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Mei, I had a lot of fun reading this blog, and I'm glad you got your camera cable back! I got Malaysian food from Skyway, my favorite restaurant in New York (a restaurant that would be merely OK in KL but serves the best Malaysian food I've had in New York by a pretty wide margin), for takeout and brought it uptown to my folks today. Roti canai, Ipoh bean sprouts, kangkung belacan, udang galah with a "special sauce" (which had belacan in it, among other things - very good jumbo shrimps in that, as Skyway does seafood dishes very well), Ipoh roast chicken (I just tried a bit), and bubur cacak (spelling?). There are plenty of leftovers for my parents to eat tomorrow, and perhaps the next day, but we all enjoyed the meal. Have fun for the rest of your time in Budapest and a safe trip back!

Buon divertimento, divina! This will be a real treat for me!

Canticcini? What is that? ← A typo! I mean cantuccini! I also made a grammar mistake: Panforte is singular (plural=panforti), so panforte comes in several varieties. The ones I remember are tipo margherita, tipo cioccolato, tipo marzapane, and there's another one that I didn't like as much and don't recall the name of, which as I recall tasted more obviously of spices.

I love Tuscany and Tuscan food and will enjoy watching everyone's efforts. Baking and confections haven't been mentioned much yet, except inasmuch as breads are saltless. Tuscany, or specifically, the city of Prato, is the home of the famous canticcini, aka biscotti di Prato. Siena is the wellspring of the wonderful panforte, which come in several types; and also ricciarelli, which are essentially marzipane cookies. Wonderful focaccie of various kinds are also to be found in Tuscany. Crostate (little tarts) are a traditional way to end a meal if dessert is not in the form of ripe fruit or biscotti and Vin Santo. I also enjoyed torrone and various other pastries in Tuscany.

Craig, I really like your piece and your tasting notes. If this had been posted to the Wine board, I might have missed it, so I'm glad it was a Daily Gullet article. This is information I can use.

When I was in Budapest in 1994, I stayed in an apartment complex on Realtanoda Utca, close to the Jewish quarter (and one block away from the street that leads into the Chain-Link Bridge). In those days, there was a good, classy, medium-priced neighborhood restaurant across the street from the apartment complex and a good bakery a block away on that main street, where I used to have somloi galuska as a nighttime snack. In the Jewish quarter, I found a bakery that made delicious retes (strudels), and I loved the meggyes retes (sour cherry strudels) most of all (makos retes -- poppy seed strudels -- came in 2nd). I wonder if any of those places are still there 12+ years later. Mei, are you going to have libomaj (goose liver)? I was so cheap, I avoided it, because it cost around 1250 Forint (~$12) at the restaurant on Realtanoda Utca, and if I got cheaper items, my whole dinner could cost around 950 Forint for two or three courses. Libomaj is considered a real delicacy, and I'm sure I would have liked it. I don't think that Budapest was so tip-conscious in 1994. I had a fantastic meal of roast goose leg with saeurkraut at an Austrian-style restaurant. The cost of the meal was 800 Forint, and I gave him a 1000-Forint note and said "tessek" ("take it!"). He really objected that I was giving him too much, but a couple of bucks were not much to express my appreciation for what was perhaps one of the best meals I had had to that point - certainly, one of the very best I had had at that price in dollars.

Some questions: What's arare? Are tips expected in Hungary? OK, now that you're in Hungary, you will of course have gulyasleves (goulash soup), and I presume you will also pig out on pastries (you should; they're fabulous!) and keep room for some palacsintok (I think I did that plural right; the singular is palacsinta, and they're sweet crepes that are flambeed), but you might not know that their cucumber salad (uborkasalata, pronounced "_U_bor-ka-sho-la-to") is great! I probably liked that more than almost anything else other than the pastries. Don't forget to try some, and I hope that you are served the version without sour cream. Yes, I like sour cream, but I prefer uborkasalata that is made with only vinegar, water, a moderate amount of salt, a bit of sugar, plenty of paprika, plenty of onions, and nothing else (a little black pepper is also fine). Have fun!

Here's what I had last night: Steamed: Roast Duck & Shrimp Dumplings (the BEST thing I had that night!) Shrimp & Snow Pea Leaf Dumplings (possibly the best version I've had of these) Roast Duck Dumplings (someone else's order mistakenly given to me, and therefore, apparently without charge [my credit card bill was not itemized, which bugged me slightly -- I was able to figure out that the calculations added up but had to ask the waitress to give me the pre-tax amount!] -- I shared this with a friend) Pan Fried: Curried Chicken Dumplings (delicious; included kaffir lime leaves) Shrimp & Chinese Chive Dumplings ([i shared this order with a friend as well] very delicate, and at the same time much more flavorful than the usual renditions (seemed to have raw chives inside, somehow); four small dumplings with skins of just the right thickness instead of the thick skins you may have had elsewhere) Specialties (so listed on their menu): Crispy Taro Root Shrimp (again, much better than average) All the dumplings were delicious, and the only possible criticisms I could make are: (1) There was just a bit of cartilage and bone in the roast duck dumplings (but they were lovely, and free); (2) I would have preferred a somewhat firmer texture in the curried chicken dumplings -- but what a taste! I had chrysanthemum tea with the meal. Afterwards, I had two cocktails. I don't remember the name of the first one, but it was made with Bourbon, Champagne, and lots of fresh lime juice; and the second was a Bellini Martini which had such a genuine peach taste, I could taste the dark red part near the pit, and it was very peachy without being sugary-tasting. The dim sum items ranged from $8-12 for orders of four dumplings (approximately four times as much as you'd pay in inexpensive dim sum eating halls), and the cocktails were $12 apiece. So if money is an object, the tab can get really outrageous REALLY easily! But the quality is really outstanding, and the delectation you can get from that enjoyment is surely worth a considerable price. I look forward to the next time I go, which may be a year or more from now, unless someone treats me...

I was at a party at Chinatown Brasserie tonight and had most of six orders of dim sum and, later, two cocktails, and I'm here to tell you that Chinatown Brasserie is all that! Best dim sum I've had outside of Asia, I believe, and certainly the best in New York. I spent a lot of money ($96 including tip), but though I certainly can't do this every day, I think that given how good the food and drinks were, it was worth it. Now, to get more flute students in order to earn back that money... (I'll post more details later.)

DiFara, for the by-the-slice pizza of the gods. Franny's. But you don't have time to get to them. (Both in Brooklyn.) ← I would have suggested the same two names. I've been to Franny's once so far, and it was a lovely dinner with a unique kind of ethereal-crusted pizza as part of it. But if you want to stay in Manhattan, consider Patsy's East Harlem location. There are various other possibilities, depending on where you are and what kind of pizza you want. I haven't tried any of the various Neapolitan-style pizzerie that have opened in my neighborhood in the last few years, but there's also Arturo's on West Houston St. in the Village. The clam pie isn't on the menu, but ask for it, because it's great! I assume you can get really good banh mi in Vancouver, but we New Yorkers think that Banh Mi Saigon, on Mott St. between Hester and Grand, is wonderful. I actually prefer the banh mi ga (chicken sandwich) there, and always order it spicy (extra jalapenos!). I don't know how good the Malaysian food is in Vancouver or Seattle, but if you have any interest in going to a Malaysian restaurant here, Skyway on Allen St. between Division and Canal makes some excellent seafood dishes, kangkung belacan, nasi lemak, and such. In terms of chocolates, I liked Kee's when I went there a couple of years ago or so, but Jacques Torres is more fun because they have a "chocolate bar" where you can sit and drink incredibly rich hot chocolate. (I went to their SoHo location, but I assume the setup is similar in DUMBO.) If you go there, get their big chocolate chip cookie, which has a layer of melted chocolate inside. I also got two truffles - lemon (with lemon pulp) and passion fruit. Both were good, and the passion fruit was great, in my estimation. I realize that you have a much more informed and critical palate in regard to chocolate, though. By the way, I'm not the only one who's been sort of underwhelmed by 11 Madison Park; you can see some unimpressed posts on Chowhound, for whatever that's worth to you. I suspect that I would have liked the meal a good deal more if my appetizer had come sooner, though. Waiting over an hour for your food does tend to make one more critical of it. I'd like to meet you two, schedules allowing, so please PM me if you'd like to share a meal or drink during your visit. Have a great time!

Mei, you're going to have to whip Farmboy into shape in terms of his kitchen accessories. Do you know how many generations both sides of your family have been living in Malaysia? I think it would be interesting for some people to realize just how deeply rooted the Baba/Nyonya community is in the Malay Peninsula. Just as a side note, I knew a Chinese restaurant owner in Kuala Terengganu in the 70s (no-one I know uses the expression "Chinese-Malaysian") who told us in response to a question that his family had been in Terengganu for nine generations! Even so, many Malaysians still don't consider him to be fully "native" to the country. He was not from the Baba community, but his roots in Malaysia are a lot longer than my roots in America (3rd/4th generation). OK, gotta get ready for class now. Enjoy your evening!

Hey, Mei, you seem to be having a lot of fun in Europe! You're cute, too. Blog on.

Has he visited Malaysia yet? When he does, he may want to stay! I think Asam Laksa costs $4.95 or $5.95 at my favorite Malaysian restaurant in New York (Skyway in Manhattan's Chinatown). Enjoy blogging! I'll check in when I have the chance.

Decent rambutan are for sale at a shop on the Bowery (east side of the avenue), just a bit south of Grand St. $6/lb., $10/2 lb. These are fresh rambutan, shipped in from Miami (and I think ultimately from Puerto Rico). They're not as good as fresh Malaysian rambutan, but they are still pretty good.

It just seems so unfair. I had just gotten to know Bill through his beautiful blog, and now he's gone! He really painted a rich picture of his life - the incredible panoramas of the canyons he loved, the house that gave him so much satisfaction, the beautiful cat that adopted him, his friends, his town, and food and drink as an important part of it all. I felt like he really introduced me to a part of the country I've never been to, with its lithoglyphs, its particular kind of light and shadow, its unique terrain, its farmers' market on an unusual green space, and its smiling people. From my viewpoint, sixty is not a very old age at all, but if it's any consolation, Bill certainly seems to have lived his life fully and with gusto. I wish he were still here, but I feel pretty certain that his spirit is still viewing that gorgeous landscape, somehow.

I was about 15 minutes into writing a more elaborate reply when my idiot colleague closed the window! So where was I? 7:45 reservation. 1st batch of amuses - just OK, I thought; nothing very memorable. I liked the hamachi amuse best, probably. 2nd amuse (served at approximately 8:36) - delicious, reminiscent of Vongerichten's work at JoJo 15 years ago, I thought. Broth richly redolent of vegetable essences including tomato, parsnip, and carrot, mussel. Bread - very nice. Favorites: Olive bread; nutty multigrain bread which was charred just the right amount. Appetizers: Me: Consomme of Hawaiian Blue Prawns and Maine Diver Scallop with Green Apples and Ginger. Very much influenced by Tom Yong Goong (Thai shrimp soup w/o coconut milk) but by no means a takeoff. Contained kaffir lime leaves and (presumably kaffir) lime juice. Very nice. Parents: Salad of Peekytoe Crab. They liked it but weren't blown away. Brother: Terrine of Foie Gras with Port Gelee. (Also came with foie gras creme brulee.) He would have preferred just seared foie gras and found the dish a little sweeter than he would have liked, but it tasted good. The foie gras creme brulee was a nice touch. Mains: Me: Slow Cooked Loup de Mer with Broccoli Puree, Hazelnut Emulsion and Chanterelles. Sounds good, right? Well, it was fine but not really memorable. Father: Black Angus Tenderloin "Poele'" with Braised Oxtail and Sauce Bordelaise. My father liked the steak, didn't like the stewy oxtail/vegetable mixture. The rest of us did. I thought this dish was great. Mother and brother: Lobster, which they liked (I didn't try any). Dessert: Me, Mother, Brother: Chocolate-Hazelnut Souffle' with Gianduja Ganache and Espresso Bean Ice Cream. Lovely! It came with a tasty (non-alcoholic) shot of a hazelnut drink. The ice cream was a strong coffee flavor, accompanied by ground coffee beans. The souffle' was more in the nature of a molten chocolate cake, at least to my palate, but a very good one at that. Father: Sheep's Milk Yogurt Cheesecake with Roasted Pineapple, Kaffir Lime and Frozen Coconut. I didn't get a try of this, but my father was less thrilled with his dessert than we were with ours. Post-Dessert: Wonderful chocolate truffles, very concentrated pates de fruit (guava, I believe), buttery chocolate fudge. They were kind enough to give me half-pours of wine for pairings with the appetizer and main. The pairing with the appetizer was a truly delicious wine, Wegeler, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Spaetlese, 1994. I also really liked the pairing with the main. Unfortunately, I can't find it on the online wine list and didn't write the name down. So if I remember, I'll come back to this thread and post the name. Other than the really overly slow service, there was nothing wrong with the meal; it just didn't meet the very high expectations I had and didn't feel like a good value because of that. I was expecting a memorable meal, and was instead left with one memorable amuse, perhaps, memorable desserts, and great wine pairings. I would definitely come back to sit at the bar and have dessert with a wine pairing, but I think I will have to look elsewhere for a truly sublime meal.

OK, I'm too tired and tipsy to make a full report, but after being one of a party of four, all having prix fixe menus (too many of us couldn't eat some of the dishes in the tasting menus), I have to wonder what the big deal is. I liked 11 Madison Park before Chef Humm was hired. I had very high expectations for tonight's dinner, and they were not met. The desserts were great and the highlight of the meal. The wine pairings the sommelier recommended were also excellent. The service was extremely slow (we waited at least an hour by the clock for the appetizers to arrive). Nothing was bad, but I fully expect that my meal at Hearth on Friday will be a lot more impressive. I will elaborate soon.

My brother and I are taking our mother out to 11 Madison Park on Tuesday night for her birthday. My mother looked at the menu online and likes many of the dishes on the Aquatic Tasting Menu but eats only seafood (certain kinds, at that) and not fish. Also, the tasting menu has to be for the whole table. Do you think they'd be willing to give her some dishes from the tasting menu as a supplement to the prix fixe? Given the various dietary restrictions for health reasons and things that family members just don't eat for whatever reason, I doubt a tasting menu will be feasible (unless perhaps if we called in advance to give a list of specific ingredients and paid extra). So I think it'll be the prix fixe. Any words of wisdom? I'm very much looking forward to the meal, as I told the reservationist who called me to confirm this afternoon. Oh, I just remembered: The Muscovy Duck, which is for two, looked good to my mother. Pardon me if it's already been mentioned in this thread, but have any of you had it, and is it as good as it sounds?

The pot roast looks good. I've never ordered pot roast in a restaurant. Actually, I can't remember ever seeing it on a menu (though stew sometimes is). The thing is, my mother frequently made pot roast when I was a child, and I always liked her rendition. Do you make pot roast? I enjoyed your blog, Danielle. Chicago is a great city, and it definitely looks like you're making the best of no longer being in Toledo.

mm let's just say my pronunciation is a lot better than my vocabulary, so in certain sitatuations, like restaurant banter, I'm pretty much fluent, but in other situations, pretty clueless... My time in Japan was working in television, and my Japanese senpai, who is the same guy responsible for bringing over and localizing Iron Chef, advised me to throw out any textbooks and find some drinking buddies. so situationally it's pretty damn good, but the longer I stay in NY the more I lose it... what's it to ya? ← My thought was, when you call to make reservations, they may think you're Japanese, or may favor you because you speak their language. Or it could be what you said, that they simply have trouble communicating with people who don't speak Japanese.

Wow, those dishes sound incredible!

raji, you speak fluent Japanese, don't you?

Happy birthday, Sandy! Enjoy the celebratory meals, drinking, and carousing!

Have a coffee or tea and a croissant or petit pain, with or without jam. Another thing I used to do when I was in the Midi (Nice) was to get a chausson poivron et oignons, a savory pastry. And it's also possible to go to a boulangerie for a baguette and then to a charcuterie for pate' and cheese.

Sounds like a terrific plan, Arne! The countryside in and around Chablis is gorgeous, by the way. And since you've been to Beaune, you should also visit the other city which served as capital of the Duchy of Burgundy -- Dijon, a city I really enjoyed.