Shabu-Tatsu East Village NYC

My favorite shabu-shabu restaurant in NYC is Shabu-Tatsu on 216 E 10th Street.  This restaurant has been consistently excellent for the last decade.  The meat, vegetables and sauces are all of very good quality.   The pricing is more than fair considering your meal includes a salad and ice cream.  You will never leave this restaurant hungry, that is for sure.  Tap Kirin is served super cold in a frosty mug.  Service is always friendly and efficient.  The only downside is that the awaits can be long on weekends and cold nights.  Always insist on a table upstairs, as the burners downstairs don't provide enough heat.

Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas

I enjoyed a very nice meal here on a recent trip to Las Vegas.  The menu is enormous!  With so many tasty choices it is wise to engage your server for advice.  The prices are completely reasonable.  A stark contrast to what is being charged on the strip at the big hotels.  Standouts on our visit were the crispy pork with Chinese broccoli and the northern ginger curry.  The flavors are entirely authentic.  Without hesitation the kitchen will bring the heat, if you give them the green light of course. 

The wine list is voluminous and surprisingly affordable.  There are plenty of good German Rieslings that match perfectly with the Thai cuisine.  Take your pick of new releases or bottles with age.  We enjoyed at beautiful bottle of 2009 St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett.  If you are a fan of minerality in your Riesling, look no further than St. Urbans-Hof.  One of my favorite German producers.  

The best buys on the wine list are actually the big reds; Chateauneuf du Papes in particular.  2006 Clos des Papes for $125?  YES! 

Lotus of Siam is justifiably famous.  On my next trip to Vegas, I will definitely be back.   

Go! Go! Curry, NYC

I had a great lunch this afternoon at my favorite Japanese curry restaurant in NYC.  I've been frequenting Go! Go! Curry for years now and it is probably the best curry I've had outside of mother Japan.  This afternoon I had the Grand Slam, which is a rather large plate of food.  Don't worry, I didn't eat it all myself!  The curry is so rich and satisfying here.  It is not at all spicy.  The toppings are all moist and delicious.     

Niigata Sake Tasting at Sakagura

I had a great time last night at the Niigata sake tasting event held at one of NYC's very best bars, Sakagura.  I jumped at the chance to attend this tasting since I love sakes from Niigata, a region known for its excellent rice, water and sake.  There were 7 different brewers pouring 13 different sakes.  I made sure to taste all of them at least three times just to make sure they were drinking well.  Indeed they were.  The sakes were all fantastic as were the appetizers provided by the kitchen.  I loved chatting with all the brewers as well as talking to many of the people at the tasting.  All of the brewers are from families that have owned these breweries for several generations.   Each was proud to pour a glass and give a friendly Kanpai! 

My old roommate Keith Weissman showed up and got lots of attention with his stories of going to school and living in Japan on two separate occasions.  Mike Capilouto and his new bride Christine made it as well.  Mike and I used to go to Sakagura pretty often, it was great to be back at a sake tasting with him last night.  Christine brought a friend from Dartmouth and the two of them asked a lot of great questions about how sake is made.       

My favorite sake of the tasting last night was Midori Kawa "Green River" Daiginjo.  A beautiful sake that is aged for two years prior to release.  The flavor profile is so clean and precise with a lingering finish.  Dynamite stuff that I hope to enjoy again at Sasagin in Tokyo.  The rice is milled to 40%.  Alcohol is 17-18%.

 

Ben's Chili Bowl, Washington DC

After seeing this classic establishment on No Reservations with Tony Bourdain, it was on my must visit list for my next trip to Washington DC.  The visit to Ben's was a good one.  In general, I love visiting classic dining establishments and this was no exception.  If a restaurant can stand the test of time, it must be doing something right.

I found the signature Ben's chili rich and nicely spiced.  I could easily enjoy a whole bowl of it with some diced onions and bread.  I ordered the famous 'half-smoke' and the chili cheese fries.  The half-smoke was great, I polished the thing off in seconds and had to fight the urge to order another one.  The chili-cheese fries are good too but just too over the top for me.  On top of the good food and friendly service this is a great spot for people watching.