Per Se, New York

My final meal in New York City was at Per Se, Thomas Keller’s east coast signature restaurant. It has been awarded three Michelin stars, four stars by the New York Times and listed at spot number 10 on this year’s Best Restaurant List.

A table reservation is quite hard to come by but after persistent effort, I managed to secure one. An alterative option is to eat in the salon part of the restaurant on a walk-in basis. During my visit, only one table was occupied so I would imagine that this is easy to come by. The menu in the salon, however, is a-la-carte and the tasting menus are not available if seated there.

Before I arrived, I promised myself that I was going to order the smaller 5 course tasting menu for lunch as my appetite for multi-course extravaganzas is waning, however the one signature dish that I wanted to try (Oysters and Pearls) was only available on the nine-course menu so I braced myself for the onslaught.

The restaurant’s décor is sleek and modern with grand views over Columbus Circle. Located in the Time Warner building, opposite Masa, its interior does not match the assumption one would make when you learn it’s located in a shopping mall.

The meal started with a complimentary champagne aperitif accompanied with warm Gruyère Gougères and another signature Keller dish, the Tartare of Scottish salmon, red onion crème fraîche, and black sesame tuille. The gougères were light and the cheese was subtle but the star was by far the salmon. The combination of flavours was faultless and it was one of the most delicious small bites I’ve had in recent times.

The next amuse bouche was a “cranberry bean velouté: peekytoe crab beignets, cumin crème fraîche and jamón ibérico”. The velouté was added tableside so the presentation was a lot prettier than the photo implies.

First course was “Oysters and Pearls: Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar” a dish that was first served at the French Laundry and is now featured on Per Se’s menu. Having read so much about this dish in various food literature for years, I was excited to try it but also a little nervous as I’ve never really loved oysters. In short, it was wonderful; creamy, with explosions of tapioca and caviar in each mouthful.

The next course was another amuse bouche not listed on the menu: truffle custard served with a chive chip. At this point, I knew that this meal was going to be something truly magical. Again, faultless technique and flavours.

Next up was the bread service with fluffy parker house rolls and two types of butter, goats and cows. Delicious, but with eight courses to come plus mignardises, I had to restrain myself.

The second course “Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm: Navel orange, cherry belle radishes, mâche and black winter truffle puree”. The presentation of this course was dainty and striking however I didn’t think the truffle puree matched the other flavours and I felt it was out of place.

The third course was “Atlantic Striped Bass Confit A L’Huile d’olive: ruby beets , garden dill puree and horseradish crème fraîche”. Dill is one of my favourite flavours and the puree delighted the palate with the perfectly cooked fish.

The fourth course was “Butter poached nova scotia lobster: wilted arrowleaf spinach, glazed turnips, tomato confit and chicken jus”. The lobster was succulent but I think the jus was the star of the dish. Truly wonderful.

The fifth course was “Thomas Farm’s Pigeon “Pastrami”: Rye seed pancake, red wine braised cabbage and “thousand island vinaigrette”” which was one of my favourite dishes of my trip thus far. I loved how the kitchen took traditional flavours but mixed it up with the ingredients and presentation to recreate the classic Reuben sandwich.

The sixth course was “Snake River Farms: “Calotte de Boeuf” picked garlic, poached seckel pears, broccolini and matsutake mushroom cream”. The beef was “fork tender” and just the right portion size, nice and dainty. Unfortunately for me, at this point, my dress is becoming uncomfortably tight and I needed to start leaving food on my plate.

The seventh course was ““Caerphilly” sweet peppers, nicoise olives and arugula”. High marks for presentation but the cheese itself (from south Wales) was a little underwhelming.

The eight course was “Honeyed Plums: Plum compote, honeycomb, whipped plums and burnt honey ice cream”. I didn’t expect to like this course but I was pleasantly surprised. However, I only ate half to try to save room. At this point, even the servers were asking me if I was OK or needed to stop. The couple on the table across for me had requested a 15minute break from the kitchen so they could go for a walk.

The ninth course was “Strawberry Yoghurt: sable breton, tri-star strawberries, crystallized lemon verbena and greek yoghurt sherbet” which was one of the best desserts I’ve had on this trip. It was light and refreshing and the perfect way to finish the meal.

Of course, however, the meal was not over. It was time for the mignardises. Usually, just a bite or two, the mignardises at Per Se consisted of six different servings.

First up was an entire platter of chocolates (27 different types in total) for which I was able to choose which I would like. I settled one three, a marzipan, a pina colada and a raspberry chocolate.

Following on was white chocolate coated popcorn which were simple yet satisfying.

Another signature dish was next, “Coffee and Doughnuts”. The donuts were small warm bite-sized mouthfuls and the coffee portion was a cappuccino semifreddo which was refreshing and light.

Next up was a huge selection of truffles and macaroons, then candy, cocoa coated hazelnuts and cookies with chocolate ganache. I officially surrendered at this point and asked for the remaining items to take home as I was beyond full.

After the meal, I was given a tour of the kitchen and was able to meet the Chef which was lovely. I was amazed by how large the kitchen was, especially in a local where the rent would be astronomically expensive.

All in all, did it live up to my expectations? Without a doubt! I enjoyed the style of the food at Per Se more than some of my European meals and the technique, flavours and service were world-class. But what else could you expect from one of the world’s best restaurants?

Broadway

Veering off food for a while, during my time in New York, I also hit the theatre scene and saw four shows (would have been five if Book of Mormon wasn't so hard to get tickets for).

The first show was Wicked. I saw it for the first time in Australia this January and loved it. It was right around the time I was deciding whether or not to quit my job to take this trip and Elphaba's Defying Gravity "it's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap" resonated.

I was in New York in December 2003 and decided not to see Wicked because, at that time, I'd never heard of it. It was getting rave reviews in all of the theatre publications but I chose to see more established musicals. To this day I regret not seeing the original cast as I am a huge Idina Menzel fan. Although I missed my chance to see the original cast, it is still my favourite musical and I wanted to see it again on Broadway. My seat was front row but on the side and I thought it would be pretty awful but it was fine.

On Wednesday, John-Paul and I decided to try for the Book of Mormon ticket lottery. Two hours prior to each show, a set number of tickets are drawn lotto style. You must be present to win and you can only enter once. By our estimation, about 200 people were vying for 22 tickets. Unfortunately, we were not among of the lucky few.

This is just a fraction of the crowd who entered the lotto

Wednesday night's show was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette. I had not previously seen any prior versions of this musical (it first opened in 1961), so the two leads were the main drawcard for me.

In short, I loved it. I have never laughed so much. Instead of clapping and cheering at the end of each musical, the entire audience would start whooping mid-song and standing ovations were a common occurrence. Both men were absolutely brilliant.

Thursday night's show was Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark. I was sceptical about this one as I wasn't sure how a comic book would translate into theatre but everyone thought that the Lion King wouldn't work either...

I had been following a lot of the press for this musical. It is the most expensive musical ever made ($75m), had the longest previews ever (due to scathing reviews and disastrous accidents to cast members). Since it had finally gotten off the ground, and the music was by U2, I thought it might be worth seeing.

In short, I hated it. The aerial sequences were visually stunning, but I felt as though I was watching a live-action stunt show at a theme park rather than a Broadway musical, especially since the show's villains were wearing costumes akin to themepark mascots.

My final show was Mary Poppins on Friday night. The movie was a childhood favourite and continues to be one of my all-time favourite movies (along with Terminator 2). Whilst the musical differs on many points from the movie, it is wonderful in it's own right. Compared to the movie, Jolly Holiday is painfully short but Step in Time and Supercalifragilistic...... are wonderful and Feed the Birds is, of course, very moving.

And that wraps up my Broadway experience for this trip. Hopefully, it is not another eight years between my next visit and Book of Mormon starts touring Australia in a couple of years.

Flushing, New York

I've been on the road for nearly four months now and the number one food I miss is good, authentic chinese cooking. That longing alone was the sole reason that I decided to make the trip out to Flushing with my cousin, John-Paul, in tow.

Like Sydney's Ashfield area, Flushing has become a focal point for chinese immigration and the result is an amazing variety of food from all regions of China, from Shanghai's dumplings, to Xi'an's pulled noodles and Beijing's roast duck.

Besides Peking duck, and Mum's homemade chinese food, the two foods I love the most are xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings) and ròu jīa mó (a kind of chinese hamburger) and both are available in Flushing. Good xiao long bao is easy to find in Sydney so I have it each time I visit but I have yet to locate anywhere that serves decent ròu jīa mó since visiting China in 2008.

Armed with the recommendations from the chefs at Eleven Madison Park, we headed out on the metro to Flushing.

The recommendations given to me by Eleven Madison Park

The first stop was Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao on Prince Street. We ordered a serve of xiao long bao and a serve of shanghai sui mai. Traditionally sui mai are a yum cha dish of pork and prawn steamed in a yellow (containing egg) wonton wrapper so I was unsure what to expect.

The shanghai sui mai arrived first and they were a mix of sticky rice, pork and seasonings in a white wonton wrapper (no egg). I loved them but needed to have some self discipline to ensure I had room for what was to come next.

The shanghai sui mai

After about 15 minutes, the basket of xiao long bao arrived, steaming hot. Usually, I dive straight in and although I have mastered the art of eating the dumplings and not wearing the soup, I tend to burn my tongue. However in this instance, I managed to show some control and my tongue is scald-free.

The xiao long bao

They were perfect! Better than Sydney and, in my opinion, better than the majority of dumplings I had in Shanghai as well. As soon as the soup hit my palate, I was delighted. Not only was it delicious, but the sense of familiarity and comfort was like a warm hug and any tinge of homesickness was forgotten in that first taste. Cravings satisfied, I think I am OK to hold out until visiting Hong Kong in November.

A very satisfied customer

The second stop on our tour was to Xi'an Famous Foods. Located in the basement of a shopping mall, the setup reminded me of childhood meals in Hong Kong at all the tasty cheap places that we no longer seem to visit. As long as the kitchen is clean, I don't care if the tables and stools are plastic, or the crockery is chipped. In small establishments like the ones in the mall, the owner focuses on a small menu, a handful of dishes that have been perfected over time, and everything else is unnecessary distraction.

The hand-pulled noodle section of the menu at Xi'an Famous Foods

There was only one thing on the menu that I wanted: ròu jīa mó. Traditionally from Xi'an it is either made from pork or lamb (in the Muslim areas). When I visited China in 2008, I had ròu jīa mó from a street cart on my first night. For the rest of that trip, I drove the tour group mad by asking our guide to point out where I could find it in each town we visited subsequently, to the point that one member of our party exclaimed "does she think about anything other than food?!". Our guide for that trip, Aaron, hailed from Xi'an and explained that the Xi'an version contains just the stewed meat but other cities have bastardised it by adding fresh chili or coriander. I never had the heart to tell Aaron that I liked both versions.

The ròu jīa mó, filled with every juicy, succulent, mystery cut of pork
imaginable and utterly delicious

My quest fulfilled, it was time to head back to Manhattan but I will definitely be making the trip out to Flushing next time I am in New York.

Now I just need to put up with my cravings for two more months......Hong Kong, here we come.

Momofuku Saam & Milk Bars

David Chang: the “it” chef; known worldwide for his Momofuku brand restaurants that are not only redefining modern Asian food but also the standard “rules” of dining, his brash temperament and open loathing of food bloggers.

The first time I heard of Momofuku was in 2009 when I came across the cookbook whilst holidaying in Florida. At that time, David Chang’s name had not yet made it across the pacific to Australia. I found his cookbook exciting and after a quick flick through the pages, it was purchased. In the intervening two years, it has become one of my favourites, the pages well worn and stained with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Therefore, when planning my trip to New York, I was determined to eat at Momofuku. Since it’s harder to get a table at Ko than it is to get Book of Mormon tickets (believe me I’ve tried and been unsuccessful at both), I decided to visit Saam Bar and the Milk Bar.

In summary, I was delighted and underwhelmed at the same time. I’ll start with Saam Bar but before progressing, I would like to explain why there are no photos in this blog.

David Chang’s reputation of blogger loathing is well known and the no photo policy at Momofuku Ko is well documented. Although no one at Saam Bar seemed to care (and I think photos may even be allowed), out of respect for Chef Chang, I didn’t take any photos. However, I strongly disagree any restaurants “no photo” policy.

The main reason that I have heard for why some chefs have a “no photo” policy is, in my opinion, flawed. Some chefs argue that if photos of the food are plastered all over the internet, there won’t be any element of surprise for the diner when the food is presented. I could understand this argument if the policy was consistently applied. However, to feature on television shows detailing course after course (Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations episode comes to mind) to promote your food defeats the “surprise” argument. Either avoid any photo media, or embrace it.

But back to Saam Bar….I ordered a serve of pork belly buns served with scallions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce and a pulled duck bun. Whilst both were delicious and well cooked, I couldn’t help but be disappointed on two fronts.

The first was due to the hype. I have grown up eating those flavours and given all the accolades and raving reviews about the “out of this world” pork buns, I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Delicious? Abso-f...ing-lutely. Life changing? No.

The second reason was price. I found the $18 cost for three buns to be quite steep compared to what I am used to paying for other similar meals in Hong Kong, Flushing or back home.

I guess the great disappointment for me was that I am such a fan of the cookbook and the recipes are perfect for the home cook, yet that the food at Saam was no better than what I can make at home was disappointing.

Perhaps, I should keep trying to get a spot at Ko because I think I would enjoy the food style there a lot more. Whilst I found the food at Saam to be tasty and satisfying, I felt flat afterwards and without any compulsion to return.

Moving on to the Momofuku Milk Bar for dessert. I have to say it: “what is all the fuss about??” I ordered two of the most talked about desserts: crack pie and cereal milk soft serve and both ended up unfinished. The crack pie was sickeningly sweet and undercooked (for my taste) but at least I now have confirmation that when I tried to make the pie at home a few months ago, I didn’t stuff it up, it’s meant to be soft and goopy.

Cereal milk, however, is something I just can’t understand. How is it that basically left-over milk that you find in the bottom of your bowl after you’ve eaten your cornflakes for breakfast can be considered so revolutionary and have so many devotees? I don’t care that it’s been turned into soft-serve, it still tastes like left-over milk.

In summary, both Saam & Milk Bar left me flat and disappointed. My hopes were sky high and whilst Momofuku cookbook will continue to be my favourite and used at least weekly, my experiences in person were “meh”.

Whilst I love simple food (and this food certainly was), I think my lack of enthusiasm was a direct result of the overhype and resultant expectations. Perhaps if I wasn’t half-Chinese and raised with those flavours, I would find the food exciting and new but it just didn’t do it for me (and I so wanted it to).