Pinklady Cheese Tart

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I’m old enough to remember “Pink Lady and Jeff,” the ill-fated 80s television show that co-starred comic Jeff Altman and the Japanese singing duo Mie Nemoto and Kei Masuda known as Pink Lady. That and the gin and grenadine cocktail are what come to mind when I hear the evocative phrase, “Pink Lady.” So when I passed Pinklady Cheese Tart on Mott St in Manhattan’s Chinatown, logic dictated that the reference was to neither.


Based on sweet Japanese cheese tarts, these handmade delights are overflowing with a creamy, cheesy filling nestled in a crispy shortbread crust and sometimes crowned with an eye-catching topping.

Available in a multitude of flavors including original, ube, Japanese matcha, lemon, chocolate, strawberry, black sesame and blueberry, they can be enjoyed warm and oozy or cold like cheesecake; shown here are ube and chocolate at mousse-like room temperature. I also tried the original because that’s where I always start but I can assure you I haven’t finished: we’ll be tasting them on my Not Your Ordinary Chinatown Tour of course.

Their motto is Fluffy, Rich, Creamy, Cute.

Nailed it.
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

And Now for Something Completely Different!

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One of the hallmarks of my ethnojunkets is that I always endeavor to introduce my guests to something they’ve never tried before that I can honestly promise will not taste “weird” to the hesitant. On a recent jaunt to Bay Ridge to ferret out what treats might be new this season, I came upon these two beverages that are admirable representatives of our Middle Eastern theme: Salaam Cola and Camelicious Camel Milk.

“Salaam” means “peace” in Arabic; Salaam Cola was born as a protest against injustices in the Muslim world, particularly Palestine, pledging 10% of their profits to support those affected by conflict. In addition to their website, Salaam Cola has a strong social media presence boasting pages on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

And if that isn’t enough to warm your heart and give you hope, their founder, Aykiz Shah, a visionary humanitarian, is a woman.

Salaam Cola rolled out its US operations in March 2024 and just like Coke, Pepsi, and RC, its flavor is unique; I can truly say that it has become one of my favorite colas and yes, of course, we’ll get some on my Flavors of Little Levant ethnojunket in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Not to be left out, we’ll also sample camel milk on our journey. Not to worry: it’s fully pasteurized, a little richer than cow’s milk, not as pungent as goat’s milk, and again, guaranteed not to be “weird!”

Food tour season has started so I hope we have a chance to meet on one of my ethnojunkets. Check out my Ethnojunkets page for more information and to sign up!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

Alpha Bakery

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If your native language was Italian or Spanish and you aspired to start up a top-line, first-class bakery and food shop, you might consider naming it “Numero Uno” – but if your native language was Greek, you might opt for “Alpha.” And Alpha Bakery & Mediterranean Marketplace has succeeded in achieving that status.

Backstory: It’s the inception of food tour season and I always return for multiple visits to each neighborhood we cover to see what’s new and what’s departed. I was on the hunt for some seriously needed newcomers for my Flavors of Little Levant ethnojunket in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and I spotted Alpha at 7717 5th Ave.

Predominantly Greek products lined the shelves, but it was the ample array of freshly prepared dishes and baked goods that caught my eye. The Tolis family opened Alpha Bakery last October, but they’re hardly newcomers to the kitchen: they had been professional pastry chefs in Greece 25 years ago before they emigrated to America.

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Shown here is their Fried Codfish and Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Mπακαλιάρος και Σκορδαλιά – or Bakaliaros and Skordalia if the alphabet is Greek to you). Crispy exterior, substantial interior paired with the classic accompaniment.


The highlight that day was their Bougatsa (Mπουγάτσα) – flaky phyllo dough filled sweet semolina custard and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. Never had semolina custard? Definitely give this version a try.


Inside view revealing the delectable filling – and despite any expectation, it’s not excessively sweet. Worth a trip.

Alpha is truly a welcome addition to the neighborhood and yes, of course we’ll stop by on my Little Levant ethnojunket. See you soon!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

In Just –

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– the proverbial blink of an eye, the weather changed from dark, bleak, frigid Winter to glorious, mud-luscious, puddle-wonderful Spring. And with it, the advent of food tour season!

I usually share photos of savory treats we enjoy on our ethnojunkets but pix of sweets less frequently. On an “Eastern European Food in Little Odessa” tour last year, one of my favorite guests was on a quest for a certain type of honey cake that she hoped we’d find at Tashkent Market. It was a wakeup call for me that I needed to delve into their selection of Russian and Eastern European cakes more thoroughly – hey, it’s tough work but somebody’s gotta do it 😉. So over subsequent visits, I decided to familiarize myself with just a few (ha!) of the dozens of varieties they offer. Some photos of my research:

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Spartak Cake – Layered with sour cream icing, topped with chocolate ganache.


Napoleon – Layers of thin, flaky puff pastry and pastry cream highlighted with sweet raspberries.


Éclair – Chocolate coated, topped with pistachios, loaded with a rich cream filling.


Vatrushka – A yeast dough disk filled with sweet cheese, often topped with cherries.


Chocolate Kartoshka – The Russian word for potato! Made from cake or cookie crumbs mixed with cocoa, sweetened condensed milk, and butter.


Sochniki – Crumbly shortbread cookies two ways: cheese and cherries.


Syrniki – From the Russian word for cheese, syr. Puck-shaped disks made from tvorog (similar to pot cheese). Inside perspective: raisin, sweetened condensed milk, and Nutella flavors.


Honey Cake – The inspiration for this post. Layered with honey infused cream.

But since a picture isn’t worth a thousand calories, please join me on one of my ethnojunkets! Visit my Ethnojunkets page to check out the comings and goings of my food tours!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

Hakka Kau Yuk

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More Bensonhurst as promised. In my last post we explored Italian 86th St but Chinese bakeries also cohabit the area. The word “bakery” falls short because some of these establishments offer a selection of lunchworthy steam table dishes as well.

I seldom order anything I’m familiar with; when faced with mutual unintelligibility, my modus operandi is to point at an unlabeled tray and hope for the best. In this case I could identify slices of pork belly and taro. I watched the woman behind the window as she carefully placed a slice of the first alternating with a slice of the second and so forth into a small aluminum container until it was filled. I brought it home, plated some of it as you see here, promptly texted the photo to my Number One Spy since I had no idea about what I had purchased other than it was delicious, and asked if she knew what it was.

Of course she did. It’s Hakka Kau Yuk, comfort food that hails from China’s Guangdong province and often shows up on the Chinese New Year dinner table. Preparation is laborious but the result is extraordinary; the steamed delicacy is elevated by a savory sauce that’s the perfect complement. So good!

Thanks again, Number One Spy. I’m a lucky guy for knowing you!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

Prosciutto Bread Winner

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Props to Bensonhurst, one of Brooklyn’s many great neighborhoods for ethnic food! In this post, I’m referring specifically to the mile or so stretch of 86th St that hosts a parade of Chinese, Italian, and Georgian/Eastern European markets and restaurants. My customary plan of action is to take the D train to 25th Ave in Brooklyn and explore from there, walking northwest along 86th St for a little over a mile. It’s good exercise and you’ll often find unique renditions of the represented cuisines.


Case in point is this prosciutto bread: distinctive and in a class by itself. Most prosciutto breads I’ve sampled have been on the dry side with a low ham to bread ratio; this version is unquestionably the best I’ve ever tasted – a phrase I seldom use. It’s pillowy soft, satisfyingly chewy, and richly flavorful. All two pounds of it! How it succeeds in being airy and dense simultaneously is a conundrum I’ll leave for others to solve.

Find it at Vucciria Food & Gourmet, 2275 86th St (I don’t know if it was named for the market in Sicily). IMHO it’s worth the trip. (Excellent 7-layer rainbow cookies there as well! 😉)

More Bensonhurst to come, so stay tuned.
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

TADA

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One of my (ostensibly innumerable) guilty pleasures is KFC – Korean Fried Chicken, that is, and not something else bearing the same initialism. Hey, IYKYK. I’ve visited K-Town (roughly centered on 32nd St between Madison Ave and Broadway) countless times, primarily because I crave the cuisine but also because I worked near there a lifetime ago so I’m certainly familiar with the fare.

But on a recent afternoon, I was in Manhattan’s Chinatown getting my ducks in a row in anticipation of the opening of ethnojunket season. It was lunchtime (always a calorific activity there) and I spotted TADA – “Korean Fried Chicken and More” on Bayard Street so I felt compelled to check it out.

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They offer bulgogi, bibimbap, fried spare ribs, japchae, tteokboki and the like but it was the fried chicken that was clucking loudest to me so I chose the Original Ginger Crispy Boneless Chicken that you see here; it came with parmesan fries, a salad, and a unique presentation.


Dark meat inner workings close-up.


White meat inner workings close-up.

Just curious: have any of you tried TADA? Any fanfares?
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

PNK Surinamese Cuisine

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Occupying a tiny corner of northeast South America, Suriname was settled by the British but taken over by the Dutch (it’s the official language) in the 17th century. Demographically diverse, its cuisine embraces influences from indigenous peoples, East Indians, West Africans, Javanese, Chinese, Brazilians, Portuguese, and Jews, not to mention the Dutch; and since for all intents and purposes it is culturally Caribbean, you can expect a serious geographical culinary contribution as well.

I know of only one Surinamese restaurant in NYC and that’s PNK Surinamese Cuisine located at 128-12 Liberty Ave in South Richmond Hill. Here’s what we ordered on a weekday visit; more options are available on weekends.

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For starters, six appetizers – clockwise from upper left:
• Bitterbal: Crispy outside with a yielding center.
• Kippen Worst: Chicken sausage. Kip is Dutch for chicken, the most common meat found here.
• Bakabana: Baked ripe plantain – short for Baka Babana. Sate (grilled kabob) sharing the spotlight.
• Loempia: Fried chicken and vegetable roll.
• Kroket: Chicken & potato croquette.


Saoto (soup) with add ins: bean sprouts, shredded chicken, crispy fried vermicelli, boiled egg.


Teloh (fried cassava) and Bakkeljaw (salt cod – think bacalao) – called Teloh met Bakk.


Packed up and ready to travel, from left to right: Bakkeljaw, Indonesian fried rice, Sweet Soy Chicken.


Bakkeljaw, Bami (Indonesian wheat noodles, typically yellow in color), Sweet Soy Chicken.

The only other location I’m aware of in which you can find the real deal is at the Suriname Day festival (Sranan Dey) held annually in Roy Wilkins park in St. Albans, Queens. I’ve seen it celebrated on the first Sunday in July or August, so you may need to do a little sleuthing to determine when this year’s festivities will take place – unless one of you knows for certain: please comment! But if this year is like those in the past, it’s worth the trip!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

Chinatown Storefront Vendors

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Chinatown restaurants are typically superb and I practically live in Chinatown food courts, but don’t overlook the storefront vendors that pepper the landscape. You’ll discover a tempting array of snacks that are reasonably priced, served up in a matter of seconds, and decidedly tasty. The offerings vary from time to time – extra credit to unique comfort foods cohabiting with trays of reliable standbys.

Two such spots are Old Street Pan Fried Dumpling, 135-45 Roosevelt Ave in Flushing, and Jojo Duck, 131 Walker St in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Incidentally, Jojo Duck (九九鸭) is so named because 九九, 9–9, symbolizing long-lasting togetherness in Chinese numerology, is pronounced jiu jiu.

Here are a few selections:
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Pan Fried Leek Dumpling – Leeks, eggs, and cellophane noodles (made from mung bean starch, not cellophane!). A solid choice for my vegetarian friends.


Chili Lamb Burger – Pro tip: examine one first for juiciness.


Pan-fried Crabmeat & Pork Buns (Sheng Jian Bao, 生煎包), always a hit!

Looking forward to warmer and drier weather when we can sample these treats on my Not Your Ordinary Chinatown Tour and Snacking in Flushing ethnojunkets. See you soon!
 
 
Stay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes! ❤
 
 

Lunar New Year 4723 (2025)

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The two-week long Chinese celebration of the Lunar New Year begins on Wednesday, January 29 – it’s 4723, the Year of the Snake.

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This year’s celebratory feast featured a whole steamed fish stuffed with ginger, scallions, and onions, bedecked with pea shoot sprouts, chives, and cilantro as the centerpiece.


Accompanying the star of the show was char siu chow fun…


…and an experiment involving a stir-fry of shiitake mushrooms and onions cradled in bok choy, both side dishes boasting a host of traditional ingredients.

The snake is known for a myriad of characteristics depending upon where you do your research: it is associated with transformation (snakes shed their skins), charm, elegance, sensitivity, effectiveness, adaptability, intelligence, determination, and resourcefulness.

One of the traditions that make this holiday so extraordinary is the way in which wordplay and homophones factor into the selection of dishes specially prepared to mark the occasion. For example, at festive gatherings a whole fish will be served, because the word for fish (yu) is a homophone for surpluses.

And speaking of determination and resourcefulness, there was a time a few zodiac signs ago that it looked like my Lunar New Year luck had run out in terms of another one of its traditional foods. It was a mystery involving a particular nian gao (the traditional sweet rice cake and a homophone for high year) that resonates to this day.

Want to know what happened? Please read my tradition-packed short story, “The Case of the Uncrackable Case!”
 
 
新年快乐! Xīnnián kuàilè!
恭喜发财! Gong hei fat choy!