Pearl Oyster Bar, New York

You may have been shocked – shocked! – that in my previous posts about my week in New York where I visited Chelsea Market and Todd English Food Hall, both where I had pictures that showed lobster rolls were available, that I did not eat lobster while there.

Believe me, I was very very tempted. I am a sucker for lobster rolls. There was one time all I asked for my birthday were lobster rolls, and after being gifted some shipped from the Northeast, I ate them everyday. Hmm, I might ask for that gift again…

One of the reasons I was able to resist (though it was very hard… I promise you each time I probably stood and gazed longingly at the lobster for a couple minutes and tried to rationalize if I could order it, have a few bites, and still have the meal I planned and save the rest away in the hotel fridge) was thanks to Pearl Oyster Bar.

You see, that’s because I ordered the lobster roll there. And Pearl is pretty reknown for their lobster roll, among many other things on their menu.

I loved it. I visited on a Sunday evening, relatively early in the evening so the restaurant had only just opened for dinner service. I sat at the bar, where I chatted with the New Yorkers on the barstools on each side of me (both turned out to be regulars) and the friendly and knowledgeable barkeep poured such a crisp delightful white wine that I couldn’t help but want to linger.

The whole feel of this restaurant in Greenwich feels so fabulously classic New York. It’s close quarters in there, so be prepared to get cozy, and there may be people waiting anxiously for you to vacate your seat at this small restaurant that takes no reservations.
Pearl Oyster Bar, New York Pearl Oyster Bar, New York Pearl Oyster Bar, New York

I think the best seats are at the marble bar.
Pearl Oyster Bar, New York

As an appetizer, I could have gone with the tasty sounding fried oysters, or safe and well reviewed clam chowder. But I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too.
Pearl Oyster Bar, NY. I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too. Pearl Oyster Bar, NY. I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too. Pearl Oyster Bar, NY. I remember that Amanda Hess once wrote a chapter about dining alone at Pearl, and she had ordered the Salt Crusted Shrimp. So there was no question in my mind that was what I would get too.

Maybe I was supposed to eat that daintily with a fork, but I totally did so with my fingers. Well, ok I did use the fork with the green beans… mostly.

And then it was time for that famed lobster roll, possibly the best lobster roll in New York. I feel a need to test this more.
The Pearl Lobster Roll w/Shoestring Fries at Pearl Oyster Bar, NY The Pearl Lobster Roll w/Shoestring Fries at Pearl Oyster Bar, NY

In fact, one of my bucket list dream vacations is to just travel the Northeast of the US eating lobster rolls. For some reason, vegetarian F is not as thrilled by this roadtrip idea. But I tell you, I don’t know any limits on my ability to enjoy sweet, succulent lobster. Well, I at least had you, Pearl Oyster lobster roll, to tide me for a while until then.
The Pearl Lobster Roll w/Shoestring Fries at Pearl Oyster Bar, NY

What are your thoughts on lobster rolls? Have you ever had a real New England lobster roll before?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

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Best Bagel Sandwich in New York: Russ & Daughters

So I’ve fallen a bit behind on my mid-March trip recap of my time in New York. I’ve covered previously my stops at Momofuku Noodle and Momofuku Milk Bar, the grilled cheese and sweet treats at Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller, some of my Midtown Manhattan lunches from Xian Famous Foods, ‘wichCraft, Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish.

While I was there during the conference, there was 1 day where I was not attending a seminar. I thought about visiting museums, or walking in Central Park and reading a newspaper and absorbing the New York energy. Instead, I decided to eat all day – a progressive dining day. I suppose I really am a food lover in that exploring food to me is an equivalent option for an experience to what I listed on a trip.

I started out with Russ & Daughters for their famous smoked salmon bagel sandwich. I considered then visiting a few doors down Katz’s for the pastrami sandwich and pickles, but ultimately I was still too freshly full from that sandwich for “breakfast” and so instead I walked to Chelsea Market and that’s where I had a progressive lunch. This was then wrapped up with Momofuku Milk for dessert, even though I was kicking myself later as I should have walked the High Line that day instead of the next, when it would end up pouring rain. Finally, in the evening, I met up with a old co-worker/friend from Chicago and we had dinner at the Todd English food hall.

Since I didn’t actually go into Katz’s, all I did was look and ponder and eventually rationalize walking away, with only these photos to show for it. Have you been there, and did I miss out?
New York Katz's Deli, of the famous pastrami and pickles New York Katz's Deli, of the famous pastrami and pickles

I loved the Russ & Daughters experience so much though that I’m going to devote this entire post to them. This specialty family-owned (four generations!) shop has been offering high-end smoked fish, caviar & New York-style specialty foods (bagels and high end cream cheese flavors, bialys, sweets like babka, rugelach and halvah, and more!) for a long time. Their byline is that they have been “Appetizing Since 1914”. Just very recently, they expanded to besides this old fashioned shop also open a Russ & Daughters Cafe
Russ & Daughters Russ & Daughters Russ & Daughters

I arrived with a singular goal in mind: to order the “The Best Bagel and Lox in New York”, per New York Magazine. When New York Magazine interviewed Anthony Bourdain and asked What’s the best meal you’ve eaten in New York?, Bourdain answered, “Bagel, nova, cream cheese at Russ & Daughters. Not just the best, but ‘ours.'”

All righty then! Will it live up to this hype?
Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon

I knew it would as soon as I walked in and saw what I am completely sure is angelic light over the beautiful selection of cream cheeses and roe. I looked so longingly at these cream cheeses- plain, scallion, vegetable, horseradish dill, caviar cream cheese, lox cream cheese, goat cream cheese, even a tofu cream cheese… wait, back up. Caviar Cream Cheese?

Also, you see the glow of the French Trout Roe, Whitefish Roe, Wild Alaskan Salmon Roe, and Wasabi infused Flying Fish Roe calling to you like those glowing power pellets of Pac Man?
Russ & Daughters, the angelic light over the beautiful selection of cream cheeses and roe. Plain, scallion, vegetable, horseradish dill, caviar cream cheese, lox spread, tofu spread, goat cream cheese

I was fortunate in that I came here on a Tuesday mid-morning, so there was no crowd at all, only a handful of people before me. I didn’t even need to take a number, though I have heard it can be a madhouse, crowded with people desperate for the treasures and packed into this small, narrow store. I was able to stand there with no on in my way save a handful of people before me, admiring each cream cheese and smoked fish and each box and tin individually in the little store, wishing I could take them all back with me but realizing that was being greedy.

I focused. I went with the Classic, your choice of bagel with your choice of cream cheese and your choice of smoked salmon. The patient, friendly, sweet gentleman behind the counter and I talked for a while, comparing the textures and flavors of the various available smoked salmons. I have never before had the fortune to get to select from amongst Gaspe Nova, Scottish, or Irish Smoked Salmon; Norwegian Smoked Salmon; Belly Lox, GravLox or Pastrami cured salmon; loin cut smoked salmon; Wild Western Nova or New Zealand King Salmon.
Russ & Daughters The patient, friendly, sweet gentleman behind the counter and I talked for a while, comparing the textures and flavors of the various available smoked salmons as I have never before had the fortune to get to select from amongst Gaspe Nova, Scottish, or Irish Smoked Salmon; Norwegian Smoked Salmon; Belly Lox, GravLox or Pastrami cured salmon; loin cut smoked salmon; Wild Western Nova or New Zealand King Salmon.

It’s just a little deli shop, so I had to go outside and walk down towards the subway station where I had seen a little park in order to find a place to eat. There, I was in heaven as I bit into the doughy but firm bagel, the richness of the cream cheese and flavors of the smoked salmon were exquisite. I understood why running out for bagels and lox in New York is such a singular experience.
Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon

It’s also possible to get this sandwich on a bialy instead of a bagel. They also have tomato, capers, and onions optionally, but you know it’s not really an option right, it’s a must have?
Russ & Daughters classic bagel  sandwich, a bagel with your choice of cream cheese and smoked salmon

I carefully wiped the wax paper it was wrapped in (ok, after licking all the cream cheese left behind) with napkins and folded it away to put in my scrapbook later because I already knew it was a food memory that I would always remember years later.

In fact just writing this post I am craving this sandwich pretty desperately. I considered for a while that they even ship nationally. If I’m ever in New York, this will be a must revisit for me.

They have other possible combinations you can try- I was torn between for instance the other sandwich of Daughter’s Delight, with Gaspe Nova and Wild Alaskan Salmon Roe with cream cheese on a bagel or bialy. Or the Super Heebster with Whitefish and Baked Salmon Salad with horseradish dill cream cheese and wasabi flying fish roe on a bagel or bialy… among several other options.

If you go to New York, would you visit Russ & Daughters? Have you been there before, and what did you have? Do you have a real craving for a bagel sandwich now, because I do and that’s one of my goals for this long weekend… a fancy bagel sandwich. Where do you get what you think are the best bagels in Portland?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

Coming Next Week: photos from Chelsea Market and Todd English Food Hall!

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Midtown Manhattan Lunches – Xian Famous Foods, ‘wichCraft, Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish

So when I last left off from my New York trip recap, I had mentioned my first lunch was at Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller. That still leaves a few other days of lunches to cover.

Thanks to my hotel refrigerator, I was able to eat dinner leftovers one day for lunch. Another day, I followed a recommendation for Xi’An Famous Foods. Not only was it personally recommended by another foodie (who got it from another foodie in Portland!), but it also made the Serious Eats guide of “Where to Eat Near Rockefeller Center“, among other good press. From reading beforehand I knew they accepted cash only, so I came prepared.

They often have quite a queue to get the food as well- on their website they actually list all their locations and if you click on each specific location, they have a real time store traffic-meter to show how busy it is! That’s awesome. I was lucky enough to get there right in time for a meal turnover- all the seats were full but were finishing up.

This was extremely lucky because there are only maybe a dozen or so little stools by counters in the back, and you can only hope that by the time they call your order # from that back window, a stool has opened up so you can eat. In theory the logic should be until you have food in hand you shouldn’t sit down, rather then letting luck of the draw of you standing by people vacating so you can grab a seat and others are left balancing their tray of food wondering how to eat it. While I was there, I witnessed one angered conversation when 2 girls tried to grab 2 stools and a woman ahead of them pointed out she had ordered before them. They relinquished the seats, others opened up, and 3 more actually opened up so I was able to get one next.

The stools and little bar to eat on are very low, the light is dim, it is definitely a feel of a questionable hole in the wall but that also seems very authentic to what often good Asian places offer- not much atmosphere and full focus on the food and good prices.

Xi'an Famous Foods, Midtown Location on 45th Street

I also knew exactly what to order thanks to my foodie friend- the N1 Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand Ripped Noodles, Lamb sautéed with onions, garlic, and scallions in Xi’an Famous Food’s secret spices, mixed with their original hand-ripped wide biangbiang noodles. I thought it was spicy but not too much (I have a medium-high spice tolerance), and definitely it is a multiple napkin meal from the dripping chili sauce, a mix of Muslim Chinese flavors that you will be hard-pressed to easily find, so I thought it was worth the wait. I didn’t order the Lamb Burger that Anthony Bourdain had so enjoyed on No Reservations, but I needed to save myself for dinner.

Do not wear a white shirt- I almost put on a light colored shirt earlier that day but realizing this would be my probable lunch destination, switched to a black top instead.
N1 Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand Ripped Noodles from Xi’an Famous Foods

When I left, there was a line out the door, and a line all along the wall of those who were taking food out. As I noted, remember it’s cash only, AND don’t be one of those people who doesn’t know what you want. They have a menu of 40 items which have pictures and numbers on the wall. Do everyone a favor and look online and pick out your item # and order by it (aka N1 for me). And if you eat there, do NOT linger over your food talking like 3 people I saw where 2 were done eating and still sitting there talking to the last person- there were lots of people just boring their eyes at them.

Also a few blocks down, by Rockefeller, I tried out ‘wichCraft, a craft sandwich chain of which one of the partners is Tom Colicchio. The location I went to at Rockefeller Center is a little hidden- you have to go downstairs (so it is at the same level of the ice rink) and it is tucked in the back of one side. This one didn’t quite fare so well. The tomato soup I had here with san marzano tomatoes, basil, sherry vinegar & parmesan was a poor comparison to the one you can get on the main street at Bouchon Bakery (as I wrote in my last post). I still clung to the soup to balance out the dry mushyness of the multigrain half sandwich with goat cheese, avocado, celery, walnut pesto & watercress. I’m pretty sure I can make a better version of what sandwich myself at home. So sad to waste money and calories that could have been enjoyed better with this lunch. At least I had great company (I met up with an old coworker- a complete surprise since she is usually in Seattle and we unbelievably ended up meeting in New York!)
'wichCraft, in Rockefeller Center 'wichCraft, in Rockefeller Center
'wichCraft, in Rockefeller Cente, multigrain half sandwich with goat cheese, avocado, celery, walnut pesto and watercress, with tomato soup with basil, sherry vinegar and parmesan 'wichCraft, in Rockefeller Cente, multigrain half sandwich with goat cheese, avocado, celery, walnut pesto and watercress, with tomato soup with basil, sherry vinegar and parmesan

My last recap here is for Zucker’s Bagels & Smoked Fish, which required me take a nice scenic walk that brought me by Grand Central and also the Library and Bryant Park. Is it wrong that I actually knew Bryant Park pretty well thanks to the Lego Super Heroes game, including the detail of Le Carrousel? I was disappointed that most of the park was under construction.
"Grand New York Public Library New York Public Library New York Public Library View of the moon at Bryant Park Le Carrousel Bryant Park Fountain Bryant Park

I was pretty determined to enjoy New York bagels while I was here though, so the brisk walk in order to get to the conference in time was worth it. For a little bit, I got a little taste of what it would be like if I a New York regular as I strided purposefully towards Zuckers among the rest of the downtown commuters. Zucker’s gets their smoked fish from Acme Smoked Fish which sounds like something from Looney Toons but is an establishment that has been in the family business for four generations.

I ordered the Zucker’s Traditional, with Nova Scotia salmon with plain cream cheese, Lucky’s tomatoes, red onions and capers, on a their hand rolled kettle boiled malt sweetened baked daily in their store Everything bagel. The bagel was exactly everything everyone always talks about, incomparably chewy but soft, crackly-crusted with the lightly smoky Acme Nova lox, cool thick generous 1/2″ schmear of cream cheese, crisp beefsteak tomato and red onion, capers providing an extra pop of brine.
Zucker Bagels & Smoked Fish's Traditional, with Nova Scotia salmon with plain cream cheese, Lucky's tomatoes, red onions and capers, on a their hand rolled kettle boiled malt sweetened baked daily in their store Everything bagel

If I lived here I would definitely be a regular here. This location I went to downtown on Lexington doesn’t have the old world atmosphere of their Tribeca flagship location with its pressed tin ceiling and subway-tiled wall, but the bagels are still beyond.

In the next New York trip recap post, I’m going to share the best bagel sandwich I had during my trip- and my progressive eating day, yes a single day that included that bagel sandwich breakfast followed by lunch at Chelsea Market (plus there was a break for dessert at Milk Bar, but I covered that previously in a Momofuku post) and then a dinner at the Todd English Food Hall!

Which of the 3 lunch places I tried out would you have also picked out to try? Or did I miss a Midtown Manhattan lunch spot that you want to tell me about for next time?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

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Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller

As I started telling you in my previous post, I was recently in New York for a conference/training for 6 days. The first day, Saturday, was essentially a travel day. Then, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I was at the conference from 9-5, with a 1 hour lunch break from 12:20-1:30. That limited my comfort level of where I would be able to go to lunch and return in time to not miss anything at the session.

So how did I find lunches in Midtown Manhattan?

One way to do this is to first, search your current location on Google Maps. In my example below, my conference was at the Sofitel New  York (I stayed at a separate hotel to save money for my company). Then, when you click on the location, click the link for Search Nearby, which will expand this menu to include a field to use.
First, search for your location (in this case, Sofitel was my conference hotel). Then I clicked on Search Nearby link, which opened a section below for me to use keywords to search around the area

You can use this field to search for what you need- happy hour, lunch, pizza, bagel, tacos, etc.

This usually is what I do when I travel for work, but since I was in Manhattan there are lots of little dots that pop up of places to eat (this isn’t true of many other places I ended up going). So what now?
Searching for restaurant lunch options by Midtown Manhattan from my Sofitel Hotel in New York City

Fortunately, because New York is such a foodie town, I did a search of “Best lunch in Midtown Manhattan” and got several website articles to peruse. Usually, in smaller towns, I might only find a link to some old Chowhound board discussions, but that has also paid off to read and pick something out that sounds appealing. I picked the Serious Eats guide of “Where to Eat Near Rockefeller Center” as a reliable source, and combined this with other things I remember reading or being recommended.

For instance, that Bouchon Bakery has been on several lists for their grilled cheese sandwich- I had once upon a time pinned the list from Food and Wine for Best Grilled Cheese in the US and Bouchon’s was on it, as was it on the Serious Eats New York 17 Great Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. The name Thomas Keller also means something to me- the lunch I had at French Laundry quite a few years ago is still very memorable to me.
Bouchon Bakery in New York City, right by Rockefeller Plaza Bouchon Bakery in New York City, right by Rockefeller Plaza Bouchon Bakery in New York City, right by Rockefeller Plaza

So this was my first lunch for the trip. It was so crowded at Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller that a group of ladies was braving sitting outside on their patio, but the crowd comes and goes. I awkwardly put my bag and coat down by a stool I saw by the corner between 2 groups after putting in my order, but when the order actually came up, there was a huge section of countertop that had opened up with seats. People here tend not to linger long.

Bouchon Bakery in New York City, right by Rockefeller Plaza Bouchon Bakery- example of offerings

The Bouchon Baker Rockefeller menu (which is annoyingly not on their site but you can get a gist at UrbanSpoon or the New York Mag for a menu) are light lunches of sandwiches, salads, cheese plates, soup, and of course their fabulous baked goods of macaroons and cookies as well as others like croissants, scones, etc. Below, the Smoked Salmon with herbed cream cheese, pickled red onion, and peppercress on brioche and the Roasted Sweet Potato on almond focaccia with brown butter aioli sounded tempting too.

Not so much the dog biscuits admittedly, which by the way are enriched with foie gras and chicken stock. One story goes that the dog treats came about because the Bouchon Kitchen in Yountville always had leftover random pieces of fois gras scraps so they used it this way so they wouldn’t go to waste and were still enjoyed.
Bouchon Bakery- example of offerings Bouchon Bakery- example of offerings Bouchon Bakery- example of offerings

I came to Bouchon Bakery twice. The first time was exactly for that grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. It is not just a plain grilled cheese or plain tomato soup, of course- it’s a san marzano tomato soup that is tangy and intensely tomato-y, perfect for a dip here or there with the gooey fontina & gruyère cheese sandwich whose thick pain au lait (milk bread) manages to be both crusty on the outside but soft and doughy buttery richness inside.
Bouchon Bakery San Marzano Tomato Soup, perfect with their pain au lait grilled fontina and gruyere cheese sandwich Bouchon Bakerypain au lait grilled fontina and gruyere cheese sandwich is perfectly crispy on the outside but soft doughy rich butteryness on the inside Bouchon Bakerypain au lait grilled fontina and gruyere cheese sandwich is perfectly crispy on the outside but soft doughy rich butteryness on the inside Bouchon Bakerypain au lait grilled fontina and gruyere cheese sandwich is perfectly crispy on the outside but soft doughy rich butteryness on the inside

On my second visit, I had decided to eat leftovers from previous meals, and brought that from the hotel. However, I still used my lunch stipend to get a few treats to keep me sugared up on the plane (this would pay off since my flight would be delayed and I wouldn’t reach home until 4am NY time or 1am PDX time!). These treats kept me in a good mood, instead of a bad hungry mood. These included a croissant, the Tko Thomas Keller Oreo, the Nutter Butter cookie, and the TLC (The Laura Cunningham) Oatmeal Cookie. She didn’t like dried fruits and picked them out of typical oatmeal raisin cookies, which I totally agree with, so this cookie substitutes pecans for raisins! After the Nutter Butter the TLC was my favorite cookie.

Bouchon Bakery croissant Bouchon Bakery Tko Thomas Keller Oreo Bouchon Bakery Tko Thomas Keller Oreo Bouchon Bakery Pistachio Macaroon Bouchon Bakery Pistachio Macaroon Bouchon Bakery Nutter Butter cookie Bouchon Bakery Nutter Butter cookie Bouchon Bakery Oatmeal cookie

Which treat would you have gotten from Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

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Momofuku Noodle and Momofuku Milk Bar

When a work conference I was attending sent me to New York City for 6 days,  I was super excited. Although the conference started on Sunday and was 9-5 every day so I would lose the weekend (Saturday was almost all travel to you know, cross to the other side of the country and absorb the 3 hour time difference and 1 additional hour lost because of Daylight Savings time),  I was determined to make the most of my time in checking things off my wishlist.

After all,  NYC is one of the major food capitals of the world. And I Love Food. If a foodie will plan trips by first researching and planning what to eat,  and if a foodie wins the lottery would plan an eating adventure around the world, then I more than qualify.

I’ll have another post or two to share about how I used Custom Google Maps to show me where everything on my wishlist was located, along with logistics like hours and tips for each location and how I gathered that info.
Creating a Custom Google Map to help your Vacation Planning

But for now,  I’ll share the first meal I had when I arrived that Saturday evening. After the long flight from PDX to San Francisco to JFK, I craved comfort but also Saturday vibrancy and energy. And, I would wind up with my first bites in New York being Momofuku Noodle Bar, and just for convenience for me I’m also going to cover my stop at Momofuku Milk Bar even though it was a few days later.

The United flight had been fantastic in being on time and with an individual TV for each seat from San Fran to New York. The seats I had passed up in business class were those kind that fold into beds,  but even in coach I was OK in comfort.

Usually I don’t experience those kind of nicer planes unless it’s an international flight, but apparently they also use the United p.s. Premium Service Boeing 757-200 aircraft for this leg. There was an outlet in front in between the seats (I was in an aisle) for power cords, but since they also had a USB plug right by the personal monitor I used to to keep my phone charged up. I appreciated that even in coach, I was given some amenities like access to chargers, every seat had a pillow and blanket, and all complimentary movies and TV shows.

I never thought I’d write on this blog about an airplane experience, but since it was so good I wanted to share it. This was so worth flying SFO to JFK rather than to EWR/Newark because of this plane (looks like it also works a LAX-JFK route).

I had felt empowered during my flight by watching Frozen and laughed outloud several times (than remembered to keep it down unlike the two college gals 3 rows diagonally from me that chatted loudly enough for the whole back section to hear,  despite my headphones,  on the whole 5 am flight!) and rewound scenes with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. There were actually a lot of movies I wanted to watch from their complimentary selection like Gravity, or Ender’s Game, or Hunger Games 2, but since I was planning on watching these with F anyway I tried to pick ones he would probably roll his eyes at. It’s definitely something when you wish the flight was a little longer so you could finish watching a third movie (I ended up watching White House Down because there were parts I could easily forward through and still follow).
Frozen Movie Poster Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 Movie Poster

But then there was the long ride to my Midtown hotel a few blocks from Times Square. I walked around Times Square after checking in to try to absorb the energy and excitement. But being alone I was a literal small face in a crowd and felt unimportant and lost and annoyed as people around me shared their sightseeing with their companions and caused me many times to walk around as they would suddenly stop short or walk 3 or 4 people across on the sidewalk, really really really slowly.
New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night New York City in March 2014- Times Square on a Saturday night

I decided I would go with some bao and a tummy full of ramen. I didn’t grow up with chicken soup as a comfort food when ill. It was Thai rice porridge or Mama Noodles (you can get them in Portland at Sen Yai as I wrote about here). I also remember when on family trips we touched down in Bangkok from a grueling long flight (back when smoking was still allowed and we always flew through Japan… I remember a haze sometimes above my child size head) this was part of our first meal as we got off the plane, often close to midnight there. I remember the flavors and smells meaning “welcome, you’re here, relax, rest from your trip but also be nourished, get ready to go out and explore”.
8th St / NYU Stop 8th St / NYU Stop 8th St / NYU Stop

If you get off at the 8 St/NYU stop and walk on 8th street towards 1st, keep your eye out for a little red bunny (I mistakenly labeled it a dog in my Instagram) in the window of the 51 Astor Place building. Red Rabbit by Jeff Koons, the father of shiny balloon dog sculptures (he does them in 5 Colors- Blue, Magenta, Yellow, Orange, Red) is a 4 feet tall, 6,600 pound mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture. It has. four siblings (Magenta, Blue, Yellow, Violet) also out there somewhere.
Red Rabbit by Jeff Koons, the father of shiny balloon dog sculptures (he does them in 5 Colors- Blue, Magenta, Yellow, Orange, Red) at 51 Astor Place.  It is a 4 feet tall, 6,600 pound mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture. There are four (Magenta, Blue, Yellow, Violet) others in the world Red Rabbit by Jeff Koons, the father of shiny balloon dog sculptures (he does them in 5 Colors- Blue, Magenta, Yellow, Orange, Red) at 51 Astor Place.  It is a 4 feet tall, 6,600 pound mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture. There are four (Magenta, Blue, Yellow, Violet) others in the world

I don’t usually mind solo dining. It lets me enjoy food and atmosphere without the distraction of conversation. I can devote my whole attention to the experience. Every bite and sip can be slowly unfolded uninterrupted, and my thoughts allowed to chase impressions into forming into something more solid rather than temporary emotional responses.

Also, it usually means I can easily get  a seat. I walked into Momofuku Noodle Bar past a few groups and was immediately seated at the bar in the middle of the room- I hadn’t eaten since breakfast or I would might have waited for a counter seat by the kitchen, but this was fine.
Momofuku Noodle Bar Momofuku Noodle Bar

I had seen earlier than I had a refrigerator and microwave in my room, so I didn’t hold back on ordering knowing I could take back leftovers. I started with 2 orders of buns- which come 2 buns each to an order, the Shrimp Bao with spicy mayo, pickled red onion, iceberg and the special on the board the Pork Belly Bun with soft white steamed bun folded around pickled cucumbers and green onions, sweet hoisin and roasted pork belly. I washed this down with a local beer, the Keegan Ales Mother’s Milk stout. This is pretty typical- I’m always asking what local beer, wine, or alcohol a place has.
Momofuku Noodle Bar- Shrimp Buns with spicy mayo, pickled red onion, iceburg Momofuku Noodle Bar- Shrimp Buns with spicy mayo, pickled red onion, iceburg

If it’s one thing that Momofuku is famous for, it is these pork buns. When I bit into one, any annoyance, irritation, or tiredness faded away into the juicy tender melt in your mouth pillowy soft bun. I was only supposed to eat one each of the buns, but there was no way I wasn’t going to eat both these, and I even thought about ordering another but reminded myself there was a lot to eat in New York. I would totally come back here my next visit for these buns.

Man, I really wish I had some RIGHT NOW. They were so so so good. It sounds simple,  but that’s like calling your favorite family dish just home cooking – embedded in these Buns is both nourishment and nurturing.
Momofuku Pork Bao- Pork Belly Bun with soft white steamed bun folded around pickled cucumbers and scallions, sweet hoisin and roasted pork belly Momofuku Pork Bao- Pork Belly Bun with soft white steamed bun folded around pickled cucumbers and scallions, sweet hoisin and roasted pork belly

Eventually, new people were seated next to my left, and as they pondered aloud what buns to order, I turned and demanded that they had to order the pork buns. I tried hard to then return to my solitude and not listen too much to how the man was trying to set up the woman with various friends, and the woman complaining how hard it was to find someone in New York and dish on a recent date. I guess I wasn’t totally successful there huh.

It’s hard to not absorb some of the conversations around you since it is a crowded, loud restaurant that is popular and the communal seats so close you will probably exchange an elbow or two at one point. I’m not sure if it was me that changed, or the feeling of the crowd, but unlike the isolation I felt earlier at Times Square, here I felt camaraderie in everyone was seeking comfort, like I was. When I walked back to the station to return to the hotel, I no longer felt rushed, or irritated, or lost. I had transitioned into being relaxed, patient curious observer, and I was sorry for all the unkind thoughts I had when I was hungry (thinking back, I only had a breakfast sandwich I grabbed to eat on the plane in SFO and nothing else until this meal). I was back to smiling at strangers, the Portland me.

For ramen I went with the classic, Momofuku ramen, with pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg. It’s homey, and made me regret having the beer because I had wasted previous stomach space that could have been used for all of the broth- I had to leave some behind. Don’t worry, only broth and maybe some green onion was left, nothing else.
Momofuku Noodle bar, classic Momofuku ramen, with pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg

If I returned, I would definitely try the Spicy Miso Ramen with smoked chicken and swiss chard or the Chilled Spicy Noodles with Sichuan sausage, spinach and cashews. This is the biggest negative of dining alone- if I had been with others I could have tried a bit of those all on this visit. I also would have had room for dessert… but not for this meal.

Instead, it wasn’t until a couple days later, on Tuesday, when I was able to try a Momofuku dessert at Momofuku Milk Bar, this was the East Village location. I made myself work for this dessert by walking here from Chelsea Market, and totally spacing on the fact that I had thought I would walk and visit The High Line Park first and then come for dessert. I would pay for this later because when I did return to The High Line another day it was raining hard. But that’s another post.

For now, be jealous of my Oatmeal Creme Pie flavored soft serve (this is specific to this particular Milk Bar location) with crunchies AND I got a slice of Crack Pie. FTW. The woman behind the counter even teased me that as I was ordering the slice that I had a really guilty look on my face, which may have had something to do with progressive eating for 6 hours and it wasn’t even dinnertime yet. I promise you that’s another post too! These desserts are all that they promise. The crack pie is very sweet and buttery but with a bit of saltiness, and the texture of that oat meal cookie crust gives it a bit of crunchyness while the filling is barely in solid form as its silkiness melts on your tongue.
Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC, East Village Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC, East Village Oatmeal Creme Pie flavored soft serve (this is specific to this particular Milk Bar location) with crunchies AND I got a slice of crack pie (not pictured) Momofuku Milk Bar- buy the Crack Pie by the slice!

Which Momofuku would you choose to go to, and what would you get!?

Other New York highlights from this trip that I have blogged about:

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