The roasted cauliflower was as good as people say -- perfectly cooked till soft without being mushy, with a bit of a charred top to add some crispness. The pita was also the best pita I've ever had...so fluffy and airy. I'll never be able to have store-bought pita again. I only tried the mushroom pita sandwich so far because I was sharing with a vegetarian friend, but I will definitely be back to try the other sandwiches.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Una Pizza Napoletana
This pizza changed my outlook on pizza over 10 years ago, and I was devastated when they disappeared. I'm happy to report that it's as good as I remembered, which is saying a lot.
When pizza is as good as it is at Una Pizza, you don't need any fancy toppings. $25 is a bit expensive for an individual pie that doesn't have a bunch of toppings that most people are accustomed to, but I'm happy to splurge every now and then and pay for the quality and experience.
The dough is chewy and airy, and it would've been to wasteful to leave the crust, so I ate every morsel, as I would do for good bread. We ordered the margherita and bianca, and I preferred the margherita. There was something really addicting about that tangy sauce; I just wish there was a tad bit more of it. The bianca was also good, but much heavier with all the cheese. I could easily eat an entire margherita pie on my own, but would struggle to finish the bianca.
I didn't try any of the appetizers or desserts this time since I was solely on a pizza mission, but perhaps I'll come with a larger party next time and try more things.
When pizza is as good as it is at Una Pizza, you don't need any fancy toppings. $25 is a bit expensive for an individual pie that doesn't have a bunch of toppings that most people are accustomed to, but I'm happy to splurge every now and then and pay for the quality and experience.
The dough is chewy and airy, and it would've been to wasteful to leave the crust, so I ate every morsel, as I would do for good bread. We ordered the margherita and bianca, and I preferred the margherita. There was something really addicting about that tangy sauce; I just wish there was a tad bit more of it. The bianca was also good, but much heavier with all the cheese. I could easily eat an entire margherita pie on my own, but would struggle to finish the bianca.
I didn't try any of the appetizers or desserts this time since I was solely on a pizza mission, but perhaps I'll come with a larger party next time and try more things.
Le Coq Rico
Enjoyable meal and very friendly service, although portion sizes were smaller than we expected.
We started with the slow-cooked duck egg, which was perfectly cooked and nicely done. For our mains, we went for the Rohan Farm Duck and also a single serving of the Brune Landaise (quarter chicken) just so we could try some of the chicken too. The birds were not the most tender/juicy that I've had, but they were nicely flavored, and the jus on the side was great. We were told the duck is a good portion size for 3 people, but our party of 2 pretty much cleaned it all up, along with the quarter chicken. Unfortunately they don't include the duck legs and use it to make duck confit for their lunch menu. For the price, I would've loved to get some duck confit, or to at least have the duck legs to complete the duck.
For dessert, the standout item was the I'Ile Flottante, which is a soft meringue. It's beautifully plated, and I don't typically like meringue, but hats off to this one. The profiteroles were good but less special for me, despite being a chocolate lover. The profiteroles themselves were fine (2 chocolate ice cream, 2 chocolate coulis), but the best part of this dessert for me wasn't the profiteroles but the almond and hazelnut praline at the bottom.
We started with the slow-cooked duck egg, which was perfectly cooked and nicely done. For our mains, we went for the Rohan Farm Duck and also a single serving of the Brune Landaise (quarter chicken) just so we could try some of the chicken too. The birds were not the most tender/juicy that I've had, but they were nicely flavored, and the jus on the side was great. We were told the duck is a good portion size for 3 people, but our party of 2 pretty much cleaned it all up, along with the quarter chicken. Unfortunately they don't include the duck legs and use it to make duck confit for their lunch menu. For the price, I would've loved to get some duck confit, or to at least have the duck legs to complete the duck.
For dessert, the standout item was the I'Ile Flottante, which is a soft meringue. It's beautifully plated, and I don't typically like meringue, but hats off to this one. The profiteroles were good but less special for me, despite being a chocolate lover. The profiteroles themselves were fine (2 chocolate ice cream, 2 chocolate coulis), but the best part of this dessert for me wasn't the profiteroles but the almond and hazelnut praline at the bottom.
The Little One
Lots of good flavors, and I would come more often if it weren't so out of the way. Overall I really liked the kakigori, and the monaka ice cream surprised me on the upside too. I wasn't sure how well the monaka worked as a sandwich, but it was nice and crispy and light, and it held together nicely. The dorayaki was the least special for me. I was excited to try the matcha cream and red bean cake one, but I think I would've liked it more as normal red bean paste, as the red bean cake was hard and dry. I didn't try the other flavors though so not sure if those were better.
Don Angie
A meal and experience that was totally worth the trouble of fighting for a reservation a month early. Everything from the food to the service was exceptional. Don Angie totally lives up to the hype and then some.
We started with the stuffed garlic flatbread and the BBQ calamari, which comes with pepperoni fried rice. The calamari was very nicely cooked, and the pepperoni fried rice was almost paella-esque and delicious.
Then we tried all of the pastas except for the garganelli, since our waiter mentioned that it was a bit similar to the lasagna. The pinwheel lasagna was not just for show (although it was quite a show), and it was one of the best lasagnas I've had -- plenty of sauce and cheese without being overly heavy considering the ingredients. Even the bread on the side was so good that I couldn't stop eating it and scooping up extra sauce, even though I intended to skip the bread since we had a lot of pasta.
Of the other pastas, I also quite liked the sopressini and smoked mussels -- a lighter pasta with more complex flavor to balance out the cheese and salt in the others. The buffalo milk caramelle was also quite good, and I liked the creaminess of the buffalo, but the cantaloupe and black sesame flavors didn't really come through. Finally, the gnocchi was a bit different from what I expected and was cheesier and heavier than what I'm used to; not bad, but different.
For mains, we only tried the chicken scarpariello, which was good but not as standout relative to the pastas. The chicken was actually very well cooked and tender (not dry at all), but my favorite part was the sauce.
Finally, no meal is complete without dessert. We had the black cocoa tiramisu and the honey zeppole, and A+ for both. The tiramisu looked pretty boring, but it was one of the best I've had. The black cocoa probably stained my teeth all black, but I couldn't stop eating it -- perfect combination of creaminess and crunch of the cake at the bottom. The zeppoles were served nice and warm, and not only were they Instagram worthy, they were probably also the best zeppoles I've had, and up there with the best of the doughnuts.
So...clearly we enjoyed the meal, but I also wanted to give a shout out to the amazing service too. Our waiter was so knowledgeable about the menu, gave great suggestions, and was just overall pleasant and helpful and friendly.
Two thumbs up!
We started with the stuffed garlic flatbread and the BBQ calamari, which comes with pepperoni fried rice. The calamari was very nicely cooked, and the pepperoni fried rice was almost paella-esque and delicious.
Then we tried all of the pastas except for the garganelli, since our waiter mentioned that it was a bit similar to the lasagna. The pinwheel lasagna was not just for show (although it was quite a show), and it was one of the best lasagnas I've had -- plenty of sauce and cheese without being overly heavy considering the ingredients. Even the bread on the side was so good that I couldn't stop eating it and scooping up extra sauce, even though I intended to skip the bread since we had a lot of pasta.
Of the other pastas, I also quite liked the sopressini and smoked mussels -- a lighter pasta with more complex flavor to balance out the cheese and salt in the others. The buffalo milk caramelle was also quite good, and I liked the creaminess of the buffalo, but the cantaloupe and black sesame flavors didn't really come through. Finally, the gnocchi was a bit different from what I expected and was cheesier and heavier than what I'm used to; not bad, but different.
For mains, we only tried the chicken scarpariello, which was good but not as standout relative to the pastas. The chicken was actually very well cooked and tender (not dry at all), but my favorite part was the sauce.
Finally, no meal is complete without dessert. We had the black cocoa tiramisu and the honey zeppole, and A+ for both. The tiramisu looked pretty boring, but it was one of the best I've had. The black cocoa probably stained my teeth all black, but I couldn't stop eating it -- perfect combination of creaminess and crunch of the cake at the bottom. The zeppoles were served nice and warm, and not only were they Instagram worthy, they were probably also the best zeppoles I've had, and up there with the best of the doughnuts.
So...clearly we enjoyed the meal, but I also wanted to give a shout out to the amazing service too. Our waiter was so knowledgeable about the menu, gave great suggestions, and was just overall pleasant and helpful and friendly.
Two thumbs up!
Busan Gukbap
A small hole-in-the-wall spot with a Korean-only menu, so know what you want to order or come with Korean speakers to help you out.
We tried the ramyun, spicy chicken stew, and the gamjatang. As a dish, the ramyun was the most standout. In terms of soups alone, the soup in the spicy chicken was my favorite, but as a dish, the chicken didn't carry as much of the flavor as the broth. Similarly, the beef in the gamjatang was very tender, but it didn't have as much flavor as I would've expected given the broth.
That said, delicious meal, and I'd love to come back and try more items.
We tried the ramyun, spicy chicken stew, and the gamjatang. As a dish, the ramyun was the most standout. In terms of soups alone, the soup in the spicy chicken was my favorite, but as a dish, the chicken didn't carry as much of the flavor as the broth. Similarly, the beef in the gamjatang was very tender, but it didn't have as much flavor as I would've expected given the broth.
That said, delicious meal, and I'd love to come back and try more items.
Bistrot Leo
Overall very enjoyable meal and great service. Many seemingly classic or traditional-sounding items on the menu, yet everything is prepared in a very delicate way.
We started with the pork rillons and potato mille feuille, which were both terrific. The pork rillons are first cooked sous vide and then flash fried, so you get a crispy bite before getting into very tender cubes of pork belly. The potato mille feuille was equally impressive, if not more so, with paper-thin layers of potato. It was fun to try the three different sauces that came with it, but I would've been happy just playing with the potato layers alone -- do I eat a big cross section bite, should I try to peel back and count the layers and eat them individually, or do I go somewhere in the middle?
The highlight of the entrees was definitely the grilled long rib, which was fall-off-the-bone-no-knife-required tender. It was packed with flavor and delicious, but certainly on the heavier considering both the richness of the cut of meat and the preparation/sauce.
We also tried the Atlantic wild cod, which was the weakest link for me. I was expecting a whole filet of fish, but it was actually chopped up pieces of the cod on top of a bed of the white bean puree. It wasn't bad, but perhaps just too different from what I was expecting (and hard to shine next to the long rib).
Would love to come back another time to try more items!
We started with the pork rillons and potato mille feuille, which were both terrific. The pork rillons are first cooked sous vide and then flash fried, so you get a crispy bite before getting into very tender cubes of pork belly. The potato mille feuille was equally impressive, if not more so, with paper-thin layers of potato. It was fun to try the three different sauces that came with it, but I would've been happy just playing with the potato layers alone -- do I eat a big cross section bite, should I try to peel back and count the layers and eat them individually, or do I go somewhere in the middle?
The highlight of the entrees was definitely the grilled long rib, which was fall-off-the-bone-no-knife-required tender. It was packed with flavor and delicious, but certainly on the heavier considering both the richness of the cut of meat and the preparation/sauce.
We also tried the Atlantic wild cod, which was the weakest link for me. I was expecting a whole filet of fish, but it was actually chopped up pieces of the cod on top of a bed of the white bean puree. It wasn't bad, but perhaps just too different from what I was expecting (and hard to shine next to the long rib).
Would love to come back another time to try more items!
White Bear
Made a pit stop to try their famous wontons in chili oil, and they were indeed delicious. The wonton skins were so thin, there was plenty of delicious meat filling, and the sauce was great in terms of both flavor and texture (nice crunch from the scallions and pickled radish/veggies).
Would also be interested in trying some other dumplings and noodles next time, but this particular visit was already post lunch for us, and it was an extremely hot day, and there's no A/C at White Bear so no desire to linger.
They also have very reasonably priced frozen dumplings and wontons to go. I currently have homemade dumplings in my freezer, but perhaps next time I'll buy a bag or two to try.
Would also be interested in trying some other dumplings and noodles next time, but this particular visit was already post lunch for us, and it was an extremely hot day, and there's no A/C at White Bear so no desire to linger.
They also have very reasonably priced frozen dumplings and wontons to go. I currently have homemade dumplings in my freezer, but perhaps next time I'll buy a bag or two to try.
Babbo
Overall very good meal and great service, but not every dish was amazing.
For starters, we got the pig foot Milanese and grilled octopus. The pig foot was very good; I've never had it "Milanese" before, but appreciated the textural difference between the soft and chewiness of the gelatinous pig foot itself versus the drier and slightly crispy fried, breaded exterior. The sauce of the octopus dish was delicious, but it wasn't the best octopus I've had -- the octopus itself was too soft and didn't have its usual firmness and chewiness.
We decided to skip the secondi and go heavy on pastas...and shared 4 pastas between just 2 people. No regrets. My favorites were the beef cheek ravioli and the spaghettini with lobster. The ravioli flavor had such a rich flavor without feeling heavy, and the pasta itself was still perfectly al dente even though I don't usually notice the texture of filled pastas as much. The spaghettini was a nice and tart balance to the others we had, and the pasta was again perfectly cooked. But the best part of the spaghettini was the large portion of lobster that came with it. We also tried the gnocchi with oxtail, which had great flavor, but I thought the gnocchi was a bit too pillowy soft for my liking. Finally, we added on the fettucine with pancetta and radicchio for dessert, and the pasta itself was good, but I didn't feel like the dish came together as a whole, and the bitterness of the radicchio overpowered everything else.
Enjoyable meal and experience overall though.
For starters, we got the pig foot Milanese and grilled octopus. The pig foot was very good; I've never had it "Milanese" before, but appreciated the textural difference between the soft and chewiness of the gelatinous pig foot itself versus the drier and slightly crispy fried, breaded exterior. The sauce of the octopus dish was delicious, but it wasn't the best octopus I've had -- the octopus itself was too soft and didn't have its usual firmness and chewiness.
We decided to skip the secondi and go heavy on pastas...and shared 4 pastas between just 2 people. No regrets. My favorites were the beef cheek ravioli and the spaghettini with lobster. The ravioli flavor had such a rich flavor without feeling heavy, and the pasta itself was still perfectly al dente even though I don't usually notice the texture of filled pastas as much. The spaghettini was a nice and tart balance to the others we had, and the pasta was again perfectly cooked. But the best part of the spaghettini was the large portion of lobster that came with it. We also tried the gnocchi with oxtail, which had great flavor, but I thought the gnocchi was a bit too pillowy soft for my liking. Finally, we added on the fettucine with pancetta and radicchio for dessert, and the pasta itself was good, but I didn't feel like the dish came together as a whole, and the bitterness of the radicchio overpowered everything else.
Enjoyable meal and experience overall though.
Davelle
Keep It Simple Smart. Cute all day cafe with a somewhat limited menu, but it seems they do everything well, although I've only tried a few items so far.
I had high hopes for the curry, and it did not disappoint. Although I was expecting meatier meat for the add-on options (as opposed to thinly sliced, hotpot-like meat), but the curry itself was delicious. (And the meat was fine; I just would've liked katsu or thicker cuts of meat more, personally.) I was skeptical of the spaghetti, but it was so good I wolfed it down. The sweet-sour combination in the sauce was strangely satisfying, and I loved the grilled onions and peppers. The Kyoto cold brew was also very refreshing.
Will certainly come back to try other pastas and their oden at dinner.
I had high hopes for the curry, and it did not disappoint. Although I was expecting meatier meat for the add-on options (as opposed to thinly sliced, hotpot-like meat), but the curry itself was delicious. (And the meat was fine; I just would've liked katsu or thicker cuts of meat more, personally.) I was skeptical of the spaghetti, but it was so good I wolfed it down. The sweet-sour combination in the sauce was strangely satisfying, and I loved the grilled onions and peppers. The Kyoto cold brew was also very refreshing.
Will certainly come back to try other pastas and their oden at dinner.
Empellón Midtown
Fun and innovative take on Mexican food. The savory items were good, but dessert was the highlight.
We started with the guacamole with seven salsas, which was good, but not as special as it seemed (although very pretty). Other places have better guacamole, but it was fun to sample all the salsas. Then we tried the pastrami and octopus tacos. The pastrami was very tender. I remember enjoying the octopus at the time, but I guess it wasn't all that memorable because I can't remember much about it now, just a few days later. The sea bream with chilaquiles was very good though. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the chilaquiles chips topped the fish and had good flavor without being soggy.
The desserts were the most inventive. We had to try the avocado, which really looked like a real avocado, but tasted more like a creamy key lime pie. The look and texture were spot on, but the taste was not what you'd expect; although in retrospect, that's not too surprising since avocado doesn't have much flavor on its own. The pineapple dessert with bee pollen and chamomile ice cream also was very unique and had great flavor.
We started with the guacamole with seven salsas, which was good, but not as special as it seemed (although very pretty). Other places have better guacamole, but it was fun to sample all the salsas. Then we tried the pastrami and octopus tacos. The pastrami was very tender. I remember enjoying the octopus at the time, but I guess it wasn't all that memorable because I can't remember much about it now, just a few days later. The sea bream with chilaquiles was very good though. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the chilaquiles chips topped the fish and had good flavor without being soggy.
The desserts were the most inventive. We had to try the avocado, which really looked like a real avocado, but tasted more like a creamy key lime pie. The look and texture were spot on, but the taste was not what you'd expect; although in retrospect, that's not too surprising since avocado doesn't have much flavor on its own. The pineapple dessert with bee pollen and chamomile ice cream also was very unique and had great flavor.
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