Payard Patisserie and Bistro - Restaurant Week NYC Style!

Spanish Mackeral with ginger, garlic, baby bok choy, and shitake mushrooms.

A couple weekends ago Malia and I headed up on the Bolt Bus to visit Jenny for a JAM reunion! We were super excited. Jenny, being the planning queen that she is, made us a reservation at Payard Patisserie and Bistro during New York's restaurant week. Malia and I had gone to La Rue 123 during the Inaguration Week in DC, and had passed up their special menu. We were not going to make the same mistake this time! For $35 you can get an appetizer, entree, and dessert! We double checked the regular menu, and were pleasantly surprised to see that most of the items on the special menu were also on the regular menu. This is a good sign, in that the restaurant isn't just putting some cheap cut of meat on the special menu to pass if off on those in search of a cheaper meal.

Salmon tartare

To start, Malia and I ordered the lentil soup, while Jenny and Travis ordered the salmon tartare. Travis loves french onion soup, so he got that as well. Our server came by with a basket of bread, from which we all chose their wheat roll. Being after 9pm, we were all famished and glad to have something to nibble on. The roll was rather interesting - it was super crunchy, almost like a really large cracker. The dough was slightly sweet and hardy, but I generally prefer my rolls on the softer side.

Our appetizers came out shortly thereafter. Surprisingly, this was the first time I had eaten a pureed lentil soup, I am used to the texture of the individual beans. The soup was creamy, a little on the salty side, served with croutons. The dish was nice, but nothing extraordinary. Jenny and Travis were pleased with the flavor of the salmon. Travis' french onion soup had great carmelized, salty flavors. He felt it was a little on the sweet side, but I like that component about this particular soup. The sharp, salty gruyere was the perfect compliment.

French Onion Soup.

The entree options were a lot slimmer - roast chicken or spanish mackeral. I have cooked a lot of chicken in my days, and thus I tend to steer away from chicken when I go out to eat. The spanish mackeral looked like a good option, served with baby bok choy and mushrooms. I once had a very bad incident with spanish mackeral and a certain salt mound method of cooking (Jenny and Malia can attest to the awful nature of this dish), but I decided to give this fish a second chance. The rest of the group opted for the fish as well.

The fish was presented in four small sections, complimented with steamed baby bok choy, a ginger sauce, and wild mushrooms. Jenny picked around the mushrooms. The fresh minced ginger was such a refreshing addition, and enhanced the flavors of the flaky white fish. The skin could have been crisped up a little more in my opinion, but still it was a solid meal.

Chocolate creme brulee with candied orange - divine!

Don't worry I have saved the best for last! Payard is probably best known for its wonderful pastries, tarts, cakes, and candies. The menu indicated that we could have any of the pastries in the patisserie case. Well, by 11pm that case is quite sad looking, with a couple eclairs and small pastries looking very unappetizing. Fortunately our waiter told us that the creme brulee was also being offered. Malia is not usually a fan of creme brulee, but after looking over at our neighbors devouring the dish, she decided to try it along with the rest of us.

This was no ordinary creme brulee! The chef created a chocolate version with candied orange peel. I love the crunching sound you hear as you dig your spoon into the crisp sugar. The textural play on crisp and creamy is wondeful. The chocolate custard was simply amazingly silky, rich, with deep chocolate flavors. The candied orange peel delivered a slightly chewy, sweet burst of citrus. The ramekin of custard could have easily fed two people, and yet I easily could have eaten the entire thing. Somehow I managed to restrain myself.

The creme brulee easily elevated the entire meal. I would certainly come back to Payard, but perhaps next time just for dessert.

Bon Appetite.

2 out of 3 JAMs

Payard Patisserie & Bistro

1032 Lexington Ave

New York, NY 10021

Burger Wars, Week 2: Elevation Burger & BLT Burger

BLT Burger, NYC, Jenn:
Since my NYU friends had found out about my burger wars, I decided to enlist them to help me find the city's best burger. With high hopes after reading about Spotted Pig's burger with blue cheese, we headed out to meet up for a post-work burgerfest.

Sad to say, the wait of approximately 3 hrs was more than our hungry stomachs could handle so Steve saved the day by recommending BLT Burger, calling ahead while we walked to place our names on the list. Known for their "gourmet" yet casual burgers, BLT Burger would hopefully not disappoint.

We arrived to the crowded restaurant and our party of 6 had to wait by the doorway, crammed between the hostess stand and the bar. Despite Steve calling ahead and our 15 min walk to the restaurant we still waited about 30 min for a table on a Thursday night. Needless to say, by the time we were seated, having stared at the menu for the past 30 mins, I was starving!

I ordered the place's namesake, the BLT Burger, which is a 7oz certified angus beef (CAB) burger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and BLT Burger sauce, medium rare, with blue cheese ($11 + $1 for cheese). Other BLT Burgers were ordered, as well as the Tex-Mex Burger, Salmon Burger, and Veggie Burger. We added some sides of skinny fries, waffle fries, and onion rings.

While listening to a soothing mix of oldies and 90s hits, we all enjoyed the atmosphere - a mirrored wall with the menu hand-written, today's specials on a board along the side, cozy booths and tables (well for some of my dining companions the set-up was a little overly crowded) and the sophisticated yet kitschy touches of decor like a steer's head and other western items on the walls.

Our burgers arrived quickly and we all immediately noted the small portion of bacon on the signature BLT Burgers - two sad little pieces rather than slices. Despite this, the burgers from a taste perspective were solid - juicy, the tomato and lettuce fresh, and for me the blue cheese added a nice bite to my patty. Also, BLT cooked mine to a light pink color, a little more cooked than I like my burgers but not bad considering there were six of us and each ordered different items and degree of rareness.

Darren, who ate the salmon burger, was happy although perhaps it didn't justify its $11 price tag. Pit enjoyed his veggie burger due to its falafel-patty, instead of a typical bean or soy based patty and its onion roll ($7). Travis' Tex-Mex burger was more flavorful than the BLT Burger, although the heat from the jalapenos and jack cheese was not very prominent due to the slathering of avocado, mild salsa, and sour cream.

The onion rings were disappointing - mostly batter and on the sweeter side, though probably due to the combination of a sweet batter and the vidalia onions used ($5). The skinny fries, thinly cut french fries, were crunchy and salty, and the waffle fries, while a bit soggy and greasy, were very satisfying with their overall flavor (both fries, $4).

Post burgers I was tempted enough to order one of BLT's milkshakes - the Mocha Mudslide ($7), made of coffee ice cream, crushed and whole oreo cookies with a whipped cream top. Delicious. Easily my favorite part of the meal - it was thick, the cookies were nicely blended into the ice cream, and the combination of the bitter coffee with the sweet cookies and whipped cream made for a perfect balance of sweetness. The cookies also lent a bit of texture in the back end of every sip. I would warrant even better than Shake Shack's custard shakes (blasphemy I know!)

Overall, BLT is a solid burger joint if you're ok with spending about $25 with tip and tax and you're looking for a standard burger, fries, and an outstanding milkshake. Best burger in the city? No, but the atmosphere and menu options make it a little more appealing - the idea of a kobe burger and another Mocha Mudslide might just bring me back a second time around.

Elevation Burger, NoVa, Ariel & Malia's parents:

On Friday night, Dave and I checked out Elevation Burger in Falls Church. Ariel and Malia had asked us to assist them in reviewing places that serve hamburgers. We arrived to the restaurant around 7:00 p.m. to find the place fairly packed, mostly with families who seemed to be enjoying themselves. We decided to try an assortment of dishes: a cheeseburger, an Elevation burger, a side of fries, three small cookies, a chocolate shake, a side salad, and a bottle of water. The tab came to $24 for everything, which is pretty pricey for a hamburger dinner. After paying for our food, we found ourselves a table near the front of the restaurant.

Shortly after we sat down, one of the employees called out “Dave” and presented my husband with his shake, a rather thick concoction served with a large straw and spoon. Dave thought the shake was very tasty.

A few minutes later, Dave’s name was called once more and he was presented with a large rectangular baking dish filled with our hamburgers and the fries. We didn’t realize that the salads were in the self-serve refrigerator with the bottled water and other beverages, so Dave had to go back and pick up the side salad, a minor inconvenience.

Alright, now for our evaluation of Elevation burgers: the burgers were juicy even though they were cooked well-done and the cheese, real cheddar, was better than what is served at a fast food restaurant. My cheeseburger consisted of one patty topped with cheese, while Dave’s Elevation burger was made up of two patties topped with cheese. I dressed my cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, raw sweet onions, and hot pepper relish. Dave topped his Elevation cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, caramelized onions and ketchup. The toppings are similar to what you can select at Five Guys, except at Five Guys you can request raw jalapeno peppers, my favorite. Dave felt that the burgers were superior to those served at Five Guys, as they were juicy. Our one criticism of the hamburgers is the insubstantial buns on which they are served. Mine sort of disintegrated while I was trying to eat my burger. The buns aren’t hardy enough to contain the burgers and assorted toppings.

Frankly, the hamburgers were filling enough for me, but we wanted to try out some of the other food that we ordered. The fries were great, not too greasy and had a very authentic potato taste. My one criticism of them was that they weren’t super crispy. Dave definitely liked the fries better than those served at Five Guys because they weren’t greasy. At Five Guys, the potatoes are prepared in peanut oil; while at Elevation Burger, they are prepared in olive oil. The side salad came in a small plastic container and consisted of chopped Romaine lettuce and a tomato wedge. The lettuce was very green and crisp and the tomato wedge was fresh. I tried the roasted balsamic dressing which was quite good. The small chocolate chip cookies were a disappointment. Dave thought they had a decent flavor, but a grainy consistency. I was not a fan.

Elevation Burger is a convenient place to stop for an above-average hamburger. The burgers are made with 100% organic free range beef, so that might explain the steeper cost of the meal. Elevation Burger also serves vegetable burgers as an option for vegetarians. If they served raw jalapenos as a topping, I might be tempted to go there more often. But right now, I am thinking of the teriyaki hamburgers my mother used to make and thinking that one of those topped with some raw jalapeno slices and some chopped pineapple would really be worth the cardiovascular risk that such a meal would entail.

Burger Wars, Week 1: Big Buns & Lucky Strike

Big Buns, NoVa:

As we walked into the restaurant, we were reminded of five guys - but a slightly more upscale version of the similar burger joint. The walls are decorated in bright greens and the wood tables are complimented by casual booths. The menu posted above the counter explains how to order.

Step 1 cautions: "Choose Wisely". Choose wisely indeed. We ordered up the burger and the mahi mahi. You are also given the choice of portabello mushroom or chicken. The surprise of the evening turned out to be the grilled mahi mahi. It was moist and flaky on the inside, and nicely charred on the outside. The burger was cooked all the way through, no pink to be seen, and a tad greasy. It was tasty, but mostly because of the delicious toppings. Not my ideal burger.


Step 2 asks that you choose to have your protein "on a bun or in a bowl" (of romaine that is). We opted to go with the bun, the burger on their brioche roll and the mahi mahi on the wheatie oat. The wheatie oat was a little dry in my opinion. The brioche wins out - it was soft and held up rather well to the grease and condiments. However the mahi mahi or the portabello might do nicely on a bed of lettuce (for those feeling the need for something lighter).

(brioche)

(wheatie)

Step 3 tells you to "top it off". A wide variety of toppings are offered: from caramelized onions, mango salsa, and grilled pineapple to the more traditional tomato and pickles. We topped the burger with cheddar, pickles, tomato, lettuce, and caramelized onions. We loved the sweet caramelized onions, which worked well with the tangy honey mustard. The mahi mahi was topped with sweet pineapple and crunchy bermuda red onions - a refreshing way to eat this fish.

Step 4 they lose a little creativity, simply titling it: "Big Buns special sauces and dressings". I understand it can be hard to be creative! The burger got their signature honey mustard and the mahi mahi got the sweet chilli vinagrette on the side. We were glad we waited to pour that on our fish. This sauce was cloyingly sweet. The fish was sweet on its own, especially with the pineapple. The honey mustard had a lil tang and just the right amount of sweetness. I would definitely go with this again. Our fries came with a side of the chipotle pesto aioli. This sauce is deliciously creamy, with just a slight kick. It went beautifully with our crisp fries, and would compliment any burger nicely.

(sweet potato fries!)

Step 5 "Sides, Drinks, Shakes & Malts" - simple enough right? We were torn between the shake and the fries, but ended up going for the sweet and regular potato fries. We had heard great things about there thin sweet potato fries. These were the winner of the evening. If you love sweet potato fries, these are some of the best I've ever had. They are cooked to perfection, thin and crisp. The regular potato fries were good, cut thicker but nothing to write home about.

Overall, we could tell that this was not going to be the winner of the burger contest. The fish, however, was excellent and not something you would expect from this kind of place. The sweet potato fries were awesome and the service was great. "I like big buns, and I cannot lie..." but there are better burgers in our future.

Lucky Strike, NYC:

My boyfriend's entire office generally orders "amazing" burgers from Lucky Strike during lunches, so I knew I had to make a stop at this French/American casual bistro to check out what all the fuss was about. Popping by for dinner after running errands, we were seated immediately at a cozy table for two in the main dining area. The room was small, with mirrored walls, the menu hand-written on a couple of the walls, lending to the place's charm. After reading through an extensive menu, I found what I was looking for - a cheeseburger deluxe (meaning it came with fries, though honestly there's not just a cheeseburger on the menu). No topping options or alternate flavors here - just a choice of meat patty (beef, turkey, veggie), cheese or no cheese, and bacon or no bacon. Condiments are strictly mustard and ketchup that are sitting at your table - the burger comes undressed aside from standard lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

I ordered a medium rare cheeseburger deluxe, with cheddar cheese. Travis ordered a bacon cheeseburger deluxe, rare. A short while later......


the burgers arrived! To my surprise, they are served on a lightly toasted English muffin, a bun substitute that seemed odd at first but then deliciously different upon eating. The burger patties are huge and the cheese is real cheese. The thick tomato slice almost eliminates the need for ketchup although a few bites in I snuck a dip or two of my fries' ketchup onto my burger.

The burger itself is large - almost difficult to fit your mouth around, again the English muffin assisting as its obviously far less puffy than a normal bun. The meat was extremely flavorful, very juicy, and cooked to a perfect medium rare, nice and pink. Travis' was almost a little too rare as his burger kept falling apart into chunks after every bite. I could actually taste a little sharpness from the cheddar cheese and the English muffin's nooks and crannies soaked up the burger juices without becoming overly soggy (at least until about 3/4 of the way through).

The fries are very crispy and thin, a cross between shoestring and normal fast food fries. I personally had to add a bit of salt (which for me is abnormal as I generally find fries to be salty enough and rarely touch the salt shaker) and lots of ketchup (normal for me), but the crispy texture makes them addictive, sort of like classic potato chips. Nothing amazing, but good.

While there isn't a ton of variety available at Lucky Strike, the taste of the patty itself is worth a trip. If you're looking for an above average, classic burger, Lucky Strike more than hits the spot.

Bahn-Mi- a taste of Vietnam

For a couple of weeks, Travis has been raving about this small Vietnamese place, Viet-Nam Banh Mi So 1, by his office that had these great pork sandwiches I "had to try". So this past weekend, we trudged out in the snow and cold to try them - needless to say I had high expectations.

We arrived at the tiny storefront with a simple menu of numbered sandwiches with a variety of meat options (beef, chicken, pork). Toppings are the same on most of them, the only customizable options being to omit something or make a sandwich "spicy" or "extra spicy". Travis recommended a #3, so we ordered three #3s (Travis was hungry), two extra spicy and one regular. We also picked up Stewart's sodas (yum), cream soda and root beer.

After a short wait and a walk later, I unwrapped my sandwich to see a crusty, good-sized baguette stuffed with marinated diced pork, lots of cilantro, cucumber slices, and carrots.

I took a loud, crunchy, crumb-flinging bite. Initially the bread overpowered my bite, but after a bit of chewing the pork flavor began to take over. It was salty and sweet, a bit like asian barbeque or chau siu (roasted pork), not overly saucy, and nicely accented by the cool crispness of the cucumber, the marinated carrot, and the cilantro. After a couple more bites I began to taste a softer part of the bread where the pork had soaked in a bit, so the bread itself tasted a little like garlic butter and pork. The only downsides to eating were that the bread was incredibly crumbly and Travis' office floor had a small pile of bread crumbs by the time I was done and the cilantro wasn't chopped but was in large pieces, meaning I had to at times tear it by hand.

Travis' extra spicy was indeed spicy, as they added both chili garlic sauce (the same chili sauce served at dim sum and similiar to Siracha) and chopped up chilies, but the sweetness of the pork still came through.

From a flavor profile alone, a very happy 2 1/2 JAMs. While the restaurant has no seating and isn't the brightest or most modern environment, the food is worth a trip, even in the snow.

As a side note, the Stewart's sodas only get 1 JAM. The cream soda was too sweet and lacked any sort of creamy foam that I like on cream sodas (like A&W cream soda) and the root beer didn't have the depth of flavor and bite that I like in a root beer. The sweet sodas did help to cleanse our palates of the pork sandwiches.

The Search for the Best Burger!

While the three of us take pride in our gourmet tastes, none of us can deny the pleasure of biting into a juicy, beefy burger piled with all the fixings. With so many burger joints popping up these days, our sights were set on finding the best burgers in NYC and the Washington DC area.

Although we share an idea of what the "perfect burger" entails, each of us has our own distinct palette. In order to give our ratings some context, each of us has created a profile of our specific burger preferences in terms of type of meat, doneness, toppings, and type of bun.

Jenny

No matter the venue from which my burger is served, I always, if possible, select medium rare. To me, the worst burger crime is to overcook a burger patty (with the small exception of fast food chains, like White Castle, where honestly I want every last germ and raw meat particle cooked out) so a restaurant that can serve me a nice, pink/slighty red, patty is a solid one. When I take that first bite into my medium rare beauty, I want burger juices to dribble out, indicating the burger rested for at least a moment, soaking into my bun but without reducing it to a disgusting mush. I need it cooked enough, however, to hold together while eating.

Buns to me need to be soft and preferably warm and a muted flavor - they are the supporting players and shouldn't be the main attraction. Again, mushy is not the way to go, so something hearty, and for nostalgia's sake, I enjoy a good sesame seed now and then. Preferred toppings range, but I hate mayo and generally put a hearty amount of ketchup and mustard (or BBQ sauce if that's what I've ordered). Onions, raw, are the best, or caramelized, along with melty bleu cheese. A hearty couple of slices of tomato and some lettuce top off the perfect burger to me! Whatever the price or variety, gourmet or not, during this Burger Wars I am simply looking for the tastiest burger. If it turns out it's a fast food one, so be it!

Ariel

While many burger places are serving up different takes on the classic burger, whether that be ground turkey or kobe beef, I must say that when I think of the perfect burger it has to be made with ground beef. Now that's not to say that I don't enjoy other kinds of burgers. In fact, one of my favorite burgers is the bison burger at Ted's Montana Grill, which I would take over the beef offering any day. But when done right, the quintessential beef burger just hits the spot. It should be pink on the inside (some places offer their burgers blood red, I think that sort of doneness is better served with a steak). The outside of the patty should be slightly charred - I love the caramelized flavors of grilled meat.

The meat and doneness are crucial elements to the perfect burger, but we cannot forget the toppings. I love that burger joints are offering some gourmet twists on the classic ketchup, mustard, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. However my toppings preferences definitely lean towards the minimalist approach - sharp cheddar cheese, juicy tomato (if you have a good tomato you don't need ketchup, caramelized onions, romaine lettuce, and spicy brown mustard). The bun should be hardy enough to stand up to a juicy burger, i prefer a brioche that is slightly toasted. Et voila!

Malia

A burger is just about as American as apple pie, and is a favorite for so many from the young to the old. I'm usually more likely to opt for thai or indian food these days, but there is something so comforting about biting into a big fat juicy burger. I will always have a fondness for McDonald's hamburgers because they were a special treat when Ariel and I were kids, but those patties don't compare to a fresh beef burger hot off the grill.

I find that the most satisfying burger isn't a fancy gourmet version with truffle oil and gruyere cheese. What makes a burger so good is the quality of the ingredients. Fresh ground meat hit with some grill seasoning, heirloom tomatoes, romaine lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese, red onion, spicy mustard and a dollop of ketchup on a fresh baked bun (brioche seems to be popular but I have nostalgia for the sweet potato rolls of my childhood). The meat should be grilled so that it has a slighty smoky flavor and a juicy pink center. I can't wait to kick off this search for the best burger - my mouth is already watering!

Next Up

Starting this Saturday, you can expect to read a review of two burger joints we have visited, one from Virginia, and one from New York. At the end of our search we will devote a post to our favorites, and an ultimate winner from each region. So stay tuned...same bat time, same bat channel!

Sunday Brunch at Spring St

While I'm not normally interested at eating at healthy places, (I am a big fan of butter and full-fat foods), Travis and I were starving a few weekends ago while finishing up Christmas shopping in Soho and decided to try out Spring Street Natural Restaurant for brunch. Despite being a natural restaurant, the brunch menu looked delicious AND there were tons of people there at 2pm on a freezing wintery Sunday.

First off, we ordered and then they brought us a yummy basket of tomato rosemary bread- it was a pretty pink color and surprisingly sweet. Delicious.

Shortly after, our food arrived! I order Eggs Florentine, which were perfectly cooked. The yolks of the poached eggs practically melted into the fresh baby spinach and lightly toasted English muffin underneath. The hollandaise sauce was not as heavy nor thick as other ones I'd had, but was just a nice mellow, buttery addition to the savory, salty egg yolk and spinach combo. Also, there wasn't a lake of hollandaise, but a nice splash.

The fries were somewhat crisp (inconsistent here with some more crunchy than others) and salty, and tasted like they had been cooked in peanut oil, so they were on the greasier side but were a little bit nutty. The homemade ketchup was sweeter and thinner than Heinz ketchup, but it went well with my eggs.

Travis' food, though, was another story. He ordered the frittata, which came with brie, shitake mushrooms, zucchini, and red peppers. Unlike other frittatas I've eaten, this one was dry, with minimal moisture, and was very thin. The eggs were far too cooked for my liking, and the brie distribution wasn't consistent - some bites had way too much brie and others not enough, leaving Travis to semi-deconstruct his meal in order to have veggies, cheese, and eggs in each bite. Not something either of us would ever order again.

His fries, of course, just as good as mine.

All in all, if it was just based off of what I ate, I'd happily give this place a solid 2 out of 3 JAMs, as my eggs and fries were delicious, the bread basket was really unexpectedly good, and the service and price (my meal was about $20 including tax and tip and a hot apple cider) decent.

With Travis' terrible frittata though, I give this place a cautionary 1 1/2 JAMs. We will have to go in once more for additional sampling to determine if it should really be a 1.

Pomegranate at Pinkberry

I've always been torn between Pinkberry and Red Mango, especially since often times they end up being right next to or across from each other, at least here in the city. Ultimately though, Pinkberry usually triumphs, due to its extra flavor, coffee, which has that tangy Pinkberry flavor with a hint of coffee.

But when I heard about Pinkberry taking coffee off the menu and replacing it with pomegranate, I definitely knew I wanted to check it out!


I selected a medium pomegranate with cookies 'n cream, chocolate chips, and strawberries, as after sampling it thought its more tart flavor would not go well with my usual choice, mango. The yogurt itself is more tart than the regular flavor, and there is just a hint of pomegranate flavor, not overpowering at all. The texture is identical. It went best with the chocolate chips and chocolate cookies, as at times the strawberries clashed with the yogurt's flavor.

While it's not as good as coffee (though Travis would argue that it's much better), I give it a 2 1/2 JAMs out of 3, definitely worth trying especially if you like your Pinkberry with sweet (like cookies) toppings.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Ah winter. As you can tell, JAM's entries and food adventures are trending more and more towards cold-weather foods, and my recent trip to Momofuku Noodle Bar was no exception.

I was meeting up with a friend for dinner, so we decided to go to Momofuku Noodle Bar for some soup and snacks to fight the colder temperatures.

My friend, Cathy, had already been there before, so she told me to order the pork buns and then some ramen of some type. I settled on the namesake, the Momofuku Ramen, and Cathy did the same. The soup arrived- rather visually appealing and smelled awesome!

The restaurant itself is small and perpetually crowded, Cathy and I were perched on small stools against a counter overlooking the open kitchen. The whole time we were just smelling bowl after bowl of ramen, so I was very excited when ours was plopped on the counter in front of us.

I mixed all the components together, taking care especially to break open the egg yolk (which was prepared in a soft-boil) and to mix the noodles with the ingredients. The ramen was good, warm and comforting, but the highlight of the dish surprisingly wasn't the ramen or the broth, but all the extras that came in the bowl. Particularly good were the strips of roast pork, the scallions, and the egg. The noodles reminded me of typical ramen and the broth was a bit salty for my personal taste. I added some hot sauce and liked it better, as it masked some of the salty flavor. All in all, 2 out of 3 JAMs. If they could turn down the saltiness, I'd gladly give it a higher rating.





We also had the pork buns, which were my favorite part of the meal. Pieces of roasted pork (very fatty, which I liked, but could see where it would not be to everyone's liking) were nestled in a U-shaped piece of steamed dough (similiar to the dough in Chinese baos or buns) on top of thin slices of cucumber (slightly vinegar marinade) and hoisin-based sauce. Really, really good, the fatty pork basically melting in your mouth contrasted with the salty/sweet sauce, the tart cucumber, and the sweet dough. Yum

3 out of 3 JAMs!
These buns made the trip worth it - and for all its hype, I did enjoy my first Momofuku experience but am looking forward to trying even better creations.

Soup Wars Part II

After hearing that Ariel was going to do some soup reviews, I wanted to do some of my own. A frequent patron at the Au Bon Pain (ABP) near my office myself (50th between 6th and 7th ave) I noticed my soup taste was pretty different from Ariel, so was excited to add more ABP soups to the mix.

The first soup I tried was Broccoli Cheddar.


Not normally my type of choice (usually I go for chowders or tomato-based soups), I was surprised myself that it seemed the most desirable, but went for it along with a side salad and cheese jalapeno breadstick (which is amazing and a 3 out of 3 JAMs in and of itself)!

The soup was creamy (obviously) due to the cheese, but did not have an overpowering cheese flavor. The broth was chicken broth based with cheese, and was mild. The chunks of broccoli were varied - mostly small chunks with a few larger florets, but I imagine the broccoli doesn't hold up well to cooking and sitting in warm pots for extended periods of time. I wanted more broccoli bite in my mouth. My major complaint was that the soup didn't have enough chunks to be a chunky soup, but wasn't thick enough to really just be a cream soup, so it left me wanting more of either to balance out the texture and flavors in my mouth.

ABP Broccoli Cheddar soup - 1 1/2 out of 3 JAMs (harsh, but honestly I've had better)



My coworkers, Anjali and Jeremy, got the Cream of Chicken with Wild Rice soup (and Anjali got half a turkey sandwich on wheat bread, pictured below).

Both enjoyed it and gave it a "solid" 2 out of 2 JAMs


Today I went back to ABP and was determined to have a more positive soup experience than my previous. While my favorites (Creamy Tomato Bisque and Thai Coconut Curry) weren't there, I saw Tomato Florentine and knew that was the one! Plus, I had a turkey sandwich I made from home, so knew a heavier soup would be unnecessary.

It was delicious. Strong tomato flavor with noticeable chunks of garlic and bits of basil, this soup was made from a beef broth and tomato chunks (which were palatable upon eating). I particularly enjoyed the spinach leaves and shell pasta floating in the soup, though one has to be proactive in scooping the soup from both the top/middle of the pot and the bottom to get a proper broth and noodle ratio.

A very good 2 1/2 JAMs out of 3. Not as good as Tomato Bisque or Thai Coconut Curry, if you're looking for something to warm you up that's on the lighter side (also without meat), this should make your ABP soup list!