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

≈ Leave a comment

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!

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)

Mamak

15 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by dark locks in Asian, BBQ, bucket list, celebrations, fish, halal, herbs and spices, Malaysian, meat, New York, Queens, seafood, snacks, spicy, urban

≈ 2 Comments

I had one of the top ten meals of my entire life last night at Mamak, a brand new Malaysian restaurant that serves authentic Penang style halal cuisine! It’s the only place in New York City that exclusively features this delectably complex culinary tradition on their menu.

Mamak is a colloquial term used in Malaysia to refer to Tamil Muslims who operate roadside food stalls, mamak stalls. Above is the udang nasi kandar, a generous portion of succulent shrimp with a spicy mamak style sauce.

Murtabak is a stuffed and folded savory crêpe. The name comes from the Arabic word “مطبق” (folded). At Mamak murtabak is stuffed with minced beef and egg, and served with pickled red onions. We were blown away by the subtly complex flavors of the beef inside. There was definitely a hint of cumin — and maybe aniseed, clove, coriander, and cinnamon?

You must try the lamb satay. The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth! Cubes of rice, cucumber, and red onion are served on the side, along with a bit of the most delicious peanut sauce I have ever tasted!