Epicerie Boulud: Counter Service at its finest!

While dining at Bar Boulud for dinner, I noticed the take out area of Boulud called Epicerie Boulud (1900 Broadway at 64th St., New York, NY). I had no idea what they served, but assumed it was more of a bakery rather than a place to get entrees and meals.

The next day, while I was in Lincoln Center for the Dr. Oz show, I had a huge craving for a Bahn Mi sandwich. Bahn Mi's are one of my favorite sandwiches that I often crave like there is no tomorrow. Also, since Passover was starting at sundown, I had to get in my last bread filled item of the week. I Googled "Bahn Mi Sandwich Lincoln Center", and Epicerie Boulud was one of the first results in my Google search. I was surprised because Boulud is French, not Vietnamese! This definitely peaked my interest and I decided that this was going to be the place I would enjoy my Bahn Mi sandwich.

Bahn Mi Sandwich - Thai Sausage, Jambon de Paris, Pate, Jalapeno Mayo, Herbs & Carrot Radish Slaw, on a French Roll 

Upon arrival at Epicerie Boulud, I didn't bother getting distracted by all the other delicious looking options on the menu and pastry items that were on display. I knew I had to get what I came for!
The guy behind the counter that took my order gave me nods of approval for the sandwich that I ordered, which made me happy and even more excited. The sandwich was not a typical Vietnamese Bahn Mi, it was Boulud-ified! It had Thai sausage, nicely cut slices of Jambon de Paris, Jalapeño mayo, herb & carrot radish slaw, and pate served on a crispy French roll. This sandwich was a fanci-fied sausage sandwich and I loved it! It was sweet, spicy, and savory all at once. I loved the slaw because that is what gave this sandwich some of the traditional Bahn Mi flavor. The sausage was nice and warm while the rest of the sandwich was cold and refreshing. Additionally, the size of this sandwich was perfect. I wasn't stuffed, but I wasn't hungry; I was content. I would definitely order this sandwich again! 

Bar Boulud: #FoodPorn in every bite!

Bar Boulud (1900 Broadway at 64th St., New York, NY) seemed to be the perfect place to catch up with a friend over cocktails and amazing food on the first warm day of the spring. We arrived right after work and had no problem getting a table outdoors, which was surprising considering that reservations are taken up to one month in advance. Since I arrived first, I gave the hostess my name and told her my friend was going to arrive in 15 minutes, and that I wanted to have an outdoor table if possible. Remarkably the hostess offered for me to sit down immediately and wait for my friend, which is very rare in NYC, since most restaurants, especially fancy ones make you wait for your whole party to arrive before being taken to a table and being sat. I was astounded and took full advantage of this!

The setting was perfect with beautiful flowers lining the edge of the outdoor seating area separating the tables from the passerby's. The vibe is the perfect mix of casual, relaxing, and romantic, with the added perk of great people watching since you are right in Lincoln Center. 

After my friend finally arrived, the waiter waited to come over for several minutes before taking our drink order. He started the night by apologizing for ignoring us, which was a little weird, but I guess also nice? 

Since we were so busy catching up instead of looking at the menu, we had no idea what we wanted to order when the waiter came back for our order. After asking his recommendation on items, we still weren't sure because so many dishes sounded amazing. He gave us more time, and then returned to ask for our orders, and when we still weren't 100% sure, he kind of made fun of us.

Aiolo de Homard - Half Lobster, sweet garlic dip, seasonal vegetables, quail egg grissini

To start, we shared the Aiolo de Homard salad, which was half of a lobster accompanied with a huge assortment of vegetables that were all so fresh and colorful. The visual appeal of this salad was amazing because there was every color of the rainbow present on the plate. I have never seen purple cauliflower before, and it was quite exciting to see! The salad was extremely easy to share because of how it was served in an almost vegetable platter type of arrangement, where each vegetable was grouped together in its own area with sweet garlic dip in the center. The variety of vegetables ranged from radishes, potatoes, carrots, to even scallions. The eggs were also a nice addition to the salad because it added some more protein and flavor besides the lobster. I would highly recommend this salad because of the quality of vegetables and freshness that it has.
My one complaint would be that we were enjoying the salad so much and taking our time with dipping each vegetable into the sauce that when our entrees were ready, we were still enjoying the salad and weren't finished. Instead of them leaving our dishes in the kitchen and checking on our status, our dishes were brought out near our table with the waiter rushing over to us to tell that our dishes were ready and that we needed to finish our salad. He literally stood over us as we both grabbed the last few vegetables from the plate before it was taken away. I have never experienced something like this at a restaurant before. Normally dishes are held in the kitchen and kept warm until the table is done with their starter.

Fleischschnecke de Lapin -  Braised Rabbit-rolled Alsacian Pasta Daikon Sauerkraut, Sage Jus

For my entree, I took the suggestion of the waiter and I am glad I did! I ordered the Fleischschnecke de Lapin, which was braised rabbit, rolled inside of a pasta shell. Inside the shell there were many layers of pasta with rabbit in-between each layer. It was almost like a lasagna type of consistency, but French style and way better! It was extremely rich and flavorful with the sauce being very savory and creamy. Each bite was like eating a slice of heaven. The sauerkraut that was on the plate was a nice palate cleanser and a fresh addition to the dish to make each bite new and delicious! I am still thinking about this dish days later!

Saint-Jacques "Espagnole" - Chorizo crusted daybook sea scallops, saffron bombe rice paella, peas, soffrito, clams 

My friend ordered the Saint-Jacques "Espagnole", which was also very delicious. The scallops were crusted with chorizo and gave the scallops a very hearty pork flavor. I only tasted the scallops, so I can't speak for the rest of the dish, but my friend enjoyed every bite. I am not sure I would order this at a French restaurant since it is very Spanish influenced, but they definitely did a great job in flavor and visual interest! 

Pudding au Chocolat -  Chocolate Bread Pudding, Poached Pear, Salted Caramel Ice Cream

For dessert, we ordered one that we loved, and another one that was only ok. Based on the suggestion of our waiter, we selected the Pudding au Chocolat, which was probably one of the best chocolate desserts that I have had in a while. It was warm and served in a pool of melted ice cream, while also being topped with the ice cream. The bread pudding had a hint of cinnamon in a Christmas kind of spicy way. It was delicious! The Salted Caramel Ice cream that was on top of the chocolate pudding was fresh and full of the caramel flavor. The poached pears were sweet and helped offset the richness of the dessert by bringing a fruit element to the mix. When raving to waiter about this dessert, and asking him if he has had it often, we learned an interesting fact about it, which I may need to use for future baking experiments. The restaurant bakes these cakes in a square shape because square shaped cake bakes with more moisture. They then cut the square into a circle for visual interest and the wait staff gets to eat the cut off corners :) Thank you for the fact, waiter with the Australian (I think) accent!

Ile Flottante - Steamed vanilla meringue, coconut tapioca, green tea anglaise

Our second dessert was only ok, and was made with a vanilla meringue cake sitting in the center of a green tea anglaise. It was more on the bland side, and not very rich and exciting. This dessert would be for someone looking more for a cold, refreshing, fruity dessert. This dessert wasn't bad, but compared to the Chocolat Pudding, nothing can compare and nothing can ever be close!
Bar Boulud was amazing besides some minor service issues, but nothing that I can't look past. My friend and I really liked our second waiter who had the Australian accent because he was super attentive and checked on us for wine and dessert a few times. I definitely hope to return soon when the weather is even nicer out, since the outdoor seating is great there!

Balzem: Amazing Mediterranean Tapas in Nolita

I recently went to Balzem (202 Mott St., New York, NY) in Nolita with a group of people and it was an amazing experience! The ambiance was very rustic with mood lighting, long wooden tables, and candles throughout. For a small place, they can really cater to large groups with their selection of long tables. Their large selection of mezzes/tapas on the menu made the meal great for sharing and also kept it interesting because each person could have a bite of each dish and experience the most variety of flavors, textures, and aromas. 

Everything we received was extremely fresh, flavorful, and made to order! I loved how Balzem really made it a point to have vegetables accompany most of their dishes, which made this meal a little more guilt-free :) 

Prosciutto Wraps - with burrata, roasted peppers

The Prosciutto Wraps were the first tapas to come out and they were a hit! They were extremely refreshing because they were served cold. Prosciutto was wrapped around burrata and placed on top of a roasted green pepper and then topped with roasted red peppers. There was a light balsamic glaze on this dish that added additional flavors to this already flavorful dish. The saltiness of the prosciutto went very well with the creaminess of the burrata and crunchiness of the red pepper.  This dish was spot on with flavor and texture.

Branzini Ceviche - with arugula, dill

The Branzini Ceviche was the tapas I was most looking forward to after seeing photos of it on Yelp. This dish was also extremely fresh and served cold. The Branzino was wrapped around arugula and dill and sprinkled with lemon juice. I loved how the dill flavor was very present and how the crunchiness of the arugula was in each bite of Branzino. Each piece was atop a bed of arugula and lemon juice which made for a nice salad :)

Artichoke Dip - with shrimp, spinach, gruyere 

The artichoke dip was truly the most unique that I have ever had. I loved how it was thinner than most artichoke dips, but not so thin that it was runny. It felt much lighter than dipping into the standard thick, heavy, cheesy artichoke dips. Also, the addition of shrimp to the dip was unlike any other artichoke dip I have ever had. The shrimp added so much flavor and texture to the dip and went very well with the artichokes. Somehow the shrimp made it seem lighter. The warmth of this dish was perfect for the rainy night that we were all experiencing, and made each bite that much more delicious!

Octopus - Spanish pulpo cooked in red wine sauce, pan seared and served on arugula salad

The seared octopus had perfectly charred edges which were nice and crispy, while the center of the meat was perfectly tender. The octopus was supposed to be cooked in a red wine sauce, which I didn't taste at all. I didn't mind that flavor of the sauce was missing, because I love the taste of octopus on its own, but it was a little disappointing since it was described as being part of the dish. I loved the abundance of lemon juice on the arugula that made this dish extremely fresh and light.

Crevette Grill - Shrimp with zucchini and spices

The Crevette Grill was grilled shrimp atop a slice of zucchini with a light aioli sauce. The shrimp were super crispy from the grill and marinated with tons of lemon juice and lightly spiced. Very enjoyable!

Zucchini Pancakes - dill, parsley, scallion, feta, egg, flour

The Zucchini Pancakes reminded me of Hanukah latkes, but much lighter and almost more enjoyable! They were much less fried than traditional latkes and were topped with a dill and cream sauce which moistened each bite. I loved these and made try making these at home instead of latkes!

Truffle Mac & Cheese 

The truffle mac and cheese was delicious! The noodles were al dente with the cheese sticking to each curly noodle. The breadcrumbs added an amazing crunchy top layer to the dish. The truffle flavor was present in every bite and very glutinous and delish!

Shepherd Salad

The Shepherd Salad was similar to an Israeli salad and was very fresh and tasty. It was made up of onions, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and olives. During dinner we enjoyed so much arugula with each tapas, that this salad did not need any.

Potato Truffle Gratin

The potato truffle gratin was very delicious and heavy! It was super rich and creamy and the perfect side to share, because I sure wouldn't have been able to eat too much of this dish. The potatoes were cooked perfectly in the gratin style with a lovely truffle flavor! Yum!

Grilled Rib-eye Brochette -  on skewers, with herb dip and yogurt sauce 

The Grilled Rib-eye Brochette was rib-eye pieces served on skewers. Generally I find that meat on skewers tends to be on the drier side, but these were full of flavor and moist! They were seasoned perfectly with many herbs and had so much spice! I loved how they were served with yogurt sauce, and also pitas so I could make a miniature sandwich with the rib-eye pieces.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

For dessert we shared three desserts. All were exceptional and rich! The chocolate mousse cake was extra creamy and chocolaty. It was heavier than the two other desserts, and more of a tasting type of dessert.

Tiramisu

The Tiramisu was everyone's favorite because it was extra light and airy with an extreme rum taste. It tasted very authentic and as if it had been soaked in rum. Amazing!

Chocolate Souffle 

The Chocolate soufflé was also a winning dessert because it was extra chocolatey with the melted center and brownie-like exterior. A chocolate lover's dream.
I enjoyed myself so much at this restaurant that I texted my friend that lives around the corner to tell him he must try it immediately! I definitely want to return, perhaps for the brunch next time!

East Pole: Awesome in food, interesting in experience...

After adding East Pole (133 East 65th St. New York, NY) to my "restaurant to try list" over a year ago, we finally had time to check it out, and I can't say "it was worth the wait" as the saying goes. 

Upon entering the restaurant, it was extremely crowded with a lot of brunch traffic coming and going. I guess crowds show a good sign that the food is good, since the service was definitely lacking. Our waiter was extremely friendly and funny at first, but he was way too busy thinking of his next joke instead of listening to our questions and our order correctly. After our few questions about the menu and after ordering, he made a point to add in a joke at the end. I appreciate jokes and enjoy them, but I would rather have my order correct! Also, when I asked him if a certain dish was good and worth ordering, his response was "of course it's good", instead of giving me some type of objective opinion and kind of made fun of me with his tone of voice. It was not very appreciated. 

First try was a fail, because when he brought our drinks to the table, one of them was wrong. Strike two, and a fail, he forgot we ordered banana bread for the table and when we reminded him of it later, he turned it around on us, telling us that since we ordered it so late, it would come out with the entrees instead of apologizing for his mistake. Perhaps East Pole is under-staffed and he was overwhelmed? Not sure, but these few things were pretty annoying! 

Sicilian Blood Orange Mimosa &
Spicy Maria (Grilled Jalapeno-Infused Tequila, Market Tomato Juice)

As for the drinks, they were typical brunch drinks, nothing TOO special. My fiancé was excited they had blood orange mimosas on the menu since typically normal orange mimosas are only offered at restaurants. The Spicy Maria Bloody Mary wasn't spicy, which was a little disappointing. It was made with Grilled Jalapeño infused tequila, and I could barely even taste the jalapeño flavor in this drink. It would have been nice if they put a jalapeño slice on the drink as a garnish to add to the flavor and make it a touch spicier!

Pumpkin Waffles, Vanilla Butternut Puree, Candied Pecans, and Maple Butter

One of our friends had the Pumpkin Waffles for their entree and I was lucky enough to try a taste of them! They were delicious and sweet with the true pumpkin flavor in them. They were very fresh and flavorful and topped with vanilla butternut puree, which was almost like a frosting. MMM!

Full English Breakfast -
Two eggs any style, chipolatas, bacon, mushrooms, and beans

Our other friend had the Full English Breakfast which looked decent. I didn't try it, but the chipolatas and the bacon she said were delicious! 

Maine Lobster Sandwich - Garlic scape, and avocado relish

My fiancé and I shared two entrees which were on the lighter side when it comes to brunch entrees, which was kind of nice to finish the meal not feeling stuffed to the brim. The Maine Lobster Sandwich was tasty with chunks of lobster pieces, served on a roll and topped with a very fresh and chunky avocado relish. The avocado relish was almost like a guacamole, but better because it had  pieces of avocado in it, rather than being pureed and was mixed with the ingredients that usually make up guacamole. Luckily the lobster flavor wasn't lost due to this relish and both went very well together. It was served with a salad which was perfectly dressed with a light marinade.

Smoked Salmon Crostini -
Ricotta Cheese, capers, red onion

The Smoked Salmon Crostini was very refreshing and a lighter version of lox on a bagel. A nice helping of lox was placed over top toast that was spread with ricotta cheese, capers, and red onion. The ricotta cheese was a nice compliment to the smoked salmon because it it sweeter than regular cream cheese and was a nice contrast to the salty capers and onions. This dish was the fancy version of lox on a bagel! This dish was also served with a salad with a nice light marinade.

Starter of Banana Bread and apple butter

The banana bread, which was an afterthought to our waiter was one of the highlights of our brunch! It had a nice crispy crust with a soft center that was filled with delicious banana flavor. I would have to say that it was the best banana bread I have ever had. It was served with apple butter, which was also delicious, but almost not needed because the bread was so good on its own! I definitely would recommend ordering this for the table, because you won't be disappointed.
When we were all done eating, the waiter asked us if we wanted to see the dessert menu. While everyone else hesitated at this question, I showed interest in seeing the menu. When the waiter brought the dessert menu back to the table he only brought one, and put it in front of only me, which was strange because I had to share it with the whole table. He also told us that the restaurant was out of ice cream, so all the desserts with ice cream couldn't be served, which was MOST of them! A little while later the waiter came back and dropped the bill off at the table without asking if we wanted to actually order dessert, and without asking if we wanted another round of drinks. We felt a little rushed and pushed out of our table by this action, when meanwhile the whole restaurant was pretty empty at this point with no one waiting to be sat. When he gave us our receipts to sign, he dropped them off at the table without pens and then said he would be back with them, which was icing on the cake to his lack of customer service throughout all of brunch! It became a joke, and every time the waiter walked away from the table, we could not help but just shake our heads and laugh about how strange the service was.
When we were done at our table, we actually had extra time to hang out with our friends before they had to be somewhere, and ended up ordering drinks at the bar, which we would have done at our table if we hadn't been rushed to get up!
I am not sure if I would return to East Pole for brunch because of the busy atmosphere and lack of service. I did enjoy the food, but there are plenty of places in the Upper East side with delicious brunch fare. Perhaps I will have to try East Pole out for dinner, and hope that the service is better at that time of day!

Spice Saigon: New Vietnamese Neighborhood Gem

My fiancé and I became very excited when we saw a Vietnamese restaurant was opening up down the block from us. Of course we checked out Spice Saigon (1237 First Ave., New York, NY) during opening week, and it not only lived up to our expectations, but we were impressed and are excited to return!

Saigon Spice has a warm, cozy, and inviting atmosphere. Upon entering the restaurant we realized that they did not serve liquor or wine, but offered BYOB with no corkage. This certainly did not stop Ben from running across the street to get wine from our apartment, to return only two minutes later with a double bottle for our group of four! Convenience is key! They did tell us that they are working on their liquor license, so perhaps soon there will be alcohol available there.
The menu had many interesting and unique items that I have never tried, since I am not as well versed in Vietnamese food, as I am with Chinese, Thai, and Japanese.

Shrimp Stick -
6 pieces of grilled shrimp sate, served with green leaves and dipping sauce

To start, we had 3 appetizers to share for the table. The Shrimp Stick was delicious and simple. It was lightly grilled so each shrimp was slightly crunchy. The dipping sauce that came with this dish was sweet and made each bite extremely enjoyable! This was a great dish to share because there were 6 pieces of shrimp.

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

The pan fried pork dumplings were moist and tasty. They were crispy and crunchy on the edges, but also doughy in the middle, which is just the way I like them!

Shrimp Summer Roll 
Soft Salad Rolls with shrimp, lettuce, rice vermicelli, and aromatic herbs in rice paper, served with peanut dipping sauce

The shrimp summer rolls were really refreshing and filled with more shrimp than I have seen before in rice paper before. They were the perfect healthy "palate cleanser" and were served with a delicious peanut dipping sauce.

Saigon Spicy Shrimp
Jumbo Prawns coated with water chestnuts, flour, cooked till crispy, then sauteed with garlic, ginger, scallions, hot pepper and fried shallots. Hot and Spicy.

The entrees were all very unique and all had different flavors and spices. The Saigon Spicy Shrimp was spicy, but not too over the top. The shrimp was coated with water chestnuts and flour and fried. They reminded me of a more exciting version of calamari. They were topped with hot peppers, scallions, ginger, and fried shallots which added a lot of flavor and spice to each bite. It was a perfect entree for sharing.

Grilled Beef with Angel Hair Noodles 
Famous Angel Hair noodles with fried shallots, garlic, scallions, roasted peanuts and green leaves with grilled lemongrass beef

The Grilled Beef with Angel Hair Noodles were placed on a bed of anger hair patties that were a great to make the meal into small sandwiches. We all were able to make angel hair wraps with the beef and the vegetables, which added some excitement to the dinner. The meat was tender, moist, and very flavorful. The roasted peanuts that were sprinkled on top of the beef added some crunch and texture to the dish while also adding a nice additional flavor. 

Singapore Style Pork
Large chunks of tender pork cooked with five spices in Singapore style curry sauce. Hot and Spicy.

Lastly, we enjoyed the Singapore Style Pork, which was my favorite dish. The pork slices were cut large and thick, and cooked to perfection. They were extremely tender and melted in your mouth. This dish thrived in flavor, and was cooked in the Singapore style five spices curry sauce. It was moderately spicy and very enjoyable. I am glad we decided to add this dish on at the very end of the meal.
I am so happy to have a new casual Vietnamese place in the UES close to us. This should make a BYOB date night in our future extremely convenient! I think it also says something great about a place when all four of us at dinner had a different favorite dish. Clearly this restaurant caters to a wide variety of tastes! We will be heading back there soon!