Adventures in Asia - Part V

Decided to stay in for the night at the Pullman Dongguan and try one of their own, Sakura Japanese Restaurant. This evening I was in good company with two coworkers from my U.S. office. It was especially a treat, as I had the pleasure to introduce them to the fine art of teppanyaki.
The 10 course meal over the next 3 hours was meticulously prepared and executed by our master chef, artistically rendered and presented before our eyes, and most importantly, each dish was fresh and delicious. Here were two of the appetizers we had to kick off the night with. That wasabi was unlike any I've had before. It was about 10x as potent as any other I have tried and went right to the brain!
For the main courses, there was lobster (still wriggling), shrimp, scallop, fish fillet, and kobe beef. Our chef took her time with each preparation, as this meal was all about sight, sound, smell, texture and taste. I must say the kobe beef did live up to it's tenderness, and was quite flavorful.
The fried rice was kicked up a notch making good use of the night's main ingredient. As a final course, a sculpted seasonal fruit dish was a nice way to end the show.

Adventures in Asia - Part II

Day 2 in Hong Kong
After a morning of apparel shopping in the incessant wind-swept rains, I took refuge in yet another gigantic 14 story shopping complex, Langham Place. For lunch, I stumbled upon a prominent, and well-regarded noodle shop on the food court level, Chee Kei. Famous for wonton noodles, and congee, I had to follow suit. Their braised beef belly noodle soup was divine. The broth, ultra-rich and flavorful, a level unlike that of any found back in NY. The meat and ligament ever so tender, even the toothless could gobble it up. An added bonus was the chinese turnip, which lended an extra sweetness to the picture, also carefully braised at length. Their crab congee is also a well known dish, as well as a best seller. There is a fresh, whole crab within each order. The aroma and sweetness that the crab and it's roe lends to the congee only enhanced the perfect consistency of porridge. Hot and steaming, thick but just viscous enough to be smooth, a hearty, somewhat salty and fragrant rice "soup", melded with hints of poignant yet complementary flavors from the julienned scallions and ginger dispersed throughout. A rewarding dish for those with patience.

Summer BBQ's & Grilling

It would be sacrilege to pass through summer without making it to at least one BBQ. Of course any long weekend is excuse enough to throw one. Grilling meat over an open flame has always been a pastime dating back to our primal ancestors, Mr. Caveman. After urging my dad to fire up his behemoth shiny stainless steel gas grill, which has sorely been underused over the past few years, just take a look at these perfectly seared chicken wings - the texture of the skin is exquiste, crispy, rich in tone, and doneness, complete with the requiste grill marks. The interior flesh, most importantly, cooked through, succulent, moist, and abundantly bursting with flavors of a garlicky soy marinade.
Not to be outdone, these Bone-In Rib Eye Steaks were amazingly tender, with a signature pinkness in the middle, done medium rare, left to continue to cook in it's own copious jus. This is the ultimate steak for grilling - juicy, and well-marbled. Remember, fat is your friend when it comes to great grilling!

Looking for an Eatery on the Whym

It was Father's Day and plans were set to try out Eatery, in the Hell's Kitchen scene on the West side. Unfortunately, a place that didn't take reservations, and a table of 7 was doomed for failure. As it turns out, they recommended we stroll several blocks north to their sister restaurant, Whym, just reopened and renovated, with similar style new American fusion flavors, and more stylish decor, in a less boisterous and chaotic space.


Appetizing appetizers - the Calamari with a sweet chili sauce had a nice zip not overly spicy and somehow, it maintained a nice crispy texture. A Grilled Flatbread with cambezola cheese, gaeta olives, grilled zucchini, charred tomatoes had a slightly subdued blue flavor, tart and salty. Perfect for snacking on!


With our group, we basically ordered one of every entree on the menu, and they delivered with a speedy turn-time to boot! This was a Chipotle Spiked Meatloaf with sautéed spinach, vermont cheddar mashed potatoes, double smoked bacon-mushroom gravy. The subtle smokiness and heat rises from the back of your throat, while the decadent gravy cohesively ties the package together. Comfort at its best. There was also Barbequed Short Ribs with caramelized baby carrots, sweet potato mash. Now that was the epitome of very tender, fall-off-the-bone, braised beef.

"There's always room for dessert." A Banana Cream Pie with caramelized banana, chocolate, caramel, toasted coconut. Pillowy and airy on the top, more fragrant, creamier and resolute in between, and a firm, substantive and hearty crust at the base, entangled by drizzles of sweet deliciousness.