In The Loop On The Outer Boroughs

Hello hello, my hungry friends!

Last night, I learnt an important lesson. Well, a couple of important lessons.

1.) French fries dipped in ice-cream are not a good snack past midnight.

2.) The outer boroughs have INCREDIBLE food.

Now, I always suspected/knew this. I just needed... Affirmation. And it got me wondering...

What else is out there?

Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The name conjures up images of skinny jeans, lensless glasses and hole-in-the-wall bars with obscure names like "Kaleidoscope" or "The Village Bicycle". But what you SHOULD be thinking of?

Stk. Would you like to buy a vowel?

Peter Luger's is a legendary steakhouse. I don't use that adjective freely but "legendary" just about sums it up. If you haven't heard about it, you're either a social outcast, uninterested in food or a vegan. Either way, I don't want to talk to you.

Perfectly marbled, grilled to order and sizzlingly gorgeous, the cash-only cathedral of cow serves the Bentley of steaks. Big, beautiful and you can't help but wonder in amazement. Seriously, go try it and tell me you've tasted something better.

So, I've covered the American side. How 'bout something... Exotic?

A little while ago, I went with some friends to Astoria, Queens and tried a lovely little Greek joint called Taverna Kyclades. Heard about it? Didn't think so, despite the fact that their seafood merit their own Greek myths and legends. Broiled scallops. Grilled octopus. Succulent fish. Fried calamari. Just about any fish, shellfish or mollusk that could be cooked was a phenomenal culinary experience. I don't know how to speak Greek but the taste of delicious food is the same in any language.

Next up was the appropriately named Little Lamb in Flushing, Queens. This is a whole different species of Chinese food: you BOIL everything you eat. Now, I can see how the thought of boiled meat might not be so appealing but it was in-cre-di-ble. Trust me. The broth was sensational and they give you the option of spicy of mild (or both) and the menu, while almost entirely in Chinese, offers some delicious goodies (beef and lamb and chicken) and some more... Exotic options (tripe, intestines, grossness). Trust me though: the Little Lamb is big time flavor.

That's my update for now. Till next time!

Good eatin',

Your Hungry Asian.

The Uptake On The Cupcake

Hello everybody!

The cupcake. A wondrous invention. It's better than a muffin (I'm willing to throw down on that), not nearly as heavy as a pound cake (or at least it shouldn't be) and it's everything from its own meal to a dessert to an affectionate nickname. The New York obsession with cupcakes arguably started brewing from Magnolia bakery in the West Village. Yes, we all know about their legendary status but is it THAT good anymore? I would like to throw my hat into the ring and say, defiantly, no.

I've had quite a number of cupcakes in the last couple of months. People who've wondered where my posts have disappeared to need not look any further than my ballooning waistline and smile. Cupcakes. The word itself makes you smile. As if Willie Wonka himself got his little team of Oompa Loompas together and tried to come up with a name for this delectable little goodie. And what a job they did. Cup. Cake. Mmmmm.

So, here's the Uptake on the Cupcake. What are your favorite flavors? Both cake and frosting mind you. Merely picking one is being a novice. Is it a peanut butter cupcake with french chocolate icing? Maybe a luscious and unique carrot cake topped with a toupee of vanilla butter cream? Or are you a true New Yorker at heart and you're going for the local Red Velvet and Cream Cheese frosting combo? The variations are endless and delicious.

Where do you like to go? Is it the famed Magnolia bakery? Maybe the diminutive Baked by Melissa in Soho and Union Square or perhaps an unknown hole-in-the-wall bakery in Brooklyn that you don't feel like sharing? Let me know what you combo and location you think is best.

As for me? Right now, I've got a soft spot in my heart (and stomach) for the Banana cupcake with French Vanilla frosting from Butter Lane at 7th and 1st avenue. But the good thing about cupcakes is you don't have to have only one....

Good eatin',

Your Hungry Asian

Burger-Town

Someone recently asked me what was the best burger in NYC. Now, I do not claim to be an expert but I did think about it and here's my list of the Top 5 SO FAR. That is, I will be adding to it as time continues. Also, this isn't a ranking so much as the 5 that float around my constantly hungry head.

1.) The Stand (12th Street and University Place)

Price: $12-18

My choice: Mushroom Burger with Swiss Cheese.

All the burgers here at The Stand are pretty darn tasty. I have a slight weakness to mushrooms so this was my choice but the juicy patty, the toasted ciabatta and the odd-looking yellow sauce on the side makes for a very complete and very fulfilling meal. Also, each burger comes with a couple slices of deep-fried pickles. MMMMMM.

Accompaniment of choice: Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake.

You. Have. To. Try. This.

2.) BLT Burger (11th street and 6th avenue)

Price $15-20

My choice: Standard cheese burger

BLT has made a pretty good name for itself through out the city so BLT burger providing decent meat-in-a-bun is no real surprise. Simple, succulent and somehow gone within minutes. Thumbs up for this tidy little spot. The fact that they have a Peanut Butter and Jelly milkshake helps too.

Accompaniment of choice: PB&J Milkshake

Really? You had to ask?

3.) Shake Shack (Madison Square Park)

Price: $15-18

My choice: Shack Stack

"I'm a huge fan of the Shack Stack and I don't even eat meat." My girlfriend is a hardcore vegetarian and I gotta say, making a mushroom cap taste this good has to be due to one of two things: 1) Divine influence or 2) Crack cocaine. Maybe it's just good burger making but whatever it is, I will definitely go back for another one. And another one. And another one...

Accompaniments: Cheese fries

After waiting for at least a @#%&-ing hour, you better get something else to make the experience last longer. Cheese fries on a breezy Fall day? Fer-Pection.

4.) Corner Bistro (Somewhere on Jane Street)

Price:$10-12

My choice: Classic Burger

The cheapest on this list does not make it bad. AT ALL. Not as filling as the other members on this list, the Corner Bistro burger is still pretty darn good. The smokiness of the flavor and the sheer simplicity of it all makes this subtle yet unforgettable. And they manage to char the burger perfectly so you get that feeling that it's just off a grill even if you are sitting in a bar in the West Village.

Accompaniments: French Fries

5.) Pop Burger (Meatpacking District)

Price: $10-15

My choice: ???

Okay, this one is kinda cheating. Not that I don't think the burgers are great. It's that... For the life of me, I can't remember what I had. Since it was about 3:30 in the morning and there was a flock of Grey Geese in the air that night, you have to give me a break here.

I just remember it was AMAZING.

Accompaniments: Ummmm... Not sure.

Just try everything and let me know what you think.

Wish list:

There are a couple of other places I would like to try for their fabled burgers. Let me know what you think or if you've been!

1) JG Mellon- Upper East Side

2) Peter Luger- Williamsburg, Brooklyn

3) Burger Joint- Le Parker Meridien

4) Mark- St. Mark's place

Any other suggestions? Shoot me a comment!

Good Eatin,

Your Hungry Asian

The Best Thing I Ever Ate-According To Someone Else

"The Best Thing I Ever Ate" is a TV show on the Food Network where their stars talk about some of the best things they've ever had (if you can't already guess). I have extensively compiled a list for all of the places/dishes in the NYC area and I'm slowly working my way through each one. So far, I have not been disappointed yet and I eagerly await the next excursion.

Here however, are some of my own favorites that have so far NOT made the list.

Akamaru Modern Noodles from Ippudo Noodle Restaurant (10th street and 4th avenue)

Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk Bar (13th street and 2nd avenue)

Steak from Peter Luger Steakhouse (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Pan Fried Dumplings from Lan Zhou Hand Pulled Noodles (120-something East Broadway)

Arepa's from Norma's at Le Parker Meridien (54th street and 6th avenue)

Basil and Pepperoni Pizza from Grimaldi's (Red Hook, Brooklyn)

Pumpernickel Bagel with Cream Cheese and Nova Scotia Salmon from Murray's Bagels (13th street and 6th avenue)

Bon Chon Fried Chicken from Boka (St. Mark's place)

Pastrami Sandwich on Rye from Katz' Deli (Houston and 1st avenue)

Blueberry Pancakes from Clinton Street Baking Co. (Clinton Street)

Pistachio Gelato from Arte della Gelato (7th avenue and Waverly Place)

Brussel Sprouts from Alta (10th street and 6th avenue)

What about you? What's the Best Thing you've ever eaten in New York?

Good eatin'

Your Hungry Asian

Ebelskivers: The Mystery Of The Pancake-Ball

If you head down to the Essex Street Market in the LES (Lower East Side) of New York City, there is a tiny little general shop/cafe/eaterie where there are about 12 seats but a menu of literally hundreds of items. This is Shopsin's and this is the site of a magical food item: the Ebelskiver.

Now, what is an ebelskiver, you may ask? Well, according to someone who knows these things (Wikipedia), it's a "traditional Danish pancake in the distinct shape of a sphere".

A pancake. In ball form. Covered in cinnamon sugar. Filled, by the way, with things like molten chocolate or caramelized bananas.

Yeah. They're that good.

Shopsin's has an incredibly extensive menu but I went with my girlfriend and found these little suckers hiding in a random corner of the menu. We ordered the banana ones and 15 minutes later, were thanking the country of Denmark for creating such a delicious masterpiece.

They were fluffy. Sugary. Heart-poundingly addictive. And best of all, we didn't feel greasy after eating them because they were incredibly airy and light.

Now, I cannot take credit for finding these sweet creations. On the Food Network program The Best Thing I Ever Ate (which I will post about soon), the unaired pilot episode featured Shopsin's and the elusive pastry known as the Ebelskiver as a favorite of a guest on the show. I merely followed my growling stomach down to the LES on a Sunday morning and quelled it with half-a-dozen puffy balls of heavenly goodness.

Shopsin's. Ebelskivers. Do it. And get there early: they stop serving after 2pm.

Good eatin',

Your Hungry Asian.

What Is Good Food? An Introduction

What is good food?

Is it little spheres of tastiness from El Bulli? Or mom's homemade apple pie, cooling on the counter? Is it pan fried dumplings from the hole-in-the-wall in Chinatown or backyard barbecue? Is it the burgers from Shake Shack or In-N-Out?

To me, good food is all those things. Who says good food needs to be told to you in a guide? Or from the advice of a seasoned local? Good food can be found in every city, in every town, in any country. I'm not here to tell you what I think is amazing food. I'm here to share with you what I like. And hopefully, you'll like it too.

Before that, though, I thought I'd tell you a little about myself. My name is Anthony. I am, at the time of writing, 22 years young, in college in New York City but I was born and raised in Singapore. And now, I'm eating my way through the world, one delicious, succulent, lip-smacking morsel at a time.

I love food. Food, to me, is not mere sustenance nor is it a vice. It is something to enjoy. If music sounds good to our ears, movies look good to our eyes and puppies feel good to our skin (ok, sort of a stretch) then food is the temple for our nose and mouth.

Okay, enough griping and preaching. You're reading this because you, like me, enjoy food. So I'm going to try and update this blog whenever I can with some suggestions on places to try to eat (mostly in NYC and Singapore but wherever else in between) or things I've had to eat. And hit me up when you have something I should know about/should try.

That's all for now! But watch this space.

Good eatin',

Your Hungry Asian