Shocker alert: Din Tai Fung, the restaurant group that serves THE BEST Shanghai-style xiao long bao I’ve ever had in my life, originated from Taiwan?!  I felt hurt and betrayed.  But then I ate another dumpling and all was well.

Din Tai Fung has several locations in Taiwan and China, Shanghai included.  What they do is take a handful of simple dishes like potstickers and dumplings, perfect it, and execute it flawlessly and consistently.  We went to the Din Tai Fung at the SOGO Mall and there was an open-glass window to their kitchen so onlookers can watch their dumpling-making operation.  In the middle of the kitchen is a square table with four workers.  The first guy rolls the skins from the preformed dough balls.  He then tosses the skins across the table to the second guy, who fills them with a scoop of filling.  He then slides these to the third, who folds them with at least 15 folds per dumpling.  Dexterity +5000.  He places them gingerly into empty steamer baskets.  The fourth guy takes these baskets to the kitchen to be steamed.  It’s a beautiful thing to watch and I wish I could’ve taken a video…but there’s a sign explicitly saying “NO PHOTO OR VIDEO.”  Shucks.

This is the ginger that’s served with the xiao long bao order.  It’s shredded razor thin (what mandolin did they use ’cause I WANTS IT) – so thin you can stand to eat the strands straight up without the gingery bite.

Chive dumplings had at least 20 folds per dumpling.  I would need tiny elvin hands to make these.

Pork potstickers were fried in one happy chorus line and you can see the thin fried crust connecting them all together.

Pork Chop on Fried Rice was good, not great.  It wasn’t as crispy or deep fried as your typical Taiwanese fried pork chop.  Just stick with the dumplings.

Hot & Sour Soup was mostly sour and not spicy.  It was still a great soup overall.

And finally…the star of the show…

These xiao long bao have a really delicate skin.  Ripping this skin before consumption is like committing a sin, having all that precious juice leak out.  The juice is light, not greasy like Joe’s Shanghai, and tastes of lean pork.  Needless to say, these xiao long bao are highly addictive.  You could eat a whole order (8 of them) without blinking.  Get two orders for yourself, with a side order of potstickers, and you’re set.

This was our only sit-down dim sum (yum cha) meal and we were happily satisfied with the quality of the dim sum here.  We went with family so we ordered the basic fare of dumplings, noodles, congee, and fried things.  Nothing too eccentric since our tummies were still grumbling from last night’s night market eats.

Their Luo Bu Go (fried radish cake) had a slight crust but not too greasy or mushy.  A good start!

Jing Dui (sweet sesame balls with red bean paste) were the perfect size for one person.  I always feel self-conscious eating one the size of a softball.

These fried shrimp cakes were not what we’d typically order at dim sum but they were still tasty.  I think it was ground shrimp, formed into nuggets then breaded and fried.  Can’t really go wrong with that.

Our first ever Har Cheung with Chicken.  Usually it’s with shrimp or beef but this chicken version was light and delicate.  This went fast.

Just look at that cuuute little yolk peeking out of the congee.  The beef is hiding at the bottom of the bowl.  Crispy wonton skins on top add a nice crunch.

These Har Gao (crystal shrimp dumpling) were jumbo-sized with plump juicy shrimp and a smidge of water chestnut.  No wonder they only put three in there.

A well-executed Beef Chow Fun.  This dish is very hard to make without drowning the whole thing with oil.  If you don’t, you’re vulnerable to mushy overcooked noodles (or whatever’s left of them after sticking to your wok).  The one here at CityStar wasn’t greasy at all, noodles were cooked through, and the sauce wasn’t overpowering.

Rob has an affinity for chives because they remind him of home.  These chive dumplings were good but if you ask him, he’ll probably say he likes his Mother’s Pork and Chive dumplings better

We love eating dim sum with fam because we always order plenty of feng zhao (chicken feet)  This was a little less spicy and garlic-y than we would have liked but still cooked perfectly.  Side note: one time I had Feng Zhao in Philly Chinatown and there was orange peel in the sauce! It cuts the richness of the dish with a touch of acidity – really harmonious combo.

Impossibly light sauce on crunchy noodles.  This was one of the best seafood chow mein I’ve ever had.  The noodles were uniformly crunchy (no brown spots indicating the noodles were fried too long).  The sauce wasn’t overpowering in flavor and the right consistency: not too gooey but nappant (french term for “thick enough to coat the back of a spoon”).  Someone in the back is a noodle genius.

The aftermath of our dim sum feast.  Notice how our plates are clean and our tea cups emtpy?

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Taipei is the mecca for night markets. If you crave the thrill of eating dubiously-safe but ultimately tasty eats, you have met your match. As much as Rob and I would love to pretend to be Anthony Bourdain, our tummies would probably cry mutiny, so we took it easy this time.

After landing in Taipei, we went to YongKang Jie with my Dad and step Mom. We started with a small noodle shop and ordered Niu Rou Mian (beef noodle soup) and a few other side dishes. This was a simple dish: stewed beef shank which was tender but not fatty enough to be super flavorful, plenty of thin rice noodles, a salty but weak broth, and a sprinkling of bok choy and veggies. That being said, it was exactly what the doctor ordered (forget chicken soup!) and put us into a happy food coma.

We then explored more and found the infamous “Yong Kang 15″ shaved ice shop. I say infamous because it’s actually not the original “Ice Monster” shaved ice shop that used to be there (not that we tourists would know the difference anyway). We got the Mango Avalanche which was mango to the Nth degree! Fluffy shaved ice topped with huge, soft, fresh chunks of mango, doused with sweet condensed milk, brown sugar?, and a scoop of mango sherbert. Cold, sweet, and refreshing on that sticky humid night, yet completely decadent and filling. It blew ALL of my previous shaved ice experiences out of the water and ranks high up there, along with some of the Hawaiian Shaved Ice I’ve had.

The next day we went to a real night market – I think it was the ShiLin Night Market. Our plan of attack: Find the most popular food stands (high output means less time for food to sit and spoil, crowds usually mean good taste and value) and avoid highly fermented foods (maybe Amanda was –Rob). You’ll soon realize that almost everything in the night market is prepared with something stinky, smelly, or rotten (in a good way).

So we took the plunge and ordered chou dofu (stinky fermented tofu), fried and in a soup. The fried stinky tofu was slightly crispy, soft airy cottage cheese center, topped with sweet pickled cabbage and oyster sauce. The tofu didn’t taste that bad, just a tinge sour. It was mostly the texture and smell which was offputting. Although, the stinky tofu soup smelled twice as funky! Stinky tofu swimming in a spicy steaming hot broth…at least we can say we tried it (and I liked it –Rob)!

The market itself was packed with hawker stands selling knock-off goods, and would-be customers.

After squishing through empty-handed, we happened on a takoyaki cart run by a husband and wife team. The husband was speedily flipping the takoyaki balls on the hot molds, “like he’s playing tetris!” my Dad said.After plopping four of those piping hot balls into a paper tray, the wife would, equally speedily, squirt on mayo and green wasabi sauce, and dust with bonito flakes on top.

Hot, fresh, salty, with little chewy bits of octopus inside – the perfect thing to eat on the go!

That’s all for now – more to come on Dim Sum in Taiwan!

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Cho Dofu (aka Stinky Tofu)

Grilling Stall with meat and veggies

YongKang Jie at night

Beef Noodle Soup stall

Beef Noodle Soup

Beef with Leeks

Beef Broth

Yong Kang 15. Really good shaved ice

Storefront of Yong Kang 15. Replaced the famous Ice Monster shop at this same location

Mango Avalanche - mango shaved ice with mango sherbert

A la Carte Stall

Takoyaki Stall

Flipping Takoyaki at lightning speed

Takoyaki hot and fresh

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Tokyo-Narita Airport was the first stop.  We were so happy to step off the plane, after suffering that looong flight and mushy airplane food.  The first thing we saw was a little japanese cafe.

We started with two little triangles of onigiri but don’t be fooled by their petite size!  One was loaded with salty cooked salmon that was aggressively fishy, and the other with a super sour umeboshi (plum) center.

For the main, we had the spicy beef curry and it was tasty.  This japanese comfort food hit the spot: hearty, subtly spicy, and punctuated with the sweet & sour from the pickled garlic and veg.  There’s a reason they give you a spoon for this dish

For dessert, we had the green tea latte: a scoop of rich, honest-tasting green tea ice cream melting atop rock hard ice cubes, with a splash of milk.  This was the best green tea ice cream I’ve ever had, so much so that I was licking it off all of the ice cubes.  Curse you ice cubes!

After that we bought a bunch of souvenirs…food souvenirs that is!  Wasabi Kit Kat’s anyone?  They were sweet and tasted mostly of artificial green tea but there was an aftertaste of wasabi, surprisingly without the spicy kick.  The green tea mochi was great, but the chocolate mochi with red bean and strawberry filling was even better.  We also got some rice crackers balls with a peanut center and dried (maybe fried?) veggie chips which were crunchy, salty, not the least bit nutritious, and highly addictive.  Those two snacks we consumed instantaneously

Stay tuned for the rest of the trip!

Viva Cinco de Mayo!  This Thursday I visited a pop-up hosted by Eater & The Little Owl termed El Buho Pequeno.  Mexican food is still new to me and I’m happy to report it was refreshing and delicious  Complete with a Mariachi band and faux ‘staches!

Out of the three tacos offered (Steak, Fish, Veggie) we fell in love with the Fish tacos.  A hearty piece of lightly fried Cod with guacamole, salsa and onions.

Did you know that mexican Coke is made with real sugar, not corn syrup?  :)

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3 Tacos and a Coke or Cerveza for $10

funky cool chalkwork at the event

Mariachi band!

Fish taco

Veggie (mushroom) taco

Steak taco

Mexican Coke - made with real sugar, not corn syrup

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The name Five Napkin Burger is deceiving. You might envision a greasy spoon diner with a fat man in the back, flipping the burgers by the pile.  But you’re so happy to be wrong: Five Napkin Burger is clean, modern-looking, filled with sleek dark booths, a fully stocked bar in the back, servers with aprons…and an iron-clad reservation policy.  If you want a reservation for the weekend during the dinner rush, you better make it the previous week, or risk it and go standby.  And you can’t make a reservation for more than 6 people.
That being said, the food was delicious.

I had the Lamb Burger Salad ($14.95), which was chock full of garden vegetables like endive, radishes, and green beans, I almost forgot I was eating a burger along with it!  The lamb burger patty was thick and juicy, and easily my most favorite burger in NYC.

Rob got the Bacon Cheeseburger ($14.95) and ate all of it. The cheese was perfectly melted on top and the bacon were thick slices of heaven.  The hamburger roll was perfectly soft and chewy and crispy, all at once.  The fries were good, if a little salty.

This is definitely the best upscale burger I’ve had in New York City.  Make a trip (and reservation) out of this and you won’t be disappointed!

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Bacon cheese burger

Lamb burger salad

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La Surena arepa: grilled chicken and chorizo, with avocado slices and spicy chimi-churri sauce

De Pabellon arepa: shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains

La Surena close up

De Pabellon close up

This was the fourth stop on Rob’s Birthday Food (Fattie) Tour. I still don’t know how to pronounce the restaurant’s name. Out of all nine stops on the tour, this was probably the least well-received, despite all the rave reviews on Yelp.

Like the other restaurants we visited, we opted for the take-out window.  $14.75 and 15 minutes later, we quickly realized that arepas are sloppy, drippy, and downright messy. This makes them awkward to share amongst four people – napkins anyone?
The “De Pabellon” ($7.25) was a tinge too sweet and way too juicy.  The arepa itself broke apart and failed to contain the meaty goodness.  Epic fail.
The “La Surena” ($7.50) held lots of promise, with it’s grilled chicken, chorizo (magic word), avocado and spicy chimi-churri sauce (other magic word).  Unfortunately it was pretty bland and we had to keep dipping the arepa into the tangy orange dipping sauce to taste anything.
Not the tastiest food stop on our list but at least they had indoor take-out seating. Got to rest our footsies for a bit before our next stop: Stand!

Meatballs in a spicy meat sauce and family jewels (fried egg)

Second stop of the Fatty Food Tour was The Meatball Shop. Amanda and I heard about this place from Unique Eats, our new favorite show on the Cooking Channel. After hearing all the raves, we figured we had to check it out. I mean, who doesn’t like a good meatball, right? We showed up about 10-15 minutes before the place opened and there was already a line… always a good sign.

The menu is a fifth graders dream, with sections like “naked balls”, toppings like “family jewels”, and more ball puns than you can shake a stick at. Options range from naked balls, which are just the meatballs and sauce, to balls in heroes, sliders, or salads. You can also get side pastas and veggies which come nestled under your balls or on the side . We kept it simple and got the naked balls – classic beef meatballs in a spicy meat sauce – topped with a fried egg. The balls were nice and tender (teehee) and the sauce had a nice kick and was meaty enough to eat on its own. The egg was completely unnecessary but it did add some creamy-ness and helped to balance some of the spice. An order of naked balls also comes with a crispy piece of focaccia bread to help you sop up the extra sauce and egg.

This is an easy recommendation for me to make. The Meatball Shop takes a childhood favorite and really puts their own stamp on it. The variety of balls and sauces will definitely keep me coming back for more. And before you comment on my maturity, try ordering the naked balls with family jewels without a silly grin… then we’ll talk.

Monster-sized biscuit with delicious raspberry jam

Blueberry muffin

This past weekend, Amanda helped organize what would turn out to be an epic food tour. The tour, appropriately named “Fatty Food Tour”, started in the Lower East Side at the Doughnut Plant and ended with dinner at 5 Napkin burger in the Upper West Side. We stopped at nine restaurants consisting of old favorites and new buzz-worthy places.

The first new spot on the tour was the Clinton St. Baking Company. Amanda and I first heard about this place while watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay where they nearly beat Bobby with their famous blueberry pancakes. Unfortunately they have notoriously long brunch waits so we did the smart thing and got some baked goods for take-out to munch on. We purchased one their famous biscuits and jam, a mixed berry scone, and a blueberry muffin.

The biscuit was twice the size of your average buttery biscuit. I kid you not when I say that it was the size of my fist. The jam is sweetly tart with fresh raspberries and it was so good I could’ve taken a spoon to it, sans biscuit. The mixed berry scone was packed with tiny blueberries and cranberries and still warm and moist in the center. The blueberry muffin was pretty good also but paled in comparison with the biscuits and jam combo. The muffin top was nice and crusty like it should be, but the rest of the muffin was dense and cornbread-like both in taste and texture. It worked in this case though because this allows the blueberries to shine.

If you’re willing to tough out the wait, I’d recommend this place.  And if you order them, tell us how the blueberry pancakes are!  But if you’re in a rush, do yourself a favor and pick up a biscuit or two to go

The main dish... beef noodle soup.

The ingredients.

The beef shanks.

Bone marrow!

Toast... best way to eat bone marrow.

Though I often profess my love for pork belly and prime rib, my favorite cut of meat is actually the beef shank. I’ve grown up eating a lot of beef shank and nothing quite matches the chewy toothsome-ness or the deep flavors from the long braise. Beef shanks can be prepared pretty simply like with Lu Niu Rou, which I wrote about previously, and it tastes great on its own. When I’m feeling a bit more adventurous, I like to make a it into a Sichuan style beef noodle soup via a really good recipe in Bon Appetit.

The recipe calls for boneless beef shank, but I got the bone-in beef shank for a reason. After stripping the meat, we took the bones and roasted them in the oven and had the marrow with with some toasted french bread and lemony herb garnish. Unexpected (and delicious) surprise!

Read after the break for a reprint of the recipe.

Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup

Diane Chang

Ingredients

• 5 pounds boneless beef shank
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, each smashed with flat side of knife
• 3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste (Sichuan hot bean paste; dou ban jiang)
• 3 whole green onions, trimmed, plus 2 cups chopped green onions (for garnish)
• 1/2 cup (or more) soy sauce (do not use low-sodium)
• 2 tablespoons (or more) salt
• 6 whole star anise
• 2 1 1/2-inch cubes Chinese yellow rock sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces) or 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large plum tomatoes (about 8 ounces), each cut into 4 wedges
• Freshly ground white pepper or black pepper
• 1 pound eggless Chinese wheat noodles (Shandong la mian)
• 3 baby bok choy, each halved lengthwise, bottom 1 1/2 inches trimmed, rinsed (optional garnish)
• Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Ingredient Tips

Chili bean paste is a spicy, fermented soybean paste. Star anise—a star-shaped seedpod—is available at some supermarkets. Chinese yellow rock sugar is made from raw sugar; it is often used in Chinese sauces and teas. Despite their name, Sichuan peppercorns aren’t related to regular peppercorns; the mildly hot dried berries, which resemble split peppercorns, come from the prickly ash tree. Shandong la mian are Chinese wheat noodles. Look for these ingredients at specialty foods stores and Asian markets.

Preparation

Bring large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add beef; return water to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer until beef is brown on outside, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes; drain. Rinse beef under cold water until cool; cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Wipe out pot.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add chopped onions; sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add chili bean paste; stir 30 seconds. Add 16 cups water, whole green onions, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons salt, star anise, and rock sugar. Mix in beef. Tie peppercorns in cheesecloth; add to pot. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer uncovered 1 hour, adjusting heat to avoid boiling.

Add tomatoes to pot. Continue to simmer soup until beef is very tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding more soy sauce by tablespoonfuls and more salt, if desired. Season with pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well.

Divide noodles among large soup bowls. Add some bok choy to each, if desired. Ladle soup and meat over. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

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Just a note- when I made this recipe, I used lao gan ma hot bean paste because that was the only thing I had in hand. I don’t like my meat dishes to be too sweet so I halved the amount of sugar that I used. The key here is to taste the soup! Everyone’s palate is going to be slightly different so just balance the sweet with some salt if you find it too much for your liking. Bon Appetit has this recipe paired with some pickled mustard greens that we didn’t make this time around.