What’s in a Name: Peking Duck House

The Gluttoness — October 01, 2009

Just as parents set out to find the perfect name for their newborns, chefs and restaurant owners alike are always searching for the perfect title for their restaurants. Some people go for the obvious, like a relative’s name or a favorite ingredient, but often, there is more to a moniker than meets the eye.

Presentation of Whole Peking Duck from Peking Duck House on Mott Street.

Peking Duck House (view) is a glaring exception to the rule above. Unlike the newly opened Blue Elm, or Xie Xie, or any other restaurant whose name leaves no indication as to what is being served, Peking Duck House wears its product on its signage. If you’re looking for peking duck, then Peking Duck House is the obvious place for you. Fancier than most Chinatown establishments, the white tablecloths and suited waiters set a much more elegant tone than Nice Green Bo’s hurried service, awkward communal seating and sticky plastic tabletops.

Most importantly, the namesake dish is as well-executed as anywhere else in New York City, and at much more affordable prices than fancier Chinese restaurants like Tse Yang or Mr. K’s. An entire Peking Duck, with the traditional fixings costs $40 and this BYOB establishment offers prix-fixe deals for larger parties at $26.50 per person.

We prefer the Mott Street location, but with another restaurant in Midtown, you don’t have to head down to Chinatown. Peking Duck House is perfect for a range of occasions, from birthday dinners and quiet dates to a night out with the kids or impressing out-of-towners. Peking duck lovers need not look any further for their fix. Sometimes the obvious choice is the best one. In this case the sign says it all.

FirstLook: Aamchi Pao

Arthur Bovino — June 17, 2009

“There’s always a right time to reinvent yourself,” Chef Surbhi Sahni, told us recently at Aamchi Pao.

No, Chef Sahni isn’t leaving her post as Devi’s pastry chef. But she has joined Nandini Mukherjee as co-owner at the reincarnation of Mukherjee’s West Village restaurant of almost six years, the Indian Bread Co. As previously reported, the Stuffed Parathas and Naanwhichs (grilled Indian “panini”) are gone. There are still Kathi Rolls, but the Naan sandwiches have been replaced by “Pao,” renditions of Pav Bhaji, a Mumbai street food that is essentially an Indian Slider. The word “Pav,” in Marathi (the language of southwestern India), is said to come from Pão, the Portuguese word for bread.

Click here to read more about Aamchi Pao's Mumbai Sliders >>

AHNY ROLL CALL: Ushiwakamaru

June 02, 2009

The Setting: The AlwaysHungry Headquarters

The Caller: Hank “The Scumbag” Lihn

Hank’s Restaurant Advice Request: “I need a hip, yet unknown, sushi spot to take a ballerina on a date.”

The Suggestions: We gave Hank five sushi suggestions using three AHNY search terms (sushi, hidden gem, date place).

1. Sushi Azabu: It’s hidden under Greenwich Grill. Sit at the sushi bar and do an omakase.

2. Matsugen: It has a cool fish tank and also serves great soba.

3. Cube 63: Intimate BYOB place with inventive specialty rolls.

4. Omido: Bad location means it’s usually empty, but the AvroKO design is dark wood and sexy.

5. Ushiwakamaru: It’s sort of hidden on Houston and they have some of the freshest fish downtown. Go Omakase.

Hank’s Selection: Ushiwakamaru

Could Hank Seal the Deal? “Nope. Dinner was great, but she had to run home to see her mom, and by the time she got back downtown I was so drunk I could barely function.”

CLICK HERE FOR HANK’S FULL REVIEW OF USHIWAKAMARU

AlwaysHungryNY: The Cardinal Club

The Gluttoness — May 11, 2009

Ever invited friends over for dinner, cooked them a fantastic meal and bathed in their rave reviews, seriously considering charging for your food as they suggest? We recently dined at the home of one entrepreneurial couple who followed through on the idea. You may have heard of this before. The New York Times called similar dinners, anti-restaurants. The couple, Simon & Paula (both 27), who prepared our meal, call their kitchen turned restaurant, The Cardinal Club. Running a dinner club was a natural evolution considering the couple’s passion for food and the hosting capabilities their garden apartment allows them. Inspired by Spring and an incredible meal that Jeff had attended at the club the week before, he insisted that the CORE return to experience this special place.

The couple named their dinner club for the cardinals that frequent their backyard. They transformed their ample garden into a clandestine dining sanctuary where friends can enjoy a leisurely meal in a homey, relaxing environment—an amazing alternative to the chaos of dining out in New York City. The warm glow of the romantic garden was compliments of Christmas lights and candles. There were plants, trees and flowers, but also fresh herbs, grown for use in Cardinal Club meals. Inside, a vintage record player spun an eclectic mix of tunes, from South African jazz like Startime with the Dark City Sisters to Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele. You couldn’t help but instantly feel blessed to be aware of this hidden gem.

To keep the Cardinal Club private, Simon and Paula (both graduates of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts), only serve one party per evening (up to 6 guests fit comfortably) and all groups must be recommended by former diners. Diners can choose to have three to six course menus. The cost per person is: $50 for three courses, $60 for four courses, $75 for five courses and $90 for six courses. Every menu is ingredient-driven and relies on French execution. The dinners are always BYOB, so we brought two different sangrias, made using AlwaysHungryNY recipes.

Simon, our cook for the evening, acquired his culinary experience at one of the first acclaimed French restaurants in the Southwest, Vincent on Camelback, in Phoenix, Arizona. Simon learned a lot while working there under Chef Vincent Guerithault, but he is still largely self-taught. He has an impeccable knack for combining seasonal and seldom-used ingredients. He thoroughly sources ingredients from the Union Square Green Market, specialty restaurant suppliers and renowned purveyors. He gets his meat from Esposito’s Pork Store, and his fish from The Lobster Place, for example.

Paula, our Argentinean-bred hostess served us consummately—lighting candles and refilling drinks. She even went the extra measure by serving things on a silver platter. While she doesn’t participate in the cooking, her South American background surely influences his cuisine.

Click here for the Dish-by-Dish >>

AlwaysHungryOlympics: Clinton Street Eating

The Gluttoness — April 24, 2009

The AlwaysHungry Olympics is a feature dedicated to gastronomic feats that defy normal human boundaries. These expeditions are a true test of strength, endurance and concentration that can only be achieved through practice and dedication of the mind, body and soul. The AlwaysHungry Olympics demonstrates how some can turn eating into a sport, and on that rare occasion, into an art form.

Clockwise from left: Fat Hippo’s Steak & Eggs, Cube 63’s Sushi, Frankie’s Rabbit Pappardelle, Falai’s Exterior [food not pictured by request]

It had all the makings of a glorious night. The AlwaysHungryNY Council of Eaters was heading out for a meal at Fat Hippo. The name alone had us excited considering that we essentially share a logo (though their hippo is much fatter than our silverware-wielding cartoon). Our anticipation for the evening evaporated when we realized that the Burger Fondue’s itty-bitty burgers were the menu’s only worthwhile bites. An hour hadn’t even passed before it was obvious that we couldn’t allow this to be the end of our night but rather an awful amuse bouche to our next destination. Our location on Clinton Street inspired an AlwaysHungry Olympics— a hopeful Tour de Gluttony of this narrow Lower East Side street’s numerous eateries.

San Marzano Brick Oven Pizza called to us from the other side of 71 Clinton Street, but the address just put Wylie Dufresne on the brain. WD-50 is unfortunately closed on Tuesday night, so we opted for a table at Cube 63 to sample their specialty sushi rolls. Considering it’s BYOB and we had no booze, we were compelled to cross the street afterwards for pasta and wine at Falai. Clerkenwell was debated as our next stop, but the ridiculously small menu and even smaller crowd sent us packing. A totally empty Sachiko’s on Clinton wasn’t enticing either.

We ended up at Frankies 17 Spuntino, the busiest spot on the block. Admittedly, we stopped eating short of Clinton St. Baking Co., but we feel safe declaring Frankies as the clear-cut victor for the best dinner on Clinton Street. This conclusion can only be understood through the context of each restaurant experience, so follow the links below to learn all the juicy details.

1. Fat Hippo 71 Clinton Street

At first glance it was clear that the entrées would outshine the appetizers. Burger Fondue and a Duck Cuban sounded far superior to House Cured Salmon with Potato Latkes…Click Here For Full Review

2. Cube 63 63 Clinton Street

Owners Ken & Ben Lau, brothers with a fondness for booze-infested fun, had a recipe for success with their low prices and creative specialty rolls. You’re not going to Cube for an omakase, but rather to binge on inspired spicy tuna rolls with eel sauce and extra crunchies… Click Here For Full Review

3. Falai 68 Clinton Street

The bread was impressive. Some rolls were stuffed with stewed black cabbage and others with sautéed onions and fennel. But the amuse, a Parmesan Cheese Marshmallow with Capers and Anchovies was nauseatingly salty and nearly impossible to eat without destroying… Click Here For Full Review

4. Frankies 17 Sputino 17 Clinton Street

Both dining rooms were full. One of the things that keeps both Frankies Sputino locations packed is their dedication to sourcing only the finest ingredients. When ingredients aren’t up to their standards they make their own… Click Here For Full Review