raji

How about Amy's Bread's layer cakes? http://www.amysbread.com/hellsp.htm I know I've had one before and it was really damn good. There is a french bakery somewhere in Chelsea that makes what we called the "budonkadonk" chocolate cake, it was a chocolate mousse cake, very rich, that was in a half-sphere. If anyone knows please let me know. But after all is said and done, I'd get her Fudgy the Whale.

I should get this joke, right Nate? If so,

Funny, I feel the same way about 92-year-olds. OIBLTIBS - There's great word using those letters!!! ← Momofuku Ssam Bar is reportedly planning a late-night menu revolving around BOLBITIS. bolbitis noun terrestrial or less than normally scandent ferns of tropical regions of northern hemisphere WordNet® 2.1, © 2005 Princeton University

Is the Queen's Ping's better or worse than the Chinatown one? And, is the ascension of Flushing so much so at the expense of Manhattan's Chinatown? I haven't been out to eat there in a couple years, but my experience with Flushing was traditionally: Because of the local population creating more demand, there is more variety and authenticity to some specific regional cuisines. This is a few years ago but I recall getting really good Taiwanese, Shanghaiese foods... Meanwhile, the same qualitySzechuan can be had at a fraction of the priuce. So, in a nutshell, the reward for hiking out to Flushing was either getting the food you love a lot cheaper, or exploring a certain regional cuisine that you wouldn't otherwise find in Manhattan -

When Bourdain referred to the Korean and Chinese fishbuyers swooping in at the close of business at Fulton, was he referring to the restauranteurs or fishmongers too? I have a geographicial bias towards Central (and Sea Breeze if necc) on 9th avenue in hell's kitchen - both places are retail frontends to their larger wholesale operations... which do you guys think is better, there or C-town?

I usually go there when I'm completely hammered. Nothing soothes an impending hangover than a tokotsuramen. The 2nd stomach new yorker's have for pizza and/or bagels is known as "betsubara" in Japan, meaning separate stomach. I have been completely full only to be dragged on for ramen....

nnn actually they've really gone down hill. In any other American city rairaiken would be THE spot, but in NY there are better. There is a Menkuitei right on Cooper Square. And I still strnogly suggest Saburi at 30th and Lex,

It's not, but Aburiya Kinnosuke is the same owners, and you will find some of their best dishes, like the chicken tsukune (meatballs) and some of their donburi, and many other similarities between the 2 menus, and AK is open for lunch and offers it very affordably.... while not tonkotsuramen I did have a hakataramen at Menchankotei recently and it wasn't bad at all Men Kuitei's gyoza are great great great I don't make it there nearly enough it's just not sexy whatsoever, and I'm not close to one, but they put a lot of other places to shame

As the resident Japanese food snob, and because you're in and around Midtown, I'd also recommend getting Japanese food for at least a couple of your lunches; as a result of pure demographics there is nowhere near the selection or authenticity anywhere else in the US (or world for that matter) and they have to service the droves of Japanese office workers in midtown. In addition, many more expensive Japanese restaurants follow the tradition back home and swing open their doors to offer teishoku, bento, etc. (set) lunches at very reasonable $10-$20 prices... I'd check out Katsuhama Riki Donburiya Gyu-kaku probably has a lunch Aburiya Kinnosuke has the best lunch deals going Menkuitei/Mechankotei for ramen/noodles Saburi Chikubu That also means you can try the top top sushi restaurants out by their $25-or-so lunch sets... truly a bargain, as a Yasuda or Sushiden or Sushi Seki will still serve an above average quality meal even if you can't go omakase. Shimizu has some great lunch deals. And you can certainly start with a $20 set and get a few of your favorites on top of that. Or sometimes I'll even play the Jewish card and ask to swap out the cooked ebi piece (always a throwaway), only to violate that when raw amaebi shows up ;-)

It's just you!! Maybe you were there on an off night because I've had pretty great ones at Wondee and Pam, then again, at Tiny Thai I had a really great one too and I guess that places is somewhat westernized... the more authentic restaurants will have fresher and more of the various spices and sauces that go into that thing, but the lackluster/obviously-chinese-run Thai places around the city will often be missing fresh versions of those essential ingredients - I can't believe Fat Guy and Nathan are going through this whole back-and-forth when neither has been to Thailand? (I don't know about FG). I've been there a couple of times for blocks of a couple weeks. However, I usually eschew the inner-Thai voyages and head straight to the coastal areas. That said, I would directly compare Pad Thai to a hamburger and french fries in the US. The hamburger as we know it was arguably invented in the US and is certainly A if not THE national dish. If you were to go around to random eateries you'd find it on more menus than anything else, even if the restaurant specializes in something completely different. I knew of Pad Thai's status as Thailand's #1 exportable/palatable/universall-acceptable dish. When I was IN Thailand, of course you try to avoid taking the easy way out and ordering one. Howevever, after skewers upon skewers of fish-balls, and then in the coastal areas, perhaps one too many dishes relying on shellfishy-goodness, or murky laarbs, or flat noodle dishes, nothing is more welcome than a yummy pad thai served on a paper plate and an ice cold thai beer. And I use copious amounts of the dried red chiles on it and saw plenty of thais eating the same damn thing too

EMW that nasu "eggplant" I believe was cooked in a similar manner to the way kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) would be. I don't like eggplant and that was sooo yummy. SE it's all good! I was happy to finally meet you guys and we all got in on that bottle. Next time, let's do as the sararimen and hit the iichiko shochu.... that was the only thing I missed out on... And the only reason I mentioned budget is that it's a big difference between 50 and 80... on average I can get out for 50 or 60 with a few drinks, and this is one of very very few places in NY that I would say is on par price and quality-wise with Tokyo... in fact it might be hard to find a snack/nomiya/izakaya in Japan that would be able to so reliably deliver so many kinds of vegetables, fish and meat in one meal....

I was just posting Tsukushi and forgot to post about this.... I ate here for the first time earlier this week. I ordered their combo - a burger, french fries, and a strawberry shake. The total was $14 or $15. I ate it on the crosstown bus back home, at a traffic-less time I polished it off in a matter of 15 minutes. They made it from scratch while I waited, I ordered it medium-rare with the "works" which is lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, ketchup, mayo, mustard. I forgot to hold the mustard but I'm glad I did in the end. The burger was weighty and very and nearly cool in the center, not quite medium-rare but this is actually how I like it. I don't know what their is, but it was ONE DAMN GOOD BURGER. I think it might be the best now. It's definitely better than Burger Giant. The bun was deliciously toasted, and the presence of a thick layer of pickles helped a lot. The burger itself had a wonderful flavor to the meat and very tastey char on the outside. That, plus what was for some reason a VERY delciious sauce out of the 3 condiments, had me moaning while eating this thing. It was just that tasty and proportionally very carefully done. The shake was delicious too. The fries were surprisingly flavorless. I think they need to season them out of the fryer and also try a more flavorful mixture of oils However, when said and done, it could qualify as best in the city now. If around there you should definitely drop in and check it out for yourself....

I've walked by a number of times and from what I know Omen is Kyoto cuisine. Umeboshi is perhaps the single Japanese thing I won't ingests. Natto I can and will but don't actively order. Smells like feet and has the texture of a huge fall loogie. I've never had the same meal twice there.... Sneakeater totally blew our budget on that huge bottle of sake.... The decor completely belies the quality of food and preparation. I guess by now I've been there a dozen or so times, and I've never had anything that was just average, which is quite remarkable for such a wide range of dishes. Everything has been at least above average and often the best rendition of a partiicular dish that I've ever had in NYC. If they ONLY HAD DRAFT BEER I'd never leave...... Should I prepare them for a parade of egulletteers??

I'd imagine Captain Jack would lead the pack :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_heroin

Sorry to hijack the thread but your reference to Kewpie mayonnaise brought back memories. When I was a kid in Japan, I don't think I recall a single household where there wasn't a bottle (along with Bulldog's tonkatsu sauce, etc.). While it's not my favorite mayo, I do like them in Japanese sandwiches. By the way, does anyone else use mayo on their burger? Most often, I use nothing but when I do, I use a thin spread of mayo (although I think Kewpie would clash with a burger). I never use ketchup or mustard. ← Kewpie's all we've got unless you go out to Mitsuwa. Which one do you prefer? I forgot the name of the other I buy. Is it true that a lot of the flavor is from ajinomono or is it a more favorable mix of oil to egg? Kewpie is just great on a burger. I think original Hellman's usually tastes the best tho. As far as I've seen east coast, or at least NY, = definitely a big spoon of mayo and ketchup on your burger. I'm basically the same as Mr. Wolf as I NEED all the fixings. I used to go to lunch with my friends in HS and they'd throw all their lettuce and pickles at me. I like a small garden salad on top of my burger. But, ketchup on top of the patty. I'm surprised so many ketchup-averse people here...

Ahhh finally another subject besides Japanese food I can chime in on. This thread is pretty old, and since, I've steadily rotated between Reservoir, re there any new places I should know about? I rotate between Reservoir, Scruffy Duffy's, Atomic, and if I can ever make it up there, Candlelight Inn on Central Ave in Hartsdale/Scarsdale beats them all out. Since I came upon a deep fryer, I also make my own, it's really not rocket science, plus I shared an office with a bunch of good 'ol boys from Buffalo who confirmed that it is simply a matter of nailing the right ratio of butter and Frank's. Aren't Blondie's breaded wings? I despise those. I put up with it when my friend wants to go to Hooters.

But I still think NYC reigns as America's skinniest city. So we earn our pig-outs. The best mental image for me is, it is mostly Middle America with the obesity problems, and that problem stems from eating too much from the middle of the supermarket (processed foods).... good rule of thumb is to just stick to what lines the walls!

I'll try to go and find out. They have a wall of nuts and really pack it in at that store.... Yup cupcake cafe moved into that barren espresso bar right next to the huge homeless shelter/soup kitchen, but to tell you the truth, it's the same damn super-rich cupcake as Magnolia and I'd rather hang out with the crackheads @ 41st than the people waiting on line a year after that SNL skit. Actually I was on my bicycle a week ago right in front there and this truck forced me right off the road. The crowd outside nearly started a riot!! They had memorized the license plate and started chasing the truck down. Very supportive. I was in the West Village 2 weeks ago, unknowingly across from Magnolia, and not only was there a line down the block 9pm on a Saturday night, but some SVU pulled up to me a few blocks away and the woman in the passenger seat, all dressed up, looks like she was coming from a show, asks me impatiently "do you know how to get to Magnolia?". I asked; "The cupcake place???". "YESSSSSSSS" and she gives me the worst pursed face as I didn't IMMEDIATELY supply an answer. I promptly directed them to the Holland Tunnel. Assholes.

If you don't walk out of here with SOMETHING: http://nymag.com/listings/stores/internati...cery/index.html I'll buy you lunch. Mendy's?

Yeah I think Meehan did it in his $25 and under column when it is decidedly not. And they're not open for lunch from what I know... Todd's report is misleading, or at least it can be read as though it's someplace exclusionary. I will tell you why a foreigner might get turned some kind of establishments in Japan and it's not because we're hairy dirty animals, it's because that place probably lacks any staff with enough English speaking ability to be able to be helpful or explain the unique cuisine or cultural context of what they're going there and/or not cause some sort of scene that is going to slow down business. Right here in NY, a perfect example are the many piano bars (hostess bars) dotting Midtown. Joe Blow just in from Idaho might be expecting a lapdance for his $100, and now we've got a predicament. If I owned a business like that after a few incidents like that I would probably do what I could to only bring in Japanese and those who understand those places' role in Japanese business and corporate culture, which is why you see them similarly "hidden" and out of the way as is Tsukushi. I'll try to scare up a better description of what we had but certainly all open-minded gourmets, which is what we have here, should definitely go, it's absolutely delicious. There are tons of places like this in Japan, called "snacks" if they don't have much of a menu, and then a place like this which is usually the old guy down the corner and his wife who make good fish and rice and miso or whatever's good that way. If you can envision Tokyo's layout like a compressed LA connected by trains instead of freeways, you can see lots of outer fringes where places like this can lie, but in NY, even an intimate place like this seats 30 - more later

I ate at Kasadela last night for the first time. I enjoyed it very much. The room and the music are great. The staff is fun. The food is good -- although nothing near blow-away great, as at Yakitori Totto. Just good. (Compare the skewered beef tongue at the two places. At Totto, it's sublime. Here, it's slightly overspiced, and maybe slightly overcooked as well.) But all in all very enjoyable. Prices may be a little on the high side for an East Village izakaya, but still are gentle. And you get a great atmosphere in return. The sake selection is extremely well-curated, especially the specials. Now raji can tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. ← Japanese is the new French. Kneel before Zod!!! I've actually never been there. I HAVE been introduced many times to the owner of Umi no iie, and any time I've even intended to go to Kasadela I give up and go to uminoiie which is a great place and as far as I can tell every bit as good as Kasadela without perhaps the cool name and I assume hip interior... Kasadela is way out where you used to go to buy.... wait, which board is this?

Where the hell is Mr. Cutlets when you need him? He wrote the book on this subject!! Literally! We should have a big oven that cooks a whole cow, emanating such a widespread aroma that Mr. Cutlets is alerted, much like Batman's signal... Oh, here he is... http://nymag.com/daily/food/2007/01/the_se...iches.html#more

For the first time I ate at the space formerly known as waiters-gone-wild, Bistro du Vent. I don't know that this part of the Ollie's Noodle House franchise, which I think are perhaps more Cantonese? But I think it's a similar phenomenon as the many independently owned Ray's pizzerias. This place, however, seems to offer more authentic and riding on the coattails of the recent Western fascination with mouth-numbing Sichuan cooking. http://www.ollies42.com/ The only reason we even tried it in the first place was because it was a Sunday night and everything else was closed, so we gave it a shot for delivery, and it was actually fantastic. Came really quick too. THEN everytime I passed it it seemed to be at least 50% full with Chinese customers. Often closer to 70%... The waiters were all well-spoken, ABC guys... the managers were very nice, it's a decently-size room as some of you know. Eating in our ordering didn't do them justice, (and I was sick), menu has many similarities with Grand Sichuan, but definitely not your standard Fukenese carbon copy... Will investigate further...

That's crap! I can't believe I see so many people saying that NYC has such a bad nightlife/danceclub scene when there are soooo many options on any given night, so much so that people from all over the country and the world come to NYC for it. It really depends what you are looking for; are you there for the music, the sound system, a particular DJ, a particular crowd, an "underground" feel, a Miami chic feel, etc. etc. - it's all happening - I've been in your situation before, and if you are with a group of girls you're not going to have trouble getting into most clubs, and what you want is in the West Chelsea area i.e. Stereo, Crobar, Home, etc. feel free to PM me I'll sort you out ← Right on Raji I think what Nathan, others and even myself fail to accept is that we're not in our early/mid twenties anymore. Dance clubs are geared to this demographic not ours. As we get older our idea of good places to dance, which invariably comes down to the music and clientelle, diminishes rapidly. That said, I still love to go dancing and try to accept the environment as "today's scene". As for big clubs, I've been to Pacha and Crobar recently and enjoyed them both very much. Both of them draw some of the best dj's in the world. I think the best way to go dancing in NY is to decide on the music and go from there. ← Nor am I, although I'm not quite as close to pushing up daisies as some of you mofos. Guess you don't read your page six, Avalon was seized by the government, taxes or public nuisance, one or the other. You have to be pretty far off the island to even CONSIDER Webster Hall. They were universally uncool because they were the ones putting up billboards and running radio ads when the amazing clubs were all "underground". At this point I'll check in to the scene every few months and then slowly back away... But what is considered the best "sr. circuit" dancy party on earth, Body and Soul, occurs within these 5 boroughs. Don't forget the overwhelmingly cyclical nature of "the scene", ranging from unheard of debauchery out in the open to a police state just a few years later....it probably last peaked into that hedonism area around 93-95 then again 00ish I had the dishonor to DJ at Webster Hall ONCE in my lifetime, as a favor, I was playing house and groove on the 1F for a big rap party upstairs, at that party a rival rapper got stabbed on stage and my friend got stuck with a lawsuit. I think that's why he left the country.

I finally made it to Otto (last time I knew that space as Clementine) and had a blast. The bartenders make great recommendations and yes, you get a big glass and then you get this shorty carafe of more of it. Had a a plate of carne and a funghi pizza. All very very very good. That place is a steal.