what happened to country? (restaurant now closed)

i'm bad at blogging. i check email, facebook, weather everyday, but blogging hasn't become part of my routine. and when i actually think to post something, i can't access my blog (china). i know i should just jot things down somewhere, but i don't.

facebook has/had this application 'My Restaurants' that i really liked. it said it was shutting down, but i'm not sure if it has. i don't really use facebook apps all that much, besides posting photos. but i liked 'My Restaurants'. in fear of losing all my posts, i copied them, and i'll add them periodically on my blog. like now, when i haven't posted in ages, but don't have time to write anything.

june 21, 2009
after country had just opened, my S.O. & i visited the main dining room with gary danko and met doug psaltis (chef de cuisine) and geoffrey zakarian. since then, we've wanted to dine in the formal dining room. when we finally had an occasion to check it out, we made a reservation, and it turns out the formal dining room has been shut down, and the cafe downstairs has become the only restaurant. the restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived (7pm, summer saturday), and the acoustics were so poor that even though only one table was occupied, it sounded like the restaurant was jam-packed full. i couldn't decide between the prix fixe menu or ordering a la carte, but when our server (who enunciated every single word, it was so irritating) highly recommended the spicy tuna tartare and the seared scallops, i opted to go a la carte with her recos. BAD IDEA. the tuna tartare was flavorless (certainly not spicy), the cepes in the scallops were mushy, and the scallops were a touch overcooked.

we also ordered chicken wings from the bar menu, and for $12, you'd think 5 wings would be phenomenal, but even the blue cheese dipper was bland. although my S.O.'s sweet corn soup starter was quite, his delicious lobster ravioli was ok - at least there were lobster pieces - that said, the lobster meat was stringy and not tender nor succulent. the thai broth was average, not like gary danko's thai seafood curry, which is phenomenal, but at least there was a hint of thai flavor. the french fries, measly as they were, were crispy and good, but for $9 for maybe 25 french fries, i was disappointed. finally, dessert: we went with the banana crisp, and there was nothing crisp about it. plus the chocolate sauce was burnt.

i really like the space. i love the bar in the center of the restaurant, and i'd love to throw a party there, but i'd also like to have it catered. by anyone else. [note: someone else had the same idea, because according to my sister, there was a line out the door late-night that same night.]

i also need to wire the server's mouth shut. she obviously has no taste in food. she didn't know the cocktails on the menu. she had to review the wine list to look for a bottle of rose (because when i couldn't find one, i asked if there was one, and she was like, 'there must be,' and then came back with the one bottle they serve by the glass that's not included on their wine list). basically a worthless server. when she asked if we wanted coffee, we said no, but she continued to list the entire starbucks coffee menu - cappucino, latte, americano, macchiato, et al.

while the kentucky cocktail and the tequila cocktail were tasty, even the bread was stale. and the butter was hard & cold.

we're never going back.

The Cafe at Country
90 madison ave, SW corner of 29th st
new york, ny 10016
212/889.7100

a very new york tasting menu

i eat a lot. but sometimes, i eat more than even i usually eat. it's usually a combination of worn-out, sleep-depraven and hungover.

before i leave for china, i like to eat an array of the foods i might not have access to while i'm there. i usually do it over a week. instead, i did this over a day. and i really got a taste of new york.

lunch... i thought i'd check out the new outpost of sandwich shop, defonte's of brooklyn. it has a great location on the corner of 21st and 3rd avenue. the doors open up to the sidewalk, which is good, because the space is narrow once you add the tables, people, etc. since it was my first time, i went classic with the nicky special (#1) - ham, provolone cheese, fried eggplant, marinated mushrooms, hot salad, zucchini, O&V, seeded italian bread. i thought it was great - a little spicy, i absolutely loved the fried eggplant. i think it's large enough for 1.5 normal eaters. when i ordered the same thing as the guy in line in front of me, he turned to me and asked me if i wanted to split the sandwich. i laughed at him.

dinner... the boyfriend of one of my besties was moving back to sydney (australia!), and he totally enjoys fine dining. what could be finer than eleven madison park? but this was an odd meal... the last 2x i had been, eleven madison park was wowing, completely spot-on, and just phenomenal. this time... i was less impressed. here's why:

1) service - previously i've been blown away by the almost overly attentive service; however, this night (a friday), it felt like amateur night. i asked twice for the purse hook, an amenity i totally appreciate at EMP and is generally offered, not asked for, and i was only remembered after one was brought for my girlfriend. we waited a painstakingly long time between 1st and 2nd courses. at one point, they'd brought our meal out, but had forgotten to replace the silverware they'd taken. our waiter suggested more bread to my S.O. but then never brought it out. we ordered cocktails, and we had to ask two different people about them after we didn't receive them for a noticeable period. and they'd obviously been sitting around because the ice had melted.

2) food - we did 2 spring tasting menus and 2 pork tasting menus with 1wine pairing for each.
spring menu
amuse bouche - cucumber smoked salmon; tart; foie gras terrine; fried sweetbread pouch
sabayon - creamy soup with sturgeon
asparagus - white asparagus and green pencil asparagus with asparagus ice cream, parmagiano reggiano and jamon iberico - outstanding, loved the ice cream
atlantic turbot - slow-cooked with spring peas, lemon thyme and olive oil - salty, overly fragrant
nova scotia lobster - poached with spring carrots and citrus sabayon - perfectly tender but unremarkable, very rich
milk fed veal - glazed with ris de veau, morel panna cotta and fava beans - unbelievable, super tender tenderloin, delicious flavor
"strawberry cheesecake" - two bubbles one with liquid cheesecake, one with strawberry, amazing - burst with flavor in your mouth
mint chocolate chip - ice cream sandwich with araguani chocolate - gross, ice cream wasnt good, the chocolate wafers had little flavor, the fresh mint was overwhelming for the subtle chocolate
mignardises - meringue cookies in 8 flavors, black sesame, black olive & white chocolate, chocolate, PB&J, lavender & chocolate, brown butter & banana - i don't remember all of them, but the olive/white chocolate combo and brown butter/banana and PB&J were my faves.

four-story hill suckling pig seasonal 5-course tasting menu
same amuse bouche
sabayon - creamy soup with ham
tete de cochon - terrine made with different parts of pig head - very yummy
pork a la francaise - braised pork belly - amazing
crispy suckling pig - same prep as their menu item in winter
rack of pork - good
same desserts, same mignardises

next time i would do the pork menu. it was really quite good, but very rich and heavy. or else i would just do the 3-course. although i'm dying to do the gourmand (chef's selection of 11 courses $175).

3) other - it was disappointing that the chef, daniel humm, didn't do the meet & greet in the dining room this time. maybe that's only a weeknight thing?
one of my favorite indulgences that eleven madison provides are the two types of butter: salted goat's milk and unsalted sheep's milk offered with fleur de sel on the side.

4) bevvies - the wine pairings were good, and i loved that they served a not-sweet sherry at the beginning of the meal. we also LOVED the riedel glass they used to pair with the veal. it really helped capture the nose of the wine.
i generally enjoy the cocktails here (fine, everywhere). i started with the rosita before dinner. then a sloe & steady. and finally, stuck with the silhouette (which my S.O. also loved, so we shared most of the time). my girlfriend drank the cumulunimbus pretty much the entire time.

5) cost - the bill was pretty expensive, but we were there to indulge. between their engagement (they're getting married in december!), the farewell dinner and my departure for china, there were a lot of finals.

after-dinner snack... halal truck:
on the way home from eleven madison park, i couldn't help myself... i love the halal truck on madison btwn 27th/28th. the aroma tempts you from far, far away. there are always cabbies stopped there (good sign!). plus the guys who work there at night are so friendly. i always get a platter of lamb, chicken and/or kofta (i usually do a combo - when i'm hammered, i call it the "whole shebang") which comes with fries, rice and salad. be sure you ask for the white sauce AND hot sauce. last night i asked for it less spicy, and it's not as good.

defonte's of brooklyn
261 3rd ave at 21st street
new york, ny 10010
212/614.1500

eleven madison park
11 madison ave at 24th street
new york, ny 10010
212/889.0905

i could eat here every day

sushi yasuda is an ethereal experience that all sushi lovers should experience at least once (and i hope not only once) in their lives.

last night i indulged at sushi yasuda with two friends who, like me, enjoy their food, especially sushi. as always, we sat at the sushi counter and put our fate in the hands of the talented chef yasuda. i can't go through everything we ate; it would be impossible to remember.

when you sit down with chef yasuda, he is welcoming and friendly. if he recognizes you, he is even more warm, and since he knows your tastes, he just confirms your plan. before he knows you, he'll talk to you. he'll teach you, if you're interested in learning. he'll joke with you (he's very funny). he's a character, and he understands and reads people.

then the meal begins. first let's talk rice. his rice is perfect. he doesn't use too much. if he knows you'll be eating a lot (which i always do), he'll try to balance the amount of rice so you don't fill up too quickly. it's perfectly seasoned (not too sweet or vinegary) and perfectly sticky.

as for fish, he'll begin with what's freshest. last night happened to be a good evening for the yellowtail family. warasa, shimaaji... spectacular. and the kanpachi, which he told us came from a 7+lb fish, rather than approximately 4.5lbs (the usual weight) - it was divine.

his eel is fantastic. he'll use different preparations for various cuts of the same and different eels, and then you'll do an eel flight going from most delicate to most strong. your tastebuds sing.

the uni - oh the uni - yasuda only gets the best uni. last night we had two different unis - the usual from santa barbara and another, less common, from maine. the maine uni was lighter, more delicate, but clean. the santa barbara was sweeter, stronger, but delicious.

the mirugai and its himo - two parts of the giant clam, both so tasty, but such contrasting flavors and textures - it's amazing how one clam can produce both pieces.

yasuda only uses one type of oyster: peace passage oysters. from washington state, they have a slight briny flavor like east coast oysters, but are rounded out by a creaminess that's known with west coast oysters. and they're big. yum.

we only had one piece of toro last night, which was disappointing, but this was because it wasn't the best fish of the night.

we had other fish (coho salmon, white king salmon, sumi squid legs, octopus - love his octopus, a clam from korea - toregai, i think, hotate, hotate himo - mmmm, jack mackerel, sayori, kinmedai... i'm sure there was more), and every bite was delightful.

we finished with two hand rolls - uni and ikura. the seaweed, two different kinds, were both unbelievable. yasuda uses the best grade seaweed available, and as he prepares them, the aroma of the toasted seaweed wafts to your nostrils and excites your palate for what's to come. next time i need to remember to ask how yasuda prepares his ikura. it was the perfect end to the perfect meal.



the most astonishing part is that yasuda remembers everything you've had that night. and when you've finished your meal, he ticks it off on a piece of paper and gives it to the waitress.

the service is, as expected, perfect. the meal is mouth-watering, even when you're full.

now here are the yasuda rules: 1) do not be late for your reservation. if you're more than 10 minutes late, you lose it. no exceptions. 2) your seating is 1.5 hours. you can linger if the next party has not arrived, but if they have, they will kick you out. 3) do not dip his perfectly seasoned rice in soy sauce. yasuda seasons each piece with sauce so that you don't require any additional wasabi or soy sauce. but if you do, do not disrespect his rice with soy sauce.

and that's it... the most amazing meal in new york. if i ever win the mega million lottery (note this meal is NOT recession friendly), i'll eat here every day that i'm in new york and yasuda's working. that's a promise.


sushi yasuda
204 east 43rd street btwn 2nd/3rd aves
new york, ny 10017
212/972.1001

an average burger

after 2+ weeks in china for work, i come home with hankerings. i always want artisanal for a cheese-filled meal (no one eats cheese in china), amazing new york-style pizza and a delicious juicy burger.

so when a friend returned from his three-week jaunt through tokyo, hong kong, beijing and shanghai, i asked him what he craved while he was gone. maybe he's not as food-driven as i am because he didn't seem to crave anything, but when i mentioned my usual cravings, he seemed quite keen for a burger.

we headed to black iron burger shop, a new-ish (august 2008) bare-bones burger spot that he frequents. they griddle-fry their burgers rather than flame-grill, and although it doesn't look green, they minimize waste, only serve keg beer and even their griddle is energy-efficient. decor is minimal - wooden tables/floor, many ketchup bottles surrounding you and a mirrored board with beer specials. acoustics might be less than stellar; it was loud for a wednesday night, but it wasn't busy.

the burgers are thin patties, not like my favorite shake shack juicy hockey puck, and it didn't ooze with flavor. i had mine with horseradish cheddar, and it was fine, but it didn't burst with horseradish, cheddary, meaty goodness.

the onion rings were a little sad as well, limp and less than crispy. there was more fried batter on the dish than on the onions. and i don't really drink beer, so mine, the house brew, tasted like miller lite, which was fine by me. my friend's smelled yummy and tasted nice, but i couldn't drink an entire glass... it was a board special, i wish i could remember the name.

really their biggest problem was the service: the waitress just couldn't get it right. first she forgot the lettuce, tomato and onion. then she completely ordered the wrong burger for my friend. she cleared his dish but not mine. she was just off. i still tipped her 20% ($41 total including tip); it is a recession.


black iron burger shop
540 east 5th street btwn aves a/b
new york, ny 10009
212/677.6067

genuinely delicious

i'm not really sure why i even bothered to leave laguardia airport, since 11 hours after i was picked up, a car dropped me and my S.O. straight back to American Airlines, but this time, i was headed to Miami.

i have been looking forward to this trip for a while solely because i've wanted to try michael's genuine food & drink. it's been on everyone's chowhound radar, and then frank bruni wrote it up in his "restaurants that count" 4-part article a few months ago!

we made a reservation (sunday, 5:30pm - i prefer to eat early, if i can), and during my downtime in china, i researched the menu (non-chinese food was on my mind a lot), the reviews, even the wine list, so by the time we arrived at the restaurant, i was ready to go.

the restaurant is located in an up-and-coming neighborhood, the design district, which, verified by our waitress, isn't the safest neighborhood at night. the little plaza, however, where michael's also has outdoor seating, is adorable, with the feel of belden lane in san francisco or stone street in new york. the interior feels like it should be warm as you enter, with a long dark bar and open kitchen with even some counter seating, but the high ceilings (which we generally love), white walls, modern lighting and the stoic hostess gave me more of a stark, cold vibe.

service was attentive, especially because of our early reservation. i liked our server jeanne (i think) who was sweet without being annoying or intrusive. the busboys cleared, provided and were polite and not bumbling.

the food, as it should be, was the real star. we ate so much; i'm just going to list it out:
-cheese of the week: brunet from piedmont, italy, served with a port-wine reduction, honeycomb and raisin-walnut bread - delicious creamy, runny goat's milk cheese; the bread was also perfect with it.
-the crispy hominy - i could've eaten 1000 of these lightly spiced snacks, they tasted like homemade puffed cheese doodles, without the cheese; great with a squeeze of lime
-deviled eggs - these were good, creamy, but i wouldn't need to order them again
-potato chips with caramelized onion dip - i was disappointed that the chips weren't crispy and that the onion pieces were so long - it was hard to pick up the dip and get some onion because all the onion strings were intertwined
-fried pork belly & watermelon salad - this was the best dish of all - i don't know how but the red onion, watermelon, pork belly, pepitas and dressing married so beautifully (so creative... i would never think of adding watermelon)
-crispy beef cheek - this reminded me a bit of tender chicken-fried steak (which i love), and i loved this too - the celeriac was very mellow, and i had no idea there was chocolate in the sauce - it looked more like a whole-grain mustard sauce
-blt salad - i wanted this to be more like the fried pork & watermelon, with chunks of pork rather than a slice, but the tomatoes were so seasonal and delicious, and the frisee was, visibly, so lightly dressed, you wouldn't know it was dressed unless you tasted it. the blue cheese, although tasty on its own, killed the taste of my wine (a bottle of the Etude 2006 rose), so i probably would not order this again.
-homemade fettucine - our night had wild mushrooms in addition to the artichokes, chunks of house-smoked bacon, fiore sardo cheese; the pasta had amazing texture. this is exactly what i needed to satisfy the food cravings from being deprived of western food in china.
-slow-roasted pork shoulder - perfectly tender, but there's a spice on the outside crust that i didn't like - i haven't yet determined what it is. my S.O. loved this dish though. tasted great with the pickled onion and cheese grits, and a sprinkling of salt.
-wood-oven roasted grouper - i didn't need this dish, but it was really so good, i'm so happy we got it. the accompanying roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta were slightly sweet, firm but so yums. and the lemon aioli was a wonderful dipper.
-french fries - i don't usually give credit to french fries, but my S.O. loves fries, and we get them almost everywhere, and he said these were one of the best fries he's ever had - perfect medium thickness, dark and crispy with some skin - so that says a lot. paired with the lemon aioli from the grouper, mmm.
-candy bar special dessert - i wish we had gotten the lemon pot de creme on the menu instead, but our server highly recommended this dish. it was ok, but i wouldn't order it again. or take a bite, even if someone else got it and offered me some. just not worth the calories, when there are so many other delicious things.

so i really enjoyed this restaurant. i wish they had michael's genuine in new york... this would be a HUGE HIT! plus it wasn't even that expensive... i mean, our bill was kind of pricey, but only because my S.O. let me indulge and order everything i wanted (besides the chicken liver crostini and sweetbreads, but i know he doesn't like either of those things, and it would've been outrageously indulgent for me to order those just for me, in addition to all of the above). so if you live in or near Miami, or if you're visiting, this is a must-try.

michael's genuine food & drink
Atlas Plaza
130 NE 40th Street btwn NE 1st/2nd Aves (Design District)
Miami, FL 33137
(305) 573-5550

staying in the borough (restaurant now closed)

everyone remembers rocco dispirito - the arrogant chef who partnered with legendary restauranteur jeffrey chodorow to open rocco's - aka "the restaurant" from the TV show that documented its building/opening. other than leaving behind the legacy of mama's meatballs (which really are delicious), rocco kinda dwindled away (probably for the best - his boyish good looks couldn't live up to his ginormous ego, and he's short).

since rocco's, the space hasn't garnered much attention. it transitioned to another restaurant, caviar & bananas, i think was the name - whatever marketing person thought of that name should be fired.

more recently, it became borough food & drink. i believe the idea was to serve NYC-style cuisine using local ingredients as well as sell those same favorites. i think it even had a market at some point. i'm not sure if the local ingredients have been a success, or if the restaurant is a success at all, but there's something about it...

let's start with my likes (besides the fact that you can always get a reservation and it's not outrageously expensive):

1. our server was actually passionate about some of the dishes. when the guy we had dinner with ordered the borough steak, our server actually said, "it's just your average strip steak," to dissuade him from ordering it (our dining companion still ordered the steak, and he said it was good). he recommended a salted caramel sundae that was delish.

2. the cocktails on the front page are not that creative (especially in this era of creative cocktails), but they're good.

3. it's bustling without being crowded. and the music is good.

4. the host - he's hipster-dorky (that should say it all).

my dislikes:

1. it took 23 minutes for my passionate server to bring me my cocktail.

2. the pool table area in the back.

3. the hipster-slow service (what is sorta hot in the host is completely unattractive in a server).


but i still would go back. it's close enough to my apartment. the burger is good. it has mac n cheese as a side dish (the first time i had it, it was really good; this time, it needed salt). and i like a server who's really into the dishes... it helps an indecisive person like me.

borough food & drink (CLOSED)
12 east 22nd street btwn broadway/park ave
new york, ny 10010
212/260.0103
note: this restaurant is closed.

shanghai eating part i

last time i was here, i ate deliciously, but thanks to gary soup, likealocal and other avid shanghai eaters, this trip has been scrumptious.

i love food. and i particularly love xiaolongbao (aka soup dumplings).

since the typhoon finally passed, my first stop this morning was Jia Jia Tang Bao (which has gotten praise from the reviewers out there).

the place is small but cute, and they have a notebook with the English menu. i love that they're actually back there making your dumplings... TO ORDER! my mom wanted the crab & pork (19.5rmb) and the shrimp & pork (9rmb), so i let her choose.

the dumplings themselves had perfect skins. they were thin, almost transluscent, and not doughy or gummy. however, i have to say that i was disappointed with the crab & pork -- there were many little bits of crab shell inside, and the flavor wasn't as i'd hoped. the soup was more fishy than i expected.

the shrimp & pork was a delightful surprise as they were exactly what i'd hoped the crab would be: flavorful, delicate yet rich and magnificent.

jia jia tang bao
90 huanghe lu (near fengyang lu)
peoples square
shanghai, china