Category Archives: Japanese

Tabata Ramen by Port Authority

03 Monday Sep 2012

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

20120902-171947.jpg
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.

20120902-214557.jpg
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

Smorgasburg

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in American, Asian, Brooklyn, bucket list, Japanese, New York, seafood, snacks, urban

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

20120902-110143.jpg
This brothless ramen bowl (mazemen) was topped with crab and miso at Yuji Ramen at Smorgasburg this weekend.

20120902-110159.jpg
The best thing I ate were the “Jersey style” (head on) fried anchovies with smoked paprika mayonnaise at Bon Chovie.

20120902-110208.jpg
There was a special combo that included an order of anchovies and any side for $10. I got the Caesar salad on a stick.

20120902-110221.jpg
When I realized that Caesar salad on a stick was a whole head of romaine lettuce with their own Caesar dressing, croutons, and Parmesan cheese shoved into all the nooks an crannies of the lettuce, my jaw dropped to the floor. Isn’t it amazing?!?! The “stick” was a skewer that held the paper in place around the salad. I liked eating it even more than the original salad on-the-go, the McDonald’s Salad Shaker!

Canned Whale Meat

26 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in Asian, bucket list, Japanese, meat

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

20120726-074742.jpg
This can of stewed whale meat that I bought at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo has been sitting in my cupboard for almost four months. So often I buy special things and don’t use them because I want to wait for a “special occasion”. I don’t know what came over me yesterday but, even though it was just a regular old Wednesday afternoon, I decided to open the can of whale!

20120726-074728.jpg
I am very happy to report that there was also a little bit of blubber mixed in with the meat. I wish I had another can because it was delicious! Reminded me of Бефстроганов, beef Stroganoff.

Minamoto Kitchoan Summer Wagashi

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Asian, Japanese, New York, snacks, sweets, wagashi

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

20120713-183428.jpg
The Minamoto Kitchoan kiosk at Mitsuwa in New Jersey is selling a special hands-on summer wagashi. I think it’s arrowroot with agar agar and extra water, mizu. The jelly prism is placed inside a plastic box and pushed through a screen that cuts it into small, spaghetti-like ribbons. A small packet of molasses is included and could be used as a sauce for the jelly noodles. The whole set is only $6.

Yakitori Totto

23 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in bucket list, Japanese, meat, New York, seafood, snacks

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

20120622-072321.jpg
Yakitori Totto fries up tiny ice fish and serves them with a little green tea salt like French fries. The shirauo kara-age is only $6.

20120622-072333.jpg
The green tea affogato was mochi, ice cream, and pon gashi drowned in matcha.

I want to go back again tonight for more delicious meat skewers. They had hatsu (chicken heart) and bonjiri (chicken tail), my favorite yakitori items.

Yakitori Totto
255 W 55th Street
New York NY 10019

Ayada’s Raw Shrimp Salad

17 Sunday Jun 2012

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

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

20120616-175020.jpg
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

Bull Penis and Turkey Testicles at Kenka

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in allium, celebrations, Japanese, New York, snacks

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

20120613-070231.jpg
Kenka in the East Village has a special menu featuring raw tuna bones, bull penis, turkey testicles, a “cheap” okonomiyaki, and many other wonderful things. We ordered the bull penis and turkey testicles last night to celebrate a special homecoming.

20120613-070259.jpg
We also got the deep fried garlic off the regular menu. It came with a delicious dipping sauce that reminded me of something I used to eat as a child at my grandma’s house. It was only $3.50!

20120613-070244.jpg
My favorite was the turkey testicles. They had a wonderful flavor and texture. The first thing I thought of was a White Hot Snappy Griller, a pork hotdog that is sold in upstate New York. The testicles weren’t chewy or tough — they were tender and had a nice outer casing to them that broke easily between my teeth. I wish I had gotten a take out order of them for breakfast this morning!