Nancy Huang's Profile | Serious Eats

Bar Eats: Barraca, Late Night Spanish Menu in the West Village

@katzimmer - I wish I could say! Didn't order sangria this time around, but people have told me it's pretty good.

Bar Eats: Macao Trading Co.

@absolutebrent: Loved the PCB in Macau as well... did you also try African Chicken? I had the one at Cafe Litoral - effing fantastic.

Bar Eats: Macao Trading Co.

@mreng220: Very carefully... in Macau the pork chop is usually thin enough that it's only a minor inconvenience. Here at Macao we had to deconstruct the pork chop to work around that huge bone.

Bar Eats: Madam Geneva

@ksalg - It tasted fine, but it wasn't particularly exciting or fitting with the dish.

Bar Eats: Thirstbaravin

@supercres - HA! Yes, I had completely forgot about that scene. Love it.

Bar Eats: Spring Vegetables at Flatbush Farm & Bar(n)

Thanks for the catch on the location! We've marked it as Park Slope.

@EazyB -- I don't want to imply that the bar menu items reviewed here are seasonal, just that it's a great time to enjoy produce that is particularly good this time of the year.

How Do You Pay the Bill at Restaurants?

I've made a lot of international friends over the years, and one thing they all agree on is this ridiculous American custom of large birthday dinners where the guests all chip in extra for the birthday boy/girl. In my past experience it's always been those group b-day dinners where people start bickering about who should pay what, especially because not all of the guests are necessarily close friends with one another. Someone always leaves angry or annoyed.

In my friends' respective cultures, if it's YOUR birthday and YOU invited your friends, then YOU (or the party host) should pay for it all. (Or if it's not within your budget, do a cash bar shindig instead of group dinner.) Your friends can then generously provide gifts, cake, party hats, whatever... everyone leaves full and happy.

Bar Eats: 169 Bar

Yeah, it's definitely not a place where you expect to fill up, but the value for what you're getting is darn good.

My Latest Obsession: Pork Floss, Chinese Cotton Candy-esque Dried Pork

LOVE this stuff. This plus those wrinkly Chinese sausages were probably my favorite meats as a child.

Bar Eats: McSorley's Old Ale House

@seriousb - The beer is decent for what it is, though I admit I couldn't tell the difference between dark and light. But stout it is not unfortunately. The biggest draw of this place really is the atmosphere.

How Do You Split the Restaurant Tab with a Big Group?

I'm all for splitting the tab evenly, but because I don't drink, I often find myself subsidizing others' alcohol. It easily adds up to about $10-20 extra! If it's a friend's birthday, the extra money is just a part of the birthday present. If it's a regular meal with friends, I ask that the alcohol be split among the drinkers and the food among the eaters.

Alternatively, I'm really good at math and usually don't mind heading the split check committee...

Bar Eats: Sweet Afton

@thesteveroller @tarahtot - These weren't the same pickles I was expecting either; I'm used to the thin ones with a very light coating of batter. But I'm such a carb fiend, and I gotta admit these grew on me.

Bar Eats: Little Cheese Pub

@Frink: Hmm, you're right about that. I was just going off of what was listed on the menu, but now that I think about it, I should ask them whether it's really from Vermont. I promise it still tastes as good though.

Bar Eats: Little Cheese Pub

@vegetarianfoodie: It just so happened that my dining partner happened to luuuuv the Cheddar and Gruyere, so everything we had was some sort of iteration. And yes, it was scrumptious.

What I really wanted to try was the French Man Mac with Morbier and duck meatballs -- but I think that was a little too "adventurous" for her to handle. I think you should go and report back :-)

Flushing: Sannakji (Live Octopus) at Sik Gaek

I tried this when I was still living in LA, albeit without the chiles and garlic. I was super surprised at how chewy it is -- those tentacles are kind of tough! How much is the sannakji at this place?

That buddae jiggae looks amazing, but $30? It better feed six.

Bar Eats: Ladylike Bites from Beauty & Essex

If you're willing to pay for ambiance, it's a pretty good meatball. But yes, better priced 'balls can be had elsewhere!

Street Food: Red Hook Lobster Pound

I too ate the shrimp roll in isolation. It was pretty flippin' divine. Will need to try the lobster roll soon.

Bar Eats: From Homemade Spam to Poi Doughnuts at Lani Kai

@kokeshi: I know, right? I would have loved to see Chef Rivard do a "bar food" take on Spam Musubi.

Game Day Recipe Roundup: Guacamole

The essential guacamole ingredient is salt. I've discovered that many a guacamole that was "ok" magically transforms into "oh-my!" after a few generous pinches of salt.

And the traditional guac recipe is avocados, lime/lemon, minced onion, minced jalepenos and salt. Maybe cilantro if you want to get fancy.

I add diced mango to my guacamole... that touch of sweet really takes it to the next level.

Pop-up Restaurant Installs In-House Lighting Studio for Food Bloggers

I'm glad estarla mentioned Ludo's relationship with the local bloggers. Too many chefs are willing to dismiss bloggers as nobodies trying to critique food, when most of them are just eager eaters who want to express their love of food.

Ludo has introduced to them a style of cuisine that most of them could not afford in a normal fine dining restaurant. Not only that, but he has also reached out them to LEARN from them. One of the best dishes on the LudoBites menu is an authentic Mexican mole he learned from local LA blogger Teenage Glutster.

Truff and Squeezebottle, I feel like you are too quick to judge. Pray tell, what is "everything that is wrong with a.) L.A. b.) food bloggers."

Peta, are you kidding me?

Sure this breast-milk thing is intended to be humorous and cynical, but when you try to stir controversy over facetious subjects, then it detracts from the original mission, which for intents and purposes, is a good one.

PETA lost any respect of mine when it ran a horrific ad comparing a Canadian man's murder and beheading to animal abuse. See: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/08/06/international/i101302D40.DTL

Thailand prime minister forced to resign over cooking show

Well, I don't want to make a political statement since I know absolutely nothing about the Thai government. Just thought it was neat that he was a gastronome.

Curious thought: since a large number of conservatives seem to dislike arugula, would it be a hindrance to a political leader if he/she considered himself/herself a "foodie"?

By foodie, I mean foodies like SE'rs who obsess over cheese and collect wine and celebrate heirloom vegetables and revere the well-crafted carne asada taco as much as a Michelin-starred restaurant.

History has shown that Americans like to elect the leader that they would "quaff a beer with." But what if that beer happens to be an artisanal microbrew like Leffe or Unibroue or Ommegang....?

Bacon+Chocolate+Sugar= Heaven

Not quite enough bacon in the Vosges bacon bar. Only hints of it. But THIS... wow.

Ruhlman, forgive me: I really disliked The French Laundry

Annie, you're entitled to your opinion and you're entitled to blog about it. BUUUUT I must note:

In your blog, you rave about the food, how it is perfectly cooked and the menu itself was "admirably constructed" and "thoughtful" and that one course prepped you for the next. But then you get upset about how the Captain was flustered when you asked to substitute veggie dishes into the Chef's Menu.

And asking for a Virgin Mary (essentially spicy tomato juice) is not exactly a common request. You think a busy kitchen like FL's is going to stop everything and juice some tomatoes for a rookie diner? Is not having tomato juice really going to ruin your meal?

If you felt rushed through your dessert courses, the remedy is easy as speaking up: "I'm still working on this, thank you."

The only legitimate excuse you have for being indignant is the Captain's hesitation with the beef allergy. The appropriate response is always, "Yes ma'am, of course we'll make a substitute."

All in all, I'm not convinced that you really disliked French Laundry so much as you liked disliking French Laundry. But that's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to post it.