Veal Sweetbreads – Almond, Sauerkraut, and Thai Chili at Momofuku Ssam Bar

How is everyone’s Memorial Day weekend? We stayed in the city and had a busy but low key holiday. Manhattan is pretty awesome during long weekends when everyone is out of town. Restaurants are easy to get into without reservations, things are quiet…borderline peaceful. Out of town friends, an early birthday at Bouley, overdue haircuts and massages, and lots of life admin.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Balsamic Reduction, Ricotta Cloud and Pignoli Nuts at Bouley

Speaking of life admin I’ve got a few pieces of news I’ve been meaning to share…

1. Tickets and hotels are finally booked for our family trip to Asia. Dad is notorious for last minute planning and we just got everything in place this morning. And we leave in a week. I’ll be meeting them in Hong Kong and finishing the holiday in Beijing with 2-3 days stays in the following cities: Shanghai, Bin Zhou, Hefei, Shenzhen, and Huangshan (to see the yellow mountains). Excited? More than you can imagine.

2. Pierre and I moved in together last month. We’ve been unofficially living together for awhile, but I always kept an extra apartment that I could call my own nearby. For the just in case, you know? But now it’s official (apartment rented!) and somehow we’ve managed to merge our belongings together with little drama and hassle. It’s a miracle.

3. Last but not least, I am very excited to announce that I’ve started doing the sales and marketing for Chambre de Sucre. I’ve mentioned these sugars – which are handmade by a 270-year old family run company from Nagoya, Japan a few times in the past. The sugars are well-established in Japan but only recently have they been made available in the US.

They’re perfect for afternoon tea parties (though Pierre finds great pleasure in using them to elevate his everyday cup of coffee :) and most importantly, dissolve well. I first learned about the sugars earlier this year, became obsessed, one thing led to another, and here we are. Expect to find them in retail outlets and restaurants in the city soon!

Cheers to a great week ^_^

Avocado Ice Cream. Fresh Avocado. Olive Oil Drizzles. Maldon Salt. Whipped Cream.

Does it really get much better than that?

I don’t think so. I mean…unless you add…

…an impossibly tender, more creamy than sweet Mango Dulce de Leche Cake…

…and one boozy Banana Tiramisu. Desserts by Pichet Ong for Coppelia. Awesome.

Savory food? Oh yes, we had some of that too. It was lunch after all. Fish Tacos with crispy flouder and chipotle cole slaw for Jess…

…and the Aguacate Caesar for myself. Romaine, avocado, caesar dressing, cotija cheese, and mojo (aka spicy) garlic croutons. Substantial enough to make a light meal. Am always up for a good caesar salad and Pearl Oyster Bar is my go-to spot, but I’ll be visiting Coppelia more often as well. Especially because I can follow it up with avocado ice cream and olive oil…you can never over have too much avocado.

Yup, that’s a huge braided hunk of challah bread in the back ;)

Coppelia
207 W 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 858-5001

A few photos from the past week. Odds and ends, always sweet. Afternoon tea and midnight nizami rolls. Dinner with friends, pear tarts included. Burgers with pickled beets and champagne tastings. Cheers to the start of a great week!

Afternoon tea with Lauren at Bosie Tea Parlor. Afternoon tea raised from $20 to $25, but it’s still the best afternoon tea deal in town. There’s also a new tea sandwich on the menu: pickles and cheddar, bringing the total tea sandwich options to five. Clotted cream! Pot of tea, mini scones, macarons of your choosing and petite tea cakes. Picked up the above Ispahan for Pierre. We could seriously end every evening with this.

Taking a break out the side door of Le Caprice at the Pierre Hotel. A cocktail event showcasing the new dishes from Chef Ed Carew. Thumbs up for the positively buttery braised lamb. Le Caprice was such a breath of fresh air, relief from all these reclaimed wood/hipsters/vintage/local and organic restaurants. To each their own. Classic and elegant is the way I like things.

Dinner at Ben and Sanu’s. Awesome dinner hosts, we always look forward to Ben’s cooking. Bruschetta: anchovies, guacamole, tomatoes. Steak. Roasted Potatoes. Ratatouille. Wine, more wine. Whisky. We brought dessert: pear tarts from Ceci-Cela.

Inaugural Champagne Grand Tasting at the Plaza Hotel. 33 Champagne houses and growers all in one room. The cheese plate was by Artisanal. Who wiped out the Valencay? It’s dangerous to leave me alone with the cheese plate!

Chicken Liver Toast at Buvette, among the few nibbles at Buvette with Bao.

A big burger with pickled beets, beet greens and a sunny side up egg at Tiny’s in Tribeca. Best bite: when egg yolk oozed into the burger. Homemade chips too! More to come on the desserts by the super sweet and talented pastry chef, VerySmallAnna.

Late night, post-Paris After Midnight nizami rolls from THELEwala on Macdougal. We usually try to avoid Macdougal Street, but this article convinced me otherwise. Lime Paneer Roll with grilled cheese, red onions and coriander. Chicken Roll with fried eggs, red onions, house blend spices and lime. Also shared the Aloo Dum (above): Potato curry preparation from Calcutta and parathas. Decidedly fatty, satisfying.

Bonne nuit!