Like Cafe

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/17/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

Enormous backlit dazzlingly bright hyper-colorized scenes of bustling Hong Kong streets gild the walls and stand in contrast to the unpretentious furnishings of this informal Brooklyn café. The youth-centric menu is extensive – a trifold glossy sheet that opens to a 25½ x 11 inch onslaught on the eyes and flaunts a hodgepodge of colorful mini-photos arranged in splashy, artful disarray captioned in dozens of fonts with as many exclamation points.

Like Café brings its rendition of Hong Kong street snacks to 6205 18th Ave in Bensonhurst with a good assortment of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Vietnamese offerings: noodles, dumplings, wings, rice dishes and sundry tids and bits scream for attention amid some lobster and sizzling beef contenders.

Wading through an ocean of dishes with intriguing names like Show Me Your Love Rice and Sloopy Noodle, we settled on Fishball Shumai Noodle, Macaense Wings (that’s either the Spanish word for Macanese or a typo – you decide) and Man Romance Rice. (See what I mean about the names?)

[1] The first turned out to be rolled rice noodles, tiny fish balls, and diminutive, dense fish paste shu mei swimming in a sweet soy/peanut butter sauce topped with sesame seeds. The rice rolls and sauce were okay, the fish balls and dumplings less so.

[2] I like wings that are crispy and I also like wings that are saucy – not sure about the marriage however. These were spicy, a good thing, but when crispy crumbs get saturated, they lose their raison d’être. The sauce was chickeny, but I couldn’t tease out any other specific flavors. The pickled veggies on the side were good though.

[3] You’ve been waiting for Man Romance Rice, haven’t you? Possibly the best of the three dishes, it consisted of pork belly, bean curd skin, and thick meaty shiitake mushrooms in sauce over rice. Satisfying. And no, I didn’t ask about the name.

Oh, how I wanted to love Like Café, but so far I only like Like Café. Despite what I’ve written, I’ll give them another chance – it’s possible that now that I have a sense of the place and based on other photos I’ve seen, with more judicious ordering it could prove to be a better experience.
 
 

Yummy Tummy Asian Bistro

Posted on by

When I write about restaurants on Instagram, they’re usually brief takes accompanied by a photo or two. (You can see my feed right here on ethnojunkie.com, updated almost daily, by selecting the “Instagram” category from my home page – no signup required.) But because of Instagram’s character count limitations, it’s often necessary to break up a review into several parts. This one originally appeared as three posts, published on January 14-16, 2019.

On beyond the eastern terminus of the 7 train in Flushing lies an overwhelming phalanx of Korean eateries on Northern Boulevard. One notable exception is Singapore-centric Yummy Tummy Asian Bistro at 161-16 Northern Blvd, approximately a three block walk from the Broadway stop on the LIRR Port Washington branch and definitely worth a visit. Here, in no special order, are some of the dishes we ordered.

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)
Hokkien Fried Noodles – egg noodles comingling with rice noodles, seafood (I saw fish cake, shrimp and squid), and a healthy dollop of belachan (dried shrimp paste) on the side, in what the menu described as a seafood broth. I see the word “broth” and I expect soup but I’m pleased to report that it was more of a sauce, and a delicious one at that. The belachan which I’d normally describe as aggressive, wasn’t at all overpowering and was a welcome addition to the dish.

Otah Otah (you may have seen otak otak on Indonesian menus) is a deftly seasoned mixture of fish and shrimp paste wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled. Each juicy bite provided a burst of seafood flavor with a gentle kick. Incidentally, the repetition of a word as part of a grammatical construct is common in Malay, and in linguistics is referred to as reduplication (a word which itself seems redundant); the Indonesian cumi cumi (squid) and gado gado (a vegetable salad) come to mind. Often, as in the case of otah², appending a “²” to the word is used as shorthand. Yum².

If you’ve never indulged in Hainanese Chicken, this is the place to go. It’s slow poached and comes to the table pale yellowish-white in color with slippery slick skin. Always remarkably tender, this version seems extra juicy and practically melts in your mouth; even the white meat is extraordinary. Here, it’s served with two sauces, a potent red chili sauce and a green herbal sauce the menu describes as pesto. The mild chicken and formidable sauces are a yin-yang combination that coexist in perfect harmony. I’m accustomed to seeing a particularly delicious rice made with chicken stock and chicken fat accompanying this dish, particularly in the Thai variation, khao man gai, but I didn’t find it on the table; a closer inspection of the menu after I left revealed Hainanese Chicken Rice as a side. I regret missing it; don’t make the same mistake.

Look for Cai Tow Kueh (you may have seen it as chai tow kueh), another Singapore favorite, in the Snacks section of the menu. It consists of chunks of radish cake (daikon), steamed first then stir-fried along with bits of egg and vegetables in a sweet soy sauce that clings to the cai tow kueh; it’s another treat that gets high marks for both texture and flavor. It’s also available with belachan sauce instead of the sweet rendition; it would have been overkill to order one of each so I’ll just have to go back!

Soft shell crab is always delicious but it’s especially delectable in Yummy Tummy’s deep fried Chili Sauce Soft Shell Crab, bathed in spicy goodness. It was surrounded by fried mantou poised to soak up the amazing sauce – so good we asked for an additional order of just the buns to ensure that nary a drop would go to waste.

Bah Kut Teh is a mild, slow cooked pork rib soup made with Chinese herbs; the small size came with two ribs along with a few other bits of pork and some mushrooms. By itself, it left something to be desired, but it was served with a much needed sauce that was akin to Chinese dumpling sauce.

We ordered the Durian Cheesecake for dessert and it was wonderful. I’m a huge fan of the King of Fruits so I may be biased, but the layer of durian purée was sweet, gentle and perfect for first timers.
 
 
Yummy Tummy Asian Bistro is located at 161-16 Northern Blvd, Queens.
 
 

Forcella Fried Pizza

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/14/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

Two words that consistently hover near the top of my Guilty Pleasures list are “fried” and “pizza” so it’s little wonder that Forcella Fried Pizza’s stall in DeKalb Market, 445 Albee Square West in Brooklyn, grabbed my attention.

The procedure entails tossing the dough to shape it, deep frying it, adding toppings, and then subjecting it to their fiery pizza oven; the finished product is the puffy Neapolitan style pizza that’s been the rage for several years with enough crispiness to distinguish it from an unfried pie. I like the combination of blisteringly hot oven char and deep fried crunch – the best of both worlds.

Just the right size for sharing, here’s their “Italian Sausage” option: sausage, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoncini – yes, sometimes I go basic on a maiden voyage. I prefer sausage in chunks (but pepperoni in slices) and that’s their MO, so I was happy. Good stuff; next time, a more challenging version!
 
 

Farmers Restaurant – Part 3

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/11/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

The more I post about this place, the more I want to return, if only to have another go at establishing a communications link with the folks at Farmers Restaurant, 1692 86th St, Brooklyn. Everything we tasted at this eatery in Bensonhurst’s Chinatown (yes, that’s a thing) was wonderful and I’m keen to sample some different dishes next time despite the language barrier. It’s worth noting that verbal exchanges aside, the take-out menu differs from the online menu which differs from the heavily redacted in-house menu – not to mention any specials of the day. I like a challenge.

Here’s Crab with Sticky Rice from the Chef’s Specialties section of the take-out menu. This kind of dish looks deceptively simple, but it’s not always easy to get it right; working with sticky rice requires some finesse and the chef had plenty.

This one is for friends who accuse me of never posting photos of vegetables (let alone ordering them 😉): water spinach, aka water convolvulus, aka water morning glory plus a frustrating litany of increasingly misleading names, served here with garlic sauce (another vegetable!) – tasty, green, and good for you. Right? It grows in water and its hollow stems are the clue to positive ID; they provide the buoyancy that keeps the leaves afloat. I’m not entirely sure if this was on any of the menus!

Looking forward to going back!
 
 

Her Name is Han

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/10/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

Four of us went to Her Name is Han, 17 E 31st St in Manhattan, for the delightful lunch special in which several types of bapsang are offered. Bapsang comprises the words for rice (밥 bap) and table (상 sang) and has a well-defined structure that varies primarily with the number of dishes served. Expect rice, soup, small plates of a seasoned vegetable or salad, kimchi, additional banchan (side dishes are where the number can vary), plus a protein like chicken, beef, pork or fish; sometimes, the dominant item is jjigae, a rich soup or stew. Because only the featured dish varied in our selections, it was particularly easy to share, especially since the company was so convivial. In this set, the focus is Grilled Garlic Chicken; absolutely delicious.

[2] A close-up of Boodae Jjigae, spicy beef broth with three kinds of ham, rice cakes, kimchi, noodles and vegetables

[3] Grilled Hokke (mackerel)

[4] Fire Grilled Pork Barbecue which was everything one could hope for. Definitely warrants a return visit for dinner!
 
 

Farmers Restaurant – Part 2

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/9/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

More from Farmers Restaurant, 1692 86th St, Brooklyn, in Bensonhurst’s budding Chinatown where the food was delicious and the language barrier insurmountable. I’m certain about the first dish shown here, Crab and Fish Maw Soup. Fish maw is swim bladder, dried and then reconstituted for soup; if you frequent Chinese markets, it’s easy to find in transparent cellophane or plastic packages. It has little flavor of its own, but is quick to take on that of other ingredients. See second photo for a closer look.

Apologies if you are troubled by the sight of disembodied birds’ heads but there’s a carefully placed specimen on our serving of tasty Crispy Fried Pigeon.

Despite the communications difficulties, I’d definitely return to Farmers Restaurant; it was a meal to remember.
 
 

Alsalam Restaurant

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/8/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

Did you know that Fifth Avenue is in Manhattan and 5th Avenue is in Brooklyn? The Bronx and Queens have their own as well, but Brooklyn’s is in our sights today – more specifically, Alsalam Restaurant & Meat Market at 7206 5th Ave in the Middle Eastern Bay Ridge neighborhood. Their awning tells it all: gyros, BBQ chicken, shish kebab, falafel, meat pies, and zaatar “pizza” along with grocery items like cheese, olives, nuts and halal goodies in general – just what you’d hope for and expect ’round these parts.

Here’s their lamb shawarma, a tasty treat enjoyed a few months ago when the weather was more like that of Lebanon – juicy lamb, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, graced with a creamy yogurt sauce (and yeah, I added my own hot sauce! 😉).
 
 

Super HK Food Court

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/7/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

Another visit to Super HK Food Court, 37-11 Main St, Flushing, in the basement of Super HK Supermarket, this time to Stall 21. I didn’t catch the English translation of the name (if it was even there to be caught), but the Chinese characters are 客來勤 (Ke Lai Qin) literally: Customers Come Frequent. That last character can also mean diligent or hard-working; either way, the name is surely aspirational.

[1] This is Fried Fish Belly, not to be confused with fish maw (swim bladder). I’ve had fish belly elsewhere, particularly in some dim sum parlors where I suspect the bellies were from smaller fish since they were significantly more tender than these. Their unanticipated texture is a little difficult to describe – they’re soft but resilient and chewy, not really crunchy (peanuts are crunchy), not really crispy (chips are crispy), but you can easily hear the sound of your tablemates chomping down on them. A tasty dish, but the texture will be challenging for some.

[2] Braised eggplant, a classic crowd pleaser; they did a good job with this one as well.

Stay tuned for more from the depths of Super HK Food Court….
 
 

Deluxe Food Market

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/6/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

I promise to write more about the redoubtable Deluxe Food Market in Manhattan’s Chinatown. It’s one of my favorite locations for inexpensive prepared food (it’s a market as well), a place I always bring people to on informal Chinatown ethnojunkets, and will forever hold a place in my heart for its contribution to the day I played hooky from work with a special friend.

For today though, just a postlet about a couple of carbobombs I grabbed to stave off hunger while passing through. And I mean “through” literally since even the layout bears mentioning: Picture a capital H (actually, you don’t have to picture it – it’s right there before the parenthesis) where the vertical strokes are Mott and Elizabeth Streets and the crossbar is the store with means of egress on both sides; 122 Mott and 79 Elizabeth are reciprocal.

Deluxe Food Market is always exceedingly crowded but that’s part of its charm; if you’re there for the ready-to-eat goodies, your patience will be rewarded. In a way, it’s the next best thing to dim sum in terms of tasting a little bit of a lot of things: point to the items you want (assuming you don’t speak the language), pay at the register, and (at least in my case) carry your bag over to nearby Columbus Park and enjoy.

Its size isn’t evident from the photo, but this massive “beef cake” is 6½ inches across and 1½ inches thick.
[2] Photo depicting a deceptively meager amount of meat inside.
[3] Photo depicting a deceptively generous amount of meat inside.
Take the average.

[4] Their “scallion cake” is the chewy, not crispy, variety with a touch of sweetness.

More to come from Deluxe Food Market….
 
 

Kopitiam

Posted on by

Instagram Post 1/4/2019

(Click on any image to view it in high resolution.)

Nonya cuisine came about as the a result of Chinese immigration to Malaysia and Singapore during the 15th through 17th centuries; it’s a happy admixture of Chinese and indigenous Malay cooking with a soupçon of Portuguese, Dutch and British elements tossed in for good measure. Heritage aside, it’s hands-down delicious. The outstanding Kopitiam (Hokkien for “coffee house”) brings this cuisine to their super casual eatery at 151 East Broadway on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

[1] Pandan Chicken – gently seasoned ground chicken formed and swaddled in pandan (aka screwpine) leaf; [2] denuded. Add the browning maillard effect and the permeating flavor of pandan and you’ve got a perfect snack.

[3] Pan Mee – chewy, hand pulled, roughhewn noodles are the star of this anchovy broth that also features crispy fried anchovies, wood ear mushrooms, spinach, and minced pork; [4] droolworthy photo.

[5] Lobak – Five-spice seasoned pork roll wrapped in beancurd sheet and fried. Gotta love it!

[6] Salted Egg Chicken Wings – Wings are always great, of course, but the salted egg condiment is a flight of fancy that sends this snack over the top.

[7] Dessert anyone? Malaysian desserts aren’t overly sweet and these two filled the bill nicely. Pulut Tai Tai (pulut is Malay for glutinous rice) tinted with the suddenly ubiquitous blue morning glory flower (that’s the tai tai part) keeping company with Kuih Lapis, the puffy, thousand layer butter cake touched with cinnamon. Kuih are bite-sized sweets or snacks (spelled kueh in Singapore or kue in Indonesia) and lapis means layers; kaya (delicious coconut egg jam) on the side.