Chiu on This

The lazy blog

Only recently have I taken advantage of the Monday night half-price Belgian beer special at Petite Abeille. I've often gone to this cozy place for lunches with co-workers or dinner with friends and had eyeballed the signs advertising the Monday night special (along with the all-you-can-eat mussels special on Wednesdays). What does it take to go from knowing about something to following up on it? When it comes to beer, other people glomming on to the idea; in this case, my colleague Ben managed to corral a group of folks to attend.  We were happy to learn that the beer list was extensive and that the special was a true half-price special (as opposed to a two-for-one deal). Also, our bartender that evening was both knowledgeable and helpful and directed us to beers that matched our preferences of the moment.

The reason this is a lazy blog is b/c I'm going to rely on other people's reviews of the beers they tried. I recommend La Chouffe, which, as the label indicates, means "gnome." It's refreshing, aromatic and spicy, not at all what I imagine a gnome to be like...

In praise of pork cutlets

I had lunch last week with a colleague at Blaue Gans, an Austrian restaurant near my office.  The last time I was there was 18 months ago, and I'd completely forgotten about their fantastic prix fixe lunch menu - $20 for three courses.  I had the chicken-and-leek soup special, the wiener schnitzel, and a linzer torte.  All of the dishes were lovely, but I was particularly happy with the crisp, delicate, and flavorful schnitzel.

The schnitzel reminded me of the wonder that is breaded, fried pork when it's done right.  Another example of that is the tonkatsu at Go Go Curry, an outpost of a Tokyo chain.  I would drop to my knees in gratitude if they'd open a branch anywhere near the office, but, sadly, they're located at 38th and 8th, just a little too far away for me to get to every other weekday for lunch.  Their tonkatsu is perfectly cooked to balance crunchiness and juiciness, and, as I shared with my sister, who understands where I'm coming from, they've got just the right amount of fat on the pork to provide gustatory satisfaction without crossing into caloric or overgreased horror.  The curry also rocks - the only Japanese curry I'd been exposed to is the kind I've made from the S&B golden curry box or that I've had at fast food joints in Honolulu; while I'm perfectly content with that sort, I really enjoy Go Go's curry, which is complex and savory, almost like a mole, as opposed to just rich and fatty.

I suppose I should also be praising panko and flavored breadcrumbs, to be fair.  And there it is.

A tip from Arnold

After expressing a craving for bubble tea to my podmate Arnold, he passed on a recommendation that definitely requires following.  XO Kitchen (148 Hester St. btwn Elizabeth St & Bowery) has a great deal: for $20 you can get unlimited shabu shabu and bubble tea.  There's a two hour time limit, but that only seems fair.  Not a big fan of bubble tea himself, Arnold did attest to the quality of the shabu shabu (which is similar to but not the same as sukiyaki).  Can an office field trip be far behind?

I can vouch for the other items on XO's menu, although the variety of stuff they carry is almost overwhelming.  You don't even need to look at a menu - just glance up at the multitude of signs on the walls.  Apparently, XO is in the style of eateries in Hong Kong, but I really wouldn't know.  Guess that calls for a trip to HK in my near future.

Excellent news

I had been thinking about Daisy May's BBQ lately.  With the emergence of warmer weather, I could see myself making the schlep down to their food cart on Wall Street (near Federal Hall) to pick up a Carolina pulled pork sandwich or some Texas style chili.  Unfortunately, though, the cart doesn't sell one of their best dishes - the rustic creamy corn with New York State cheddar.  I'm drooling just thinking of it.  It's always the dish that gets finished up first.  Put in just a splash of hot sauce, loosen your belt, and look for a place to take a nap afterwards.

Anyhow, the good news is that Daisy May's primary location, a take out spot on 46th Street and 11th Avenue, has finally added seating.  Bring Your Own Bib.  Can a pig pickin' be far behind?

Cartography

Credit goes to C. Shubik for finding Gloria's, a Mexican food cart near Chase Plaza in Lower Manhattan and purveyor of fine food stuffs in massive portions - including burritos, tacos, and enchiladas with a choice of ground beef, chicken, or veggie fillings.  Is it the eponymous Gloria who ladles a generous heaping of Cheez Whiz (what looks like a mess of fried eggs in the photo) onto your order at your request?  I dunno.  But the Cheez Whiz certainly contributes to the coma-inducing powers of the burrito platter, which came out to a mere $6 for you wallet (but not waist) watchers.

Credit goes to Nomi for finding out about the 1st Annual Vendy Awards coming up next week, part of the Urban Justice Street Vendor Project.  The finalists' offerings sure sound good, and I think I see a stop at the Hallo Berlin cart in my near future.

I'll post some items up about the Daisy May's BBQ cart on Wall Street, an office favorite, later on.

So long, li'l buddy

Bob Denver, the Gilligan of Gillgan's Island, died last week.  Given the current state of affairs, I feel ridiculous admitting that this made me feel bad.  But as a kid I had a weird affinity to this hapless character who was stuck on an island with people who had little in common with him.

What does this have to do with food?  Uhh, islands, that's the segue. Although I hardly ever feel nostalgic for the Hawaiian Islands, where I grew up, I do pine for local food.  The Mainland's idea of lunch - sandwiches - has always seemed blah to me.  Last year, my sister alerted me that a local chain, L & L, was opening in Manhattan.  Luckily, one location turned up at 64 Fulton St., relatively near the office. Finally, I could get a plate lunch - two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and a choice of meats like Korean BBQ, chicken or pork katsu, or even Spam, glorious Spam.  The L & L options taste just like what you'd get in Hawaii, and the prices are hard to beat - $8 will get you enough for two full meals.  The chicken katsu (a cutlet with a supercrisp coating of Japanese panko) and the mixed BBQ combos are great for beginners; get the shortrib with onions special if you see it on the signboard.  I have yet to try the musubi and saimin; will report back when I do.  Now if only Zippy's would open a branch here...

Continuing with the island theme, Nancy S. asked that I put in a good word for Cookie Island, which is just three blocks south of the office at 189 Broadway.  I think the way she put it was "these are the best cookies ever."  I think they're a little pricey (a buck a cookie), but I don't have the biggest sweet tooth, so that probably affects my judgment.  The best indication of how good these cookies are was the greater-than-usual stampede generated when Nancy S. sent out the cookie e-mail alert - gone in 60 seconds.

Pork, pork, and pork on a roll

Well, it's not all pork.  There are also pickled carrots and radishes, cilantro, hot sauce, and some form of butter or mayonnaise in this banh mi house special sandwich from Saigon Banh Mi So 1, 369 Broome St. near Mott (212-219-8341).  $3 gets you a large and yummy sandwich that includes what my colleague Van refers to as "Vietnamese baloney."  Take the J or M to Bowery for a quick lunch take-out trip from the office.

This is the second banh mi I've had this week, thanks to Van, who took a group of us over to Sau Voi on 101 Lafayette and Walker.  Talk about efficient counter service; it looks like 75% of the store is devoted to DVDs, with a sliver of space left over to assemble sandwiches and Vietnamese iced coffee, and to lay out some prepared foods.  I had a pork sandwich made with fish sauce that was savory, but don't get it if you're afraid of fish sauce; Gloria and Roohi recommended the chicken sandwiches, which were advertised as sate (I don't mean sauteed) but looked fried (nothing wrong with that).

But neither of these places beats Saigon Banh Mi, which Jon W. favors even though the wait  is interminable and the location is out of the way (near the Manhattan Bridge and the informal depot of the Chinatown buses).  Their sandwiches are flavor bombs, with bread so crusty it'll tear up the roof of your mouth.  There's sure to be a field trip to their store soon - 88 E. Broadway Mall, Unit #108, 212-941-1541.  Call ahead to make sure they're open.

None of these places have seating.