wilsonrabbit

Are you sure they still make the yakisoba there? I didn't see the big signs they used to have up before the renovation so I asked. The woman there at the time said unfortunately, they don't make stuff like that anymore. Was I misinformed or have they reverted to making them once more (lots of demand?)?

It just dawned on me that I had taken a pic of the fried soft shell crabs at Dim Sum Dynasty. I only had my phone on me, so pardon the poor quality. Also, this is only 1.5 crabs left on the plate. If anyone were planning on trying theirs out, I suggest calling them to see if they are still available. All this talk makes me want to go eat more! Well, I'd been planning to go to Sakura-bana this week so....=9

Not that I'm recommending, but if interested, there's Majestic up in Wayne by the mall. They're buffet style, but you can sit down and order entrees off the menu (which I prefer) for dinner. If I recall, the dim sum is available in push cart style with a guy up front frying up certain items if you request it. The normal buffet has a select few dim sum items available like dumplings and such but the weekend lunch is the actual dim sum carts. Also, I'm not a huge fan, but there's Canton Gourmet in Montvale on Chestnut Ridge Rd with push carts too. They get pretty packed on the weekends. Then there's always King Fung supermarket in River Edge with the hot foods section where you can pick up some dim sum to go. They've also got non-HK style items too. Also not my favorite, but when you're in a bind for some dim sum, I will go to one of these places.

Last week, I was a Dim Sum Dynasty in Ridgewood and they had some, fried with chilies and garlic I believe. Wow, it was really good. I'm not sure they're still available as a special. They may have already tapped out their supplier? My impression was that they were not going to be able to offer it beyond last weekend (even though I still see soft shell crab being sold elsewhere).

I was fortunate enough the other day to get to taste your delectable lunch offerings. Yum! Even the "typical" fare was out of this world. Yummy!! I will definitely be back. About your cheeses from the tasting event, are these available for purchase? I'd once had some sort of Grand Cru from Fox & Obel in Chicago (that was a lot of fun to explore) but I haven't found it here. I'd actually forgotten about it if not your mentioning it. I'd love to get my grubby hands on that again! As for your expansion ideas, that sounds great but I'd be most concerned about parking as well. Even with an expanded lot, being so close to the stop light could be a bottleneck in and out of the lot which could make parking that much harder. Can you expand into the rear thus making it accessible for both cars and people on both sides? I say rooftop dining with an herb garden to boot! Meanwhile, the scent of fried hot dogs and pork fried rice waft over from the restaurants next door....

I've been meaning to go to this place for years now but finally got around to it today. They're very nice and accomodating to your needs and requests. There's also a a couple of tables available for outdoor dining which was great with today's weather. Apparently, lunch is not as busy as evenings but considering it was the tail end of the lunch rush, it was a decent amount of occupied tables. As for food, it was good, but not extraordinary. Then again, I didn't order something out of the ordinary (spring allergies force me to restrict my diet). The ingredients were definitely fresh and picked at their prime (organic too!), though a few in the mesclun mix were showing a touch of deterioration. The tomatoes were great though-very red and flavorful. The food comes on large dishes to accomodate the portions. From looking at the menu selection, I'm guessing this place shines at dinner moreso then with the "typical" lunch fare of sandwiches and salads, though you can order the dinners anytime. Overall, I'd say the flavors are balanced and the meal light and refreshing on the stomach. I had no room for dessert but I left feeling healthy and refreshed. I'll have to come back and try their other offerings for a better estimation of the chef's abilities.

My garlic has sprouted which is a pleasant surprise because I nearly forgot to plant them in the fall (it was getting cold and they were semi-shriveled). I'm also growing a Chinese edible bush that a friend gave. No clue what it's called but we make soup out of it. Haven't gotten around to it yet but planning on growing some basil but overall, the yard is too shady for much veggies. I've done hydroponic growing (lettuce, spinach and herbs) in the past but again, the lighting wasn't optimal so it kinda bombed. Otherwise, it would have been awesome. I'm still contemplating a means to resurrect this project. I've grown beets, radishes and beans too in the past but you couldn't feed a child with the paltry yields. =P Not quite a brown thumb, but maybe I should move away from starting from seeds until I get better.

Ah, I found a little article in their media section of their website that talks about this. Not sure when the release of the article was. Looks like they're actually 5 oz containers, not 4 and there's more than just 2 types out there (not surprised there) and so there's a big range in pricing. It was also interesting to read about their packaging which is a clear plastic container. The type with those snap lids. Similar to their metal ones online in design. Anyhow, I was surprised (but delighted) that I could see the tea itself and they mention how their plastic blocks the UV rays that would otherwise degrade the tea. Hence no other brands sell teas that you can see. So, it seems this is a nationwide push. I wonder whether the other online tea purveyors will also dive into the foray.

markk, I'm glad you enjoy the 1-9 restaurant. My family's sorta split on whether 1-9 or Wonder has the better dim sum but overall we lean towards Wonder. Both are tasty though and I think it's just down to personal preference. Especially since some dishes will be better at one place while other dishes are good elsewhere so it really also depends on what dishes you like. Kinda like your cheung fun evaluation. I've found the waiters at both restaurants to be helpful. Wonder had a funny, young guy who spoke good English but haven't seen him in a while. 1-9 has a waitress who's really really nice and helpful. We love getting her so maybe she's your regular one too. The rest are ok, but she's really great. I'm curious as to what the food in the 'wells' were. Was it rice porridge (congee)? Or stuff like tripe or beef tendons in a soupy broth/sauce? I'm getting hungry thinking about dim sum...

I was in my local A&P supermarket today, passed through the tea aisle and lo and behold, I saw a familiar label. Adagio Tea! On the shelf was Wu Yi Oolong and Aristocrat Earl Grey. Not exactly the same tea names on their internet site so who knows if it's better or worse or the same but with a name change for some legal reason or what not. I'm assuming it's fairly fresh being that Clifton (their warehouse and home base) is relatively local. How long it's been on the shelf...er...wish they had a "packed" date. Anyhow, I think it was a 4 oz container and the unit price was $39.96/lb (I think) but $9.96 (or so) for the container. I didn't really pay that much attention, but I do believe it was the same price for both. Too bad I didn't look to see whether Whole Foods was carrying them because I made a pit stop there too. I don't believe any of my other local markets are carrying them. Either way, they must be aggressively pursuing the American market by starting locally first (or is this a nationwide venture?). Has anyone seen them in their local markets and tried it? I'm wondering whether it really is on par with the "fresh" stuff via mail and whether it's even the same. I have not ordered their wu yi or earl grey yet. I have too much tea to warrant the supermarket purchase. I'm trying to control myself because I always buy more than I can drink. Don't ask...

I wonder whether the River Vale FM will go back to its old format of being in the field rather in the parking lot. But I guess it was killing the grass? As for the Appletree market, I frequented it years ago when it first opened up. I wasn't too impressed with the quality of the produce because I found a lot of the stuff was shriveled up or starting to decompose here and there. =( I kept going trying to figure out if there were a pattern or if they were working out kinks but it seemed to almost become standard. I'm supposing that's not the case anymore? That was one of the reasons I stopped going. The other was that it didn't seem to be a farmer's market per se but just another typical produce store that are often owned by Koreans (from what I've seen around northern NJ). Should I give em another chance?

My sister loves the French Toast here. If I recall correctly, they make it with challah. So if that's not how they make it, then it must be that their belgian waffles are good. That's all she ever gets for breakfast: french toast or belgain waffles, so if she's going to rave, it'll be one of those. I'm not a huge fan of french toast so don't ask me.

So, I went (again) for dinner last week for a semi-special get together. We spoke with them and had a menu prepared in advance for our 8 course meal which had some special ornamentation for the occasion. Here are some pics of some of what we ate and the presentation of the dishes. Peking Duck in Two Ways. The first method presented was the duck's skin with hoisin, and scallions in a pancake. There are two pancake types. One is the thin flour type that is tortilla like. The other type is what we got which is thicker dough like the steamed buns type. The duck skin was crisp and deliciously done, and the pancake was light and yummy. The dish was presented with the skin nicely arranged before our server put together the "sandwiches". The picture shows the end result plus the bird (peacock?). Gorgeous! The second method presented was the meat of the duck minced in some hoisin with some veggies. It was placed in these lettuce bowls that were sculpted and presented on a platter like a fan. This was also very good yet different from the first method. Imperial Prawns. I've had this dish in a number of places. Some places go very heavy on the mayo (as good as it is, sometimes it's too much). Here, they add enough for taste and texture but is not cloying. The batter is crisp and the prawns are large and fresh-crisp (versus mealy). I love the walnuts in this dish, and I'm not a big fan of walnuts. They have a gentle sweetness that contrasts with the prawn's saltiness quite nicely. They are also very crunchy-fried in a clean way, as in the nut doesn't coat your mouth with its richness if you ate them plain roasted. Does that make sense? This was displayed within a ring of cucumber slices and bell pepper crescents. Kobe Beef Asparagus Rolls. This dish is usually made with mushrooms only (on the menu). However, we like to have asparagus in it instead and this is what they make to accomodate us. The beef is always incredibly tender. You don't need a knife. This dish is awesome and the vegetables in the middle (baby bok choy?) were sweet and tender. The flower decorations, we are told, are made from wheat gluten! The chef hand crafted them. Neat! Steamed Bass. Fresh bass steamed with gingers and scallions. A typical, but tasty method. It was a bit overcooked unfortunately. I've noticed that whenever we have steamed fish in these x-course meals, the fish is a bit overdone. I'm thinking it's difficult to time it just right to get it to the table in between our other dishes in addition to everything else for the other customers. When the fish is part of just a regular dinner, their steamed fish is perfectly done and delicious. Oh well. Lobster with Ginger and Scallions. A typical Cantonese method of cooking up lobster. It is good here. The lobster was fresh and sweet tasting and paired well with the herbage. I don't ever tire of this dish when properly done. I've found that at some places, it's too heavy but here, it's just right. Fruit Platter. A simple dessert of fresh fruit. It's always slightly different and often presented slightly differently each time. This time, we had strawberries, apples and cantaloupe which were all sweet. Actually, I don't know about the strawberries. I find most strawberries (unless I pick it off the vine) sour these days. We were all stuffed to the gills before dessert arrived. The other two courses were a vegetable and a fried rice. The company we had were really impressed with the food. First timers there. I'm told that the next day at work (they're coworkers), they spent an hour just talking about the food instead of working first thing in the morning. Ha ha! Wow, I didn't expect that kind of reaction. Ooh, writing this gave me the munchies. I had dim sum here just this past weekend and boy were they packed! I also noticed they had new items available like sauteed eggplant with shrimp in the middle. There was also some vegetable dish but I missed what it was. Some fried triangle-like dessert which never got to our table so no clue what it was. Fried cruellers wrapped in rice noodles. Yum! I could eat plates of that stuff especially because their cruellers are crunchy. Most places, it's soft in the middle. It depends on the style, and I do believe Hong Kong style is for it to be crunchy. I think...Anyhow, I forget what else was new. I do know I'm getting fat.

Do you mean Biscotti Regina? The item in question was mentioned as being good for dipping in coffee and like a biscuit. These guys are all covered in sesame seeds, so do we have a winner? But speaking of bakeries, I was told Rispoli in Ridgefield was good, particularly their cannolis. I was madly craving some so hiked down to get a few plus some sfogliatelle which I also love. I was kinda disappointed. The cannoli's tasted really fried so I tried to lick the cream out but that was just a mess and it wasn't the same obvoiusly. The sfogliatelle was really dense and not particularly flaky despite its looks. The candied fruit was barely detectable flavor wise though clearly there was plenty. Has anyone else had issues there? I'd gone first thing in the morning so it's not like it was old goods. My source hadn't been there in 7 years so maybe their quality has changed since? And to stay on topic, is this a good cheap bakery? =)

bergen, I'm surprised your dishes came out so slowly. Every time I've eaten there, the stuff comes out all at once. Sometimes there will be a dish or two that is a little slower to come out than the rest but it's not really noticeable. And ya, they're always apologetic when something goes wrong and they really try hard to make it up. I've also noticed that they will answer anything you ask them about the food. Just try it! They've even told us the origins of a special melon we got for dessert once. All the way from China, hard to get in the states so don't go looking for that on the menu. It's one of those things that are available for like a week. Anyhow, I have noticed that if there's a big party and the rest of the place is busy, service does slow down for everyone. Not so much the waiters but the kitchen. I'm sure they're working on that because they know it's a problem. dumpling, I totally agree on your assessment of the chef. Those little details really stand out, and he's very accomodating to your needs and desires. We once had a new dish (not sure if it's on the menu yet) of sprouts and dried scallops. Very simply but well executed. The key is, they didn't scrimp on the manpower to remove the heads and tails of every little sprout in that dish. But he knew what he was doing because it was that much better as result. Even the manager put himself to work on those sprouts. Ha! And someone in that kitchen (maybe the chef?) has great skill when it comes to those decorations. When we've had parties, the dishes will be decked out in turnips, carrots, onions etc... that have been transformed into dragons, butterflies, phoenixes, bridges etc...You don't know what to gawk at first, the food or the decorations! We once had a scenic garden with a river, pagoda and bridge to display the food. I wish I had my camera with me then. The flaky roast pork buns are great there! It's easier to find these days (like 10 or 15 years ago, I could only find them in Toronto) but definitely not all are created equal. I think they have the best tasting ones in the area. Their baked roast pork buns are great too and even the typical steamed ones are good. A lot of places have too much dough or it's too dense but they've got it balanced right. Plus their dough is good. =P The meat is not fatty either. Ok ok, I gotta stop blabbering...

I need to clarify my previous post about the "Dragonball" Restaurant. Technically, there's no such place. It's actually called 1-9 Seafood Restaurant in South Avenel. Apparently, it's called Dragonball something or another in Chinese and thus I've only heard it referred to as "Dragonball." It pays to actually *look* at the sign of the restaurant you're going to eh? I wasn't the one driving...Anyhow, sorry for any confusion!

Don't forget to consider the type of water you're using. I prefer using at least filtered water, preferably something like spring water. I've found that hard water will give you floaties in your tea...like a thin film. For me, I can taste the difference. Supposedly there is a place in London (I forget where now) where if you bring a sample of your water, they will match the best tea for it. Something like that. London has a serious calcium issue in their water and when I drank the same tea in the States, it was much better tasting and no floaties. I've also found that drinking tea out of a metal container (stainless steel thermos bottles) ruins the taste of tea while plastic will but the type of plastic determines the extent of damage. I prefer glass or porcelain/ceramic. Am I just weird or what? That's what friends and family tell me...

I've been raving about this place so I'm going to back up my slobbering with some pictures. Otherwise, I'm going to look like some nutcase advertisement. Last night we had some new dishes, as in, they're barely on the menu. I don't really know what they're called. And so, the meal: Tea. We usually get Ti Kuan Yin which is clean tasting with floral undertones. Recently, they've had us try a different tea which I think is a bit more robust tasting but still "light" without the floral. It's good too. I think I know what it's called but not 100% sure. I'll have to ask *again* next time. 2nd time now... Clams with basil and vegetables in broth. A new dish. Fresh clams in shell with fragrant basil, Chinese celery, snow peas, onions and straw mushrooms create a rich tasting broth that is infused with the taste of clams and basil. The snow peas were sweet. This was delicious! Very clean tasting yet full of flavor. I drank it all up! Scallion Beef. Thin slices of beef are stir fried (?) with lots of scallions. Best if the beef is eaten with the scallions for maximum flavor experience. The beef was tender and the scallions were cooked to really bring their flavor out. This was quite tasty. Sorry for the fuzzy picture. Hot Pepper and Salt Batter-Fried Grouper. Chunks of grouper fillet were batter fried and tossed(?) with hot peppers and shallots. I've had their other dishes using this style including the little whitefish dish available at dim sum. The fish was a bit dry and I don't think this method maximized the grouper's flavors and characteristics. I've had their other grouper dishes which were much better suited to the fish. 3 Eggs Yin Choy. A new dish. The three eggs are a) salted egg b) thousand year egg c) scrambled (stir fried?) egg. There are also some shiitake mushroom slices together with the eggs that made a a very flavorful broth for the yin choy (amaranth in English). Very enjoyable as each egg has a different flavor and different texture of "powdery", chewy, and soft. The vegetable was very good. From my experience, they know how to pick the best vegetables at their prime. Anyhow, even the thickest stalks were firm yet tender. The leaves were wonderfully slippery. This was a delicious dish with the salted egg and mushroom flavors plus all the contrasting textures of all the ingredients. Snow Pea Tips with Garlic. I often get this dish but I always ask which vegetable is the best for the day. This wasn't eaten last night. However, it just bursts with wonderful garlic flavor and "wok hey" but it's not overpowering. The sweetness of the snow pea tip's flavor comes through and the vegetable is tender. For dessert, we had sweet soup dessert and chocolate mousse cake (which I forgot to photograph). I always try and get the sweet soup desserts (always changes) when it's available (weekends). The mousse cake was pretty rich and not too sweet. It's filling but not heavy. I really enjoyed the sweet soup. It was a green mung bean soup with seaweed and hints of tangerine peel. It was thick and had both whole (soft) and broken-down beans. The seaweed was tender yet firm and complemented the beans' taste. It was not too sweet either. Delicious! This was available because the weather has turned warm these few days and green mung beans are usually eaten in the summer as they are "cool" for the body whereas red beans are "warm" for the body and so eaten when it's cold. Sorry for the poor quality pics. I'll bring the better camera next time. There was also salted fish fried rice but I didn't bother taking a picture of it (it's in the corner of 2 pics). Even their simplest fried rice is good. Yet another wonderful meal with stellar service as usual! I've had like 4 parties here with specially chosen menus and the chef really shines with his creativity and skills.

I actually enjoy going here for dinner more than dim sum but I agree it is good. Another good place down that ways for dim sum is Dragonball. I forget the address. Tastewise, I think it's the opposite where the dim sum is better than the dinner. But ya, it's too much of a trek especially since I enjoy eating dim sum in Ridgewood's Dim Sum Dynasty more. Biggest problem with them is the selection but otherwise, I think they trump these guys in taste in quality. I'm going to have to start documenting what I eat there w/ photos because I've found myself practically advertising this place this past week in the forums. =\ I do love eating there...Gotta back up my claims.

Dumpling, I agree that the hot stuff at King Fung is better but then, it's not dim sum. ha ha. You certainly won't get the food sticking to the paper containers. I've noticed that if you go too early, not all the goods have arrived. It's been a while since I did a dim sum run there but I believe the magic hour is around 11 or 11:30 am. The thing about them is they are a mix of styles so you've got the Cantonese and northern (Taiwanese I think?) dim sum foods together on the shelves and in the hot section. Not like it really matters I guess. It's been ages since I went to Silver Pond. They're just not what they used to be. The manager was rude even though the guy knew us as regulars. I also keep seeing them being cited for health inspection violations in the Record. For the price versus the quality and atmosphere? I don't bother anymore. Plus it's a 1/2 hour hike for me. For a while, I went to Joy Luck in Montclair but thats a trek. Have you been or is that not considered northern NJ? Dim Sum Dynasty has been slowly expanding their selection (both dim sum and regular menu), and I've been told some new stuff will be available in the near future due to lots of requests. My family goes so often, we're on a first name basis with the staff but the service has always been good regardless. Oh, there's a place in Montvale on Chestnut Ridge Rd called Canton Gourmet. At least that's what it was called the last time I had gone. I never was ecstatic about them but it was local and edible. They may have improved since I went last like...2 years ago especially because they were getting more packed. Anyone know? I've done take out from there on the weekends. From my dated experience, King Fung was better than this place.

Thanks for all the tips and thoughts on the matter. I try to buy the tomatoes in puree if I can but it seems water is the more common companion. I've only recently ventured into cooking with canned tomatoes and so far, most of the recipes required draining the tomatoes thus there goes adding it in to the dish. However, with all this mention of adding it to marinara, perhaps I'll try making a sauce out of it? I've never made marinara before. Soup sounds like a pretty good, no-fail idea. What of a dressing of sorts...warm or cold? Does this sound like an edible possibility? Maybe reducing it with a bit of wine...add some herbs...and some good olive oil...tossed with some greens or even cold seafood? I've never made anything like this either. I'm pulling this out of the air. Anyone with experience in this know?

I love this place too. The lunch menu is a pretty good deal when compared to other Japanese places. For the quality you get, the lunch price is pretty good. I was amazed how delicious their chirashi sushi is compared other places. The fish quality is great! Don't forget their grilled fish which are scrumptious too like hamachi-kama. Talking about this is making me want to go right now...

I used to get quickie dim sum from King Fung too but I was never all that impressed. I don't mean to offend anyone who likes it, but it's just ok. Ever since Dim Sum Dynasty opened up in Ridgewood though, I'm practically there every other weekend for the dim sum. And of course you can order it to take away too any time. I can't help but rave about them. Don't forgo dinner there. The stuff is like going to Hong Kong. Yum...

I've tried some searches here and on the web looking for recipes or uses for the tomato juice leftover from draining canned tomatoes. No success. So, what do you guys do with it? It seems such a waste to just toss it, yet seems too watery to use like tomato puree. Thanks!

Well, no one has mentioned it yet, but I often go to King Fung in River Edge but that might be too far north for you. They're right on Kinderkamack Rd. They're not as large as Han Ah Rheum (or however you spell it) in...that big complex...uh...off Rt 5 and Broad Ave and..I dunno. Anyhow, they're a Chinese market owned by mainlanders but they have some Thai, Phillipino, Indonesian/Malay, and Japanese stuff. You can also get hot food there and baked goods, but the baked goods are freshest on the weekends after about 11AM. Not so sure about the weekdays. I thought I once saw fresh wasabi root being sold at the Mitsuwa in Edgewater, but I'd only say once! By the way, Mitsuwa is also a chain. I've been to their Chicago store. They're Korean owned now as far as I know. It used to be Yaohan until they went bust from overzealous expansion. Oh, there's also a market in Fort Lee off Anderson Ave where the Shoprite used to be. Sorry, I don't the name. It used to be Japanese but are now Korean owned. Next to them is a very small Japanese market that I've never been in. On Lemoine Ave near...the Diner I think is a Korean market that I haven't been in for ages. It's on the side going towards Main St (southbound?). Sorry, I don't know the name of that either.