miss KOREA
SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
D1 Sept. 25–Oct. 1, 2015
MAMO’s Decadent Delight on
D2
One of Korea’s comfort foods, sundubu, a soft tofu stew.
Prime Hyeomit Gui (thinly sliced beef tongue).
The pièce de résistance: Kimchi Mandu hotpot.
Compared to other Koreatown restaurants, the flavor profile at miss KOREA is more restrained—less salty, less sweet—out of regard for diners’ health.
Deliciously Sponsored Hot pots, tofu stews, casseroles— miss KOREA offers warming fare.
• Broad range on the menu • The freshest sushi • Friendly service
A Stew for All Seasons
• Several big flat screens tuned into the latest game • Delivery and pickup
Come dine with us today!
There is almost always a line on weekends.
SUSHI REN 1584 2nd Ave. New York, NY 10028 212-710-8888 • ren82.com
A Korean meal is by definition a social event. Just take a look at the multitude of side dishes and the ensuing game of “table Twister.” Nothing breaks the ice like trying to dodge chopsticks while attempting to get at the side dish you want. And then there are dishes like the hot pot—literally a focal point of warmth and nourishment but also of conviviality. If the hot pot shows anything, actually, it’s how little equipment humans need to throw a party.
See Stew on D6
Recently Opened !
D2
@EpochTaste
September 25–October 1, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com EVAN SUNG
The MAMO Burger with truffles and foie gras is a piece of decadent delight.
From Antibes to SoHo, MAMO Brings Excellent Italian and a Terrific Wine List SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
By Manos Angelakis
Venture Into Thailand’s
Spicy Northeast
at
ESANATION Authentic Thai cuisine sure to delight your adventurous senses!
• 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.
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
MAMO a well-known French Riviera restaurant opened a New York City outpost in SoHo this spring. When I dined there recently, I found the cuisine to be excellent Italian. MAMO Le Michelangelo, the original MAMO in Antibes, in southern France, seeks to serve authentic Italian dishes with a strong Provençal influence. As far as I’m concerned, the fare at the New York location is outstanding Italian. For example, the osso buco was braised for a long time, until the veal was fall-off-the-bone tender—with nary a dish showing any French Provençal traits. The kitchen tends mostly toward northern Italian but has some good southern dishes as well. I found fresh Polifemo—extra-virgin Sicilian olive oil—on the table together with ripe tomatoes on the vine and a lemon, accompanying breadsticks and slices of Italian bread. The olive oil was deep green and aromatic but considerably peppery on the back of the throat— great for dipping. On other tables around us I saw other brands of flawless Italian olive oil. Some were lighter green and some were softer and less spicy. There was a number of good antipasti to start the meal and two excellent risottos. Both risottos were made with Vialone Nano, a shortgrain Italian rice considered the ultimate rice for a proper risotto because it holds up better when cooked for a long time in stock or wine. The Risotto al Tartufo, a black truffled risotto, was exceptional and beautifully executed. Another truffled dish on the menu, Raviolini al Tartufo, is a classic Piedmontese dish. The very best black or white truffles are mostly found in the oak and chestnut forests around the town of Alba, about an hour southeast of Turin. The neighboring table ordered a plate of the raviolini, and we saw their surprise and enjoyment as they devoured the dish. My dining partner and I tried the grilled octopus with red onion and sun-dried tomatoes on frisée lettuce, a typically Mediterranean dish. It was OK but the octopus was overly tenderized. I personally prefer a lightly rubbery octopus, the way it is cooked on the Greek islands. While I ordered the osso buco over smashed potatoes, my dining partner ordered the restaurant’s signature dish, the MAMO Burger. The burger, topped with foie gras and covered in thin shavings of aromatic black summer truffles, is a true piece of decadent delight. Black truffles may also be found in Spain and France, but the black summer “scorzoni” that were covering the burger were definitely the Piedmontese treasures. We decided to finish with the Babà au Rhum and the Affogato alla Vaniglia con Fragiole Calde (vanilla ice cream with hot strawberries). An Outstanding Wine List The highlight of the evening was the restaurant’s outstanding wine list and the wine cellar. There were numerous very nice wines available by the glass, including a 2014 Prosecco Casalini from the Veneto; a non-vintage Veuve Clicquot Champagne; a flavorful 2013 Greco di Tufo from Tenuta Ponte in Campania; a 2012 Tuscan Bolgheri Doc Zizzolo le Fornacelle, a Bourgogne 2013 Rouge Domaine d’Ardhuy; and quite a number of other nice whites and reds. If anyone wishes to really splurge, there are some rarities on the list, like the 2011
MAMO's outstanding wine list features enough rarities to make an oenophile salivate. SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
MAMO
323 West Broadway (between Grand & Canal streets) 646-964-4641 MAMOnyc.com Hours Monday–Sunday 5 p.m.–late
Polpo Grigliato (grilled octopus).
EVAN SUNG
MAMO in SoHo is an extension of the original Antibes location in southern France.
Sassicaia, 2011 Ornellaia, and 2011 Solaia from Tuscany; the 2004 Cos d’Estournel; a 1998 Château Margaux that is ready to drink; the 2004 Château Latour from Pauillac and the 2000 Château la Mission Haut Brion. These wines would make any knowledgeable oenophile salivate. The list also includes a considerable number of second labels (that is, wines from Bordeauxclassed wineries but made from younger vines) as well as numerous fourth- and fifth-growth châteaux from France, a number of not easily found Super Tuscans, a good number of Piedmontese Nebiolo-based wines, excellent Brunellos and Amarones, and whites from both France and Italy that pair very well with lighter summer dishes. I wish I had a glass of sweet sherry or a glass of good Sauternes to go with the burger. Unfortunately, sweet wines are missing from the MAMO list. But if you are ever having a truffled and foie-gras-covered burger at home, pair it with a high quality sweet wine—perhaps a “Noe” Pedro Ximénez from Gonzales Byass or a Donnafugata Ben Ryé passito from Pantelleria in Sicily. You will not be disappointed. Manos Angelakis is a well-known wine and food critic based in the New York City area. He has been certified as a Tuscan wine master by the Tuscan Wine Masters Academy, and is an expert on Greek, Chilean, and Catalan wines. He judges numerous wine competitions each year and is the senior food and wine writer for LuxuryWeb Magazine, LuxuryWeb.com
D3
@EpochTaste
September 25–October 1, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com
FOODSTUFFS Gooey, Glorious Goat’s Milk Caramel
PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. CRYSTAL SHI
By Crystal Shi Step aside, old Bessie, and make way for goat’s milk, an under-featured but well-deserving player in the dairy game. Big Picture Farm, a small goat dairy and farmstead confectionary and creamery in Vermont, showcases goat milk—fresh from its own herd—in its awardwinning cheeses and caramels. I tried the Goat Milk Chai Caramels, deliciously addictive little gems infused with plenty of chai flavor. I was immediately smitten with the packaging, featuring charming, lopsided line sketches of the farm’s goats, each identified by name. The caramels inside came individually wrapped, adorned with miniature goat doodles that matched those on the box. At first bite, they were delightfully chewy and stick-to-your-teeth sweet, but quickly melted into smooth, rich, and creamy bliss. The chai spices shone through at once. Strong, warm, and comforting tones of ginger, cinnamon, and a motley mixture of others lent a wonderful depth of flavor, elevating the caramels beyond the simple sweetness of sugar and putting a welcome and delectable twist on your typical confection. The flavors were reminiscent of chilly autumn weather and fuzzy winCRYSTAL SHI
Addictive chai caramels from Big Picture Farm.
Fine Wine • Private Dining • Exceptional Menu Dreamy caramel sauce from Fat Toad Farm, in Vermont.
ter sweaters, but I recommend enjoying them year-round regardless—any time that calls for a sweet treat or surefire pick-me-up (read: all the time). Fat Toad Farm, another small, family-run, pasture-to-table business in Vermont, specializes in goat’s milk caramel, with a traditional Mexican sauce known as “cajeta.” Though it offers a variety of flavors, I sampled its most basic, consisting of only two ingredients: goat’s milk and sugar. The caramel was velvety smooth and mildly sweet, with a subtle but unmistakable tang from the fresh milk— much more than the sum of its parts. Fat Toad Farm painstakingly hand stirs its caramel in small batches, over the course of five hours, in traditional copper kettles, a testament to its dedication to quality, simplicity, and just really, really good caramel. The result is an unusually thin but incredibly creamy sauce, with an intriguing balance of richness and lightness that is both delightful and dangerously moreish. I would imagine it to be delicious drizzled over apple slices or vanilla ice cream, baked into a batch of fudgey brownies, or swirled into a mug of steaming hot chocolate. Unfortunately, I’ll have to leave the experimentation up to you. My supply is already being quickly depleted, devoured in its simplest, and purest form: straight from the jar, one euphoric (and absolutely shameless) spoonful after another. Crystal Shi is an incurable sweets addict and San Diegan-at-heart currently eating her way through college in Berkeley, Calif.
Morton’s World Trade Center
Midtown 551 Fifth Avenue 212-972-3315
Great Neck 777 Northern Boulevard 516-498-2950
Q: Do you think there ever will be another Gourmet? A: There may be another Gourmet, but we had the amazing privilege of working for a company that gave us all the resources we needed, the money we needed, and the freedom to do whatever we wanted. And I think that will never happen again. We were just lucky enough to be at this amazing place at a very particular time. And the way we consume media has changed a lot. The Internet has made niche publications the norm. You get a lot of passion and you have really great new publications that have all started since Gourmet—Lucky Peach, Cherry Bombe—that are really smart and done with passion. Except that they are done for a smaller group of people. They are not looking to be general. And in the food space, a kind of wonder-
White Plains 9 Maple Avenue 914-683-6101
體驗文人墨客的 詩情雅意 ( 二樓 ) AP PHOTO/LYNNE SLADKY
By J.M. Hirsch
Q: What was the most difficult part of writing this book? A: I really didn’t set out to write this book. It wasn’t like the magazine closes and I think, “I’m going to write a cookbook.” Because so much of it came so much later. Like most writers, I find writing really agonizing. But this book just felt natural. Writing this book was not agony. I had the tweets. I had the diary of what had been going on in my life. So it just happened. It was kind of like all along the way, it just kind of organically turned into a book.
Hackensack One Riverside Square 201-487-1303
mortons.com
Ruth Reichl Talks About Bouncing Back From Gourmet’s Demise 善 Ready for a deep dive into the dismantling of Gourmet magazine? Ruth Reichl is ready to share. Actually, it’s more about how that dismantling uprooted the life of the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, but the stories tread similar ground. That’s because for the decade that she headed the iconic food magazine, Reichl represented an embodiment of the inspirational ethos that saturated Gourmet’s lush pages and drew so many readers. In the just-released “My Kitchen Year,” she writes evocatively of the months after Gourmet magazine was shut down after nearly 70 years. Mostly, of course, she talks about the foods she ate, and how getting back into the kitchen helped her move on. Reichl recently spoke with AP about that year, the book it launched, and the years since. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
World Trade Center 136 Washington Street 212-608-0171
美
品味朝鮮王朝的 美味佳餚(三樓)
Experience Firsthand the Romantic Life of Korean Dynasty Ruth Reichl, the former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. ful thing has happened in America. When we remade Gourmet in 2000, the idea that you would cover food politics and sociology and science in a serious way was all very new. Now it’s kind of come into the culture, so you don’t have the same kind of need. When we were doing investigative pieces about fish farmers or the dangers of trans fats, it was not being done by mainstream publications. Now it is. And that’s good. Q: Do people have a similar connection to magazines today, the way they did with Gourmet? A: People subscribed to Gourmet for their whole lives and could tell you in great detail that they really loved some issue from 1972. I think there are a few magazines that still have that kind of pull. There are people who subscribe to The New Yorker year in and year out, whether they read it or not. But I think it’s rarer and rarer. And I don’t know if a new magazine will ever be able to have that same kind of grip on their readership. Computers have changed our lives so much. We all walk around with a computer in our pocket all the time, so information is available to us 24/7. That’s what’s so sad to me about the closing of Gourmet. Because if you want a recipe, you can just Google anything you want. And that’s partly why I wrote the cookbook. I think that what great magazines do is give people great information they didn’t know they wanted. Part of what the book is about is to make you want to go out and talk to a butcher and buy a turkey. It’s inspirational, rather than instructional. And I think that’s what great magazines did for people. From The Associated Press
South Korea’s 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.
212-594-4963 10 W 32 St, New York, NY 10001 www.misskoreabbq.com Open 24 Hours
D4
@EpochTaste
September 25–October 1, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com COURTESY OF NEW YORK COFFEE FESTIVAL
stuff to eat and drink around town
COURTESY OF NEW YORK COFFEE FESTIVAL
THE NEW YORK COFFEE FESTIVAL The New York Coffee festival will be upon us this weekend, Sept. 25–27, offering coffee lovers free tastings, interactive workshops, demonstrations from world-class baristas, delicious street food, intoxicating coffee-cocktails, live music, and art. The festival will feature live experiences from over 70 coffee, food, and equipment suppliers. Some of the exhibitors include Starbucks Reserve, La Marzocco, La Cimbali, Pacific Foods, La Colombe, Steampunk, Joe Coffee, Toby’s Estate, and Irving Farm. The New York Coffee Festival is also the official launch for the charitable Coffee Week NYC, which will promote the vibrancy of the coffee industry while raising money for clean water and sanitation projects in coffee producing communities.
INSPIRED BY JAPAN: COFFEE TRENDS James Freeman, the founder and CEO of coffee retailer Blue Bottle Coffee, will discuss his philosophy and how he was inspired by a cup of coffee he had in Japan. After the talk, 3-D latte artist Kazuki Yamamoto from Tokyo will perform an on stage demonstration. Yamamoto is known for creating latte foam pictures and sculptures, ranging from “kawaii” (cute) animals to impossible likenesses of comic book and anime characters. Guests will also enjoy a tasting of Blue Bottle Coffee’s signature premium pour-over brew. Thursday, Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m. Japan Society 333 E. 47th St. Tickets: $18 JapanSociety.org COURTESY OF KAZUKI YAMOMOTO
Friday–Sunday, Sept. 25–27 Various events 69th Regiment Armory 68 Lexington Ave. (between 25th & 26th streets) Tickets: online $20–$60; at the door $25–$75 NewYorkCoffeeFestival.com
3-D coffee art by Kazuki Yamomoto. COURTESY OF CLAY MCLACHLAN
COURTESY OF ROBERT A. RIPPS
TASTES NYC Tastes NYC will kick off the fall season with an outdoor food extravaganza featuring over a dozen chefs from restaurants spanning Chelsea to the Meatpacking district, including Amy’s Bread, Dos Caminos, Bill’s Bar and Burger, Fatty Crab, The City Bakery, Bubby’s, and more! All proceeds from the event will benefit the The Lab School for Collaborative Studies. COURTESY OF ROBERT A. RIPPS
A dish at last year's Tastes.
Blue Bottle Coffee. COURTESY OF MIGHTY QUINNS
Saturday, Sept. 26 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Gansevoort Plaza Gansevoort Street (between Hudson Street & Ninth Avenue) Tickets: $50 TastesNYC.org
ON THE HORIZON COURTESY OF CHEERS NY
CHEERS NY
Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 3 & Oct. 4 Saturday, 12 p.m. onward Sunday, 3 p.m. onward Industry City, 31st Street, Brooklyn Tickets: $50 CheersNY.com
PUERTO RICO MEETS NEW YORK CITY
CHELSEA EATS
Puerto Rican chefs will present the best of the Caribbean island’s cuisine through a series of multiday, multiformat events. Hosting chefs include Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin), Sean Rembold (Reynard/Wythe Hotel), Didier Elena (Chef’s Club), Carmen Gonzalez (La Chispa), Joseph “JJ” Johnson (The Cecil), Alexander Smalls (The Cecil). Other events will include the Opening Cocktail Party, the resurrection of the Latino-Jewish El Nosh pop-up, and a closing Lechon Asado brunch. Wednesday–Sunday, Sept. 30–Oct. 4 Various events & locations MeetsNYC.com
Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin.
COURTESY OF MEET NYC
Cheers NY is a craft beverage festival and trade show hosted by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, featuring sample tasting from New York state beer, wine, spirits, and cider producers. Guests will also get to sample and purchase food from Aunt Butchies Desserts, Better Off Spread, The Brooklyn Cookie, Brooklyn Delhi, and Cracked Candy at the Brooklyn Eats marketplace.
Sliders by Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue.
Pop Up New York will take over half a mile of 8th avenue to offer food enthusiasts a market of artisanal food, handcrafted goods, visual arts, and live entertainment from the performers of Joyce Theatre. The delectable offerings will include local favorites like Melt Bakery, Alchemy Creamery, Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, Brooklyn Oyster Party, and Duck Season. The whole line of restaurants running through the streets of Chelsea Eats, like Pound & Ounces and Bareburger, will join in the festival outside of their venues. Saturday, Sept. 26 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Eighth Avenue (from 14th to 23rd streets) PopUpNewYorkEvents.com
Compiled by Daksha Devnani/Epoch Times Staff
IT IS OUR DELIGHT TO SERVE YOU SIMPLE, ELEGANT, BEAUTIFUL, JAPANESE MASTERWORKS TOSHIO SUZUKI, SUSHI ZEN
108 West 44th Street, New York | (212) 302-0707
D5
@EpochTaste
September 25–October 1, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com Openings around town LIZ CLAYMAN
LIZ CLAYMAN
UrbanSpace Vanderbilt The dining options around Grand Central Station have just wildly expanded, with the opening of UrbanSpace Vanderbilt last week. It’s the newest venture of UrbanSpace, which manages markets such as Mad. Sq. Eats and Broadway Bites, and further afield in London, Spitafields and Camden Lock. Occupying an old waiting room of the New York Central Building, the market features original details, like remnants of the old terrazzo floors. A large seating hall is at the center of the action; around the perimeter, more than 20 New York chefs ply their creations. Among the roster: Delaney Chicken (whose spicy fried chicken, with a unique flaky crust, and drizzled over with honey—if you so wish—is some kind of wonderful), Amali Mou (with fresh, bright Greek flavors), Roberta’s, La Palapa Tacos (watch out for the excellent, fiery sauces), and Red Hook Lobster Pound (this time with an oyster bar). Sweets are not forgotten with Ovenly’s heavenly cookies, Dough (cafÊ au lait donuts, anyone?), and A.B. Biagi’s gelato (lemon sorbet, please). If all that food has you headed for a coma, spring for a flat white from Toby’s Estate.
hen you taste the Japanese food at Momokawa you will know it is the real thing. Each single ingredient and each tiny detail ensures the most authentic experience. Momakawa—A genuine taste of Japan!
Momokawa Prix Fixe Menu Small Course
(service for two or more) eti er kin s of ashimi hoi e of ukiyaki or ha u ha u aut meals ooke at the ta le essert
$45/per person
Awabi Shabu-shabu
tra itional a anese a eti ers kin s of ashimi rille ish an a simmere ish essert $60/per person
Sake and Wine
Ask about our sake tastings.
Momokawa serves some of the finest quality sake and wine, paired especially for the dishes. Try our seasonal sake (draft), premium sake, all season sake (hot or cold) as well as white or red wines.
— ALSO AVAIL ABLE: DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS (12 P.M.-4 P.M.) —
Cascun Farms Pork Gyro from Amali Mou.
BANGKOK
MICHAEL TULIPAN
STREET FARE
Heaven for Food Lovers Yaowarat is one of Bangkok’s oldest neighborhoods, founded by East Asian traders in Siam over 200 years ago. It is a heaven for food lovers, blending the centuries old Thai and East Asian influences in an eclectic mix of street vendor cuisine. Experience the authentic taste of Bangkok street fare, at Sookk.
The city’s first Asian beer garden has opened on a rooftop in downtown Brooklyn, with views of the Brooklyn skyline. Owner Andrew Lee and executive chef and partner Brian Tsao (of Mira Sushi & Izakaya) are behind the project. Tsao’s trademark playfulness can be seen across the menu, with Italian antipasti wrapped inside a Vietnamese summer roll; the Spam Sushi Dog with smoked pineapple relish; or the Shibuya Disco fries, with French fries topped with beef brisket, jalapeùo, garlic sour cream, and sriracha. Over 20 craft beers from Japanese microbreweries are served, such as Ginga Kogen (a Hefeweizen from Iwate Prefecture), as well as unusual, seasonal brews including Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu, made from a 9,000-year-old Chinese recipe. Kimoto has 110 outdoor seats, 115 indoor seats, including space for private events.
216 DuďŹƒeld St., Brooklyn 718-858-8940 KimotoRooftop.com
W
Momokawa 157 East 28th Street | (212) 684-7830 momokawanyc.com
230 Park Ave. (northeast corner of 45th Street & Vanderbilt) 646-747-0822 UrbanSpaceNYC.com
Kimoto Rooftop Beer Garden
Kimoto
Authentic Japanese food served with a touch of class
LIZ CLAYMAN
UrbanSpace
Bites from various UrbanSpace Vanderbilt vendors.
Miyazaki Super Prime Wagyu Beef $120.00
Try Our Affordable Daily Lunch Specials.
MICHAEL TULIPAN
Bring Sookk to you! Catering and delivery available.
Spam Sushi Dog with smoked pineapple relish.
SOOKK
Rocco Steakhouse
Jun-Men Ramen Bar
GM Pete Pjetrovic, executive chef Johnny Jevric, and beverage director Je Kolenovic (all veterans of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse) have teamed up with Rocco Trotta, the cofounder of construction management and engineering firm The LiRo Group. The result is a new steakhouse in NoMad, Rocco Steakhouse, where every employee has worked for at least 10 years at a top New York steakhouse. USDA Prime beef is dry aged onsite. The classics are all there, including a chilled seafood tower, porterhouse, and potatoes prepared five dierent ways. The wine list is extensive and the bar specializes in American cocktails. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Sundays: private parties only.
Owner and executive chef Jun Park, who was formerly head chef at Zutto and sous chef at Catch, has just opened a 25-seat Japanese noodle shop in Chelsea. Jun-Men is named after the chef and also means “pure noodle.� On the menu are ramen noodle dishes such as a traditional Pork Bone Ramen (with bone broth that was simmered for 14 hours), Kimchi Ramen, and Uni Mushroom. The menu is rounded out with izakaya-style bites and Eastmeets-West creations, like a Yellowtail Ceviche with kimchi jus and ripe mango. Open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday.
2686 Broadway (Broadway & 103rd St.) New York, NY 10025 (212) 870-0253
72 Madison Ave. (between 27th & 28th streets) 212-696-9660 RoccoSteakhouse.com
Jun-Men Ramen Bar
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The Takoyaki MOCU-MOCU
CASUAL DINING CAFÉ & SHOP
746 Tenth Ave. (between 50th and 51st Streets) 212-765-0197 ! Mocu-Mocu.com
$10 Beer & Burger Monday to Friday Special 3-7pm.
Remedy Diner
Set
Compiled by Channaly Philipp/Epoch Times Sta
by residents and businesses in lower east manhattan
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tako: “octopus� and yaki: “fried�/ “cooked� A true Japanese comfort food!
COURTESY OF ROCCO
Seafood Platter.
BEST DINER IN NYC
% $
249 Ninth Ave. (between 25th & 26th streets) 646-852-6787 JunMenRamen.com
Rocco Steakhouse
We are proud to have been voted
Open 24 Hours
It takes eight minutes of non-stop flipping and wrist flicking to turn the batter into these puffy balls.
245 East Houston Street New York (212) 677-5110
RemedyDinerNyc.com
D6 September 25–October 1, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org
Traditional Korean tofu stew is plenty spicy, but this version—with no trace of Scoville units whatsoever—lets the broth shine.
UPPER WEST SIDE Raku—It’s Japanese II Featured Dishes: Sushi; Sashimi; Brussels Sprouts 57 W. 76th St. (btw. Central Park West & Columbus Ave.) 212-873-1220 | rakuupperwest.com
UPPER EAST SIDE Cafe Evergreen 1367 1st Ave. (btw. 73rd & 74th streets) 212-744-3266 cafeevergreenchinese.com The Nuaa Featured dishes: Purple Blossom Dumpling; Short Ribs Massaman Curry 1122 1st Ave. (btw. 61st & 62nd streets) 212-888-2899 | thenuaa.com
HELL’S KITCHEN/ MIDTOWN WEST Noodies 830 9th Ave. (btw. 54th & 55th streets) 646-669-7828 | noodiesnyc.com Vi{v} Bar & Restaurant Featured Dishes: Kanom Jean Nam Ngeow; CM Sausage 717 9th Ave. (btw. 48th & 49th streets) 212-581-5999 vivnyc.com Hell’s Chicken Featured Dish: Korean Fried Chicken 641 10th Ave. (btw. 45th & 46th streets) 212-757-1120 hellschickennyc.com
MIDTOWN EAST Shochu and Tapas - AYA 247 E. 50th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 212-715-0770 aya-nyc.com
THAI
INDIAN
KOREAN
CHINESE
JAPANESE
SOUTHEAST ASIAN
Sachi Asian Bistro Featured Dish: Oink Oink Oink Fried Rice 713 2nd Ave. (btw. 38th & 39th streets) 929-256-5167 sachinyc.com
VIETNAMESE
SRI LANKAN
ASIAN FUSION
MALAYSIAN
Niu Noodle House Featured Dish: Pork Soup Dumplings 15 Greenwich Ave. (btw. 10th & Christopher streets) 212-488-9888 | niunoodleny.com
GREENWICH VILLAGE
Ruay Thai Restaurant Featured Dishes: Pad Thai; Pad See Yew 625 2nd Ave. (btw. 34th & 35th streets) 212-545-7829 ruaythai.com
Uncle Ted’s 163 Bleecker St. (btw. Thompson & Sullivan streets) 212-777-1395 | uncletedsnyc.com
KOREATOWN
SenYa
Soju Haus 315 5th Ave., 2nd Fl. (btw. 31st & 32nd streets) 212-213-2177 | sojuhaus.com
GRAMERCY/FLATIRON/ UNION SQUARE Junoon Featured Dish: Masaledar Lamb Chops 27 W. 24th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-490-2100 junoonnyc.com Laut 15 E. 17th St. (btw. W. Union Sq. & Broadway) 212-206-8989 | lautnyc.com
KIPS BAY Momokawa Featured Dishes: Kaiseki menu; Beef Sukiyaki; Fried Chicken 157 E. 28th St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues) 212-684-7830 | momokawanyc.com
WEST VILLAGE Spice Market Featured Special: $27 for a 3-course lunch prix-fixe menu. 403 W. 13th St. (btw. Washington St. & 9th Ave.) 212-675-2322 spicemarketnewyork.com
We cook Spain’s traditional dish to perfection! Bring your friends and family and share in our ancient heritage. Plus, over 50 authentic Spanish tapas. Come in and pick your favorites tonight!
Meson Sevilla Restaurant 344 WEST 46TH ST. (BTW 8TH & 9TH AVE.) MESONSEVILLA.COM 212-262-5890
EAST VILLAGE Featured Dishes: Smoked Hamachi / Hamachi Kama; Uni Scrambled Egg with Sturgeon Caviar; Smoked Katsuo Tataki
109 1st Ave. (btw. 7th & 6th streets) 212-995-5278 | senyanyc.com Sigiri 91 1st Ave. (btw. E. 5th & E. 6th streets) 212-614-9333 | sigirinyc.com
BATTERY PARK Malaysian Kitchen USA Featured Dish: Hainanese Chicken 21 South End Ave. (btw. W. Thames St. and the Esplanade) | 212-786-1888 alaysiakitchenusa.com
BROOKLYN Pasar Malam Featured specials: Malaysian food and roti station 208 Grand St. (btw. Bedford & Driggs avenues) Williamsburg 929-267-4404 | pasarmalamny.com
Stew continued from D1 The Koreatown restaurant miss KOREA, for which there is almost always a line on weekends, offers salvation for those groups of friends looking to partake in a meal no matter what time of day or night. The restaurant’s first floor is open 24 hours, catering to all alike: early risers, late partiers, and round-the-clock eaters. The first floor aligns with the city-that-neversleeps ethos. The second floor is an oasis of calm, inspired by the seasons, with peaceful private rooms where images of legends and seasons adorn the walls. The third floor is an industrial-chic ode to poet Hwang Jin Yi, who was known for her poems about longing. The “miss” in miss KOREA is indeed all about nostalgia for Korea. Watching people eat there, though, you’ll see nostalgia is cheerfully pushed aside in the pursuit of food and happiness.
Open 24/7, the restaurant caters to early risers, late partiers, and round-theclock eaters.
A Panacea for Cold Weather Korean cuisine was born out of the harshness of the climate—pickling and fermenting to get by in the winter—so it is no wonder that many Korean dishes are perfect for colder weather consumption. There are the hot pots, yes, such as the Kimchi Mandu Jeongol ($46.95) for two—although it easily feeds more than two when accompanied by other dishes. Kimchi, beef, pork dumplings, rice cakes, and noodles all jostle for space in the spicy broth. It has a pleasant tang from the juice leftover from the pickled kimchi. As the owner Sophia Lee said, Koreans have little use for probiotic pills. Fermentation imparts all the probiotics they need, with every meal.
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A Stew for All Seasons
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Kimchi Mandu Jeongol, or kimchi dumpling casserole, with rice cakes, noodles, and enoki mushrooms in a spicy, tangy broth.
D7 September 25–October 1, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
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There are two versions of tofu stew (“sundubu”) at miss KOREA—one spicy (front), one mild and light (background). The banchan (those requisite side dishes that accompany the Korean dining experience) also become more reflective of the cold season. For example, hearty potatoes are turned into a simple banchan with the addition of a fermented sweet soy sauce. Lee is mindful to use ingredients like kale and spinach, to provide an extra boost of calcium during this period of transition from summer to fall, she said. Tofu Stew A year-round comfort classic, the sundubu (organic soft tofu stew, $14.95) comes in two different versions. At the most superficial level, one is white, one is red. The red, classic version of sundubu is spicy. The spiciness, derived from the red pepper, hits you right in the throat. The white one is a different kind of sundubu: no blistering spices, not even minute traces of Scoville scale heat units. Take your time and savor the stew and you will detect the tofu’s delicate hint of soybean. And it is also true that tofu absorbs the flavors that surround it. In this case, it’s the broth, which tastes fresh and clean, benefiting from a good 24-hour simmer of beef bones, anchovies, kelp, and daikon. There’s also something of the sea that comes through. Without all the usual heat, one might wonder: Before the advent of chilies in Korea, might this dish have been around centuries ago? In any case, one thing never changes—the succession of the seasons. So, bring friends, and pull up a chair. If cold weather is coming, it might as well be enjoyed in fine company over hearty, nourishing fare.
miss KOREA BBQ
4 1/2 star rating on Trip Advisor & 4 star rating on Open Table!
10 W. 32nd St. missKoreaBBQ.com miss KOREA JIN The First 212-594-4963
MEDITERRANEAN TURKISH GRILL
158 West 72nd St. NY • (212) 724-4700
www.seventurkishgrillnyc.com *valid for dinner 5 pm - 11 pm
Hours Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week miss KOREA SUN The Second 212-736-3232 Hours Sunday–Wednesday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Thursday–Saturday 11 a.m.–midnight miss KOREA MEE The Third 212-594-7766 Owner Sophia Lee.
Hours Sunday–Wednesday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Thursday–Saturday 11 a.m.–midnight
For Lee, restaurants were always places for nourishment and relaxation.
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Katsu & Sake
Unlike pork tongue, beef tongue (above) is known for its clean taste.
A Korean meal, with communal hot pots and stews, is by nature a social occasion.
Signature dishes you won’t find in other Japanese restaurants
Discover the Hidden Gem in K-Town The most special dish, reserved for special occasions across Japan. Try this amazing Pork Katsu at HanaMichi. Our unique preparation not only highlights pork, but also chicken, beef and vegetables! A dish worth gathering for!
Pork Katsu
“This is one of my favorite spots in K-town” – Zagat-
28 W 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001
212.736.5393 24 Hours Open www.hanamichinyc.com
Spicy tofu stew (sundubu) with seafood.
Tonkatsu Ramen
D8 September 25–October 1, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org
FOODSTUFFS
Mooncakes
The egg yolk inside represents the full autumn moon.
A Sweet Celebration of Autumn’s Arrival
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The best quality mooncakes have a filling of smooth paste and crumbly egg yolks.
Growing up in a Chinese household, every year I would look forward to the transition period between summer and fall—that time of year when the weather started to cool down, but not so much that summer clothes had to be put away. It signaled the approach of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday similar to Thanksgiving, when families reunite and oer appreciation for the fall harvest. And most importantly to my childhood self, it meant getting to eat mooncakes—the sweet pastries traditionally eaten during the holiday.
H TI M E S
By Annie Wu | Epoch Times Staff
AL
Because traditional holidays follow the lunar calendar, the festival falls on a dierent day each year. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival takes place on Sept. 27. Where my family is from—Guangzhou, or Canton, in the south of China—the most popular mooncakes are those with a filling of lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk (duck egg). The paste is intensely rich and dense, with the egg acting as a counterpoint and cutting through the sweetness with its salty, nutty essence. The best quality mooncakes have a smooth paste and crumbly egg yolks moist with oil— but not greasy. My mother, who has her finger on the pulse of all things delicious in Chinatown, recommended mooncakes made by Maxim's (or Mei Xin), a 60-year-old Hong Kong company with a reputation for being among the best ($35 for a box of six mooncakes). It proved a solid choice. When I shared the cakes with my colleagues from the China reporting team, they instantly became enamored—even those who had never been very fond of mooncakes. Their usual serious demeanors disappeared as they munched happily and proclaimed the need to get more for themselves. If savory-and-sweet treats are not your cup of tea, you can get mooncakes with a filling of pure lotus seed paste, without eggs. And for a more delicate take on the pastry, Maxim's has a reduced-sugar version with pine nuts, featuring a less cloying lotus paste. There are other traditional fillings, such as red bean paste, perfect for those with a sweet tooth, and mixed nuts, a crunchy combination of melon seeds, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, and peanuts—flavored with a vari-
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ety of spices. Maxim's version uses five-spice seasoning and replaces peanuts with pine nuts, but it still bears the same resemblance to fruitcake, with a citrusy tang from dried lemons. And for those who may be tiring of the oldschool flavors, there are newfangled icy (or "snow skin") mooncakes, found in the frozen section ($7.99 for a box of two mooncakes). Like mochi, the skin is made with glutinous rice, while the filling is usually made of mung bean paste and fruity jams. I wasn't a big fan of these, but Maxim's has a Mango Pomelo flavor that could please mango lovers. Some final tips for the uninitiated: the cakes are heavy, so they are meant to be shared. And some light, fragrant Chinese tea is perfect for washing them down. Sold at major Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown. The mooncakes featured in this article were bought at Po Wing Hong Food Market, 49 Elizabeth St., www.PoWing.com
Maxim’s mixed nut mooncakes will remind you of fruit cake, with dried lemons adding a citrus tang.
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Similar to mochi, Maxim’s “snow skin� mooncakes are covered in a glutinous rice skin and filled with mung bean paste and fruity jams.