The Hungry Nomad - Food, Travel, Lifestyle

Fine Dining Sushi at Miku (Vancouver, Canada)

October 3, 2014 1 Comment

When it comes to eating sushi in Vancouver the possibilities are endless. If its quality, creativity and an upscale Aburi experience you are searching for then Miku is a great option. It is a relatively new restaurant located along the Burrard Inlet next to Canada Place. Every detail in the restaurant deserves a five star: from the attentive service, modern decor, and extremely fresh use of ingredients.

The experience started off with a modern take on the traditional goma-ae salad substituting kale for spinach dressed in a sweet sesame glaze and sesame seeds. It was gone within seconds.

The tuna sashimi was one of those rare melt in your mouth experiences. Again, gone within seconds. The plate of Kaisen Soba Pepperoncino was filled with fresh pieces of grilled scallops, jumbo prawns, squid and clams on a bed of soba noodles topped with arugula. It is a great plate on its own but if you are sharing you will definitely need several more dishes to leave the restaurant satisfied.
The pan seared gyoza was plated nicely but was the least exciting dish of the night. But the best part of the meal was yet to come…

The sushi…and not any kind of sushi but the Aburi kind. Rectangular pieces of rice topped with pressed sockeye salmon, the secret ‘mike’ sauce topped with a thin slice of jalapeño and the other topped with pressed prawn and ume sauce. Personally, I am a big fan of aburi style sushi and cannot get enough. These little pieces of heaven come at a price, $16 per roll. It is definitely on the high end but worth every bite.

For the vegetarians, the vegetable nigiri, especially the eggplant nigiri is a great option. The eggplant is so smooth and creamy and again, literally melts the instant it hits your tastebuds.
We also ordered several more traditional sushi rolls all of which were outstanding, especially the King Roll.
The dessert menu consisted of several european and japenese inspired dishes of which we ordered the Green Tea Opera and Coconut Mousse. The plating was beautiful and colorful and the the blend of flavors perfect.

Overall, the experience at Miku was outstanding and memorable and I highly recommend to any who want a fine dining sushi experience to visit Miku. Reservations are highly recommended.

Food

Organic-Mad Food at ABC Kitchen- Gramercy/Flatiron (NYC)

September 14, 2014 No Comments

One of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve yet to have in New York has got to be my most recent trip to Michelin star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen. I’ve been long wanting to try ABC Kitchen but getting reservations are a nightmare but a quick pop in lunch with no reservations did the trick this time!

From the decor, cutlery, plates, lights to the mouth-watering innovative organic-mad food, every single detail of ABC Kitchen was perfection. The restaurant offers a ‘farm-to-table’ menu free from pesticides, insecticides, antibiotics, hormones and is GMO-free. Everything on the menu is humanely sourced from regional farmers and fair trade cooperatives.

The restaurant is a celebrity sighting hotspot along with your New York A-listers and fashionistas.

Here’s what we had: for starters- the roasted beets with house made yogurt, roasted carrot and avocado salad, and for our entrees, the asparagus, bacon, ricotta, parmesan and black pepper pizza and the grilled chicken pail lard with sugar snaps, asparagus and chili lime vinaigrette.

Below: roasted carrot and avocado salad

Below: the roasted beets with house made yogurt

Below: the grilled chicken pail lard with sugar snaps, asparagus and chili lime vinaigrette

Below: the asparagus, bacon, ricotta, parmesan and black pepper pizza

Recommendations: Book at least a month in advance and if you can try a little bit of everything on the menu. It is well worth it!

Dessert, Food, Macarons, New York, Paris, Pastries

Laduree Tea Salon- Soho (NYC)

August 26, 2014 No Comments

Soft pastels, velvet seating, rows and rows of colorful macarons, yes I finally made it to Laduree’s Soho location in New York City. And just like the one on Champs Élysées, it is perfect.

The 18th and 19th century decorated 3 part salon is over-the-top glamorous and the courtyard seating is like a small green haven in the middle of bustling Soho. The storefront itself is a Parisian-style pastry shop, in which one counter is devoted exclusively to macarons, stacked in neat piles in a range of colors.

Besides the rainbow selection of macarons and mouth watering dessert selection there is a full lunch and dinner menu (which is on the pricier end)! After waiting for what seemed like an hour on a Saturday afternoon we were finally seated in the courtyard which was in the process of setting up for a private ‘mad hatter luncheon’. The lunch menu was several pages long and ranged in price. We opted for the chicken salad which was beautifully presented in a pink and gold trimmed plate. A generous portion of spinach topped with pieces of chicken wrapped around in cucumber and topped with balsamic vinegar and mustard. It was worth every penny. For dessert, we had none other than a plate filed with macarons and a frothy latte. Overall, Laduree Soho is a great place to escape the noise and craziness of a city where you can pretend you have stepped into the past a la Midnight in Paris!

Food

A New Type of Rotisserie at Narcissa- East Village (NYC)

July 16, 2014 No Comments

Narcissa is the newest addition to the New York dining scene opening up months ago in André Balaz’s newly renovated Standard hotel on Cooper Square. The restaurant is split into two sections: one space boasts rows of farm-style wooden tables facing the open kitchen bordered by a wraparound chef counter, the other is the louder larger restaurant and courtyard. Fun fact: the restaurant is named after a dairy cow at Andre Balazs’ Hudson Valley farm which supplies organically-grown vegetables, herbs and eggs to the restaurant year round.

The menu features various unique twists on your classic vegetables featured as shared plates and a range of meats and seafood cooked rotisserie style for the carnivores.

Talented chef, John Fraser has a way in creating new flavors with classical dishes such as the Baby Chicken Rotisserie which is a melting pot of flavors. It consists of juicy chopped pieces of rotisserie chicken mixed in a bowl with broccoli rage, spiced sausage and brood ($30). Appetizers will leave the vegetarians extremely happy having a large choice ranging from Rotisserie Crisped Beets served with a bulgur salad, apples and creamed horseradish ($15) to the English Pea Tortellini in a mushroom bullion topped with opal basil ($16).

The Mission Figs served in a bed of homemade ricotta cheese and topped with mangalitsa ham and sunflower seeds ($16) was full of competing flavors and was devoured by our party within seconds.

Each of us ordered a different main dish and I can honestly say that all of them were equally delicious, flavorful and unique. However, the Baby Chicken Rotisserie and Maine Scallops were the most popular.
The dessert options were just as good as dinner with a range of plates to choose from all priced at $9. Our table opted for the Bittersweet Chocolate Tart served with a curry-roasted banana and espresso ice cream and a bowl of fruit sorbets.

The only downside of our dining experience at Narcissa was the service. While the hostess was pleasant and seated us promptly, our female server was impatient, rude and a bit abrasive. Not sure if she was just having a bad night or if this reflects other service staff at the restaurant but it put a slight damper on our experience.

Breakfast, Brunch, Food, New York, Spanish, Tapas, USA

Brunch at Estela- Nolita (NYC)

July 3, 2014 No Comments

I don’t know how I learned about this restaurant but somehow I did and it made my list of new place to try in New York. Estela is located on an lonely strip of East Houston bordering Nolita. It is a beverage-driven restaurant from former Blue Hill at Stone Barns beverage director Thomas Carter and James Beard Award-nominated chef Ignacio Mattos. The walk- up bar-restaurant’s decor seems typical of what I’ve seen multiply not only around New York but around the country: exposed brick, wood floors and marble bar and wood tables. It’s sleek and sophisticated.

The brunch menu was limited with only a handful of plates to choose from. I would encourage sharing plates as you won’t fill up on one. It is definitely not meant for those of us with healthy appetites.

First up was the Endive with walnuts, anchovy, and ubriaco rosso ($14). A small plate of fresh and crispy endives laying on top of a bed of walnuts, anchovies and ubriaco rosso cheese (italian for drunken sunset). The mix of flavors and textures was perfect and left me wanting more.

Next came the Burrata with salsa verde and charred bread ($15), a serving of rich and creamy bur rata cheese on top of charred bed in a bed of tangy salsa verde. Verdict: amazing, unique and delicious.

The Cod with peas, spigarello, and aïoli ($24) was a healthy, flavorful and unique.

However, my favorite was the Celery with grapefruit, pecorino, and hazelnuts ($12) dish. It was such a different mix of ingredients and flavors yet so simple. The flavors and textures complimented each other in the best way possible. So good indeed that later on in the week I attempted to re-create the dish at home (didn’t turn out quite the same).

The avocado, pancetta, and egg on Danish pastry ($14) was good but didn’t warrant the $14 price tag.

Overall, our experience at Estela was pretty fabulous. I would definitely return to try their small plate style dinner and drinks. For brunch however, I prefer something a bit more filling and hearty.

Breakfast, Brunch, Food, New York, USA, Waffles

Brunch at Jack’s Wife Freda-Soho (NYC)

July 1, 2014 No Comments

The name is catchy, the place is always packed and everyone raves about it. Of course I had to check it out. Jack’s Wife Freda is a new-ish addition to the Soho neighborhood where husband and wife bring together their experience and backgrounds to create a new and unique menu and flavors. Dean is from South Africa and Maya is from Israel which makes complete sense with one glance at the menu.

Arriving early on a Saturday there were only a few tables left and we were seated outside. The menu/placemat was simple with limited options. Two dishes were ordered: the Mediterranean breakfast and the Rosewater waffles.

The poached eggs came with a side of sliced avocados, labne, pita and salad which resembled and tasted identical to the traditional persian salad (salad shirazi) consisting of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. It was healthy, fresh and satisfying.

I had really high expectations for the rosewater waffles being from a country where rosewater originated and is used liberally on many sweet dishes. This waffle barely tasted like rosewater and was really not that special. There was nothing that made it stand out from any other restaurant waffle except the use of yogurt as opposed to whipping cream.

Based on the two dishes we tried, we both agreed that there was too much hype around this place. Yes the name is catchy, the location is cool and the clientele is young and stylish, but there was nothing about the food itself that stood out. So if its ambiance you are after then sure this is the place for it, but if you just want really good food there are plenty of options in the neighborhood with less of a line up.

Asian, Chinese Food, New York, Szechuan, USA

Back in NYC eating Szechuan at Han Dynasty, East Village (NYC)

June 30, 2014 No Comments

There is nothing I love more than a trip to New York. The energy of the city, constant noise, traffic and crowds absolutely thrills me. The eating options aren’t so bad either. I have never been to anywhere in the world with as many different dining options as New York. As my readers know in the last year we made the very difficult move to Lafayette, Louisiana deep in cajun country where dining options are very (very) limited. So I spent a better part of two weeks researching and making a list of places I was to eat at while in New York.

Arriving on a friday, I first made a stop at popular midtown bagel joint where I chowed down a large New York Bagel with jalapeños spiked cream cheese. Verdict: Delicious! That night my friends and I headed down to the East Village to try Han Dynasty, Philly’s own restauranteur’s opening in New York. The small shop was packed solid and chaotic but the smell of the chili oil and fried pork was too good to pass up. And so we waited across the street until our table became available at 10 pm. Being a pro at Han dining (we were regulars in Philly) I took a glance at the menu, saw that it was the same, and ordered all the dishes I had been craving since our move from Philly: Dan Dan Noodles, wontons in chili oil, chicken in garlic sauce, prawn hot pot and much more.

Everything tasted exactly the same as the dishes in Philly and were served in the same quick manner and efficiency. The only difference I found was that the spiciness level was definitely not the same as Philly. Here even an 8 on the spicy scale seemed to go down without a fight. While I loved the simple dishes and low prices, I did not like the layout of the restaurant and tables which seemed to be sliding around due to the oil seeping out from the kitchen floors. Meanwhile, the bartender was yelling at the hostess telling her that she needed to ‘take control of the situation’ in front of a crowd of hungry on-lookers. All in all the service was again en par with that of Han’s Philly locations: good food, mediocre service!

Food Festival, French Quarter, New Orleans, Travel, USA

New Orleans Wine and Food Experience 2014, NOWFE

June 8, 2014 No Comments

The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience takes place every year over the Memorial Day long weekend. In it’s 22nd year, the festival has become one of most incredible culinary events in the nation, attracting over 10,000 gourmands and connoisseurs as well as art and music lovers. Each year, hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate. Menus feature local flavor and innovative new creations inspired by diverse cuisines. Top chefs from around the city create culinary experiences like no other. Over two dozen restaurants feature special dining evenings throughout the New Orleans festival. The weekend also features over 1,000 wines from around the world, with special tasting events from wineries. The events this year included the Grand Tasting events at the Convention Center, the Royal Street stroll in the French Quarter, the Big Gateaux show and seminar series to hone your palate. It ended with a grand finale gala. The NOWFE is the perfect way to experience New Orleans Cuisine at it’s best. Chef’s from all the best and greatest NOLA restaurants showcase their talent on the plate.

The Hungry Nomad team was there in full force this year to experience NOWFE at its fullest and share with our readers. Hope you enjoy the photos!

The Royal Street Stroll:

Big Gateaux Show:

The Grand Tasting:

Food

Pizza Domenica- Uptown (New Orleans)

June 1, 2014 No Comments

New Orleans is buzzing with energy and new developments on all ends, especially in the dining scene where it seems that new restaurants are opening monthly if not weekly. The latest exciting restaurant opening is Pizza Domenica the newest addition to the Besh Restaurant Group led by the talented Alon Shaya of Domenica Restaurant and named as one of Travel and Leisure’s Hottest New Restaurants in the USA.

Pizza Domenica is located Uptown and takes a more casual approach to Italian dining. The counter-service layout is interesting to say the least if not a bit confusing. Diners line up and choose their order from a large chalk written menu on the wall. They then pay at the counter and are given a number cleverly placed on a bottle of olive oil. They then wait for a table to become available. Once one is available you are quickly escorted to the table and a server then comes to bring your order. If you want to add to the order you can do so at the table. Which begs one to ask, why then does one have to order at the counter? The entire process was a bit confusing and frustrating to say the least. Many diners have since complained of this aspect of the restaurant but on the numerous occasions I’ve visited since it’s opening, we found it to be straight forward and efficient.

The food on the other hand is outstanding as can only be expected from Alon Shaya and his team. First up was the garlic knots with a side of whipped provolone cheese dripped in olive oil. This little piece of heaven was so good that I could go back only to have a bite of this. A warm, gooey twisted dough tossed in garlic butter served with an airy, light and creamy dip made with provolone cheese.

As for the pizza there are 19 to choose from and really you can’t go wrong. My favorites so far have been the ‘Basil Pesto’ and the ‘Calabrese’. I have yet to taste the other 15 unique pizzas offered on the menu. As for the actual pizza itself, the dough is baked to a perfect crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. The toppings are generous and fresh with a ham slicer in the open-concept kitchen to slice the proscuitto and other toppings on the spot. It can’t get better than that!

Overall, Pizza Domenica is yet another great addition to the New Orleans dining scene. So good that since it’s opening I have driven from Lafayette to New Orleans just to get another bite out of their pies.

Bakery, Breakfast, Brunch, Coffee Shop, French food, New Orleans, Sandwich Shop

Breakfast at Tartine- Audubon Park (New Orleans)

May 28, 2014 2 Comments

Deep inside the green and lush neighborhood of Audubon Park lies a tiny little restaurant which locals flock to: Tartine. It’s a place where quality, substance and good wholesome cooking are the main ingredients to success. Ever since discovering this gem a few months ago we have been back every time we visit New Orleans (which tends to be a lot since we lack good food in Lafayette).

Tartine serves delicious home made breads and sweets, sandwiches, salads and of course tartines. In France, a tartine is a piece of toasted bread smothered with different ingredients. Simple but so satisfying.

Simplicity and freshness is what makes Tartine so special. For example, the baguette served with a side of strawberry jam, butter and a big slice of brie cheese is one of the most amazing things I’ve tasted. The Croque Madame was large and very filling and did not fail to impress our guest.

The salmon tartine is the Count’s favorite, featuring generous amounts of salmon, eggs, capers and what I believe to be pickled cabbage. We always order an extra loaf of bread because once you start eating you just can’t get enough.

The salads and sandwiches are also to die for. On our last trip, one of the chefs was busy grilling flank steak covered in chimichurri sauce for their special of the day, steak salad and steak sandwich.