New York | Memoirs of an Amateur Cook

Tag: New York
- Travel: Lunch in Chinatown, New York
  
  Posted at 5:05 pm by Sarah @ Memoirs of an Amateur Cook, on June 25, 2017
  One of the highlights of our honeymoon in New York was lunch in Chinatown. We had planned a visit to the area from the outset so after a busy morning exploring the city, we ventured to lower Manhattan to soak up the atmosphere.
  
  Rumour has it that New York’s Chinatown has the largest Chinese population in the Western hemisphere outside Asia. Although the area is sprawling and has, of late, extended North into Little Italy, I found this really surprising. What is clear from the minute you set foot in the area is that this Chinatown is authentic – so many others across the globe feature one or two Americanised Chinese restaurants and the obligatory medicine shop however, in New York visiting the district was like instantly being transported to the other side of the world. Everyone around us was speaking Mandarin and there were relatively few Westerners in sight.
  
  After a stroll around the area and a lot of indecisiveness (it’s what we do best, particularly when deciding where to eat!) we came across Xi’an Famous Foods which had a massive queue out the door. We figured that it must be pretty good due to the amount of people waiting so after a quick perusal of the menu, we decided to grab some food to go.
  
  Xi’an Famous Foods started life in Flushing, New York back in 2005. According to their website, they were the first restaurant to bring dishes from Xi’an, a city in the North West area of China, home to the terra cotta soldiers, to the United States. The small chain is a family owned; initially the focus was of the business was bubble tea with a few dishes from their home city, Xi’an, sold on the side due to the family missing the taste and smell of the “unique cuisine that combines Chinese and Middle Eastern flavours”. Their dishes became more and more popular with many customers taking the pilgrimage to Flushing in order to savour cold skin noodles, lamb pao mo soup and the spicy sauce which has become Xi’an Famous Foods signature. They have since expanded and opened 12 further outlets in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens due to the massive popularity and success of the chain; Forbes reported in 2013 that approximately 140,000 customers per year visit the Midtown location alone on weekdays. Not only do they have a massive Chinese following, they also have tourists and locals alike visiting their restaurants; they have a celebrity following, have featured on several TV shows and won awards from Zagat, New York Magazine and Time Out to name but a few! Obviously we stumbled on an absoloute gem for lunch, completely by chance!
  
  Our order was ready quickly so we took a short walk along to Columbus Park to eat our lunch in the sunshine. It was fascinating to sit there soaking in the culture, watching some fierce games of Mahjong, listening to the Erhu musicians and watching people practicing tai chi and painting; the park is evidently the hub of the local community and the perfect lunch spot to people watch and relax.
  
  On to the food! As we had walked our socks off we were rather hungry so ordered the ‘spicy and sour lamb dumplings’ to share. These were without doubt the best dumplings I have ever tasted, full to the brim with flavourful, meaty lamb with the sauce offering the perfect contrast in flavour. It really doesn’t surprise me that New York Magazine named them New York’s best dumplings! What a treat!
  
  Neil went for the ‘pork zha jiang hand-torn noodles’ whereas I opted for the ‘spicy and tingly beef hand-torn noodles’. Neil’s dish involved minced pork accompanied by cucumber, spring onions, celery and chives. The pork had a slight sweetness to it, such a beautiful flavour, punchy but not too spicy. My beef on the other hand really packed a punch! The chilli sauce didn’t simply offer heat though, it was really tasty, flavoured with Sichaun peppercorns. Both of us thought the noodles were wonderfully silky, fat and not at all stodgy!
  
  We really did have a wonderful meal in Chinatown, it really was one of the highlights of trip. I would thoroughly recommend getting lunch to go from Xi’an Famous Food to enjoy in the sunshine in Columbus Park – it is an experience you will not forget!
  
  Places to visit:
  - Xi’an Famous Foods, 45 Bayard Street, New York, New York, 10013
  Related posts:
  - Travel: 5 Foodie Finds in New York, New York
  - Travel: Ruth Chris’, New York City
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  Posted in Restaurant, Restaurant, Review, Review, Series, Travel | 1 Comment | Tagged China, Chinatown, Chinese, Chinese Food, Columbus Park, Dumplings, Erhu, Food, Food Blog, Foodie Travel, Honeymoon, Mahjong, New York, New York City, Noodles, Tai chi, Travel, Xi'an, Xi'an Famous Foods
- Travel: Ruth’s Chris, New York City
  
  Posted at 3:33 pm by Sarah @ Memoirs of an Amateur Cook, on June 7, 2017
  On the second night of our honeymoon in New York city, we dined at Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in Manhattan. My lovely parents treated us to the meal for my birthday which was a few days previously – my Father said it would be an experience we wouldn’t forget and he wasn’t lying! Some 9 months later Neil and I are still raving about it!
  
  Ruth’s Chris is a chain of some 130 steakhouses across the United States and beyond, with locations including Dubai, Hong Kong and Indonesia! The popular steakhouse chain has evolved from humble origins in New Orleans, Louisiana when in 1965, Ruth Fertel, a single mother, bought Chris’ Steakhouse in order to provide an income to fund her sons’ college education. Fertel taught herself the tricks of the trade including how to butcher a steak by hand along with running a successful restaurant. She employed an all female wait staff and hired a large number of single mothers, stating they made reliable and hard-working employees. I must admit I find Fertel’s attitude extremely impressive, particularly as she built an extremely successful business in what must have been, at the time, a male dominated area of the food industry. The chain has since gone from strength to strength and has expanded significantly over the years.
  
  The Manhattan restaurant is situated very near to the Rockefeller Centre, just a stone’s throw from Times Square so it was easily accessible from our hotel, The Empire Hotel, near to Columbus Circle. We started the evening in style with cocktails in the beautiful art deco inspired hotel bar which has been the scene of many films and TV series over the years including Gossip Girl and Law and Order to name but a few.
  
  After a short wander to the restaurant, we were quickly welcomed inside and shown to our table, hidden away from the street entrance, past a striking wine collection visible for all to see in order to showcase the extensive collection the restaurant has to offer. Ruth’s Chris embraces traditional, old-school New York decor with a modern twist; dark, moody and luxurious, without a hint of stuffiness. It is truly a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city outside, so that you can indulge in the delicious food and drink on offer.
  
  After ordering some delicious wine and perusing the menu for a while we decided to really over indulge and opted for ‘The 40 oz Poterhouse’ which consists of a New York strip and a fillet, for two to share. We then chose a few sides to accompany it in the form of ‘lobster mac and cheese’, ‘shoestring fries’ and a ‘Caesar salad’.
  
  Firstly, let me apologise for the quality of the photos! The restaurant was rather dark so it was impossible to photograph the dishes to the standard which they deserve! My poor quality snaps definitely don’t do the food justice. The steak was served medium rare and, as you would expect, was cooked to perfection. Ruth’s Chris serve their steaks sizzling in butter on an extremely hot plate. As soon as our meal arrived at the table, our mouths were watering with the delectable smell of caramelised beef and butter. The restaurant’s seasoning and cooking technique obviously pays dividends as it was the most flavoursome and tender steak I have ever tasted – the quality of the meat has to be tasted to be believed!
  
  With eyes bigger than our stomachs, we certainly over ordered as the side dishes were as huge as the steak – we could have sufficied with a single side dish, two at a push. The lobster macaroni and cheese was a big hit with us both, wonderfully creamy and rich, with generous chunks of meaty lobster. I loved the presentation of the Caesar salad and the contrast in texture between the crispy onions and creamy dressing. If I am honest, the shoestring fries were probably my least favourite part of the meal but that was probably because of the huge portion that somewhat over faced us! Needless to say we unfortunately couldn’t finish it all but you’ll be pleased to know we managed to polish off the steak! There was no way we were wasting that beauty.
  
  We were both way to full to manage a dessert which was such a shame as there were so many delicious sounding puddings to choose from. Much to our delight our waiter, knowing it was our honeymoon, brought us out a selection of mini desserts, complete with candle, on the house! The cheesecake was incredible, very creamy without being too heavy. I adored the berry sorbet which was really refreshing after such a decadent meal. The chocolate cake offered a hint of decadence and richness without being overpowering.
  
  All in all we had a fantastic and memorable meal at Ruth’s Chris. I would recommend a visit to anyone who is in the area – My Dad was right, it really was the best steak I have ever tasted! Thanks Mom and Dad xxx
  
  Places to visit:
  - Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 148 West 51st Street, New York, New York, 10019, (212) 245-9600 https://www.ruthschris.com/
  - Empire Hotel, 44 West 64th Street, New York, New York, 10023, (212) 265-7400 http://empirehotelnyc.com/
  Related posts:
  - Travel: 5 Foodie Finds in New York, New York
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  Posted in Restaurant, Restaurant, Review, Review, Travel | 2 Comments | Tagged 40 oz, Caesar salad, Cheesecake, Cocktails, Dessert, Fillet Steak, Gossip Girl, Law and Order, Lobster macaroni and cheese, Manhattan, New York, New York City, New York Strip, Porterhouse, Rockefeller Centre, Ruth Chris Steak House, Shoestring fries, Sorbet, Steak, Steakhouse, The Empire Hotel
- Travel: 5 Foodie finds in New York, New York
  
  Posted at 11:11 am by Sarah @ Memoirs of an Amateur Cook, on February 5, 2017
  Back in early September 2016, my husband and I were lucky enough to visit New York on the first leg of our honeymoon. After our mini-moon in Bath, we returned to work for a week or so in order to build up our energy ready for a busy few days in the big Apple.
  
  New York highlights – Sunset from Top of the Rock, blue skies and tall buildings, Lady Liberty and paying respects at the 9/11 memorial
  
  We thoroughly enjoyed our few days in the city and certainly managed to pack a lot in during the 3 nights that we were there including Top of the Rock, Central Park, the Staten Island Ferry, Times Square, the Highline and Greenwich Village to name but a few! Of course another attraction of New York for us is the tasty, plentiful and varied food on offer – below are a few of our favourite finds.
  1. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
  It was my birthday the day before we flew out to New York so my parents decided to treat Neil and I to a meal at Ruth Chris during our stay in the city. My Dad is very fortunate to have traveled the globe several times over and claims that he had the best steak ever at the Washing DC branch of Ruth’s Chris…..check out my blog post to see what all the fuss is about!
  
  2. Chinatown
  
  Neil loves Chinese…despite the fact that he always orders the same thing – Chicken balls (without sweet and sour sauce!), special fried rice and chips topped with a generous amount of tomato ketchup!! I thought it was about time he had a taste of authentic Chinese food so on the second day of our trip we paid a visit to Manhattan’s China town for a much deserved lunch after a morning of exploring the city. Find out more about our visit here!
  
  Image courtesy of new-york-chinatown.info
  
  3. Chelsea Market
  
  Chelsea Market is a foodie haven fittingly situated in the old national biscuit, or Nabisco, factory where Oreos and Animal Crackers were once made, in the middle of the meatpacking district. This place really was my idea of heaven – full of exposed brick and industrial decor, packed full of some 35 individual stores selling such a variety of foodie delights and tasty dishes. I would seriously love to have somewhere like this on my door step in Northamptonshire; the huge amount of fresh fish for sale was insane and the wide variety of cuisines very impressive – from Mexican to Italian, Turkish to French, all areas of the globe are well and truly covered! There is even a fantastic book shop offering a huge selection of cookbooks for sale and a cookware shop selling an enviable array of knives from all over the world.
  
  Unfortunately, due to a sleepless night we arrived at the market earlier than intended so only grabbed a little breakfast before taking a wander around however, at home in the UK I had a surprise waiting for me from my wonderful husband in the form of the Chelsea Market cookbook which documents the history of the world-famous building and showcases special recipes from a large number of the market’s vendors, along with celebrity chefs. Watch this space for blogs!
  
  If you have a little more time than we did and visit late morning, I would highly putting together a little picnic to feast on whilst soaking up the sunshine on the High Line above. The High Line is an impressive park, cultivated on disused railway tracks which are situated above the city streets and it can be accessed from just outside the market. There are tons of little seating areas where you can enjoy views across the weather and of the hustle and bustle of the city below.
  
  4. Ample Hills Creamery
  
  After walking along the High Line in the heat and the glorious sunshine after our trip to Chelsea Market, we were in need of a little pit stop before venturing any further. Completely by chance we stumbled across Ample Hills Creamery just at the right time and after stepping inside we were so glad we did! Ample Hills is a family run business that originally started off with a single shop in Brooklyn which has now expanded into 5 branches, including the one we visited in Chelsea, and another as far away as Disney World! The ice cream parlour has experienced such popularity since opening in 2011 that it has been named the best ice cream place in New York City by the Zagat guide and has even featured on the Food Network and in Conde Nast Traveller!
  
  It is not hard to see why Ample Hills is so highly rated as such creativity and care goes into each inventive flavour and ‘mix in’. I couldn’t resist one scoop of ‘PB Wins the Cup’, vanilla ice cream with peanut butter chocolate flakes and house made peanut butter cups, along with a second scoop of ‘Salted Crack Caramel’, salted caramel ice cream with Deb’s famous crack cookies, saltines covered in butter, sugar and chocolate. Neil opted for ‘The Raw Deal’, vanilla ice cream with chocolate flakes and chunks of brown butter cookie dough and ‘Sweet Cream and Cookies’, sweet cream ice cream with pieces of back to nature sandwich cream cookies.
  
  Each flavour tasted exactly as described and was absolutely delicious. I adored my salted crack caramel, the perfect mix of sweet and salty! I am a big ice cream fan and only wish we had somewhere like Ample Hills local to us. Although the company is a clear success and has expanded it still retained that ‘local independent business’ feel – the staff were so friendly and it wasn’t too commercialised at all. I would highly recommend a visit, I’m only sad I won’t be able to pop in again any time soon!
  
  5. Joe’s Pizza
  
  New York is famous for such a variety of dishes, from massive burgers, to bagels and cheesecake but one food that I have always associated with New York is pizza. History states that the first pizzeria in the United States opened its doors in Little Italy, New York City in the early 1900’s; many customers could not afford to buy a whole pie so instead it was sold by the slice, tied up in brown paper with a bit of string. From this point forward, selling pizza by the slice became a New York institution.
  
  I must admit, a good cheesy pizza is a both Neil’s and my guilty pleasure so before we even stepped foot on the plane we agreed that we must find an awesome pizza place to enjoy a slice of the delicious stuff! After a bit of research we decided to pay a visit to Joe’s Pizza, a Greenwich Village institution since 1975. This place is incredibly popular with locals, tourists and celebrities alike, it was named best pizza in New York by New York magazine and it even featured in the Spiderman movie! Whilst we were waiting in line for a slice a man in front of us said whenever he was anywhere near the city for business, he trekked over to the Village for a slice of Joe’s so we had high expectations!
  
  Neil opted for a plain cheese and tomato slice whereas I went for the pepperoni. There are generally only a few varieties of pizza on offer at Joe’s, they stick to what they know and they do it perfectly! The pizza was amazingly delicious, not too greasy with the right amount of ooziness and softness; we both would highly recommend a visit to Joe’s! There is limited seating indoors with mostly standing room however there are a few benches across the street which provided the perfect spot for enjoying a slice of heaven in the sunshine!
  
  Places to visit:
  - Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 148 West 51st Street, New York, New York, 10019, (212) 245-9600
  - Chelsea Market, 75 9th Avenue, New York, New York, 10011, (212) 652-2110
  - Ample Hills Creamery at Bubby’s High Line, 73 Gansevoort Street, New York, New York, 10036, (646) 590-1288
  - Joe’s Pizza, 7 Carmine Street, New York, New York, 10014, (212) 366-1182
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  Posted in Cookbook, Other, Restaurant, Restaurant, Review, Review, Series, Travel | 4 Comments | Tagged Ample Hills Creamery, Chelsea Market, Chelsea Market Cookbook, Chinatown, Chinese, Chinese Food, Food, Foodie Travel, Greenwich Village, Ice Cream, Joe's Pizza, Meatpacking District, Nabisco Factory, New York, New York City, New York Magazine, New York Pizza, Ruth Chris Steak House, Spiderman, Steak, The Highline, Travel, Zagat
- My name is Sarah, self confessed foodie and amateur cook. On these pages you will find lots of recipes, reviews and food related banter. Thank you for stopping by, happy reading!
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