Bok Chang Dong

I have truly neglected my food blog over the past two months, and it’s about time I get back into the swing of things...This entry goes all the way back to New Year’s Eve of 2005 when I visited New York to celebrate my birthday. One of the places Meat took us to was Bok Chang Dong, a small Korean restaurant located in Queens.

Bok Chang Dong was rather small and it seemed more like a café than a restaurant. Nevertheless, it was nice and quaint. The window facing the street let you peek into the kitchen where soups and stir-frying meats were bubbling and steaming away under the supervision of a handful of cooks.

With a small kitchen, the menu was understandably rather limited. The concise menu fit on one page. The restaurant specialized mainly in soups but it also offered a few of the most popular dishes found at most Korean restaurants like LA Kalbi, Bulgoki, and Bibimbop to name a few.

I like eating at Korean restaurants because they always provide several different appetizer dishes to nibble on and begin your meal – free of charge. I appreciate that. Each restaurant is different but at Bok Chang Dong, among the dishes served were Kim chi, pickled cucumbers in brine, jelly fish, bean sprouts, cucumbers marinated in a spicy garlic sauce, and a seaweed/daikon salad.

I ordered the Bulgoki for my main. It was moderate at best. Although tender, the beef wasn’t very flavorful and it sat in a pool of watery sauce. I have had better versions at other places, but it did the trick for the night. The rice that it was served with was interesting though. The rice was cooked in a large hot stone pot, and once the server dished out individual servings to everyone, he poured hot water into the bowl so the pieces of slightly charred rice that accumulated at the bottom could also be enjoyed. It was the first time I saw that.


Both Eric and Meat ordered soups. I did not try either of theirs but I believed they came with beef and tofu. They arrived at the table boiling hot and bubbling vigorously. Accompanied with the soups were eggs, which could be cracked open and mixed into the soup to create a more luxurious consistency and taste.

Overall, the food was decent and affordable. We were looking for a quick bite to eat and didn’t want to travel far, so given our situation and requirements, Bok Chang Dong was a good choice.

Pho Banc / Yang Pyoung

Major milestones in our lives. They’re far and few in between, which is why they should be recognized and celebrated when one does come around. I recently reached one such milestone on the 30th of December when I turned 21. Most of my friends have been “of age” for quite a while now, so it has seemed a little overdue to be honest. Regardless, it was an opportunity to pause, reflect on the past, and look ahead to all that is still to come. Of course it was also a time to celebrate and have some fun, and I decided to spend my birthday and New Year’s Eve in New York with a few of my closest friends.

I stayed with Meat who lives in Queens, and I had the pleasure of eating at a few of his favorite spots in the area. I spent most of the afternoon traveling on the bus, and when I arrived in New York, it was practically time for dinner. Meat picked me up from the Port Authority and after meeting up with Eric and Assad, we made our way down to Pho Banc, a small cozy neighborhood place serving Vietnamese food.

Pho Banc is a really informal place, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We got to the restaurant at around 7:30 and the dining room was completely filled with locals. We didn’t care to wait for our own table, so we ended up sharing one with a few strangers, which worked out just fine.

Extra Large Bowl of Pho

Whenever I eat Vietnamese, I almost always go with the pho. It’s pretty much standard fare everywhere you go and hard to screw up, so it’s generally a safe bet. I also wanted to see how pho in New York would compare to pho in Boston. It could just be the restaurant, but I think the pho in Boston tastes better. The broth at Pho Banc seemed a little more watered down with a less robust beef flavor. The usual add-ins like bean sprouts and basil were available, but they didn’t include lime, which I’m used to. Other than that, however, the pho was very satisfying and enjoyable.

Fried Spring Rolls

Meat also ordered this appetizer/side dish for all of us. The spring rolls were deep-fried to a golden crisp and had a tasty pork mixture inside. I usually just eat them as is, but this time around, some lettuce hearts accompanied the rolls. Apparently the traditional way to eat them is to wrap the lettuce around the rolls and then dip them into fish sauce before eating.

Dinner at Pho Banc was quick, but it hit the spot. Afterward we made a stop for liquor and then went back to Meat’s where Ivan met up with us and shortly after, the night of drunken debauchery began. We pre-gamed a little and then headed out to a few bars in Queens. We made stops at a few places, none of which were very memorable (in fact, they were kind of whack) but regardless, I had fun with the guys. It’s not the place – it’s the company that matters.

As is always the case after a long night of drinking, we made a stop for food – this time at a Korean restaurant Meat’s family often goes to called Yang Pyoung. I have to admit that there’s never a dull moment when I go out with the guys. Apparently we were a little loud and rowdy in the restaurant, and this old belligerent Korean guy sitting near us wasn’t too pleased with us. He definitely wasn’t afraid to let us know either. He started swearing at us in Korean and then proceeded to bang his fist on the table so loud that the entire restaurant grew silent and started staring at him and us. All the while he’s sipping out of this box container of soju or rice wine, adding to his obvious intoxicated state. The hostess eventually escorted him out of the restaurant.

With that little incident out of the way, we ordered some food, and here’s what we got…

Fish Head and Vegetables

After a night of drinking, just about anything short of cow manure tastes fantastic. This dish doesn’t sound like that it’d be great, but it actually it was enjoyable. I’m not just saying that because I was in semi-drunken stupor either. The fish head came with a whole pile of sautéed bean sprouts that was stir-fried with this reddish, spicy sauce. Very tasty.

LA Kalbi

So I’ve come to the conclusion that kalbi is by far my favorite Korean dish. I don’t eat a lot of Korean to begin with, so I don’t have a lot of dishes to really compare. However, out of all the dishes I’ve tried so far, I like kalbi the best. The kalbi rolled up to our table still smoking and sizzling on a hot platter, and it was damn good. The meat was nicely cooked, tender, and very flavorful.

Bibimbop

We also ordered bibimbop, which is one of the most popular Korean dishes. The dish is essentially rice, vegetables, and some meat, but every restaurant does it a little differently. Sometimes it comes in a hot stone bowl and sometimes it just comes in a regular bowl as it did at Yang Pyoung. I honestly don’t know what all the fuss is about bibimbop. It’s good but nothing special.

Meat made some good choices for dishes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. I ate quite a bit, and after splitting the bill, each person’s portion came out to about $10 only. That’s pretty good value if you ask me. I proceeded to pass out in the car after we left, and I find it quite amazing that Meat was able to drive home safely at the end of the night. In any event, here’s what it came down to – good food, good friends, good times.

Pacific Buffet

This year my family found itself in the usual position of having a rather uneventful Christmas Day. Usually we either host a party or attend one over a family member’s place, and this year was pretty much the same except that we threw the big annual holiday celebration early on Christmas Eve.

Besides the exchange of presents in the morning, my family didn’t have a whole lot planned on the agenda. We ended up seeing Memoirs of a Geisha at the Framingham movie theatre. I know, it’s not exactly your typical holiday movie, but we all enjoyed it nonetheless. If I ever have a daughter, I want her to look like the little girl who plays Chiyo…but anyway, we can save that talk for a different blog.

After the movie concluded, my family headed over to Pacific Buffet, which is located right off of Route 9. Being about a five minute drive from the cinema, Pacific Buffet seemed like a good choice since we were all pretty hungry and didn’t want to have to travel far for dinner.

I don’t remember exactly, but I think Pacific Buffet opened about four or five years ago. It’s actually hard to believe that it’s been that long since it first opened, but it must be because I remember going even back in high school. Pacific Buffet was one of the several Asian buffet restaurants that suddenly sprang up all at around the same time. Pacific Buffet, however, seems to be one of the only ones that is still left. The only other ones I can think of are International Buffet in Quincy and East Manor in Saugus, but my family hardly ever goes out that far.

Pacific Buffet offers the all-you-can-eat dining style and features mainly Asian cuisine. The majority of the food on the buffet tables is Chinese. You’ll find most of the standard stir fries and familiar dishes but there’s also a small dim sum section as well. The Japanese section is essentially sushi, and next to the sushi bar there’s a soup station where you can select different raw meats and vegetables and watch it all cooked to order in front of you. If that’s not enough, there’s also a meat carving station where you can find roasted duck and prime rib. If you still have room by the end, there are several flavors of ice cream and an assortment of cakes and desserts to try.

Below are a few photos I took from the meal…

Assortment of Sushi

Eel, Tuna, California Rolls & Roasted Duck Pancake

Prime Rib

Assortment of Ice-cream: Coconut, Red Bean & Green Tea

Pacific Buffet is pretty popular with my family, and we visit regularly whenever the whole family is together. The quality and variety of the food are good but not amazing, and in fact, when we went on Christmas, I was expecting the selection to be better considering it was holiday. However, I think the main reason why my family enjoys going is that everyone can find at least something that they’ll like to eat. For example, my mom and dad will go for the soup and dim sum, while my brother and I eat the sushi or prime rib.

Pacific Buffet is also pretty consistent, and my family almost always has a good time when we go there. If you’re looking for a really great Asian buffet, however, you should check out East Manor. It’s quite a trek to get out there, but the food quality and selection are tremendous – not to mention you feel like you’re eating in a Ming dynasty palace. You’ll also pay a lot more too though.

Empire Garden

My family hardly ever goes into Chinatown because according to my mom, there’s always tons of traffic and never any parking. I always think it’s an excuse she gives so that we’ll go somewhere else closer to home. More often that not, however, mother knows best…

Recently, my family went for dim sum at Empire Garden in Chinatown. Even on a weekday, Chinatown was bustling with tons of activity. Being on winter break, everyone else must have had the same idea to head into town. There were tons of families walking around, and the traffic was a complete nightmare.

We first attempted to find metered parking along some of the streets surrounding Chinatown – none was to be found. After circling around for about half an hour, we got fed up and decided to try some of the parking lots. The first lot we tried was completely filled…just great. At last we found a space in the Tremont Street garage.

After about an hour of wasted time trying to find a space, we finally arrived at the restaurant. I’ve been to Empire Garden before, but every time I enter the grand dining room, I’m always struck by its vastness. The high 40 ft ceilings give the room a really open feeling – similar to that of a large emporium. Empire Garden truly is spacious, so there’s never usually a wait for a table except on weekends and holidays. This is a complete guess but I would say the restaurant can accommodate at least 150 customers.

Empire Garden used to be an old theatre that was renovated and converted into a restaurant. There are parts of the old theatre that still remain, and they give the room a lot of character. Empire Garden is truly differentiated from other Chinese restaurants in terms of décor and ambiance.

Dim sum roughly translates to “to touch the heart.” Dim sum consists of a huge assortment of hot and cold, savory and sweet Chinese delicacies. The idea is to try a small sampling of several dishes rather than eat just one entrée as your entire meal. Although the comparison isn’t quite the same, this theme is seen in other cultures as well – take the Spanish, for instance, with their tapas or the French with their hors d'oeuvres. I always like dim sum because of the variety, and plus, sharing food with the friends and family at your table is always more fun anyway.

Dim sum originally began as a Cantonese custom linked with the Chinese tradition of “yum cha,” or tea drinking. It all started with the Silk Road where teahouses opened to give foreign travelers and locals a place to rest, relax, and converse with one another. It wasn’t until many years later, however, that these teahouses started serving snacks and what we now think of as dim sum. In fact, it was widely believed that pairing tea with food would lead to illness and excessive weight gain. Dim sum was brought over to the West by 19th century immigrants, and the tradition continues today.

Below are a few pictures of the food we sampled…

Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow)

Beef and Shrimp Rice Noodles (Ngow Cherng, Har Cherng)

Fried Bean Curd with Shrimp and Celery & Stewed Bean Curd Dumplings

Ribs with Black Bean Sauce & Steamed Beef Meatballs

Pork Dumpings (Shu Mai)

The last time I had some good dim sum was back in Sydney, so I was definitely looking forward to this beforehand. In the end, all the problems and frustrations associated with finding a parking space were worth it. The food was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed every dish, and we didn't have to do much waiting for the food carts to come around either. We didn't rush through our meal or anything, and we still got out of the restaurant under 45 minutes. Finding a parking space turned out to be longest and most challenging part of the dining experience. I had really forgotten how good Empire Garden is for dim sum. It ranks among the better places for dim sum in Boston, and I'll definitely be back.

Johnny's Luncheonette

Jon, an old high school friend, called me a few weeks ago over break to meet up. We were deciding on a place to go for brunch and finally chose Johnny’s Luncheonette, a place close to the both of us located on Langley Road in the heart of Newton Center.

Upon entry of Johnny’s Luncheonette, it feels as if you have entered a time warp and been sent back in time to the US circa 1950. You can sense the energy and casual cheerfulness the minute you walk in the door. The boomerang Formica counters, stainless steel fixtures, soda fountain, and antique jukebox give the restaurant that retro feel. In every way – from the food to the décor – Johnny’s is a throwback of a 1950’s family-style diner.

Johnny’s Luncheonette is a nice cozy place that serves American comfort food at reasonable prices. Due to its location in a quiet suburb, its entire clientele is essentially locals. However, quite a few college kids from Boston College frequent the place due to its proximity to Upper Campus and its rather affordable prices – nothing on the menu is over $11. Lots of restaurants have come and gone in Newton, but ever since its opening in the early 90’s, Johnny’s Luncheonette has enjoyed immense prosperity and the customers seem to keep coming back.

The day we visited the restaurant, it was packed as usual and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. Because we were seated in the back, we had the opportunity to pass by the kitchen area where all kinds of familiar brunch items were sizzling away on the griddle. The inviting smells of French toast, hamburgers, bacon, and breakfast omelettes really whet my appetite.



I’ve only been to Johnny’s Luncheonette a few times, but of the times I have gone, I’ve always enjoyed their deli sandwiches. I ordered the hot pastrami on a bulky roll, and it was quite good. The pastrami was exceptionally lean, and in fact, I probably would have liked it more if it were a little fattier. The cole slaw was nothing special though. It wasn’t all that pleasing to the palate and was way too watery.



Jon ordered the hot chocolate and the pastrami scramble, which are shown above. I tried some of the potatoes that came along with his dish, and they were nicely cooked and amazingly buttery. He liked his choice alot, and it was so large that he ended up taking some home in a doggy bag.

I definitely enjoyed brunch at Johnny’s Luncheonette. Although I’ve definitely eaten better pastrami sandwiches at other places even around Newton, the trip was worth it for the atmosphere alone.

Green Field Churrascaria

Officially now on winter vacation, I am free of homework, exams, meetings, and all things academic. That of course means lots of time to do fun activities like dining out with friends and family, which is exactly what I have done. My brother also happens to be on break from medical school and my mom has a few weeks off from work, so we recently decided to have lunch at Green Field Churrascaria.

Green Field is a place I have been meaning to try for quite a while now. I think I first heard about it in the Boston Globe magazine, which had a feature covering many of the new restaurant openings around Massachusetts. As I have mentioned already in previous posts, I love buffets, so when I heard about the all-you-can-eat offering at Green Field, I was quite interested.

I love buffets but let’s face it – there are good buffet places and there are crappy buffet places. It’s not just about quantity – quality is important too. What interested me most about Green Field is not just the fact that it is a buffet. Green Field is a churrascaria, meaning that it’s a restaurant that specializes in serving meat – LOTS of it. I absolutely love meat, and to be honest, I think there is something very wrong with you if you don’t. That’s why I don’t really get along with vegetarians.

The main concept behind Green Field is the rodizio. The rodizio, which originated in the south of Brazil in the early 1800’s, is a method of serving grilled and barbequed meat. The idea is to serve a wide variety of different cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and sausage in succession to customers right at their table. Here’s a picture capturing some of the action…

In this picture are some roasted chicken and pieces of sirloin. Every couple of minutes the staff will roll up to your table with these huge skewers of meats and carve off onto your plate as much or as little as you can handle.

The meat just keeps coming and coming, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Well aware of this issue, Green Field fortunately provides the nice little signaling mechanism shown below. Green means “go” and red means “stop.” When your stomach needs a short rest break, you flip the cylinder so the red’s on top. Once you’re ready for more, flip it back over to the green side so the gluttonous meat-eating affair can resume.

In addition to all of the different meats that roll up tableside, Green Field also offers a number of traditional Brazilian dishes on the buffet. On the day that I visited, a few of the standouts were the braised oxtail, fried plantains, and some collard green/bean mixture – some are shown in the picture below. I found it kind of odd to find sushi at a churrascaria, but that was available as well. I didn’t try any though because after all, who really eats sushi at a Brazilian barbeque joint?

I enjoyed lunch at Green Field, and it matched my expectations. I wouldn’t say the food was the best I’ve ever had, but for $11.95 you can’t really complain. I hear Midwest Grill in Cambridge offers a more traditional, authentic experience, and the quality of meats is higher. I would definitely like to try that before going back to Green Field.

Pho Pasteur

Before Eric headed home to New Jersey for winter break, we decided to have lunch at Pho Pasteur located on Brighton Avenue in Allston. In return for giving him a ride to South Station, Eric was kind enough to cover the bill.

Whenever you eat at a Vietnamese restaurant, you are bound to find pho on the menu. Pho, which is pronounced as “fuh,” is by far one of the most popular Asian noodle soups. Basic pho contains broth, boiled beef, and rice noodles – this is the way pho is generally eaten in Vietnam since the majority of locals lack access to more exotic (and expensive) ingredients and cuts of beef. However, in the US there are now all kinds of variations, any of which may include chicken, pork, raw meat, or meatballs.

Pho

Eric and I both decided to order a large bowl of pho. It was Eric’s first time having it, and I think he liked it. In fact, I haven’t met many people who do not like pho. It’s fresh, familiar, and most of all, flavorful. Pho is nothing fancy, but it is satisfying. I think of pho as Asian comfort food.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

We also had these spring rolls as an appetizer to start the meal. Carrots, lettuce, rice, and chicken filled the rice noodle wrapping, and the traditional peanut sauce accompanied the spring rolls for dipping. I’ve had them numerous times before, but they are always a nice treat.

It was another good experience at Pho Pasteur, and I’ll definitely be back again. Too bad it isn’t located a little closer to my apartment at BU because if it were, I would go more often. For a college student on a budget, a quality bowl of noodle soup for $5.95 is a damn good deal. I’ll take pho over McDonald’s any day.

Minado

In the spring of 2004, a few of the guys and I celebrated the close of the school year by having a final, end-of-the-semester dinner at Minado. At the end of each semester since then, we’ve done the same. A couple of weeks ago, Eric, Sarah, Meat, Nami, and Assad joined me for dinner at Minado, continuing what I guess you could say has become a tradition.

Minado is a small restaurant chain in the Northeast with locations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The one we visited is located in Natick, a suburb about a half hour’s drive from Boston.

Minado is a Japanese seafood buffet that offers both a cold and hot menu. The cold menu contains all kinds of salads, raw seafood and appetizers. The sushi, however, is the main feature. With over 30 different varieties, Minado offers quite a wide selection. Along with the nigiri, maki, and sashimi on the buffet tables, the sushi chefs also will make custom hand rolls upon request.

The hot menu comprises cooked foods like tempura, crab cakes, lobster, teriyaki, noodles, soups, and gyoza. A teppan-yaki grill station is also available where meat and vegetables are cooked to order.

To finish your meal, there is also sizeable dessert section featuring made-to-order crepes, Japanese teacakes, fruit, and green tea ice-cream.

We went to Minado on a Saturday night, and when we arrived at around 7 o’clock, the restaurant was absolutely packed. Minado’s dining room is large to begin with, but even so, we had to wait for a table.

I tried to take pictures of the buffet tables, but only managed to get one. The general manager saw me with my camera and came over to stop me. Apparently, Minado has some policy that prohibits picture taking of their food. Here are a few photos I did manage to take…

Every time I have gone to Minado, the food has been great. Like always, good food starts with good ingredients, and overall, the raw fish and seafood Minado uses are very fresh. I have never had premium grade sushi at a place like Oshii or Uni, but of the sushi I have eaten, Minado ranks among the best.

Petit Robert Bistro

Before watching Chicago, Sarah and I headed over to Petit Robert Bistro for dinner. About a block down from more upscale places like Great Bay and Eastern Standard, Petit Robert Bistro is a small, intimate restaurant tucked away in the basement of a Kenmore Square brownstone.

Unlike many restaurants today that inaccurately refer to themselves as bistros, Petit Robert is a French bistro in its true sense. The ambiance, food, and prices are consistent with what a bistro in France really is – home-style, comfort food is served at modest prices in a rather unpretentious setting.

Figuring that dinner would take at least an hour and a half, we made reservations at the restaurant for 6, so we could make it to the 8 o’clock showing of the play. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the hostess. I happened to glance at the computer screen with all of the reservation listings. I found it somewhat amusing that they had put me down as “Tenny” instead of “Kenny.” They must have misheard me over the phone, but have you really ever met anyone named Tenny?

We were promptly seated in the dining room on the lower level and then greeted by our waitress. Some freshly-baked baguettes rolled up to the table a little while afterward. The bread was phenomenal – crispy crust with a warm, soft interior.

Trio of Homemade Patés with Condiments

We started off the meal with this trio of pates. I didn’t ask the waitress for specifics on each, but I believe there was one made from pork and one from chicken-liver. I’m not too sure about the third, but I read somewhere that it is pate de campagne. The first thing I noticed about the chicken-liver pate was its exceptional creaminess, which melted in your mouth. The pork rillette was also smooth and enjoyable, but in terms of flavor, the pate de campagne was my favorite. We ended up pairing the pate with the baguette, which worked quite well in the end, but I was expecting there to be some bread or crackers offered with the dish as well.

Roast Leg of Rabbit Moutarde and Ginger Sausage

I had never eaten rabbit before, so I wanted to try it. A pile of mashed potatoes and a mushroom mustard-cream sauce accompanied the rabbit leg, which had a thin breadcrumb topping. The rabbit reminded me a little of chicken but was a little bit meatier and chewier, though definitely tender, juicy, and savory. The sausage supposedly had a ginger flavor, but it was extremely subtle.

Grilled Salmon Filet with a Lemony Butternut Squash and Parsnips Nage

Sarah is more into seafood than meat, so we ordered this salmon dish. I only tried a small bit of it, but it seemed nicely cooked with a rather simple preparation. I can’t comment much about it, but it seemed a bit soupy, which could or could not have been a good thing. The liquid was probably whatever was left over from poaching.

Crepe Armandes , Frangipane Meringue & Amaretto

For dessert, I had heard good things about Petit Robert’s soufflés, but unfortunately, they had run out or were unavailable for the night. We decided to settle for the crepes, which themselves were quite good. They had a caramelized-sugar topping and had a hint of almond flavor. However, I was not overly impressed with the filling, which was somewhat liquidy. It had the consistency of melted butter, which just ended up spilling all over the plate.

I enjoyed dinner at Petit Robert and would definitely go back. Service was attentive and professional from beginning to end. With appetizers between $5 and 9 and entrees between $13 and 19, you cannot go wrong in terms of value. Overall, it was a very positive dining experience, and of course, great company doesn’t hurt!

El Pelon / Cold Stone Creamery

I've been really busy with school and job search stuff lately and as a result, I have unfortunately neglected the food blog. In early November, Eric and I had dinner at El Pelon, but I haven't had time to write about it until now.

El Pelon is a small taqueria located on Peterborough Street right behind Fenway Park. It's essentially a Mexican fast food joint, serving all the standard type stuff that you would expect like burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Don't get me wrong though - the quality of food at El Pelon is head and shoulders above any of the crap served at a place like Taco Bell. El Pelon is a small place, likely family-owned, and you can tell that the workers behind the counter take at least some pride in the food they prepare and serve.

Fried Plantains

Fried plantains are pretty typical, standard fare when it comes to Mexican food and lots of people ahead of us in line seemed to be ordering them, so I figured I would give them a shot. They turned out to be quite good. They were deep-fried, so a nice crust formed on the outside that was firm, but not overly crunchy. The inside, although cooked through, managed to maintain a little firmness. The lime and salsa were also a nice match, adding some acidity and heat to keep things interesting.

Rajas Tamal

Eric ordered this tamale for his appetizer. I believe the tamale was filled with roasted poblano peppers, corn and monterrey jack cheese. I tried a little, but wasn't overly impressed. It seemed a little dull and bland.

Fish Tacos

Eric and I both ordered these fish tacos as our main dish for the evening. The fish was deep-fried in a nice batter and then stuffed into the soft taco shell along with some red cabbage, sliced cucumbers, and a spicy mayo sauce. In terms of taste, I thought the tacos were great. My only complaint was the size. It honestly took me like three bites to finish each taco. I wouldn't exactly say I was stuffed by the end of the meal.

Since we finished our meal at El Pelon with a little less than a full stomach, we stopped by Coldstone Creamery on our walk back to the apartment. At the time, Coldstone was offering several special, limited-time only combinations. I forget what the exact name was of the one we ordered, but I remember it having oatmeal raisin ice-cream mixed with apples, caramel, and some nuts.

It was my first time having Coldstone ice-cream, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the ice-cream to be exceptionally smooth and creamy. I thought the whole mix-in-your-ingredients concept was a little gimmicky at first, but after experiencing it first hand, it definitely works. Almost $5 for ice-cream is a little steep though, but I suppose it's worth it.

Tamarind Bay

Last week we were in the mood for some Indian food, so we did some research and put together a list of possible restaurants to try. Posters on Chowhound recommended a few places in Cambridge, particularly Tamarind Bay, so we decided to give it a shot. Tamarind Bay is located right in the heart of Harvard Square on the corner of JFK and Winthrop Street. I had never heard of this place but apparently, Zagat awarded Tamarind Bay the highest rating for food among Indian restaurants in the US this past year. The Boston Globe and Boston Phoenix also recognized Tamarind Bay as one of the best new restaurants of 2004.

Eric and Meat joined me for the lunch buffet, which Tamarind Bay offers everyday. The buffet includes about five or six main courses, various sauces and condiments, and as much nan bread as you can eat. It’s a decent spread of food, although I was expecting there to be a few more dishes for some reason. For only $8.95, I guess you really can’t complain.

Of all the dishes, the tandoori murgh was my favorite. Chicken pieces were first marinated in yogurt, paprika, and nutmeg and then baked in a clay oven. The chicken really picked up the flavors of the seasoning and tasted a bit smoky. The only thing I did not particularly like was having to detach the meat from the various bones, which got a little messy.

Some of the other dishes included basmati rice, achari murgh, aloo mutter curry, bhindi masala, and dal tadka. The achari murgh was another chicken dish I believe, although this time the meat was a little on the tougher side and the flavoring was different. It was cooked in Indian Pickle spices and finished in a dark red sauce. It was quite spicy I might add as well. The aloo mutter curry was much more mild and agreeable to my palate – potatoes, onions, and green peas were stewed together in a yellowish, curry sauce. The bhindi masala was an okra dish, and the dal tadka, which is a Northern Indian specialty, was soft lentils fried in some onion, coriander and cumin.

We finished the meal with the dessert soup shown above. The main ingredients were likely coconut milk and sugar. It was slightly sweet and reminded us of the tapioca soups served at the end of meals at Chinese restaurants. The soup was served luke-warm, though it probably would have been more refreshing if it had been chilled.

I really love buffets in general, and I always take the opportunity to get my money’s worth and eat to my heart’s content. I do not eat Indian food that often, but for what it’s worth, I thought the quality of the food was quite good.

Grotto

This past week has been terrible in many respects, and I'm glad to have it over with. The one highlight, however, was dinner Saturday night with Eric and Meat at Grotto. The weather wasn't ideal to travel in but considering this past week's torrential down pours, Saturday night's scattered showers and light misting didn't seem all that bad in comparison.

Grotto is an Italian restaurant located on Bowdoin Street in the exclusive Beacon Hill area of Boston and is only a few blocks away from the State House. I really didn't know what to expect, but from the reviews I had read, most people had only positive things to say about it. I had also checked out Grotto's website beforehand, and it was not particularly sleek or well formatted like many other restaurants', so I had a feeling that Grotto would be somewhat “rustic.”

I would definitely describe the restaurant’s interior as eclectic. When we entered the restaurant, we walked down a few steps into the dining area, which is located on the building’s basement level. One of the first things I noticed was that quite a few water and gas pipes were visible and exposed. Jazz-themed paintings lined the brick walls, and two gypsy-style chandeliers hung from the ceiling. There were also a few flower and vegetable arrangements throughout the room, which added to the room’s character.

Grotto is a very small restaurant - maximum capacity could not be more than about 30 diners. Grotto won't ever be able to boast huge volume and turnover numbers each night like larger establishments, but the one advantage of its small size is better quality control. The head chef/owner poked his head into the dining room a few times, and it’s comforting from a diner's perspective to know that the main man is in the kitchen overseeing the preparation of your dishes, if not preparing them himself. Grotto is clearly about quality food, and from the handful of dishes we ordered, it's quite evident the head chef is very talented and knows what he's doing.

Grotto’s menu is pretty limited, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it’s better to do only a few things effectively and consistently, which is exactly what Grotto accomplishes. We all decided to go with the $33 tasting menu, which is pretty affordable compared to the pre-fixe offerings at other places. Included were an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

Crab ravioli, saffron, asparagus, and toasted pistachio nuts

Meat ordered this crab ravioli dish, and I only got a small sampling, but from what I had, I liked it alot. I actually wish I ordered it for myself. I've had other lobster/crab ravioli before and with all of them, I found that the crab or lobster flavor was too subtle. Not the case with these raviolis, however. The crab was very prominent, and the saffron sauce acted as a nice complement.

Gnocchi, braised short ribs, mushrooms, and gorgonzola

Eric and I both order this for our appetizer, and I was pretty pleased with the choice. The gnocchi were light and fluffy, absorbing alot of the rich sauce. The short rib meat was very tender and flavorful. The gorgonzola was scattered throughout the dish and slowly melted, binding both the gnocchi and meat together.

Grilled proscuitto wrapped beef tenderloin, Reggiano risotto, grilled asparagus, and a red wine sauce

I ordered the tenderloin for my entree. It had a warm, pink center and was cooked medium as requested. As expected, the beef was extremely tender and juicy. However, I didn't think the proscuitto added a whole lot, and I think bacon would have worked better. Accompanied with the beef was a bed of risotto, which was smooth and creamy. I believe parmesan was the main flavor agent. I was in the mood for meat, so I ordered this dish, and although it was good, I probably should have ordered a more exotic dish and changed it up a bit. Oh well.

Pan seared jumbo sea scallops, pumpkin risotto, chanterelle mushrooms, pomegranates, and chestnut sauce

Eric and Meat both ordered this dish. Just from the ingredients, you can tell that it's a special dish made for the fall season. The dish got great marks for presentation. The mushroom risotto was stuffed into a whole roasted baby pumpkin, and the pan seared sea scallops were arranged nicely on the side. Overall, Eric and Meat seemed pretty pleased, although Eric thought that his risotto was a little undercooked since it was a bit on the chewy side.

Banana Bread Pudding with Caramel Ice-cream

This banana bread pudding was one of the desserts we ordered. One of the first things Meat noticed was that it was very sweet. The banana bread pudding also seemed to drown out the caramel flavor of the ice-cream. Nevertheless, this dish was quite satisfying.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Eric got the creme brulee. I tried a little, and it was very smooth and creamy with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the meal. We paid just about the same amount per person at Sibling Rivalry and got an extra dish basically. Our servers were also very attentive and amiable. The quality of the food was top notch, and I think that's what matters most at any restaurant.

Well, that's about it, folks. If our meal at Grotto was any indication of things to come, this upcoming week should be a whole better...I'm counting on it.

Taiwan Cafe

Because of the little “incident” last Friday, most of us were not in the mood (or condition for some…) to try Taiwan Café as planned. We postponed our visit to this weekend and unfortunately, the weather was atrocious. Despite the conditions outside, we braved the wind and rain to head into Chinatown to have dinner at Taiwan Café. The things we will do in the name of food!

Finding the restaurant was a bit of an adventure. Taiwan Café is located in Chinatown on Oxford “Street,” though a more accurate label would be “sketchy alleyway.” As with most Chinese restaurants around Boston, Taiwan Café is a small, homely no-frills kind of place that serves up affordable, down-to-earth food rather than pretension or over-priced fare.

We had a decent sized group with us, which included Eric, Ivan, Tom, Kirstin, Joe, John and Veronica, and when we arrived, the hostess promptly seated us at a large, circular table by the window. Around the dining room, I spotted a few families and couples, all of which looked like regular locals - good sign. The dishes on nearby tables looked appetizing, and all kinds of savory smells permeated the room.

There was a considerable amount of buildup because I had never tried Taiwanese cuisine. If we were going to do this, I wanted to do it right, to have the real deal, to experience Taiwanese cuisine as it should be. We were fortunate to have Tom along with us who is Taiwanese, and he had an idea of some good, traditional dishes to order. He talked for quite a while with this middle-aged waitress serving our table. I think he liked her.

We started the meal with a few appetizers, which I am told are a significant part of Taiwanese meals. The food came out extremely quickly. It could not have been more than five minutes before the first few dishes started arriving at our table. Honestly, deciding on what to order took longer.

Stewed Minced Pork over Rice

Sometime during the ordering process there was a little miscommunication and only two of these were ordered. However, I did get to try this simple, yet satisfying starter. The minced pork tasted like it was cooked in some soy and oyster sauce, and the pickled vegetables on the side added a refreshing dimension.

Chilled Spicy Beef Tendon

We were feeling adventurous and took a page out of the DeepEndDining playbook, ordering some mildly outrageous, out-of-the-ordinary dishes, one of which was this chilled spicy beef tendon dish. Although the beef tendon were firm to the tooth and slightly chewy, they were shaved thinly, which made them pretty easy to eat.

Blood Pudding Rice Cake with Gravy

Hmm, not too sure what to make of this dish. The name of this one was what made us order it. I had never eaten blood pudding before, so I didn't really know what to expect. The blood pudding had a semi-sticky consistency and was covered in a sugar and nut mixture. The accompanying sauce was a little sweet but didn't do alot to enhance the flavor in my opinion.

Steamed Taro over Pork Belly in Special House Sauce

I liked this dish a lot and was one of my favorites of the night. The pork belly was nice and fatty, and the taro was soft and not too starchy.

Beef with Chinese Watercress in Sa-Tay Sauce

I liked this dish alot as well, although my only complaint is that it was a little oily. The pieces of beef were cut fairly small so they were coated by the tasty sa-tay sauce. The vegetable stalks, with their hollow centers, also absorbed alot of sauce flavor. They weren't overcooked either, so they retained a little crispness.

Homestyle Braised Eggplant with Basil

Eric had done some research about good dishes to order at Taiwan Cafe, and alot of posters of Chowhound recommended this braised eggplant dish, which did turn out to be quite good. The eggplant had a firm, yet tender consistency and weren't mushy. Every few bites there was a hint of heat from the chilis, and the basil flavor was very strong but didn't overpower the dish.

Oyster Omelette with Gravy

The oyster omelette is one of the most popular dishes in Taiwanese cuisine, so we had to order it. The dish reminded me of a Chinese-style pancake rather than what I gerenally think of as an omelette. My slice didn't have any oysters in it but regardless, I liked the dish alot.

Mustard Greens with Edamame and Bean Curd

This was probably one of my least favorite dishes and one of the weaker ones. The mustard greens were cooked in a light, clear sauce. The soybeans were also pretty bland I thought, although I guess they were a good source of protein for the night.

Pickled Mustard Greens with Intestine and Blood Pudding

This blood pudding and intestine dish was another one of the dishes ordered for its shock value. I wasn't particularly a fan though. It reminded me way too much of hot and sour soup.

Taiwan Style Pan Fried Dumplings

These dumplings were one of the last dishes to arrive, and there was some discussion at the table whether they were made fresh from scratch since they took so long. The dumplings were much like Japanese gyoza but larger and more rectangular in shape. The filling was a nice pork-vegetable mixture. According to Ivan, there was too much meat, and if his mom were eating the dumplings, she would have commented on the meat-to-dough ratio too. "It's all about the dough, you know."

Considering the amount we paid, I was pretty pleased with the quality and quantity of food. I would actually like to go back to Taiwan Cafe to try some of their other dishes. So overall, I was pretty pleased with my first experience eating Taiwanese cuisine, although it's still not clear to me what exactly gives it its unique identity... Our next culinary adventure will be at Grotto, so check back next week.