Joe's Shanghai in New York, NY

It has been years since I went to Joe's Shanghai, having tried their midtown (food just ok and poor service) and their Chinatown location. But, after trying the soup dim sum at Red Farm, I wanted to go back and see how these restaurants measure up against each other.

We went on a week day and showed up a bit before the opening as, each time we passed by, there was a long line, this restaurant being recommended in a lot of guides. Surprisingly, there was barely anybody, so we got a table right away. 

The restaurant filled up slowly, but was not as crowded as expected. 

Few minutes after we sat, the waiter came with some tea and asked us if we wanted the dim sum so they could fire them up in the kitchen. We answered affirmatively and proceeded to look at the menu to pick the other dishes we wanted to try. 

I could not of course resist ordering the fried quail, a dish that you can buy to go in few locations in Chinatown (or at Whole Foods, uncooked).

There were succulent: a tad crispy, but still moist, that is not that simple as it is easy to overcook them. 

Then, we shared the fried spring roll.

Unfortunately for Jodi, they were made with shrimp, that she hates except in shumai. I liked it, but it was not as good as the scallion pancake that followed that was probably one of the best I had so far. 

Then came the pork soup dim sum:

They were eight of them, very, very hot. I proceeded to put one in a spoon 

And eat it from the top. 

The shell was very good, as well as the filling, although I found it way too fatty and prefer the more delicate taste of Red Farm. 

Our last dish was braised bean curd with spinach, the same dish we ordered the last time we went. 

I admit that I conceded this dish to Jodi, as I am not a big fan of spinach...

The bean curd was very good, smothered on a delicious thick sauce, but I wished they served something else than spinach. 

The bill, paid cash only, was light, for a very decent meal. Joe's Shanghai is a good spot for Chinese food, it's Asian crowd proving it. They are precursor of these delicious soup dim sum, but if you really want to try, go to Red Farm: I think they are better there, even if pricier. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Joe's Shanghai

Red Farm in NYC, NY

It has been a while since we wanted to go to Red Farm, this place being highly recommended by our friends. We made it early on a Saturday as the time before, when we tried, there was a huge line waiting outside. 

We were seated right away at the bar, side by side, all the booths being used for four people, leaving us with this option or seating at the communal table, that can be nice sometimes, but too close to the persons seating next to us. 

I was curious to know why this restaurant was called Red Farm, but only got a vague answer that was more a guess: first, the owner, Ed Schoenfeld ({R}Ed?), is always wearing red, from his glasses to his jacket. Second, he wanted to create a restaurant with a farm feel. Hence Red Farm. 

For the farm feel, it is fairly on point, with the multitude of plants decorating the room. 

Menu wise, this is where it gets surprising: they serve dim sum! And they have a nice selection of it, clearly not your regular ones But if you are not into dim sum, they have plenty of other creative dishes, small or large, mainly made to share, prepared with meat or seafood. 

So we decided to share a bunch of dim sum. First were the pan fried pork buns. 

They are smaller than what you usually get in Chinese restaurants, and, although pan fried, they were very soft, with a wonderful sweet and savory taste.

The next dish was the mushroom and vegetable spring rolls:

This was another stunning presentation, the spring rolls being shaped like carrots and held by a cucumber. The shell was a bit greasy, but I did not mind, the stuffing being flavorful. 

Then came the pork and crab soup dumplings. 

I think the person who first created a soup dumpling was a genius. I am sure you wonder how they get the soup inside the dumpling. It is not with a syringe: they freeze it before wrapping it in the shell. The only time I tried this dish was at Joe Shanghai, so I was interested to see if it was as good; and it was. 

I put the dumpling in a spoon 

And ate it from the top

At first, you get mainly the dough, then dough and soup, then all the components, the pork being more present than the crab. 

Then we tried the four mushrooms dumplings. 

These fried dumplings were made with shiitake, oyster and black trumpet mushrooms. This was my least favorite dish: a bit greasy, the shell overpowered the taste of the mushrooms. We learnt later than they offer them steamed and that it is better. I wish they told us that before!

Last, was one of my favorite and very creative dish: Katz's pastrami egg rolls. 

It was served with a delicious Russian dressing. Imagine this combination of deli and Chinese cuisine! It works! You have the crunchiness of the egg roll and the sublime taste of the pastrami perfectly coming together. 

We did not get desserts as we had other plans, but we will for sure go back to Red Farm to try some sweets as well as other dishes. This is definitely an enjoyable experience!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Red Farm

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

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

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

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

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

The second appetizer was the vegetable dumplings:

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

The last appetizer was the vegetable spring rolls:

Again another delicious fried appetizer, very comforting. 

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

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

Then came the fried rice:

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

After that came the crispy orange chicken:

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

Then, we tried the Ma Po Tofu:

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

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

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

Last was dessert:

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

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

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

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

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Vanessa's Dumpling House in NYC, New York

We recently went to Vanessa's Dumpling House, located near Union Square, for dinner. This place, located near NYU, is supposed to propose cheap Chinese food, outside of Chinatown, although a lot of restaurants there are not so cheap, enjoying the flow of tourists. 

Vanessa's Dumpling House is small and you definitely can tell, looking at the customers, that it caters to students. It was packed and we were lucky to find a table after we ordered at the counter. 

I wanted to try several dishes and for sure the prices drove my frenzy when ordering. What you will see below costed us $22!!!

Here is what we ate:

Fried pork dumplings (4 pieces):

They were a little burnt in the bottom, but on fact it was great! It gave some crunch!

The boiled vegetarian dumplings (8 pieces):

The boiled shrimp dumplings (8 pieces):

The boiled dumplings were very disappointing. In fact, when we sat, I noticed a doughy smell: it was these dumplings. Not only did they smell doughy, but they also tasted doughy!!!

The pork bun (1 piece):

The veggie bun (1piece):

I did not like the stuffing of the veggie bun; however, I liked the pork one. The only problem is that there was too much bun and not enough stuffing. Very filling for sure!

Last was the sesame pancake with a fried egg:

I imagined something like a scallion pancake, but it was in fact like a bread. It was very good: homey, it also contained veggies that added some flavor and juiciness to it. It was my favorite with the pork dumplings. 

Although I did not like everything, I think Vanessa's Dumpling House is a good place for people on a budget. You just need to know what to order and...enjoy!

Enjoy!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Buns at Baohaus in NYC, New York

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

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

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

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

Here is what we got:

The Uncle Jesse (front) and Broccolini BAO:

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

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

These were vegetarian options. My favorite was the Uncle Jesse that was a bit crunchy on the outside with a nice spicy sauce.

The Birdhaus:

Fried chicken with Haus Seasoning Salt, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and Taiwanese red sugar. This was my favorite one! The chicken was a bit crunchy, cooked all the way through and still moist. I could have eaten an entire bucket of it!

The Haus Bao and the Chairman Bao:

One was made with pork belly and the second one with beef cheek. It was tasty but on the dry side. I enjoyed it anyway!

The buns were very good, as bit sticky as most of them are...

I enjoyed it and my favorite was the Birdhaus (fried chicken). It is an interesting place, that proposes some cheap alternatives, but I am not sure I love it to the point where I would brave the line of customers. Maybe I should try again..What do you think?

Enjoy (I did)!

And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Authentic Hong Kong style Dim Sum at the Golden Unicorn in NYC, New York

Our cousins, Jessica and Michael proposed us to go see The Hobbit with their entire family and to eat before in a Chinese restaurant offering soup dumplings. I have to admit that the only restaurant serving dumplings I knew, besides Joe Shanghai, closed, so I did not have any address to suggest. Fortunately, a co-worker from Michael proposed the Golden Unicorn.

I was pretty excited to go there because I love Hong Kong style dumplings, where the staff pushes carts full of dumplings and propose them to you. If you order them, they will put a stamp on a piece of paper so they can keep track of what you eat for the check.

I had the chance to experience it in Hong Kong in the late 90's, for my first lunch there. I like the playfulness of it: they tell you what it is and you order it or not, not always knowing if the dish is what you expect or if you will even like it. Also, the food keeps coming and sometimes, even if you have a lot on the table, you may add a dish that you really like, ending up with too much food...

So, here are the dishes we ordered:

BBQ Pork Buns

Crystal Shrimp Dumplings

Pork Buns

Pork Ribs

Pork Shumai

Shrimp Shumai

Spinach and Shrimp Dumplings

Steamed Shrimp Rolls

Fried Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice

Bean curd rolls

My favorites were any dishes with shrimp, in particular the crystal shrimp dumplings and the steamed shrimp rolls. Sometimes, you are wondering where the shrimp are, but not there! Also, the BBQ pork buns were spectacular! The bun itself was so light and then in the middle, you discover this fantastic pork smothered in BBQ sauce. Last was the sticky rice either fried or cooked in banana leaf: it was so tasty and I love the texture!
My least favorites were the shrimp and spinach dumpling (the spinach overpowered the dish), the bean curd rolls (they had meat in it by the way and we thought they were vegetarian) and the pork ribs that did not look appetizing and were a bit tough.

I really enjoyed that lunch and we had a good time! The Golden Unicorn is definitely a great place for authentic dim sum!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Szechuan Gourmet - Chinese Restaurant in Midtown NYC, New York

Recently, I went to Szechuan Gourmet with my colleagues for lunch. Be aware that there are several Chinese restaurants called Szechuan Gourmet! This one is located on 56th avenue. They even refer on their website to Szechuan Gourmet 56.

So, the particularity of Szechuan cuisine is that it is spicy. Fortunately, they put a chili in front of the dishes on the menu so you are not surprised, but you can anyway asked for mild or spicier if your stomach can make it!

The restaurant has two floors and can accommodate large parties. The service was fast and they kept checking on us to make sure we had a nice experience.

In term of food, they have the traditional dishes you would find in a Chinese restaurant: General Tso Chicken, eggplants with garlic sauce, fried rice, chow fun...But they also have other delicacies not so usual: Jelly fish (I tried once...not a favorite of mine!), duck tongues, or ox tongue and tripes. This time I was going for a more usual lunch...

So, we decided to order lunch menus: items are going between $7.95 to $9.50. You pick a soup, rice and dish. On top of it, we ordered some scallion pancakes for the table.

They were very good: crispy and not oily. 

Then, I asked whether it was possible to have an egg drop soup instead of a wonton or Hot & Sour one.

They graciously accepted. The soup was awesome: a bit gelatinous like I like it.

For the main dishes, we decided to share.

We ordered sliced chicken with baby eggplant. The eggplant were perfect and well cooked; they kind of absorbed the sauce that came with it (I am wondering if it was not a garlic sauce). The chicken was good and there were plenty.

The General Tso Chicken was delcious: crispy, tasty and not too spicy. It is a classic dish and a good test if you try a Chinese restaurant!

Then came the spicy scallops with roasted chili peanuts. This was the revelation of the day! It was my favorite. The sauce was so good. There was definitely a kick to it, but not too much. For sure, as it was for the lunch menu, they did not put as many scallops as you would have chicken, but there was a nice portion of it. Definitely a dish to try!

I had a great meal at Szechuan Gourmet, at an affordable price. Another great Chinese restaurant outside of Chinatown!

Enjoy (I did)!

 

Wu Liang Ye - Authentic Chinese cuisine in NYC, New York

Wu Liang Ye in Midtown Manhattan is a family style Chinese restaurant; each plate can serve 2 people, hence, don't be surprised by the price. This place is always crowded and if you are a large party, you'd better reserve! I went there for lunch time and it was like a beehive: customers going in and out, waiters running around to satisfy the crowd.
The restaurant itself is located on the second floor of a brownstone. The weather was nice outside and it was freezing inside!

Food wise, I really liked it! But be careful: they serve authentic Szechuan cuisine that is spicy!

We had couple of dishes. The first one was Shredded chicken with spicy garlic sauce. The chicken was moist and the sauce not too spicy. Fortunately, it was not too garlic-y either!

We also tried the tangerine chicken.

It was a first for me. I really liked it. I think it is a perfect alternative to the General Tso Chicken: a bit crunchy with less fried taste. The sauce was not overpowering at all.

Then was one of my favorite dishes: the kung pao chicken.

This dish is mainly made with chili pepper and peanuts. No way to have it mild! I can tell you that it was spicy. Delicious but spicy! I love the thick sauce coming with it that baths the chicken and the veggies (onions, peppers...). Great dish!

Wu Liang Ye is a great Chinese restaurant outside of Chinatown! Definitely for you to try!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Great Japanese food at Yeung II in Hoboken, NJ

It as been a while that we noticed this small restaurant located uptown Hoboken. Each time we passed by, I have noticed that it was packed. I love Japanese food and my favorites are the sushi and sashimi. For those who do not know, sashimi is raw fish (you will always have on a sashimi plate a piece of tuna or salmon that are very tender) and sushi is made of raw fish on top of sushi rice. The difficulty in making a sushi is to   put the rice well together so it does not crumbled as soon as you pick it up with your chopsticks. Often, there will be wasabi between the fish and the rice. My least favorite sushi is shrimp: usually cooked, it is too bland. 

So we go there for lunch (all Japanese restaurants have lunch specials that are usually good deals). At first they seem a little stressed out. We ask for green tea and they tell us that the water was not yet hot. Interesting! I guess it does not take that long to boil water, no? Then it took several minutes before they realize that we do not have any menu. After that, everything was fine.

I guess they were a bit late in there prep work and all stressed out! Minutes later, the restaurant was packed and there were a lot of asian customers, that is a very good sign for a Japanese restaurant! But note that they serve also Chinese cuisine; for instance, they have the General Tso Chicken or Lo Mein.

So we went for the lunch specials. They came with a miso soup and a salad.

The salad came first as the miso soup was not ready (what is going on with the hot water today?). It was a nice portion. Of course, the salad was a traditional salad you would have for a lunch special: lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and a carrot and ginger sauce that was very good.

Then came the miso soup that had a great smokey aroma. It was pretty good and...hot.

For the main course, we had the avocado rolls. They were pretty nice. Of course, it all comes down to the ripeness of the avocado and it was perfect.

The Sushi and Sashimi plate was awesome: colorful and the fish tasted fresh (I hope)! It came with 4 pieces of sushi (tuna and salmon of course), 6 pieces of sashimi (tuna and salmon also in the party) and a salmon and avocado roll. The avocado was ripe enough and the salmon delicious!

This was definitely a great lunch for a very good price. I loved it and will probably go back there. You should too!

Enjoy (I did)!

Asian flavors at China Grill Restaurant in New York - Closed

Ceiling at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

China Grill is a pan-asian restaurant opened in the 80's by Jeffrey Chodorow and is now part of the China Grill Management Company that has several restaurants in many cities like New York, Miami, Los Angeles or London. Besides China Grill, they own Asia de Cuba and Bar Basque that are popular restaurants in New York. 

The decor is quite nice: very high ceiling with some big Japanese lanterns (red lightning) and granite walls. This restaurant is serving Family style, but now, they offer smaller sizes, but still pricey. Anyway, if you do not know it is family style when coming, you will know when ordering as I think I heard it five times....

I went with four people, so we ordered several dishes to share.

For the appetizers, we started with the Lemongrass crusted tofu tots served with delicious pickled cucumbers and a kimchee sauce topped with black sesame seeds. That was an original dish! Good and light; I did not taste the kimchee in the sauce and it was not spicy.

tofu tots at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

The crab cakes (2) were a bit dry. They were served with a tomatillo-pineapple salsa and mustard sake sauce, but there was not enough sauce. 

Crab cake at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

My favorite though for appetizers was the Tempura Tuna Sashimi that was served with a hot mustard champagne sauce. This had great flavors and the tuna was incredibly good and tender.

tempura tuna sashimi at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

My second favorite for appetizers was the Chicken satay. It came with chilled sesame noodles and a toasted peanut sauce. Let me tell you: the chicken was perfectly cooked and so moist. It was deliciously paired with the peanut sauce. The noodles were a nice addition to the dish.

Chicken satay at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

Then came the entrees. The waiter was serving us, making sure that everybody got his share of the food. He was a little stressed out and we asked him to slow down a bit!

For the main entrees, we had:

The duck two ways: pan seared breast with chocolate-orange sauce and “Moo Shu” style confit of leg with spicy hoisin sauce. I thought it was a great idea, but did not really like the chocolate-orange sauce on the duck (and not because of a salty/sweet thing). Also, the crepes were kind of weird tasting. Besides that, the duck was very good and perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Duck two ways at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

We also had the Curry miso black cod with sweet soy glazed Chinese broccoli and yuzu-miso butter sauce. That is when I could not take my photo because the waiter went crazy cutting the fish! It was a nice dish, although not my favorite. The fish was perfectly cooked and moist.

Then was the Miso grilled vegetables and udon noodles served with a spicy hoisin and mushroom sauce. This was definitely one of my favorites! The sauce was for sure spicy, but it was bearable! There was an explosion of flavors between the vegetables, the noodles and the sauce.

udon noodles at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

But wait, it is not finished! We also shared some sides! We tried the lobster mash potatoes: where was the lobster???

Lobster mash at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

And the avocado fried rice salad: missing seasoning for sure. The sides were not that great!

fried rice at China Grill, midtown, NYC, New York

China Grill is a nice fusion restaurant with some surprising combination worth to try, but still, on the pricey side.

Enjoy (I did)!

Tang Pavillion in New York, New York

Tang Pavillion is a chinese restaurant located outside of Chinatown, Midtown. The cuisine is supposed to be from Shanghai and Soo Chow provinces. But, normally, Shanghai cuisine is spicy and Tang Pavillion is not. So is it a true good Chinese restaurant? Well, each time I went, I saw a lot of Asian people eating there: this is a sign that the cuisine is authentic. They probably make it less or not spicy to satisfy a greater number of customers. 

The atmosphere in the restaurant differs if you go for lunch during the week, for dinner or during the week end. During the week, it is a madhouse! So, what people take as rudeness, is efficiency (note that all the staff says "Hello" when we enter the restaurant and get seated)! Think about it: the rent for a restaurant in Midtown must be high; the prices, although not cheap (I would lower them by 10%), are still low for the area, so they need a high turnover. Hence the food coming quickly and the fast service.

Concerning the decor, there is nothing that wow me. The main room is in the back and there are no windows, increasing the sense of busyness at lunch time! Not the best place for a romantic dinner.

When seated, you can get some tea (free) and they bring you some appetizers: peanuts and pickles.

I always ask for pickled turnips: crunchy and tasty.

Concerning the food, I tasted several dishes there:

I love the duck with black bean sauce: the meat is well cooked and the sauce delicious! They serve it with peppers and onions. A bit salty though. 

The chicken with cashew nuts is also very good and the meat is usually moist.

The shrimp with vegetables are for those who think it is a healthy dish. Not my favorite. I think it might need more seasoning.

I also tried their chicken pan fried noodles: awesome! At least they put some noodles if you see what I mean Ollies!!! The General Tso is also delicious with a choice of chicken or shrimp. It is not too spicy, but has enough kick! 

One time I went for their dim sum: I loved it. I do not like when the shell is too thick; theirs is perfectly made.

Last, for dessert, they always bring a fortune cookie and fruits. Nice attention that helps clean your palate!

Tang Pavillion is definitely one of my favorite Chinese restaurants (with the Peking Duck House) outside of Chinatown. Don't get fooled if you get rushed: the food is great!

Enjoy (I did)!

Awful food at Ollie's (New York City)!

I love chinese food and was excited to go to Ollie's near Time Square. I ordered from them once, a day I was working late at the office and I remember that it was ok, although I always consider that food delivered loses its prime taste during the time of transportation.

In the restaurant, I noticed two things:

• First, that most of the customers were asian. This is a good sign, because it means that they were probably looking for some authentic chinese cuisine, and it was a good place for that.
• Second, the menu is quite big. Not sure this one is a good thing because the kitchen might be all over the place and I always favor quality over quantity! It is better to have fewer dishes that are amazing than plenty of average dishes.

So we picked few specialties:

• The shrimp dumplings: I barely tasted the shrimp. Did they use one shrimp to make 6 dumplings?
• The vegetables dumplings: this one was good. I usually find the dough too thick, but this one was perfect.
• The chicken pan fried noodles: I am used to the crispy noodles that get soft because of the sauce. The noodles were good, but they barely put any! Did I make a mistake and ordered off the kid's menu? The sauce was too ginger-y and the chicken bland. Not the best choice and pricey.

I guess the only things I liked there were the hot tea and the veggie dumplings! It was a good excuse to get cookies from Zaro's after that!

You can pass on that one: there are plenty of other delicious chinese restaurants in New York City!