Come on down to Congee Village

Congee Village
100 Allen Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 941-1818
www.congeevillagerestaurants.com

Congee Village is one of those places that we have been going to for a while for fast and yummy Cantonese food. During the dinner rush and weekends, it is crowded and noisy with families and big groups. It is open till fairly late (around 2 am), which is great after a night of carousing about town. The location, on the outskirts of Chinatown, means that it fairly easy to find parking.

The specialty is of course congee, or rice porridge. Congee is typical breakfast fare in China. Unlike the Philippine version (arroz caldo) which employs a lot of garlic, ginger and chicken, congee is not as seasoned and is thicker and starchier.

Small bowl of seafood congee. It is served bubbling in an open clay pot and is very hot-hot-hot! Try not to burn your tongue!

The menu is your typical Cantonese, with a lot of familiar dishes--- seafood (including frog legs), meats, chicken, veggies, rice and noodle dishes. There are also set meals for family-style dining, if you are so inclined to splurge (shark's fin soup, anyone?). We ordered the fried bread with milk dipping sauce and it was all gobbled up before I could take a picture.

Mixed mushrooms in oyster sauce. This was quite yummy, and so full of umami. There were button, enoki and shitake, if I remember correctly.


Young chow fried rice.

I was able to snap a picture of this last piece of scallion pancake before it disappeared. This was a light and delish appetizer.

Fried pork ribs. Yes, they are unapologeticaly fatty. Why else would you get them?

Fried squid. These are battered and fried, so they tend to be rather greasy. The best part is the fried little garlic bits that fall to the bottom.

As you can see, we kind went overboard on the fried stuff, no wonder were quite gassy the next day. Next time, we will order more veggie dishes.

Tomo's Cuisine

Tomo's Cuisine
113 Route 23 South
Little Falls, NJ 07424
(973) 837-1117

Tomo's is one of those hidden gems in suburbia where the food is unexpectedly good, you wonder why there isn't a bigger buzz around it. It's a pretty good bet for those times when schelpping into the city is just not feasible. What is extra special about Tomo's is that their offerings go beyond your typical sushi and sashimi joint. They have lovely little apps, grilled fare, and even some home-style dishes.

Tomo's is a very tiny place, maybe about ten tables in all, so there can sometimes be a wait. Best bet is to go before or at the tail end of the dinner rush. They have a BYOB policy, which is nice.

These pictures were taken a while back and were floating in cell phone memory limbo until DJKung was able to retrieve them.

House salad. I recall that this was a mix of watery iceberg and possibly greenleaf lettuce. The ginger sauce was tangy and tasty.

Hmmm. This may have been simmered pork belly in soy sauce, a typical home style dish.

Veggie tempura. From what I remember, it was sweet potato, green beans, okra. It was nice, although our preference is for panko-breaded, as opposed to battered, tempura.

Grilled sardine. Yes, this was pretty fresh that day. Grilling brings out the wonderful briny fish flavor. Yummm. This would've been great with some beer, but we did not have any.

Baked oysters.

I am not sure if this was hamachi (yellowtail tuna), which we like to get. We cleaned off the meat from this one, for sure.

Toro sushi and eel hand roll. DJKung and I were not too impressed by the toro, which was quite lean.

Best ever 'cue at Bourbon BBQ

Bourbon BBQ
529 Goffle Road
Wyckoff, NJ 07181
(877) 774-7427 (77-4-RIBS)
www.bourbonbbq.com

After a pleasant browsing experience at Then & Now, we went to this very unasuming BBQ joint on Wyckoff Road, practically in the middle of nowhere, entirely on a whim. DJKung was hungry and there were literally no other places that we knew of in this mostly residential area. UFC agrees that this has been our best find in a looong time.

The menu is certainly very intriguing, and they have catering too, which they seem to do a very brisk business in. While waiting for our order, we noticed their delivery truck with the chef and sous chef (DJKung said that he could tell from their jackets, who knew) loading trays and trays of food. DJKung then eavesdrops on the boss' instructions to the two young men behind the counter:

CHEF TALKING TO STAFF IN A MOBSTER/GODFATHER VOICE: "So what you do is take the order, take the money, and give the food. Take the order, take the money, and give the food.... Anyone give you any trouble, just kick 'em out. Anyone give you any trouble, just kick 'em out."

Then the chef and sous chef leave. The place was pretty quiet by then, because it was a very nice Saturday afternoon (4-ish) before the dinner rush.

We entertained ourselves by admiring the two (expensive) smokers and the various rubs, sauces and bbq accoutrements on display for sale. The decor was very pit-stop-meets-a-60's midwestern diner-in-the-middle-of-nowhere look. From the rolls of paper towels propped up on each table, the very smoky spice mix from the shakers, and the thin-and-spicy barbeque sauce on the tables, we were convinced that this was a SERIOUS place. And so it was.

French fries and the ribs appetizer with onion rings. Frankly, DJKung was quite rapturous about how this was THE BEST barbeque he'd ever had. Even his dad stated that it was "good" (which meant it was excellent).

The barbeque here is made Southern-style, but we were not sure of the provenance. Kentucky and I think Tennessee were thrown out by some of the review articles posted on the walls. The ribs are prepared much wetter (and messier) than at RUB, fall-off-the-bone tender, with a nice smoke ring. DJKung stated that it the ribs at Bourbon were on par with the burnt ends at RUB, which if I recall correctly, was one of the more specialty dishes.

The onion rings were just dang good... fried to perfection and with no sogginess at all. The onion taste was all there too.

Blackened salmon wrap.

I was not hungry at all, but to be a good sport, I got the blackened salmon wrap. And finished it all. The salmon was prepared on the dry side, and was hauntingly sweet, smoky and spicy. It came with some greens and a kick-ass remoulade. It was just WOW. The pickles were soggy.

DJKung remarked that it was rally cool that this place only served RC colas, which gave Bourbon extra nostalgia points. Not a lot of places carry RC anymore, and it fit in with the whole "back in the days" feel of Bourbon.

DJKung and I agreed that this place was much more than meets the eye. From the two dishes we've had, there were just too many special little touches that really place the cooking here to gourmet stuff. From rooting around on the internets, we notice that the chef here is/was affiliated with a fancy-pants restaurant in nearby Ridgewood, which explains the little classical cooking details.

With the value and quality 'cue that we had this day, we've added Bourbon BBQ to SUPPERROTATION status. We cannot wait to try more.

Bengali Sweets House

Bengali Sweets House
836 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(210) 798-9240

www.bengalisweet.com

After our foray to Paratha Junction, we were in the mood for some coffee and sweets to round off our eatin' adventures. Across the street was Bengali Sweets House, and yes, they do serve coffee and masala chai.

It appeared that most of the business here is take-out, especially since giving sweets is a very auspicious tradition among Asians. The dining area was not as presentable as Paratha's, and on the whole, it felt a bit tired.

We picked a few things and ordered two masala chai. The tea came out piping hot, and it was creamy and nicely spiced.

Here's the little tableau of the sweets we got:

Clockwise from top: (I know I'm butchering this) multichu ladu kalku, which was a very popular sweet according to the man behind the counter; mango barfi, a milk sweet with mango creme on top; pista barfi, with pistachios. I forgot the name of the round yellow balls.

Our taste buds were not calibrated to the heightened sugar levels found with these desserts. Good thing the chai was not too sweet, so they went perfectly together. DJKung's fave were the yellow balls, which reminded me of couscous flavored with cardamom. I liked the barfi, which is a milk sweet that's very much like Philippine pastillas. The multichu was super-super-super-sweet.

Stop by at Paratha Junction

Under food:

Paratha Junction
779 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201) 553-1555

There is a little strip in Jersey City where it is bustling with that South Asian flavor, most specially on weekends. It is Newark Avenue, and one Saturday, me, DJKung and his dad made our maiden voyage to this area. There are a lot of cash and carry places, but nothing as big as the ones you find in the Iselin-Edison area of New Jersey.

After looking at the various storefronts, we decided on Paratha Junction. We've never had parathas before and were eager to try them. According to their menu, parathas are flatbreads usually made with whole wheat flour, pan fried, and stuffed with veggies.

Paratha Junction is a smart-looking place with a narrow eating area. That day, it was filled mostly with young people and some couples. It is quite small, perhaps seating around twenty, and sometimes there can be a wait, as the parathas are always made fresh to order. To while away the time, we watched an Indian gameshow on their flat screen tv.

The menu has some tandoori specials, veg and non-veg curries, parathas (of course) and some biryanis. The prices were quite reasonable. We also noticed that they are open 24 hours, which is great when you're getting the midnight munchies but just don't want to schlep into the city.

Onions and chilis for extra spice.

For our app, I got the paneer tikka masala (the orange thingies are the cheese/paneer). This was prepared on the dry side, with plenty of green peppers. It came out on a sizzling platter and was very aromatic.

Fish paratha. This was excellent, and was not in the least bit greasy. There was plenty of flavorful fish bits inside, and the paratha was light, with a good chew, and springy. This went very well with the green sauce and the tamarind sauce.

DJKung and his dad had the combo meals, which are available for lunch only. On left is the mutton (goat) curry, and on the right is the chicken curry. This comes with a bowl of rice, as pictured.

Close-up of the mutton curry. DJKung's dad liked it, but felt that it was a bit too spicy/hot for his taste. Their masala is pretty earthy and tasted like home cooking. Yum. The fresh chilis and onions really rounded out the flavor.

Chicken curry. DJKung liked this curry a lot. It had a lot of flavor and, like the mutton, was a very generous serving.

Yes, we really liked this place a lot and would come back soon, most likely on an off hour to keep our wait to a minimum. We highly recommend the parathas.

People-watchin' at Pastis

Pastis
9 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10014
(212) 989-4844



We never gave much thought to this place, thinking that it was just another one of those to-see-and-be-seen kinda restaurants. Especially given its location, smack dab in the middle of the Meatpacking District. I think we finally ended up here out of curiosity, and also to try something new. We tried to squeeze in dinner before DJ Spinna's party downtown (it's on Thurdays).

The decibel level inside Pastis was quite frankly deafening, like everyone was excited to be there. It has a very handsome interior, like your typical Parisian brasserie, with a gorgeous bar, big mirrors, and dainty little tables. We got a seat outside, which was what we were hoping for. It was fun people watching and remarking on how trendy everybody else seemed to be.

Pastis' drinks menu looks great, with plenty of old fashioned continental drinks--- champagne cocktails, liqueurs, and I think I even saw absinthe. Food-wise, everything seems rather tame and a touch touristy.

Of course, I was gearing up for boogie mode, which you cannot do on a full stomach, so I settled on some apps.

Eastern oysters (I think these were Kumamoto). They were fresh and had a very metallic taste. Washed this down with some beer (Steppenweiss?).


DJKung's app was a mesculun salad and potatoes topped with goat cheese (he is a big fan of goat cheese). The vinaigrette was tangy. This was excellent.

I got a tomato tart for my main. The crust was really buttery and flaky, which was not what I expected. The tomatoes were ok, not too flavorful (tomatoes were not yet in season when we went).

DJKung ordered the cheesesteak. He loved-loved-loved this sandwich and exclaimed that this was THE BEST he'd ever had. The steak came from good cuts of excellent beef, with lots of onions and guyere cheese. The mayo was nice and creamy, and the shoesting fries (see how much they gave!) were crispy, potato-ey and seasoned just right.

SUPERFATTY: So you're saying it's better than Indigo Deli (in Mumbai) ?

DJKUNG: Yeah... I could see what Indigo was trying to do, and they don't come close.

SUPERFATTY: Whattabout Pat's? Or Geno's (both in Philly)

DJKUNG: Blows 'em out of the water.

SUPERFATTY: Wow. I'm not sure I believe you.

Apple tart with a cream sauce. This was likewise very buttery, and a bit on the sweet side. I decided to splurge and try the raspberry eau de vie (I love that name!) and it was definitely quite interesting. The smell (and the taste, to be honest) is very off-putting, like inhaling distilled alcohol, but it leaves an amazing ghost of a raspberry aftertaste.

DJKung was all for placing Pastis on our rotation. I am inclined to agree, but I think we should try more of their offerings. For the hype, we were quite pleased with the food so far.

Chillin' at the Island (Restaurant)

Island Restaurant
1305 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10128
(212) 996-1200


I had tried out this cozy spot with some coworkers recently and we all liked the food (me-dainty & yummy smoked salmon sandwich; A-excellent pressed turkey sandwich; V-seared tuna over salad, which was requested medium-rare but came out well done, although credit to the kitchen, they did rectify this).

I was back a couple of weeks later with DJKung and his dad, who were in the city to decompress after a busy morning settling the quarter's property taxes at City Hall. We all deserved a little relaxation.

Island has a very tropical, vacation getaway flavor, with a lot of maritime accents. We got a table by the sidewalk for some people- and doggie-watching (the restaurant is a block away from Central Park, so a lot of furs pass by).

Iceberg salad with blue cheese. The picture does not do a good job of capturing the sheer heft of this lettuce wedge. I cannot tell if DJKung finished this salad because it was so good, or because he hadn't eaten all day.

Superfatty's red snapper sandwich. The snapper was crispy, although a tad dry. The dressing was quite snappy, but there was just not enough of it (shoulda asked for extra).

DJKung got the black Angus burger. He said that it was ok, nothing special. He did remark that the burger, including the bread, was on the oily side. He proceeded to give the bread a little poke, and so it was. I am not sure where the extra oil was from, because it did not look like it was from the burger. The fries were spectacularly ordinary.

DJKung's dad got the fried calamari, since he had snacked on a pastry before I got out of work. The squid was tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside, with zero flavor. Tasted like it came out of a jumbo industrial bag, like the fries.

You might ask why, despite the lackluster food this time, we've decided to keep it on the list. DJKung admitted that he liked it. My experience has been mixed. Nevertheless, the vibe here is pretty relaxed (bear in mind that it is summer, so it is very slow in these parts), and it's a great place for a long, leisurely lunch. With plenty of gawking thrown in.

Brazilian Buffet @ Brasilia Restaurant

Brasilia Restaurant
132 Ferry Street
Newark, NJ 07105
(973) 465-1227



The Ironbound section in Newark has been on our radar for quite a while, but we typically end up here when there is a family function to attend. We'd usually end up at the same Portugese restaurant which serves the same underseasoned meats and seafood.





This time aroud, DJKung and I have been on a hunt for a down home por quilo joint, similar to the places we've tried in Fortaleza and Salvador. The Brazilian por quilo is similar in concept to the many American-Chinese-Italian-sushi smorgasboard that you get around here. The selection is usually skimpier, however, the dishes are much tastier and the barbeque is more sublime. The first por quilo joint we had tried out was literally smoking from all the grilling that was going on, and you can smell that they have perfected their own style of barbeque. That is the kind of place that we are in the hunt for.




The first time we visited Brasilia was on a rather late Saturday evening. The restaurant was already pretty quiet. We sat by their bar and perused the blackboard specials, which seemed reasonable.

Can't go wrong with some guarana. DJKung lived on this stuff on our Brazilian trip a few years back. Guarana is an indigenous fruit that looks like eyeballs. DJKung swears that this drink makes his *boys* tingle. No seriously, he gets very perky and animated after this drink. It does have some natural stimulant properties (see Red Bull ingredients list).

I decided to get the fish, and DJKung got the bean stew special. Both were just plain good, no-frills homestyle food. They were about $7 each, and we had plenty of leftovers.

Fish special. This is a saute of bacalao (salt cod), onions, potatoes and olives. It was prepared on the dry side, and went very well with the rice.

Feijoada. This is perhaps one of most popular dishes in Brazil. It is a stew of black beans and a hodgepodge of meats, simmered for a long time till the meat is fall-off-the bone tender. Served with greens and rice.

We liked Brasilia that we came back a few days later, this time with DJKung's pops. We grabbed a table this time. (You can only get the daily specials if you sit at the bar).

DJKung opted for the barbeque special. DJKung's pops and I gravitated towards the buffet. At first glance, the selection looked rather paltry. In truth, this was not such a big deal with the por quilo places we have tried in the past, because the food had been phenomenal. In any event, Brasilia had your typical cold items. The warm items included some tough-looking short ribs, fried fish, yellow and white rice, eggplant parmesan and pureed squash.

Superfatty's first course from the cold buffet. Clockwise from top: mystery dish (shredded chicken?), boiled carrot and steamed asparagus, some lettuce, shedded cabbage salad, tomato and olives, some white cheese. They were ok, nothin' to write home about.





DJKung's barbeque special. This came with sausage, chicken, pork loin, a small piece of steak and several sweet fried bananas. Served with white rice and a little salad. DJKung was underwhelmed by the barbeque, as the meats were not marinated and lacked that distinctive Brazilian barbeque flavor. Some pieces sat too long on the grill and were tough and dry.

Superfatty's warm course. The yellow rice was ok. The fish (either scrod or cod) was very fresh, tender and juicy. The pureed squash (not pictured) was sweet and nutty. DJKung's dad liked the fish and squash a lot.

Brazilia is a nice local joint where you can have a hearty meal while watching futbol and chillin' with your mates. They do not serve alcohol, although it is BYOB. DJKung and I agreed that the daily specials are definitely the way to go. The buffet is ok, so long as you are not expecting a tremendous selection. As for the barbeque, the hunt goes on.

Mystery Peruvian Joint in Paterson

Mystery peruvian joint
Paterson, NJ

While browsing through some old pictures, we came across these images taken last winter while dining at this mystery peruvian joint in Paterson --- we've coined it as such simply because we couldn't remember where it was exactly, or what its name was. All we know was that around the corner, there was a modest middle eastern grocery store.

This mystery joint was much larger than your average latin american eatery in these parts. It was pretty hooked up too, with a bar on one side, leather-type banquettes and a big flat-screen telly. It was not too busy, although interestingly, one table had a german couple--- tourists, from the look of them. Which was odd because this place was really really off the beaten track.

The food was pretty solid, although we must admit that with jaime's and el-F almost at our doorstep, it's unlikely that we'd venture this far out for peruvian fare.

Chicken soup. The broth was excellent and full of real chicken flavor. It's topped with bits of cilantro and starchy corn kernels. This was great on a cold winter day.


Fish saltado with rice. The fish is fried crisply then tossed with french fries a tomato-and-onion saute. It was very savory and quite hearty. Not many places make it this good.

Lomo saltado. Beef strips cooked in the same manner as above. DJKung felt that the fish was much better.

This mystery place ain't all bad ... we've agreed to revisit when we find ourselves in the area again.