Recipes

August 19, 2007 Cambridge

Jose's Mexican Restaurant

Jose's is a tiny, quaint little Mexican restaurant in North Cambridge on Sherman Street, right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. We were intrigued with the place, partially because it won Best of Boston for "affordable Mexican food" in 2004, and partially because it was down the street from our friends' house.

The menu definitely has some authentic Mexican fare that you woudn't find at your typical burrito place. For example, Bryan ordered the Dona Reyna's Chile Rellenos ($10.95), which are poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and beef. I ordered pozole del dia ($5.95 small, $8.95 large), a chicken and white corn stew with cilantro, onion, oregano, and lime. The menu also has Mexican dishes with which you may be more familiar, such as enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and chimichangas.

Over all, the food was pretty good, though not the best Mexican we've had in Boston (that might go to Tu y Yo, which I'll discuss at a later date in another blog entry).

The free homemade salsa was very good, and you get a choice of heat level (mild, medium, hot). The homemade chips were a bit on the stale side, but the salsa was so tasty we kept eating the chips regardless.

Bryan liked his chile rellenos dish. The poblano pepper together with the beef and cheese was tasty without being overpowering. Flavors were balanced, and the dish was satisfying.

My soup was too salty for my taste, and even too salty for Bryan (who has a much higher tolerance for salt!). I did think the puffy white corn pieces were unique and interesting. The blend of lime, cilantro, oregano, and onion gave the soup a fragrant and unique flavor, which would have tasted really good had the soup been less salty.

Supposedly, the restaurant is great for margaritas (they have 32 tequilas and 10 Mexican beers!) although we did not really try any drinks (except for the Corona) this time around. If you're in the area, it's worth visiting this place. The food is authentic, tasty, and reasonably priced.

August 19, 2007 Cambridge

Wagamama

Wagamama is a ramen bar inspired chain that originates from the UK. It is wildly popular in Great Britain, and has now made its way across the "pond" to the US. Currently, the only two locations in the US are at Faneuil Hall and in Harvard Square.

Wagamama's philosophy is encapsulated in its logo, "positive eating, positive living," a phrase for which it actually holds a registered trademark. On top of various Japanese entrees, such as ramen, udon, chili noodles, curry rice dishes, and salads, Wagamama also has other "positive eating" options, such as fresh vegetable and fruit juices, salads, and appetizers, such as edamame and gyoza.

Bryan and I decided to check out the Wagamama in Harvard Square tonight. The seating arrangement in the restaurant is unique and similar across all Wagamamas. Long rows of tables and benches line the restaurant - you may very well be seated next to someone you don't know. If you've been to High Rise Bakery Cafe on Concord Ave in Cambridge, you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, we were seated immediately and a waitress came within a short time to take our order. They take all of their orders on electronic devices that send the order directly to the kitchen. They say that the food may come out at random times and not necessarily together, since everything is made to order and they serve it fresh to you the moment it's ready. (Bryan thinks that's a lame excuse since food is cooked to order at most restaurants)

Bryan ordered the chili beef ramen ($14.95) which was a big bowl of a fragrant soup (not really that spicy) with sirloin steak, lime, cilantro, fresh chilies, scallions, red onions, and bean sprouts. I ordered the ata-taka chicken salad ($9.95), which, despite its name, is actually chicken strips marinated with cumin, chili, cilantro, soy sauce, garlic, and lime juice sauteed with bean sprouts, red onion, and a sweet ginger sauce. The stir-fry was placed over a bed of baby spinach lightly dressed with Wagamama's house dressing.

Over all, we thought food was pretty good, but pricey for what you get. Bryan thought his noodle soup was OK, but said he would not come back. Le's (formerly known as Pho Pasteur) is just down the street and serves up hot piping bowls of Vietnamese pho and other noodles soups. Not only does Bryan like the noodle soup at Le's better, it only costs $5.95 for an equally large bowl. I personally liked how his noodle soup was very fragrant (many herbs or spices or something) yet not very salty at all. It reminded me of spa food.

I enjoyed my dish quite a lot. I liked how it was not very greasy at all and also not too salty. It was a small enough portion that I was able to finish the entire dish without feeling grossly full afterwards. The flavors were nice, and I felt satisfied in a healthy way after I had finished my meal. Over all, the food at Wagamama definitely seems healthy, very much in line with their motto. I was quite impressed with how they managed to make my chicken strips tasty yet very low salt at the same time.

The ambiance is trendy and chic, which may explain why they are able to charge higher prices for something as simple as ramen (which really does not cost a lot to make!). Over all, I think I liked the place more than Bryan did. For me, it fit a set of strict criteria that is hard for any restaurant to meet: close to home, not too expensive (on a absolute scale), healthy (the hardest criteria to meet), and yummy.

If you're in the area and are in the mood for some interesting healthy Asian (mostly Japanese) inspired spa-like food, check out Wagamama's and be prepared to spend around $10-$15 for your dish. Enjoy!

August 13, 2007 Cambridge

Mu Que Ca

When I say Brazilian food, what does the average American think of? Most likely, the answer is Brazilian BBQ, which involves all-you-can-eat quantities of endless meats on skewers passed around. The mere thought of that makes me not want to eat anymore.

This is what makes the Brazilian restaurant Muqueca so special. Muqueca is not a grilled meat place at all. In fact, almost all of the food is seafood. This is because Muqueca serves traditional authentic food from a region in Brazil called Espirito Santo. Espirito Santo is a small state in the Southeastern coast of Brazil.

Muqueca is a tiny Brazilian restaurant on Cambridge street in Inman Square. It is owned byFatima (Fafa) and Antonio Gomes, a Brazilian couple who moved to Boston with the dream of showing America "Brazilian food at its finest . . . most principally delicacies from their state Espirito Santo."

They have definitely succeeded. Muqueca is a wildly popular restaurant.

One of our favorite dishes is the moqueca ($11.95 to $14.95), a seafood stew made with tomatoes, lots of cilantro, onions, garlic, and annatto seeds. Our favorite moqueca is probably the mussels moqueca ($12.95), although they are all very tasty.

The house salad ($5.95) is also very good. It contains interesting vegetables such as palm hearts, apples, olives, and corn. Bryan and I usually like to order one as a starter.

The seafood pie ($15.95) is also interesting and quite tasty. It has a conglomerate of seafood, (salt cod, crab, shrimp, mussels, and fish), all ground up and mixed with olives and eggs to create a pie that is baked in the oven. The blend of flavors is nice, not too overpowering yet quite flavorful.

The last time we went we got the deep fried red snapper ($18.95). Essentially, they take the entire fish, season it, and deep fry it whole. Although it takes a little work to pry the fish off the bone, the flavor of the dish was quite tasty.

We also like the interesting variety of authentic Brazilian appetizers and fruit drinks. They eat a lot of yucca, and thus have some yucca based appetizers. They also make interesting shakes, the most interesting one being the blueberry cashew shakes.

Both of the desserts they offer, the passion fruit pudding and the flan, are excellent and quite a bargain at only $3.

Essentially, almost everything we've ever ordered has been very good. You really can't go wrong with this place.

Well, there is one bad thing. The worse thing about this restaurant is the wait. It is a tiny restaurant (probably only about 7 tables) and super popular. Furthermore, they cook each moqueca to order (takes about 20 minutes) so the service is not what you'd call super fast. If you want to go, try to go at a non-peak time (week nights before 7 PM). Otherwise, you could easily wait an hour for a table.

I highly recommend this restaurant. The food is very authentic and very well made. Moreover, the prices are very reasonable and the people are very friendly.

http://www.muquecarestaurant.com/

June 14, 2007 Allston

May's Cafe

May's Cafe is a tiny, family owned Taiwanese restaurant tucked in the middle of a purely residential neighborhood in Allston. The food is Taiwanese home cooking - and it's very good.

We arrived on a Thursday night around 7 PM. Surprisingly, the place was relatively empty and thus we were able to nab one of the two parking spots that May's Cafe owns. The decor inside is clean and pleasant. May herself ended up taking our order and serving us that evening.

Perhaps I'm partial to Taiwanese food, but I really enjoyed the food we had. For appetizers, we ordered the fresh steamed greens ($4.75), the egg pancake ($4.75), and formosa turnip cake ($4.75). The greens were delicious - a small plate of steamed leafy greens tossed in a garlicky-soy based sauce. The egg pancake was also very good. The formosa turnip cake was fine - a lot less greasy than the typical turnip cake you'd get at a dimsum place.

We ordered three dishes as well. An interesting fried rice which consisted of Chinese sausage, pineapple, cabbage, and pork sung ($9.95); Da Loo noodle soup (thick noodle soup with eggs, vegetables, and seafood) ($10.95); and shredded pork with bamboo shoot and beancurd ($11.95 entree/$8.50 rice plate).

The food reminded me of home cooking - which, essentially, is what it is. May Pan's parents do most of the cooking in the back. The cooking style is less reminiscent of large scale Chinese restaurant cuisine, which often involves deep flash frying meats and vegetables in hot oil. Instead, it's more like the stuff that you're Taiwanese mom would make for you when visit home - simple stir fry on a small wok. None of the dishes were overly greasy, yet all had very satisfying flavors.

I loved the fried rice, not only because of its awesome blend of flavors, but also because of the ratio of rice to "stuff." I'd say the rice was about 45% of the dish, which made it quite flavorful and fun to eat. The pork sung adds an interesting dimension to the dish. I think I'm gonna try that some time. The shredded pork with bamboo shoot and beancurd dish was also very tasty. It was spiced with chili oil to just the right amount of heat. The DaLoo noodles were also good. According to Bryan, it doesn't compare to California, but it's probably the best DaLoo noodles that we've had in Boston to date.

Finally, the kitchen went out of their way to accommodate the young child that was in our dining party. He kept requesting "tang yuan" (Rice balls). The waitress (May) kept telling him that they didn't have any. Finally, May's parents decided to hand-make some rice balls on the spot. After about 10 minutes, a piping hot bowl of red bean soup with rice balls appeared. The little boy was ecstatic.

Boston.com did a review on May's cafe back in October. According to that article, May cares a lot about healthy eating, and thus cooks with less oil and salt compared to a typical Chinese restaurant. She also offers Akai whole grain rice, fruit shakes and smoothies, herbal tea, and boba tea. Oh, and the bathroom was immaculate.

In conclusion, this is truly a hidden gem that's a bit hard to find. If you like simple, Taiwanese home cooking, this is definitely worth the visit.

June 13, 2007 Cambridge

Yenching

We have always walked by this restaurant and have never walked inside. In general, we are skeptical of Chinese restaurants, and thus we do not venture in unless if we have received a recommendation from at least one other person who has tried the food.

We received a recommendation the other day to try this restaurant on Mass. Ave in Harvard Square. The menu looked slightly more expensive than typical Chinatown prices. Nevertheless, we thought we'd try it, since it was so close to our house.

Conclusion: it's alright, and most likely the best Chinese food in Harvard Square, which is not saying too much. It's definitely not as good as places like Shangri-La, Chung shin Yuan, and Taiwan Cafe. However, it's decent. I think I'd say it's comparable to a place like Royal East or New Mayflower.

We ordered the pan fried rice cakes (one of my favorite dishes in general), the Kuenming Duck, and the mapo tofu. Both Bryan and I liked the pan fried rice cakes the best. The balance of flavors was just right. We also liked the addition of egg, which we seldom see in this dish. It added a nice punch to the over all flavor. I don't really like duck, so I can't comment on the duck dish. Bryan thought it was OK, although it had some weird spice that he wasn't used to. Finally, the mapo tofu had decent flavor, although I thought it was too salty. I had to eat a lot of rice to enjoy it. It's nothing compared to my favorite mapo tofu in Boston, which is at Zoe's (where they use the real Szechuan peppercorns! YUM!).

I probably won't go back again for a full fledged meal. If I'm craving the fried rice cakes, however, I may just get take out or something.

June 13, 2007 Cambridge

Pacific Cafe

Pacific Cafe is a small sandwich, bakery, coffeeshop in the first floor of Sid-Pac (Sidney Pacific), the MIT graduate dorm. It opened about a year ago, and is owned by a Moroccan family.

The sandwiches are freshly prepared, and in general, are very tasty. I really like getting the "Tomato Mozz," which, as its name indicates, contains tomatoes, fresh mozarella, and pesto in a grilled panini. It's quite good, pretty big, and a decent value at $5.95. In fact, most of the sandwiches cost less than $6. The specialty sandwiches cost around $6, and the design-your-own sandwiches are a bit cheaper, around $4-$5.

They also sell several hot dishes, which they call Blue Plate Specials. I've never tried one, so I can't comment on them, but if they are anything like the sandwiches, they will probably be pretty tasty.

The cafe also sells a variety of baked goods and fancy looking cakes. I've never ordered one, but they sure look nice.

I've also ordered cappuccinos and coffees there. The drinks are pretty good. According to my officemate, "Not as good as Starbucks, but pretty close." They also carry a pretty large variety of exotic teas, such as Morrocan Mint and Earl Grey. For those of us that work in the industrial part of Cambridgeport where there are virtually no restaurants around, it's a welcomed relief to have such a nice cafe within a couple minutes walk.

Pacific Street Cafe
70 Pacific Street
Cambridge, MA

June 13, 2007 Boston

Legal Seafoods

This restaurant is near iconic in Boston, and is a "must visit" for Boston tourists and residents alike. Not only that, it has many locations throughout the city. Accordingly, I'm assuming every person who is reading this blog has eaten at Legal Seafood at least once, if not 10 times.

Thus, instead of giving a whole review on the restaurant, I will just comment on ways I like to enjoy Legal's without spending a fortune.

Lunch
Lunch is a great time to go to Legal's because the prices for a lot of the dishes are significantly lower. A favorite of ours is the tuna burger ($12.50). Tuna fish is ground up with spices and hot peppers into a flavorful spicy burger which is grilled. I also like to order the Alaskan Butterfish appetizer, which comes with a side of seaweed salad. The fish itself is buttery and sweet, and is prepared in an Asian fashion, not unlike Ming Tsai's famous miso-fish dish at Blue Ginger. I like this one because the portion size is relatively small, the flavor is awesome, and the price isn't too bad ($10.95). I also like the blackened raw tuna sashimi ($13.50), which is like eating sashimi that has been ever-so-lightly seared. It's the closest thing I can get to sushi here.

I once ordered the "Mediterranean salmon" off of the lunch menu, which is grilled salmon with a falafel crust. It was OK, but I wasn't terribly impressed. I've also heard that their fried clams are amazing, and the lobster roll is really good as well. As I've never had these, I can't really personally comment on them.

Raw Bar
Another fun thing to try are their raw oysters. We've enjoyed getting an assortment to try. Their oysters are fresh and very good. One surprisingly good value is the "Treasures of the Reef" which costs $29.95. It includes an entire boiled lobster, about 8 cocktail shrimp, ~6-8 mussels, and 6-8 raw oysters (various different kinds). Considering that a lobster alone probably costs around $20, this is an excellent deal.

Classics
Of course, the clam chowder is excellent, and the fish is always good. The salads are actually pretty good as well, and the mixed drinks are yummy, even though not cheap. They have some interesting drinks made from champagne, yum!

June 13, 2007 Boston

P.F. Chang's

This restaurant has been around a long time in Boston (near the theater district) and I'd never tried it before. More recently, about two months ago, a new P.F. Chang's opened up at the Prudential Center in Back Bay. I went there with two other friends last week.

I was not sure what to expect. They market themselves as a "Chinese Bistro." I had my suspicions. Could a place that had things such as "lettuce wraps," "almond cashew chicken" and "salad with gorgonzola and walnuts" have good Chinese food?

I was pleasantly surprised, actually. True, they gave us brown rice as default, which is quite un-Chinese. However, the food was quite tasty and the prices were surprisingly reasonably, especially considering the ambiance of the place and the location.

We ordered three dishes: Spicy Ground Chicken and Eggplant ($9.50), Tam's Noodles with Savory Beef and Shrimp ($14) -- (translation - Chinese rice cakes), and Spinach stir-fried with Garlic ($5).

All three dishes were very good. I was especially surprised at the portion size of the $5 spinach dish - it was equivalent to the size of the other two dishes, and the flavor was delicious. The addition of sesame oil and white pepper to the garlic and spinach made for a perfect dish. The eggplant dish was very flavorful - spicy and fragrant. It was a bit oily, although that is to be expected of most eggplant dishes in Chinese restaurants, as eggplants are sponges for oil. The rice cakes were fine - nothing extraordinary, but pretty decent.

Over all, the total we paid (including tax and tip) was only $36, a pretty good value for a nice, sit-down dinner at the Prudential Mall. Also, there's validated parking at the Prudential Center Garage if you eat here.

June 13, 2007 Boston

Monica's Restaurant

Monica's is a family owned establishment in the North End, and is our favorite restaurant in the North End.
The family that owns Monica's actually owns three establishments in the area. Monica's restaurant is the most upscale of the three. They recently remodeled the interior and added a whole new sitting area and a bar, which means it's easier than before to get a seat. There's also Monica's Trattoria, which offers a slightly more simple menu and a more casual atmosphere. Finally, there is a store, which sells their homemade sauces, fresh pasta, freshly baked bread, and a whole variety of Italian imported food.

The food at Monica's is top notch. They make fresh pasta on the premises, they use all fresh ingredients, and the flavors are absolutely amazing. They also have a good wine selection, and the waitstaff is very knowledgeable about both the dishes and the wines.

Appetizers
On this past trip, my favorite appetizer was the truffle mushroom salad ($22). A special for the night, the dish consists of a variety of different wild mushrooms sauteed and tossed together with truffle oil and salt. The result? Each bite burst with a complex concert of flavors from the wild mushrooms. The dish was absolutely heavenly. Bryan's favorite appetizer (off the regulary menu) is the Involtini di prosciutto e provoline al forno.

Provolone cheese, prosciutto, and tomato slices are baked in layers with basil oil and roasted red peppers. The appetizer is really good. My favorite appetizer off the regular menu is any bruschetta that they have. They pan grill the bread with olive oil and then put fresh, seasonal ingredients on top. The combination of the crusty, olive-oil infused bread with the fresh tomatoes (or mushrooms) on top is delicious.

Pastas

We almost always order pasta when we go, since that is one of Bryan's favorite foods of all times. We've been happy with everything we've ordered, in general.

July 2009 Update

We ordered the seafood with fresh linguini, shown above, which was excellent. Fresh, seafood flavors permeated the dish. And of course, the texture of the fresh pasta was incredible.

This past time Bryan and I ordered the special of the night, which was paper thin pasta tossed with truffle oil and sliced truffles. The dish was quite light (no meat), and very expensive (unpleasant surprise of finding out it was $38 a dish!), although pretty good. I have realized, however, that even though I LOVE things flavored with truffle oil, I think that truffles are only OK. They don't have that much flavor, in my opinion.

I've also ordered the gnocchi there. Bryan thought it was pretty good, although I thought it was a bit mushy and soft. I personally like a much chewier gnocchi - sort of like mochi or Chinese rice cakes. I've only been able to find one restaurant in Boston whose fresh gnocchi has the right chewy consistency that I like (Umbra). In general, I actually like frozen gnocchi better (such as the ones they serve at Il Panino Express or sell at Harvest COOP in the freezer section). So strange so strange.

Update: July 2009
Perhaps my tastes have changed, but I really enjoyed my gnocchi this time around. The texture was soft but definitely had a bit of a "bite." The sauce, a simple veal Bolognese, was perfect.

Over all, Monica's is an excellent restaurant in the North End. We think it beats out most of the competition (and we've tried a lot of restaurants in the North End!). We've highly recommended it to others, and everyone who has tried it loves it and continues to return. Definitely try to go out there for a special occasion!

P.S. They will validate parking at the Central Artery Garage (up to 3 hours for only $3!) That's cheaper than taking the T round trip! Plus you can stop by a pastry shop on the way home.

Originally posted June 13, 2007; Updated July 2009

June 10, 2007 Greater Boston

Dabin

Dabin is a Japanese/Korean Restaurant (seemingly staffed and owned by Chinese) in Lexington Center. I've only been there for lunch, so I can't really comment on the dinner menu.

Dabin is usually pretty empty during lunch on a Saturday, so it's a good place to go with a larger party. You will most likely be seated right away.

My favorite dish at Dabin currently is Chirashi. It only costs $13 and comes with a generous assortment of items on top of the roe-speckled sushi rice. My bowl of chirashi contained shrimp, tuna, salmon, tamago (egg), octopus, and crab stick. I thought the sushi rice mixed with tiny roe (fish eggs) tasted really good, and the toppings were really good as well.

I've also had the dosolt Bibimbop (bibimbop in a hot, stone bowl) which was very tasty.

Over all, a pretty good Japanese/Korean restaurant in Lexington.

June 10, 2007 Cambridge

Cafe Sushi

Cafe Sushi is a sushi-focused restaurant on the edge of Harvard Square on Mass Ave, about a 5-minute walk from our home. One of its best kept secrets is the $1/piece Sushi special on Sunday nights. This makes Cafe Sushi one of the cheapest sushi places around (cheaper than Bluefin at Porter Square) and it serves very good sushi.

The restaurant is owned by Japanese people (unlike places such as Fugakyu, Ginza, and even Oishii!). It truly focuses on sushi, as it does not even offer a lot of other typical Japanese dishes, such as tonkatsu, curry rice dishes, and tempura. The restaurant also offers a few hot dishes, such as grilled fish, grilled meat, and various bento boxes.

As for the sushi, the fish slices are not particularly thick. I would equate the sushi to Bluefin. However, the ambiance is fun, the food is delicious, and the prices are cheaper (at least on Sundays, which is the only time we ever go). We've stopped going to Bluefin ever since they remodeled, raised their prices, and charge money for parking.

I really can't comment on any of the other dishes at Cafe Sushi, because we only order sushi when we go. If you're ever in the neighborhood on a Sunday, I would recommend checking this place out.

June 10, 2007 Cambridge

Qingdao Garden

Wow, I'm falling behind on the food blogging. It's time to catch up.

Qingdao Garden is a small Northern Chinese restaurant in north Cambridge between Porter Square and Arlington on Mass Ave. We had heard that they had good dumplings, and thus decided to give it a try.

Conclusion: the dumplings are good, the appetizer we got was excellent, but we were disappointed with the stir-fry dish we ordered. We ordered a couple orders of dumplings - a vegetarian spinach dumpling, a pork and leek dumpling, and also their namesake dish, Qingdao Fried dumplings. We also ordered a pork, tofu, and vegetable stir-fry and a cold cucumber salad.

The cucumber salad was excellent. Slices of fresh cucumber tossed with a sesame-oil based sauce and garnished with cilantro. We both really enjoyed that dish a lot.

The dumplings were cheap (about $5 for 12 dumplings) and quite good. I liked how the vegetarian ones were flavorful without feeling too heavy. The meat ones were OK as well. We both agreed that the pan-fried dumplings were better than the boiled ones. The pan fried dumplings are among the best in Boston (which, according to Bryan, is not saying much - I guess he's comparing with California).

The stir-fried tofu and vegetable dish was uneventful. The flavor was a bit boring (salty soy-based gooey sauce) and the dish was a bit oily. We packed it up to go but ended up throwing it out because neither of us really felt like eating it.

Finally, the service was only average. There was only one waitress working at the time, which translated to slow service at times. The clincher for me occurred when I observed the following thing: We had opened the top of our teapot to signal that our tea had gotten cold and we wanted some hot tea. I watched the waitress go into the kitchen, pour the rest of our cold tea into the common tea maker, and then pour out some hot tea from the same container for us. I was a little grossed out by that.

Over all, Bryan said the food wasn't good enough for him to travel "so far" to eat there.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

May 22, 2007 Boston

FuLoon Restaurant

On Friday night, based on my sister's recommendation, my parents, my sister and her husband, Bryan and I trekked out to Malden to check out this restaurant.

Our conclusion? The chefs at FuLoon know what they are doing. The food is authentic and expertly prepared. The local Chinese population attests to this - over three quarters of the diners were Asian. The restaurant specializes in a type of Chinese cuisine with which I am not as familiar - it's not your typical Cantonese fare.

We ordered a Jingdu pork pancake, a twist on the normal scallion pancake. Instead of scallions, the pancake is filled with little bits of ground pork. Most people thought this was very good.

FuLoon also makes an excellent Madarin style whole fish. The entire fish is lightly dusted with cornstarch, deep-fried, and covered with a flavorful sauce. The dish was well executed - the fish stayed crunchy while the sauce coated and flavored the individual fish pieces. This dish was several people's favorite dish out of all the ones that we ordered.

We enjoyed the stir-fried congxin tsai (hollow heart vegetable) with garlic, which was expertly executed.

Bryan suggested ordering the tea-smoke duck, which is one of his favorite dishes. The "smoke" flavor in this duck was particularly strong. My brother in law remarked that it smells like someone started smoking and blew the cigarette fumes onto the duck. I'm not sure if it was THAT strong, but the smoke flavor was definitely VERY intense. Bryan thought it was tasty. My mother (who eats pretty light in general) thought the dish was too salty.

The waitress had recommended the homestyle steamed pork shoulder, saying that it was one of their specialties. I actually did not try this dish, but several people thought the flavor was a bit bland and that they had tasted better versions of this dish in other restaurants.

Over all, the food at this restaurant was good. If you're in the area and you're craving some good Chinese food, it's definitely worth the visit. The food is authentic, refreshingly different, and well prepared. I've been told to order off the Chinese menu (the one with all the pictures). Apparently they also serve a lunch buffet, which is more Americanized and not as good.

http://fuloon-restaurant.com/default.aspx

May 22, 2007 Boston

Stone Hearth Pizza

Stone Hearth Pizza was started by two MBA students last year. With an aim to reach the "underserved suburban markets," Stone Hearth Pizza has opened up in Sudbury, Needham, and Belmont. They buy fresh, local ingredients from nearby farms.

We went there recently with Bryan's parents to visit his aunt, who lives in Needham. We shared 5 pizzas were all very pleased with the food. The thin-crust pies are individual sized (they fit on a plate) and are quickly fired in the brick oven. What emerges is a delightfully crispy pizza topped with farm fresh ingredients. Many people picked as their favorite pizza the asparagus, arugula, and mushroom pizza (a special of the day). Another favorite was the "farm fresh" pizza, which contains fresh, local vegetables from the farm. Our farm fresh pizza had artichokes, roasted red peppers, arugula, tomatoes, and fresh mozarella cheese.

The restaurant has a decent choice of wine, beer, and even sparking wine as well (which is what I ordered). They also sell pizano (similar to a calzone) and gelato.

We enjoyed all the pizzas that we ordered at Stone Hearth. Although Bryan said he still liked Upper Crust better (and I agree), we still agreed that the pizza was very good and that if we were in the area, we would definitely return.

May 22, 2007 Greater Boston

New Ginza

We went to New Ginza this weekend with the extended family, who were here for my graduation this past weekend. It was a great dining experience, and I will definitely return.

Many members of my family ordered the Bento box, which was a steal at $16.95. Included in the Bento box are a bowl of miso soup, two skewers with grilled meat (beef and chicken), a salad, 5 pieces of sashimi (tuna and salmon), a few pieces of shrimp tempura, a California roll, pickled vegetables, and ice cream. I tried the salmon sashimi from the bento box (hee hee, neither my sister nor mom eat sashimi, so I helped them out 😉 and it was very fresh and tasty.

Bryan and I also ordered several different maki rolls. Ginza has several unusual and inventive rolls that you won't see anywhere else. For example, we ordered the Super Crazy Maki Roll, which had raw fish, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, and several other ingredients (which I can't remember) all wrapped in a thin daikon sheet. All the maki rolls were expertly made and all were delicious.

The green tea ice cream that came with the bento box was good. We tried to order the fried ice cream, but unfortunately, they had run out.

Over all, I would highly recommend this restaurant. The prices were reasonable - typical for a nicer sushi restaurant.

May 15, 2007 Cambridge

The Garden at the Cellar

update: click here for an updated post on this restaurant from 2009

Tonight Bryan and I tried out a new local restaurant and we both absolutely LOVED it. This falls into the category of a Basta Pasta type discovery. It's THAT good, and truly still one of the best kept secrets of Cambridge, I think. Best thing is, the prices are very reasonable for the quality of food, and the restaurant is about a 3 minute walk from our house.

The chef, Will Gilson, previously worked at Oleana (one of Zagat's 10 best restaurants in Boston for food) before coming to cook for The Garden at the Cellar. If you've been to Oleana, you may notice haunting similarities in the way the menu is set up. For example, there are small plates (like the pret a manger at Oleana), normal appetizers, salads, pizzas, and main entrees. The Garden is different in that the focus seems to be less Mediteranean and more of an eclectic mix with an American comfort food focus. For example, you can add a grilled cheddar sandwich to any of the soups for an additional $2.

Beet Salad

The food is excellent. As a start, Bryan ordered the pureed carrot soup with the grilled cheddar sandwich. The soup was very good, and portion size was enormous - probably about double a typical bowl size. We easily shared the soup and the grilled cheese sandwich, which was perfectly grilled and oozing with flavorful cheese.

Bryan ordered the grilled hangar steak (which comes over a bed of pureed parsnips and sauteed spinach). He said that the steak was expertly cooked (medium rare) and had good flavor. The portion size for that too, was very generous, and Bryan was only able to eat about half.

Oh, but I left out the best part! The rosemary truffle fries that came with the steak. Both Bryan and I agreed that these were the best French fries either of us had ever eaten in our lives! Not only was the texture perfect, the flavors were incredible. Truffle oil and rosemary is an absolutely delectable combination. Each fry, infused with this fragrant blend of flavors, provided a near-euphoric experience with each bite. We could not stop eating the fries. Bryan even decided to stop eating his steak to finish off the fries.

I decided to get the sample platter of the appetizers. Out of the four I ordered, the home-made tater tots were by far the most interesting. Unlike a typical tater tot, Gilson's tater tots are crunchy golf balls with creamy and fluffy insides. Imagine bighting into a lightly golden fried pillow of mashed potatoes.

I also ordered the parsnip puree, which was very flavorful and intense. Parsnips are naturally quite fragrant and sweet. When pureed with butter, the combination tastes almost as rich as caramel buttered popcorn. I thought it was delicious, although a bit heavy. I also ordered the roasted beats, which were fresh, flavorful, and good. Finally, I ordered the sauteed Swiss chard. I was not especially impressed with this dish. It reminded me of the collard greens that I've ordered at places like Cracker Barrel - overcooked leafy greens that resembled boiled vegetables sitting in a film of oil. It was OK, but not something I'd order again.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Over all, we thought the food here was absolutely amazing. Most of the appetizers range from $3-$10, the pizzas (flatbreads) are $10-$12, and the entrees are $18-$20. All in all, very reasonable prices for truly exquisite cuisine. If nothing else, go sit at the bar, order beer on tap, and get the French fries, which cost less than $5.

Boston Globe Review

May 15, 2007 Cambridge

Sandrine's Bistro

Sandrine's Bistro is a French restaurant tucked away on one of the side streets in Harvard Square. We decided to go there because Bryan felt like having a nice, relaxing meal after our four hour walk from Lexington, MA.

It was Mother's Day, and thus the menu was Prix fixe only. I finally decided to order the lobster risotto with truffles as my entree and scallops ceviche (raw but "cooked" in vinegar or citrus juice). Bryan ordered the truffle foie gras appetizer and the grilled rack of lamb.

Appetizer
The food was very good. The warm French bread was crusty on the outside but soft on the inside. I couldn't stop eating it, even though I knew I was ruining my appetite. For a French restaurant, the serving sizes were very generous. I probably had about 25 baby scallops in my scallops ceviche. The scallops tasted fresh and had good texture. Bryan's foie gras was also the biggest foie gras I had ever seen at a restaurant. It was about ¾ inch thick and the size of a piece of toast. It came with a couple slices of toasted bread. I don't like foie gras, and personally, I couldn't taste the truffles. However, Bryan thought it was pretty good.

Main Entree
My lobster risotto was also very well made. Again, the portion sizes were very generous. My risotto was filled with fresh lobster meat and covered with slices of truffles. Although I was hoping for a stronger truffle flavor, the flavors in this dish were actually well balanced and blended together nicely. Bryan's lamb was also tasty, grilled to perfection.

Dessert
Dessert was heavenly. Bryan ordered the lemon tarte. Visually, it looked like the lemon tarts that I often see at company events catered by a hotel. However, this lemon tart was surprisingly different, and much better. The lemon portion of the tart was light and fluffy, not dense and custard-like. It was almost like eating clouds of cream bursting with lemon-y citrus bliss coupled with pieces of buttery cookie-crust. I liked it so much, I kept stealing some from Bryan. I ordered the flourless chocolate cake, which is similar to the molten chocolate cake offered at many fancy restaurants. The cake here was excellent. The center was warm and slightly gooey, and the cake itself had a dark rich flavor that wasn't too sweet. It was perfect. I couldn't stop eating my own dessert either! Again, back to what I said about generous portions, this was probably the largest molten chocolate cake I had ever seen in a fancy restaurant. Nevertheless, we polished off both desserts without a problem. We also both had coffee, which was good. It matched the desserts perfectly.

I guess it was a good thing we walked 10 miles that day. Otherwise, we'd be feeling pretty guilty about this excellent meal that we had.

May 12, 2007 Cambridge

Oleana

We went to Oleana semi-spontaneously last Wednesday night after I received the letter saying that I had passed the Bar exam. Zagat's Survey recently rated Oleana as one of the top ten restaurants in Boston for food.

As there were no reservations available until after 9 PM, we decided to go sit at the bar. Unlike at Chez Henri (to be reviewed later), the "bar" at Oleana consists only of the stools surrounding the bar. (At Chez Henri the "bar" is a separate adjoining room that has a bar, but also includes several tables at which one can sit). Not knowing this, I sat down at a table in the room with the bar for several minutes before a waiter, upon finding out that I had no reservation, politely showed me the bar stools.

The food was, as always, absolutely excellent. Oleana's dinner menu is divided into several categories: Pret a Manger (small, snack-like appetizers, $4-$5), Appetizers ($10-$12), Grains or Greens ($8/$15), and Main Entrees ($23-$26). Additionally, they have a Vegetarian Tasting Menu, which consists of 5 mini-dishes and a dessert. They are famous for their Baked Alaska dessert.

Being one who loves variety, I decided to ordered the vegetarian tasting platter. The chef chooses the five vegetarian plates at her whim. These five items from the menu, and could be chosen from the pret a mangers, appetizers, or side dishes on the menu. Bryan ordered the special of the day, which was a parmesan encrusted pork loin with a fava and beet salad on the side. He also ordered an appetizer, the Walnut & Sesame Fatayer (a flat bread) with Homemade Mozzarella & Rhubarb Jam.

My 5 "mezzes" were absolutely excellent. I had two favorites. The first was the Asparagus, Green Almond Pesto, and Fava Puree appetizer. The asparagus was lightly grilled, and together with the pesto and the fava puree, created a perfect blend of flavors with each bite.

We also really liked my first course, which I think was the Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers. This spread was creamy and spicy and utterly addictive. It came with crackers, and we could not stop eating it. Very tasty albeit a bit salty. I would definitely eat it with bread.

I also got the Warm Organic Kalamata Olives with Rigani & Sesame Seeds, which was good.

My other two courses, Spinach Falafel, Tahini, Yogurt with Beets & Mâche and a rice noodle dish were my least favorite. The falafel was fine, although I did not think it tasted any better than a falafel from a food truck. In fact, it was a bit mushy and cold, so arguably not as good.

The rice noodle dish was weird. It was a fusion of normal rice noodles, but with an interesting flavor that I actually can't remember. All I could remember thinking was - I miss the fried rice noodles from the Taiwanese restaurants.

Bryan's pork was very well made - the inside was juicy and tender and the parmesan crust was delicious. The fava and beet salad also tasted fresh, healthy, and flavorful.

Over all, this is an excellent restaurant and a good place to try some innovative Mediterranean food. This is probably my third time at the restaurant, but I would gladly go back again and I definitely recommend going.

Note - the Deviled Eggs with Tuna & Black Olives is one of their most famous "Prets" (Pret a Manger) and is surprisingly really good. If it's your first time, you should order that. Oh, and if you like spicy, you should get the Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers! Make sure to finish with the baked Alaska!

May 1, 2007 Cambridge

Il Panino Express {NOW CLOSED}

Il Panino Express is a casual, Italian restaurant right across the street from our condo. The food is fast, consistently good, and cheap. If we're short on time, it's definitely our favorite place to eat. You order food at the counter and then they call your name when it's ready - which is usually within 5 minutes. There's usually plenty of seating available.

Sandwiches
Their sandwiches are very good only cost $5.95. Their namesake sandwich, the Il Panino, contains proscuitto (imported from Italy), tomatoes, basil, and fresh homemade mozarella. It is probably the sandwich I order the most often. If you're vegetarian, you can opt for the Il Panino Lady, which omits the proscuitto. Their chicken parmesan sub is awesome - probably my favorite chicken parm sandwich in the city. The tomato sauce that accompanies the breaded chicken is fresh and not too acidic, adding balanced moisture to the sandwich. The chicken is piping hot and also tender and juicy. It's truly an amazing sandwich.

Salads
We always get the same salad when we go - the tomato basil and mozarella salad (Insalata Caprese at other restaurants). It's a simple salad - sliced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, their own fresh homemade mozarella slices, and olive oil. I absolutely love their mozarella. Sometimes I wish the tomatoes were a bit more ripe - it feels like they use hard, refrigerated tomatoes. Besides that, however, the salad is quite enjoyable.

Pizzas
They also have excellent pizzas. We actually slightly prefer their pizzas to those at Basta Pasta, another restaurant that we love. Our favorite pizza is the artichoke, proscuitto, and mushroom pizza.

Pastas and Main Dishes
Of course, the hot dishes are excellent. Our favorite meat dish is the veal calabresello, which is breaded veal, spinach, and fontina cheese cooked with a fragrant marsala sauce over pasta. It's very flavorful. We also like the pesto gnocchi a lot. The texture of the gnocchi is nice and chewy and the pesto sauce has good flavor. They also offer a variety of seafood, such as clams, mussels, and shrimp. We've had the mussels with liguini, which was good.

Their lunch specials are usually a good value at $6.25. Bryan will often get those when he is working from home.

Over all, Il Panino is a great place to get good food at a great value. Although they don't have fresh pasta nor waitstaff, we still enjoy going there because the dishes are tasty, the food comes quickly, and the prices are very reasonable . . . oh, and it's a 3 minute walk from our house. 😛

April 29, 2007 Cambridge

Basta Pasta

Basta Pasta is a small, "hole in the wall" Italian place that I would have called a best kept secret a year ago, except now the word has really gotten out. The restaurant sits on Western Avenue close to the intersection with Putnam Avenue in Cambridgeport. An Italian flag with the word "OPEN" hangs right outside the door inviting customers inside. The restaurant is small, containing only 3 booths and 3 tables.

The restaurant is owned by Reno and Altin Hoxallari, brothers from Albania. Reno spent about 10 years working in some of Boston's well known high end restaurants before finally deciding to branch out on his own. His attention to detail and insistence on fresh ingredients is apparent in all the food at Basta Pasta. The Hoxallaris roast all their own peppers (nothing from cans or jars!), create their own soups from scratch, make their own dressing (the Caesar salad dressing is excellent), and cook all the pasta dishes one at a time to order. The proscuitto is imported from Italy, and the hamburgers are freshly made on the spot from ground beef. French fries are created from hand-cut potatoes.

If you're lucky, they will be featuring a special. Reno creates amazing specials, dishes reminiscent of the type he used to make in the fancy restaurants across the river. These dishes are usually priced well under $20 - truly a steal at that price. Examples of specials we've had include meat dishes, such as roasted leg of lamb with broccoli rabe and risotto and roasted duck with mashed potatoes and asparagus; pasta dishes, such as homemade lobster ravioli, pasta with shrimp and tomatoes and pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe; and seasonal dishes, such as butternut squash risotto.

If there is no special that day, ("everything's special!" according to Altin) you can still order off the regular menu. Most of the regular dishes range between $6-$11. The sandwiches are around $6 and the pizzas around $10. These dishes are excellent. Homemade fresh pasta is usually our favorite option. Our favorites include the squash olives (fresh pasta tossed with a lot of garlic, olive oil, arugula, tomatoes, and olives), the bolognese (meat sauce), and the baked stuffed eggplant (layers of thinkly sliced eggplant baked with spinach, breading, and cheese - excellent dish). The chicken with broccoli dish with olive oil is also delicious - we often ask them to add a little bit of hot pepper flakes to it to make it spicy. We also love the arancini (deep fried risotto balls filled with cheese) and the calamari (not fried - squid stewed in a flavorful tomato sauce). Many of our friends rave about the garlic bread. The pizzas are also very good. They have several creative flavors, including a proscuitto and gouda pizza and also a pesto chicken pizza.

We love this place and go at least once a week. We will often order food for dinner gatherings as well. They cater and are actually able to make food for several hundred people. They are very willing to tailor any dish according to your preferences. As an example, we went with a Singaporean friend who really liked spicy food. Reno and Altin whipped out their hottest pepper that they had imported from Japan. The dish was super spicy but very flavorful - our Singaporean friend was happy, although sweating quite a bit during the meal!

You might ask if there are any negatives to this place. Well, they don't serve alcohol (so no wine with dinner), and they don't have ice. Drinks come from a refrigerator that contains a variety of bottled drinks (Coke, San Pellegrino, Nantucket Nectars, Aquafina). If the drinks happen not to be very cold, there's no ice to solve the problem. The general everyday menu does not include a lot of the seafood dishes you would typically expect at a North End restaurant, such as mussels, clams, shrimp, and fish.

Over all, however, the restaurant is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. The atmosphere is casual. You go up to the counter, order your food, and then pick it up from the counter when they call your name. You essentially bus your own table and get your own drinks. We continue to return because we think it's totally worth it for the food. Did I mention that we didn't visit the North End for over a year after we discovered this place?

Other reviews of Basta Pasta
Boston Globe Restaurant Review
Boston Globe "Short Orders"
Boston Globe "Two for $20"

April 29, 2007 Boston

Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse is located in the parking area in Everett near the Home Depot, Costco, and Target that we like to visit. The first thing you hear when you walk towards the restaurant is loud, lively country music. Large signs on the door warn "peanuts and peanut powder everywhere!" As you look around, it become apparent why the warnings are necessary. Each table contains a metal bucket brimming with peanuts with the shell. Peanut shells are strewn throughout the old, wooden floor. The ambiance is loud. Multiple TVs blast the Red Sox / Yankees game on TV while wait staff bustle around. After waiting about 15 minutes, we were seated. As we walked to our seats, we saw a line of waitresses dancing a choreographed country jig.

Texas Roadhouse clearly specializes in steak. At the front of the restaurant sits a large glass counter which contains rows and rows of raw beef cuts. The menu contains several steak selections, such as rib eye, prime rib, filet minion (called the Dallas Filet), steak tips, and sirloin. They also have other food, such as ribs, country fried chicken, roasted chicken, grilled salmon, and even a veggie platter, which consists of your choice of any four sides. The back of the menu contains burgers and sandwiches. There is also a sizable drink menu, especially beer.

Bryan ordered the 10 oz rib eye. Most of the steaks come in multiple sizes, such as 10 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz. His first comment was, "this is surprisingly good for the price." Accordingly to Bryan, most cheaper steak houses will not actually cook meat "medium rare" when he orders it that way. They tend to overcook the meat. Here, the meat was perfectly medium rare and quite flavorful. The vegetable sides were also surprisingly good. The medley of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots was not overly mushy and subtly flavored with a bit of butter and salt. The broccoli was slightly over cooked, but over, not bad. We ordered sides such as baked sweet potato, baked potato, chili and Caesar salad. I thought the chili and Caesar salad were rather average. The baked potatoes were fine, although how hard is it to bake a potato?

Over all, our meal (including two Corona's) was only $33. A pretty good value. We would definitely recommend this as a place to go if you happen to be shopping in the area and are hungry. The place is popular, but they do allow you do call ahead and put your name down on the waiting list, which is nice.

April 29, 2007 Boston

Dom's

We went to Dom's tonight. It's a restaurant right off of Salem Street in the North End. We decided to go there because Zagat's gave it a 26 rating for food It also seemed to have plenty of seating available right away.

Over all, we thought it was pretty good. Dom's has an extensive menu. All of their pasta dishes come in two different sizes. Appetizer portions, which range from $9-$12, and entree portions, which average about $20. The entrees come with free salad and home baked bread. We decided to order a baked eggplant appetizer (baked eggplant, fontina cheese, and tomato sauce). We then ordered four appetizer sized pastas to share. Dom's has a wide variety of pastas from which to choose. For each dish, one can choose from a selection of dried pastas or fresh, homemade pastas. Since Bryan is a HUGE fan of fresh pasta, we only ordered fresh pasta. There was a choice of tagliatelle (a wide flat noodle), gnocchi (potato dumplings), or fusilli (coiled pasta). We ordered a 4-mushroom marsala-based fusilli, gnocchi with pesto, tagliatelle with meat-enhanced red gravy (Sugho di Pomodoro), and a lasagna-liked layered pasta dish with cheese, spinach, and a cream sauce. We both agreed that the fusilli was excellent. The texture of the noodle was perfectly al dente and the flavor of the mushrooms with the marsala sauce was excellent. The dish seemed to burst with flavor, yet it was not overpowering.

Bryan labeled the Sugho di Pomodoro as his second favorite, and I would agree. The sauce had a nice, smoky flavor and the meatballs were good. The tagliatelle was definitely homemade, although it was a bit overcooked and slightly soft - not al dente. When Bryan tried the gnocchi, he said, "it's definitely homemade, but I like Il Panino's better." He was referring to the Italian joint that we frequent near our home. The gnocchi was rather soft and had a bit of a grainy texture - kind of like mashed potatoes. I guess both Bryan and I prefer chewy gnocchi. The pesto sauce was pretty good. It had a fresh basil flavor and was slightly creamy. Finally, Bryan thought the layered pasta dish was pretty good. I'm not a big fan of cream sauces in general, so I didn't really like it.

The appetizer portion sizes are rather generous. For me, that portion would be more than plenty for a meal. Remember, you have to save room for dessert in the North End, whether it be at Modern Pastry, Mike's Pastry, or Cafe Vittoria's!

They have a decent wine list and also offer several types by the glass. Bryan ordered a house chianti and thought it was good.

Over all, we decided that the food was fine, but nothing to write home about. If I were to go a second time, I would probably just order the appetizer portion of the mushroom marsala dish and a glass of wine. I'd then save room for dessert at one of the cafes mentioned above.

January 1, 2007 Misc

Tiny Urban Kitchen in the Press and other Fun Activities

Jennifer Che from Tiny Urban Kitchen - Photo by Lane Turner of the Boston Globe

March 24, 2015 - Featured on the front page of the Food Section in the Boston Globe "Tastes From Her Taiwanese Tradition"

Winner of Saveur Magazine's 2012 Best Food Blog Award
Best Restaurant /Dining Coverage

Grand Prize Winner of 2010 Project Food Blog: The Next Food Blog Star

15 Matcha Recipes That'll Help You Get In On This Trend - January 12, 2015
Halloumi Recipes: 9 Great Ways To Grill It - June 18, 2012
Chinese New Year Recipes That Will Bring You And Your Taste Buds Good Fortune - January 20, 2012

Get to Know Your BFBA Finalists April 17, 2012
Friday Cocktails, Citrus Saveur June 1, 2012

Nina Simonds on Celebrating the New Year Right January 21, 2012

"In the video, [Nina Simonds] and Jennifer Che from Tiny Urban Kitchen cook their way through some traditional Chinese new year dishes."

Blogger Spotlight: Tiny Urban Kitchen featured on CNN Eatocracy, June 28, 2010

Holy Eggplant, Is That the Pru? (article) December 16, 2010
Radio Boston Interview (listen) December 16, 2010
Boston: A Veggie Skyline December 13, 2010

Boston Globe: Battle of the Blogs November 16, 2010

Recipe Feature: Taiwanese Basil Chicken - September 2013 issue

Tiny Urban Kitchen is a Finalist for Saveur's Best Food Blog Awards Eater Boston, April 11, 2012

Watch Boston-based cookbook author and Chinese food authority Nina Simonds and Tiny Urban Kitchen's Jennifer Che make dumplings for Chinese New Year January 20, 2012

Tinyurbankitchen.com An Enormous Helping of Support

Photography
Jen's photography has also been featured in well-known publications such as Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Glamour.

A Special Chinese New Year Q &A with Jennifer Che, Founder of Tiny Urban Kitchen January 24, 2012

Workshop Speaker at 2012 and 2015 ITASA East Coast Conference

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ITASALogo-640x173.png

University of Pennsylvania Feb 13-15, 2015

Georgia Tech, February 16-19, 2012

Jen Che Delights Readers with Her Tiny Urban Kitchen September 7, 2011

Wikipedia Entry
Tiny Urban Kitchen (added February 18, 2011)

Even the Web Can Be Delicious August 29, 2011

Time Magazine: 5 Ways to Get Oatmeal In Your Diet Deliciously October 29, 2010

(no longer available online)

Breakfast at your Desk: Have you ever had Dragon Fruit? April 2, 2010

5 Tasty Meals You Can Make with Taro January 29, 2012

Apartment Therapy

Make Eggs the Star: 5 Incredible Edible Egg Nests September 1, 2011

Featured as a "Delicious Link" for the following posts
Pizza flags December 3, 2010
Homemade hob nobs February 19, 2010
Indoor grilling September 16, 2009
Yogurt popsicles August 5, 2009

TasteSpotting

Pizza Food Flags of the World November 22, 2010

Food News Journal

"Best of Blogs" April 29, 2010

Smartblogs.com

June 4, 2010

When asked "Who are some of the top Foodbuzz bloggers?" Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, mentioned Tiny Urban Kitchen as one of the few blogs that he has "spent time on and enjoyed."

BostonZest

Tiny Urban Kitchen - Visit Our Friday Link

The Frisky
Play with Your Food Patriotically October 31, 2010

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (JSOnline)
Prevention Magazine; 'Kill It, Cook It, Eat It'; tinyurbankitchen.com January 11, 2011

The Foodie Blog Roll
Finest Foodies Friday Picks for October 23, 2009

ApartmentGuides.com
Top Five Apartment Cooking Blogs November 21, 2011

HelloKitty.fr
Recette : Hello Kitty aux céréales January 4, 2010

Online Degree Programs
100 Cooking Blogs for Students
100 Best Food Blogs for the Starving College Kid

Illusion360
Flag Pizzas October 30, 2010

Flavorwire.com
Tiny Urban Kitchen's Edible Pizza Flags October 28, 2010

Daring Kitchen

August 2009: Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes

October 2009 : Daring Cooks Challenge: Chicken Pho

Universal Hub

The Best Sculpture of Boston Made Entirely Out of Food - Ever

We've Secretly Replaced the Authentic Chinese Food they usually serve with Folger's Crystals
Feel like a little Alsatian Tonight?
Her Love for Toscanini's Is Neverending

Flaming Desserts are Hot at Seafood Place
Try the Stew at Izzy's
Cantabrigian Discovers Dedham secret - Five Guys Is Really Good
Mamma Maria: Expensive but Good
The Age Old Debate: Cannolis from Mike's or the Modern?

The Secret's In the Vanilla

Boston GrubStreet - "Blogston Proper" Round ups
Frozen Food at Myers + Chang
The Blue Room has an Awesome Buffet Brunch
Leisure Station Has Customizeable Bubble Tea
Trattoria di Monica "serves up fresh salads, beautifully rustic bruschettas, and fantastic homemade pasta dishes" in a tight and bustling space.
Mare's tasting menu is excellent, but probably not an amazing value
The Upper Crust keeps their crust recipe a secret, and it sure is delicious!
Papa Razzi Stumbles At Restaurant Week, Oceanaire Surprises
Sapporo's Is Almost Like Japan
Bina Osteria's new tasting menu is "not the best meal I've ever had (by any stretch), but for only $45, it's a pretty amazing deal."
Beacon Hill Bistro: just alright and too expensive!
Sel de la Terre's Fries are some of the Best in Town
Prezza Continues to be Excellent
Guilty Pleasure Restaurants; Portions Sized Just Right
The super speedy service at Le's Vietnamese Cuisine makes it a boon for the hungry
Om - Not a Bad Place to go on a Sunday
Getting Stinky At Dok Bua
No. 9 Park is just the place to celebrate an Anniversary
Uni Disappoints
The duck for two at Salts is "incredible" and "worthy of its accolades"
Grafton Street Pub & Grill is a perfectly fine Harvard Square option
Sel De La Terre's Natick location is solid, but not a "wow"
At Shabu Square, you get what you pay for (read: not too much)

Foodbuzz: 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs

Featured in August 2009, September 2009,January 2009, September 2010, November 2011, April 2012

Kyaraben On Steroids
A Stroll Through the Night Markets of Taiwan
Culinary Tour of Hot Pots Throughout Asia
Culinary Tour Around the World, Sous Vide Style
An Asian Twist on a Traditional Holiday Meal
Molecular Gastronomy with an Asian Twist

Who is Tiny Urban Kitchen?

Hi! My name's Jen.

Tiny Urban Kitchen was born out of my tiny urban condo situated between my alma mater and the other school in Cambridge. My tiny urban condo came with a tiny urban kitchen, hence the name of this blog. It was bit tight at times, but over all, it worked for me, and I spent lots of time there exploring new recipes and cooking methods.

I then moved out of that condo into a medium urban townhouse in Cambridge. My kitchen had a bit more space. In September of 2017, I moved to Hong Kong, a land known for its tiny, tiny apartments (they even call them "nano" or "micro" flats). In many ways, I've moved back to the roots of this blog, back to a true "tiny urban kitchen."

I am an experimenter by nature. I worked as a research chemist for years synthesizing new molecules in the lab. At home, I am always trying new things in the kitchen, exploring fun, new creative ways to cook.

I also love eating, and am very willing to travel for good food! That's why this blog also includes my takes on my various eating adventures around the world. I love sharing about my food adventures, and I also love hearing what you have to say. So, please leave a comment, say hello, and feel free to give me your thoughts and suggestions too. If this is your first time here, welcome!

If you're interested in cooking, definitely check out the Recipes link, which is a compilation of all the recipes on the site to date. If you like Asian food, visit the Chinese Recipes Gallery, which gives you a quick, photolicious way of browsing through the Chinese recipes on the site. For dining out, a great way to start is top restaurants to visit in Boston, posts from other US cities, or food from my worldwide travels.

Interested in the sous vide technique? Here's a primer on sous vide, including links to several recipes I’ve made from famous chefs like Thomas Keller and David Chang.

How did Tiny Urban Kitchen get Started?
Check out my entry for round 1 of Project Food Blog which describes not only how this blog began, but really the core of what motivates me and what defines Tiny Urban Kitchen.

Dining Out
Since I lived in Cambridge for over 20 years, many of the restaurants on this site are in the Cambridge/Boston area. The best way to search my neighborhoods is to hover over the Travel/Restaurants tab at the top of the blog menu, go to US, Boston, and then pick the neighborhood. You can navigate the entire blog that way.

For a fun photo gallery of all the Michelin Starred restaurants I visited, check out the Michelin Stars Gallery. I do travel extensively, and thus you’ll find all sorts of food from places such as New York City, Las Vegas, and Napa/Sonoma in the US, tons of places in Asia (Tokyo, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and of course, Hong Kong), as well as several countries in Europe.

I've written up a few travel guides for cities that I know better. Feel free to check them out here.

What has surprised you most about food blogging?
I think everyone says the same thing, and I have to agree. The community is AWESOME. Most people start food blogging to share recipes with friends and family, or to keep a record of all the restaurants they've visited - at least that's why I started my blog. You never really realize how food blogging can connect you to so many like-minded people around the world. I've had the great privilege to "meet" people from Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and, of course, all over the US. Things like the Foodbuzz Festival are great ways to connect with other food lovers. I never would have thought that starting a food blog would open the door to so many other friendships, opportunities, and experiences.

What has been the most amazing food opportunity that you've had as a result of food blogging?
No question it would be my trips to Napa Valley (both in 2010 and in 2011) to Napa Valley to blog about the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition. In 2010, Foodbuzz and S. Pellegrino had hosted a contest to send one person there. I was thrilled and beyond belief that I had actually won the contest. The trip really opened my eyes to what the food industry is like. The food industry, especially the restaurant industry, is grueling, and it takes a ton of hard work and perseverance to make it. I was so privileged to be able to see this up close. It really gave me a new perspective and added respect for those who choose to follow this career path. Of course, Napa Valley is also beautiful, and I had a fabulous time there just checking out the vineyards and trying some amazing restaurants!

What camera do you use? What's your process in photography?

I switched between my Sony Cybershot DSC RX1R, (which is more pocket-sized so I carry it around with me everywhere I go) and my Canon 5D MKIII depending on the situation. The SLR is really big and heavy, so I use it more during vacations and food events that are clearly "camera-friendly." I would say 80% of the pictures on my blog are taken with the pocket sized cameras. I use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC to catalog and work up my images, which are all shot in raw format. I then export them to the blog on WordPress, which hosts all my images.

Between 2012 and 2016, I used the Sony DSC RX1, and the Canon 5D MKIII. Before 2012, I used either a Panasonic Lumix GF1, Canon 5D, or Canon 5D MkII, all of which are excellent cameras.

Which posts did you have the most fun making?
Man, that’s a tough question! Before Project Food Blog I would have said my first 24, 24, 24 post titled "Kyaraben on Steroids." I spent the day making sushi and other foods in the shapes of my favorite Japanese anime characters. It was a ton of work and took all day, but to this day I still love looking at the pictures of the cute Hello Kitty, Domokuns, Totoros, and Keroppis that I made for this post. However, I had a lot of fun creating posts for the numerous rounds in Project Food Blog. My favorites would have to be a toss up between the final post in the last round (“Final Reflections”) where I made a moving stop-animation video of Boston constructed out of vegetables (and sang a song!) and the hand-pulled noodle instructional video that I made for Round 7. In general, I love playing with my food and photographing them in different angles, and therefore some posts whose photography I really enjoyed creating are the ones about dragon fruit, meyer lemons, ratatouille, and inside out apples.

What are you favorite restaurants in Boston?
My favorite neighborhood restaurant is Bergamot, a place we visit on a regular basis. The staff there is incredible and they really take good care of you. Of course, Chef Pooler makes fantastic food, and Paul makes great drinks at the bar.

Ten Tables in Cambridge was also a favorite. Although chef David Punch is no longer there (moved on to open his own fantastic restaurant), Chef Dan who took over is still great, and executes well thought-out, flavorful dishes reflecting the most seasonal ingredients. The menu changes constantly, so it's always fun to return.

Before we moved, we used to love going to Garden at the Cellar. The truffle fries alone are the best I've ever had, and the rest of the menu is excellent and priced very very reasonably. Since then, the original chef Will Gilson has moved on, and we have moved away from the neighborhood as well.

My current favorite place in Cambridge for casual dining is probably Area Four. They make excellent salads, delicious and creative pizzas, and have a pretty fun beer list.

Hungry Mother (French/Southern American cuisine) was excellent, but has now closed! For fancy dining, Craigie on Main, formerly Craigie Street Bistrot, is fantastic - some of the best food I've had in Boston. O Ya (Japanese inspired cuisine) is also an amazing dining experience - hands down one of the best restaurants in Boston. Similarly, Menton by Barbara Lynch also executes incredibly good food.

For outdoor dining during the summer, some of our favorite places in Harvard Square include Upstairs on the Square, Monday Club [update, now closed!], Rialto, and The Red House. Muqueca (Brazilian coastal food) is one of my favorite little ethnic family restaurants, while Mamma Maria or Prezza just might be my favorite North End restaurants (of course you can't forget Mike's Pastry or Modern!). Though it’s not Italian, Neptune Oyster in the North End is one of my favorite seafood places - a perfect taste of New England. For excellent non red sauce Italian, check out Erbaluce.

Outside of the North End, we love Gran Gusto and Basta Pasta, both the original Cambridge location and the new Quincy location. Giulia is also a super popular Italian place in Cambridge, and Posto makes some of the best (and most authentic) Neapolitan style pizzas.

As for Asian food, because I'm Taiwanese, that cuisine tends to be my favorite, which is why I love going to Taiwan Cafe, Gourmet Dumpling House, Dumpling Cafe, Dumpling House, and Shangri-La. I also love the hot pots at Little Q (more recently moved to Arlington) and the more unique "dong=bei" (Northeastern Chinese) food at Golden Garden, our favorite take-out place right outside of Cambridge. My all time favorite noodles? Hands down the hand-pulled noodles at Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe.

My favorite high end sushi places are probably Uni Sashimi Bar and O Ya, both of which are Japanese inspired but not purely traditional Japanese. For less astronomical pricing, we love Cafe Sushi, which is creative, inventive, and overall delicious. Oishii has been a favorite in the past for traditional sushi, though recently I've been a bit more disappointed. Gen Sushi in Belmont is reasonably priced and serves generous portions of very fresh fish. Fugakyu has one of the best sushi lunch specials around and the old Cafe Sushi (before it got revamped!) used to be our favorite place for Sunday evening sushi dinner specials ($1/piece nigiri! - update, no longer available).

Hi Rise Bakery is one of my favorite bakeries (love love love their vanilla loaf) and also one of my favorite sandwich shops. My favorite ice cream is from Toscanini's (though his brother’s place Rancatore’s is awesome as well) and my favorite pizza is from Emma's or Area Four. My favorite burgers are from Bartley's and (surprise!) Capital Grille, while Bryan loves the burgers at Craigie on Main, Radius (no longer open) and Smith & Wollensky.

What have been some of your favorite dining experience ever? In the world?
One of my most memorable dining experiences was at Kyubey in Tokyo, my first real omakase experience.Kyubey is a sushi place right down the street from Tsukiji Fish Market. We got the omakase and essentially had our personal sushi chef for most of the meal, creating interesting bites for us. All the chefs speak excellent English, so it's very convivial and friendly experience.

I've had some pretty incredible sushi experiences in Tokyo, including the world famous Sukiyabashi Jiro, Sushi Mizutani (Jiro's disciple), and many, many others.

As a seafood lover, my favorite restaurant in terms of food is probably Le Bernardin in New York City. One of my favorite dining experiences was at Daniel, where the service, food, everything was so impeccable, it really made for an unforgettable experience. I also love dumplings, and therefore Din Tai Fung in Taiwan (and China!) is also one of my favorite dining places in the world.

Final Thoughts?

I love interacting with my readers through comments the blog. I like to think of the blog as a forum for communication about food. Although I offer lots of information on the blog, I have also learned a lot of things from my readers. The communication totally goes both ways, and I love it that way! So please, feel free to leave comments and say hello. I definitely read every single one. 🙂

Thanks for visiting!

Warmly,

You can contact me at jen{at}tinyurbankitchen{dot}com
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