Uni Ikura Soba
by Celia Cheng
November 28th, 2007
SOBAKOH
309 E 5th St
(1st & 2nd Ave)
212-254-2244
$$
Fall (specifically October and November) is prime soba season! This is when “new” soba — fresh soba noodles made from ground buckwheat grain that’s just been harvested — arrives. Given my never-dying fervor for soba and uni, the uni ikura soba combination is a match made in heaven for me! While I still think that Sobakoh’s buckwheat noodles are a bit too soft, this cold soba dish is an elegant composition of ingredients that are both executed and presented with grace. With shreds of shiso and seaweed, plus fresh ground wasabi, the strong and distinctive flavors are perfectly balanced and never overpowering. If you don’t see this on the menu, ask for it!
Posted in East Village , Japanese , Noodles , Seafood
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Mochi Ice Cream
by Celia Cheng
November 15th, 2007
BUBBIES
Bierkraft
191 5th Ave
(5th & 6th Ave)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-230-7600
$
Also sold at Whole Foods stores in New York
I grew up eating Bubbies ice cream in Honolulu (on University Avenue, next to Varsity Theater) and I always loved it. And it seems that mainlanders feel the same way as Bubbies has made its way across the Pacific Ocean, selling products to top restaurants and markets throughout the mainland. Their mochi ice cream has become rather ubiquitous in gourmet food stores in the City. Mochi ice cream, a modern Japanese desset, is an ice-cream-filled rice cake. I’m currently hooked on the guava. It’s light, delicate and flavorful, and the pink mochi skin is soft, thin and chewy. Even when extremely frozen, I can’t help but eagerly pop them in my mouth. Never too hard to bite into, they are a treat I don’t tire of.
Posted in Dessert , Japanese , LES , Park Slope , Sweets , UES , Union Square , UWS
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Menchanko (noodles)
by Celia Cheng
October 26th, 2007
MENCHANKO-TEI
43-45 W 55th St
(5th & 6th Ave)
212-247-1585
131 E 45th St
(Lexington & 3rd Ave)
212-986-6805
$
I had almost forgotten how comforting the food at Menchanko-tei is, particularly the dish for which the restaurant was named, menchanko — their original noodle recipe, individually cooked in a cast iron bowl with thick ramen noodles in a rich soy broth. Chicken, shrimp, salmon ball, tofu, rice cake and vegetables make it a pretty hearty meal. But one of my absolute favorite things about it is adding Menchanko-tei’s homemade citron pepper (yuzu kosho), which looks like a regular red pepper paste, but the yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) flavor is so refreshing, while the paste itself is quite spicy. The menchanko is a great comfort food for the wintertime or for nursing a cold, and the citron pepper is perfect for clearing up that stuffy nose.
Posted in Japanese , Midtown East , Midtown West , Noodles
Renkon No Hasamiage (deep-fried stuffed lotus root w/ chopped shrimp & Japanese leek wrapped in shiso leaf)
by Celia Cheng
October 11th, 2007
TARO SUSHI
446 Dean St
(5th & 6th Ave)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-398-0872
$$
The renkon no hasamiage at Taro Sushi is quite a surprise. When it comes to pre-sushi appetizers, it’s best not to get anything too heavy so as not to ruin your palate for the purity of the fish to come, and the renkon no hasamiage is a perfect choice. While it’s deep-fried, the batter is thin and, like any good tempura, not greasy. The lotus root is light and refreshing in taste but hard and crunchy in texture, perfect for sandwiching the tender minced shrimp and leek filling. The shiso leaf wrapped around the sandwich emanates a pungent yet fresh scent that completes this delicious starter that’s light on the palate but fulfilling to the taste buds.
Posted in Appetizer , Japanese , Park Slope
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Calipico Soymilk Ice Cream
by Celia Cheng
August 29th, 2007
KYOTOFU
705 9th Ave
(48th & 49th St)
212-974-6012
$$
Calipico (the Japanese name is Calpis, but in the U.S. it was renamed for obvious reasons) is a ubiquitous Japanese yogurt-flavored drink. By adding Calipico to soda, water, alcohol or ice you can create a variety of yummy drinks and desserts. Kyotofu has ingeniously created Calipico soymilk ice cream. It’s silky smooth, light and super refreshing! Paired with another of Kyotofu’s spectacular ice creams, Valrhona chocolate and kinako (toasted soy), the two make quite the dynamic duo. These flavors are certainly unique and a welcome change from the usual suspects.
Posted in Dessert , Hell’s Kitchen , Japanese
