Bar Bao: best hash? HA!

Since this was just taken yesterday I've finally caught up! Woo.

NYmag's the best of NY came out recently and they said the "BEST" hash was at barbao... I really beg to differ.

I love daikon.. and the little bits of cake that were diced beneath the pork belly were delish. The hash was too sweet, too salty and too... meh.

I ordered the daikon rice cake (hash) which has duck confit, an hour poached egg, duck bacon and sweet soy.
I also got an order of the pork belly and didn't see a bit of red cabbage anywhere (but it was deliciously fatty)
I got the raved about duck fried rice and that was mmmm.

The pictures show all three piled onto my plate since it was my first meal of the day. I had the leftovers for brunch this morning. The first picture has mostly fried rice and pork belly and the second has pork belly and hash.

As I left I saw the cards for the place and remembered that I'd also seen them when I was at Baoguette (which disappoined me in bahn mi land tremendously). /sigh



Bar Bao
100 W 82nd St
New York, NY 10079
(212) 501-0776

umi sushi, more bang for your buck

This place is awesome. Where else can you get 27 pieces of sashimi for 24 bucks + tax and have it taste delicious?

No, really, tell me cause I'd like to go there too!

Umi Sushi
118 E 31st St
(between Lexington Ave & S Park Ave)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 686-3308

foodie alert: sushi azabu

So I set out saying I would get a picture of every thing we ate and I managed to do so till we had a carafe of sake. Then I ate the last two things without snapping a picture. We both had the Azabu dinner which was 7 pieces of nigiri plus two mini plates and a miso soup. We both added pieces afterwards (he got two more of the salmon and I got another piece of otoro and a piece of wagyu beef. I also got us two of the daily special Japanese butterfish)

My bf didn't care too much for the idea of getting two more pieces so I could take a picture of em so here's what we got:

seaweed starter


yellowtail and tuna sashimi


Spanish mackerel with white ginger (this was one of my favorites of the night)


seaweed in vinegar (kinda slimy)


big red snapper


seared o-toro (fatty tuna)


horse mackerel


scallop with sea salt


seared salmon


salmon roe


cooked squash and tamago (egg custard)


here's the sake culprit.. it was sweet


this miso was awesome, but the shrimp made it look like it was staring back at me.


in short, run-don't walk to this place and get some delicious sushi. There are only about 8 seats at the bar plus 3-4 booths. It's beneath the Greenwich Grill near Laight. The bad part of the meal was that it came out to a bit much for the two of us with tip. Otherwise I think I could eat there every day as long as I found a way to clear the mercury from my system and not become a Piven. :P

Oh!

Funniest part of the night was the bathroom. They have one of those japanese toilets with seat warming, water squirting, air blowing technologies.

Sushi Azabu
Neighborhood: Manhattan/TriBeCa
428 Greenwich St
(between Laight St & Vestry St)
New York, NY 10013

(212) 274-0428

the yummiest, most delectable

...baby asparagus and mini brioche roll can be found at Cipriani La Specitalia


No I did not eat them together.

I was running late during lunch and didn't want to go all the way down to Sophie's for some maduros and a sandwich so I stopped into the little side place of Cipriani that has a pretty good lunch special (if you like paying 13.50 for a large with free bread and water/soda).

They had these cute little stuffed peppers that were delicious. I got those, salmon and spinach ravioli in a butter sauce.

Now.. the salmon was served over asparagus and while I'm a fan you know that it can be hit or miss.


You can't really see it in the picture because by the time I decided to take it I'd devoured the mouthfuls that were easily accessible.

It was perfectly tender, buttery, with just the right amount of salt and the best part: not bitter at all.

So I'm stuffed after finishing this all, but there's buttery oil in the bottom of the plate

and I remember I had that bread...

and I like sopping things up...

so I pull it apart expecting a normal slightly dry brioche...

It was heaven.. completely light, almost as flaky as a croissant, delicately tender on the inside and properly salted.

So if you're around 42nd and Vanderbilt/Lexington...

and you feel like it...

go stop in.

I think that's the best bread I've had from them. Sometimes they have little foccacia.

The salmon and ravioli were just ok.

Apologies for the camera phone pic... I was so into the asparagus I forgot I had my camera with me!

wrap your food in dosa dough

So I was down near SoHo using some holiday gift cards and spending my life away when I remembered there was this little place I wanted to try around the corner (and a block) from Broadway.

Hampton Chutney Co is a cute little storefront with lots of yummy smells inside. That's normally enough to get me to walk through the door.

I picked up a #9 with jack cheese which is "Curry Chutney Chicken, Spinach & Balsamic Roasted Onion"

I carted it all the way home (with a bunch of bags) and filled each subway car I entered with the wafting smell of curry and cheese.

It was huge and it was good... really that's all you can ask for about some things in life. The dosa crepe was delicate and the mango sauce they included on the side went perfectly with the sandwich.

I forgot to get a full picture of it, but the thing was about as long as a good baguette so you're definitely getting your $9-12 worth!

There's one up closer to me on 84th and Amsterdam that I'll have to go to next.

Hampton Chutney Co.
8 Prince Street between Broadway and Lafayette