NYC: Artichoke Slice @ Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, Gramercy

I was chatting to a couple of newly met friends when I asked "What would you recommend a tourist to eat in New York?", the prompt answer “Pizza” came first.  Without a doubt I enjoy crusty slices of pizza with generous toppings.  But with a city so bold so as to name a style of pizza after itself, it was clear that everyone will be calling their pie the best in town.  Online searches never quite worked either.  Too many haters out there.  So I fell back to a couple of Facebook schoolmates and the name Artichoke Basille’s Pizza came tops. 

They now have three branches and since I was about to dine at Gramercy Tavern, I decided to drop by for a slice of pizza at the Gramercy district branch. At 10.30am, there was absolutely no queue besides a granny.  Walking in I heard heard an old lady said, "I need this packed I cannot finish."  I was puzzled.  But not so after I ordered a slice of the infamous Artichoke slice @ $4.50.  

Stretched over two party plates.. wtfk was this monster?  American slice for the win.  It had a pretty good pastry that was cooked just nice.  Sadly though it did not sport the fragrance of a well-oiled pizza tray.  But I loved their tasty cream based sauce.  Very, very tasty.  It carried the hints of garlic, parsley and onions.  The stringy cheese topped the slices perfectly.  In other words, generous !  Then there were the little slices of translucent artichoke hidden the underneath but it was barely seen.  Weird to call this an Artichoke Slice. Could have had more artichokes :)! Toward the end I sprinkled some chilli flakes and really liked how it tasted.  Sprinkled more and more and more.  Oops.  Burnt tongue (and an ulcer soon followed =.=!)

Reading several reviews about Artichoke Basille's in the night got me annoyed when I found that many comments about this pizza place such as burnt crust, hyped for its hipster vibe, ridiculous queues and that sort of shit people make claims of were utterly untrue.  Coming in to see a granny at 10.30am, with no queues to eat a delicious slice of pizza reflected the credibility of the internet at times.  At Artichoke Basille's it was simple and tasty!  The only true part was the lack of artichokes which I was not really bothered by anyway :)!    Great stuff if you ask me!

WenY

NYC: Nom Wah Dim Sum @ Doyer Street, Chinatown

Having spent over a month without a kick ass Asian bite saw my cravings for good Chinese peak when I was in Manhattan. After a few quick reads over the net, I quickly planned a short eating trail through Chinatown. Once done, I got on the tube and was there in a matter of minutes. First up was a random Chinese place a minute or two from the Canal Street Station. I believe it was New Wing Wah Bakery. Not expensive at all to my surprise. Including tax it was around 90 cents. In saying that, all it took was 2 mouths full to finish. Now wonder the aunty at the counter said in a familiar Asian accent “Only 1 enough?!”. It clearly was not enough to fill a hungry tummy.

3 streets down and I was at Tai Pan Bakery on Canal Street. The egg tart at Tai Pan was bright yellow (pic above) showing how eggy the custard was. In terms of taste, it was not too sweet and had a nice custard that is not too runny/firm. It wobbles just the way it should too. But I definitely did not find it significantly better than the one I had earlier at New Wing Wah. Both of them sported an equally amazing crusty. Love how short and buttery they both were. But because the one I had at Tai Pan was fresh out of the oven, the warmth made more pleasurable to savour compared to the other. The milk tea at Tai Pan bakery is terrible though. Too diluted! 

If you have read a post of me at an old lane way stall serving great packed Nasi Lemak back in Penang or my post at Mido Cafe, Hong Kong, you would know how I am a bit of a sucker for shops with a long history. Here in Chinatown, no one knows DimSum better than Nom Wah Tea Parlour. Handed down from one generation to the other, this was the first restaurant in Manhattan to offer Dim Sum. Modernised by the current owner, this place still proudly displays its dated past. Stained signboard, mosaic tiles and other furnitures from the past was a clear statement of its age. 

But despite my fondness of “all things old", it was not the main reason I was here. Nom Wah Tea Parlour understands the dilemma of the solo eater during a social meal like Yum Cha where sharing is a must. Hence, it offers a steamed or deep fried sampler which allows solo diners to enjoy all the perks of Yum Cha without having to bring the whole brood to town. 

First up was my steamed sampler.

Great assortment of little dumplings. While I only had one mouthful of each to judge, I quickly found my favourite amongst the crowded steamer. The dumpling wrapped in yellow wanton skin (not the pork siu mai) was the tastiest of the lot. Very good. The Pork Siu Mai did not quite pack the meatiness of the one I would usually get in Hong Kong or Australia. Not bad though. Then came the prawn filled dumplings, expect a crunchy prawns bursting with great flavours. The seafood in NYC is really fresh I have to say. The two let downs of the platter, the Taro dumpling and the Vegetarian dumplings! Whilst the fillings were great, the thick dumpling skin was not so great. It masked the taste of all the other ingredients in there. Nothing a little chilli oil will not fix though. 

Next up I ordered a serve of panfried dumplings in fear that I might not be able to finish a deep-fried sampler. On second thoughts, I could have finished it anyway.

 

The panfried dumplings were nice. Skin a little too thick but it was every bit crunchy. To pack an extra kick to the dumplings, I mixed a concoction of black vinegar, chilli oil and soy sauce. Damn it was good altogether. 

The dim sums at Nom Wah were not mind blowing but it was what I would call typical good. High and lows were apparent but still, hard to fault. Edible in every bite, I disliked nothing. Then comes my dramatic talk. Culture, history and legacy. What more exciting than a place older than myself.   Perhaps I am charmed by it being old because one can sometimes get sick by the sharp edges and clean lines of modern cuisines no? Lets dine at somewhere less pretentious. This is where Nom Wah fits in. ;)

   

WenY

NYC: Fine Italian @ Marea, Midtown West

Heralding 2 stars since its opening day in 2010, Marea redefines Italian dining with a touch of class and excellent cooking. This felt a little contradictory to me as my perception of Italian dining has always felt more homely rather than classy unlike the French. It is usually rustic in appearance, filled with classic flavours and typically come in larger portions. Then again, that is just my mindset which was proven wrong by this unparalleled Italian restaurant. 

Walking in to the restaurant, the service was instantaneous. I was made comfortable in no time with the maitre’d coming to my table to offer his service every now and then. One thing I’d realise is the attentiveness of the waitstaff at Marea. I generally have a “lost look” and every time I looked up, the waitstaff would notice me, walk to me and asked if I needed help with anything. Lost Asian kid in New York? lol. 

After settling in, I decided to go with the Marea tasting course. A course that will bring out the finest that Marea’s chefs has to offer in a 5 course meal. Needless to stay, I was looking forward to the meal. First up were the three slices of raw fish. While they were fresh, the merits were in the combination of each pairing . The tuna was the highlight for me over the fluke and snapper. Whatever that green puree the tuna sat on only god knows, but it was simply sublime together.  The plating was sensational and the attention to detail was every bit clear in its presentation. Thinking back, I should have cut them into halves! Their small size means the joy was a little short-lived. Worth it though!

 ASSAGGIO DI TRE, a tasting of three crudo. 

My next course was a popular crustacean. On the plate were perfectly arranged lobster portions on a pressed burrata with the herbs, eggplants, tomatoes and basil seed. I will be honest here. The combination of the cheese, and lobster with a slight drizzling of olive oil was all I needed on this plate. Never have I had the cheese served this way before.  In fact there seemed to be a whimsical sense of creativity where everything just fell in place and worked. Basil seeds did not quite play a big impact but the fresh tomatoes added a sour-sweet note that mellowed very well with the lobster and the fresh creamy cheese. 

ASTICE, nova scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al funghetto, basil seeds. 

A classic Italian staple, the pasta was my next course. But this by no means was any ordinary pasta feat. The combinations of flavours here can be compared to how an expert talks about a perfume. Different notes/flavours coming in at different time. It all seemed very planned.  The first bite always had a burst of tomato with a strong crab taste. Something like a bisque. Just as the flavours pass on, you get the sweet-briny flavours of the sea urchin. Decadent! I now wonder whether the sea urchin gave this pasta sauce a cream like silkiness too! Great sauce for sure! Its accompany pasta was called strozzapreti, something like a coarsely rolled spiral with less swirls through. Cooked al dente, the pasta was spot on ( I would be disappointed if it was not)! To finish, the chefs were smart to ensure the dish did not appear one-dimensional and added the garlicky crumbs which not only had texture, but a fragrance to match the well loved seafood used. 

STROZZAPRETI, crab, sea urchin, basil.

I was expecting a little beef dish to pop up at my table after having three courses of seafood. But least did I expect the showpiece of this meal to be another seafood course. This time a stunning dish of scallops, and root vegetables. Before I go further, if any of you watch cooking shows you will understand how important prep work is when cooking scallops. Chefs always say “hot pan”. This was where the magic happened. A really burning hot pan which was probably glowing red in colour. Scallops here were only cooked on one side with butter added at the end and gently scooped many times to cook it at the top. The result was a phenomenal crusty scallop with a melt through flesh. Intense sweetness of the scallop paired sautéed mushrooms, pickled shallots and slow-grilled endives set atop a smooth onion puree resulted in an instant foodgasm! This was clear why Marea has been one of the best if not the best Italian restaurants in town. Sensational. *respect* 

CAPESANTE seared sea scallops, oyster mushrooms, grilled endive, pickled shallots. 

To end, the Marea put together a strawberry dessert. I am not quite sure what it was but I tasted notes of pistachio, coconut. There was probably almond in there haha. Ok, I did not know what I was eating. My brain was still stuck in the previous course. One thing for sure, it was good but nowhere near as memorable as the lobster, pasta or scallop course. 

 TORTA DI FRAGOLE strawberries, ricotta crema, rhubarb, perilla

Boom boom pow! What a lovely meal I had that day. The artsy plating, sophisticated creations of Marea definitely had me think twice before generalising Italian finesse. Their marque automobile is after all the Ferrari. It has been said that always treat your subject with respect and your subject will reward for you.  Marea has shown the world what it does with the produce of the sea.  The ability of the chefs at Marea in retaining the flavours of the seafood was clear from start to end with each protein prepared with respect and garnished only with seasonal ingredients that bring out nothing but the best out of its seafood. There were not heavy lashings of cream, tomato sugo, vinegar or cheese. Most if not all ingredients were subtle and filled the undertones of each course. Very well done to Marea.  I am terribly impressed with this Manhattan establishment. 

Last but not least was the great service I received through out the day. Despite being dressed in chinos and oxford shirt whilst the businessman and woman in this trendy town were set in their black coats and formal wear, I was never neglected . Instead, the waitstaff were still every bit courteous with their greetings and I felt indifferent from the rest of the people. Definitely deserves the rating it holds. 

 WenY