I’d been looking around for a Japanese dessert place in New York City for a while, so when a friend recommended Spot, we made plans to go almost immediately. (I found out later that the owner of Spot is Thai but the amazing desserts have a distinctively Japanese edge to them). Spot is located in St Mark’s Place, one of NYC’s fave Japanese food and drink hangout spots. St Mark’s is filled with izakayas, yakitori places, ramen restaurants and karaoke bars and the vibe is more casual and laid-back due to its proximity to NYU and East Village.

The top recommended item (pictured above) here by the servers is the Chocolate Green Tea Lava: a dense dark chocolate fondant filled with chocolate ganache and green tea. The fondant is heavier on the chocolate, just the way I like it. (I love my brownies dark and chewy instead of cakey…I call that chocolate cake!) I am usually not a giant fan of green tea flavored items because I find the taste of the green tea a tad too strong for my liking but the green tea here is confined to just the lava and it cuts the richness of the cake to a more manageable level. Green tea lovers will appreciate that green tea ice-cream accompanies the fondant! My favorite is probably the soft cheesecake. Served in a toppled over glass, the server will ask if you want the glass to be removed, leaving the deconstructed cheesecake on the plate. The cheesecake does not come with a base; instead there are ground walnut bits to replicate the base, and the blueberry compote pairs wonderfully with the lightly flavored cheesecake. I felt like I could have gone on eating this forever! 

People who complain that desserts are often too sweet will fall in love with the Yuzu Eskimo. This is made by topping yuzu flavored ice-cream with an oreo base, which is then frozen, sliced and served with berries, raspberry foam, crunchy dark chocolate pearls and a chocolate sauce. The sour notes in the citrusy yuzu provided a much welcome contrast with the other desserts. For folks who cannot make up their minds, Spot offers omakase of 3, 4 or 5 desserts for splitting and they also sell cookies, macarons and more! I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu!

Spot Dessert Bar
13 St Marks Place
New York, NY 10003
USA
Tel: +1 212 677 5670
www.spotdessertbar.com

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I haven’t had that much fun in a restaurant in a long time! The Downtown Grocery Vermont is a ski town during this season, and when I called on Thursday night for weekend reservations, I was surprised that it was already fully booked for Saturday. Fortunately for us, they had a Friday slot available at 745pm. My sister and I arrived early as we were hoping to turn in a little earlier that night, and although we were a little apprehensive about getting seated at the bar because our table was not yet ready, man did we get lucky! Now, eating at the bar may sometimes be less comfortable because of the higher chairs but I highly recommend it if your party is small. The interaction with the bartenders, the owners and other customers is unbelievable. We were even able to chat with Rogan, the chef/owner of the restaurant. The picture of him lifting up his shorts says a thousand words about how vibrant and young the working environment in the restaurant is.

The Downtown Grocery has a list of seasonal specials written on a chalkboard near the entrance which customers can peruse once they enter. I selected my starter of homemade gnocchi with lamb ragu off the regular menu based on what I overheard one customer tell his server, “It was one of the most fabulous gnocchi I have ever had” And it was delicious indeed: the right amount of springiness and chewiness in the gnocchi and the saltiness of dark vinaigrette lamb jus paired perfectly with the mild tasting gnocchi. As we chewed through our starters, an elder couple sitting next to us highly recommended the arugula salad. They told us that they have a house there and come up every weekend to ski so the recommendation was definitely credible! It turned out to be one of the best salads I have eaten in my life – a mountain of arugula, tossed with thinly sliced Vermont apples, grilled pancetta cubes and parmesan shavings with a sharp pickled onion dressing. Even the house red was superbly impressive: a bold Sangiovese from Tuscany.

After chatting all evening with the bartenders about the drinks that they were making, we even made them give us dessert recommendations! Late Night Breakfast seems to be a strange name for dessert but it is so apt – light fluffy French toast topped with a generous scoop of bacon ice cream, drizzled with Vermont maple syrup. The battered French toast was light as air and did not sit heavily at all. The bacon ice-cream with its base of buttermilk ice-cream and little chopped pieces of bacon was surprisingly refreshing and was the perfect accompaniment to the French toast. The blend of breakfast food and dessert makes this one of the must-try dishes on the menu.

The Downtown Grocery
41 S Depot St
Ludlow, VT 05149
Tel: +1 802-228-7566
www.thedowntowngrocery.com
Open only for dinner

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Although I had not truly tasted authentic Mexican food till I moved to the US, I was hooked from the first moment I tried it. The flavours are fresh, with heavy usage of lime, tomatoes, onions and chillies like jalapeño. The spice factor is sharper from that of most Asian cuisines and often carry more of a kick. The most common misconception about Mexican food is that it’s only about picking out a meat and then choosing the “style” (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas) and ta-dah, it’s Mexican food! While some of that may be somewhat true, you will be missing out on so much if this keeps you from from exploring the wonderful and varied world of Mexican. My favourite other dishes include tortilla soup and chilaquiles (corn tortilla casserole topped with cheese, pico de gallo and sometimes avocado).

I visited Big Star when I was in Chicago recently. Despite having lived there previously for two years, I did not get around to Big Star so this was at the top of my hit list when I returned. And man, did I regret not ever discovering it earlier! Big Star has a main restaurant and an off-shoot to the side of the restaurant. The main difference is that the off-shoot does not serve alcohol and all the tables are outdoor, a problem in the windy Chicago winters but perfect for the summers. Because we were so hungry, we decided to not wait for the main restaurant (which had a 30 minute wait time at 3.30pm on a Saturday afternoon) and headed to the side restaurant instead. We went for the Taco al Pastor (gorgeous soft tacos filled with marinated pork shoulder, topped with sweet grilled pineapple and onion bits), Taco de Panza (braised pork belly that was both crispy and tender at the same time, with fresh cheese crumbs and tomato salsa) and Taco de Pescado (beer battered tilapia with crunchy cabbage and a lightly spicy chipotle mayo). They were all impressive, especially the two pork ones; the pork was tender, flavourful and clean-tasting. As for the Taco al pastor, the grilled pineapple enhanced the savoury pork slices, a little like how some satay sauces come topped with chopped pineapple.

Now, for Mexican food in another city that is famous for it, I chanced upon Lucky Boy‘s burritos very coincidentally when I mentioned to a friend that I was going to be in Los Angeles. He is from there and almost immediately he told me about Lucky Boy’s breakfast burritos. So, before heading to Universal Studios, we wanted to drop by for a quick breakfast. Now I am not a big breakfast person and cannot really eat too much even at a great breakfast buffet so I was planning to eat just half of the burrito. Looks-wise, It may not look particularly special: A plain looking burrito filled with scrambled eggs, roasted thinly sliced potatoes, melted cheese and your choice of sausage, chorizo or bacon. However, one bite into it and I was in heaven. It is by no means a fancy place to eat in, but the combination of being in an authentic Mexican restaurant with Spanish being spoken all around and biting into a soft warm burrito filled with comfort food was unbeatable. The breakfast burrito came with salsa verde (a green salsa made with roasted tomatillos, peppers, cilantro, onion) which was the perfect accompaniment. Efficiency is also key at this restaurant; the turnover is high and if you are ordering a breakfast burrito, it is ready within five minutes. And you know the story already: from intending to eat just half of the burrito, I continued eating even though I was stuffed, till I finished all of it! It tasted great washed down with horchata, a mild Horlicks-like malt drink.

Big Star
1531 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
Tel: +1 773 235 4039
www.bigstarchicago.com

Lucky Boy
640 South Arroyo Parkway
Pasadena, CA 91106
Tel: +1 626 793 0120
www.luckyboyburgers.com

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When I was in Los Angeles recently, the friend that I was visiting told me that I had to try Umami Burger. Her sister who is based in Singapore had watched a television program about Umami Burger, and being a food blogger based in the USA, how have I managed not to write about burgers so far? Umami, also known as the fifth taste (besides sweet, sour, bitter and salty), has been an increasingly popular catchword in the culinary world for the past few years. Taste receptors in the tongue have been found to differentiate umami flavours and therefore scientists consider it to be unique from saltiness. For me, it is something almost indescribable…like an extra oomph in your food. Umami Burger focuses on bringing out naturally occurring umami flavours in their burgers.

The namesake burger, the Umami Burger, was really out of this world. It came without adornments and was made up of a substantial beef patty, mushrooms, a thick slice of roasted tomato, a single parmesan crisp and caramelized onions. The most unique thing about the burger for me was the parmesan crisp. This is not a common burger topping and the crunchiness and saltiness (oops sorry, umami-ness if you will) of the crisp paired perfectly with the melt-in-your-mouth medium rare beef patty. Umami makes a lot of its own cheeses, with different cheeses to match the character of each burger, and their experience with cheese clearly shines through in this parmesan crisp. I have always loved mushrooms on my burgers and the lightly sautéed ones here were near perfect. This burger was messy to eat, with the juicy goodness of the patty leaking out to the soft, light as air bun with every bite but what can I say? It was, to steal a catch phrase from a certain fried chicken brand, finger licking good. Good burgers in the USA are easy enough to find but this was indeed phenomenal. 

The service was also impeccable. The servers begin by asking if you have ever been to a Umami Burger and would then proceed to tell you about the umami flavour if you have not. They also have a cocktail list that is specially created for each outlet. For those who do not eat beef, fear not. Although the menu is not big, Umami has a selection of chicken and turkey burgers and a lone veggie burger. A tip: Ask about the secret menu, similar to In N Out Burger’s concept. They have truffle cheese fries, cheesy tater tots, and a couple of burgers on there. It’s just oh so cool to ask for these off-menu items!

Umami Burger
45 E Colorado
Pasadena, CA 91105
and various locations throughout California
Tel: +1 626 799 UMAM (8626)
www.umami.com

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A friend who was visiting brought me to this place, it comes highly recommended by another friend who lives in NYC. Located in West Village and recently opened in June this year, Rosemary is a casual Italian restaurant which only takes walk-ins. The space is wide open with a lot of natural light, with glass windows that open up to the street. Wooden tables are spread across the area with tables lined along the circumference of the restaurant and communal tables in the middle. Bar seats also available. Rosemary is also known for having a simple outdoor garden on the second floor. The garden is worth a tour, if only to see the vegetables that will be served to you at your table, extending the farm-to-table concept further to a rooftop-to-table one.

Upon looking at the menu, I immediately fell in love with the simplicity of how the dishes are organised and laid out. On the right side, appetizers, cheeses and cold cuts; the middle, sandwiches and breads; on the left, salads, pastas and main courses. I enjoyed the octopus appetizer which was served cold and laid out like a big thin slice of sausage. We suspect that it was made like a sausage, with some gelatin included for it the entire concoction to stick together. It was refreshing and not too chewy and compares with the best pulpo (octopus in Spanish) I have eaten while in Spain. The lamb sandwich was made with fresh focaccia, and the surprising addition of apricot enhanced the flavours of the big chunks of braised tender lamb shank.

I also adore the homemade pastas at Rosemary. They serve two types: the orecchiette with braised greens and homemade sausage and a cavatelli with a duck ragu. The orecchiette is a mainstay on the menu while the second homemade pasta type changes based on the season. That is one of the things I love about farm-to-table restaurants: the menu changes every so often so you never get bored or jaded with the choices! The orecchiette has, in the words of a friend, a texture similar to dumpling skin, but without the alkaline taste that frequently accompanies dumpling skins. It is chewy and thicker than the usual orecchiette but oh so al dente. The dish is also made spicier with the addition of red cut chilies and the kick that it provides matches the braised vegetables (which again changes according to the season), chunks of sausage and light cream sauce. The cavatelli has a more regular thickness and is less chewy. The flavour of the tomato-based ragu was steeped on the surface of the cavatelli, and while I prefer the orecchiette because it is more interesting, the cavatelli does not pale in comparison.

The highlight for me was the olive oil cake (pictured above). Now this is a dessert that I wouldn’t usually order but it is THE signature dessert at Rosemary. When it arrived at the table, I immediately recognised the faint aroma of olive oil. The cake was dressed with crème fraiche and a rough blueberry coulis and the cake itself had a slightly crunchy exterior, while being light and moist on the inside. The taste of olive oil was not overwhelming but still maintained its unique flavouring towards the cake. The crème fraiche and coulis served as highly important supporting characters, further enhancing the entire combination instead of the sometime trick of restaurants serving up dry cake masked with a sauce to help it go down better.

The food at Rosemary comes on small plates and is definitely made for sharing, with the average portion being around three-quarters of a regular serving size. The prices are kept very reasonable, all pastas are US$14 or below. Finally, I think that the mark of a good restaurant is when you know what you want to order the next time you go. While sitting at the bar during brunch on my second visit, I watched the bartender bake (yes, bake!) rounds of bacon and put them gingerly atop of the bloody marys. Bloody Marys for me are usually misses but I cannot wait to try Rosemary’s version!

Rosemary’s Enoteca and Trattoria
18 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Tel: +1 212 647 1818< >www.rosemarysnyc.com

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Cloud 9 Living is a provider of experience gifts – instead of providing the traditional physical gift, they organise experiences so that that wonderful memories can be made. They pride themselves on providing premium class customer service and I personally found that to be true. Founded in 2005, they have 1,700 experiences in 43 regions in the United States. When I was contacted by Aun about experiencing firsthand one of Cloud 9 Living’s experiences, I was ecstatic! There are several categories for me to choose from: food and wine, driving, fighter pilot for a day, golf, learn to fly, action and adventure and more! The experiences look amazing and are appropriate for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate gifts and more. I picked the private winery tour and picnic as I wanted to take the opportunity to go out to the Long Island wineries in a more intimate setting, enjoy the good weather while it lasted and spend some quality time with my sister.

Sparkling Pointe is one of the premier sparkling wine only producers in Long Island, NY. When my sister and I arrived in Sparkling Pointe, we were blown away at how beautiful it was. The owners love Brazil, and Brazilian influences can be seen through the art work in the high-ceilinged indoor space – there is a huge painting of Rio de Janeiro adorning the back wall of the bar and various Brazilian artworks scattered throughout the space. The choice of piped music is of course bossa nova. I especially loved the outdoor space. There are 20 lounge tables for a maximum of four to six people each in order to keep the experience intimate, all with a great view of the rolling vineyard.

The staff first guided us to our table outdoor and started us off on the first of the four wines on our Grand Brut flight, the NV Brut (54% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir, 12% Reserve wine). Later on, Mike, the general manager came outside to greet us and with our glasses in hand, off on our private vineyard tour we went! Sparkling Pointe wines are produced onsite: from the grape harvesting, to the pressing, to the aging, to the bottling. They grow Chardonnay, Pinor Noir and Pinor Meunier, the only three grapes allowed to be used for champagne, and buy other varietals like Gewurztraminer in very small quantities from other winemakers in the region for blending and experimentation. I was impressed at the amount of technology involved in wine making, such as the imported stainless steel barrels for aging and cooling from South Africa, the bottling machine and labeling machine. Sparkling Pointe uses the traditional methode champenoise to create the bubbles in the bubbly – adding sugar and yeast in each bottle so that the yeast is in constant contact with the wine, tilting and turning the bottles over time until they are fully upside down so that the dead yeast lies near the cap and then removing the dead yeast from the bottles. Mike let us sample some barrel wine as we strolled through the premises. He was very knowledgeable and friendly so we were able to ask him a lot of questions about the winemaking process and the vineyard. We also got to meet Gilles Martin, their French winemaker who has had extensive wine making experience all around the world.

Subsequently, we returned to the vineyard to enjoy the rest of our wine flight and the accompanying cheese and chocolate pairing. We tried the 2007 Blanc de Blancs (100% chardonnay), 2003 Brut Selection (51% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir), the NV Cuvee Carnaval (59% Chardonnay, 27% Pinot Noir, 14% Reserve wine). Mike told us that they source their cheeses and chocolates from local producers as much as possible. We enjoyed 3 types of cheese: a light pumpkin chevre made especially for Sparking Pointe by a farm five minutes down the road, a Berle Farms Organic “Berleburg” nutty cow’s milk cheese and a creamy Hudson Valley camembert that is among Wine Spectator’s 100 best cheeses in the world. The pecan nut and pumpkin chocolates are from Tumbador Chocolates in Brooklyn. My favorite of the wine flight was the 2003 Brut Selection, which paired beautifully with the Berleburg cheese. Its previous successors, the 2001 and 2002 are both award-winning wines and this one looks to be a winner too. As part of the experience, we were able to take one bottle home and that was the bottle we selected.

Thanks to Cloud 9 Living for sending my sister and I on this experience. We had such a great time. Cloud 9 Living offers a full range of experiences in cities all around USA, ranging from having a chef host a cooking party at your home to being a race car driver for a day! I had an incredibly easy time booking my experience online and was pleasantly surprised when I received a packaged gift certificate in the mail too. I would highly recommend it as a replacement for a traditional gift and as it is given as an e-voucher, it can be given last minute (so useful for all the busy folks out there!). Now you can win your very own experience simply by entering Cloud 9 Living’s “9 Days of Christmas Contest” here

Sparkling Pointe Winery
39750 County Road 48
Southold , NY 11971
Tel: +1 631 765 0200
www.sparklingpointe.com

Cloud 9 Living
Tel: +1 866 525 6839
www.cloud9living.com

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The cupcake boom was alive and well when I was first in Chicago four years ago. There was Sprinkles, Swirlz, Sugar Bliss…and of course, there was Molly’s. I especially love Molly’s. I truly love Molly’s. Molly’s was a five minute walk away from my apartment when I lived in Chicago and I definitely had a love hate relationship with it. I loved it for the little pick-me-ups whenever I needed (or wanted) one, but of course hated that my then expanding waistline was in no small part attributable to my love of the delectable concoctions at Molly’s Cupcakes.

Now, given the plethora of cupcake shops (in stores, trucks and online) in New York City, making a statement about Molly’s Cupcakes being the best in the world is a big deal. But imagine this: a soft and airy chocolate cupcake sponge that would also be fantastic on its own; topped with a thick substantial dark chocolate ganache, sprinkled with butterscotch crisps and peanut butter chips. And the pièce de résistance: a peanut butter surprise in the middle. Yes, the Ron Bennington, Molly’s signature cupcake is center-filled and delicious, as are many of their cupcakes. For that reason, I eat Molly’s Cupcakes with a fork and I don’t care what purists say about using a fork to eat a cupcake or muffin. Also, if you like the light, whipped frosting at a place like Magnolia Bakery, this is probably not a place for you.

My other favourite cupcake flavour was discovered during my last visit to Chicago, when my friend ordered it: the red velvet cupcake with brown butter frosting. The brown butter frosting was aromatic and lightly grainy with sugar bits and a clear winner over my usual cream cheese frosting choice for red velvet cupcakes. People who love choices will have a field day at Molly’s: you can mix and match certain cupcake flavours with different frostings. This option is not available for the filled cupcakes.

I also love the ambience of Molly’s in Chicago. It is brightly lit with vibrantly coloured cushions on bench chairs and two bench swings near the bar, one with a permanent ‘Do not sit’ sign on it. The swing seats are probably the best in the house (although perhaps not the most comfortable) as you can watch the hustle and bustle of the staff making cappuccinos and swirling on the frosting for the mix and match cupcakes. There is also a stand for extra sprinkles and water. The feel (and the bench swings!) is replicated in their only other location in West Village in New York.

Also worth mentioning is my second favorite cupcake store: Georgetown Cupcake. These cupcakes are made more traditionally unfilled but offer a similarly light sponge cake and an intensely rich frosting that is about half the portion of Molly’s. They also have a facebook fan page where they announce a secret flavour of the day and if you are one of the first 100 at the store who say the secret flavour to the staff, you get one of those cupcakes for free!

Molly’s Cupcakes
2536 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614, USA
Tel: +1 773 883 7220
 
228 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014, USA
Tel: +1 212 414 2253

www.mollyscupcakes.com

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I spotted Totto from a distance by recognizing the crowd outside. Yes, it is one of those places that have chosen to forego reservations altogether, instead preferring to have a crude pen and paper waitlist. Located in Hell’s Kitchen in NYC, this place is touted to be one of the top ramen places along with Ippudo and Momofuku (neither of which takes reservations either). There are about 20 seats or so in total, of which around six to eight are at the bar. Wait times are about 30 minutes for lunch and about an hour for dinner. If you miss your name as it is called out, you lose your turn and you have to wait all over again; the good news is that the waitlist is often shorter than how it looks as people tend to leave – in frustration or with sheer impatience! Rumour has it that if you arrive at the door 15 minutes before they open at 5.30pm for dinner, you can breeze right through. Of course, the million dollar question is: Was the ramen worth the hype?

The answer is a big resounding YES. The differentiating factors for me are the noodles and the pork bone broth. In my spicy miso ramen, the noodles were springy and firm to the bite. I rarely finish my noodles when I eat ramen but these were so good that I finished them just as I was down to half a bowl of soup. The pork bone soup was milky and flavourful, and what really stood out was that it was not oily so it felt like we could continue to slurp the soup without it becoming too heavy on the palate. The accompanying scallions and bean sprouts gave each bite a different texture and for those of you who prefer your ramen without the extras, a friend told me that they gave her two extra pieces of char siu (pork) for free when she requested for the noodles without the vegetables. Score! The char siu was served thinly sliced and a little fattier than I’d like but still fork tender and well marinated. I usually like my char siu in thicker chunks so that I can feel and see the flesh tear as I bite into the char siu but this was really delicious. There are add-ons like bamboo shoots and onsen-style eggs so you can customise your ramen to your liking. A word of warning: The XXXXXX extreme spicy bamboo shoot is definitely not for the faint hearted. Mine came on the side looking more like spice clumps than bamboo shoots.

We also had the tuna avocado starter and while it is not a scene stealer, it definitely is a nice cool change from the ramen. The tuna was fresh and gently seared, so when combined with the avocado, the garlic chips and yuzu sauce, the difference in textures created a really nice and light combination.   

Service is quick once you actually get a seat: the turnaround from the minute you order till the food arrives at your table is around ten minutes. The bar seats allow you to look into the hustle and bustle of the kitchen – be impressed by just how much they can move around each other and cook in the tiny space, and really enjoy the cheerfulness of the chefs and wait staff. For those vegetarians out there who lament that ramen places just do not have options for them, this place serves a vegetarian ramen made with a non-meat broth.

Totto Ramen
366 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019 
United States
Tel: +1 212 582 0052
www.tottoramen.com
Prices: Ramen bowls start at US$10, additional toppings cost US$1 between US$2 each.

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If you are a fan of US television series and movies, you will be familiar with New York’s obsession with brunch.  Brunch features so prominently in movies and TV shows based in New York that I knew it had to be among one of the first things I tried here. I have always wanted to have brunch with my girl pals Sex and the City style, talking about any and everything under the sun…and Sarabeth’s is a definitive top pick!

Sarabeth’s is one of New York’s brunch institutions and has five full-service restaurants around the city. I have been to the one at Central Park South thrice and on average, we have waited around 10-20 minutes for an indoor table and around 30 minutes for a table outdoor, which is not bad at all (actually, brunch almost doesn’t feel like brunch here in NYC unless there is a wait). The hustle and bustle of people waiting outside makes the anticipation more pronounced. The outdoor seating area has about ten tables that overlook Central Park. During the summer, the outdoor seating area is always in higher demand. Inside, the entryway is deceptively narrow; it always amazes me how big the restaurant actually is! There are several tables surrounding a courtyard with flowers and plants scattered all over.

I almost always have the lemon ricotta pancakes. Five small palm-sized light-as-a-feather pancakes with a light dusting of icing sugar, served with butter, maple syrup and plump blackberries. While I usually tend towards selecting something savoury at brunch, the ricotta cheese in these pancakes impart a lovely balance of sweet and sour. The tart whiff of lemon emanating from them also make the dish so much more appetising. My various brunch companions have had the eggs benedict and the various omelette offerings. Even my mum enjoyed brunch at Sarabeth’s, which says a lot because she is not usually too adventurous about non-Asian food.

A special shout-out to the side of pork sausages with apple sauce…I usually pay very little attention to sides during brunch because brunch main courses are already so filling, but because my family was visiting, we split three plates and a side. The sausages were grilled to perfection, just the right blend of juiciness and char-grilled flavour on the outside. Paired with the chunky apple sauce, the duo tasted incredible. I can’t wait to try the chicken sausage with apricot sauce on another visit. Prices average about USD20+ per person with tip and excluding drinks.

Competition for brunch places in New York is steep. I have tried Isabella’s on the Upper West Side, which is great value for money (the price of the entree includes a cold beverage and a hot beverage) and serves up some fabulous eggs benedict combinations; they have 5 different versions–I tried the crab cakes benedict with spinach and loved it! I have also tried Eatery in Hell’s Kitchen and loved the little touches: they serve delicious mini banana cakes as a starter, which I love even though I’m usually not a big fan of bananas.

Sarabeth’s Central Park South
40 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel: +1 212 826 5959
www.sarabethscps.com
Brunch served from 8am to 4pm, open for lunch and dinner as well.

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La Mar is a restaurant that I first visited in Lima in the summer of 2009. I remember this place clearly because when I went with my classmates, we very coincidentally ran into other classmates who were also touring Peru at the same time. By that point on the trip, my friends had brought me to so many restaurants that I had already recognised Peru as an undiscovered gastronomic haven: they have over thirty types of corn and so many kinds of fruit that I had never encountered. Not to mention a huge number of stunning fusion dishes, a direct result of Peru’s many immigrant cultures. La Mar has restaurants throughout Latin America and has recently started expanding into the USA.So, a while back, when I read about a branch of La Mar opening in New York, I knew I had to head there the moment I moved to the city. The early reviews were mixed, with several people complaining about the inconsistent service (which was not my experience at all). The one thing that all the reviews agreed on, however, was how amazing the cebiche was. And they were so right!

La Mar’s cebiche (also sometimes spelt as ceviche) is fresh, and sour with a distinct spicy kick. Now, I’m usually no big sashimi fan…I would typically only eat tuna and swordfish because they have firmer textures but for some reason, I absolutely love cebiche. I love how the lime cures the fish perfectly so that the edges are just cooked. La Mar’s version comes with big chunks of high quality seafood. The cebiche is also accompanied by a leche de tigre (lime juice, fish, and hot pepper) marinade, red onion slices, sweet potato and corn bits.

Lomo Saltado, stir-fried beef with tomatoes and onion chunks and finished with vinegar, is another staple in many Peruvian restaurants. If that sounds Asian-influenced, it is. Peru has a huge immigrant population and some of the food has obvious Chinese and Japanese roots. They even have ‘Chifa’s (say it out loud – It sounds like eat or fried rice in Chinese) eateries that serve authentic Chinese cuisine. La Mar’s version uses steak cubes that are cooked just right: pink, tender and juicy on the inside and nicely grilled on the outside.

I highly recommend La Mar if you want to experience a little bit of Peru in the Big Apple. If you’re on the west coast of the USA, they also have a branch in San Francisco.

La Mar
11 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010
USA
Tel: +1 212 612 3388
www.lamarcebicheria.com

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