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Category Archives: allium

Ramen Burger at Smorgasburg

27 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by dark locks in allium, American, Asian, BBQ, Brooklyn, bucket list, celebrations, Japanese, meat, New York, noodles, ramen, snacks, Williamsburg

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I finally got to try Keizo Shimamoto’s ramen burger on Saturday at Smorgasburg! My friends and I got there at about 10:00AM and then got the burger at about 11:30AM. There were about 60 people ahead of us in line.

While we were waiting, a group of Japanese reporters interviewed Lisa. She jokingly said she drove all the way from Utah just to try the ramen burger. I hope I can find her interview online.

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You can only buy one ramen burger per person and each person must be present. I was number 67.

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The hamburger wrappers are really unique. They have pleats and kind of reminded me of a shower cap from a hotel.

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Here is chef Keizo Shimamoto (in the backwards cap).

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The grill wasn’t level so here are some of the staff members trying to fix it. I’m pretty sure they reserve the fatty drippings from the hamburgers to make the brown sauce that goes on top of the burger (along with scallions). Notice the long, long line in the background.

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The ramen “buns” cooking on the grill.

the Lounge at Atera

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by dark locks in allium, American, beverages, bucket list, celebrations, foraging, herbs and spices, New York, snacks, urban

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Atera recently raised the price of the tasting menu from $165 to $195 per person. If you want to try chef Matthew Lightner’s incredible food but can’t afford the full menu, try the Lounge. It’s right under the restaurant in the basement and it features some of the amuse-bouches from the tasting menu as well as other snacks. You can also get an amazing burger made with sirloin, beef tendon, and rib meat. It’s fried in lamb fat and comes with a side of whipped goose liver for the fries (which are SO good).

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lobster roll on toasted meringue, hazelnut butter with crackers, and carrot leather

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heart of palm “bone” and béchamel “marrow”

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LIC Market’s 3rd Anniversary Party

27 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by dark locks in allium, American, celebrations, herbs and spices, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, Spanish, spicy, urban, Williamsburg

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LIC Market is celebrating their 3rd anniversary with a clam bake and pig roast!

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2013 Balut Eating Contest in NYC

03 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by dark locks in allium, American, Asian, bucket list, celebrations, Filipino, herbs and spices, Malaysian, meat, New York, snacks, Williamsburg

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The 2013 Balut Eating Contest will be held at the Hester Street Fair on August 3, 2013. The contest is run by the awesome people at Maharlika. I came in second place last year and I am so honored to have been invited back again this year!

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Balut eggs are delicious fertilized duck eggs that are cooked and eaten with salt and vinegar. If you’re lucky sometimes you will find a bit of beak, bones, and feathers! This year I am going to bring a little garlic and chili, if they allow condiments again like they did last year.

(images via All That Shnazz and NYC loves NYC)

Chapulines

22 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by dark locks in allium, American, autochthonous, BBQ, celebrations, education, foraging, herbs and spices, insects, lactose free, meat, Mexican, Queens, snacks, spicy

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Chapulines are a variety of grasshopper commonly eaten in some parts of Mexico. They are typically fried on a comal with garlic, lime juice, and salt flavored with agave worm extract. This tangy, aromatic snack can occasionally be found at delis and groceries in Corona, Queens.

I was able to sample some excellent chapulines this week when a student brought them in to share with the class. I expected them to be crispy but they were definitely of the juicy side, especially the plump abdomens.

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Hinomaru Ramen in Astoria

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by dark locks in allium, Asian, bucket list, celebrations, herbs and spices, Japanese, New York, Queens, snacks

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crispy fried pig ears and fried chicken cartilage at Hinomaru Ramen in Astoria (33-18 Ditmars Blvd.)

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The pig ears were really crispy and reminded me of Krunchers barbecue kettle chips.

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sea urchin and Parmesan cheese ramen

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butter and squid ramen in a black sesame broth

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Atera NYC

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by dark locks in allium, American, bucket list, celebrations, foraging, macarons, New York, seafood

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Tags

Castagna, Lightner, Manhattan, Michelin, New Northwest, new york, Portland

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lobster roll (on a toasted marshmallow)

 

I recently had the most amazing dinner of my life at Atera. The $165 tasting menu included almost 30 different items. Here are some photos of my favorites.

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“razor clams” – mini air baguette painted with squid ink and filled with clam ice cream and sorrel

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tomato ice with sea urchin

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lichen chip

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lichen chip with aioli and malt sauce

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beer macaron with sturgeon roe

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sprouted grain ice cream

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peekytoe crab with artichokes petals in herb broth

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young vegetables with pastrami cured seared duck hearts

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tomato with milk ice cream

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rosewater ice rose

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open kitchen with chef Lightner

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edible black walnut shell

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lamb tartare with burnt crisp

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“ramen” – squid strip noodles and dissolvable seasoning packet

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pine nut wafers

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salsify “churro”

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beet ember

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barbeque sweetbreads

Tabata Ramen by Port Authority

03 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by dark locks in allium, Asian, Japanese, New York, seafood, snacks, spicy

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Tags

garlic noodles, NYC, ramen, Tabata Ramen

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If you get a chance, try Tabata Ramen, which is right behind Port Authority. The staff was sooo friendly and the ramen was fantastic! Here’s a picture of the house Tabata ramen (which seems to have a Burmese influence). The thick, fragrant coconut broth is similar to ohn no khao swè and is topped with chicken, cilantro, and red onion. It was $10. A 16 oz. Sapporo is only $4.50.

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The garlic noodle dish was amazing — totally loaded with crispy fried garlic pieces and scallions. It gives you what my dad calls “breath of the iguana”.

I know what you’re thinking… Port Authority bus terminal is the armpit of New York. Don’t let that stop you from trying this place though! It’s like the diamond in the rough of that neighborhood! (Well, along with Piccolo Cafè and their awesome croissants!)

Tabata Ramen
540 9th Avenue
New York NY 10018

Pok Pok Ny

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by dark locks in allium, Brooklyn, bucket list, meat, New York, seafood, snacks, spicy, Thai

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Tags

Brooklyn, Pok Pok, Thai

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Roses and thorns about Pok Pok Ny? I like to start with the thorns. There is only one tiny toilet for the entire restaurant and the wait is typically 7-8 people long. The part that bothered me is that when the employees at Pok Pok have to use the bathroom they cut in line and say to everyone, “I just need to check to make sure the bathroom is clean for you!” In line last night one employee did this and as he was walking out he was adjusting his fly, clearly having just urinated. Moments later another employee cut in front of everyone again saying, “I just need to check to make sure the bathroom is clean for you!” My friend told her, “Somebody just did that 30 seconds ago.” The employee looked embarrassed, as it was apparent that we had caught on to their system. Pok Pok: rent some Porta-Johns.

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The food was good but nothing was so memorable that I would actually go to Redhook again for it. In fact there was one “Vietnamese” style catfish over vermicelli dish that was covered in dill (I wonder if it was really pak chee lao) and it reminded me of a foul Slavic dish of carp with dill.

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The papaya salad with salted black crab could have been a little spicier.

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I felt kind of swindled after my Singha slushy arrived. The server omitted the part about it basically being a bottle of beer that was left in a freezer for too long. She pointed to a fanciful battery-operated wooden barrel that twists back and forth, mixing ice and salt around the bottles to lower the temperature and turn the beer into slush.

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The wings and the papaya salad with salted black crab are also available at Pok Pok Wing in the Lower East Side — so you won’t have to go all the way to Redhook to try those menu items.

Did I forget the roses? I think I’m just focusing on the thorns because I’m so sad I live in Queens, so far away from this amazing restaurant. It really is a special place with herbs and ingredients hard (impossible?) to find elsewhere in the city. I suppose it’s a case of sour grapes because I know I won’t be able to return for a while and taste their awesome food! PS: the staff is super friendly even though they tend to exude a certain Portlandia vibe.

Pok Pok Ny
127 Columbia St
Brooklyn NY

Ayada’s Raw Shrimp Salad

17 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by dark locks in allium, bucket list, Japanese, New York, Queens, seafood, spicy, Thai

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Tags

Elmhurst, Japanese, queens, Raw Shrimp Salad, shrimp, Thai

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Elmhurst’s Ayada restaurant is really proud of their raw shrimp salad. Their front window is wallpapered with New York Times articles that ranked it as one of the top 100 New York snacks. It is served with raw bitter melon slices, raw garlic, and a raw carrot salad in the middle.

I thought it was nice and spicy with a great brininess, but the sweetness was missing. No balance. I wonder if the chili and lime concoction that was covering each shrimp could have benefited from a little bit of jaggery.

I will probably never order it again and I give it 6 out of 10.

Ayada
77-08 Woodside Ave
Elmhurst NY 11373
(718) 424-0844

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