Authenticity

The sign up list is on that traditional Japanese drum

Restaurant Name: Kenka

Location: 25 St. Marks Pl., New York, NY, 10003

Website: N/A

Price Range: $25

JCL Rating: 7.5/10

JCL's Choice: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake); Takoyaki

I walked by this place a few times in the past, but never had the time to try it out. There were always people sitting around the entrance. I assumed it was the line to get in. When I did had the time to give this place a try, I asked one of the people there how to get in. He pointed me to the list on the drum. You basically have to put your name and how many people in your party on the list. The host will come out whenever there is available tables and call your name. Before you are seated, the host will ask if you will be drinking alcoholic beverages or not. If yes, have your ID card ready. 

This place is very loud but very welcoming at the same time. The interior design is old time Japanese set up. Except for the chairs. For some reason the chairs are very small. This guy that was sitting behind me must have been at least 6 feet tall, he was having trouble fitting in. The menu was very interesting. It reminded me of a manga... it looked very chaotic and intimidating but it was actually groped accordingly. Also the staffs here are actually Japanese! All the other "Japanese" restaurants that I been to were Chinese. If you are carrying any bags they will provide you with a basket so you can place it on the floor. There is also a room for smokers. It's a room with an open roof. 

Okay, enough with the decor. This was what we ordered: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), takoyaki (grilled ball of dough with octopus inside), Niku udon (udon with beef), ika geso kushiyaki (skewer squid), shiojaki teishoku (grilled salted salmon), buta kimchee (pan fried pork w/ kimchi). 

The Japanese pancake was amazing. My favorite dish out of everything we ordered. The pancake was very fluffy. Topped with grilled pork, vegetables and squid crisps on top with drizzles of takoyaki sauce. The crisps gives the dish a wavy sensation. Everything on the pancake was the perfect combo. Their flavor profiles match each other flawlessly. This is a must get if you are going to Kenka!

Takoyaki was my second favorite. It is basically a grilled dough with a piece of octopus inside. Topped with squid crisps and drizzles of takoyaki sauce. That one piece of octopus inside gives this whole dish a complete different texture. A slight crunchiness with the firm yet soft dough. 

The beef udon was great. The beef was tender and seasoned to perfection. The udon was very firm (al dente). The soup was good as well, that is because it was full of MSG (monosodium glutamate). This triggers the umami taste buds (savoriness). 

The grilled salted salmon was nothing special. Crunchy skin, firm meat (due to the marination in salt). Personally, I wouldn't pay 7$ for this small piece. The skewer squid was served with teriyaki sauce. It was grilled to perfection. The squid was just right, but it lacked seasoning though. 

The pan fried pork with kimchi was decent. The pork belly was sliced thinly. It was pan fried with beansprout, and kimchi. The aroma was amazing. The pork was very tender. The kimchee was a bit sour and spicy. But if you eat the beansprouts, pork, and kimchi in one bite, that would be the perfect combo. A big gulp of cold water after a bite of that was so refreshing.


A very interesting thing was that they give you cotton candy powder before you leave. You can drop that powder in the cotton candy machine outside and enjoy some fresh cotton candy. That was cool. But let me warn you, it is very sloppy (drop the powder in the center, grab a stick and wait for the sides to start farming cotton candy). I would definitely come back to this restaurant. It has authentic Japanese food and culture here. Next time you go by St. Marks, give this place a shot. The chances are that you will probably like it too. 

Dress it Up!

(Pic taken from their site because I forgot to take a pic of it)

Restaurant Name: Pommes Frites 

Location: 123 2nd Ave, New York, NY, 10003

Website: http://www.pommesfrites.ws/

Price Range: $10

JCL Rating: 6.5/10

JCL's Choice: Black truffle mayonnaise, smoked eggplant mayonnaise

Pommes frites translates to potato fries in French. Although that's the name of the restaurant, they actually serve authentic Belgian fries. The difference between French fries and Belgian fries is that Belgian fries were fried two times. The first time was fried at a lower temperature, then the second time it was fried at a higher temperature so it becomes much crispier. The restaurant layout is very simple. All the tables have holes on them that acts as fries holders since they come in cones. 

The counter was right in front of you as you enter. When you order, you get to pick what size you want: regular, large, or double. Along with the fries, you have to pick which dressing you want. No, I am not talking about ketchup or mayonnaise. I am talking about a variety of over 20 different dressing that you can order. Roasted garlic mayo, wasabi mayo, sweet mango chutney mayo, just to mention a few. 

(From left to right: black truffle, smoked eggplant, pomegranate teriyaki)

We pick three dressings. Black truffle mayo, smoked eggplant mayo, and pomegranate teriyaki mayo. Each additional dressing was one dollar more. The truffle mayo was amazing. Truffles usually have a very gassy taste. But if you make a mayonnaise with truffle oil, this amazing dressing comes to life. There is a very strong truffle taste but it was not overwhelming. It pairs flawlessly with the Belgian fries. When I first saw the smoked eggplant mayo, I thought to myself I have to try it! And it was not a disappointment after all. That slight smokiness enhanced the fires. I didn't taste any eggplant though. As for the pomegranate teriyaki mayo, it wasn't as great as I expected it to be. It sounds like such an unusual yet smooth combination but it turned out to be the least favorite out of the three. The pomegranate was hiding behind the mayonnaise. It was hard to find the fruit taste. And the teriyaki was not present at all. 

What an interesting place this is. I never would have thought fries could have this many different dressings. It was truly something different. I would definitely come back again and again until I try all of the different flavors and see which one is the best. Looking for a snack? Definitely drop by this place. Just be careful of the staff though, they seem to have nasty stares. 

Army of Spices

Restaurant Name: Xi'an Famous Foods

Location: 81 St. Marks Place, New York, NY, 10003

Website: http://xianfoods.com/

Price Range: $12

JCL Rating: 5/10

JCL's Choice: Stew pork burger

Xi'an, where the home of the Terracotta army resides, is a really interesting city. Let's start this blog entry with a little geography and history lesson, shall we? Xi'an was the very first capital of China. It is located in western parts which is like the heart of the Silk Road in China. Silk Road was a trading route that extended from China to the Mediterranean. Why did I mentioned the Silk Road? Because that was when the cultural diffusion occurred (when different cultures absorb each others ideas and exchange traditions). This Silk Road gave Western China a chance to interact with many different cultures, and the most abundant culture among them were Muslims. Which led us to this unique Muslim-Chinese cuisine in Xi'an. This type of cuisine is also known as Chinese Halal with cumin as a major seasoning spice. Very different from the everyday Chinese food you eat, eh?


With such a rich history and New York city being so diverse, there has to be one Xi'an restaurant here at the very least. And here I am, blogging about my experience. I came across this place on a nice and breezy Saturday night as my friend and I were walking around the blocks of St. Marks in search of a place to grab dinner. However we did not dine there that night, we ate in a Japanese restaurant instead. But that place had been on my mind since that night because when we walked by, it was really crowded and the line went on to outside. I had to see what the hype was all about, so we decided to come back today. It was around 4 when we arrived, it was almost empty. 

The layout is really simple and petite, around 12 seats. It has a few pictures hanging on the wall (Terracotta army was one of them). And there were interesting notes posted as well. One of them was "Alternative setting ideas." It basically tells us to buy food to go and move to any neighboring bars to buy a drink and enjoy their food in other places. They even had a map of it. Once you are outside the restaurant, there is a really aggressive smell of cumin that will rush your nose. Anyways, I asked the cashier for recommendations. She pointed me to a note next to the counter. It was a FAQ note. It gives you suggestions of which dish to get according to you meat preference. I thought that was really cool. At the end I was only able to decide which meat I wanted, which was lamb. So she gave me a suggestion, the spicy cumin lamb noodle. She also told me they have chicken, lamb and pork burgers. Since I already had a lamb dish, I picked the pork burger and an unsweetened chrysanthemum tea as beverage. My friends got the concubin's chicken noodle, both spicy and non spicy, and a spicy tofu along with sweeten chrysanthemum teas as beverages. The chrysanthemum tea had a very strong floral aroma. It was very refreshing.

The spicy cumin lamb noodle was decent on the first bite. There was an extremely strong cumin flavor with a kind of spicy but not too spicy aftertaste. The flat noodles were very firm and long, cooked to perfection. Al dente as the French would put it. The cumin was way too overwhelming though, it seemed like the cumin kicked the lamb taste out of the dish!

I thought the pork burger would be like a normal burger, but with pork instead of beef. I was dead wrong. It was a stewed pork burger. Shreds and chunks of pork were in between the slightly toasted large English muffin lookalike buns. As you take a bite, there was a light crunch to it and the juice would be dripping down your fingers. It was really flavorful. If you do give this place a visit, this is a MUST TRY. 

So I tried both the spicy and non spicy concubin chicken noodle from my friends. The non spicy one had a vinegary taste to it. And the spicy one was coated with the spiciness. I can tell it was really spicy because my friend was sweating a lot as he was eating it. As for the spicy tofu, it was basically a hot and sour soup with sesame oil. Nothing special. But it was over seasoned. Extremely salty.

Overall this was a great experience. I would definitely come back for the burgers. The cashier was really friendly and professional. The ambiance is great, very comfortable and relaxing. This is definitely a twist to Chinese cuisine. As a Chinese myself, it is a shame to say I never realized there is such thing as Chinese Halal. I am glad I had the chance to try it and built up my knowledge once more. 

Good Looking

Restaurant Name: Ruthy's Bakery

Location: 75 9th Ave #13, New York, NY. 10011 (Chelsea Market)

Website: http://www.ruthys.com/

Price Range: $7

JCL Rating: 6.5/10

JCL's Choice: Macaroon; white chocolate cheese cake; red velvet cupcake; Americano (Ninth Street Espresso)

There are three possible reasons why all the passed by people were looking at my friend and I. They: 1] probably thinks we are gay because we are sharing the pastries;  2] because the pastries look that damn good; or 3] because we are just that damn good looking. With that said, this all leads us to the review of the day: Ruthy's Bakery. I have been to Chelsea Market plenty of times and walked passed this bakery plenty of times but never did walk in or even look at their offerings. Today my friend and I were bored so we decided to check out Prive (clothing store) to see if there are any new shipments. While we were there, we decided to walk around and try out the places. We both agreed on grabbing some pastries and a cup of coffee so we came into Ruthy's.

Ruthy's is a very clean place with no seating. So it is a buy and go bakery. Why did we go to this bakery when there are few others in Chelsea Market? Well for one, today is Labor day so most of them closed early. And for two, the cupcakes on the display attracted us. There were different designs  of cupcakes. They had many animal figures, cartoon characters, etc. As tempting as those were, we decided not to get those since we know the icings are all sugar. That lead us to the other more common and popular choices: red velvet cupcake, Napoleon, macaroon, and cheese cake.

Starting with the red velvet cupcake, it looks amazing. The stars were perfectly piped on top of the cupcake. And a sprinkle of red sugar on top enhances the presentation further. Not only that, the sugar provides the crunchiness. The cupcake was very firm and the whipped cream was soft and smooth. Very cream and the sweetness was just right. I definitely recommend this if you stop by next time!

The chocolate covered coconut macaroon was amazing. It had a mild but yet very precise coconut flavor. It was firm to the bite and flaky in the inside. It had a thin chocolate finish. $1.25 for one piece, medium in size, but I say it is worth it. 

Next up is the Napoleon, which is one of my all time favorite pastries. It was a very big piece for the price of $2.25. Same look as a classic Napoleon but this was a disappointment. The layer of fondant was too thick therefore it was extremely sugary. The puff pastry was soggy. One good thing about it was the pastry cream. It was perfectly whipped. I had to remove the fondant layer puff pastry so I could finish it (I try not to waste food as much as I can). But overall, I would not get this again. 

And last but not least, the white chocolate cheesecake. The bottom is a thin layer of chocolate oreo. Very creamy with a hint of white chocolate taste. Every bite was firm but yet soft. Almost like a soft cookie. The negative thing about this was the color of the rims. It changed color (not due to baking it), that means it was baked for a long period of time. But it was still very good. 

Grab a few pastries from Ruthy's and get a cup of hot Americano from Ninth Street Espresso is the perfect combination. This espresso bar is in Chelsea Market. If you order a latte (maybe cappuccino too) they also do latte art. For those that don't know what latte art is, check this out latte art. This takes extreme concentration and skills. Anyways, I would definitely come back next time I visit Chelsea Market. You should try this out when you have a chance too!

(Ninth Street Espresso)

The attractions that caught our eyes. They all look really impressive.

Something Different

Restaurant Name: Panino Rustico

Location: 8222 17th Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11214

Website: http://www.paninorustico.com/

Price Range: $13

JCL Rating: 7/10

JCL's Choice: Smoked salmon panini; three cheese panini; iced coffee selection

This is a new neighborhood cafe that is newly opened. It is a small but delicate cafe. The layout is very simple and contemporary. The tables were divided in a spacious manner. As my friend and I walk in, we were greeted warmly. This place have a very mellow atmosphere. There were seating inside and outdoor. This fall weather is the perfect time to just relax and have a cup of espresso with panini on the side in an outdoor setting. 

 After we ordered, we changed our minds and decided to sit outside. The waitress was professional even though she just started working not long ago. She brought the dining settings to our tables neatly. The service was a bit slow, but it was understandable considering it is still a very new establishment. We ordered two beverages and two paninis to stay. 

(Left: iced americano. Right: iced cappuccino)

I am not a coffee person, but had to try their caffeinated beverages since they have an espresso bar. I ordered the "iced americano." It is a very aromatic iced coffee and the finishing taste was very pleasant. My friend had the "iced cappuccino." It is similar to the iced americano, but not as strong in terms of flavor. It had refreshing aroma and a smooth creamy finish. This will definitely do students good when they are pulling an all nighter!

As for the paninis, I had the smoked salmon panini and my friend ordered the three cheese panini. Each dish accompanies a basic iceberg lettuce salad. My salad was dry with no dressing but my friend's had a balsamic vinaigrette. A bit inconsistent. The smoked salmon was with red onion, avocado, and goat cheese panini. The smoked salmon was mild in terms of smokiness which is good since it did not overpower the goat cheese. They balanced each other out. The flavor profiles are definitely there. I did not taste the presence of any red onion though. 

The three cheeses consisted of reggiano, crotonese and fontina cheese. Bits of each of the cheeses half melted in the panini bun gives it a semi solid texture to the tongue. After every bite, it leaves a lingering cheese taste. The panini bun was toasted to perfection with drizzles of truffle oil. It was crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. There was a scent of butter on the three cheese panini which completes the picture. 

One disappointment was that they ran out of crepe batter. We were looking forward in trying their crepes. Maybe next time I will go earlier so it won't be sold out. Overall, this experience was very satisfactory. Although the speed of the service was a bit slow, but the waitress was great. She was extremely friendly. The food was worth it and the drinks were on point. For a cafe that is local, it gave us a feeling of dining in a Manhattan cafe. That was rather surprising. But I think there should be an actual dine in menu instead of the black and white take out menus. The price is very reasonable for the portion size and taste of the food. I would definitely come back in the future to try some of their homemade gelato and crepes!