Pan

In no way would I say the Flushing location is exceptional, but remember that my basis for comparison is Malaysian food in Malaysia.

Not impossible, but I don't know how to represent the "eu" sound. It's a kind of schwa. Probably "meey fuhy" (with no "h" consonant) would be OK. Make the "lle"s into "y" consonants. Someone asked about "cuisses de grenouille" "Kuees duh gren(oo)wiy" is somewhat of an approximation, but the "oo" is very short, the "u" sound in French is really pretty much what you get when you form your mouth into an "u" shape and say "ee" through that, and the "e" in "de" is another kind of schwa. . . Italian is not difficult, though; it's phonetical and the vowels are not too hard to describe. Gnocchi is "nyok(k)i." "Gn"=ny; "gl"=ly (with the y a consonant), at least before i or e (I can't think of other examples offhand); "c" before i or e=ch in English; "ch" and "cch"=k(k); "sc" before i or e=sh. The only tricky one is "s." "Casa"=KAza, and I forget the rule about when "s" is pronounced "z", but Italians won't get upset about stuff like that, anyway. "A"~ah; "e"~eh; "i"=ee; "o" is like English "o" but with no "w" sound in it, ever; "u"~oo. Dipthongs retain the sounds of all vowels used, so "ai"~ahee (with no "h" sound). Oh, also, in terms of accentation, the penultimate syllable is normally accented in Italian.

Why is that hard to believe? The East Village has had good Italian restaurants for some time and is increasingly full of them.

I have. Just as good as ever.

Geez, guitars, mandolines . . . what other string instruments are represented among food-prep tools?

Yetty, in Malaysia, langsat and duku are somewhat different from each other. Maybe you could post something on the Shutter Bug Club thread explaining how you can get such wonderful clarity in a closeup.

I've had two dinners at this place on Kissena Blvd. and Holly Av. and am now prepared to recommend it as good. I've had Ipoh Bean Sprouts, Poh Piah, and Beef Stew Curry Mee. Being beef stew, the meat is a little chewy and fatty, but that's to be expected. I also bought a kueh for $7 to go, which was not that interesting. The proprietress told me that it's better in Malaysia when gula melaka (palm sugar) is used, but that her customers didn't like it so sweet. But anyway, the ingredients have been fresh and the food has otherwise been tasty. The proprietress, who is from Kuala Lumpur, and at least some of the waitstaff speak very fluent Malay in addition to Cantonese and English, and the menus have pictures of clear skies with coconut palms and wau bulan (traditional Malay kites). Tourism Malaysia posters are on the walls, but the decor is otherwise plain, with prices to match (about $10 for the sprouts plus the curry mee tonight). The restaurant has been open about 3 months, and I kept seeing it when the Q27 bus I take to and from Queensborough Community College turns onto Kissena Blvd., so I decided to get off early once and try the place. Since it was fairly good, I tried again today. The location is walkable from the Flushing train station but not too close, but many buses ply the Kissena Blvd. route. Satay Malaysian Cuisine 46-01/03 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY 11355 (718) 888-1868 There is also a Hoboken location which existed first: 99 Washington St. Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 386-8688/9868 I obviously cannot vouch for the Hoboken location but would be curious to see any reports on it. Interestingly enough, I have yet to try their satay. But as long as the place pleases me, I will continue to explore their menu. Perhaps some roti canai will be on my agenda some time in the next two weeks.

I went with a friend tonight. The friend didn't eat much but did taste things and was great company. In short, we loved the place. We had a real candle, not one of those little votive oil lamps (which can be fun in the right place), brown paper placemats were on the table, and the place just generally felt like a genuine, relaxing Italian trattoria. We started off by sharing: Polenta morbida con calamari in guazzetto di uvetta, pinoli e bacche di ginepro (Soft polenta topped with a calamari, raisin, pine nut, and juniper berry stew -- $9.95). The polenta was moist and tasted very corn-like, not like a dry bunch of undifferentiated starch. The calamari strips in the middle of the dish were delightfully soft. The flavors and textures blended delightfully. My friend ordered: Insalata di rucola selvatica, mele rosse, e scaglie di parmigiano (Wild arugula and red apple salad topped with shaved parmesan cheese -- $7.95). I tried some of the salad, and it was good. I got the following for a Primo Piatto: Paccheri con ragu bianco di quaglia, porcini, tartufo nero e mirtilli (Jumbo rigatoni tossed with quail ragu, porcini mushroom, black truffle, and blueberries -- $15.95). I was fascinated by the unusual idea of using blueberries in such a dish. It was very mushroom-/truffly, with a nice brown sauce and the blueberries were an interesting addition to the dish. I was not offered fresh pepper or chesse with the dish and did not ask for them; I think they only would have unbalanced the interesting blend of flavors. My Secondo Piatto was: Petto d'anatra con uva e pepe nero in salsa di vino rosso con sformatino di melanzane (Breast of duck with raisins and black pepper in a red wine sauce served with an eggplant and chocolate flan -- $17.95). This was fascinating, a slightly sweet eggplant/chocolate flan served in a savory dish (and I didn't noticeably taste the eggplant, which was more of a textural element but undoubtedly had a major effect on the overall taste of the flan). In my opinion, it worked. The duck breast was mostly rare and a bit chewy, but I liked it, as I liked the whole dish. For dessert, we shared: Gelato all'olio di oliva con cestino di parmigiano e miele (Homemade olive oil flavored ice cream served in a basket of parmigiano and honey -- $6.95). My friend was very skeptical of the idea of olive oil gelato, but of course I know that many eGullet Society members have raved about the olive oil gelato at Otto (a place I have yet to visit). The waiter assured us that this was a good choice, and said that the olive oil is subtle and mostly an aftertaste. I agree. It was essentially good vanilla ice cream with an extra virgin olive oil aftertaste, and it went well with the parmesan cheese, which had been melted and then congealed. There was less of the honey, but that was another interesting taste (it was kind of strong-tasting honey, around the circumference of the plate). We both had glasses of a delicious Primitivo from Puglia with the meal, a recommendation by the waiter. The meal was not cheap, partly a function of the wine at $8/glass and largely a function of my wanting to have a full-course meal for my first time there. The total bill was $82 and change plus tip. But what made it most worthwhile is that I consistently chose the most unusual-sounding dishes (for Primo, Secondo, and Dolce), and they were all winners. Based on one trip so far to each, I find Cacio e Pepe comparable in feeling and quality to Bianca, despite the different regional cuisines ("creative Roman" at Cacio e Pepe, Emilian at Bianca). I had a great time and look forward to exploring more of their menu, especially as it changes with the seasons. By the way, I used the menupages.com page for Cacio e Pepe for reference, and the menu viewable there seems to totally match up with the one I looked at at the restaurant.

Adrober, did you have a chance to do your video tour yet?

How on earth did you get reservations the day before? I'm glad you're feeling better and I enjoyed reading a report from you once again. I have yet to visit Babbo, but did have an excellent lunch at Lupa (another of the Batali restaurants) in late December 2004. I notice that you didn't like the farro (farroto). That's clearly an ingredient Chef Batali likes. I understand that it's an ancient ingredient that was used in ancient Roman cooking, and one of the dishes my brother and I shared at that lunch at Lupa was "a wonderful dish of acorn (I believe) squash puree with pecorino romano and farro that was a revelation to me."

Here you go, chocklateer: the mochi thread.

Would anyone like to give some description of this establishment for those of us who know little or nothing about it?

I'm glad to read that article, but its conclusions are highly dubious, not to mention laughable. Have a look at two excerpts: Let's see now, I'm sure the Jews loved those tomatoes and green chilis in Biblical times.

Interesting menu. I had no idea people ate carrot flowers, if that's really what "carrot blossoms" are (that is, if they aren't carrots carved into flower shapes). I googled "tuber melanosporum" and got "Black Winter Truffle" and simply "Black Truffle" as results.

I don't find the cuisine at Yemen Cafe anything like Ethiopian food, but whether it's similar to food from Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti, I wouldn't know. Eritrean food I've had hasn't been clearly distinct in my mind from Ethiopian food. This is based only on experiences in restaurants in New York, however. I can recommend the liver dish which is listed under "appetizers" but is definitely sufficient for dinner for one person, along with a salad or/and soup if you like. The main dishes are humongous and too big for most any individual. If you can go with a dining partner or three, that is most recommended.

Yes, I think it's common for people to hate particular herbs or spices. My brother has a dislike for cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cilantro, dill, and celery (which is used as an herb in some Chinese food). He can have a little of most of those but is pretty sensitive to the taste. My parents dislike cilantro. I like all of those herbs and spices, and it requires some thought for me to come up with things of that nature that I don't like. I don't like osmanthus flowers, which are used in some Chinese sweets -- they taste like eating strong perfume to me. I also don't like mint -- except in herb (leaf) form. Too much sage bothers me, but it's a good taste in moderation. Excessive thyme makes a dish taste like medicine, but again, it's a great ingredient in moderation. I think it's not too easy to find spices and herbs I really hate, but I definitely think that's common for other people.

Some translations, Sue-On?

Chowing? What's that?

PM me.

You folks need to start a dating service. . .

Thanks for all the good wishes! I didn't have a chance to call the restaurant today, but plan on calling tomorrow when the manager I negotiated with is around and asking her for an explanation. Yes, we did tell the waiters people would want to take home stuff later. If they threw out all that good food, they're idiots.

I'm really annoyed now. So what do you think they did with all that food?

Is there any significant difference between the food at Devi and what Suvir and Hemant were making at Amma? Any notable additions to the menu, for example?

Quite right, Adam. And as I'm fond of reminding people, the tomato is in fact a fruit.

That tortilla looks fantastic!