Get to Know a Serious Eater.

NSW's Profile

Website: http://www.michaelsieburg.wordpress.com

Location: New York City

About:

Favorite foods: Bun Cha, Bimbimbab, Tom Yum Soup, Cheese and Red Wine, Grilled Octopus, Sweet Peppers. Most all Vietnamese and Thai streetfood is fine by me.

Last bite on earth: A glass of bia hoi and a plate of fried pork with sesame seeds in Hanoi

The Ten Most Recent Posts By NSW

From Talk

A pinch of salt

Is it just me or do all of the Food Network personalities have an unusual definition of a "pinch" or a "little bit" or even more mathematical precise terms like table- and teaspoon?

It seems like everytime one of them (I'm watching Tyler Florence now) says, "Well, I'm going to add a little olive oil..." And he pours in much more than I would consider "a little". This happens again and again. Geez, he just said, "I'll add a little mayo..." And he put so much mayo on the spoon, it was practically dripping down the sides, falling off.

From Talk

Let us not forget those who have too little to eat...

The news out of Haiti is unbelievably distressing:

"Haiti’s poor resort to eating mud as prices rise"

"It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums and Charlene Dumas was eating mud.

With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22902512/

From Talk

Food recommendations in San Francisco... Help!

I'm off to SF this weekend and need restaurant suggestions. My only definite right now is El Farolitos, an old favorite for quesadillas.

I'm looking for a nice dinner one night... not insanely expensive but willing to spend a bit more (Slanted Door is booked, bummer). Also looking for Dim Sum in Chinatown. Any good Japantown rec's? Best Pho? Best restaurant serving locally-sourced foods?

Many thanks in advance.

From Talk

What is your favorite part of pig, the magical animal?

I have been eating some delicious pork belly recently; first in London, and more recently at Bun (www.eatbun.com) in New York City.

What's your favorite part of pig?

From Talk

Nicaragua Food Recommendations

I'm heading to Nicaragua for a week- Granada, Island Ometepe, and San Juan Del Sur.

Any food recs? What should I eat? Where? I only want Nica food. Thanks.

From Talk

Shrimp stock - what to do with it?

I made shrimp stock tonight and want some good recipes to use it with. I was thinking a risotto but there was some lemon grass used in making the stock so am thinking of a Thai dish as well. Any ideas? Thanks.

From Talk

Three meals anywhere in the world, what are they?

Quickly off the top of my head...

1. A Bia Hoi in Hanoi - Fresh beer to drink. Fried tofu as a starter. Grilled pork with sesame seeds, pork ribs, and deep fried squid as a main.

2. A Meyhane in Istanbul - Raki and Turkish small plates

3. A braai in Cape Town. Local wines and grilled fish.

From Talk

Baccala recipes, help

I went into my local fish market today thinking I would buy swordfish or tuna, and I walked out with soaked baccala. I had never bought it or prepared it before, and only bought it because they had it as a special, and the owner recommended it to me. I found some recipes online and ended up boiling the baccala for a couple of minutes, until it flaked. Then I mixed it in a salad of black olives, black pepper, red pepper, cucumber, garlic, onion, lemon, and olive oil. I let it sit for 45 minutes in the fridge and then served. It was ok but honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the texture. I've eaten baccala in Spanish and Italian restaurants, and really enjoyed it. Any idea where I went wrong? Any recommended recipes? Thanks.

From Talk

Give me your winter soup recipes

I'm looking to make a hearty soup to keep me warm during tonight's The Next Iron Chef finale. I've got some lentils in the house but am looking for other ideas as well.

From Talk

Homemade salad dressing... ideas?

I'm thinking of a salad heavy on fresh greens, maybe some tomatoes, red onions... a standard fresh veggie salad. What do you use for dressing?

I usually go with white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.

Ideas?

The Ten Most Recent Comments By NSW

From Talk

NYC Restaurants (Lunch and Dinner)

Momofuku- either of them, or Ko if you can get a reservation.

New Green Bo for Dim Sum (have to get the soup dumplings).

Koreatown for good Korean.

Best Pho is Pho Bang or Pho Grand but it's not up there with Pho you find in Falls Church, Bay Area, or what I hear is offered in Orange County and Houston.

From Talk

Eating out in NYC with 1 year old?

Pho Grand isn't a bad idea but I think Bao Noodles work well too. www.baonoodles.com

Dim Sum A Go Go has a lot of space too (relatively speaking).

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

Don't miss El Farolito's at 24th and Mission- super quesadilla suiza!

From Required Eating

How To Open a Durian

Honestly, I don't get the hype surrounding durian. I don't think the smell is that bad. I don't particularly enjoy the taste but I continue to be surprised at the reaction it evokes. Even Andrew Zimmern, who eats massive worms raw, spit up when he ate a durian. Even after years of living in SE Asia and smelling it often at the market, I always thought, well, perhaps I'm smelling the wrong thing, or maybe that I kept mistaking a jackfruit for a durian. So, I went down to Chinatown in NYC, and bought a durian just to double check that I knew for sure what a durian was, and it's not that bad.

From Talk

Something I've never cooked before is a ______

Pho. The broth intimidates me. After watching it being cooked in Vietnam, I despair that I could successfully pull it off.

From Talk

Georgian restaurants in NYC?

Georgian=country of Georgia?

City=New York City?

From Required Eating

Cook the Book: Win a Copy of 'Cook with Jamie'

Self taught with lots of tips along the way from mom, friends, websites, books, and tv shows

From Eating Out

Meatless in Saigon

I think vegetarian food is much more available in Central and Southern Vietnam. Though Northern Vietnam has less veggie options in my experience, the dau hu sot ca chua up there is fantastic. That said, I was always surprised by the relative lack of abundance in veggie options compared to, say, Thailand.

I lived in Hanoi in 2001 and was a recovering vegetarian at the time. Thus, I was sensitive to veggie options. I remember being quite surprised by the meat-heavy menus. I was told that the strong preference for meat in those days was a reaction to the rarity of it during the war and extreme poverty that followed and continued into the 80's.

That said, on a personal level, I prefer my Viet dishes with meat because the Vietnamese make tremendous dishes with meat (and seafood) whereas I find Thai veggie options (and more so, Indian) often as appealing as their carnivorous offerings.

From Eating Out

Meatless in Saigon

Thanks for your continued great reporting from Vietnam.

I used to live in Saigon and now live vicariously through your blog (and Serious Eats posts).

Speaking of veggie Viet food, have you ever tried the Pho Chay on Truong Quyen? I blogged about it back when I was living in Saigon:
http://nostarwhere.blogspot.com/2005/12/pho-chay.html

I was always skeptical of Pho Chay but the bowls served in the mornings here are truly fantastic. Give it a try.

From Talk

Inexpensive, fun dinner for 6 lower east side

Bun isn't really LES but not too far either.

Responses to Comments by NSW

From Talk

NYC Restaurants (Lunch and Dinner)

Go to Shanghai Cafe, 100 Mott St. for dumplings (especially the sesame rice ball in wine-flavor soup dessert).

Other than that, try to make it to a wood- or coal-burning pizzeria (Lombardi's, Patsy's, John's, Totono's), Corner Bistro or Florent for a burger (rare, obvs), anything at Shopsin's, and a good bagel (Murray's!). If you make it to Coney Island (try, since it won't be there much longer), have a hot dog at Nathan's and walk a few blocks up to Totono's.

The important thing to remember is that even though New York has a million famous restaurants, the best ones are the small neighborhood places that really give you a feeling for the backbone of the community.

From Talk

NYC Restaurants (Lunch and Dinner)

I don't know where you are coming from but NY isn't the best place for Vietnamese or Mexican. Also Chinese and Indian according to many. NYC is going through a ramen kick so some of the the ones recommended would be fun (ippudoh, setagaya, minca).
Sushi - Kanoyama, and Yasuda.
Bagels -David's bagels on 1st ave or Ess-a-Bagel.
I second Russ&Daughters, Katz's, and Una Pizza Napoletana.
The Stage (next to Stomp) for Ukranian diner food - go for the chicken noodle soup and fried meatloaf!
Felafel from Taim, or Hoomoos Asli. Oh and burgers. There's lots of burger blogs (burgerclub.org) and lunch blogs (lunchstudio or midtownlunch)
Florent - because they are a legend and are shutting down soon.
Korean Fried Chicken is a bit of a craze too. (Bon Chon is good)
Adrian's pizza on Stone St.

From Talk

NYC Restaurants (Lunch and Dinner)

Momofuku = 3 restaurants. The ramen at Noodle Bar is OK but get the other dishes instead. Order of cost/formality: Ko > Ssam Bar > Noodle Bar. Ssam Bar is my favorite. Go for dinner, not lunch if you do Ssam Bar.

New Green Bo is NOT a dim sum place. Go to Flushing, Queens instead. Try Perfect Team Corporation.

For French, I always turn to Balthazar. Benoit might be worth exploring, it's new, I hear they have great charcuterie going on there.

For sushi, it depends on your budget: Kanoyama ($$), Ushiwakamaru ($$), Sushi Yasuda ($$$), 15 East ($$$)?

Great seafood is available at many restaurants around town, it depends what you like: Esca (Italian seafood), Aquagrill (great oysters), Pearl's Oyster Bar (lobster roll), Mermaid Inn, Blue Ribbon Brasserie (seafood tower)...

Italian, Babbo, Babbo, Babbo. I also like A Voce.

Don't forget bagels and lox (Russ & Daughters or Barney Greengrass). Pastrami (fatty on rye) at Katz's Deli. Pizza at Di Fara (go for lunch during a weekday and beat the crowds). Or Una Pizza Napoletana. Or Patsy's in East Harlem. Artichoke is alright, if you can stand the lines. There's been other SE Talk threads on pizza.

From Talk

NYC Restaurants (Lunch and Dinner)

Noodle bars: Ippudo (excellent ramen), Minca, or Setagaya. Momofuku is also great, but not if you're looking for anything traditional.

Jewish/matzoh ball soup: 2nd Avenue Deli (kosher), Barney Greengrass (smoked sturgeon - delicious).

Mexican: neither are necessarily authentic, but Barrio Chino and Mexicana Mama are both great, and fun.

Fried chicken: Amy Ruth's (for the real deal), and Blue Ribbon or Blue Ribbon Bakery (for the high end).

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

I was just in San Francisco in January. My favorite places were:

Slanted Door - make a reservation far in advance, but the food is amaaazing!

Magnolia - brewpub in the Haight, right near Haight Ashbury - great homebrew, awesome burgers, cool atmosphere

Victorian Punch House - also right near Haight Ashbury, no food, but worth the stop (especially during happy hour!)

Fisherman's Wharf - right next to Boudin are a bunch of stalls that sell Clam Chowder in a bread bowl.

Try any of the OSHA Noodles locations - they vary from hole in the wall (near Union Square) to almost fancy. Actually, come to think of it, most of the noodle places we went to were cheap and fantastic.

Also, try to stop by the Gold Dust Lounge near Union Square during happy hour - $2.50 margaritas and some serious dive bar atmosphere. It's awesome.

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

Favorite bakery - Tartine Bakery.

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

The Helmand is an Afghan restaurant that has some of the best food you will ever eat. It's always on my list of stops every trip to San Francisco.

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

Sorry, silly me. Didn't keep mentioning the new good places worth trying. Went off on a tangent.
Waterbar is great for simple classic, straightforward seafood. It's the opposite conceptually to Orson. Here it is all about the product with few embellishments and very spartan preparations but since the fish is pristine it works well. Fabulous wine list.
It's Pat Kuleto-designed which means over the top & whimsical flourishes like floor to ceiling columns that are actually aquariums. Comfy seating even the two tops, spot-on service who are really knowledgeable about the product & incredible views of the bay & the Bay Bridge. It's right on the Embarcadero and the only time you'll see locals eating at a seafood restaurant there. Wharf & Embarcadero seafood restaurants are the places we usually try to avoid but Waterbar is the exception that proves the rule. There bar scene is hopping with a few outdoor terraces, too. You'll need reservations even for lunch which is a great time to go, too.

Mamacita is "gourmet" mexican. Stay with the small plates & do have some Margaritas, they are made with fresh lime juice & agave nectar and so dangerously good and smooth. Warning: It's loud in the extreme but a fun fiesta loud. Go with people who like to eat, order everything but the beef tacos. the more people you have, the more food you can try. It's win-win. Make reservations.

Ok, that's enough from me.

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

I'm so sorry. I completely misunderstood your time frame. I thought you were arriving in three days, now I see you're going to be here a total of three days.

Totally different ballgame. It would be helpful to know your food preferences, where you've eaten before, the # of people in your party, what your budget is etc. Not knowing those details makes a good recommendation more difficult but here we go:

If you're a frequent traveler to the S.F. Bay Area, you've probably already eaten at Aqua, Gary Danko, Boulevard, Zuni, etc.

Coi opened up not quite two years ago here & it was slow going for Daniel Patterson's restaurant at first. His Elisabeth Daniel restaurant (venture with his now ex-wife) was well-reviewed & wonderful but failed. It used to be easy to get a res. at Coi or eat at the bar but the word finally got out & now it's a tough place to get into but do try. Their winelist is strong & their sommelier used to be at George Morrone's Tartare before it closed . He is a riot but knows his tokajis from his tokays. You've probably already heard about Frank Bruni's experience in his recent review of the 10 best restaurants outside of NY. It's really a unique experience: the aromatherapy of haute cuisine. If you are food obsessed & can get past the slightly precious service, you've got to go, if you can get in. The neighborhood is in our pathetic excuse for a redlight district but don't let that deter you. Reserve now.

Michael Mina, if you haven't already been there, lives up to the hype; but don't have the tasting menu, unlike French Laundry where the tasting menu is the best experience, the a la carte dishes at Michael Mina definitely shine more & because of their intricate, mutli-tiered preparation. Each dish (except the lobster pot pie) has one protein prepared three or more ways, it becomes a de facto tasting menu. The wine list is stellar with all the usual suspects and the head sommelier & wine director, Raj, is considered by most in his field, the man with the greatest palate in the country. Gorgeous room, great service in the Westin St. Francis so you can easily get a cab afterward.

There have been a lot of new openings here. The best of the bunch are these:

Orson, Elizabeth Falkner owner & pastry chef extraordinaire of Citizen Cake new baby, has generated a lot of buzz & controversy here. The food is amazing but has embraced both the sweet & the savory (think chocolate covered foie gras truffle as a mignardise) and "molecular gastronomy" completely & unapologetically. Believe or not, people are ridiculously reactionary when it comes to their dining experiences here (which is why it too Coi so long to get popular). But go, it's in SOMA which now houses the luxury hotels like St. Regis & The Four Seasons as well as the newly-renovated Jewish Museum, SF MOMA, Yerba Buena Center, etc. Very hot neighborhood, though still full of homeless people on 5th & 6th St.
(Orson is on 4th). It's new, it's hip, the food is haute, the atmosphere is casual: crazy-good as a friend puts it.

Perbacco, Acquerello, Quince & Incanto are the four best Regional Italian in the city. All very different in style, in different neighborhoods. Can't go wrong with any of them. All four are $$$ but worth it.
SPQR, a very casual tiny Roman-style trattoria that accepts no reservations, is has good solid food, offering plenty of cicchetti & some large plates. I like it much better than A-16 which is terribly over-rated even though they share the same ownership, executive chef and wine director. The focus on the food is stronger here; probably because it's their latest greatest venture. It happens.

If you're renting a car & willing to drive to the wine country, go to Cyrus in Healdsburg (Sonoma not Napa). You can & should stay at the hotel that houses it overnight or the Healdsburg Inn.
It is worth the trip. The food is ambrosial. This time the Michelin people got it right (Two Stars). How the vibe can be so relaxed with servers that serve you synchronously like so many SF Ballet dancers is beyond me but they do. Get the tasting menu here, you won't be sorry. Now getting a reservation is really hard unless you go at 5 or 9:30, but who knows you may get lucky.

French Laundry is beyond words but unless you can start dialing their number, two months before the day you want; forget it. Open table takes reservations for them still but I have yet to get in that way. the only times I've gotten in is when a friend of the hubby who is a wine distributor has invited us there (once a year). He goes once a month. What a job! Bouchon is not worth the overnight trip. Ubuntu might be but I haven't eaten there yet.

Any way, have fun wherever you go.

From Talk

Food traveler - SF- I travel to eat. Please recommend...

You must go to Quince, it's an amazing dining experience, but it ain't cheap. Be prepared to spend.
It was seriously one of the best meals we've had anywhere.

Love A-16, it's casual and well priced. Very, very good.

The Slanted Door, also not to expensive and fairly casual. Delicious food.
Great wine list filled with very cool Austrian gems!

I hear Coi is the next big thing. I haven't been yet, but it's supposed to be great.

We had a really good experience at Chapeau! in inner Richmond. Traditional French food, very well executed, and yummy, plus a wine list filled with out of the ordinary selections from France and California. Super inexpensive and great quality all around.

A couple of people recommend Pres a Vis, I'm wondering if it may have gotten better. We had an inedible experience there. The food was horrible and the wine list was creative and well thought out, but a bit over-priced.
The staff at the time weren't particularly enthusiastic about there work either.