Musakhan
by Celia Cheng
March 31st, 2008
TANOREEN
7704 3rd Ave
@77th St
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
718-748-5600
$
The musakhan at Tanoreen is a slice of heaven! It’s shredded chicken, caramelized onions, sumac, spices, roasted nuts and olive oil piled on top of a warm, soft flatbread. The chicken is tender and extremely well seasoned, the caramelized onions add a touch of sweetness, and the almonds play an important role in creating a crunchy texture that contrasts the fluffy flatbread. I added a little labaneh (Middle Eastern yogurt spread topped with mint and olive oil) to the mix for a bit of refreshment, and it made the dish complete! The menu at Tanoreen is vast, and all of it is delicious, but this musakhan is just unforgettable and totally worth the trek out to Bay Ridge.
Posted in Bay Ridge , Bread , Chicken , Middle Eastern
Ayam Panggang (grilled Balinese spiced chicken, steamed eggplant and Chinese spinach)
by Celia Cheng
August 16th, 2007
CAFÉ ASEAN
117 W 10th St
(6th & Greenwich Ave)
212-633-0348
$
This Balinese chicken at Café Asean is served as two grilled chicken breasts (with the skin) heavily marinated in Balinese spices. It’s a great dish to share by cutting the breasts into small pieces and eating it with white rice. The chicken is tender and so fragrant that it needs the rice to balance it out. Though not on the lunch menu, I actually find this to be an ideal lunch meal. They will serve it during lunch but at “dinner” menu prices. That’s fine with me because it really just hits the spot, like a simple meal mom would make!
Posted in Chicken , Greenwich Village , Pan Asian
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Chicken, shiitake & scallion pan-roasted
by Celia Cheng
February 27th, 2007
OMEN
113 Thompson St
(Prince & Spring St)
212-925-8923
$$$
The English menu description for this dish doesn’t do it justice. While, the main ingredients are listed, chicken with shiitake and scallion, the herb sansho is actually what completes it. I refer to it as sansho chicken, which is a more appropriate name. Sansho is a dry earthy-tasting spice that is commonly topped on eel (most commonly in unaju, eel topped on rice) and used to counter its fatty taste. Sansho has a subdued kick to it. Though it is not hot like a pepper, after a while it numbs the mouth. Omen’s chicken is flavorful and juicy, and the sansho pairing is a surprising treat. Sansho has the effect of an addictive drug, making you want to consume more and more, but by the time you realize it, your mouth is already numb.
Posted in Chicken , Japanese , SoHo
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