GRUB 411:

• ABC KITCHEN, 35 East 18th Street, 212.475.5829
• http://abckitchennyc.com/
• TYPE:  “nouveau” American
• PRICE:  $$$¾
• QUICKVIEW:  Impeccable decor, odd crowd and underwhelming food.  The bountiful flavors of the fresh, natural, organic ingredients weren’t celebrated in any of the dishes — it was disappointing after all the hype.
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW

Every now & then, there’s a new “Restaurant du Jour” in NYC.  Y’know — the one that everyone is raving about, dying to get reservations for, and aching to “be seen” there.

Right now, I think that restaurant is ABC Kitchen.

I’d been hearing about this place for months from all my foodie friends (particularly the Immaculate Infatuation boys and my girl Miss Info), as well as all my PR friends.  So it was definitely high on my “Must Eat” list

Last night, I was lucky enough to dine in the company of Eva from Teen Vogue (@evachen212), Ning from Marie Claire (@nylaning), and none other than my partner in crime – ERIN! (@erinmccaffrey)

AMBIENCE: you can’t beat it.  All of us were absolutely smitten by the decor. Personally, I was wondering if I could curl up in a corner and spend the night in this minimalistic wonderland of white-washed wood, unfinished beams, and classy chic.  (kinda like that episode of Saved By the Bell, where Zach & the gang spend the night at the mall trying to buy U2 tickets)

CROWD: It was like “50 First Dates”.  It was a mixed bag, indeed.  When we first ordered, we were in the company of casually dressed, seasoned New Yorkers who were enjoying an early dinner before doing assumingly artsy things.  (this included people like designer Rachel Roy, who dined in an out-of-character pinstripe suit, with no jewelry and loafers)

The second half of our dinner, was quite a different tapestry of diners.  We saw:

• More than a buttcrack.  It was a full-on half-ass.  Think of the words “ultra low rise” and “sitting down”.
• Is that a dress? or a Tunic shirt?  We feared this poor girl’s virtue would be compromised when she sat down at her table.
• A girl sporting a plunge V-neckline with a rhinestone snake in the middle.  Straight outta Baby Phat.
• Mail Order Asian with Perv-y Old White Guy: This was more than we could bear.  She was no older than 30 in a skin-tight leopard print strapless dress.  He was probably 60+ and extremely difficult to look at.  The kicker: when she got up to use the restroom, his eyes were glued to her ass and he LICKED HIS LIPS.  *shivers*

FOOD:  I must admit, I had very very high expectations.  The culinary schtick of the restaurant is using local, sustainable, organic produce.  COOL – I can dig it.  I guess for something so organic & “fresh” themed, the flavors were a little understated and “muttled” (to use @evachen212‘s fave word).

Surprisingly, the dishes were NOT prepared and seasoned in a way that enhanced the natural flavors of these organic ingredients.  If anything, the natural beauty of these ingredients were muddied and dulled down, instead of celebrating their flavors.

I was surprisingly underwhelmed.  This is not to say that it was a good meal – it was. But was just underwhelmed compared to all the hype and the restaurant’s mission statement.

Another interesting thing: this was my first time eating here, but everyone else had been before.  All of them said that several of the dishes were quite “spicy”! Not a problem for me, b/c I LOVE spicy food, but I thought it was interesting to hear.

Apologies – I was not on my game last night (totally forgot to snap the menu!).  But here’s the plate-by-plate of our meal, with input by my fabulous co-diners! (particularly for those non-raw plates!)

PLATE-BY-PLATE

• GAZPACHO WITH WATERMELON: This was a deliciously refreshing take on gazpacho.  The watermelon gave such a lightness to the soup.  I’m also such a fan whenever the dicing is so delicate and dainty.  I also ordered this because it’s dairy free (surprisingly, not all gazpachos are!)  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• CRUDITES WITH ANCHOVY DIP: A crudité platter, is a crudité platter, is a crudité platter.  This one is no different.  I didn’t try the anchovy dip (obviously), but the platter seemed heavy on the root veggies: carrots, turnips, radishes, dikons. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• RAW DIVER SCALLOPS WITH CHILIS AND SEA SALT. My homegirl @nylaning tried this seasonal app, and she barely finished it.  Apparently, the dish was so spicy from the chili peppers, it completely overpowered the natural sweetness of the scallops.  NINGDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• FRESH MOZARELLA AND HEIRLOOM TOMATOES. @erinmccaffrey‘s app: First thing she said, “SPICY!” (Notice the huge jalapeno slices — not part of normal tomato & mozarella fare).  She did say the tomatoes were deliciously sweet and juicy.  But she would have preferred burrata instead of mozarella.  ERINDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½/♥♥♥♥♥

• ROAST CARROT AND AVOCADO SALAD: with crunchy seeds and sour cream. @evachen212 ordered this for an app, and I for my main (minus the sour cream, of course).  I had already pre-peeped the menu before going to dinner, and this was one of the things I was very excited about.  Sadly, the carrots came out withered, wilted, and a sickly brown color.  It was devoid of any beautiful orange color — or sweet flavor.  Perhaps lightly grilling them would have been a better option…SOMEthing that would maintain some semblance of freshness.  Didn’t end up eating the carrots at all.  The crunchy seeds were lovely, but I ultimately ended up with an Avocado Salad.  EVADIVA & SEOULDIVA SAY: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• ROASTED BEETS WITH HOMEMADE YOGURT: @evachen212‘s app.  See, I’m scratching my head with this one…because there is definitely some sort of dressing or oil on this app as well.  @evachen212 had ordered this app before and said it was delicious — not so this time.  There was too much “liquid” in the bowl.  The yogurt ended up being too soupy.  EVADIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• MARINATED OLIVES. I ordered these for the table. I’m a huge fan of ordering olives at a nice restaurant — love seeing how they marinate them.  Clearly, ABC Kitchen used chilis (shocker) and orange.  The olives themselves were delicious; they were plump, hard, juicy and meaty (except for the nicoise olives).  But I wish they had a little something extra as far as flavors.  Perhaps some fennel or some more herbs?  It was 70% there.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• KASHA AND BOWTIE PASTA, VEAL MEATBALLS. @nylaning tried this baby. From the looks of it, it looked like something you’d wanna eat on a cold wintry night.  Unfortunately, she could barely finish it because it was SO salty.  Again, for such a “locavore” type of restaurant, it’s surprising that things were so overseasoned.  NINGDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

ARCTIC CHAR. @evachen212′s entree.  (apologies for not getting the description right!).  Personally, I think that Char looked a little over-cooked?  She enjoyed the dish overall, but felt that all the flavors were very muttled and murky.  Not clean or distinct.  EVADIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

SPAGHETTINI WITH RUBY RED SHRIMP: @erinmccaffrey ordered this baby.  She actually really liked the dish.  Pasta was cooked a little more than al dente. The dish was still light, and the shrimp were deliciously fresh. ERINDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

WARM CORN WITH PECORINO CHEESE. Again, @evachen212 & I both ordered this side dish (except mine was without the cheese).  The corn was fresh, not canned – off the cob.  But the difference: Eva’s corn was not overcooked…mine was mushy.  I love cooked corn when it’s still a little “al dente” and plump.  :)  This side also had a bit of a kick to it from chilis…so it may have been too spicy for some. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

BLUEBERRY PIE. @nylaning said:  ”Adorable.  But the crust wasn’t flaky enough.”  Yes, who doesn’t love a personal-size pie.  But the key to a great pie is a great crust — you can’t have Pie Greatness without it. When trying to figure out whether the blueberry filling was fresh, the blueberries were small in size — probably a good indication that they’re organic.  Unfortunately, @nylaning felt that tasted a little “Jammy”. NINGDIVA SAYS: ♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

SUNDAE with salted caramel ice cream, candied peanuts & popcorn, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. @erinmccaffrey thought this was some kinda magic.  The whole sprinklings of Cracker Jacks gave the sundae a really nice texture and crunch.  Plus the salty caramel ice cream made this dessert not overly sweet. ERINDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

CHOCOLATE CAKE with malted chocolate ganache and toasted marshmallow frosting. @evachen212 loved this dessert because of the delectable marshmallow frosting, but also because the dessert was not too sweet.  Let’s face it — we’ve all been there before: dessert sweetness overload.  It’s refreshing to hear that someone balanced it right. EVADIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

MARKET STRAWBERRIES with meringues, sour cream poppy ice cream and jus. Naturally, I had to ask for this dessert “in parts”.  The strawberries were delicious and beautifully cut and had some lime juice and fresh mint – very yummy.  @nylaning tried the ice cream and loved it!  I sneaked in a meringue and was delighted — crisp, light and amazing. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

GRUB 411:

FULL REVIEW:

Work has me constantly traveling to various cities.  Since my new raw food lifestyle, I always do some research on Yelp to see if there are any Live Food Restaurants I can visit while I’m in a city.  For my recent Toronto visit, I was happy to discover Live Food Bar was walking distance from my hotel!

UNfortunately, the experience was underwhelming.  The worst part of the experience: The STAFF.

It’s no coincidence that the restaurant business falls under the “Hospitality” category.  Friendly, knowledgable service is invaluable to a positive dining experience.  Just a note to the staff at Live Food Bar: a SMILE goes a LONG WAY.

Everyone from the greeter, the waiter, to the folks working the kitchen — you couldn’t get them to crack a smile.  I read somewhere that emotion/energy is translated into foods we eat: if something is prepared with love, then you consume that energy & love from the food.  It was apparent that even though it was a Live Food place, there was no Life, passion, or care in any part of the establishment.

Staff aside, the food was adequate.  By no means was it the best I’ve had.  They had very standard live food dishes: tacos, “pizza”, salads, sushi/nori rolls…but nothing was extraordinary.  Not even their desserts (which says a lot, since every single Live Food place I’ve tried usually has extraordinary dessert offerings).

If I were back in Toronto, I would probably eat there again, but only out of pure necessity, not because it was actually a pleasant experience.  Maybe I would do take-out.

The only good part was that they had a small selection of raw snacks, which I stocked up on for the next few days of meetings I had.

Menu:

• Beginnings
• Salads
• Salad Dressings
• Raw Entrees
• Raw Sammies
• Cooked Entrees & Bowls
• Cooked Sammies

• PECAN “TEMPURA” SUSHI: pecan and sunflower seed pate with carrots, sweet potato crisps in nori with sweet tamari Miso glaze. Sounds good, right?  Taste?  Not so much.  The entire nori was stuffed with just the pate, no veggies — there was nothing to break up the “mushy” texture of it.  There wasn’t much flavor, the only thing that was nice was the crunchy sweet potato crisps on top.  I think the presentation could also have been a bit cleaner. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• SOFT SHELL TACOS: Corn tortillas filled with fresh salsa, guacamole, jalapeno jelly and spiced walnut taco meat. This dish was adequate.  The tortillas were soft and kept its shape.  If it were truly a taco, I would have appreciated some effort with maybe some lettuce inside…maybe the semblance of sour cream? SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA: buckwheat and flax crust topped with sundried tomato and pepper marinara, marinated baby spinach, black and green olives, mushrooms and a crumbled cashew feta cheese. This was definitely the most flavorful out of everything we ordered. My one question would be whether the olives were legitimately raw or canned. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½/ ♥♥♥♥♥

• SMOKED REUBEN: sesame kale and carob ‘rye’ bread smothered with spicy sesame mayo, avocado, probiotic sauerkraut, and our smoked veggie walnut patty.  Served with root veggie chips and dill pickles. I had just gotten off the plane, which is why I ordered 2 entrees for dinner (hey, I’m a hungry hippo!).  I was very interested in how they would bring a classic Reuben to life, but I was HORRIBLY disappointed.  Essentially, this was a Sauerkraut sandwich.  Not what I signed up for.  I mean, LOOK at the photo!  The bread was solid and hearty, but they could have added more caraway seeds to give it more of that authentic flavor.  They also could have created a more “thousand island” type of spread, as well as flavor the walnut patty with some more “corned beef” seasoning — coriander, mustard seeds, dill seed…that kinda stuff. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

Live Food Bar doesn’t have an official dessert menu – you just have to go in and select what you want.  Here’s what me and @mac_keri_b ended up selecting:

• BROWNIE: dates, honey, cocoa powder, walnuts, sunflower seeds. I don’t know what it was, but this was just OK.  Maybe it needed a bit more depth, or dimension (maybe some spices?).  It was just MEH. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• WALNUT MAPLE SANDIE: For some reason, I expected this to be…I dunno…chewy.  This was hard as a rock!  I tried to break into it with my fork to try a piece, but it was almost impenetrable.  Needless to say, my impression of its texture didn’t leave me with much hope for the flavor.  Where was the maple?  Out to lunch, like their staff. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• RAW CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE: Out of all the desserts, this was the most palatable.  Was it finger-licking good?  NO.  But it was ok.  The consistency of the chocolate and caramel were like mousse, which was pleasant. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• ALMOND HALVAH:  Almonds, coconut, sesame and agave. This dessert tasted stale to me.  It looks like a light little donut hole, but don’t let the size fool ya — it’s quite dense!  Unfortunately it was lacking in flavor.  Where was the coconut?  No spices? Nutmeg? Cardamom?  BLEH. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• CHOCOLATE POWER BAR: I have no idea what was in this one (methinks Buckwheat groats or something)…but this was nice.  Like a fudgy rice crispy bar.  A little on the bitter side for my taste, but it was fair. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

an assortment of the raw snacks they offer for sale.

GRUB 411:

• RAW SOUL: 348 West 145th Street, (212) 491-5859
• WEBSITE:  www.rawsoul.com
• TYPE:  Raw Vegan
• PRICE:  $$
• QUICKVIEW:  A low-key, neighborhood restaurant, Raw Soul is filled with a sense of care & community. Delicious food with a side of Love!
• SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW

After frequenting Pure Food & Wine, Bonobo’s and visiting Quintessence…there was only one more 100% raw vegan restaurant on the isle of Manhattan left: Raw Soul.

Nestled up in Harlem (145th Street btwn St. Nick & Edgecombe), Raw Soul is reppin’ raw vegan cuisine Uptown, baby!

A very casual environment, it’s set up like a cafe-style establishment.   Customers can either dine in or take out.  Judging by the friendly exchanges and the first-name basis customers…it’s definitely a community staple

Meet Eddy:

Eddy and his wife own Raw Soul.  He’s been a raw vegan for 10 years and he is nothing if not passionate about the lifestyle.  He is the main man behind the kitchen, but he also comes out front to greet customers and pontificate about the raw vegan life.

His philosophy: whether or not you’re raw vegan — his food tastes good!

And I agree with him —  Raw Soul SHINED!  Especially in the dessert category – this is definitely somewhere I am looking forward to re-visiting.

My only critique is that Raw Soul suffers from a common restaurant disorder: Menu Misnomering.  I’m a firm believer in clear communication and managing a diner’s expectation.  A few of the things could have been better-named!

Here’s a breakdown of our meal. (SO sorry, I wasn’t thinking — I forgot to snap photos of the menu, but you can find the basic menu here.  They have a board of Specials that they update regularly.)

• BARBECUE BURGER: Burger made with walnuts, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, fresh cilantro, red bell pepper, topped with our home-made barbecue sauce, and sprouts, served on napa cabbage or flax bread. This burger was DELICIOUS!  I’m not even a fan of regular BBQ sauce (in my pre-raw vegan days)…and this burger delivered.  It was savory, full of flavor and MEATY.  The Flax Bread — even though it looked like a thin cracker — was actually quite bendy and easy to maneuver.  I appreciated how thin it was, since it allowed the flavors of the burger to shine through! SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• PLATTER:  your choice of 1 entree + 2 sides. I chose the Enchiladas + Jicama Fries + Jalapeno Poppers.  I’ll break it down piece by piece.
• Jicama Fries with housemade “ketchup”: These were a recommendation by a fellow diner.  I must admit, I’m a huge fan of jicama — these fries were cleverly smothered in a sweet syrup (maybe agave nectar?) with seasoning.  I wasn’t expecting the sweetness, but it still tasty.  Perhaps just re-name the dish “Jicama Sweet Fries”. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

←tastes WAY delish!

• Jalapeno Poppers: Ladies & gentlemen — this is the holy grail of yumminess.  First off, I loves me some spicy spicy food.  The jalapenos were fresh so they had a delicious crunch and kick! They were surrounded by some nut meat and crusted!  I would eat these every day if I could! SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Enchiladas: Two flax tortillas stuffed with net meat and chile, topped with salsa and pine nut cheese, garnished with black olives. I really wanted to love this dish…especially because I love the enchiladas at Quintessence.  Again, I think this dish suffers from mis-naming.  ”Vegetable Crepe” would have been more accurate.  For starters, I would have loved the tortillas to actually have been made with corn or corn meal.  There was no guacamole, nor sour cream.  The stuffing was not flavored with any “Mexican” spices…but consisted largely of vegetables, capers and olives.  (another thing to note: I don’t think the olives & capers were certified RAW – those are really hard to source).  But regardless, the dish was hearty and filling…just not an enchilada. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• BUTTERSCOTCH CHEESECAKE: Since they were out of their black & white cheesecake, we ordered this instead.  SO GLAD we did!  It was perfection. The crust tasted like it was made of walnuts & dates…light & crumbly.  YUM. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Cookie Dough Ice Cream: If heaven had a dessert, it would surely be this ice cream.  It was hard, well-frozen and had a consistency that was just like ice cream…except it was 100% raw vegan!  The cookies had nuts (walnuts?)…and it was pure JOY to eat. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

GRUB 411:

• QUINTESSENCE: 263 East 10th Street, btwn Avenue A & 1st Ave; 646.654.1823
• Website: www.raw-q.com
• TYPE:  raw vegan (yay!)
• PRICE:  $$$
• NOTES:  They accept Cash, Visa or Mastercard only.  (no Amex)
• OVERVIEW:  Not so much a “restaurant” as much as it is a cafe, Quintessence had some really DELICIOUS savory, flavorful dishes.  Though it was only my first time trying, I loved 2 out of my 3 dishes.  Will definitely be back for more tastes!  They also seem to have a good offering of “ethnic” raw vegan dishes!
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥¾ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW:

For being such a culinary playground, NYC doesn’t have that many dedicated raw vegan restaurants.

Quintessence is not so much a restaurant as it is a CAFÉ.  There aren’t too many seats and it’s a very casual setting.  There were mixed reviews on Yelp, so I didn’t rush over there to try it…but this weekend (on my way over to High Vibe), I decided to treat myself to a very hearty lunch there.

Though I wasn’t thrilled with my app (I think it had more to do with my own bad decision-making), my entree and dessert were HEAVENLY.  So much so, that I wanted to order another entree from them TODAY and have it delivered (unfortunately for me, they refused to go the 4 blocks outside their delivery zone to make my raw vegan lunch dreams come true).

Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised with how they created different textures for their dishes, all the while being 100% raw vegan.  Also, their flavors were out of this world — the Mexican seasoning for my entree was incredibly authentic and savory.  I couldn’t stop eating it!

They seemed to offer more ethnic raw vegan options too!  (Indian, Mexican & a dips platter)

I can’t wait to go back and try more items from the menu.  But will definitely take heed to order wisely!

• Brunch Menu
• Super Foods
• Appetizers
• Soups
• Salads
• Entrées
• Pizzas & Sides
• Lunch Combos
• Shakes & Smoothies, Hot Beverages
• Guiltless Dessert

• SPINACH ONION RAVIOLI WITH PESTO SAUCE: a rich, creamy spinach, onion, walnut & pinenut pate folded in paper-thin turnip skins, topped with pesto sauce, finished with a sprinkle of fresh cracked black peppercorn. It’s my own fault for not reading this carefully, but I guess I was expecting…more.  The Pate was underwhelming – it didn’t have any unique flavor other than “pesto” flavor…which was a little redundant with the pesto sauce drizzled on top.  The turnip skins didn’t make for a good “shell”…overall it seemed like a “lazy” rendition of ravioli. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• FOFU RANCHEROS: two soft corn tortillas with fofu, “refried beans”, mole salsa, guacamole and sour crème. HOLY DELICIOUSNESS.  I hasten to say that this is one of the best raw vegan dishes I’ve had to date! (gasp!).  Quintessence created this magical thing called “FOFU” (“faux tofu”) by using cashew nut mylk + irish moss powder.  Irish Moss Powder is basically like a raw vegan version of gelatin, so the Fofu has this lovely creamy whipped egg-white consistency.

←look! it’s FOFU!

• The “refried beans” were magical…next time I go back, I’m going to ask them how they made this.  They were beautifully seasoned with Mexican spices, which contrasted nicely with the house-made guacamole (which was tangy and fresh).  The corn tortillas were a bit soggy, but that’s because they were topped off with all that GOODNESS, but who cares?!  Salad was a nice touch, and the dressing was delicious as well. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• CHIA SEED PUDDING: in Vanilla cashew mylk, topped with walnuts, vanilla cream and fresh seasonal berries. This dish is my ideal dessert all in one.  A) it’s raw vegan — WIN! B) it’s a fruit/cream dessert (I’m admittedly not a big chocolate fan, and one of the things you can eat while raw vegan is raw cacao desserts…which is not a selling point for me).  C)  it has Chia Seeds.

• “Now WTF are Chia Seeds?  Chia as Chia Pet?”  Actually, YES!  Chia seeds hold several times their weight in water, and they also are an excellent source of Omega 3-fatty acids.  When soaked, the seeds become like little beads of tapioca pearls (incredible!), as well as take on a gelatinous texture.  This makes the most fabulous pudding consistency!!  This dessert inspired me so much, I went out and bought my own bag of Chia seeds so I could make this dish again at home!!  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

GRUB 411:

• PURE FOOD & WINE, 54 Irving Place @ 18th Street, 212.477.1010
• www.oneluckyduck.com, @purefoodandwine
• TYPE:  Raw Vegan (yay!)
• PRICE:  $$$
• OVERVIEW:  Pure Food & Wine is truly a shining example of how exquisite raw vegan cuisine can be!  You don’t miss the HEAT (or the meat)! Food was flavorful, delicious, and hearty with attentive service, positive vibes and enchanting outdoor seating.
• SEOULDIVA SAYS:   ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW:
Pure Food & Wine is a raw vegan restaurant…what does that mean?  They use only vegetables, no animal bi-products (dairy, butter, eggs), and they don’t heat any of their dishes over 118°F.

As you all know, I’ve recently decided to embark on a Raw Food lifestyle, not for weight loss or dietary reasons, but for health and overall mental clarity reasons.  Since making the transition, I feel like a different person. It’s as if I was sleep-walking through my life when I was eating cooked foods — always groggy, tired, sluggish, fog-headed and feeling bloated.  Now, it’s like I’m living my life fully awake.

I’ve been dying to try Pure Food & Wine for some time now, and I’m overjoyed that I’ve found a new fave restaurant haunt! Whether or not you are a raw foodist yourself, Pure offers decadent, rich flavors in their beautifully plated dishes. So much so, that you don’t miss any of the meat…OR the heat!

Sarma Melngailis (Pure Food & Wine’s owner) is like a posterchild for “modern raw foodists” — glowing skin, healthy, happy and inspiring.  Not only is Pure Food & Wine her baby, but she has her One Lucky Duck raw vegan empire, complete with a Take-Away Outpost around the corner from the restaurant that sells a variety of  raw vegan cookies, crackers and snacks! (follow her on Twitter @sarma)

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating.  I strongly recommend sitting outside, if possible — the ambience is so unbelievably charming, it’s a haven in the heart of the city.

Their kitchen is fascinating: no stoves, no ovens, no microwaves.  Just prep tables, food processors and dehydrators.  So interesting to see!

ALLERGY NOTE:  If you are allergic to nuts or coconuts, Pure may not be the place for you. Nearly all of their dishes use nuts or coconut meat to create that “hearty”/meaty texture.

Here are shots of their May menu:

• Appetizers
• Entrees

Here’s a play by play of our meal!

APPETIZERS:

• KING OYSTER MUSHROOM SCALLOPS in a Lemongrass Coconut Broth, mustard greens, micro wasabi. I saw “Lemongrass Coconut Broth” and came a-running.  One of the biggest things I think I’ll miss from my new raw food lifestyle is “ethnic” foods.  The “scallops” were actually mushroom stems.  The mustard greens gave a nice bitter balance to the dish, but the broth could have had a little more kick, IMO.  SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• NORI ROLLS OF HOUSE-MADE KIMCHI and Dr. Cow Creamy Tree Nut Cheese, watercress, baby bok choy, hijiki seaweed, avocado, scallions. I had to fight my friend over who got to order this appetizer.  a) I wanted to see if their Kimchi skills were up to snuff (not bad, not bad), and b) I wanted to try another ethnic raw food iteration.  This was FABULOUS, bursting with flavor from the Kimchi (which some people still consider raw because it’s enzyme-rich from fermentation), and satisfying.  If I could eat this for lunch in a bento box, I would!  One thing to note for raw food purists: it was most likely served with Nama Shoyu soy sauce, which is a raw, organic, unheated soy sauce.  Regular soy sauce is not considered “raw” by purists since it’s boiled.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• HAZELNUT CROSTINIS WITH CRIMINI MUSHROOMS and Caper Bearnaise, caraway sauerkraut, local apple cider reduction. We were so thrilled that Sarma treated us to a complimentary appetizer!!  (thanks, girl!)  The description didn’t mention that this dish had some sort of raw vegan “cheeze” or spread on it as well.  Regardless, it was divine! The apple cider reduction was heavenly tart & sweet, and the cheese was just like the real thing! The one thing – the hazelnut “crust” was very loose and crumbled easily, so if you get this, be sure to pick it up with your fork!  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• PORCINI RAVIOLI WITH TRUFFLE CREAM SAUCE, baby white asparagus, pickled ramp, parsley salad, porcini oil. We felt like saying, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Real Pasta!”  It was SO flavorful and decadent.  My friend even had to ask the waiter how they made the dish because she was hell-bent on re-creating it.  (btw, they used coconut meat for the “pasta”, along with coconut cream for the sauce).  It was divine and genius!  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• SWEET CORN AND CASHEW TAMALES with chili-spiced Portabella, salsa verde, cashew coconut sour cream, avocado, raw cacao  mole. Holy YUM.  The insides of the tamales were chunky and meaty…TOOTHSOME (in a good way).  The stuffing almost tasted a little curried to me (maybe with tumeric?).  It was unreal to think that everything was raw!  My fave was the salsa verde (I could have eaten an entire bowl of that stuff!!)  Overall, I was impressed with the dish, but the stuffing was curried/sweet, and I would have preferred a more savory filling (being such a “salt” person).  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• SPECIAL DESSERT Lemon Tart with fresh figs, almond “brittle” and peach ice cream. This was one of the special desserts that was offered…heaven.  The crust on the tart was deliciously hard and almost tasted like candy!  The lemon filling was deliciously tart and tangy…and doesn’t a fresh fig just look SEXY?   SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. Unfortunately, I didn’t snap a pic of the Dessert menu, but I think it also has some pistachios and some homemade ice cream too!  Heaven. It was light, refreshing and fluffy!  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERVIEW:

• APIARY: 60 3rd Avenue @ 10th Street; (646) 861-2663; www.apiarynyc.com
• TYPE: New American
• PRICE:  $$$
• QUICKVIEW: One of the best meals I’ve had in a LONG time.  Nothing groundbreaking as far as flavor profiling or unique combinations, but just fresh, savory, delicious food — simple & unabashed.
• TIP: They have a great Prix Fixe deal on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – 3 course meal for $35!
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW:

Apiary has been on my “To Eat” List for quite some time. First, it was hyped up by NY Magazine, followed by my homeboys at Immaculate Infatuation giving it a stellar review — and for those two foodstars to align, it was enough of a co-sign for me!

The interior was cute — modern with touches of feather grey and whimsical bees scattered throughout the space.  But I was perplexed by the crowd.  While I was waiting for my friend at the bar, it seemed a little like Bingo night at the YMCA.  There was even a potential Blueblocker sighting.  HM.

Despite the questionable dining-mates, the food lived up to the hype.  Being “new American”, there was nothing rule-bending about the flavors or spices, but everything we ate was prepared exquisitely.  It doesn’t have to be fancy — it just has to TASTE GOOD.

The food was savory, yet light.  Each dish tasted FRESH and you could really taste each  ingredient for what it was — instead of having the ingredients taste like other things.  Food tasting like food.  What a concept.  :)

MENU:

• Prix Fix Menu (Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays)
• Appetizer Menu
• Main Course & Sides
• Dessert
• Cocktails!

Please see a plate-by-plate below.

PLATE BY PLATE:

• “THE POLLENATOR” Strega, Muddled Citrus, Tarragon. This was everything I wanted in a cocktail.  It was refreshing, had the herby kick from the tarragon and it was fabulous. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• “THE SPRING FLING” Absolut Citron, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Aperol, Mint. I would drink this with or without the Absolut!  Again, remarkably refreshing and not very sweet.  Unfortunately, a little more sour from the Rhubarb would have been welcome, but it was lovely nonetheless. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• APIARY GREEN SALAD with fine herbs, shallots and red wine vinaigrette. Yes, a green salad is a green salad.  But this was a delicious one.  (though, I’m not sure that “chives” qualify as “fine herbs”)  Momma Park always says that the mark of a well-dressed salad: when you finish your plate, there should be NO dressing left on it.  This was a well-dressed salad. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• SPECIAL APPETIZER: Peekeytoe Crab meat with spicy guac in a ___ Jus. I am kicking myself for not remembering the jus — I’m usually better at that.  ARGH!  Regardless, this was DELICIOUS.  The crabcake was not laden with breadcrumbs. The meat was light, fluffy, moist, but the cake still held its shape.  The jus was savory (maybe it was pomegranate?) and a shade on the too-salty side (but that was OK with me). The dollop of guac had this fantastic jalapeno kick.  I’d eat this 3x over. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥/♥♥♥♥♥

• ROASTED ORGANIC CHICKEN mascarpone polenta, glazed carrots, peas, tarragon jus. I am not a big “chicken” person.  Sure, if it’s battered & deep fried, I’ll eat just about anything.  But I usually never voluntarily order it off a menu (in fact, I don’t think I EVER do).  My friend gave me a bit of this dish and it was spectacular.  The skin was deliciously crisp, the meat was juice/moist/tender…the polenta was creamy yet subtle.  It was very well-balanced.  Again, the “jus” was a little on the too-salty side, but it worked fine with the rest of the things on the plate. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥½/♥♥♥♥♥

• HANGAR STEAK with roasted shallots, potato puree, and red wine jus. Knowing that I’m dangerously close to converting to a raw vegan diet, I figured I should go out in a blaze of glory — RED MEAT!  Again, the jus was a little salty (but I love salt, so it was no problem).  Maybe it was over-reduced??  It was a “meat & potatoes” meal in every sense.  Well-cooked and very traditional. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• ORZO “MAC” and CHEESE: Naming this a “MAC” and Cheese sets the expectations pretty high for the cheese sauce.  It was more of a creamy alfredo than a traditional mac ‘n cheese sauce — all cream, no sharp cheese flavor.  BUT, the Orzo was cooked impeccably: plump, and al dente.  Personally I coulda used a bit more of a kick. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• VANILLA PANNA COTTA with raspberry coulis. Since I’m not a big fan of Chocolate (I’m missing that chocolate gene)…I LOVE a good panna cotta for dessert.  I got really excited by the vanilla beans on top…but when I dipped my spoon into it, it was a little…well…gelatinous.  I think they must have added some gelatin or SOMEthing to keep the hold of it, but normal panna cotta doesn’t normally have that gummy texture.  Texture aside, it was still light & refreshing. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• RHUBARB TART with vanilla ice cream. I love rhubarb, and this tart was HEAVEN.  I loved that it was pure rhubarb (not with strawberry), so it was nice & tart.  The crust was flaky and crisp and it arrived perfectly warmed.  HEAVEN. SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

The waitress was very friendly and helpful.  Apparently there’s a Betel methodology of menu ordering — it’s designed to be family style and shared.  For a party of 2:

• 3-4 appetizers
• a salad to “cleanse the palate”
• 1 entrée to share

I think Thai food offers such a beautiful range of flavors in its cuisine, and often it’s the combination of these flavors in a single dish that makes this one of my favorite genres of food to eat.  It’s that tangy + sweet + spicy + herby combo that is so wonderful to experience in Thai food.

Unfortunately, Betel didn’t deliver that.  Maybe it was the dishes we ordered, but it seemed like the same flavors kept regurgitating on our plates: deep spicy, toasted garlic slivers, coconut, coconut, coconut and MORE coconut.  (don’t get me wrong, I love me some coconut, but it can be very overpowering in some dishes)

The presentation and plating were beautiful.  But again, Flavor over Frills.

The drink menu was longer than the actual dinner menu (3 pages!). And the restaurant — while very chic-fully decorated — was SO LOUD.  Unlike other “modern” Thai restaurants, there was no trance/world music thumping, but the acoustics in the space somehow exacerbated the volume of everyone’s voices.

I spent the entire evening was spent shouting, “WHAT?! What did you say?”  I dunno — call me an Old Lady, but I like going to dinner with friends and being able to have a conversation with them.

Also, I think lighting is SO instrumental in a good dining experience.  I appreciate “ambience”, but I DO like being able to see what I’m eating.  Betel was a little too dimly lit to appreciate (or discern) what exactly was on your plate.

Between the noise level and the low lights, I might as well have been deaf & blind, eating my trendy interpretive Thai food.

Here’s the menu:

• Drink Menu: page 1, page 2, page 3
• Appetizers & Salads
• Entrées and Desserts

Here’s a plate-by-plate of our meal:

BEVERAGES:

• BLACKBERRY PASSIONFRUIT CAIPIROSKA: 42 below Passionfruit Vodka, lime, blackberries, palm sugar. I read on Yelp that their drinks were disappointing, but I actually thought the opposite — it may have been the best part of the meal. This was delicious — fruity, but not overly sweet. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• THE GINGER MANUKA: Evan Williams Bourbon, 42 below Manuka honey, ginger syrup, lime, ginger ale. This was really delicious & fresh.  The honey flavor was very prominent, and the ginger was not overpowering. But it did feel like ”Isn’t this a cough drop” flavor for me… SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

APPETIZERS:

• VEGETARIAN BETEL LEAF w/ caramelized coconut, lemongrass mint & peanuts. There were 2 versions of the Betel Leaf app on the menu and we opted for the vegetarian one, since our other selections were so meat-heavy.  I was underwhelmed.  Refreshing? YES.  Rabbit food?  DEFINITELY.  It felt like I was stuck on the Island of LOST, and I was foraging for food, and this is all I could come up with. NOTICE: the caramelized coconut. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• GRILLED BO LA LAT with Vietnamese mint & red nahm jim. I didn’t know what this dish was, but the waitress said something about “ground marinated beef” so we ordered!  The beef was tasty — marinated in a sweet-soy flavor.  The entire dish was actually very reminiscent of Korean ssam, where you take the piece of kalbi (also sweet-soy marinated beef), put it in a red lettuce leaf with some sauce and shove it in your mouth.  Be warned – the dipping sauce is no joke. MUY PICANTE. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥

• SCALLOP & CILANTRO DUMPLINGS w/ garlic chives and chili oil. Two things about this dish:  1) When I see an ampersand between two ingredients before the word “dumpling” it implies that both those are ingredients are INSIDE the dumpling.  Is it just me? Wasn’t expecting the cilantro to be sprigs strewn on top as garnish.  2) There’s no such thing as an “al dente” dumpling, but when the skin is SO soft that it crumbles, that means over-cooked.  no one likes a limp dumpling. Overall this was underwhelming. The scallop stuffing didn’t have much flavor and it came swimming in a non-descript, watered-down pool of soy. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

SALAD:

• POACHED CHICKEN AND CRAB SALAD w/ coconut, cherry tomatoes and green nahm jimm dressing. This came to our table and did not look appetizing — didn’t taste much better either.  First off – the poaching of the meats rendered them devoid of any flavor.  I have NO idea what the “dressing” was — whatever that white mess was, it made the entire salad look like slaw.  PLEASE NOTE: the coconut. Unfortunately, all I could taste was the damn coconut. SEOULDIVA SAYS: Ο / ♥♥♥♥♥

ENTRÉES:

• JUNGLE CURRY OF SNAPPER w/ baby corn, spring onion, snake bean and fried garlic. I wish they had offered those little chili pepper icons on the menu, next to the dishes to denote which were spicy — this one shoulda had 3 chili peppers next to it.  I absolutely adore spicy food, but I don’t like it when it’s SO spicy that you can’t taste any other flavors in the dish.  While this dish wasn’t that bad, it was dangerously close.  I didn’t understand the baby corn (but then again, I never do), and the snapper was mediocre.  It was all heat, with no substance supporting it.  A little more salt would have been welcome. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• CARAMELIZED BRAISED BEEF RIB w/ cilantro chili shallot & nahm plah prik. A picture’s worth a thousand words, ain’t it? I didn’t know it at the time, but look at that HUGE bubble of fat in the middle of that photo!  Now, as a meat-loving Korean, I love me some beef rib.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t as tender and fall-off-the-bone as I normally prefer.  Nor was it well-seasoned.  Without the dipping sauce (which tasted vinegar-based), there was just a whisper of marinade.  I also found the meat extremely fatty. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

DESSERTS:

• BETEL’S ICE CREAM AND SORBET:  First scoop was red bean, second scoop mango…third scoop some sort of sugarless citrus.  Truthfully, all the flavors tasted watered down. NOTE: Yes, that’s coconut sprinkled across the entire dish.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• STEAMED CARAMELIZED DUCK EGG CUSTARD w/ star anise and cassia bark ice cream. I guess I was expecting an actual custard.  Perhaps something flan-like, with some inventive caramel top.  Instead, we got brown molasses-like substance in a bowl that just tasted like dark syrup.  SOOOOO sweet — inedible.  It was marginally more tolerable if you took a spoonful of the ice cream (which, might I add — had COCONUT shavings AGAIN) and dipped it into the “custard”, but it was still WAY too sweet to withstand more than one bite.  I have no idea where the alleged “duck egg” was…all I got was a bowl of syrup. SEOULDIVA SAYS: Ο / ♥♥♥♥♥

GRUB 411:

• Colicchio & Sons: 85 10th Avenue (btwn 15th & 16th); (212) 400-6699
• TYPE: Modern American
• PRICE: $$
• QUICKVIEW: The inaugural brunch left much to be desired — nothing was quite right, from odd sausage seasoning to lackluster bloody marys. Hopefully this was opening jitters, and they get their brunch game up.
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥¾ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW: I read on UrbanDaddy that Colicchio & Sons was gonna foray into the NYC Weekend Brunch Game.  My homeboys at Immaculate Infatuation had already given Tommy’s new restaurant a sub-mediocre review, so I was curious how they would handle brunch.

I’m usually fan of Tom’s hearty, savory meals (à la Craftbar), so I was hoping Colicchio & Sons would surprise me with Brunch.  Unfortunately for Tommy Boy, the Immaculate Infatution boys were spot on with their review.

My hope is that it was opening Brunch jitters.  My friend & I went on the inaugural brunch, but absolutely nothing  we tried was 100%.  Textures were off, as was seasoning…and freshness.  Hopefully, with more calibration, they’ll get their rhythm and tighten it up, or maybe it just doesn’t resonate my palate.

Here is a peek at their very short brunch offering:

• Brunch Cover
• Beverages
• Brunch
• Sides & Pastries
• Champagne & White Wines
• Rosé & Red Wines

Here’s a plate-by-plate of the meal:

• Biscuits: These were complimentary. Unfortunately, they tasted like they were baked the night before.  They were a bit dry. Given how small these biscuits were, it honestly wouldn’t have taken too much time to bake them up fresh.  The marmalade was a nice touch, but too little too late, my friend. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• BLOODY MARY: What’s a brunch without a bloody mary? My friend and I both requested them “extra spicy”.  Unfortunately, we were left scratching our heads when we got them.  After some quick food forensics, we figured out the cause of death: too much horseradish, not enough Worcestershire sauce or tabasco.  The only good part was that it was nice Vodka. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• RICOTTA ROOT VEGETABLE FRITTATA, with truffle honey and arugula. Let’s face it: the root vegetables + arugula combo = a more “bitter” food flavor profile.  Initially this tasted a little bland, but the Ricotta cheese off-set the other flavors.  The arugula on top was a nice touch, but this was a very mild-mannered, polite dish.  Nothing outspoken about it. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• BAKED EGGS WITH MUSHROOM RAGOUT AND CRISPY HAM. Please note: THE CRISPY HAM WAS MISSING.  (Honestly, I didn’t even notice it was missing from my dish until we were leaving, and I saw someone else’s dish with these delectable-looking crisps of ham.)  The dish was OK. The one thing I WILL say: the eggs were very thoughtfully cooked – most egg dishes served in skillets skew to the “overcooked” side, but these were perfectly done.  Unfortunately, I don’t think they gave the same consideration to the mushroom ragout: it was a little dried out and salty — tasted like it was a little over-reduced with the additional heat from the skillet. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• PORK SAUSAGE PATTIES. There’s no way NOT to try sausage, whenever it’s on a menu.  I had high hopes.  It is Colicchio, after all.  But when it said “pork”, I didn’t realize there was going to be a Fennel Seed Festival in my mouth.  I get it — fennel seeds go w/ pork.  But WAY too much Fennel happening in those patties.  #porkfail. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• CHEDDAR GRITS. I would like to rename this dish: Cheddar Gruel.  Maybe it’s a grit-preference thing, but the texture of this dish was like something out of a Dickens novel.  NO granularity — just mush.  And to top it off, hardly ANY flavor…just creaminess. SEOULDIVA SAYS: Ο / ♥♥♥♥♥

GRUB 411:

• PUERTO SAGUA: 700 Collins Ave; Miami Beach, FL 33139; (305) 673-1115
• TYPE: Cuban
• PRICE: $$
• QUICKVIEW: Unassuming, delicious Cuban food. Not fancy, but definitely flavorful!  Great guanabana milk shakes on a hot Miami day.
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

Miami’s always a quick getaway for New Yorkers. Years ago, I used to frequent David’s, which was a low-key, down & dirty Cuban place. But they’ve since let go of their space and have been reduced to a “take-out” window on 11th Street.

Much to my happiness, my friend Harmeet wised me up to Puerto Sagua 2 years ago. Almost identical to the old David’s I knew, Puerto Sagua is a two-part establishment on 7th & Collins Ave: one part is a restaurant, the other is a diner-type counter setup.

I’m no Cuban food expert, but I likes what I likes.  Puerto Sagua delivers hearty, flavorful food, and never fails to satisfy.  I try to eat there every time I’m in Miami.

My dining motto is always: FLAVOR before FRILLS.  And that is definitely Puerto Sagua!

Here are links to the extensive, bi-lingual menu!

• Cover
• Appetizers
• Soups & Salads
• Daily Specials
• Beef / Carne
• Chicken / Pollo
• Shrimp & Fish
• Seafood Casserole / Lobster
• Pork, Sandwiches
• Eggs/Omelettes
• Side Orders / Desserts / Juices / Milkshakes / Beverages
• Brunch Specials Side 1
• Brunch Specials Side 2

This past visit, I just had time for brunch (my last meal in Miami!), but here’s my delicious meal:

• Spanish Omelette: Spanish sausage, ham, potato and onion. This is like my ideal dish: 1) Egg a-plenty, 2) HAM = Pork, 3) Onions, 4) Spanish Sausage…even MORE PORK!  By conventional “fine cooking” standards, the egg is probably over-cooked, but by “HP real people” standards”, this is PERFECT. SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• Cafe con Leche: steamed milk with espresso. You may be scratching your head, “Isn’t this what a latté is?”  Technically…yes. But Cafe Con Leche is SO MUCH MORE. I think the espresso portion is brewed with beans from Latin America so the flavor is more rich, less bitter, all flavor. So heavenly, in fact, that I had to have 2 cups! SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• SAUCE! What would any dish be without fixins.  In the middle of each table at Puerto Sagua Restaurant, there’s a host of condiments, ranging from salt & pepper, A1 to all types of hot sauces! This one was my fave:
• 

GRUB 411:

• SOUTHERN SPICE: (official website), 143-06 45th Ave, Flushing, NY 11355; Phone:(718) 359-3486
• TYPE: Authentic South Indian cuisine
• PRICE: $½   (we were a dinner party of 15, and it was only $30 each)
• QUICKVIEW: Was dragged out here by a bunch of my Indian friends, which was a huge endorsement.  Savory, spicy and deep flavors, WITHOUT being overly salty.  Deep, slow cooking has allowed this unassuming restaurant to make a lasting culinary impression.
• SPECIAL NOTES: It’s BYOB.  Also, they offer lunch buffets every day from 12pm – 3pm
• SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥¾ / ♥♥♥♥♥

FULL REVIEW:

It was the Saturday after our big snowstorm, and a bunch of my Indian friends planned an outing to South Flushing to eat some Southern Indian cuisine. Now you know that when anything’s reppin’ the South Side of any place, it’s “go hard or go home!”  Southern Spice was no exception.

We all took our respective cars or Zipcars out to Southern Spice.  Not easily accessible by public transpo, this restaurant is located right behind the Ganesh Hindu temple, so you know it’s gotta represent!

This is a casual, hole-in-the-wall kinda place. The kind of place where they don’t have to overcompensate with decor, because they know their food is THAT badass.  Chef Sridhar Rathnam used to own Madras Cafe in NYC, before decided to move his establishment to Queens.

The food was EXCEPTIONAL.  Chef Rathnam stayed true to the art of slow-cooking, allowing the flavors and spices to deeply penetrate the heart of each and every dish.

KEY: everything was rich and flavorful, but not salty.  Often, I think restaurants think adding salt will amp up the flavor profiles of dishes.  Not so at Southern Spice.  It’s true flavor and care that shines through each dish.

SPICE NOTE:  some of their dishes are not for the Spicy Shy. Rest assured some dishes pack a powerful punch, so be cognizant when ordering.

MENU:

• Appetizers & Biriyani
• Meat Entrées
• Vegetarian Entrées, Breads and Sides
• Beverages and Desserts

Here’s a plate-by-plate of our fantastic feast!

APPETIZERS:

• IDLIES: steamed lentil & rice dumplings, served with sambar and chutney. The Idlies actually reminded me a lot of Korean dduk, which is also a rice “dumpling”.  The sambar (vegetable stew) was delicious w/ a little kick at the end.  Don’t think the other bowl was “chutney”, but I think it was a lentil purée of some nature.  Personally I didn’t quite understand the lentil purée, but it was my first time having this and it was delicious. If I were home sick on a cold winter day, I’d want to eat an entire bowl of that sambar all by myself.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• SAMOSA CHAAT: vegetable samosa with chickpeas and tri-color chutneys. I think I can safely say: “Anything’s better with Chick Peas.”  These looked like the Indian version of Nachos on the table, but they were far from it. The samosas themselves were delicious & homemade.  The seasoning was less pungent than other samosas I’ve tried, but in a good way; they strong enough to get a sense of flavor, but mild enough to let the taste of the vegetables come through.  The chutneys slathered on top did make the samosa shells a bit soggy, but it wasn’t tragic.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• NEER MORE, diluted yogurt drink with tempered spices. My friend ordered this — she said it’s like a watered down Lasse, except instead of fruit flavors, they add spices.  I didn’t try it, but I wanted to share b/c I’d never seen it before!

ENTREES:

• KERALA CRAB CAKES: in a mild coconut sauce. I didn’t know crabcakes were such an indigenous Indian dish, but I see them often on menus.  As far as crabcakes go, they were extremely meaty and well-seasoned, but there was nothing holding them together.  As soon as you dug your fork into the cake, it crumbled a bit.  Coconut sauce was neither here nor there.  I think a little acid would’ve brought the flavor of the dish a little more, and it was lacking that.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• PAPPU KOORAKU:  spinach and lentil mash (VEG). The description and the  appearance hardly does this dish any justice.  It was hearty, spicy from garlic, and overall — it rocked my world.  I would have bathed in it if I could.  But the texture definitely seemed a little too “mashed”.  Would have liked less “mashing” and more “meshing” of the 2 veggies. Texture can make or break a dish for me.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥¾ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• TARKHA DHALL: seasoned, slow cooked red lentils. I was never a huge dhall fan — but clearly because I’ve never had it prepared right:  by far the best dhall I have EVER tried in my LIFE. Thick, hearty and bursting with flavor (garlic — yes, please!).  I could have this dhall + naan for a meal and be blissfully happy.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥

• CHICKEN 65: Chennai’s special spicy chicken with southern spice and curry leaves. While I’m highly skeptical that “Chicken 65″ is an authentic Indian name for this dish — I don’t care.  It’s damn good.  In a way, it kinda reminded me of a dry-rub jerk chicken dish.  But as I mentioned before: when they say “spicy”, they mean it!  This dish was too spicy for some of my cohorts.  Lucky for me, I have an asbestos tongue. So for me, this was one of my favorites.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• MUTTON CHETTINADU CURRY:  goat with masala gravy. Unfortunately I’m not a mutton/goat/lamb/veal/other meat lover, so I didn’t try this dish.  But it was one of the chef recommendations.

• ALOO GOBI (minus the gobi). This wasn’t on the menu, but the closest way of describing this is “Aloo Gobi, Minus the Gobi”.  Regardless, it was delicious.  Sauce was flavorful, potatoes were cooked-through (but not soft).  SEOULDIVA SAYS:  ♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• OKRA: This wasn’t a dish on the menu, and I’m mortally upset by this.  First, let me preface by saying: I HATE OKRA.  Every time I’ve had it (mostly in gumbo), the texture has been slimy — a slime that’s punctuated by those hard seeds.  Well, hallelujah, I’m an Okra Convert! I think this was my favorite dish of the entire meal because it brought me over to the other side.  From what I could tell, the Okra was pan-fried with spices — not slimy at all — plump, juicy and vegetable-like.  THE absolute best part were the crunchy fried lentils in the dish.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥♥♥ / ♥♥♥♥♥

DESSERTS:

• PAYASAM:  vermicelli and tapioka pearls in spiced milk. This was a lovely non-cheese way to end the meal.  A lot of Indian desserts tend to have some sort of cheese base, so it’s limiting for me personally.  Milk doesn’t seem to bother my lactose-intolerant stomach as much.  I was really digging on the Tapioca pearls, but the Vermicelli noodles threw me off a bit.  Milk was perfectly sweetened with a touch of spice.  SEOULDIVA SAYS: ♥♥♥½ / ♥♥♥♥♥

• RASSAMALAI: dessert pastry made with cheese, in syrup.  Didn’t get this dessert, but it’s quite traditional.  Not sure if it was extraordinarily tasty from Southern Spice.