Featured Cocktail: Watermelon Soju at Pocha 32

Maryse Chevrière — March 18, 2010

Pocha 32’s Watermelon Soju.

Cocktails might be the last thing on your mind after yesterday’s St. Paddy’s Day revelry, but a little hair of the dog never hurt. Here’s a good recommendation: Watermelon Soju at Pocha 32 in K-Town.

We know what you’re thinking. What’s so special about watermelon soju at a Korean restaurant? The answer here, is presentation. The drink is actually served inside a hollowed-out, halved watermelon. You’re given a ladle, and chilled camping-style tins for self-service. It’s an ideal drink to split among friends, and a pretty good deal at $24— you can easily get upwards of six liberal pours.

The drink is refreshing, and not too sweet (an accomplishment for a fruit cocktail), and the flavor is a dead ringer for watermelon Bubbalicious gum. It evokes summer and backyard barbecues. The bonus, of course, is scraping out spoonfuls of the saturated fruit once all the soju has been downed. Just be forewarned: this stuff is more potent than the taste would suggest. Of course, if you do wind up with a hangover, we’ve got you covered.

Always Hungry: K-Town “Sushi” at E-Mo

Maryse Chevrière — March 10, 2010

Kimbab spread from E-Mo Kim Bab in Koreatown.

Kyochon finally, officially opened its doors last night with all the impatient waiting, disorganized chaos, and mass crowd-forming at a rock concert’s backstage door. But the holding pattern continues for lunch-goers. A representative outside Kyochon this afternoon said that lunch starts tomorrow, but a call to Kyochon put the actual start date for lunch at March 13th. Par for the course— don’t hold your breath.

Denied a shiny, new fried chicken experience, and having already sampled the portable pizza next door at K! Pizzacone, we ventured through Koreatown for a quick fix. With the clutter of restaurants on 32nd Street, the shoe box-sized E-Mo Kim Bab could be easily overlooked. E-Mo specializes in made-to-order Kimbab, a popular Korean snack, which typically consists of pickled radish, sautéed spinach, and carrots, omelet, shredded burdock root, and another ingredient wrapped in white rice and nori. Essentially, it’s Korean sushi.

More Photographs of E-Mo Kim Bab >>

Featured Dish: Sushi Zen’s Omakase in a Bowl

GutterGourmet — March 02, 2010

Bara Chirashi “Sushi Zen Style.”

Sushi Zen is on my list of Top 10 sushi bars in the City, and Chef Toshio Suzuki is a master. The omakase is always unique, amazing, and…expensive. For a somewhat more reasonable alternative without sacrificing the variety of the omakase, order the Bara (literally “little things”) Chirashi.

For $55 you get a large bowl of some of the finest sushi rice you’ll ever taste, delicious fresh wasabi that is cleverly tucked into the underside of the bowl’s lid (placed next to you), and special shoyu sauce to season with. On top of that there is, now take a deep breath: Fatty Blue Fin Tuna, Giant Clam, Salmon, Octopus, Silver Shad, Salmon Roe, Cooked Tuna, Squid, Tomago, Shrimp, assorted pickled vegetables, with Uni placed delicately in the center.

As fresh, sweet, and zesty as the wasabi is, you don’t really need any. There is already so much natural flavor from the high quality fish, and the seasoned rice with sesame seeds at the bottom of the bowl. Each flat wooden spoonful of the Bara Chirashi is wonderfully different in texture and taste. It’s a veritable omakase in a bowl. On a recent occasion the lady next to me asked, “Is all of that for you, or are you planning to share that with the entire restaurant?” As if that weren’t enough, the Bara Chirashi comes with an intensely flavored light or dark (your choice) Miso Namako Mushroom Soup or Miso Asari Clam Soup, the latter filled with delectable clams floating, still in their shells, in the soup.

There is perhaps no better time to enjoy Bara Chirashi. In Japan, March 3rd marks Hinamatsuri, an annual festival celebrated with ornamental dolls. Meals prepared for the festival often consist of chirashi and clam broth (though the chirashi can vary by region). Of course, you don’t need an excuse.

AlwaysInvestigating: Battle of the Pizza Cones

Arthur Bovino — February 22, 2010

Left, K! Pizzacone’s Breakfast Pizza. Right, Rio Bonito’s Margherita and Pepperoni Pizza in the Cones.

K! Pizzacone is getting the kind of opening day publicity that most restaurants would kill for. We almost ended up on Japanese television this morning just by stopping in for a Breakfast Pizza. Conesteria indeed. In anticipation of getting a first taste this morning, we visited Rio Bonito last night to have their Pizza in the Cone fresh in our minds. Let the battle of the Pizza Cones commence!

Pizza Cone-Off! >>

Featured Restaurant: Ma Pêche

Jeff Zalaznick — January 27, 2010

Clockwise from top: Bánh Mì Maison, Bánh Mì au Poulet, Rice Noodles and Sausage, Pork Ribs.

Momomaniacs have had some time to regain composure since November’s news that Má Pêche was serving a limited menu in the mezzanine lounge of the Chambers Hotel in Midtown. Still anticipating the full restaurant’s official debut, we recently checked in for a quick lunch.

You sit in the mezzanine lobby of the hotel, at tables that were not meant for eating. If the goal is for the seating to be more uncomfortable than at the downtown restaurants, than they have succeeded. Comfort is not the point though, and as is no surprise, the food is consistent with the high quality you’ve come to expect from the Momofuku brand. The three terrine Bánh Mì Maison is thoroughly on-point and a welcome addition to the Bahn Mi debate. It definitely outshines the other still very good sandwich option: a chicken rendition featuring the classic Momofuku-reconstituted-chicken-squares that we have learned to love and appreciate. As always, you’ll want to add Sriracha to both.

The Calamari Salad is refreshing, but overall it is a little flat. Instead, opt for an excellent dish of soft rice noodles interspersed with fatty, salty pork sausage that screams: Asian Bolognese. A special of fall-off-the-bone tender Pork Ribs covered in a sticky, sweet glaze also provided enjoyment. For dessert, a rich Peanut Butter cookie from Milk Bar that is most certainly worth eating. I will go back when I am in Midtown during lunch time, and I cannot wait for the main restaurant to open.

AlwaysInvestigating: Empire Slice of Mind

Arthur Bovino and Gavin Skeen — January 19, 2010

Cheese Slice from Squisito’s.

The Empire State Building is one of New York City’s defining symbols. So nearby it you might expect to find a fantastic slice of this great metropolis’ defining food. But as one local doorman advised, “I’m from the Bronx so I know, most of the pizza around here tastes like cardboard!”

It was a Midtown challenge worth investigating. Since the closing of Giuseppe’s we counted fourteen pizzerias within a two-block radius of the Empire State Building (36th to 32nd, north to south; and Park Ave to 7th Ave). That’s without venturing inside the Manhattan Mall, and including Rosa’s Pizza, which is actually in the Empire State Building. While technically Sbarro and Pizza Hut are pizza places, most self-respecting New Yorkers wouldn’t consider them representative slices (same goes for the California Pizza Kitchen, just outside the aforementioned boundaries). Similarly, a Brazilian cone pizza spot called K! Pizzacone is preparing to open nearby on Fifth Avenue. While it will be interesting to see how New Yorkers (and tourists) take to it, this taste-off to find the best ‘Empire Slice’ involved eating conventional, plain slices in each pizzeria.

Check out the top six slices below, and the full cast of cheesy characters (with a map) in the slideshow.

Click here to find out who has the best "Empire Slice" >>

AlwaysInformed: Poseidon Bakery

GutterGourmet — December 07, 2009

An array of pastries from Poseidon Bakery. Bottom right, co-owner Lili Fable.

Poseidon may be the Lord of the Sea, but in Hell’s’ Kitchen, Poseidon Bakery has been the lord of Greek pastries since 1923. The best start to a meal here is to begin with a vegetable-the Spanakopita. It’s the Platonic ideal of the pastry in a flaky phyllo crust that shatters as you bite into it.

Click Here for Pictures of the Pastries at Poseidon Bakery >>

SEARCH: Fashionably Feasting

The Gluttoness — September 16, 2009

If you’re anything like me, watching those models walk the runway at Bryant Park just makes you hungry. Wearing high heels means that a lunch destination needs to be within a short walking distance from the tents. For the sake of planning ahead, it’s best to know which restaurants are close by: the perfect mission for AlwaysHungryNY.com.

Using our Create-A-Neighborhood search, I simply drew a box around Bryant Park and instantly got a glimpse of the area’s best eateries. And, in keeping with our site’s mission, I’ve also included some recommended lunch dishes to help make the decision process even easier.

Brasserie 44 (American) Seared Scallops, Classic BLT, Lobster Penne

Colbeh (Persian) Babaganoush, Grape Leaves, Beef Kebab

DB Bistro Moderne (French Bistro) Lobster Salad, DB Burger, Morrocan Tuna Tartare

Esca (Seafood/Italian) Oysters, Hamachi and Big Eye Tuna Crudos (above), Corn Salad, Spaghetti w/Mint & Lobster, Crispy Skate

Koi (Japanese/Asian) Spinach Salad, Crispy Rice, Kobe Potstickers, Miso Cod

Margon (Cuban) Cubano, Roast Chicken, Daily Specials

Sushi Zen (Japanese) Sushi & Sashimi

Triomphe (French) Duck Confit, Lemon Sole Francese, Watermelon & Feta Salad

Virgil’s (Southern BBQ) Savannah Salad, Pulled Pork, Brisket Melt, Ribs, Mac & Cheese

‘wichcraft (Sandwiches) Tomato Soup, Slow Roasted Pork, Roast Turkey, Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

AlwaysInvestigating: New Buns on the Block

The Gluttoness — September 09, 2009

Until now, your best bet for pork buns (not counting Chinatown) was below 14th Street, the Goliaths being, Momofuku Ssäm and Noodle Bar. During the past few months Midtown has sprouted new restaurants that serve Chinese steamed pork buns (char siu bao).

Mantou Chinese Sandwiches, on the East Side (view site), is a sliver of a restaurant specializing in sandwiches on “sesame seed-studded, steamed mantou—a traditional Chinese steamed bread …a staple of Northern Chinese cuisine.” On the West Side is Xie Xie (restaurant page), which is Mandarin for “Thank you.” Xie Xie’s five-item Asian sandwich concept is helmed by Chef Angelo Sosa, who was executive sous-chef at Jean Georges for four years. Both places have a counter for ordering and seating, but these interpretations showcase two styles.

Mantou serves two buns, Spicy Pork or Braised Pork (each costs $3.95). Instead of buying them individually you can opt for the $9.95 Combo Box which includes any two sandwiches with a side salad and shrimp chips. The buns look like Big Mac’s but are soft and luscious like fluffy English muffins.

Mantou’s Braised Pork Bun.

Mantou’s spongy bun envelops thick, tender slices of braised fatty pork. It’s dressed with crunchy slivers of cucumber, cilantro, and hoisin, which ensure fresh well-rounded flavors and juicy sweetness that balance the rich flavor of the salty pork. The first taste (with a little Sambal) was the best. Unfortunately, the next bite included the chewy end of the roast.

Continue Reading >>

AlwaysPartying: Food from Brazilian Day Festival 2009

Arthur Bovino — September 08, 2009

How many people attended. Check newspaper article.

The two-day Brazilian Day Festival 2009 celebration this weekend featured a lot of action in Midtown, and Brazilian food was no small part of it. Festivities started on 42nd Street and Avenue of the Americas and stretched all the way up to 56th Street. The usual street food fair-vendor suspects were there, the arepas, zeppoles, and gyros. But there was also a solid block on 46th Street between Madison and Sixth Avenue that was almost completely Brazilian food.

Green and yellow, flag-as-cape wearing Brasileiros and festival-goers got a chance to eat some of their favorites from feijoada and açai na tigela to coxinha, acarajé and of course, pão de queijo. AlwaysHungryNY.com attended, hungry and ready to eat, drink and photograph it all.

Pão de queijo, $1/3.

Coxinha, $3.

Kibe ($3/1) a Brazilian-Lebanese street snack consisting of deep-fried meat and bulgur wheat.

Crêpe with Goiaba (Guava) and Pastel de Queijo.

Click Here for more pictures of food from Brazilian Day 2009 >>

AlwaysPartying: Brazilian Day Festival 2009

September 04, 2009

The “Little Brazil Street” sign at 46th Street and Avenue of the Americas.

Man, Brazilians know how to party anywhere. They’re using a three day weekend for the 25th annual Brazilian Day Festival on Sunday (September 6th). What better way to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers than by drinking caipirinhas and eating salgadhinos and grilled meat, then using an American national holiday on Monday to recover from the fun?

The festival (view site) takes place on 6th Avenue from 42nd to 56th Streets and on 46th Street from Madison to 7th Avenue. Festivities should start around 1pm on Sunday. About 25 blocks will be taken over by people celebrating with food, live music and vendors selling Brazilian items. The organizers, which include TV Globo Internacional, are expecting a record turnout.

AlwaysHungryNY.com has its own little tribute to Brazil today, a round-up of previously published posts about Brazilian food and Brazilian restaurants in New York City.

Food in Brazil:
-“Pizza Rodizio at Pizza à Bessa”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/entry/alwaystraveling-pizza-a-bessa-brasilia-brazil/ pizza, served rodizio-style in Brasília, Brazil‎.
-“Tapiocas”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/entry/alwayspartying-brazilian-tapiocas/ rolled tapioca crêpes filled with sweet and savory things.

Brazilian Food in New York:
-“Pao de Queijo”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/entry/alwayslearning-paeo-de-queijo/ an addictive, South American salgadinho.
-“Rio Bonito”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/entry/alwaysinformed-rio-bonito-market/ Astoria’s Supermercado Brasileiro, sells Brazilian products like açai and catupiry.
-“Batidas”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/entry/featured-drink-ideyas-batidas/ milkshakes made with cachaça.
-“Açai Na Tigela”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/thought-for-food/entry/alwayslearning-acai-na-tigela/ frozen açai pulp with granola and banana.

If we’ve piqued your interest in eating some Brazilian food (like Casa’s moqueca, right) read our review of Casa or visit a Churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) or one of the other AlwaysHungryNY.com approved Brazilian restaurants. As with any cuisine, you can use use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search to find a great place to eat. Just click on the dropdown menu for Cuisine and select Brazilian. You’ll get a list including the restaurants below. Click on their names to visit their restaurant pages for more information including recommended dishes.

-“BarBossa”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/BarBossa/ 232 Elizabeth Street
-“Churrascaria Plataforma”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/Churrascaria-Plataforma/ 316 W. 49th Street
-“Churrascaria Riodizio Tribeca”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/Churrascaria-Riodizio/ 221 W. Broadway
-“Esperanto”:http://www.alwayshungryny.com/reviews/Esperanto/ 145 Avenue C

Or, if you’re just hankering now for some good South American food, use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Very Advanced Search to find something that’s just right for you. Just go to cuisine and select South American from the drop-down menu and it will provide you with a list of AlwaysHungryNY.com approved restaurants.

AlwaysLearning: Pão de Queijo

Arthur Bovino — September 04, 2009

Pão de Queijo in Astoria at New York Pão de Queijo, $1.75.

Pão de Queijo (pronounced, pow de KAY-ju, with a nasal ‘ow’) is an addictive, gluten-free, South American salgadinho.

Where it’s from: Pão de Queijo is one of many different salgadhinos (snacks), like Coxinha and Pastels, which you can find everywhere in Brazil. It is most often sold at cafés, where it’s eaten with espresso for breakfast while standing at a counter— though it can be found all day. Variations are said to be found in Bolivia, where they’re known as Cuñapé, and in Paraguay and Northern Argentina where they’re known as Chipás.

What it is: In Portuguese Pão de Queijo means ‘cheese bread.’ Bread isn’t quite accurate— gougère or cheese profiterole is more apt. Basically, it’s a domed cheese puff one to three inches wide, made using Povilho Azedo, cassava flour (tapioca starch) usually with Queijo de Minas cheese inside. Origins are murky, but it’s thought to have been created by slaves who harvested the yucca crops and gathered the starch leftover after processing. Starch was rolled into balls and baked. Later, when cattle-farming became widespread, cheese was introduced. One Brazilian chain that specializes in it, Casa do Pão de Queijo (founded in 1967 in São Paulo), attributes it to the 18th century in the state of Minas Gerais, a region in the Southeast of Brazil, a little less than 300 miles from Rio.

How it’s made: Recipes vary, but generally, milk, oil and butter are first mixed over heat. Then tapioca flour, eggs and cheese are added. After the mixture cools, balls of dough are formed and cooked for about twenty minutes. The combination of tapioca starch and cheese creates a slightly gummy, chewy consistency inside, like a palatable rubber cement. When done right, they are crisp on the outside and light, airy, warm and slightly chewy on the inside with full, cheesy flavor. One of Brazil’s best places for pão de queijo is in São Paulo— Pão de Queijo Haddock Lobo —a little shop in a neighborhood called Jardins Paulista.

Where to get it in New York: There are pockets of Brazilian restaurants downtown (like Casa and Cafe La Palette in the West Village, and one place in the East Village, Esperanto) that serve pão de queijo, as well as a few in Midtown (Emporium Brasil) on what’s left of Little Brazil on 46th Street (“Little Brazil Street”) and also in Newark, and Astoria, Queens.

One AlwaysHungryNY.com favorite spot for pão is New York Pão de Queijo (right), a small café in Astoria. It has other treats including açai na tigela and a bevy of Brazilian fruit juices. Fair warning: once you’ve eaten one, it’s difficult to stop.

AlwaysFresh: Rockefeller Center Greenmarket (8/19/09)

Michelle Kiefer — August 19, 2009

The AlwaysHungryNY.com Team is hitting the streets and heading to farmers’ markets throughout the city to scope out the fresh, seasonal ingredients that are inspiring the culinary genius of locavore chefs and amateur gourmets alike.

This week, we were at the Rockefeller Center Greenmarket. Click on the thumbnails below for pictures from our farmers’ market tour in Midtown. Remember, you can always use AlwaysHungryNY.com’s Seasonal Calendar Page to find out what is currently in season.

FirstLook: Golosi Gelato

Danielle Ingerman — August 10, 2009

Golosi (view site), which opened in midtown in early April is best known for its pizza-by-the-inch (particularly the pie topped with hot dogs). But it has given birth to an offshoot, a smaller location at 32nd Street and 5th Avenue, which specializes in Golosi’s housemade gelato. According to the website, Golosi means “gluttons” and “gourmands” in Italian and the new store gives gelato-lovers the chance to focus on what they love most. Up to 18 of Golosi’s 100 flavors are displayed at the gelato counter, including several of those originally available at the primary location.

Why branch off from pizza and dive into the creamy world of gelato? “Tourists love it,” Sicilian-born owner Francisco Barros put it simply. And where better to find tourists than next door to the Empire State Building? The new location is a small space tucked away underneath scaffolding but it’s still inviting. The bright orange walls and generic pictures of gelato are reminiscent of your typical bubble tea joint. Seating is minimal— two chairs and a small leather bench for worn-out customers.

Left, Ferrero Rocher. Right, Strawberry.

Francisco maintains that “in the Big Apple you can attain any ingredient in any season,” so the flavors aren’t dictated by the month. Still, on our visit there were a bevy of fruit-based options including blueberry, peach, strawberry, pineapple and mango. Golosi also offers a ‘yoggi’ flavor (plain yogurt) to compete with nearby Pinkberry. But they’re banking business on more inventive flavors like Red Bull, Coca-Cola and Francisco’s newest creation, Ferrero Rocher, which he said was an immediate best-seller.

The Hazelnut was the creamiest of all, and its chunks of chocolate and hazelnut candy were delicious but sparse. No flavor was overwhelmingly impressive but the Strawberry, which was riddled with crunchy strawberry seeds, was one favorite. It tasted exactly like a strawberry daiquiri. Considering Francisco is going for the allure of creative concoctions, he should rename the flavor after the cocktail. Who wouldn’t want a cool daquiri on a sweltering New York City day? If only he would add rum.

AlwaysLearning: Kolaches

The Hungry Goat — June 15, 2009

Sausage, Cheese & Jalapeño Kolache from Old Towne Kolaches in Houston, Texas

Unless you’re from Texas, you’ve probably never heard of Kolaches, a delectable breakfast snack as common in the Lone Star State as bagels and cream cheese are in New York.

What it is: Traditional kolaches (pronounced KO-LA-CHEESE) are sweet, flat yeast rolls filled with fruit jam, poppy seed paste or soft cheese.

Where it’s from: They are said to have been introduced stateside by Czech immigrants in regions like Eastern and Central Texas. The term has also come to refer to a savory variety stuffed with items like mini-sausages, cheese and jalapeño. The slightly sweet roll is best eaten warm, with the gooey cheese melted all around the salty sausage. Some believe this non-sweet adaptation on the pastry that is widely popular across Texas, to be the result of Americanization. Others maintain that the correct term for the variety is Klobasnek, a distinct albeit similar item whose name translates in Czech to “Pig in a Blanket.” Most call it a good excuse to eat hot dogs for breakfast.

Where to get it in New York: Kolache board activity on Chowhound and Yelp makes it clear that this cult, “hometown favorite” is being craved here in New York where it’s virtually impossible to find. Fortunately for New Yorkers, kolaches are scheduled to make their Manhattan debut in September of 2009 in Midtown, where two locations of Kolache Mama are supposed to simultaneously open. This specialty shop owned by Richard Saler, a Texas native, promises to be “filled with goodness.” We’ll see if they can deliver on that promise and how quickly New Yorkers are to embrace them. There are plans to open fifty Kolache Mama stores during the next four years in cities including Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta, so this Texas treat isn’t likely to be a secret much longer.