My excellent meal in Nolita last night

Peasant Restaurant

Last night after a gallery opening, my friend Bloom and I went to Peasant Restaurant for dinner.  I’ve been to the wine cellar downstairs which has a more casual vibe and serves up a limited menu on several occasions but have never dined in the actual restaurant upstairs.

The space is long and sleek and dimly lit with a brick oven at the far end of the room. There’s a very rustic Italian feel to the place.  Sadly I did not take any photos but the meal was so fantastic, I had to write about it.

I started with the homemade pork sausage and lentils. The sausage had a great pork flavor and texture similar to Spam — only Spam it was not. It sat on a bed of perfectly cooked lentils. I thought the earthy combination was fantastic.

For main course, I was torn between the skate and the sweetbreads.  The waiter insisted that people came to Peasant to have the sweetbreads so of course I had to try them.  Sweetbreads are the thymus glands and pancreas glands of lamb, beef, or pork. When cooked properly, it literally tastes like very tender chicken.  My sweetbreads arrived lightly coated in flour, sauteed to a crispy outside and smothered in a dark delicious mushroom sauce.  They were absolutely to die for. I highly recommend this dish.

Bloom had the skate with capers in white wine and she raved about her dish as well. The food was fantastic and we will both definitely be back! I can’t wait….

Peasant, 194 Elizabeth St, New York, NY

The Hungry Korean does Korean

Gahm Mi Oak

Last night found me having dinner with my former boss.   During Chinese New Year, she invited a bunch of colleagues to dim sum, her treat, so I thought I’d take her out and show her what Korean food was all about.  I took her to Gahm Mi Oak in K-town, NYC.

Gahm Mi Oak is known for their ox tail bone broth but they also serve up other unusual Korean fare.  My former boss has a great love for offal so this is one place I knew she’d be pleased with.

We started with the bindaedduk which are small pancakes made of ground soy bean and pork fried to a crisp on a griddle and served with soy sauce for dipping.

The next part of our meal was the modum soon dae.  It’s basically a plate of offal dipped in Korean sauces and seasonings of your choice.  On the plate was Korean version of blood sausage (my former boss remarked that it was spicier than traditional blood sausage) filled with rice noodles, pork, and other flavorings, pigs ear, pigs heart and liver, and sliced pigs feet and stomach.  I only ate the blood sausage and the pigs feet (it tastes like ham) while my former boss pretty much loved everything on the platter, especially the pigs ear. (she says it’s crunchy but not much flavor so I think it’s a textural thing)

Next came the house specialty: suhl lang tang.  Snowy white ox-bone soup with white rice, white noodles and tender slices of beef brisket.  The diner can add scallion, salt and pepper to taste.  It’s warm, it’s hearty and very comforting.   Legend has it that it cures a hangover.  Eaten with a side of the most amazing kimchee (spicy pickled cabbage) in NYC, and I was in bliss.

Great conversation, great company and great food. What more can a girl ask for?  Plus the prices are very reasonable. For all that food the bill only came to $45.

For the less adventurous diner, don’t be afraid, there are more standard fare on the menu too like the ever so popular bibimbap.

Gahm Mi Oak, 43 W. 32nd St., New York, NY

Raise the roof

Last weekend, South Korea had it’s hamburger festival.  They produced a one-meter long hamburger.

image taken from Brian in Jeollanam-do

Just look at the kids’ faces!!! haha love it.

For more info on this festival, go here.

Obama Sushi

Some Japanese guy made sushi rolls to look like Obama. The resemblance is remarkable if i must say.  For more pics go here.

I had more Amish

Went back to Amish Market today and had an even tastier sandwich:

Chicken cutlet topped with truffled creamed spinach, melted provolone and sauteed mushrooms.

Party in my mouth

Amish Market, 240 East 45th Street, New York, NY

See this video at your own risk

Remember when i blogged about whole chicken in a can?

Well, now you can watch someone EAT whole chicken in a can and then blog about the experience too.

It’s pretty disgusting I have to say. At one point the chicken just splits in half.

I like the Amish

For lunch, I actually endured the long ass walk to the Amish Market in midtown with my work buddies, Ponthep and SecretLover.  Amish is a favorite of theirs and no joke, these two make the mecca to sandwich heaven at least once a week, if not two.  I hate walking so I rarely join them but today….I guess i felt adventurous.

We all got the turkey meatball sammy.

Ok the picture quality is not great (iPhone) and it definitely does not do the tastiness of this sandwich justice.  It was turkey meatball smothered with sauteed mushrooms, carmelized onions and mozzarella with a dark turkey gravy.  The bread is what makes Amish Market’s sandwiches so great: they are brick oven baked and have a great salty crust.

Sandwich had a great meaty flavor enhanced by the earthy mushrooms. The gravy might have had some balsamic in it as it added the right amount of tart. I ate the entire thing.

Innards:

Ponthep always asks me if any particular lunch is “blogworthy.”  Today, to this meatball sandwich, I decree, yes, it was blogworthy indeed.

Amish Market, 240 East 45th Street, New York, NY

More food incorporating pickles

Pickles and ice cream cupcakes!!!

Um….

Recipe here.

McNuggitini

Gross. Mix McD’s choco milkshake, vodka and chicken nuggets.

For recipe and taste test results go here.

I love you

Now hand me a napkin so I can sop up the grease from this pepperoni pie.

Nothing says “I love you” like a heart shaped pepperoni pizza.

Papa John’s