Been to Binh Duong Yet?

Under food:

Binh Duong Restaurant
61 1/2 Belleville Ave.
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(973) 680-8440

Binh Duong has been a mainstay of the Ultimate Fun Club's SUPERROTATION for its tasty and filling pho. The location is excellent too, and you can shop for Asian groceries and produce at nearby East West Supermarket.

On our last visit, DJKung and I got the pho. Ozzie Wan and her posse tried a few dishes too.

Garnishes for pho. Counterclockwise from top: fresh bean sprouts, lime slices, jalapeno slices, basil. Sometimes they also have this long-leaved and serrated herb that tastes like a funkier version of cilantro. I favor a lot of bean sprouts and basil, while DJKung likes lime and a lot of Siricha pepper sauce (in background).


Thai iced tea. Forgot to rotate this picture. I did not get to try this, but everyone agreed it was refreshing.

For apps, we ordered vegetarian goi cuon (fresh spring rolls) and fried squid.

In foreground: crispy squid. It is dipped in batter and fried, and does not come with sauce. It is way lighter and more tender than your average calamari. Sometimes they provide a dry roasted salt-and-pepper dip.
In background: vegetarian goi cuon. This comes with a peanut dip, although I like to spoon hoisin sauce in too.

House special pho. This comes with a variety of cuts of beef and is very filling. We have always been satisfied with the stock that their kitchen makes.

Fish ball soup. The broth is much lighter because you do not get a lot of the beefy heft and flavor with actual meat cuts in the soup. Great for those chilly days, or if you're feeling under the weather!

Ozzie Wan's crew ordered the vegetarian fried rice, string beans in garlic sauce and fried noodles with vegetables. I cannot be too descriptive because I did not get to try them---I was too occupied with my soup. They did say that everything was good.

Vegetarian fried rice. It comes with carrots, peas, broccoli and baby corn.

String beans with garlic sauce.

Mixed veggies over fried noodles.

The Eagle has Landed!!!

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El Aguila Restaurant
Main Avenue and Monroe Street
Passaic, NJ
(862) 591-1863


The Ultimate Fun Club is pleased to share with our loyal readers this awesomest Mexican joint in the heart of Passaic, NJ. It is so smokin' new that it is barely mentioned in the online directories! This place is seriously good, and UFC agrees this is the best Mexican we have had (outside of Mexico/San Diego, that is).

"Aguila" is the Spanish word for eagle. The Passaic area in general has a large influx of Central and South American immigrants and it seems that a lot of the restaurants that cater to this population have a mish-mash of cuisines on their menus. El Aguila, however, definitely is Mexican solamente. We were particularly impressed at how confident and solid their menu was. I suspect that this may be an overseas branch of a Mexican fast food chain, but could not find anything online to confirm this.



This complex includes a supermarket, a small bakery section and a fast food-style restaurant. We were too hungry to check out the supermarket.

The menu is quite overwhelming to us, as we did not recognize a lot of the items, apart from "tacos", "platillos" and "empanadas." We took our time ordering.

Fresh squeezed juices at the counter. The pina was popular, so we got it.



Hot food counter. You can point to these when ordering your platter, which comes with rice and beans. On this day, the chicken soup looked really good. The most striking thing we saw were goat skulls atop a platter.

Behind the counter, the workers were busily chopping meat and assembling tacos, burritos and hot plates.

While deciding, we also checked out their tortilla-making machine that was cranking them out as fast as it can. A steady stream of customers were picking up bags of tortillas.

Another section that we overlooked before ordering was their tortas and grill section. They make nice toasty sandwiches to order, with tomatoes and avocados. Defintiely a must try on our next visit.

In the end, we opted for a fried fish platter for me, and a platillos del dia and a carnitas burrito for DJKung. We were told that he could pick among the hot items on display, so he ordered the mole poblano chicken. Alas, churros were not available after 11am! After paying, we got a numbered receipt, and they call your number out.

Note the size of the fried red snapper (fried to order). It must be at least two pounds. I was only able to finish one side (the other side made great fried fish fried rice the next day). The fish was fresh, and was cheap considering its size. The rice was delicately seasoned, though a tad oily. The beans were divine; definitely from scratch, and definitely how refried beans should taste like. Everything tasted brighter with the chili sauce and pickles that you can add from the condiment section.




Too bad the picture for this mole poblano platter came out blurry. We were too hungry since we'd gone hiking that morning. DJKung proclaimed it "the best mole" he had ever had outside of Mexico. The sauce was dark, smoky and luxuriant (luxurious?)---great for sopping up with some tortillas. Fresh tortillas are waaaaay lighter and tastier than the supermarket version!

DJKung, too, was only able to eat half of his plate. Once we got home, the furs declared the rice and chicken as "simply divine." The carnitas burrito were savored later in the evening and still tasted fresh. It was a very generous portion as well.

Based on this visit, it is easy to forsee that this will be a favorite for a long time to come. We have to make it there for breakfast one of these days and get the churros.

El Aguila is also open 24 hours, which will be a great option on those late empty-refrigirator nights. This joint is cash-only.

Are you Game for Gam mee ok?

Under Food

Gam mee ok Restaurant
485 Main Street
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
(201) 242-1333

This restaurant always intrigued us. It is in low-slung striking modern-looking building with a lot of glass, and shielded by bamboo plants. The parking lot is always full no matter what time of day it is, AND this place is open 24 hours. DJKung's been hankering for some Korean food, and so we went.

Interestingly enough, the place is actually smaller than it looks. The menu is straight-up Korean fare, and a lot of pork. I must say, this cuisine respects---nay, reveres pork, which was present in different forms on the menu.

Of course, the meal starts off with some kimchi. They bring out a metal pot of kimchee (cabbage and radish), and snip it into bite-sized pieces with a pair of scissors.

Kimchee in center. It was pretty good, and the spice/fermentation was not too heavy. Other items: top left: napa cabbage leaves and long green peppers for pork soup; vinegar-soy dip for pork legs Bottom right: two sauces for pork soup.

I ordered the pork noodle soup. The broth was very porky, a bit on the bland side. You're supposed to garnish it with chopped scallions and salt (available at the table),the napa cabbage leaves and the long green peppers. And the sauce. I'm afraid I overdid the salt this time and could not finish it. Next time, I'll be more careful.

Pork noodle soup. Notice the milky broth. DJKung got the same thing, except that his came with tendons. The kitchen was extremely generous with the tendons, which were gelatinous and filling.

DJKung also ordered the sliced pork hocks. It looks like the pork hocks are boiled for a long time to tenderize the connective tissue, then cooled and sliced. DJKung was in pork heaven after a few bites. "Amazing," said he.

Sliced pork hocks, with a little salad of greens, peppers and garlic. This was a popular item on the menu.

Other interesting dishes we espied from other tables include the kalbi ribs and bimimbap, which we shall be trying at another time. Gam mee ok also has some sochu on hand, which we shall try too!

Always happenin' at Jaimito's!

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Jaimito's
389 Lexington Avenue
Clifton, New Jersey 07011
(973) 546-2549

Jaimie's, as we fondly refer to this place, serves awesome homestyle rib-stickin' Chinese-Peruvian food. It has been a mainstay of our rotation for quite a long time.

The Clifton-Passaic area has seen an influx of Peruvian immigrants the last couple of years or so. A lot of Peruvian restuarants have sprouted up in the area to cater to the increased demand. Jaimie's predates most of 'em, and still brings in the crowds. The space is pretty small, but over the years, they have updated their decor. This week, we notice that they have a flat screen tv now!

Apart from the dishes we picked this evening, our top picks also include pollo a la brasa, fried maduros (sweet bananas), lomo soltado (stir-fried steak with tomatoes and potatoes) and papa a la huanica (potatoes and chili-spiced cheese). I swear there are quite a few more on our roster, but I forget them at the moment.

For some reason, we do not seem to order the Chinese entrees as much. Which is really too bad because the kitchen makes those dishes Chinatown-style.

This evening, we got seco de res, tacu-tacu and jalea.
Jalea. It's a healthy-sized mound of fried shrimp, fried white fish (whiting?), fried squid, fried mussels and half of a crab. This comes with a red onion salad and a roasted potato. The mussels and crab are not always fresh, and I think they add it there just for looks. The squid and fish comprise majority of the dish and are deftly fried and crispy.
Seco de res combinado. This is beef stew cooked in a cilantro sauce, I think. Comes with a side of the onion salad, white rice and white beans. Note the house picante (pepper pesto at the upper left of photo), which is a must for this cuisine. Picante brightens the flavors of fish and meats and also adds a nice touch of heat.
Tacu-tacu. Fried rice and white beans with paprika andseasonings. I love how they give the rice a nice smoky char. Likewise excellent with picante.

Jaimie's also carries special drinks and desserts. Do try the chicha morada, a drink made from purple corn. DJKung likes the bubblegum flavor of Inca Cola. Check the counter to see if they have alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich), which they keep in a big glass jar.

Tuna Festival at Mitsuwa

Under food:

Mitsuwa Marketplace
www.mitsuwa.com
595 River Rd
Edgewater, NJ 07020
(201) 941-9113

This weekend, we headed for the Giant Tuna Festival at Mitsuwa. I belive they have this event once a year, during fall, where they have a live demonstration of how a giant tuna (400+ lb) in its whole fish form gets to the sushi- and sashimi-size that most people recognize. The process is quite an undertaking.

We arrived early for the noontime exhibition and perused the kiosk that was set up for this occasion. On hand was the already-decapitated giant tuna head, which filled a goodly sized bucket. This would make great sour fish soup, but it won't fit in our fridge.

Giant tuna head on ice. I think this was on sale for $200. This particular fish was 400lb.

To kill some time, we wandered around the supermarket area and snagged some lunch at the food court before the action started. Once a crowd started building, we hurried along to get a prime spot.

This is the body of the tuna. Some prepwork was apparently done behind the scenes (gutting and removing the head), which was probably messy. Doesn't it look like an alien pod fromthis angle?

Alas, we were a bit slow as the fish butchers (fishmongers?) had already filleted one side. One team started cutting slabs for sashimi-grade tuna already.

Sushi-grade tuna in foreground. See that nice hunk of ruby red meat he's trimming? Three grades of sushi tuna were available, from toro ($60+/llb) to lesser cuts. Even novice that I am, I could see that the marbling on the better cuts was finer and more even. I guess that's why toro is like butter in your mouth.

It was a pretty involved process trying to cut the meat as close to the bone as possible. The fish butchers had to take frequent breaks too.




The sushi that they were making fresh on the spot was limited to only three per person. The cut is not from the fatty toro part, but neverhteless, it had a very silky and unctuous feel. That's the difference that real fresh fish has!

Take me to Takahachi!!!

Under food:

Takahachi

85 Avenue A

New York, NY 10009

(212) 505-6524

http://www.takahachi.net/

This place has staying power. I remember coming here back when we when this area was rough around the edges. We were always broke back then but we wanted to still hang out "in the city"... As with all sushi joints, the size of the sushi has gotten smaller over the years, but Takahachi continues to deliver fresh, fresh fish.

I usually get the bento box. It comes with a nice array of tempura, a piece of fried salmon fillet, your choice of sushi or sashimi, a little salad, and dessert--- all very prettily arranged. The chirachi is not bad, either. DJKung prefers the beef skewers and the nabeyaki udon.

On this particular visit, we were in the mood for something different. We ordered some items from the seasonal menu.

Fried flounder. This dish is simply divine. The fillets are crispy golden on the outside, juicy on the inside. The bones are fried separately and are crunchy. Served with a citrus-soy sauce.



Fried vegetable tempura. (I think we were craving fried food that night). Their tempura is one of the best I have tried around, very light batter, very crispy, and cooked just right.


Fried shrimp. This is shrimp dipped in batter and fried, but without the panko crumbs. Nevertheless, it is light and crispy. It is served with a thin mayo-based sauce. (Yeah, I think we were really craving fried food.)

Onigiri special. Their daily special is served between 5pm and 7pm, and is a very good deal. That night, I had squid tentacles and greens (broccoli rabe?) and tuna over rice.

Sashimi platter ordered by DJKung.

If you have some spare cash and are jonesing for something new, give their tasting menu a shot. This is a five-course gustatory adventure and the dishes are impressive. We tried it some time ago, and I can no longer remember the specific things we had. There was a sorbet in the middle. And a dish of cute napoleon-like constructs of sushi in the end. Everything was very pretty and quite delish. On the other hand, if you are hungry, the dishes are tiny and not at all filling.

On a final note, the music here is quite notable for a restaurant. Not that the music is throbbing or in-your-face, but rather, it seems to match the mood. We learnt of a great band, Hauschka, from one of our visits here.

Viva Floridita!!!

Under food:



Floridita

3219 Broadway New York, NY 10027
(212) 662-0090‎
(800) 201-0090‎ - Toll Free

We ran into Floridita while trying to look for parking in the area. Floridita is in a squat industrial-looking building in a rather desolate area close to the West Side Highway. The beaten-up exterior, neon signage "Cuban diner" (intriguing!) and the double-parked row of cabs looked promising.

As promised, Floridita is a bona fide Cuban diner, of the old style kind. It felt like a true Miami joint, with a lot of regulars from the neighborhood. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by a display case of Cubanos ready to go.

The menu seems geared for breakfast, although there was a lot of dinner traffic. The daily specials looked really good. For apps, we ordered sopa de garbanzos, papas fritas, and chorizo a la plancha.

Papas fritas.



Chorizos a la plancha. DJKung found the flavor to be reminescent of the sausages he had in Spain.

Sopa de garbanzos. I'm not sure how they make the sauce bright yellow (achiote?), but it is mightily flavored with smoked pork hocks. Along with some bread and butter, this was a meal in itself.

For our main dishes, I ordered arroz con calamares and DJKung ordered oxtail with rice and beans.

Arroz con calamares. The rice is delicately flavored with squid ink and onions. It comes out in this nice metal pot, like the kind you steam rice with. The little bits of chopped squid were tender and flavorful. Overall, a slammin' dish.



Oxtail with rice and black beans (in bowl). DjKung loved the oxtail, which is fried. The beans, which I tried, was full of smoky goodness.

We were too full for dessert. They had some lovely cakes sitting at the counter (on cakestands like in old diners, instead of in a display case). I'm sure one of them was tres leches. DJKung had cafe con leche ("now that's f---in' coffee!" he remarked). It was nutty, balanced and delicious.

This was a great find, and we'll certainly be back to try the other daily specials. And the cake, too.

Fine sushi at Fuki

Under food:


Fuki Japanese Restaurant

828 Kinderkamack Road

River Edge, NJ 07661

(201) 225-0162

(201) 261-6400 (fax)


I think Fuki has been our de facto sushi joint since moving to Bergen County this year. We were really attracted to the very homey setting that this joint has---it looks like a lovely jewel in an otherwise busy suburban road. It kinda reminded us a lot of little mom-and-pop joints that we've visited when we went to Japan. Plus, this place always seemed busy, with both eat-in and take-away customers. Always a good sign.


We've only tried a few things on the menu. Most of the dishes that we've tried were simply... average.











Tempura appetizer. Two pieces of shrimp, eggplant, sweet potato and zucchini. I thought it was a bit greasy, although it's probably because I'm very partial to panko crumbs.







Nevertheless, our reason for coming back to Fuki is the sushi and sashimi for two. It comes with a roll of tekka maki (tuna) and a california roll (palate cleansers). The other sushi pieces (14) are quite fresh, and the kitchen does not skimp on the size of the pieces. The sashimi (also 14) is generous. Speaking from experience, the chirachi was not even close.









The sushi and sashimi for two comes with salad (watery iceberg with a sweet ginger sauce) and miso soup.
























Sushi and sashimi for two. The scale is really off in this picture; it is much more generous than it looks. It includes salmon sashimi, salmon sushi, yellowtail sushi, tuna sushi, eel sushi, tekka maki rolls. california rolls, yellowtail sashimi, tuna sashimi. Very filling!









We've tried other items in the menu, inlcuding the hamachi collar (yellowtail collar) and the nabeyaki udon. Like the chirachi, both left us underwhelmed. The sushi/sashimi is the best pick that we've tried so far.


Fuki is BYOB, so you can have the kitchen hold on to your favorite mega bottle of sake. They also have a loyalty program, where frequent customers get discounts.

Four paws for Palisades Interstate Park!

Under furs:

Last weekend was simply gorgeous for a field meeting for the Ultimate Fun Club. We've read that the Palisades Interstate Park is great for hiking with your furry friends, so we went to check out the hype.

Palisades Interstate Park has a lot to offer. For geology buffs, there's plenty of interesting rock formations and gorgeous cliffs. For history buffs, the park has markers where the British forces tried to pursue George Washington's troops they tried to flee Fort Lee. And for us, well, there's lot of rocks and trails to investigate.

We parked at the Alpine Boat Basin. Entrance is free, and they have picnic areas overlooking the Hudson River. Furs are allowed on the trails as long as they are leashed. It alsoo looked like camping was allowed, but we need to look into it more. Since it was already late in the season, there were not a lot of boats moored. Some kayakers, were out, though.

Of course everybody was so excited. Babams just jumped out of the car and leaped on the storm wall (trying to be like Chibby, no doubt). Unfortunately, Babams did not know that it was just water on the other side, and from his sheer momentum, promptly fell in.

Babams on the wrong side of the fence. He's the shiny-looking rock on the water. Chibby is of course is showing how to properly balance, and not fall in. DJKung was panicking, and I had to perform a daring rescue.

After the rescue. Babams was not too fazed, I think.

We were prepared with poopie bags and of course, our handy-dandy "Hudson Palisades Trails" published by the Trail Conference. We decided to take the white trail, which runs along the water, and headed south. The fall foliage was very pretty.

Babams and DJKung enjoying the hike.

Who da top dawg in Palisades?

Oddly enough, we did not run into too many hikers on the white trail. We relaxed a little bit on a nice stretch of beach and played a few rounds of fetch.

"By the powers vested in me by The Ultimate Fun Club, I claim this beach for the use of all furry animals now and in all perpetuity."

Admiring the river view.

Back on the trail.

From the Alpine Boat Basin to the end of the white trail, I'd say it took us about 45 minutes, including the rest break at the beach. The white trail was pretty flat, at the river level. Some parts were rocky, and other areas had stone steps.

We then made a right to the red trail, which zigzagged uphill, till we got to the Alpine Lookout. The official altimeter reading at the top was 560 feet.

Small lookout close to the Alpine Lookout.

The Alpine Lookout is accessible from a rest stop/parking area off of the Palisades Parkway. We encountered a lot of daytrippers and tourists from that area. The view is of the upper reaches of Manhattan, maybe Yonkers.

At the end of the red trail, we took the teal trail. This was the lengthiest part of our hike. It was a neverending single track trail that went alongside the highway. So it was unnerving to hear the cars whizzing close. What was interesting with this trail was that we passed by so many stone fences, some of which looked pretty old. DJKung pointed out that plateau farming was attempted in the area. We saw remnants of old stone retaining walls, dirt roads and waterways are visible

From the teal trail, we took the orange trail going down. It was a bit steep with a lot of loose rocks, and led right back down to the boat basin. We saw quite a few people fishing at the bottom.

Sheridan House, which is an old log house/museum, is another attraction. What's great about this cute small house is that it is completely open to visitors. You can go in, touch the furniture (but don't open anything), and gawk at how homes were like back then.

Sheridan House. I wish I took a better picture. This house has a six-foot tall ceiling, so this picture makes it look much bigger. It looks more like a dollhouse, actually. There is also an outhouse outside, and a bid hunk of rock inscripted with the date it fell from the cliff (circa 1600s).

The hike, about 8 miles, took us roughly three and a half hours. Great walk, great views... we're definitely going back!