NYC Trip: Modern Dining @ Perry St., Soho

If you are like me.  A little keen, a tad random and hungry for some of the best food in town, you would most probably not score any seats in any 3 Michelin starred restaurants in Manhattan.  Restaurants like Daniel, Per Se, Jean Georges and co.  will require at least 1-2 months booking in advance.  But will you really miss out on much?  Probably not.  Whilst chefs like Daniel Boulud and Jean Georges still helm their 3 starred kitchens in the city, spinoffs like Perry St.by Jean Georges and dB Bistro Moderne by Daniel Boulud are usually less popular but equally rewarding. 

Perry St. was my choice for a quick lunch and believe it or not, the restaurant offers a $28 for 3-course lunch all year round.  I was really wow-ed by the generosity and pondered on whether the food was really up to scratch.  Was it?

My choice of drink was the Cherry soda.  Smashing.  For a soda drink, it exceeded every expectation I had.  It made me wonder why everyone around me insisted on sipping on something like alcohol.  So mainstream :P

The usual formalities; Bread and butter.  Decent for sure but nothing beats the truffled butter and bread at Tetsuya’s in Sydney.

The appetiser was a celebration of summer.  Fresh mangoes, micro herbs, yuzu and La Tur cheese.  A vibrant salad with great flavours.  

Think ripe mangoes, strands of herbs, creamy cheese and a zing from the yuzu!  It was quite nice.  However, the thin slices of chilli did not really tickle my fancy and to a certain extent felt like an outsider rather than part of a family.  The spiciness was minimal and it added a really raw flavour to the over all dish.  Not the most pleasant taste!  Maybe pickled chill next time?

My main course was the sole reason why I chose Perry St which was 4 miles from my place over dB Bistro Moderne opposite my hotel.  The Perry St Fried Chicken.  I have always thought of fried chicken as a comfort food served in a bucket and with the eater in shorts with sandals.  I was wrong.

Tell, me that did not look spectacular!  I loved every bit of the chicken that Perry St produced.  It was not the most moist but the combination was flawless from start to end.  The crispiest chicken ever made served with a lovely creamed corn, grilled okra and a spicy sauce.  Exceptional.  Nothing I disliked on the plate as everything worked really well on their own or together.  Great stuff.

Dessert was a deconstructed lemon meringue tart.  It was pretty nice but I found the presentation a little sloppy.  But I think back and thought to myself, hmm $28 for a 3-course…. what am I even complaining about? Taste wise it worked but it did not quite have the complexity or thought like the appetiser or the main.  Decent but nothing to shout about would be my final verdict on the dessert.

Perry St. was a great host to me that afternoon.  A small price to pay for the attentive service and food I had.  The food despite a the ups and downs was enjoyable least to say.  Whilst some of my comments are a little harsh, I can tell that the majority would absolutely fall head over heels when presented with such food.   The meals I wanted to have at 3-star restaurant for lunch would set me back at least $150 without tax and tips!  So there you go, Perry St.  where one gets luxury for a steal :)!

WenY

NYC Bites: Shake Shack @ Grand Central Station

Day one in NYC and I decided to start with a lunch at famous Shake Shack.  This branch was situated in the iconic Grand Central station.  Shake Shack to me is a cross between a boutique burger place and a chain store with a established reputation for its fluffy half open bun packed with a yummy patty.  This makes it sort of fall in the middle.  Meaning was it legendarily unique? or just you know, just plain old good.

Whilst their menu was a page long I decided to go with the fan favourite, the Shack Stack.  True enough, it was stacked the American way with a generous crumbled portobello stuffed with mozzarella, a slice of cheese burger patty, lettuce and tomato.  It was pretty damn big!

Taste wise, I felt a little hesitant to say that I was entirely bowled over by the combination.  The patty was tasty and the shiny bun was really a class over most but I did not quite like the stuffed portobello.  The mushroom by itself was quite bland and with a cheese like Mozzarella, the taste of the mushroom became less apparent.  To taste a real Shake Shack is to start with the basic cheese burger I believe :)!

Then came to the fries, and Shake Shack really shine in this department.  The fries were clearly less processed and tastes more original will little meddling with the potato.  It came out crisp and very yummy!

On a later occasion, I also managed to have a go at their famous milkshakes.  This time, at their very first location in Madison Square Park.  I have to say, their peanut butter shake is the best I have tasted.  The chemistry between the salty nuttiness of the peanut butter and sweet vanilla really won me over.  That was one bad ass shake which was super rich. I died halfway and will insist on sharing where possible.  

Legendary eat?  Perhaps not so, but definitely a good NYC essential.  Something that keeps your appetite as happy as your wallet :).  Also, never forget the milk shake! Its super yummy!

WenY

A Wedding Dinner! Convention Center

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin got married at the convention center and told me that he had a feast prepared for all his guest knowing how much the family loves eating.  I have to say, I was blown away by the quality of the food we had that night :)!  Taking into account all the horrible experiences I had from past graduations, company events and even engineering cocktails, I guess it is safe to say that my cousin did well in his selection of food.  Most of the food photos are below with the exception of approximately 5 dishes?  I think we had more than 10 dish if each appetizer is considered a dish!

 

Buddha cups which had close resemblance to a Nyonya favourite, the Pie Tee.

 

Jelly fish and duck.  Slurps! Loved the blend of gamey duck meat and seasoned jelly fish!

 

Chicken Cake with Ham is the name of this dish.   Neither was the chicken or ham taste apparent.

 

Cold Prawn, Melon was decent but would benefit from a spoon treatment!  Bits of melon were impossible to pick up!

 

Spring rolls!

 

Sharks fin, dry scallops and fungus.

 

Singapore style chili prawns.

 

Shredded beef fillet steak, Chinese style sauce.

 

Dessert.  Mango Pudding, Strawberry Coulis and White Chocolate Flute.

 

 

More importantly, congratulations cousin :)!

 

WenY

CNY 2012: A Chinese New Year at home!

The moment of festivity is almost at its end for the Chinese!  Despite leaving home for almost a week now, the thoughts of how Chinese New Year used to be is not all that distant. From late night firecrackers to early morning prayers followed by a scrumptious all day vegetarian meal, its one childhood memory that will never be lost.  This year the celebration was a little smaller than it used to be, but mom did not hold back on her cooking for the reunion dinner! We had so much to eat that night, to start:

Yee Sang! The prosperity toss!

 

Next came mom’s superb sharks fin soup!

Unlike most places which would put less ingredients, there was no holding back from mom! Fresh crabs steamed and peeled, superior broth, dried scallops and pure sharks fin! Now, that is what I call a New Year delicacy!

 

After having all those appetizers we had the mains with rice:

Mom’s fried pomfret with fried garlic and herb garnishing!  Something which is not available fresh in Perth! I wonder why? Pomfrets are so good!

 

Mom’s baked crabs because steam crabs are too mainstream :P!

This was really yummy! It has been a long time since I have had this! Probably almost non-existent in Perth!

 

My contribution for the night:

Salt Pepper Prawns hehe! Luckily it turned out ok even though the batter has already lost its crunchiness when the relatives arrived!

 

This was for the Sang Choi Bow!  Mom made a special meat mixture with carrots, chestnuts and spring onions to be wrapped in lettuce! YUMS!

 

Arrow head with sliced pork and cilantro in fermented bean curd sauce!

This is one of mom’s specialty which took me ages to like! Now its like omagawd every time she makes this! Probably one of the dishes I look forward to the most each festival!

 

After having all the yummy food we did not just stop there.  We continued with tea and all the lovely CNY cookies which mom got! Also present was the Mochi which I brought back from my trip to Taiwan!  So next up on my blog? Taiwan ;)!

 

Also, Happy CNY to all my readers :)!

 

WenY

CNY: Chinese New Year 2011!

Happiness, health, and success are the common requests during the Chinese New Year celebration, some also ask for a life partner and what not.  But this Chinese New Year, the wants were simple, nothing to spill but it was simple.  The Lee family as usual, was kept busy regardless of whether they were in  Malaysia, Singapore or Australia.  Mom was up early on most days to prepare food. Going vegetarian on the CNY day itself left with me with running tummy thrice! Insane much really.  And then because we were too hungry, mom, dad and I woke up at 3 in the morning looking for food! LOL?!  

 

Fast forwarding the events to last night, the Lee family finished the celebration with a dinner at Pantai Seafood.  All the food that night (with the exception of the vegetable) was delicious but  it costed an arm and a leg due to the price hike which is a norm during this period of festivity.  I must thank my Aunt Chris and Sei Sook for the food that night!  And for all the other yummy meals, my mom, dad and Yee Koo!

The Yee Sang is a common dish where diners use their chopsticks to toss an interesting mixture of crisps, ginger, salmon, jelly fish and vegetables.  While tossing the mixture, they wish others well for the new year!

 

Steamed crabs :)!  The best way to describe the crab meat is delicious sweetness with a hint of alcohol aroma!

 

Crispy chicken!!  Ohh those red crackers!  Definitely love those.  Its a must have at pretty much every Chinese dinner.  Pantai Seafood does it well!  Every bite was tender unlike some other restaurants that over fries the chicken until it becomes so dry!!!

 

Delicacy cruelty! This was the suckling pig!   Very good and very sinful.  Crispy skin with yummy layers of fat and meat!  Dip the vege into the sweet sauce and take savour the beautiful chemistry of flavours ;-)! The front bits are the pigs head chopped into four bits ahah. 

 

For the night, we had a fish, pork, chicken, crab, vegetable, glutinous rice, yee sang, lala and a dessert.  And we only had 10 people =X!  I believe we had enough food for at least 12-13 people that night! Because I was filled to brim even before the fish came out, I decided to take photos of people! Its CNY man, its nothing without family and friends isn’t it?

My Sam Suk!  Believe it or not, he makes killer roast pork! His roast pork on CNY eve was legendaryyy!!!! :D!

 

My cousin Cyrus and his mom, Aunt Chris!

 

Cyrus and my Yee Ku!  Thanks too all the aunty and uncles for all the large ang paus this year HAHAHA!

 

My cousin Prodip and his dad Uncle Dipak!  Prodip is a kick ass taekwondo pro man!

 

My dad and mom :)!  Thanks for everything parents!!!

 

Family photo for this one! And shits man! 22 years still smile fail.  Why have I never wished that I had the perfect smile?  Maybe because it doesn’t matter so long as I am happy!  Appreciate what you have and not what you want ma!! Haiyoooo! :P!

 

One of the main highlights of the night was the karaoke session.  We had the dinner in a karaoke room.  I think it was complementary because my aunt frequents this place for dinner on busy working days!

The father son connection ;-)!  Next time if you cannot tell who’s the father and the son.  Pay attention to their posture.  OMG.  Even their fingers seem bent in the same manner @.@! 

 

ABBA anyone?  It was oldies all night long man! RWARRRRRR

 

My uncle singing for his wife in Canberra! “… I WANNA HOLD YOUR HANDDDD!, I WANNA HOLD YOUR HANDDDDDDD!!!”

My dad looks like a kid in this picture ahah. So funny xD! He’s hitting the big 60 this year and woa! He only looks like he’s in his later forties!

Every bit of the night was enjoyable as it should be! The jolly company, the good karaoke session and the nice food!  Happy that I was back here for the holidays! Meeting up with the family was good fun.  I somewhat don’t feel isolated anymore when they talk old people stuff.  I used to wonder about the weird topics they spoke of when I was a little kid man!  So complicated, but growing older doesn’t make it any better!! Maybe I was better off being left young and lost! :P! Soon after the dinner, I met up with Justin a.k.a my homie! Twice in three months is disappointing but better some than none! 

 

WenY

The Little Things: Bird’s Nest

Earlier last month, when the little darling left KL to visit her relatives in Penang, her mom brought a few gifts which included a packet of unprocessed bird’s nest.  I was not really too keen on touching it at first but soon got myself to clean it up.  Dad helped of course.  The bird’s nest was known in the past to be a very popular and fancy delicacy.  Chinese opera singers thought that it would make their voices sounds good so, I decided to double boil the birds nest in the slow cooker a few days before the IELTS speaking test ahaha.  Wonder did it work. Hmmm

 

The unprocessed bird’s nest on the board.

 

On the plate before soaking!

 

After soaking the bird’s nest for one day, the tedious job of sorting the fine feathers from the the “nests” itself started.  The best way to do this I guess is to keep on sorting the large clumps of cleans bird’s  nest from the dirtier ones.  And then, put the  impure ones in another bowl of water and let the feathers fall off by itself.  After, four days of effort, the bird’s nest is finally ready to be cooked :D

 

Jeng Jeng Jeng Jeng :P!!

 

It was really delicious when cooked.  All you would need is rock sugar and water along with the bird’s nests and after four hour, you will get a yummy drink :)!

 

Ok that’s all nothing much eheh.  Can’t wait for the weekends.  Hope to get some sushi into my tummy!

 

WenY

Tripping: Kuantan

Sorry for abandoning the blog for such a long time.  Right after NYE, I was in extreme rush to visit my granny in Taiping over the New Year weekends.  And there was certainly no internet where I lived, so I was cut off from the internet @.@!  Felt so lost omg!  After coming back from Taiping, I had a short rest before shooting off to Kuantan the following day.  I was there for about seven days and got back about two days ago.  I have to say, it was a damn good trip.  Never have I been so far to the eastern side than now.  I know that this all sounds very noobish as I have been a Malaysian for over 22 years, but really, my parents are not an adventurous bunch, so are my mates. 

 

On my first day, we attended a birthday party for one of the little darling’s best friend, CK.  It was a Jap restaurant, but I did not take any food pictures because I was too shy! ahaha.

 

Some pics from the birthday dinner:

Birthday boy and the little kid!

 

Xin Ling’s girlfriends.  I must thank them for their warm hospitality throughout.  They pretty much brought me everywhere around Kuantan although some places were close on rainy days. And yes, it rained every single day. Ok, almost every single day!  The girl with the long hair in dotted dress must thanked for driving XL and I everywhere.  So paiseh @@!

 

Darling and her bestie from high school, Yvonne.  Her dad own a super awesome cafe called Uncle Lin.  Will do a review on that when I go there soon.  The place is delicious to from the first dish till the last. That being said, I hope to try more than the egg Benedict and mushroom soup next time around.

 

little boy, Xin Ling and Pei Che.  Thanks for the kickass barbecue that night.  Nice prawns, nice mantis prawns.  Everything was delicious that night.  It was nice to be able to do a charcoal barbecue once again!  Been a long time.

 

That’s me and the little kid!  Such a naughty one!

 

The little darling and I.  Thanks for supporting me throughout the horrible thesis year :P!  Without the support of you and my family, I would not have achieved the grades I had.  Emotional callings were heard and responded with you care. Thanks and much love ahah :)  Will always remember that one night.

 

Teluk Chempedak.  Sadly no chicken chop.  Got conned by some Maggi goreng fail.

 

Besides the birthday dinner, I spent my other days travelling around places like Teluk Chempedak.  Had some really good icy desserts there. Other days, I would bum around the house, with IELTS in hand on some days.  God its boring.  English =X!

Seeing her photos fro Switzerland and Italy.

 

Playing around with my camera.

 

Fooling around.

 

More random shots.  And oh I ate biscuits too.

 

And cheese fondue.  Her mom bought a pack of solid cheese and we melt it before mixing in garlic and pepper seasoning.  With toasted bread, this was yums!  But the aroma was very alcoholic.  Or maybe its just the smell of the fermented cheese.

 

7 days, passed by in a flash.  It actually went by so fast, that when I think of it, it really felt too short.  What did I even do there?  I know I cooked once. I went for movie twice.  Chilled at the beach twice.  Hmmmm…

Nonetheless, the trip was every bit as enjoyable as a trip should be despite one sleepless night thanks to a kung fu kid ahah.  The little boy Chen gets so pissed when little darling covers him with a blanket.  So much that he would start to kick and punch. *faints*

 

WenY