raji

I keep thinking of this guy every time I see your post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcAadebNZu4 I lived on Mamoun's 95-97

Am I the only one who got a bad impression of him since "the restaurant" was on? [edit] this is in response to Eater's poll pretty much calling him an ogre

Full disclosure, I didn't see Doc's post until after I had posted mine...

Dammit, dude, you had to drag me into this quandry, didn't you... Like Sam, I've resisted in on this one as well, but I meant to write about Mitsuwa because it is the singular example of a NJ foodie destination that I will self-transport to or find someone who is driving to. I think I'm qualified to weigh in on your question, not just because I'm a prodigious consumer of the full variety of Japanese cuisine, but because I grew up among the largest native Japanese population outside of Japan - this is in the 80s, during Japan's bubble economy, in Westchester, as in north of the Bronx, not NJ. This is when Japanese banks, when not bidding on Rockefeller Center, sent their employees and their families to NY on what is called "kaigai chuzai", 4-8 year rotations, and the Metro-North GCT to Scarsdale was split Jewish and Japanese. As a matter of fact, you can definitely attribute my focus on Japanese cuisine to this occurrence; as I was growing up, the heads of my schools would ask me to essentially take care of all the new incoming Japanese students, so I grew up with this 4-year rotation of Japanese friends and their families, which meant I grew up with their video games, their culture, and got fed a lot of authentic stuff at an early age. The ingredients for that food came from the Meiji-ya and Daido supermarkets in Westchester - none of which were as big as Mitsuwa but collectively a lot more volume. There are remnants of this past but it wasn't quite as huge as it was in the 80s. Those who chose to, could afford to, or were otherwise able to stay, seemed to spread out evenly around Westchester and Northern New Jersey, and to a lesser extent, Long Island. I'm not sure when the Mitsuwa opened (it will always be the "Yaohan" to me), but what you find there was the opportunity for a single Japanese complex (it's not just the Mitsuwa, it's also a book store, Japanese gift store, riverside restaurant, food court, etc.) to be built from scratch to service all the Japanese families spread out around Northern NJ, who are most likely passing through on their way into the city on a regular basis anyway... It's no coincidence where it's located. I was first taken there by Westchester-based Japanese friends in the 90s, as the complex as a whole can keep you busy all day vs. the supermarkets of Westchester. "Yaohan" was a Japanese supermarket conglomerate that went belly-up in 1998, had nothing to do with the NY outpost. They were all over Japan and SE Asia. Korean interests bought them out and changed the name to Mitsuwa, but thankfully, nothing really changed. It's not like you could suddenly only get Korean white rice there. It's also important to note how much crossover between Japanese, Korean and Chinese cooking there is in terms of ingredients. You can find many Japanese products at Chinese and Korean marts all over the NYC area, and conversely, many many Korean-American and Chinese-American families shop at the Mitsuwa. So, unlike all the Japanese supermarkets in Westchester which DO serve a relatively large population in a relatively small 20-mile square radius, the Mitsuwa makes it seem like there's a much larger population than there really is. In terms of restaurants, sorry FG, but good Japanese restaurants in New Jersey (and Westchester and LI for that matter) are really the exception to the rule. There is definitely good Japanese cooking, and suprisingly good sushi, in New Jersey, and a simple browse of the NJ forum should yield those results, but Manhattan is really where it's at and you're not going to get that level anywhere else. Let me put it to you this way; when Ushiwakamaru's owner realize he had erred and opened in NJ rather than NY BY MISTAKE, he got out and crossed the Hudson right-quick. Part of this is because Manhattan is the business-center and a lot of Japanese fine-dining is business-related, or for going out, or to go with friends from out of town, while the wife and kids are back at home where it's simply better to cook it yourself then go out for mediocre suburban Japanese food. Besides sushi, there isn't much Japanese food that can't be reproduced at home with a small array of Japanese home-cooking gadgets. Takoyaki-makers, anyone? Also, keep in mind how dependent on stellar ingredients Japanese cuisine is, and as a result, it is much better to be in NYC. Anyway, Mitsuwa is the only place I'll make it a point to get to in Jersey. They still have the best ramen in the tri-state area, until Hakata Ippudo opens up :-) You can get great laquerware, cheap. Ito En has an outpost and you can probably buy 100 tea varieties between there and the super. They have a Parasienne bakery where you can get that stupidly delicious Japanese whitebread, among other things. You can get a Japanese rice-cooker (perfection), okonomiyaki/takoyaki set, sushi-kit, any kitchen gadget you ould need. Their Japanese groceries are on average a full dollar lower than Manhattan; that adds up. Part of appreciating Japanese cuisine is trying to cook it at home, and that means building a pantry; Mitsuwa has everything you could possibly ever need, fresh and cheap. And could you really ever have enough Japanese sake, shochu and beer? For Japanese these are all things they cannot live without - so it's a no-brainer for them. But given the acute interest in Japanese cuisine and culture lately, only lately being eclipsed by the same amount generated by China, it's a NJ Foodie destination because what's more it's a cultural experience that makes it actually worth it to ship yourself over to (although it's by FAR the most painless of any of the NJ destinations to get to), one that you could only reproduce through a walking tour of Midtown East including the Japan Society, the kind you'd get in Jackson Heights, Flushing, or any other ethnic neighborhood... The unfortunate thing is, besides Oak Tree Road and Korean parts of north Jersey, it seems like everything we're talking about is located in a strip mall somewhere. I'll write later about South Indian food, being my soul food, because the whole Oak Tree Road thing is enticing, but Edison is frickin' HAUL. I might consider it the next time I'm headed down south. There's also a reason I wrote so much about Westchester; I think it's equivalent in terms of accessibility to NJ, but probably has more to offer cuisine-wise. Westchester, NY might as well be New Jersey to most in the city. Not to complicate the conversation; just sayin'....

I've been to Szechuan Gourmet a couple times, but last year, only for lunch, and I ordered rather randomly. Seems like the right order there can make a big difference. I also am quite fond of Taiwanese hot-pot which bears more than a resemblance to Szechuan hot pot - May I also suggest that board-members check out Ollies on 42nd. I don't know what it's relationship to the Ollie's we all know is, but, it is an authentic Szechuan restaurant. It's a nice airy room right at 42nd and 9th, in the former Sukhotai and Bistro du Vent space. For me, it can only not replace GS at 50th and 9th for lack of the fresh-killed chicken menu. I've had dinner a couple times and lunch a dozen times, and based on those, they have really good chefs working there. MaboTofu, Mongolian beef all came out really great and everything is spiced expertly there. Any Szechuan, Cheng-Du specialties have been spot-on. In particular I recall a double-cooked bacon lunch that I had, which came loaded with peppers, ginger and spices, which was absolutely delicious. Way above average Chinese cooking. http://www.ollies42.com/

Anytime. I find it quite impressive that the chef can deliver every course with confidence that every customer, Japanese or not, will like it, and still depend on repeat business, without having to offer a menu. I believe you CAN make subsitutions by asking what the courses are that day, however. How many chefs can do that?

I tried Forte Baden Baden when it was first written about by Meehan.... I'm no stranger to K-town, and drinking, and drinking in K-town, but for some reason I had never tried it. I'd also been to 3rd Floor Cafe many times, but apparently never to the KFC right below it... This pictorial makes me hungry and makes me want to try it again, but honestly, I'm a little confused by the KFC craze... I just didn't see the big deal about it. It was very lightly seasoned/floured fried chicken. I'd almost rather have Popeye's because of the crust.. Am I the only one?

dba rocks to get your drunk-on. Go there just to see how much they manage to write on 2 black chalkboards...

I was making more of a prediction than a suggestion. ← I guess I could lecture him on wagyu and ishiyaki...

I'd go to Nick and Stef's and get a porterhouse for 2. They have their aging room in the window! can't tell you many times I've ridden past and it gave me meat rage.. Nice dining room too!

Yeah, it comes to $218 for 2 people, can't complain about that, really looking forward to it, still have no idea who I'm bringing. Maybe I should auction off my 12/7 rez although I'm pretty happy about it, squarely between the holidays. Am I supposed to give Waldy a hard time?

I spoke too soon as well - I finally got a call on Tuesday, and the earliest they could confirm for was December 7th. So we'll have to meet at Devi after all. Anybody cool sign up for 12/7?

You know, it occurs to me that Chang is now developing an empire around the name 'Momofuku', and, do you know what always bothered me about Momofuku and it's siblings, is that if you are going to name your restaurant after the inventor of instant ramen, you had better make a good ramen, and i don't see that in their noodles or broth. Or was that the point?

Yeah this place: http://www.salumeriabiellese.com/ their meats are really great! haven' done sit-down yet, let us know how the restaurant side is!

http://events.nytimes.com/gst/nycguide.htm...y=2&sort=rating

Have you tried Setagaya yet? If shioramen is your thing, go there. I don't think it's any coincidence that Setagaya opened for the summer, when you would be craving a lighter broth like their shioramen, rather than fall or winter, where your tastes would definitely skew towards a richer and more hearty broth. But for a shoyu or misoramen, you could do a lot worse than rai rai ken or minca. Minca's broth is unspectacular but they probably have the best assortment of toppings of any ramenya. Minca offers tons of toppings like toroniku. I biked by Ippudo's address and the front of the building, both sides, is completely boarded up for construction - I have no idea when they're opening at this point....

For some reason I can eat curry and rice all day long but never once will I combine curry and noodles. I think that's some Indian culinary reclamation project going on inside me. However, curry pan rocks my world. They have them at Cafe Zaiya and most any Japanese bakery. $1.50, you really can't beat it. This is also a top-seller at Japanese convenience store. I bet more Japanese people have a curry pan for breakfast than an egg....

I tend to agree with FG. When there are institutions like Golden Unicorn, 888, Jin Fong, etc., serving the same authentic/tired menus for the past 20 years, it's easy to forget about all the new and exciting places that exist. Granted, you go to Golden Unicorn and you know exactly what you are going to get, but that doesn't mean the art and service of dim sum can evolve and enjoy better ingredients and preparations. The best dimsum I ever had was in HK, after reading about and posting in the HK forum here, and boy was that a revelation. A football-field sized layout of tables and chef's stations, and everything is being cooked and prepped to order for you individually... not playing beat-the-clock with angry cart-pushers. I didn't always realize that anyone who could, I guess, got the heck out of dodge before the handover. Well, their loss is our gain. FG where is Joe Ng now?

That's a toughie - more than 4 peole, 6:30 on a saturday is gonna be tough anywhere good! What are your cuisines are you looking for? I'm such a shill for Japanese dining, i could definitely recommend several places... but it sounds like you want New american or italian... One thought is, you might try places serving the theatre district, because their first seatiings will all be on the early side - like the Modern, Abboccato, and all the places in TW Center. Marseilles could be a solid backup for you, i'm still quite fond of that restaurant.

Japanese curry made it to the islands from India via the Brits, and somewhere along the line lost many layers of flavoring and spicing and became sweet. I like it, but I like it as a separate food and something hardly resembling the Indian curries I truly enjoy. I NEVER get a curry ramen tho - I can take a few spoonfuls of Japanese curry, but not a whole bowl of it. Last time I was in Japan there was a lot of buzz about "soup curry"... a bowl of Japanese curry soup with veggies and a piece of meat, chicken or fish. Didn't go there either. FG I'll bet you a beer that I'll make you a kyuushu/hakata/tonkotsu-ramen once Ippudo opens up...

I don't think I've stayed long enough in any of those places to seek out Chinese food, although you definitely see the influence... guess I was missing out! Those are all places with significant Chinese populations, aren't they... Well I guess I goofed myself... the best Chinese food I've had has always been in HK and Taiwan, until recently both outside of China

Ahh I finally meet my Indian food muse! They called you back to confirm? I didn't get a callback yet.

I left a message for 2 on the 15th. Msg said 8th was already booked out. So somebody cool book the 15th!

Sounds like the Euro equivalent of gravy fries. I made a beer-braised brisket in a dutch oven last year that would have been perfect for your purposes... next time I make it I'll let you know!

If it were me, it's not far at all to Montague then down Henry Street, and there you'll find Henry's End and Noodle Pudding, and a little further, Grimaldi's... Arecibo is best, yes! Bring some duct tape for the seats!