Two months in New York City

[jean_genie]

Thanks chefboy24 for your recommendations, especially about where to buy fish.

Gastro888: Wishing you better luck with the bao next time you're at MLW. We'll keep an eye out for fresh egg tarts next time. And I wasn't thinking of buying the fresh flat noodles to bring with me to Japan (as much as I'd love to) - more so the dried noodles. Speaking of ho fun - any place serve good ho fun? Does chowfun mean the same?

Pan, we enjoyed your company. Your knowledge of Malaysian stuff (language, culture, history etc) put me to shame. The food at Skyway satisfied our craving for good Malaysian food, so thank you for recommending this place. And thanks also for showing us your favourite shops around Chinatown

Since there are a few Malaysian food enthusiasts here, I'll show some photos and give my impressions of the food at Skyway, as posted in my livejournal:

Prices were good and serving sizes of the dishes were generous, as should be expected from a Malaysian restaurant. The taste of the food came close to what we were looking for, although none of the dishes ordered was particularly spicy (perhaps they thought we couldn't handle the heat?). We ordered Assam Sotong, a large Hot and Spicy Crab (the most expensive at $22), Ipoh Roast Chicken and Beef Satay to go with all three varieties of rice we also ordered: plain, chicken and coconut (the coconut rice is very fragrant and tasty).

The squid in the Assam Sotong was really tender, had nice vegetables like okra (aka 'ladies fingers') and the 'assam' sauce was the right balance of sweet and sour although it wasn't as spicy as I'd expected it to be. The crab was messy eating, but was really deliciously fresh (we saw it alive just moments before).

The Ipoh Chicken, with the sauce, was a nostalgic reminder of my childhood. And the Beef Satay was very good - perhaps the best satay I've had outside of Malaysia. I think the satay sticks were meant to be an appetiser dish, but it was the last dish to arrive at our table. It was well worth the wait though.

(the satay came with 6 sticks)

I would love to know how the food at Skyway compares to Nyonya. I guess there's only one way to find out!

Am I enjoying my stay in NYC? Hm, let's see, 3 weeks here and I've already gained 3kgs (7 to 8 pounds?)! Yeah, I'm certainly enjoying myself! (Let's hope the weight gain stops though..)

[Gastro888]

I'm sure you know this but for those who may not, ho fun and chow fun mean the same thing. Ho fun is the wide, flat, fat noodle itself and chow fun means that said noodle is stir fried. But depending on where you're from you could use them interchangeably a la my momma. And we all know mommas are never wrong! LOL!

Try going to Great NY Noodletown, Congee Village, Big Wong's, or Hsien Wong in the city. I've been told that all the "Wong" restaurants are run by the same da sifu (big boss) so their recipe for cooking and roasted meats are the same. Whether this is true or not, I'm not so sure. Me, I'd hit up Big Wong (69 Mott) or Hsien Wong (72 Bayard). People are "nicer" at Hsien Wong. All things being relative in Chinatown, of course.

I enjoyed my meal at Nyonya. I usually eat Malaysian in Queens or Brooklyn as I'm a B&T person. (Hey, it's all good!) I do Nyonya in Brooklyn and Penang, CoCo Leaf or Curry Leaf in Queens. The Java Mee at Penang in Queens is the closest I've come to eating mee remus here in America. Granted it's still a ways off but it's pretty damn close without the plane ticket.

I usually compare the nasi lemak and the choy kwey tow comparison when I go to various Malaysian places. The Penang in Queens puts pieces of crispy pork fat in their verison. Hello, dolly!

PS: re: gaining weight in NYC. Here's a great tip - WALK! NYC is one of the best cities to walk around and a good way to counteract all those calories is to walk to your destination, walk afterwards and walk back home. Example: this weekend when I came in for my grub fest, I walked from 20th and 1st to Mott and Canal. I know that's crazy but it works for me.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Gastro888 (log)

[jean_genie]

What a coincidence! Our 'comparison' dishes for M'sian restaurants are also charkueyteow and nasi lemak (and hofun too! But that got me thinking - is hofun a M'sian dish? I know you can order it in M'sia, and we know a good M'sian diner in Perth that serves up a wickedly good hofun, but perhaps it is one of those dishes that migrated from China and not a 'true' Malaysian dish like say, mi rebus or nasi lemak. Perhaps this is discussion for another forum). By the way, I've yet to have a good mi rebus outside of Malaysia, so I think it's one of those things that gets its flavours from the streets of Malaysia (hm, that didn't come out quite right - kinda disgusting actually, but you get the idea).

PS: re: gaining weight in NYC.  Here's a great tip - WALK!    NYC is one of the best cities to walk around and a good way to counteract all those calories is to walk to your destination, walk afterwards and walk back home.  Example: this weekend when I came in for my grub fest, I walked from 20th and 1st to Mott and Canal.  I know that's crazy but it works for me. 

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Thanks for the fitness tip - it's a good one, but we do walk everywhere! We've walked from our apartment on Wall St up to Union Square before - lots to see along the way in between. And on Sunday, after dinner at Pampano, we walked from E 49th St up to W 72nd St. We were trying to get to W 79th Street for a church's evening service, but we gave up upon reaching the subway station at 72nd because we were already late and I was really tired from walking for 45mins.

I think I gotta get used to the fact that now I can't eat what I want without putting on weight. My body no longer runs on the metabolism of someone who used to cycle 16kms three to four times a week as a mode of transport to and from work prior coming to NYC. Plus I think it's a bit of a shock going from a healthy Japanese diet to our not-very-healthy dining choices in NYC. But we're here only for one more month, and there are still so much eating to do!

[raji]

Well, I cycle... you could cycle around Manhattan too, it's really the best way to see the lay of the land.

You'd be surprised how much adrenaline seeing your life flash before your eyes every few minutes affords you.

And holy shit was I a sexy beast living in Japan, daily bike ride, Akasaka to Shibuya round trip. I miss the roads which you can roll a marble down, but I don't miss some of the hills. But they're never all that bad, they're "cute".

Edited August 28, 2007 by raji (log)

[Gastro888]

... By the way, I've yet to have a good mi rebus outside of Malaysia, so I think it's one of those things that gets its flavours from the streets of Malaysia (hm, that didn't come out quite right - kinda disgusting actually, but you get the idea).

...

Thanks for the fitness tip - it's a good one, but we do walk everywhere! We've walked from our apartment on Wall St up to Union Square before - lots to see along the way in between. And on Sunday, after dinner at Pampano, we walked from E 49th St up to W 72nd St. We were trying to get to W 79th Street for a church's evening service, but we gave up upon reaching the subway station at 72nd because we were already late and I was really tired from walking for 45mins.

...

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If you are going to Flushing, stop by Penang in Elmhurst (near the Elmhurst train station) and try their bowl of Mee Remus and let me know what you think. I miss hawker food from Malaysia!

Only 45 minutes? Ya gotta walk an hour minimum TO your food in order to worship at the temple of gluttony. j/k Keep it up! Walking does help.

[jean_genie]

raji your post made me LOL.. We would really prefer cycling, but hubby already has a bike in Japan, and we're only here for one more month so it doesn't seem worth it to buy bicycles to ride around. We did buy rollerblades two weeks ago, but we still have to do LOTS more practice before we can even consider it as a means of transport...

Gastro888: so our trip to Flushing should involve dimsum, Pan's favourite chinese restaurant and Penang.. Dang, that would blow any diet out the window I'd definitely try the mi rebus though just coz I haven't had one for a few years now.. thanks for the rec!

[raji]

raji your post made me LOL.. We would really prefer cycling, but hubby already has a bike in Japan, and we're only here for one more month so it doesn't seem worth it to buy bicycles to ride around. We did buy rollerblades two weeks ago, but we still have to do LOTS more practice before we can even consider it as a means of transport...

I try I try... I'm pretty sure if you call 5 bike shops, 1 of them would rent you hybrids for a month for like $40, with a deposit... The city, and brooklyn, become a lot smaller on a bike, and the weather now is wonderful for it. But it's nowhere as bike-friendly as Japan, and unless you stick to the greenways, you need a thick skin for it.

[Pan]

If you are going to Flushing, stop by Penang in Elmhurst (near the Elmhurst train station) and try their bowl of Mee Remus and let me know what you think.  I miss hawker food from Malaysia!

Only 45 minutes?    Ya gotta walk an hour minimum TO your food in order to worship at the temple of gluttony.    j/k  Keep it up!  Walking does help.

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I went to the original Penang on Prince St. in Flushing a few times, some years ago, and found it underwhelming, plus they gave me the third degree when I ordered Asam Laksa. Is the Elmhurst location by far their best?

[Gastro888]

Re: riding a bike around the city. It is alot of fun if you are prepared. NYC is lovely on a bike.

I didn't like the Penang on Prince, either. They probably gave you the 3rd degree about the Asam Laksa because they were afraid you might not like it and complain. How was it? (I've yet to find a decent asam laksa myself)

The Elmhurst location doesn't have the best service but I do like their mee remus and their chow kwey tow. But to each their own. Try it and let me know what you think.

Of course, as always, it's cash only.

[LPShanet]

raji your post made me LOL.. We would really prefer cycling, but hubby already has a bike in Japan, and we're only here for one more month so it doesn't seem worth it to buy bicycles to ride around. We did buy rollerblades two weeks ago, but we still have to do LOTS more practice before we can even consider it as a means of transport...

Gastro888: so our trip to Flushing should involve dimsum, Pan's favourite chinese restaurant and Penang.. Dang, that would blow any diet out the window    I'd definitely try the mi rebus though just coz I haven't had one for a few years now.. thanks for the rec! 

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Another addition in Chintown, that might be worth trying. The Thailand Restaurant on Baxter and Bayard was quite good at last check. Based on my visits to Bangkok, this is one of the most authentic in Manhattan, and the service is slightly less surly than some others in Chinatown.

Also, although it doesn't nearly live up to the better markets in other parts of town, I think you'll find the Jubilee Market on John Street and Gold quite useful, if you haven't already, since it's only a few blocks from Wall Street. It's open 24 hours, and has a MUCH larger selection of things than a standard 24 hour store. Sort of a hybrid of 24 hour convenience store/gourmet market/small supermarket.

[jean_genie]

The city, and brooklyn, become a lot smaller on a bike, and the weather now is wonderful for it. But it's nowhere as bike-friendly as Japan, and unless you stick to the greenways, you need a thick skin for it.

I wouldn't say that Japan is 'bike-friendly' unless you're in the countryside. Riding on the busy streets of Tokyo for example, is not a good idea for the faint-hearted; neither is riding on the pedestrian footpath playing dodge-the-pedestrians on bad pavements.

Actually thinking about it, bike riding in NYC may be a bit risky since I'm still not yet used to the traffic going on the 'wrong' side of the road. Are there enough bike-only or shared paths/lanes to get around safely in NYC without using the road?

Thanks LPShanet for the Thai rec. And yes, I've been a frequent shopper at Jubilee. I discovered this gem of a place quite accidentally on the first day I explored the nearby area on my own. I also go to Zeytuna one block away for fresh fruits and vegs coz it's cheaper than Jubilee.

[Pan]

Re: riding a bike around the city. It is alot of fun if you are prepared.  NYC is lovely on a bike.

I didn't like the Penang on Prince, either.  They probably gave you the 3rd degree about the Asam Laksa because they were afraid you might not like it and complain.  How was it?  (I've yet to find a decent asam laksa myself)[...]

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It was underwhelming there. And when I say they gave me the third degree, I mean that I had to lecture the waitress about living in Malaysia for two years before she would shut up and take the order, a rather extreme situation. I think that the laksa at Skyway is pretty good. (And by the way, please note the spelling of mee rebus. Rebus means "boil[ed]" in Malay, while Uncle Remus is a rather different kind of character. )

LPShanet's suggestion of the Pongsri Thai on Bayard St. reminded me that Sripraphai, widely considered the best Thai restaurant in the Five Boroughs -- and, I suspect we'd all agree, much better than any Thai restaurant in Manhattan -- has yet to be mentioned in this thread.

[The Naughti Literati]

Great thread! A lot of the shops mentioned are in that Gourmet Shops of New York book that I posted in the Food Literature section...I'm definitely checking out the places I see co-signed on here!

The first place I'm heading is to Chinatown. I normally am only there long enough to hop on that bus to Philly, but I am going to get there early and wander around since I will be heading to see the fam on Friday! Thanks!

[Gastro888]

...(And by the way, please note the spelling of mee rebus. Rebus means "boil[ed]" in Malay, while Uncle Remus is a rather different kind of character. )...

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I've seen it spelled remus and rebus so I don't know which is the correct way of spelling the word. Thanks for the tip.

[jean_genie]

I'm thinking of heading to Flushing to try Pan's recommendation of Spicy and Tasty on Monday (Labor Day). However, there are only two of us, and we all know that Chinese food is best shared by many. So here I am, wondering if it's a good idea to ask if anyone would like to join us for some spicy Sichuan fare on Monday lunch? It's short notice, but if you don't have plans for Monday, why not? PM me and we can make arrangements..

[raji]

I wouldn't say that Japan is 'bike-friendly' unless you're in the countryside. Riding on the busy streets of Tokyo for example, is not a good idea for the faint-hearted; neither is riding on the pedestrian footpath playing dodge-the-pedestrians on bad pavements.

Ohhh... I think Tokyo is plenty bike friendly, especially relative to New York. The drivers are acutely aware of you and the capillary-like system of roads can get you anywhere if you want to avoid 2 lane main roads, which basically connect the rail-stations, unlike Manhattan which is an entire island of 2 and 3lane thoroughways...

Actually thinking about it, bike riding in NYC may be a bit risky since I'm still not yet used to the traffic going on the 'wrong' side of the road. Are there enough bike-only or shared paths/lanes to get around safely in NYC without using the road?

No, not by a longshot, and it's frowned upon to ride on the sidewalks, and in the high-pork areas you might actually get ticketed for it even if it's a minor detour, as if braving the Jersey drivers is safer. There's a reason there are those big bike protests the last Friday of every month. There are bike lanes on 6th Ave, Broadway, 7th avenue, 8th avenue, 1st Avenue, some crosstreets like 20, 21st, but many delivery trucks, cabs, and the transit cops themselves often double-park in them. I yell at them.

If you're following all traffic rules and not in a hurry, it's generally safe to bike around. The main greenway is down from the GW Bridge all the way down the westside, down around the tip and up to 34th street on the eastside.