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NYC for 1st time: Chef on the loose

gfron1

By gfron1
in New York: Dining

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KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

I'm really curious as to your take on all of those on your list.. but I'm a bit worried about Cosme - there have been more reports lately of it going downhill from when I was there last. Sadly, I haven't been back in a while, so I can't reassess myself.

dcarch

dcarch

Posted
Posted

If you have the time, try out:

 

Brasserie du Dragon

135-20 39th Ave

Flushing, New York

(718) 670-7400
 
Very nice place, Going through what they call "soft opening" to make sure their staff are fully coordinated before announcing grand opening.
You will get great service and food being not too busy.
 
Interesting menu.
 
I was there two days ago.
 
dcarch
 
  • Like 1
BKEats

BKEats

Posted
Posted

i would tell you to definitely hit up Casa Mono.. i would tell you to definitely hit up Russ and Daughters Cafe, i would tell you to go to Jean Georges for lunch, I would tell you to go to Yasuda for Sushi,  i would tell you to hit up Franny's in Brooklyn, I would tell you to go to Minetta Tavern... Hmmm what else. 

  • Like 1
gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted

i would tell you to definitely hit up Casa Mono.. i would tell you to definitely hit up Russ and Daughters Cafe, i would tell you to go to Jean Georges for lunch, I would tell you to go to Yasuda for Sushi,  i would tell you to hit up Franny's in Brooklyn, I would tell you to go to Minetta Tavern... Hmmm what else. 

 

Mekelburg's!

huiray

huiray

Posted
Posted

Unless I'm missing it ... looks like dim-sum and/or "traditional" Chinese food (whatever regionality) is no longer on the list? I recall you were keen on dim-sum at the beginning, that's all.

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

If you'll be at Booker and Dax, know that it's right next door to Momofuku Ssam Bar, which I think you'd find interesting as well... they're open pretty late - so, if you're hungry around the time you're getting drinks....

  • Like 1
gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)

Unless I'm missing it ... looks like dim-sum and/or "traditional" Chinese food (whatever regionality) is no longer on the list? I recall you were keen on dim-sum at the beginning, that's all.

something had to give. And quite frankly I'm not committed to Prune. Maybe we'll do that Sat morning.

Edited by gfron1 (log)

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

We're staying with a friend who's a famous travel and food writer, and she's making us go to Pokpok tonight to start the week since I dare mention Lotus of Siams ;)

 

I've already been told to get the wings and drinking vinegar. If they have crispy rice I want to get it to compare it to LOS. Any other must-haves?

  • Like 1

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted (edited)

I really enjoy pokpok, but to be fair, I don't go as often as I used to... I think the wings are good, but I usually prefer having the foods that remind me of being in northern thailand...  some things I really enjoy there are:

Kai Yang - this is the rotisserie chicken (they use poussin) - I especially like their tamarind dipping sauce - reminds me of having a great fried chicken in Bangkok

 

Laap Meuang - this dish is very local to northern thailand and uses some very hard to come by herbs and spices.  Very unique flavors.

 

Gaeng Hung Lay - this is a northern pork curry that shows Burmese roots - palm sugar, ginger, tamarind

 

Sai Ua - Chiang Mai sausage served with nam prik num, veggies for dipping... this tasted just like what I had in Chiang Mai...

 

Kao Soi (gai) - their version is the closest I've had to what I remember in Chiang Mai... even though they make a veggie version, I think it's best with chicken as is traditional

 

I'd also get a Pak Boong (stir fried morning glory)

 

Sometimes they have a special fish - I like the salt grilled fish, served with kanom jeen (thin rice noodles), herbs and lettuce for wrapping.

 

ETA: I find most of this goes best with sticky rice... and I enjoy their tamarind drinking vinegar

Edited by KennethT (log)
  • Like 2
huiray

huiray

Posted
Posted (edited)

Aren't those Pok Pok Wings more Vietnamese anyway, courtesy of Ike, his collaborating chef, where they tried to reproduce what they had on the streets of Saigon? 

 

It's not hard to make these (cánh gà chiên nước mắm), and there are many variations where almost every cook in South Vietnam has his or her own version. :-) I've posted a couple of renditions of them here on eG in the dinner threads. 

 

ETA: It might also be of interest to remind ourselves that Andy Rickert has said (there is an old NYT article on this) that he carefully selects ("curates"?) what he offers to the USAmerican public, where he by-and-large has avoided dishes that use seasonings - pungent ones, e.g. fermented shrimp paste, but there are others; or ingredients like offal - that offend the general USAmerican dining public. No doubt eGulleteers would embrace all of those ingredients but he has said that one key to his success in the USA has been avoiding that stuff on the whole, even if he takes care in the (relative) "authenticity" of the dishes he does offer.

 

ETA2: Those wings really should be called "Ike's Wings", anyway, rather than "Pok Pok Wings", or "Andy Rickerts' Wings"

Edited by huiray (log)
  • Like 1
KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

Yes, the wings are actually called Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings on the menu.  By the way, the laap I mentioned above is primarily made from offal...

nickrey

nickrey

Posted
Posted

For what it's worth, just spent a week in NYC as well as a week in Napa and San Francisco and had the best meal of the trip at Eleven Madison Park. They seem at the top of their game. Did French Laundry as well and EMP was the winner to us by a long shot. FL would have been good 10 or so years ago but now they seem at the blunt end rather than the cutting edge.

 

Depends on what you like and what you are looking for.

 

We also did Booker and Dax (really impressed, try their ready-made Martinis and Manhattans) and Momofuku Ssam (less so -- it didn't compare at all with Momofuku Seibo; I realise they're trying to do a neighbourhood thing rather than 5* but even the pork buns were disappointing).

Nick Reynolds, aka "nickrey"

"The Internet is full of false information." Plato
My eG Foodblog

weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted

We also did Booker and Dax (really impressed, try their ready-made Martinis and Manhattans) and Momofuku Ssam (less so -- it didn't compare at all with Momofuku Seibo; I realise they're trying to do a neighbourhood thing rather than 5* but even the pork buns were disappointing).

 

Don't tell me you missed the FUKU fried chicken sandwich?!

 

Ssam Bar's best days are, unfortunately, behind it.  But I still enjoy its lunch specials, and Noodle Bar as well.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Our meal last night at Pokpok was really good. But I too find LOS far better. My host disagrees completely. Different strokes. I didn't find the flavors as bold and pronounced as LOS. Certainly not the diversity and depth of dishes. Nothing beats crispy rice, period. Staff were great, food was super tasty, but as Mitch said, you can't compare the two. 

  • Like 5

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

I'm going to enjoy reading about these places as tasted by an educated newcomer. Thanks for bringing us along, Rob.

  • Like 3

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Now we're really knuckling down on meals. After a full Polish breakfast, followed by a 3-course pop-up lunch at ICC then a full lunch at some bar because I wanted a beer and felt bad not buying food, we waddled into Mekelburgs which you can read about in the member news section. I still have Cosme coming up tonight.

11233089_10153596102714845_1590466458390

Really interesting beer list. I had the NY sour.

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Smoked white fish

12047002_10153596102474845_6848781063404

Burrata - a bit sweet, a bit warm and a bit soft. Really nice.

19985_10153596102554845_7471840746257042

The famous porchetta sandwich. I told them to put on half as much meat which they did and it was still huge.

 

Everything was perfect. If this were my neighborhood, I'd be there. Great grocery to go with it. Now to purge before Cosme.

  • Like 9

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

I think the beer listing is very entertaining. What does "Wild" style mean? No known category?

The food looks great. Thanks for bringing the rest of us along as you waddle. :-D

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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