Chikarashi Visited 7/18/2016 3 Forks

Chikarashi  227 Canal St., New York, NY 10013

This review makes me super sad because I had really really high hopes for this place.  Poke has become the "it" food of the year in NYC and new poke places are popping up left and right these days.  But none has gotten more love that Chikarashi - the chef has experience working at high end sushi places like Neta and Masa and the quality of the fish has been praised as being some of the best around (I mean, he uses fucking toro in some of the bowls - that is crazy!). The location of this place is a bit random as it's smack in the middle of the bustling streets of Chinatown and the shop is pretty small - only a small take out counter and some counter space along the walls. 

The bowls here not your typical Hawaiian version - it's got a bit of a twist to them.  Given that this was my first go (and I was expecting to come back again), I played it safe and got the Ponzu Salmon, which came with Scottish Salmon, Wasabi Ponzu, Shisho, Avocado, Tobiko and Shichimi.  I was super excited and couldn't wait to eat it as soon as I got home.  But when I opened it, I was a bit disappointed based on my first glance.  It was super heavy on the rice and the fish didn't have that translucent color you see when it's raw and marinated in soy and sesame oil.  While it wasn't necessarily cooked, I didn't feel like I was eating raw fish but a lightly seared fish dish instead.   While you can tell that all the ingredients were of high quality (even the rice tasted like it was on a higher level), there was a slight dryness to the entire dish that I didn't love about it.  Maybe it was because it had too much shichimi (Japanese spice)?  I don't know - something was just off about it and I finished it feeling like I was missing out on a real poke meal.  I guess when it comes to poke, I'm more of a traditional gal and I'm definitely not opposed to coming back and trying the toro bowl but for now, I'll stick with the Blue Ribbon one I usually get at work. Total bill:  $16

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Pasquale Jones Visited 7/14/2016 4 Forks

Pasquale Jones  187 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10012

I had been wanting to try Pasquale Jones ever since I heard that it was from the same people as Charlie Bird - as restaurant that I really loved when it first come out (I'll be honest and say that I haven't been back there in a while, so I don't know how it is now).  As with any hot new restaurant, getting a reservation here is painful and next to impossible since they only release a few on Resey 2 weeks out. 

But if you come here right when it opens like Neel and I did at 5:30pm, you will stand a great chance of getting a seat.  The menu is small plates, thin wood fire pizza, pastas and some secondi type dishes. Neel, my oenophile friend, was obsessed with their wine list - which includes half bottles, which is a great idea for both the restaurant and the diners (also super dangerous because you think you're only drinking half a bottle but clearly you end up order much more).  We settled on the pane carasau ($9) to start, the sweet shrimp ($20) and the cuttlefish ($18) for appetizers and for mains, we got the little neck clam ($24) and the squash blossom pizza.  The pane was strictly a survival order for Neel since he was starving. It was a thin crisp "bread" that's like papadum and it came with light ricotta, black pepper and honey. It was a nice way to start the meal but not sure if it is a must order.  However, for me, the must order was the sweet shrimp.  Yes, it's crazy pants to pay $10/shrimp and I can understand that this type of shrimp isn't everyone's cup of tea but I loved it.  It was creamy, sweet and simple with just olive oil and a dash of salt - don't forget to go after what's in the head of the shrimp too.  The cuttle fish was also a really wonderful dish - cooked perfectly with a a nice charcoal earthy flavor to it and it had some chew to it.  I liked that it was also cooked simply with not a lot of fuss to it. 

Next we got the little neck clam pizza.  Of the 2, this one was definitely my favorite.  It came with parsley, garlic, lemon, cream and clams of course.  It was really different and well balanced in flavors.  You could taste the clams but it didn't taste weird on a pizza - it just all somehow worked well together. The crust was great, that perfect combination of chewy and crispy at the same time.  It was a thin crust for sure but it held all the toppings really well.  Unfortunately, the squash blossom didn't wow me as much.  I love a good squash blossom dish and while this one wasn't bad, it just didn't stack up against the clam pizza.  It kind of felt pedestrian and they made it because squash blossom are so on trend.   To be fair, I was kind of drunk at this point, so it's possible that I wasn't in the right state of mind to make a fair assessment but I can definitively say that the clam pizza was much tastier and better than the squash blossom one.

I can see why Pasquale Jones is a hit - nice space, great wine selection and simple but great pairing of food.  It's a great space to catch up with friends and chill in an unpretentious environment.   My only gripe is that the appetizers were priced too high - while I gladly paid the $20 for the sweet shrimp, it doesn't really make it ok to charge it but I should note that 20% gratuity is included to the menu, so I guess it was really $17 but still....Total bill:  $108/pp with tax, tip already included and lots of wine

Photo Credit:  Yelp

The Cannibal Visited 7/13/2016 4 Forks

The Cannibal  113 E 29th St., New York, NY 10016

Sorry - I know this picture is a bit grotesque but it is the sole reason why Vince, Laura and I went to The Cannibal.  As you can imagine, any place with a name like that is not going to be for the faint of heart or vegetarian.  For a place that calls for an intense food outing, the space is not very big.  In fact, we sat at at table outside and they literally shoved the 3 of us in a corner that was barely passable for 2 people.  I found that to be kind of annoying because there's no bigger buzz kill at dinner than when you're squeezed into a tiny space and unable to enjoy your meal. 

Space aside, the menu here is obviously focused on meat.  You can order a whole pig or lamb for the table if you order in advance.  However, our mission was to try the General Tsao's Pig Head ($85) which they said was for 2 but really it's more than enough food for 3 or 4 people.  We started with beef tartare ($15), tuna tartare ($16), chicharron ($7) and the potato salad ($8).  These sides dishes were merely palate cleansers to the main course.  I know it sounds weird but the tuna tartare was a bit too fishy for me.  The perfect raw fish dish shouldn't taste like fish but should be clean tasting and this missed the mark a bit.  On the other hand, the beef tartare was fabulous.  It came on a small crumpet with bearnaise sauce, herbs and crispy shallots and it was wonderful.  They were so easy to pop in your mouth one after another - it was a perfect appetizer.  The chicharron was ok - it's actually not really my favorite thing in general as I find them dry and tough - these were a bit like shrimp chips where they had some crispy puffiness to it but still not something I would write home about. 

And then came the star of the show.  It's really quite a sight to be seen and if you are squeamish about seeing an animal's full head - don't order this because it's literally the whole head including the eyeball, tongue and teeth.  It's covered in General Tsao's sauce and served with broccoli rabe and scallion salad and some moo shu pancakes in case you want to make it a wrap.  The first stab into the meat is amazing.  I recommend you go straight for the cheek and jowl area because that's where the meat is at its best - incredibly tender and juicy and the skin crispy yet fatty.  There are definite parts of the pig where there is too much fat but you can easily find and pair it a section of moist meat to make it worth your heart stopping while.  It's definitely an aggressive dish and it was more than enough food for all 3 of us.  There was actually no need for the potato salad as the broccoli rabe was enough of a "green" to make us feel like we weren't being total gluttons. 

The presentation is what's most impressive here.  I would post an "after" picture but I'll spare my veggie friends the gore of it all.  I left feeling uncomfortably full and slightly regretful of eating so much.  This is definitely an experience to be had at least once in your life but it's not one to make a habit out of.  

Anejo Tribeca Visited 7/12/2016 3.5 Forks

Anejo Tribeca  301 Church St., New York, NY 10013

After spending a week in Scandinavia, it was a nice treat to come back to the US and eat other kinds of ethnic food to really bring some flavor back to my palate.  April was in-town for work, so the B-school gals and I decided to go for a Taco Tuesday run at Anejo.  Despite it being not that far from work, I've actually never been there before.  It's a nice space with a pretty decent sized bar and seating outside.  My one complaint about the lay-out is that it's not great for acoustics - the table behind us was super loud and raucous (yes, I'm an old lady) and it was really hard to hear everyone at our table without screaming at each other. 

As you can imagine, the menu here is Mexican but of the slightly more upscale variety.  We started with the trio of guacamole ($20) - traditional, verde and pineapple.  I'm honestly not sure when the hell guacamole started to cost an arm and a leg but it seems to be the norm these days.  To make it even worse, the serving size of each of these kinds were tiny.  They were in a small plate that was divided up into 3 section and it couldn't have been more than 2 1/2 medium sized avocados total across the 3 plates.  I also learned that I am not a fan of pineapple guacamole - in fact, this made me realize that I am much more of a guacamole purist and don't want any fruit or other ingredients in it that would take away from the actual avocado taste.  

We then split every taco they had on their menu (I mean it is Taco Tuesday right?):  short rib, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp and mushroom (tacos ranged from $15 for 2 to $21 for 3) plus a side of yuca fries ($8) and Brussels Sprouts ($8).   Given the ratio of tacos to people, I didn't get to try every kind but I did have the pork and fish tacos.  The fish was a beer battered white fish with poblano mint and jalapeño slaw - good balance of heat and herbs to the taco.  The pork one had shredded cabbage, chipotle crema, pico de gallo and cotija (we got that on the side since Richelle didn't want cheese on anything).  The taco was piled high with ingredients and super filling although the pork could have been a bit more moist. Everyone had raved about the short rib one but I didn't get a chance to try that one.  The yuca fries were ok - they were also a bit on the dry side and didn't have the crunch that I normally like with it and it didn't come with the cilantro or garlic mayo that I usually love with it. The brussels sprouts were what you would expect - roasted and these were mixed in with chorizo for a tasty but salty combination.  

It was a fun dinner and I would go back there - especially to try out some of the other tacos that I didn't get to partake in but I would probably skip the sides next time.  They have a great line-up of margaritas and other drinks to indulge in your Taco Tuesday outing.  I would also advise that if you want to actually to be able to hear your table mates, ask for the corner table in the front or sit outside as the main dining area will make it hard to hear anyone, even if they're sitting next to you.   Total bill:  $84/pp with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Bergen Day 8 Visited 7/9/2016 3 Forks

Fish Market Torget, Bergen, Norway

One of the more famous spots in Bergen is the Fish Market which is smack in the middle of town. There is an enclosed area that has an actual seafood market along with several restaurants attached to them with nice views of the harbor.  Right next to it is an outdoor version with stalls offering slightly more casual fare - lox, chilled seafood, paella, fish soup, whale meat, and fried seafood.  At first I was super excited to visit it, but after visiting it, it was a bit of a disappointment.  It's rather small - you can walk through the whole thing in less than 15 mins and all the stalls pretty much offer the exact same line-up of food.  They also know that it's catered to tourists so when you're walking through, the workers will just start screaming at you to come check out their food.  It's really quite distracting and annoying - especially the ones who were screaming at me in Chinese (there is a shockingly large number of Chinese tourists in Norway).  

I almost didn't want to eat here but I felt like I would regret if I didn't, plus I love seafood and getting a sit down seafood meal elsewhere would be really expensive.  I looked around and decided on this place right by the beginning of the outdoor market - they had a plate of chilled seafood that looked pretty decent and seating in the back.  The plate had several pieces of smoked salmon, chilled tiny shrimp, chilled langostino tails (they're like tiny lobster tails), and caviar on a piece of bread with garlic mayo - all on a giant bed of iceberg lettuce (175 Krone = $20 USD with a diet coke).  It looked nice enough and while it was a fun experience to have, from a culinary standpoint, this seafood snob wasn't really blown away by it.  It was missing seasoning to it as it was all a bit bland (except for the lox which was super salty).  Also the bulk of the dish was really the lettuce which if you know me, I hate iceberg lettuce.  It didn't come with any dressing, so I was basically eating a seafood salad plain. I guess it was healthy and good for me?  I wouldn't tell people to not come here because it is such a central part of the city and it is a fun experience to sit outside and have an affordable meal.  I just wouldn't necessarily get your hopes up that this is some super traditional local experience with really high quality ingredients. 

Overall, I really fell in love with Denmark and Norway.  Stunning scenery, stunning people, cool design and at least in Copenhagen, it's really becoming a culinary hot spot.  I would most definitely recommend this part of Europe to anyone (who can afford it!), especially in the summer time when the sun is out for 20 hours and the temperature is a fantastic and comfortable 60-70 degrees.  Take me back!

Bergen Day 7 Visited 7/8/2016 3.5 - 4 Forks

Bar Barista  Øvregaten 12, 5003 Bergen, Norway                                                          3.5 Forks

After an early 4 hour boat ride, we arrived in our final destination of Bergen.  It's a quaint town that's actually Norway's 2nd largest city after Oslo.  Luckily, it has a bit more character and charm than Oslo.  One of the big things to do in Bergen is to take the funicular up to the top of the city to get a spectacular view of the whole town.  But before we did that, we needed to grab a quick bite to eat. 

I had read about Bar Barista in a few blogs and it was 2 blocks from the funicular, so we headed there.  So it turns out that it really is more of a bar/coffee shop than a cafe or restaurant.  It has a very limited food menu (some panini, waffles and crepes) but quite an extensive beer and beverage menu. The big draw here is the super fun an funky decor - it's loud, colorful and fun.  It's got a very hippie, artist vibe which was a nice change from the grey rainy backdrop (apparently it rains 4 or 5 days a week in Bergen).  I ended up getting a ham and cheese panini and a Belgian lager (175 krone = $20). It was a pretty basic but filling panini - I liked the fresh cut tomato salsa it came with as well as the garlic mayo that came on the side.  The guy next to me got a waffle (which is almost like a national dish in Norway) which looked delicious and sweet.  

I can't really say this is a great place to go to if you're hungry and really need to eat.  But if you're looking for a cool place to chill, relax and get something to drink, this is definitely a place to check out. 

Escalon Vetrlidsallmenningen 21, 5014 Bergen, Norway                                                     4 Forks

Lav and I had spotted this cute Spanish tapas place while we were walking around town and filed it away in our head as a place to eat for dinner.  While I never really had a terrible meal in Norway, I was ready for some more flavor and something besides fish and sandwiches.  Tapas seemed like a nice change up to our usual meals.

The menu here has your usual line-up of traditional tapas dishes - we decided on manchego (80 krone), shisto peppers (78 krone), potatoes bravas (69 krone), eggplant with goat cheese (72 krone), fried cheese balls (44 krone) and the meatballs (80 krone).  The manchego was simply cubes of cheese, so while it was good, it wasn't anything innovative or creative (although I did end up using it as a vehicle to sop up the tomato sauce that went with the meatballs and the garlic mayo in the potatoes).  The shisto peppers were a nice dish - it's what you would expect of these types of peppers: salty outside with a hint of heat on the inside.  The potatoes bravas were delicious but it was really because they were drenched in a super garlic-y mayo (who doesn't love that?).  The eggplant wrapped and filled with goat cheese was also great - the goat cheese wasn't overpowering and the eggplant had a nice soft but not too mushy texture.  The best dish of the nice was the fried cheese balls - gooey on the inside and crunchy on the outside - I could have eaten another order of it.  The only disappointing dish was the meatballs which is surprising since it's Norway and you'd think they would excel at meat.  They weren't super juicy or moist and seemed pretty one dimensional.

We got suckered into a chocolate cake dessert (98 krone) that in all honesty wasn't chocolate cake at all but some dry cookie with super sweet chocolate sauce dripped all over it - very unimpressive, especially for the price.

Overall, it was a nice reprieve from the slightly mediocre food we had been having in the small fjord towns.  It was a nice change of pace from Balestrand where there weren't a lot of options but there are most definitely lots of restaurants to choose from in Bergen - however, the prices definitely reflect it. Bergen is a cute town, especially the Bryggen area and the suburbs beyond that, but I wouldn't really spend more than 1-2 days here.  Most people use it as a jumping off place to the fjords, so we kind of did it backwards but I actually preferred it this way - it was nice to end of a quiet and relaxing note. Total bill:  800 Krone = $93 USD with tax, tip and drinks

Photo Credit:  TripAdvisor

Balestrand Day 6 Visited 7/7/2016 4 Forks

Sognefjord Aquarium  Holmen 2, 6899 Balestrand, Norway

This might be the most random entry I've written about as this review isn't about a restaurant but about the local "aquarium" in Balestrand.  I use that term "aquarium" very loosely because the aquarium was the size of my apartment in Brooklyn and I'm honestly not sure what kind of animals you'd find in there. 

To be fair, I didn't actually go into the aquarium but had dinner at the cute cafe/bakery that was connected to it.   It's right in the front next to the ticket office and I was surprised at the variety they had in terms of baked goods and other snacks that all looked freshly made.  Given the lack of other really inspiring dinner options in town, how tired we were and the fact that it had started raining, we made a decision to stay here and make it a night. 

They have a bunch of sandwiches, egg scrambles, and savory pasteries for a main dish.  I opted for the shrimp sandwich on a pumpkin seed bread, fruit cheesecake, and cappuccino (179 Krone = $21).  It was all shockingly good for this totally random setting.   The pumpkin seed bread was fabulous - healthy tasting and fresh and the shrimp was the small thin Norwegian kind piled high on the bread and served with mayo, tomato, cucumber and sprouts.  It was all super tasty even if the shrimp was probably out of the jar that I saw at the grocery store next door.  The cheesecake tasted less like an American style cheesecake but more like a tart with a fruity gel top.  I enjoyed most of the desserts in Norway because none of them were super sugary or sweet - you could really tell that this dessert here was homemade in the bakery and not from a box.  Lav got scrambled eggs on a buttery homemade croissant which looked delicious as well. 

While I wouldn't call this a culinary hot spot, it was certainly a surprisingly enjoyable meal - it was probably even better than some of other places I've eaten on the trip.   If you're staying in Balestrand or even if you're passing through and want a solid snack, definitely check out the aquarium and maybe even check out the fishes while you're there!