To anybody who doesn’t visit Chinatown in NYC regularly, it’s tough to pick out which restaurant is going to be a good place to plop yourself into a chair and getcha nom on for a midday yum cha (dim sum/Chinese brunch). Thankfully, Jen and I were in the area at the same time as my Mom, who had scooped a table out for us to have lunch (Thanks Mom!) at Jing Fong.

You’ll find a traditional Chinese dim sum served here on the second floor of the restaurant, albeit on a completely different caliber than what we’re used to DC. The restaurant itself, for instance, shows that the owners have invested more than a nominal sum into the interior, with golden dragons, enormous crystal chandeliers, and electric blue cove lighting. The girls and women who push the carts of food are adorned in cheery orange shirts and red aprons, complete with matching bandanas to top it all off.

The bamboo steamer baskets are also much nicer here, without a single sighting of the dented metal ones found in other restaurants. Instead, high quality steamers with olive green end caps are used. It’s a small touch to add to the presentation of the food, but does not and should not go unnoticed.

Even these delicately fried dumplings with a noodle coating are new to me. What the hell are these things? The crispy texture explodes with every bite, crackling like a falling redwood tree in the forest, and packed with a shrimp filling.

Traditional favorites such as the cha siu bao (steamed BBQ pork bun, left) and the har gao (steamed shrimp dumpling, right), are out in full force and as every bit as good as they should be. I couldn’t taste them being BETTER through any differentiation of ingredients, but they definitely tasted fresher. The buns here are fluffy and light, while the dumplings are well stuffed with a shrimp filling.

Dessert buns are out roaming about on carts, such as the custard filled buns on the left, or the traditional ma lai go (steamed sweet sponge cake) on the right. I don’t know that I’ve ever had the ones on the left, but I do that the sponge cake is a much rarer sight in the District, if it even exists around here at all. The added fact that this cake is not simply baked but rolled as well shows off the kitchen’s skills at putting out amazing desserts.

The head chef also takes some unique interpretations of desserts, such as this dessert, a fried glutinous rice ball filled with a sweet sesame paste and usually completely coated with sesame seeds- but Jing Fong opts for a pinch of black sesame seeds instead. These were hot, chewy, and amazing, a far cry from the room temperature ones that I’m used to being served around the District.

If you’re still not satisfied with the myriad of plates and steamers that come rolling by your table, there’s the added bonus of going up to the buffet line and ordering a plate of something else that might catch your tie (and tug on your stomach) such as pan fried dumplings, pan fried noodles, meat plates, and fried vegetable plates.

There is, however, a single, wretched downside to eating here. If you’ve ever eaten at a traditional dim sum restaurant, you know that the wait times can be lengthy to downright obnoxious. With Jing Fong, it’s practically a mob scene at the entrance, with hundreds of people milling about on a weekend afternoon, all waiting for a table to get their noms in. My Mom definitely came through for Jen and me on getting a table here. If anything, I’d say the popularity is a testament to the quality of the food and the entire experience of eating here. Plan on getting here on the early side of the afternoon if you want to ditch the wait.

How could you not be completely won over by the website’s assurance, “Thirty years experienced and famous, gold lacquer brand, assurance.”

I gotta get me some gold lacquer brands. Hungry Chinese people love gold lacquer brands.

See Jing Fong on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Chinese Cheatmeals
• Vegetarians
• Food Coma Inducing Feeding Frenzies
• Thanksgiving Dinner
• Christmas Dinner

Not Recommended For:

• Paleoheads
• Zone Dieters
• Wedding Proposals
• Hangover Helpers
• Interior Design Professionals

I never grew up thinking salad as being a satisfying meal until I became an adult. Maybe it’s because we’re served such crap salads when we were kids. Iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, maybe half a tomato. In fact, airlines do their best to keep the tradition alive on long flights, serving you the exact same salad on long flights.

Well, screw that.

Chop’t is a salad company that’s recently celebrate their 10 year anniversary, with several locations spread throughout NYC and DC. Their salads are a bit on the expensive side, but they don’t skimp one bit on the ingredients or portion size. My favorite part? The recent switch to antibiotic free, hormone free, free range chicken in all their locations. I find myself drawn to getting a salad at least once a week as a treat, building it from the ground up with ingredients such as ancho chile chicken, goat cheese, fresh cherry tomatoes, spinach, arugula, and a regularly rotation selection of dressings that only ever use honey or agave nectar for sweetners.

The owners swap in seasonal ingredients and pre-selected salad combinations for the indecisive types, but I highly recommend experimenting and making up something that’s all your own.

And the best part about the salads? They’re hysterial.

Find a Chop’t near you here.

Of course, for all of you salad haters, you could make your salad DOUBLY paleo by adding your own meat.

The rich bass heavy sounds of dub pour out into the streets from this dimly lit restaurant, with vibrations so deep, you can feel ‘dem in Jamaica. Spur Tree Lounge emphasizes its Jamaican roots both in music and cuisine, of which the latter is paired with typical Asian fare for a mix that actually turns it out rather nicely.

Jen’s Fried Vegetable Dumplings with Scallion Aioli were good, but nothing extraordinary. That being said, it’s certainly difficult to outdo the dumplings you could have at a number of restaurants in Chinatown not more than a few blocks away.

I ordered the Grilled Jamaican Jerk Wings with the Spicy Balsamic Sauce. I’m not sure if it’s been a long while since I’ve had chicken wings, but these were about as good of an order of them as I can remember. Just thinking about the perfectly seared, tender wings with just a hint of spiciness has me watering at the mouth all over again. It’s nice that the wings are no skimp on the proportion of meat here, either.

Jen’s main course, Organic Veggie Burger, fell a little flat both in presentation and taste. The patty seems lilliputian in comparison to it’s bun, something that’s a disappointment in knowing that the organic cheese comes as an extra. The spicy coco bread bun does live up to its name, giving a slight tingle to your tongue with every bite. The two spoons and small side salad are a nice touch to raise the bar of this order to something that’s just barely respectable. The portion size was just about right for Jen, but if it were me eating this, I’d be pretty upset with the burger to bun ratio here.

The June Plum Glazed Baby Back Pork Ribs, thankfully, take the table to a turn for the better. Succulent, thick cut baby back ribs coated in a deliciously sweet and sticky sauce and then thoughtfully topped with chopped fresh green onions that will have tearing through each piece after you’re eaten them all in search for another bite. I considered ordering another plate for myself and getting a cab to cart my fat, belly-filled ass home, but thought better of it. What good is NYC if you can’t pound out a couple of miles on foot? Served with a side salad, this is a good for either just one person or shared between two.

Desserts here are, graciously, no slouch either. The Warm Banana Bread Pudding is topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, covered with a rum mango caramel sauce and sprinkled with fresh blueberries. The ice cream melts fast, so your spoonwork will just have to be a bit faster in devouring this plate before it turns into a bowl of soup over the warm bread pudding.

The food here isn’t exactly consistent. There are some very well thought out dishes that excel for a casual meal out, and then there are some that are in some serious rework to balance out the available offerings. The restaurant does take extra steps to distinguish itself through higher quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation, which did not go unnoticed by either Jen or me.

The service here is by and far some of the best service we experienced all weekend, at any restaurant. My water glass was never once completely drained, and Sean John, the restaurateur, is a gregarious tall fellow who’ll come by and chat with you to talk about your day’s travels and city exploits. The staff is very friendly and we were served by a number of people, despite the table space being at a premium at this smaller establishment. The lights are turned down low, and the dub plays high throughout your meal, so if you’re a fan of kicking back with a bottle of Red Stripe and getting down with the riddims, you’ll feel right at home here at Spur Tree Lounge on any given night of the year.

See Spur Tree Lounge on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Drinks ‘n’ Dub
• Dreadlock Rastafasians
• Lowkey Lunches & Brunches
• Spliff Politics

Not Recommended For:

• Your Baby’s Sixth Berfday
• Broadway Dinners
• Karma Karma Chameleons
• Voracious Vegans

There are plenty of great neighborhoods in NYC, but SoHo comes pretty close to the top of the list for great streets to wander around in during the day.  Accompanied by friends who are better acquainted with the city, we stopped into one of their favorite places to get a drink, Public.

I’ll share a little secret about myself.  I love old school libraries.  Giant cabinets filled with typewritten cards, each marking the exact location of a book through an archaic numbering system.  There’s something about the whole thing that makes me nostalgic, as I spent a lot of time in libraries when I was younger.  It’s been a number of years since I’ve stepped into that sort of environment, so much so that walking into Public was a little like stepping back into a comfortable and familiar living room that I’ve never seen before.

The interior design of Public is comforting yet vaguely academic, a perfect place to find respite from the madness of life, a place of solace that a library served to someone in their most formative years, long since gone.

Wooden surfaces and vintage lighting speak inaudible words of warmth, while cubbyholes, nooks, and crannies prove that everything in here, no matter where it is, is in its right place.

The food here is just as comforting as the restaurant itself.  I was never once left unimpressed with the quality and freshness of our dishes.  The Irish breakfast, for instance, was nothing short of inspired, despite an outward appearance of simplicity.  Two poached eggs on a slab of bread, two slices of black pudding, a bourbon soaked fig cake, and half a roasted tomato.  Rawr.  Presentation and execution gets top marks from me.

The venison burger, while a little bit smaller in portion than I expected, still turned out to be a winner.  I’d even be willing to call it the Rudy burger. Served in a miso bun with tomato chili jam, watercress, cassava (potato root) chips, and a trio of sauces, I happily plowed through my order, but a backup side of black pudding didn’t hurt.  The black pudding had the texture of toast, but the aroma and flavor of meat.  Not for the uninitiated, but the exploratory are well rewarded here.

Desserts don’t let up on the intensity, either.  This fig tart and sorbet combination stays keeps the focus on the fig, which is a perfect way to top off your meal.

Service isn’t the greatest here, but I wouldn’t call it the worst, either.  Not enough to detract from the restaurant, but then again, we sat at the bar, so table service might be a tic better.  I highly recommend stopping by Public if you find yourself in the neighborhood for a truly excellent meal.  Even more so if you’re looking for a glass of wine to get you through your day.

See Public on a map here.

Recommended For:

• O’Briens, McDaniels, Murphys, Quinns, Fitzgeralds, and the Magees
• Vegetarians
• Oenophiles
• Hangover Helper
• First Dates

Not Recommended For:

• Zone Dieters
• Bibliophobes
• Pre-gaming before the Yankees get out on the field
• Last Dates

Can dumplings be considered a type of food? It spans across cultural cuisines, most notably in Asian countries, but that is not to say that Occidental cuisine doesn’t have its fair share of representation, too. Meeting up with some friends in New York City, we went over to check out the festivities.

Set up next door to the Whole Foods Bowery Market (which is about the size of a large department store), several ethnic dumpling vendors were spread out around a small park, with the center stage set up for a dumpling eating contest later in the day. I had seriously considered entering the dumpling eating contest before and on my way up to NYC, but the realization that I didn’t want to either a) spend the rest of the day being carted around in a wheelbarrow or b) spend an hour inducing vomitosis majoris at the closest port-a-potty afterwards, I opted for just sampling what each dumpling tent had to offer.

Getting to the dumpling festival early was crucial to enjoying the event. Lines were non-existent, but dumplings were ready to go. A $20 ticket would get you four station tastings; each tasting would be anywhere between 2 – 4 parcels of OMNOMNOMnery.

Traditional dumplings were definitely represented, although options such as these whole wheat wrapped dumplings were a nice touch.  The wraps were high quality, and had no particular odd texture that I’d normally think of with a whole wheat dough.

Some dumplings such as these were served with more accoutrements, such as these heavily fried dumplings with scallions and red cabbage.

These golden fried Malaysian dumplings were lava hot, accentuating their freshness.  I was a little dismayed with how little sauce came on each plate, and the servers were definitely not budging on giving me any more than had been dotted there already.

The cheese and potato Polish pirogies were very good, although no plain cheese or meat pirogies were anywhere to be found.

One tent had Chinese bao (buns) available, made with either white flour or with wheat, and filled with BBQ pork or edamame, respectively.  The BBQ pork buns rarely let me down, but the edamame ones were a nice option, too.  I’ve never had edamame filled bao before, but catering towards vegetarians was a definitely smart.

Tents were wide open, with plenty of volunteers right when the festival started up at noon.  We decided to return to the festival after wandering around for a couple of hours, but when we returned, we realized the festival we made a terrible mistake.  Lines ran from one end of the court to the other, with the average waiting time ranging from 15 to 30 minutes for a plate of dumplings.  Not withholding any patience to just hang out, we left the scene, but not before noticing that the Italian ravioli tent was completely without patrons.

Poor Italians.

Well, at least they have Carla Bruni.

The most surprising sight was the uberdumpling.  It looked a bit less delicious than when I think of death by dumpling, and more actually reminded me of something else entirely.

Oh well.

The dumpling festival is held every year in the late summer and fall, so keep an eye out for it in 2011.  And remember, if you really want to enjoy it, get there early, and pig out before the crowds.

Dear 8 pound, 6 ounce, new born baby Jesus, don’t even know a word yet, I want to thank you for this wonderful meal of fine pastas and carbonated soft drinks from our unwilling sponsor Coca-Cola, that you have given us on this fine New York evening…

A game time decision for dinner on our last night in New York led Jen and I down to Little Italy. It’s interesting seeing the stark difference in environment when you come out of Chinatown and into the Italian District. Is it even called the Italian District? The Meatball District? What do I know. But the dark, unlit streets of Chinatown at night didn’t seem to invite late night diners as much as Little Italy. We wandered from restaurant to restaurant, trying to decide on a place to eat based on the patronage sitting outside as much as we were from the menus proudly displayed at each establishment.

When we finally wandered to the corner of Mulberry and Broome, we settled on the restaurant on the corner, Grotta Azzurra Ristorante. The host boasted their long history (established in 1908), their exquisitite service, and fantastic dishes, which really is hard to differentiate from the 32904849380 other Italian restaurants pushing the same agenda…bring in the customers. With a reasonably large menu and perfect people watching from the corner, we accepted a table outside almost right on the corner.

I started off with the Carpaccio di Manzo, delicately sliced raw beef, topped with argula, thick shavings of parmesan, and topped with a lemon vinaigrette. The ingredients were fresh, but for my next visit I’d opt for one of their other antipasta dishes.

Carpaccio di Manzo, photo courtesy of Grotta Azzurra Ristorante

The real stunnahs of this meal were their pastas. I ordered the 4 Cheese Ravioli, and Jen ordered the Gnocchi Al Telefono. Holy crap on a stick, this pasta is good. I really can’t think of any place in the U.S. where I’ve had such fresh pasta. I can’t recall the exact combination of cheese in my ravioli, but I do remember it at least having ricotta and marscapone cheese in it. The raviolis were absolutely enormous. The liferafts from the Titanic weren’t as big as these things. I’d guess they were somewhere around 5″x5″ big, and not completely overwhelmed by the accompanying sauce. Jen’s Gnocchi was ridiculously good, with large chunks of fresh mozzarella infilitrating the gnocchi ranks. The texture was soft, slightly chewy, and not at all gritty like you experience with many mass produced versions you’d get from even the highest quality of grocers. The pasta is made fresh daily, on site, and well worth the visit.

Four Cheese Ravioli, photo courtesy of Grotta Azzurra Ristorante

Be aware that the restaurant policy is to automatically include a 20% service charge to all checks, so if you feel that your service was exceptional, you can always add more to the coffers of your server, but you should’t be obliged. Thin of it as an bonus for those of you who did horribly at middle school math. Just leave room for cannolis and gelato across the street!

On a side note, make sure to check out the street vendors, and pick up a baby Jebus magnet for your refrigerator back home.

Amen.

Gobo is a vegetarian’s paradise in Gotham. With two locations, one in the West Village and the other in the Upper East Side, there is really no excuse for any vegetarian or vegan to visit one of their restaurants.

I’m usually very skeptical of vegetarian/vegan only establishments, as I find that I normally have to have at least some sort of meat to really feel mentally satisfied with my meal. Gobo, however, is quite the exception.

I wanted to introduce Jen to KTMc, who I consider a good friend, despite the infrequent opportunities we have to see one another, so it was nice we could get together for a meal to chat and catch up. KTMc suggested Gobo, which sounded as good as any given Jen’s dietary restrictions. With an extensive menu offering, it was pretty difficult to figure out what to eat. We opted for three appetizers to help start us off and get our OMNOM on: the Scallion Pancakes, Pan Seared Vegetable Dumplings, and Roti Canai. All three of these dishes were solid choices. I was a little dismayed that the Roti Canai only came with one piece of flatbread to complement the curry tofu in the dish, but it was still delicious.

The main courses arrived quickly thereafter.  KTMc ordered the Natural Seitan Medallions in Sizzling Spicy Citrus Sauce, which had strong citrus tones that helped enhance the texture of the Seitan. Jen had the Butternut Squash Risotto with Toasted Almonds, which was perfectly well put together. The chunks of Butternut Squash worked well with the creamy and soft texture of the risotto. I had the Sizzling Soy Cutlet Platter with a Black Pepper Sauce, served with cutlets that was very similar to the texture of KTMc’s Seitan. I suppose there’s only so much you can really do with vegetarian proteins. I was fortunate to try all three dishes, and I really think that the dishes using Seitan at Gobo are outstanding.

There’s even a juice bar out in front if you’re just passing by for a healthy drink during the day, and a ton of great people watching to do in the West Village. Jen and I parted ways from KTMc in search of desserts around the corner. There’s a Beard Papa that serves up amazing looking puff pastries, and a Grom Gelato shop, both within a few blocks of walking of Gobo. We opted for the gelato, saving a visit to Beard Papa for another time.

Grom is a direct transplant from Torino, Italy, serving the freshest of the fresh gelato. The company prides itself on using eco-sustainable cups and utensils and high quality ingredients to make their gelato.

What’s the big difference between gelato and ice cream? Both Jen and I wondered the exact same thing. Both use very similar ingredients such as fresh cream, eggs, and sugar, but gelato tends to have less fat and less air whipped in during the production process. The end result is a much more flavorful scoop of deliciousness served into your cup or cone. Gelato is also more dense than normal ice cream, and needs to be served a higher temperature than regular ice cream…so be prepared for it to melt as soon as it’s prepped and handed off to you! I had the Crema Come Una Volta (Egg cream prepared, “as it was, once upon a time”) which had a smooth, slight sweet taste, but there were plenty of others (Cocco e Cioccolato, Bacio, and Nicciola) that made it hard to pick. The Grom in NYC is the company’s first global outpost, and I have to say it holds up very well to the gelato I’ve had in Italy on my trip there a few years back. The tiny storefront has several sliding glass doors that open up to the street, a perfect view to watch the people passing by.  Their gelato is the perfect way to cool off on a hot New York summer’s day, or to top off a meal with the people you care about the most.

Let’s get to the brass tacks. Crumbs is a major player in the cupcake game, as far as I’m concerned. That’s right, I said the cupcake game. If you haven’t been paying attention to the food industry in this country right now, cupcakes have become the new hot commodity in baked sweeties, and we’re not just talking your grandmother who does it for her ‘glaucoma’. DC has seen a proliferation of cupcake and related bakeries, with names like Cakelove offering locations in Shirlington, Tyson’s Corner, and DC, while smaller shops such as Georgetown Cupcake, Hello Cupcake!, Red Velvet, TangySweet, and Baked&Wired (the omnomnivores cupcakery of choice) who each have their own rabid followers (don’t ever put your fingers in between me and a Pretty Bitchin’ from B&W).

So many choices, so little stomach space.

So it was no suprise that on this trip to NYC, we made it a point to break into the Gotham cupcake scene. The first choice was Magnolia on the West side, but promises of long lines (thanks to a featured episode on Sex & The City) with basic flavors had me searching out other places. While talking to concierge at our hotel, I noticed that there were several exchanges of cupcakes from Crumbs, who already have 13 locations in Gotham, as well as storefronts in New Jersey, California, and Connecticut. I wouldn’t say it’s a stretch that we’ll see a Crumbs opening in DC within the next few years as well. What I really liked about this shop was the uniqueness of their cupcake flavors. 30 flavors to suit pretty much anybody’s tastes, and if you can’t find one you like, well, you should just go back to sucking rocks and slurping mud with the other cave dwellers. I instantly targeted the Signature size Key Lime cupcake, which I estimated to be about 1000 calories of artery clogging ecstasy, while Jen opted for the 12 mini-cupcake “Sampler of Dietary Doom”.

The 501 Madison Avenue shop has a convenient public seating place just around the corner, seated next to a soothing public waterfall. Just ask the staff and they’ll gladly direct you there with your baked goods. And don’t tell them that the omnomnivores sent you, because they’ll have absolutely no clue what the hell you’re talking about. Just go, and enjoy the ride.

A Key Lime Signature Cupcake, about to meet its OMNOMNOMNOM

Peshawari Naan

Mint is a little Indian restaurant that can be found at 150 East 50th, nestled between 3rd and Lexington in Midtown. The decor is very modern that could easily transition the space into a lounge at night. If several tables full of Indian diners is any indication to the authenticity and the deliciousness of the food, then this is the spot for some amazing Indian deliciousness to storm your gullet. We started off with the Lasooni Gobi, a tasty fried cauliflower dish doing laps in a pool of tomato garlic sauce. The entrees came quickly thereafter- Jen had the Amritsari Chole, chickpeas cooked in a tomato and onion sauce, while I made quick word of the Lamb Pasanda, a close relative of Lambchop cooked in a rich curry sauce. All this was taken down with Peshawari Naan, an Indian flatbread stuffed with coconut, almonds, raisins, and cranberries.  Service was attentive, which is always a plus.  We never waited too long to order or be served our food, and our glasses were never left empty.

Lamb Pasanda, precooked

So how was it? The Lasooni Gobi was delicious. I spent a good amount of time trying to deconstruct the dish so I could make it later down the road for Jen. As far as I could tell, it was several large chunks of cauliflower, quickly deep fried in vegetable oil and then dressed with a sugary tomato garlic sauce that didn’t seem like it would be too difficult to reproduce, but I’ll have to research the sauce a good bit later. Jen loved the Amritsari Chole, but I wasn’t a big fan of the dish myself. I really enjoyed the Lamb Pasanda, with the tender chunks of meat in a rich and vibrant sauce that reminded me of my formative childhood years spent in Notrth India…

Wait. I’m Chinese.  That’s somebody else’s memory.

Anyways, it was a solid dish.  Definitely order a side of naan to make the most of the sauce, and a much better way to savor every last bit of whatever you order instead of rice.  Jen thoroughly enjoyed an Elderflower Champagne drink (the name escapes me) and it tasted just boozy to me, so it comes highly recommended from the both of us should you decide that it is necessary to get your swerve on.  We deferred on Indian desserts so we could make the local cupcake shop our next destination…Crumbs Bakery.

Jen and I went to Spring Street Natural on the recommendation and praise from the concierge at our hotel.  Conveniently located at the top of Spring Street exit on the 6 train on the corner of Spring and Lafayette, we popped in the corner restaurant for lunch.  The hostess led us along the sticky wood floors (coated in authentic organic Gotham Grime!) to a window seat that looked out onto Lafayette Street.  Jen ordered the Mushroom and Cheese Croquette (which I believe is French for Stupid Americans, haw haw haw) and I had the Southwestern Grilled Organic Chicken Salad.  We were both very happy with our choices, especially with the generous portions.  I was stoked that I could stick fairly close to Zone with my salad, subbing enough olive oil to drown a cat for the dressing.  There was a good amount of cranberries, Gorgonzola, almonds, and a subtle hint of salt to make this a fulfilling meal.  Jen seemed pretty content with her Croquette, leaving nothing but a barricade of croutons on the plate.  I resisted the inner 12 year old to flick them to the adjacent tables, but only barely.

Mushroom and Cheese Croquette

Be aware that even though the restaurant may seem sparsely attended by patrons, you’ll wait a good fifteen or twenty minutes for someone to come by to take your order by the waitresses dressed up in all black, as if they were waiting tables as their day job to pay the bills while they desperately attempted to get supporting roles in the latest vampire movie coming to a theatre near you.  Once you do get your order in though, the food comes out quick.

This is an ideal place for the hungry vegetarian/vegan, with plenty of options, even for meat eaters like me.  I’d go back again, even for just the salad.

If you’re looking to go Paleo-Zone with the salad I had, try asking for it without the corn or Gongozola in addition to the removal of the dressing.  You won’t be disappointed!

Southwestern Organic Chicken Salad