Matcha Latte
by Celia Cheng
August 25th, 2008
TAFU
569 Lexington Ave
@ 51st St
212-980-1310
$$
Tafu is an artisan tea house from Japan, but it’s hard to tell since it’s located in a Double Tree Hotel in Midtown, hidden with its own side entrance on 51st Street. But they take their teas seriously, monitoring the temperature and using small traditional teapots for brewing. And their insistence that real matcha be enjoyed in-store and not for take-out shows integrity. They do, however, serve some café style drinks, including my favorite matcha latte. In fact, they have several variations with different add-ons, such as kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup), chocolate syrup or ice cream. But I like the regular latte without any extraneous sweets. The astringent taste of matcha is balanced by the sweetness of the milk, and the texture is silky smooth. Topped with frothy milk, it is also the healthiest choice for a little afternoon indulgence.
Posted in Drinks , Japanese , Midtown East
Maryland Crab Cakes w/ Baltimore Sauce
by Celia Cheng
July 28th, 2008
THE GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR
Grand Central Terminal
Lower Level
89 E 42nd St
@ Park Ave
212-490-6650
$$$
I’m not quite sure how I missed the crab cakes at The Grand Central Oyster Bar all these years. It’s no secret, since they sell out on Wednesdays, the only day they’re on the menu. A mixture of fresh and dried breadcrumbs create the perfect texture for these deep-fried jumbo lump crab cakes. And the accompanying Baltimore sauce, a marinara with Tabasco and Old Bay seasoning, is also a killer. Is it Wednesday yet?
Posted in American , Crab , Midtown East , Seafood
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Home Smoked Salmon
by Celia Cheng
February 19th, 2008
HOUSTON’S
153 E 53rd St
@ Lexington Ave
212-888-3828
$$$
Houston’s home smoked salmon is truly some kind of wonderful. Served with Melba toast and homemade tartar sauce, the salmon is meaty, silky smooth and so light on the palate that it reminds me of Kobe beef. We’re not talking thin slices of smoked salmon here but an actual large fillet of fish that you can really dig into. It’s cured for structure, but the smoked flavor is not overpowering. Even though it’s a starter, the portion is big enough to be a main, but it’s great to share as an appetizer while you wait for the rest of your meal.
Posted in American , Appetizer , Fish , Midtown East
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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
Lepeshka (Bukharian homemade bread)
by Celia Cheng
February 27th, 2007
TAAM-TOV
41 W 47th St, 3rd floor
(5th & 6th Ave)
212-768-8001`
$
I am in love with this amazing tasting kosher bread! It looks like a large, filled-out bialy but the texture is entirely different. The lepeshka’s outer shell is thick but the inside is dense and chewy. Made fresh, when it comes out warm, it becomes the centerpiece of the meal. Bread that tastes this good makes me wonder how anyone can go carbless? A taste of Taam-Tov’s bread should convert anyone into a carbotarian!
Posted in Bread , Kosher , Midtown East
