February 19, 2013
Ramen culture has finally reached America. In New York, when it rains, it rains cats and dogs. There are so many new places opening up and I already lost count. Tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, there is so much variety. Plus, American-owned ramen places serve innovative dishes that are more like soupy pasta than ramen. Thanks to […]
February 23, 2012
Karasumi (or bottarga) is salted and dried mullet roe. It comes in two sacks and are hard, like a candy bar. Its deep, oceany, salty flavor is reminiscent of caviar. But the texture is not like caviar, because it’s a dense mass of eggs dried in the sun, it is chewy and sticks to the molars […]
February 3, 2012
Spaghetti with asari (clams), shirauo (little white fish) and arugula at Pizzeria Matsuhisa in Denenchofu, Tokyo. Someday, I will open a wafu (Japanese-style) pasta shop in Oakland.
October 14, 2011
Remember when I said I started making my own pizza because I hadn’t found any in Los Angeles that really fit the bill? Well I am happy to report that this is no longer the case. Not only does it seem like the urban food movement is making its way through a wood-fired revival, but […]
February 21, 2011
I’ve tried making gnocchi in the past, but the whole thing dissolved while boiling, so it was a complete failure. Since then, I haven’t even thought about making it again. A few weeks ago, I pondered what I would make for a small gathering. I really wanted to eat beef stroganoff. I looked around for […]
October 7, 2010
Ahhhh the life of a food journalist. The repeat and multiple visits to restaurants of all shapes and sizes, booze and food paid for by expense accounts, all in the name of research. I remember reading a review by Frank Bruni about Per Se, Thomas Keller’s New York sibling to French Laundry. I was so […]
October 5, 2010
Just got back from a long weekend in NYC. The trip killed me. I ran around all day, tried to see everyone, ate and drank myself into a tizzy, and literally collapsed in exhaustion. It made me feel old. That said, it really is an incredible city for eating. Like anywhere, there are some major […]
September 8, 2010
I was never a big fan of tits. Maybe when I was a wee infant, but these days I have absolutely no interest. Women’s tits, elephant tits, it’s all a blur. Even if the coolest dinosaurs had tits, I’d still prefer a frozen daiquri and the newest episode of Project Runway. Except, sometimes the stuff […]
January 4, 2010
Rang in the new year (well, almost) at the mucho-hyped, impossible-to-get-a-reservation, must-wait-over-an-hour-for-a-table Italian spot/pizzeria Flour + Water, in the Mission district, SF. Four-course prix-fixe menu, A Night in Emilia-Romagna, dedicated to THE SUPREME food region in Italy. Bologna, holler! Above: Tortellini en brodo with parmesan truffle & house cured meats, amuse bouche style. A shot […]
September 27, 2009
Babbo lives on Waverly Place, nestled unassuminly in the West Village, tasteful in terms of blending in with the rest of the street. It’s funny how I work in the area, yet had no idea the famed place was within such close proximity. A colleague of mine visited New York City with a “bucket list” […]