Ahoy mateys!

On a dreary Saturday, I decided to head to the supermarket and prepare myself for bunkering in for the weekend.  Strolling through the aisles aimlessly when lo and behold, I saw an oasis in the desert - a seafood sale!  I picked up 2 lobsters, a dozen blue crabs, a dozen giant clams, and 1/2 lb. of shrimp.  I quickly rushed to the cashier and paid the $26 due, and sped straight home. 

Most folks are probably familiar with a lobster bake or a clam bake.  But since I do not have the necessary equipment, I decided to steam everything.  After about 30 minutes of total cook and prep time, I had my feast in front of me.  An hour and a full belly later, I was snoozing with a smile...

Like Butter...

Feels like I haven't really dined out in quite awhile, but I guess I made up for it with last night's meal. On a beautiful Thursday night in NYC, I made reservations for Butter, a stylish Noho restaurant serving American cuisine. Despite being 30 minutes late for my 7:30 pm reservation (due to no fault of my own), the restaurant was more than accomodating to seat us promptly. The space itself was pretty nice - a good size dining room with an arched roof and a lower level with additional tables. We started off with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir and then off to the food...

Amuse Bouche

• Fried Risotto Ball
  Not the best start. Crispy crust filled a mushy risotto on the inside. Didn't have much flavor.

Appetizers

• Glazed Pork Belly
  Not bad, but not exceptional. I love pork belly, and this one was about average. Was a little too salty.
• Cherry Tomato, Yellow Cucumber and Galia Melon Salad (brined goat cheese)
  A terrific salad. The goat cheese (which we thought initially as cream cheese) really held the salad together. Anyone looking at my size can tell that I am not a big fan of the salad, but this was great.
• Raw Hamachi with Yuzu
  A forgettable take on hamachi sashimi. The yuzu sauce drowned out the taste of the fish.
• CherryTomato Pizza w/ Balsamic
  Wasn't expecting "pizza" to be served, but nonetheless, this was very tasty. The thin bread was smothered with a cheese I can't recall the name of, and topped with cherry tomatoes and a balsamic reduction.
• Homemade Nettle and Saffron Ravioli (mascarpone cheese, poached farm egg, crispy shallots)
  An ok dish. The saffron taste was a bit on the strong side. The raviolis were very filling.
• Cavatappi Pasta w/ Spicy Lamb Sausage (yellow tomato sauce)
  Tasty pasta with a unique yellow tomato sauce. Lamb flavor was not overpowering, but a good complement.
• Soft Shell Crab (scotch bonnet chili and pickled kirby salsa)
  This had mixed reactions at the table. I thought the crab was decent though a tad bit spicy. My guest thought it was gross and didn't finish it.
• Florida Shrimp "a la Plancha" (grilled asparagus and roasted parsnips w/ a walnut grappa salsa)
  Well seasoned shrimp topped with asparagus. Simple presentation, but tasty.
• Pan Seared Skate
  Perfectly cooked and seasoned. Fish was fresh and flaky. I would order this as an entree.

Entrees

• Duck Confit (grilled local frisee, fried keisae onions and fresh gooseberry jam)
  I have not had too many "confits" before, but this was just delicious. When it first came out like a lump of meat, I wasn't so sure. But after a few bites, I was hooked. The natural duck flavors were terrific.
• Strip Steak (sauteed lamb's quarter and watercress, sage potatoes and sauce gribiche)
  Ugh... this was the biggest disappointment of the night. One of the worse steaks I've ever had. It felt like half of it was fat and whatever meat was left was overcooked. I barely could stomach half of it.
• Pork Tenderloin
  Decent clean prepartion of tenderloin cuts. Super tender and subtle in flavor.

Desserts

• Raspberry Beignets (vanilla dipping sauce)
  Sugar coated, raspberry jam filled, donuts without the hole were all the rave at my table. The vanilla dipping sauce really sets off this sweet concoction. The waiter also said that this is their most popular dessert.
• Warm Chocolate Cake (sour cream ice cream)
  Decent standard chocolate cake at my restaurants. Not a big fan of th accompanying ice cream though.
• Caramelized Peach Upside Down Cake (homemade ricotta, toasted coriander, and lemon verbena)
  I'm not a fan of any kinds of fruit in my dessert, so this was definitely the least favorite of them all.
• Chocolate Truffles
  The capper for the evening. Delicious truffles from their in-house master chocolateer.

Overall, the meal was very good. This epic meal lasted 3 hours plus. Some of the more exceptional dishes were the Duck Confit, Cherry Tomato Salad, Pan Seared Skate, and apparently the Raspberry Beignets. I have never heard so many Mmm's and OMG's before... not at a meal anyways...

NOTE: Apologies for not having more photos of the meal. It was difficult to snap photos given the company I was with. I promise more photos in my next outing.

Take me out to the ballgame...

Finally made the trek out to Queens to check out the brand new Citi Fields, where the hometown Mets took on my beloved Philadelphia Phillies. The weather has been hot, humid, and sunny all week, but wouldn't you know it, it rained on the day I have tickets to the game. Despite the soggy conditions (and my timely cold), I stuck it out, had a small tasty morsel for dinner, and saw the game... rain delay and all...

Welcome to Citi Fields!

Waiting it out during the 76 minute rain delay in my left field seat. Good thing it was underneath the upperdeck, so didn't get wet at all.

Shake Shack: home to one of the best burgers in the city. Unfortunately, the line was crazy long, and my belly could not wait 30 minutes to get fed. Oh well, I could always hit the Shake Shack in the city.

So I had to settle for Taqueria, a Mexican outpost across the alleyway from Shake Shack. I ordered the 'Combo', which came with 3 soft tortilla tacos - carnitas, beef, and chicken. They came with 3 sides of salsa, which outside of their color, I cannot tell apart. The tacos themselves were pretty tasty, with a decent amounts of meats mixed with onions and cilantro. Even so, after quickly inhaling my dinner, I wished I had exhibited a little patience and gotten a Shake Shack burger.

And for those that are actually interested in the score of the game, the Phillies lost 4-2. Will the real Cole Hamels please stand up?

Indo in the BK

Walking into Java Indonesian Rijsttafel, a homey Indonesian (obviously!) restaurant in the baby stroller district of Park Slope in Brooklyn, I wasn't sure what to expect. But being a full time lover in my affair with food, I kept an open mind as I made my first foray into the cuisine of Indonesia. Sadly, the verdict was mixed.

Lumpia
Egg rolls stuffed with ground beef and vegetables. This appetizer came with a spicy sour sauce and a thick lemongrassy sauce. Sauces were decent but the rolls themselves were a tad mushy, with little flavor. It was not a good start...

Tahu Isi

Fried bean curd stuffed with shrimp, celery, and scallion. These fried asian hot pockets also came with the thick lemongrassy sauce. Though the tofu had good consistency as well as a decent amount of stuffing, they fell short again on flavor. Sadly, dousing them with generous amounts of sauce could not resuscitate these bad boys back to life.

Kare Ayam

Chicken with curry and hot spices simmered in coconut milk. Though the sauce was a little heavy in coconut milk (and thereby taming the flavors of curry and spices), the overall dish was enjoyable. Not to nitpick too much, but the chicken was slightly overcooked and felt a tad dry. Still, it was a tasty plate of curry.

Java Special Udang

Jumbo shrimps, fried bean curd, and hot green peppers simmered in a soya bean sauce. When the plate was first made its appearance on the table, I have to admit that my initial impression was not good. The mud-like color of the sauce with a handful of mysterious slop on top of the shrimps did not at all come across as being too appetizing. This goes to show you, you can't judge a book by its cover (mostly anyways). This dish was my favorite of the night. The sauce tasted of a blend of pepper, soy, and a spice that I can't put my finger on. The shrimp, though a little smaller than I would've liked, tasted fresh and were cooked nicely. The bean curd in the dish was more of an afterthought to me, though still tasty. Mix some of the sauce with the accompanying white rice, throw in a couple of Singha beers, and my belly was crying no more.

and Who's Thisty??

Feeling you had rough week? Looking for a drink to drown your sorrows? Just a plain ol' alcoholic?

Well if you're one or more of the above, come on down to Mercury Bar East this Thursday (8/13) as yours truly will be a guest bartender from 6:30 pm - 9 pm. Not only will I be pouring your favorite beverage from behind the bar, I will also be toasting with you as I hand out a few free rounds. There's also a free OPEN BAR on wells and domestic beers from 9 pm - 10 pm if you RSVP. So come one, come all.

Mercury Bar East
493 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10016

* Not responsible for any actions resulting from the mass consumption of alcohol.

Who's hungry?

Welcome folks to the inaugural edition of my new blog, Food Tease. The blog will be mainly focused on my everyday journey into the world of food. Whether it be a lavish night dining around New York City or a simple quiet meal for one at home, I will be sharing with you all the good, bad, and the tasty of my gastronomic adventure.

Like many of you, I follow the old adage "Live to Eat" rather than "Eat to Live". There's nothing like the experience of enjoying good food, and I eat them all (well maybe not durian) - sushi, antelope, jellyfish, you name it. Though I tend to eat out more often than not, I also like to dabble in the culinary arts (with mixed results). With the help of some guest bloggers, the successful dishes from myself and my friends will also be documented here.

So welcome again, and look for my first food post soon!