Zenkichi

Address: 77 N 6th St, Brooklyn, New York

http://www.zenkichi.com

Phone: 718-388-8985

In a city where a good meal can cost more than a pair of good boots (yes that's all I think about lately), I have always thought that it is impossible to find a restaurant that offers excellent dinner tasting menu for less than 100 bucks, until we ate at Zenkichi. Believe it or not, Zenkichi restaurant offers Omakase menu for just $48 for 7 courses of some of the most amazing Japanese dishes. As Gan puts it, "Zenkichi is so good, it's not even funny".

Zenkichi is a Tokyo style Modern Japanese brasserie located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The restaurant is very discreet and private, and it offers tremendous privacy for its customers. Once you are seated at your "booth", you waiter will roll down the bamboo blinds at the side of your table and disappear. You would not see him or her unless you press the service button or when your food arrives. Definitely not a see and be seen restaurant. But apparently this type of restaurants are very popular in Tokyo and thanks to its Japanese owner, we were able to experience this interesting dining concept here in NYC.

The Omakase menu at Zenkichi changes every 5 weeks and the ala carte menu changes every 3 months. When we went there last week (there were four of us), we had the Late Autumn Omakase menu which consist of Miso soup, Raw Tasting (Masu Sashimi, Taraba Crab and Snow Peas, Maguro Carpaccio), Sweet Duck Salad, Kue Negi Tempura, Grilled Plate (Saikyo Miso Cod, Rocksalf Jidori Chicken), Hokkaido Scallops Uni Cream Sauce, Pork Kakuni and Blue Shrimp Sushi. Dessert was a combination of Sweet Potato Pie, Yogurt Honey Ice Cream, Banana Bavarois and Grapefruit Agar Gelee. $48 per person for this much good food (of course not including drinks, alcohol and ala carte dishes), it's truly out of this world. Be sure to also check out its gorgeous winter garden, if it's not too cold.

Nigori sake - my new favorite sake

Raw Tasting- Masu Sashimi, Taraba Crab and Snow Peas, Maguro Carpaccio - Arcric Charfrom Alaska

Sweet Duck Salad - Simmered duck, poached egg, watercress, sweet duck dressing with pine nuts. one of my favorite dishes at Zenkichi

Kue Grouper & Negi Tempura - Kue grouper and scallion tempura

Pork Kakuni - pork belly slow cooked for 3 days!

Hokkaido Scallops Uni Cream Sauce

Grilled Plate - Saikyo Miso Cod and Rocksalt Jidori Chicken

Blue Shrimp Sushi - award winning "Angel shrimp" from New Caledonia

Yuba Tofu Ankake- Warm tofu wrapped with Yuba (thin soymilk wrap) served in tiger shrimp clear broth (ala carte)

Grilled Miso Oysters - Meaty oysters grilled on the shell with red-miso sauce (ala carte)



Anago & Cream Cheese Tempura - Cream cheese wrapped by soft seawater eel (ala carte)


Dessert- Sweet Potato Pie, Yogurt Honey Ice Cream, Banana Bavarois and Grapefruit Agar Gelee

Kyo Ya

Address: 94 East 7th Street, New York (cross street: 1st Ave)

Phone: 212-982-4140

If our friends Alf and Nan didn't tell us about Kyo Ya, we probably would not have gone there until we see the restaurant on Michelin Guide (It was just awarded one Micheline Star for 2009). On top of that, Kyo Ya restaurant is discreetly located in the basement of a building in East Village and there are no signs outside. So this is definitely not the type of restaurant where you can just walk in and get a table.

The restaurant's interior is clean, modern Japanese. The menu is simple, light, delicate and traditional, with a focus of fresh and seasonal ingredients - kind of reminded me of the kaiseki dishes I had at Minoko in Kyoto. Speaking of kaiseki, Kyo Ya is actually known for its kaiseki ryori, which is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner (or lunch). However, the 10 course kaiseki dinner at Kyo Ya must be ordered one day in advance and doesn't come cheap - $120/$150 per person, not including drinks/alcohol.

Eating at Kyo Ya was one the most pleasant dining experiences I have had in New York; the restaurant is unpretentious, the food was excellent, the service was good and the atmosphere was relaxing and calm. I love every single dish we ordered, but the most memorable ones were the Yuba and Uni Yoshino style, Hokkaido Sishamo (male/female sishamo), black cod miso glazed and assorted Uni and sashimi (specials). The assorted sea urchin and sashimi dish in Kyo Ya was so delicious that it converted Gan into a sea urchin eater. For desserts, we ordered the black sesame ice cream and custard with mochi. They were amazing as well.

The great thing about eating at Kyo Ya is that you can be there as long as you like and there are no distractions, other than good food, excellent sake (a must try - Dassai 50, Junmai Ginjyo) and great company!

Yuba And Uni Yoshino Style - sea urchin on tofu skin in crystal clear sauce

Hokkaido Sishamo - grilled male and female sishamo smelt from hokkaido

Mushroom Tempura

Black Cod Miso- Glaze broiled tsubu miso marinated cod

Kurobuta Kakuni- slowly cooked pure berkshire pork belly

Chawanmushi - steamed egg custard cup with glorious ingredients

Kamadaki Rice For 2 - seasonal mixed rice cooked in clay pot. requires 1 hour of cooking time

Assorted sea urchin and sashim (specials)

Black sesame ice cream

Mochi and custard dessert

Sushi Yasuda

Address: 204 East 43rd Street, New York

http://www.sushiyasuda.com

Phone: 212-972-1001

Gan and I normally prefer to go to Tomoe Sushi near East Village for best value sushi, rather than paying big bucks at sushi places like Sushi Yasuda. But not sure what has gotten into us, when a couple of weeks ago, Gan and I just suddenly decided to eat at Sushi Yasuda. The most interesting thing was, I called around 5pm and was able to get a reservation for two the same night, and for the sushi bar seating as well! Lucky!

We sat about 3 sushi chefs away from Yasuda. But we had a good time anyway and really liked the sushi selections our sushi chef picked for us (we did Omakase). Although he (our sushi chef) didn't speak much English, we understood each other perfectly. I guess the language of food is pretty universal. He made us some of the most delectable sushi ever - small, simple, unpretentious and satisfying sushi with the freshest fish/seafood. It is not difficult to see that strict quality control is practiced at the restaurant, with Yasuda hand picking the fish and seafood himself and with every ingredient made fresh daily. Every piece of sushi served there is also a piece of art; it is best to eat the sushi without additional soy sauce or wasabi, since the sushi chef had already applied an exact amount of special soy sauce to the sushi he serves.

Of all the sushi we have tried at Sushi Yasuda, I actually love the oyster sushi the most. Not a common sushi serves at other places, but I love it. I didn't know oysters can taste so amazing as sushi. The eel sushi (there were a few varieties) was incredible and a must try. Yasuda was also trained in Japan as an Eel chef, so you probably can't get better Eel sushi in New York than this.

I guess one of the best things about being in New York is that you are able to find very good Japanese restaurants. Dining at Sushi Yasuda definitely reminded us of our dining experiences in Tokyo, without actually being there. The service at Sushi Yasuda was impeccable as well. Now I know why people love this restaurant.

The Famous Yasuda

complimentary starters

Our sushi chef

The right way to eating sushi - using index finger and thumb

Mackerel sushi - Sanma and Kibinago

Oyster sushi and Giant Clam sushi

One more Oyster sushi and Botan Shrimp sushi

Blue Fin Fatty Tuna sushi and Big Eye Fatty Tuna sushi

Sea Urchin (Uni) sushi and Sea Scallop (Hotate) sushi

Squid (ika) sushi

Kanpachi (yellowtail) sushi

Menegi sushi - the taste was a little overwhelming for me, but it is supposed to cleanse your palate

Tearific

Address: 51 Mott St, New York, NY

Phone: 212-766-9889

Yum Seng! (Tea and bubble tea version)

Gan: Since they serve it in a beer mug, we had to make a toast.

Toast with Sweet Condensed Milk

Gan: Good sweetness decadence! Amri and myself have the same idea for comfort food!

Happy Yaokuis!!

Hari Raya Bazaar 2008 @ the Consulate General of Malaysia, New York

With the current economy condition, Gan and I have decided to dine more at "recession friendly" restaurants, with only occasional splurges here and there. We have been making trips to Flushing/Queens for good cheap eats, cooking more at home and taking advantage of events such as the Hari Raya (Eid) Bazaar at the Consulate General of Malaysia to get good food at cheaper price.The Consulate General of Malaysia hosts this event as part of the Eid celebration every year and seems like the event is getting more popular since people are finding out that this is perhaps the only place/event where they can buy truly awesome home-cooked Malay food.

It wasn't our first time attending the bazaar last weekend, but it was the first time we arrived early enough to buy the food before they were sold out. The event started at 1pm, and by 3pm, the place was packed with people who were there for just one reason - food. There were nasi lemak, satay, lontong, rendang, mee rebus, mee johor, pulut hitam, kuih keria, teh tarik etc. The table that sold nasi lemak and satay were the most popular, with people were lining up for at least half and hour just to buy nasi lemak/satay.

It was definitely a fun event for us; aside from getting to taste awesome food, we also got to meet new people and hung out with friends. The bazaar is definitely an event not to be missed, so try and go there next year if you can. I just wished I have asked for the sellers' contact numbers so that I can get some home-cooked Malay food to satisfy my cravings for the next 12 months!

Mee Rebus

Lontong

Encik making satay!

all other goodies

kuih-muih (Malay cakes and desserts)

Raymond (my high school classmate, Grace's brother) with Sam, Jon, Sarah and Ray, who have tasted real Malay food for the first time. Sarah told me she loved it! :)

The girls

The guys, lol.....