Yumzi.3 / Uni Shooter

Uni Shooter $14
Next Door Nobu

I've discovered this strange little shot of deliciousness at Next Door Nobu, when Zazi and I dined there in celebration of her 23 years of existence. This "drink" was so unique and surprising that we had to go for a second round as dessert. Since its flavor is so challenging to describe, I've asked our waitress for the general recipe so you can sort of imagine what it tastes like:

Sea Urchin (Uni)
Momiji Radish
Scallion
Shiso Leaf
Ponzu Sauce (soy sauce, lemon, rice wine vinegar)
Raw Quail Egg
Nobu Sake

I highly recommend that you don't just imagine :)

Next Door Nobu
105 Hudson Street (@ Franklin)
(212) 334-4445

Abu Hassan Ali Karavan

First, Foodzi would like to start with a sincere apology. It’s been over a month since my last post and I, like you, am completely disappointed with myself. I’ve been vacationing in the holy land for 2 weeks and been too busy adjusting to the shitty NY weather since my return. I (sorta) promise that 2008 will be filled with rigorous restaurant testing and loads of yum recommendations. Second, Foodzi would like to welcome its readers from Poland, Canada, Spain, Australia, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, France, Finland and Malta (!!!) I have no idea how you found us but I thank you! You’re effing awesome :)

Now back to business. One peaceful Friday morning, while visiting the holy land, Zazi and I felt determined enough to rise early (11 am) and pay a visit to one of Israel’s most legendary hummus joints. Located in the picturesque Jaffa (one of the only cities in Israel where Jews and Arabs live together peacefully), Abu Hassan Ali Karavan opens its doors every Sunday-Friday from 7:45-14:45 or until there’s no more hummus left in the kitchen. There are only 2 dishes on the non-existent menu: Hummus Masbacha (hummus topped with warm cooked chick peas) and Hummus Ful (hummus topped with warm cooked fava beans). Also served are raw onions, a tangy lemon sauce and pitas as utensils.

After 10 minutes of waiting in line in the crisp ocean breeze, we were seated at one of the communal tables in the approximately 100 sf space. Both Zazi and I ordered the Hummus Ful and two “black beers” from our courteous waiter. Abu Hassan’s hummus really is as creamy and as delicious as they say. After some neighborly pressure I took it to the next level and paired it with some raw onions for that extra sensation. Honestly though (fully aware that my opinion will anger a lot of loyal fans), the hummus kinda got lost in the mix of the lemon sauce, fava beans and onion. I wish its flavor was more prominent. I guess this is just me nit-picking in a freshly-made bowl of goodness.

Bring your own napkins.

Bottom line: 93 :)

25 Shekels ($6.5)
1 Dolphin St. (on the hill)
Jaffa, Israel
+972 (3) 682-0387

Yumzi.2 / Special Salad

Special Salad $12.50
Bread

The Special Salad at Nolita’s Bread is one of my favorite salads in the city. It is made out of mesclun greens, cherry tomatoes, black and green olives, fennel*, Sicilian canned tuna and avocado and is served with their delicious house dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce. The Sicilian tuna is marinated in olive oil (as opposed to the regular canned tuna in soybean oil you’ll find at your local supermarket), which makes its elegantly flavorful. The vegetables are always super fresh and the green olives are nothing short of amazing. This salad is perfect any day of the week, but I find it to be especially lovely on a Sunday afternoon before attacking the neighborhood’s boutiques. Enjoy :)

* goodness

Bread
20 Spring St. (between Elizabeth & Mott)
(212) 334-1015

Public

Public, appearances can be deceiving

Let’s start with the good stuff. Public, the hip spot in the equally hip Nolita has a very attractive interior, which seems to be populated by an alluring, well-dressed crowd. That’s pretty much all the positive words I can muster. In my (not so humble) opinion, Public is an amateurish, pretentious and extremely over-priced restaurant. It tries too hard to be “food couture” when actually it’s closer to the Dolce & Gabbana tote I got in China Town. Surprisingly, the place is packed every night of the week. The only feasible explanation I can come up with for this weird phenomenon is that either people just don’t really understand good food or that it is packed every night with first timers like Zazi and myself.

We started with two appetizers that sounded very exciting: Cured Wild Boar (1) with garrotxa cheese, marinated olives and caper berries, and a Lentil Salad (2) with green beans, avocado, toasted pecans & baby gem with pomegranate molasses and avocado oil vinaigrette. The cured wild boar was decent. It was kinda like prosciutto covered with a thin layer of lard (I enjoy fatty things, that’s why I wasn’t appalled). The salad was okay, nothing special really that would justify its outrageous $19 price tag. I actually suspect that it was pre-made and delivered to our table straight from the refrigerator.

For entrées Zazi and I shared a Roast Lamb Sirloin (3) on crispy goat cheese polenta with saffron braised baby vegetables and harissa aioli, and Baked Cod (4) with sepia, Chinese long beans, cipollini onions, and chorizo hollandaise. Sounds delish, no? The meat, however, was dry and chewy. The seasoning was Middle Eastern with a top note of some unexpected cumin. I enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine, when I choose to eat it. The crispy goat cheese polenta, which in theory appeared intriguing, was a complete disaster. It was like eating a piece of slightly sour cardboard. The cod put on a gourmet appearance but was actually pretty bland. The sepia was tasty though. Thank god we ordered a side dish of sweet mashed potatoes with miso, which was the only “swallow-worthy” food on the table.

To accompany our meal we ordered a Mt. Difficulty 'Roaring Meg' Pinot Noir 2006 from Central Otago, New Zealand, which was medium bodied and quite nice.

For dessert we ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding with armagnac ice cream and hot caramel sauce. It was ok, but we were already biased by the time it met our palates. Since this dinner was a bit of a catastrophe, I’ve decided to order myself another drinky delight. The chef recommended pairing a Rutherglen Muscat (non-vintage) from Rutherglen, Australia with our chosen dessert. It was nothing more than aaight.

All in all Public was a waste of time, money and stomach space.

Bottom line: 64 :(

$75+
Public
210 Elizabeth St (Btwn Prince & Spring St)
212-343-7011

Yumzi.1 / Beef Marrow

Beef Marrow and Oxtail Marmalade $16.50
Blue Ribbon Brasserie

Some dishes out there can make me act faux pregnant. I'm not talking about feeling nauseous or gaining weight, but rather being attacked by gastronomical cravings and the uncontrollable need to satisfy them immediately. Those special delights, whether served at a restaurant or bought in a store, need their own spotlight. Say hello to Yumzi.

The beef marrow at Blue Ribbon’s Soho branch definitely deserves to be the dish to devirginize Yumzi. It is so absuf*%#inglutely good. What makes it so good you ask? Well, it’s fatty and decadent and when spread on toast with a dash of sea salt it’s quite sinful. It's accompanied by a slightly sweet oxtail and tomato marmalade (which I refer to as garnish). Have your cardiologist on speed dial.

Blue Ribbon Brasserie
97 Sullivan St. (between Prince & Spring Streets)
(212) 274-0404

cheezi #1

Truffle Tremor $22.99/Lbs
Cypress Grove

This dense goat cheese from Humboldt County, California is charged with a good amount of black truffles, which makes it quite naughty - yet very nice. It is über rich and creamy and thoroughly enjoyable, either with or without a starchy companion.

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker St. (between 6th & 7th Ave.)
(212) 243-3289

Kuma Inn

Kuma Inn’s façade looks like the entryway to a sketchy “massage” parlor. It’s located on the second floor of an old building in the lower east side, right above an underground Bulgarian bar that greets you with a sign that was made in power point and printed on an HP inkjet.

Born to a Filipino mom and a Thai dad, King Phojanakong, Kuma Inn’s chef and owner, developed a tapas menu inspired by his childhood upbringing. Zazi and I feasted on a bunch of mini dishes. Unfortunately, they were utterly inconsistent in quality. Therefore, I will attempt a different approach with this review and rate every dish individually. My “bottom line” will represent the average score (give or take a point or two).

1. Yellowfin tuna tartar with rice noodle crisp – 90
The tuna tartar, laid on a bed of cucumbers, was super fresh and was served chilled yet not “straight out of the fridge”. The dressing, a mix of soy sauce and sesame oil, did not overpower in flavor.

2. Pork spareribs – 88
Grilled and braised with garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and coconut milk. The marinade was lightly sweet and very well spiced. The meat, however, was a little dry.

3. Tofu – 92
Sautéed in a spicy soy and mirin sauce with Thai basil and wood ears (Chinese tree mushrooms), the tofu was an absolutely great dish. Thai basil is such a fragrant herb. The dish smelled as good as it tasted.

4. Shrimp shumai – 100
The best shrimp shumai I’ve ever had. Juicy and soft – perfect.

5. Sautéed Chinese sausages – 100
This is, by far, the best dish of the evening. Served on crispy fried onions with a Thai chili-lime dipping sauce and sticky rice. The sausage was spicy and sweet. Dipped in the chili-lime sauce it felt like my mouth was throwing the coolest party in town and I was the guest of honor. Zazi confided in our waitress and whispered; “I want to marry this sauce”. The rice took “sticky” to the next level.

6. Pan roasted ocean scallops – 65
Cooked with bacon, kalamansi (Asian lime) and sake. I was not impressed. It was too fishy. I think I’m just not a big fan of scallops in general. Also, I think the bacon was playing hide and seek with us and we were “it”.

7. Coconut and ginger panna cotta with pomegranate seeds – 100
Wow, this was magical. Airy and lightly sweetened, the coconut, ginger and pomegranate made for a great ménage à trois.

8. Coconut and lemongrass rice pudding – 55
It was bad. The texture was of rice smothered in pudding and the flavor was of a cold side dish, not dessert.

As for booze – Kuma Inn is a BYOB restaurant. This was my first BYOB experience and I must say it was kinda fun. Zazi got us a six-pack of Blue Moon. However, I much prefer having an extensive list of them tipsy-making liquids to choose from.

So, the average comes to 86. I’ll throw in 3 extra points for excellent service, nice dimmed ambiance and prompt seating. Not to mention, the beautiful Bulgarians having a smoke downstairs as you leave the restaurant. Beautiful Bulgarians - who knew.

Bottom line: 89 :)

$35, BYOB

Kuma Inn
113 Ludlow St., 2nd fl. (bet. Delancey & Rivington Streets)
(212) 353-8866