Fusion food is always interesting and chefs Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi succeeded in proposing a creative menu inspired by Jewish and Japanese cuisine at Shalom Japan. The epitome of this is their matzo ball ramen that is when a matzo ball soup meets Japanese ramen (by the way, they even offer a kit to make it yourself). Made with chicken broth and bits of chicken, scallion, wood ear mushrooms and nori, it has mandels, that are crunchy croutons that you can …
Proposing modern American cuisine, L’Adresse is definitely a restaurant to keep in mind. This post is about several visits over time so know that the menu changes often and you may not find some of the dishes we had when we went, but at least you can get a feel of the place. The only two dishes that are always on the menu are their truffle burger ($42) and their “burger with cheese” ($29) or cheeseburger. Both are good, but I definitely prefer the cheeseburger that is anyway their signature burger; I thought at the beginning that they called it “burger with cheese” to make it sound fancier, but it …
I recently received an email from Sarah Tachon, the proud owner of La Maison Tachon, an online pastry shop that has a pop up in Greenpoint, at Oak and Iron on Franklin street, every Saturday, from 10am until sold out. So, we decided to check it out and spend some time in Brooklyn, our first stop being a tasting of freshly made goods. Classicaly trained as a pastry chef, Sarah Tachon worked for Dominique Ansel and at Maman, two references that are not to ignore. She started her own business last April, with a couple of coffee shops in Brooklyn serving her products that are made daily in a communal kitchen with …
When I received an email from Sarah Silverman asking me to try what she believes is the best chocolate chip cookie in the city, I was curious because I heard about Funny Face Bakery, the business she started in April 2016, famous for its cookies that display famous faces that are hand made, admiring for sure the craft that is quite impressive as you can easily recognize who is portrayed. But I never heard about their cookies and I admit that since City Bakery disappeared few years ago, I feel like a…
Located few blocks from the Exchange Place Path Station, City Diner is a modern version of an American diner: vibrant vibe, cocktails and elevated diner menu make this place stand out. It’s not a cocktail I wanted to try there, but their milkshake, especially their Nutella one ($9), being a huge fan of the famous hazelnut spread. Unfortunately, it was a bit light on it if it was not for the blob that they put on the whipped cream. We both got a sandwich. Me, the…
A few weeks ago, DoneRight Döner Kebab opened in Hoboken’s busy Washington street, replacing Brooklyn Dumpling Shop that was short lived. There, you can get your sandwich in a delicious bread that they cook every two days in their central kitchen, called Gobit, a Turkish version of pita, that is amazing. You can get sandwiches, wraps or a rice box with lamb, chicken (you can get a mix of lamb and chicken) and falafel, the meat slowly cooked on a rotating rotisserie. Their mix…
Buddy’s in Jersey City is a place to know. Located near Exchange Place, we discovered this busy restaurant in the summer and came back for brunch. Their brunch menu is simply exciting. The first time we went there, they had buffalo cauliflower that was a great vegetarian option, being crispy and spicy, the combination of the hot sauce pairing well with the blue cheese. More classic is their Buddy’s breakfast that consists of three eggs and your choice of pancakes, French toast, and bacon. We opted for…
My last visit at Le Rivage was more than 10 years ago. I never went back because of our experience there was not great. So, when I received an invite, I was a bit surprised, but excited to try the menu from Chef David Cámara, who took over the kitchen in May last year. Chef Cámara with his impressive culinary experience, succeeded Chef and owner Paul Denamiel and decided to put his own touches to the family recipes from Chef Denamiel. The menu for sure is classic with dishes like escargots, soupe a l’oignon or seared foie gras that was a special that evening. I did not hesitate …
It’s been years since I wanted to eat at Orsay, a French restaurant located on the Upper East Side. This brasserie has been around for a quarter century and seem to remain the go to spot for neighbors and business people. In a way, I can understand as there are not that many great places around, even the outpost of Angelina Paris, with its reduced menu, cannot compete. Still, it is also because it is good and quite classic. For sure, I had to try their escargots ($18) that were not just bathed in the traditional garlic and parsley butter, but were topped with breadcrumbs and had a mist…
he milk frother from Amzchef is not the first appliance I tried from that company and, so far, I have to say that I love this brand. Not just because they are sending me these products to try, but because they are truly good. Now, you are going to ask: what would a milk frother have so unique that I can’t just use what is attached to my coffee machine? Well, this is not just a milk frother. Of course, it…
With its breathtaking views of the skyline, Lokal in Jersey City is definitely a place to know for brunch or dinner, or just to have a cocktail (or mocktail). Starting with these, they can make most of the mocktails you want, my favorite being the virgin mojito and the virgin lychee martini, their spirited version being less sweet and on top of my list. They also have classics like their Manhattan …
We recently went to Panera in Hoboken for brunch. The place was quiet in the sense that there were only a few patrons, but the music was loud, to the point that I just wanted to finish my meal and leave, a headache being probably coming at the same time as the bill. Well, the fact that the kitchen was a bit slow did not help…Foodwise, it was ok, the guacamole having too much lime and I wished the avocado was less smashed, and with little chunks, the veggie quesadilla was…
We were looking forward to trying the afternoon tea at Angelina Paris near Bryant Park (they have an outpost on the Upper East Side, but it much smaller with a limited menu). We went around 11:30am during the holidays and waited a bit for a table as they do not take reservations. We ordered the “Tea time” where, for $49, you get a beverage (hot chocolate, tea or coffee), a grapefruit or orange juice, a selection of five mini-hors d’œuvres (avocado toast, chicken club, truffle croque monsieur, …
TOPZEE sent me their Easy Cook Mini Air Fryer to try and I really liked it. Compact, it is perfect for a small kitchen or a dorm, easily transported thanks to its light weight. There are several cooking functions, from roast, bake, air frying and reheat, with few preselected settings for easy operations: fries, fish or shrimp, chicken, pizza, meatballs (interesting!), steak and dehydrate. Of course, you can also choose a temperature and duration, but I decided to go with…
Please note that, although this product was sent to me complimentary, I was not obliged to post and the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
I have seen lots of videos promoting a portable range hood, so, when Amzchef proposed me to review theirs, I was quite curious. The first question you may ask is: why would one need a range hood? The answer is simple: when you cook, you generate heat, smoke, polluants and grease, the latter being a fire hazard. But you cannot always have a range hood or, in my case, I find the one on top of my stove noisy and not that efficient, especially when I am frying something, maybe because it is too high from the pan.
I admit that when I unpacked the one from Amzchef, I was a bit surprised by the size as it is bigger than I expected, but really liked the futuristic and sleek look. The first thing I had to do was to install the filter that is fairly easy. Then, I plugged it in, pressed the power button in the back and put it on the maximum setting to absorb the fumes from the pan where I was frying tofu. Not loud, it did an even better job when I made a sauce with gochujang that generates a bit of smoke usually, and it was cool to see the smoke being sucked into the range hood. There was definitely no smoke in our apartment. Of course, you could still smell a bit of the cooking but the absorption of smoke made a big difference..
Where the portability is good is if you make dishes indoors, on your dining table, with a raclette or table BBQ grill and cook meat, that usually creates smoke: you just need to set this range hood next to the grill and voila!
If you’d like to purchase one, you can find it on Amazon.
When it comes to a pastrami reuben, there is no doubt that Katz’s Delicatessen is better. But for cheesecake, especially plain, Junior’s is for me the best, better than the Cheesecake Factory. Founded in 1950 in Brooklyn by Harry Rosen, its two Times Square restaurants, one on 45th street and the other one on 49th street are always busy, for sure with tourists and theater goers, but not only. They do not take reservations, but their wait list system is quite efficient, so, even if you are with a large group, they should be able to accommodate.
Their menu is quite big, with classic delicatessen dishes like…
Reputed for its aphrodisiac qualities, chocolate has become a Valentine’s Day favorite. So, when Li-Lac Chocolates, the oldest chocolate house in the city (it was founded in 1923) sent me some samples, I was really excited. I discovered Li-Lac many years ago, during a walking food tour, and have been a fan since then. Why? Their chocolates, made with high quality ingredients, in small batches, using classic techniques that are very good. Even the simplest ones, that are dark or milk chocolate are …
I was looking forward to trying Cafe Cartel, a coffee shop serving Colombian specialties that opened in the Summer 2024. I admit that, like the infamous drug lords, they have hidden their location as the address at 1100 Adams is a bit misleading, the entrance being on Jefferson street. Small, with two huge drip coffee makers for their cold brew, a logo representing a bandit with its face covered and a “Made in Medellin” neon sign that fan of the TV series Narcos will appreciate, it serves classic breakfast items like croissant, chocolate croissant or cinnamon rolls. We tried the latter as…
Before I talk about the food, let’s talk about their cocktails as they also have a lounge. They have quite a good selection of coktails, classic or not. I admit that I could not resist trying their Rare and Allocated cocktail called the R&A Tipperary for the simple reason that it had green Chartreuse in it. Well balanced, I was glad that this divine French liquor was not lost in the mix of High n’ wicked Aeneas Coffey Irish whiskey, Vermouth, aromatic bitters and orange oil. They also had seasonal cocktails, served hot, considering the freezing temperatures we recently had. So, I tried The Dori, that is…
A couple of months ago, following my try out of their juicer, Amzchef Appliances sent me this commercial grade induction cooktop (model: HL-PC4) that I tried many times and I am now even using in replacement of my stove, as I find it better. Why? It heats up faster and I can better control the temperature. This was my first experience with an induction cooktop and I just knew that not all pans can be used with it. That was it! I learned that in induction cooking, heat builds up directly in the pan by electromagnetic vibrations: that is why you need magnetic cookware and performing a magnet test will…
