Underbelly

Posted on April 16, 2013 by admin

Location-1100 Westheimer St.,Houston, Texas

Cuisine- Houston Culture Food

The Gagit’s are back in Houston, ready to try the food of Houston at Underbelly. Underbelly  and its Chef Cris Shephard newly nominated as one of the top 10 new Chefs in America and prides itself to be the food and the culture of Houston.We had planned to be joined by x Miamian Foodies , @mango _lime and David, but with a new baby , plans are made to be broken. We will try again to meet them in November when we are back to visit.

We find the Underbelly sign and restaurant in the new cool foodie section of Montrose.We enter the restaurant through the open kitchen, shown above and introduced to our friendly server Emily, also shown. Foodiechic and I were looking forward to a real Texas drink, like J.R savors ., Bourbon and branch. No luck here, Beer and wine only, need to go to Anvil Bar before and after dinner to drink like a Texan.However, we do find some interesting Beers to start the night off,Blonde Bombshell Ale from Conroe , Texas for me and Foodiechic chooses The Old Rasputin Stout from North Coast California, I wonder why she chose this :) both shown above.

We choose three small plates  to begin the meal all with homegrown ingredients and shown above,Roasted Beets,whipped Goat Cheese, Preserved Lemon,Dill and Roasted Garlic Beet Puree that really gave the dish a zing.The next plate Texas Waygu Carpaccio, Chive Oil, Quail Egg, and local Salt, wow this meat right from the Butcher room  in back tasted Houston.The last plate we tried Gulf Oysters in Cornmeal and Kimchee Butter was the one I was looking forward to the most but it was a  total miss, the Kimchee flavor was to subtle and with the heavy coating it was something I had to send back.I now wish I tried the Goat Loin Tar Tar or other interesting  local dishes, many with Korean flavors.

In anticipation of our Big Plate, we order a 2007  Valdez Landy Zinfadel  that really delivered the taste and body we were hoping to experience. For our main Plate, we are served one of the house Specialties, the Cornmeal Crusted Pork Chop,Onion BP,and Maple Mustard  cooked and flavored to perfection, a winner and of course, pictured. .Along, with the  main, we ordered Cauliflower with a Carmelized Fish Sauce, a perfect taste combination with the Porkchop.

We must try a Texas  dessert , so we order the Vinegar Pie with Salt Brittle, sweet , sour and crunchy all in one piece. We now need a shot of my best friend, Don Julio 1942 , to wash this down , not some sweet wimpy port that they are serving.

Let the Truth be Told, I can see why Chris was selected one of the Top 10 new Chefs in America. His desire to show off the Culture and flavors of Texas with local ingredients show through the menu and the flavors. However, even though the Oyster dish was not right for me, now off the menu also,the rest of the meal certainly impressed me enough to come back again. However, I missed the drinks of Texas and on our  next trip will certainly visit The Anvil Bar next door to toast J.R. with a Bourbon and Branch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oxheart

Posted on November 25, 2012 by admin

location-1302 Nance Street, Houston , Texas

Cuisine-Progressive from Regional Roots

Number 1,on Allison Cooks top 100, only 36 seats tough reservation,  the Gagit’s  have  to get there on bi annual trip to Houston , of course without the unfoodie   family of @foodiechic.

We get there on way from airport, 9 o’clock reservation at counter , will this be like Atera or more like Geranium in Denmark or Ubuntu in California where Chef  Justin Yu has trained, bet on the latter I feel. We arrive at this restaurant with its simple front ,as shown, and  are welcomed warmly  by the staff to this restaurant like their home. We are early and after being greeted by the Sommelier Justin , we wait, I with a wonderful Trappistes Rochefort 8 and Foodiechic has a pleasant red  Zin .

We finish our drinks and are seated at the counter by none other than the  Chef himself who lets me know this is is not Atera.I need no reminder of this after we choose the tasting menu and are served the first course, ‘glombo’ Persimmon with sweet dumpling squash,marcona Almonds, oregeno, malt local products in a gazpacho like presentation, shown above. I did appreciate the flavors but the consistency and ingredients  did not satisfy any of my taste buds.The wine pairing menu  started by Justin was  going to be my highlight tonight :) The next course ‘Hakuri’ Turnip,baked in salt ,radishes ,pecans,beef fat, and garden leaves , shown of course, and swallowed hard and washed quickly down with a Sauvignon Blanc.

We are ready for the next course as I enjoy a glass of Rose,as we enjoy the homemade pretzel bread with with a honey mustard dipping sauce , as shown and so far the only palate enjoyment for me tonight. The fish course now arrives with a nice sherry to drink,gently steamed gulf barrelfish, smoked pine nuts,sofrita of smoked shellfish, nice presentation, but in all honesty Justin the fish was overcooked and lost its juiceness,maybe because it was last serving of the night.Please bring me a Steak Tartare next with a nice Red Wine.!!!

I dreamed of Tartare and to my surprise it was the next course, but not the way I envisioned. We were served , tartare of smoked beef leg,kombu, aspic ,which I hate even more now ,cucumber, persian lime and thai basil. I will not comment for the picture alone as shown above, describes the dish, what a waste of good meat but the good Syrah helped me out much.

The next course was much anticipated by Foodie and  the rest of the folks at the counter,but was an understatement to say it was my least favorite. We were served ‘rosa bianca’ eggplant cooked in mushroom jus, quinoa,citrus ,citrus, purple  shiso as shown , even though I would I preferred Eggplant Marino at Anthony’s.I must say the workmanship and skill of the chef did shine through in this dish although I left most of it after the first bite and did enjoy the Spanish Honey Beer.

The last main course, I  still have hope for a bite that I can enjoy and I did have one with the guinea hen poached with lemongrass and galangai,cima di rapa, young ginger shoots. I must admit the guinea hen itself was still bland but the wing as shown was the highlight of my meal and certainly almost worth the trip to Oxheart along with the wine tasting .:)

We are now served desserts by the talented wife of the Chef, Karen who served us not only the grapefruit with frozen yogurt and mint but also meyer lemon tart that really showed her skills although I was hoping for something like the Foie Gras Ice Cream Profiteroles from Le Pigeon to let me leave with a WOW. At this point , Justin served us a Red Macvin from Chateau D’Arley  and we did say WOW to this 95 Parker rated liquer of Pinot Noir  and brandy

Let the Truth be Told, I am glad we visited Oxheart. The Chef ,his wife Karen, the Sommolier Justin showed  passion for their style of food and service . The skills showed by all and the hospitality is something I appreciated but the food itself  was not to my palate and although I wish them luck , I can honestly say I will not hurry back for more of the same.

 

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Asian Food and Drink Crawl NYC, Part 1 of Many

Posted on October 14, 2012 by admin

Location-Varied NYC locations

Cuisine- Asian

Gagit has now recovered from the Apple Bobbing fiasco of Alinea and Grant Aschatz ,it is time to eat and what could be more than appropriate than Asian, one of my favorite cuisines. Gagit is joined by a one of the most experienced NYC Foodie@SohoJewelry for this upscale Asian Crawl. However, compared to @foodcave and his recent historic Chicago  food crawl this was no more than a warmup . First stop, Danji , Korean Tapas for modern tastes with authentic techniques. Soho is running late so I sit at the bar and start  the drink crawl with beer, have to drive back to New Jersey tonight. I start with Hitachino red rice ale , a different flavor with the rice instead of malt,shown above along with most food and drink pictures  of the night. I finish the bottle, still no Soho ,and I spot another rice beer , this time unfiltered , Makgeolli and wow served from the bottle into a cup with ice cubes ,this is reminescent of the unfiltered Nama Sake that I enjoyed so much from Sake One in Portland.

 

Soho arrives and we start the dinner very basic,spicy KFC( Korean Fried Chicken  ), fire chicken wings, the coating on these wings are what makes Korean wings so delicious. I order another unfiltered Beer , Soho the red rice Ale as the Bulgogi  Beef Sliders,spicy pickled cucumbers and scallion salsa, arrive usually not my favorite dish but after the first bite I wanted more.

Now ,Soho says lets get serious and we get the poached sablefish with spicy daikon in a sauce of flavor and more flavor,this was not only the best dish we ate here but my favorite for the night. One more dish here , no problem , lets do the kimchi bacon chorizo paella with fried jidori hen egg, yes bring it on anything with an egg is my kind of dish.

We leave Danji and two doors down is Totto Ramen  , not bad only a two hour wait  maybe on the way back since I left my car  on this block.We get in a cab and head to Wongs ,where I was looking forward to try after Gael Greene turned me on to this Asian food palace. We arrive at Wongs , I order a Red Valley ale , and Ceava has the house specialty drink, with a Mescal chaser , I wish I was not driving tonight.Since, we are about  to move it to another spot we just order one main , the specialty of the house, Typhoon Lobster , lightly fried and then put in plate with Ground Pork Ground Pork,Egg,Curry leaves, crispy Garlic , with a side of homemade Pita with Curry Sauce , wow dish and I will be back to try more dishes next time .

Last stop of the night Redfarm, I have heard mixed reviews of Redfarm but have tried 3 times and the  wait was over a hour , tonight we are in. We start the night with what else but a Redfarm Manhatten, perfect to go with smoked Cucumbers , nice dish. Next up , my favorite here , Shrimp stuffed Shisoto Peppers  ,a Gagit Hall of Fame treat. So far Redfarm hits a home run, next up ordinary Shrimp and Chive Dumplings no flavor here and with the last dish of the night ,strike two , pan fried Lamb Dumplings very ordinary not shown.I now could use some Ramen  to end the night , back to Totto Ramen and 11:00pm , same crowd  no chance for Ramen tonight, glad I have been there before at least.

Let the Truth be Told, New York City is the place in the United States for an Asian crawl, for there is no end of Asian cuisine Restaurants . In this crawl, Danji was the star for me and I will be back. At Wong, I did not have enough to eat to really fully  understand what Wong has to offer. Redfarm ,a few hits a few misses , too many other choices in the city to hurry back. I do know that their will be more crawls, hopefully with @SohoJewelry,a foodies foodie and if anyone else  would like to join ,please let me know.

The night was Awesome!!!

 

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Alinea at EMP or Why Noma is Number 1 Restaurant in the World

Posted on October 9, 2012 by admin

Watch the video!

Location-11 Madison Park, New York City, New York

Cuisine-Faux El Bulli with Exercise

The Gagit luck continues or does it, two tickets  Sunday Night to  the 5 day only event,Alinea at 11 Madison Park Avenue, The 21st CenturyLimited.The Gagit’s have been to  most  of the top restaurants in the world,Noma, Fat Duck,D.O.M, and the now closed El Bulli where our desire to find a Mc’Donalds after the 30 course meal was our fondest memory ,although meeting Ferran in the kitchen for a tour  was a great experience to remember.

After El Bulli, a trip to Alinea and the El Bulli trained chef Grant Achatz was not on my bucket list. However, a special event like this might be an experience worth selling my car for:)We arrive at 11 Madison Park and after reading Pete Wells in the NYTimes have a preview of the night,as we enter and  are greeted by the hostess and lead to the beginning of autumn  and with Apple Cider in the heartland ,a big  bucket of water with glasses of Cider ,Pete weaves a story of this is like bobbing for apples , I think he is dreaming or stoned as we were laughing so hard the camera shaked.

We are seated at a corner banquette  table full of leaves,seen one leaf seen them all ,zzzz.Our first course is served on this table,shown above as is most of the nights activities,Butternut,muscovado,finger lime West Indies ,yawning at this El Bulli replica cuisine with exercise already but saved with a Cocktail of Chartogne- Tallitt with Lillet, sweet Peychaud’s, Thai Long Peppercorn,nice taste and starting the buzz needed to finish this meal.Before, the next course arrives , I take a picture of the Foodie bracelet, Foodiechic  designed for the meal on the leave table,I wish it was edible.We are now served shellfish medley, served on  hunks of smelly driftwood and seaweed. On this messy display was Oyster leaf mignonette, something that I cannot believe I am paying for,along with King Crab ,celery, meyer lemon,,mustard and foam to kill the taste,Sea Urchin, white chocolate , yuzu, wasabi, best Sea Urchin I have ever had since you could not taste it, Lobster trinity,sherry ,chervil on cracker ,huh. On the other platter,Taylor Bay scallop, onion, champagne, osetra, nice and real food, also nice as was the Razor Clam,shiso, soy , and daikon, my favorite and shown. Then came one of Alineas  classic  dishes ,Yuba ,fried quill of tofu skin wrapped with strand of prawn angled out of a black inkwell filled with miso, I really did enjoy this even though the picture came out to dark to show.Along with  this course we were served a wonderful dry Reisling ,Eva Fricke Lorchhauer Seligmacher , Rheingau 2011.

The next courses, Otori, ,a foam explosion of thai banana,sea salt and kaffir lime that completely kills the flavor of the Tuna, Corn huitacoche ,sour cherry,  silk, I cannot remember this even if they did serve it , then Brook Trout ,sage bourbon, , nasturtium, tastes  nasty  to me ,even with the Chehalem 3, Pinot Gris , Wilmette Valley 2011.Then we are served the wild Scottish woodcock tempura muck , served on a branch of oak leaves smelling of “cheap-marijuana”as Pete Wells  calls it as I now know why the diners were giddy ,laughing  at themselves from wanting to be  here tonight and actually paying for it. The next course ,  Matsuake, pork,huckleberry , pine and again ingredients  overpowering the taste of the pork.These dishes  are served with the first red of the night, Donnafugata Lighea Zibibbo , Sicily 2011, more wine feeling more  relaxed now.

The next courses served with a  Bodega Muga Prado Enea , Rioja 2000, are Hot Potato,,a parrafin cup of chilled potato soup with truffle and  a steaming chunk of potato suspended on a pin just above the soup, here I could have enjoyed more than one of these dishes . Lamb—????—-!!!!! , served with 64 unidentified  garnishes all shown and even  taking 3 for each bite did not get the flavors even the Wasabi looking ones, see video on this also. And now Black Truffle explosion served with a wonderful Storybrook ,Zinfandel Napa Valley, the explosion a raviolo filled with hot truffled broth  see Foodiechics delight  she ate the hole thing.

We are now being served the desserts, first 5 different gingers, weaker to stronger not my thing but Foodie enjoyed ,served with a Leon Barral Faugeres 2009 ,perfect with the ginger as well as the Concord Grape ,crispy and cold and Carrot ,coconut ,white sesame , carmelized honey that are not pictured and not remembered. Next Balloon, helium  filled, green apple and perfect for a circus for $1.00,athough Foodie again enjoyed after all the wine we drank.

We are now served Yves Culleron Ayguets Condrieu 2006, to go with the  big finale, Chocolate dessert served on the table. Our server, then unrolled a washable silicone  and then Daniel Humm and Grant  Aschatz   boringly painted the silicone with barrel -aged vinegar,orange reduction and quince puree to look like an expensive Abstract.Then Grant picked up the Chocolate Egg picked it up cracked it on the table ,and could not be in more of a hurry to leave,I guess you need to write for the New York Times to get a smile.It shattered out  a gooey mess of supposedly, caramel coated spiced waffles,  spiced cotton candy and other undescript items. Daniel did stop by later to asked us how we enjoyed, nice touch. To end the celebration, we are served Domaine Mas Amiel., Maury 1980 , whew at last we cannot drink anymore but are still wondering what is for dinner?

On the way out Caramel under the pumpkin, with some more Apple Cider as we share our experience with another Foodie couple who were still in the state of amazement and more importantly hungry to find the nearest Pizza in the area, and shared our question were we lucky to get a table tonight.We head back to our hotel and found to our delight in our room , a package from the Food God , real food  Raisinets.

Let the Truth be Told !!!!!!!!!!

 

Posted in New York | Leave a comment

The Kitchin

Posted on August 23, 2012 by admin

Location-78 Commercial Quay,Leith ,Edinburgh, Scotland

Cuisine-Modern English with the best from Scotland

Gagit has watched MasterChef  on his BBC VPN and have been very impressed by Tom Kitchin , Chef of the Michelin  star restaurant especially with his  Nature  to Plate menu. Since, the Michelin starred restaurants in Edinburgh were only open on one day of our trip I asked two of the English Bloggers I respect of course @wyahaw and @criticalcouple,their choice The Kitchin’.

Foodiechic and I enter the waterfront restaurant for a leisurely lunch and are seated in the bar area as our table is  being readied.  A good excuse to  have a Hendrick’s and Tonic  but wait the Barman said we have other Gin’s you might like also, bring it on all shown for the tasting,The Botantist, Martin Miller and Sipsmith. We share the drinks and luckily only one shot in  each or we would not make lunch.

We are seated by Sylvain and get a table right in front of the open kitchen,shown. We look at the menu still sipping Gin and Tonic and decide to try the summer a la carte menu of local nature  to plate Scottish items and specialties. A nice Amuse  is served along with their fresh unique breads,Tomato was my favorite. I have for my starter, Pig’s Head and Langoustine and a crispy car salad. The Pig Head boned and rolled was crispy, juicy , and full of flavor. Foodie had the daily caught Langoustine from Tobermony ,shown live and then  grilled and ready to eat ,nature  to plate in front of  our eyes.As we finish our starters, the kitchen sent over a  Razor Clam to sample, not usually my favorite but the clam from Arisig with  cooked vegetables, chorizo, and with lemon confit was  both delicate and flavor intense.

We are ready for our mains but out of Gin  so the very bubbly Sommelier recommended a very dry Riesling to go with our mains. Our mains today Lobster,creel caught Newhaven lobster  live and then cooked a la Plancha and served with vegetables, escargot butter and squid. In all honesty, it was so fresh we thought we were sitting by the Dock as the Lobster was brought in from the boat.

At this point , Tom Kitchin himself sat at our table as he  congratulated Foodiechic on her Foodie Bracelet concept that complemented his dishes.We then were served a dessert we shared Cherry and Chocolate,dark chocolate pave served with macerated English cherries,almonds and cherry ripple ice cream,perfect for this meal and with the macchiato’s.

Let the Truth be Told, we were told by all our friends that have been to Scotland/Ediburgh that we would enjoy the country and its history. We expected that and after attending ,the Fringe Festival, Military Tattoo, and a trip to the countryside it was certainly a truth. However, after eating at Ondine, Mohr Restaurant, and finally The Kitchen’, we would have been upset if we did not make the trip to really appreciate the nature to table foods of Scotland,and to be honest could have stayed another week, and meet  up with Rob Roy a few more times.

Final Truth:Make the Trip!!!!

 

 

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Dabbous

Posted on August 20, 2012 by admin

Location-39 Whitfield Street, London, WIT 2SF

Cuisine-French/Scandinavian

The hardest reservation  in Europe or the world might be Noma but the longest wait for a reservation for a night might be Dabbous and almost as long for lunch. The Gagit’s choose the lunch since we are in for the  Olympics that night and lunch was a set  4 course menu of 24 Pounds,hard to believe.We enter the modern  Dabbous  structure and  are greeted by Graham and are  seated.Charles the Sommelier comes over to the table to explain the many cocktail options as well as the the wine list of course.

Foodie starts off with a Mellow Yellow, Cazadores Blanca  Tequila ,Cointeau ,cigar syrup, lime juice,mellowed by yellow pepper and served in an Ardberg whiskey rinsed Martini Glass  a little to strong for Foodie but I liked and I start with a Dilusion  ,Bombay Saphire Gin,elderflower cordial,cucumber , dill, lemon juice shaken, shown above as well as the rest of  drinks and food we were served this lunch.

We finish our first drinks as we study the menu, set lunch,or  a la carte tough decision but as we decide we are brought fresh bread and butter in a Dabbous Paper Bag and I see on the Cocktail menu , Beer Cocktails.I had a Beer Cocktail at Atera  in New York  and have been hoping to try more , this is the place. A choice of three, Giddy Up which I order and shown ,Tapatio Blanco Tequila,elderflower cordial,Bramley & Gage Slider,lemon juice and camoile-infused acacia honey is topped with Sierra  Nevada PA , explosive flavor could drink all night.Foodie had the  Blue Moon Lagoon,Mescal Vida, Golden Farlenum lime juice, agave and orange juice finished off with a bottle of Blue Lagoon Whitbier, nice flavor but not strong enough for my taste ,also shown, and Boris Becker ,which I recommend you go to the Dabbous website,www.Dabbous.co.uk, for all the ingredients and all drink choices, In fact, except for the Old Fashions@BourbonSteakMia ,Dabbous is the bar that all bars should try to duplicate.

We now are brought our first course, Foodie has the Peas and Mint, very British but very fresh and tastefull.I have Mixed Aliums in a chilled pine infusion,I really enjoyed  the mixture of the onions with even some mustard in the bowl. I then order as an extra the Coddled free range egg with woodland mushooms and smoked butter, even Rene  Redzepi would be proud of the dish served on a bed of hay, flavors of eggs and mushrooms in a custard cream consistency that I devoured and could have eaten more than one.

Our second course is now served, Foodie is served a Fennel salad with pickled lemon balm and rose petals that is a picture of perfection almost too good to eat.In fact this is so magnificant  that Ollie himself came over to chat about the Foodie Bracelet that Londa  was wearing to match the dish.I am served the braised wild Ling with lemon verbena, the fish cooked to perfection to match the picture.

Our main courses are now served as I  have another Giddy Up. Foodie has the barbecued Iberico pork,savory acorn praline,turnip tops, and homemade apple vineger,spot on .I have found one of my favorites , Rabbit Pie ,but decorated with the Carrot that Bugs Bunny  might  have left :) and filled with Rabbit,  Rabbit ,and more Rabbit and vegetables to fill one up.

The fourth course is now served Foodie has the Scottish rasberries with strained yoghurt elderflower and barley, again a perfect picture to match a perfect tart and sweet taste.I have the custard cream pie, topped off with a edible Violet.We are now served coffee  and  the house  sweet.

Let the Truth be Told, I expected a lot from Dabbous based on the reviews and the words of @aleforbes but I did not expect this level of food and drink excellence.. As a testimonial to this restaurant I asked Graham for a reservation for May 7, 2013,and as much as he wanted to give me one it was booked fully. I did book for lunch that day whew, who knows if they have would not been full soon.

Final Truth  , Do not wait, get a reservation if you can.

 

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yam’Tcha

Posted on August 17, 2012 by admin

Location-4 rue Sauval ,75001 Paris

Cuisine- French/Chinois

As I was making my reservations for our Paris trip  and found out Fernchies  was closed,  Agape  Sustance closed, and even L’Ami closed ,what to do? The answer one of the top toughest  11 reservations in the world according to Eater National, yam’Tcha, can the Gagit’s get into this 20 seat Foodie must on only 2 weeks notice. The final answer yessss but not easy ,a lot of begging did help though:)

We enter the restaurant, Foodiechic and  her yam’Tcha Bracelet  shown above along with all we enjoyed that night  ,and are  greeted by the most important person in the restaurant , Theodora ,also shown,the keeper of the reservations .We are seated and amazed at the size of the kitchen that produces such wonderful food, it is smaller than most home kitchens.We are first offered their welcoming Aperitif Maison, with Sirop fleur d,osmanthe and champagne,which Foodiechic enjoyed ,along with welcoming tea both shown.We ordered the wine and tea tasting menu for the rest of our meal, unusual but not surprising for this French/Chinois cuisine.

The first course sweet corn gazpacho style with smoked tofu,subtle flavor yet refreshing taste. The next course Won Ton  dumplings stuffed with shrimp from  Mozambique ,with violet flower ,gone in a flash and served with Chinese Brioche to get all the sauce in the dish. We were also served a glass of wine and a tea to match the flavors of these dishes.

As we enjoyed  this food  and since the restaurant is so small, we start a conversation with our table neighbors  a lovely Cambodian couple who live in Paris and travel the world to eat  and  as  we  shared   experiences , the meal experience was even enhanced.The next courses  were served with a glass of   Chardonnay and a strong Tea to match, the pan fried and steamed Foie Gras,trumpet of death Mushrooms, sweet and sour plum sauce , subtle flavors that allow all the ingredients to come through.This was followed by steamed Pollack,on a bed of peppers and tomatoes , XO sauce (dried scallops ,ginger and chili) ,with all the ingredients the fish still  came to the forefront.

As we were waiting for our next course , I see a person behind us eating noodles and slurping the broth, I am a noodle freak, so I could not resist to ask Theodora about them, it was a substitute but I asked if I could add it to our tasting. Theodora asked the Chef and brought over a dish of Sweet Potato  translucent noodles , wow!!!

The final course is served with a Fume Blanc and a more delicate Tea. It is Hang roasted chicken,lettuce,shitake mushrooms,Xao Xing wine sauce. The chicken cooked so perfect that the juices  exploded in every bite.

One more cup of Tea  and dessert, Rasberries and Blueberries ,black current coulis,sorrel sauce , chocolate ginger  ice cream and black sugar crisp. It really looks kind of a  mish mash but the flavors work so perfectly together as everything else at yam’Tcha.

Let the Truth be Told, even if yam’Tcha would not be on the list of the toughest tables  in the world with the food they serve it would  always  be almost impossible to get a table. As we left the restaurant we passed by one of  the smallest kitchens in Paris and said Merci to the talented Chef Adeline Grattard and promised we would be back, that is if  I can beg Theodora to give me a reservation again.

Final Truth: Get in at all costs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mocoto

Posted on July 23, 2012 by admin

Location-Av.Nossa Senhora do Loreto 1100,Villa Medeiros-Sao Paulo

Cuisine-Brazilian Restuarante & Cachacaria

Gagit has been trying to get to Mocoto for the last few years, based on the recommendation of @aleforbes my Brazilian Food Guru. However, tonight is the night and we are here driven there  by our Brazilian  expert Christiano ,and   here, along with Fernando of Casa Sanchez  to toast and wish good luck to Tadeu our dear friend and business partner as he embarks on a new career.

We enter the restaurant on this rainy Tuesday night and are greeted by Leandre who tells us only 40 minute wait tonight.In the spirit of the founder of Mocoto Jose and now his son Rodrigo  hospitality  is a key ingredient and as we waited we started the night with a Cachaca from their 500 bottle collection see some of them above as well as a  Colorado Cauim Beer  opened the old fashion way with a knife by Leandre ,also shown.

Still waiting at the bar it is now time for Caipirinha’s served by the Bar Man also shown and waiting to serve us, first a Caju Amigo,Cachaca,Cashew compote and fresh cashew juice, see drink as well as Cashew fruit  above followed by a Mandacaru, Cachaca,lime juice , Cointreau , also shown.  We need some food to absorb the alcohol ,so we  are served  ,Torresminhos Pork Rinds ,meaty and juicy  followed by our next Caipirinha with Cachaca and watermelon, a little to sweet for me but drinkable  and as all items we eat tonight shown above.

Our table is ready and we go by the open kitchens and our seated and ready for our Cachaca tasting of course:) Leandre brings over 4 Cashaca’s for tasting ,Salud as we taste them all ,the Vale Verde 3 Anos my favorite.In order to help  wash the Cachaca down we are served Dadinhos de Tapioca, small cubes of Tapioca with a curdled cheese served with a bittersweet chile sauce, wow I savored every bite along with another order of Pork Rinds.

The food now is served , we  start with a Mocoto staple, Mocofave,bone marrow soup with favada beans created by the owner served with additional flour and spice for body and taste. Wow  , I am loving it could have a bowl but too much more food to come.Next, the first highlight for me,from the River, Pintado Fins  coated in tapioca and served with lime mayonaise and chili. The Pintado  now joins Paku as a River fish that I cannot get enough of, the moistness of the white meat tastes of the freshness of the river flowing. I need to also try the slices of oven roasted Pintado and whole Pintado in coconut sauce, a reason alone for my next trip to Mocoto. I also spotted free range  fried egg on the menu something I had to have perfect to enjoy with the fish.

Next, Tadeu ordered more specialties of the house, the first  Pork Knee served in a yummy molasses and tomato sauce cooked for hours into luscious tenderness bone and skin taken out to fully enjoy the meat. and served with  rice and beans with pureed Yuca and Roast Pumpkin as sides. This was a die and go to heaven dish but yet more to come.We are ready for another Beer between courses , this time a Colorado Demoiselle , a coffee Porter perfect with this local food.

The last main of the night ,another traditional dish, Carne-de-Sol-Assada,Homemade salt cured beef served with clarified butter,roasted garlic,sweet peppers and manioc chips. The sides,Corn Polenta and Roast Pumpkin with Yuca in  butter. I found the meat a little dry for my taste and am not a fan of garlic laden meat as shown to eat.

We are now served the desserts, all spectacular, the first Cartola de Engenho, the classic from Pernamhuco which mixes banana, cheese,sugar forofa and cinnamon. Wow this is worth the trip alone ,but wait Fernando suggests we need ice cream with this dish and we are brought another house specialty Rapadura Ice cream,homemade with molasses and pieces of  sugar cane cubes , wow I need @hedygoldsmith to try this one.We have our espressos and Rodrigo comes over to the table. I give my regards from @aleforbes and thank him for allowing us unto his house and treating us  as guests not as customers as to many ego Chefs do these days.

Let the Truth be Told, an hour and a half trip in the traffic and rain,a  40 minute wait , and all worth it and  I cannot wait to go back.Rodrigo and staff join Enrique Olvera as chefs of great humility where I have eaten lately and make me want to return not only for the food but the hospitality. And, while we wait for our taxi I spot a waiter serving another Cachasa  drink,,Mamulengo, with Cocoa liquor ,semisweet chocolate and condensed milk, I ask him to get me one and he hands it to me , no shame here:) I drink it and one the way out the waiter hands me a bottle of Colorado Appia ,weiss with honey for the drive back to our hotel , this is hospitality !

Final Truth:)  Brazil at its Best  !!!!!

Posted in South America | Leave a comment

Atera

Posted on June 29, 2012 by admin

Location-77 Worth St. New York City, N.Y.

Cuisine- New Naturalism

After eating at Noma and Geranium in Copenhagen last year, Gagit was not ready to try  Atera  even by a Noma and Mugaritz trained Chef for more of the same. However, after reading the review by virtual friend @docsconz and hearing his experience@grapicavoli, I had to try for myself.

The next problem reservation, tough for this 18 seat restaurant but Gagit is depending on the NYC  Foodsnob himself,SohoJewelry,who guaranteed a  reservation.Well, after numerous phone calls and begging we are in as I pay off my Super Bowl bet in a glorious way.We start the night at the Brandy Library for a couple of Russian Caravan’s , Bourbon,Pine Smoked Tea,Elderflower and Lemon, a real palate cleanser for our dinner at Atera.:)

We arrive at Atera and are welcomed by the  door with a gracious hello ,and are seated at the counter ,similar to Brooklyn Fare , a little more formal but still very comfortable. The scene is as expected ,as shown with Chef Lightner in the center of the cooking arena ,surrounded by his knowledgeable staff including our server  Daniel for the night ,.Since reading @docsconz review which is  a Bible for the restaurant and a must read before coming to the restaurant, I will only write about my highlights with all the highlight pictures shown above.

My most looked forward to item  is brought to us almost immediately by our server,the Beer Cocktail,a Belgian Saison combined with a rhubarb, wildflower honey shrub,lemon olio-saccarum(lemon -sugar oil)and Peychaud’s and orange bitters over crushed ice,wow wow wow, nothing more to be said.! The snacks now start a la Noma,the first that I enjoyed the Lobster Roll,a La Lightner, using claw meat and mayonaise ,it was so light and tasty on the bun,what a bite!!!. The next bites I enjoyed were a trio,a crunchy  Malt Cracker ,followed by foie gras peanuts and my favorite pickled quail eggs,that had such a light acetic flavor that jumped out with a burst in my mouth.

We are now  ready for another cocktail and with my new favorite ingredient Gin,the Vesper.The cocktail has gin, vodka and house aromatized Pineau des Charantes ,prepared with fresh  and dried wormwood, other bitters ,bergamot  and white cardamom. This was so perfectly dry and rich with flavor that it now is the Gagit Hall Of Fame.The bites are getting bigger and we are now served various breads with House Made Butter,with Battenkill Dairy cream,which is aged alongside a JasperHill washed rind  cheese,before it is made into butter.I am not really into bread but the Butter alone could be a course for me.Next one of my favorites, Peeky -Toe Crab,tapioca ,toasted shrimp  and angelica gelee with Nasturtium. The flavor of the Peeky -Toe was so enhanced with the gelee , I was so glad it was not only perfect but plentiful. And by the way,Soho and I shared a half bottle of Reisling Nigl,dry and citrusy from Austria and perfect with the Peeky-Toe and the North Coast Halibut ,with young garlic, whey and Chamomile , lightness at its best with the Halibut the star. I am now blown away by the Chef with Noodles, Salad Burnet , Calamari in noodle form in a light broth and salad,I could eat this as a main as  Ramen supreme.

The meat courses now begin and we order another half bottle of wine, in this case a Edna Valley Syrah,Topanga  ripe Fruits and Oak balanced perfectly to match the foods we will be served. We are now served Lard Bread, They had been basted with Pork Fat over Fried Dough and eating half of one is a course by itself. And now the star of the night for me Duck Hearts,served as a substitute to Soho instead of a bland Scallop dish ,I will be back soon for my own order.The dish, pastrami-cured duck hearts with spring vegetables,both pickled and fresh and dried mushrooms and fish sauce vinaigrette. The duck hearts pickled with pastrami spices ,sliced thinly and spread amongst the vegetables and the main gem in this meal for both Soho and I. We now are served another favorite  Veal Sweetbreads ,savory toffee, pickled vegetables , watercress, wow the Toffee flavor just enough to enhance the Sweetbread rather than overpower  it .However, the final course Mangalista Pork, wheatberries ,spruce , Magenta Spreen  could not stand up to the flavors of the Sweetbread and  ended the mains with a downer.

The dessert parade is about to begin but one more cocktail is needed. We order, Bourbon  is the star and I am a convert as we sip this drink with our desserts slightly sweet but dry enough to complement the delicacy of the desserts.We now are served a perfect palate cleanser White Rose ,wildflower sherbert with Sea Rose Mallow,perfect balance in my mouth. The next dessert I enjoyed was  Strawberry Shortcake, strawberries ginger ice cream ,fresh shortbread cake with sheep sorrel and toasted flour , perfect in every way.The last I enjoyed was the Rock, meyer lemon and wild ginger sorbet with an outer layer of brown cookie dough. The moss on top parsley meringue , my phone out of juice so check out pic on Docsconz.com. along with Petit Fours of Black Walnut  caramels and hazelnut truffles , I could eat a box of both of these.

I now have to drive back to New Jersey it is 1:30am, but this is the coffee that Starbucks should serve.It is coffee the old fashion way,dripped and filtered as we watch Daniel slow make it ,in this case Cero Azul, Columbian  from Barismo , a small batch roaster in Arlington, Massachusetts.Two cups and I am ready to drive !!!

Let the Truth be Told, I was not really expecting a new food experience at Atera after my trip to Copenhagen last year  but was I pleasantly wrong.Not only did I get to eat  and drink  some  sensational taste creations, both with food and cocktails,but got to enjoy the company of new foodie friends with the counter seating arrangement.. It almost reminded of the the communal table at Le Pigeon in Portland where we made new friends as we enjoyed the food as well as  sharing mutual  foodie experiences. In fact, the couple next to us ,shared and added to my list of places  to try in Brooklyn and Manhattan. In summary. I was not really expecting something as exciting as this night and now I am  looking forward to go back for more.

Final Truth: Do not miss out ,try try try.

 

 

Posted in New York | Leave a comment

Pok Pok Brooklyn

Posted on June 16, 2012 by admin

Location-127 Columbia St. Brooklyn, New York

Cuisine- Thai Innovative

Gagit has been to the  renowned Pok Pok in Portland but due to Foodiechics taste restrictions we just did a few appetizers. However, Pok Pok is now in Brooklyn and  he enlisted Juan Mendoza  to drive him to sample and taste  all Pok Pok has to offer.

We arrive at 6:30pm and lo and behold no line,see above, we choose to seat at the bar to be right in the middle of the action and enjoy the service of Jeff ,the Barman ,above and Jeff the server. We start with a dark Thai Beer  Barlao athough I did spot Narragansett Cans that Jeff told me was reserved for VIP’s only,maybe by the end of the night. We start the night with a salad that I enjoyed in Portland,Yum Kao Dao, a fried Egg Salad with a lime, fish sauce and palm sugar dressing , flavor upon flavor, with a side of sticky rice and home made Sriracha for a little more bite ,all shown above,as  with the rest of our meal.

I ask Jeff whats next and he tells us the Pork Neck ,a special tonight, served with a plate of Greens under ice to chill and  and eat with this flavor Pork bomb in every bite, hot, sour, sweet ,spicy . A drink choice now from this super stocked bar for any taste, we try the Japanese Scotch Sampler,Hakushu, 12 yr Single Malt,Yamazaki, 12 yr ,Single Malt, and the blend Hibiki, 12 yr. my favorite but all perfect tastes for the next dish,Kai Yaang,roasted  natural game Hen so juicy with stuffing of lemongrass and cilantro ,with spicy and sweet tamarind dipping sauces. This is the house signature dish and the flavors really are what Pok Pok is all about.

We are getting full but one last dish and at this point Jeff honors me with the VIP Narragansett to enjoy with Kung Op Wun San,wild caught Gulf Prawns,baked in clay pot,with Pork Belly ,thai flavors and bean thread noodles, wow this dish really shows the Chinese influence in Thai food and also the genuis of the Pok Pok Chefs and Andy Ricker. We really want more but are stuffed from the noodles ,but need to try the  Catfish next trip,along with the rest of the menu:)

Let the Truth be Told, I did not get a chance to get to taste all the delights in Portland but in Brooklyn ,no limits and  it was  worth the trip. The experience was not only the food,but the friendly atmosphere of the Barman, Jeff the servers, and even a great discussion wit the others at the Bar .This is the atmosphere I really enjoyed in Portland and now it is in Brooklyn ,I will be back  to Pok Pok for  I want to try everything on the menu and maybe all the drinks offered:)

Final Truth:Take the trip to Brooklyn it is not that far.

 

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