A Tale of Two Albany Ramen Bowls

The Capital Region is slowly catching on the ramen trend. There was the one-time Tavern Noodle pop-up, a couple of mediocre bowls from Mr Fuji Sushi and Samurai, and a soon-to-open ramen shop in the former Miss Albany/Scortino's space. In less than two days, we encountered two more ramen bowls on the local scene.

Brunch just got tastier thanks to the Breakfast Ramen Bowl at New World Bistro Bar. Savory soups just don't get enough attention as a breakfast item. To me, soups like pho and rice porridge are considered breakfast items so the idea of a ramen for breakfast wasn't too foreign. NWBB presents a veggie version with shiitake mushrooms, snap peas, carrots, bean sprouts and sweet peppers. I tend to hold back on veggie dishes, thinking they won't be as flavorful but I was wrong with this one. The broth was very well-developed and rich in flavor thanks to the shiitakes and added layer of umami from fermented black beans. A slight kick of heat kept your palate awake. The magic was in the perfectly cooked al dente noodles. The only tragedy was the lack of runny yolk in my poached eggs. I also found myself missing some meaty flavors but a side of peppered bacon did the trick. 

Sushi Tei has long been our #1 spot for sushi in the Capital Region. Along the way we've found gems like roasted yellowtail collar and udon noodle soup. Now we can add ramen to our list of favorites but so far it's only offered on Tuesdays.  Succulent slices of pork belly adorn a bowl of creamy golden meaty broth glistening with just the right amount of fat globules. A few shakes of chili oil, sesame seeds, and togarashi adds some zip. The dish was suppose to come with fermented menma bamboo shoots but the substitute of wood ear mushrooms worked just as well adding another dimension of texture. Interesting enough, the ramen noodles at Sushi Tei were thin and straight while the ones at NWBB were wavy. For some reason or another, I prefer the wavy kind and its chewiness. The egg here was also a misstep, hardboiled rather than poached. A slice of nori also would have been welcomed but the flavor of the broth more than made up for it. It'll be tough choosing between sushi and ramen, or just do yourself a favor and order both.

It's a tale of two different ramen bowls but it's nice to see Albany embracing a dish that deserves a spotlight. 

currently snacking on

...lavender honey frozen yogurt from Ayelada with swirls of local Acadia black locust honey from
Lloyd Spear Beekeeper and vanilla bean caramel sauce for good measure.

Miyake Fore St.

How could we leave Portland without enjoying some of the best sushi in town. Our experience at Miyake topped a slew of a list of delicious honeymoon eats. Last year we had a very satisfying bowl of ramen at its sister restaurant, Pai Men Miyake and couldn't wait to dive into this pick-your-own four-course dinner. 

Marinated Salmon: [Thinly sliced raw salmon with capers, mustard vinaigrette, and oba shiso leaves] This unique carpaccio-style sashimi was tangy and briny with beautiful velvety slices of salmon but the pickled plum was the crowning jewel.

Tuna 3 Ways: [sashimi, zuke, tartare] The least innovative dish of the night was this classic trio which lacked the punch and wow of others. Not that it was terrible, just not as exciting. Tai Kubuton: [Tai snapper head marinated and braised in sake, soy, dashi and ginger] Now that's a face only a mother could love. It was a bit of a Hannibal Lecter moment but it's one of the best cuts; the flesh is melt in your mouth tender. The simple fragrant sauce was just what this dish needed and nothing more. 

Local Forage Dinner

After the whirlwind of our wedding, it was nice to enjoy a nice sit down dinner at Sweet Sue's in Troy. This past weekend, J and I were lucky enough to attend Chef Josh Coletto's special Local Foraged Dinner as Chef Susan Dunckel's guests. Sweet Sue and her team catered our dream wedding meal with four different flavored pig roasts! You may know Josh from Rock N Roll Brunch at The Low Beat . This dinner was a whole new out-of-the-box experience for us, considering our only encounter with wild greens have been with ramps and fiddleheads. 

The six-course tasting menu featured local foraged ingredients with wine pairings. Wilderness educator Cait Denny was on hand to answer the five million questions we had about all the greens.

We were greeted with a glass of prosecco sweetened with honeyed angelica syrup and started the meal with this beauty:

First Course: Soft Duck Egg [Cranberry Beans, Dame's Rocket, White Pine Vinegar, Yogurt Dressing] :: Wine Pairing [Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Risling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Mosel, Germany 2012]

That soft yolk...enough said. The creamy beans were delicious but I was more drawn to the sour and bitterness of the dame's rocket, which we learned was from the mustard family.Second Course: Burdock Root Puree [Wild Thyme Aioli] :: Wine Pairing [Naked Flock Apple Cider, Hudson Valley, New York]

I have childhood nightmares of prickly burrs tangled in my hair as we played in the woods at recess but in edible root form, it lends a nice starchy texture to soup. Think potato leek soup but elevated. The aioli added a lovely tang. 

Third Course: Stinging Nettle and Ricotta Dumpling [Ostrich Fern Fiddlehead, Sauteed Wild Ramps with Slow-Roasted Ramp Bulb, Smoked Trout, Chive Blossom, White Wine Sauce] :: Wine Pairing [Clos Cibonne Tibouren Rose, Cotes du Provence, France, 2012] 

Chopsticks Optional Honeymoon: Portland, Maine

It wouldn't be a Chopsticks Optional honeymoon it we didn't stuff ourselves silly with delicious Maine eats! We took a few days for a short getaway to Portland and Kennebunkport after our wedding, where I gained all the weight I lost from suffering four days of food poisoning the week of my wedding. You read that right, what luck! Needless to say, after a brutal diet of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, I was ravenous! Here are a few highlights from our Portland leg:

Eventide Oyster Co: A trip to Portland wouldn't be complete without a stop by Eventide. It's our go to spot for a brown butter lobster roll but with each visit, we discover even better, innovative bites.

Bangs Island Mussel Tamago: fried mussels nestled in a creamy egg concoction, swirled with a salty umami-packed nam prik sauce and artfully sprinkled with pickled cabbage and crispy puffed rice. It was almost too pretty to eat, almost. 

Roasted Jumbo Winter Point Oysters: We love raw oysters but these roasted beauties were too tempting to pass. Crispy fried potato added a wonderful textural contrast to the briny oysters but it was the Korean BBQ sauce that elevated this one bite wonder.

Torn Maine Scallops: These little beauties were caramelized to perfection and bathed in the same brown butter elixir from their signature lobster roll but it was the sweet creamy parsnip puree that sang to us and brought all the elements together. 

Maybelle's Breakfast Egg Sandwich

It's 20 something days and counting until our wedding and I've been running back and forth from Hudson firming up plans. My stomach was rumbling after my hair appointment so I decided to treat myself to brunch. As I asked around while antique shopping in Catskill, locals were praising this new farm-to-table establishment called Maybelle's. Can't beat local advice!

The culinary compass usually points toward Hudson but don't underestimate Catskill. The sleepy stretch of Main Street may not standout as a gourmet destination but Maybelle's lays the foundation for an exciting menu worth coming to Catskill for. At first glance, I was mesmerized by the menu and its offerings: pan-seared duck sandwich, caramelized brussel sprouts with pickled okra, lamb merguez, among a bevy of tantalizing dishes. Sadly I was by myself and restrained myself to a simple breakfast sandwich accompanied by a sip of homemade lavender soda. 

As simple as a breakfast sandwich can be, the right elements can elevate this breakfast staple to a whole new level. At Maybelle's, two over easy eggs are sandwiched between the most tender and fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuit, schmeared on both sides with a generous amount of tangy goat cheese, and topped with your choice of local Catskills bacon or sausage. Add a swirl of sriracha and I was in breakfast bliss. Forget all the other frozen microwaveable breakfast sandwiches. The stars are the fresh ingredients but that goat cheese added an extra creaminess that made this little 'ole sandwich so decadent. I might very well start putting goat cheese on all my breakfast sandwiches from now on. But first I gotta bring J with me on a return visit, most likely as husband and wife the next time around!

currently snacking on...

... The Ice Cream Man's Throwdown Sundae as seen on Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Homemade vanilla hard ice cream, warm cinnamon apple pie filling,
whipped cream with nuts and a cherry on top, in this case burried somewhere!