Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Closing the Boston Chapter - Part 3: Jewish/Israeli food binging in Brookline

Kupel's Bagels

My last week in Brookline meant having a little bit of something from the neighborhood every day.

My typical stop was a breakfast of hazelnut coffee and a bagel sandwich from Kupel's. The bagel sandwiches on the menu come with a free bottled water which I always forgot to pick up. The lox spread was really creamy and hit the spot when I wanted to save $$ and skip the real lox. Moreover, my most favorite item at Kupel's had to have been the fresh challah. They had a really sweet dough that resembled (no joke) Chinese BBQ Pork Buns (the baked kind not the steamed kind). I could eat a loaf of that in one sitting if I allowed myself to do so.

Something indulgent but frequent were my stops for lunch with friends or evening to-go orders at Zaftigs, my beloved modern Jewish deli. Cold fish plates, cold cuts by the pound, perfect house coffee, banana stuffed french toast, knish, bagel chips and herbed cream cheese, or even the occasional chocolate chip cookie made me smile. Perhaps I'll spend money one day on a kitschy t-shirt from the counter. Examples: "Knish me" "Almost Jewish" "Got Challah?"

From Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


A rarer stop was going to the "real deal" places like Rubin's Kosher Deli or The Butcherie, a small grocery store. At Rubin's I'd go in off-peak so I could order from the counter by myself, without fear of being perceived as "the other." Shmaltzy kasha varnishkes, pastrami, knish.... I loved taking it all home. The Butcherie had the most Israeli products I've ever seen. I felt it was my little secret that I could read all the packages in Hebrew... but I never dared speak or thank anyone in Ivrit.

From Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


I squeezed in a couple stops into Ruth's Kitchen and Cafe Eilat before I left. I had my first kugel from Ruth's -- mm, it's probably not Ruth's fault, but I don't think I like kugel. I went into Cafe Eilat because the name seemed like something straight out of my Modern Hebrew textbooks. I tried some imported Israeli panna cotta. While I usually LOVE panna cotta, the trip around the world (or the likely freeze and defrosting) killed the texture of my dessert. The place also seemed pretty overpriced without any apparent differences in quality or kosherness.

Good or bad, I'll forever look to Brookline's Jewish and Israeli food stops for great food memories. Life will never be the same without having a fresh, immediate supply of challah.

From Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines

Closing the Boston Chapter - Part 2: Chung Shin Yuan

I made a half-hearted entry a while back lamenting my lust for Taiwanese brunch in Newton. Before I left for California, I finally upped the whining and wrangled up a few church buddies of Taiwanese heritage to take me to this mythical, best-of-the-best, hidden food stop.

I had to overcome a few other hurdles to make this food voyage. First, the restaurant name is unapologetically Chinese which on the surface intimidates me - as a part Chinese-American, by way of a couple generations of family that kept British English as their home language, I've played deaf and dumb to any Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese, etc... I've encountered. I usually assume that any Chinese restaurant with a real Chinese name at least has a second English name for me to use so I won't embarrass myself by butchering some poor transliteration of the original.

Second, the restaurant's Newton-Watertown border location is just plain F-A-R to most lay carless Bostonians. This truth had been a put-off to my usual food-hopping pals. Chung Shin Yuan could've been in Timbuktu for all some people cared.

Third, the restaurant exterior is almost scary. The sign is so faded and the exterior is so nondescript, that my Boston-hardened heart would've immediately rejected this place on it's lack of curb appeal alone. Apparently, my time on the East Coast clouded one of my life experience personal truths that many a good ethnic restaurant can (and sometimes must) be found in unlikely places, such as a strip mall or gas station.

Fourth, rumors I heard about the weekend brunch line were legendary - most folks recommended at least a half-hour wait. One couple I knew said that being in line didn't even guarantee you'd make it for one of the brunch seatings.

Waiting line at 11:05 AM from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


The restaurant opens at 11:30, so my pals and I arrived at 10:55. We were the first in line, and a dozen more people lined up behind us in no time. The smells of slow cooking meat and spices were wafting in the air as the crowd waited -- a heart-warming aroma for many that was only slightly interrupted by the cups of coffee that some folks brought in line from the MickeyD's next door. The restaurant opened it's doors a bit early at 11:20. The dining room (which was decorated quite tastefully as compared to the lame exterior) was completely seated within a couple minutes with the second-wave diners already in line out front. We ordered quickly and had food brought to us with great speed.

I'm pretty sure my favorite menu item was the simplest: the sweetened soy milk. Our bowl was steamy, sweet, and only slightly creamy. I think American soy drinks miss the boat completely when it comes to the Chinese soy milk experience. The consistency of soy milk is delicate and silky... with more of a mouthfeel that resembles fat-free or 1% milk rather than chalky, thickened-up whole milk.

Soy milk from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


Youtiao from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


The Chinese doughnuts (youtiao) were hot 'n crispy, and, yes, oily. Don't let the doughnut grease scare you, only a minimal residual amount clings to the crispy/doughy sticks. You won't even notice it after you've dunked your youtiao in your bowl of sweet soy milk, anyway.

The shoabing was also really tasty. The flaky golden pastry that sandwiched perfectly seasoned cold beef cuts was delicious and only had that nice suggestion of sweetness after you gobbled the whole thing up. I would've ordered a whole one for myself if I didn't care to look like a bigger pig than usual.

Shoabing from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


The pan fried steam buns were doughy and full of juicy meatball goodness. But, compared to everything else, they seemed like filler. The Chinese leek pie and scallion pancake were also good in their fried glory, but their lack of animal meat or sugary goodness put them in the back of my mind. The salty soy milk was also good, but as a newbie I had no other experiences with which to compare it. If you think of salty soy milk as less like milk and more like a miso soup experience, you'll enjoy it. They add soy sauce and vinegar to the milk which helps curdle up the soy proteins into little silken tofu-like curds.

From Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines


So if you want to ditch the dim sum carts of Chinatown, line up early for a Taiwanese brunch at Chung Shin Yuan instead.

Closing the Boston Chapter - Part 1: Color Korean Cuisine

My favorite Boston Korean place in Boston is in Allston Village. It's not a far walk from Coolidge Corner and a quick 66 bus ride from Harvard Square. The eats are on the cheaper side and are still made the with the love of ten grandmothers. You won't be asked to grill your own food or cook your own soup - these folks prepare everything in back.

Two things bring me back: the sweet and spicy goodness of the best fried chicken in Boston (Color Chicken - small or large order) and the roasted corn tea (served hot in winter and iced in the summer). Sure the service is always nice and there are many other dishes worth eating (tteokbokki, various jigaes, and free side dishes in tasting portions), but in the end all I really want to do is scarf down plenty of fried chicken and wash it down with a delicious beverage - the oksusu cha is as good as anything else since this no-alcohol establishment doesn't serve any ice cold brewskis.

Color Korean Cuisine always hits the spot. It's small, so don't bring only your closest friends. It still seems to be a Korean insider spot, but be not alarmed. Don't be afraid if you call the restaurant and someone answers in Korean... don't even worry if they continue to speak Korean after you've exchanged a few sentences in English, eventually they'll get the idea and speak to you in English. Also remember that these restaurant folks observe the "Lord's Day," so make sure to stop by from Monday through Saturday only.

Bi Bim Bap from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines

Amazing "Color Chicken" from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines

Seafood Pancake from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines

Lois taking food pics from Exploding taste buds lead to exploding waistlines

Friday, December 12, 2008

Myers + Chang



My good-bye lunch could not have gone any better. Great friends, great conversation, and exceptional food made the day one to remember. We even had a nice first snow of the season fall the morning of my lunch.

Recalling the Tasty Menu

a: passed/starters
  • coconut kuri squash soup - this soup was rich and creamy - and much better than I remembered. the drizzle of hot chili oil spiced up everyone's appetites. I don't think all left an empty bowl. I recreated it for dinner the other night and was pleased with my results.
  • tea-smoked pork spare ribs - as awesome as I remembered. The pork pieces were rich, fatty, and fall-apart tender.
  • crispy spring rolls - i didn't think i'd enjoy a spring roll with that many vegetables inside - but true to the menu, each roll was crispy =)

    * b: salads/sides
  • tiger's tears - every single element of this dish was fresh and outstanding! I know there's a recipe for this dish in my new Malaysian cookbook - I'll have to post a bit once my books arrive.
  • edamame and celery slaw - i don't even like celery, but this salad changed my mind. i think the sweetness of the candied lemons did the trick -- and whatever other acid they used in the dressing. this was definitely another table favorite.

    * c: mains
  • wok-roasted mussels - the best mussels I've had EVER. The bowls were piled high with tender, succulent, sweet, lemon-grassy mollusks. I kept finding reasons to sop up more liquid from the mussel bowl.
  • chicken and rapini stir fry - tender and tasty meat and veggies. mmm...
  • beef and broccoli chow fun - i think we were too full to enjoy this dish by the time it arrived at our table.

    * d: drink
  • fountain drink, tea, or coffee - the hot teas came in individual tea pots which was really charming. other late risers had plenty of coffee to start. note - cream served out of a clay vessel that you'd normally associate with a soy sauce server is pretty freaky to look at.

    Cheri and our server were fantastic -- especially since I forgot that one of the guests had a food allergy. Thankfully, she could eat all of the items without any adjustments. Cheri even boxed up one of Joanne Chang's famous throw-down winning Sticky-Sticky Buns for my plane trip home! How nice was that!

    I'd recommend the place for future events and I hope my party guests will continue to explore what the restaurant and bakery have to offer =)
  • Friday, December 05, 2008

    Good-bye and Birthday Lunch Menu

    I'm so crazy busy I could scream/spit/cry... etc.

    Rather than do any of those things I'm going to take Sara's lead and write a "five minute post."

    I'm moving back to California on Sunday, which is also my birthday. I decided to take matters into my own hands and throw myself a Bye-Bye and Birthday Lunch at Myers + Chang.

    I know I haven't blogged about my visits there nearly enough. I've gone pretty regularly (once every three months) for the past year, and the food has ranged from AMAZING to too-salty-to eat.

    Some might shy away from throwing my last bash at a place that's been so inconsistent. Let's just say that I live dangerously and since I love Flour so much, I'm really rooting for Joanne Cheng's pan Asian restaurant to really soar.

    The Tasty Menu

    * a: passed/starters
    * tea-smoked pork spare ribs *AWESOME*
    * crispy spring rolls - garlic chives, bamboo, shiitake mushroom
    * veggie-friendly soup - coconut kuri squash?

    * b: mains
    * wok-roasted mussels - black pepper, lemongrass
    * chicken and rapini stirfry * - toasted garlic, chili peppers
    * beef and broccoli chow fun - seared flank steak, wide rice noodles, onions

    * c: salads/sides
    * tiger's tears *AWESOME* - grilled skirt steak, thai basil, lime, khao koor
    * edamame and celery slaw - sesame oil, candied lemon

    * d: drink
    * fountain drink, tea, or coffee