Oh... hi. This blog has not been abandoned. It's just getting harder to write something when all has been said and done in other social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Sometimes I wonder if blogs are still relevant. Apparently, I think they still are because here I am updating mine, albeit less frequently. I think I need to find some sort of direction. I'd like to delve more into pastry experiments, after all I have a ton of cookbooks to do research.

Another direction is the local food scene which has gotten a bit more interesting and I thought I should get all those food pictures off of my iPhone.

Let me start with our recent dinner at Amour Wine Bistro for restaurant week. 

Selling macarons on Saturdays at Amour has its benefits. I don't have to think twice about where to go for a special dinner after a long day (or week) and I've always loved the restaurant's cozy set-up. 

As usual, it was an impeccably executed dining experience. We especially enjoyed the asparagus, garlic and bacon tarte flambée - an Alsatian flatbread that resembles a pizza. My chilled pear soup below was very refreshing.

Chilled pear soup, mango, creme fraiche

Our main course of lamb navarin (a hearty French lamb stew) was an ode to the flavor of lamb. I could usually tell if a lamb dish will taste good when I catch a whiff of that all-important lamb aroma - lamb aficionados know what I mean - I think it has something to do with how the fat melts into the muscle or maybe it's just the quality of the lamb. We were surprised at the sizable portions considering it's 3 courses for $25.00! We had enough leftover for lunch the next day because we knew to save room for dessert! 

lamb navarin

For dessert, I ordered the strawberry chocolate tart. A dense chocolate cake similar to a brownie. It was pleasantly bittersweet and did not cry "sugar overload", I welcome such refined and simple desserts.

Chocolate tart

I challenge anyone who says there are better sorbets than what Paul Heitz makes. I must say he is obsessed with making them and I guess that is why they are so good.

sorbet trio - grapefruit, mango (hubby forgot the 3rd one which was hidden behind the wafer

As the hubby wouldn't shut-up about the tarte flambee, I think it wouldn't be long before we pay another visit to Amour. It's also available at the bar and that flatbread paired with an onion soup gratinee would make a great meal in itself.

Peter Chang - living up to the hype

In an odd corner of a strip mall in the much maligned area that is Short Pump lies the new "It" restaurant. Peter Chang's China Cafe opened with so much fanfare, it was bordering on the absurd. But I have not heard of him - I don't know why he had flown under my foodie radar but I was not as psyched as everyone was. Maybe because I've grown up with homecooked-Chinese food - courtesy of fabulous Cantonese cuisine of my dad and grandma - it takes a lot to impress me. Plus, I thought I was not into spicy food...

Except ... apparently I was. And it took Peter Chang's Szechuan cookery to convince me.

To enjoy Szechuan cuisine, it is best to ask for help ordering or to check out this guide. On a recent trip with another couple, I made the mistake of ordering all spicy food, we had to put in a last minute order of Beijing smoked duck to seek relief from all those fiery peppers.

Everyone online or in reviews were raving about the dry-fried eggplant but I did not really care too much for it as I didn't taste much flavor. Now the scallion-bubble pancake below, I loved.

scallion-bubble pancake

My favorite dish that evening was this amazing crisp bamboo fish. 

Bamboo fish

Also a favorite, was the szechuan lamb chops. I'm curious if all those peppers are really meant to be eaten. I usually brush them off because the meat is plenty spicy without them.

Szechuan Lamb

Another satisfying dish was the mapo tofu which I've raved about in a previous post.

And our palate relief as mentioned earlier was the duck dish that was served with pancakes, scallions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce. *Look at that skin!*

Beijing smoked duck

As I live near Short-Pump, I'm surely going to be a frequent visitor to Chang's establishment.

Secco Wine Bar - restaurant week

Pork Belly porchetta

As everyone that have tasted this porchetta agree, it's pretty darn amazing, I could probably eat two of it. Desserts were also very good. I liked my cream puffs but I liked the composition of hubby's olive oil chocolate ganache and sweet basil more. I was going to order a scoop of the cardamom gelato but was told that it was only with a complete restaurant week menu.

Fried Chicken

Blowtoad

Ever since I've watched "The Help", I've had a craving for cast-iron buttermilk Fried chicken. Here's Blowtoad's tuesday night special.  

Buttermilk Fried Chicken at Blowtoad

So for most of buttermilk fried chicken I've had, most of them seem to have all their flavor in the crunchy skin. The meat, though juicy, was devoid of much seasoning. Is this typical?

Pho Saigon

I'm so happy to have tasted these chicken wings from Pho Saigon. They're flavorful all the way to the bone. And because they are not breaded, they're not disgustingly greasy the next day and tastes just as good. I think they're one of the best chicken wings in Richmond.

 Fried Chicken Wings

Ironfish

     Should have posted about this wonderful Branzino sooner. A bit pricey but delish!

Branzino

Zorba's

Feta cheese and olive appetizer

Unfortunately this was the only picture I had on my phone that looked decent. I initially thought Zorba's was a typical "Americanized" Greek restaurant in a strip mall, but after eating the leftovers I've decided it's a place I'd like to put in regular rotation. The yogurt lamb kebab is not to be missed. 

Seoul Buffet

      Heading over to the Southside, there's a Korean buffet restaurant. I'm not too fond of buffets but I think it's a great way to familiarize yourself with the offerings of an unfamiliar cuisine.

bibimbap bar

My favorite, as I've discovered, is the Jap Chae. It's a sweet potato noodle that is stir-fried and doused with some sesame oil. I just love the texture and the crunchiness of the vegetables.

Jap chae

So that's a few noteworthy eats I've had in Richmond from the past few weeks. Ironfish was way back in January but I felt it was so good not to mention here. 

I'll let the pictures do the talking. Let's just say I've gone through so much heavy whipping cream, milk and eggs in this house. 

Mango Cream Puff

After a week of detox diet which consisted mostly of cabbage soup, I was more than ready to indulge in some hearty Persian rice dishes and lamb. It did not help that during that week of restricted eating, the cookbooks I ordered started arriving. It was extremely hard to browse through those picture-perfect cookbooks; the “Hungry” hubby, who was doing the diet with me, finally had to tell me to stop “torturing” myself.

Anyway, I did manage to go to the grocery on the last day of my diet to get the ingredients for a weekend of cooking.

The recipe for the lamb is adapted from Najmieh Batmanglij's updated version of her cookbook “Food of Life”. These were supposed to be kebabs threaded through fig branches. I thought the fig branches were for flavor but my sister-in-law told me that the sap of fig branches acted as tenderizers.

I also made Baqala polow - a dill and lima bean rice - that goes so well with lamb. My polow-making skills are still a work in progress. I’ve always gone to my sister-in-law’s and my friend’s for Persian rice dishes but recently I thought it might be a good idea to learn how to make them myself seeing as how HH loves them.

My sister-in-law is preparing a Norooz (Persian New Year) luncheon and I offered to help her so I can learn some tricks with Persian cooking including how she keeps a kitchen so clean every time (her stove and oven are spotless) even when she has to cook food fit to feed an army.

So for now, I leave you with a Shirazi-style pan-cooked lamb {kebab}

2 pounds leg of lamb (de-boned, and cut into 2-inch cubes)
1/2 cup oil or butter
2 large onions, peeled and sliced into thin rings
2 large tomatoes , peeled and sliced into rings
2-3 teaspoons salt (for flakier salt like maldon use 3 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
Zest of 2 limes

Grease a wide, shallow pot with 1/4 cup of oil
Arrange the onion slices in a layer to fit the bottom of the pot.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, a few drops of saffron water, and zest of 1 lime.
Arrange the lamb pieces on top of the onion rings and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, the rest of the saffron water, and zest of 1 lime.
Arrange the tomato slices on top, sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper, and drizzle with the rest of the oil.
Cover tightly and cook over low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours or until the lamb is tender. Adjust seasoning to taste by adding more salt or pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Cooking Notes:
This dish produced a pool of oil, probably because the lamb itself had a lot of fat which I refused to remove. Might try to reduce the oil that is to be drizzled on top of the tomatoes next time.

This post is dedicated to Pooh Bear, my furry four-legged pooch who passed away this past Tuesday. He loved lamb! Every time we cooked lamb he would hover around the grill sniffing the air - he knew he was going to clean out some lamb chop bones afterwards. Pooh, we are going to miss you!

Pooh Bear (1998-2012) taken last December

For those following me on twitter, y’all know I’m currently on a detox diet. I’ve been avoiding pork and red meat for more than a week and it’s not been easy. I’ve always advocated eating in moderation but the hectic 4th quarter last year really threw sensible eating out the window and this continued into the New Year and into my recent vacation.

Yep, a vacation certainly didn’t help.

If ever you get to make a stopover at the Hong Kong International Airport, arrive hungry. Their fast food center serves amazing stuff, like this shrimp dumpling and noodle soup.

Shrimp dumpling, HK noodles

Upon arrival in the Philippines and after a longish nap, hubby and I were whisked immediately to Choi Garden and to this.

Chinese suckling pig

My aunt and cousins apparently thought to honor my homecoming with my favorite dish - lechon de leche a.k.a. roast suckling pig. Perfectly prepared, there was no fat under the crisp skin and the meat was fork tender.

I can't help it if I love pork, so the following evening was another platter of this divine porcine fare. Crispy pata a.k.a, deep fried pork trotters.

"The Barbarian" crispy pata O-Mai-Khan way

I was sharing this dish with my mom and I tried to give her the leaner parts but she demanded the crispy-skin-quivering-layers-of-collagen parts. And it dawned on me that despite our difference in opinions, when it comes to the pig, I am my mother's daughter.

The next evening, my family agreed to have a leaner dinner meaning Japanese food. Would an all-you-can-eat sashimi/sushi be considered diet food?

Hamada - buffet

Then came Monday night. One of my brothers had a friend who makes a great lechon cebu (a special type of lechon that does not need sauce and which Anthony Bourdain ordained the best whole pig dish in the world) and he ordered one for a party we were having with family and friends. This.

the lechon cebu

two little piggies

My niece's husband, Bob was the designated lechon-chopper, I volunteered to be the lechon-skin snipper. Hubby had his reservations, but no one seemed to object and all thought I deserved that honor.

Snipping lechon skin, I had a lot of volunteer plate-holders

Lechon is really best eaten while it's being chopped apart, and then the kitchen got crowded as I was handing out crispy wafers of porcine heaven.

A merry bunch!

My mom got impatient and appeared to be threatening Bob.

A knife-wielding grandma

I fed her some crispy pork skin and my mom got appeased after she ran away with the pig tail!

My mom nibbling on the pig tail

And any doubts of being my mother's daughter were dispelled. Hubby can't fault me for being so passionate about lechon.

My mom (with her pig tail) and me

YUM!!!

There were other dishes of course. Other grilled meat and my brother's tom yum soup. But really, there was no doubt which dish was the star of the night.

Not sure what day I had the bagnet below. But I must say, I definitely had my fill of the pig.

I also wished iced-tea in the U.S. came with more panache.

Lemongrass-pandan iced tea with local honey

Yeh, I need that detox.

I figured a restaurant full of RVA food critics and writers couldn’t be wrong. I saw nothing but unbridled praise on my twitter-feed during Peter Chang's China Cafe dinner event on opening week.

It’s my fault that I let that spur me into immediately checking the place out with expectations running so high only to be dashed by a less than stellar dish. The greasy and tasteless Jing Jiang duck reminded me that the place was not yet a week old, and even under the helm of an experienced chef, needs time to find its rhythm.

So I thought to wait a few more weeks before going back - except those darn, almost delirious raves on my twitter feed wouldn’t stop.

With lowered expectations, I decided to order take-out.

I am happy to report that my to-go lunch has sublimely surpassed my expectations. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, the staff will be better trained on how to describe some cryptically-named dishes to customers unfamiliar with their menu. Though some items are common, the more interesting ones are not.  A knowledgeable waitstaff could really set Peter Chang’s China Cafe apart from being just another Chinese restaurant in a strip mall.

Here were the dishes I liked: 

Mapo Tofu - my favorite

Golden Mountain Chicken

Bok Choy and Mushroom

I wish they'll start serving the bok choy with tofu skins, I saw it on their menu but it's only available with mushrooms right now. 

Pumpkin balls with black bean paste

Conspicuously absent are any porcine fare, huh? I was tempted to order the crispy pork belly and spare ribs but I'm on a no pork and red meat diet for a few weeks. So those dishes will have to wait.

It's been a whirlwind of eating, I don't think I can recall every detail of each meal. So, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. I don't have a picture of every single dish that passed through my mouth,  either due to bad lighting or we simply forgot to capture the plate. But one thing's for sure, the Iphone has replaced the point and shoot. Didn't even bring a camera on this trip.

The Shanghai Soup Dumplings were from Crystal Jade and were some of the best I've had. The dumpling purses were soft and the broth inside was plentiful.

Xiao Long Bao

Restaurants are usually found by memory, and not by name. Still don't know the name of the establishment below.

Some Hong Kong restaurant

All I know is, this roast goose was delicious...

and so was this braised abalone

aaaaaaaaand this

steamed grouper

Yay for Hainanese Chicken rice from Seargent's at the Food Republic! It's hard to replicate this dish stateside because the chicken itself is a different breed. Notice how substantial and yellow the skin is.

hainanese chicken rice

Ramen from Ippudo HK.

The best dinner I had was not from a Chinese restaurant but from a Japanese one. Reservations were required a month in advance at Wanya - an all-you-can- eat type of establishment. There was no buffet table though, you were given four kinds of menu to order from: Teppanyaki, robatayaki, shabu shabu and sashimi/sushi and they were prepared to order and ALL YOU CAN EAT!

We had about 18 plates of different dishes and we couldn't even get to the shabu-shabu as we were so stuffed. In restrospect, we should have started with shabu-shabu, being a soup and all.

grilled cod

grilled enoki mushroom wrapped in beef

Very fresh mixed sashimi

lamb chops!

a very unique tasting herring and roe sashimi

 "Hungry" Hubby and I wanted to go to Paris this year mainly for me to do more research on pastry trends. However, we knew that it was more important  for me to visit my mom in the Philippines. She will be 85 years old this April and her memory is not what it used to be, so I didn't want to pass any opportunity to see her while she still knew who I was.

Our flight on Cathay Pacific to the Philippines goes via Hong Kong and there was no extra charge for a longer stopover on the way back. HH has never been to HK and he was hesitant until I told him that there was a bronze statue of Bruce Lee in Harbour City.

It turns out, our timing was perfect. It was the Chocolate Trail exhibition at Harbour City, well-known chocolatiers from La Maison du Chocolate to new-to-me Paul Lafayet were showcasing their pastry.

Imagine my glee when I spied this giant macaron upon stepping out of my hotel (which was inside the mall).

Big mac

My first stop, La Maison Du chocolat

Booths like the above were scattered along the chocolate trail. All you had to do was follow the trail of picture-perfect pastry. Like below.

like the cream puff above or the eclair below.

Sitting on a big eclair

And macarons like this were scattered everywhere.

The main pavillon:

I was also lucky to come by a demo by Paul Lafayet about putting together a macaron piece montee.

Macarons were expensive. This half-dozen box from La Maison du Chocolate was HK$150 which was almost US$20. We were disappointed in the flavor, the chocolate filling was okay but the shell was almost non-existent.

choctrail10

The best macarons we tried were from Paul Lafayet. Since there was quite a few of us in our group we were able to sample more of the flavors. My favorite was the Bailey's and the Passion Fruit. They were $HK 15 each, $USD 2 were about 1.25 inch diameter.

L-R: Baileys, Coffee, Chocolate

Pistachio, chocolate, Passion Fruit, Mandarin Orange

and a lot more...

Paul Lafayet Macarons

I also sampled macarons from Jean-Paul Hevin. They were a whopping HK$ 25, US$ 3.30 each and was a bit bigger than most macarons at 1.5 inches. They tasted okay but not as good as Paul Lafayet's.

Jean-Paul Hevin macarons

Other pastries of note. Creme Brulee and strawberry tart, also from Paul Lafayet.

We also made the trek (okay, the train) from Kowloon to Hong Kong in search of Tai Cheong bakery (Lyndhurst terrace) egg tarts. I almost gave up when I saw the uphill road I had to take.

The road to egg tarts

But I thought I was already here. I braved a packed train and after a little more hike up this trail could justify eating two egg tarts.

The trek was not in vain. Fresh, hot egg tarts out the oven.

As I was enjoying a freshly-baked egg tart I was contemplating my next stop: Chickalicious cupcake outpost, Kisses.

Espresso, Matcha, Triple chocolate and Ferrero Rocher

I love their cupcakes, the frosting was just right and was not sweet at all! I wish cupcakes in Richmond would follow suit.

On my last day in HK, I discovered this giant structure. I'm not sure what pastry it represents, but I just have to have my picture taken with it.

Persian cuisine is known for their stews (khoresh) and their rice (polow) dishes; they're also known for their fabulous kebabs. I myself don't make these stews or rice much because I have no shortage of supply from my family and friends. The hubby is usually their tech support for Apple products and they usually repay in khoreshes and I become a beneficiary by association.

Some Persian food like the rice dishes require extensive preparation, but this mushroom khoresh is one of the easiest to make, besides who doesn't like mushroom and chicken? This recipe is taken from "New Food of Life" by Nagmieh Batmanglij. My book is the 2000 edition. Can't wait to get my hands on the 25th anniversary edition published last year.

Mushroom Khoresh

(khoresh-e-qarch)

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 pounds chicken legs, cut up, or 1 pound stew meat (lamb, veal, or beef), cut in 1-inch cubes
6 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1. In a Dutch oven, brown onions, garlic, and meat or chicken in 3 tablespoons oil. Add salt and pepper. Pour in water -- 1 1/2 cups for meat, 1/2 for chicken. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 1/2 hours for meat or 45 minutes for chicken, stirring occasionally.
2. Clean mushrooms, cut off stems and slice. Sprinkle with flour and parley and saute in 3 tablespoons oil.
3. Add mushrooms, lime juice, and saffron water to the meat. Cover and simmer 35 minutes over low heat.
4. Taste the stew and adjust seasoning. Add beaten egg yolks and cumin if desired. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat, gently stirring.
5. Transfer the stew to an ovenproof casserole. Cover and place in a warm oven until ready to serve. Serve hot from the same dish with chelow, saffron-steamed rice.

Cooking Notes:

I fully intended to use skinless chicken thighs but for some reason I ended up with skinless breasts. Instead of parsley, I used cilantro which is also used for garnish. I did not use any cumin because I did not have any at hand. Most Persian cooks actually use turmeric and my friend and mother-in-law told me they always add a little turmeric to all the khoreshes.

It's rare that you can drag me out for breakfast, brunch is a better option. Why? Because I think the "Hungry" Hubby makes the best coffee and that caffeinated cup is what I'm looking forward to every morning. In fact, every time we've had to go out of town we dread the shitty hotel coffee.

Anyway, last Sunday, despite turning in late after dinner and a movie with friends, we were up relatively early and I surprised the HH by suggesting to eat brunch somewhere. I've always wanted to try the Roosevelt brunch.

There was one problem. When I checked their menu online, most of the items with butter used vanilla butter. Vanilla and hubby's nose don't mix - it tastes like cough syrup to him - I've accepted that it's a physiological issue with his palate and not psychological (okay, sometimes I do wonder).

So scratch the ricotta pancakes. Some of you may ask, "Well can't you just ask the server to give you regular butter?" Yes, but knowing how the Roosevelt gets so busy, I'd hate to make special requests. Besides, I'm always in the mind that the chef knows best and when you make substitutions you kinda veer away from his vision of the dish.

We arrived 5 minutes before they opened for brunch which was 10:30 am. That's one thing about me too, I hate waiting for a table and I'd rather be the first one through the door (there was already a group ahead of us though). By 11:00 am, the restaurant was packed.

We were promptly given water and it was a good thing we were ready to order by the time our server returned. In a bustling place like this, it's best to get your order in before the 4-tops or 5-tops go in (heaven help you if you're behind a group of 10.)

Which is why I hate to go out in groups to a popular restaurant. Most of my friends don't seem to grasp the urgency of getting your food order in to the kitchen quickly - we can catch up on stuff later people - heck I wouldn't let HH use the restroom before ordering.

Yes, I know, I maybe weird, but waiting for food is not one of my virtues.

Anyway, I went for - what else - the fried chicken thighs, cast-iron potatoes, slow-cooked egg and sausage gravy. I'm a fried chicken fiend and a sucker for runny eggs, so this dish is a winner for me. The chicken was crisp and the meat was juicy. HH had a bite of the chicken and thought it needed more seasoning, but for me it was perfect. I thought my potatoes needed crusting as it was touted as cast-iron prepared, but it was still yummy - nothing like breaking the yolk over the potatoes and spooning that medley into my mouth.

Fried chicken thighs, cast-iron potatoes

My hubby's dish of potato, mushroom, sausage hash was a revelation. The salsa verde went so well with this combination. The sausage was packed full of flavor and reminded me of chorizo. The only catch was, I knew it wasn't enough food for him which gave us a perfect excuse to get a biscuit as I've been eyeing someone at another table tearing into one. Thankfully, the vanilla butter was served separately.

So the Roosevelt is a great dinner and brunch spot. If I just lived closer, I probably would be there every time Kendra tweeted something new on the menu. I wonder if they'll ever open for lunch?

The Roosevelt
623 N. 25th street
(804)658-1935

The weather does not need to dip below freezing for me to crave hot soup. I think eating noodle soup is in my DNA and I would want it in hot humid weather just as I would in these current frosty conditions. However, when the mercury plummets, there appears to be an increased compulsion to seek out that hot steaming bowl of broth, whether to eat or just wrap my fingers around for comfort.

I've also seen my twitter-feed explode with people feeling "under" the weather after last weekend's spring-like air morphed back into winter. By the way, I never remember the winter being this fickle.

Whether true or not, I always felt that spicy food was good for when you get the onset of a cold. Once, the hubby and I were stuck at a company outing on a bitterly cold day that "chilled to the bone" comes to mind. We were fortunate to end up going to a friend's house for dinner. She was making seafood gumbo and she inadvertently made it too spicy. I mean, we couldn't take a bite without taking a swig of water. Our mouths were on fire, beads of sweat dotted our foreheads and we were tearing up and sniffling endlessly. Well, by the time dessert arrived, hubby and I were both feeling better. I think the spicy food induced an artificial fever and nipped the virus in the bud before it had the chance to propagate. Again, there is no science behind this so take this claim with a grain of salt. 

So I thought it would be nice to compile a list of noodle soup places for rva folks to have handy; just in case the noodle-soup urge hits them:

1. Thai Diner - spicy noodle soup. Have it with chicken for a spicy take on chicken noodle soup. Order it as spicy as you can endure when you feel the inklings of a cold. (8059 West Broad Street)
2. Pho So 1 - my place for authentic Vietnamese pho, very reasonable prices and it comes in two sizes. (6403 Rigsby Rd)
3. Dalat - for a tamer pho. My hubby doesn't like strong flavorings in soup and their menu is a great middle-ground between us. (9125 W Broad St # L)
4. Thai Flavor - chicken noodle soup. You can pick your noodle type: egg noodle, vermicelli, thin rice noodle and wide rice noodle. The broth tastes like the one they use for Tom Yum Goong.(Innsbrooke shoppes - 4040-F, Cox Road)
5. Full Kee - Roast duck and Hong Kong style noodle soup. Request the breast meat as leg part is hard to eat in a soup. Also, you can add vegetables. (6400 Horsepen Rd)

Full Kee Roast Duck noodle soup

Several suggestions from twitter that I've never tried or haven't tried in a long time include:

Mekong - for pho and they also have a great beer selection. (6004 West Broad Street)

Pho Tay do - for pho. cash only. (6328 Rigsby Road)

King of Szechuan - for hot pot. (3991 Glenside Dr)

If you have any other favorites, please add them in the comments section. 

Happy slurping!