Curry goat roti
At first mention of Caribbean food, many conjure up images of heavily spiced Jerk chicken and exotic fruits. Although spicy and exotic are two words that definitely characterize Trinidadian cuisine to most Americans, when I made the journey to Gloria’s in Crown Heights this past weekend, I learned that this tiny island’s culinary tradition consists of so much more than a few tired stereotypes.
In a neighborhood full of Trinidadian restaurants, Gloria’s stands out for being one of the largest, the oldest, and the most authentic. With three locations (the newest one in Crown Heights), Gloria’s started in 1973 when the original Gloria decided to turn her knack in the kitchen into an enterprise.
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No Comments | Posted on August 1, 2012 | Categories: Crown Heights, Dining, From the Blog, Under $20
tags: Gloria's, Roger Li, Trinidadian food
Wallse’s signature appetizer – the spatzle
The atmosphere of Wallse, one of Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner’s Michelin-starred ventures, exactly matches that of its surrounding neighborhood. With its elegant facade and the refined simplicity of its decor, Wallse perfectly blends into the quiet charm of West Village’s winding cobblestone streets.
Even on a Tuesday night, Wallse quickly livened up with the chatter of sharply dressed diners and soothing indie-folk pop. Although the restaurant does have the dress code and the impeccable service of an upscale establishment, it doesn’t possess the fussiness or pretension. Although it’s pricier (entrees run from $25-36), Wallse’s dynamic menu and relaxed elegance make it the perfect place to splurge on a special someone or celebrate a significant date.
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No Comments | Posted on July 29, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Greenwich Village
tags: heavenly souffle, Roger Li, Splurge, Wallse
Lenti curry and kotthu roti
Sri Lanka is definitely far from the first country that pops into mind when diners think about Asian cuisine. A small island off the coast of India, Sri Lanka is a nation whose food truly reflects its colonial heritage, creating a vibrant hodge-podge of flavors that’s uniquely Sri Lankan.
Being completely unfamiliar with Sri Lankan cuisine (with the exception of one episode of No Reservations), I decided to do some Internet research before my trip to Sigiri in the East Village. During my search, I discovered several interesting tidbits about Sri Lankan food:
1) More than anything, Sri Lankans adore spice and bold flavors. Ordering a Sri Lankan dish mild will still be the spiciest thing you’ve ever consumed in your entire life.
2) Unsurprisingly, out of all of Sri Lanka’s culinary influences, neighboring India is the country that’s had the most significant impact on the national cuisine. Curries, rice, and roti are all considered Sri Lankan standards.
3) Very surprisingly, there’s a cluster of Sri Lankan restaurants on Staten Island.
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No Comments | Posted on July 25, 2012 | Categories: Dining, East Village, From the Blog, Under $20
tags: Around the World in 80 Bites, Roger Li, Sigiri, Sri Lankan food
The Polish platter – an assortment of Polish goodies
I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t have high expectations for my first taste of Polish cuisine. Out of all the diverse cuisines in the world, Polish food never excited me. I had the common misconception that Polish dishes consisted mainly of meat and potatoes, and their flavors wouldn’t possess the complexity of an Indian curry or a French stew.
Walking into Lomzynianka, however, my apprehensions dissipated. Nestled on a block in historically Polish Greenpoint, Lomzynianka could easily be missed in a sea of Polish storefronts. Inside, however, Lomzynianka exudes a homemade charm, with dangling Christmas lights, checkered walls, light-up flower decorations, and a mounted deer’s head. Although the atmosphere didn’t guarantee a tasty meal, it definitely made me feel like I was about to eat something cooked with care.
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No Comments | Posted on July 18, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Greenpoint, Under $20
tags: Around the World in 80 Bites, Polish Food, Roger Li
Green curry with chicken
If there’s one thing Thai food doesn’t lack, it’s flavor. Thai cooks value the complexity of their dishes, which use a variety of herbs and spices to fuse sweet, salty, and spicy together in a transcendently delicious combination.
I don’t consider myself, by any means, an expert on Thai cuisine. Like many Americans, Pad Thai is the Thai dish I order most frequently. These noodles, with peanuts, bean sprouts, egg, all lathered in a mysteriously delicious salty-sweet sauce, are a staple in American Thai restaurants. Although scrumptious, Pad Thai doesn’t accurately reflect the culinary traditions of an entire nation.
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No Comments | Posted on July 11, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Under $20, Woodside
tags: Around the World in 80 Bites, Roger Li, Sri Pha Phai, Thai
I’m not quite sure what I expected when I first decided I was going to Punderdome 3000, a monthly self-proclaimed “wild-n-crazy round robin event” with “competitive spontaneous pun-making.” The premise seemed simple enough, but its execution remained a mystery. I enjoy the occasional well-timed pun as much as the next person, but I wondered how Punderdome would build an entire show from the so-called “lowliest form of humor.”
Once I walked into Littlefield Brooklyn, however, I knew I was in for a treat. The venue was intimate, but packed. The crowd was refreshingly devoid of hipsters, and the do-it-yourself-style decorations seemed to signify that the Punderdome was the type of event where people were encouraged to be unabashedly goofy.
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No Comments | Posted on July 6, 2012 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog, Gowanus, Under $20
tags: hilarity, Punderdome 3000, puns, Roger Li
Californians enjoy touting their “authentic” Mexican food and complaining about New York’s absence of a good burrito. Being a native San Diegan, I did my fair share of complaining when I first migrated to NYC for college. I missed my Tijuana-style tacos and freshly-griddled tortillas. Rice in a burrito? Obscene. A burrito wrapped in aluminum foil? Blasphemy.
Quickly I realized that what I missed was Californian Mexican food, not authentic Mexican food. I missed the California burrito, a uniquely San Diegan creation made of French fries, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, a fresh flour tortilla, carne asada, no rice – all wrapped in paper instead of tin foil, so the burrito wouldn’t gain any unappetizing moistness.
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No Comments | Posted on June 27, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Hell's Kitchen, Under $20
tags: Around the World in 80 Bites, mexican, Roger Li, Tehuitzingo
Clockwise from top left: Kimchi fried rice, japchae, kimbap, dukboki, kimchi, spiced bean sprout, kimchi pancake
Korea, the diminutive peninsula in between Japan and China, might be small in size, but its cuisine has bold and powerful flavors. Pickling, preserving, spicing – these are all cooking methods that are common in Korean kitchens. I got to sample many of these methods in action when I ate at Woorijip this past Sunday night.
Nestled in the one-block stretch of Koreatown in Midtown Manhattan, Woorijip is a nondescript restaurant in an area replete with Korean joints. Although its exterior doesn’t have the flashiness of other Koreatown restaurants, Woorijip delivers on both taste and selection.
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No Comments | Posted on June 20, 2012 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Midtown West, Under $20
tags: Around the World in 80 Bites, Korean Food, Roger Li, Woorijip
One of Mama Li’s home-cooked feasts
In this new weekly column, Dining Editor Roger Li profiles some of New York’s best ethnic eateries. This week, he discusses the country he knows best – China.
If there’s one thing I know, it’s Chinese food. Growing up in a family of Chinese immigrants, every single night around 630 pm the Li clan gathered around the dinner table and feasted. A protein, a vegetable, and, of course, a steaming bowl of white rice – every dinner followed the same general format, but the number of variations that appeared on my plate was mind-boggling. Ma po tofu, stir-fried glutinous rice cakes, and cold jellyfish salad were just a few of my favorites.
I didn’t realize how special my culinary childhood was until I went to my friends’ houses and ate chicken nuggets, served with a side of cheese pizza. At many of these households, fresh-cooked food was an anomaly. I came back from their homes with a newfound appreciation for my mother’s home-cooked dinners, which I thought, up until that point, were the norm.
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2 Comments | Posted on June 14, 2012 | Categories: Dining, Flushing, From the Blog, Under $20
tags: Around the World in 80 Bites, Nan Xiang Dumpling House, Roger Li
SamSara's incredible mac and cheese croquettes and duck confit quesadillas
Nestled in South Street Seaport, an area normally associated with tourist traps, SamSara manages to beat the odds. With an eclectic menu ranging from Asian to Latin-inspired treats, salads to small plates to large plates, SamSara has an ambitious menu that is impressively well-executed. By offering delightfully indulgent food at reasonable prices, SamSara is a destination in and of itself.
Walking into SamSara, the dim lighting and the intimately arranged tables immediately set the mood for the fantastic meal that was about to come. The menu is divided into several sections, including salads, their signature small plates, several large plates, a few fried options, and flatbreads.
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1 Comment | Posted on February 19, 2012 | Categories: Dining, Financial District, From the Blog
tags: candied bacon, fusion, indulgence, Roger Li, SamSara
