wilsonrabbit

I recently used a bunch of buttermilk....oh 2 cups worth-ish to marinate some pork chops. It seemed like such a waste to dump it, but is it ok to reuse this buttermilk with some porky fluids including a bit of blood? I tried to do a search but came up empty. Aside from what the pork chops added, I did not add any seasonings, etc... to it. Obviously I would want to use it in something that requires cooking of the buttermilk. But will that suffice or will I poison everyone at breakfast with buttermilk pancakes and then at dinner with buttermilk biscuits? And would the addition of the pork fluids impart an odd taste? Thanks!

It's been a while since I've gone...maybe a year now? I no longer remember which ramen I ordered but I was unimpressed. So unimpressed, I can't remember what it tasted like. Santouka on the other hand...mmmm.... Considering how relatively close the two are by car, I wouldn't bother with Batten. I don't understand why folks rave about it. It's just...ok to me. I must be missing something...ordering the wrong ramen bowl...something!?!? I can't wait to try Ippudo though!

I'm so sad that I need to chime in on the negative side here. I'd only gone back once prior since their reopening, but I didn't order anything "interesting" as my sister wanted a bunch of rolls so I shared with her. I believe someone had ordered the una ju which was still good then. Tonight, I thought we'd be in for a treat to munch here once more. We were all terribly disappointed. Quite frankly, it appeared as if it'd been sold off to a non-Japanese owner. The sashimi quality was like your average sushi joint around the block. I ordered the chirashi which was just horrible. I've personally never had it with cuttlefish(?) and there was a ton of it. All of it unchewable and tasteless. There was no salmon roe either!! I'd never experienced that before anywhere. They put a small spoonful of flying fish roe in its place. The fish pieces were tiny slivers of blah and a paltry amount at that. And a good quarter of the bowl was shaved radish and the biggest lump of ginger ever. It was the type of ginger I only see in the Chinese-owned sushi places too. The una ju was not deliciously fatty. Rather, it was filled with many many MANY bones. The negimaki had "lost weight" and wasn't as tasty as before either. No, I didn't eat *all* of this myself. Not having been on egullet for a while, I hadn't realized that others had noted this since their reopening. I'm incredibly disappointed. Now where will I go for excellent Japanese food? All the good places seems to be closing shop. =( Didn't Koyama close recently as well? I think this is the place in Cliffside Park that I've heard lots of folks recommend. Or it a different one in CP? Unfortunately, it's a bit of a hike for me. I wonder whether Sakura Bana's 2nd shop that opened in the Palisades Mall had anything to do with this decline in quality. I haven't gone. We didn't recognize any of the waitstaff tonight which was shocking. Not sure about the sushi chefs. Didn't look. Maybe they all left as they were too ashamed to serve this to their loyal customers.

I'm soooo disappointed I missed this event even though I'd been planning to go. The last time I had fresh takoyaki was...in all places...London on the streets a number of years ago. Let's hear a report so that I can experience it vicariously. ;P

Oh! I just saw that roving hot dog this past Wed on Broadway in Hillsdale near Hillsdale Ave! I wonder where they were en route to then. I did see it say Munchmobile but had no clue about it. I feel better now that's been answered. ;D

I'm just catching up on the last couple month's post on this, and I'm starting to wonder whether this place is a real hit or miss. After the very impressive first time there, I went back a few weeks later for lunch to a huge disappointment. The flavors were lacking and the crust was burnt on the bottom but a soggy mess on top. If this were my first experience, I wouldn't go back. Actually, I haven't been back since because I feel like it's playing russian roulette. Maybe it was bad because Roberto wasn't at the oven? Either way, it completely killed any intense hankerings for their pizzas I had initially.

The Record showcased this place on the front page of the Food section. You can read it here: http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...nFlZUVFeXkxNQ== I guess this place will be mobbed now that more people will hear about it. I really enjoyed their pizzas and look forward to returning to try them *all* out and the additions to the menu. =9~ I too like Brooklyn's but one thing missing from theirs (disregarding all else) is the char flavor (from the apple and cherry woods?) in the crust that A Mano's has. Yum! What does Brooklyn burn in their ovens that makes it lack the flavor?

I've not been to Shanghai Park so I can't comment, but I used to go to Grand Shanghai. However, when the ownership (management?) changed hands, I found their food went downhill. It's ok, but certainly not as tasty as before. As a result, I have not returned for the past year or so. As an attempt to get back on topic, how do the styles of food differ on new year's between northern and southern (such as Hong Kong) styles? I've only ever experienced Hong Kong style. I would be surprised if northern style were just special dumplings (as with the offering from King's Village mentioned above). In which case, does anyone know of a northern style restaurant offering "traditional" new year's food? Dim Sum Dynasty in Ridgewood has some special set menus to choose for new year's.

Alas, Udoms is closed. I swung by today and there is a court order for them to vacate the premises. Something like that. I also tried Giant but no luck there either but overall, they've got nice variety and great prices. Thanks all for the suggestions. If I do find it, I will post for future seekers.

Oh great! Thanks! Fast reply too! I never knew this place existed. Maybe I'll get myself some pandan leaves too!

I'm searching for a good source of galangal (the root that looks like ginger but isn't) in Bergen county. I thought the King Fung in River Edge had it, but I couldn't find it today...unless it's in the frozen section. I forgot to look. I don't recall seeing it frozen in the past though that doesn't mean it's not hiding there. Does anyone know for sure where I can get my grubby hands on good specimens versus sorry looking mouldy ones that really belong in the rubbish bins (ok, compost bins)? I know there are a lot of Korean markets in Fort Lee...like Chang's (?) by the Fort Lee Community Center but I didn't think Koreans used galangal. Mitsuwa didn't have it either but that's not surprising since I don't think Japanese use it either. Unfortunately, I need this by Friday. I'd appreciate your suggestions! Thanks!

I don't know about *best*, but I did enjoy Won Jo's (or however it's spelled) down in Edgewater by the Binghamton. I enjoyed even more the Palisadium in Cliffside Park. I think that's what it's called. It's either called Palisadium or it's in that building. I was confused when I went and still am. Never mind that I read the menu....As far as I recall, both have table BBQ. There was a really tasty one too in Fort Lee with a garden in a 'traditional' looking building. It looked closed for renovations though when I went last year. I can't recall the name but it's real close to the GWB by the Helmsey development land thing and the Sally Ling's/It's Greek to Me/etc strip mall. For soft tofu places, my favorite one closed but my friend likes the one on Main St in Fort Lee. I have no clue what it's called. I just know where it is (real close to the Hudson Terrace/River Rd juncture). The restaurant is actually set in from the road so you don't see if it you're not looking. I don't like this place as much but plenty of people do from the crowds. For really traditional stuff (smelly and spicy) there's Gami-ok (or whatever) that's a 24 hr joint also on Main St but where Alfredo's used to be. My stomach was not fit for this food and I suffered the consequences. Is it good? The steady flow of people say yes and a korean friend said yes but I couldn't tell. My mouth was on fire. There's plenty more places of course but what memory I have is a sieve. Sorry.

Woah! I passed by a few times recently and the lot was full to the brim with cars!! I've never seen Office Depot fill it like that and so consistently to boot! I'm afraid to maneuver through that... I'm curious as to whether it's any better than the Westwood one. More space for the same stuff? Or is there actually more variety (excluding the booze)? Anonymouze, you have my sympathy as well. I hope you are doing well.

Though it's been a while since I posted pics from my dinners, I've been accruing them over the summer. Here's some of the tasty stuff I've had since my last posting. Unfortunately, I haven't fixed my point and shoot camera so the pics are rather poor from my phone. They're still Mmm though! I think these were cuttlefish tentacles with water spinach. This was quite tasty! The cuttlefish were a bit dry (relatively speaking) yet surprisingly tender (for its dryness) but it was done on purpose. I don't recall if they were actually dried tentacles that are reconstituted or whether the preparation technique makes them dry to impart the flavor. My description sounds terrible but it was really quite good! The texture was actually interesting. I'm not sure how to describe this well and in an appetizing manner. I think this is called Pine Cone Fish in a black bean sauce. On the menu, I think it is served with a sweet and sour sauce. Try it with the black bean sauce for variety. They cut the fish so that when it is fried with the batter, it curls (like squid) with the end result looking like a pine cone. For those who don't like fish skin and fatty fish, don't eat this. For those who relish it, it's quite yummy. The next few pictures are fish done in two ways. The fish is turned into a wonderfully complex and flavorful soup that is dense with fish goodness (think light version of oxtail soup with all it's marrow). This lip smacking soup is the first method of serving: You're given the contents of the soup to munch on but it's still part of the first serving. It's usually got watercress, silky soft tofu, mushrooms, the fish (watch out for bones), ginger...It's got a wonderfully yummy sauce you can dip the stuff in to. It's not just soy sauce...the chef clearly does something to it that makes it particularly tasty. I personally like to drink some soup and then eat some soup contents to keep the flavors dancing in my mouth. The second method of serving the same fish is in XO sauce. You can get it anyway you like (or what they recommend). I forget what this is called, but it is prepared in the same manner as the 2nd serving method of peking duck in two ways except we asked that it be made with seafood (no duck was ordered). I think I posted pics of the duck version before. It was quite good and a nice alternative to the duck version. A close-up of lettuce leaf and contents: Baked Portuguese Curry Fried Rice. Yum!! You have to call ahead to order this because it takes too long otherwise. It's fried rice with a creamy portuguese curry sauce on top. The whole thing is then baked which results in a very slight crust and a lot of flavor. It's a bit heavy for the stomach but well worth it I think! And because it's so flavorful, I don't think it should be served as the accompanying starch with the food. Rather, order regular rice and eat this as a separate dish. Otherwise, it will overpower the flavors of everything else. Ever since we had their fried oysters, we've been experimenting with different ways of eating it. All have been excellent! Here is Oysters with Ginger and Scallions on the Sizzling Plate (the cast iron thing shaped like a cow on a wood board). It was fun scraping off the stuck bits that were sizzled slightly crispy. Mmm! It's akin to eating the charred meat off the grill...ya know? Here is Oysters and Bitter Melon Casserole. I also like the cassersole variation of oysters with ginger and scallions but I don't seem to have a pic of it. Check out the size of that oyster! I think it was bigger than the serving spoon! We also started to fiddle with eel. These are also really quite good, but not always available, just like the oysters. If you really want to eat either, tell them beforehand so they can get you some since they may not have any on hand. Here is Eel fried in batter. The batter is light and crispy and there are bits of fried shallots and fried garlic(?) and dried hot pepper in some salt seasoning. Yum. The fried oysters are also served like this. Here, the eel is sauteed with Chinese Chives and some veggies. Very very flavorful! Again, both eel dishes have the skin intact and a bit fatty so if you're not into that, you may want to stay away or see if it can be made skinless without compromising flavor and/or texture. This is an experimental dish that we asked the chef to whip up. It's like the money bags from dim sum but here, they are steamed and filled with a seafood mix including scallops, shrimp, water chestnut (forget what else...) and I think tied with lily stem or something (I know it when I come across it) . It's topped with some roe (crab? I'm so forgetful). The skins are not the dough type from dim sum but rather egg whites which made for a very delicate and silky skin. Quite tasty. Even tastier with a bit of vinegar. E-noodles with lobster in a butter based sauce. Yummmmmm! The lobster is first fried up a bit in some batter (typical preparation) and then sauteed with the butter based sauce which results in great flavor enveloping the sweet and juicy lobster. Perfectly done! The lobster almost tastes grilled but I think it's from the high heat of the preparation? The butter sauce is sort of creamy in texture which mixes quite well with the soft noodles. It's quite rich tasting but it doesn't kill you like the curry fried rice. Satay eggplant and seafood casserole. The satay flavor is great with a bit of sweetness from pineapples. The eggplant chunks were soft and buttery which contrasted the relatively "harder" tender seafood. This dish was thought up for us on the fly! Excellent results for something so impromptu. Snow pea tips have been posted before. Here's a variation of the garlic preparation with the use of roasted garlic. They're slightly sour but still sweet. The snow pea tips were tender and delicious. I'm just drooling from thinking about these dishes. I hope you guys derive as much gastronomical enjoyment from this place as I do.

Well, I've never gone to pick, but I do receive some of their fruits from my CSA share. So far, it's been rather tasty! I do believe they are organic because my CSA is and it wouldn't make sense for them to get us fruit that were pesticide laden.