beXnlog

New York Day

A few weekends ago the H sisters came to town. It was a hilarious riot catching up with them, and of course much was consumed! There's nothing better than good food and great old friends.

I haven't had a chance to check out the Pakistan Tea House on Church Street downtown, but the H sisters all swear by its authenticity and deliciousness - so much that they ate there numerous times during their trip to New York! Note it's not just a tea house; Pakistani food is also served (at great prices too!).

We met up with everyone at Lombardi's, famed for being the first pizzeria in the U.S. (licensed in 1905). Our two pies were crisp and good, although one ended up much more charred than the other. I can't say the service was raveworthy but the food was good. I'd go again, but probably not on a busy weekend afternoon. For more pizza goodness, check out Slice.

Walking through Soho, we stopped at Rice to Riches, the sleek establishment that only serves rice pudding. be ordered a "Sex, Drugs & Rocky Road" and we also tried the cappuccino and tiramisu flavors. I like the mango flavor but they ran out that day. Your order comes in a neat color-coordinated bowl + top and matching spoon scoop. I wonder how many free samples they'll actually let you try before making you order something (or kicking you out)!

After some shopping, we had a grand dinner at Turkish Kitchen in Midtown. There isn't a clear vegetarian section, but there are more than enough appetizers and sides to make a big delicious meal. I started with the sampler plate, which included humus (chickpea puree), patlican salatsai (roasted mashed eggplant), yalanci dolma (stuffed vine leaves) and barbunya pilaki (seasoned kidney beans). Next, i had the sigara boregi (phyllo stuffed with feta cheese) and the mucver (zucchini patties with garlic yogurt sauce). Everything was so good but my favorite was the zucchini patties, which were so soft and crisp. be ordered the octopus salad, which he liked besides the onions. The rest of the table ordered a mix of various dishes like kebabs and grilled lamb. Overall, we all highly recommend Turkish Kitchen! The walls are also painted bright red, just like our living room!

And if anyone is wondering that that picture is, it's a glass of orange juice with some freshly ground salt & pepper! V brought it up as one of the lunch items her mom would pack them for school. It sounded so interesting i had to check it out for myself! I didn't add enough pepper or salt to significantly change the taste of the juice, but the pepper did add a tiny kick. Next time i'll try grinding the pepper much finer.

Lastly, a new Indian Chinese (or Chinese-Indian) restaurant opened in Little India, called Indo Wok. It's not far from Chinese Mirch, which has been getting good reviews. I've only been to Tangra Masala in Queens a few years back. For those who don't know, Indian Chinese / Chinese-Indian is basically Indian style Chinese food. This review of Chinese Mirch from the NY Times sums it up as:

Chinese-Indian food, like Chinese-Cuban and Chinese-American, took shape when a community of Chinese immigrants had to stretch its home cooking to accommodate a new environment and new ingredients. (The most notable adaptation on the menu at Chinese Mirch is its omission of pork and beef, which are forbidden, respectively, to Muslims and Hindus, the two dominant religious groups in India.) Vik Lulla, the chef and owner of Chinese Mirch, whose family owns two Chinese restaurants in his native Bangalore, said that "Chinese food is what most Indians eat when they want a change from what they eat every day." Mr. Lulla's family is not of Chinese descent, but in India, he said, "like in New York, everyone loves Chinese food." India's first Chinese immigrants were from northern China, and the tag "Manchurian" has stuck to many Chinese-Indian dishes, whatever their actual origin.

PS: Check out this real Hobbit Feast!

posted by beXn @ 6:45 AM