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.

South India: Goa: La Plage

La Plage


Ashvem, North Goa





The guests at Siolim House raved about this place, a French fusion joint that has the reputation of being the best restaurant in the whole of Goa. UFC is a bit leery of fusion food in general, but we gave it a shot. La Plage lived up to the hype.





To get there, you need to either get on your scooter or grab a cab ride, because it is quite removed from the town center of Ashvem. Supposedly, the beaches at Ashvem are quieter and low-key, but we found quite a few more tourists here than at Arambol. With the tourists, of course, you also get the sarong sellers, the massage offers, and the like. The beach has clean white sand and strong surf.

Plenty of beach huts about. This one is right outside La Plage.

More beach huts.

La Plage was bigger and livelier than we expected. Our first visit was on a Sunday, and the place was packed. The decor is very cool-casual, with tents, lamps and beach chairs and festive beach music. We snagged a low table with a view of the beach and ordered some beer and apps.

Sardine fillets with pickled ginger, wasabi chantilly and white radish salad. Wow. It reminded us quite a bit of pickled herring. The radish salad had apples, cucumber and lemongass. It had some bite. The chantilly was light, fluffy and was spicy-cool. Very interesting group of textures.



Calamari salad was fresh, tender, and a bit salty. It went well with King's beer. Fresh uncooked green salads are rarely seen in the traditional Indian meal, so I was happy to see a lot of greens in this dish.

So far, we were very impressed.

Grilled fillet of beef with pepper sauce, sauteed potatoes and braised carrots. DJKung loved this dish, having gone without beef in the last few days. It was prepared French-style, with no frills. The meat was not too gamy and cooked perfectly. The potatoes were very flavorful, and tasted like they were fried in the beef drippings.

Grilled red snapper fillet with basil butter sauce, sauteed zucchini and basmati rice. The fish was superfresh, nicely seared on the outside and tender inside. These guys are serious with their barbecue.

On a second trip, we decided to just linger there and order as we felt.

Veggie tempura. Also great with beer.

Mussels in coconut curry sauce. The sauce was harsh and rather disappointing, because the curry tasted like it came from a bottle, instead of being freshly made. It did not go too well with the mussels, which were fresh, small and sweet.

Stuffed manicotti with baby asparagus. Very refreshing.

This is the local fur that lounged with us at Ashvem. It was fun watching the doggies take a dip in the water whenever it got too warm.

Whoa, that's one superfatty belly!!! That's La Plage's entrance at the background.

I want more beef!

La Plage is simply great food with an unbeatable location and a chill vibe. We highly recommend this restaurant. If you go, do not miss their barbecues.

The meanest "Monkey Bread" this side of the Hudson River

Bathazar Bakery

214 South Dean St

Englewood, NJ 07631

Tel: 201-503-9717

Fax: 201-503-9721

http://www.balthazarbakery.com/

Fig tart --- almost didn't make it home!

This bakery is a jewel in an unassuming building in the Englewood industrial area. Upon entering, we were surprised at how big this bakery was; the workers (separated from the bakery by a big glass window) were working with large masses of dough!



Balthazar had a nice offering of artisanal bread and tarts. We picked an assortment to try out. The pan au chocolat was crusty and had nice chunks of dark chocolate; it would've been great with a nice warm cup of milk. DJKung picked the monkey bread, a balanced and hearty cinnamon roll (like an urban version of a cinnabon). The tarts were really inviting and we got two. The fig tart (above) was excellent---flaky crust, ripe succulent fruit and a lightly sweet cream filling to bring it together. The fig tart was equally tasty.

Yes, it is the same Balthazar as that hot spot in the Village. And yes, the goodies aren't at your suburban supermarket bakery prices. Then again, Monkey bread is rare in these parts...