Whole Rotisserie Duck Ssäm at Momofuku Ssäm Bar

I've had the bo ssäm a few times but have never tried the other large format meals at Momofuku Ssäm Bar so was pretty excited when C decided to to do his birthday dinner there. The duck was quite good but I think I prefer the bo ssäm! We got a set dinner and were all extremely stuffed at the end of it. Pork buns were delicious as usual and we also had this yummy chicken liver spread that is not pictured.

Whole Rotisserie Duck Ssam 
The duck was flavorful and all the condiments worked together to result in a tasty bite, however, I preferred the bo ssam as it's more rich and I prefer the cutting style of regular peking duck as compared to this rolled up method. The chive pancakes were also a bit too thick. Therefore I think if I were to get a large format meal I would opt for the bo ssam and have roast duck elsewhere (like decoy) even if it's a slightly different style. 

 Momofuku Ssam Bar

207 Second Ave 

New York

NY 10003

Root & Bone

Root & Bone is a restaurant that is opened by Top Chef alums Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth and has been on the to try list for ages for me and I. Maybe we have been anticipating it for too long, but the restaurant did not blow us away. The fried chicken was really good, but most of the other dishes were only ok.

Super cute tea cup for my alcohol :)  

Fried Green Tomatoes 
These were very well done and I enjoyed them. The outer layer was well seasoned and perfectly crispy and the tomatoes were fresh and tart. 

Grilled Peach Caprese - Gooey Pimento Cheese Croquette, Charred Peaches, Pickled Green Tomatoes, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Molasses Vinegar 
I was actually really looking forward to this item but it was quite disappointing. The peaches were not quite ripe enough and therefore did not achieve the caramelization from the charring. The pimento croquette was also much too small and the pickled green tomatoes didn't really fit in with the other flavors of the dish. 

Grilled Corn - Sweet Summer Corn, Cornbread Butter, Crunchy Hominy, Lemon PopcornThis was really yummy and the corn was grilled nicely. However, while I thought the addition of the hominy and popcorn was a cute idea, in terms of flavor it didn't really add anything to the dish and I preferred just eating the charred corn by itself. 

Drunken Pickled Eggs - Pickled Roots and Chips
These tasted a little funny as it was way too sour. 

Shrimp and Grits - VA County Ham, Brooklyn Lager Jus, Gulf Shrimp, Red Onion, Local Upstate Grits 
The shrimp was very fresh and plump but I disliked the addition of the ham. It tasted like the Chinese ham that you sautéed with vegetables and it just stringy and a bit tough. The addition of the cherry tomatoes also didn't do it for me and the grits weren't smooth or creamy enough.

Crispy Free  Range Fried Bird - Sweet Tea Brined, Lemon Dusted, Spiked Tabasco Honey 
This was the best dish of the night. The meat was very juicy extremely well flavored. The skin and coating was also crisp and not greasy at all. I also loved the tabasco honey (it tasted like the Mcwings sauce haha), it really made the dish pop. 

While some of the dishes were only ok for me, I wouldn't say that I had a bad dining experience here at all. The fried chicken was very well done and the mac and cheese looked really good on Yelp. I would not be opposed to coming here again but if you were visiting this would not be a must try. 

Root & Bone

200 East 3rd Street

New York

10009

Saveur Summer Cookout

For those who don't know, Saveur is a prominent culinary magazine and when W told me that they were hosting a Summer Cookout featuring over 20 of the country's hottest chefs and mixologists, I knew I had to attend! The event took place at the Boat Basin Cafe which is a lovely location on the upper west side with breathtaking views of the sunset. The food was a all you can eat/drink which was quite a treat as many of the dishes were extremely tasty and many food events usually only let you take one dish per chef (I don't need to explain why all you can drink is a treat right?). The event also was not too crowded but it was unfortunately raining which dampened the mood a little. I also saw Alex Guarnaschelli and Scott Conant so that was pretty cool since I am a Food Network fiend.  Overall I had a great time and look forward to more similar events in the future!

Chinese Takeout

Because sometimes we all need a little crappy greasy Chinese takeout in our lives :D

Big Gay Ice Cream

With a name like that, Big Gay Ice Cream is sure to attract some attention and it definitely caught mine. What started out as an ice cream truck now has several outposts in New York and its popularity does not seem to be waning any time soon! The shop had cute and colorful decorations and these yummy treats were perfect for a summer day.

The Salty Pimp - Vanilla Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche, Sea Salt, and Chocolate Dip
This is the shop's most popular item and while it is not exactly a unique flavor, I can see why. The ice cream is very silky and creamy and instead of merely swirling the dulce de leche on top, it is actually punctured into the ice cream which ensures decadent sweetness in every bite. The sea salt was not too prominent but the chocolate dip was perfectly crunchy. I think this is a great choice for a more classic approach but I actually preferred M's choice (below) more.

Bea Arthur, Vanilla Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche, Crushed 'Nilla Wafers
Mmmmmm this was so yummy! The crushed wafers gave this a fluffy yet crunchy aspect which was really interesting and delicious. The vanilla wafer flavor was also quite strong which I loved and it went really well with the caramel-y taste of the dulce de leche. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my cone and while I was hoping for more unique flavors, I would definitely come again and try other flavors, however, sometimes I see a massive line and I probably would not stand in a long line for this!

Big Gay Ice Cream

125 East 7th Street

East Village

New York

NY 10009

Norma's

Norma's at the Le Parker Meridien Hotel is one of New York's quintessential breakfast spots. It is know for its over the top dishes including "The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata", and while it does not actually cost a zillion dollars, is priced at an absurd $1000 usd thanks to the 100 oz of caviar plopped on top. The meal starts off with a complimentary shot of the smoothie of the day and it is actually a smart little trick to get you to order the smoothie after. They also offer you orange juice right away and gives you an impression that this may also be complimentary but it is not, so remember that! The menu is here so you can get a sense of all the gut blasting dishes on offer here. The food was not bad, but definitely not refined in any way and also quite pricy. I don't think I would return as I think they only rely on their fame and shock factor of how much stuff they can load on the plate.

Super Cheesy French Toast with Caramelized Onions and Applewood Smoked Bacon
I don't really see why this is called a french toast since it was just a ton of cheese loaded on top of two croissants. The bacon was nicely cooked and the caramelized onions were also very flavorful, but as you can imagine this was extremely heavy and I also don't think it't quite possible to make this combination taste bad unless you were to completely ruin it some how. I did like the addition of maple syrup as the sweetness made this dish even more decadent and gooey. 

Eggs Benedict - Buttermilk Pancake Layered with Canadian Bacon and Grilled Asparagus
I thought the change of english muffins to pancakes was quite clever and the hollandaise sauce was made very well. However, apart from that it wasn't particularly special.

I would not say the meal was not enjoyable, my dish was actually quite satisfying but it was just extremely heavy and I don't think it's worth the hype and price. 

Norma's

Le Parker Meridien Hotel

119 W 56th St

New York

NY 10019

Sushi Seki

I heard that there is a restaurant that serves an omakase similar to that of Gari in which the sushi pieces are a result of interesting and non-traditional flavor combinations. While I like Gari, I've had a few hits and misses there and I hear that Sushi Seki is actually better so I was very keen on trying it out for myself. I was delighted to find out that I was able to snag a few seats at the bar even though I only called a few days ahead. I am happy to also say that the dinner was absolutely delicious! I (and the sushi chef) felt like the omakase can go on forever but I finally called it quits after my ikura quail egg piece. The servers and sushi chefs were very polite and professional and I enjoyed every item of my meal. They had some pieces that were very similar to Gari such as the salmon tomato and eel avocado. I personally thought the salmon tomato was better at Seki but W felt the opposite. The toro was melt in your mouth and the spicy scallop roll was also a must order! Everything was expertly prepared, perfectly seasoned, and extremely fresh. While I don't remember exactly how many pieces I ate at Gari, Seki definitely seems to be pricier so this would not be a place to hit up every weekend unfortunately, we did have two big bottles of sake so that could have also contributed to the tab ;). Also, I had a few more pieces than pictured. Sushi porn lovers will adore this post... so without further ado... enjoy!

We all left the restaurant feeling very satisfied! I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Sushi Seki 

1143 1st Avenue 

New York

NY 10065