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16
Aug 10

Phat in Montauk: Cyril’s Fish House

Sorry guys for the lack of posts.. I’ve been HERE:

montauk ny

Montauk! The crew and I took a trip out to the very end of Long Island, NY for a weekend of fun, sun, and good eats. One of my favorite joints was called Cyril’s Fish House in Amagansett, NY. We liked it so much we stopped on the way to the beach, and again on the way back to the city!

oysters montauk cyrils fish house amagansett hamptons
What is a weekend at the beach without RAW BAR? i was dying to have oysters and clams on the half shell, and Cyril’s served it right up.

raw bar clams cyrils fish house amagansett hamptons
I had never had raw clams before, but for some reason I knew it would be something I’d like. Actually, I love them. They are so clean, crisp, and meaty, perfectly… 鲜甜 (xian tian), or fresh and sweet.

clam bellies cyrils fish house amagansett hamptons
We tried out Cyril’s clam bellies, something else I’ve never had before. You start with a Ipswich clam, remove the tongue (mostly used for commerical food purposes), and you’re left with the soft flavorful clam belly, which Cyril’s fries up and serves with tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon. American seafood culture is definitely different from what I experienced in Hong Kong, where most items are steamed or cooked gently in a wok. In Montauk, most of our seafood options were FRIED. Not that I am complaining of course…

tuna steak cyrils fish house amagansett hamptons
After all the fried clam bellies, we opted for an extra fresh grilled tuna steak over greens. The fish was so fresh, you could taste that it had been pulled out of the water that morning. Amazing..

lobster roll cyrils fish house amagansett hamptons
Of course, what is a fish house without a lobster roll? Cyril’s ($16) is delicious, served on a potato roll hot dog bun and presented with plenty of waffle fries. The lobster salad is meaty and substantial, and not smothered in mayonnaise. Because you know, you gotta fit into that bikini!

navy beach montauk
Hope you’re having a great summer!

Enjoy!

Cyril’s Fish House
2167 Montauk Hwy
Amagansett, NY
+01 (631) 267-7993

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1
Jul 10

Phat in Shanghai: Chambar Belgian Bistro

chambar shanghai mussels begian bistro
After reading the reviews on SmartShanghai, I was a little hesistant to try Chambar. The reviews totally ripped the restaurant to shreds – which might explain why on Tuesday night, we were the only table in the house. I think the management took note because our menus featured lower prices and more generous portions than those described in the reviews. Chambar a cute little restaurant tucked away on the quaint Xing’An Lu, just a block south of Huaihai. The decor looks like everything is dyed to match, but nonetheless it does a good job of conveying that Alpine country cottage kind of feel.

chambar shanghai mussels begian bistro
We were a table of four, and ended up ordering 3 servings of the large mussels ($198). We tried them three different ways – with white wine, cooked in Hoegaarden, and with garlic and cream. All three preparations were pretty tasty, and cooked with a generous amount of aromatics. The wine and Hoegaarden varieties were a bit on the salty side, so get the cream-based one if you are a chronic bread-mopper like myself. I once had mussels imported from Holland, and since then I’ve been under the impression that all European mussels are as huge and meaty as these ones. But I guess in Belgium, its a little different. The mussels we had ranged from medium to tiny, but were exceptionally fresh. Each order of mussels comes with a small side of fries – thick wedges fried until crispy and seasoned generously. Can’t say they are the most authentic, most addictive Belgian frites I’ve ever had, they were just average. With the addition of an authentic Belgian beer and some bread, we left the place stuffed. The bill came to about $160/head which I thought wasn’t too bad at all.

If you’re in the mood for mussels or looking for a good Belgian beer, do give Chambar a try.

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28
Apr 10

Phat in Beijing: Apothecary

apothecary bj courtesy of cityweekend
Image via CityWeekend

Oh Apothecary. I am so happy that my friend Lin Lin introduced me to Chef Max Levy’s new bar and restaurant Apothecary in SanLiTun. Situated in Nali patio just upstairs from Let’s, Apothecary is a true whiskey bar serving up quality drinks on hand-chipped ice. Their drink menu is extensive, offering classic cocktails that are beautifully crafted from old school recipes. Dark ‘n Stormy, y’all! Everything is reasonably priced and actually quite inexpensive when you compare with Shanghai cocktail bars like El Coctel.

We happened to pop in late on a Saturday night, and luckily, Apothecary’s kitchen is open til 1am! Even though we had eaten before, Lin Lin ordered up a table full of authentic Creole eats for us. I was too overcome with unbridled joy to take photos, so you’ll have to visualize each dish in your head with me. Max, the gracious chef, is a New Orleans native, so you can bet the grub is good. Everything at Apothecary is housemade – from the cocktail mixers to the pickles to the salt! Emphasis on quality, for sure.

The charcuterie platter at Apothecary is one thing you can’t miss. It comes with headcheese, pickled potatoes, ham, Andouille sausage, and thick cuts of maple-smoked bacon – all house-made and to die for. The red beans and rice is another must-try, it features a hearty portion of beans laced with pulled pork over a mound of rice. Perfectly satisfying.

On Sundays, Apothecary does fried chicken dinners – whole or half chickens with biscuits! You be we returned the next night for it. The chicken was super moist and juicy, and I had a hard time deciding whether I should continue to cram myself with fried chicken or focus on the deliciously buttery homemade biscuits….

Anyways, if you are in Beijing, you MUST go to Apothecary. The atmosphere, service, food and drinks are a dream… I’ve already begged Max to relocate to Shanghai, but alas… no luck! Who wants to go to Beijing?

Enjoy!

Apothecary
Nali Patio 3/F #D302, 81 Sanlitun Beilu,
Chaoyang District, Beijing
北京市朝阳区三里屯北路81号
那里花园三层D302室
+86 10 5208 6040


www.apothecarybj.com

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25
Apr 10

Phat in Shanghai: Brunch at Balthazar

Finally, after weeks of miserable grey skies and off-on rain, we were blessed with a warm and sunny weekend. Today’s skies were actually blue! Our friend Jenn suggested we make our way over to French brasserie, Balthazar, for some outdoor dining on their roof. Unfortunately it was full, but we did snag a seat on their third floor.

One of the first things I noticed about Balthazar was its logo. I’m a huge fan of NYC’s Balthazar, as well as Mucca Design, so I definitely couldn’t ignore the similarity.

balthazar shanghai
Balthazar NYC x P.Rod Nike SB mashup? Since the logo was similar, I hoped that the quality of food and service would be as well.

pate de foie shanghai balthazar
To start, we ordered the Pâté de Foie ($68RMB), which came with a sweet onion jam, a very generous amount of pate, and a very stingy amount of bread. We definitely had to ask for more. The pate was rich and silky – and perfect when complemented with the sweet jam.

croque madame balthazar shanghai
Next we shared the Croque Madame ($40RMB), which was dry and lackluster. I love my croques to be dripping in cheesy bechamel sauce – so saucy that a knife and fork are required for consumption! I hoped that the yolk of the egg on top of my sandwich would help the dryness, but unfortunately it was hard cooked! A cardinal sin when it comes to brunch. The fellow at the table next to us experienced the same thing and asked for runnier egg. I kicked myself for not doing the same!

latte balthazar shanghai
And a latte to end. All in all, brunch was below satisfactory. The prices were unreasonable for what they served us, the service poor. Would I return? No way! I’ll save my pennies for the REAL Balthazar in NYC, thank you.

Enjoy! (or not!)

Balthazar
7, Lane 155 Jianguo Lu at Ruijin Lu
(inside Taikang Lu)
建国路155弄7号近瑞金路
+86 21 6473-0820

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19
Apr 10

Phat in Beijing: Burger-rama!

Continuing my week of unhealthy, artery-hardening eating, I decided that a weekend burger binge was in order. We were in Beijing and scorned hand-pulled noodles and hearty northern food in order to stuff ourselves silly with meat patties.

Let's Burger Beijing China
First place we went to was Let’s Burger in Sanlitun. Seemed really promising, the interiors were fun and well done in the manner of an American Grill. They have two restaurants, one featuring burgers, the second concept devoted to fresh seafood imported from places like Canada and Sri Lanka. Their burger menu is extensive and exotic, with options like the tuna steak burger, or patties topped with king prawn or brie and cranberry ($48-168RMB)

Being a classicist, (<- yes, I believe this term can be applied to foodies, right?) I stuck with the cheeseburger. Being a fatty, I also added bacon and a fried egg.

Let's Burger Beijing China
But sadly, upon the first bite, this happened. What the hell. Worst burger ever. The patty was mealy and dry, topped over a bed of slippery lettuce. Each bite forced more of the burger out of the bun. In the end, I resorted to knife and fork, but the bun was so chewy that I gave up. On my way out, I scoped out other diners and found that they were all struggling with the same burger dilemma.

Let's Fish n Chips, beijing china
The redeeming dish of the meal was the fish & chips. The fish was a whole fillet of cod coated in an extra crispy batter. Served with a tangy tartar and vinegar. We also had a grilled squid & avocado salad. It was unremarkable.

fatburger double cheeseburger with fried egg, beijing china
The next day, we had to cancel out our bad burger memories with new, fresh, delicious, smashed-patty ones. We headed to the Fatburger, yes.. the same one of LA/LV fame! Here is what a double cheeseburger looked like. Amazing right? At Fatburger, they smash their patties so more of the burger makes contact with the griddle, resulting in a super crispy outside, juicy inside.

fatburger beijing china
Burger in mouth, please! The burgers start at $40RMB, $60RMB for a set meal with fries and a drink. A bit expensive, but totally worth it. The skinny fries are ultra light and crispy, and the onion rings – gah! To die for! I guess I’ll be making monthly trips to Beijing now..

Read more about smashed burgers + other styles of burger cooking on Serious Eats. Empty stomachs be warned!

Let’s Burger
North Sanlitun Street
D101a, Nali Patio 81
Sanlitun, Beijing
三里屯北街81号那里花园D101A
5208-6036

Fatburger
Grand Summit Plaza
19 Dongfang Dong Lu
Sanyuanqiao, Beijing
东方东路19号, 外交公寓
8532-1878

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21
Feb 10

Phat in Shanghai: Sakura Do Cafe

I love Japanese cafe culture, and we are lucky to have some cute cafes in Shanghai. One of them is Sakura Do on Xinle Lu. It’s a lovely little spot with a really homey vibe and magazines to peruse. Upstairs there a plenty of plushy couches to lounge around and soak up the free wifi on. I came here with my friend Ilene who was visiting from LA/NYC. She makes great murals/paintings/art and you should check out her stuff! Sakura Do is great for light Japanese desserts and coffee, and they also have a menu of lunch items that include Japanese staples (curry rice, omu rice) and Western pasta dishes.


Ilene went for the omu rice. It was tasty as you can see from the white spaces on her plate.

sakura do carbonara shanghai
I had the carbonara ($40RMB). It was pretty good, with lots of onion in a creamy white sauce – not a true carbonara but certainly a tasty Asian rendition of it. I liked the small dish of cold appetizers that came with the meal.

sakura do green tea latte shanghai
Sakura Do’s green tea milk tea. Green tea is really lovely because it lends such a subtle and gorgeous flavor to whatever it touches. Get this piping hot so you don’t swallow it all in one gulp.

hot pancake sakura do shanghai
Of course we had room for dessert…. I had the hot pancake plate ($38RMB). A trio of pancakes came with a sweet and chunky red bean paste and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

green tea ice cream set sakura do shanghai
Ilene had this green tea ice cream set, which came with the red bean paste, syrup, and some chewy dango rice balls.

Enjoy!

$$$
Sakura Do Cafe – 樱花堂
142 Xinle Lu at Xiangyang Lu
新乐路142号近襄阳路
+86 5404-1683

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12
Feb 10

Phat in Shanghai: Old Jesse

Shanghainese food is a very distinct type of Chinese cuisine. It’s very sweet, salty, and slick with oil. Most Shanghainese food I’ve had, I haven’t enjoyed. But Old Jesse has changed my mind – its a great restaurant in the French Concession serving up delicious local dishes that both locals and laowai (like me) love. It’s tucked away on a quiet street, marked by an old-school wooden sign. ..and a bumpin gay bar across the street!

shanghai pidan dofu old jesse
The appetizers at Old Jesse are really great – I love Shanghainese cold dishes. On a previous trip, we had Jishi’s Salted Chicken, which proved to be a dry and bony disappointment. So this time we decided to forgo the classic cold chicken and try a few other cold dishes instead. Pidan dofu is a great one – silky tofu and century eggs form the basics, and every place adds their own variety of garnishings. Old Jesse keeps it simple with just some chopped green onions and a bit of chili oil. Delicious.

old jesse kofu shanghai
Kofu has quickly become one of my favorite dishes. It’s made with wheat gluten (seitan) and these cubes of soy? wheat? I don’t know but the texture is springy and a bit crunchy and utterly yummy. Everything is tossed with woodear fungus and peanuts in a sweet/salty/oily (its a recurring theme) sauce. I love all the different textures in this dish.

old jesse fried chicken with peanuts shanghai
This dish is billed as “Fried Chicken with Peanuts” – but really more like pan-fried chicken bits with peanuts in oil. Although it was tasty, this dish was really greasy – the chicken was basically served in a puddle of oil.

old jesse crab tofu pot shanghai
We really came for the crab and tofu pot. Its a bit of a splurge at $168RMB but its delicious – silken tofu stewed with crab meat and roe. Tasty and goes really well over rice on a cold winter day.

If you make the trip to Old Jesse, be sure to make a reservation and bring a ton of friends! Go for classic Shanghai dishes like dried dates stuffed with mochi, and the red braised pork, aka hong shao rou (紅燒肉). It’s a claypot of braised pork belly – quintessentially sweet/salty/oily – you’ll definitely need your friends to help you finish off this fatty fat dish. Enjoy!

The Eaten Path and This Foodies Life have great write ups on Old Jesse – read em!

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Old Jesse – 新吉士餐厅
41 Tianping Lu at Huaihai Lu
近淮海路, 地铁1号线徐家汇站
+86 6282-9260

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8
Feb 10

Phat in Shanghai: Secret Yakitori

More Yakitori! Still trying to locate the best spot in Shanghai, and so far this place is at the top of the list. It takes the cake with its amazing food, good music, comfortable space, and reggae-lovin Bobu-san keeping your sake cup filled. I promised I wouldn’t reveal the details of this “secret” yakitori spot, but if you can guess which one it is cheers to you!

secret yakitori
Here’s a hint.

potato salad
The potato salad here is to die for. I love the addition of cherry tomatoes and raisins. Yum. Comes with a side of bacon that you can mix in yourself.

mushrooms
A squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of Togarashi, and your grilled shiitake is good to go!

tsukune
Tsukune – a pair of giant, flavorful chicken meatballs stuffed with a quail egg. A nice little surprise.

yakitori oxtail
Oxtail – braised then grilled. It was so tender and delicious, and definitely my favorite dish of the night.

Thanks Adrian Lai for the flicks!

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25
Jan 10

Phat in Shanghai: Tenya

I’ve said it before, but Shanghai has some of the best Japanese food around. Unlike Western food or even Chinese in the city.. its reliable and consistent. Tenya is one of my favorite places to go for a sushi dinner.

There are two Tenyas, I prefer the one off of Huashan Lu in the French Concession. Tenya is known for its snow crab and quality toro, but skip the crab leg hot pot – its such a rip-off. Instead, ask for the sushi menu. I don’t know why they don’t automatically give it to you, you have to ask for it specifically. It’s China service.

Tenya Shanghai
This is the best dish on the menu – the “Bukkake Salad”. Yeah, I don’t know why its called that either. Haha. It’s an 8pc cucumber roll topped with snow crab leg meat, minced toro, and salmon roe. For $98RMB, its quite a good deal. You get to sample Tenya’s two specialties, and they are quite generous with the crab and toro toppings. Yum!

tenya shanghai
Now I’m not saying the sushi at Tenya is cheap, but its really good quality for what you pay. Nigiri ranges from $8RMB/2pcs to $28RMB/2pc for more luxe items like uni and snow crab leg.

My favorites off the sushi menu are the uni (creamy, fresh, full of flavor), scallop (sweet and delicious), and the grilled salmon topped with fried shallots (to die for, the shallots really do it up). I would avoid any clam-related sushi.. not very good. The handrolls are pretty nice too, I think they cost about $28RMB and I love the very necessary addition of a shiso leaf.

Enjoy!

$$$
Tenya
2/F, Lane 1520 Huashan Lu, at Tai’an Lu
(It’s actually in a driveway off Tai’an Lu between Huashan & Shinfu)
华山路1520弄2楼，近泰安路
+86 6281 4918
www.tei.com.cn

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21
Jan 10

Phat in Shanghai: Mr. Willis

Anfu Lu is certainly shaping up to be laowai-ville. Expats are flocking to the new Vargas/Wagas concept building that includes La Strada for brick oven pizza, Baker & Spice for rustic breads, and the new home-style eatery, Mr. Willis. After hearing good things, I definitely wanted to check it out. Met up with Anita for a nice Sunday brunch.

mr willis shanghai
After you ascend up the wood-paneled staircase to the third floor restaurant, you are greeted enveloped in the warm, bustling atmosphere that is Mr. Willis at brunch time. The crowd is casual, the art is bad, and its perfect for a lazy Sunday.

mr willis shanghai pate
The pate at Mr. Willis. Pretty good. Served with good bread from Baker & Spice downstairs.

mr willis shanghai ricotta smoked salmon omelette
The menu at Mr. Willis sounds really fabulous. Omelettes with chorizo and potatoes! Ricotta and smoked salmon! But when you get your dish you are really puzzled at the price tag to portion size ration. I’m not sayin that this ricotta omelette wasn’t good, but it certainly wasn’t worth $85RMB. Throw in a goddamn salad or something!

mr willis shanghai benedict fail
A complete benedict fail. Last time I checked an eggs benedict came on English muffins and were not assembled into a two-egg sandwich. I think this was served on a hamburger bun? The hollandaise was tasty, but once again, definitely not worth the $85RMB. If you’re not going to toss in a salad or a potato side, I would scrap the oversize plates. It makes your dish look.. sad.. lonely… unsatisfying.

I’ve heard good things about Mr. Willis’ dinner menu and I would be happy to go back and try it. But as for brunch? You can catch me at the other Vargas outpost, Azul.

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Mr. Willis
3/F, 195 Anfu Lu at Wulumuqi Lu
安福路195号3楼, 近乌鲁木齐路
+86 5404 0200

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