Cliff's Chinatown stop #2

My coworker Cliff recommended Taiwan Café, located at 34 Oxford St, Boston MA 02111 as the next stop in his list of must-try places. He likes simple comfort food, and Taiwan Cafe definitely delivers. 

I wrote a previous entry about Cliff and mentioned his childhood experiences in 1950s Chinatown. He is such an interesting person to talk to. He has what seems like a limitless store of funny and poignant stories. For him, Taiwan Café is not necessarily the one closest to his roots (he is Cantonese and Taishanese) but he used to bring his volleyball team here to eat when he used to coach, and it has remained a staple in his local restaurant rotation. 

After dining here, I understand why. It is reasonably priced (I was actually shocked when the bill came) and the portions are hefty without compromising taste. 

Overall, the dishes here are Taiwanese, with a few other Asian cuisines added in for variety, I presume (see the dumpling basket below.) I noticed that a lot of the Taiwanese dishes included some sort of egg component with some making this protein the main attraction.

                      

In the photo above (please excuse the grainy photos... my phone did not take very well to the lighting in the restaurant) you'll see two of the dishes that came out first. The one on the right is a breaded pan-fried chicken breast (it had good flavor, though not a wow for me) served with a side dish of very tender cabbage, rice, and a tea egg (my favorite!). These tea eggs are usually boiled then peeled and reboiled in tea and sold as street food. This one in particular (according to our lovely server) was steeped in tea for a good long while. It was incredibly fragrant, and a surprisingly good accompaniment to the chicken and rice. 

Then, the dish you see on the left is a traditional oyster egg pancake. It had scallions, mushrooms and was slathered with a healthy portion of oyster sauce. Now, here is the real kicker: while the top was crispy and more of a traditional egg texture, the bottom layer was a clear, glutenous egg and flour pancake that was so sticky and gooey I almost couldn't swallow it. The photo below shows it in slightly better detail. 

I appreciated this egg-based concoction for what it was but the texture was so unlike any preparation I have ever had, and that was hard to get used to. It was so gooey, it got stuck in my throat a couple of times. I looked around the restaurant, and a few other bright-eyed patrons were enjoying this same dish, and energetically attacking the stringy egg mixture with the same gleefulness I would have while eating melted mozzarella in a panino for example. 

Scrambled eggs, beef and fresh tomatoes on a bed of rice. Classic dish, and something I would never think of having for dinner. There was a sweetness to it (provided by an oyster sauce-like gravy) that was so hearty and rich. 

For me, this last bamboo basket was the perfect and climactic end to the meal. These delicate xialongbao (or colloquially known in English as soup dumplings or soup buns) were so flavorful. These were filled with the traditional minced pork filling minus the sometimes-used crab meat. The broth in the dumplings was not too salty, but with just enough fatty-ness and aroma. I drizzled mine with some rice vinegar. The acidity of the Chinkiang vinegar was a great complement to the rich pork.

How is that for a comfort meal?

Macarons

Light, airy, slightly chewy, decadent, and refined. 

Les Macarons. 

From left to right: pistachio, raspberry, lemon, cassis (blackcurrant), pink peppercorn (my fave), and salted caramel. 

On my recent trip to France, I decided to spend some real time enjoying these little treats, more so than when I lived there. I was in real tourist mode, and it was so worth it! It's amazing to me how the macarons really do seem to embody the beauty and grace of Paris. 

Ladurée's new seasonal Pink peppercorn flavor. It was sweet and spicy all at once, and the filling was creamier than most.

Ahh, to be by the Seine... the banks of the river lined with book sellers and pedestrians, with the Louvre to the right... 

Such is a scene that merits the délicatesse of macarons. I happened to get mine today from Ladurée. A "maison de macarons et fabricant des douceurs" that is known the world over for their macarons but also for other sweets which they produce with the utmost respect for quality. In my experience, though these macarons are exceptionally well made; I have also tried delicious macarons from local pâtisséries in Nantes and in other towns across France. Cities like Nancy and Boulay in the Lorraine region have their own claim to the modern macaron as we know it. In the city of Amiens, pâtissières make their macarons with more of an almond paste and fruit flavors.

Even Ladurée can make a less than perfect-looking macaron. But believe me, the taste was still impeccable. 

So now to answer a question I often get asked: Have I ever made my own?
The answer is a rotund no.
It is not for lack of will or interest, but in my opinion, they are some of the hardest pastries to make, needing a tremendous attention to detail, precise calculations, and above all, patience.
I will try one day, when I have time to spare. Say, a long weekend or vacation time... and you readers will be the first to know how it goes!

They are indeed beautiful, and très français.
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So with that being said, how do we feel about the photo below?

KO Pies, mate!

Nestled in the Boston Shipyard is one location of the brilliant KO Catering and Pies. 

Address: Boston Harbord Shipyard

256 Marginal St. Building 16

East Boston, MA 0212

617.418.5234

It was a sunny day toward the end of summer, and this was the perfect time to enjoy their welcoming outdoor patio. In order to reach this hidden jewel of a locale, one must take either the MBTA water ferry, or a water taxi. It's worth the trip out here. The gentleman at the counter was beyond great, going out of his way to explain everything on the menu to us (we also arrived early for lunch. It was 11:45 ish and we were one of the only parties there, hence the personalized attention.) Though I doubt their level of customer service diminishes just with the crowds. 

Can you say YUM? When I ordered a side of mushy peas, the friendly KO employee (I forget his name!) suggested that I try my braised lamb shank pie with mash, mushy peas and gravy on top. Yes Please. One of those for me. You can see it the photo above. Pure, delightfult, hearty flavors. The pie in the back is the curried vegetable pie. Also very flavorful. Though minus the mash, pea, and gravy toppings. 

Close-up of my pie. I think that after having it with the tasty gravy and peas, I won't ever be able to have one of their pies "plain" in the future. The crust on these pies is a good balance between flaky and buttery, but very sturdy. It helped to have the gravy for the slightly drier parts of the crust. dip dip dip! 

Their menu is expansive, and offers salads, sandwiches, and traditional Australian munchies and desserts. We wanted to have pies because, well, that's what they're known for, but next time maybe I'll order a pies and something else off their menu. Their "Spicy Shrimp on the Barbie" or their "Grilled Fish Sandwich" caught my eye. 

Above is a "Lamington" which is a cube of sponge cake, covered in a nice dark chocolate, then dipped in dried coconut. The sponge cake was a little dry for my liking, but the chocolate and coconut texture made up for it. A good end to the meal. 

The view from our water taxi. Our bellies were full, and making our way back to the city and look at the Boston skyline! So beautiful from this angle. 

So, lesson of the day: if you're craving meat pies (or veggie pie) head to the KO! 

a fork and knife tale

How do YOU cut your food?

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2013/06/fork_and_knife_use_americans_need_to_stop_cutting_and_switching.html

I have to say, once you get a little practice cutting then bringing the food up to your mouth with your left hand (for us right-handers) it's actually a much easier way to eat. After living in France and seeing how much more smoothly people ate without having to put the fork and knife down before switching hands; I decided to try it. I was shaky at first, but now... I'm unstoppable!

Give it a try!