Reminiscing Savoy Bistro

I stepped out of my apartment this morning and was greeted by a nice breeze. Finally, the city was cooling down and I could already imagine how lovely the walk to work from the station would be. I was so sure it would get a little warmer in the afternoon but little did I know that it would only get much, much colder! I knew I should've kept that cardigan I initially had on but hastily threw off as I ran out the door. 

So anyway, as I sat in the office slightly freezing my butt off and--as influenced by the cloudy and chilly weather--more sluggish than ever, I suddenly remembered that great NYTimes article on nostalgia (read here) and one of my favorite quotes that I took away from it:

On cold days, or in cold rooms, people use nostalgia to literally feel warmer.

Interiors filled with famous paintings depicting traditional Filipino scenes

Savoy Bistro is housed inside an East Asian Gallery, which explains all the paintings, sculptures, and knick knacks that adorned the restaurant. This was a pre-Father's day dinner (hah!) and one of the last meals we had together as a family before I left home.

I've heard a lot about Savoy Bistro's bread. I could eat this alone and for a meal. It was that good.

Savoy cheese fondue - raclette & gruyere cheese with jam on serrano, olives, pickle, baguette

Mussels and Co - white wine and cream with sour dough multi grain bread

Tournedos Rossini - King of steaks served with pan-fried foie gras and truffle sauce

Cod special of the day 

Sole Fish Walewska in Lobster & Cognac Sauce - topped with asparagus and truffled mash potato

Irish Cream coffee to end the meal on a sweet note

I missed MNL today, but more than anything--chilly or warm weather--I miss being complete and with my family everyday! As much as I love independence, personal growth, challenges, and being more in tune with what I want and don't want in life, nothing beats being home. I'm far from being home for good--if that even happens--so for now, it's enough to know that  home will always be there for me.

Savoy Bistro
8479 Kalayaan Makati

Old and New

Not quite a themed roundup of any sort but here is some more brunch exploration around the city and a return to an old favorite...

Balaboosta

Organic green scrambled eggs - four herb eggs, quinoa hash brown
Poached organic eggs with roasted red paper hollandaise
Mediterranean sampler - hummus, tzatziki, red pepper, za'atar pita
Shakshouka - baked organic eggs in spicy tomato sauce, spinach

When people ask me what my favorite cuisine is, I give them a good two minute death stare while I simultaneously try to think of an answer yet no matter how many times I've encountered this situation, I can never come to a conclusion. I think I've finally figured it out though, and it may be mediterranean. Balaboosta is a Yiddish term meaning the perfect housewife, homemaker, and mother. The food was indeed the homey-comforting type but it was also the perfect amount of hearty and tasty. J, R, and I loved the delicious pita that came with the mediterranean sampler and were pleasantly surprised to see how literal they took 'herbed eggs.' Also, shakshouka has to be my favorite brunch item. This was the perfect late brunch that can cure any hangover and keep you so satisfyingly full until dinner time. I want to go back for the coconut brioche french toast!

Blue Ribbon Bakery Market

Fresh goat cheese with fig & walnut confit
Machego & Mexican Honey

With an extensive lineup of restaurants scattered across the city -- from its famed sushi bar and beer garden to its bakery kitchen and market, Blue Ribbon is definitely a popular name in NYC. After reading about its expansive menu of various gourmet toasts, R and I stopped by the bakery near work to grab some 'light lunch'...or so we thought. R had the goat cheese and fig toast while I settled for the manchego and mexican honey toast. The latter was like biting into heaven for me, and the former felt the exact same way for R. Maybe I'm biased but I liked the manchego toast a bit better, just because R's choice had too much goat cheese on it. The girl behind the counter even mumbled that she gave too much goat cheese...but who even complains about getting more food? Definitely a must-try!

Clinton St. Baking Co.

Blueberry buttermilk pancakes, raspberry jam, chorizo omelette

I was so excited to finally try this brunch spot because I recently became a fan of buttermilk/ricotta pancakes and this place supposedly serves crack pancakes (not actually made of crack, just in case you didn't get it...) Unfortunately, it was so, so underwhelming. At least I got to check it off my list. The pancakes were nothing to write home about (even when smothered in the warm maple butter syrup and the raspberry jam served in a huge pot). Needless to say, I'm still on the hunt for buttermilk pancakes that can rival those of Founding Farmers in DC. The same goes with the omelette. I could probably make all these myself. The sad part is whilst on the way, we walked by places like Katz's Delicatessen and Russ & Daughters, both of which are probably way better and also on my checklist.

Dhaba

Chicken Tikka Masal, Rotti & Mirchi Paneer (tossed with onions, bell peppper, and green chillies)

From my experience, impromptu and desperate restaurant decisions never really turn out to be so amazing. I've had my fair share of great indian food -- from Michelle Obama's fav in DC and my dad's fav in Tokyo -- and Dhaba was just okay. It was still comforting, though. The chicken was very tender but the paneer was quite tough. I'm looking forward to trying more indian restaurants around the city, especially this one South Indian restaurant (the name escapes me) that my roommate's been telling me about. 

Eataly 

Linguine al pesto trapanese - housemade pesto, basil, almond, garlic, chili, pecorino
Capricciosa - mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto, artichokes, olives, tomato sauce

The last time I visited Eataly--an artisanal italian food emporium directed by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich--for a meal at 9PM with L, the wait was 2 hours, so we ditched the line and went elsewhere. This time, N and I arrived at around 4PM and were called after just 20 minutes. Score. The pasta was cooked perfectly. Contrary to what people say, the pizza is actually really good. The chewy, gooey crust and fresh mozzarella were right up my alley. This is how pizza should be -- made with quality ingredients but not overwhelmingly salty, greasy, or heavy with toppings piled high. I think the reason a lot of people say Eataly pizza is not the 'real deal' is because they compare it to the indulgent pizzas from brooklyn/the bronx or the likes of artichoke and joe's. I've never been to Naples but I have a feeling real Neapolitan pizza is the kind that is light and does not make your stomach bloat after one slice. Overall, Eataly is still a concept that never ceases to amaze me and I return time and again for its lavazza coffee (and secretly to see if I'll be lucky enough to stumble into Joe or Mario when they do visit).

Ilili

Brussel Sprouts - fig jam , walnuts, mint yogurt, grapes
Tuna Belly - avocado mousse, barberry chutney, radish

I am eternally craving ilili. I love ilili to no end and I honestly don't know what I'll do when I leave NYC and lose the privilege of having it within walking distance when the craving kicks in. I don't even know how many times I've eaten here and how many friends I've converted but I've found heaven in the form of ilili's brussel sprouts. Everytime I go, I make sure to try something new -- whether it be a drink or a dish -- and this time it was the tuna belly, which was extremely tasty! R and I went for lunch one day and opted for a light meal, but with the two dishes combined, it was still very filling.

And finally, one last...

Locanda Verde

Spaghetti All' Amatriciana (pancetta and pecorino romano)
Breakfast stromboli (poached eggs, fennel sausage, spinach & stracciatella)
Hazelnut crusted french toast (sour cherries and mint)
Uovo Modenese (cotechino hash spinach and tomato hollandaise)

Complimentary onion bread (so yum!)
Lemon ricotta pancakes - blueberries & meyer lemon curd
Crispy whole grain waffle - strawberries, basil, mascarpone crema
Sheep's milk ricotta - truffle honey & burnt orange toast

Locanda Verde is a discovery I thank the Gods for. I decided to bring JZ (if you're reading this, here's your special name!) here along with R, J, and Q for sunday brunch.  As per usual, the sheep's milk ricotta was amazing. With every bite, just as you taste the sourness and saltiness of the dip, the sweetness of the truffle honey fills your tastebuds and takes center stage. It's mind-blowing. JZ tried a similar dish in Barbuzzo down in Philly but preferred this because of the truffle honey versus Barbuzzo's olive oil-drizzled dish. The first time I had it, the hints of orange in the toast really came out but this time it seemed to be really subtle. Another winner was the lemon ricotta pancakes -- it may have beaten Maialino's just because it was very lemon-y which means it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. I loved it. JZ's french toast was also amazing -- it was so moist and crumbly. I also sampled a bit of J's whole grain waffle, which was very soft. I'm not a fan of waffles because they're usually tasteless and hard but this was perfect. Overall, all of locanda verde's sweets were standouts, but its savory dishes  -- save for the sheep's milk ricotta!!! -- were just okay.

NYC Froyo Roundup

At the moment, NYC feels like all hell broke loose -- heat-wise. It is disgustingly hot in the city. It's the kind of heat that pinches your skin and radiates off the glistening cement so that you can smell it, too. I feel like even if all I had to do outdoors was to cross the street, I'd still boil and then die in a lake of my own sweat. I swear I am fifty shades darker as I type.

Anyway, other than tempting me to try cracking an egg on the sidewalk to see if it fries well, the heat gives me the perfect excuse to devour anything cold and icy.

Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit Co.

Strawberry and Banana

I've never had fruit soft serve before -- imagine a really thick slushy or sorbet, almost, but in its most natural form -- without any additives, as Chloe's Soft Serve claims. Visited this place with L and it was the perfect light and refreshing end to a late dinner.

Chobani SoHo

Fig and Walnut, PB and J

Ever since I fell in love with Chobani, I've always wanted to visit the highly popular Chobani SoHo bar. It's such a cute and amusing little corner shop because we all know how easy it is to make your own little Chobani concoctions and yet the Chobani bar has 'chefs,' behind a glass wall, who make the yogurt treats for you. It really is all about the experience, though. I felt like I could easily make my Fig and Walnut creation but ordered it anyway. R got the PB and J which actually tasted like you couldn't make it yourself. The guy at the counter told me that the PB they use is a type of Smuckers that is so rare and that one can't find in the grocery (hmm...). The best part is you can trade in the glass chobani tubs they put your yogurt in for clean containers to take home!

16 Handles

Toasted Marshmallow and Mocha Praline flavor

16 Handles is conveniently located near my workplace and I have already accumulated so many points on my card. It's like Kiwi Yogurt on steroids and I never really liked Kiwi Yogurt. This place has great flavors and even better, more creative toppings that you would not find elsewhere.

Forty Carrots

PB & Coffee flavor

After a tiring day of shopping at Bergdorf's and Bloomingdales, Forty Carrots is the perfect pick-me-up. Located at the top floor of Bloomingdales, Forty Carrots is best known for being the froyo brand that was already pretty popular even before the froyo craze commenced. The servings are also humongous. The one pictured above is a small but was the size of my head! Unless you're really hungry, sharing is recommended.

Victory Garden

Marjoram & Honey and Salted Caramel

I tried Victory Garden because it came highly recommended by a fellow foodie friend. I'm always up to try new things and the more adventurous/exotic, the better. So when I heard that Victory Garden only had froyo and soft-serve that was made from goat milk, I knew I had to check it off my list. The verdict? It was fantastic. The flavors are amazing and the goat milk works so well because it has the perfect amount of tanginess and saltiness so that your tastebuds aren't solely being bombarded by sweet flavors. I would definitely want to go back to try its other offerings. If you're a sucker for vegan/gluten-free/organic/healthy food, this is the place for you.

Seeing as this ridiculous heat wave isn't going anywhere, froyo--if you aren't already a froyo fanatic--is definitely something to consider adding to your routine. 

NYC Brunch Roundup 1

I've been brunching my way around New York whenever I can because, well, I live for brunch. Since I want to get back into the game, here is my first official brunch roundup post!

Cafe Blossom

Ginger lemonade
Avocado BLT - smoked tofu, sunflower sprouts, mayo, cashew cheese
Marinated tofu salad 

Cafe Blossom was a short walk from the office and supposedly offers the best organic, vegan and gluten- and soy-free food in New York. A lot of health-related words for one place, huh? The avocado BLT sandwich was the most tasty dish. They did such a good job making the tofu taste like smoked meat!  The salad was average -- the kimchi in it was more pickled than spicy so it made for a pretty sour tasting dish. Good thing the huge blocks of tofu balanced the flavors out.

Cafe Henri

Spinach, goat cheese and mushroom omelette
Muesli with yogurt and fresh fruit

Cafe Henri is a low-key but well-executed French cafe also near my workplace in the West Village. It serves a HUGE and mean cafe au lait (think a bowl of coffee!) and an overflowing mug of cappuccino. The omelet was big enough to share and the muesli with yogurt and fruits was very refreshing and healthy -- not sweet at all which I appreciated because real muesli doesn't make you feel like you're downing sugar. I've been back twice and because Cafe Henri is known for its crepes, I ordered a savory crepe which was delicious. It's one of the few places I frequent on my lunch break because of its cozy interiors and tasty but reasonably-priced meals.

Jane

Egg white omelette -- goat cheese, sautéed spinach, mixed greens
Vanilla Bean French Toast - brioche bread, creme brûlée batter, vermont maple syrup

Jane is a raved-about brunch spot in Greenwich Village near Soho. We came on a weekday though so  we weren't able to sample the full brunch menu but instead ordered breakfast items (all of which are on the weekend brunch menu) from the lunch menu. The omelette was HUMONGOUS, though and was very tasty. Can you actually get an omelette wrong? Jane's vanilla bean french toast is supposed to be bomb so although I am more of a pancake person, I gave it a try. I wasn't too impressed because it had the texture of toasted bread, instead of a pudding consistency, which I felt took away from its vanilla flavor. We had french toast leftovers and oddly enough, I enjoyed it more when it was fresh out of the fridge the next day because the bread became more like cold bread pudding. Am I weird or am i weird?

Jeepney

Longgsilog - Longganisa, garlic rice, fried farm egg, relish
Halo Halo - shaved ice, coconut gelatin, house candied fruit, coconut milk,
homemade flan, ube ice cream and rice crispies

B came to visit from Philly so naturally, we decided to reunite over Filipino food. Because I enjoyed my Maharlika experience last year and won't be having authentic home-cooked Filipino food until December, I was eager to try Jeepney and see how different/similar it was to Maharlika (they are owned by the same person). I ordered the longgsilog, which you can never go wrong with. Filipino breakfast at its best. P ordered the Bulalo Hash which consists of short rib & potato hash, an egg, soup, and a GIANT piece of artery-clogging bone marrow. I wasn't able to take a photo of everyone's food but they were all pretty tasty! We ended with the Halo-Halo, which tasted just like it was from Razon's or Chow King (lol) although I don't think you can really mess up Halo-Halo. The verdict? I think Maharlika wins.

Maialino

Contadino - poached eggs, baby turnips, snap peas
Ricotta pancakes - market fruit jam & fresh ricotta
Porchetta - roast pork & fried egg sandwich

Maialino is one of my go-to brunch places in the flatiron district. It's an italian restaurant with a warm atmosphere and an excellent wine list. We went on a weekend and got served their full brunch menu which made all of us extra happs. I ordered the contadino, which was surprisingly filling. D ordered the Porchetta and K went for the best dish of them all -- the melt-in-your-mouth, heavenly ricotta pancakes. I wasn't able to capture the toffee brioche bun we ordered which was tiny but sweet enough that you wouldn't want more than a tiny piece of it so early in the morning. Maialino is the perfect place to hit up for a solid and not-so conventional brunch.

Union Square Cafe

Blueberry Pancakes - crown maple syrup
Brioche French Toast - peach compote
Soft-shell crab omelette with hollandaise sauce

Union Square Cafe is another brunch spot in the flatiron district with an ever-changing brunch menu. To call it a cafe wouldn't be incorrect, but it definitely is more of a slick and posh spot without being overly-pretentious. R, J and I decided to try it out after mass one very, very hot Sunday. We spent quite a bit of time walking in the sweltering heat so when it was time to order, we pulled out all the stops. The blueberry pancakes were great, they melted in your mouth, still retained the acidity of the blueberries and paired well with the scrumptious maple syrup. The soft-shell crab omelette was nothing to write home about -- the soft-shell crab wasn't actually mixed into the eggs but rather, was blanketed by it. The star of the meal had to be the french toast...it was like eating soft and gooey bread pudding. So, so perfect. J decided he wanted dessert and ordered the goat cheese cheesecake with fennel brioche, mint cream, and rhubarb preserve. The goat cheese was such an unexpected and initially doubtful ingredient but it was so delicious!

Pio Pio

Matador Combo: rotisseri chicken with rice, beans, tostones,
salchipapa & avocado salad

Pio Pio is some serious bang for your buck. That entire spread was around $40 for four people and it was delicious. I've heard a lot about this peruvian family-style restaurant and the chicken is indeed very, very tasty! I also really liked the avocado salad and the little hotdogs. Overall, a great place to visit for when you're dining with a large group (casual) and in a rush.

16 handles

Because there is an infinite amount of things to do and see everyday, I realized the best way to cope with that is to blog in terms of roundup versus individual posts. It's the only way I can keep up and not have a zillion posts piling up as I explore more and have less time to sit myself down and write.

I'm just about to pass out (what's new) but for now, here is my current obsession -- 16 handles froyo! While I am a devout Yogorino fan and am picky with my yogurt, this was love at first bite. I first tried 16 handles in SoHo along with my co-interns to celebrate the start of summer hours (yay) and was delighted to find another branch located closer to my workplace. Uh oh.

Toasted Marshmallow and Peanut Butter flavored froyo
(strawberries, cheesecake bits, and wet walnuts)

16 Handles

245 Bleecker street

West Village, NY