FAT BASTARDS

sweet breads

2008-09-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

September was marked by experiments with fat/organs rather than muscle. First, Brandon and I relished unctuous pork belly, twice cooked in a variety of home made sichuan dishes. And then... a capricious whim to manipulate the delicate pate-like sweetbreads for myself took hold....

In 2002, a love for the thymus glands burgeoned at Mario Batali's Lupa -- a restaurant i accidentally stumbled into while wondering around NYU. The dish was naively ordered as a side of "sweet bread". Brad and Elisa's valiant search for fresh veal thymus guaranteed a successful cooking fete. The meat looked and smelled disgusting -- especially during the several changes of fragrant water baths. Yet, a simple saute paired with a lovely port reduction proved to be beyond luxurious. An occasional treat that i truly savor...

destination flushing 8.17.2008

2008-08-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

After the times article,
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/dining/30flushing.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Flushing&st=nyt&oref=slogin

we decided to try a variety of small places :
1 . nan shian dumpling house . the best soup dumplings in new york / tripe/ tofu /etc
2 . lanzhou handmade noodles . hand-pulled noddles in broth with greens
3 . xi'an small delights . liangpi gold noddles (sweet tangy and chewy), spicy indian influenced lamb sandiwch
4. kyochon . mind blowing hot korean fried chicken
5 . quickly . bubble milk tea

more pictures at :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alyssal69/sets/72157606793964753/

Ko 6.9.2008

2008-06-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Ko.

Ko was a struggle. and as with all obsessions in life, the exquisite frustration of the journey proved to be the main source of satisfaction. the ephemeral object of our desire left a barely perceptible dent upon our collective consciousness/memory (let alone palate)..

for about 2 months, brad, elisa and myself eagerly logged in to our computers at 9:50 am, to launch and fine tune a script required in penetrating the automatic online reservation system at Ko which opened at 10:00:00 and closed at 10:00:01. The frustration soon gave way to a ritual performed with zeal despite the seemingly impenetrable odds.

and then one day we serendipitously were granted a reservation for 4 of the total 12 seats on my birthday

we hoped that the output of this assiduous effort would be 10 exquisite photos of each course (in addition to the phenomenal experience), but much to our chagrin, David Chang bans photography :
http://gothamist.com/2008/06/20/no_pics_for_you_chef_bans_photograp_1.php

first the negatives -- the cheapest wine pairing ($50) was universally disappointing.

don’t get me wrong, i love me the sparkly pink imbued beverages. however, around the 3rd chokingly floral rose i was dying for a sharp dry anything…

the desserts were atrocious -- with combinations that were cacophonous yet somehow also flat. a smear of unsweetened avocado only detracted from a rubbery panna cotta... likewise – none of us could remember the icy granita preceding the principle dessert…

there were several decent courses...

and there were a handful of courses that were so revolutionary and unique, that words seem hopelessly inadequate in describing the genius put before us... there was a delicate dish of a soft boil egg accompanied by thinly sliced potato chips and pickled vegetables that was so sublime that the memory lingers on my tongue .. a strange dish of lychee fruit, some type of granola and a mound of flakes (similar in to appearance as bonito flakes) of shaved foie gras that left me moaning -- sweet, salty, creamy, lustrous, crunchy... every flavor you could possibly desire -- distinct yet blending in perfect harmony. an early course of sashimi with yuzu was similarly remarkable, as was a standard split pea soup with crab.

overall, our impression was of an extremely talented young chef -- who is still in the nascent stages of developing... extremely pleasurable, but not particularly memorable..

The review:

http://events.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/dining/reviews/07rest.html?scp=2&sq=ko&st=cse

Japanese DYO

2008-05-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Fat Bastards Indian Style

2008-04-19T06:45:00.001-07:00

a brief recap :

Last week Aaron introduced us to total do-it-yourself shabu shabu - complete with individual temperature controls and the components to formulate sauce from scratch...

Egg was burned/fish balls were consumed/tastiness ensued...

Obviously, I prefer the far superior taro bubble tea, but I was forced to admit that Aaron's yellow concoction was quite tasty...

And this week...

Jennifer provided us with her gorgeous exposed brick sublet to craft a homemade Indian fat bastards. Mary impressed us all with bubbling and curding up some paneer while the rest of us got drunk. Aaron masterfully crisped bread and simmered a yellow bean daal -- sans salt; Jennifer fried up succulent eggplant with mustard seed and exotic spices; Emily brought a stellar chana masala; I made tandoori prawns and raita.

All around a truly lovely meal (and preferable to our Jackson Heights exhibition)! Next time: tackle Naan with a make-shift tandoori...

The Rub

2008-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

RUB . BBQ . NYC

Hill Country USA may very well be the undisputed champion when it comes to ribs and corn pudding, but 'Rub' kicks some serious brisket ass... Rub's 'burnt ends,'

"... the point (fatty part) of the brisket, cooked twice till crispy and lightly sauced..."

are succulent bliss. The chicken wings, bbq bacon chunks and corn bread with beans were all damn tasty as well. (However, the greens and fried oreos should be avoided at all costs).

With Hill Country, Rub, and Korean fried chicken, east Chelsea is now the destination for satiating all meat cravings....

PULPO

2008-03-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Despite my adoration for minimalism in all of its various incarnations, I have been repeatedly disappointed by Mark Bittman's,ny times columnist, stab at streamlined recipes.

His recent attempt at "accessible" octopus was no exception. On the other hand the hours of preparation and search for large pulpo purveyors in ny (sea breeze has fresh octopus in stock) provided novel enjoyment and more then compensated for the lack of flavor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05mini.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=pulpo&st=nyt&oref=slogin

There has been much speculation in cooking circles on the best means of tenderizing the notoriously tough octopus. Another article in the times last week dispelled some of the myths:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/dining/05curious.html?scp=1&sq=octopus&st=nyt

Bittman's recipe is remarkable, in that simply boiling the octopus in heavily salted water, provides sufficiently tender results. No cork or beating of octopus needed.

Unfortunately, the remnants of webbing on the octopus had a peculiar and slightly rancid taste. Next time I will definitely remove all webbing instead of simply cutting through it.
Second, the pulpo would have benefited from additional seasoning and perhaps a second cooking technique. I am envisioning marinating the boiled octopus in some garlic, lemon, olive oil and fleur de sol. Either serve as a cold salad or grill the octopus for a nice charred effect. Sprinkle either with the smoked pimentón.

.................................................

As requested by the birthday boy, red velvet cake with a white chocolate orange cream cheese frosting was served. Lastyear, the times recipe for red velvet cake proved to be dry and jarring. Felix's recipe with cayenne and cinnamon was quite god :

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/105-02042008-1482270.html

Tacos Por Favor

2008-02-25T08:48:00.001-08:00

Taco Por Favor's Chorizo and cheese is a solid nomination for best taco on the west side of LA. Al Pastor was mildly disappointing in comparison (and better can be found on some of the trucks...
but all the selections were damn tasty...

The Great Taco hunt has additional comments :
http://tacohunt.blogspot.com/2005/11/tacos-por-favor.html

Flushing Dim Sum

2008-02-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Flushing, the 'destination of choice' or at least as designated by the signs littering the periphery of the central strip mall, boasts the widest variety of dim sum options in the tri-state area. Enjoying a late and extended Chinese New Year celebration, the four of ordered close to 30 dishes at the “Ocean Jewel.”

As the restaurant’s title implies, the majority of offerings involved extremely fresh seafood. The excellent lightly pickled conch was delicately flavored and resisted only slightly when bit. The shrimp dumplings were lucid gems nestled comfortably in bamboo steamers and were devoured with equal enthusiasm as the rice paper wrapped chives and Chinese broccoli.

Chewing slowly on the gelatinous red bean block, my brother reminisced over the taro jelly’s he ate every morning for breakfast in shanghai. Despite already bulging stomachs, we gorged ourselves on the sesame and sweet meat buns for dessert while eyeing a cart holding a barrel of tofu to be served with sweet ginger sauce.

conch . : .... : : rice cooked in lotus leaf :... :.. :. shrimp in rice paper pancake

shrimp and vegetables in tofu skin :. . : :.. : dumplings :.. .. :: .. : fried wrapped vegetables

taro cake :. .: :::: .... chinese broccoli . .. :: .. :::.. .. .. .. .. chive dumplings

fish cooked in pepper : :::. .. .... . . .:: . sweet pork buns :... .:.. red bean jelly

Little Pepper

2008-02-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

Once synonymous with outstanding Korean food, the Flushing area of Queens has flourished into a bustling section of little Hong Kong. Among the cute pastry shops, beauty parlors and tea houses lining Roosevelt Ave, a plethora of outstanding Sichuan restaurants are nestled into hidden underground nooks.

Rated among the top 10 Sichuan and Cantonese in New York, Little Pepper delivers with unique and pleasantly piquant dishes far superior to anything found on the isle on Manhattan.

Chow discussion of Little Pepper

spiced lamb, taro, pickled bamboo
braised beef, tofu, diced rabbit
(not pictured : enhanced pork, rice noodles with spiced beef, tea duck)

1.27.08 Ivo and Lulu

2008-01-29T12:18:00.001-08:00

comments?

my boar and sage sausage with blueberry sauce was simple, but pretty exceptional for the price. the coconut flan was lovely...

Laughing Larva

2008-01-23T10:07:00.001-08:00

Discovered by aaron :
http://laughingsquid.com/beautiful-larva-candy-hand-made-by-komatsuya-in-japan/

1.10.08 Vietnamese

2008-01-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

following the example of my brother’s muscle building regiment, mary is aiming for 4000 calories a day. these two are lightweights. i accomplished this feat with a single glutinous meal at pho pasteur. the sweet cold green tea with mango and tapioca was a pre-meal dessert, my habitual favorite, bbq beef wrapped in lettuce, was consistently delicious and the menu pages recommendation of salt and pepper squid was surprisingly flavorful despite the heavy dose of fried fat. I love Vietnamese -- in moderation: my body is still suffering from that meal...

1.2.08 Di Fara

2008-01-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

Di Fara

Difara :
Arguably the best pizza in New York is constructed (painfully) slowly by Di Fara's (in)famous owner Dom, who's notorious battles with the health officials are a constant source of headlines and establishment closings. The pizzas are exclusively designed by don who hand grates 3 types of mozzarella (all imported from his home town in italy), constantly adjusts pizzas in the oven for even browning and tops off the finished pies with a handful of Grana Padano and freshly cut basil.

The wait is long. The place is dirty. The pizza is SOAKED in olive oil.

But... it is worth the hype (or at least Brad and I were in agreement. Mary voiced apprehension over the Grana Padano)

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7381047/

scroll down in posts for pictures (post #28):

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=35551&st=0&p=494782&#entry494782

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2004/01/di_fara.html

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/difara_pizza/

A Russian New Years - Fat Bastard Style

2008-01-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

When the temperatures start to plummet, all other cravings are supplanted with an insistent predilection for thick meaty borscht topped off with a generous dollop of sour cream. Combined with Abby's one-time characterization of my persona -

' people mistake Alyssa for sunny because she smiles a lot, but her veins are pure vodka'

- the theme for this year's Fat Bastard pre-party new year's eve dinner was clear: a Russian extravaganza. Of course visions of rich buckwheat blinis topped with decadent caviar -- like the New Years Eve parties of my youth -- also swayed the vote.

The nebulous plans for the evening soon began to take shape on December 30th when Aaron, Brandon and I picked Mary up from the airport and embarked on an epic journey (Mary’s words describing our musical selections) to Brighton Beach. After a mini -feast of perogies and cabbage salad, we purchased smoked fish, bread, cabbage and potato pastries, an assortment of pickles, perogies and of course an adequate selection of vodkas. There was collective laughter both that day and the following in my choice of honey pepper vodka. But fuck yall - it is damn tasty! During our brief stroll down the main street, Mary and I were further inspired by the furs and dresses in the shop windows.

New Years day: Aaron marinated mushrooms, cooked the perogies with caramelized onions and offered up his beautiful home. Mary purchased sequined bras to complete our Brighton Beach ensembles and composed a cucumber salad. Friends contributed desserts, cheeses, bread, potato pastries and sausages. I made blinis with sour cream/smoked fish, braised short rib borscht and a cabbage based vegetarian borscht. There was a collaborative effort poaching pears with- much to Aaron consternation -dried sour cherries.

After several proper vodka shots -- including taking a bite of a pickle and smelling white bread (i may very well be responsible for ocmpletely concoting this procedure, but i swear someone once told me this is the proper way to drink vodka) -- the personas of Demetri, Natasha and Olga were born...

Natasha and Demetri

Demetri's flawless performance unanimously charmed the guests. Later at Chris's party, Mary's 'elegant yet crass' gyrations and 'intentional' midnight kisses won the hearts of all the boys...

Olga

A brighton beach faceoff...

More photos of the evening : http://www.flickr.com/photos/48806506@N00/

S Novym Godom!

Mini Fat Bastard's Fête - New Zealand Meat Pies

2007-12-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

Aaron kindly drove us for a shopping spree at Fairway - Red Hook (ummmm cheese and good olive oil) . On the way, we snacked on his native food of choice, curry vegetable and mince meat pies :

Dub Pies!

tastiness...
_____________

I am adding to Alyssa's post. First off: I want a silver Volkswagon golf. I am going to steal your baby mama's Aaron. Anything that heats my cold ass has my vote.

Secondly, Aaron just confirmed the fact that everyone from New Zealand knows everybody else. When we stumbled into the sweet bread smells of Dub Pies he started chatting up the Kiwi working there like the sheep hugging lothario he is. Then we were told we would have to wait fifteen minutes for the curry vegetable pies so Chris, Alyssa and I settled into a booth while Aaron asked the counter girl to prom or something. I debated getting a flat white, the Kiwi's answer to the latte, but opted for a cappuccino with Milo (New Zealand's famous powdered chocolate drink) on top instead.

My friend Jenny from Wellington explained to me that "pasties" and "pies" were what you ate at 3 in the morning from street vendors when your mates were piss drunk. According to the BBC, they are derivatives of Cornish pies or British mince pies, respectively. According to Aaron, they make you have a fat ass so beware of eating them all the time. It was a cold rainy drizzly day in Brooklyn and these subtly curried little pies were the perfect savory dish. Aaron lifted up the tops of them and put "tomahhto"/ketchup inside of the minced meat ones. And the world was magical.

Pasties:

Pies:

12.9.07 Zocalo - a mini fat bastards

2007-12-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

Zocalo --- another excellent rebuttal to the ubiquitous lament that no decent mexican food exists in new york.

al pastor taco

cinco de mayo plate -chipotle shrimp with cheese

quesadillas with cactus, Cotija and jalapeno

tamale

the beer is served in a salt rimmed glass filled with ice, hot sauce and lime.

Wurst Selections

2007-12-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

Inspired from a way too brief holiday in Germany, I have been seeking out and stumbling across all the braised red cabbage, bratwurst, spaetzle, and knuckles - not to mention beer, ny has to offer. A couple of places to consider visiting :

.....
Cafe Katja
The clientele of Cafe Katja is pushing the later boundaries of the 30s (maybe even 40s), but the Austrian fare is as good as it gets. The warmly lit and adorable space oozes a cozy atmosphere, with the head chef often checking on your table. And the food -- well the food can best be described as sumptuous... All of the selections of sausages were uniformly amazing and refined. The spaetzle was unanimously voted the best we ever had. Of course, a good selection of beers.

......
Radegast Hall and Biergarten

The denizens of the southern portion of williamsburg have been long awaiting the opening of
Radegast. After rumors of being in business for Oktoberfest, Radegast finally opened last week. Consisting of two separate spaces, one a long hall exposed to the outside elements (though the website claims it is heated) with a grill serving an assortment of wursts including a venison sausage and the other a more formal (and well heated) bar/restaurant with an upscale menu, Radegast offers a large selection of beers and tawdry dressed beer wenches. Selections from the grill were inexpensive and seemed to be enjoyed by all. The other night I sampled braised rabbit with red cabbage and potatoes. The cabbage and potatoes were addictive, but I was less enamored with the meat itself. A second visit is definitely in order to evaluate further.

BTW, are we going somewhere tomorrow?

11.30.07 Hill Country NY

2007-12-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

MEAT, MEAT, MEAT

Jennifer's pictures say it all...

Maybe it was the tequila, but there is something undeniably satisfying in standing in line to receive a butcher paper wrapped package of meat and wonder bread. Unfolding the brown paper to reveal a feast of glistening cuts of pork and beef conjured the atmosphere of a snowy Christmas morning of my youth. In addition, Hill Country's long wooden tables marked with isolated enclaves of giddy conversations among our growing number(10+ by the end of the evening) of fat bastard guests also was akin to a holiday feast with the relatives.

The ribs were bursting with packets of fat infused tenderness, the sausages almost shimmered with juice, and the perfectly pink ham was seasoned precisely. The only mild disappointment was the relatively arid brisket. At a bbq joint, the sides are generally beside the point, but the corn pudding was worthy of a second trip.

I relish the ability to out eat my companions. After packing up our tray with green beans, corn pudding, sweet potato mash and bean soup, Abs and I were unable to finish our one person meat sampler. crazy!

sorry you couldn't experience mary -- next time vegetarian?

Ethiopean

2007-11-19T10:09:00.001-08:00

I'm not much of a writer so here's some pics...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18213021@N03/sets/72157603236920004/

GO GO CURRY Breakfast

2007-11-15T07:40:00.001-08:00

Today and tomorrow only, go go curry is having a 55 cent breakfast sandwich special.
see my post here

http://www.cheapassfood.com/eats/show/303

Andy

Chocolate Show

2007-11-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

The chocolate show is this weekend at Metropolitan Pavilion. The price has skyrocketed over the years, but the bounty of fabulous confections is worth the ticket :

http://www.chocolateshow.com/home.php?titre=2&id_code=2

.............
The Show :

Is it possible for a venue that distributes unlimited samples of gourmet chocolate from the premier cocoa bean plantations in Ecuador, Madagascar and Venezuela along with intricately constructed confections flush with such culinary delights as figs macerated in whiskey and green tea infused raspberries to be anything less than fabulous?
Sure you have to pace yourself:
(1) discard anything resembling white chocolate (with some notable exceptions at Mary's)
(2) do not be tempted by the servers hovering at the front entrance with the cheap (though undeniably tasty) French truffles. the true exotic pleasures lie in the crowded inner stalls.
(3) only nibble at the edges of samples until you have made the full rounds.
(4) carry a water bottle to neutralize the palette

Even when abiding strictly to the above rules, it seems inevitable that the most composed and restrained adults will run amuck like over-stimulated/sugared children on Halloween. Likewise, the gleeful high quickly subsides (usually at the half hour mark) with complaints of stomach aches as was the case with my father. In 30 minutes he ate his way through a good pound worth of chocolate not to mention also purchasing a 5 year supply of 'gifts'.
Obviously the show did not disappoint. The array of different strains of chocolate was suburb. One highlight this year was the purchase of an absurdly expensive bag of Madagascar (80% cocoa) chocolate nibs after tasting a miniscule sample that left us in rapture. For such a low cocoa butter content, the texture was miraculously smooth. As the morsel slowly melted on the tongue, the initially creamy and mildly sweet flavor gave way to hints of coffee, vanilla and a faint trace of whiskey. However, the truly exceptional nature of this chocolate came in the finish which sparkled with a pleasurable tingling sensation. Remarkable!

As in previous years, the Japanese company, Mary's, stood out with its stellar pairings of ingredients and chocolate perfectionism (see pictures below). The relatively inexpensive green tea , passion fruit, wasabi and sesame chocolate ganaches were all lovely. A newcomer, whose name I forgot, offered innovative new flavors (such as the aforementioned whiskey figs) and a fresh raspberry puree. A couple of Italian companies experimented with combining traditional tastes of olive oil and rosemary with the Asian spices of star anise and Chinese peppercorn.

With that said, the show was much smaller than in previous years. There was a dearth of the New York boutique chocolates that once flooded the aisles. Two years ago, silk screening colorful patterns on the confections and servings of luxuriously thick hot chocolate were ubiquitous. This year there were few examples of either. Similarly (and much to my disappointment), the trend of mixing dark chocolate with cayenne peppers (and other piquant spices) has diminished significantly.

After becoming suitably satiated, I stumbled over to the Guittard stand to pick up my yearly supply of baking chocolate ( a 15 lb box). I usually opt for the 70-80% cocoa content. However, some minor research has revealed that the graininess in a few mousses was due to the low cocoa butter content of the chocolate. Therefore I purchased the less complex in flavor 65%. This year my soufflés will be silky and the mousses ethereal!

Nasura: future destination ?

2007-10-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

See the NY times $25 and under section today :
http://events.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/dining/reviews/17unde.html

Nsaura, a new Thai restaurant in Elmhurst (Queens) sounds divine. The offerings for your perusal :
pork blood noodle soup with "swimming slices of boiled beef liver that were like the salty offspring of a SuperBall and a hot dog" and fried pork jerky served in a "marinade of fish sauce and lime juice."

Maybe this should be the next destination? If so, please post tempting pictures for me to salivate over while I chow down on Turkish kebabs in Kreuzberg...

OTHER EVENTS :

01. Fall Taste of Chinatown

Sat 10/20 (12 pm) at Chinatown 238 E 14th, New York, NY
http://newyork.going.com/event-145775

If only I could go...

02. Soto (357 Sixth Ave. near Washington Pl.)
Excellent review in this weeks New Yorker: a type A's paradise of Japanese perfectionism.

03. Freemans

I nibbled my way through a mini-meal at Freemans tonight. Next time we all have an inkling to trade our booze/rent money for a single meal, I insist that we return!!! Sure, it has now been “discovered” and hence is inundated with the 30-something Nolita denizens with the sky-high black heels ( ok... I admit that my fashion sensibility is swaying towards the Barbie pumps myself ... After last weekend’s pseudo joy-ride on Jarod's paggio, all I dream of is riding my own vespa in 4 inch heels)—but the food is amazing!!!!

04. In the meantime, A-stock (andy) how was Kyotofu?

The Gang leaves Manhattan - Jackson Diner (Moving on up)

2007-10-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

I get off at the subway stop near my apt and burp.
A yummy spinach curried taste escapes my lips.
The sound and smell of a job well done at Jackson Diner.

... ... ...
I concur, A-Stock!!!! See pics below!!! -al

Mary and our new hottie fat bastard, Andrew!

And the plates were licked clean!

Goat Curry, Lamb curry, Saag Paneer, Nan, tandoori chicken, roasted mushrooms, chick peas... yum :-)

In the only disappointment of the evening, the otherwise sublime saag paneer was timidly spiced. Taking cues from our experience at Nyonya two weeks ago, Mary brazenly challenged the waiter to add 'some chilies'. Deciding to humor us, he silently swept away our plates and returned minutes later with a new dish piled high with lustrous green curry. Obviously our genial waiter did not trust the strength of the white on white girls' palates: the replacement was indistinguishable from the first. On the subway we wondered what had transpired in those few moments in the kitchen (did they spit in our food as in kitchen confidential? piss? cough?)

BTW, the 7 train is fucking awesome! Mary, Aaron and I were serenaded by the highly entertaining and surprisingly dead-on vituperation of Bush's foreign policy by a very short and impeccably dressed Asian man with a flare for performance. Slightly intoxicated after two glasses of special indian "white" wine (i.e. blush), we began to sing along with the Jefferson's theme song ("Moving on up") around the 2nd or 3rd round of "Viva America! You can go down or you can go up!."

Ariana, Let's Get Together, Yea Yea Yea

2007-10-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last night Andy, Alyssa, Aaron, Abby, Amanda and I went to Ariana, an Afghani restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen (né ‘Clinton’ to the real estate agents). As our second meeting of the Fat Bastards I would like to say it was a loud obnoxious success, not just because I had had two glasses of wine and a mojito before dinner, or the fact that we got Aaron to go above 14th street, but because on a culinary scale our expeditions seem to be improving.

Ariana is a small, packed shotgun style restaurant, the kind that would make people from LA whimper for the palatial isolation of their long driveways and SUV’s. On the walls are muted tapestries and Steve McCurry’s famous Afghan girl captured in the 1980’s for National Geographic. Despite these classic American/Afghan visuals, it made me long for pre-war 1970’s Afghanistan when American hippie wanderers could add the country to their long list of places to go to “find yourself”.

They say you can tell a good chef by how he makes the simplest dishes. The two things I liked the most at Ariana were the basmati rice and the tea with cardamon. Following a close third was our affectionate waiter/host/former freedom fighter. Several of us asked for recommendations, and with no hesitation at all he brought out his “favorite” dishes. I had a “famous vegetarian” spinach and pumpkin entree with the aforementioned magic rice. I can honestly say I have never had food that tasted quite like this. It was savory without being too sweet, flavorful without tasting heavy or unhealthy. For an appetizer, we had turnovers with yogurt sauce. There were pumpkin turnovers called Kadoo Bolanee and, for the carnivores, meat turnovers called Bolanee Qandana. Unlike Indian samosas, these turnovers had a thin crispy skin that allowed you to see the filling underneath. I can’t speak for the meat eaters but the pumpkin version was quite tasty.

I should probably put it out there right now, that I am not the fraulein Mostly Martha of the group. I am biased towards ungreasy vegetarian fare, with the occasional spicy seafood thrown in. Well and French pastries. Mmmmm butter. I hope to one day have a backyard again with a big table, a garden, lots of wine, and a bunch of crazy people over for dinner on a warm Autumn night.

xo,

Fat Bastard Mary

Damn. If Augusto joins us again it will be 6 A's (what are the odds?)... poor mary!

In her excellent appraisal of Ariana, Fraulein Burge forgot to mention the highlights of the evening. In particular, the generosity of our amiable host/waiter as he showered us (and by us I mean Amanda) with a plethora of kisses, solicitous offers of backrubs and invitations for table dancing. Next time.

Unfortunately, Mary's venerable predilection for vegetables prevented her from experiencing Ariana's finest offerings. After an exhausting day, the first bite into a meat filled samusa smothered in yogurt and the green hot sauce elicited a blissful moan as i relaxed back into my seat. Was it my imagination or did Aaron, perpetually wary of my intentions, pull his chair away a few inches at this point? I did not care. Those pastry puffs of pure tender goodness were the definition of contentment.

Yet, Ariana had still more pleasures to bestow upon us. The moist and flavorful lamb kabobs brought tears to my eyes. Abby and I knew that the meager portions were not going to satiate our glutinous needs, as we horded our last tender morsels with zeal. There was only one solution: we instantly ordered a second round of kabobs. If only it was always this good!

-al
other photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94933506@N00/sets/72157602301314838/

9.29.07 The Fat Bastards Eat Nyonya

2007-10-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

Situated in the charming wood and brick interior of Nyonya, sipping coconut water from freshly cut shells and nibbling on Roti Canai, I was transported back to a magical evening feasting at an Italian cafe on a pristine beach outside of Rio. Of course my imagery is grossly incorrect -- we are in Chinatown eating at supossedly the best, if not one of the only, Malaysian restaurants in Manhattan.

Roti Canai, 'the' essential Malaysian appetizer, might arguably be the archetype of a perfect food. Ethereal wisps of bread provide a light crunch before instantly melting together with the piquant dipping sauce filled with chunks of potato, shredded chicken and an essence of peanut. Simultaneously sweet, sour, salty, bitter -unami!

After such a luscious introduction to the meal, the subsequent dishes could only disappoint. Yet, the other two appetizer offered pleasurable moments. The pasembur was a pastiche of land, sea, and fowl. The seemingly disparate elements of jicama, cucumber, jelly fish, fish cake, shrimp pancake, tofu and hard boiled egg were bound together by an almost saccharine sauce that was oddly alluring. We all eagerly tore apart the fish cake and tofu -- soaking up the "Chef's Special Sauce'. But no one could discern the jelly fish from the shrimp and the eggs were left untouched. The last appetizer appeared to be an assortment of summer squash and possibly other vegetables marinated in a sauce of turmeric powder, herbs, sesame seeds and peanuts. Pickled Vegetables? - yes please!!!! (In fact, the entire existence of the fat bastards is due to the mutual appreciation of pickled watermelons and beets.)

The execution of the main courses was mercurial. The stellar chicken dish, whose name may or may not be Nyonya Kariayam (i forget), was the unanimous favorite among the carnivores. A deep auburn-colored sauce with subtle hints of coconut, chili and lemon grass imbued both the chicken and bones with an earthy sweetness. We eagerly scooped every last drop of the addictive sauce over coconut rice.

Since all the fat bastards were incapable of identifying whether a stingray was actually a fish, the order of Stingray wrapped in Lotus Leaf was followed by much speculation and anticipation. The reception of the dish among the pescetarians was mixed. The soft yet stringy specimen was ensconced in a thick brown paste that masked any preexisting taste of stingray. Like many other dishes of the evening, the sauce was savory, sweet and spicy. However, in this version the overwhelming flavor was fermented shrimp paste, an acquired taste that I am slowly growing to appreciate.

The final two entrees were less satisfactory. A casserole of curried mixed vegetables was visually appealing and unobtrusive, but seemed to be lacking the "curry". (It was obvious that Nyonya was spicing our dishes for an American clientelle. At the end of the meal, we stared longingly at the table next to us who apparently knew how to order and had been delivered plates of chilies to add to their food.) The Keuh Teow Thong noodles bordered on awful and the leftovers made me sick.

A shared order of "ABC", a dessert composed of shaved ice, red beans, corn and palm seeds, colored with jelly and rose syrup, provided a lovely conclusion to the meal. Beans and ice? Yes, it is damn tasty....

Nyonya was a wonderful find! However, Fatty Crab still has my vote among the few contenders for best Malaysian in the city. Despite offering smaller portions, higher prices and dubious authenticity, memories of pickled watermelon mixed with fried pork fat and slow braised short rib linger on my tongue....

Much fun was had with the coconuts. All pictures from the night can be found at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/94933506@N00/sets/72157602260837134/