Delicate Essence
DELICATESSEN | 54 Prince St. (at Lafayette St.) | 212.226.0211 | delicatessennyc.com
dumplings
Vanessa's Finesse
VANESSA'S DUMPLINGS | 118A Eldridge St. | 212.625.8008 | vanessasdumplinghouse.com
No Horse Play
XI'AN FAMOUS FOODS | 2675 Broadway (bet. 101st & 102nd Sts.) | [no phone yet] | xianfoods.com
Oh. Mah. Jong!
....My favorites were the Spanish Breakfast (you had me at "chorizo", then kept me at "runny, poached egg"!), and the Run Forrest, with its simple prep, letting the shrimp flavor flow through the tender, only slightly toothsome dumpling skin, complimented nicely by the mellowed citrus kick of the tomato salsa, and needing only the smallest dip into the the side dipping sauce.... [Full Post]
Unexpected Gem
...The portion was more dinner sized, and, again, my skepticism was foiled by an ample amount of chicken meat, and scant traces of MSG or cornstarch. The dish, while delivering on its promise of spice, was refreshingly light, with the impressive rice noodles, rightfully gummier and spongier than regular noodles, making any residual cooking juices get absorbed into them while the flavored oils clung to them. Even being supportively optimistic, this lunch me surpassed my expectations at every turn.... [Full post]
A Tiny Distraction
...The veggies seemed fresh—the snap peas actually snapped when I bit into them—and the sticky rice was sturdy and toothsome enough to hold up to the serviceably sinus-clearing and brow-beading hot red Thai curry.... [full post]
Wingin' In The Rain
...But the flavors were all present and spot on, soy sauce-based spicy and sweetness in the still juicy and sizable wings (take note, KyoChon!), and the delicious pork filling, heady with tang and aromatics, were supported nicely by the simple, chewy dough and a dollop of their iteration of a hoisin sauce.... [Full post...]
Do Mandoo!
...The steamed kimchee mandoo—almost more than a meal on its own with its 10-count—wrapped the same supple thin-ish dough around explosive mouthfuls of coarsely chopped kimchee, making sure my mouth enjoyed the textures of Korea's signature food—with its crisp vegetables—as well is the bright, layered flavors and heat, nicely addressing the sweet, salty, sour, acid detectors of my entire tongue, the back of my mouth, and up again through the nose.... [Full post]
Ging-ing It
...The shrimp were big and tasty, fried in a tempura-like batter that was not at all oily. The dumplings were light, with a nice non-gummy dough and a fully seasoned pork filling that require less soy dipping sauce than most dumplings do. The eggrolls were prepared more modernly, with a lighter yet crispier wrapper, and were nicely complimented by spicier- and fruitier-than-usual duck sauce.... [cont.]
Quick Post | First Meal of the New Year...
...Lucky enough, I made enough to enjoy for the whole day, since I don't see myself leaving my apartment—or my bed—for the next 24 hours... [cont.]
