Posted by Robyn Lee, February 22, 2008 at 1:45 PM
Joe DiStefano at Gothamist found liulan soo, flaky durian cream-filled pastries, at Chatham Square Restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown. I would describe the flavor of durian as a mix of garlic and onion—not necessarily horrendous (although other people would disagree), nor something I'd dream about eating—but Joe highly recommends these pastries:
"It had a kinder, gentler flavor than fresh durian, which has a funky undertone that can linger for quite some time after one has swallowed the last creamy bit. In fact the green and yellow treats were so tasty that almost as soon as the first plate was finished another was ordered."
As Chinese cuisine isn't known for excelling in the "desserts" department, I think I have to try these for myself.
Chatham Square Restaurant
Address: 6 Chatham Square, New York NY 10038 (map)
Phone: 212-587-8811
You don't have to go to the outer boroughs to get those hard-to-find ingredients. The New York Times rounds up ethnic food markets in Manhattan, to get everything from Brazilian coffee to British sausages.
Posted by Robyn Lee, January 18, 2008 at 11:30 AM
The Crosby Connection, the go-to sandwich spot in New York City's NoHo neighborhood, is about to lose its lease on February 1. A lease on a kitchen the size of a closet. Out of this narrow 45-square-foot space, owner Joey Cramarossa and his employees churn out awesome sandwiches for $5 to $7. These sandwiches have cheaply filled my belly many times during my lunch breaks; it'd be a shame if future students and workers in the NoHo area were unable to experience the same sandwich-induced joy.
Head over to An Error Occured While Processing This Directive for more pictures, a petition, and information on what else you can do to help save this little sandwich shop.
UPDATE: Crosby Connection isn't going to disappear—Joey plans on opening a new restaurant just a few blocks away. [via Eater]
Posted by Zach Brooks, January 16, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Today's Serious Sandwich post feels like one of those crossover comic books events, like the time Spiderman showed up in Daredevil. I don't normally write about sandwiches from Midtown Manhattan (I leave that stuff for my blog Midtown Lunch), but I had a sandwich for lunch on Monday that to not share with you would be a disservice to Serious Eaters everywhere. I found it while researching a piece for Midtown Lunch at Tina's Restaurant, a fast food Cuban place that I not only had no intention of eating at, but I wouldn't even consider a NYC destination or even the best Cuban food in Midtown. But then I saw it—the fried pork sandwich, with fried plantains (or as I like to call it, the "You top what with what?!?"). After spotting the sandwich on the menu, considering the consequences of my actions (I had plans to eat Cuban food with friends for dinner), I was forced to use the excuse that this wonderful column has afforded me on so many occasions: "I have to order and eat the sandwich. It's for work."
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Posted by Adam Kuban, November 26, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Now that the weather's cold, the Serious Eats staff has been eating a lot of soup from The Soup Spot.
And it's not just us. During lunchtime and well beyond, there's routinely a line for this tiny takeout place nestled within a parking garage on West 31st Street. The scene is somewhat reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld except that the people here are actually nice—with no discernible sacrifice in efficiency or quality.
The wide range of soups, stews, and chowders are made with good-quality vegetables and from chicken, pork, and beef that the joint advertises as free-range and antibiotic-free. As I type this, I'm eating a deliciously creamy chicken and dumpling soup, and our web developer, Raphael, is eating a split pea soup (though he says his favorite is the Maryland crab bisque, "but they haven't had it in a while.")
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, July 23, 2007 at 2:25 PM
Does getting too big for your chef pant's britches imply an eventual move to New York City? Apparently so for one of Washington's leading chefs, Fabio Trabocchi, who publicly revealed Friday that he's leaving Maestro at the Tysons Corner Ritz Carlton in McLean, Virginia—one of the area's most lauded kitchens—to become a chef-partner of SoHo's sexy Fiamma Osteria, part of Steve Hanson's mega B.R. Guest Restaurant Group.
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