People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, people who can’t sing shouldn’t claim they have a god-given talent, and poor people who can’t gamble should stay quietly at home instead of hanging out at casinos. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category and although I never win, except once at slots in the Bahamas, I love to gamble. It’s so scarily fun in a sick addicting way. That’s why a week ago, I found myself at the roulette table in Atlantic City getting a serious case of vertigo.

I was, however, able to pull myself away for an hour to fill my diet-coke filled belly with some food. David’s friend, James, suggested we get some Chinese noodles at The Rim in the Taj Mahal, and I happily agreed. It’s very rare I ever turn down Chinese food. Unfortunately, the noodles didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I ordered the Roast Duck Noodle Soup ($16) with ho fun (wide rice noodles). The dish looked gorgeous when it came out; filled with richly dark duck and crystal clear broth. However, when I took a bite, I learned just like the casinos, the beauty was all a façade. The duck was tender enough, and the portion was generous, but the seasoning was completely off. The roast duck was incredibly salty. The soup was also overly salty with a haunting onion flavor, and oddly, besides the taste of salt and onions, the soup was flavorless. In addition, my noodles were all stuck together in short solid clumps. Everyone else, though, seemed to enjoy their dishes. David and James got Stir-Fried Sesame Chicken, which they both finished to the last morsel, and Tina said her Pho was fine. Perhaps I just have bad luck at casinos, even when it comes to food.

Or perhaps I should have just gotten some pretzels. What the…..??!! Note to marketing “geniuses” at Pretzel Time, diamonds are not appetizing. My teeth hurt just looking at this photo.

After the noodles, I went back to the roulette table and lost $120 in thirty minutes flat. Of course, I blamed the “bad-luck noodles,” which probably reveals how much of a sore loser I am. So kids, don’t be like me. Save your money and go eat Shredded Duck Noodle Soup at Hing Won in Midtown instead of gambling your life away and eating bad noodles. Strangely enough, Midtown is sometimes better. And by the way, I’m leaving for Las Vegas in a few weeks. Oy vey.

The Rim at the Trump Taj Mahal
1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

When I was little, I used to love McDonald’s McChicken. Fried and slathered in mayonnaise, the McChicken seemed perfect, especially stuffed with a few french fries dipped in ketchup.  Now that I’m older, the McChicken doesn’t hold the same wonderment it previously did.  The white meat is pulverized beyond recognition and the chicken exterior is no longer crispy.  Even still, once in a while, I crave something fried and unhealthy.  This is how I found myself at Cafe Zaiya last week.  Normally when I’m within the vicinity of the “Japanese Trinity” (Chiyoda Sushi, Yagura, and Cafe Zaiya), I’ll go to Chiyoda Sushi for some rolls and to Cafe Zaiya for a Mentaiko Onigiri (pollack roe onigiri).  The Mentaiko Onigiri is better than the ones at Chiyoda Sushi since the seaweed, nori in Japanese and gim (김) in Korean, is not wrapped directly onto the rice.  I don’t like soggy nori. However, that day, I had fried chicken on the brain, and when I saw them bring out a tray of freshly made Spicy Chicken Sandwiches I grabbed one immediately.

The Spicy Chicken Sandwich ($4.25) is basically a fried chicken cutlet on a burkie roll (a softer Kaiser roll with no poppy or sesame seeds) with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cabbage, and a spicy mayonnaise-based sauce. It was hot and wrapped in cellophane, so I was worried it would get soggy by the time I got back to the office, but four avenues later, my sandwich was still hot and crispy. You know how in movies they add the crunch sound effect whenever a person takes a bite of something that is supposed to be crispy, well while I was eating this sandwich, I felt like there was an extra audio track playing the entire time. In addition, the meat was very moist and when I took a bite, the chicken actually looked like chicken inside. No recomposited chicken over here. This a grown-up version of the McChicken. The sauce was also good. The spicy tanginess went well with the fried chicken, and the lettuce, tomatoes, and cabbage added some freshness.

The next day I left the office planning to get another chicken sandwich, but it was freezing and the wind was whipping right though me, so I decided to go to the newer Cafe Zaiya closer to me on top of Kinokuniya. When I got there, I saw they had the Spicy Chicken Sandwiches but I got distracted by the Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) Sandwiches ($4.25). Unfortunately, the Tonkatsu Sandwiches had too much tonkatsu sauce making them very salty. Also, because of the sauce, and the fact that Cafe Zaiya at Kinokuniya is not the madhouse the 41st Street cafe is, the fried pork was soggy. They probably get a shipment from the 41st Street location only a few times a day. I think I’ll stick to the Spicy Chicken Sandwich at the original Cafe Zaiya.

Kinokuniya is very cool Japanese bookstore though. In addition to books, they also have cute Japanese T-Shirts and a wicked mural painted by manga artist Takehiko Inoue. However, if its food you want, eat a sandwich at the 41st Street Cafe Zaiya and come back to Kinokuniya to quietly digest.

Cafe Zaiya @ 41st St
18E 41st St (betw 5th & Madison Ave)
NYC 10017

Cafe Zaiya @ Kinokuniya
1073 Ave of the Americas (betw 40th & 41st St)
NYC 10018

Last Wednesday was the long awaited premiere of Top Chef. I love Top Chef! In my opinion, it’s the best food competition show on TV. The Next Food Network Star and Hell’s Kitchen seem like a joke in comparison. So did the premiere deliver? Hrrm, I would say it was OK. It’s too early to tell, but so far, this season’s chefs don’t seem as accomplished or as talented. I hope I’m wrong here, because last season wasn’t that great either. Did they run out of good candidates already, because I can tell you right now, a chef from Montclair, New Jersey is not going to cut it. Where are the new Harolds, Hungs, Sams, and Marcels? I also read somewhere on the Internet that they don’t do any tastings during the try-outs. WTF?!! C’mon, is this a popularity contest or cooking competition?! Anyway, here is a breakdown of some of the confusing moments from the first episode. SPOILER after the jump.

First, there was the apple peeling competition, and my reaction, was ‘WHAT THE HELL?!’ Some of these people didn’t know how to peel an apple! JESUS! Don’t people eat apples anymore? Is everyone getting their apples from Burger King now? It seems Lauren does, because not only was she in the bottom of the apple peeling and dicing challenge, but later she decided the most creative thing she could make with the apples was a spinach and apple salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. I bet the people who didn’t make it this season were pretty annoyed, if not mad as hell, to see this embarrassing spectacle. Nevertheless, I did feel bad for Lauren when she was immediately sent packing, back on the ferry. Those ferries are damn slow. I bet she was sadly watching, all by her lonesome, as the boat tortuously inched its way back to Manhattan.

The next WTF moment was when Patrick, who strangely likes to pose with pots on his head, decided to grab some black rice noodles to make his “Chinatown” dish without ever having tasted or cooked with these types of noodles before. He says something to the effect of “they’re all the same,” and consequently struggles with the noodles when he can’t figure out the optimal way to cook them. Patrick says he was looking for more of a udon texture, regardless of the fact that udon is Japanese. D’OH!

Pat’s final dish was Black Rice Noodles with Salmon and Bok Choy. Padma deems the noodles “gummy,” and Tom Colicchio and Jean George Vongerichten both agree Patrick’s dish is not Chinese just because it has bok choy on top, and gives him the boot. Thank god. Two down, fourteen more to go.

As of now, my favorite is Gene. Considering he has no formal training, he seems pretty talented and is a quick learner. Surprising even Padma, Gene was able to create an authentic tasting Indian dish of Masala rubbed Lamb Chops without having had a lot of experience with Indian food. Again, it’s too early, but hopefully, Gene will “bring it” in future episodes. Can’t wait for Episode 2 tomorrow when the contestants will be cooking for “fifty hungry New Yorkers.” I just hope these aren’t the same New Yorkers that raved about Pizza Hut’s pasta. Three pounds of Pizza Hut pasta? No thanks.

Top Chef
Every Wed on Bravo @ 10/9c

UPDATE: Sophie’s Cuban emailed Midtown Lunch to explain the reason for their closing.  They blamed depressing scaffolding and the lack of customers from the new NY Times building.

My friend Catalin just emailed me about this. The OpenTable Appetite Stimulus Plan seems to be a variation on Restaurant Week with fewer restaurants participating. Here is the info from OpenTable:

“$35 Dinners, $24 Lunches (prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax or gratuity)
November 17-21, 2008
200 OpenTable Dining Rewards Points”

Restaurant Week is usually a gamble. I’ve had some really great experiences (David Burke & Donatella, Cafe Boulud), and some very mediocre ones (Brasserie 8 1/2, Steak Frites, Butter). Usually if a restaurant is good during Restaurant Week, I know they care about the quality of their food and their reputation to serve more than just decent fare regardless of price. If a restaurant serves crap during restaurant week, I won’t go back. I find it demeaning when restaurants make you feel like you should be privileged just to be in their restaurant all the whilst serving you substandard food. That’s my opinion at least. So take a look at the list. No matter what you do though, don’t pick Hawaiian Tropic Zone. I doubt they care about their food or their reputation.

Las Poblanitas is a tiny hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant with an unbelievably small kitchen that’s usually filled with Mexican guys having a Negra Modelo at all times of the day. I found it last year on the way to Noodles 36 after seeing a man holding a sign for the place on the corner of 38th and 8th Avenue. Yes, show me a somewhat scary nondescript sign for tacos and I will follow.

Soon after, I was going to Las Poblanitas at least once a week for their delicious fried sopes and fresh tacos. Then one day after multiple visits, I got a bad sope that was reheated and served to me when it really should have been tossed out. I guess I should have forgiven then, since it was just one time, but instead, like a spurned lover, I cheated on Las Poblanitas not once but four times. Last week, after swinging by Ying Du to see if the ducks were back (they’re not and should be back next week according to Midtown Lunch), I found myself hungry and near Las Poblanitas and decided to give them another chance. Perhaps still remembering the bad sope from last year though, I decided to go the all taco route and ordered three tacos: Taco De Chorizo, Taco De Barbacoa De Chivo, and Taco De Lengua (3 for $7.50).

All tacos can be garnished to your preference. I like a lot of veggies and cheese so I always ask for shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and Cotija cheese. They also have a choice of salsa, red or green. The red is spicier but I always need more heat, hence the jalapenos.

The Taco De Lengua (Beef Tongue Taco), pictured on the left, was gloriously fatty with huge charred cubes of soft tongue. The Taco De Chorizo (Mexican Sausage Taco), right, was also filled with large pieces of salty cured chorizo. I hate places that give you just a sprinkling of ground chorizo. Las Poblanitas doesn’t skimp on the chorizo.

The Taco De Barbacoa De Chivo (Steamed Goat Taco), pictured on the right, was my favorite taco. The goat meat was crazy moist and fall apart juicy with a touch of sweetness. I just learned last week on Andrew Zimmern Bizarre Foods that goat meat can be lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken and even fish. Eating this taco, though, you wouldn’t believe it. The goat tasted like really good fatty pulled pork with hardly any taste of gaminess.

I guess this should be a lesson for me not to be turned off by one bad meal. I’m still wary of the cute French cafe in Midtown after finding an ant in my salad. Next time I’ll order the sopes, and if it ends disastrously, I’ll be writing about the tacos again sometime next year.

Las Poblanitas Restaurant Mexicano
302 West 38th St (betw 8th & 9th Ave)
NYC 10018

I wish I could share some photos of the gorgeous dishes prepared by the chefs at Momofuku Ko, but as you know, David Chang has banned all photography at Ko. Alas, all I have is a photo of this door, and from the looks of it online, it’s becoming the most famous door in America since Jim Morrison. However, before the ban, several bloggers posted their pics, so google away, or just look here or here. So in this post, instead of relying on photos, I’ll do my best to describe my meal at Momofuku Ko with the power of WORDS. Yes, I’ll be getting down and dirty with the alphabet.

Reservations at Ko are hard to come by to say the least, even Bruni went “Ko-Ko” trying to get reservations. So when I finally snagged reservations, I was initially dumbfounded, until I realized the reservations were for Halloween. I considered canceling for a brief moment, but then I thought, ‘Eh, we’ll go out afterwards, no biggie.’ As I write this though, let me tell you, we just came back from Ko, and David is now passed out in the bedroom and I am lazily lounging on the couch while our Halloween costumes remain safely sealed, each in their original package. So how did we come to this predicament? It began with an amuse bouche…

We started off with Chicharrón with Togarashi, Cod Fritter with Olive Paste, and Biscuits with Black Pepper and Mirin. Out of the three, I liked the biscuits the best. The sweet mirin gently lingered in the background as the black pepper dominated boldly in the foreground. Soft and flakey, the only thing missing was a more pronounced butter flavor, which to me is what a biscuit is all about. The Cod Fritter was good, but was needing some acid and could have been served hotter. The Chicharrón was basically a fancier, milder version of hot pork rinds minus the processed chemicals but also minus the satisfying crunch.

Next was the Fluke Sashimi with Poppy Seeds in a Buttermilk Sauce. David loved this dish. He thought the fresh fish was complimented by the nuttiness of the poppy seeds. I found the dish a little too salty and had to wipe some sauce off before eating the fish. Also, I didn’t like heavy use of the poppy seeds. Although pretty to look at against the white of the fish and the sauce, it was overwhelming and tasted a bit raw to me. I kept wishing the poppy seeds were toasted like on a nice toasted bagel.

The Lamb Belly in Daikon Soup, however, vanquished all doubts I had about Ko. Deliciously fatty in a simple pureed daikon soup, the dish was a nice play on heavy and light. I ate my lamb belly in record speed and then finished off David’s. Later that night when I saw a row of little lamb slices waiting to be plated behind the counter, I had an overpowering desire to grab the baking sheet and gobble them all up. The lamb was that good.

Next was a beautifully poached Chicken Egg with American Hackleback Caviar over Soubise with a dash of Sweet Potato Vinegar, and Fingerling Potato Chips. This dish was beautifully plated in a cute and playful manner. The egg was cut so it looked like Pac Man ready to chomp down on the caviar like black pac-dots. The tiny crunchy fingerling potato chips were also very fun. I loved this dish in its whimsy and simplicity. David, however, claimed the sweet potato vinegar’s bitterness ruined the dish for him. Perhaps his had more than mine, but I hardly noticed it in the creaminess of the egg yolk and the soubise.

Monk Fish and Californian Sea Urchin Stew was another great dish. As I watched them make this dish, I noticed them smashing some of the uni into the broth. As a result, the entire dish, including the monk fish, was redolent with the creaminess of the sea urchin. David thought the dish was too heavy, so I happily ate his monk fish and sea urchin.

The following course was Hand-Torn Pasta in a Mushroom Broth with Sliced Matsutaki and Pine Needle Oil garnished with Toasted Pine Nuts. Eating this dish made me feel like I was deep in the middle of a forest in Michigan, which as those who know me, is not a good thing. The pine needle oil was excessively intense, and ever bite made me feel like I was chewing on pine needles. In addition, the mushrooms, the mushroom broth, and the pine nuts added to the extreme earthy experience. David who grew up partly in Michigan, however, loved this dish saying every ingredient meshed well with each other. After a few more bites, I surrendered my bowl to David, who eagerly slurped up every last bite.

After the mushroom pasta course, my brain finally started registering all the food that was in my belly. I felt incredibly full and hot. I felt the heat from the steaming pots, pans, and blazing oven bearing down on me. I felt suddenly claustrophobic. As sweat beaded up on my brow, I even wondered if I had been drugged. I’m not sure why I had this fierce feeling of madness at Ko. It may have been the heat and the overabundance of rich and decadent foods, or I may just be crazy. In any case, after a few more confusing moments, my episode subsided and I decided to plow full-speed ahead. I was on a mission to eat all nine courses.

The sixth course of Grated Foie Gras over Sliced Lychees, Riesling Gelée, and Hazelnut Brittle was a wonderful balance of textures. The grated foie gras melted like heavenly soft snow on your tongue, the cold fresh lychees were tender with an initial firm snap, the Riesling gelée was pleasantly gelatinous, and the sweet hazelnut brittle added a welcome caramelized crunch. David who doesn’t like liver finished his bowl and my leftovers (I was on a mission but not a suicide mission).

The final savory dish was Roasted Venison with Huckleberry Reduction and Fresh Huckleberries, Celery Root Foam, and Shaved Brussels Sprouts. The venison was cooked medium-rare and tasted only mildly gamey. The accompanying reduction was a smokey coffee-like concoction that held up nicely to the hearty meat. As for the celery root foam, I found it didn’t really offer anything to the overall plate except perhaps the “coolness” of foam. The raw shaved brussels sprouts I assumed were there to provide some fresh vegetal matter, but I would have preferred fried or roasted brussels sprouts.

The first dessert course was a Arnold Palmer Sorbet Quenelle with Mint Julep Crumbles. Delightfully refreshing after a heavy meat course, I enjoyed this abundantly. For me it was also very nostalgic as I have fond memories of making shaved ice flavored with Lipton Ice Tea Mix as a child. The mint julep crumbles were tasty enough but I liked the sorbet better without it.

The final dish of the night was a beautiful plate composed of a Pretzel Ice Cream Quenelle placed over Granny Smith Apple Syrup, and a dollop of Yogurt encircled by tiny orbs of Fried Amish Cheese. The pretzel ice cream tasted exactly like a salty New York pretzel and contrasted nicely with the sweet and tart apple syrup. As for the fried cheese, I loved the slightly crisp chewiness of each little bite. I believe the yogurt was there to act as a dip for the fried cheese, but the cheese was so good it didn’t need any accoutrements.

That night I left Momofuku Ko stuffed but feeling like I accomplished a great feat. I’m not sure if I could do it again. Nine courses is a lot to eat in one night, especially when each plate is as sumptuous as it is at Ko. So at the end of this post I’d like to make an open plea to David Chang, “I love Momofuku Ko, but can you please start offering a six-course tasting menu? Another nine-course meal may be the end of me.”

Momofuku Ko
163 First Ave (btwn 10th & 11th St)
NY, NY 10003

Not so strangely, Ying Du is closed again. This time it’s for renovations. I don’t think it’s DOH-related since they aren’t listed on the main DOH site, but who knows. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. I just hope they aren’t planning another price hike. I don’t need ambiance at a Chinese take-out restaurant.

Fortunately, there are other places to get authentic Chinese in Midtown. My favorite is Hing Won, but recently with the cold weather, I’ve been trying to stay west of Fifth Avenue and south of 42nd Street, which is closer to work. Also, I notice there tends to be less suits south of 42nd St, especially west of 7th Avenue. It’s not exactly downtown, but there’s definitely a different vibe, which is nice. I see enough suits and khakis at work. The two places I’ve been going to a lot recently are Noodles 36 and Big Bowl Noodles.

Pork Stomach w/ Black Bean Sauce @ Noodles 36

Noodles 36 is a cross between Ying Du and Hing Won. They have the steam table, similar to Ying Du, where you can get three items over rice for $4.50, but they also have an extended menu similar to Hing Won. The noodles aren’t as good as Hing Won, but they are still tasty and hit the spot when you need it. This week I decided to get one of the items off the “Chinatown over Rice” menu. I mean Chinatown over Rice, why wouldn’t you get that! I saw Belly with Black Bean Sauce over Rice on the menu and I immediately thought pork belly. There aren’t too many things in the world as good as delicious fatty pork belly. However, when I asked Taiwai, who happened to be with me, he told me that it wasn’t pork belly but pork stomach. Now I’ve had tripe before, but not the actual stomach, so I decided, ‘what the hell, let’s try it.’ And I’m glad I did, because pork stomach is pretty good. As you can see in the photo, pork stomach looks like chicken breast, but it definitely doesn’t taste like it. I would say it is similar to kidney, but less irony and more chewy like intestines. If you don’t like kidney or intestines, don’t order this, more for me. I liked the black bean sauce also, it was salty with just the right amount of sweetness. I only wished there was more of it. In addition, I would have liked if it came with different vegetables instead of green bell peppers. Bell peppers don’t feel very Chinese to me. I’d ask for yu choy or bok choy next time.

Big Bowl Noodles is becoming another Chinese go-to-spot for me. As I understand it, they are owned by the same people as Noodles 36. However, unlike Noodles 36, which has no pretense whatsoever, Big Bowl is cleaner and has a dining area with waiter/waitress service. The first time I went there, I got Beef Stewed with Noodles to go. When I got back to the office, I was pleasantly surprised to find the soup and noodles packed separately. Nice! I hate when noodles get mushy and soak up all the broth. As a result of the packaging, the flour noodles were still firm if a little cold. The beef broth, however, was the best part. Meaty, peppery, and aromatic, it was really satisfying. The beef could have been more tender, but I was happy with it the way it was. By the way, on the menu there is a pepper next to this item, but don’t expect it to be spicy. There wasn’t any heat in the soup until I added some chili oil.

The second time I went to Big Bowl Noodles, I ordered the Wonton and Roast Duck Soup. The wontons were pretty average. They had a lot of filling, but were very plain and more ground up than I prefer. The roast duck was also just OK, not nearly as delicious as the roast duck at Ying Du. As usual though, the soup was good, this time chicken-based. It tasted clean and simple, yet wasn’t bland.

Ultimately, if you are craving roast duck, you are basically screwed in Midtown until Ying Du opens again. I think we need a Ying Du webcam, like the one they have Shake Shack, not to see if there is a line, but to see if they are open. Damn you Ying Du with your delicious meats and your haphazard business practices! However, if you are looking for good Chinese rice and noodle dishes, Big Bowl Noodles and Noodles 36 is ready please in the interim.

UPDATE I - Ying Du is open again, but the ducks are mysteriously gone from the window! ARGH, no more duck!!!! I’ll have to investigate tomorrow. Stay tuned…..

UPDATE II - Ying Du claims the hanging meats will be back on Wednesday. I’ll be crossing my fingers tonight for roast duck and the election.

UPDATE III - Obama won but still no roast duck. I guess you can’t have everything.

Noodle 36
305 W 36th St (Betw 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York 10018

Big Bowl Noodles
1011 6th Ave (Betw 37th & 38th)
New York, NY 10018

1/4 LB Sirloin Burger @ Zaitzeff

Do you have bizarre cravings when you’re sick? I do. As I mentioned in my BoKy post two weeks ago, while I was sick I had an unrelenting desire to eat a Burger King Whopper. Burger cravings aren’t so odd for most people, but for me it is, because in general, I’m never burger crazy. The prospect of a new UWS Shake Shack is pretty meaningless to me (Danny who?). Sure, burgers are tasty, but in terms of fast food, I rather eat a hot dog, or better yet, a slice of pizza any day. So this is why I found it surprising two weeks ago when thoughts of juicy burgers bombarded my every drug addled thought, and rather than resist, that following Saturday, I decided to give in.

Zaitzeff first opened in the Financial District, and after much success, recently opened a location in Alphabet City. I passed by the Avenue B spot pretty often, never tempted to go in, but with my burger craving go strong and a post on A Hamurger Today titled “Zaitzeff: The Best Damn Burger I’ve Had in a Long Time,” I had to go.

As soon as David and I rounded the corner to Avenue B from Houston, I could smell the fatty beefy goodness in the air. Once inside, the heavy scent of burgers surrounded us, teasing us as we eagerly awaited our burgers. I think the kitchen wasn’t quite ready when we got there because the wait was pretty long, but finally our orders came out and we dug in.

I got the 1/4 lb. Sirloin Buger ($9.50), medium-rare, and it was incredibly juicy, soft, and ultimately delicious. The sirloin at Zaitzeff is from D’Artagnan and is ground in-house. The most notable quality though, is that the beef is grass-fed. Because of this, even though my burger could have a been slightly more rare, I liked it nonetheless because the meat tasted very earthy. In addition, I loved the slightly sweet and chewy toasted Portugese muffin (a muffin more in the style of a English muffin as opposed to the cake-like bakery kind) the burgers are all served on.

David had the 1/4 lb. Kobe Burger, medium-well ($12.50). The Kobe at Zaitzeff is actually American Wagyu from Morgan Ranch in Nebraska and not Japanese Kobe, which explains why the burger wasn’t more expensive. Regardless, similar to my Sirloin Burger, the “Kobe” Burger patty was extremely soft and juicy. In fact, even though David ordered the burger medium-well, his burger was dripping beefy juice all over his plate, even more than mine. I assume this was because of the higher fat content in the wagyu beef. However, I still preferred my burger because the Kobe lacked the rich grassiness of the Sirloin. David disagreed though, claiming my burger tasted too bloody for him.

Along with the burgers, we had a side order of Mixed Fries ($5), a combination of hand-cut Idaho fries and sweet potato fries. The regular fries were nothing spectacular. Personally, I just prefer thin crunchy fries. The sweet potatoes, however, were chewy and delicious in their natural sweetness. I really love sweet potato fries. I think we don’t eat enough of them here in the states. In Korea, it’s not uncommon to find sweet potato fries at a food stall or a news stand, and in the winter, there are a ton of vendors selling sweet potatoes roasted in stovepipe-looking ovens right on the street. The skin is always scorched and the potato underneath is so delectably carmelized you always burn your fingers and the roof of your mouth as you eat them in the freezing cold. Sometimes they have sweet potato vendors outside of Hmart in Flushing. It would be pretty cool if there was a sweet potato cart in Midtown, but I have a feeling someone would burn themselves and end up suing the poor guy or girl.

Anyway, back to Zaitzeff. I also I had a bloody mary, because as you know, I don’t think a brunch is really a brunch without one. The bloody mary was OK, but it was a bit too thick and heavy on the horse radish. I like spicy bloody marys, but this one was heartburn inducing.

So has Zaitzeff made me a hamburger convert? My only complaint with the burgers at Zaitzeff are that they are cooked on a flat-top griddle as opposed to flame-broiled. The charred smokey sweetness of a burger licked by flames as it’s cooked can’t be replicated on a flat griddle. That said, in the non-broiled category, the Zaitzeff burger is really gratifying and completely satiated my burger craving. And for those Top Chef fans, you might like to know Padma Lakshmi works out at the gym next door. I saw her walking by in sweats as I was eating my burger. Great burgers and a sexy cooking show host nearby, I think Shake Shack has some competition.

Zaitzeff
18 Avenue B (2nd St)
New York, NY 10009

So many of you know that Ying Du is back in business since they were closed by the DOH two weeks ago. If you didn’t, they’re open. So today I went to get my weekly duck fix, and when I went to pay, a strange thing happened. The woman at the register said my order was $5.50 instead of the usual $5 because I got a leg. Mind you, I didn’t order a leg, the woman just filled the container with leg, thigh, and breast meat like they normally do. I asked if the price went up, but she said it didn’t and that it’s always an extra fifty cents for legs. Now I’ve been going to Ying Du for more than a year and this is news to me. It seems to me every time they close and then reopen the prices go up. Before they renovated, duck over rice was $4.50. After the numbering system, it went up to $5. Now it’s $5.50. I really shouldn’t be complaining, considering they have the best roast meats in Midtown and the ridiculous amount they give you for the price. But, hey, sometimes I’m a cheap bastard and I get cranky when I’m hungry. In any case, be forewarned, you may or may not be charged an extra fifty cents.