Straight Up Incredible Dinner c/o Zenkichi

On Friday I met up with fellow foodie and high school buddy M, her boyfriend A, high school buddy S and his girlfriend C at Zenkichi in Williamsburg. And let me just tell you that it was amazing, spectacular, special, fun, filling and tasty. We sat in a large, solid wood looking booth with a little bamboo shade giving us a 'fourth wall'. There was a button on the table we could push if we needed anything...but the service was so great we never did. M and I arrived a bit early and each had a sake. Zenkichi has quite the sake menu...and I think I've never had it so good. Once all of our party arrived we started a 17 course tasting menu of epic proportions, helped along by sake flights. Now I will tell you about some of the dishes. Or simply write, mmmmm a lot.
First up was a miso soup. Pretty standard except that the broth was richer somehow...as if instead of using a water base they used a meat stock.
Next up were Monkfish Foie Gras served in ponzu citrus soy sauce and Tako Wasabi (wasabi cured octopus). Each dish was interesting in its own right. S pointed out that the foie gras had a similar consistency to avocado. The octopus was not photographed and I think it's just as well. I actually enjoyed the taste and the texture of the dish (spicy wasabi, slimy chewy but tender octopus) but I don't think it would have held up to the flash (that was a problem, low lighting etc).
After that came the Maguro Carpaccio (medium tuna sashimi with sesame oil, white soy sauce, green yuzu pepper and grated onions): fresh and lovely.
Next up was the Grilled Miso Oysters (meaty oysters grilled on the shell with red-miso sauce). The red miso sauce was rich in a way I haven't ever experience miso pleasantly...but did this time around. Each oyster shell had three oysters which made good eating for us all. The portions were such that most everything could be divided evenly and when it didn't we were, for the most part, very democratic (dare I say Quaker-like) in our splittings.
Arriving at the same time as the oysters was the Sweet Duck Salad (roasted duck, poached egg, mixed greens and sweet duck dressing). My favorite part of this dish was the fact that you were to break the poached egg over the salad as an imperative part of its dressing. I am always amazed by the difference between duck served in restaurants and the duck I had in Georgia (mainly that the duck in Georgia I found disgusting while the duck I've had elsewhere I've found tasty...difference, mainly, between truly wild shot-out-of-the-sky and raised-on-a-farm duck).
One of all of our favorites (I think) was the Mishima Beef and Yomogi Namafu (Mishima beef tataki, rare, with sesame miso sauce accompanied by Yomogi, Japanese green herb, gluten cake). I think we all said something along the lines of 'this is the best beef I've ever had'. And S took a particular liking to the little green nubbins.
Coming at a similar time was the Shirako & Shungiku Tempura, Creamy cod milt and green chrsanthemum leaf tempura. Served with the traditional tempura sauce and green tea salt...I became smitten with the green tea salt. This was delicate tempura and surprising in its flavors.
Then there was the amazingly rich, tender and tasty Saikyo Miso Black Cod (grilled black cod flavored with Kyoto miso marinade). I'm not sure I've had such a rich dense fish ever. And if I have it's been a while. And I want to have it all the time.
Then there were the Tsukune Chicken, Japanese chicken meatballs on bamboo served with poached egg dipping sauce. I was a fan of this at first but then the chicken got a little too sweet or something.
This is M. being all happy about taking away the food before I felt I had taken a good photograph and A, a willing accomplice.
We had the choice of either Pork Kakuni or Buri Daikon for another big dish. We went with the Pork Kakuni, sweet and complex flavor of pork belly achieved by 3 days of slow-cooking. Frankly I have cooked more tender pork. Perhaps not as delicatedly flavored but, well, I couldn't help feeling like I've made a tenderer meat.

Then there was the Kanburi Tartar Sushi (winter yellowtail sushi topped with water sea urchin). S suggested it had a texture similar to risotto. There was some dissent on that one I think...but at that point I've had four glasses of sake so I might be wrong.
The one in the middle turned out to be mine.
Dessert was a helping of Frozen Black Sesame Mousse (chocolate based silky frozen sesame mousse....MY FAVORITE), Kinako Soft Cheesecake (soft cream cheese poured over soy sponge cake covered with kinako, ie soy powder), Organic Milk Pudding sans gelatin, jMarron and Banana Bavarois (I don't like bananas so I don't know about it) and Grapefruti Agar Gelee...resfreshingly tart agar jelly made with Japanese seaweed served in scooped out grapefruit.
It was incredible. Amazing. Good people, excellent atmosphere and astounding food...and service. Seriously you should go here. The tasting menu is $40 per person and is worth every cent...thanks to M for buying me dinner and S and C and A for coming out!

Lunch c/o Il Violino

On Thursday I met up with another college compatriot. Famous for referring to sex with women (he's not straight) as--nevermind, totally inappropriate if amazingly funny. He worked in/near/under Lincoln Center so we went to Il Violino because it's nearby. They had a $17.95 lunch prix fix that we both took advantage of: choice of appetizer, soup or salad and main course with complimentary glass of wine and coffee or tea. I opted for the Calamari appetizer, Caesar Salad and Veal Scallopine prepared Francese.


It was all very good. Though I think I like my veal chunkier...like this time or this time.

Next Stop, Yummy Town

After lunch I walked down to Union Square where I was lucky enough to witness (and even purchase a little something) at the farmer's market. I then went to the nearby movie theater to buy a ticket for 27 Dresses. Unfortunately, according to the ticket seller, the internet and their own schedule was wrong and 27 Dresses wasn't playing for another 2+ hours and I was totally not in the mood to see There Will Be Blood. Atonement was also playing in 2+ hours so I went ahead and bought a ticket. Then I walked around, found myself outside of The Strand bookstore and went inside. I wandered around for a good amount of time, bought a book then went back to the movie theater to sit inside for the remaining 45 minutes before the movie started. I was reading Don Delillo's White Noise (borrowed from my host and finished last night). Then I watched the movie (which I've already mentioned I think...I thought that for a book to movie adaptation they did pretty good job...though the book is still better). Then I walked down to NYU territory and met up with my dear friend K. Below is her artsy office space. They do things with technology.
We went to Village Yokocho for fancy drinks and conversation. We went to the 'secret bar' in front of the main eating space. Low light, snappily dressed and coiffed male Japanese servers and drinks with names like Ascension. Below is Ascension (ha): some kind of infused vodka, peach and white grape juice and topped with Rosé champagne. Expensive but wholly satisfying.
We also ordered sashimi and fried oysters. The sashimi was AMAZING. Best fish I've had in a long, long time. Each piece cut thicker than I'm used to but also buttery to the extreme. The oysters were also good, the breading had flavor and subtlety and you could still get a good sense of the oyster's flavor.
They do not allow flash photography, I learned...after taking two flash photographs. Mmmm.

Korean c/o of Shilla Restaurant

On Wednesday I met up with a college friend for lunch. This friend is also pretty great. I, rightly or wrongly, attribute my sticking with/improving within the Bard photography department to her. One friend does make a difference and she was the one (I had friends in college, just not in the program and that was pretty lonely...nobody to ask questions to etc). She's a smarty so I met her at her smarty school and then went to Shilla for my first Korean meal. All the little starter plates were fun. The friend did convince me that I wanted Bim Bop...when I thought I wanted a kimchi and pork soup.

In the end I did want the kim chi pork soup. Though the Bim Bop wasn't bad it wasn't exactly what I wanted...it was cold on purpose and I was looking for something a bit warmer and with more potent flavors.
One day I'll do straight up Korean barbeque and, I predict, I will love it. I thank the friend for seeing me and buying me lunch!

Movie Madness

After fully becoming addicted to wii Tennis and understanding how Guitar Hero might be a welcome addition to my life (we shall see about this, shan't we?), I met up with my hostess. The lovely L. The bestest hostess a girl can have in NYC and her fat boyfriend was pretty spectacular as a host as well. I wish very much to put her in my pocket and take her all around with me. Fatty could stay in my purse. I would allow conjugal visits but only in the bags I no longer use. What a weird train of thought. Any ways we went to John Barry's which is near her work and I had a Shirley Temple Black or two (which, it seem, is a drink I made up because bartenders always seem to a) not know what I'm talking about and b) judge me when I tell them).Then we went and saw Charlie Bartlett. I liked it. I would say you would too. But then if you didn't then you'd be judging me and thinking that I'm not smart. So do what you want, I don't even care.

Wiiiiii!

After lunch I followed the grad school friend home like a sad little puppy. That's not true we just went there because I was curious about her apartment and I wanted to see what all the fuss about wii was about. Above is my wii mii. If you would like to send me a present Wii would come in second to a job. No it would come in third or fourth.

Lunch c/o Layla Jones with Orange Soda, Memory Maker Caveat

When my MOMA/college friend plans went down the shitter I was at a momentary loss. So, as I strangely find myself doing at least once while in NYC, I sat on a bench outside Central Park and called five friends to ask what they would do in my shoes (and did not enter the park). Unfortunately they were all working or avoiding my calls...so I began walking south to a subway stop. I thought about going through Times Square and seeing what movies were playing but...I didn't want to. So blessed be the grad school friend who did call me back. We met up in Cobble Hill territory and had lunch at Layla Jones. I ordered a Fanta. Orange soda elicits a certain memory-thought-nostalgia thing in me...I drank a fair amount of it when I was riding horses in Maryland/my youth. I believe I was getting a Crush from the dirty, ancient, still 50 cent soda machine in Meadowbrook Stables when I heard Kurt Cobain had died. The sounds and smells of a barn, orange soda and grunge...who would have thought? Orange soda was also part of my softball game experience...after games Rachel Stewart and I would be taken by one of our paretns to McDonalds, once there we would split the 20 chicken nugget meal and each have an inordinately large orange soda. This happened at least three times and was, by far, the highlight to the four or five years I played the game.
We both had the basil mozzarella and tomato press sandwich. Very satisfactory.

Bagels!

Tuesday started with a Bang-el. A bagel. A bagel from The Bagel Factory (which was ridiculously close to my friends' apartment). I hadn't had a proper good tasty bagel in years...or it felt like years..I think it has been years. And this toasted everything bagel with lox cream cheese was awesome. Stupendous. I even drank coffee for the occasion.

Pork Shoulder Cloved Up

On Monday I didn't have any social meet-ups and didn't care to venture out in the world just because it was New York...so I spent a good part of the day shopping for and cooking pork butt/shoulder. I stabbed the meat all over then put whole cloves into the gashes. This really made the meat have a clovey taste. I worked off this recipe (ah the Chicagoist days) but used a bone-in piece of meat and added a bit of cilantro and a jalepeno pepper. In a good way. I think. I also made salad and cumin/rosemary potatoes. We drank a nice bottle of Chianti.
It was, if I do say so myself (and I do) pretty damn tasty. The potatoes were less satsifying. The salad was aw winner.

Thai Chicken Fry c/o my Lovely Hostess

I ate this for lunch on Monday.

Mussells For Dinner, Biatch

After the movie we went to Noodle Pudding for dinner. I had the mussels appetizer and tasted my friend's Buffalo mozzarella platter. It was good. A very crowded neighborhood restaurant full of good smells. This was the beginning of a very frustrating New York trend...low lit restaurants with no respect for my desire to take appetizing photographs of their food. Rat bastards, all of them.

Dim Sum c/o Sunrise 27 and Cupcakes c/o a Brooklyn Kitchen

On Sunday there was dim sum. In the past when I've come to NYC I've gone to The Golden Unicorn. This time around I perused New York yelpers' opinions and found Sunrise 27 Inc had far more favorable reviews. So that's where we met. A grad school friend, two high school friends and three college friends (plus a significant other) all joined in the fun. The food was hot and fast and there was a good range of tasty treats. And it was a little under $10 per person. So much food, so little money. After dim sum I went back to Brooklyn with my high school buddy. I helped with making red velvet cupcakes and cream cheese/butter/sugar icing for movie night. The movie was Talladega Nights. I'd seen it before and hadn't really thought overly positive thoughts about it…but the second time I found it funnier. Especially the 'I'm trying to decide what I should get my grandmother for her birthday but I don't know what to get her….'get her a coffin'. Ah, funny. I also got some quality cat petting time in during the movie. This is Smackers or Smackey...I forget and it's gotten complicated to remember since there is a cat in my newest location called Smackers or Smackey...sigh.

Margaritas and Burritos in the Upper, Upper, Upper West Side

Later on I headed way away from my hosts' Brooklyn to northerly Harlem/Washington Heights for a party thrown by two lovely ladies (and one gentleman) also from my college years. It was a party complete (as is their way) with scrumptious, fresh and healthy food…and margaritas. Rice, beans, freshly chopped cilantro (I did that!), lettuce, tomatoes etc for a make-your-own-burrito-conga-line of epic proportions. I knew a total of three/four people there. The first three, obviously, were my hosts and then a guy from college who I hadn't had reason to remember since, well, I graduated from college lo these many five years ago.

Which brings me to an interesting thought. I've had a few phone conversations/in person conversations in the last few months in which I will mention some memory involving some person and my listener will go 'huh, I forgot that person existed'. And I rarely have that exact kind of reaction. If I ever knew someone existed I'll always know they existed. I won't necessarily remember every interaction I had with them, their face or where they sat in freshmen whatever 101 but if, for some reason, a person's name is brought up I automatically can go 'ah yes, somewhere in my brain I knew they existed'. Is that any different? Perhaps in the sentiment. That the people who declare they've forgotten a person entirely say it with a modicum of relief that they forgot or pride at recognizing the insignificance this newly brought up person on their lives. Or maybe it's without an edge: I forgot because it didn't factor into my memory's landscape. But a landscape is necessarily with it's own shadows and gullies. Every (relatively traditional…no Salvador Dali in this analogy) painting or photograph (or etching, lithograph and charcoal for that matter) has an earth from which all other things come. You see the grass on the hill, the trees in the forest but not necessarily the root work, or even just the dirt…just below the surface.

My point being is that just because you never think about the person doesn't mean you don't have a tiny file, a subfolder if you will, somewhere in your brain. Because if you forgot they existed, well, you wouldn't be able to remember then once they were brought up. Though, perhaps, there are people who have melted away forever from me…kids I knew for two weeks in summer camp for example. I can remember the names of, maybe, two girls in my cabin from one year of summer camp…but we were not a cabin of three but ten. But then I can remember girls from those years (about four of them) without their names. I'd like to call them all either Laura or Jenny. The story of the girl whose parents signed her up for the entire summer while they gallivanted around, not writing her letters or visiting…her father came once to visit and brought with him a tiny grain of rice floating inside a small glass tube, filled with water. On the grain was his daughter's name. I remember that gift not being enough for this girl. I'm sure there are people I've forgotten. To pretend otherwise is ridiculous. It is just that these names are never brought up because any link to them, a childhood friend, a parent of a fellow elementary school classmate, no longer exist to me.

Salmon Wrap

On Saturday I took a plane from Greensboro to New York. A good college friend picked me up in her cute as a button mini-cooper. A car I remember first meeting when, on a Parents' Day Weekend, she was able to take it on a spin for a few hours while her parents (it was then their car) participated in some kind of academic something.

We drove to her house in Brooklyn and had a lunch of salmon salad and 'Death Bed Soup'. The salmon had capers and black olives. How I love a good caper. Makes me want to make caper lemon butter with some kind of fish. I've never cooked Skate.

And So Begins An An Epic Catching Up

Hostesses with the mostesest and I right before they drove me to the Greensboro airport. The 14 year old really has more than one facial expression...I've seen them all, often in quick succession, but I think the camera threw her for a little loop.

And Still No Photos

Today is another, far worse, rainy day. I didn't have much of a plan for this afternoon and the rain makes any desire to, say, actually go to the MOMA when it's open, cajole someone into coffee or take walk pretty much dead on delivery. I am making a pork stock for my hosts though, so that's something I can say I accomplished.

I'm going to what will be, I'm sure, a phenomenal meal tonight with at least one high school buddy (high school buddy #2, well, you are still encouraged to confirm or deny your plans on showing up). It will have courses. There will be a zen garden. Maybe there will be drinks during or after. It will be great. Even with the suck-assy rain.

Last night I watched a sneak peek of Get Smart. I could tell you what I thought but...do you really care to know? Can you not guess how the movie went? Sigh. The new episode of Lost, however, was reasonably entertaining if, as usual, lacking in answers and profligating in questions (did I just totally a) misuse a word? b) make up a word?).

Ah New York, you are so cold and rainy.