Philadelphia - The Hungry Nomad

Rangoon Burmese Restaurant- Chinatown (Philadelphia, USA)

April 10, 2013 No Comments

I’ve never been to Myanmar (formerly Burma), let alone had Burmese food so when the opportunity arose to dine at Rangoon Burma in Philadelphia, I was there in a hop, skip and a jump. The restaurant is located in the heart of Chinatown and offers a clean and elegant dining environment and great friendly service.

The menu resembled Indian with the spices, Thai with the coconut milk and Malaysian with the thousand layered bread. Indian, Thai and Malaysian are one of the most intricate and delicious cuisines in the world (at least according to my taste palette) and a mix of all three resulted in fireworks. The meal started off with an order of the thousand layered bread with a side of potato curry. It resulted in multiple orders. Thin, chewy yet crispy and greasy layers of bread that once dipped in the curry side resulted in the perfect bite.

The crispy fried Burmese tofu with spicy dipping sauce was out of this world delicious. It was so light and fluffy, fried to perfection served with a spicy chili sauce. This also resulted in multiple orders (to be fair- there were 6 of us). The Burmese dumplings were a little bit too crispy for my liking on the outside. Yet, others at the table really seemed to enjoy these which were served with a sweet dipping sauce. We all ordered separately but ended up sharing all the plates. I advise shared plates for any readers who are tempted to pay Rangoon Burma a visit. For my main dish, I had the Glass Noodle Salad which resembled the Thai glass noodle salad I have tasted in Thailand. It was a mix of slippery glass noodles, onions, mushrooms, chicken, carrot and many other fresh ingredients. It was delicious.

The Burmese Spare ribs were very spicy, tangy and mouth watering good. The ribs were slathered in a spicy herbal sauce which tasted like green chili peppers. The meat was tender and fresh. While the sauce was too hot the white rice that went along with dish helped distill some of the spiciness.

The other two main courses ordered by the table included a chicken coconut curry and a kung pao chicken. While they were good, they resembled fast food Chinese and did not stand out as having any distinctive Burmese flavors. For dessert we had the Furlada. A sweet drink dessert of milk, rose syrup, pudding, raisins, tapioca and Asian fruit jellos. Topped with ice cream. It was very sweet and creamy similar to Filipino Halo-Halo or Hawaiian Shave Ice. It was not very good. Next time, we will leave dessert for some where else in Chinatown.

Food, Israeli Cuisine, Philadelphia

Israeli Cuisine at Zahav- Society Hill (Philadelphia, USA)

April 10, 2013 2 Comments

Zahav meaning ‘golden’ in Hebrew is an Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia named as one of the best places to dine in the City. It is also one of the most aesthetically pleasing restaurants where you are easily transported to the Mediterranean coast in which Israeli delicacies are served fresh in a family-style setting typical in the Middle East. Rustic tables, imported stones and high wooden beams all work hand in hand to bring out the Middle Eastern theme of the restaurant.

Our dinner started with the Salatim– a range of small plates and orders of hummus. All served with a side of laffa bread, a delicious Israeli version of the traditional Indian naan or Greek pita. It was delicious and I probably ate too much for my own good. We also ordered the crispy haloumi cheese, fried cauliflower, Brussels sprouts with whipped feta and fried kibbe. We were looking forward to ordering the Mesibah tasting menu which features a whole roasted leg of lamb grilled over coals and braised with pomegranate sauce; however, we were sadly told that it had to be pre-ordered before coming in to the restaurant since the demand for it is so high. Apparently, Anthony Bourdain paid Zahav a visit for his show ‘No Reservation’ and ate the lamb, which has now become the most popular dish. So we settled for items off the ‘Shipudim’ or main course menu which was just as tasty, yet surprisingly small in portion. The selection included a range of meats including lamb kabob, kofte and chicken. While we were still a bit disappointed about not having the leg of lamb that we wanted, we left quite satisfied with our meal.

Food, Italian food, Philadelphia, USA

Popolino- Northern Liberties (Philadelphia)

April 2, 2013 1 Comment

What do an Irish, a Moroccan and a Mexican have in common? Popolino! Peter McAndrews the owner of Popolino- the Irish, our server- Moroccan, and the manager- Mexican! You wouldn’t be able to tell walking into the restaurant which feels as Italian as you can get. You may even feel like you are walking into an episode of the Sopranos waiting for the director to call “cut”.

As a fan of Peter McAndrew’s Modo Mio and Paesano’s we wanted to try his other restaurants starting with Popolino (meaning ‘commoner’ in Roman dialect). The experience at Modo Mio was so amazing that we went in with really high expectations for our meal. And while the two restaurants have many things in common including the menu tourista, it ends there. Even though many of the items on the menu closely reflect those offered at Modo Mio- the quality of the food and service was definitely not the same.

At the center of this BYOB restaurant was the Tavola Calda, a ‘hot table’ selection of room temperature antipasti Roman Style ($10). As one of the starter options, diners could walk around and choose from all the different dishes.

We tried the hot table, Mozzarella in Carozza, Arugula Salad and complimentary bruschetta. Amongst it all the mozzarella in carozza dish stood out as the most delicious: a large stuffed Italian bread, egg dipped, pan friend and served in a creamy anchovy caper butter.

The starters were the best part of the night since the pasta left us all unsatisfied. The Bucatini all’Amatriciani was overcooked, slightly cold and lacking the amazing flavors we tasted at Modo Mio. The Gnocchi di Castagne was my least favorite. The gnocchi itself was doughy and chewy. The best part of the dish was the chestnut and ricotta sauce mixed with mushrooms, white wine and tomatoes. It was again a disappointment especially when compared to the gnocchi served at Modo Mio. The Cannelloni with oxtail and Gorgonzola cheese was the best of the three dishes. Although, I found it to be too oily and greasy.

Only one person from our party tried the menu tourista as it really is an abundance of food. For the mail meat dish, our friend ordered the Porchetta. A crispy roasted suckling pig served with coriander, goccia, porcini and provolone gauzetto. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy every bite, ranting and raving about the experience. As for the rest of us, we looked forward to our dessert.

The desserts at Popolino are standard desserts available at most Italian restaurants. Amongst our orders were the Panna Cotta, tiramisu and chocolate cake. While they were all good, none stood out as being outstanding and memorable.

Our friends, being Philly natives did not seem overly impressed by Popolino and I had to reassure them that Modo Mio was quite a different experience. This restaurant has a lot of potential given that it is a McAndrews establishment, the menu looks good and the decor is brilliant. I only hope that in time the food becomes as good as McAndrew’s other restaurants.

Information
Tavole Calde (or “Hot Table”)
Menu Turista
Cash Only
BYOB

Opening Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
Saturday & Sunday
Lunch – 11.00am – 2.30pm
Dinner – 5.00pm – 10.00pm

Tuesday – Closed

Philadelphia

The Hungry Nomad at Nomad Pizza- Bella Vista (Philadelphia, USA)

March 1, 2013 1 Comment

A restaurant serving brick oven Neapolitan pizza? In Philadelphia? Called Nomad Pizza? This I had to try! If not for the pizza then for the creative name of the restaurant.

Nomad pizza is tucked away right off of South street in a two story building. The first floor of the restaurant being the smaller of the two consisted of the large brick oven, counter top space and a few tables. The side stairs take you upstairs to a much more spacious dining room where a communal dining table lines the middle of the restaurant with separate seating lining the walls. The large screen at one end is used for their movie nights. The menu consists of some delicious locally sourced salads and pizzas (see menu). I also learned that Tom Grim, co-owner of Nomad Pizza and 14 of his staff members had just returned from Rome where I assume they ate a lot of Roman pizza. I’m sure they have new fresh off the boat Italian tricks to implement into their dishes. As for our meal, we started off with a roasted root salad.

It was simply divine. Pieces of local organic wood fire roasted beets and carrots, atop a bed of garlic sauteed pea greens, topped with balsamic reduction and finished with garlic chive chevre. The root vegetables tasted earthy and fresh like they were just picked out of a garden out back.

Next, we had the margherita ($12), arugula con proscuitto ($18) and truffle pecorino ($18) pizzas. A lot can be said about a pizza shop when tasting their margherita. It’s the simplest pizza on the menu but often times the tastiest. It begins with the dough- a good pizza dough is the basis for a good pizza. The dough at Nomad Pizza was the perfect dough: perfectly chewy, savory and the right amount of crispy with just the right number of char spots lining the crust.

The margherita could have had more tomato paste as despite the generous portion of mozzarella cheese it was a bit on the dry side. As for the other toppings there was a wide range of offerings on the menu. My favorite for the evening however, had to be the truffle pecorino. However, eyeing our neighbor’s pizza there seem to be many other delicious varieties that I have yet to try.

The arugula con prosciutto consisted of arugula greens topped with prosciutto di parma. It was delicious despite it also being on the drier side.

If you like the taste of truffle oil, you will really enjoy the truffle pecorino pizza. The chewy pizza dough was topped with mozzarella di bufala, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, fresh egg, with tartufo and truffle oil. The egg was blended on the pizza table-side.

While completely full after our fabulous meal, the site of a nutella pizza on the menu was too good to resist. And so of course we had to try it. It was the same pizza dough slapped with generous amounts of chocolaty nutella, crunchy hazelnuts and strawberry (instead of banana as requested). One thing that we all noticed was the aftertaste of garlic. It ruined the taste a bit…but not enough to outweigh eating all that nutella.

Overall, we all really enjoyed our meal at Nomad Pizza and will definitely be going back for their next movie night

Philadelphia

A Vetri-licious experience at Amis- Washington Square (Philadelphia, USA)

February 26, 2013 6 Comments

Marc Vetri’s Amis is on the top of every Italian restaurant list in the city (and arguably the country) and of course was on my list of places to try during our year in Philadelphia. My visit came in a timely fashion right before the James Beard Foundation released its nominations for this year’s culinary awards. Marc Vetri was just nominated for Outstanding Chef and Brad Spence was nominated for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic for his efforts at Amis. After dining at Amis I can’t say I am surprised for their nominations. Simply put- dining at Amis was one of the most amazing Italian food experiences I’ve had (in and out of Italy).

If you are looking for large, red sauce-drowned portions of cheap Italian including the likes of eggplant parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs do yourself a favor and skip Amis. But if you are looking for a sophisticated Roman Italian food experience that one would expect only at a trattoria in Italy, then do yourself a favor and make yourself a reservation at Amis.

I was introduced to the fine italian cuisine of Marc Vetri after visiting Osteria very early in our time in Philly. Of course, Osteria blew us away and I had no doubt that Amis would too. I had studied the menu prior to our visit like the food geek that I am and knew exactly what I wanted to try (see menu).

Antipasti-

The night started off with bountiful glasses of red wine and a basket of fresh baked bread and cheese. As the cheesemonger that I am- I first ordered the baked pecorino.

The baked pecorino ($10) was, well…like the name states- baked. Drizzled with almond honey with two slices of grilled bread. The salty flavor of the pecorino cheese, the sweet honey and crunchy almond made for a perfect dish. I could have had more of that all night and I would have left satisfied. But there was more… much more.

The eggplant caponata ($8) was served inside of an eggplant. Chopped and cooked pieces of gooey eggplant, tomatoes, olive oil and more of that delicious bread.

The swordfish meatballs ($10) ( a first for me) is another popular item on the menu. Three pieces of fish balls served over creamy polenta and crunchy pine nuts. It was my least favorite dish of the evening (only because there were so many other tasty treats).
The fried cauliflower with pecorino and salsa rossa ($9) was a beautiful colorful serving of meaty cauliflower, fried and sprinkled generously with pecorino cheese and salsa rossa. I’ve been seeing a lot of cauliflower on menus these days and I have to say that it makes me happy. It’s such a beautiful vegetable and if cooked right can be absolutely delicious. The charcuterie platter consisted of three different meats along with complimenting spreads. The pate and mortadella were my favorites. Pastas:

I was quite full by this point but could not resist trying some of the handmade pasta dishes offered at Amis. First off was the Paccheri with swordfish and eggplant fries ($18). What an amazing combination of flavors and textures. I rarely eat fish with pasta but the swordfish was so meaty and full of flavor. And there’s nothing I enjoy more than eggplant in any shape or form. The eggplant fries were such a wonderful additional to the pasta. Overall, I loved this creative pasta dish.

We also ordered the pasta special for the evening which was a bucatini pasta with almond pesto and jalapenos peppers. I’ve never tasted something quite like it. I’m still dreaming of this dish. The bucatini was cooked to perfection in a creamy sauce with the added crunchy texture of the almonds and a spicy kick from the jalapenos. Simply amazing.

Dessert:

I know what you are thinking. This girl can eat! And yes I can because to me no meal is complete without a good dessert. And boy did Amis deliver in his category once again. I’m still dreaming of the rice pudding and the hazelnut chocolate cake special.

The “tartufo al bacio” a round chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo with amarena cherries ($10) was perfection.

The Tiramisu was perfection! Exactly what a tiramisu should be. Creamy yet light layers of mascarpone cheese, rum and espresso soaked lady fingers and bittersweet chocolate powder for taste. If you want to try the best tiramisu in town you should definitely try one at Amis. What really won me over was mom’s rice pudding ($8) and the hazelnut chocolate cake special. The rice pudding took me back to my own mom’s rice pudding she used to make when we were young. It was absolutely delicious. Milky and creamy topped with pistachios and amareno cherries. I highly highly highly recommend it.
I was a kid in a candy store. Every single dessert plate was fantastic and absolutely the best dessert I’ve yet tasted in any restaurant (no exaggeration). The special for the evening was a hazelnut chocolate cake which let’s just say I singlehandedly polished clean. No words or photos will do justice to just how amazing this was. As a lover of Nutella, anything that combines chocolate and hazelnut will win me over. This cake was so decadent, so rich, so good. I hope they make it a regular part of their menu. Everyone deserves to taste a piece of heaven.
And so with that our evening at Amis came to an end. Now I understand why Anthony Bourdain made a point to dine here on his two day trip to Philadelphia. It simply is one of the best Italian restaurants offering authentic Italian cuisine.

Philadelphia

Matyson- Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia, USA)

February 11, 2013 No Comments

Matyson is a small and elegant BYOB located in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood serving new American cuisine. I had learned about the weekly tasting menu which showcases fresh local ingredients including a Lobster menu. However, we went on a Friday night where the tasting menu was not an option. The majority of the diners were over 50; although, later in the evening the clientele changed to a younger age bracket.

The manageable one page menu had your standard meat dishes and several appetizers (see menu). We all had high expectations to start, having recently dined at the Farm and Fisherman where everything was perfect. Our meal at Matyson however, was quite anticlimactic.

The appetizers consisted of the Veal Sweetbreads ($12)– a mix of veal, cauliflower, watercress, herbs, sweetbread and a creamy sauce. The Shaved Tuscan Kale ($10) was one of the highlights of the evening. A combination of shredded kale, quinoa, squash, pepitas, parmesan and oregano. It was a good kale salad but nothing extraordinary or original.

I ordered the appetizer special- a lobster cannelloni roll served with squash and barley in a creamy sauce. The dish was a unique twist on a lobster roll and I thoroughly enjoyed it but was not blown away.

Our table also ordered the Rock Octopus ($13)- a combination of potatoes, fennel, soffrito, and za’atar. The octopus was tender and blended well with all the other ingredients.

For the entrees, we ordered the chicken, sea bass, beef cheeks and pork belly. A good range of all the meats in order to really be able to assess the food. Besides the beef cheeks which the Count thoroughly enjoyed, the rest of us were quite disappointed with our dishes (especially for the price per dish).

The Braised Beef Cheeks ($26) came with dutch cabbage, beef tongue pastrami, mushrooms and greens in a thick gravy. The meat was very tender and juicy and the savory sauce made for a perfect combination.

I ordered the Striped Sea Bass ($26) which was presented in 3 pieces in a vertical dish over a poppy seed gnocchi, hedgehog mushrooms, radish and crème fraiche. The bass was fried and extremely dry and fishy.

The best part of the dish was the gnocchi- although even that was nothing special. I was so disappointed by my meal that I could not even finish it (even though I was still very hungry).

The Berkshire Pork Belly ($26) was served with mustard greens, apple, charred scallion and black garlic. Our friend who had ordered the dish was not impressed either. For the price paid and the impeccable service we all expected an outstanding dining experience but instead were left quite underwhelmed.

The Lancaster County Chicken ($24) was served with sour cherries and crunchy farro. The chicken ordered by my dearest friend was the worst dish of the night. We never order chicken at restaurants but after the outstanding experience at Farm and Fisherman (the chicken in hay) we decided that perhaps chicken was the way to go at a fine dining establishment. While it looked beautiful when presented it failed in everything else.

The meat was very dry and flavorless and was definitely not worth the $24. Again, a disappointed diner at our table.

After our meal we really didn’t want to stick around for dessert. But the Count went ahead and ordered the Chocolate S’more ($9). It was a really nice way to end our meal as it was a delicious serving of chocolate cake, graham crackers and hazelnuts- and let’s face it who doesn’t love chocolate?

At the end of our meal, we all decided that the best part of our dining experience was one or two of the appetizers. The Count however, who ordered the beef cheeks and kale salad, really enjoyed his meal and did not see why we were all left so disappointed with the experience. Frankly, our sentiments were that this place is hyped by reviewers on Yelp. There are countless numbers of amazing BYOB restaurants in Philadelphia serving exquisite dishes and Matyson did not measure up to many of them. Perhaps, the tasting menu is another experience- now I’ll never know.

Philadelphia, Tapas

Tapas at Iron Chef Jose Garces’ Tinto- Rittenhouse (Philadelphia, USA)

February 7, 2013 3 Comments

Tinto is another one of local Iron Chef Jose Garces restaurants. I was a fan of Amada and am slowly making my way through his other restaurants in Philadelphia (Distrito, Tinto, G Domestic, Garces Trading Group, Village Whiskey and Chifa). Tinto is located in the Rittenhouse neighborhood and seems to be quite the trendy spot. It was packed with stylish young clads on Saturday night. Now I know where they have all been hiding. It was nice to finally see some life in the city which we have failed to find in these cold winter months. We were a group of 5 and the wait was 2.5 hours however, we were quickly accommodated by the matire’d who within minutes had us seated. Now that’s what I call service.

Tinto offers tapas style food which the Count and I love. Given that there were five of us we ordered a wide variety of dishes to share (see menu). Within minutes we were served with a complimentary crispy cheese bread plate and aioli sauce. It was devoured within seconds.

The night then started off with a single serving of the Short Rib Sandwich ($10). It was served with bacon, asparagus and celery root aioli. Since only one was ordered it was a hard plat to share. Although, as the food blogger in the group I did have a bite and found it to be a delicious and hearty short rib sandwich. I guess we should have ordered more.

It started off with the Sopa de Castano ($12). A truffled chestnut soup served with a duck and mushroom hash, fried quail egg yolk and pistachio.

The deconstructed soup was presented in a large bowl with the hash and egg yolk in the center. The broth was poured table side. The complexity of flavors in the soup was great and was a perfect balance.

Next came the Arugula salad served with Serrano ham, mission fig, fried goat cheese balls, spiced almonds and orange vinaigrette.

Next came the Pulpo ($12). An octopus salad served in a spicy tomato sauce with smoked green olive oil aioli and baked chips. The octopus was really tender and delicious when mixed with the tomato base. The chips added that crunchy texture that made the plate perfect.

The Tuna Tartare ($10) was served on a mini croissant with pickled guindilla and chorizo aioli. I loved it as I love anything tuna based. However, some in our party found the croissant to be drowned in mayonnaise sauce.

Next was a serving of jumbo lump crab, served on toast with fresh avocado and espelette chile ($9). I loved the generous amounts of crab meat mixed with the avocado. Served on toast it was the perfect combination.

The Moules Basquaise was my favorite of the night. A serving of mussels in a tomato and chorizo broth served with a side of delicious fries dipped in lemon aioli ($13). What a creative dish. I loved that the fries were pre-dipped in mayonnaise. The Count hates fries which left me with more fries. The mussels were tasty and the broth was savory and delicious.

The Kobe Beef was served like the crab- on pieces of toast with avocado, pisto bilbaina and romesco. The beef was very tender and went perfectly with the avocado.

Next came the dish I was most looking forward to but liked the least upon taste. Others at our table loved it. So it goes to show that its all about your personal palette. It was a brochette of lamb and chunks of eggplant wrapped in bacon served in a sherry jus shot glass ($14). I found it to be overly salty and the eggplants undercooked. There is nothing less appealing than undercooked eggplants. The bacon really added too much salt to the dish so I unwrapped it and tried it without the bacon. It still did not do it for me.

We also ordered the Bomba Rice in order to add some starchy carbs to our meal. It was a rice dish consisting of white asparagus, maitake mushroom and manchego cheese ($12). Although different in name it tasted very much like an italian mushroom risotto. And lets face it who isn’t a fan of risotto? Creamy rice and mushrooms always do the trick in my books.

A few at the table were still not full from the shared plates above and decide to order more. We decided on the meatballs and paella. The Albondigas (or spiced meatballs) was so beautifully presented. Each meatball was served with a toothpick in a spicy tomato sauce and a poached egg in the middle.

Besides the spicy and tasty flavors of the meatball the tomato sauce and egg could have been served as a separate dish on its own. It was that good! The Gutxuxa paella came out last. For $18 I expected a entree size dish and was surprised at the small portion of the dish. However, in a setting where everyone is sharing I guess it makes sense to serve in a mini paella dish (which was adorable).

The basque style paella was served with shredded rabbit meat, shrimp and chorizo. So far in life, I have refused to eat rabbit after having a terrifying experience in France (don’t worry I won’t share the agony). However, on this night being accompanied by a Belgian whose parents farmed rabbits I was convinced that it was no less humane to eat rabbits than any other meat (given their reproductive rate). So I dug in to eat a bite of our little soft and furry friends. And guess what? It tasted like chicken. Except it had less flavor. Was I a fan? Not really. Will I go out of my way to eat rabbit? Probably not.

Rabbit aside- the paella was just okay. I prefered many of the other dishes we had over the paella and for the price I would have rather gotten two more tapas. Note to self for next time. For dessert we shared a Chestnut Cream and Chocolate cake served with a scoop of coffee flavored ice cream. Who knew chestnut would make such a great dessert ingredient? The cake was delicious.

Gourmand, Philadelphia

Four Chefs Series (Round 2)- Rittenhouse Tavern (Philadelphia, USA)

February 5, 2013 No Comments

What do Rittenhouse Tavern, Will BYOB, Fond and Lacroix all have in common? Oh just something called ‘Four Chefs’- a collaboration dinner where Christopher Kearse, Nicholas Elmi, Lee Styer and Jon Cichon get together and each create two magical dishes at each other’s restaurants. The dinners consist of an 8 course tasting menu for $100 per guest. Pay $45 more for additional wine pairing with the meal.

Last night’s dinner was hosted at Nicholas Elmi’s home turf- Rittenhouse Tavern. The restaurant is located inside the art alliance building with a charming atmosphere and a cozy seating arrangement. There is also a beautiful bar area in the back for those looking for cocktails.

The 8 course menu was unique, innovative and delicious including ingredients such as cold pressed foie gras, goat milk, pomegranate, truffle and abalone. It definitely rocked my tastebuds.

First course (prepared by Jon Cichon) was a poached and sliced abalone served in a savory broth with fermented fennel, dill and prosciutto.

I’ve never been a fan of abalone (or any sort of snails in general) having only been exposed to it in traditional Chinese restaurants. However, last night I could not get enough. The abalone was sliced thin and was slightly chewy. Mixed with the broth, dried prosciutto, fresh dill and fennel – it was a deadly combination. The second course (prepared by Christopher Kearse) was a pumpernickel tortellini topped with trout roe and yeast crackers. Once served a cider broth was poured around the dish.

Everything about this dish was perfect and beautiful. The pumpernickel filled tortellini was flavored with rye whiskey. The cider added a slightly sweet flavor to the overall dish. The trout roe was a nice touch adding a bit of a crunchy texture to each bite. And the yeast cracker was such an interesting ingredient (first time I’ve had it). It melted in my mouth. The third course (prepared by Nicholas Elmi) was a colorful dish consisting of chilled foie gras, whipped goat milk, truffle, pomegranate and beets. I had never had chilled foie gras prepared in this fashion and had to try at least a bite in order to be able to really write about it.

The dish, although beautifully prepared, did not do it for me. The taste of the foie gras was drowned by the other flavors which in my opinion did not blend well and masked the taste of the foie gras. Next, came a serving of bread with butter and olive tapenade.

The fourth course (prepared by Lee Styer) was a roasted sea scallop served with sliced celery, root celery puree and golden raisins. I am a big fan of sea scallops and loved the preparation of this dish. The scallop was cooked to perfection. The sliced celery and celery puree complimented the scallop perfectly. The golden raisins added a bit of sweetness to the flavors. The fifth course (prepared by Jon Cichon) was a buttermilk poached sturgeon wrapped in savoy cabbage. It was served with truffle, sweetbread and a blood orange based sauce. The combination of flavors in this dish really worked well. The sturgeon is a meaty fish, firm in texture yet tender in taste. Since my only experience with sturgeon has been having it grilled on a barbecue I rather enjoyed this fancy preparation of the meat.
The sixth course (prepared by Christopher Kearse) was moulard duck ‘dans le foin’ or in the hay. It was served with a side of smoked hay to add to the sensory experience.
The duck meat in my mind was sensational (although some diners thought it was too chewy). I’ve never had duck so juicy and rich in flavor. It was served alongside a duck offal and winter radish in a mead based sauce. The seventh course (prepared by Nicholas Elmi) was the first of two desserts. A cup consisting of warm ricotta, rosemary, rosewater, beet roots, marshmallows and meringue. It was a colorful blast of flavors. A mix of sweet, sour and creamy. It was a perfectly executed dish leaving both of us wanting more. And the grand finale (prepared by Lee Styer’s talented wife) was a dark chocolate flour-less cake served with caramelized hazelnuts, hazelnut ice-cream and cherries in sherry. It was the perfect dish to end the evening. The mix of hazelnuts and dark chocolate is always a winner in my books and this dish really took the cake (literally).
Taste is a very personal thing and I’m sure every diner had a different take on their favorite course of the night. As for me, I loved every single course. However, the abalone, moulard duck, and warm ricotta left me dreaming for more.

The meal was a spectacular affair leaving me counting down the days until the next one. Want to experience Four Chefs? Then make a reservation for the next dinner taking place on March 10th at Fond BYOB.

Philadelphia, Seafood, Sushi

Sushi at Doma- Fairmount (Philadelphia, USA)

January 24, 2013 No Comments

We went to Doma sushi last weekend on a last minute whim. It’s a short walk from our house and I have been meaning to try it since our move to Philadelphia. The restaurant is very small with modern, clean decor. I really liked the look of the place. The staff were all young, nice and attentive.

The menu is extensive with many choices for those non-sushi lovers amongst us. In fact, they also offer a few Korean dishes. So is it a Japanese or Korean restaurant? I’d say it is a combination of both. Not sure where the owners are actually from but they do a good job of executing the menu (see menu).

We started with several starter dishes including the jumbo ebi shumai ($6).

Two open face dumplings were served with a ginger soy vinaigrette. The presentation was beautiful. However, I was not overly impressed with the dumpling itself. I’ve had many better and cheaper dumplings in Chinatown. Next was the tuna flatbread ($15).

Thin slices of tuna served over a pita topped with some onions, peppers and cilantro. It was pretty good. However, it was not worth the $15 dollars it cost. We ordered some sushi and rolls including the tamago and amaebi. Both were beautifully executed.

Next, the Count who is a sucker for fancy rolls ordered the Triple Spicy Double Tuna ($13) and the Naked Salmon ($12). The Naked Salmon was very original. Not really a sushi but fish served over a sticky fried rice. It was very tasty.

The Triple Spicy Double Tuna consisted of tuna, spicy sauce, siracha, tempura crunch, scallion and seared albac. It was a very good roll, however, was nowhere close to being as spicy as the ‘triple’ in the tile would make you think.

The spicy tuna roll ($6) again failed to be very spicy. Nevertheless, it was a nicely executed roll and I had no complaints.

For dessert we had the molten lava chocolate cake served with vanilla ice-cream. Usually this sort of cake takes at least 15-20 minutes to bake. Ours came out in less than 3 minutes leading me to believe that it was microwaved. After first bite I was sure that it was microwaved. It was not as good as it looked.

Our meal came to over $90. It was a BYOB and no alcohol was obviously served. The price was a little over than what I imagined a small and quaint restaurant to charge. If I had wanted to spend so much I would have visited Morimoto. For those that love plain old quality sushi like myself you will not love this restaurant. There are many fancy rolls and the mix of Korean and Japanese is something that I don’t enjoy when visiting a sushi spot. If you want an overall trendy ‘asian’ meal then you will definitely enjoy your experience at Doma.

Philadelphia, Pizza

Pizzeria Stella- Old City/Society Hill (Philadelphia, USA)

January 22, 2013 1 Comment

Pizzeria Stella is another Stephen Starr restaurant and like most Starr establishments it does not disappoint. The restaurant is large and spacious and located in one of my favorite areas of town. Directly behind the hostess stand lies the open concept pizza station where the chefs are busy rolling the dough, adding the toppings and placing in the brick oven pizza all in front of a crowd of hungry diners.

If you enjoy watching your food be made then ask for a seat facing the kitchen… you may learn a thing or two about making pizza from scratch.

We ordered three pizzas to share amongst a group of four. The Tartufo- a black truffle, egg and fontina pizza; the Spinach- oven-roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, mozzarella and baby spinach; and the Sausage- wood-roasted sausage, hot pesto, mozzarella and tomato sauce (see menu).

The sausage pizza and the tartufo were my two favorites of the night. Ground pieces of sausage sprinkled generously over a perfectly baked dough with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce and pesto.

The Spinach pizza was covered in boiled spinach sprinkled with pine nuts, oven-roasted tomatoes and mozzarella. Very tasty and a healthier choice for those aspiring vegetarians.

The Tartufo pizza was covered with cheese, egg and truffle oil. For those who love truffle oil this one is for you. It is a delicious creamy blend that when mixed with the chewy dough lead to a perfect pizza.

Of course, dough is one of the most important aspects of the perfect brick oven pizza and this dough hit all the requirements. The crust was golden yet not burnt, it was chewy yet not too crispy and hard.

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