January 2014 | I just want 2 eat

Friday, January 31, 2014

Masq: a taste of New Orleans in NYC, New York

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image of MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

I was recently invited for a press dinner at Masq, a New Orleans inspired restaurant located in Turtle Bay (Midtown East) that opened in March 2013. The owners, Nora and George Chaprastian, who are true New Yorkers, fell in love with New Orleans and decided to open a place to celebrate Louisiana cuisine in a setting that would feel like home, the restaurant being in the first floor of a townhouse.
image of Mardi gras mask at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Masq is short for Masquerade, and as soon as you enter in the restaurant, you can understand how the decor will be: you are greeted by a beautiful Mardi-Gras mask. There are in fact masks all over the place and they are incredible.
image of Mardi gras mask at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New Yorkimage of Mardi gras mask at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

There is even a Mona Lisa represented there, adding a touch of humor!
image of La Joconde with a Mardi gras mask at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

The layout of the restaurant is interesting as the place has a sort of long shape, each room with a decor New Orleans inspired: first is the horseshoe shaped bar, made of white oak and decorated with multiple exposed-filament light bulbs:
image of bar at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

There, I tried the Dark & Stormy cocktail, made with dark rum and ginger beer; this is the kind of cocktail that is dangerous because it does not have a strong alcohol taste and thus can be sipped like a soda...

image of dark and stormy cocktail at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Then the lounge, with its vintage fabric-upholstered chairs, antique oak and maple tables, a vintage velvet sofa and Persian rugs:

image of lounge at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

After walking through the lounge, is the dining room, decorated with an exotic New Orleans wall mural:

image of Dining room at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

The last room in the back was the red room:

image of red room at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

It is used for private parties (it can seat 45 people).
image of red room at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Before I talk about the menu at Mask, know that my experience of New Orleans cuisine dates from May 2006, when Jodi and I went there for a week vacation. I did not have the blog at the time, but, before going, we already made reservations or identified the places to go to: Emeril's Nola, John Besh's Luke, Mother's or Cafe Du Monde for the scrumptious beignets we ate everyday for breakfast. That is where I first tried jambalaya, crawfish étouffée and bread pudding.

It is in the lounge room that they setup our table.
image of lounge at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

At some point during the dinner, we got introduced to the Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chaprastian (who is also the beverage director), who explained to us how the menu (New American inspired by New Orleans cuisine to be precise) was crafted, as well as gave us some interesting information about some of the dishes.
image of Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chapastrian at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York
Executive Chef Marc Getzelman and owner George Chapastrian

So, here is what we ate:

The first dish was a Mac and Cheese croquette:
image of Mac and cheese croquette at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Like a lot of recipes, it started off by accident: there were some leftovers in the fridge and the Chef had this crazy idea to mold a croquette with it, using an ice cream scoop. He then added a roux, bacon and rolled it in panko bread crumbs before frying it. It was served with a spicy remoulade.
image of Mac and cheese croquette at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

I really liked this dish: when you bite in it, you first experience the crunchiness of the croquette and then you hit the Mac and cheese that was gooey. They mentioned to us that the regular serving is three croquettes, that is perfect for sharing (we got smaller portions for all the dishes because it was a tasting).

I should mention that each dish was paired with a wine. For the mac and cheese croquette, it was a Franciscan Estate 2011 Chardonnay (Napa Valley):
image of Franciscan Estate 2011 Chardonnay (Napa Valley) at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

The next dish was prosciutto and fig flatbread:
image of Prosciutto and fig flatbread at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

This is not what I would associate immediately with New Orleans. But you know what? This shows some diversity there! I liked it: the bread itself, homemade, was crispy, and there was a nice sweetness coming from the figs that counterbalanced well the tangy flavor of the arugula and the sharpness of the cheese.
image of Prosciutto and fig flatbread at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

They served the flatbread with Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 (Italy):
image of Danzante Pinot Grigio 2012 (Italy) at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

After that came the crawfish étouffée:
image of Crawfish Étouffée at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

As an anecdote, they did not plan this for the tasting menu, until they heard that a French blogger was coming. So they swapped it against an Asian salmon. I admit that I was pleased to have the opportunity to try it, because it is definitely a dish associated with New Orleans. The difficulty there was to have enough crawfish, the supply not being abundant.  But here were we with a nice dish in front if us. It was pretty good, a nice kick and some heat building in the back of my throat.
image of Crawfish Étouffée at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

The wine served with this dish was a Venezia Giulia 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from Italy:
image of Venezia Giulia 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from Italy at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York


Then we got the Po'Boy.
image of shrimp and catfish Po'Boy at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

There were two kinds: shrimp.

image of shrimp Po'Boy at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

And catfish.
image of catfish Po'Boy at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

I preferred the shrimp one for sure: nice piece of shrimp, crispy and tasty. The bread, homemade, was a sweet Hawaiian roll. It was served with some coleslaw that was very good, with a touch of fennel for an added crunch.

The wine paired with the Po'Boy was a 10 Span 2012 Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County.
image of 10 Span 2012 Pinot Noir at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York


The last entrée was the jambalaya.
image of Jambalaya at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

I was also looking forward for this dish. It was composed of andouille sausage, Cajun spice chicken, shrimp and rice. As you can see on the photo, they have goat cheese on top; it is used to cut down the heat from the dish and I have to say that it worked perfectly, the taste of the cheese being quite discreet and not overshadowing at all the other ingredients. 

The jambalaya was served with an Alamos Malbec 2012 (Argentina):
image of Alamos Malbec 2012 (Argentina) at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Last was the long awaited dessert! It was a Sabayon:
image of Sabayon at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Sabayon, also spelled Zabaione, is an Italian dessert made of egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine. It was served with berries.
image of Sabayon at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

And paired with Sambuca:
image of Sambuca at MASQ New Orleans inspired cuisine in NYC, New York

Again another dish that I did not associate with New Orleans, but let me tell you: I was glad they served it! It was so good that I could have eaten few of them. Not too sweet and light, it was a nice alternative to what could have been a boring fruit salad.

I liked my dinner at Masq: the food was good and comforting, transporting me miles away from New York for a moment. They have a large menu with some mouth watering dishes spanning between New Orleans and New American cuisine, that can satisfy any palate. And if you go there, do not forget: Il faut laisser le bon temps rouler as they say in New Orleans! 

Enjoy (I did)!
MASQ on Urbanspoon

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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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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

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image of Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

Walking in Soho, we were looking for a quick bite before going home. Pizza is always a good choice in that case, because the wait time would amount to the time to order and then to heat the slices. As we were walking, we saw Famous Ben's Pizza, a small pizza joint. We were wondering what Ben was famous for and then saw the sign indicating that it was for his Sicilian Pizza rated best by...somebody. 
image of Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

This is you typical pizza joint: you would go there for the food, not the decor that was simplistic, if it was not for the quotes on the wall.
image of Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

There we ordered the following slices:

Vodka slice:
image of vodka slice at Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

This was a surprising slice: think about the vodka sauce that you typically find on penne pasta and put it on pizza instead of the classic tomato sauce. Et voila the vodka slice. Genius, original and very good!

The second slice was the Palermo pizza:
image of Palermo slice at Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

Originally, we wanted to try their marinara pizza, but their inverted the sign and ended up with this one. What a mistake: it was not good. I am not sure how it was made (tomato sauce of course and onions, but what else?), but I did not like the taste and the texture of it.

Last was of course the Sicilian pizza. Remember: "Rated Best Sicilian Pizza".
image of Sicilian slice at Famous Ben's pizza in Soho, NYC, New York

Well, it was just ok. For a better slice of this kind, I prefer Stromboli that is not too far from there.

I was a bit disappointed, not that I had high expectations, but sometimes, you find these little hidden gems. Famous Ben's Pizza is not one of them, although their vodka slice is delicious and I would just go back for that one!

Enjoy (...)!
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Monday, January 27, 2014

Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

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image of Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

I will always be amazed by the number of ramen places in New York, serving different types of this delicious soup where slurping is not impolite. I were a kid, I would definitely listen to my Mom if she wanted me to eat this kind of soup, over a vegetable one I had in my childhood. 
image of menu at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

Ramen Misoya is located in an area where there are plenty of Ramen places, but trust me, they have no problem getting customers. Or I should say that their only problem is the size of the restaurant.
image of dining room at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

It has probably 20 seats and, contrary to a lot of restaurants of that sort, the kitchen is in the back, separate from the dining room, so you cannot sit at the counter and observe the Chef do his magic.
image of dining room at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

We went there on a Saturday night, at 6pm, and it was packed from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. 

The restaurant serves three types of miso:
  • Kome miso ramen, that they describe as: "made of rice, the standard miso. Intense flavor with rich aroma".
  • Mame miso ramen: "made of beans, dark-colored miso. Among the three miso, it has the sweetest and richest texture". 
  • Shiro miso ramen: "Compared to Kome Miso, Shiro Miso is less intense in flavor and sweeter. A light-colored miso".

If you look at the menu, there is no vegetarian option, all the soups being made with at least ground beef. In fact, they have a separate vegetarian menu that they will bring if you ask them. I am not sure though why they do not include the vegetarian options in the regular menu!

Jodi went for the vegetarian Shiro miso ramen:

image of vegetarian shire miso ramen at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

It was composed of fried tofu, an egg, bean sprouts, bamboo shoot, cabbage and noodles.

image of vegetarian shire miso ramen at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

Mine was the Mame Miso Cha-Shu:
image of Mame miso Cha-Shu ramen at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

The presentation was very appetizing. It was made of pork cha-shu, a fried shrimp, an egg, ground beef, bean sprouts, cabbage, bamboo shoot and noodles. 
image of Mame miso Cha-Shu ramen at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York


Both ramen were delicious, but I admit that I preferred the Shiso miso one, although it was vegetarian. It was simply because the broth was delicious, sweet, soft and light, very milky. The fact that the tofu was fried was a good idea as it gave a bit of texture and crispiness to the dish.
image of vegetarian shire miso ramen at Ramen Misoya in the East Village, NYC, New York

But, the shrimp and pork were definitely good, the pork having this braised taste that was heaven. Let's not forget the egg: it was so soft that my chopsticks cut through without any effort and the yolk was perfectly runny. And the noodles: they seem to be the same in both bowls. However, mine were more al dente and the color darker, probably because of the dark-colored broth.

Both ramen were delicious and I can't wait to go back to Ramen Misoya. The food was good and the service efficient and courteous. I think Ramen Misoya is another alternative to the priciest and overrated Ippudo!

Enjoy (I did)!

Ramen Misoya on Urbanspoon
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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Revisit: Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

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image of Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

Republic is one these little gem that Union Square has to offer: great food and reasonable prices. We go from time to time and have never been disappointed. We ended up there again. I admit that I forgot how loud this place is...and the fact that the seating is communal means that you will probably hear whatever people around you are talking about...
image of Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York
What I love about the decor is all these beautiful black and white photos where noodles will be present (their motto is "Think noodles"), with people most of the time. And, as it was close to Christmas, they saddled them with Santa's hat.
image of Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

I love the diversity of their menu, that spawns from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China, sourcing quality ingredients. What I like is that they offer small dishes, perfect for sharing, as well as large ones if you want to go solo.

We started off with our favorite appetizer: sautéed mini dumplings.

image of sautéed mini dumplings at Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

Made with minced pork, they are small; but they serve plenty of them, mixing them with cabbage, ginger, cilantro, scallions, and dressed with an oyster sauce. 

Then, Jodi ordered the curry vegetable noodle soup:
image of curry vegetable noodle soup at Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

This sole choice of soup for vegetarians was composed of rice noodles,  coconut milk, tofu, snow peas, carrots, fried shallots, cabbage and broccoli. 

On my side, I ordered the curry chicken noodle soup.
image of curry chicken noodle soup at Republic in Union Square, NYC, New York

It was composed of rice vermicelli, shredded chicken, curry, coconut milk, bean sprouts and cilantro.

The soups were overall good and tasty, my favorite being the chicken one. Definitely, picking a broth with coconut milk is rarely disappointing, the milk adding some smoothness to it. However, I prefer when the noodles are thicker as they have more texture. But overall, it was good. 

So I can tell you that it was not the last time at Republic! And if you go there, do not miss the dumplings!

Enjoy (I did)!

Republic on Urbanspoon

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