From hole-in-the-walls to Michelin-starred institutions
November 7, 2018
After a good night’s rest and room service, I quickly ate some breakfast and got ready for Day 2.
Our first stop was at St. Paul’s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On our way there, we did some street photography against many colored walls. Everywhere you turned, there was a photogenic building or a cool street with patterns and eye-catching designs.
A photographer’s playground of textures, light and shadows, and colors.
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Restaurant: Cho Dang Gol
Address: 55 W 35th St New York, NY 10001
Dish: Seafood tofu
Thoughts: Cold February weather meant sundubu, and what better place to have it than Cho Dang Gol. Located outside of proper Ktown, this old school eatery is known for serving freshly homemade, organic tofu. My friend Kat and I sat there in eager anticipation for the spicy tofu in bubbling cauldrons and it didn’t disappoint.
Restaurant: Carbone
Address: 181 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
Dish: Veal Parm
Thoughts: I didn’t fall in love with food until I moved to New York in June 2007. My world changed after tasting Mamoun’s falafel, NYC pizza, quality sushi, and other cuisines not available in Durham, NC. Like any other journey, my path to being foodie can be summarized in a few special milestones. Once you hit a milestone, you essentially level up and don’t look back. The tasting menu at Torrisi on 5/2/2012 was one of these milestones that changed my perspective on flavors and textures. Also, the chefs didn’t take themselves too seriously so the menu was whimsical in its riffs on traditional dishes.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Carbone so when I met up with my friend Audrey, I didn’t mind the fact that we had to wait even though we had a reservation. Even when the wait stretched to 15 minutes, I smiled and wondered if the rigatoni vodka tasted as good as it looked on all those Instagram pics. (It was pretty good but not $35 good)
I really enjoyed the veal parm. At $55, the price was commensurate with size….this thing was Flintstonian in nature that Audrey and I barely finished. Nice sauce with breadcrumbs.
Restaurant: Lowlife
Address: CLOSED
Dish: Yakitori Chicken
Thoughts:Met up with Matt who I met off of Instagram for the first time. A talented photographer and blogger - go check out his feed! We ordered a few dishes but the best dish of the night was a happy accident. Wilson Tang, owner of Nom Wah and Fung Tu was sitting behind us and ordered the chicken. The server brought his chicken to us (at the time, we didn’t know and thought it was a comp) and we were blown away by the flavor of the bird and the cook on it from the binchotan. Sorry not sorry Wilson! Unfortunately, due to a few reasons, the restaurant shut down a few months later.
Last week's EATS
Restaurant: Hominy Grill
Address: 207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403
Dish: Shrimp and Grits, Charleston Nasty
Thoughts: In February, I went on a gastrovacation to charming Charleston with my friend Suleen. Our first stop was at Hominy Grill, a homey eatery specializing in Lowcountry classics. Our first dish in Charleston ended up being our favorite rendition of shrimp and grits for the trip. Sweet, local shrimp on top of a simple pile of grits. Sublime. If you have the best produce, you keep it simple and let the ingredients do the talking.
We also ordered the “Charleston Nasty” based off a recommendation of my friends, Ken and Christine. Huge slab of fried chicken slathered in sausage gravy on a biscuit. Pretty delicious but our favorite was still the shrimp and grits.
Restaurant: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Address: 501 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Dish: Ice Cream in a Cone
Thoughts: It wasn’t even planned but on our way back to the hotel, just across the street, was the sign for Jeni’s and I almost cartwheeled with glee. After having it a few times in NYC, and I believe once at a retail location in chicago, I was pumped to have my favorite ice cream again. After a few agonizing minutes of indecision, I settled on Pistachio and Honey + Pralines and Cream. An excellent choice. Since it was across the street from our hotel, we ended up going again 24 hrs later.
Restaurant: The Ordinary
Address: 544 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Dish: Fried Oyster Sliders, Squid Ink Shrimp and Grits
The Ordinary? More like The Extraordinary! -___-
As you walk in the restaurant, which used to be a bank back in the 20’s, you notice the soaring ceilings and the sheer amount of space. We were led to our table on the second floor and started off with these perfectly fried oyster sliders inside fluffy sweet Hawaiian rolls. The slaw added a an acidic tang that cut through the fried goodness. My favorite fried oysters in NYC is at Pearl’s Oyster Bar, but these come pretty close.
Another hit was their elevated rendition of juicy shrimp on a bed of squid ink grits. Compared to the simple and sweet shrimp and grits we had for brunch, Ordinary’s version was more smoky and tart from the sliced cherry tomatoes. I appreciate them experimenting but I still prefer the classic, lowcountry version.
Restaurant: Leon’s Oyster Shop
Address: 698 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Dish: Fried Chicken, Hush Puppies
Thoughts: Not sure how, but we were somehow hungry the next morning. We walked to Leon’s Oyster Shop and snagged a seat before the lunch crowd. We were rewarded with delicious fried chicken with extra crispy skin that encased two very juicy pieces (even the breast).
Even better than the fried chicken, was the BEST HUSHPUPPIES IN THE GALAXY with a side of honey butter. I’ve had my fair share of hush puppies, and most of the time the outside isn’t crisp enough. The inside if kinda flavorless or if it does have flavor, it’s pretty one note sorta like how the concertmaster plays that long A on the violin for the orchestra to tune up.
These freaking hush puppies was like the Rach 3. So many notes of flavor going on with each bite. I think i tasted onion, bell peppers, even a hint of spice in the fluffy cake-like interior. Crispy exterior too. These were so good, that we placed another order of hush puppies.
Restaurant: Martha Lou’s Kitchen
Address: 1068 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
Dish: Fried Chicken
Nothing notable to mention for saturday dinner (Husk) and Sunday (Magnolia’s and Minero’s) so here we are. Monday lunch. Our first stop was Bertha’s Kitchen where we got a bunch of fried things. A bit too greasy, salty, and sweet (candied yams). We decided to walk to Martha Lou’s for 2nd lunch…. 2.5 miles and 45 minutes later, we arrive and my shirt is soaked. Debra takes one look at me and starts laughing. “Oooh, honey child, you look like you need some water!”. We then proceeded to chow down on probably my favorite fried chicken ever. Loved the seasoning and the crunch of the batter.
We then spent the afternoon with Keith from Charleston Photography Tours. He drove us to some great locations for picturesque shots such as this canopy of trees and Boneyard Beach.
Restaurant: Fig
Address: 232 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401
Dish: razor clams, chicken liver pate
Thoughts: By the time dinner rolled around, we were famished. We had a reservation at the recently remodeled Fig and it was the best meal of the trip. Of particular resonance was a dish of chilled razor clams with a refreshing sauce with sweet and acidic notes. Another memorable dish was the best chicken liver pate I’ve had. Smeared a generous amount onto a small piece of buttery brioche and added Dijon mustard and pickles to cut through the buttery goodness. Obviously we ran out of brioche and asked for more.
Restaurant: Khe-Yo
Address: 157 Duane St, New York, NY 10013
Dish: Pho
Thoughts: This was the first time Rebecca came to try my favorite pho in the city and she LOVED it. As simple as it sounds, it all comes down to the quality ingredients. Creekstone Farms Brisket, Oxtail, and Eye Round. The noodles aren’t gummy and have a nice mouthfeel as you slurp the broth which is perfectly balanced and not as salty as other places. The finishing touch is the fried garlic paste and pickled chiles that adds an extra punch of umami and acidity to cut through the meaty broth. We’ve made many repeat visits since this initial phoday.
Restaurant: Duane Park Patisserie
Address: 179 Duane St, New York, NY 10013
Dish: lemon pound cake with cream cheese frosting
Thoughts: Picking just one thing from the display case at this patisserie is a Herculean task that I wrestle with every time I visit. Should I go with a almond pastry? Fruit tart? Oh look, chocolate cannele. On this fateful day, I discovered my favorite baked good there by accident. I’m still not sure why I picked the lemon pound cake with cream cheese frosting. It definitely wasn’t the prettiest belle at the ball. In any case, this cake was fluffy with just a hint of lemon (unlike the overpowering tart and sweetness of a key lime pie). I usually scrape off 90% of frosting off my cupcakes because it’s too sweet but this cream cheese version was delightful. If you ever find yourself in Tribeca, do yourself a favor and pick one up and pair it with a nice cappuccino.
Restaurant: Harbs
Address: 198 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Dish: royal milk tea, matcha with barley, strawberry shortcake
Thoughts: This cute Japanese café serves a little bit of everything but the tea and the cakes are the highlights. Went with Sohee on my first visit two hours before they closed and a few things stood out.
1) Everyone there was Asian. Not even like American Asian but like straight up Japanese and Korean.
2) It was as quiet as a library. No music. No noise except for the occasional clattering of silverware scraping the remaining crumbs of the cake. No talking really…..in fact, Sohee and I were whispering in hushed tones the entire time.
3) A great place to study or read in peace while sipping on your tea.
I ordered a cup of royal milk tea, perfectly creamy and slightly sweet. She ordered the opposite, a matcha with barley that was more astringent and earthy, an effective foil against the slice of strawberry shortcake we enjoyed. Strawberry shortcake is probably my favorite dessert and the best I’ve had is at Mad Hatter’s in North Carolina near the Duke campus. Harbs version is very clean and I wish it was just a tad sweeter.
Restaurant: Sons of Thunder
Address: 204 E 38th St, New York, NY 10016
Dish: salmon poke bowl
Thoughts: After trying out all the major poke players (Wisefish and Pokeworks) in 72 hours, I finally found my favorite. Sons of Thunder has the best quality fish. Their tuna and salmon are sushi grade and the salmon just melts on the tongue. The other two places I feel like the taste of the fish gets lost and mashes with the rice, seaweed, and other components.
This quality comes with a tradeoff – most of the bowls have predetermined ingredients while Wisefish and Pokeworks offer customizable options. I’m all for choice and customization but in this situation, I prefer having superior fish and rice quality. Besides the food quality, there is plenty of seating space and high ceilings whereas the competition has a cheaper, Chipotle feel with limited seating.
I first met Jae Lee in late 2012 through a mutual friend while Jae was sous chef at Morimoto’s eatery called Tribeca Canvas. Before they closed a year later, I was a regular there not just because it was across the street from my office, but because I enjoyed their Japanese take on comfort food (lamb ragu buns and braised pork ribs with a side of fried rice risotto was addictingly good). Jae did a short stint at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare before landing at Lexington Brass. My next dinner with Jae was at Zuma where he fed my friend and me copious amounts of sushi, black miso cod, and a huge tray of dessert that turned us into Violet Beauregard twins.
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