NY eats: Kodama Sushi

The discovery of this little (well, actually huge on the inside) sushi joint was entirely by accident, and a blessing it was indeed!
(Doesn't it look like it says Obama Sushi?)
My half-sister Nina and I had just come from Equus. We nearly missed it because 1) we hadn't had dinner and 2) I got struck with one of my terrible stomach-aches. Both of us frequently get terrible stomach pains that are impossible to explain... think heartburn meets acid reflux meets appendicitis-- basically a lot of stabbing, tingling pains. It was so bad that I was in tears!
Either way, it lasted about an hour, so that by the time we got out of the taxi (in the middle of traffic), I was able to SPRINT to the theater. We were literally dodging people and screaming "ALMOST THERE!" It was around 6:59 and the play started at 7:00.
One little kid said "Mommy, why are those people running?"
Luckily, we literally sat down in our seats as the lights were dimming... whew, close call!
AND WHAT AN AMAZING PLAY! My friend Kaitlyn had told me that it was really strange and that Daniel Radcliffe was really short, but I loved it! I loved the minimal set, the way they portrayed the horses, and the acting was great! The show was bizarre, and very different from Amadeus, also by Peter Schaffer. HOWEVER, I'm really glad I ended up going with my sister and not my dad. I knew there was a full on nude scene, but was NOT aware of the context. Talk about x-rated!
Anyways, I had packed a peanut butter roll and a banana, but my stomach hurt too much to eat it, so I didn't eat dinner till after the play. Nina had scarfed down a smoked salmon sandwich beforehand, so she wasn't as hungry, but we decided to go find a place to eat. Earlier we had been craving sushi, but there hadn't been enough time. I spotted a place called Kodama Sushi a block away from the theater, looked inside the window, and started to walk away in disappointment, because it looked as though it was a takeout joint with only prepackaged sushi.
Nina was more observant than me and said "Look, there's a door in the back!" Sure enough, once you got past the tiny cashier area that sold t-shirts and maki to go, there was a door that led into an enormous space with a winding hallway.
*They had a Spring Awakening poster on the wall!
The second we set foot in there, I knew we had really stumbled upon an authentic place. First of all, the menu was in both English and Japanese, and second of all, I could see tons of Japanese people in there. Also, I saw lots of dishes on the menu that you wouldn't see at your ordinary sushi restaurant.
The problem was that with such a huge menu, it was nearly impossible to decide what to get. Despite all the exotic sounding small plates, I was really in need of some plain, comforting, teriyaki salmon... it was just too cold to get all sushi or sashimi!
Because Nina wasn't that hungry, we also ordered a rainbow roll. I don't always order rainbow rolls on purple! It's just that I'm stingy, and those usually get you the most fish. In this case, they claimed that their rainbow roll had 7 kinds of fish! Of those 7, i saw salmon, tuna, some kind of whitefish, cooked shrimp, mackeral, yellowtail, and some kind of pickled anchovy-like thing... hey, that was 7! I didn't look at the photo or anything... I must say my memory impresses me every now and then.

The roll was decent-- fresh fish, fun to eat. I would probably come here for nigiri, though, given its authenticity.
What I found hilarious was that my salmon came with completely Western-style vegetables: corn on the cob, boiled carrots, and boiled broccoli. Luckily, the sauce was salty enough that thir blandness was welcome. I also think that this once again proves how authentic the place was, since Western food has been highly integrated into Japanese culture. I think oftentimes when you go to an "ethnic" restaurant, what they claim are authentic dishes have actually been adapted to fit the American palette.
The salmon was a perfect portion, and perfectly flaky and not overcooked, just the way I like it. There was also tempura (shrimp, eggplant, zucchini), which I shared with Nina. I also ate nearly the whole bowl of rice.

We also got miso soup.

Meanwhile, we also ended up getting hit on by this Asian guy who ended up being from some small ethnic minority in Russia! It was bizarre... he looked Chinese but spoke with a Russian accent. Just thought I'd throw that in there. He also mentioned that this was a really great place to meet people, and like I said, authentic.
The series of blurry Nina photos: you can totally see the guy in the corner.





Address:
301 W 45th St, New York 10036
Btwn 8th & 9th Ave

NY eats: Candle Cafe

One of my favorite bloggers, Erica, goes to Candle Cafe so much that she should get some kind of customer discount. Every time I read her blog, I see dozens of colorful photos of food that looks fresh, wholesome, yet also incredibly indulgent. I crave vegan food when I see those pictures.
Originally, Erica and I had planned to meet up at Candle, but during my first few days in New York, she was sick, so I decided to go to Candle just in case we wouldn't be able to meet before I left.
My mom was willing to eat there with me, but my dad took one look at the menu and went to the bistro next door (hilariously called LeSteak), where he ordered a steak burger and ate with my grandparents. Oh, well... To each his own.
Leave it to my mom to order a salad. I kept asking her why she would order a salad at a vegan restaurant when non-vegetarian restaurants always have salad options. Luckily, the salad she ordered wasn't leafy. She ordered the Soba Noodle Salad, with Soba Noodles, ginger grilled tofu, shiitake mushrooms, edamame, julienne carrots, radish and sesame seeds over mesclun with a creamy wasabi dressing.
While she liked the salad as a whole, she hated the tofu, which she said was bland. Well, yeah... tofu is bland! But she said that wasn't what she meant, and I suppose it's because she prefers more Asian preparations, where tofu isn't usually served alone.

Ironically, even though I had been trying to avoid "Asian" food, what I really wanted was to try one of Candle's wraps, and the special that day just so happened to be the Asian Style Wrap with wasabi-ginger grilled tofu, brown rice, steamed greens, adzuki beans, stir-fried greens in a ginger-miso sauce wrapped in a spinach tortilla, served with an edamame salad and a creamy wasabi dressing.
Sound pretty similar, huh? Actually, I thought our dressings tasted different even though they were supposedly the same. Either way, the dressing was the star, I ate the wrap with my hands (Which is rare for me... Usually I cut it up and eat it with a knife and fork. I'm weird that way) and it didn't fall apart! That alone earned them props, since I know how difficult it is to stuff a wrap that full but manage for it to say together.

With every bite, I got chewy tofu (which, yes, was a little bland, but provided texture next to its more flavorful counterparts), sweet, sandy (but in a good way) adzuki beans (called hong dou, or red beans, in China), and of course, all the crunchy vegetables.
The edamame salad was delicious, and would be incredibly easy to recreate at home. It had shredded purple cabbage, carrots, and sesame seeds.
So, yes, the whole thing was pseudo-hippie Asian, but in a good way. I still would have preferred their Middle Eastern wrap or Moroccan wrap.
I did love the atmosphere of the place, though! It was lively, but quiet enough to have a conversation. The servers were friendly (I heard one educating the guy next to me about stevia) and the whole place just felt relaxed and unpretentious.
Oh yes, and I ate the ENTIRE wrap. The whole thing. And while I felt full, I didn't feel stuffed. That wrap was HUGE... Although I've never actually been to Chipotle, I'm sure it could rival one of their burritos.

Luckily, Erica got better, and we decided to meet up for an early New Years' Eve dinner. We debated going to a few different places (such as Gobo and Counter), but in the end, I decided that I wanted to go back to Candle and try some of their more dinner-like options.
Unfortunately, we found out that Candle wasn't seating any more people after 6, so we pushed our meeting one hour earlier. It just so happened that the day of our Candle Dinner was the same day I had eaten that huge lunch at The Islands. How would I ever feel hungry again!
I quickly hopped on the subway to get out of Brooklyn and met her there.
I feel so stupid that we didn't take a picture together or anything! Either way, we had a great time. I know it sounds strange to meet up with people from the internet, but the two of us are among the youngest food bloggers and it was so much fun just to talk about food and not feel like she was bored. Of course, we talked about other stuff too... either way, I had a great time.
Like I said, I wasn't that hungry, so we skipped the appetizer and I ended up ordering the Porcini Crusted Seitan with garlic-shallot-potato mash, sautéed spinach and string beans with grilled oyster mushroom and topped with home-style gravy.

This was definitely a dish that could have been a disaster... mushy, flavorless potatoes, rubbery seitan, and greasy gravy. Of course, it was the opposite... I LOVED it, even though it wasn't at all the kind of thing I would usually order or make at home (This, more or less, is the reason I ordered it). The potatoes were chunky and flavorful, the the chewy texture of the seitan was echoed by the mushroom, which interestingly enough, tasted strongly of mustard. The greens were great, especially when swiped through a puddle of gravy... but the word "Gravy" doesn't do it justice. Just think of a rich, brown aromatic sauce. I ate all of this except for a small piece of seitan (Ha, I know I said I wasn't that hungry, but I can always eat!).
Erica ordered a special that I would have ordered if she hadn't (But I was happy with my choice!): Tempeh Napoleon from the special’s menu which was polenta crusted tempeh with layers of artichoke paté, served with sautéed snap peas, broccolini, chanterelle mushrooms, and spinach over a tomato-truffle sauce, drizzled with parsley oil.

It was so beautifully presented! The contrast of the green vegetables against the blood red tomato sauce was definitely festive, even though Christmas is over. She generously let me taste a piece of tempeh, because she said she had never had tempeh prepared this way. While it reminded her of a crab cake, I thought it was more like a chicken patty-- crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. But of course, it was not your average chicken patty. She also ate everything on her plate.
We debated going to Tasti D-lite, but it was freezing out and Erica claimed to have had TWO medium cups of it the day before, so somehow she convinced me to order two desserts at candle! Honestly, I just wanted to see if they lived up to all the hype... because really, how can vegan desserts compare to ones full of cream, eggs, and butter?
I picked the Carrot Cake and she picked the Apple Cranberry Crumb Pie.

I honestly was completely stunned. Not only were they as good as "regular" desserts, but they were better! Well, I've probably had better pies in my life, but I'm also spoiled by my mom's apple pie with its flaky, butter crust. But the carrot cake was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Usually carrot cake is a sugar-laden concoction with a sticky, cloying cream cheese ice cream, but Candle's version was moist, spicy, and not too sweet-- each bite had some tangy frosting and a cake embedded with carrot shreds and raisins. Honestly... amazing.
But the crumb pie was also great! It's just that, like Erica, I love that carrot cake. There should be a website dedicated to it.
Anyways, all in all, I loved this restaurant! I won't force my parents to go back, but even if I can't get someone to go with me, I'll make sure to go back the next time I'm in New York.

Address: 1307 3rd Ave, New York City, New York

NY eats: Momofuku Noodle Bar

My second night in NY, my mom and I met up with some old family friends. The story of how we know them is an interesting one, so I'll tell it briefly. When I was 5, we met them on the plane going to China. They, meanwhile, were heading off to Beijing to live there (I think they lived there a good 6 or so years), and their parents were journalists. I became friends with their daughter Cara, my age, and her brother Andy was 2 years younger than us.
MEANWHILE, I got the chicken pox. On the plane. It sucked. My mom didn't want to scare me or anything, but Libby, the mother, had been a doctor before being a journalist, so she knew the symptoms. Her kids had already had chicken pox, so I could still hang out with them. We kept in touch and the year I lived in China when I was 7, we hung out nearly every weekend. Cute story, huh?
Anyways, when they heard I had a food blog, they wanted to make sure we went to dinner somewhere interesting. They chose Momofuku Noodle Bar, a trendly little no-reservations place in the East Village. Momofuku has two other restaurants: one is called Ssam Bar-Bakery, and the other is Ko, which is one of those Omakase-type deals with no menu and a crazy price.
The waiting time wasn't bad at all, but when I walked into the restaurant it immediately struck me that this looked nearly exactly like Avec, the Chicago restaurant that looks like a wooden box.

Just like at Avec, there you could sit at the bar, but if not, there was communal seating on wooden benches. Just like at Avec, the menu was short, seasonal, and organized into sides, small plates, large plates, and dessert.
And unfortunately, just like Avec, the menu was NOT vegetarian-friendly in the slightest. Like Avec, there were many delicious-sounding seafood options that happened to be cooked with sausage.
Momofuku is, I suppose, Asian fusion, but that description makes it sound much less original than it is. For example, the night I was there, here was the menu (short enough to fit the entire thing into a photo):

noodle bar etc.

steamed buns – chicken / shiitake / pork

smoked chicken wings – pickled chili, garlic, scallions

ramen – chicken / shredded pork

momofuku ramen – pork combo, poached egg

kimchi stew – braised kimchi, rice cakes, shredded pork

ginger scallion – dressed noodles, seasonal vegetables***

***(no broth, our only vegetarian option)

market

roasted skate wing – brussels sprouts, kimchi, bacon

bouchot mussels – miso garlic sausage, black kale, fennel

roasted tri-tip steak – nugget potatoes, kimchi butter

dessert

cousin leroy & arlo’s soft serve ice cream – quince / smoked maple / twist

The raw bar online has already changed, so squint and see if you can read it.
I ate very lightly that night. I ordered the hamachi and the only vegetarian noodle option.
The hamachi was refreshing and the fish was good quality-- unfortunately, it was really cold that day and sashimi wasn't what I was in the mood for. The grated horseradish was an economical but effective alternative to fresh wasabi, and the apple was a nice touch. Somehow they managed to turn the beets into a kind of jello. I'll admit, I wasn't in love with this dish, but I was fascinated by the different tastes and textures-- the acidity of the apple, the bitterness of the horseradish, and the sweet and slippery beets, were very unique and minimal adornments that highlighted the fish itself.

The noodles came in a huge bowl and were garnished with lots of ginger, sliced cucumber, roasted cauliflower, scallions, mushrooms, and a nori sheet. However, in an attempt to add flavor to an otherwise bland dish, they were drenched in sesame oil. If eaten in a much smaller portion after eating a spicy dish, I would have enjoyed them more. I mainly just ate the vegetables.


Everybody else took advantage of the carnivorous menu, but according to my mom, the ramen that they ordered was too meaty, and the pork too fatty. All the same, It would have been nice to drink some hot broth.
They also ordered the mussels, but the sausage, rather than being a garnish, was served in huge chunks and apparently overpowered the dish.
Everybody ordered steamed buns: chicken and pork. Interestingly, rather than the classic bao zi, the filling, instead of being minced and wrapped inside, was in block form and sandwiched within the wrapper. I wonder if this is to save time or simply for originality's sake.

I know it sounds like I'm being critical, but it was dessert that saved the day, although I only had a little. The only option was homemade softserve in quince and smoked maple, available separately or in a twist. The adults smartly ordered the twist, whereas my friends and I ordered one of each. We discovered that the ice creams were too overpowering to eat on their own, but with a little bit of each on the spoon, tasted wonderful. On the other hand, it did allow us to try each flavor first. In addition to the impeccable texture (it was topped with crushed candied walnuts), the quince took me straight back to the crisp I made on Thanksgiving. The maple was a little too sweet for me, but my favorite part was the saltiness of the smoky flavor. Really, just incredible. Amazing. The best ice cream ever.

I think as a whole, this place is great for meat-eaters, contrary to what my mom says. meanwhile, I looked at their other restaurant's menu online, and they have some non-meat dishes that sound incredible, such as:
diver sea scallops (ri) – xo broth, orange, snow peas

charred squid salad – ginger scallion, mizuna

pumpkin chawanmushi – grana padano, kelp, pepita

PUMPKIN CHAWANMUSHI? In case you don't know, chawanmushi is the Japanese version of ji dan geng, the steamed egg custard my dad often makes. Grana padano is a Parmesan-like cheese and pepita are pumpkin seeds. Don't know if this dish would be good, but the idea of it fascinates me.

bouchot mussels – nigori broth, pickled ramps, grapes

poached chatham cod – matsutake dashi, pinenut, black garlic

grilled long island monkfish – savoy cabbage, kimchi, pistachio

And so on... as you can see, if you don't eat fish or seafood, do not come to any of these restaurants.

I have returned!

Hey, everybody! Happy New Year! Wow, what a trip! I must say, I was a bit sad to return to Chicago... the weather sucks and the city just isn't accessible in the same way. All the same, it's nice to be home. Meanwhile, I have a LOT to update on, and I just don't think I have the energy to do it tonight. We got home at 6 our time (7) NY time and I'm pretty exhausted.
I came home to find my fall quarter grades... STRAIGHT As, BABY! Needless to say I was pretty thrilled... I tacked them on the refrigerator.
For dinner, my parents had what I suppose is "improved instant ramen"-- Literally takes 10 minutes. I guess it's Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee: the Asian version. Ha, I just cracked myself up... didn't realize she already had an Asian last name!
No, but seriously... It looked delicious, but I really refrain from instant ramen... the ingredients list is just way too hard to decipher. I couldn't resist taking a picture though: into it went basically everything in the fridge that was still edible-- cherry tomatoes, endive, cilantro, and egg.
I defrosted some pumpkin and lentil stew and had some bread and celery with hummus.

Sometimes the simplest food is the best. Tomorrow I'll be investing a good chunk of time in doing highlights of New York (in individual posts)... I might do some picture posts while I'm here, though.
Good night!
Oh, and about New Years resolutions...
I try not to make too many. This year I have:
1) While food is a huge part of my life, and I think I may have discovered my passion, I really need to make room for other interests and hobbies I used to devote more time to, i.e. writing, drawing, reading Russian lit, studying languages, etc. etc.
2) Just spend less time on the computer doing "mindless" stuff... especially browsing through food blogs! Other than checking up on my favorite ones, I really don't want to blow an hour just looking at photos. Spend time away from the computer doing other stuff, like in 1)
3) I kind of slacked off this quarter, despite the straight As. I need to be more organized and STUDY for my APs! The problem is that my "AP" classes are actually the ones where the workload is less, which will be bad for the AP grade in the longrun. I need to devote just 10-15 minutes per class reviewing every day.
I think about my old resolutions from my old middle school journals, which I used to write in religiously.
I don't know if this is interesting for anybody else, but this is certainly weird to find (from 8th grade).
"Lida's Resolutions for 2006
1) I WILL try to get at least 8 hours of sleep on weekdays. This means I have to turn out the lights at 11, so get in bad at 10:30-10:45
2) I WILL do 50 situps every day, rain or shine
3) I WILL try to keep my room clean so I can redecorate it. Ditto the playroom (from my old house) so it can be turned into a place to hang out!
4) I WILL care less what people think of me.
5) I WILL NOT go online while doing homework unless it is to get help on said homework
6) number six is middle school relationship drama... basically, don't obsess waiting for a certain relationship to end and "have fun with other guys". AAA middle school...
7) I WILL make at least 2 more friends that are guys (what was wrong with me? Who actively thinks about "making friends" like that?)
8) I WILL keep writing my novel-- a work in progress
9) I WILL try as hard as possible to go swimming every weekend
10) I WILL BE MORE ORGANIZED"

The funny thing is that when it comes to the sleep, organization, exercise, etc. I haven't changed much at all. But in terms of caring what people think of me and making more friends, I've opened up so much more. I 'm just happier in general, and less stressed out. Just seeing these changes in the kinds of resolutions that I have are setting 2009 off to a good start.

MINUS 2 DEGREES?

Yes, that is how cold it was today. So freezing that the wind was blowing chunks of hail in my face. The outside running is postponed once again. My mom and I went to the workout room, but for some reason it was also FREEZING in there... guess the radiator was off? Also, something is seriously wrong with my knee. Probably shouldn't have pushed myself when I knew it was hurting, because now I feel like I have shin splints. I wonder what's wrong...
I only did 25 minutes on the elliptical, then did a faster mile on the treadmill... I don't understand. it seems like I can run a 7 minute mile outside, but when I do that on a treadmill, it feels like I'm full-out sprinting...
(Before I left I had half of a rotting banana)
Breakfast was a pretty small bowl of oatmeal-- strawberries, the other 1/2 of the banana, 1/2 cup skim, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup cottage cheese (cept then I went back and got more because it didn't really fill me up), vanilla, strawberry jam, and peanut butter.

I TOOK MY MOM TO SEE TWILIGHT TODAY! Before the show, we stopped at the most awesome place to open in Hyde Park yet: Zaleski and Horvath Market Cafe.

I knew there was a gourmet foods store opening, but not that it would be so AWESOME! Check out the shelves:
They also have great coffee, sandwiches, soups, salads, and cookbooks.
My mom got a ham sandwich with a bunch of fancy spreads and cheese (She really is eating more meat than usual) and a cappucino.
I ordered a panini on whole wheat with eggplant, red pepper spread, muenster, and greens.
Both sandwiches came with a side sample: my mom got coleslaw and I got veggie slaw, which had chickpeas, raisins, carrots, and all the things i love.
I fell so in love with this place that I APPLIED FOR A SUMMER JOB! I'm not sure what I would do, but that would be amazing if I could work there... put my blog URL on the app...


I rarely eat cheese, but that little bit of cheese in the sandwich kept me full for a good 7 hours! Is this the secret of life?
After Twilight (Which my mom loved, but she kept laughing during all the romantic/suspenseful scenes and I had to keep yelling at her. It would be "hurry! she only has minutes left!" and my mom would start laughing loud enough that everyone could here... I see where I get my cynicism from) we went shopping... I got some amazing Lulemon leggings on sale. It was so unbelievably cold...
While I was cooking, I had an apple.

Happy Hannukah!

For dinner, I made Deborah Madison's lentil-chestnut soup with fennel, which I've made once before. It's perfect for winter, with the chestnuts giving the same starchy sweet flavor that sweet potatoes do (we use Chinese vacuum-packed chestnuts).
We also had brown rice and stir-fried watercress.
It's been ages since I really indulged in some dessert, so tonight I had a big bowl of ice cream: Purely Decadent Cherry Nirvana (nondairy) and nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (I may or may not have gotten another scoop of this afterwards)... my sweet tooth is now at peace.

The mother is back

It's been great... relaxing, shopping, eating, etc. I know I didn't blog yesterday, but when I went out to dinner I didn't bring my camera, so I used my mom's iPhone, and then we had to transfer the photos... okay I'm blabbering.
Saturday:
THE LAKE WAS COMPLETELY FROZEN! I worked out, looking out the window wishing it were warm enough to run outside :(
But I did run a fast mile on the treadmill and then did 40 minutes on the elliptical and upper body weights.
Breakfast was a huge bowl of cottage cheese, yogurt, grapenuts, half a banana, blackberries, strawberries, and peanut butter (But I still ended up getting more... I was hungry!)
My mom got back after breakfast. She seemed pretty tired...
For lunch we all scrounged for leftovers. I continued to eat up that tempeh that never seems to go bad... on a wrap with watercress and hummus. Plus carrots and celery with the last of the hummus, and a little bit of the leftovers my parents were eating.

A little later: a big mug of hot chocolate and an apple.

My mom had a haircut a little while later, and while she was at the salon, my dad and I did some shopping... I got some really awesome Adidas boots, as well as some functional stuff: pajama bottoms, gloves, etc.
I was going to cook my mom dinner, but we ended up staying out pretty late... we decided to go celebrate her return at Cuatro, a kind of "new Latin" restaurant in the South Loop.
I actually wasn't feeling that hungry-- I definitely ate lighter than my parents.
To start with, we had two salads:
ensalata de xuxu: broiled, spice-rubbed chayote squash, baby spinach, cucumbers, pear tomatoes, queso frito, and a bitter orange vinaigrette.

ensalata de palmitos: hearts of palm marinated in spicy escabeche, piquin shrimp over arugula and iceberg lettuce, pineapple-honey vinaigrette (aa, where is the photo??).
Main courses-- portions were huge! Luckily I ordered relatively lightly... not so with my parents, who were feeling carnivorous.
My dad-- 16 OZ PORK CHOP! Of course, he didn't eat all of it, but that is 4 times hte normal portion... it was roasted with sugar cane, served with plantain mole, green beans, and yuca cake.

I tasted the mole (although later I found out it had chicken stock in it) and apparently it has 27 ingredients!
My mom ordered a short-rib special that was served with avocado salsa and rice... unfortunately, the photo of it has disappeared!
I ordered seafood stew with scallops, shrimp, tilapia, squid and mussels in a tomato-coconut broth with fried plantains and coconut rice. Of course, the broth was incredibly rich... The rice was fragrant and the fried plantains had no taste whatsoever-- neither sweet nor salty... more like a baked potato, but in a good way! The squid on the top scared me... turns out it was stuffed! I mainly ate the scallops and tilapia and let my parents eat some of the rest. I really wasn't as hungry as I normally am, but this was a huge portion!
We ordered one dessert that I had one bite of... really wasn't in the mood! We had creme brulee (yerba mate-perfumed) with a pineapple confit bottom and cinnamon shortbread cookies. Creme brulee has never been my favorite dessert, but this was delicious... the cookies tasted basically like apple pie.