Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles in Chinatown

Beef Stew Noodles / Seafood Noodles
Noodle Master (of the day) / Boiling Noodles / Reclaimed Noodles

The picture above is from Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles Restaurant on Doyer Street (an extremely discreet alley-like street) in New York Chinatown. The noodles were wonderful, but I admit the beef stew was mediocre to sub-par. For this dish, I am used to chunky beef stew (nee-ro-mein), rather than the thinly sliced beef that was in it -- needless to say, this was not what I had imagined. However, the soup was TaStY and the fresh noodles were amazing! There are over 15 different topping choices, so you will have many options; traditionally, hand-pulled noodles are served in soup with some meat and vegetables and can be ordered stir-fried. I'd probably go again, but I'd like to try the noodles with duck (friend had this and said it was fantastic) or pork chops. On average, dishes start at $4.00 (vegetable hand pulled soup) and can go up to $7.00. You really can't beat this incredible deal.

So what exactly is hand pulled noodles, or also known as Lamian (La Mein; literally translated to pull (la) noodles (mein)). Lamian originated in northern China and has been around a long time - but just how long? We don't know for certain, but in 2005 at an archaelogical site named Lajia, scientists found a well preserved upturned bowl with these noodles. Scientific research says its been around for over 4,000 years, potentially making these the oldest known noodles. Incredible isn't it? As you eat these hand pulled noodles, you can appreciate that the art form has not been lost even after all this time!

Just a little bit about the restaurant -- the staff spoke minimal English, but was quite helpful (have no fear, the restaurant has an English menu hanging on the wall and a menu with pictures). The restaurant is small, and even though the food can be served FAST, I wouldn't suggest walking in there with a large party of 6+ unless you are going during off-peak hours. The chef who made the noodles allowed me and other patrons to watch him make the noodles -- the process is incredible and that alone would likely entice you to visit the noodle shop -- below is a glimpse into how the noodle master "whips" up the noodles!

chef prepares the dough


like pizza, you have to knead the dough
then comes a series of what looks like jump roping / thrashing / twirling moves with the noodle ( a slow methodical dance between an artist and its canvas)







and its ready to be cooked; whether you have it fried or in a soup - the lamian noodles are made the same way

DID YOU KNOW TIDBIT:
There is an extensive list of Asian noodle types -- those with different textures, sizes, and tastes -- and I would almost bet you've probably had many different types of Asian noodles in your life without even realizing it ... white flat rice noodles (used in "beef chow fun"), egg noodles (used in wonton noodle soup, crispy noodles/chow mein, lo mein), ramen (this needs no explanation -- even I've had Maruchan for $0.25 a bag! and cup o' noodles), vermicelli (used in Singapore noodles) and the list goes on and on ... So Lamian is yet another example of noodles. Just think about all the different types of pastas that are available, there is probably an equal amount of asian noodle varieties. We won't get into the debate of who created pasta/noodles first; but it is believed that in the 13th Century, Marco Polo learned the art of noodles through his expeditions in China and then brought it back to Italy.

One thing is certain, noodles have found a place setting to many dinner tables worldwide -- doesn't matter if its Chinese, Korean, Japanese, German, Italian, Hungarian -- we've all had a tailored made noodle in each respective native country.

How much did this cost the MTA?

Have you seen the fancy new bus stop signs? Coming to a place near you!

"Be very very quiet" - Pale Male or Another Red-Tailed Hawk?

Photo taken with Nikon D60;
Sited near the Betheseda Fountain before you walk down the steps leading to the three arches

What incredible luck that I saw this fascinating Red Tailed Hawk,
talk about being at the Right Place at the Right Time!

So is this just another Red Tailed Hawk or is this THEEEEEE "Pale Male"?
After confirming with Lincoln Karim with several more images, this is a young red-tailed hawk and could possibly be one of Pale Male's offspring.
Regardless, its always an exciting experience to see this special species of red-tailed hawks in our backyard! Though the photo above is not of Pale Male, below IS a picture of Pale Male!
The last time I sited Pale Male was about three years ago near the Great Lawn.
Since then, Pale Male has found a new mate (Lola), has had new offspring and has a new home on 79th Street (near Boat Basin).


Sony cybershot camera (simple digital point and shoot), shot through binoculars! - 10/06/06
(one of my favorite photos that i am very proud of because of the method I used to take this!)

For those that do not know, Pale Male is a red-tailed hawk that has lived in NYC for more than 18 years. During that time, Pale Male has gone through some very similar human tragedies, including losing a loved one, losing unborn offspring and even losing his home on 5th Avenue and 74th Street. However, what we should grasp from the hawk's life story, is that with any tragedy there is hope that things will get better -- as life goes on, you move on; you learn from your mistakes or your personal tragedies and if you allow them to make you stronger, you will be able to begin to rebuild your life (just as Pale Male did) -- so like Pale Male -- remember that there really is light at the end of the tunnel for us all who are willing to persevere through all of life's challenges!

If you are fortunate enough to see Pale Male, or his off-spring, you will more than likely see a crowd of people looking up to the skies... all the while, you may also see the Lincoln Karim, a photographer, who has followed Pale Male for many years (www.palemale.com). OR, you could be lucky and see him perched on a lantern, camouflaged by his surroundings like I did at the Great Lawn...

Some facts I found about Pale Male via wikipedia:

• First arrived in Central Park in 1991
• Pale Male tried to nest in a tree, but he was driven off by crows. He later roosted on a building on Fifth Avenue across the street from the park.
  
• Pale Male Name given by Marie Winn, who noticed his unusual light coloring
  
• Current Mate: Lola
  
• Past Lovers: First Love, Chocolate, Blue
• Offspring: At least 26 chicks
• Previous Residence: 927 Fifth Avenue
• http://www.palemale.com/feb2305.html -- Pale Male stats provided by Lincoln Karim
  

Other Red-Tailed Hawk Facts

• The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds like a raptor
• Red-tailed Hawk is one of the largest birds you’ll see in North America
• The oldest known Red-tailed Hawk was 28 years 10 months old.
• Courting Red-tailed Hawks put on a display in which they soar in wide circles at a great height. The male dives steeply, then shoots up again at an angle nearly as steep. After several of these swoops he approaches the female from above, extends his legs, and touches her briefly. Sometimes, the pair grab onto one other, clasp talons, and plummet in spirals toward the ground before pulling away.

For more info about Pale Male visit -- www.palemale.com and www.thelegendofpalemale.com
(A film was recently completed in 2009 about Pale Male)

Big Apple BBQ

Photo from my Nikon D60

For more photos, click the link to my WEB ALBUM

This is a bit delayed, but figured, better late than never.

The BBQ took place in Madison Square Park from June 13-14 ... its the Seventh Annual BBQ Block Party that starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. (um, you'd better get there early or else they may run out -- like they did the first day) ... I still remember being there the first year and wow was I excited -- the sheer demand and volume of people waiting in line has probably increased five fold since then! So much so that the organizers created a "Fast Pass" that allows you to skip the gi-normous lines and enter through a secret back passageway to the pit masters!

If you missed it this year, there is always next year!

p.s. If you're can't wake up early enough, or don't want to buy the fast pass - i'd suggest getting a group of your friends to line-up at different lines and then feast together at one of the picnic tables provided... if you go mid-afternoon or late in the evening, you're surely going to wait in the long lines, or worse yet, they may run out!

tapas TAPAS tapas ... first at Casaville

Photos from my Canon SD880 IS

Who doesn't love TAPAS?

If you don't have the time to travel to Spain, but want a good taste of the food, I welcome you to try Casaville in Murray Hill (2nd avenue between 34th and 33rd street). Though its a French-Moroccan restaurant, a friend and I decided to try the tapas here... We shared the Mixed Tapa plate, which had a good assortment of the typical spanish tapa dishes you'd normally order (tortilla espanola, grilled calamari, olives, etc) and a side order of seafood paella. This along with a small pitcher of sangria was more than enough to satisfy two people.

The food was better than what I would have expected from a local eatery in a residential area; however, the prices were similar to many other tapas restaurants ($7-$10 per plate) that I've tried, which was surprising since the decor was average and service mediocre. Though it sounds like its a negative review of the place, its not. I think Casaville has something desirable, especially for a neighborhood locale. The menu has a variety of items to cater to the French, Moroccan and Spanish flavors you may be craving.

Though I enjoyed the food, I still rank Casa Mono, Boqueria and Mercat as my favorite tapa joints in the city. However, if you need that quick fix and are in the Murray Hill area -- Casaville is a good enough place to satisfy your appetite.

Soccer on the East River via MEET UP

Click on this link to view My Photo Album:

For those interested in playing sports, but don't have anyone to play with -- go to www.meetup.com and you can find a team near you (in many states). Yes, its all about "meeting up" with random strangers to do the things you want to do. Whether it is to "Do something • Learn something • Share something • Change something" then this website is the place for you! In this case, my friend Jun, met up with people to play a sport he loves most - Soccer!!!

Enjoy the photos from this one day gathering on the East River ... (p.s. they meet every weekend in various places throughout NYC!)

Best Burgers in New York! 5 Napkin Burger Review

Shot with: Canon PowerShot SD880 IS

If you thought you've had the best burger of your life -- you haven't! Well, not until you try the Original 5 Napkin Burger. I kid you not, the burger is fantastic (and i've tried a lot of burgers)! If you like juicy burgers, this is it -- the flavors will be running rampant in your mouth and the juice may even run down your chin! why do you think the place is called 5 napkins? Probably because you need that amount of napkins to finish the burger ... just as Homer Simpson would say -- "mmmm BEER" ... i'd say "mmmm BURGER" ... you won't be disappointed (well, unless you're a vegetarian) with this special 10 oz. fresh ground chuck burger with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, and rosemary aioli that is served on soft white roll... d-licious!

And usually, restaurants can either only get the burger right or the fries right, but never both (why is that???) But, waaaaalllllla - this place has great burgers and great fries! so, if you like crispy fries -- you're in for a treat! Btw, they have milkshakes (which I didn't get), but that would probably be a bit too decadent for this meal (though I do admit a shake does go well with burger and fries)...

So where does this burger rank on my Top 5? Very high... Its different from some of my other favorite burger joints -- because there are varied burger "types" available in NYC -- the plain simple burger (meat and bun) with or without added toppings (bacon/cheese/lettuce/tomato/pickles/grilled onions, etc) and with or without special sauces (barbecue, variations of thousand island-like dressings, aioli, etc) ... So how can you compare a burger from one restaurant to another, especially if each restaurant serves their burger differently? Not easy, is it?

Here are my TOP THREE burger joints in NYC (5 Napkin burger is noted above)...

Corner Bistro - simple burger with/without cheese, like the ones you'd get at a backyard barbeque (and they can grill the onions for you -- ah, yum!); soft bun; bacon is available; no milkshake, but they have root beer and many "real" beers since its a pub; crisy fries, akin to McDonalds on a good day.

Burger Joint - simple burger that you can order with the "works" -- however, they won't grill the onions (boo!) and is served on a great soft bun; you can also order an awesome milkshake here (fries are decent)

There are many other burgers spots that I have or have not tried (Shake Shack (akin to Inn-n-Out); The Spotted Pig, Irving Mill, and more)!

Check out The Reader's Choice in TimeOut's 2009 Eat Out Awards for the Best Burger Joints!

Happy eating!

5 Napkin Burger is located on the corner of 45th Street and 9th avenue, (212) 757-2277

Baja Fresh in New York!

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Yes, the much anticipated California Mexican Food is here -- Baja Fresh! (now, only if Inn-N-Out would come out to New York then "us" native Californian's' would be set!)

So does it taste the same? It should right -- since its a chain? Oddly enough, it tastes a bit different to me - but perhaps my taste buds have shrunken in size as I have aged through the years -- i wish that was the case with my stomach! So, I only tried three things (yeah, i know - only three things) -- The pork carnitas taco (awesome), steak tacos (salty) and the mahi mahi salad (salty; friend's salad)... (pictures above)

So what was the same? a) The Salsa Bar -- oh yeah, what to choose with all the options? mango, traditional, hot or all the others?? b) The Secret Menu -- apparently you can order a Dos Manos Burrito (perhaps you have to eat it with two hands? or the size of two hands -- but, wow, it was BIG; picture above) ... don't waste your time looking for it on the menu - just ask and you will receive - but can you eat this so-called "double" burrito? A definite no for me - but many can - They should really start offering - "you get the burrito free if you can finish it in 10 minutes" -- have you ever seen that? These eat it and get it free places do exist - i've seen it for pancakes, burgers, oysters, and yes, even burritos. Maybe thats the next step on the "secret menu"

So if you want to try something other than the usual fast-food mexican joints like Qdoba, Chipotle, or Blockheads ... Pay Baja Fresh a visit at 465 Lexington Ave (between 45th and 46th) ..

Happy eating!

Sea & Sea Fish Market in Harlem

Photos from my Canon SD880 IS

As I wrote in my prior posting about "Carrot Sauce over Seafood Pasta" Here is a glimpse into the Harlem Fish Market (aka Sea & Sea Fish Market) where we bought the scallops and shrimp for the dish. The workers were friendly and very helpful. The gentleman in the photo went as far as opening the steamer to show me the steaming clams!

The place is exactly what you think a fish market would have -- fish of all variety, shrimps of all sizes, crab legs from different locales (photo is from Canada) and loads of people eagerly awaiting the "fisherman" to weigh their intended purchases.

If you're not in Harlem, don't fret, there are many locations for you to buy your fresh fish ... Chinatown (just walk through the streets and if you see lots of water on the floor, you've found the place), Chelsea Market (Lobster Place), Wild Edibles, and if none of these places work for you -- "google" for many more locations...