Dinner at Inakaya in Times Square, NYC, New York

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We found Inakaya by sheer coincidence, walking on the side of The New York Times Building in Times Square. From the outside, we already saw that it was an upscale Japanese restaurant. We tried to go a first time, but it was packed and the wait was way too long. So the second time, we reserved a table.

They sat us at the large counter that oversees the kitchen. 

It was full of Japanese elements that were intriguing and integrated well in the decor, highlighting the fact that this was not a usual place.

After we sat, they brought us some wet towels:

And we ordered some green tea.

While sipping our tea, we noticed that the people on the other side of the counter were carrying some sort of wooden peels, similar to the ones that restaurants use to put and remove pizza from the oven.

A couple of minutes later, we saw one of the staff putting a dish on the peel and reaching out across the counter to a patron, who took it from there. That was quite surprising and amusing!

So, it was time to order. We went for classic dishes:

We started off with Robata-yaki or grilled vegetables. The first one was eggplant:

I love eggplant and, when eating in a Japanese restaurant, we usually order nasu (the Japanese word for eggplant), that is eggplant in miso. This dish was really good: simple, keeping the eggplant be the star, it had a nice but not too pronounced char taste.

As you can see on the above photo, the eggplant was tendered to us from across the counter...

The second dish was grilled mushrooms in foil:

Opening the aluminum foil was like unwrapping a gift.

It was extremely hot and, when we opened the foil, there was a wonderful smell coming out from it. This dish was made of three kinds of mushrooms (like the shimeji mushrooms below), cooked in soy sauce.

It was simply made though very successful, the mushrooms having each a different texture. It was so good that when I told Jodi that we should go back and try other veggies, she mentioned that next time, she would like to have this mushroom dish for herself...

The next dish was the grilled squid.

I loved it and if you love squid, this is definitely a recommendation. The squid was tender with a fantastic char. The sauce in the bottom was made with soy, adding a slight saltiness to it.

After that, we ordered three different rolls:

We picked the spicy scallops:

Tuna and avocado:

Salmon and avocado:

Each of the rolls had sesame seeds for a bit of nuttiness and the avocado was perfect (I hate when the avocado is not ripe). The ingredients tasted fresh and it was pretty good, although it was a quite standard dish. I guess next time, we should shoot for more original ones. Because there will probably be a next time! Yes, we liked this place and will probably be back at some point: good food and interesting way of serving the guests. It is pricier than your average Japanese restaurant, but it is justified by the quality of the ingredients.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Korean lunch at Don's Bogam in Murray Hill, NYC, New York

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On Christmas Day, we decided to eat in the city before going to see the second installment of The Hobbit, with Jodi's cousins Jessica and Michael, their sons Alex and Brian and their friends Andrew and Manuel. As I was not sure what was open, I went to open table to try to find a good place to go. That is how we ended up at Don's Bogam, a Korean restaurant we passed by several times but never tried before. The name is interesting and I asked the waiter who was not sure how to explain it, so here is my interpretation: Don is the name of the owner; Bogam is an ancient medicine. Therefore, Don's Bogam is Don's medicine.

It is a BBQ and Wine Bar and for sure, you cannot miss the wine part when entering, with its modern L-shape bar, and the dining room sections separated by empty wine bottles.

The main dining room is big and had some warmth thanks to all the wood, from the floor to the tables.

The seating is interesting though, as it is floor level with chairs without legs to be comfortable. Going in and going out was a bit challenging, though entertaining...

They first brought the banchan, these small side dishes that are always exciting to see: you never know what you will get.

It was composed of:

Some Korean zucchini or Chosun Hobak:

Eggplant:

Seaweed:

Soy:

Potato Salad (always surprising to have that!):

Kimchi cabbage:

Kimchi radish:

Spicy squid:

My favorites were definitely the squid and two kimchi, all of them having a nice kick.

Then came our entrees: all of us ordered bibimbap, these rice dishes that come in a very hot bowl. Don's Bogam has a nice selection, either with meat or vegetarian.

Jodi ordered the Dubu-beoseot, made with tofu, mushrooms and vegetables:

On my side, I ordered the Galbi bibimbap, made with short ribs:

The galbi bibimbap had this fantastic smell coming from the meat that emanated from the bowl. The meat, although slightly overcooked, was delicious and tasty. In the bottom, the rice was already burnt, making a crust that was deliciously crunchy.

I loved the galbi bibimbap and the photo below can attest on how good it was:

The food was delicious and everybody liked Don's Bogam. The service though was just ok and I am not sure if it was because our waiter was not happy to work on Christmas Day: we ordered tea and never got it. We asked for an egg in the bibimbap and when the dishes came, he simply say "No, no egg". But, despite that, I would definitely go back! Oh, I forgot to mention that they have a gluten free menu too!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Product review: Booskerdoo coffee - Monmouth Beach, NJ

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If you follow this blog, you probably know what my favorite drink is. It is not wine, margaritas, cognac or whiskey. No, it is coffee. I drink lots of it, all day long, to the point where, if I do not get enough, I am not feeling too good: this is called addiction. I drink it black with no sugar, but sometimes, I do not mind un cafe au lait (coffee with milk) and I discovered last year the Macchiato from Illy that, although pricey, is exquisite. Interestingly, I love coffee to drink, but I am not a big fan of coffee in desserts, with the exception of tiramisu.

I stopped using sugar in coffee few years ago, after reading an article where the writer explained that it usually takes few weeks before getting accustomed to this. So I tried. At first, I did not like it, but after three weeks, I was fine. Considering the amount of coffee I drink, cutting on sugar was probably a good idea.

What could explain my addiction is that coffee is an institution in France: people drink it for breakfast, after lunch or after dinner, and sometimes in the afternoon, when socializing with family and friends. Except in tourist places such as Les Champs-Elysées in Paris, you can just sit at the terrace of a café for few hours, enjoying each others company or watching people: a lot of time, nobody will bother you, asking you to order something to be able to stay. Don't be surprise also to see kids sipping a cup of coffee at a café: it is the only "adult" drink they can have, alcohol not supposed to be served if you are not 18 years old (although they never check the age of the patron...); it is also the cheapest.

So I was excited when I was contacted to review coffee from Booskerdoo, a micro roaster located in Monmouth Beach, NJ. I received three different coffee beans that were freshly roasted, because they do not have a warehouse and roast the coffee right before shipping it.

Each coffee bag came with a description: type of coffee, origin if applicable, roast and body (mouthfeel), as well as suggestions for pairing (food, friends or even smoke breaks!). Although full of humor, the pairing was interesting, because when ordering coffee, you would typically ask for the way it is done or served: regular, espresso or latte. You would not think about choosing the kind of coffee as you would for wine. Preparing this post, I did some research and realized that the same descriptive terms for wine apply to coffee: floral, citrusy, spicy, woody, caramel, nutty...Interesting, no? So, why not pairing? Maybe one day we will see that in a dessert menu. 

So here are the ones I got to try: Black and Tan that is a Danish Blend.

Single origin that was from Guatemala:

Jersey Diner-style blend:

I did few tries, adjusting a bit the time I ground the beans before making my espresso, but I would say that the first two where my favorite, having more body.

I am not an expert of coffee and will probably never be, but I enjoy that drink at any time of the day. Trying Booskerdoo made me realize how much there is to learn about this beverage: like wine it has its characteristics that only few people know. The fact that Booskerdoo roast the coffee before shipping is a big plus as it gives their coffee some freshness and this fantastic aroma that even people who don't drink coffee can recognize. 

Booskerdoo

36 Beach Road, Suite 9 

Monmouth Beach, NJ 07750

www.booskerdoo.com

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Please note that the coffee was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!  

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Authentic Mexican dinner at El Maguey Y La Tuna on the Lower East Side, NYC, New York

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I was recently invited to El Maguey Y La Tuna, a restaurant located on the Lower East Side that serves authentic Mexican cuisine. As a blogger, I love these press dinners, not only because you get to meet other people who love food, but also because you often meet with the owner or Chef who will give you some information or back stories that you would not have as a regular diner.

I admit that I had no idea what the name of the restaurant was referring to and thought that Tuna was...tuna! In fact, it means "The Tequila/Mezcal and Prickly Pear Plants". It is a family owned and operated business: in the kitchen, Executive Chef Leonides Cortez and his wife, Sous Chef Manuela Cortez. At the front of the house is their daughter Maria who gave us plenty of hints that evening.

It is a medium size place, with a 45 seats capacity that, as Maria mentioned, was designed to make people feel like they are in the family kitchen, a feel perfectly rendered by the terra-cotta floors, the wood and tile tables and the white tile walls, decorated with photos (one of them is Maria's grandmother, overlooking the dining room and emphasizing the importance of family), as well as ceramic from Mexico.

We started off with drinks. I could have gone for a Mexican beer but decided to go for their margaritas that they flavor with fresh fruit puree. 

I ordered the mango margarita that is my favorite flavor. 

It might not have been the best margarita I ever tried, but I liked it, although a bit dangerous because you couldn't taste the alcohol too much making it taste like an innocent drink...

I also tried, out of curiosity the jalapeño margarita (don't think I drank two margaritas: that will never happen!).

I never heard of such a drink and if there would not be jalapeños floating around, I would have never guessed what it was. It was refreshing, not spicy as I would have expected.

We started the dinner with chicken tamales that they made especially for the Holidays as Maria told us.

We had to unwrap it to discover the filling made with chicken and masa (a corn dough), that we ate with green salsa.

I have never been a big fan of tamales and Jodi loves it. It might have been because I never had a good one before. Yes, I liked it at El Maguey Y La Tuna: it had a nice amount of chicken and was tasty with the right amount of green sauce.

The next dish was chicken flautas, also called taquitos.

These little cigars were served with pico de gallo and guacamole. I like that dish with or without guacamole. 

It was not greasy, crunchy and very flavorful. In fact, I preferred them over the next dish that was taquitos al guacamole: corn patties filled with ground beef, also served with guacamole and pico de gallo.

I appreciated the crispiness of the homemade corn patties, but found it less flavorful than the chicken ones.

I should add that the guacamole was quite good, tasting fresh and perfectly seasoned.

Then came the entrees. We started off with Chile Relleno.

it was made of a roasted poblano pepper that was stuffed with cheese and simmered in a roasted tomatoe sauce. They served it with rice and beans.

As well as homemade tortillas.

I like the chile relleno: very flavorful, it had a slight kick that was perfect and for sure a lot of cheese. 

Then came the mole poblano, one of their specialties that is composed with close to 20 spices and takes 2 to 3 days using the original method (much quicker with a blender, but Maria mentioned that it would not have the same taste).

Because it is a complicated dish, it is also made for special occasions. This was served with chicken and, interestingly, smelled of chocolate but did not taste of it! I guess that for a lot of people, including me, a mole is associated with chocolate: we got this all wrong and I am glad I had the chance to try an authentic one.

This was delicious: it had a complex flavor but yet well balanced, perfect with chicken, rice or just eaten with a spoon.

The second mole we tried was a chipotle chile mole sauce:

It was served with pieces of pork. The pork was quite tender, smothered in a thick sauce where I could definitely taste cumin. Maria explained that this is a basic mole and that any woman has to know how to make it to be ready to get married. 

The last entree was the tacos de pescado:

It is on their menu simply because they have lots of patrons from California who asked them for it!

It was also eaten with green sauce. The fish (they use either tilapia or flounder) was fried, giving a good crunch, and had a nice flakiness. It was a delicious dish for sure.

Of course, we had to try some desserts after that. There were two:

The flan:

And the Mexican chocolate cake:

The chocolate cake was good, but my favorite was the flan. I truly appreciated that none of these desserts were too sweet.

But the meal would not have been complete without a Mexican coffee (con leche above and black below).

They were served in authentic Mexican cups.

El Maguey Y La Tuna is a bit off the beaten path but I truly recommend that place: I had a good time and good food. It definitely opened my eyes to the diversity of Mexican food and from now on, I will consider other dishes than the usual tacos, burritos or fajita. If I had to recommend a full meal, it would be: chicken flautas, mole poblano and flan. 

Interestingly, they serve a cheap brunch menu Tuesday to Sunday where, for less than $12 you get a drink and a dish. I'll probably be back soon!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!  

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