New Golden Gate 4.26.07

Last night we went to New Golden Gate Restaurant (just expanded to take over the former bakery in that space) in Boston Chinatown. Also this was the first time my folks met my sister's new beau. Plus it is rare for my bro to meet any of her beaus too.

We all met up at New Golden Gate Restaurant in Boston Chinatown. Luckily, this the new beau is more open minded on his eating habits and loves seafood. We decided on getting the seafood combo soup, steamed tilapia, twin lobster, frog legs and garlic casserole, oysters panfried, a pound of fresh boiled shrimp (that were previously swimming in the tank), garlic and pea pod stems and beef casserole (gnow nam). It was a filling meal and we ended with red bean soup (hong dao saw) .

The food was not bad but my parents thought the prices were a bit much. They feel the renovations costs are definitely reflected on the menu. Since competition is stiff, they felt no need to go back again. They liked the restaurant more pre construction.

COLOR an affordable Korean place-off Harvard Avenue

Last week, I hit COLOR (166 Harvard AveAllston, MA 02134(617) 787-5656)in Allston/Brighton with my friend NT. This is a small place that is very colorful and simple with a few tables in the dining room. The service was uneven, but the food overall and prices made up for the long wait (we were famished by the time we received our food!) It has been awhile since we ate out and hung out. She is cool and we decided on Korean when the Shanghainese place we wanted to hit was closed and then the second place for Taiwanese ---parking was hard to find.

We got the ttokbokki (Korean rice cake-thick tubular in shape), Color's House Chicken-fried chicken with a sweet chili and garlic sauce (we ordered it after seeing many dishes coming out of the oven that we were were curious) and bean paste stew as well as seafood pancake. The sauce for the ttokbokki at first seemed mild, but got spicier as you ate it. Though I must admit the pojangmacha (street vendor) version on the streets of Seoul were better. I did like the bits of oden in our ttokbokki. As a Korean friend put it best, "It is the special sauce!" The bean paste stew was a first time for NT and she liked it! Not spicy and it balanced the other spicy foods. Very warming on the cold dank and rainy night when we went to Color. I always like getting the side dishes at Korean restaurants. The seafood pancake was good with bits of shrimp and squid in a crisp pancake served with the requisite soy dipping sauce. The side dishes were simple but great respite taking different bites of the food.

We had fun and though the service was slow. I got to practice my smattering of Korean here and there. It took a long time before we got our food but we were eating it with gusto. Seemed all the other customers were Koreans save us (the only non Koreans). Initially they asked if we wanted the Korean menu. Uhhh no we would like English please.

I had fun due to my friend and the conversation. The food was alright but comparing to Korea, it does not compare. (Same could be said with apples with oranges too.)

Casa Romero-in the Back Bay

Last Friday the 13th, I went with my constant dining companions MPK and TK for dinner at Casa Romero. I have been wanting to come here for years and turns out TK wanted to as well. I had made reservations for 7pm (as MPK has a bit of a commute from work back to Boston area). They were already there by the time I had arrived. The restaurant is hidden off a small alleyway around the corner from tres chic L'Espalier in the Back Bay. Touted as one of the most romantic restaurant (in many a publication and tv program), I was curious to find out why.

We started out with a half pitcher of sangria, not the best not the worst. The chips and salsa were ok. I liked the salsa much better at Sol Azteca. This salsa was a bit more runny and not as chunky. (Ok I admit I like chunky salsa more). We ordered the fish ceviche and chicken livers for an appetizer. Both were good but I must admit I was missing the shrimp or squid that usually stud the ceviches I have when eating this dish. The chicken livers were not bad. I really loved the house specialty chipotle and marinated orange with pork. Interesting mix of spicy and sweetness. The stuffed squids were great too. But the piece de resistance was the tres leches. Only my third time having it, I ADORED it! Yummy!

One tip we did not know, there is an early bird prefix. Order by 6pm and exit by 7pm you pay on a selected three course menu only $19.95 before tax and tip!

Toro--a great tapas hangout in the South End

I went to Toro on Thursday night -April 12 (last night). Boy the weather forecast said it was supposed to be icy messy and rainy. Well at least there was no slush and hail. By the time I met up with Suz, I was drenched in a torrential downpour. It did not help that I got off one stop too early on the #1 off Mass Ave. UGGGH!

I was advised that there are always long waits to enter but as long as you know when to go you can beat the neighborhood crowd. As I entered the small but very inviting place with the fireplace buring (ok something does seem weird with a fire place going in the middle of April---I did say that). I enjoyed seeing the communal tables in the middle but Suz and I got our own table. I have been wanting to meet up with her for quite some time. She has been someone cool to chit chat with on and off over time. But she is also another aficionado of food and drink. I am sure her knowledge of libations trumps mine and boy did she have a strong one--Manhattan. (To me that even trumps a Long Island Ice Tea or even an Alabama Slammer).

Within half and hour of being seated, the place was hopping and packed. Our bald server named Jason B. with the cool dragon tat on his right arm was cool. He had the right mix of knowledge about the food and was very attentive when necessary.

Luckily, Suz was willing to try alot of the foods with me. We got one pincho--the tuna belly, the seafood stew (uni, lobster and crab----magnificent $12), seared foi with ginger and orange ($10--decent portion), manila clams with chorizo, ham with egg and mushrooms ($13--Suz's fave and I loved it), smoked beef tongue over lentils and finally the house speciality grilled corn with spanish cheese and garlic aoili (yummy and messy) and tapas staple patatas bravas (potatoes folks). We ended with the Chocolate Bravarois $7 (definitely a good portion to share). I tried the sassafras mojito $10 and truth be told I only had alot of MINT in it. The Nana Nantucket was cool not too sweet but I loved the sassy tartness to it.

After eating and relaxing for almost 3 hours, I was blissfully happy and eager to make more dinner plans with Suz. Til next time maybe to Seiyo we go....

May's Cafe in Allston---a hidden Taiwanese gem

May's Cafe is a hidden Taiwanese restuarant near the Harvard Avenue "T" stop off the "B" line. (I had just typed a long entry to have it closed and not saved with pics too! UGGGH!) I got to go last Saturday.

I went this past Saturday with JH and Min Young (whom I met at the "Spoonful of Ginger" event earlier in the week). I almost missed the event after missing my flight due to my friend SKN getting lost. Thank goodness for my good friend LLD who housed us last minute in Burbank. You are a god and rock dear friend!

Anyways we found this place which I had not gone to in many hears. It is hidden away on Glendale and accepts credit cards, I was happy with this discovery. The menu front reads in Chinese--homecooking like your moms. The prices were a bit high (then again there was not much competition).

We got the house special fried rice $10.95, Ma Po Tofu plate $8.95, oyster pancake (loved it) $8.95 and ja jiang mein (spicy noodles in meat sauce) $8.95 (the Korean style with fatter noodles and no meat is not spicy at all). My fave was the oyster pancake, then the fried rice, noodles and last ma po tofu. Their oyster pancake trumps Taiwan Cafe's in my humble opinion!

Though the prices were a bit more than Taiwan Cafe (then again it is in Chinatown), the food was very homey, we all enjoyed it and the space was small and very no frills. They do serve Boba Drinks as well.

Sorelina---exciting new Back Bay Italian restaurant addition

Sorelina---exciting new Back Bay Italian restaurant addition

Recently I met up with two Smithie classmates whom I had not seen in a LONG LONG time. Both were roomies while we were at LAMONT HOUSE. It was a mini reunion and we celebrated (one is an ADA at Smith and the other a happily married wife in California. We headed out for an early dinner at the latest Italian restaurant in the BACK BAY to take the town by storm (after reading many positive reviews!).

Sorelina-one Huntington Avenue Boston MA 02116/ Phone (617) 412-460

Arancini --Crispy Jonah Crab riso ($15) This dish was great. The three lightly fried pieces were delectable on top of a tomato sauce. YUM! Plus the dish tasted surprisingly light and the service was attentive and wonderful. Our server was great and he gave wonderful advice. Verdure --green beans, sun choke, artichokes and black olive vinigrette ($13) My friend enjoyed this dish and it was very simple and refreshing. Insalata -market greens, bacon and creamy gargonzola ($12) the biggest starter of the three dishes and it was smothered in the smoky gargonzola dressing but still good with the crispy bacon giving the greens a nice kick of flavor.

Macheroncelli (half portion $14) two American Kobe beef meat balls, barolo sauce and percorino tuscano Both myself and Priya got this one. The portion was just right and the noodles were homemade and big, the sauce was wonderful (I used my bread to sop up the sauce). The two meatballs were delicious and decent sized. You could tell the meat had a nice flavor. Capellini (half portion $12) --baccala (salted cod fish), tomatoes, olive oil and sea salt This dish was surprising as there was a nice spicy kick to it. I thought it lovely.

Amarene Cherry -Chocolate Torta and Chocolate Marsala Zabaglione ($10) and Limincello-Citrus Tiramisu ($10) and Pineapple "today's special dessert" baked in a phyllo pastry $10
All the desserts were good. The Chocolate torte was not too dense or overly sweet. The pineapple dessert was a good balance of sweet and my dessert I would not call necessarily a tiramisu. I liked the flavors alot but sometimes after a few bites seemed a bit sweet though the lemony tartness saved it.

7 courses of fish at Anh Hong in Dorchester, MA

7 courses of fish

So I adore the Vietnamese style 7 courses of beef. Imagine my surprise to hear of the great 7 courses of fish. To some, it might sound great. But I did enjoy my recent outing (back in good ole Fields Corner--where the GOOD Vietnamese food is to be had) with my good friend Anne. We went to Anh Hong Restaurant (291 Adams Street, Dorchester -617-265-8889). We met up on a week day for lunch. (I figured it might be too much for dinner. The restaurant space has many tables and not overly decorative. The service wasn't overly attentive and they did come when needed (probably did not hurt we were after the usual lunch rush). The whole process of 7 courses of fish took an hour and half at least. (Not the type of meal to rush.). Plus Anh Hong is the only location in Dorchester that serves 7 courses of fish.

The first two courses are the fish (Red snapper) is cooked in 1) vinegar fondue like bath (first way) and 2) saute the fish pieces in butter (Second way). After the fish is done, you dip the rice paper into the hot water (quickly once is enough). Then you add on the vermicelli, the herbs (mint, cilantro etc), cucumber, green apple, bean sprouts etc). You are given a dipping sauce (consisting of fish sauce, pineapple bits, sugar). The third way is fish "cooked" in citrus juices ( a la ceviche style) over a bed of shredded daikon and carrots topped off by peanuts. The next few you can wrap up per cooking styles one and two (by this time my dining partner and I were getting stuffed we opted not to wrap anymore). We had fish meat wrapped in Hawaiian leaf (grilled) on a stick and another way is just grilled grilled ground fish meatballs. The final way is fish in a soupy congee (very nice light ending to a great OMEGA3 ridden meal). (I am missing one way, I am forgetting right now).

If you are adventurous and want to try, I think you should. Wrapping the food in the thin rice paper rolls takes practice. I notice you cannot be too greedy and put too much (just collapses on you). You have to put your items sparingly to have a decent rolled piece to consume. Practice makes perfect and what an enjoyable meal. At $29.95 it is a deal (must be for 2 people at that price) and for the amount of food you get---not bad.