ALL PHOTOS BY SKYE CHALMERS PHOTOGRAPHY
D1 April 8–14, 2016 Around the World in
80 Sweets on
D8
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Ken Stott visits friends and neighbors for a syrup boil at Bobo’s Mountain Sugar in Weston, Vt. After Vermont’s long winters, the sugaring season, when maple sap is boiled into syrup, is a social occasion. Stott, who likes to stoke the fire, comes around for several boils every season.
Bobo’s Mountain Sugar is some of the best maple syrup we’ve ever had.
Sugar Rush When it’s time to make maple syrup, sap waits for no one By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff
W
hen you think of maple syrup, you may think of pancakes, and also autumn: the golden halo of trees, the blushing leaves, pumpkins, cider.
But the time for maple syrup production is actually right now. It is only when freezing nights give way to mild daytime temperatures that sap starts flowing. In the beginning, it’s stop and go. “[The trees] slowly wake up, and then they’re like, ‘OK, we’re awake, let’s go, let’s get the show on the road!’” said Tina Hartell. “As the season progresses, the floodgates open. You’re just buried in sap. That’s where we are right now—it’s just flowing like crazy.” Hartell makes maple syrup at Bobo’s Mountain Sugar in Weston, Vermont. In these parts, before cheap cane sugar entered the picture, sugar made from maple was the default sweetener. Earlier in the season, tap holes are drilled into the bark, and the sap flows into plastic tubing connected to a holding tank. But the tank can only hold so much—which is why, during one recent evening in late March at the James Beard House where maple syrup was the theme of the dinner, Hartell was the only half of the duo attending from Bobo’s Mountain Sugar.
See Sugar Rush on D2
[The trees] slowly wake up, and they’re like ‘OK, we’re awake, let’s get the show on the road!’ Tina Hartell, Bobo’s Mountain Sugar
Bobo’s Mountain Sugar’s sugarhouse in Weston, Vt.
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April 8–14, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com COURTESY OF KEN HALL
SKYE CHALMERS PHOTOGRAPHY
Sample jars from each boil of the season.
It takes 40–70 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.
COURTESY OF KEN HALL
Boiling sap using an evaporator.
Sugar Rush Sugar Rush continued from D1
Tina Hartell tapping maple trees last February.
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[Maple syrup] runs in the bloodstream of born and bred New Englanders. Matt Jennings, chefowner, Townsman
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Her partner, Skye Chalmers, was tending to the fires and boiling away the sap, well past the dinner, until 11:30 p.m. The boils are done in the late afternoon or in the evening, although during peak production times, a daytime boil may be necessary as well. Sap has the consistency of water and is clear, with just a slight hint of sweetness. The sugar content is anywhere from 1 to 4 percent sugar, said Hartell, who is a former high school science teacher. Last year, sap had a high sugar content across the board, while this year, producers are seeing a lower amount of sugar, which means more sap is needed to make the same amount of maple syrup. It takes 40 to 70 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. It’s all speculation why the sugar content is lower this year, said Hartell. Last year the maple trees produced a large quantity of seeds, which depleted a lot of their resources—and now they’re recuperating, she said. This phenomenon happens cyclically, every five to seven years. This winter has also been unusually warm. It’s the first time that Hartell remembers starting to make syrup in February. And she never donned snowshoes this season. “Normally I’m in snowshoes in 4 feet of snow,” she said. In any case, as the season wears on, jackets and hats give way to T-shirts, and the boils at the sugar house make for social occasions. “Winters are really long in Vermont, they start in November and end in April,” Hartell said. “Everyone kind of comes out of the woodwork. They become these potlucks. People bring beer, and everyone checks in and catches up after a winter.” The fare is perhaps a tad bit different from what you might see at the Beard House, something Hartell reflected about as she returned home to Vermont. “There’s a lot of grilled meats, junk foods like chips, salsa, dips. It’s not the healthiest food” at the boil gatherings, she said. If you ask the chefs who cooked at the James Beard House dinner, there is plenty of nostalgia around maple syrup. Chef Matt Jennings of Townsman in Boston,
Tina Hartell said she and partner Skye Chalmers used to joke about making maple syrup for a long time. “I was like, it’s never going to happen. But it did, and it’s great.”
COURTESY OF KEN HALL
Maple syrup coming off the pans.
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April 8–14, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Lamb Turnovers with chili, maple, pickled onion, and fennel by chef Mike Poiarkoff. SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
At the James Beard House dinner themed around maple syrup late last month, chef Matt Jennings made short ribs braised in maple syrup, served with kimchi stew.
Chef Tracy Obolsky’s Waffle Baba, soaked in maple-bourbon syrup, with vanilla bourbon ice cream. SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
who braised short ribs in maple syrup for the dinner and paired it with kimchi, grew up on maple syrup. His mother would use it to cook “incredible beans,” as well as chili. He remembers getting a fresh bowl of snow and drizzling maple syrup over it, and eating it by the fire on a snow day off from school— much like what some sugar houses in the U.S. northeast or Canada serve. “They’ll serve it for dessert, just crushed ice and hot maple syrup scattered on it. It crystallizes immediately and you can eat it like candy. “The South has sorghum and here we have maple. It runs in the bloodstream of born and bred New Englanders,” he said. “It’s underappreciated for us because it’s always on the table, in the cabinet. “You go to other parts of the world, or even the country, and it’s not even maple syrup—it’s Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth’s and it’s not the same thing at all.” And there’s nothing like tasting maple syrup fresh after a boil, Jennings said. “It hits you right away with those vanillins and spices and even a little heat almost at the back of your throat, which slowly starts to dissipate as it ages on the shelves.” Tracy Obolsky, the pastry chef at Manhattan’s Cookshop, made some babas for the dinner, soaked in maple syrup, bourbon, and brown butter. If there’s one ingredient she associates with maple syrup, it’s butter. “I would go to breakfast with my family or my mom would make pancakes, and my favorite part of pancakes … you know how there’d be that funny-looking scoop of lowquality butter on top of the pancakes and it would be drenched in maple syrup? That was my favorite part to eat—literally the chunk of butter in maple syrup. … It’s still cold and solid in the center and the maple starts to melt around it.” At Cookshop, she uses maple syrup for granola as well as the pecan sticky bun ice cream, which will be on the brunch menu for another month or so. It has a smooth base, infused with sticky bun flavor, and maple figures in the “salted sticky swirl” designed to mimic the sticky part of the bun, “which of course is the best part,” she added. For pastry chef Brian Mercury of Harvest in Cambridge, who came up with the idea of a dinner focused on maple syrup, it is a versatile ingredient. For the dinner, he made burnt maple ice cream. It was a challenge: whereas caramel can be tracked by a change in color, he was working with already dark maple syrup.
“The third time was a charm on that one,” he said. At Harvest, he is currently working on a maple and carrot dish. Chefs love to use maple syrup as an ingredient, but Hartell, who cooks with it a lot, said, “I prefer it straight.” She pours it on Greek yogurt, ice cream, or pancakes, where the flavor really shines. Her 5-year-old twins would concur. “They would eat it on everything if we allowed it.” And why not? Bobo’s syrup looks a little thin at first sight (compared to those thick pseudo “maple” syrups), but it is so flavorful it blossoms on the tongue, with lighter sweet notes that grow deeper. There’s not much time left until the end of this year’s production at Bobo’s. Warmer days create changes in the sap, making it what’s called “buddy.” “It’s this off flavor. It’s not necessarily bad, but it’s just a little different,” Hartell said. That flavor means the end of the sugaring is near, as the sap begins to develop a viscous quality. “There’s almost a sliminess to it, it doesn’t feel like water anymore.” You couldn’t boil it, she said, “because everything gets mucked up. And that’s what it’s like for the rest of the summer.” Bobo’s is a relatively small operation: it has 2,500 taps, about 75 percent sugar maples and 25 percent red maples. By comparison, a medium-sized operation might have 40,000 taps, and the large ones have up to 100,000 to 200,000 taps. The other defining characteristic is that Bobo’s maple syrup comes from their own sugar bush (a maple orchard in a way of speaking, although the trees are wild grown). “You could argue it tastes like the mountain,” Hartell said. For many maple syrup producers, sap is trucked in from different locations; a common sight these days where Hartell lives is pickup trucks with tanks of sap on the back. And unlike large producers who use heating oil for fuel, Hartell and Chalmers made the decision to use local hardwood—much as it was done in the past. “If something goes wrong, we have this huge fire. Things can go wrong in a hurry; you have to be mindful of how and where everything is going. “But,” she added. “It’s a cool thing. We enjoy it.”
Among those cooking at the James Beard House Maple Run dinner were (L–R) Huge Galdones, Tracy Obolsky (Cookshop, Manhattan), Brian Mercury (Harvest, Cambridge), Christine Flynn (iQ Food Co, Toronto), Matt Jennings (Townsman, Boston), Mike Poiarkoff (Vinegar Hill House, Brooklyn), and Dev Dhanda (Cookshop, Manhattan).
PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu
Bobo’s Mountain Sugar syrups can be purchased online at bobosmountainsugar. com, and in NYC at Foragers Market, Foster Sundry, and Hudson Market. COURTESY OF KEN HALL
Morton’s World Trade Center
Midtown 551 Fifth Avenue 212-972-3315
World Trade Center 136 Washington Street 212-608-0171
Great Neck 777 Northern Boulevard 516-498-2950
White Plains 9 Maple Avenue 914-683-6101
mortons.com A sugarhouse party at Bobo’s Mountain Sugar.
Hackensack One Riverside Square 201-487-1303
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April 8–14, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com
DOGFISH HEAD HAPPY HOUR AT EATALY
The New Umami Experience
stuff to eat and drink around town COURTESY OF QI
Bara is an attempt to find common ground in tavern culture through the east and west by combining the wine bar tradition of Paris with the Japanese izakaya. The word bara has many meanings, as the restaurant Bara has many faces.
Tuesday, April 12 5 p.m.–7 p.m. La Birrera at Eataly 200 Fifth Ave. dogfish.com
Our sensibilities are wild, with a passion for unsulphered wines, spontaneously fermented beers, sour doughs and kimchi, but are also restrained with clean presentations and an attempt to always make clarity of flavor our number one priority.
QUEENS DINNER CLUB
Kanom Jiin rice noodles from Qi Bangkok Eatery near Times Square.
THAI RESTAURANT WEEK 58 E. 1st St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 917-639-3197 - bararestaurantnyc.com
On Record Store Day, an annual celebration of independent record stores, the brewery Dogfish Head will host a music-filled happy hour event at Eataly. Music from brewery founder Sam Calagione’s curated album, “Music To Drink Beer To, Volume Two,” will be playing, featuring hits from artists like Outkast, Johnny Cash, and Lee Dorsey. Dogfish Head and Eataly’s beer selections will be available.
We Now Deliver!
The Thai New Year, or Songkran Festival, is celebrated from April 13 to 15. Twenty Thai restaurants around the city will honor the holiday with special Songkran dishes or prix-fixe menus. The kickoff event, to be held at the Astor Center on April 12, will include a cooking demonstration by chef Evelyn Garcia and a traditional water blessing ceremony. Monday, April 11–Sunday, April 17 At participating restaurants bookthailandnow.com/thairestaurantweek
Celebrate the best of Southern comfort food with chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth of Root & Bone. They will partner with a team of chefs from North Carolina restaurants to serve variations on the chicken biscuit sandwich. The chefs are Chris Coleman of The Asbury, Blake Hartwick of Bonterra Dining & Wine Room, Paul Verica of Heritage Food and Drink, and Ashley Boyd of 300 East. $5 for each sandwich.
The Long Island City Flea and Food Market is back. The outdoor market brings together food vendors like Oconomi, which serves okonomiyaki, or Japanese pancakes; Jessy’s Empanadas; and Butcher Bar’s wood smoked barbecue. The market also hosts vintage and artisanal shops. Every weekend through Sunday, Oct. 30 11 a.m.–6 p.m. 5-25 46th St. Long Island City, Queens licflea.com
Friday, April 15, 4 p.m.–7 p.m. Root & Bone 200 E. Third St. rootnbone.com
A new standard for Thai food.
Thursday, April 14 7 p.m. Tangra 3923 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside queensdinnerclub.bpt.me
LIC FLEA AND FOOD MARKET
ROOT & BONE BATTLE OF THE CHICKEN BISCUITS
Traditional and modern, combined.
Astoria chef Jonathan Forgash and Queens food writer Joe DiStefano have teamed up to create the Queens Dinner, a series of local dinners featuring the unique global cuisines offered in Queens. The first dinner will take place at Tangra, an Indian– Chinese restaurant in Sunnyside. The feast will include dishes like Manchow Soup, Chili Chicken, Fish with Hot Garlic Sauce, and Kulfi for dessert. $40 per person.
CLAY WILLIAMS
ROOTS OF RAMEN Ganso Ramen is hosting a special series, Roots of Ramen, that explores the different regional ramen traditions in Japan. Seven special bowls will be available for two days at a time. They include the Hakata Tonkotsu, a specialty of southern Japan that is made with pork bone broth; Kyoto Paitan, with thick chicken broth and flat linguini-like noodles; and Sapporo Miso, a northern Japanese ramen with white miso, fresh corn, and wavy noodles.
The Nuaa 1122 1st Ave. (btw 61st and 62nd streets) • 212-888-2899 • thenuaa.com
Friday, April 8–Sunday, April 24 Ganso Ramen 25 Bond St., Brooklyn gansonyc.com/ganso-ramen
The Hakata Tonkotsu ramen.
COURTESY OF JESSICA SENNETT
RAW CHEESE TASTING Cheese lovers, get ready. Enjoy a tasting featuring raw milk cheeses from Saxelby Cheesemongers, paired with beer and wine recommendations. Cheese maker and chef Jessica Sennett will also pair the cheeses with seasonal dishes, like roasted heirloom potatoes, chicken of the woods mushrooms, garlic confit, and fresh spinach with raw regional washed rind; Apple Parsnip Soup with caramelized onions and raw regional hard cheese; and Panna Cotta with sorrel and rhubarb syrup, served with cheese crisp and raw regional blue cheese. $35 per person.
Redefining Traditional Spanish Cuisine • Fine dining experience inspired by the distinctive culinary-rich regions of Spain. • Top-quality ingredients expanding on the rich, healthy profiles of the Mediterranean diet. • Seasonal menu reflecting the bounty of fresh, local ingredients. • Exciting selection of Spanish wines, cavas, and cocktails.
246 E. 44th Street AlcalaRestaurant.com • (212) 370-1866
Saturday, April 16 4 p.m.–6 p.m. 61 Local 61 Bergen St., Brooklyn ept.ms/61local
Raw milk cheeses.
COURTESY OF KHE-YO
LAO NEW YEAR DINNER AT KHE-YO Enjoy a traditional Lao New Year dinner at the Tribeca Laotian restaurant Khe-Yo. Chef Phet Schwader will prepare a spread of dishes, including Mok-Pa, wild blue catfish steamed in banana leaf; Dohm-Kem, black soy and gingerbraised Berkshire pork belly with quail eggs; and Gaeng No Mai Sai Yanang, bamboo stew with baby prawns. Monday, April 11–Saturday, April 16 Khe-Yo 157 Duane St. kheyo.com
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April 8–14, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com COURTESY OF WINE AND SPIRITS MAGAZINE
WINE AND SPIRITS TOP OF THE LIST Wine and Spirits magazine is hosting its eighth annual tasting event, highlighting over 100 wineries that made it onto its annual list. Savory and sweet bites will also be served, from restaurants and artisan purveyors that have made it onto the magazine’s NYC 50 list this year. Thursday, April 21 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Eventi Hotel 851 Avenue of the Americas Second Floor wineandspiritsmagazine.com/toplist
Attendees at last year’s Wine and Spirits tasting event.
COURTESY OF BACON AND BEER CLASSIC
BACON AND BEER CLASSIC For one weekend at CitiField, enjoy all the bacon and beer you can get your hands on. Over 50 different bacon-inspired dishes from local chefs, in addition to 100-plus craft beers from local breweries, will be served. There will be a bacon eating contest and games like Giant Jenga and a bungee run. $69 to $139 per person. Friday, April 22 & Saturday, April 23 CitiField Stadium 123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Queens baconandbeerclassic.com
Chock-full of bacon at the CitiField Stadium.
We, at Hatsuhana, realize that it is rare to find a “no gimmicks, no frills” approach to sushi. Sushi is a conceptually simple cuisine. Ironically, its simplicity also makes it complicated. Hatsuhana salutes the centuries-old methods used by prominent sushi restaurants and chefs in Japan. P H O T O S : E DWA R D D A I
Obsessive Attention to Detail T
LOUIE AND CHAN LAUNCHES BRUNCH The Lower East Side cocktail bar and restaurant is now open for brunch. Enjoy dishes like the Lamb Burger, braised with San Marzano tomatoes and stacked with smoked mozzarella, pickled chilies, chive aioli, and tobacco onions; Carne e Uova, with short-rib pastrami, poached eggs, hollandaise, and a side of roasted fingerling potatoes; and Lobster Toast, with Maine lobster, and avocado on dark rye sourdough bread with pea sprouts and baby greens.
KURRY QULTURE SPRING MENU The Astoria Indian restaurant has launched a new menu to welcome the spring season, with popular street food dishes like the Pav Bhaji, vegetables in a tomato gravy served with buttered bread rolls; Mung Sprout and Peanut Chaat; and Crispy Okra fried with cilantro and masala. You can enjoy al fresco dining in the restaurant’s backyard on warm evenings, under tree branches hung with lanterns.
Louie and Chan 303 Broome St. louieandchan.com
Kurry Qulture 36-05 30th Ave., Queens kurryqulture.com
‘SUGAR RAY’ PLAY AT BESAME A production of the play “Sugar Ray” about the life of legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, will be performed at the Harlem restaurant Besame. The play is directed by Woodie King Jr. and stars Reginald L. Wilson. The restaurant was owned by Sugar Ray during the 1950s and 1960s. A prix fixe dinner will also be served. $49 per person. Through Tuesday, April 26 Besame, 2070 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. harlembesame.com
METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD DINNER SERIES In a three-part series, chef and opera fan Carl Raymond will discuss food as a backdrop to the musical works that will be performed during The Met Opera’s 2015–2016 season. In each session, Raymond will talk about dishes that were inspired by opera, and provide modern-day recipes for the dishes. The first session, From Rome to Paris, explores the Roman cuisine of “Tosca” and the cafe culture during bohemian-era Paris, where “La Bohème” took place. The Cuisine of Venice and the Mediterranean explores the spice trade during Verdi’s “Otello” and “Simon Boccanegra,” while Dining with the Queen discusses Tudor-era Great Britain, the setting for Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena,” “Maria Stuarda,” and “Roberto Devereux.” Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. $28 for each session, $75 for all three. Tuesdays through April 26 Opera Learning Center Samuel B. and David Rose Building (at 70 Lincoln Center Plaza) metguild.org
BACONFEST AT ZEPPELIN HALL It’s time for a bacon extravaganza at the Jersey City beer hall. For the month of April, Zeppelin Hall will serve a special menu of bacon dishes like the Bacon World Tour Monster, a sandwich with grilled Paesano bread and 10 different types of bacon (smoked pork belly, black forest bacon, Irish bacon, and pancetta among them); the Bacon Pretzilla, a gigantic soft pretzel wrapped in bacon and served with honey mustard, Bavarian sweet mustard, and Obatzda cheese dip; and the Bacon Tomahawk Rib-Eye, with three pounds of Pat LaFrieda rib-eye steak wrapped in two pounds of applewood smoked bacon. During happy hour, bacon strips will be served for free. Through Saturday, April 30 Zeppelin Hall 88 Liberty View Dr. Jersey City, N.J. zeppelinhall.com
Compiled by Annie Wu/Epoch Times Staff
he single inspiration that lead to the establishment of Hatsuhana was nothing more than the desire to introduce unsurpassed sushi and sashimi to New Yorkers. Since the first day we opened our doors in 1976, we have been a sushi specialty restaurant. This has helped us maintain our focus exclusively on sushi cuisine.
212.355.3345 www.hatsuhana.com 17 East 48th St, New York (btwn. Madison & Fifth Ave.)
Nearly four decades later, our mission remains unchanged. Obsessive attention to detail should be the norm for sushi restaurants, not something to strive for. The complexity associated with creating the ideal sushi rice. The fragrance of freshly ground wasabi. The freshest fish from around the globe. Please come by for lunch or dinner and let us show you what real sushi is like!
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April 8–14, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com Openings around town
JAPANESE STYLE
KATIE BURTON
Champagne Lounge
Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Eggs Benedict. KATIE BURTON
For Reservations and Information 917-450-5701 clubvoa@gmail.com
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The Smith NoMad The Smith founder Jeff Lefcourt has opened a fourth location of the brasserie in NoMad. The 200-seat restaurant has open-air, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Broadway. Executive chef Brian Ellis serves favorites such as Mac + Cheese and Brick Pressed Chicken with smashed garlic potatoes, Tuscan kale, and grilled lemon. There are also new dishes, from the Prime Burger (28-day dry-aged beef, Gruyère, crispy onions, and wild mushroom on a housemade bun) to Slow Roasted Lamb Ribs with tzatziki, lime, and herbs. Desserts include Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and Toasted Carrot Cake with cheesecake semifreddo, orange, and ginger. A bar program includes five cocktails on tap, from a classic Moscow Mule to a take on a Boulevardier called the NoMad Boulevard. Open for dinner daily from 5 p.m. Lunch and brunch to launch in mid-April.
1150 Broadway (at 27th Street) 212-685-4500 thesmithrestaurant.com
3 VIP Karaoke Rooms
An assortment of dishes at The Smith NoMad. 249 East 49th St., 2nd Fl. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) CLUBVOA.NYC Hours: Mon–Sat 9pm–3am, Fri 9pm–4am, Sun (bar only) 8pm–2am
COURTESY OF SPEEDY ROMEO
Speedy Romeo has opened a second location on the Lower East Side. Just like at the original Brooklyn location in Clinton Hill, dishes are all prepared using a wood-burning oven and grill. Popular dishes include Stuffed Peppers with hot and sweet soppressata, ricotta, and pecorino, and the Kind Brother pizza with wild mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, farm egg, and sage. There are also new additions such as Peekytoe Crab Crostini with nasturtium vinaigrette and spring vegetables; and Wood Roasted Artichoke with lemon aioli, spring greens, and mint. A selection of Italian wines by the glass and bottle is available, as well as local beers on draft and cocktails. Open for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. Brunch and lunch service to come.
CASTILIAN SPANISH CUISINE at el Pote
Hearty, Wholesome Food from Old Spain
Chef’s Favorites Sweet Sangria Rich Paella Valenciana Fresh Lobster Bisque Juicy Lamb Chops
Speedy Romeo
63 Clinton St. (between Rivington & Stanton streets) 212-529-6300 speedyromeo.com The King Salami pizza.
COURTESY OF CECI-CELA
Ceci-Cela
718 2nd Ave @ 38th St. www.elPote.com 212.889.6680
THE NEW AMERICAN TRADITION
Come try our creative approach to brunch, lunch, and dinner—on Murray Hill.
557 3rd Ave @ 37th Street New York, NY 10016 (212)686-8080 | www.hendriksnyc.com | Follow us
The new outpost of Ceci-Cela has just opened on the Lower East Side. After 25 years in SoHo, the patisserie is gradually relocating to new digs that are almost twice as large. With a large oven on location, it will be able to churn out hot, flaky croissants throughout the day. Owners Laurent and Sandra Dupal will also be able to offer new delights, including crepes, waffles, and hot dogs (or “happy dogs,” according to Laurent Dupal’s recipe.) Ceci-Cela has counter service and some limited seating. Open Sunday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., although the opening hours may be extended in the future.
14 Delancey St. (between Bowery & Chrystie Street) 646-861-0374 cecicelanyc.com
Ceci-Cela will bake croissants throughout the day.
Café Bamba
Trademark Burger
Jorge Guzman Hospitality Group, which recently opened Temerario, has just launched Café Bamba, a Euro-Latino cafe and bistro in Chelsea. Meant as a place to bring the art community together, Café Bamba, with its high ceilings and bright setting, serves as a rotating gallery of street art for VolaVida Gallery. The menu, created by consulting chef Mario Hernandez, features light dishes with European and Latin influences, such as Burrata with butternut squash, aji amarillo, and cilantro; and Salmon Tiradito with pears, avocado, wasabi oil, and seaweed. The specialty cocktails, mixed focus on Latin and small batch spirit brands. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Owner-chef Sébastien Pourrat has opened burger spot Trademark Burger in SoHo, just next door to his restaurant Cocotte. Priced at $6.75 and $7, the burgers are made using premium beef from Colorado, from cattle descended from an ancient Japanese breed. The Trademark Veggie Burger ($8) is impressively fresh and packed with flavor. At first Pourrat played with garbanzo flour to hold the burger together but ended up eschewing it in favor of using whole chickpeas, along with sweet peas, corn, and spices. Parsley and cilantro give it an extra kick and a greenness that looks downright virtuous. Milkshakes come in traditional flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) as well as boozy versions. The restaurant is cash only. Open daily from 11:30 a.m.
265 W. 20th St. 212-741-2398 cafebambanyc.com
110 Thompson St. 212-965-9101 trademarkburger.com
The Sou ffle Fell In “Brick & Mortar” printed on April 1, the correct name of the chef at Rider is Patrick Connolly and the correct name of the music venue with which Rider shares a building is National Sawdust. Epoch Times regrets the errors.
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April 8–14, 2016 www.EpochTaste.com
Refugees Bring Recipes to Queens-Based Food Delivery Service ALL PHOTOS BY SETH WENIG/AP
By Deepti Hajela The kitchen hums with activity. Rachana Rimal is at one table, making momos, the traditional dumplings from her native Nepal. Next to her, Iraqi immigrant Dhuha Jasif mixes some puréed eggplant for baba ghanouj. Containers of adas, a lentil stew from the East African nation of Eritrea, sit on a counter. The unusual mix of cuisines is how it works at Eat Offbeat, a Queens-based food delivery service. All seven employees are refugees or asylum seekers who fled their home countries. None had any professional cooking experience before coming to work for the startup, which launched in November. The company has committed to hiring refugees and teaching them culinary skills, partly for altruistic reasons and partly as a business strategy. In a city filled with good ethnic food, it is a way for the cuisine to stand out. “We are really focusing on these new and offthe-beaten-path cuisines,” said Manal Kahi, who founded the company with her brother, Wissam Kahi. “Refugees are coming from countries that have cuisines we don’t really know. ... It’s not cuisines that you find at every corner.” A Lebanese immigrant who came to New York for graduate school, Manal Kahi started thinking about a food business in 2014 after getting rave reviews from friends for the hummus she made from her grandmother’s recipe. At the time refugees were also on her mind, since many Syrians had started fleeing their war-torn home for next-door Lebanon. “I was feeling very hopeless about it,” Kahi said. “When I got this idea of making hummus, I thought maybe Syrian refugees could be making” it. As the idea for the scope of the company grew, the thought of employing refugees stuck. “We thought they were more in need than any other immigrants,” she said. She and her brother partnered with Juan Suárez de Lezo, a chef who has worked in highprofile restaurants around the world, and contacted the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization that helps resettle refugees and asylees. Rimal was one of their first hires. The 52-yearold was granted asylum after coming to the United States in 2006, at the time leaving behind her husband and two of her three children. She was reunited with most of her family in recent years, but her son is still in Nepal, making her reluctant to talk about what drove her to seek asylum. When she left, an armed conflict between the Nepal government and the Communist Party of Nepal had been going
Rachana Rimal (L) and Dhuha Jasif make Nepalese dumplings in Queens on March 29.
Spices from around world in the Eat Offbeat pantry in Queens. on for 10 years, leaving at least 13,000 dead. She’s been a cooking aficionado her entire life, having learned from her mother and grandmother. When the opportunity came from Eat Offbeat, she jumped at it. Since then, momos have become a standard offering on the company’s menu, and she’s taught the other women how to make them. Another favorite is her cauliflower Manchurian, which comes in a spicy sauce. Rimal has had to change her recipes somewhat to accommodate the American palate, and she’s often tired from the work, but “I’m so happy to be here,” she said. Kahi said the company is making close to 200 meals per week now out of the professional kitchen they rent in Queens. They offer food delivery to groups of at least five people, with hopes of growing to the point where individual meal delivery becomes economically feasible. If someone leaves, as the Eritrean refugee who brought the recipe for adas to the company did, Eat Offbeat is likely to take the dish out of circulation even though the other employees would have learned how to make it, Kahi said. That’s because it’s not just about the food, but also the people making it, she said. “We want to keep it tied to them.”
Experience Firsthand the Romance of the Korean Dynasty South Korean top chef Sunkyu Lee cooks authentic Korean royal court cuisine Totally different and distinctive cuisines and interior designs on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors.
From The Associated Press
‘For the Love of Wine’ Explores an Ancient Wine Culture By Kevin Begos As children we learn to read starting with the ABCs, yet most wine lovers inadvertently skip over the beginning history of the drink they love. France and Italy are often spoken of as the grand old centers of great winemaking, but that’s 4,000 or 5,ooo years off the mark. In “For the Love of Wine,” New York City writer and natural wine advocate Alice Feiring takes readers on her passionate journey to explore the republic of Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains, the region where many experts believe winemaking originated roughly 8,000 years ago, long before Western Europe. “For the Love of Wine” is a love letter to a still rustic culture, and to unique grapes and styles of winemaking. Forget cabernet and merlot: Feiring samples kisi, mtsvane, rkatsiteli, and other grapes that few Westerners know, all aged in huge clay qvevri, containers similar to Greek amphora. Wedged in among Russia, Turkey, and Armenia, and at the western end of the old Silk Road, Georgians have persevered through waves of invaders, from the Greeks and Romans to Mongols, Persians, and most recently, the Soviets. The one constant they held tight: winemaking. Feiring captures the raw, fresh beauty of the Georgian countryside and the passions of winemakers who fight to keep local traditions alive in the face of pernicious pressure from a global beverage industry that too often measures worth in gallons and price point, not taste. When a Frenchman asks a Georgian winemaker what fertilizer he uses, the man is briefly
POTOMAC BO
puzzled because he farms naturally, without chemicals or additives. The Georgian then replies, “Every inch of my soil is soaked with the blood of my ancestors. What do you use?” Feiring has a reporter’s eye and an ear for people, their dreams and their quirks, along with a poetic gift for language, and that makes “For the Love of Wine” a memorable and beautiful book. Like Kermit Lynch’s “Adventures on the Wine Route,” Feiring shows readers that making great wine isn’t really about chateaus, the rich, and other typical marketing props. Winemaking comes down to men and women who pay obsessive, loving attention to their soil and grapes, and to the magic of fermentation. It sometimes seems as if every wine writer goes to Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, or Tuscany. Thankfully, Feiring takes us somewhere new, yet back to the ABCs of winemaking that we should have learned in the first place. The book also includes many tempting Georgian recipes, such as rose petal jam and beets with cherry sauce. Just like Georgia itself, “For the Love of Wine” is full of wonderful, plentiful food and drink. The result is a classic, captivating book that casual drinkers, serious wine geeks, and cooks can all enjoy and learn from. OKS VIA AP
“For the Love of Wine: My Odyssey Through the World’s Most Ancient Wine Culture” by Alice Feiring (Potomac Books, 2016) From The Associated Press
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By Annie Wu | Epoch Times Staff
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n April 4, Relais Desserts, an association of the world’s top pastry chefs and confectioners, threw a grand party that would indulge any pastryloving sugarholic’s desires. And it was all for a good cause; all proceeds went to City Harvest, which collects excess food to feed the hungry. Themed “Around the World in 80 Sweets,â€? the event featured creations by 80 chefs in the association, hailing from dierent areas of France, Belgium, Japan, Italy, and Spain. The seemingly endless array of desserts included chocolate bonbons of every variety, shaped like shoes, cows, Porsches, and canelĂŠs; delightful macarons in every shade; and variations on classic desserts like bergamot-flavored choux and a French take on bananas foster cake. In attendance was renowned pastry chef Pierre HermĂŠ, who considers a good dessert one in which flavor, texture, and temperature are all in balance.
For him, pastry-making is all about pleasure. That’s why his next project, exploring dierent flours, focuses on their intrinsic flavors rather than the fact that they’re glutenfree. “Because in pastry, flour is often considered a physical element but it is also a vehicle of taste. When we talk about flour, we think of wheat flour but there are many other kinds ‌ I prefer to say ‘with chestnut flour,’ ‘with rice flour,’ ‘with buckwheat flour,’ rather than to say ‘without.’â€? Seasons are key for pastry chef Sadaharu Aoki, who is known for his macarons. In Japan, he said, fall is most exciting for pastry chefs. It marks the arrival of red beans, yuzu, and other citrus. In France, it’s spring, with its plentiful strawberries. François Payard, an award-winning chef who has opened several patisseries and bakeries in New York City, thinks of desserts as a display of creativity through working with new ingredients, “not just for showâ€? but as a challenge.
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The Paris table decorated with an edible Eiffel Tower.
Chocolate bonbons by chef Daniel Rebert (Grand Est, France).
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Pure Peruvian Cuisine Ceviche, Our signature dish
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Desserts by chefs from the Grand Est region of France.
(L–R) Pastry chefs Marc Ducobu (Belgium), Dominique Pilati (Lyon, France), and Bernard Proot (Belgium).
Live Entertainment 7pm-10pm, every Friday
The event featured creations by 80 chefs, hailing from dierent areas of France, Belgium, Japan, Italy, and Spain.
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ASIAN RESTAURANT LISTINGS UPPER WEST SIDE Raku—It’s Japanese II Japanese Featured Dishes: Sushi; Sashimi; Brussels Sprouts
57 W. 76th St. (btw. Central Park West & Columbus Ave.) 212-873-1220 | rakuupperwest.com
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TIPS
for Getting the Most Flavor and Juice Out of Lemons By Sara Moulton Fresh lemon—including the juice and the peel—is one of my all-time favorite ingredients, in part because it’s just so versatile. It can be the star of the show (as in this recipe) or a brilliant supporting actor (as in so many of my everyday dishes). It’s indispensable in fish dishes and pairs beautifully with all sorts of vegetables, raw and cooked. I also reach for it regularly to brighten up soups, stews, and sautés. The great thing about lemon peel, also known as the zest, is that it adds intense lemon flavor to a recipe without all the acid that is found in the juice. I use grated lemon zest in scrambled eggs and creamy pasta dishes and combine it with chopped herbs as a finishing touch for braised meats. Whichever parts you use, it’s important to start with the best possible lemons. The winning candidates will boast a bright yellow color and a thin skin. A thin skin signals more juice and less pith (the bittertasting white layer between the peel and the fruit itself). When grating the peel, you want to stop short of the pith. How do you know a given specimen has a thin skin? It will give a little when you squeeze it. Once home with your lemons, scrub each one lightly under water to remove the edible wax with which it was covered to protect the fruit on its journey to the market. If your recipe calls for zest and juice, grate the zest before you juice the lemon. But don’t grate the zest until just before you’re ready to add it to the recipe. Zest quickly dries out and loses its oomph if it sits around for very long. My favorite tool for grating zest is a wand-style grater. Once upon a time, the tool of choice was the fine-side of a foursided grater. Unfortunately, this gadget often grabbed too much of the pith—not to mention the tips of your fingers—in the process. I do my grating over a piece of
kitchen parchment, which allows me to pick up and measure the zest easily. The yield is roughly 1 tablespoon of zest per large lemon. If your recipe calls for zest but not juice, wrap the unused lemon in plastic wrap when you’re done and do your best to use it up within a few days. A lemon stripped of its protective layer of zest dries out pretty quickly. There are several ways to make sure you squeeze the maximum amount of juice from your lemon. First, soften up the fruit by rolling it on the counter and pressing down as you do. Second, heat it, either by microwaving it for 20 seconds or so or by stashing it in the oven at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes. Finally, cut the lemon in half crosswise and juice it. I like to juice using an old-fashioned and brightly-colored Mexican hand press. But there’s also a more unorthodox, if equally effective, way to do it. Place the cut lemon half in between the two arms of a set of tongs, right at the top where the arms are joined. Then squeeze the bottom ends together. I learned this little trick from Ming Tsai, who picked it up from Jasper White, two of my favorite chefs. One large lemon will give up about 1/4 cup of juice. These muffins are quite rich, better suited to dessert than breakfast (though they would indeed be a delightful morning splurge on a special occasion). Made with juice and zest, their deep lemon flavor is complemented by the raspberries. They are a very good reason to be glad for spring. Sara Moulton is the host of public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals.” She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including “Cooking Live.” Her latest cookbook is “Home Cooking 101.” From The Associated Press
RECIPE LEMON RASPBERRY POUND CAKE MUFFINS A new restaurant opens every day in New York City,
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Prep & Baking Time: 45 minutes (15 minutes active) Serves: 8 • 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) cake flour (not self-rising) • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon table salt • 1/4 cup grated lemon zest • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 3 large eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/4 cup heavy cream • 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided • 1 pint raspberries • 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add half the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Beat in the cream and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Add the remaining flour mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them halfway. Press 4 raspberries gently into the center of the batter in each cup, then top with more batter, filling the cups just up to the tops of the liners. Bake the cupcakes on the oven’s center shelf until golden on top and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Heat the oven to 325 F. Line a cupcake tin with 8 paper cupcake liners.
While the cupcakes are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar and remaining lemon juice until smooth. When the cupcakes are cooled, drizzle the glaze over each cake.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the
Recipe by Sara Moulton
DIRECTIONS
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The Chicken Soup You Need Now Greek Avgolemono With Rice By Katie Workman I have wanted to make this soup forever, and I have no idea what’s been stopping me. Avgolemono is the chicken soup of Greece, and as we know, pretty much every country has its own version of a comforting chicken soup. In Greek, avgolemono means “egg lemon”—which is appropriate because the soup is built on a broth that is rich with eggs and deliciously bright and tangy with lemon juice. While cooking the raw chicken in the simmering broth adds extra richness to the soup, you also could make the broth and simply add leftover cooked and shredded or chopped chicken. Just add about 6 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken along with the cooked rice. When you gradually add the hot broth to the egg mixture,
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you are tempering the eggs. If you were to add the egg mixture to the pot all at once, even if you whisked very fast, you would end up with cooked strands of eggs punctuating the soup. In some soups, this is desirable—think egg drop soup at a Chinese restaurant—but not in this one. Adding the hot liquid in a slow steady stream to the eggs, while whisking all the while, thickens the eggs but keeps them from scrambling. Once the mixture has become thick, smooth, and warm, you can whisk it into the soup and it will simply thicken the whole pot of avgolemono. And deliciously so. Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.”
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From The Associated Press AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
RECIPE AVGOLEMONO Prep & Cooking Time: 40 minutes Serves: 8 • • • • • • • • • •
Colin Hagendorf, a New York native, sampled every slice of pizza in Manhattan for his blog. All 375 of them.
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth or stock 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into very small chunks 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice 4 large eggs 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Pizza Suprema was voted the best. *
AS SEEN ON: The Rachael Ray Show, The Today Show, The Wall Street Journal, and Daily News.
DIRECTIONS In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until slightly golden. Add the broth, then increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and, keeping the broth at a simmer, add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is mostly cooked through. Add the cooked rice and stir well. Return to a gentle simmer. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until smooth, then beat in
the lemon juice. Working quickly, whisk the egg mixture while you drizzle in a ladleful of the hot broth from the pot. Drizzle in another ladleful, whisking all the while, then transfer the hot egg-lemon mixture back to the pot, whisking as you add it. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
W i Din n n at er
Stir in the parsley and peas, then return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot. Recipe by Katie Workman
Come and try for yourself. We are just beside Madison Square Garden. Since 1964.
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If It’s Spring, It Must Be Time for an Herby Salmon Salad By Katie Workman Nothing speaks to me of spring like a salmon salad. It’s light and pretty and herby, and when you add pasta it becomes a real meal. It’s also quite portable, so you’ll want to think of this when you’re envisioning lunch at your desk the next day, or when you’re invited to a potluck event. And talk about easy to make. Poach the salmon. Boil the pasta. Purée dressing. Dump everything together and you’re good. I speed chill the salmon by popping it in the freezer for a few minutes. But if you have more time, you certainly could poach the salmon the night before and refrigerate it until ready. Likewise, the pasta could also be cooled briefly in the freezer, spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet (or similarly prepped
the day before). Some people really, really love cilantro, and some people really, really hate it. It’s actually a genetic thing. For some people, it tastes soapy or otherwise unpleasant. So this recipe—with its creamy cilantro dressing—clearly is for the lovers, and not the dish to make if you’re not sure about your audience. I love it (obviously, I guess), and I love this dressing. But if you’d rather lose the cilantro, feel free to substitute fresh basil. Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” From The Associated Press AP PHOTO/MATTHEW MEAD
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PASTA SALAD WITH SALMON AND CREAMY CILANTRO DRESSING Prep & Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 • 2-pound salmon fillet, bones removed • Kosher salt • 1 pound cavatelli or elbow pasta For the Cilantro Sauce • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus extra to garnish • 1/4 cup minced shallots • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or another 1/4 cup mayonnaise) • 2 tablespoons heavy cream • Pinch cayenne pepper • Ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS Set the salmon in a large saute pan. If needed, cut the salmon into 2 pieces. Add enough cold water to just cover. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, then bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat, cover the pot and let the salmon sit
for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, transfer the salmon to a plate and set in the freezer to cool. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, then drain. Rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside to drain. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender combine the cilantro, shallots, Dijon, mayonnaise, yogurt, cream, and cayenne. Puree until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. When the salmon is chilled, remove the skin, if necessary, and break the flesh into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, cilantro sauce and salmon, then toss gently to combine. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves. Recipe by Katie Workman
Laut is Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai food, located at 15 E. 17th St.
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he Asian fusion trend is making its way into Chelsea. The latest restaurant to blend the flavors of East and West and offer eclectic dishes that stimulate the palate in exciting ways is Shangri-La. The unexpected pairings of Asian and Western ingredients give the inventive dishes an element of surprise—and that goes for drinks as well as the food. (Bringing a first date here is a good idea. If you run out of conversation topics, you can always talk about the food.) Before having dinner under the glimmering chandelier lamps, sidle up to the bar for some boozy bubble tea cocktails served in Mason jars—an adult take on the popular Taiwanese drink filled with tapioca pearls. Take your pick from the Milk Tea Bubble ($8), with black teainfused vodka and condensed milk; the Gin Fizz Bubble ($8), with gin, mint, grapefruit, and club soda; or the Honey Bunny Bubble ($10), with rum, yuzu, honey, strawberry, and club soda. Some of the menu is inspired by the street food culture in Southeast Asia, where a dizzying array of mouth-watering dishes are served at open-air food stalls. Lamb Cigars ($11) are a cross between spring rolls and the chef’s favorite childhood snack, curry puffs. Curried lamb, onions, and potatoes are stuffed inside Indian paratha flatbread—a spicy mash folded within flaky, fried goodness. The dish comes with cucumbers dressed in Vietnamese dipping sauce (fish sauce, chilies, garlic), a piquant bite to excite your palate and get ready for more eating. O-Fries ($6.95) are a fun take on okonomiyaki, a Japanese street food that is essentially a savory pancake. Hot fries are topped with everything that’s in a typical okonomiyaki: chili-mayo, okonomi sauce (made with fruits, vegetables, soy sauce, vinegar), scallions, nori, and bonito flakes. The Tom Yum Empanada ($6.95), meanwhile, is an Asian riff on the Latin American snack food, with a saucy filling that incorporates the flavors of tom yum soup, a spicy, sour Thai dish. Shredded bits of chicken meld with aromatic lemongrass, basil, and chilis—a moreish combination. Shangri-La also brings Asian zest to
The Gin Fizz boozy bubble tea.
American and Italian-style dishes. The CrabStuffed Avocado ($13.95) features sweet crab meat dressed with chili mayo that’s seasoned with Japanese seven-spice (a blend that includes chilies, sesame, orange peel, and nori). A top drizzle of horseradish chili sauce—reminiscent of Worcestershire—adds both heat and sweetness. In the Salmon Linguini dish ($22), the cream sauce is made with sake, soy sauce, bonito dashi, and oyster sauce. This East-West combination succeeds in joining briny umami with toothsome pasta. The sauce is a lighter alternative to the typical cream sauce that accompanies linguini. Bits of tomato and tempura nibs are sprinkled throughout to give texture. A pan-seared salmon fillet and masago fish roe finish off the heap of highly slurpable pasta. The Wasabi Striped Bass Linguini ($17.95) is served with a wasabi-lime aioli that complements the olives, capers, garlic, and cotija cheese—the freshness balancing the savory. A dab of added sugar in the aioli lends a palatepleasing sweetness to the fish. Traditional Asian dishes are also given a new treatment. The Curried Salmon Rice Gratin ($17.95) is inspired by Hong Kong-style rice casseroles, but take on French influences. First, it’s baked in cheese, then smothered in a garlicky curry gravy. The soft grains of rice absorb the sauce in all its gooey glory. Chunks of beef are seasoned according to the traditional Chinese recipe for the Five-Spice Beef Shanghai Noodles ($15), but dashi is used for the broth, producing a cleaner taste. For an extra kick, the bowl of noodles is served with three Southeast Asian condiments: cilantro, dried shallots, and sambal. But even without these add-ons, the broth is plenty flavorful— you’ll want to down the whole bowl. The chef-owner is Mei Mei La, who grew up surrounded by different culinary traditions. She spent a lot of time in Malaysia, where native Malay, Indian, and regional Chinese cuisines converge. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, she took over the menu at Shangri-La, where she now fuses her diverse food experiences with her Western culinary education—to delicious and thrilling results.
• 14 types of unbelievable Som Tum (papaya salad). • Gang Om soup that pulls a straight punch to the throat. • Whole Cornish hen, fried to a golden crispiness, with the most addictive dipping sauce. • Yentafo Noodle soup, an authentic standout. Five-Spice Beef Shanghai Noodles. Chef Wanlapha Techama was the sous chef responsible for Esan specialties at Queens restaurant Zabb Elee when it received a Michelin star last year.
ESANATION 750 9th Avenue # New York, NY 10019 (btw. 50th & 51st streets) 212-315-0555 # esanation.com
Crab-Stuffed Avocado, with a drizzle of horseradish Thai chili sauce.
The glitzy dining room inside Shangri-La.