eater's digest : ippudo

I never imagined that  - of all the amazing restaurants in New York - the table I would wait for the longest would be at a “noodle shop”.  Yet here I was, on an unseasonably warm Friday evening, waiting for 3+ hours (among college students, stylistas and even parents with toddlers in tow) for a legendary bowl from Ippudo.

A trip to Whole Foods, a long walk around the East Village, and a few rounds at Angel Share later, it was finally our turn to be seated.  In attendance were my noodle-obsessed sister and her ravenous (“you said it would only be two hours”) best friend.  But we all easily forgot the unfathomable wait upon being presented (our host literally announced us, screaming in Japanese) into the boisterous, fast-paced experience that is Ippudo.

Getting your bearings (and concentrating on the menu) is initially a struggle in this over-stimulating dining environment.  But I’ll give you a hint : start with the pork buns, which are an absolute must for anyone but the strictest of vegetarians.

When it comes to the main event – ramen - there are two standout winners in the pack: the shiromaru hakata classic and akamaru modern.  Both bowls feature a remarkably nutty and robust broth, more flavorful than any noodle soup I’ve ever tasted.  On top of this already mouth-watering base, the akamaru adds Ippudo’s “Umami Dama” miso paste, which - even for those unenthused by fermented flavors - provides an unusual and absolutely intoxicating savory punch.  I prefer to add karashi takana (mustard greens) to the shiromaru, and fans of pork belly will find the kakuni pairs nicely with either bowl – but both soups have enough zing to stand alone.

Of course, one cannot talk ramen without discussing noodles.  The noodles at Ippudo are certainly excellent, but not the best I’ve ever had.  In fact, I would bet that the restaurant’s regulars would support me in stating this is a broth-based love story, not a tale of noodle heaven.  That said, the broth is literally so good that even the worst ramen noodles could not keep me from returning.

But don’t let that pseudo-noodle downer (I still said they are “excellent”!) deter you from passing through Ippudo’s “pearly gates”.  The lengthy wait is worth it – for both the food and the overall dining experience.  Best of all, those lucky enough to grab a table by the open kitchen can survey the ramen masters while enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Ippudo
65 Fourth Avenue (Between 9th and 10th Street)
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-388-0088

eater's digest : txikito

Read the original post at HonestCooking.com.

When I lived in Paris, almost all my friends were Basque (or wanted to be).  I was addicted to their lively energy, their no-holds-barred humor and their endless appreciation for good food and drink.  At the same time,  “Basque” was becoming one of the hottest buzzwords in cuisine, in large part due to Ferran Adrià and the heavily Michelin-starred city of San Sebastián.  So it was with great anticipation and expectations that I finally visited the Pays Basque myself, an experience that can only be described as exceptional, given the region’s distinctive geographic diversity and resulting wealth of signature foodstuffs.

It’s this Basque commitment to and celebration of locally-sourced, exquisite ingredients that has typically made me skeptical of “Basque” spin-offs in the ‘States.  However, when I heard that an unpretentious, creative and stereotypically hard-to-pronounce Basque outpost had opened in Chelsea, I couldn’t help popping in for a bite.

I first visited Txikito during Cider Week, though the restaurant features the distinctively dry and acidic Basque cider year-round.  The ambiance mirrored that of its pizzeria neighbor, Co Pane, with clean lines and concrete floors.  The interior, in fact, set a precedent that stood throughout the meal: seeming simplicity backed by elevated conception.  Familiar flavors unfurled with new intensity, yet one never overpowered the other.  Odors evoked near-primal pleasure (I literally held the “grilled cheese” to my nose for about a minute before even tasting it).  It was all such an enjoyable blur that didn’t even think to document the experience.  So much the better, since I planned to come back.

This week offered the perfect opportunity to return to Txikito, with one of my favorite dining companions in tow.  Despite arriving early on a Monday night, the restaurant was already packed, so we seated ourselves at the small but pleasant bar.  My cohort had already heard me rave about the txixi txanpi (shrimp and wild mushroom grilled cheese), so that was quickly decided upon as our starter.  As previously implied, the odor of these perfectly ridged, miniature sandwiches is truly incomparable, their flavor grounded by earthy mushrooms and balanced by light, slightly sweet shrimp.

From there we chose the esparragos, (white asparagus, celery-black truffle vinaigrette and chopped egg), an elegant, well-balanced dish, though not the most remarkable on the menu. Then came the txipiron “encebollado” (squid ribbons over pine nut/sweet onion puree), a truly masterful display, in which typically chewy squid was transformed into tender, al dente “pasta” served over a mild, nutty-sweet sauce.  Still fawning over the squid, we dove into the albondigas, light and appropriately gamey lamb meatballs nestled in a bowl of savory, just-minty-enough broth (that brought out the best in bread-dunking).  We finished by munching on patatak mentaiko, crispy fries flecked with piment d’espelette and a mildly fishy cod roe mayo.  My companion deemed the fries a “must eat”, fingering them with the delight of a guilty child, a sentiment that reflected the organic, grateful delight that I have experienced with (almost) every bite at Txikito.

If there was one sad moment in this most happy of restaurant reruns, it was the discovery that the pochas (navarran white beans, bouchot mussels, white wine, parsley) were no longer on the menu.  These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth beans, laced with the lingering flavor of shellfish, had evoked a plate-licking urge in me that I had thought long-suppressed.  I can only hope they’ll return next bouchot season.

I cannot go so far as to say that every dish at Txikito is a stunner, (the first time I visited, I distinctly remember that the txitxiki (chorizo hash sandwiches) were good, but underwhelming) but any deviations from excellence are quickly forgiven, when one considers the outstanding whole of chef Alex Raij's work.  Her cuisine demonstrates a keen intuition for balancing flavors, odors and textures, providing the opportunity for both intello-foodie chatter and analysis-free enjoyment.  If the former will fill Txikito’s seats for the moment, the latter will enlist it as a NYC staple for years to come.

Txikito 240 Ninth Ave, between 24th/25th Streets 212.242.4730 reservations@txikitonyc.com

eater's digest : New York City Wine & Food Festival

Let's get ready to rumble. On Twitter, the New York City Wine & Food Festival quickly became #nycwff (seemingly to the credit of the Twitter-happy Andrew Zimmern).  Something about this abbreviation immediately made me think of professional wrestling, and – considering the crowds I combated at this Sunday’s Grand Tasting – the comparison is not entirely undue.

If this were a culinary wrestling match, the heavy-hitters were certainly there to show off their signature moves.  I saw Alton Brown saber a champagne bottle and Morimoto massacre a heap of live crabs.  Michael Symon waxed rhapsodic on both pork products and healthy living, while Anthony Bourdain reassured us he really, really doesn’t “give a fuck”.

And somewhere in the midst of these high-stakes culinary games, I entered into the “ring” myself: the Grand Tasting.  This signature NYCWFF event was held at Pier 57 for the first time this year, an ingenious move that offered waterside breezes and easy Highline access to the Tasting’s ambitious attendees.  The Grand Tasting essentially consisted of two rings: (1) an “outer ring” of up-and-coming restaurants and (2) an “inner ring” of major sponsors including Nutella, Buick and Bertolli.  I quickly decided that eating anything from the “inner ring” would increase my risk of over-saturation, so I focused solely on the up-and-comers.

At the risk of not doing justice to wide array of chefs that were present at the event, I have decided to highlight –high school yearbook superlative style – the standouts.  (A full list of Sunday’s restaurants and purveyors can be found HERE).

Best Braised Meat: Marble Lane at Dream Downtown, Guinness-Braised Kobe Short Rib This Guinness braised meat had deep, complex flavor that kept evolving with every chew. (5 Ninth’s Oxtail Ragu – like a gourmet philly cheesesteak – was a close second).

Best Soup:

Salinas, Codorban Gazpacho Crunchy, garlic-y, and spicy – it was as much an elevated Virgin Bloody Mary as a soup.

Best Pasta:

Vai Spuntino Bar, Burrata Ravioli I love burrata anything, but it was the incredible, ever-so-slightly-undercooked texture of the fresh pasta that blew my mind.

Best Presentation: The Hurricane Club, Crab & Avocado Corn Cake Served in a convenient little bamboo boat, this was a surprisingly light and stylish corn cake.

Best Re-Vamp of a Classic: Millesime, Lobster and Pumpkin Bisque with Tarragon Foam Lobster Bisque has always been a personal favorite, and the lobster-pumpkin blend with an herbaceous kick was an intelligent (but not over-thought) revision of a classic.

Most Unusual Dish: Danji, Spicy Whelk with Watercress and Buckwheat Noodle Salad Simultaneously spicy and refreshing, like a Pan-Asian spin on escargot

Most Surprising Dish: Spice Market, Shaved Tuna with Chili Tapioca I’ve never tasted savory – let alone spicy – tapioca, but the translucent reddish pearls married beautifully with the refreshing raw tuna and crunchy bits of near-raw ginger.

Friendliest Service: Armani Ristorante, Quail Egg Ravioli with Sheep’s Milk Ricotta & Shaved Black Truffle This unctuous ravioli underscored the never-ending pleasure of a runny egg yolk, and the chefs’ personalities were as pleasing as the food.

Restaurant I’m Dying to Try: Aureole, Ruby Red Shrimp in Coconut Lemongrass Broth with Asian Pear and Cilantro In a sea of braised meat, ravioli, and raw fish, the carefully layered flavors of this exquisite dish were more than memorable.

Smartest Dish: Commerce, Korean Braised Pork Belly with Vidalia Onion Marmalade served on a Pork Rind I’m “so over” the pork belly craze, but the contrasting textures in this dish were ingenious!

Most Disappointing Dish: Plein Sud, Boudin Blanc with Carmelized Onion and Apple Mustard on a Baguette The boudin was a bunch of floating meat particles that were not “set” properly underneath the casing – the texture was greasy and just wrong all around.

Best Single Bite: Talde, One-Bite Perilla Leaf Salad with Bacon, Tamarind Carmel, Toasted Peanut, Candied Chili and Dried Shrimp This was a flavor-packed “one-bite”, and despite being my final morsel in more-than-filling afternoon, it still stood out as the most attractive, intriguing and flavorful dish of the day.

We’ve all watched enough TopChef to know that these large-scale, salon-style events are not easy, and I was truly blown away by the majority of the food I tasted.  There was a significant amount of braised meat, raw fish and pasta, and no restaurant that I saw chose to take on dessert.  But apart from the obvious irony of stuffing your face to end hunger (all proceeds from the New York City Wine and Food Festival benefit the Food Bank for New York City & Share Our Strength), the Grand Tasting was a surprisingly successful and worthwhile event.