Fall Feasting

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by

Foodie Fish

For many animals, including humans, fall marks the beginning of fattening time.  Meat becomes gamier and soups become thicker.  People use flavorful holiday spices—cinnamon, nutmeg—and every dish seems to be more comforting during this season as the leaves change colors. 

Fall is personally my favorite season.  The air is cool and crisp, as the colorful falling leaves make me feel like it’s time for a fresh start.  It also happens to be the season of my birth date.  This means I have a pretty powerful card to play to get my family to take me out to special dinners with ornate dessert finished off with a lit candle. 

This year, I decided to document the best restaurant/dishes I’ve had during my birth month (October) to recommend some amazing locations for special events.

Rocky Hill Inn:

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area.  It is located on the corner on the main street of the tiny town Rocky Hill, right outside of Princeton.  The building is an old, red brick inn with a white wooden sign out front. 

Eating at Rocky Hill Inn is done tavern style.  Although it has a rather “classy” atmosphere, the homey detailing and extremely friendly service makes it much less intimidating.  The waiters are very approachable, and you are free to make conversation with them.  They bring your drinks immediately, but they do take a bit too much time to take your dinner order. 

However, the food is definitely worth the wait.  The two dishes I want to highlight are the braised short rib and the seared diver scallops.  The short rib is a famous dish of Rocky Hill Inn, which has been highly anticipated by many restaurant goers (especially my mother) during the warmer seasons while it’s not on the menu.  Well the short rib just got back three days ago and it is better than ever.  The meat is now marinated longer, amplifying the flavors.  The way it’s braised makes the texture feel less pulled pork more baby back ribs.  It is served on top of a vibrantly colored butternut squash risotto with spinach and plenty of garlic.  The dish you would never get sick of is the scallops though.  The scallops are a truly comforting treat that does not even feel to heavy.  They are plump with a slightly crunchy sear on both sides.  Each serving has five, lined up in a row sitting on top of a delicious bed of risotto.  This risotto is completely different from the last.  This risotto is cooked in cream with pancetta for a great mouth-feel.  The pancetta adds a blast of flavor as well, very similar to bacon but less smoky.  The risotto is a flavor explosion of pungent mushrooms, pancetta, and the delectable white truffle olive oil.  It is an experience not to be missed that no one could get bored of.

Authentic Indian: Cake Walk

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Foodie Fish

This place does not even have curry!  That is just how different this Indian food is from what most people in America have experienced. 

What I’ve seen with almost everyone is they say they love Indian food, hate it, or have never tried it before.  I believe part of the reason why so many hate Indian food must be since people tend to only think of curry or Naan bread when they think Indian.  Or perhaps it’s because most Americans are limited to having Indian food from a cheap buffet that has the word “palace” or “jewel” in it to sound more exotic.  Well, if you want to try some real Indian, luckily there is Cake Walk. 

Plainsboro, NJ (where Cake Walk is located) has a pretty big Indian community.  Cake Walk is even neighboring an Indian food market and an Asian food market.  Cake Walk started out thinking that they were mostly going to sell cookies and cakes (hence the name) and maybe serve some Indian street/snack foods on the side.  But then, they realized that their savory menu became even more popular than the desserts menu since many people in the area did not have access to such authentic Indian food.  They later extended their menu to a variety of Indian snack foods and main dishes, including wraps and sandwiches.  Cake Walk is now teeming with business from many Indian immigrants and their families, and of course a few adventure-seeking epicureans like myself ;)

The menu can be intimidating for many new-comers.  There are no English translations for the items on the menu.  However, the cashier is now used to dealing with describing the dishes they serve to those of us who just want to try something new. 

Plain Dosa

They have a large selection of Dosas, which are pretty much thinner and bigger savory crepes.  They have the popular Masala Dosa filled with potatoes and other vegetables seasoned with a house blend of masala (a flavorful mixture of spices).   There is also the cheese cone Dosa (my personal favorite)  for those less hardcore Indian food eaters.  This Dosa, as the name suggests, is rolled into a large cone shape with shredded provolone between two layers of the paper thin Dosa.   Your Dosa will never lack in flavor if you are worried they sound bland, for every Dosa comes with their thin spicy lentil soup and coconut chutney.  The wraps are also good for those whose taste palettes are more accustomed to western food.  The wrap itself is soft and served slightly grilled on a Panini press.  Their wraps are like any ordinary wrap with lettuce, tomato, and a protein.  However, the protein here is a hearty serving of flavorful and often spicy meat or tofu-like cheese inside cooked in a traditional Indian style. 

Cake Walk’s snacks and appetizers are usually foods that you have never seen anything like before.  Many of the dishes sound strange, but they come out being quite satisfactory.  The vada is a savory fried lentil donut that is nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just like anything deep fried well should be.  The lentils are consistent with the texture of the rest of the donut and it is salty without overdoing it.  For something lighter, they also have soft steamed rice cakes that come with a fragrant mixture of spices to dip the otherwise simple patty.

My personal favorite part of Cake Walk is their cookies.  I always get at least a half-pound of cookies every time I go (once a week) and enjoy some with their amazing chai tea (like a Starbucks chai latte, only with less milk and sugar and more exciting spices).  They have a wide selection of cookies baked fresh each day sitting in the window.  They have all sorts of shapes toppings.  However, all the cookies at Cake Walk are light, fluffy, almost like shortbread.  Some have candied fruit on top, some have chopped nuts, and some have a different spice inside.  You don’t feel bad about helping yourself to a few since they are so light, which is good because they can get a bit addicting!  One time I let my friend try one and she ended up finishing the whole box!

Your meal at Cake Walk will never lack in flavor, for every dish is a hundred percent homemade and a burst of contrasting flavors.  You can tell this Indian food must be good since many of my mom and sister’s Indian friends say that the food at Cake Walk is delicious and authentic.  Every one of my non-Asian friends who I have taken there has been converted to one who enjoys Indian food.  The only thing you have to worry about when going to Cake Walk is if you can handle the heat!

The Restaurant Week Series Part V: Le Perigord

The first impression La Perigord gives is that it is a truly authentic French restaurant. The captain is very friendly and seems happy to seat you. He asks you about your evening in a thick French accent while handing you the menu and demanding the rest of the wait staff to bring out freshly picked flowers he is sure to keep the place operating smoothly. The fresh bread brought to the table was obviously straight out of the oven. The smell of baguette filled the air, and the fine French baguette was so warm steam came out when tearing a piece off to devour it. No butter required for this bread. Le Perigord makes an excellent first impression.

Paté du chef is a good start at a French restaurant. This chef happens to have a very good selection of spices in his paté. It came with ratatouille, a French stew, but it was very light and was certainly fit for those above the level of a peasant. The vegetable tart seemed more like a frittata with all due respects to the French. It was, however, delicious and had a flaky, buttery crust. This delicious slice of tart came with a tangy butter sauce. Some good advice for those planning on visiting this restaurant: after finishing the tart, ask for more baguette and soak up the remainder of the butter sauce with the bread. It is truly an out-of-this-world experience.

Incredible sauces was evident in the food during the main course as well. A bed of tiny scallops was covered in a red sauce, which must have been roasted tomatoes or something. The mustard sauce served with veal kidney was also worthy of being slurped with a spoon.

The Restaurant Week Series Part IV: A Voce

This restaurant is a favorite amongst my entire family—with good reason. The atmosphere is modern and high class, but still has a laid back feel to it. The décor is very artistic, and they practically use their wine collection as a glass wall. The view of Columbus Circle is very relaxing while sitting comfortably in A Voce’s swivel chairs.

Although just being in A Voce feels like you’ve just stepped into the chicest lounge in New York City, it is the food that takes you out of this world. Insalata di peshche, or salad with peaches, is a very fresh-tasting seasonal dish. Thinly sliced peaches mingle with watercress and fresh whipped ricotta. The peaches were just ripe enough to be sweet, but still have a nice bite, with adds to the different textures of this salad. For those who have never had it before, squid ink pasta as an appetizer is an excellent way to experience something new. Although I will argue that the squid ink adds very little flavor, the pasta was still delicious. It was even able to make someone who cringed at the idea of eating squid ink lick her plate clean.

The lamb short ribs are the best option as a main dish. The lamb was incredibly tender and the flavor was strong, but not overwhelming. The dish was surprisingly sweet, but it still made a satisfying entrée.

The dessert was surprisingly salty. A semi-frozen lime mousse was unheard of to me. It was served over thinly sliced sweet watermelon that made sure the salty mousse still felt like dessert.

Chef Adam of A Voce is not only talented, but extremely considerate to his fans (in this case me!) When I asked for the Chef’s autograph, he came out to personally give it to me even though his restaurant was packed. A Voce is the best contemporary Italian place to go in New York.

The Restaurant Week Series Part III: Artisanal

by
Foodie Fish

A simple atmosphere with nothing special really. However, service felt personalized. The wait staff was very friendly. Appetizers were good, but nothing out of this world. Salmon rillettes lacked in some smoky and dill flavor and it was a bit bland. The country pate was better, and the pickled vegetables it came with were nice and crisp—not over marinated.

The plats principaux were unique and a bit unexpected. Wild mushroom risotto was nice and creamy. There were corn and fava beans inside, which was very different from many other mushroom risottos. Black truffle butter enhanced the soft texture as well as the bite to the wild mushrooms. Poularde Albufera is not to be missed though. Tender poached chicken, stuffed with an excellent forcemeat of sorts. The tenderness of the chicken was nice in contrast to the spring vegetable fricassee with whole grains. The savory sauce that the dish was doused in really made it something that you cannot stop eating, even though the portions were generous.

Artisanal cheesecake was a surprisingly light finish to a rather filling meal. The cheesecake part spoke for itself: light, fluffy, rich in flavor without being too dense. The gram cracker base/crust had a nice hearty texture with a sweet cinnamon taste. Chocolate marquise is another sweet way to end. Hazelnut feuilletine gave the creamy chocolate part a nice subtle crunch. Vanilla salt sprinkled on top made the contrasting flavors of dark chocolate and salt very sophisticated.

This meal could please many diners from all backgrounds. You leave Artisanal with a satisfied smile, along with some fine cheese from their fromagerie.

The Restaurant Week Series Part II: Le Cirque

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Foodie Fish

Le Cirque is an elegant restaurant with a playful edge. The décor creates a high-class environment. Flowers on the table were fresh, bright orange orchids. To start, chilled melon and yogurt soup—very refreshing during the summer time. The curry oil poached shrimp gives the soup a little heat and an interesting taste that you just can’t stop eating.

Service was a bit slow, and not too polite, however it is understandable on a busy day. After sitting at the table for a while, our main courses arrived. The skate is a fresh dish, yet still complex for a seafood dish. The fish is served on top of a creamy cauliflower puree that was very rich in flavor. Mini cheeseburgers “Le Cirque” were a very popular choice, and with good reason. They were cooked to the perfect medium rare, and the melting cheese made the beef all the more succulent. My personal favorite was the chicken ballantine. Thigh and breast meat, rolled in crispy skin. It was an elegant presentation with chicken far from dry. It came over corn, arugula and maitake, which reminded me of a summer barbeque, only elevated.

Le Cirque continued to impress with their dessert. Although the ricotta mousse cake was nothing all to special, Le Cirque’s Rocky Road with caramel panna cotta, chocolate sorbet, marshmallows was amazing. The frozen chocolate was so rich and sophisticated; it was not a typical rocky road for children.

The Restaurant Week Series Part I: Butter

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Foodie Fish

Butter is a chic restaurant that attracts a young crowd. However, the amazing food attracts all sorts of people. Butter has a very modern, yet still pleasant atmosphere as well. There is a vibrant bar scene, with many unique and refreshing cocktails—including a virgin cocktail that changes each month. Although the waiter seemed rude and rushed, the rest of the staff are still very polite.

To begin your fixed-price three-course meal, the market salad was a bed of fresh, crisp lettuce over a generous amount of quality Vermont goat cheese. The mixed charcuterie plate had succulent and flavorful sausage that had quite a unique taste. Each sausage comes with a balanced pairing, such at duck rillettes with pickled cherries.

The main course is what really blew me away. The grilled pork is extremely tender and cooked to perfection; it went perfectly with the warm potato salad. The whole grain mustard in the potato salad with pork really gave the dish a German rustic flavor. Barbequed short rib is also an excellent choice. The barbeque sauce has a strong, smoky flavor. They were definitely cooked low and slow, judging by the melt-in-your-mouth texture.

To finish with something sweet, chocolate-lovers would love the rich dark chocolate and walnut torte. Decedent, with a strong dark chocolate flavor and almost creamy texture. The shortbread, however, was disappointing. Not flaky, buttery, nor sweet. It had almost a savory peppered biscuit flavor, but it lacked in the great texture of a southern biscuit.

Overall, the great main dish outweighed any disappointments.

Happy Mother’s Day with Tableside Flambé

by Foodie Fish

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Did you take your mom out somewhere nice to eat for Sunday brunch? I took my mom to a neighborhood gem in Princeton called La Mezzaluna. Although it is not as popular as some of the other Princeton restaurants, every passionate central-Jersey foodie has eaten there before. Their prices are right and their food is filled with love.

It was the perfect place to take my mom since the last time we had been there was a couple years ago when we tried the place for the first time, which also happened to be on Mother’s Day. My mom likes the modern and low-noise level ambiance as well as the friendly service. The highlight of an exceptional meal—including stuffed eggplant and hazelnut/pistachio encrusted lamb—was the flambé and house made gelato for dessert.

The flambé is done with seasonal fruit and tableside, so you can get the aroma of the food cooking and the cool sight of a pan lit on fire too! When our waiter sprinkled in the cinnamon the flames glowed in an amazing pattern. We also got to see the quality liquor being used in this dish. It is served on top of a house made gelato that you get to choose the flavor of. Today they had vanilla, chocolate, black cherry, expresso, and hazelnut. My mom and I simultaneously said “hazelnut.” The Italian ice cream was smooth, and surprisingly bursting with flavor. La Mezzaluna managed to make it so packed full of hazelnut taste, I would choose it over Nutella any day. The cold ice cream harmonized beautifully with the hot, sweet, syrupy flambé.

La Mezzaluna is an underated restaurant, but is dear to my heart as well as that of my mom’s. After our second dessert (which I’ll talk about later), we finished an excellent meal with the chef handing my mom a single red rose.

Peacock Inn

by
Foodie Fish

Who would have known that some of the finest food in town comes from such an unsuspecting place? The Peacock Inn has been around for ages, but their restaurant only opened up last year. Already, Peacock Inn’s restaurant has been able to earn itself a great reputation. It has become quite celebrated by many reviews, and it even made it on to the list of best restaurants by the Star Ledger newspaper. Although this restaurant may seem over the top with all the praise and distinction, it has a strangely “down-home” feel about it. The setting was elegant with a starry-lit ceiling, and there was a very comfortable and relaxed feel as well. The restaurant stayed true to its name with peacock decorations everywhere. Its interior design was well thought out and artistic. The lighting was dim, yet it was bright and lively compared to the dark night sky.

This restaurant was not kidding when it said that their staff was committed to personalized service. Our waitress made us feel as though we were being served by someone who truly cared about our opinion. She was constantly checking up on us to see if we needed anything, or if we were satisfied with our food. I noticed that all the other waiters behaved in the same pleasant manner. Every time you would get up to go to the bathroom, that same waitress would personally fold your napkin. When the wine selector brought the wine-pairings for each course to the table, he really took his time in explaining why he chose the particular wine, and why it will enhance the taste of the food.

The food was contemporary and minimalistic. Each dish focused on one flavor that would be brought out by all the highest quality and freshest ingredients. The pan seared scallop appetizer had the right amount of sear on the scalloped, and paired wonderfully with the potent flavors of the citrus vinaigrette along with the tart apple fennel puree. Scottish Salmon “En Croute” had the best combination of textures—the crispy shell of puff pastry, the creamy white asparagus puree, the flakey salmon—that was complemented by a array of flavor coming from the pickled red onion. Most their dishes are simple. There is something about them that tasted as homemade as something your mother would make. Of course there were also a few interesting takes on other dishes that made the food that “New American” cuisine every critic is looking for these days. Chef Perez’s take on Mojo braised suckling pig was very sophisticated. This pork was of course not served whole, but instead like a filet mignon with a papaya cilantro salad and crispy yucca. The yucca on top of the guava gastrique was like elevated fries with ketchup. No matter what the chef made, it tasted like a super-advanced version of home cooking or comfort food made with a lot of finesse.

The evening ended with decadent and creative desserts such s’mores bread pudding, crème brulee tart, chocolate and dried fig pudding cake. All desserts were very well done and a great encore of the chef’s cooking. While leaving this restaurant, there is the satisfaction from an excellent meal and the friendly servers. There was something about this restaurant that made it seem so traditional that you almost want to thank the chef for your meal. The last things you will see when exiting this restaurant are the smiling faces of all the people who had served you that night.

Restaurant Review: Elements

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Foodie Fish
At this restaurant, the Elements means balancing all factors to create the perfect dining experience. Right from the moment you walk in to Elements (located on 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, NJ) a certain atmosphere has already been created. A relaxed and chic restaurant with dim lighting, but still has that familiar smell of food being prepared. The restaurant has a very modern and elegant design finished off with the touch of a homey feel. You get the unique environment Elements provides right when you walk in those gleaming glass doors at their entrance. They were so popular on a Friday night that it was hard for us to get a reservation. Due to complications with our reservation, Elements made it up to us by seating us in the back room where I got full view of their professional kitchen.

The food at Elements is suited for even the most discerning palettes. I know that from first hand experience in seeing that my father’s friend, who corrected the waiter for mispronouncing a special off-menu, was pleased. Everything at Elements is cooked to perfection. The menu is so interesting with so many innovative foods, that they do not even have names for some of their creations. The head chef, Scot Anderson, is a genius. He uses such complex techniques and flavors to take his dishes to the next level. They also have very artistic and playful plating designs. The plating design was so impressive that you could almost taste the food before eating it. Elements uses all locally grown ingredients from New Jersey farms. All of their meat is either grass or corn fed, and is sometimes imported all the way from Australia!

For adventurous meat-lovers, there is the Cervena venison. Cervena is meat that is transported and processed following an extremely strict standard from New Zealand. If you have never dared to try deer meat before, Elements definitely does the meat justice. Deer are very muscular animals with mostly lean meat, so I must commend the chef for making the venison so succulent and tender. It is served with a flavorful smoked ricotta cheese, a chewy bed of barely, and surrounded by beets gathered from their fresh vegetable garden.

Another great option for meat-lovers, but perhaps the more conventional type, is the 48-hour short ribs. This beef is cooked sous vide for 48 hours. Sous vide is also known as vacuum packing. If done right, cooking meat sous vide should lock in all the natural juices of the fine quality beef to make it a melt-in-your mouth kind of texture with an explosion of flavor. Cooking meat sous vide could also potentially just make the meat taste processed and boiled in a bag (for it practically is)!
For fans of dessert, Elements follows through in doing a terrific job of pleasing the diners with their desserts. Many restaurants just add desert to the menu because they feel as though it is an obligation, or simply to make more money. At Elements, dessert is taken seriously. The carrot cake there is an incredible dish. The texture was rich and fluffy at the same time, with a little crunch from the walnuts at the end. I could taste the locally grown whole wheat. The whole wheat was a nice touch, giving the cake an earthy flavor and keeping it moist chewiness interesting with even more texture. It came al la mode, and the ice cream was itself was made right in the Elements kitchen as well. Any chocoholic would flip over the Chocolate pot de crème on the menu. A spicy hot chocolate, paired with churros to dip, and a creamy chocolate mouse to top it off. (pictured above: the Kit Kat)

The service was perfect. The waiter had memorized the menu like a script, and your water glass was always half full. The chefs at Elements took their jobs very seriously. As I watched them prepare food, they had more concentration and focus in their eyes than you would ever see on the faces of our classmates (no offense to our teachers)! They were adroit, like robots. I was only reminded that they were only human when I saw a ‘plater’ quickly sneak a bite out of somebody’s food. When the dinner rush eased up, they all stood around the kitchen relaxing making jokes about garlic that I would probably never understand. However, the second someone makes an order they are all back in the zone. There was a full army in the kitchen, taking each of their responsibilities very seriously.

One more unique feature at Elements is the complimentary samples given from the chef. Before you get your appetizer, and right after you get your dessert, the waiter always gives everyone at your table small portions of free food. The samples are different almost every time I go there, and they are always delicious. This time before the appetizer arrived, the sampling was a creamy spoonful of turnip soup served with a small chicken curry salad. The dessert sample was a plate covered with macaroons, chocolate, and other small dessert treats for each person. None of the samples are ever actually on the menu; the free food is just for one last crowd pleaser. Even as you are walking out the door, someone will hand you homemade packets of pound cake that you can enjoy later. It is one last hurrah as you exit the restaurant. The staff does their best to make sure you will not forget this meal. I definitely prefer the pound cake to the hard mints they usually hand you at restaurants as you walk out the door. The fact is, if you are looking for a terrific restaurant, go to Elements. At Elements, you get the perfect dining experience.