treehouse diner

Fantasy becomes reality: an actual treehouse restaurant in japan - naha harbor diner. via cyanatrendland.

video game cupcakes

Cupcakes inspired by Space Invaders, Super Mario and PacMan.

sakagura - the hidden jewel

Entering Sakagura sake bar (211 East 43rd street between 2nd & 3rd ave.) in Manhattan is like being in on a delicious little secret. Partly because there is no visible street signage. Partly because it is located underground in a basement of a nondescript office building. We actually walked by it without knowing - and we clearly weren't alone as I noticed others following our same mistake.

The key is to look for the 211 street address and you will discover a small Sakagura sign hiding in the corner of the office lobby window. Upon entering the lobby, we followed a series of discreet signs leading us down a concrete slab stairway into the underground. I mean underground in every sense of the word. You can imagine a Fight Club cracking bones behind one of the closed rooms in this minimally lit, grey walled boiler room type of basement. But when you open the door to Sakagura, the boiler room disappears. New York and its midtown hustle disappears. Entering the door is like walking into a portal to Tokyo. The suspense and effort in locating Sakagura is rewarded with a warm atmosphere full of buzzing patrons and sweet smelling food.

The traditional Japanese interior is dimmed in warm golden light complementing its wood furnishings. Even the bathroom is cleverly hidden in a hut-like structure which blends into the wall like another secret passageway. We sit at the bar in front of shelved rows of sake and below a shinto altar which hovers high on the corner wall. Food is served izakaya style (small tapas dishes specialized to complement sake and other drinks). A good percentage of the customers are Japanese and the atmosphere is noticeably merry (thanks to the sake) and refreshingly unpretentious.

Of course, this whole secret location plot line would not work without great food and Sakagura delivered wonderfully on every little plate. Highlights in our sampling included the super delicate fluke carpaccio drizzled with olive oil and garnished with plum paste and salmon roe. Quality and freshness were top notch and the fish roe literally melted in our mouths without any fishy smell. The Chawanmushi was an equally luxurious cup of melted egg custard infused with shiitake mushrooms, ginko nuts and chicken topped with ponzu sauce. More hearty fare included a harmonious bowl of sliced sashimi mixed with kimchi over rice. As the judge of Japanese authenticity, my wife approved of every single dish and couldn't find one misstep. And she's a tough judge too. Meanwhile, I got tipsy from sipping fine sake from the Niigata region. Supremely smooth with a sneaky buzz effect. The to-die-for dessert was the impossibly rich yet lightly refreshing black sesame brulee. Truly one of the best desserts I've ever eaten.

Undoubtedly quality of the food and sake promotes the bar far more effectively than any street signage. As I emerged back onto the Manhattan streets and disappeared into the unknowing sea of pedestrians, I felt like keeping the Sakagura secret to myself, but the experience was so satisfying that I found myself itching to share it ... discreetly, of course.

queens jollibee

Filipino fast food chain Jollibee has arrived in Queens, NYC. Pinoys must be real homesick to wait 5 hours for some Chickenjoy. In other news, Cendrillon in Soho (a restaurant that has fueled many of our shopping/gallery hopping trips) has closed and moved to Brooklyn under the name "Cendrillon's Purple Yam".

maui reflections

Just returned from a wonderful vacation in the peaceful paradise of Maui. We recharged our batteries with a week of 85 degree days filled with swimming, snorkeling, surfing and whale watching - before attending the main purpose of the whole trip - my cousin's wedding. While it's fun to remember those action-packed activities, I also can't help but reflect on my experiences with the people and within the culture of the island.

My wife and I felt right at home in Maui, which is populated with many Japanese and Filipinos. You can always spot the Japanese by their eating habits at a buffet. While the Americans and Filipinos indiscriminately heap one convoluted mound of mixed up food on their plates, the Japanese arrange several small and neatly separated piles of each food. Their plates end up looking like a bento box without the dividers... or the box. This difference holds true at our table as I shoveled spoonfuls of cornbeef/rice/egg/bacon/sausage/potatoes/veggies in my mouth while my wife took turns in picking at each of her 10 separate piles of fruits, veggies and rice. I observed an elderly Japanese couple pulling out their own condiments - including nori (seaweed) to add to their breakfast. My wife was also very happy to find many Japanese snacks and products in local grocery and convenience stores. And, I was happy to sample the local spam dishes!

Of course we also tried the traditional cuisine with the "Hawaiian Diet" dish at the Kaanapali Tiki Terrace. This dish featured chicken or fish wrapped and steam cooked in tea leaves with an assortment of sweet potatoes, purple yams, bananas and poi. The protein was lightly seasoned (if at all) and proved too bland for my relatives who are used to heavier flavors of Filipino foods. But I appreciated the healthiness of the plate and the lightly seasoned chicken/fish comes to life when eaten in harmony with its veggie and fruit costars. As for the poi, I don't hate it as much as other newbies...but I'm not going to claim it as my favorite new food either. Consistency was okay, but the overall sourness left it unfinished in my bowl.

With a mix of diverse peoples and the influx of tourists, there's always a potential to find humor in mundane situations.

One day we took the Sugar Cane Train - an old-fashioned steam railroad train that runs through the sugar cane fields. The caucasian conductor ambled up the aisle to check tickets and make friendly small talk with tourists. As he takes my ticket, he looks at our faces and asks where we are from. Whenever I hear that question from white people, I brace myself for the "Where are you from?/No, where are you REALLY from?" game. This guy did not disappoint. After I answered with "New Jersey", he asks, "Oh...and where were you from before New Jersey?" I deadpanned, "Maryland", while staring unblinkingly at his face. He seemed disappointed and mumbled, "Oh, that's close enough, I guess...", before shuffling on up the aisle.

"It pays to speak Ilocano in Hawaii." That was the observation of my aunt. Many of the workers at the hotel are Filipinos from the Ilocos region. While Tagalog is the national language, there are many regions and dialects in the Philippines. My mother's side of the family is from Pangasinan and speaks the dialect of the same name. My aunt requested dry cleaning service from the hotel and was prepared to pay the full price. When she spoke a few phrases of Ilocano to her husband, in perhaps an attempt to fish for a discount, the hotel employee brightened up and ate the bait, "Even though you speak broken Ilocano, I'm happy to hear it and will give you a family discount."

Are there separate prices for tourists and locals? I took my rental car for a car wash after a muddy drive through the famously curvy road to Hana. The advertised price on their sign read "$4.50 car wash with at least an 8 gallon purchase of gas." I head up to the cashier window and asked for the car wash without the gas. The Filipino-Hawaiian cashier smiles, looks at me and the car and charges $2.00. I wondered if they lowered the price, so I watched the caucasian tourist (obvious with camera around his neck) approach the window after me. He gets a $4.50 bill after explaining that he will fill up his car with gas. I guess I could fool people into thinking I'm a local. As a sidebar, whenever I travel to other cities, people always ask me for directions. My wife says people must think I look trustworthy...or I act like I know where I'm going (which usually is not the case)

My cousin's wedding listed barongs (traditional Filipino formal wear) as the preferred attire. I wore a beautifully colorful barong (courtesy of my aunt) with an island theme print. So before we left for the hotel, my wife and I posed for family pictures. As my father began snapping pics, I noticed a crowd of white people gathering behind him and pulling out their cameras. They started taking photos. At first, I thought they were taking shots of the scenery behind me - so I started to duck out of their way. Then I noticed they were all smiling and following me in my colorful barong and my wife in her sundress. Turns out they were taking paparazzi shots of us! So right now - somewhere in America or Europe, a white family is showing pictures of me and my wife, spreading misconceptions of "native" Hawaiian wedding attire. As the caucasian paparazzi snapped more shots of us, we continued to walk through the hotel lobby... and as my fresh barong flowed with me, I received some non-verbal props (smile & head-nod) from the Filipino employees. When I returned later that night, the maid left a note saying "Congratulations!"

filipino foodie

Nice article in The Wall Street Journal on Filipino cuisine. Lots of yummy details and thankfully it goes beyond the typical balut experiences that seems mandatory on any foodie travelogue to the Philippines.

As I've mentioned before, my dad explains the lack of Filipino restaurants in America through the theory that Filipino food is best cooked at home. Why would I pay money for food that I could easily find at a party. We lived in a sizeable Filipino community in Maryland and every weekend had a house party with potluck dishes overcrowding dining tables. Titas that you've never met before would pile food onto your plate chirping "Eat, Eat. Eat!" right after the kiss-on-the-cheek greeting. After making a circuit around the table, your plate resembled a culinary car dump with 15 different foods piled up on top of each other. Nonetheless it was always delicious. Meanwhile, a Filipino restaurant would open up only to close shortly after. Grand opening, grand closing! Perhaps "filipino restaurant" is an oxymoron to pinoys who share my dad's perspective. What are other factors? I've heard that maybe the food is too simplistic, inaccessible or not exotic enough for Americans. Can it be elevated without being bastardized?

As for me? I grew up associating Filipino food with home cooking. But living away from mom's cooking and outside a filipino community makes me more eager to patronize a Filipino restaurant. I was shocked to find a "turo-turo" place nearby and I've tried some fusion and upscale joints in Philly and NYC. When I tell my parents of these places, I can sense the good natured smirks on their faces saying, "You got suckered into paying how much for what?"

el vez

El Vez restaurant is situated above Philly's historic gay district on 13th street. From a block away, you can hear crowd noise bursting out of the establishment as doors open and close. Packs of young-ish professionals dressed in afterwork/pre-clubbing clothes loiter outside around the sidewalk dining tables. The interior is a huge open space made intimate by deafening noise and crowds of standing people clustering around the centrally located bar and in random places. At least the vibe is more fun than pretentious. El Vez on a Friday night is more appropriate for group dinners rather than for couples - especially a married couple ready for a quiet conversation recapping the work week. The dimly lit room is splashed with bright colors and walls of mosaic art carrying a Mexican flair with a modern twist. Our table sat us near the bar with single people mingling and hovering above us. Nonetheless we were unfazed and I was prepared to tune-out stumbling margarita influenced pick-up lines in between bites.

We shared a bountiful Mexican chopped salad, which included watercress, corn black beans, tortilla strips and a lime/chipotle dressing. Really refreshing and tasty. My shrimp quesadillas were very light and equally flavorful. Nice harmonious blend of chile sauce, cheeses, fresh shrimp and crispy tortillas. Sitting by the bar, I couldn't pass up their renowned margaritas and ordered the El Vez version, which was as good as advertised. A wonderfully complimentary concoction with hand-squeezed lime juice and fresh lime puree. I was initially caught off guard by my main course - negra modelo braised short ribs. I expected actual ribs but received more of a beef brisket. Still, the meat was tender and worked well with the accompanying chorizo taquitos and creamy horseradish topping. My wife's yucatan salmon with green rice and chile sauce would have been perfect if the inside of the fish wasn't as undercooked. We topped off the night with a white chocolate mango tart and a cinnamon orange flan - both delicious and leaving us wanting more.

All in all, I was impressed with the menu at El Vez. Great splashes of citrus, salsa and proper amounts of cheeses and creams. The flavors of the food were as loud as the atmosphere - but in a light refreshing way. I didn't feel heavy or unhealthy after eating any of my selections...just a little buzzed from their incredible margaritas.

eel squeal

Aside from an occasional work outing, my lunch usually consists of dinner leftovers from the previous night. Recently, my co-worker sniffed around my vicinity exclaiming, "Something smells really good...what are you eating over there?" With a mouthful of food, I replied without hesitation, "Its eel."

Her eyes bugged out, "Huh?" I thought she didn't hear me through my chewing and I confirm her fears, "IT'S EEL OVER RICE." Her jaw drops to the table. Unagi is one of my favorite dishes and I've been eating my wife's Japanese cooking so long that I forget that many of my fellow Americans would have the same reaction as this woman. They don't eat some of the foods we eat. I tell her that its available at the local Korean Mart - but she thinks a tour guide would be needed. I try to convince her that its worth a try...but no luck. She confesses good naturedly that she might be too white to attempt such foods.

She mentions a recent No Reservations episode in Japan which blew her away - especially the scene in Kyoto featuring artistic presentations of traditional Japanese seafood, sashimi and mountain vegetables. Now, salmon is adventurous eating for her, so these foods were completely alien. This only heightened my appreciation that I was fortunate enough to eat traditional Kyoto cuisine a couple years ago. She then mentioned the Vietnam episode showing the fish sauce making process that seemed "dirty". The concept of fish sauce escaped her "So if you use that everywhere...then everything tastes like fish?"

Its interesting that food provides such insight into cultural differences. It also retells history - for example Filipino food reflects exposure to Chinese culture and Spanish colonization. As for my coworker, her tastes reflect New Jersey suburban white mom. The "eel situation" reminded me of that "Bizarre Foods" commercial.

kisso

Kisso seems like that overlooked - but in a good way - type of restaurant. No website, nothing flashy or trendy with its personality. In fact everyone working there seemed soft spoken. Its a wonderful secret tucked away on 4th & Race streets - north of most of the Old City action. The modest interior is dominated by a sushi bar that takes up one side of the restaurant. Warm wood, flowers and traditional Japanese elements promote a cozy sense of peace which was especially welcomed after walking around the city for hours.

We've patronized some hyped sushi joints around Philly and came away disappointed on many occasions. Kisso, in its understated manner, offers some of the finest sushi in this city. Often, you get a sense of what's to come from observing the sushi chefs behind the bar. You check if they are Japanese, if the stations are clean, and if they operate with a confident attention to detail. Be wary of entertainers. The Kisso chefs were real quiet in their zone, allowing their "performance" to speak volumes and we were wowed by the end product.

The mix and match combination plate was modest in its offering but stressed quality over quantity. A quality which makes you browse the artistry on your plate and savor each bite as you explore. The fish were fresh, the cuts were precise, the ratio of elements were perfect and the overall presentation was unique, artistic and delicate. I especially enjoyed the salmon with salmon roe and the spicy tuna in bean curd bag. The highlight for me was the squid with raw quail egg. It looked like a sunny side up egg with a circular dab of yellow raw quail egg sitting on a fine cut of white squid delicately overlaying the rice. After placing it in my mouth, the egg just gushes over the texture of the squid meat and melts with the rice.

We left happy and refreshed. While exiting the door, I looked back to give a nod of appreciation to the staff and sushi chefs, but they were quietly going about their own business.

epic battle

crabs

Celebrated the first "official" weekend of summer with a trip down to Baltimore to see family. And what says summer in Maryland more than a good old crabfeast? Crab shell shrapnel flew around the table as we cracked and malleted open a couple dozen jumbo crabs at Bo Brooks in the Canton area. Get down and dirty in Old Bay seasoning - the experience is a great family/communal event!

ballpark gourmet

Gourmet box lunches available at baseball stadiums in japan.

lou malnati's / chitown

Its been about 10 years since my last visit, but it didn't take me long to reacquaint myself with the great city of Chicago. Unlike dense east coast cities, Chicago allows you to stretch your legs on its extra wide boulevards and open spaces. This urban sprawl is accentuated by a topography that tries its hardest to convince you that the world is actually flat. Perhaps the accommodating landscape promotes a more polite attitude which is more common in the Midwest and less common in the pressure-cooker atmosphere that boils the aggressions of many urban dwellers on the east coast.

And then there's the pizza. You can't go wrong with a slice at Lombardi's in Soho, NYC or Lorenzo's on South St., Philadelphia, but paper-thin slices leave you craving for more. A slice of deep-dish Chicago style pizza is a meal in itself. When my cousin said he was taking me to Lou Malnati's, I thought he was involved in a secret society. But he assured me that this was the best pizzeria on the northside. The interior of its Lincolnwood location is an homage to the history of Chicago sports. Walls are adorned with vintage jerseys and photographs of local sports legends. The combination platter of mozzarella sticks, fried cheddar cubes, and breaded zucchini & mushrooms is a fried delight. The size of the platter was suprisingly moderate and was easily polished off by three people. Perhaps its a rare nod to quality over quantity...or maybe they're helping you leave space for their hearty pizzas.
We ordered a medium sized sausage pizza with the works - an assortment of veggies including onions, green peppers, sliced tomatoes and olives. All the ingredients create a masterful symphony of flavors in your mouth. Extra hearty as advertised and deliciously deserving of its hype. Whereas I could easily knock out 5-6 slices of local pizza, I hit the wall at 2 slices at Lou Malnati's. For dessert, we all shared a chocolate chip pizza - a baked cookie prepared in a deep-dish pizza pan topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Insanely rich and dangerously sweet.
I took 3 slices to go and it was by far the heaviest take out box that I have ever carried in my life. No lie. It felt like a 50 pound dumbell.

penang, nj

Its interesting how experiences at establishments can be linked to its environment. Like when I've shopped at Urban Outfitters, I associate it within the context of its city (original store in Philly and locations in NYC). When I came across an U.O. in a suburban Pennsylvania mall, it felt strange and out of place. Of course U.O. is an overpriced caricature of what it wants to be...but that another issue for anotherday.

Anyway, over the years, I've enjoyed the flavorful Malaysian/Thai cuisine at Penang Restaurant. While I'm aware of their many east coast locations, my personal dining experiences have led me to associate it with an urban environment - primarily from living in Philly's Chinatown and on trips to NYC. So, I was curious to check out the new Penang opening in the suburban South Jersey.

We prefer their appetizers more than the entrees, so we placed our usual order of Roti Canai (indian style pancake with curry dipping sauce), satay beef on skewers with peanut sauce, and spicy seafood tomyam soup. It was all very good as expected. My wife says the interior layout exhibited good feng shui but it just took me a while to get used to this particular environment. Maybe its because I'm used to a Penang with a cramped interior which forces you to literally rub elbows with neighboring diners and share conversations. This Penang is cavernous with sky high ceilings and tons of personal space. The decor eschewed the urban edge of its Philly location for a soothing ambience anchored by a central waterfall, appropriate brown and red tones, and interesting sculptures made out of noodles. It was so relaxing that I was slightly unnerved - again mainly because I associate the restaurant with a more hectic atmosphere.

All of these thoughts were cleared by a magnificent dessert called Ice Kacang. Its a huge bowl of shaved ice with several sweet goodies including red beans and brown coconut syrup. A Malaysian version of Filipino halo-halo or Vietnamese rainbow ice. I can imagine it being even more delicious on a hot summer day. On hot days at this location, I won't have to worry about rubbing sweaty elbows and I could easily jump in the waterfall to cool off.

ferry / cha an tea room

If you prefer a scenic entry into the NYC, I recommend a ferry ride in the springtime. Who enjoys the traffic and the newly jacked up toll fees anyway? Port Imperial in Weehawken is our customary jumpoff point because of its proximity to the Japanese strip mall anchored by Mitsuwa supermarket. This location is a great cultural gathering spot for Japanese people in the tri-state area, expecially ex-pat businessmen and their families occupying the opulent condos nearby. The market, food courts and shops offer hard-to-find products, delicacies and great people-watching.

On to the ferry. At the port, I saw the cheesiest promotional poster with the headline "Waterway to spend a Ferry evening" Get it?! Today, the weather cooled down to that in-between type of temperature that requires some thoughtful wardrobe decisions. One of those days where you're constantly taking off and putting on a jacket. At the ferry, the crowd was an assorted mix of people bundled up in layers and people dressed for the beach. Of course we see some white people in shorts, sweatshirts and flip-flops. In college, we used to joke about the stereotypical white college kid uniform of shorts and an inside-out sweatshirt (with the tag sticking out). Back then, I knew a volleyball loving kid that wore shorts 365 days a year. Never saw him in a pair of pants. Even in a snowstorm, you'd see him skipping down the street in shorts and a volleyball stuck between his arm and hip.

Anyway some people enjoyed the open air on the top deck of the boat. Not quite warm enough for us - so we enjoyed the view from inside. The key is to keep your eyes distant. As you walk the plank to board the ferry, you may not find the Hudson River water so enchanting. Unless you enjoy looking at cloudy brown water. I hear its cleaner than in the past - but not enough to pull a Kramer and swim across. The key is to keep your eyes distant. I blocked out the noise from nearby tourists and NFL Draft spectators to view the rippling water sparkling before the Manhattan skyline.


A not-so-quick cab ride took us to our first stop in the East Village - Cha An Tea Room, a fitting way to preface a day of Japanese art with some traditional refreshments. This place was recommended by my sister during her last visit. Our anticipation heightened upon entering as we found ourselves ascending a narrow dark staircase up to the tea room. Seemed quiet and slightly magical if not mysterious. Opening the door at the top uncorked a rush of noise - clinking tea china, and a swaying chorus of voices in various conversations. The interior space of the main room was tiny but ambitiously mixed an inviting contrast of dark wood and warm bamboo. I enjoy an ambience which transports you to a different place - and here it was easy to forget that you were in NYC. Up front, the tea bar featured jars of various teas and a crew of women fixing up drinks, meals and desserts. We sat next to a wall fixed up to be a side exterior of a tea house - complete with tall bamboo sticks, screened panels and a tiny entrance.

I intended to order a couple of sweets with my tea, but felt compelled to order a full meal with dessert. The menu is fairly cheap. I chose the $10 special of the day featuring Unajyu - eel served on a bowl of rice with sides of seaweed and assorted pickled veggies. I'm not a tea drinker but I thoroughly enjoyed my Hojicha tea, which is a perfect compliment for any meal with its nutty flavor. My wife chose a traditional green tea to go along with a bowl of rice porridge - a customary comfort food - with sides of salmon, tofu and seaweed. She seemed very comforted after finishing off her tray of food.

My dessert was an interesting green tea pudding that congealed into a slightly solid state and wiggled in a Jello-like fashion. I actually spent a few moments moving it around with my spoon and watched it delicately changing its physical form. Anyway, the consistency was incredibly light and subtly sweet with a wonderful green tea aftertaste. It perfectly complimented the tiny red beans surrounding. My wife's meal came with zen zai - mochi with azuki beans. Overall, it was a great experience (my wife raved about the contemporary Japanese toilet which opens automatically upon approach) and someday we'll have to try Cha An's traditional tea ceremony which takes place in their private rooms.

halo halo

Props to Dale for reppin' the homeland by making halo halo on Top Chef last night. His version of the popular Filipino dessert didn't win the quickfire challenge but placed him in the top 3. But he won the elimination challenge with teammate Richard. Here's his halo halo recipe.

soho saturday

My sister and her partner flew up from Texas for a conference in NYC, so we spent a nice Saturday in Soho. I recommend each of these stops:

Quickly Shabu Shabu is a tiny little hole-in-the-wall restaurant tucked away in the hustle and bustle of Chinatown (photos courtesy of nitrolicious). From the outside looking in through its steamy window, you can only see a crowded take-out counter, but there is actually a backrooom with 5-6 tables featyring hotpot portals in front of each seat. For those not familiar, Shabu Shabu is a Japanese DIY cooking method most commonly acheieved by swishing thinly sliced meats and various seafood with your chopsticks in a table top hot pot.

I know what you're thinking - Shabu Shabu in Chinatown? Sounds suspicious right? All I can say is that the food exceeded the ambience. There's an old call-and-response joke in our family where one of us justifies the cost of a fancy restaurant by saying "we're paying for the ambience" only to receive the reply of "What? I don't see ambience on the menu?!". Think of this as the opposite. Place looks crappy and service is lazy but the food is decent and you make the most of the surroundings. With good company, the environment transforms from hole-in-the-wall to cozy. The four of us shared stories, sipped bubble tea and shabu shabu'd 3 platters of meats, seafood and sirloin. Not mindblowing, but it was a great lunch on a colder than normal spring day.

The Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz, located on Broome Street between Mott & Mulberry, opened in 2005 and is only the second church dedicated to Filipinos outside the Philippines. The first one was The Basilica of Sta. Pudenciana in Rome. The Chapel itself is fairly small and modest. The main area can probably hold 200 people and features dark wooden chairs in place of pews. The lobby area features community photos of priests and parishioners celebrating mass and sharing meals. As we walked in to "light" an electric candle, we observed a choir rehearsing hymns with familiar inflections interrupted by conversations in taglish.

I am not a religious man. I believe in God but not so much in religion. God is God and religion is interpretation. Depending on your experience, sometimes the interpretation is good natured; other times the interpretation is misleading and self-serving. History has consistently demonstrated the questionable role of organized religion in various world conflicts. I have problems with the agenda based presence of religion in politics and despise religious intolerance as much as racism. I suppose every organization is susceptible to corruption, but how serious do you take their efforts to evaluate themselves when they typically brush problems under the rug and reaffirm their holier than thou attitude. Youth and cynicism may be coloring my perspective at this moment and many people become more religious as they age or encounter a crisis, but like I said, in the grand scheme of things, I have a belief in God and a natural inclination to question interpretations.

At the "grass-roots" level, I appreciate the sense of community that it fosters and I respect people who find comfort in their religion - no matter what their belief system. Judging by my short visit to the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz, I can see and appreciate that the Filipino Apostolate in NYC does a great job of promoting togetherness and involvement.

Enough religious talk. On to shopping! Uniqlo on Broadway always delivers the goods - unfortunately none of the goods were in my size. But my companions fared better. Uniqlo has a cool new series of t-shirts based on manga characters that appear in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine and Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday. Its sure to be a hit among American shoppers and hipsters who gush over Japanese denim and pop culture. The crowd at the store was full of urban hipsters wearing their regulation uniform of tight jeans, retro hi-top kicks and bright colors. I ran into a few Retro Kids wannabes with hi-top fades.

After exhausting ourselves in the hectic sidewalks of Broadway, we escaped to window shop in the more peaceful and expensive stores in Soho. We made a brief pit stop at a small cafe on Prince Street. By small, I mean shoulder to shoulder. Living in suburban Jersey makes you accustomed to an ample amount of personal space and it takes some time to acclimate yourself to the cramp quarters of the city. Anyway, the name of the establishment escapes me, but they serve some heavenly pecan pie. The Pecans were huge and the pie filling had a moist, almost gelatinous consistency with the right amount of sweetness.

We finished off the night with a dinner at Cendrillon with a few of my sister's contemporaries in the world of academia. I've written extensively on this place before and all I have to add this time is that the lechon was spot on. The textures and flavors were spot on: the unhealthily declicious fatty parts melted in your mouth as the crunchy skin enhanced the saltiness and stuck to your teeth. It was more than filling but I couldn't deny myself the customary halo-halo to finish the evening. Surprisingly, this group of accomplished academics were actually entertaining. I'm poking fun, but even though their professional world is foreign to me, its so easy to find humor in our common background. I'm sure my wife would also agree that it was nice to sit with a table full of smart, talented and creative filipinos.

wei over seasoned

The owners of P.F. Chang's (the "upscale" chinese restaurant chain whose food doesn't live up to its forced pretentiousness) recently opened Pei Wei in Cherry Hill. This establishment bills itself as an "Asian diner" - a unique concept for South Jersey, a region inundated with cookie cutter chinese/japanese fare. The interior shares a similar style to Chang's with lots of reds, golds and dark wood - a rich palette contrasted nicely with framed black and white slice of life photos of China. I suppose these photos are meant to establish some authenticity. There is a long bar where one can sit and observe the chefs cooking in front - but nobody was seated there by the hostess. Maybe we aren't supposed to examine what the cooks were actually doing. Anyhow, we place an order up front at the register and wait for our food to be served at our numbered table.

The menu offers various Chinese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese dishes - all fairly basic and suitably Americanized for its location. I ordered the spring rolls for appetizer and the Mongolian beef, while my wife sampled the Pad Thai. Spring rolls were decent but both of our entrees were totally over-seasoned. It was so salty that I discovered new veins in my forehead throbbing from my blood pressure going through the roof. My wife comes from the Japanese school of minimal seasoning with the belief that over seasoning distracts from the natural flavor of the food. Too much oil actually disrupts her stomach. So as you can imagine, she wasn't enjoying her Pad Thai at all. She kept mixing the noodles furiously in a futile attempt to dilute the heavy flavors. I looked around for sympathy. The family near us was eating it up and adding hot sauce. On our other side, the waitress was recommending one dish because it has so many flavors going on. Yeah, don't forget to recommend 20 glasses of water with that. I did see one couple leave with their dishes half-eaten. So we weren't alone.

My hunger actually overrode my health concerns and I nearly finished my Mongolian beef. I did walk out craving water. The only other time I crave water is after a dehydrating 5 mile run. Funny thing is I was more disappointed by P.F. Changs because it was pricey and faux-pretentious. Yes, Pei Wei was over-seasoned beyond belief...but it was cheap...and thus a sub-par meal more easy to swallow...or forget.

yakitori boy

Yakitori Boy is a restaurant/bar and karaoke club that recently opened in Philly's Chinatown. Its the first Japanese establishment in this neighborhood and uniquely serves "Japas" - you guessed it: Japanese tapas. These type of joints are common in Japan and the after-work crowd relish in eating small dishes that perfectly complement the need to get drunk after a hectic workday. My brother-in-law took us to a joint near Tokyo and we found ourselves among the hectic salaryman crowd drinking and eating away their stress.

Upon entering Yakitori Boy, I found myself agreeing with a reviewer who commented that the decor was reminiscent of the movie "Lost in Translation". The interior is dimly lit with Japanese styled beamed structures framing the private booth area. The bar and tabled seating areas are ultramodern and minimal.

On to the food. I was encouraged to be served by a Japanese waitress and welcomed the complimentary edamame. The sushi was a little underwhelming - not so fresh or up to the standards of Morimoto or Genji. I enjoyed the okonomyaki - a pancake filled with shrimp, octopus, bonito flakes and various vegetables topped with sauce and mayonnaise. Lots of stuff going on in this dish - but its went perfectly with my Asahi. Their specialty Yakitori dish (photo above courtesy of philadining.com) features meatballs, gizzards, and beef on skewers. Gizzards were a little tough but the meatballs melted in your mouth. Lots of flavors and spices going on. Again...perfect to eat with beer. The portions are fairly generous and cheap.

The food is adequate if not mind-blowing but I came away seeing Yakitori Boy as more about the experience than the food. Chinatown needs a hip place to drink and lounge at and you'll enjoy getting tipsy and eating perfectly complementary "Japas". You almost expect Bill Murray to be sipping some Suntory in the corner or singing some Elvis Costello in the karaoke lounge upstairs.

puto cravings

Saw this pic via Simply Anne's and it made me smile. And then it made me hungry. Actually I grew up eating a different version than this pic. We customarily ate the greasy white slabs of slippery puto with butter slathered on top. Our neighbor growing up always served the dry spongier bite-sized puto (as shown in this pic). Either way, its such a great breakfast or snack. Now I have to stop by the nearby Filipino market (thank god there's one 20 min away) and grab me some. This little store gets shipments from the almighty Philippine Bread House.