Simul Parikh
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Posts posted by Simul Parikh
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Went last night to ChiKo in Barracks. I had been interested in going, but just don't get to that area as much these days. It's "Chipotle-esque" inside, industrial look, done quite well. There isn't a whole lot of seating, you get in line, take a number and then hope a table opens up.
There were 3 of us, so we went to town ordering. It's small plates-ish, but some of the items could definitely make a good size for lunch. It's not Chipotle as in customizable - you order items that are being continuously made fresh in the open kitchen.
- Double fried chicken wings - spicy soy glazed - expertly fried, just a bit sweet for me, compared to BC, but these come right of the fryer and perfect crunch
- Pork and kim chi poststicker - really tasty, with a nice dipping sauce
- Kimchi stew - with pork belly, subtle, not very hard core on the kim chi, but well done
- Smashed salmon - with squash and korean red chili paste ... very good
- Wagshal's chopp'd brisket - this came most highly recommended by the staff member, but it was not the most loved - I didn't try it, since I don't eat the beef, there's a soft egg and you mix it in.
- Cumin lamb stir fry - with wheat noodles... this was one of my favorite dishes I've had in DC in a long time, really well prepped, noodles had good chew (not sure if made in house), spicy but not terribly so, braised tender lamb, pretty much everyone's favorite
- Chiko "shrimp and grits" - another WOW dish! Congee and garlic-sauced shrimp, so tasty. I think maybe I liked this better than the lamb.
- Wok blistered Chinese broccoli - greens, a palate cleanser, done differently than at Chinese restaurants - it has thicker stems
$125 for 3 of us, including one adult beverage each. Not really "fast-casual" - it takes a bit of time to get your food, as it is made to order, and it's not exactly cheap to get full for dinner (what we had was a good amount, we finished almost all of it and were comfortably full). But, high quality. I really like it - I would go back for that lamb stir fry. The ingredients are all really good compared to most Asian places, I think that's why everything just tasted "brighter". And, as someone else on Yelp said, it's not really Chinese - Korean fusion - it's Chinese and Korean dishes, all on the same menu.
It's pronounced - "Chi" with a long I sound .. duh - "Chinese Korean". Got corrected when we said chee-ko.
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41 minutes ago, stupidusername said:
Very interesting article but one portion (copied below) struck me. I can understand (but perhaps not agree) with the notion that a waiter/waitress job is more difficult than being a line cook, but how in the world is being a food runner paid better than a line cook? If you dropped me into a restaurant and asked me to be a food runner, I am sure I would be bad at it, people might get the wrong food a couple times and it might be a little slow. If you dropped me in as a line cook, it would be a race to see whether I would make someone sick or burn the building down first.
Every line cook at Tail Up Goat works in the dining room once a week as a food runner or back server. They complete easy tasks like folding napkins and filling waters. It’s a much shorter shift, and the line cook gets a share of the pooled tips from the evening. Laura Pohanka, who has been a line cook at Tail Up Goat since July 2016, says the boost brings line cooks’ pay closer to a living wage.
Totally agree! Cooking is one of those jobs that people seem to do against economic self interest, maybe? There seems to be a "love of the game" aspect of it. Or used to be, since it seems to be a lot of undocumented workers now. But, still, seems like the people interviewed are doing it for the experience and joy of it, despite how thankless of a task it is.
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Trying to do research for Japan trip and I'm getting really overwhelmed. Any good way to break it down and figure out must-eats or a focus? We want 1) amazing sushi 2) amazing ramen/noodle soups 3) weird stuff.
We have 3-4 days in Niseko when we are skiing, and my friend has gone and has places in mind, so I think we are fine there.
Then 1 dinner in Sapporo on the way to Asahikawa. Any great ideas for the one meal here? Seafood/sushi seem to be specialties.
Then 2 days in Asahikawa.
Then 3 days in Tokyo. That's the main spot. I want to go to a nicer (but not the top dollar, would like it to be $200-250, rather than $300-350) sushi omekase, lunch at Tsukiji, various ramen/noodle shops, the Robot show, and other weird stuff. Is it worthwhile to do a food tour? They work out well in most other Asian countries I've been to, so thinking one day for that. Also, yakitori. And tonkatsu. And maybe a legit izakaya. Any recs? I know a lot of people say that if you walk around in the neighborhood and follow the lines, you'll inevitably get good food, but this is how that makes me feel.
If someone could make a fairly idiot proof itinerary for 3 days in Tokyo, I would be forever indebted to you and give cancer treatment advice to you for free forever. Eh. I'd probably do that any way. But, still.
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Ha.
Wonder why a simple statement like that took weeks to make. Maybe has something to do with 12% fall in share price after the comments?
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Needed good ol' American comfort food after 8 days in Morocco...
Tomato soup and gooey bacon and jalapeno mac and cheese from "Food Lab". Turned out fantastic and everything I needed after a week of tagine.
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Anyone do the Mae Hong Son loop? Going to do that very soon, and wondering if anyone had food suggestions... heard getting sick in Pai is a well known tradition.
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6 hours ago, Simul Parikh said:
Well, as the original poster, I don't think I called him a villain. I just said it's ludicrous to say your business is failing because the NFL is failing. If you have to tie your business to another one, and if your ship doesn't sail if their's doesn't, then I don't think of you as a particualarly astute businessman, especially if you're not a direct supplier (Michelin -> GM). I just meant it coming in from an economics angle. Dominos is doing okay. McDonalds crushing it. They just aren't good. Not NFL's fault. I'm not a sportsball fan.
Wow, Don. Re read the whole thread. Nobody called him a villain. Was it your own internal feelings that makes you say that? I don't think that one poster said anything all that negative about him as a person.
We are, in fact, saying that he is peddling a horrible product, and that's the problem. Not the NFL. Please correct and delete if you see fit.
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On 11/7/2017 at 10:39 PM, DonRocks said:
Would someone please spell out for me why John Schnatter is a villain in this situation? I know nothing about the man, and all I see is that he's telling neo-Nazis not to buy their pizzas.
No doubt there's more to the story than this, so someone please direct me to a web page that spells out what he has done wrong, other than peddling a horrific product?
Well, as the original poster, I don't think I called him a villain. I just said it's ludicrous to say your business is failing because the NFL is failing. If you have to tie your business to another one, and if your ship doesn't sail if their's doesn't, then I don't think of you as a particualarly astute businessman, especially if you're not a direct supplier (Michelin -> GM). I just meant it coming in from an economics angle. Dominos is doing okay. McDonalds crushing it. They just aren't good. Not NFL's fault. I'm not a sportsball fan.
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I got it too...
Many of these are not easy at all. It's a lot harder and time consuming than other Indian recipe books.
Enjoyed the back story, though.
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Russian Gourmet in Slater's Lane area (I know it's not DC proper). I want to make a joke about a 'red herring' but it's just not coming out properly.
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You're blaming football on an 11% drop in your share price? Has nothing to do with pizza quality (piss poor)? Has nothing to do with so many more fast casual options?
If, as a fast food company, your business model is dependent on a pro sports league's popularity, you probably need to develop a new business model.
Wow.
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Wow. What a remarkable story of leadership and execution. Despite what people say or do, there is so much good in the world. Picked a few paragraphs below, and it makes you wonder if certain things that we presume should be delivered by the governments and NGOs can actually be done better by the private sector, even if they don't stand to profit from it. It's one example of how it can get done. And, it's a bleeding hearted liberal doing it, which is ironic. Also reminds me of JJ Watt using his magnetism and stature to raise an incredible amount of money in Houston, over $35 million, I think. The last sentence cut and paste is interesting - FEMA/Feds won't even give the guy any credit. That's a mistake...
There really are heroes out there.
"Since he hit the ground five days after the hurricane devastated this island of 3.4 million on Sept. 20, he has built a network of kitchens, supply chains and delivery services that as of Monday had served more than 2.2 million warm meals and sandwiches. No other single agency — not the Red Cross, the Salvation Army nor any government entity — has fed more people freshly cooked food since the hurricane, or done it in such a nurturing way.
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Mr. Andrés, who often rolls right over regulations and ignores the word “no,” clashed more than once with FEMA and other large organizations that have a more-seasoned and methodical approach. In meetings and telephone calls, FEMA officials reminded him that he and his people lacked the experience needed to organize a mass emergency feeding operation, he said.
“We are not perfect, but that doesn’t mean the government is perfect,” Mr. Andrés said. “I am doing it without red tape and 100 meetings.”
FEMA officials contacted for this article were quick to point out that many other groups and agencies besides World Central Kitchen were feeding Puerto Rico; a spokesman would not publicly discuss Mr. Andrés or his operation."-
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Epic fail in trying to make tortillas.
Help me out ..
1 cup masa harina, 3/4 cup hot water, pinch of salt. Mixed into a ball. Let it rest. Maybe not enough (15 min). Cut up into 8 balls. Could not roll them out - they just kept falling apart. Any time it got a little thin, it would break apart, on the outer circumference, and in the middle. I had a passable looking few that through on the griddle. Too thick really to get cooked properly.
Any ideas? Need a press?
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23 minutes ago, milkmaid said:
Sadly, most people equate "Artisanal" with "expensive" instead "quality" or "heathy". People should be equating processed cheese products as cheap and unhealthy. If we could put the words "factory" in front of food as much as we use "artisanal" maybe people would think about food differently. Factory cheese, factory beef, factory lettuce, factory sesame seed bun....
Is that mostly an American/modern thing? My Croatian guides seemed to be eating 'farm to table' way before it's cool? I wonder if equating "artisanal" to "expensive" rather than "quality" or "healthy" is American. Home churned butter and fresh Buffalo milk delivered was the only option in the Indian town my parents grew up in, but now it's way cooler to get Land O' Lakes or whatever. I don't know France. I wonder if their local small town cheeses are not that far differently priced than the supermarket stuff.
Are there "artisanal" / "non-processed" food items that are cheaper or same price than their processed counterparts? Things I can think of - fresh farmer's eggs in Southern Maryland, local organic corn in summer, other vegetables in summer. Meat / fish always more expensive. Most fruits. Chocolate. Cheese. Bread. It's a bummer.
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Just now, dracisk said:
Can't you enjoy American processed cheese in some contexts (I mean, I'm not going to put in on a cheese plate) and also enjoy artisanal cheese, thus "supporting real cheese?" It's not an either or proposition. I actually only use American cheese to give my dog pills. I mainly use Muenster cheese for melting on sandwiches. It's made by Finlandia, presumably in a factory (so not a real cheese? I'm getting confused). When I'm making melted cheese sandwiches for my 3-year-old (or for myself most of the time) I'm not looking for artisanal cheese. Different cheeses for different purposes, I say. And I think we just like what we like. Isn't that OK?
Also, all cheese is processed.
Actually, no. Your child is subhuman. Your dog is subhuman, b/c of the pills (sorry, Dog). You're subhuman b/c you subscribe to this. And I am, too. As is Kwame's boy and DavidO. We will be processed cheese product pariahs, living in shanty towns on the side of the highways near Dulles, with the owners of Le Diplomate and Jucy Lucy and Harry Snyder. Nothing you ever say about food can be listened to. EVER.
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41 minutes ago, milkmaid said:
Here are my reasons for not supporting shit, processed cheese on well made burgers (paid for at restaurants, idgaf what you do at home):
~It doesn't actually taste like anything and you know it; it's just a greasy texture thing
~You are choosing not to support real farmers, real artisans, tradition, history, or safe/responsible farming practices
~You're eating garbage, processed food and paying how much? Yes, the chef is prob laughing at you.
~IT AINT FUCKING CHEESE- Sometimes greasy-textured things make other things better, even without improving flavor. LIKE AMERICAN CHEESE ON A BURGER. How's that for tautology?
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I'm not sure that supporting Kraft or Velveeta cheddar (which is really cheddar) is doing anything to support real farmers, real artisans, tradition, history, or safe/responsible farming practices. This is the only one that I do agree with overall, but I don't think they way you're suggesting to do it actually does that.- The original cheeseburger was made with American cheese, and it's a simple food item. If you pay $20 for a burger to get artisanal (GD'IT DR.COM this word is spelled correctly, and every time I type it I think I typed it wrong and I try over and over and I cannot get it right, THIS ALONE MAY MAKE ME QUIT THE SITE) cheese on it, the chef it also probably laughing at you. (Man, these are very well humored chefs we all deal with, I appreciate a laughing, if devious chef).
- Not sure I got anything for that. Except that it is! BOO YA!
22 hours ago, DonRocks said:I believe that cheese has no place whatsoever in Budae-jjigae - I see in the article, about halfway down, that it has become bastardized over the years, sometimes with American cheese, but there's *no doubt* to me that this dish is better without *any* cheese in it. How often do you see cheese in Korean restaurants? Plus, this is "military stew" - made with cheap, processed meats that will last a long time.
There may be 1-2 places in Philly that won't serve provolone with cheesesteaks, and you'll never see me there. If that makes me "inauthentic," then so be it.
I've had Grilled Cheese sandwiches twice this week - with cheddar. And cheddar melts just fine - it may not wilt-and-cling, but it melts just as I want it to, while retaining a degree of textural integrity (because it has been cheddared). There's a reason you don't see American cheese in other cheese-producing countries, or in the best American restaurants. Yeah, I know: La Vache qui Rit ... it's for kids.
I was really hoping you'd pick up on the textural component of substituting American cheese for Paneer. Taste-wise, there wouldn't be all that much difference between American cheese and Paneer, especially the crap you buy in a loaf; but the mere thought of it is gross.
- Well, in Korea, or if you ask many local Koreans, or the folks in Annandale that use it in the dish, or the fantastic cooking videos Koreans have (and the Japanese for that matter .. it starts with automobiles and then permeates everything, and now we can't even have a decent cooking video... thanks UAW!!) all typically use it. Makes the texture nice and greasy. (See what I did there??)
- Yup. And that's tragic, because you seem to care for authenticity, so it hurts me more than it hurts you that you disrespect not just the Cheesesteak, but also Philadelphia as a city, the people that live there, Charles Barkley, and Will Smith (BORN AND RAISED, WHERE HE SPENT MOST OF HIS DAYS)
- Adults like a lot of dumb things. Like war. And racism. And sexual harassment. Sometimes, I choose what the kids prefer. Because they aren't dum dums
- Saag Paneer = saag + paneer. Paneer is an actual thing. It doesn't taste like American cheese. It doesn't congeal and melt (in that beautiful way American does). It's bite size pieces of home made deliciousness. I'll make saag "American cheese" (because saag paneer is already a thing) and send you some. It will be a gooey, horrendous mess.
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Interesting that those that are okay with the quirkiness of American cheese (a food that's been created in labs FOR CENTURIES - GO SCIENCE!! DO YOU ALL ALSO HATE SCIENCE) are listening and hearing your arguments, and those that don't think that the rest of us are stupid, unsophisticated, getting laughed at by chefs (WHO ARE ALL THESE LAUGHING CHEFS??? JOSE ANDRES BARELY BREAKS A SMILE ANY MORE), wasting our money, and don't care about farmers/artisans (okay when used as a noun, it's correct, so at least the site gets that right).
Seriously, Don, Philadelphia is SO PISSED right now. Be careful.
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No way!!! You can't eat those things... that's crazy.
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On 10/27/2017 at 9:12 PM, DonRocks said:
Never, ever, cook with a wine you wouldn't drink.
It's a worthy discussion about processed foods. Budae-jjigae, "military stew" is made entirely out of processed foods. Do you think it would be better with cheddar substituted for the American cheese? With serrano jamon instead of Spam? With homemade baked beans instead of canned? Hand pulled noodles instead of Ramen from a bag? Would it be budae-jjigae anymore? I don't think anyone in Korea would say that it was. You want to eat Cheeseteak without Cheese-Whiz? It's something, but it ain't Philly Cheesesteak.
Grilled cheeses has to have American cheese! Other cheeses don't melt properly. And throw a slice into a bowl of Kraft Dinner ... that's comfort food.
We all like what we like. But when you sub in something that changes the essential nature of that product, it's no longer that product. I mean - "saag paneer" has paneer in the name. Paneer is an actual thing. If you put American cheese in it, it's not saag paneer any more. It's something completely different. (Btw, did you that many, many local restaurants substitute palak - spinach - for saag - mustard greens? That's annoying.)
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32 minutes ago, DonRocks said:
Disagree, Don. American cheese complements a good burger because it doesn't compete with the meat.
Getting fancy cheese on a burger is like listening to Beethoven's 9th, but having Avicii mix it.
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The habanero dessert thing looks fantastic. So pretty. The rest of the stuff doesn't excite me, except for the goat dish in TS article. Glad it's a more humble approach.
He must be paying you well
(kidding- we all are fan boys of someone ... I'll follow Johnny Monis anywhere)
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Pre-Morocco trip dinner to Arroz, to see what I'll be getting into over there ... and my buddy's birthday.
- Cocktails - Abogado - like a Old Fashioned .. tasty
- Patatas bravas - really delish and unique. Expensive for volume, but high quality
- Cured meats board - now that's a good meat board! All kind of porks...
- Kampachi crudo - delish... fresh fish...
- Burnt eggplant - as desribed by others, a dip, very good, not very much of it; comes with bread
- Fried cauliflower - mmm .. pig tail was a nice touch
- Salt cod croquetas - as one would expect salt cod to taste like, I think 5 of them, about 1.25" cubes
- Octopus la plancha - love me some 'pus...
- Smoked merguez sausage - one link, made shakshusha style, tasty, probably one of the higher "value" dishes
- Country fried quail - as good as Bangkok Golden's used to be way back when
- Duck Bomba - I liked this one better, seemed more flavorful, a touch salty, rice done well, duck was cooked how I like it, little bit red in the middle
- Pig Bomba - but then this when also tasted better than the duck one, just depended which one I was eating
- Finished with fig liquer made in the Moroccan style in Yonkers, NYC. Not my cup of rakia, if you know what I mean. But cardiologist is from Yonkers and he loves these things.
About $600 for a really fun meal for 7 people. Was full at end of meal. Felt expensive looking at menu, as some small plates were quite small, however Bombas are big, and caps off the meal. If it were two of us, would get one bomba, patatas, merguez, and maybe cauliflower or eggplant - with a few drinks, about $180 - and would have a bit of bomba left over. So, higher value with more people.
Annoyance - I hope MI reads this - we called for 9 people reservation originally, and they said at 9, needed private room/contract/minimum. So, he ended up not inviting a few people and we had 7 people. They seated us at a table for 10 (12 if you are not obese). So, they lost out on 2 customers for a rule that doesn't make sense. You have a 10-12 person table (literally, 10 chairs at table while we dined, 3 empty, it looked like a 1/3 of the table canceled) in the main dining area. It's not private. That's really annoying and dumb. And, 18-20% gratuity is added on anyway.
Special occasion sort of place ... fun for a group, can get quite expensive with cocktails and such.
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Really nice work - Eater's Hawaii Guide.
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On 10/11/2017 at 2:25 PM, Finatic said:
Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but I think you are mad at the wrong person. Ownership and management are responsible for training their employees!
Interesting - when I complained about another restaurant's service, I was told the above. But here, the blame is going to employees shifting to the Wharf, that a waiter isn't at the caliber of the restaurant, that the floor manager was new, that waiters had an odd personality quirk. Wonder when it's a low level sushi place, it's the proprietor's fault, but here it's everyone but the proprietor's fault? Maybe Finatic is right, instead of placing blame downstream, maybe there is a significant and potentially very deleterious issue with ownership and senior management. Isn't this all under Mr. Ruta's jurisdiction? Sounds like a guy with his legacy would want to fix this and fast.
I find the service to be overall very good in this city. Friendly, interested, knowledgeable, and not overly stuffy. If a place is struggling that bad, might be an issue at the top.
My only meal at Mirabelle was at the bar, and I had no service issues. Maybe eat there!
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Had been reading about Japanese cuisine for my February trip.... and got it into my head that I wanted katsudon, even though I've never tasted it. I've made pork tonkatsu before with good results, but I'm just not as good at frying as my LLSP (lifelong slam piece). And, I got stuck at work late most days this week, so I couldn't make do it myself, so she had most of it made when I got home yesterday, and was just time to cook it up. She made dashi from scratch (that's why I had asked about bonito flakes). Sauteed the onions, ginger, dashi until onions soft. Then put in the tonkatsu, covered and let it cook for a while. Then, mixed in the eggs/scallions. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, still soft eggs. Poured the mixture over rice.
This was bomb! Though I don't know what it's supposed to taste like, what we made hit the spot. Ate it too fast to take pictures.
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Thailand
in The Intrepid Traveler
Posted
So, that was quite an experience!
Firstly, the cost is not inclusive of tax/service, so it ends up being 6500B a person (~$180/person) without drinks, so it's expensive by Western standards. We ate on our last night in BKK. The restaurant is in a very cool old house in the Lumphini Park area. The feeling is more like "old school" British service with many people assisting you every step of the way. We had a table upstairs for the first seating at about 6pm. The menu is 25 emojis, and it's "small bites", molecular gastronomy, with cute presentations from the servers - you have various people bringing you courses - from the captain, to waiters, to the chef (not Gaggan, he doesn't work on Sundays).
I've never had this type of food before, so it was a lot of fun - the spheres, foams, gels, etc. It's not "Indian" in the way Rasika still has completely Indian roots. It borrows from Indian cooking / spices, but it's it's own thing, and there are definitely some Thai influences. Without going into each specific dish (there are far too many and I don't think it's that valuable), but the ones I really enjoyed - "chili bon bons" - a take on pani puri, a chaat masala yogurt "explosion", a deconstructed green curry served on dehydrated chicken skin, shrimp foam in shrimp shell as a sort of "tom yum" (yeah, doesn't make much sense, but it's pretty amazing), baingan bartha "biscuits", idli foam, banana / chicken liver mousse, Indian fatty tuna sushi, pork vindaloo croquettes. They have an "audio/visual" dish, fun desserts, lamb "chorizo" with a tamarind fruit roll-up to eat it with, fish with indian green chili (similar to something served at Rasika but they use chicken as protein) made in banana leaf served flaming on the table, deep fried taro "charcoal", lobster taco made with a soft dosa shell.
We had a blast, since neither of us had this type of an experience. One of the better experiential meals, like Komi or something like that. Was it the best in Asia? Well, with the number of Michelin starred restaurants in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, I would find this claim to be at best dubious and at worst, laughable at worst (not saying the Michelin star in itself means something, just saying there amazing fine dining experiences all over Asia). It's possibly not the best Asian fine dining in Bangkok (I didn't go to nahm or any of the nicer Thai places in town). The other thing, even though I'm not even a novice with wine, I recognized some of their options and the markup was incredible. Stick to cocktails and beers (they had a great New Zealand Double IPA that I've never even heard of) There are also service glitches. It's one of the most innovative takes on Indian food I've ever seen, very fun for the guests, and with extremely enthusiastic servers (think Rose's Luxury staff dressed much more formally).
Service glitches - there was an issue with cocktails and our table and others - they took far too long to make and didn't come til the 3rd or 4th course. We just stopped eating until the drink finally came. Water glasses can stay empty and need gentle nudging to remind them to fill them back up. We spend $500 total, and it was well worth it, in my opinion.
If you're going to be in Bangkok and aren't traveling on a budget, you should go, because of it's uniqueness and innovative nature, and because it really is tasty and refined. After many, many roadside curries, fiery som tam, rice porridges (we will miss these dearly), and so much meat on a stick, this was the perfect way to end the trip. I'd also suggest a quick stop at Muse Hotel's rooftop bar before or after (opens at 5.30p, so perfect for one cocktail before dinner) - it's just 5 minutes away.
Enjoy the food pornographs!