Nyonya....

Came as a suggestion from a Malaysian co-worker, Winnie.  I asked her if she has an idea where I could get authentic Malaysian in either New Jersey or New York.  As she mentioned Nyonya, in NYC's Chinatown, my jaw dropped.  I couldn't believe she said there was an authentic restaurant in Chinatown. 

The olfactory mess that is Chinatown, also provides me much happiness.  Anyone who knows me, knows I have a love affair with Chinatown, especially during summer months.  I just love watching the men and women slinging slimey fish, eel or any other disgusting ocean creature they can get their hands on, while strolling and sipping on bubble tea from Quickly.  Depending on which vendor, the fruit stands can have fruit just as fresh as something you could pick up at Citarella. 

I was told to go a group and that is exactly what I did.  Winnie had given a list of five items and I knew I couldn't get away with ordering all of them, but three out of five ain't bad!

The chicken satay, while not always my favorite, is a crowd pleaser.  It was good with a fatty texture rather than lean (this satay was dark meat!).

Roti Telur - a traditional, thin Indian pancake filled with egg and onion. This crepe-like dish was served with a light chicken curry dipping sauce.

Beef Rendang simmered with cinnamon, cloves & lemongrass in coconut milk (note the spicy oil) was the  overall winner!  I ate this complex meat stew with coconut rice.  It gave the perfect hint of sweetness to offset the spiciness of the dish.

Garlic chicken suggested by the waiter was half a chicken fried with super crispy skin and a soy dipping sauce.  Both the white & dark meat were tender and succulent (and mostly enjoyed by me).

Less successful was the Chow Kueh Teow, a stir-fried flat rice noodles with shrimp, chive, squid, bean sprouts, eggs, soy sauce and chili paste.  While the dish had a variety of seafood, it was bland with the noodles dry and tasteless.

All this for $55.  Get there!

199 Grand between Mott & Mulberry

Meatball Shop

Who isn't up for a delicious meatball, YOUR way?  I always appreciate my dinners at Meatball Shop, particularly since you can order the meatballs in a variety of ways.  You make your selections with a dry erase marker on a laminated menu.  Good idea given the all the options.

Every night there are five meatball choices, the staples of beef, pork, chicken, veggie and a special (think lamb) served with marinara, meat (for real meatiness), mushroom gravy, parmesan cream and pesto.
Pro: 4 Meatballs served with foccacia
Con: Can't mix and match...if you're wanting that, sliders are your best match

My selection included pork with parmesan which was divine and meatballs soft.

Beef meatballs with marinara which were soft but not too exciting.

I love the farm sides or sides "that stick to your bones" (i.e. risotto, rigatoni, polenta) can be separate or under the meatballs.  I order as sides as I still am partly the child that doesn't want other food to touch.  The vegetables are pretty bland (no salt), but the argula and apple salad with vinegarette is delightful.  Yum!  It's nice to offset the heaviness of the meatballs with greens.

As much as I absolutely love the meatballs, my absolute favorite is the SMASHER.  Meatballs on a brioche bun with a choice of sauce and either mozzarella or provolone.  Tender, tasty and Fantastic!

To keep with the theme of building your own dishes, you can build your very own ice cream sandwich.  Brownie cookies with Caramel ice cream.  Yum Yum, but cookie lovers beware....cookies aren't as soft as you would hope for. 

Along with every restaurant that gets popular, the portions begin to dwindle and this is no exception; however, you still get 2 meatballs dishes, 2 sides, a smasher and dessert for $26.  Now that's a steal! 
But get there early as no reservations are taken and during primetime, the wait can be over two hours.

The Meatball Shop  84 Stanton Street (212) 982-8895
http://www.themeatballshop.com/index.php

A Fork in the Road: Dong Bang (Ft. Lee, NJ)

Just across the GWB sits Ft. Lee and it boasts with tons of Korean food. Dong Bang might not be the most authentic spot there, but is a good introduction to Korean barbeque and all the kimchee one could dream of.
The table covered in bowls of kimchee before we even ordered drinks.

Bulgogi - Thin slices of Rib-Eye steak in DB marinade topped with mushrooms

Al Jigae - Finely shredded beef with scallions, mushrooms and clear noodle in spicy beef base soup. Once the spices set overnight, it made for an incredible leftover dish.

If you're over the bridge, make the stop...just for the kimchee alone.

Dong Bang 1616 Palisade Avenue Ft. Lee, NJ 08204
www.dongbanggrill.com

A Fork in the Road: Little BIGS (Houston, TX)

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Sitting on the corner of Montrose and Westheimer in Houston, is Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd's (of Reef) Little Bigs. The idea is an even better twist on the burger joint....a slider joint. They have three types of sliders - beef with caramelized onions, chicken and black bean. You can order them in a trio or solo. I tried one of each with a large basket of fries.

The fries are true-handcut perfection covered with flakes of salt. There aren't too many places that can perfect the simplicity of frying a handcut fry.
The beef with caramelized onion was only mildly juicy after being a tad overcooked and the "special sauce" (nothing more than a mixture of mayo and ketchup) was the saving grace of the bland chicken. The star of this trio was the black bean slider. It was the first one I tried and upon taking a bite, I actually thought this was the beef! The black beans were well-seasoned, then mashed into a 'meaty' blend. The buns were inconsistent on all the sliders, but nothing significant to spoil it. Wash it all down with an Arnold Palmer...or Bigs offers a variety of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch, and White Russian milkshakes. I'm sure one would be enjoyable on the patio in the summer, though I didn't try one this time.
Little Bigs has awhile to go before it can even be in a race with all the incredible burger joints around Houston; but if you are looking for a snack of fries & a shake, hit this place up.

2703 Montrose Blvd. @ Westheimer (713) 521-2447

Tofu House (CLOSED)

Every table at Tofu House on Korean Way is an oasis of food. Ironically enough, the only portion of the menu that included tofu was the soup.

I went with my friend Edna, an online food critic for nymag.com, and we ordered so much food, I thought I would pop. Typically, all Korean meals start with 2-12 banchan, or side dishes, that vary from over 100 types of kimchi, pickled cabbage/garlic/squid to steamed tofu. It was difficult not to fill up on sides especially when the kimchi at Tofu House is easily the tastiest I've ever had. In Korea, the meal is the kimchi and rice. Everything else is built around it.

Let me take you on our odyssey...........appetizers of homemade steamed dumplings and Kimichi Tofu Soup. Dumplings = average and we really messed up their staple dish of Tofu soup. The restaurant serves soup with a raw egg which you are apparently supposed to crack into the soup, although I couldn't really imagine since the tofu was mushy and bland. The thought of adding an egg, well, wasn't exactly the picture of perfection. However, whilst watching Bourdain this weekend touring New Jersey and hitting up a Korean joint, I learned the egg actually cooks the soup! WHA?!!?!?

We had to get Korean BBQ and in this case, Bul Go Gi, prime beef marinated with a special sauce. It was brought out on a sizzling skillet served with onions. Overall, the beef was tasty being brought on by the sauce, but could have been cut a touch thicker.

This brings us to the two dishes which were polar opposites for me. The Hwe Neng Myun or cold, spicy vermicelli with puffer fish and kimchi (photo-RT). When Edna ordered this dish, the waitress looked at us with crazy eyes, then proceeded to say, 'You don't want this.' Edna says, 'Oh yes, yes we do'. I had a pretty good idea of what we were in for, but would say this is a dish best best left for Korean culture only because most Americans would find it unpalatable. The noodles were slimy and sweet; the puffer fish (blowfish) was not that of sushi-grade, rather hard and crunchy. You are eating the spine, not the meat, of the fish. So, if the fact that they are highly toxic to humans doesn't dissuade you, eating the spine definitely should.

The Yook Swe Bi Bim Bob was our fav! I could come back and eat just this dish every week in the summer. (photo-LT) It is marinated raw strips of beef sitting atop vegetables and rice with sesame oil drizzle and egg yolk. The dish was mouthwatering - a perfect balance of seasoning between the chilies, sesame and scallion.

Tofu House 17 West 32nd Street NY, NY (212) 967-1900