ulterior epicure

By the way, the bartender is Susan Avery, NOT, Susan Harvey... I'm sure that's not a misspelling, it's just a case of mistaken identity.

Nice try, but that's no excuse. Le Bernardin was not reviewed for nearly a decade by the NY Times - and yes, it was given 4 stars, but it was agreed by all to be 4 stars well deserved. I remember holding my breath as I read Frank Bruni's re-evaluation last year (?) re-enforcing LB's 4 stars. Daniel, on the other hand, had been demoted to 3 stars by William Grimes in 1999, but was quickly re-evaluated and re-instated by the same critic just two years later... and that's in NYC, where there are TONS more restaurants than in KC. But then again, Grimes was critic for 5 years. How long as Chapin been a critic? My point: if the restaurant's not good, the critic should reflect that, not only in prose but in rating... and if the critic thinks there's a compelling reason to re-evaluate, then they should. I know, I know, I'm askin' too much again...

Oh, now, there you go again, UE. Always trying to apply logic to everything. ← Doh... I'm asking too much again, aren't I.

I don't get it. zin doesn't read like a 3-star restaurant. u.e.

The story of my life, I'm afraid. S[he] who laughs last, didn't get the joke. ← ... oh, wait... does this make me the last laugher?

I'm sure you've all read about it already, but just in case: NY Times

Yes, Chef Sun (?) specializes in vegetarian dishes. Now, were these creations you describe on the carts or off the menu? They don't exactly sound dim sum to me. If/when you do get to China Tom's, would love to hear about your experience. u.e.

I would really feel better about all of this if you had emergency medical crews standing by... u.e.

MobyP, Gee, that's sad to hear!! I've enjoyed both of my meals at JG NYC immensely. About the same time you were having dinner at the Trump Tower, I was over on the other-side of the world enjoying JG at 3 on the Bund. (You can find my posting on eG about the meal here.) We were told that the JG Tasting was the identical to the one in NYC, however the Seasonal was considerably different - which is what accounts for the dishes you mentioned that I was unfamiliar with (thankfully, since those are the ones you seem to not care for). I did, however, have the squab and the turbot. In fact, I had eaten them at JG NYC in March. Both, at the time (a lunch service) were spectacular (I believe I posted my meal upthread). I tasted my guest's in Shanghai. While the plating in Shanghai (across the board) was sloppier than in NYC, the flavors were largely the same. I didn't get the "cheap curry" taste that you experienced (thank goodness). I rather liked it and thought it was appropriately seasoned/flavored. I especially appreciated the preserved lemon wedge. The turbot was also very good in both restaurants. I will admit that the portion on the dinner tasting was quite small. That being said, I think that you and I agree on the cuisses de grenouilles and spring garlic soup - very good. I happen to be a big fan of sour/vinegary flavors, so the the high acidic note that you seem to dislike suits me very well - which, I'm pretty certain, also accounts for my enthusiasm for Vongerichten's creations. Again, I'm sorry to hear your disappointment. I hope there'll be a "next time" and that it'll be much better then. u.e.

joiei. Well, now, I'm no expert in Chinese food - I've had very good help from a couple of very good friends. There are a couple/few places for dim sum in Kansas City, but my favorite and I think the best is Bo Ling's (on the Plaza). While I usually poo poo their regular food (although I've heard they've really turned the ship around with this new chef they've recruited from China), their dim sum is pretty traditional - wide selection and pretty authentic. You can get chicken feet, tripe, all the usual buns, dumplings and fried cakes, etc... You also get the roving carts with the loud ladies - although not as aggressive as most good and authentic dim sum houses I've been to in the U.S. - and definitely not as in-your-face as in Asia. As with all things Bo Ling's, their prices are a bit steep. I do know that New China King has dim sum, but I've never been for it. Oh, and another interesting place to try for Chinese breakfast-type food is at China Tom's, which I wrote about above. On weekends, they have a pretty interesting (ie. different from the rest of the Chinese restaurants) buffet. The offer some great hard-to-find authentic northern China breakfast-type foods, like sao bing (flaky flatbread-type pita rectangle studded with sesame seeds), yio tiao (fried dough stick), and do jiang (soy milk). They also have duck, and one of my favorite Chinese sweet treats - ba bao fan, or "eight treasures rice" - a dome of glutinous rice stuffed with eight different sweet goodies like candied fruits, lotus seeds, dried dates and red bean paste (think ice cream bombe-shaped and layered). All this for $9.50!!

Is anyone else having a problem getting on their website? u.e.

kkwchan! Wow - so glad to hear that I was able to help piece together such a fine eating itinerary!! Your photos are brilliant. I haven't read over most of you posts yet, but wanted to post immediately to say how excited I am to read them!! Cheers. u.e.

And where would that be? I'm not trying to take a crack at Europeans or you, but honestly, I don't think of Europe as a good place for Chinese food... To answer your question: Yes, China Tom's is open on Sundays - actually, 7 days a week from 11.00-22.00 M-Th, 11.00-22.30 F, 11.30-22.30 Sat, and 11.30-10.00 Sun. Don't ask me why the 1/2 hour differences that makes typing that schedule so difficult. So Bo Ling's is opening a new space in Columbus Park? u.e.

Yeah, if I were with you, I'd insist that Paleteria Chihuahua be our last stop - else I'd be libel to fill myself with ice cream and icy popscicles before I'd get a chance to consider all the other good things. u.e.

re: Paleteria Chihuahua I'm assuming you guys stopped at the churros? I don't blame you, they sound great!! It's just that my vulnerability for frozen treats would have had me indulging in their many icy offerings. u.e.

...and how dry exactly was this run? Nada cerveza? Seriously though, I, like Judy, am in TOTAL AWE AND BOWING DOWN to the three of you!! Brave daughter you got there chileheadmike!! But then again, what do I expect from the chilehead lineage? Strong stock! Thanks for the great report!

Inspired by my recent trip to China, I'm starting this thread to keep the food comin'. Now, I know I won't find anything like I had in China here in the Midwest, but I'll bet I can come pretty close. Would love to hear from all you adventurous eaters out there! I'll get the party started with China Tom's. The following is cut-and-pasted from my latest blog entry. The Tengs, friends of mine, own a small private farm in Richmond, Missouri. Tom's entire 25 acres is dedicated to Asian pears. He has about four or five different varieties. Tonight, we went to his restaurant, China Tom's, and got to try some of them. His wife brought out a platter with two different kinds - an Asian pear (a.k.a "Korean pears" or "Yali pears") which grows all throughout Eastern Asia and an American varietal, with a darker and thicker skin. The Asian varietal is crisper and more juicy. The skin color ranges from a pale yellow to a butter yellow. The flavor starts off with a little tartness but is quickly chased away by intense sweetness. The American variatal, not surprisingly is pure sweetness from start to finish - geared toward our saccharine-cravin' palates. The American varietal is more dense, less crisp, and a tougher chew - in part because of the slightly thicker and more brownish skin. Of course, though tempted, man does not live on pears alone. We ordered food - a very simple meal, but satisfying nonetheless. A successful farmer, Mr. Teng is also a worthy chef. Tonight he prepared one of my favorite dishes at his restaurant - huang gua tsao la pi (or huang gua tsao liang fun) - cucumber with mung bean noodle salad. The dressing is very spicy and garlicky - basically a mix of vinegar, garlick, a bit of salt and sugar, a few drops of rice wine, red chile flakes and chopped cilantro. Wow, is it good. The mung bean noodles (liang fun, or la pi - which literally translates to "pulled skin) are transluscent, broad and thin sheets of pasta - somewhat like spring roll wrappers or a large sheet of thick gelatin. Mr. Teng prefers using Korean mung bean broad noodles because they are sturdier and have a nice chew. To make this dish, Mr. Teng first immerses the noodle sheets in boiling water. As soon as they are softened, he immediately cuts them into pieces. If you wait until the noodles go cold, they'll curl up and become difficut to cut. Working quickly, he tosses in sliced cucumbers (English or Asian) and mixes it with the dressing. What results is a garlicky and spicy noodle salad. Yum. We also had a plate of stir-fried flounder slices ($10.95). The silver dollar-sized pieces of fish had been cooked with fermented soybeans (do ce), snow peas, cucumbers, and carrots. I dare any American chef to produce a plate of sliced fish as exquisitely tender and soft as Mr. Teng's. A plate of chopped and stir-fried you tsai (a Chinese mustard green) ($7.50) and a big bowl of rice vermicelli (mi fun) and pickled greens (shien tsai) soup rounded out the meal. If you're ever in the area, check out China Tom's. Order from the "Special Authentic Chinese Menu" for some more traditional food. Of course, if you want my favorite dish, huang gua tsao la pi, you might want to call ahead to make sure they can prepare it for you. To see all of the dishes from my meal, visit my flickr account. China Tom's Chef-Owner Tom Teng 2816 West 47th Avenue Kansas City, Kansas 66103 913.432.1597 If you're interested in what other Chinese restaurants I'd recommend, check out this posting on my blog. Cheers. u.e.

Oh, yes, thanks for the correction - you're absolutely right. Ba means to pull, and se means thread or silk - referring to the sticky threads that are produced with the glazed potatoes are pulled apart. And, yes, they were noted as smoked dofu - not the marinated/boiled in sauces kind. Those are very good too! u.e.

*LOL* If you were to bring this to the Midwest, you'd get waves of horrified SHOCK... but, to a Japanese person living in Tokyo, Bamn! would be an absolute joke... no variety!! Gina Suk, I await your report!

First, happy birthday. Second, enjoy the view of Columbus Circle. Lastly, enjoy the service. Per Se puts on a class act. Have fun - and do remember to report back. I've been to both TFL and PS and I'm always curious how others have experienced the two in tandem. u.e.

That's it, mine is going out to the compost first thing in the morn...

Judy, as I know you have been Zingerman's Deli lately (didn't you go with the gang at the Heartland gather?), you'll recall that the "King of service," Zingerman's, has a system where servers rove about the room with food SHOUTING AT VOLUME 15 people's names - "I HAVE FOOD FOR U.E.!" from one corner, while another is standing in the middle of the room, over a thankfully deaf grandpa belting, "MATZO BALL SOUP FOR JUDY!!" Oy... But, somehow, the food always gets to the right people, and the food's apparently good enough that people tune out the noise and confusion. u.e.

That's cheating. The menu says gorgonzola. I paid my fare, now let me get my smell! u.e.

... and why didn't you claim them? ...and I'd wave them all to my table! Gorgozola isn't one of those flavors you just "miss," so, either: (a) You have a desensitized sense of taste (which I'm doubting very much), or (b) You have a head cold or some other ailment that's disarmed your sense of smell/taste, or what I fear is the case, © They put way too little, if any, gorgonzola on your pizza. Poor form. This would send me in a huff to the counter - I *LOVE* smelly cheeses - and gosh darnit if I'm not going to get a right good sniff off of a pizza that they billed as "salsiccia di pollo & gorgonzola!" I feel strongly about my stinky cheese. u.e.

So far a week and counting... it looks like a very hardy plant.