Marea once more

Marea is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC and once again it did not disappoint. I went for lunch this time and had a lovely time. I had a heavy brunch (Southern style with biscuits, grits, gravy, bacon, sausage, eggs... you get the idea), so I was actually quite stuffed when I arrived but I still made sure I enjoyed every bite of this amazing food.

ASTICE - Nova Scotia Lobster, Burrata, Eggplant, Basil
This dish was a delight to the eyes and also to my palate. The lobster was cooked perfectly and was incredibly fresh and sweet. The burrata was creaming and had a lovely milk flavor. The olive oil was also very aromatic and the cherry tomatoes were sweet and juicy. The only complaints I have is that it was tad too salty and the addition of the eggplant was a bit strange. 

RICCI - Sea Urchin, Lardo, Sea Salt
Mmmmm this is always a huge crowd pleaser. The sea urchin was not the sweetest uni I've had but the components together was just incredibly creamy and decadent. The lardo was just perfect and melted in your mouth while the uni flavor was quite prominent. Definitely a must order whenever I am here!

FUSILLI - Durum Wheat Pasta, Red Wine Braised Octopus, Bone Marrow
I have not had ALL the pastas at Marea but I've had a good 3-4 different types. Therefore I can't technically say that this is definitely my favorite yet but from the ones I've tried this is definitely my top choice. The pasta is absolute perfection and has such a great chewy texture. The shape of the pasta also allows for the luscious sauce to envelop itself all around it. The sauce is incredibly flavorful and rich but not heavy. The octopus is also very tender and infused with flavor. I was too full to finish it because I literally just had brunch 30 minutes ago but 2-3 hours later I was filled with regret for not eating it all up :( 

STROZZAPRETI - Crab, Sea Urchin, Basil
 This pasta had very bright flavors and the amount of crab was very generous. The tomato sauce packed a tangy punch and the pasta was also cooked perfectly as aways. However, I enjoyed the octopus and bone marrow pasta more. W like this pasta more so it's probably just due to personal preference. I usually do prefer creamier pastas and while the bone marrow one is not cream based I prefer the richer and creamier element to that pasta. This is definitely still a very delicious pasta dish and I would recommend it!

Marea

240 Central Park South

New York

NY10019

Yukimura

My dad's friend wanted to treat me to a meal (I don't really know why but it sure was kind of him!) and he decided to take my parents and I to a new Japanese restaurant that another Uncle recommended. The food was super fresh and delicious and I enjoyed how some of the sashimi was presented in unique ways such as the hamachi wrapped uni! Service was also very friendly but there were these children that were screaming SO loudly which was a bit of a nuisance. I definitely would love to return again!

Yukimura

2/F

Henry House

42 Yun Ping Road

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Izumi Curry

C and I wanted to have a bunch of different things for lunch one day so we decided to go to the food court of Hysan Place. Izumi Curry has never disappointed and this time was just as good as any time :)! 

Izumi Curry

Kitchen 11

11/F

Hysan Place

500 Hennessy Road

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Taste Talks All-Star BBQ

Taste Talks is a 3 day food festival that takes place in Brooklyn and Chicago. The festival include food fairs, talks by chefs and other food industry professionals, workshops, and expos. W had a code for free tickets to the All-Star BBQ Event and of course I would never pass up such a great deal! Without the code it would be $40 per ticket. Apart from the items listed in the official menu, there were also little treats such as the oyster. Unfortunately the veggie burgers and the charred lamb tongue ran out :( I was also unable to get the dessert because I was too busy getting other food!

It was such a fun Sunday activity and it was just perfect to be with friends savoring yummy bites with great weather also! It was pretty packed but the lines moved along quickly and we soon got into a nice rhythm of getting food from one vendor and then quickly moving into the next line. I had such a great time and can't wait to explore more food festival/events!

Each vendor will check you off to make sure you only get one of each dish! 

DANNY BOWIEN | Mission Chinese & Mission Cantina & JAMIE BISSONNETTE | Chef/Owner of Coppa (Boston), and Toro (Boston and New York)
MISSION CHINESE SPECIAL
This lamb tartare was a great start! The flavors were fresh and exciting and tasted very fresh. I loved the little crispy cups and the scallions on top were great!

IVAN ORKIN | Ivan Ramen
GRILLED DUCK HEARTS | with a summer corn XO sauce
This was probably one of my favorite dishes of the day. And luckily for me a few of my friends don't eat innards so I ate their share also hehe. The duck was nicely charred and meaty and the corn was SO good. It was sweet but also has that hint of OX spiciness. It went perfectly with the little duck hearts... I WANT MORE. 

ACTION BRONSON | Musician & MICHAEL WHITE | Osteria Morini 
PORCHETTA "KRA PROW" TIGELLE | Thai spiced "Porchetta Kra Prow", crispy watercress, tigelle
This was pretty normal and was not memorable at all. It wasn't bad but just didn't seem very creative or special. I did enjoy the mixture of herb in the herb salad however as it provided a nice fresh and foresty mixture of flavors along with the fatty pork. 

DAVID SANTOS | Louro & JONATHAN WU | Fung Tu 
PIG HEAD SALAD | with green mango, cabbage, cilantro, mint, maLa vinaigrette and fish powder
I did enjoy how fatty the pig head was and it went really well with the tangy green mango. I think I got a nostril or something because I did find a tube like structure with some hairs in it (ew!), I still took a bite haha... might as well be adventurous! 

DANIEL DELANEY | Delaney BBQ - BrisketTown 
TEXAS HOT GUT SAUSAGE
I thought this sausage was quite good, bold flavors and had a nice bite to it. I also enjoyed the pickled cabbage on top of it but this was not particularly memorable. 

Yum! A nice and refreshing break from all the grilled meats. 

MAX SUSSMAN | The Cleveland & ELI SUSSMAN | Mile End 
GRILLED CHICKEN KEBAB | with Szechuan pepper zhug on flatbread
This was alright, the chicken kind of had a strange texture like it was too chopped up.

WILL HOROWITZ | Ducks Eatery SMOKED 
CHAR SUI LONG ISLAND EEL | fermented corn, sassafras root & crab roe creme
I loved the wonderful smokey flavor of the eel and the corn added a great crunch. I could have used more of the crab roe creme though as it didn't even really notice it until I read the menu. I really wish that the bread was soggy... if it was crispy this would have been GREAT. 

MATT RUDOFKER | Ssam Bar 
GRILLED BLUE WHALE OYSTER | shaoxing, brown butter, ramps
This was pretty good but it was a bit too sweet. But I did enjoy the different way of preparation for oysters. 

ANDY RICKER | Pok Pok 
BOAR COLLAR MEAT | rubbed with garlic, coriander root and black pepper, glazed with soy and sugar, grilled over charcoal and served with chilled mustard greens and a spicy chili/lime/garlic sauce
This was pretty disappointing, I thought the collar meat would be quite juicy and tender but it was quite tough and the flavor was also quite uninspired. Maybe it's also the asian in me but eating the "gai lan" cold and barely cooked was strange. 

ROB NEWTON | Wilma Jean and Nightingale 9 & OLIVER STRAND | New York Times 
BARBECUE DUCK | with sorghum, ginger and five-spice flat bread
This was the last dish that I had and it did not disappoint! The duck was nicely roasted and it all went together well into a rich and decadent bite. 

All-Star BBQ

East River State Park

Brooklyn

New York

Yakiniku Futago Again

I went to Futago when I visited HK for a weekend and wanted to go again before I went back to NYC. You can find my initial post here. Once again it was super delicious and we made sure that we did not drink as much sake as last time hehe.

Yakiniku Futago
Shop B
G/F
1-5 Irving Street 
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

La Vache

Steak, bearnaise sauce, and unlimited fries?! Sounds like heaven to me. La Vache has been super hot since opening 1-2? years ago and I've been DYING to try this place. They only take reservations for 5+ people and I tried to go once for dinner with 4 people but the wait was ridiculous so I had to sadly wait for another time. This time we went for lunch and although we did make a reservation I think it is much easier to get a table during lunch time. The tables were half filled when I first arrived at 12:30 and the place slowly filled up but it did not seem like there would be difficulty in getting a table if you just walked in. La Vache pays homage to the famous Relais de Venise in Paris which serves just one menu of salad, steak, and fries (with their special sauce). The atmosphere was cute and you will be greeted with a large red neon sign as you walk in. I liked the cute little drawings on the menu and the paintings on the walls with the wine bottles in front. Service was also friendly and prompt.

I got a drink since the rest of my lunch party was not here yet... although it's not like I ever really need an excuse to get a drink :p 

Salad with Walnuts
The salad was fine, nothing special but the dressing was tangy and was a nice start to the meal. The addition of walnuts also gave it a nice crunch.

Entrecote Steak - Medium Rare and Rare
The steak was very tender and quite fatty - just how I like it. I usually prefer fatter cuts such as ribeye so this was perfect. Entrecote is approximately the ribeye section and I got it rare because it sits on a metal plate with a candle under. I loved the char on the outside and the bearnaise sauce was also yummy. One piece of steak was leaner than the others so perhaps if you prefer that you can tell the server. 

DROOL

Unlimited Fries 
The fries were SO good. They are on the crispier side and they were so delicious and I inhaled my first pile in a heartbeat. The second serving of fries was less fresh which was unfortunate but they were still very good. I loved dipping them in the bernaise sauce, ultimate fatty indulgence (apart from my usual fries and mayo)

Profiteroles with Ice Cream
I heard that there is a dessert cart during dinner service but we were given these profiteroles during lunch. It was a rather large dessert but a nice end to our meal. I think maybe one profiterole would have been enough as a small sweet treat to finish off the meal. 

Overall I loved La Vache!! The food was delicious and it was a really enjoyable lunch! I would love to come again for dinner with a group and indulge in wine and cocktails. Unfortunately it was a weekday lunch so we kept the alcohol level low. I will definitely be returning!

La Vache

48 Peel Street

Central

Hong Kong