Merry Pringles 08-31-2010

Feelings: I know the summer is almost near the end, but apparently in the UK, the holiday season begins quite early...? Merry Pringles from Ramen and Friends! Thank you RX for the lovely photo.

Bedouin Tent 08-21-2010

Location: 405 Atlantic Ave. BK
Time: 3pm
People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: After checking out some boutiques on Atlantic Avenue, we stopped for some iced coffee at Loretta's. While sipping the coffee at their relaxing backyard garden, a delicious aroma triggered our senses.

It was from the next door, Bedouin Tent, "Mideastern Stuffed Pita" shop as they call it. They had a big sign at the counter said, "cash only" and often that sign yields promising hall-in-the-wall joints with good flavor and reasonable prices. The service was warm and delightful, and they gave me the sense of a friendly casual neighborhood restaurant.

Although "pitza" is their specialty, I went ahead and ordered a Falafel Sandwich ($4) instead. The pita was soft and airy, and the falafel balls were light and crispy with perfectly seasoned flavor. RB's Merguez Sandwich ($6, with spicy lamb sausage) was tasty but greasy and sloppy at the same time. Often times when sausage is on a menu, you get minced meat instead, which he felt does a great disservice to the beauty of encased meats. Perhaps he will try Leg of Lamb Sandwich ($7.50) next time instead.

They also have a backyard patio, so it might be a good idea to try their pitza and salad outdoor before the summer ends.

Mappa Mundi & Eli August Upcoming Shows! 08-22-2010

Feelings: Mr. Mike Darnell from Mappa Mundi, Ramen and Friends' official local band of choice, will be performing this week. The band is called Eli August!

August 23rd 10:00pm
At Pianos with Brian Teoh (from Mappa Mundi) and Ella Joyce Buckley

August 24th 8:30pm
At Lucky 7 Tavern Songwriter Showcase- Jersey City, NJ

Sept 3rd 8:00pm
At Pete’s Candy Store with Mappa Mundi CD Release Show!

See y'all there!

Mai 08-14-2010

Location: 497 Atlantic Ave.
Time: 3pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: I might have mentioned the lack of Asian cuisine in my neighborhood, BoCoCa. There is my beloved Hibino of course, but I cannot possibly afford to eat there everyday. To think that I won't have much access to authentic Asian food during my maternity leave makes me cringe. Do I have to actually cook at some point? But just because I'm Asian, that doesn't mean I can actually cook authentic Asian food. It would just be food made by authentic Asian.

I recently found Mai, a restaurant that serves Indonesian and Malaysian dishes in the neighborhood. They serve Pan South Asian dishes from Satay to Pho at affordable prices. They are of course not Chinatown or Queens prices but reasonable for the area.

I ordered Mee Rojak ($8.95 Malaysian style egg noodles in peanut lime sauce), which looked quite unappetizing especially after some diaper changes but tasty nonetheless. The tangy flavor from lime was refreshing and complimented the peanut sauce. I wish there was more heat or bold flavor to it, but it was still satisfying. While the noodles were slightly overcooked, the vegetables were fresh, and overall I enjoyed the dish. RB's Mee Goreng ($9.75) was properly greasy. The flavor was a bit more subtle than he expected from the dish.

We did not expect too much from this little Pan Asian restaurant in Boerum Hill, but it surely satisfied our South Asian food cravings. I wish there were more options in the neighborhood, but as for now, Mai will be our delivery staple.

Home/Made 08-08-2010

Location: 293 Van Brunt St. BK
Time: 2pm
People: Rich, JT, Ava, KN, RB, CK and myself

Feelings: When brunch dishes such as french toast and eggs are not warm, they usually taste unpleasant. A thoughtful friend, Rich brought brunch from Home/Made in Red Hook, I was blown away by the amazing flavor despite its lukewarm temperature.

We tasted several variations of scrambled eggs: wild mushroom & Fontina, roasted tomatoes, arugula & Fontina, asparagus & goat cheese, and truffle with parmigiana reggiano. They all came with perfectly cooked and seasoned potatoes provencal with giant chunks of roasted garlic and additively hearty and crispy grilled toasts. I particularly enjoyed the eggs with roasted tomatoes, which was tangy and sweet. As the tomatoes burst in my mouth, the silky, featherlight eggs took me to the protein rich palate heaven. The eggs were from local Red Hook chickens, and I could really taste the freshness. I wondered what Red Hook chickens look and act like-- perhaps they all reside in artist lofts, befriend lobsters and shop at Ikea all day.

We finished the brunch with even less warm french toast. It was citrus dipped brioche bread, topped with sauteed apples and shiso. The bread was still fluffy inside, and it was not exceedingly sweet or sticky. The shiso went surprisingly well with the subtle sweetness, and it opened up my palate horizon.

If the brunch was this exceptional an hour after they cook, can you imagine how amazing it must be when you dine at the restaurant? Although I would have to trek to Red Hook, brunch at Home/Made might be worth the trip. There is always the 61 bus, and I should salvage the key lime pie before the summer ends anyway.

Oaxaca 08-06-2010

Location: 251 Smith St. BK
Time: 6pm
People: MGru, ALev, TrishP, PMont, LauraM, JLam, SamShady, RB, CK and myself

Feelings: Some people think just because I am on maternity leave, I have tons of time on my hands to fritter away. On the contrary, I have absolutely no time to go outside to get food for myself. Thankfully, our thoughtful friends came to visit our newborn, CK with tons of food for this hungry new mum. MGru and LauraM were especially kind enough to ask what food I might have been craving, and upon requests, MGru brought tacos and LauraM with several tasty salty snacks.

The fish tacos and poblano & potato tacos came from Oaxaca on Smith Street, and both kinds came with pickled onions, cilantro, avocado and lime. They were both quite tasty, but I especially enjoyed the potato tacos, which I have never tried before. This carb overloaded taco hit on some great texturey notes with the softness of the potatoes and the crunchiness of pickled onions.

As I mentioned to MGru, Oaxaca's tacos might not be authentic, but they are a perfect addition to BoCoCa area and its post hipster clientele. The flavor fits the profile of Smith Street restaurant scene very well, and everyone needs at least one tasty taco joint in the neighborhood.

For dessert, ALev and TrishP brought lemon ginger cookies and meringues cookies with pistachio from Grandaisy. Ginger is my most favorite flavor, and with a kick of citrus, it created the best flavor that ever existed in the cookie world. No wonder this is also ALev's favorite cookie. Meringues cookies were gentle and light enough for my stomach with lactose issues while still scrumptious and satisfying. Luckily, RB works right near Grandaisy's downtown location, so hopefully he will pick them up some more for this hungry mum.

Ted and Honey 07-31-2010

Location: 264 Clinton St. BK
Time: 1pm
People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: I instantly fell in love with small but serene Cobble Hill Park when we first moved to the neighborhood a year ago. I used to be annoyed by all the strollers and crying babies that occupied the park, but ironically a year later, we have become one of them. Nowadays, it is the place for us to be on weekends with iced coffee in our hands from Ted and Honey, conveniently located right next to the park.

Ted and Honey is a quaint little neighborhood coffee shop, and the line is always quite long. Whether we go on weekends or weekdays, it is always crowded. The prices are high, and the service is very slow in a crunchy sort of way, but they use only the quality local organic ingredients and serve delicious coffee and home made baked goods along with eclectic sandwich menu. Upon ordering food, however, you might want to make sure that you would not mind waiting for at least 20-30 minutes. Enough time for a nice stroll around the park.

We waited for RB's breakfast burrito for quite some time. We waited for such a long time that when we actually got the burrito, it was past breakfast time. It was voluminous and tasty but the ratio of tortilla to the filling was off. It was a bit too much of tortilla without enough filling. The beans were deliciously al dente, eggs were well cooked, and the salsa fresco was fresh and harmonized the overall flavor of the burrito. However, we do not recommend ordering this if you are having a nice relaxing day at the park since it's incredibly messy and would require a bib upon consuming. RB was left with more mess than our one month old CK.

The two homemade muffins we ordered, one with dark chocolate and banana and the other with blueberry, were scrumptious and had a very good texture. They were both carefully sweet and complimented our iced coffee. I especially enjoyed the big banana chunks and dark chocolate chips.

We hope to go back to Ted and Honey next weekend and try more of their baked goods. And if we have more time, RB will try their famous "Redneck Wrap"(wrap with cheddar cheese grits, eggs and ham).