Jamón Ibérico (Iberico Ham)
by Celia Cheng
January 30th, 2008
EL QUINTO PINO
401 W 24th St
(9th & 10th Ave)
212-206-6900
Charmed, charmed, charmed! El Quinto Pino is just so charming, it’s hard not to fall in love instantly with this new tapas bar from the owners of Manhattan’s other favorite, Tia Pol.
The tiny box of a space only seats twenty-six, and it’s situated on a quiet block on 24th Street near Ninth Avenue. Slang for out in the middle of nowhere, El Quinto Pino, despite a short food and drink menu, has the perfect laid back Spanish tapas bar ambiance that will bring patrons back repeatedly.
The décor is minimal with beautifully ornate tiles on the wall that separates the dining room from the kitchen. And the combination of soft lighting and three cream-colored walls creates a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. But this bar is in no way lethargic. On the contrary, most nights, this new hot spot brings in high levels of energy with patrons who love to hang out, sitting or standing.
I had been advised to go on the early side. So I showed up at 6pm on a Sunday night. It was perfect as my friend and I were the first ones there and had our choice of any seat in the house. We sat at the half circle bar in front of the chalkboard menu, enjoyed our tapas and wines, and chatted with fellow diners. I can’t remember a merrier night out that was this easygoing and rewarding.
Since the menu is short and the place is small, it makes for a short stop on a night out. Our time at the bar was leisurely, but when I checked my watch, it turned out that we had only spent an hour and a half there, though we had enjoyed two glasses of wine and six tapas besides making friends with our neighbors!
We tried the famous uni panini ($15) — sea urchin served in a crisply pressed Tom Cat ficelle slathered with a Korean mustard-oil-infused butter. Being the uni fanatic that I am, I was slightly disappointed by this sandwich. Mainly because the “Korean mustard-oil-infused butter,” which tastes exactly like wasabi, overpowered the uni. Sadly, I could hardly taste my beloved pungent sea urchin. But still, it was a change of pace from the ubiquitous ham panini.
Two of my favorite dishes were the Iberico ham ($16) and the Spanish-style cracklings ($6). It’s truly a blessing that the U.S. has finally allowed importation of Iberico ham; it was about time. A bottle of wine and some Iberico ham with bread would serve as a nice dinner any night. The cracklings are a little more decadent — in consistency, not price — as they are a confit of pork belly, slow roasted, then deep fried, and served in a paper box. They look like, and go down like, fries — can’t be good for the cholesterol, but they sure are tasty!
The garbanzo stew with spinach and Spanish paprika ($6) was also lovely. While it is vegetarian, the consistency of the stew is dense, meaty and fulfilling. The garlicky shrimp ($9), on the other hand, was not to my taste as the pieces of shrimp wallowed in a garlic sauce that was too thin in taste, even if there was ginger in it.
Even though some of the dishes weren’t suited to my particular palate, I loved El Quinto Pino. It’s just what we need: a comfortable bar to grab a quick snack and drink, pre-dinner, post-dinner or as dinner. When eating out, I prefer dining at the bar of a restaurant and tend to order several appetizers over entrées anyway, so El Quinto Pino suits me well. El Quinto Pino has the right formula for a successful restaurant, the menu, space, atmosphere and concept are well planned and executed. So even if there’s only a short list of items to try, or if it’s standing-room only at this busy bar, it’s cozy and memorable, and will make you want to become a regular. Now, if only there was one in my neighborhood.
Posted in Chelsea , Spanish , Tapas
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Tapas
by Celia Cheng
December 18th, 2006
BOQUERIA
53 W 19th St
(5th & 6th Ave)
212-255-4160
Wow! Let me say that again. Wow! How much fun was Boqueria?! Though it was packed and a bit loud especially for a Monday night, I enjoyed the atmosphere, the décor, and most of all, the food! I must admit that I’m guilty of only trying the tapas and cheese on my first visit, and not the medium and large plates, which I hear are even better. Is that even possible considering the tapas were delicious?! No worries though, I will be back again and again to try everything. I only wish that this was my neighborhood restaurant so that I could just walk downstairs and either have a drink at the bar and munch on tapas or eat a full meal. Instead I live in the culinary desert called University Place — the biggest magnet for the most mediocre and unsatisfying eateries.
Many friends told me about Boqueria and a reader even sent me a specific craving, cojonudo (fried quail eggs and chorizo on toast), which reminded me to check it out. The cojonudo was my favorite, even though I really liked everything! It’s like a miniature egg and sausage open face sandwich, with a little fried quail egg on a slice of chorizo on a small piece of toast — bite size. Two of these mini treats comes in one order, so naturally we added another order on top of bacon wrapped dates, croquettes, tortilla, patatas bravas, a special fried squid and zucchini, and the flash fried and house pickled sardines, which was another knock out! We also tried six cheeses and a cured sausage that were all very fun and delicious.
I usually go in depth to describe the taste, textures and aromas of each dish, but Boqueria is a place filled with bursts of energy. Everything delights for a moment in time and you can move on to the next, sure of continuing pleasure. My attention span is cut short but I totally recommend the food and the experience. So stop reading and go try it!
Posted in Flat Iron District , Spanish , Tapas
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Goya Chips (bitter melon tempura)
by Celia Cheng
October 8th, 2006
TORYS
248 E 52nd St, 2nd fl
(2nd & 3rd Ave)
212-813-1800
Torys is Yakitori Totto’s East Side outpost with generally the same menu and a few familiar faces who have moved over from the West Side. Like Totto, it’s on the second floor, and the layout is the same but mirrored since Torys is on the south side of the street. They’ve tried to recreate a similar experience, but Torys feels more modern and sterile, lacking some of the seasoned yakitoriya (grilled chicken skewer restaurant) charm of Totto. Having said that, the owners added a bit of playfulness with the name “Torys,” which is a non-traditional way of spelling torisu (bird’s nest). Torys is a good alternative when the wait at Totto is too long, which seems to be always. Since Torys is only advertised in local Japanese papers, it’s not overly crowded yet.
The design of the menu is simplified and the interior feels clean but cold — probably because the counter is not wood but red formica. The quality of the food is slightly below that of Totto’s but I think it’s because Torys is new and still smoothing out some wrinkles. At a yakitori restaurant, the quality of the skewers and the ability to maintain consistency are of the utmost importance. And while the skewers were good, they did not blow me away like the ones at Totto usually do. And the dashimaki tamago (Japanese omelette) — which is one of the most basic yet difficult foods to cook right and is a true test of culinary excellence — was not at its best form. It seems that Torys is still figuring out its rhythm as our orders came in extremely slowly and scattered over the course of the evening even though the place wasn’t extremely busy.
The most pleasant surprise was the goya (bitter melon) chips with which we started the meal. I love bitter melon, a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine during the summer, and also popular in Okinawan Japanese cuisine. Though this dish is also on the menu at Totto, I’ve never ordered it. They are not really chips but rings of bitter melon tempura. The middle of the bitter melon is hollowed out, leaving the gorgeous flower-like outline of the rings, then it’s battered and deep-fried tempura style. These chips are light, tasty and delightfully pretty. On a side note, bitter melon is good for your health.
Of course, I ordered my three staple favorites from Totto: the Totto, oops, I mean Torys salad (chicken salad) with aojiso (shiso vinaigrette) dressing, the Torys soup — still my favorite chicken soup in town — and the yakionigiri (grilled rice ball) brushed with shoyu (soy sauce). These three basics did not disappoint, nor did the zosui (rice porridge). They forgot our order of gyoza but it was serendipitous as my girlfriends and I were no longer hungry after a large meal.
Overall, I’m sure everyone is happy that Torys is open so that fans will no longer have to suffer the frustration of being turned away or waiting a ridiculous amount of time for a seat at Yakitori Totto. Is it the same? Just as good? Not quite, but good enough.
Posted in Japanese , Midtown East , Tapas
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Tapas
by Celia Cheng
June 8th, 2005
TIA POL
205 10th Ave
(22nd & 23rd St)
212-675-8805
I’ve been meaning to try this tapas restaurant for more than half a year now.
Down the street from Half King and The Red Cat, Tia Pol lies discreetly next to the gas station on the corner of 23rd and 10th Ave. The restaurant is a long sliver with the bar in front, seating in the back, and the kitchen partially open to view in the middle.
One of reasons it’s taken me so long to actually try it is the restaurant is perennially busy. I tried and failed twice before, both times because the wait was too long.
My third attempt was a success, as it was a perfect evening for a glass of rose and some tapas at the bar. Because it wasn’t overly crowded, I was able to really appreciate the charm of this little restaurant. I felt really at ease and happy.
I had the periwinkles Chinatown style, rough cut potatoes with spicy aioli, ham croquettes, and deviled eggs. All were delicious. There were several other tapas recommended to me, but I couldn’t eat that much by myself. Besides, it gives me more reasons to come back.
If I lived in the neighborhood this would definitely be one of my local hang outs.
Posted in Spanish , Tapas , West Chelsea
