Dim Sum Palace

After watching Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, we wanted to grab some late dinner.  That wouldn't be a problem in the Theater District as there are plenty of places open late.  We ended up heading to Dim Sum Palace, only a couple of blocks from our hotel.  As its name suggests, they serve Dim Sum and in fact, it is all day!  Unlike some other all-day Dim Sum spots we've been to, this one maintains the same price all day.  It was quite busy and we were lucky to snag a table.  The service is rather efficient, with our water glasses never being empty.

To get a sense of the menu, we went for the Palace Dim Sum Platter consisting of 8 different dumplings.  These included Shrimp, Shrimp & Chive, Roast Duck, Pea Shoot, Veggie, Chicken, Pork & Chive and Shrimp with mayo.  The best of the bunch was the duck dumpling as the translucent wrapper was full of glutinous rice texture that was chewy in a good way.  Loved the duck too, tender and meaty.

 

Since the dumpling combo didn't include the Shrimp & Pork Siu Mai, we just had to get an order of it.  Although I would've preferred that the tobiko be placed on the siu mai after steaming, the dumplings ate well.  There was a buttery bounce texture to the pork and a snap to the shrimp.  A bit of brininess from the shrimp and tobiko added another layer of flavor to the pork filling.

 

Just by looking at the picture above, you will notice the ribbons of thin sheets of rice noodle.  Hence, the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll was on point.  The rice noodle was silky and delicate while still having a rebounding elasticity.  Inside, the large shrimp were the proper texture being meaty but having a rebound texture.  They were sweet and had a natural brininess. 

 

Looking abnormally plump, the Steamed Chicken Feet were a bit hit and miss.  I thought the outside layer of skin was not fried enough, and hence was too soft and almost flabby.  However, the totality of the chicken foot was texturally-pleasing.  The fat and cartilage underneath were tender while not melting away.  As mentioned, these were plump, which meant there was more to eat off the bone.  Flavor was quite good being sweet and savoury with just the slightest of spice.

 

Portion size-wise, the Steamed Honeycomb Tripe was pretty meager.  There should have been half more on the plate.  In terms of texture, these were on the chewier side and could've used a bit more time on the braise (prior to steaming).  Nice flavor for the dish as the tripe had been cleaned properly and hence, it wasn't gamy.  Good balance of sweet and savoury.

Despite looking rather pale, the Steamed Steamed Pork Spareribs with black olive sauce were on point.  Almost all of the pieces were meaty with very little fat and cartilage.  Texturally, there was the desired bounce to the meat while still being meaty and not over-tenderized.  The "sauce" was quite fatty (as in completely made of oil), but the spareribs did have enough seasoning in terms of saltiness.

 

Since we wanted some leftovers, we got the always filling BBQ Pork Buns.  As evidenced in the picture above, there was a good filling to bun ratio where we had more than enough meat.  The slices of BBQ pork were fairly lean with only a few fatty bits.  Filling was saucy, but that made for a more moist texture combined with the fluffy bun.  Naturally, it tasted sweet, but it was still balanced off by saltiness too.

 

I really should have taken a picture with the Roast Duck Spring Rolls cut, but I wanted to eat them hot and not mess around too much.  I enjoyed these as the filling was not the usual pork nor shrimp.  Rather, the shredded duck add plenty of body and texture while it tasty unmistakably "ducky".  These were wound somewhat tight, hence they stayed intact even after our first bites.  The outer wheat wrapper was crunchy and not too greasy.

 

Ending off our late night Dim Sum adventure, we went for the Coconut Pudding.  It was served in a plastic container rather than in squares.  So we ended up eating this with a spoon and it was pretty silky and smooth.  I thought it was lightly sweet and plenty aromatic.  With all things considered, we felt Dim Sum Palace offered up decent eats at reasonable prices.  Loved that they serve it all day, including late night.  Perfect for a bite after a show nearby.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Okay pricing

- Open late

The Bad:

- Obviously better Dim Sum could be had in Flushing, but we have to consider the location

Le Bernardin

When making reservations for restaurants I was planning to visit in NYC, I debated over whether to do lunch or dinner at Le Bernardin.   We ultimately decided on lunch as our schedule was rather packed.   For $137.00, it includes 3 courses plus amuse bouche, bread and mignardise.  If you don't already know, Le Bernardin is one of the best restaurants in NYC with a 3-Michelin Star designation.  Headed by Executive Chef Eric Ripert, it is well-known for it's seafood-focused menu.

We began with an Amuse Bouche consisting of 3 bits including Raw Fluke with cucumber and green apple, Hamachi Tart with watermelon radish and Lobster Capuccino. The green apple and diced cucumber "sauce" was almost like a gazpacho.  The raw fluke was delicate and sweet with the crunch of the cucumber being a nice contrast. The hamachi was buttery soft and had the sweetness of the sea.  My favorite of the trio was the lobster cappuccino.  The combination of lobster essence and truffle exuded luxury.  Some texture was provided by bits of lobster.

Moving onto some Bread, we had a choice of 4 different ones including brioche, mini-baguette, raisin walnut and focaccia.  We were able to try all of them, and the best of the bunch was definitely the focaccia.  With a prominent rosemary essence, the focaccia was flavorful and aromatic.  Texturally, it was fluffy with a chew.  We found the brioche to be pretty solid as well with layered butteriness to go with the crispy exterior.  The mini-baguette was a bit too hard for our liking despite the interior being soft and chewy.

For Viv's first course, she had the Black Cod Nobu San, which was an ode to Nobu.  Prepared in a similar fashion, the buttery black cod was full-flavored due to the miso marinade.  On the outside, there was caramelization to heighten the sweet saltiness.  In addition to this, we found baby turnip with yuzu kosho which added crunch and acidity.  That was further enhanced by the citrus olive oil dressing.

For myself, I went for the Scallops with Sea Urchin.  If there was anything to truly represent the seafood being served at Le Bernardin, this was it.  The precision and clarity within this dish was obvious with each component.  The sliced scallops were buttery and soft while just slightly touched by heat.  They were sweet and had the brightness of the sea.  Natural flavors and textures were highlighted, but then accented by the buttery sauce.  It provided the fattiness and silkiness that helped the creamy and sweet uni meld with the rest of the dish.

For her main, Viv selected the Pan-Roasted Merluza with stuffed baby sweet peppers and a lobster gumbo sauce.  Gently-prepared, the fish was so buttery and delicate.  This exemplified the high level of cookery we were enjoying.  That lobster gumbo sauce was so rich and concentrated.  Briny, sweet, aromatic and just a touch of spice.  Super delicious.

Seeing how the whole menu was seafood except for 2 dishes, I went for the Filet Mignon.  It was prepared medium-rare as requested and properly-rested.  Despite being properly-seasoned, the steak was also blessed with a red wine shallot sauce.  It added some tangy brightness.  On the side, we had celeriac "bone marrow" which featured it as a pavé.  Adding the silky richness of bone marrow, this was actually not as heavy as I thought.  Rather, by using celeriac, it was lighter and softer than using potato.  Loved the crispy top and edges.

Onto dessert, Viv ordered the Spiced Coffee which was a spiced date-coffee cake.  It was slightly dense due to the date, which also made it sweet.  However, the coffee and spice helped balance things out with slight bitterness and earthiness.  The crunch from the tuile helped add texture while the cold coffee ice cream provided creaminess and temperature contrast.

I went for the iconic warm Peruvian Chocolate Tart beautifully-plated with 3 different chocolate tuiles with a lattice design.  Beyond the crispy chocolate treats, we found creamy Tahitian ice cream atop the aforementioned tart.  It was so chocolaty and rich with bitter dark chocolate.  Contrasting this was the firm tart shell that was only slightly sweet with another dose of chocolate.

Our final bites included Apple Butter Financier, Dark Chocolate Passionfruit and Salted Caramel Macaron.  Loved the buttery and sweet financier while the passionfruit really came through with a tangy sweetness to go with the silky and bitter dark chocolate.  Wasn't a fan of the macaron as it was a bit dense, yet it tasted good.  Overall, our visit to Le Bernardin was a bit hit and miss.  The food was generally fantastic, but the service was not representative of a Michelin 3-star establishment.  Having to ask for something twice and only getting it right on the 3rd try is unacceptable.

The Good:

- Intricate execution

- Lovely dining room

- Generally on point service

The Bad:

- For Michelin 3-star, one shouldn't need to ask 3 times for something

Joe's Pizza

Walking back to our hotel after exiting the Times Square station, we were looking for some food to bring back to our room.  Lo and behold, a long lineup (for the slices) appeared in front of us on Broadway.  The place was Joe's Pizza, which to some, is a NYC favourite.  Is it a tourist trap?  We lined up to see for ourselves.  Of note, be sure to line up for the slices, not the "Pies Only" storefront (unless you wanted a whole pie).

We decided on 5 slices and really, there was only around 7 choices anyways.  Naturally, we got the baseline in the Fresh Mozzarella.  It featured a tangy tomato sauce that wasn't too acidic.  There was a smattering of mozzarella to give it some body.  However, it was the crust that was the best part of it.  In addition to be properly salted, the crust had a nuttiness to it and it was uniformly crispy on the crust and bottom.  It had a classic chewiness that had a good mouth-feel.  We also had the Pepperoni and it ate quite differently as it had a denser cheese and of course had some meaty and pepper slices of pepperoni.

Our favorite of the bunch was the Supreme sporting tomatoes, sausage and red onion.  This was the most robust slice as the combination of cheese and sausage provided heft in terms of each bite.  Lots of saltiness was from the different ingredients.  The addition of tomatoes provided some moisture while the onions afforded some sharpness and bite.

Something much less heavy and devoid of meat was their Caprese Pizza.  As the name suggests, it consisted of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.  The combination of ingredients meant things were light and a bit wet.  However, the crust was up to the challenge and held up, staying chewy and dry.

The last slice was the White with Fresh Spinach & Garlic.  With the absence of tomato sauce, we got much more the nuttiness from the crust.  Furthermore, the taste of the spinach and garlic was devoid of competing flavors.  Really simple, but delicious and uncluttered.  All-in-all, we found Joe's Pizza quite solid and definitely quenched our NYC thin-crust pizza cravings.  I'm sure we will find even better on our future NYC travels, but Joe's is a good choice despite its touristy location.

The Good:

- Crispy and chewy crust

- Not too many choices, which makes it easy to order

- Not a crazy amount of sauce, so the crust doesn't get soggy

The Bad:

- Um, the lineup, but it moves

Penny NYC

Fresh off an overly hot visit to SoCal, we were on our way to NYC to enjoy cooler temperatures.  The main reason we were here was to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway.  Seeing how this was written as a play with a book that was just the script, it didn't seem like it would ever be made into a movie (also especially with the controversy surrounding JK Rowling).  Therefore, we made the trip out to NYC for the first time in 10 years.  We flew into Newark this time and trained it into Manhattan.  After dropping off our luggage, we made our way to Penny NYC.  This higher-end seafood spot in the East Village is run by the same team at Claud and features bar seating that also welcomes walk-ins.  We had made a reservation, so that ensured we had a seat upon arrival.

After perusing the menu, we decided to start with their Sesame Brioche with butter.  Okay, this brioche was fantastic being super fluffy and buttery with an aromatic crust.  It had milk bread vibes with its texture.  Combined with the creamy whipped butter with flaked salt, this was definitely one of the highlights.  

However, we were here for more than the bread, so we also had the Tuna Carpaccio with ciopolini onions, olives and olive oil.  Super simple, but that only helped highlight the buttery tuna that was fresh and sweet with an essence of the sea.  With a little EVOO for added silkiness and aroma as well as onions for a bit of a bright bite, these did not take away from the fresh tuna. 

Of course, no visit to Penny would be complete without one of their Ice Boxes.  We ended up with their $45.00 Ice Box consisting of Oysters, Countnecks, Shrimp, Mussels and Scallop Crudo.  Given the quality of the components, we thought the price point was reasonable.  The oysters were sweet with definite brininess.  Lots of natural flavor there.  Those countneck clams were super plump and sweet.  Loved the delicate texture as they were super easy to eat.   Mussels were equally plump and also tender.  Of course there was the usual brininess present.  Since they used Argentine shrimp, the flavor was much more pronounced.  They super sweet had aromatic lobster vibes with a softer texture.  Last item in the box was the buttery sweet scallop crudo. 

It didn't look like much, but the Seafood Broken Rice (with Maine Uni +$23.00) was super delicious.  Acting like a quasi-risotto, the rice was creamy and flavorful.  Lots of seafood notes from the fish, squid and shrimp as well as the textures.  This was also seasoned to the point where it could've been salty, but it wasn't.  The addition of Maine Uni afforded another layer of sweetness while adding a custardy texture to the rice.

Pretty unassuming and served in their shells, the Baked Razor Clams were pretty tasty.  The buttery pieces of razor clam were bathed in a béchamel, pickled piquillo peppers, and topped with a fried potato crumble.  Once again, a nice balance of textures from the clams to the creamy béchamel and crispy crumble on top.  Wedge of lemon provided the necessary acidity. 

One of the larger dishes we had was the Rainbow Trout with a beurre rouge.  The trout itself was prepared masterfully with crispy, well-seasoned skin while the fish itself was still a bit rare and buttery.  Instead of a beurre blanc, we found a beurre rouge that was silky, slightly tangy and featured dark fruit notes.  This was more robust than a white sauce and really complimented the chanterelles (and their earthiness).

For dessert, we had their Ice Cream Sandwich featuring the same sesame brioche.  Hence, the soft bread shaped itself to the malted ice cream.  Loved the crunch from the broken meringue pieces.  Although we weren't stuffed after the dishes we had, we were still quite satisfied.  The point of the place is for good drinks and some delicious bites on the side.  Would come back when in NYC.

The Good:

- Nice vibe

- Solid seafood plates

- Reasonable pricing with all things considered

The Bad:

- Only bar seating, if that is not your thing

Lady M Confections

The backup plan.  The 2nd option.  How about the "if it is convenient only" we will visit spot?  Yes, Lady M Confections was definitely on our radar during our visit to NYC.  However, it wasn't anything that we had a pressing need to try, even though many have said so.  However, there we were at Rockerfeller Centre heading up to the Top of the Rock.  Low and behold, there was a location of Lady M staring right at us.  Costanza looked at me and I gave a return gaze.  A quick simultaneous nod meant we were gonna get some cake!

Of course we had to go for the standard, hence we picked up the classic Mille Crepe. It which featured tender layers that were discernible from each other.  Therefore, the cake ate as a whole, but not at the same time (if that makes any sense).  In between, the cream was light and sweet with an aromatic floral quality.  We thought the Passionfruit Mille Crepe was even better since the flavors were more impactful.  Furthermore, the tangy sweetness added a nice zing to the mild-tasting cake.  I'm not a big sweets guy, but I could've eaten a couple of these easy since they were pretty light.

The most surprising one was the Checkered Cake as it looked more novelty than actual function.  However, it was fluffy, light and only purposefully sweet with a gorgeous silky chocolate ganache on the outside.  Once again, this was ate a lot lighter than most cakes we've had. On the other hand, we didn't like the Cheesecake as much as it was dense (not the problem, I love dense cheesecake and it is NYC!) and a bit dry.  Hence, it was crumbly and stuck to the roof of my mouth.  It was also too mildly flavored as it was more floral than cheesy. Okay, it turns out that Lady M should've been elevated to a destination rather than merely an afterthought.  I need to put this on my list whenever I'm in a city that has a location.

The Good:
- Light and airy
- Sweet, but not terribly so
- Finely crafted

The Bad:
- Well, of course it ain't cheap
- Didn't like the texture of the cheesecake  

Totto Ramen

I hate to repeat myself (Viv reminds me that I do), but many of our eating destinations during our NYC visit were based on circumstance rather than being "the" place to go.  This time, we selected the West 52nd location of Totto Ramen because Costanza and Elaine wanted to check out Times Square at night.  This way, we could get a quick dinner and then walk down Broadway.  Luckily for us, we beat the rush and was able to be seated as a group of 8 (impressive) in the little ramen joint.

Also luckily for us, the kids didn't take up much room and ramen happens to be their preferred choice of food.  For my son, I got him the Chicken Paitan with original straight noodles in their house made chicken soup.  This came with both pork belly char siu and pulled char siu.  We added an egg as well.  The soup was rich, silky and creamy with purposeful saltiness.  The noodles were firm and chewy (holding up to the end) while the fatty pork belly melted-in-our-mouths. The egg was nicely marinated as well as being runny in the center.   Suffice to say, my Mega Paitan was very similar since it featured the same broth.  However, I preferred my wavy noodles due to the elasticity and rebound.  There were the same types of meats except with the addition of pork chunks which were lean and tender.

For my daughter, she had the Miso Paitan that sported Koji miso and ground pork, char siu and half an egg.  When mixed in the broth, the miso was rich and deeply salty without being super salty.  There was an appealing fermented taste while the pork added body to an already creamy broth.  This was a flavor party in my mouth.  Viv ended up with the Spicy Nibo Paitan with spicy fish flavored sesame oil and char siu.  We liked how the broth had a kick, but wasn't overwhelming.  The light fishiness added another layer of flavour that was more in the background.

As a side, we got the Kimchi which was a bit wet and not overly spicy.  There was a slight tang to go with the saltiness.  This was pretty average.  With that being said, we still ate it all.  On the other hand, the Char Siu Buns were on point with buttery melty pork belly with a tasty mayo. Sure, the presentation wasn't exactly appetizing due to lack of colour, but it was indeed a winner.  In fact, the ramen in general was pretty good as well.  I wouldn't say it blew our minds, yet, it was a nice departure from the other things we were eating so far on the trip.  The only thing we didn't like was that the place was super small (like most ramen joints) and a bit warm.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Decent service
- Okay pricing

The Bad:
- Place is super small
- A bit warm in there (serves us right for having ramen in the Summer

Shake Shack (Madison Park)

Of all the things I planned to eat in NYC, one of the more pressing needs was the Shake Shack.  Yes, that's right, I was looking forward to burgers and shakes more than anything else.  But this is no ordinary burger joint as the Shack Shake belongs to the foodie empire built by Danny Meyer.  We decided to hit up the original location in Madison Park due in part to its awesome outdoor location and also it fit our schedule.  Not sure about the aggressive birds, squirrels and occasional mouse though...

For the kiddies, I got them one each of the Shack Burger with cheese and Shack Burger with bacon and cheese.  These were decent in size but hardly large - perfect for them.  The most noticeable thing about the burger was actually the soft, "conforming-to-the-ingredients" bun.  This is actually an important feature of a good burger since a hard bun means all of your ingredients fall out with every chew and overly soft means everything will fall apart.  Second, the burger patty was moist, a bit crumbly and appealingly meat-tasting.  Add in some meaty bacon and salty cheese, the whole thing was delicious!  The kids agreed as they dusted them off.

For myself, I had the Shake Stack which was a cheeseburger topped with a breaded portobello mushroom and the usual lettuce, tomato and condiments.  This was really good with the same qualities as the cheeseburger except with more textures including the cold crisp lettuce and the crunch of the buttery and Earthy mushroom as well as the creamy muenster cheese.  However, my favourite burger of the bunch was the Smoke Shack which again was a cheeseburger with applewood smoked bacon and chopped red cherry pepper.  The red pepper was the star of this burger adding a noticeable and tasty sweetness to the savory burger.  Every bite was a burst of flavor.

Viv had the Chick'n Shack featuring a whole fried chicken breast.  This was also very good where the chicken was tender and moist while the outside sported a light, yet crunchy batter.  The whole thing was flavorful on its own, but the addition of creamy buttermilk herb mayo added a mild flavor to the sandwich.  On the side, we had one each of the Fries and Cheese Fries.  Nothing particularly interesting other than the fact they were crinkle-cut and really crunchy (almost like crisps).  I found the cheese fries to be nothing more than melted American cheese on crunchy fries.  At the very least, the fries held up to the moisture.

My son went for the Cookies n' Cream Shake (not pictured) and it was definitely creamy and rich.  However, it was also very drinkable.  Of course the flavor choice meant it was sweet and somewhat chocolatey from the bits of cookie.  Even though it was sweet, it wasn't overbearing. On my visit to Boston, I was able to grab a Red Velvet Concrete which was also thick and firmly creamy.  It was pretty sweet, but tolerable while spiked with the extra sweetness of red velvet cake.  So was a chain burger joint worth sacrificing a meal in NYC?  Absolutely.  The burgers were on point and satisfying while the frozen custard treats were sinfully rich.

The Good:
- Meaty and moist burger patty
- On point bun that is just soft enough
- Rich frozen custards

The Bad:
- Fries are nothing special
- Can get pricey