omai

A very belated catch-up lunch at Omai in Chelsea:

I've generally steered clear of roll appetizers at Asian restaurants, but after recently devouring the phenomenal porky rolls at Pho Grand in Chinatown I considered myself converted.

But these fried shrimp and pork spring rolls lacked the highly-anticipated burst of juicy filling and tasted more like dehydrated cabbage and mushrooms than anything. The inside mixture was chalky in texture and encased in a stale, chewy wrapper.

Tender shitake, mild bok choy and tough chicken occupied a very cool-looking traditional clay pot. Ginger was used generously. Any food that comes in a stone bowl or clay pot is just...better, but this particular rice dish lacked elements of clay pot cooking; the distinct clay pot aroma, sizzling toppings, and rice with a golden crispy crust were missed. 

I've been so spoiled with easy access to cheap tasty pho bowls brimming with hot broth, a generous pile of beef, and a monstrous tangle of rice noodles underneath that shelling out 9 dollars for such a small bowl seemed like splurging. 

But the pull of beefy broth and fresh basil on a gloomy day is a strong one. I caved and settled for the petite version. Yes, every ingredient was used in moderation, but the beef tasted purer, the broth was rich without being greasy, and the herb garnishes were more vibrant The only thing missing was a pile of crispy bean sprouts.

Omai

158 9th Ave  

New York, NY 10011

cho dang gol

My sister and I ended our mini Asian-food crawl at Cho Dang Gol, a Korean restaurant on 35rd in Midtown that managed to distance itself from the overpacked 32nd street. This place, more spacious and calming than other similarly sized restaurants, serves fresh homemade tofu - its main attraction - and what many say sets it apart from the dozens of Korean food and BBQ venues just three blocks away. 

It seemed to logical to order the CDG (Cho Dang Gol) tofu slices appetizer at a tofu house. We had expected fresh quivering silken soy custard blocks but instead we received slabs of the extra- firm variety (made of black and white soy beans) and a garlic chive garnish. These pieces were dense and crumbly, and lent a raw soybean taste that I didn't enjoy.

The banchan arrived after the appetizer and were for the most part extremely tasty and made up for the flavorless starter. The kimchi was bright and tart with a bite to the whites of the napa leaves. Tender shitake mushroom, caramelized fried kelp chips, and tofu cakes were also delicious. The standout was the deep-green watercress salad that was pungent but ice-cold and refreshing. 

With the banchan arrived the spicy tofu stew with kimchi and beef. It was soul-satisfying. The silken tofu, airy and light, nestled in a robust, spicy soup that perfectly balanced tart and peppery notes from the kimchi and Korean peppers and the richness of the beef broth. 

The first sip slaps you awake. I was still stuffed from dessert at Spot and the unappetizing tofu appetizer that I reluctantly finished before this dish arrived, but I couldn't stop inhaling spoonfuls of this delicious stew. The beef bits are small though, don't expect strips of galbi.

Cho Dang Gol

55 W 35th St New York, NY 10001

jin ramen

My ramen shop experiences haven't exactly been positive. The first was many years ago at Momofuku Noodle Bar where I tried a very fishy Momofuku ramen bowl. The second was one this past summer, when I snacked on a bitter miso broth and overly firm noodles at Ramen Setagaya. And finally, I'm sad to say, today at Jin in Harlem where I was let down terribly by the tonkotsu bowl. 

I'm not a ramen hater - in fact there are few more things I loved in this world more than a big bowl of msg-laden instant ramen- but I never found it necessary to venture to Ippudo or Totto or the lesser known Minca and wait hours on line for a serving of soupy noodles. Jin being the newcomer however, I caved - I can also be easily persuaded by just a few Yelp reviews.

The Kara-age chicken appetizer reminded me of a delicate popcorn chicken. Juicy dark meat was coated with a light crispy potato starch and elevated with a squirt of lemon juice. The meat itself could have used more seasoning though, or a longer soak in the marinade. 

The chicken was followed by a small Cha siu pork rice bowl entree about the size of a fist. A slab of the fatty sweet pork was calling for strands of tart pickled young ginger. 

The spicy tonkotsu ramen seems to be the most popular options of ramen here, so naturally I went with it. The toppings - a buttery seasoned egg half, tender bamboo shoots, and rounds of luscious pork - were excellent, but core of the dish, broth and noodles, was a complete let down. The spicy version of tonkotsu broth is infused with a roasted garlic paste and the bitterness is overpowering and lingers on your tongue. It was also unreasonably salty and thinned out, not "creamy" as suggested on the menu. The thick noodles were very dense and lacked springiness.

 

 I was really rooting for Jin. Unfortunately, my last memory of this place will always be overly firm noodles and bitter salty soup. 

Jin Ramen
3183 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

mighty quinn's barbeque

At 2 pm on the chilliest day of winter so far, my table was one of two occupied, of many, at Mighty Quinn's Barbecue on the corner of 2nd avenue and 6th. The space is modern, simplistic, and devoid of any signature hangings that the perfume of burning cherry, oak, and apple woods drifting about the dining area seemed very out of place. There was no sound of buzzing chatter, overly bubbly servers with Southern accents, kaleidoscopic checkered table covers, blasting country music, or whatever is typically associated with a barbecue joint to accompany the heady fumes. It's like everything I had known about barbecue from watching Food Network re-runs had been dismissed.

My lunch companions arrived, and we began observing the short menu. There are about ten types of meat, and a few side dishes. None of us are barbecue fanatics, nor did we know our meat intake capacity, so we ordered cautiously.

We returned to our table (this place offers counter service only) with a rack of pork ribs and a pound of freshly sliced brisket. I made sure to ask for the fattier cuts of brisket, as the ends are much leaner and consequently drier. Layer upon layer of thick, luscious brisket meant us stuffing the buns full with several slices leftover. The smoky charred ends are essential for adding another dimension and genuine BBQ essence to the burgers. 

I found the buns very dry without any additional sauce, but I wasn't exactly loving the sauce either. I'm very picky about sauces in general and definitely not a fan of cold barbecue sauce. Mighty Quinn's signature sauce, which was presented in huge glass bottles, sat at every table, and possessed smoky, tangy qualities and a sweet finish.

                            

We began working on the pork ribs after our burgers. The exterior of the rack had actually formed a crackly, robustly-seasoned "skin" - which was phenomenal. 

 

But as feared, the center meat was slightly dry and desperately needed some additional salt. Unevenly distributed fat meant several ribs were juicier than others, but ultimately there wasn't anything a few drizzles of barbecue sauce couldn't alleviate (provided you do enjoy BBQ sauce. If you don't then you're kind of stuck). An alternative to the ribs if you're adamant about feasting on pig is the pulled pork, which was our third option but was never ordered. 

                            

I was seeking something memorably smoky and undeniably Southern at Quinn's, but I got something much more subtle and well, Northern. Although road tripping down South for some serious meat intake still tops my bucket list, I think Mighty Quinn's offered me a very solid, although not revelatory, introduction the Southern staple. 

Mighty Quinn's Barbecue 

103 2nd Ave (2nd and 6th)

ilili

As much as I hate admitting this, I will for the sake of this post: I don't possess a very adventurous palate. When I was younger I couldn't stand dairy products, white meat, bread, raw veggies, eggs, and any form of pasta - in other words, public school lunch staples. Nowadays that category has thankfully narrowed and includes only most varieties of cheese and butter, although that still leaves me with the occasional cheese-less paninis. Trying a medium-profile cuisine like Lebanese wouldn't have even crossed my mind but recently it's been on my to-do list. Restaurant week was just another incentive. 

At last I can say I've eaten perfect fries. The Phoenecian fries was recommended to us by our server  and dusted with parsley and chili, were aromatic and almost completely greaseless - in a good way. Each thick-cut fry contained a fluffed potato center. The whipped garlic dip was subtly garlicky and buttery although I wouldn't have protested against a disk of cool, tart ketchup. 

With the familiar fry came something I'm very used to seeing in display cases at delis but never thought twice about - stuffed grape leaves. Normally these look like shriveled up bandaged fingers but Ilili's resembled like petite delicate pillows. It was a little minty for my liking, but the aromatic oils made a nice tipping sauce for the pita. 

The savory braising juices, by the time the lamb shank sandwich arrived at the table, had completely soaked into the bun, resulting in a soggy bun and dry shredded lamb. The dollop of dill labne (yogurt cheese) did little to combat the dryness of the sandwich. I picked the nutty fried eggplant discs and pistachios out and ate them separately.

I was amused by, almost annoyed at, my entree, which seemed more like an appetizer. With an umami cream infused fish consomme and summer vegetables, it was a good although tame fish dish. 

Desserts were delicious.

 Sweet brown butter crumbs countered the tangy, impossibly smooth labne cheesecake. It cut like whipped greek yogurt! The hibiscus gelee cubes didn't add much flavor or texture.

This "candy bar" was revelatory; it's everything a mass-produced candy bar wishes it could amount to. Candied pistachio dust topped a small but appropriate slice of layered fig caramel, velvety chocolate ganache and buttery crust. It may sound overly decadent on paper but wasn't aggressively sweet like one would imagine.

Ilili

236 5th Ave

New York, NY 10001

friedman's lunch

My sister and I were in the mood for a cheap oyster snack at The Lobster Place inside Chelsea Market, a train ride away from the public library where we had spent the afternoon finishing some homework. But as I had vaguely remember being told but hadn't bothered double-checking, the place closed was for renovation! So we settled for Friedman's Lunch a few doors down, not wanting to look further for a snack. 

I've grown so tired of fried foods (namely fries and chicken) over these years but my sister insisted, and seeing how I rarely eat with her I obliged. I considered it a homage to our childhood McDonalds favorites: trans-fat ladened skinny fries and peppery chicken tenders.

We had to send the first order of soggy, lukewarm herb fries back; t Our second freshly fried batch was, as expected, more enjoyable. With sparse studs of lemony minced rosemary, a soup would have gone nicely with these.

The fried chicken and mac and cheese special arrived with two pieces of dark meat and one of white. The skins were crisp, bordered scratchy, and the meat was juicy but under seasoned. No sauce accompanied the dish and we ended up drenching ours in Tabasco. 

 

 Although my sister is only twelve, she's a budding (and harsh!) food critic and I trust her judgment enough to know the Mac n' Cheese was off. (I don't normally eat cheese.)  She complained that the pasta was overcooked, the bruleed crust and cheese was oversalted, and that "boxed Kraft macaroni would have been more satisfying." She is firmly against wasting food but most of the macaroni was left unfinished. 

We spent almost 30 after tip and would have preferred two platters of oysters with that amount. Or feast at McDonalds...

Whenever I'm under the Chelsea Market roof I end the trip with L'Arte del Gelato. This time I went for  a hazelnut and mascarpone combination. The flavors here I consider some of their best, but the texture was off this time-  almost watery with a slushy-like consistency. 

Even the dessert was lackluster today.

Friedman's Lunch & L'Arte del Gelato (inside Chelsea Market)

75 9th Ave 

New York, NY 10011