ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
D1 Jan. 27–Feb. 2, 2017
Super Bowl Party Pleasers on D7
www.EpochTaste.com
Dim Sum
Delights
Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan makes the jump from Hong Kong to Manhattan By Annie Wu | Epoch Times Staff
Y
um cha,” meaning “drinking tea,” is a time-honored ritual in almost every Cantonese family. It’s a term that refers to the Cantonese custom of going to a local restaurant to enjoy tea and dim sum. The tradition of serving small bites of food along with tea flourished into a great culinary art in Guangzhou, China. It first emerged in teahouses across Guangzhou during the late 19th century, according to Mak Kwai Pui, dim sum chef and one of the restaurateurs behind Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan. The craft eventually spread to neighboring Hong Kong, where many Cantonese immigrants thrived. Dim sum restaurants grew especially popular in Hong Kong during the 1950s. Yum cha, initially a morning brunch
Baked pastry filled with sweet-savory char siu pork.
activity, became a meal served at all times of day. At Tim Ho Wan—which recently opened a branch in New York City’s East Village, adding to a collection of over 40 outposts around the world—the chefs respect and master oldschool methods of preparing dim sum, delivering some of the city’s best renditions of classic dishes. This location is the brand’s first in North America. Everything is made by hand, inhouse. According to Mak, all the recipes are traditional, save for a barbecue pork (charsiu) bun that is baked instead of the typical steamed treatment. Mak started learning how to make dim sum at 15 years old, beginning as an apprentice and training for more than 10 years. Over several decades of making dim sum, his philosophy has been to “always challenge yourself to improve in quality and skill, and in training for the next generation,” he said in an email.
(Clockwise from top right) Deep-fried dumplings filled with pork, dried shrimp, and daikon; panfried turnip cakes; steamed shrimp “har gow” dumplings; deep-fried eggplant with shrimp; steamed shrimp and chive dumplings; barbecue pork “char siu” buns; and steamed pork “siu mai” dumplings with shrimp.
See Dim Sum on D5
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January 27–February 2, 2017 www.EpochTaste.com COURTESY OF MANHATTAN CRICKET CLUB
Super Bowl Specials Around Town
Manhattan Cricket Club
You can now book rooms for your Super Bowl party at the Manhattan Cricket Club, a swanky cocktail lounge on the Upper West Side. The library accommodates 25, the parlor fits 15, and each room is outfitted with high-definition television screens. The package includes unlimited cocktails, beer, and Australian wine, in addition to individual bar snack platters, with items like crispy pork belly, fried oysters, and taleggio cheese with honey and candied walnuts. $75 per person.
By Annie Wu | Epoch Times Staff In a city with so many restaurants and eateries, you can easily level up your Super Bowl party with great food and drink without having to do all that prepping and cooking yourself. Here are some options around town:
Sunday, Feb. 5 Manhattan Cricket Club 226 W. 79th St. (between Broadway & Amsterdam Avenue) MCCNewYork.com
SPRING BINE/SHUTTERSTOCK
CHINESE NEW YEAR BRUNCH AT BUDDAKAN
DBGB
Chef Nic Tang will be cooking up special game day dishes at Daniel Boulud’s downtown bistro. The menu includes barbecue pork flatbread with red cabbage slaw; lime-marinated chicken wings and jalapeño avocado dip; Vermont sausage in a blanket; and duck confit empanadas with orange glaze. More than 20 craft beers will be available on tap. The barroom will play the game on a big screen.
Weekend Pick
Massoni
Chef Dale Talde’s new Italian restaurant is hosting a Super Bowl party with all the typical game day fixings: cheese and pepperoni pizzas, nachos, buffalo wings, hot dogs, and draft beer. The entire second floor bar, terrace, and studios will be broadcasting the game on multiple television screens, and a beer pong table will be set up. Tickets are available online, but walk-ins are also encouraged. $97 per person.
Chef Kiyomi Mikuni, a top French chef and restaurateur in Japan, will be speaking about shokuiku, a philosophy of conscious eating. Shokuiku has become the basis of food education for Japanese schoolchildren, introducing them to nutrition, food safety, and sustainability. Mikuni will discuss how to incorporate the concept into daily life. After the talk, he will provide a cooking demo and tasting for how to make dashi, or Japanese stock. $19 per person. Monday, Jan. 30 6:30 p.m. Japan Society 333 E. 47th St. (between First & Second avenues) JapanSociety.org
Sunday, Feb. 5 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Massoni 11 E. 31st St. (Madison & Fifth avenues) ept.ms/MassoniSuperbowl
SAUSAGE FEST AT TREADWELL PARK For a limited time, beer hall Treadwell Park is serving a selection of unique sausages made by different charcutiers around the city. Chef Stephen Lyle is serving Butcher Block’s white sausage (seasoned with breadcrumbs), bangers-andmash style with gravy and onions; Morscher’s Käsekrainer, a smoked pork sausage made with cheese, served with sauerkraut and potato salad; Kiszka’s kielbasa with horseradish mustard, braised cabbage, apple, and fried potatoes; Sorriso’s sweet Italian sausage with fennel, along with Sorriso’s mozzarella and olives, roasted cherry tomatoes, and polenta; and Treadwell Park’s housemade grilled duck, foie gras, and black trumpet mushroom sausage, with port wine reduction, frisée salad, and fried potatoes. Each dish is matched with a beer pairing. Through Sunday, Feb. 12 Weekend Pick Treadwell Park 1125 First Ave. (at East 62nd Street) TreadwellPark.com
Valentine’s Day Specials
NEW MENU AT MINTON’S Now that Harlem restaurants The Cecil and Minton’s have merged, chef J.J. Johnson has created a new menu at Minton’s. New dishes include Short Rib Toast with spicy pickled okra and yogurt; Niman Ranch lamb with Caribbeanstyle escovitch plantains, adzuki red beans, and concón (Dominican-style crispy rice); and Whole Market Fish marinated in housemade harissa (chili paste) and topped with red shallots, watercress, and pickled jalapeños. Some of The Cecil favorites will remain, such as the Afro-Asian-American Gumbo made with smoked chicken, Chinese chicken sausage, Gulf shrimp, and crab; and Oxtail Dumplings with green apple curry and taro root. Paying homage to Minton’s history as a jazz club, the restaurant will feature regular music performances. On Jan. 27, the Tim Green Quartet will perform. The following day, jazz vocalist Emily Braden will take the stage. Minton’s 206 W. 118th St. (between St. Nicholas & Seventh avenues) MintonsHarlem.com
COURTESY OF MASSONI
Sunday, Feb. 5 DBGB Kitchen and Bar 299 Bowery (between East Houston & East First streets) DBGB.com/nyc
JAPAN SOCIETY TALK WITH JAPANESE MASTER CHEF
Buddakan, in the Meatpacking District, will host its only brunch service of the year: a dim sum menu to celebrate the Year of the Rooster. Dishes are riffs on classics, such as jade shrimp dumplings with pea shoots and water chestnuts; foie gras chicken dumplings with lemongrass consommé; short rib and scallion pancake with Asian pear and ginger; black truffle congee with Normandy truffle and miso-cured egg yolk; and sticky date cake with maple butterscotch and hazelnut croquants. In keeping with the holiday’s rituals, at the end of the meal, red envelopes, with prizes inside, will be presented. Entertainment will be provided by Luen Hing lion dancers and DJ Timka. Sunday, Jan. 29 Noon–2:30 p.m. Buddakan 75 Ninth Ave. (at 16th Street) BuddakanNYC.com
GUILLAUME GAUDET
SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
NERAI The Greek restaurant Nerai is serving a six-course prix fixe dinner for couples, each course with an optional Greek wine pairing. The meal begins with appetizers like Kumamoto Oysters with ouzo-cured roe, cucumber mignonette, and yogurt foam; and Seared Scallop Strapatsada (a Greek egg and tomato dish) with sous vide egg yolk, tomato marmalade, bacon tuile, and crispy bacon. The main course is your choice of Halibut with sepia (cuttlefish), braised salsify, saffron avgolemono sauce, and watercress; or Grilled Lamb Loin with fasolada (Greek white bean soup), roasted shallots, morel mushrooms, and parsnip purée. Dessert is a chocolate mousse with almond cake and raspberry coulis. $145 per person, additional $65 for wine pairings.
Weekend Pick The Sokolatina dessert, with chocolate mousse, almond cake, and raspberry coulis.
LIZ CLAYMAN
NORTH RIVER FISH BAR
Lamb with plantains. LIZ CLAYMAN
Whole Market Fish.
For a sweeping romantic gesture, take your significant other sailing down the Hudson River. North River Fish Bar, located on a three-story yacht docked at Pier 81, is serving a fourcourse prix fixe dinner, which comes with a champagne toast, a rose, and a complimentary sail down the Hudson. Boarding begins at 6 p.m. with sailing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dishes include black truffle burrata with tomato confit, balsamic glaze, and toasted oats; skirt steak with roasted vegetables, fingerling potatoes, and salsa verde; French chicken breast with faro, broccoli rabe, and herbed demiglace; and raspberry cheesecake with mint Chantilly, raspberry coulis, and mixed berries. $135 per person. Friday, Feb. 10, Saturday, Feb. 11 & Tuesday, Feb. 14 North River Fish Bar Pier 81 (at 41st Street) NorthRiverFishBar.com
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Nerai 55 E. 54th St. (between Madison & Park avenues) NeraiNYC.com
ORWASHERS BAKERY Orwashers is making a limited-edition chocolate chip challah for Valentine’s Day, with a chocolate heart swirl on top. The challah will hit bakery shelves on Feb. 1. $6.50 per loaf. COURTESY OF ORWASHERS BAKERY
Orwashers 308 E. 78th St. (between First & Second avenues) 440 Amsterdam Ave. (at West 81st Street) Orwashers.com
Chocolate chip challah.
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January 27–February 2, 2017 www.EpochTaste.com XAVIER GIRARD LACHAINE
XAVIER GIRARD LACHAINE
Openings around NYC
La Sirena Adds Tapas Bar
A
restaurant within a restaurant, Tapas Bar has opened in the barroom of La Sirena, the restaurant from Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich inside The Maritime Hotel. Executive chef Anthony Sasso, a 13-year veteran of Casa Mono, has devised a menu of creative and modern Spanish tapas to complement the bar program. Sasso, who has family in Spain’s Catalonia region, also worked at the restaurant El Hogar Gallego—just 25 minutes north of Barcelona— where seafood was the highlight. The region is known for a style of cuisine called “mar y montaña,” meaning “sea and mountain,” that highlights the bounty of the area. Some items on the menu at Tapas Bar reflect that marriage, such as the slow-cooked pork belly with lobster, or sweetbreads paired with anchovy sauce. “There’s always one wink of the eye to the land and the sea,” Sasso said. Thanks to relationships with purveyors over the years at Casa Mono, Sasso is able to feature
Spanish ingredients that are be hard to come by. One is a type of eggplant that Sasso spotted inside the garden of a monastery while on a trip to southern Spain last August (and that only just became available in the United States). As it grows, the eggplant wraps around its own stem. In Spain, it is pickled and poached along with cumin, coriander, garlic, tomato, and vinegar, and eaten whole. “You eat it as is, it’s so good,” he said. (You can find the eggplant in his dish Lamb Ribs With Harissa and Berenjena de Almagro.) Sasso loves working with foie gras. “You put anything with foie gras and it’ll be delicious,” he said. If you’re looking for foie gras for dessert—and Sasso points out its similarity to gelato in appearance and texture—try the Foie Gras Sundae with bananas borrachas (“drunk bananas”), Nutella, tostada, negroni syrup— incorporating a cocktail ingredient (this is a bar after all)—and a cherry on top. Another sweet-savory dish that Sasso cre-
ated is fried pork rinds served with thick hot chocolate. “Kind of like this churros and chocolate thing, but we didn’t want to serve churros,” he said. The pork rinds are dusted with Aleppo pepper, lime zest, and cinnamon from Mexico. Spanish ingredients make their way into cocktails as well, with a selection of sherry-based cocktails such as The Cobbler, with Madeira, Tagliatella grappa, Fino sherry, and berries. Open daily from 11 a.m.
Parliament Coffee Opens at New-York Historical Society
COURTESY OF PARLIAMENT
Styling itself as an alternative to the ubiquitous Starbucks, Parliament Coffee Espresso and Coffee Bar by Starr Catering Group is opening its first location. The New York outpost is located at the New-York Historical Society’s Beaux Arts building on the Upper West Side. It’s the only brick-and-mortar coffee shop on Central Park West between 59th and 110th streets. All coffee beans in Parliament’s coffee are sourced from Nicaragua, Brazil, and Sumatra, to create a blend with notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and apricot. The coffee bar maintains a direct trade relationship with La Virgen Coffee Estates in Nicaragua. Culinary director Ashley James is bringing in baked goods, made in the catering group’s kitchen, including raspberry financiers, cookies, and Eccles cakes. The latter are a rarity in Manhattan. Hailing from the north of England like James himself (who is from near Birmingham), these little “cakes” are actually a mixture of black currants and fragrant spices encased in a thin puff pastry that’s baked to a caramelized golden sheen, and are worth the trip alone. Delicate Basque cake, Bostock brioche, palmiers, as well as a variety of scones, croissants, and muffins round out the offerings. Other locations will roll out in Miami and Philadelphia this year.
Spring for coffee and Eccles cake—a pastry from the North of England.
It’s the only coffee shop on Central Park West between 59th and 110th streets. Open Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tapas Bar
At La Sirena at The Maritime Hotel 88 Ninth Ave. (between 16th & 17th streets), Chelsea 212-977-6096 LaSirena-NYC.com
Pig Bleecker Opens The Pig Beach team, with a restaurant in Gowanus under its belt, heads to Greenwich Village to open Pig Bleecker. Chef Matt Abdoo, an eight-year alum of Del Posto, is expanding beyond the restaurant’s barbecue roots to focus on smokecentric comfort food. Dishes include deviled steak and eggs; crispy hatch vinegar barbecue chicken lollipops with Alabama white sauce; and large format items such as smoked fried whole Bell Rouge chicken with cheesy grits and honey. Sweets include milkshakes (both boozy and not), Key lime pie, and soft serve hot fudge brownie sundae. Cocktails include seasonal creations such as the Winter Julep, with rye, winter syrup, Alpine liqueur, and mint; the wine list offers global, accessible wines and a list of rare, high-end selections from small purveyors. Global and accessible wines that complement Chef Abdoo’s menu include a selection of large format wines and two varieties on tap. Guests can also peruse the “Reserve” list—a special selection of rare and high-end bottles sourced from small purveyors. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lunch and late night service to follow. KATIE B FOSTER
Parliament Coffee Espresso and Coffee Bar
At the New-York Historical Society 170 Central Park West (between 76th & 77th streets) Upper West Side NYHistory.org/dine/parliament
Mr Bing Joins Urbanspace Vanderbilt ASIA COLADNER
New vendor Mr Bing will bring jianbing, a crepe from northern China, to food hall Urbanspace Vanderbilt. Founder Brian Goldberg fell in love with these street snacks while studying in Beijing. Along with new sides such as dumplings and salads, the menu offers a Peking Duck Bing with roasted duck, and the Classic Vegetarian Bing, a green bean and rice flour crepe coated with scrambled eggs, sesame seeds, scallions, hoisin sauce, and chili paste, among other ingredients. Mr Bing is taking over the space previously occupied by Ovenly, which relocated to a nearby kiosk. It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for Mr Bing, which so far has operated at pop-up markets. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(Left) Jamón Ibérico wrapped around a sphere of Himalayan salt with a side of cantaloupe crack candy and freshly toasted bread. (Right) Executive chef Anthony Sasso.
The Vegetarian Bing.
Mr Bing
At Urbanspace Vanderbilt 230 Park Ave. (East 45th Street & Vanderbilt Avenue) Mr-Bing.com
Smoke-centric comfort food is the focus at Pig Bleecker.
Pig Bleecker
155 Bleecker St. (at Thompson Street) Greenwich Village PigBleeckerNYC.com
Start at Lincoln Center End with UNFORGETTABLE at
GABRIEL’S
New Cocktail Bar Until Tomorrow Cocktail bar Until Tomorrow is opening in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill-Fort Greene neighborhood, offering specialty cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere. The team behind Blessings Cafe in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens is partnering with executive chef and partner Dave Ralston (formerly of Blue Hill New York and Luksus) and beverage director Rob Giles (of Erv’s on Beekman). In addition to an assortment of beers and a selection of Old World wines, drinks include the Donkey Kong, made with currant bread pudding-infused rum, Blackwell Jamaican rum, Hamilton 151 rum, orange and lemon juices, Tahitian vanilla syrup, brûléed black walnut-infused bananas, and espresso; and
a “pickleback” section, including Tromba Plata tequila with tomatillo, cilantro, mint, and jalapeño. Ralston’s food menu includes sloppy joes, patatas bravas, and curried chicken fajitas. A backyard will open in warmer weather. Open daily from 4:30 p.m.
Celebrating
25 years on the Upper West Side
“
Until Tomorrow
507 Myrtle Ave. (between Ryerson Street & Grand Avenue) Clinton Hill-Fort Greene, Brooklyn 347-987-4181 UntilTomorrowBK.com
Compiled by Annie Wu & Channaly Philipp/Epoch Times Staff
Upscale Upper West Side dining with high standards and no ‘attitude.’ -New York Magazine
At Gabriel’s, it’s all in the family! NYC Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Jan. 23–Feb. 10
3 Courses $29 Lunch $42 Dinner
We’re family owned and operated, so you know that our commitment to detail is unparalleled. Our menu focuses on traditional Italian fare, all hand-made in house, from the bread to the sorbet.
GABRIEL’S BAR & RESTAURANT 11 W 60th St. • New York • 212-956-4600
www.gabrielsnyc.com Follow us @gabrielsnyc Walking distance from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
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The Full Monty Breakfast.
A Little English Spot in the West Village By Julia Huang | Epoch Times Staff Like visiting an English grandmother’s house, dining at Tea & Sympathy is steeped in cozy nostalgia. Here at this tiny spot in the West Village, you will find classic British favorites, from the namesake tea to bangers and mash to shepherd’s pie. The crowded, 23-seat dining room is charmingly kitschy, with crooked frames holding photos of the British royal family, a greenshaded lamp shaped like a bulldog, and other vintage knickknacks. Shelves at the back display an impressive collection of novelty teapots—we spotted one shaped like a strawberry and another like an Elizabethan nobleman in a frilly collar—and the small tables are covered in floral plastic tablecloths. The menu offers hearty breakfasts, like the cheekily named Full Monty Breakfast comprising all the elements we picture in a morning spread: scrambled eggs, buttered toast, bacon, and sausages, with the addition of a juicy roasted tomato half cut into a flower shape ($16.50). This is clearly the ancestor of the American diner breakfast, proving that our breakfast culture is still British at its roots. For vegetarians, there’s the Full Veggie Breakfast, with sautéed mushrooms and Heinz baked beans made for the British market ($16.50).
If you are carnivorously inclined, you will delight in the English-style bacon, crispy on the edges, chewy throughout, and akin to sliced roast ham in its meatiness. Then there are the Cumberland-style sausages: Press your fork against the crispy casing and they burst, releasing the rich scent of the crumbly chopped pork and seasonings inside. The skin crunches with each bite. Both breakfasts come with freshly squeezed orange juice, refreshingly bright with just the right amount of pulp, and your choice of tea or coffee. When in Britain (or its closest equivalent), opt for the tea: It comes in a novelty teapot, along with a charmingly mismatched teacup and saucer, just like grandma would pull from her overcrowded cupboard. On a recent visit, our pot was “Alice in Wonderland” themed, which was fitting as it seemed bottomless, pouring out cup after cup of aromatic and finely balanced Earl Grey (Tea & Sympathy’s house blend). The café has over 30 teas to choose from, including three house blends, which can also be purchased nextdoor at their sweets shop, Carry On Tea & Sympathy. Aside from the full breakfasts, there are the bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes), which you can order with onion gravy, bacon, beans, toast, or a combina-
SET SAIL
Tea & Sympathy
108 Greenwich Ave. (between 12th & Jane streets) West Village TeaAndSympathy.com Breakfast served Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
tion. The Bangers, Mash & Beans arrives with a pool of velvety smooth potatoes on one side and orangy red beans-in-sauce on the other, with two scrumptious sausages in the middle ($15.50). Less familiar to us from across the pond is the Welsh rarebit, a classic pub food that instantly hits the spot. Cheese sauce is slathered on toast, then baked, and served with slices of fresh tomato on top. The sauce has a slight bite from the sharp cheddar and seasonings, reminiscent of a rich mac and cheese. Get it on seven grain, and the nutty sweetness of the bread contrasts and enhances the savory creaminess of the cheese ($11.50). Sweet tooths and Anglophiles alike will enjoy the traditional scones, served with strawberry jam and clotted cream (like richer, heavier whipped cream) ($7). For an even sweeter option from the dessert menu, try the Bakewell Tart served with Bird’s Custard. It arrives submerged in the warm vanilla custard sauce, and each bite includes layers of pastry crust, raspberry jam, sweet almond, and crunchy almond slices ($8.50). Tea & Sympathy fills up fast and there’s no room to wait inside, so be sure to get there early and with just a few, punctual friends, as they don’t seat incomplete parties. You’ll bump elbows with your dining neighbors while sipping your tea—all part of the charm.
Super Bowl to Go By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff
If you have no desire to cook for your Super Bowl party, look to these local restaurants to deliver some hearty game-watching fare. COURTESY OF ROOT AND BONE
Barbecue Get properly messy with barbecue from Virgil’s Real Barbecue (Times Square). Choose from different packages, with options like barbecue chicken wings, rack of ribs, barbecue pulled chicken, sliced beef brisket, and Carolina pulled pork. Order 48 hours in advance. VirgilsBBQ.com
TO SAGAPONACK
PAUL WAGTOUICZ
The Whole Bird
The shrimp are plump and juicy, the clams have that justbeen-picked out of the ocean brininess, and the scallops boast a lovely sweetness. Many dishes at Sagaponack are perfect vehicles to showcase quality Long Island seafood.
Root & Bone (Alphabet City) offers a couple of different “Game Day Packs.” One option includes a whole bird, four biscuits, a side of mac and cheese, and a side of coleslaw (serves four, $55). For a hungrier crowd, there’s another package that consists of two dozen fried chicken drums, two dozen fried chicken wings, five pounds of mac and cheese, five pounds of coleslaw, and a dozen biscuits (serves 12, $180). It’s also possible to order à la carte. Order in advance through the website. RootNBone.com COURTESY OF LUKE’S LOBSTER
4 W. 22nd St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-229-2226
sagaponacknyc.com
Lobster Rolls Luke’s Lobster (multiple locations) offers deconstructed lobster rolls with all the fixings—lobster, shrimp, or crabmeat, secret seasoning, lemon butter, and mayo (minimum order of $150)— so you can put them together in the comfort of home. You can get 10 percent off with the promo code LUKESGAMEDAY10. LukesLobster.com
Italian Comfort Food Maroni, based on the Upper East Side, delivers red enamel hot pots filled with Italian comfort food. The Tailgate To-Go is priced at $125 (delivery included) and feeds eight people, with homemade Pop’s pizza bread, baked clams, a Sausage & Pepper Pot, and your choice of pasta: penne alla vodka or rigatoni cognac pomodoro. The Super Bowl Sausage & Peppers Hot Pot is available on its own, for $39, and feeds three to five people. Six other types of pots are available as well. You can keep the pot or return it for credit on your next order. MaroniHotPots.com
Gumbo For a taste of The Big Easy, The Gumbo Bros in Cobble Hill will offer gumbo to go in quart-sized containers ($25 for chicken & sausage, $33 for seafood). TheGumboBros.com
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ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow)
Baked Bun With Barbecue Pork (Char Siu Bao)
Good har gow must use incredibly fresh shrimp, with a substantial bite, while the dumpling skin, made of wheat starch, is translucent and shiny. Mak said that the crunchy texture of the shrimp (Tim Ho Wan uses black tiger shrimp) is achieved by making sure to keep its temperature as low as possible, so the chefs ice the filling while prepping ($4.50).
One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, this char siu bao is unique because instead of the usual steamed bun filled with char siu pork, Mak makes a baked bread with a crisped exterior. If you’re familiar with Hong Kong-style bakeries and their repertoire of pastries, you’ll see the bread resembles a pineapple bun, with a crumbly, baked top and a soft, pull-apart interior ($4.95).
Steamed Shrimp and Chive Dumplings (Gow Choi Gau) Pork and shrimp make another lovely pairing in these dumplings, enhanced by fresh, verdant chives. What sets Tim Ho Wan’s version apart from your usual Chinatown spot is how much cleaner and lighter it tastes, as seen in much of their menu ($4.75).
Dim Sum Delights Dim Sum continued from D1
Pan-Fried Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go) Getting the right texture involves striking a fine balance between the turnip and rice flours in the batter; too much of one or the other will make it too mushy or too firm. Despite being pan-fried, the turnip cakes at Tim Ho Wan aren’t oily, and you can clearly taste all the ingredients (there’s no skimping, either): turnip, dried shrimp, and Chinese sausage ($4.50).
The executive chef at the New York location, Martin Chan, is originally from Hong Kong and has been cooking dim sum for 40 years. Chan explained what the training is like. First, the trainee learns to make the dough used for rice rolls, or cheong fun; then he advances to learning how to steam and fry, and eventually learns how to make pastries. Some of these old techniques still employed at Tim Ho Wan, Chan said, have gone out of fashion in the modern dining world— almost to the point of extinction. “I had learned a lot of these [techniques] during my early years, but a lot of things didn’t get passed down later,” he said. So, in appreciation of this wonderful culinary tradition, here is a guide to some of the classic dim sum dishes at Tim Ho Wan and what makes them so delicious when they’re prepared just right.
Steamed Rice Roll Stuffed With Shrimp and Chinese Chives (Cheong Fun) Part of the delight of dim sum comes from all the various textures you can experience while sampling the different dishes. Cheong fun, when done right, features a slippery, smooth rice roll that makes you struggle when you try to grab them with chopsticks. That unique quality is thanks to a secret recipe that mixes different flours together, said Mak. Tim Ho Wan’s shrimp rice rolls are also filled with Chinese chives that were grown in the shade, giving them a bright yellow color and a more delicate flavor. The restaurant also makes a great minced beef rice roll, mixed with aromatic bits of cilantro ($5.25).
Chef Martin Chan has been making dim sum for 40 years.
Steamed Pork Dumplings With Shrimp (Siu Mai) When I dined here with some Cantonese companions who’d spent a lifetime eating dim sum, they raved about how these siu mai were some of the best they’ve had since they left their homeland. One attests that Tim Ho Wan’s siu mai is the only one she’s found that reminds her of home: the shrimp, with a light taste of the ocean, meld harmoniously with juicy pork inside a thin, open-top wrapper ($4.50).
Deep-Fried Eggplant Filled With Shrimp (Yeung Ke Zi) Usually, this dish, while fried, doesn’t have much crunch because it is also steamed to make the eggplant tender. But Tim Ho Wan’s version defies convention and magically keeps the vegetable soft while the stuffed shrimp inside are crisp. Mak won’t reveal his secrets, but we can thank him for the delicious surprise ($4.75).
Authentic Japanese GMO FREE
When you taste the Japanese food at Momokawa you will know it is the real thing. Each ingredient and every detail ensures the most authentic experience.
Momokawa Prix Fixe Menu Small Course (service for two or more) • Appetizer • 2 kinds of Sashimi • Choice of Sukiyaki or Shabu-Shabu (Sauté meals cooked at the table)
• Dessert
$48/per person
Deep-Fried Dumplings Filled With Pork and Shrimp (Ham Sui Gok) These deep-fried dumplings are worth seeking out because of the contrast in texture in the wrapper, made of glutinous rice: fried to a crisp on the outside, chewy and mochi-like on the inside. The filling is a flavorful mixture of pork, dried shrimp, dried and salted daikon, and spices ($4.50).
A L SO AVA IL A BLE: DA ILY LUNCH SPECI A L S (12 P.M.-4 P.M.)
Momokawa 157 East 28th Street | 1466 1st Ave (btwn 76 and 77) (212) 684-7830 | momokawanyc.com
2nd Location
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Easy Cantonese Recipes
(Left) Fry your own dumplings at home—and skip the greasy, restaurantbought ones. (Right) Nourishing Chinese dishes: steamed chicken, Chinese greens (choy sum), and a bowl of rice.
for a Chinese New Year Feast
By Annie Wu | Epoch Times Staff
W
hen the Chinese New Year rolls around, my mother, Jenny Jiang, stays in the kitchen all day. Like all great cooks, she enjoys preparing food because it brings her joy to feed people. The New Year holiday gives her an excuse to cook up a feast and bring out dish after dish. She’ll pop out of the kitchen and wait for our reactions, and when we chomp away happily, her smile widens. Every family has its favorite holiday dishes, but there are some dinner table staples: Dumplings are a symbol of prosperity, while a chicken dish signifies liveliness. Here, my mother shares recipes for her signature dishes, ones that she’s confident will win over dinner guests, no matter the occasion. Her
steamed chicken dish is simple but tastes so good, because the meat is tender and clean in flavor. Plus, the dish includes wood ear mushrooms, which are said to be good for clearing out fat from your body. Since a mother never forgets to encourage her children to eat vegetables, a dish of Chinese greens, choy sum, is my mother’s specialty. Her version turns vegetables into something I actually love eating. And for dessert, my mother makes a creamy soup made of taro and coconut milk, a comforting end to the meal. So for this Chinese New Year, try your hand at making a Cantonese home-cooked meal. You can find the more novel ingredients, like wood ear mushrooms and taro, at Chinese grocery stores.
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How to Fold Dumplings Tip: The wrapper will seal shut if you add water along the edges.
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RECIPE PORK AND SHRIMP DUMPLINGS Makes 40 to 45 dumplings For the Dumplings • 1/2 pound chives • 10 shrimp, deveined and with heads and tails removed • Two pinches of salt • 1 egg, separated • 1 1/2 pounds pork, minced or ground • 4 tablespoons soy sauce • Dash of ground white pepper (optional) • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 tablespoon sesame oil • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for drizzling • 1 packet dumpling wrappers (about 40 to 45 wrappers) • 1 small bowl of water
Remove the shrimp and the pork from the fridge. Add the shrimp and the chives to the bowl of pork and mix until evenly distributed. To Make the Dumplings Dollop a 1 1/2-inch mound onto the center of the dumpling wrapper. Dip your fingers in the bowl of water and swipe your wet fingers along the perimeter of the wrapper. This will help the wrapper to stick. Fold the wrapper up into a semi-circle and crimp the edges by folding in with one finger and pressing down with another, making sure the filling does not spill out. In a large frying pan, arrange a batch of dumplings in a single layer, ensuring they are not touching. Pour hot water into the pan, enough to cover a third of the height of the dumplings. Drizzle a little oil over top of the dumplings. Cover with lid.
DIRECTIONS
Cook over high heat for about 1 minute, then turn heat down to medium.
Clean chives and dry them out. Cut the shrimp into small pieces and place into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and the egg white (reserve the egg yolk), and mix together. (Egg whites help make the shrimp crunchy.) Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
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Chop up the chives finely. In a separate bowl, add the chives and vegetable oil. Mix well. (This prevents chives from losing moisture.)
For the Dipping Sauce • 4 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 1 tablespoon sesame oil • Scallions and garlic, chopped and minced (optional)
For the Filling
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for 30 minutes.
Place the pork into a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt, soy sauce, ground white pepper, cornstarch, sesame oil, and egg yolk. Mix evenly. Place in the fridge to chill
When the dumplings start to sizzle, lower the heat to low. When the water in the pan has completely evaporated and the dumplings are golden brown on the bottom, they are ready. Remove from the pan. Repeat the cooking steps with each batch. For the Dipping Sauce Mix together Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add chopped scallions and minced garlic.
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RECIPE BLANCHED CHOY SUM Servings: 4 • 1 pound choy sum • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 2 tablespoons olive oil, or 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
DIRECTIONS Boil a pot of water over high heat (about 4 cups—but the more water the better). Add the choy sum. Remove after about 2 minutes, when choy sum is a vibrant bright green. Plate the choy sum. Drizzle soy sauce and oil on top.
Leafy “choy sum,” which translates to “heart of the vegetable” in Chinese.
D7
@EpochTaste
January 27–February 2, 2017 www.EpochTaste.com
RECIPE STEAMED CHICKEN WITH WOOD EAR AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 2 Chinese sausages, sliced into small pieces • A dash of ground white pepper
Servings: 4
DIRECTIONS
• • • • •
Soak the wood ear mushrooms in cold water for about 15 minutes. Then, rub them clean with your hands. Dispose of the water. Repeat about three times.
• • • •
A handful of wood ear mushrooms 2 dried shiitake mushrooms 1 dried jujube 1 1/2 pound whole bone-in chicken 8 pieces of sliced ginger (thin strips or whole slices) A dash of salt 1/2 teaspoon white sugar 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water for about half an hour, until they have become soft and pliable. Slice them into small pieces.
RECIPE
Soak the jujube in cold water for about 15 minutes. Cut up the jujube into small pieces. Cut up the chicken into small chunks and lay them out onto a plate. Place the wood ear mushrooms around and between the chicken pieces.
TARO DESSERT SOUP
the taro with a peeler. Dice into roughly half-inch cubes.
Servings: 4
Add the salt, sugar, ground white pepper, soy sauce, cornstarch, oil, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausages, and sliced date pieces, making sure to distribute evenly. Let sit for half an hour. Add water to a big pot or wok and bring to a boil. Place the plate onto a steamer basket in the pot or wok.
Sweet soups are a class of desserts commonly served during Cantonese feasts. This creamy soup of taro and coconut milk makes a comforting ending to the meal.
In a bowl, mix coconut milk powder with 4 tablespoons of cold water. Set aside.Fill a medium-sized pot with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil.
Dried, then rehydrated, shiitake mushrooms lend a deeper umami flavor than fresh ones.
• 1 pound taro • 4 tablespoons coconut milk powder • 2 pieces cane sugar blocks (can substitute with 1/2 pound brown sugar or white sugar, or to taste)
Cover with lid. Let the dish steam over high heat for about 15 minutes. Serve with rice.
Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. The soup can be served hot or cold.
Wash the taro. Remove the skin from
Recipes by Jenny Jiang
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Prep & Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours Servings: 4
A Perfect Fusion of East & West
For the Chimichurri • 2 bunches of fresh cilantro, finely chopped • 1/2 bunch of fresh Italian parsley, leaves finely chopped • 1/2 bunch of fresh oregano, leaves finely chopped • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped • 1/2 white onion, finely diced • 1 Fresno pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil • Kosher salt • 1/2 cup white vinegar
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For the Sandwiches • Extra-virgin olive oil • 1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices • Kosher salt • Pinch of crushed red pepper • Two 10-ounce filets mignons, each cut into 5 or 6 thin rounds • 4 Kaiser rolls • 1/2 pound Camembert, cut into 8 slices • 4 large eggs
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DIRECTIONS To Make the Chimichurri In a small bowl, combine the cilantro, parsley, oregano, garlic, onion, Fresno pepper, and olive oil. Season with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
Reserve the cooked slices and repeat until all of the steak is cooked.
Stir in the vinegar. Just before serving, taste and add more salt if needed.
Divide the steak evenly among the 4 rolls.
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Arrange the sautéed onion in an even layer on top of the steak, then drizzle with the chimichurri.
Rich Paella Valenciana
To Make the Sandwiches Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and toss in the onion. Season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to medium-high heat.
Cut the rolls in half and toast under the broiler.
Place 2 slices of Camembert on each sandwich and transfer to the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melty.
Cook the onion until soft, aromatic, and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
While the cheese melts, coat a nonstick sauté pan with olive oil and bring to medium heat.
Transfer to a small bowl and reserve. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, but don’t wash it.
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Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the whites are cooked through but the yolks are still runny.
Preheat the broiler. Season the steak generously with salt and let sit for 10 minutes before cooking.
Top each sandwich with a sunny-side up egg and finish with a BIG drizzle of the chimichurri.
Coat the pan used for the onion with olive oil and place over high heat.
Close the sandwich, squish it, get lots of napkins, and eat the deliciousness.
You want to get it REALLY hot—the oil should almost be smoking. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, cook the steak slices for about 1 minute on each side.
Add the cane sugar blocks to the pot. When the sugar has melted, add the coconut milk mixture.
DIRECTIONS
GAME TIME
STEAK SANDWICH WITH ONIONS, CAMEMBERT, FRIED EGG, AND CHIMICHURRI
Place taro in the pot, and bring to a boil. Then turn heat to low and simmer until the taro is soft and tender.
Chef Anne Burrell KEN GOODMAN
Reprinted from “Own Your Kitchen” by Anne Burrell. Published by Clarkson Potter, 2013. See Game Time on D8
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D8
@EpochTaste
January 27–February 2, 2017 www.EpochTaste.com
RECIPE
Bonjour Chef
FRICASSEE WITH CHERVIL Servings: 4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
2 cloves garlic peeled 1 shallot, peeled 2 ounces butter, at room temperature Juice of half a lemon Salt and pepper, to taste Olive oil, for sautéeing 1 cup black trumpets, cleaned 1 cup chanterelles, cleaned 1 cup royal trumpets, cleaned and cut lengthwise 1 bunch (about 8) large asparagus, peeled 1 cup crosnes (Chinese artichokes), washed but not peeled (or artichoke bottoms cut in large slices) 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 bunches chervil (or parsley), stems removed, save one bunch for the end 4 square puff pastry shells (3 inches by 3 inches) 16 root vegetable chips (store bought, or make with your favorite vegetables— see Tip below)
DIRECTIONS To Make the Garlic Butter In a food processor, process the garlic and the shallot. Add one bunch of chervil and chop. Add the butter in 2 to 3 batches, chopping in between. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. When totally incorporated and green in color, put the garlic butter in a bowl. To Cook the Vegetables
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Mushrooms: In a sauté pan wide enough to hold one layer of mushrooms, add a little bit of oil, season with salt and pepper and add the mushrooms. Sauté until the pan is dry. Set aside. Asparagus: Bring a large saucepan of water seasoned with salt to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes only. Immediately place them in an ice water bath for 1 minute. Crosnes: Boil the crosnes in salty water until cooked (like a potato). Set aside. To Bake the Puff Pastry
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Heat the oven at 425 F. Make an egg wash and brush the top of
each square of puff pastry with it. Use the tip of a paring knife to gently mark another square within the perimeter (about 1/8-inch from the edge). Bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until light brown. Set in a dry space. For the Assembly Remove the middle square of the pastry with a small knife and set it aside. Heat two sauté pans and add half of the garlic butter to each one. In one pan, sauté the mushrooms until almost crisp. In the other, season and sauté the crosnes and asparagus until golden brown. Chop the second bunch of chervil roughly (save four nice sprigs for the end). Add the cream to the mushrooms and cook until creamy. Add half of the chervil. For the Plating Place the puff pastry in the center of each plate, add the mushroom mixture to the middle of each, letting the mushroom sauce overflow. Toss the asparagus and the crosnes with the other half of the chervil. Place the asparagus on top of the pastry and mushrooms, and display the crosnes around. Arrange 3 to 4 root vegetable chips on each plate. Top the plate with the chervil sprigs and serve. Tip: If making your own chips, use your favorite root vegetables. Wash, peel, and slice them thinly with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Pat them dry. If baking, heat oven to 375 F, lightly coat chips with oil and seasoning, and bake in a single layer on baking sheets for 20 minutes until crispy. If frying, heat oil to 300 F, fry chips in small batches while stirring so they brown evenly, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season. Recipe courtesy of Olivier Desaintmartin You can watch Olivier Desaintmartin demonstrate the full recipe on “Sibylle’s Top French Chefs,” a series being aired on “Celebrity Taste Makers” and hosted by Sibylle Eschapasse, on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. on Pix11.
MELIN
A DA M
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/CE TINEZ
L EB R
A S TE IT Y T
MAK E
RS
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RECIPE
Game Time continued from D7
Servings: 6 • 6 Sabrett hot dogs • 6 Martin’s potato hot dog rolls • Homemade mac and cheese (recipe below) • 1/4 cup heavy cream
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10 W. 32 St., New York, NY 10001 www.misskoreaBBQ.com Open 24 hours
For the Mac and Cheese • 1 tablespoon butter • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour • 1/2 quart milk • 1/2 quart heavy cream • 1/2 pound white American cheese (diced, at room temperature) • 1/2 pound Gruyere (grated, at room temperature) • 1/3 cup Parmesan (grated, at room temperature) • 1 pound elbow pasta, cooked al dente in salted water, drained well, and cooled
over medium heat. Add flour to the butter and stir until incorporated, cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, making sure that it doesn’t brown. Add the warm milk and heavy cream, and whisk until incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the cheeses and whisk, until cheeses are melted. (Do not allow the sauce to boil again once you’ve added the cheeses.) Remove from heat and puree cheese mixture using a large stick blender until smooth. Cool to room temperature and mix with the pasta.
DIRECTIONS For the Mac and Cheese Make béchamel: In a medium sauce pan, heat the milk and heavy cream. In another pan, melt butter
Chef Marc Murphy SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
To Assemble Grill hot dog for 5 to 7 minutes. Heat mac and cheese in a sauce pan with the 1/4 cup heavy cream. Season to taste. Place the hot dogs on the buns and top each with mac and cheese. Recipe courtesy of Marc Murphy