Eater's Digest: New York City 5 • Adam Riff™

Previously on Adam Riff™:

November 2018
xi'an famous foods / comfortland / olmsted / ample hills creamery / milk bar / empellon / mah ze dahr bakery / atla / comfortland / sugar freak / mimi cheng's dumplings / otto's tacos / ice and vice / supermoon bakehouse / ho foods / earl's beer and cheese / b&b restaurant / arepa lady / chez ma tante / brooklyn cupcake / bunker @ dekalb market hall / arepa lady @ dekalb market hall / steve's authentic key lime pies @ dekalb market hall / cuzin's duzin @ dekalb market hall / a&a bake, doubles, and roti shop / peppa's / supermoon bakehouse / uncle boons / levain bakery / breads bakery / num pang / pearl's / xi'an famous foods

I visited (Olmsted) the last time I was in New York City, but it was closed for a holiday party.

Well, the wait was worth it. A stellar meal beginning to end.

Lamb Chakna (Olmsted)
red lentil naan, pear chutney

^ The best thing I ate in New York City this trip. Make your own pouches.

Carrot Crepe (Olmsted)
little neck clams, sunflower

^ Like an open-faced raviolo.

Long Island Duck Roasted and Confit (Olmsted)
radicchio, sunchokes, pecans

^ I hate when people say that meat was cooked perfectly, but the roasted duck breast [left] was cooked perfectly.

Dan Dan Späzle (Olmsted)
szechuan chile oil, bok choy

^ The best play on dan dan noodles I have tried this year.

(Chez Ma Tante) is another Brooklyn standout.

Kedgeree (Chez Ma Tante)
curried rice, poached cod, celery salad

^ The second best thing I ate in New York City this trip.

Alas, I can't seem to find kedgeree in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to only a zillion Indian people.

Tortilla Española (Chez Ma Tante)

^ Eating this feels like dying by orgasm.

Pancakes (Chez Ma Tante)

^ Co-chef Jake Leiber was inspired by ones he had at a Mexican diner in Oceanside, California that he says came out of the kitchen looking almost burnt.

Hm.

Mr. Leiber should visit (Du-par's) in Los Angeles, California.

I like (Empellón)'s ideas, but find many of its finished products lacking. Also, its prices… Alex Stupak think he Mario Carbone.

Crab Nachos (Empellón)
with sea urchin "queso"

Sticky Rice Tamal (Empellón)
with red chile duck

^ $17.

Smoked Black Cod (Empellón)
with potato-chorizo vinaigrette

Hash Brown Tacos (Empellón)
with tomatillo ketchup

^ $16.

Corn Ice Cream Taco (Empellón)
masa shell, corn ice cream, masa crema, freeze-dried corn streusel

^ $8 each.

Avocado (Empellón)
with lime, olive oil, and eucalyptus yogurt

^ A parfait in disguise, blended with the namesake fruit for richness, and spray painted with an edible black exterior. The flesh is as soft as a ripe avocado, but the flavour is closer to key lime pie. The salt turns out to be a tart, citrus-y ice.

Apples for the Table (Empellón)

^ Apple Turmeric Cider
Lemongrass Ice
Apple Sorbet Capsule
Quince with Rose and Saffron
Apple Hoja Santa Gusher
Seckel Pear with Black Currant
Apple Confit
Star Fruit with Red Chile

This should come with a key. I had little idea what I was eating.

I was craving jollof and, in searching for it, discovered ( B&B Restaurant), a bustling 24-hour African/Caribbean cafeteria. I had little idea what I was filling my take-out container with, but it all tasted good.

Bake and Saltfish (A&A Bake, Doubles, and Roti Shop)
—They were out of shark. [sigh]

Festival (Peppa's)

Huu Muu Sawan ["Heavenly Pig Ears"] (Uncle Boons)
whiskey and chili-glazed with sawtooth herb and scallion
—Decent crispy pig ears.

Yum Kai Hua Pu (Uncle Boons)
spicy rotisserie chicken and banana blossom salad with cashew, crispy shallot, and roasted chili dressing

^ A very hot cold salad.

Is banana blossom digestible? Because I seemingly shat out a bunch of it the following day.

Herb Guacamole (Atla)

^ Make your own chips.

Fish Milanese, Cucumber (Atla)

^ Make you own fish stick tacos. The ceviche verde makes this dish.

Cashew Cheese, Plum Sesame Tostada (Atla)

^ Make sure you don't order this.

Cacao Tamal, Sesame Sorbet, Nuts (Atla)

^ Make the tamal chocolate-ier!

Deep-Fried Banana Pudding (Sugar Freak)

^ I don't think my balls were fried long enough. Banana pudding needs a crunchy element. As is, it was unpalatably soft on soft.

Banana Split Twice-Baked Croissant (Supermoon Bakehouse)
whole caramelized sous-vide banana, chocolate almond creme, banana caramel sauce, vanilla creme patissiere, chocolate fudge, banana caramel sauce, dehydrated banana, whipped cream bulbs, gold leaf

Super Blood Moon Donut (Supermoon Bakehouse)
red brioche, raspberry jelly, raspberry glaze, dehydrated strawberry, pink meringue, red and white chocolate shards, raspberry dust

Sausage Roll (Supermoon Bakehouse)
pork shoulder minced meat inside a flaky, buttery pastry

Croissant Butter Soft Serve (Supermoon Bakehouse)
crunchy dehydrated croissant crumb, sliced croissant shard
—Like salted vanilla.

Hennessy-Glazed Mini Donuts for Grownups (Cuzin's Duzin)
—Also available in Purple Haze Beer and Pineapple Ciroc flavours.

The La Victoria Swingle (Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies)
four-inch key lime tart, frozen on a stick, dipped in belgian chocolate, with chipotle purée

^ This ain't it, Steve.

(Ice and Vice)'s current seasonal flavours play on cookies and cream.

Galleta n' C.R.E.A.M. Ice Cream (Ice and Vice)
tomatillo, mint, blue corn cookie
—Fascinating. Tomatillo-and-mint-flavoured ice cream works!

Nankhatai n' C.R.E.A.M. Ice Cream (Ice and Vice)
kashmiri chai, pistachio cardamom cookie

Kukki n' C.R.E.A.M. Ice Cream (Ice and Vice)
okinawa sweet potato, sesame rice crisp

Rainbow Cookie Crumb Cake (Comfortland)
apricot and raspberry jam

The Dirty Bird (Comfortland)
turkey sausage, stuffing, gravy, cranberry jam, herb aioli, on a biscuit

Thanksgiving Dinner Dumplings (Mimi Cheng's Dumplings)
cranberry sage stuffing, house-made gravy, and a side of house-made cranberry sauce
—No thanks.

MISSED CONNECTIONS

Thanksgiving Pie (Supermoon Bakehouse)
house-made graham cracker crust, cheesecake bottom layer, gooey pumpkin caramel middle layer, spiced pumpkin mousse top layer, garnishes: whipped white chocolate cream bulbs, pumpkin seed nougatine, confit lemon, gold leaf, pumpkin caramel sauce, torched meringue, chocolate shards

WTF Waffles (Clinton Hall)

Baked Potato Monkey Bread (Quality Eats)

Mataba (Uncle Boons Sister)
curried lamb pastry with sweet chili sauce

Iced Sichuan Water Pickles (Mission Chinese Food)
fermented cabbage, smoked habanero, caraway, hibiscus

^ Yes, it's literally just $8 frozen water. No, this is not a joke.

The Chuck (Boys Don't Cry)
bk hot dog wrapped in scallion pancake

Shank JB Melt (Little Tong Noodle Shop)
tender spiced beef shank, beecher's cheese curds, spicy mayo, flaky pancake; served with marinated cabbage and signature chicken broth

Grilled Cheese (Henry)
jamaican bread, tallegio

Oxtail Egg Roll (Henry)
sweet chili peanut sauce

Everything Bagel Roti (Henry)
jerk cured salmon, za'atar yogurt, shaved red onion

Mexican Döner (Lalito)
pide bread, white sauce, hot sauce, lamb, chicken, pineapple, red cabbage

Chopped Sandwich (Farmer in the Deli)

^ Go to the deli counter and order a sandwich, including luncheon meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and various condiments and dressings of your choice. The sandwich guy will then take these fillings and vigorously chop them till they're the consistency of tuna salad, then pile them on bun or bread.

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