A&B Chinese Restaurant ... And Wrapping Up NYC

Considering that I was in NYC to visit family, I ate quite a bit of Chinese food while I was there. I have to say that the Chinese food there tastes better and fresher than what we have in SF, so my tummy was quite happy. Here are some photos from A&B Chinese Restaurant, where I had a lovely meal with my relatives. We ordered many of the classic Cantonese-style dinner dishes.

Clams in black bean sauce

Fresh seafood in a crisp egg noodle "nest"

Prawns in mayonnaise with walnuts and broccoli

This is only a sampling of the feast we had. Also not pictured is this simple but fantastic soup boiled from a fresh fish - my favorite kind of soup because all you taste is the sweetness of the fish.

A&B Chinese Restaurant
6812 Bay Parkway
Brooklyn, New York, 11204
(718) 837-3888

Since this is the last of my NYC entries, I'll add a short list of other notable places I went to where the photos didn't turn out quite so well or where I just forgot to take photos.

- Pommes Frites (123 2nd Avenue): Wonderful thick Belgian fries with a variety of scrumptious dipping sauces (e.g., pomegranate teriyaki, roasted garlic mayo, honey mustard mayo). Ask for samples before you order so you can see what you like!

- El Quijote (226 W 23rd Street): Great Spanish seafood and tapas. I was especially impressed with their mussels, as well as their filet of sole, pictured below, which was cooked in their mysterious but tasty "green sauce."

- Rickshaw Dumpling Bar: Go get their Watermelonade during the summer. It's like drilling a hole into a watermelon and sipping from it through a straw.

And with that, I'll bid good-bye to New York ... next up, notes from my recent sake tasting event in SF!

Brooklyn Diner

Brooklyn Diner definitely does breakfast right (or brunch, depending on what you want to call it).

I ordered the "60/30/10 Omelette", which was an omelette made from egg whites and Vermont cream cheese, topped with smoked salmon and accompanied with a bagel on the side. I'm still not sure what the numbers in the name referred to, but the dish was definitely tasty. I figured you couldn't go wrong with smoked salmon!

One of my friends ordered an omelette, which came with toast and their signature polenta (boiled cornmeal).

My uncle and my cousin ordered a simple breakfast with eggs, toast, polenta, and sausage.

Definitely a yummy way to start the day! And they have good coffee too!

Brooklyn Diner
212 W 57th Street (between Broadway and 7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 977-1957

"Jamaica" Me Crazy!

As a kid, I loved the movie Cool Runnings. The Jamaicans seemed like such colorful characters, and the idea of leaving a sunny island to become a bobsledder was hilarious. So when my uncle suggested having lunch at a Jamaican / Caribbean restaurant during my stay in New York, I immediately thought of the movie.

So we trotted off to Negril Chelsea on West 23rd Street for some authentic Jamaican food. The funnest thing about Jamaican food, in my opinion, is that it's influenced by the cuisine of so many other cultures, including African, Chinese, Indian, and American. These influences developed during the years of European settlement and colonization, especially as slaves and indentured workers of other ethnicities came to the island.

I ordered the curried goat, which came with yams, veggies, and a boiled banana. I was a goat meat virgin before this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The goat meat was very tender, and the curry was savory but not too spicy or overpowering. I'd prefer this type of curry over the Indian kind any day, since it's not as thick or spicy.

Curried goat ($13)

My uncle ordered the oxtail, which was out of this world! My only exposure to oxtail before this was my mom using it as a soup ingredient, which made for great soup but left the meat too dry and bland for eating. But this oxtail stew at Negril was just delish. The meat was a good texture and braised in a gravy with a wonderful blend of spices. It came with a side of veggies and white rice, which was great to smother with the oxtail gravy.

Negril's Oxtail Stew ($13)

So my first time trying Jamaican food left my taste buds quite happy. The restaurant itself was a cute spot to have lunch, and the service was prompt and friendly. I'd definitely go back there the next time I'm in NYC!

Negril Chelsea
362 W 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenue)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 807-6411