (soup bun) restaurants in Shanghai to come to this conclusion. Ding Tai Feng has the best! Sure, it's not a native Shanghainese restaurant (the chain originated from Taiwan). Yes, it's not of the most classic style. But the taste does not lie! Of course, I can probably say this because I didn't grow up eating the thicker and puffier skinned native Shanghainese version. Seriously though, how can one not appreciate the art and skill exhibited by the ultra thin skin of the Ding Tai Feng variety.

Take a look at this close up. Even with the horrible lighting, you can see through the paper thin skin. Even more impressively, I have never seen anyone accidentally pierce the very thin yet resilient skin to spill the soup and I have eaten these with plenty of foreigners who hold their chopsticks like little kids.

Ding Tai Feng offers about eight varieties of steamed buns and dumplings. Besides the little soup filled ones, I also love the garlic chive dumplings. It's mesmerizing to watch the ladies in the open kitchen create the delicate folds with precision and at lighting speed. The garlic chive filling is hand cut to a very fine consistency, but is drained to maintain a non-mushy texture. I think there is a little bit of dried beancurd in the filling to provide some textural contrast.

Highlight #228: A different kind of spicy - Restaurant: Di Shui Dong (Shanghai)

2009-09-08T19:54:00.009-04:00

Most people in the US equate only Sichuanese food with spiciness. In China, that honor belongs to both Sichuan and Hunan, although many Chinese also recognize that the two varieties of spiciness are distinct and quite different from each other.

In Sichuan, chili oil is king. Dried red peppers are fried in oil to create a red hot chili infusion that includes both a hot oil on top and plenty of pepper seeds at the bottom. The cook is free to choice the percentage of oil and seed paste to create the desired spicy dimension to a dish. For example, the "water boiled fish" dish from a few posts back is one that focuses on the use of a large quantity of chili oil. When only oil is used, the spiciness comes on more slowly in the mouth, but builds up and lingers for a very long time.

In Hunan, ripe red peppers stand alone in fresh form. Only when it's time to make a dish are the peppers cut and quickly fried in oil to release the fragrances. Therefore, in many instances, Hunan dishes actually look spicier than Sichuan dishes due to the large amount of visible red peppers. The spiciness in fact does come on stronger and quickly because of direct contact with fresh seeds. However, I find that the spiciness subsides much faster than the version imparted by the Sichuan chili oil.

Our meal at Di Shui Dong, a Hunan cuisine temple started off with a cold dish of beef jerky (top). The beef is actually not quite dried to the Slim Jim form, but still has some moisture. As you can see, the red fresh chili pieces that have been soaked in soy and other spices are quite easy to spot. This is one of my favorite dishes to start a meal. I find that the intensified chewing gets one's appetite going.

Our garlic and chili prawns came skewered individually. They have been fried very quickly in extremely hot oil and are crunchy on the outside and very tender on the inside. For those not in fear of the garlic and chili paste on top, eating the prawn in the whole, shell included, is recommended. Otherwise, one can go through the messy process of removing the shell.

Even vegetables can't escape the spicy treatment. Here eggplant slices are stir-fried with plenty of hot peppers and bits of onions. The super absorbent nature of eggplant make this dish irresistible to those who love spiciness, but pure punishment for those who can't take it.

Just like in Sichuanese cuisine, not all classic Hunan dishes are overly spicy. The focus of this rib dish is on the fragrance released by the large amounts of fennel and anise seeds that coat the meat. The ribs are very meaty and quite satisfying.

Hunan is the birthplace of Chairman Mao, so almost every Hunan restaurant serves his favorite dish, a non-spicy red roasted pork. It's similar in preparation to the famous Shanghainese version of red roasted pork, but it does not rely on sugar to create a final sticky coating. At a meal with mostly spicy food, I prefer it this way. Sugar somehow interferes with the spiciness of other dishes.

Highlight #227: Working lunch - Restaurant: Xiao Xi Xi (Shanghai)

2009-09-07T19:33:00.003-04:00

One of the first waves of investors in Shanghai came from Taiwan, resulting in a whole area of the city catering to Taiwanese tastes. For our working lunch in that area, we chose a restaurant serving set lunches. You may notice that the set presentation looks Japanese. Indeed, the Taiwanese cuisine adopted many Japanese elements during the years of Japanese occupation. It is now accepted by my generation that the very unpleasant history at least gave the island some good eats.

The main dish in my set is a roasted pork tempura. The tempura part is definitely Japanese, but the unique batter is decidedly Taiwanese. It's made from fermented red rice leftover from rice wine making. The residue rice wine tenderizes the pork and imbues the meat with a faint rice wine taste. My companions were also quite impressed with the rice covered with a sauce made from bits of pork belly and preserved vegetables. Imagine rice drenched with hot butter and a savory gravy and you pretty much get the main idea. The meal ended with a simple dessert of chilled azuki bean drink, one of my favorite summer treats.

Highlight #226: First anniversary - Restaurant: South Beauty (Shanghai)

2009-09-06T18:30:00.005-04:00

Busy with work, neither of us remembered our anniversary until emails arrived from friends with well wishes. To make up for our oversight, we celebrated with a bottle of aged Shao Xing wine given to Jason by one of his suppliers. Shao Xing wine is famous for pairing well with Shanghai's equally famous hair crabs. But we were too lazy after our long work days to go find some of that. The wine looks like cognac in the glass and has a very floral nose. The taste is light and reminiscent of a high quality mirin (Japanese cooking wine).

It's hard to eat just Shanghainese food in Shanghai. Like nyc, Shanghai is a commercial hub that has attracted some of the best chefs of various regional cuisines. One of the favorite cuisines in this city is from my native region of Sichuan.

South Beauty made its name serving Sichuan cuisine. In recent years, the mother and son team expanded the empire all over Shanghai and Beijing. Like many chain establishments in China, the standard remains very high. The truth is China is a country obsessed with food and eating. Mediocrity is easily identified by the public at every price level and rejected. Almost everyone I meet here in Shanghai qualifies as a foodie by the western definition. It's hard to find a Chinese person who can't talk at length about something good to eat.

We started our meal at South Beauty with its signature you mai cai. This slightly peppery vegetable is served raw in little bundles secured with a thin slice of summer cucumber. To eat, one dips a bundle into a dish of peanut/sesame sauce made from 18 different ingredients. The complexity of the sauce really enhances the refreshing quality of the vegetable. Simple, elegant, and tasty.

Here is a classic Sichuan dish (direct translation: water boiled fish) found at every restaurant of this genre, but rarely prepared with green Sichuan peppercorns, which cannot be exported. The difference due to the choice of peppercorn is subtle yet profound. While the more common mature peppercorn imparts the intense numbing sensation, the green version is gentler with a slight nuttiness and fragrance. As you can see, the water that is used for boiling is really a pot of hot chili oil. The fish slices are quickly dropped into the hot oil once the oil had released all the flavors and fragrances from the chilies and spices. When done right, as it is here, the fish slices are very tender and, once removed from the oil, rather light in taste with a lingering spiciness that builds as one eats on.

I ordered this dish to show my dinning companions that not all classic Sichuan dishes are spicy. This steamed pork patty looks solid but breaks off into impossibly soft morsels, a favorite of my dad's. The trick is to make the patty with pork and a mixture of roughly powdered plain and sticky rice grains. When the rice particles are of the perfect consistency, they hold the meat together but do not bind it into a solid mass. So when attacked with chopsticks, the patty easily separates into soft pieces. This patty is also seasoned very well with soy and lots of black pepper.

Highlight #225: Eating by the West Lake - Restaurant: Da Zhai Men (Hang Zhou, China)

2009-09-05T00:40:00.005-04:00

I figured out how to bypass the Chinese national censor of blogger, but the slow internet connection and busy schedule still delayed the posts. In any case, I am still eating and working in and around Shanghai. Here is a photo from a short visit to the West Lake.

Eating near the lake is a pleasure. The famous lakeside sticky rice stuffed lotus roots, red braised pork knuckle, steamed west lake style fish (commercial fishing from he west lake is banned), clay pot stewed local village chicken are all good. I am not calling this particular meal great because the dishes are slightly adjusted for modern taste.

I'll come back with more soon.

Highlight #224: Morimoto legacy - Restaurant: Zento (Singapore)

2009-08-30T20:35:00.013-04:00

There is always something new to see in Singapore. Since I got married here last September, the city gained the Marina Barrage, a dam that divides the Marina Channel. Besides creating a freshwater reservoir, the barrage also provides a green space for picnicking and kite flying. What you see here is the underside of the green space I am referring to. Yup, the grass is grown on top of the bridge/roof structure.

Here is the view on top. That's the new lux casino development in the background.

After walking around, we drove out to Dempsey Hill to visit Zento, opened by Morimoto disciple chef Gunawan Wibisono. We tried a few of his signature dishes. This tuna pizza was quite delightful. A crispy toasted tortilla held up a base of seaweed salad, slices of tuna, and a house sauce that is somewhat based on Japanese mayo.

The scallop carpaccio was reminiscent of a dish I had at Morimoto years ago. The scallops felt sweet and cool on the tongue, a very soothing dish. Of a similar mouth feel was the mango tuna roll. Wrapped in sliced green mango, the roll was light and refreshing, perfect for the hot tropical weather.

This is a spicy salmon hand roll in rice paper. I actually really liked the texture of the paper, a little chewy and faintly sweet.

Mom-in-law loves miso butterfish, so we also got this classic. It's hard not to fall in love with the ultra fatty fish completely deserving of its name. The miso paste was not too heavy or sweet, but just sticky enough to stand up to the rich flesh.

Dessert was a chocolate tart. Toned down for the lower sugar and butter tolerance of Asians, it was enjoyably light, but definitely not decadent.

Highlight #223: Awesome bowl of ramen (Singapore)

2009-08-29T23:09:00.003-04:00

Central is a big mall-ish cylindrical building near the Quay in Singapore. Rather than a variety of chain stores, it houses mostly Japanese food establishments. A couple of years ago, a transplant from Saitama arrived here, specializing in ramen. Rather than the usual selection of soup bases such as shio, miso, etc., the basic ramen here is served with a chicken stock bubbling away in large cauldrons. The ramen itself is of a very skinny kind that is quickly cooked to just al dente and stays that way for quite a while.

Some call this the best bowl of ramen in Singapore. Having not tried other ramens here, I have no idea if that's true. But for its style, it is indeed awesome. In particular, the soup base has a great deal of depth beyond just salty. In the normal bowl seen here, there is just one slice of kakuni or pork belly, but it is melt in the mouth good. For me, one is enough due to richness, but I see many that can put away lots, which can be ordered as additions. Another favorite topping is the soft boiled egg having a bright orange and runny center.

In addition to ramen, we also tried an order to gyoza. Simply boiled, these little ones are delicate on the outside and soft on the inside. Plenty of garlic chives help to cut through the richness of the pork filling. The slight spiciness of the dipping sauce is also very appetite enhancing.

I've already put this place down for repeat visits on future trips.

Highlight #222: Dreamy lamb in the Esplanade (Singapore)

2009-08-28T19:47:00.006-04:00

Besides being very clean, Singapore also boasts pretty harbors and some very unique architectures. The Esplanade, which houses the national opera house and library, is lovingly dubbed "the durian" for its domed and prickly appearance akin to the nation's beloved smelly fruit. Besides the cultural stuff, the Esplanade also shelters some good eats, one of which is Mirchi - Taste of India.

I am not calling this the best or even one of the best Indian food in the country. There are too many options here. After all, Singapore, with its 10% Indian population and a president of Indian decent, is one of the best places outside of India to eat Indian food from all of its regions. Mirchi serves northern and colonial Indian food rich in thick and creamy curries. We ordered three to go with our garlic naan.

Chicken tikka masala, a curry of British origin is a dish made up of traditional chicken tikka (chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt then baked in a tandoor oven) in a masala sauce. This particular one is super flavorful and very tender. The sauce is ultra creamy from yogurt and a good amount ghee or clarified butter. The palak paneer was also very creamy with fried cheese cubes, but I prefer mine a little less thick.

By far the best dish of the evening was the raan-e-mirchi, a dish recommended by my father-in-law. It's a whole leg of lamb baked in the tandoori. The meat was fall off the bone tender and so well seasoned, even the most inner parts needed no additional sauce.

We went to the esplanade for the view, so eating Indian was not a problem for us. I am not sure if Indian should be the meal of choice in one's formal cloths before heading into the opera hall, but I'd seriously consider it.

Highlight #221: Fast breakfast in Shanghai

2009-08-27T13:26:00.004-04:00

Eight hours after touching down in Shanghai, I managed a quick breakfast, a midday meeting, and then was off to Singapore to spend the weekend with the husband and mom-in-law. Not able to venture too far from where I was staying in Shanghai, my breakfast options were limited. Luckily, there is a Yong Hei Soy Milk installation nearby.

A successful chain from Taiwan, Yong Hei focuses on freshly blended soy milk of all forms. You can have yours cold, hot, sweet, or salty. I tend to stick to my non-sweetened cold version. The just blended soy fragrance is very refreshing and much unlike the commercial stuff in the carton.

Other than soy milk. Yong Hei also serves breakfast items such as noodles, congee, buns, and even xiang long bao (soup buns). Needing something not too heavy or messy before my meeting, I chose the pork and preserved veggie stuffed rice. Just the right size, it was filling and flavorful. I particularly liked the fact that the rice here is not too sticky and is loosely packed so as not to sink to the bottom of the stomach and weigh me down.

After so much flying in such a short time, I am looking forward to some good southeast asian eats this weekend with the family.

Btw, if you don't see many posts, it's because blogger as well as facebook are censored in China.

Highlight #220: Almost off

2009-08-25T06:23:00.003-04:00

Mostly for work, but I'll try to work in just a little fun too. I am off today for China, Singapore, and maybe Indonesia. Will try to post... Right now, I just have these pepper crab on the mind.

Highlight #219: Dry aged beauty - Restaurant: Capital Grill

2009-08-24T17:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's a chain. But don't hate it. Look at this Delmonico. How could you not fall in love?

Bone's is good, no doubt. It's my go to steak place, but most of the steaks there are wet aged. I know there are many who worship the wet aged style. Those steaks tend to be tender, but not too gamy. They are also often cheaper, because aging in a vacuum bag does not lead to mold, which must be trimmed off of dry aged steaks.

But if you are like me and like your beef beefy and macho. This dry aged beauty is your ticket to a really good place. It's a big boy, this one. So I opted to share it with my husband, who doesn't like to deal with the parts near the bone, which I absolutely love. :)

For a little variety, I order the 2lb lobster, also to share. It looks pretty mutilated here, doesn't it? It tasted like a Floridian rather than a real Maine native, even though I was told that it is most definitely a northerner. So I guess the lesson is order a steak from a steak house and forget about variety.

This is got to be the most intensely espresso flavored espresso chocolate torte I've had yet. If you like espresso, this one has plenty of nuance that do very well with a good dark red like our 2003 Beringer Private Reserve Cab, which has a smoky nose of chocolate.

Capital Grille
255 East Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 262-1162

Highlight #218: More duck! - Restaurant: JCT Kitchen

2009-08-23T17:21:00.002-04:00

JCT Kitchen is one of my go to places when the heart wants something rich and flavorful. This past week, I tried a new to me dish and it hit the spot yet again. On one side, a duck confit showed off some crispy skin and seasoned to the bone dark meat. On the other side, a few glazed duck meatballs demonstrated why duck meat is superb with a little sticky sweetness. To soak up all the juices was a layer of pillowy gnocchi. Soft and supple, they were perfect to chew and did not feel leaden going down. The leftover was wonderful the next day as well.

JCT Kitchen
1198 Howell Mill Rd NW # 18
Atlanta, GA 30318-5580
(404) 355-2252