Behind the White Coat

Hanoi Food Tour

So I'm here in Northern Vietnam, where they don't mess around when it comes to food. So it was time to go Bourdain on the streets of Hanoi. No fear, just good eats. Well maybe a little fear. I did come prepare with Pepto and imodium just in case, and i took it a step further and took a zithro everyday as prophylaxis! (Not taking any chances)

My first evening I wanted to hit up a restaurant that would serve up some good classic Vietnamese food. On several rec's i went to Quan An Ngon.  Only a 5 min walk from my hotel, its pretty much an open air restaurant with a canopy up top.  The place was pretty packed on Thursday evening, with tourists, locals, students, large groups and solo eaters.  Most of the tables are long shared tables where you get elbow to elbow with your neighbors.   I took a seat and was offered this vast menu of options representing the local favorites from different parts of Vietnam. Suddenly I realized I don't know that much about Vietnamese food -  at least not the terminology.  So I did the next best thing: look at what all the Vietnamese people are eating around me. I noticed a few popular items, and a few things i recognized eating in the past, and with a little pointing and some guidance, I was able to formulate an order with the waiter.  

One thing I saw many eating which I have had in the past was the various ground and grilled meats they serve with thin rice paper, or "Banh Trang".  They serve the meat, rice paper, and some fresh mint and other condiments, and you create your own roll and dip into a tangy sauce (which Im guessing is fish sauce base). I went with the Chao Tom which is ground shrimp grilled on a sugar cane.  Very tasty! I also just like putting together my own eats at the table.  I also love how vietnamese dishes involve a lot of garnish with fresh mint and cilantro giving it that extra fresh herbal zing to the dishes.  My second dish was the Bo Luk Lak.  Which is tender cubes of beef that are marinated and stir fried into tender glazed little cubes served with potatoes, and a side of some fried rice.  For dessert I had what everyone seemed to be having, which was a glass of tapioca balls with some jelly strands topped with coconut milk and ice.  (I probably shouldn't have had the ice but I had it anyway... )   All in all a tasty meal with authentic food in a clean and comfortable environment, especially if you desire those classic street type dishes but are a tad weary of the cleanliness.

 

 

The next day it was time to get down to the nitty gritty. I was now on the hunt for the best bowl of Pho I could find.  Since this was my last day in Vietnam, I had only one shot at this.  After doing some reading and talking to the hotel concierge, both sources led me to one name: Pho Gia Truyen.  Which was again only a few blocks from my hotel.  When I found it, it looked like just another one of the many shoddy little pho stalls offered in Hanoi, if not among the more ordinary looking hole in the walls.  I went for "brunch" I suppose, around 10:30am, so the line wasn't long which it apparently always is.  They serve only two variations of Pho, one with beef and one without (which I doubt is truly a "vegetarian" option as the broth is made with fish sauce and I'm sure beef stock.  I simply held out one finger and requested "pho bo" , or beef pho.  It was a small counter with a two person operation.  One guy had two different hunks of beef that had been cooked (Im guessing it was baked or poached or something), and he was slicing thin pieces of fatty meat from each of the two slabs for each dish, with his bare hands that were soaked in juices and getting right up in there. I thought to myself I really hope he kept them clean, I hope he doesn't nick himself, and was also glad of my natural hepatitis A immunity at that moment.  The woman next to him was manning a pot of broth in a giant pot, just brewing bellowing smoke.  She would scoop out the broth with a large ladle into a bowl of noodles, the guy would toss the meat right on top, and it would all be garnished with some fresh greens and some spices, and you were good to go.  The beauty was that each ingredient is made separately, but when put together, the delicious flavorful broth just locks everything together like its been cooking in the same pot all day.  And again the broth appeared so light yet with a perfect intensity of flavor - not too dark or overpowering - so you could still taste those thin tender fatty beef strips and perfect noodles with each bite.  I opted to spice mine up with some of the chilis at each spot on the tables (the term table used loosely here as with my little plastic stool and low plastic tray, I might as well have squatted and eaten old school Asian style).   It was definitely some of the best noodle soup - let alone pho - that I've had, ever!  I remember thinking if I got sick, it was probably worth it.... Unless I get shigella or something, that would suck.

 

After my breakfast I did some walking, shopping, and touring of the city as I built up a little more of an appetite.  Round 2 was lunchtime a few hours later, and my next stop was to chow down some Ban Bo.  Ban Bo is also a noodle dish of room temperature rice noodles that is topped with this crispy stir fried beef right on top, some juices and a little broth with again some fresh herbal garnish.  I found the spot, Ban Bo Nam Bo, which looked just as shabby of a hole in the wall as Pho Gia Truyen was.  This time one lady sat in the station in front, with rows of bowls with already cooked noodles ready.  As an order came in, the beef would be fired up in her wok at high heat, sizzled, and thrown into the bowl with a touch of crispy garlic and some spices. Thats it.  I walked in and the aroma of the sizzling beef was enough to make me salivate.  The dish did not disappoint. Each bite offered a crispy flavorful shreds of beef with a herbal garlicky tinge with a strands of noodle and a slurp of broth - it was heaven in my mouth!!  I downed my dish in about 5 minutes, and probably could have had a second bowl!

Unfortunately by then I had to hit the airport.  I was intrigued by the option of going to one of the many places that serve snake, usually cobra. Apparently you'll see the guy slice and dice the sneak in front of you, after which a multiple course meal of that snake is to follow.  The first of which includes drinking of the fresh cobra blood and eating the still beating heart!  Alas for better or worse, I skipped out on that one!

Although Hanoi left me only with enough time for 3 real places to eat, they did not disappoint.  The Pho and the Ban Bo were amazing.  Perhaps I am biased because I like beef, and I love noodles (especially a noodle soup), but those were two of my favorite dishes of my trip.  Please check them out if you are ever in Hanoi!

 

Happy New Year from Thailand

Happy New Year!!
They know how to do it right in Thailand. We had drinks at our favorite bar along the beach when the clock hit.  People were out for miles along the beach on each side of us drinking at various beach bars and parties, letting lanterns loose into the sky to cast away the bad and evil for the new year. At one point you could see hundreds of little red flames in the sky! Quite the site. The fireworks were crazy. Basically local Thai guys (and a few old ladies) patrolling beach with all types of huge fireworks to sell, and you would set them off right there. These things were like Macy's July 4th caliber. They were like giant rockets! It was definitely not safe when these puppies go off right next to you a few yards or a few feet away! If there was a misfire, we would have some serious issues... That being said, it was exhilirating!

We eventually made our way along the beach and ended up at Arc bar. This huge outdoor party on the beach full with fire dancers, bumping music, tons of people, and drinks served in buckets for the masses. Ther even even dancing on platforms in the water, and swimming in the ocean! We met up with other friends there and partied till the wee hours of the night...

Post Partying Grub

New York City is the greatest place to go out at night, but the real problem is deciding where to go and grab a drink, go dancing, or party all night. Just as difficult a decision to make is where to go eat when you got those late night post-drinking munchies. You just gotta find the place that is closest to where you party. Well I came up with a bunch of the places I have been known to go in the late night hours, and I think you'll find something that floats your boat and pleases the desire of any hungry night-owl.

Mamouns [west village]
The original all-time classic late-night grub joint. If you haven't heard of Mamoun's, then you really need to get your ass down to McDougal Street to this tiny hole in the wall. Cheap, open till 5am, if are sober enough to wait on the line that usually comes out the door, you won't be dissapointed. The best falafel and shwarma in the city as far as I'm concerned. The guys in the tiny area behind the counter work at super speed to get your freshly fried falafel, and freshly cut shwarma--rotating and sizzling in the back as you watch. Dont' be a hero with their hot sauce, it is viscious, but oh so good! Take it to go, eat it in the cab, or find an empty seat at one of the 6 tiny tables, and chow down.

L'Express [park ave south]
If you're feelin a sit-down trendy-diner mood, then l'express is the place to go. Open 24 hours, this always happening French bistro is as packed in the post-party hours as it is during Sunday brunch. If you're sick of the same ole diner food, l'express serves up diner food a' la francais. Superb fluffy eggs, tasty sandwhiches, fresh mussels, the tasty lamb sausage, other french delights, and oh of course, the famous lamb burger--spiced to perfection, and oh so tender. Along with your food, if you can still handle it, a great selection of beers--go for the Delerium Tremens, it my new favorite.

Gam Mee Ok [west 30s]
If you have any Korean friends, then they may have taken to you to this popular late-night joint in K-town (koreatown, 32nd street). Famous for serving up their bowls of Sul Long Tang, a milky white soup with noodles, beef, rice, cooked in a big stone vat, it is a good place to come with a group, for something hot, tasty and sobering. Add some sea salt, scallions, and slurp away. They also serve up other korean classics like bim bim bop and pajan, always tasty and satisfying.

Gray's Papaya [downtown 6th ave]
I'm sure you've heard of the famous Gray's Papaya (Chris Rock went there in Down to Earth). If not, they serve basically one thing--hot dogs! That's right, if you're on the go, and you're on the west side, this 24 hour hot dog joint will serve you up the best all-beef hot dogs in the city. Get a couple of dogs with one of the super fresh and thick fruit shakes to serve your satiety.

Chicken and Rice [midtown west]
This place has so many names--"Chicken and Rice", "Brother", "Platter", those are some of the names I've heard thrown around for this little mobile stand sitting on the corner of 52nd and 6th. Now I have been here a few times in the past couple of months, and each time I have waited on line for at least 30 min and up to an hour! Is it really worth it? Well an hour is pushin it, but if you're with some peeps and can hold up for 20 min, it is worth it. Servin up plates of chicken or lamb with rice, salad, pita, and the great white sauce and hot sauce. Now what I also found is that there is another guy down the street, on 51st and 6th, who I think is just as good, and the line is damn shorter. And when your that drunk, you can't even tell. But check these stands out, because they are killer.

Some other places I frequent in the late hours: Bereket's [east village], Crif Dogs [St. Mark's], Coffee Shop [union square]

Tribeca Grill

Talk about a hectic week... and it's only Wednesday! I am so bitterly exhausted I just have to sit here and bitch. I guess that's what I get for going out the last few nights and staying up late when I know I have to wake up at 6am to face another grueling day on the wards. But shit, you gotta live a little right? Am I gonna pay the price when I have to prepare my supposedly grand presentation on Diastolic Heart Failure for tomorrow's attending rounds? Probably. But at least I ate well last night...

This is a joyous week in new york city... That's right folks.. Restaurant Week--2 weeks out of the year where all the top notch, bling-bling, suck your corporate account dry restaurants will offer special menus featuring 30$ prix fixe dinners, and 20$ prix fixe lunches. Considering the normal prices of meals at many of these joints, that is a bargain. (Though you get sucked into thinking your getting such a deal, and after ordering the wine and drinks, it don't really make much of a difference in the end. Such suckers we are--but rule #1: never turn down an excuse to have a good meal!) Last night we went to Tribeca Grill. Co-owned by Robert De Niro, this place has been around for a while. It is a giant room with high cielings, where no agrophobic would feel safe. With a huge banquet hall upstairs for, I'm guessing, banquets, and a hallway to the bathroom ridden by Bobby D's movie posters. Serving up enticing nouveau-American fare, with a wine list that needs a table of contents, it is great place for a loud, spacious, happening spot for dinner with some friends if your in the Tribeca area. The square bar sits in the center, making it a nice spot for some pre-dinner drinks and conversation. There are also some tables outside to catch some summer air on Greenwhich street. Though we stuck to the restaurant week menus, they were straight from the normal options--and all tasty. Your standard array of steak, fish, and what not, but solid and served in a lively scene. They also had some of the best dinner rolls I've had in a long time! Try heading to Dylan's down the block for a post-dinner martini. The St Croix martini makes you feel the carribean-nyc fusion like you're sailin on the waves down fifth avenue.

1:30am and I have finally finished my exciting presentation. (Hours after starting this post). Tomorrow is my last call day at Weiler Hospital before I head over to Jacobi. Godbless a Golden Weekend (our term for the weekend of the month where we don't have to go in--that's what we have to look forward to each month.. Sad isn't it?). Hopefully there will be some stories to tell!

Dos Caminos

So Sunday for my birthday, my mother and sister took me out for dinner (as my dad is at yet another conference in Athens of all places) to Dos Caminos Park Ave (one also exists in SoHo). I've tried to get a last minute weekend rez at this Steve Hanson hip Mexican hotspot a few times, but have failed both times. So we arrive on a drizzling Sunday evening to this sexy swanky mexican--I know it sounds like an oxy-moron, but somehow they made it happen. The ceilings hang carved hollowed-out tree trunks lit to give the feel of a latin sky, the booths and walls boast a noveau-aztec design, and long mirrored walls and deep sexy tones keep the aura loungey and nyc'ish. The place is huge too, with a small room in the back as well. A heavy black stone crock sits on the table for guacamole which is made fresh to order, spicy or mild--definitely one of the highlights. Nice and coarseley chopped, served with yummy warm tortilla chips!
The tequila list is plentiful, and the margaritas stellar. The menu had a great selection of some nyc mexican-fusion and some good ole traditional dishes that mom may approve of. The ceviche was on point and the fish dishes varied. The enchiladas and such will fill you up, and the seafood tacos looked damn scrumptious. I was surprisingly full at the end of the meal as well. The service was a little slow and impersonal, especially for a moderately filled Sunday evening, but the manager did send her apologies for the wait--but i was too full to squeeze a free dessert. My west-coast skeptics would argue the price and that "it aint real mexican dude, nyc mexican sucks." Hey, that may be, I'm a del-taco fan too, but to experience some excellent grub at a happening upper-class nyc mexican, this may be your place.

In other news, after starting on thursday, I finished the first season of Alias on DVD. That was quite a bit of time--but I highly recommend it. Quite suspensful and captivating, much like 24 (if you haven't seen that, go do so!.) The end of the first season had a pretty big cliffhanger, luckily my friend also had the second season, and I resumed to watch. I think I'll make it through by Friday.

Tapas and Birthdays in NYC

So today i hit the non-significant age of 26. It really has no meaning, except for the fact that I am know in my late 20s. Actually, that is a pretty big deal now that I think about it. Most of the prime decade in life is over. Half of the players in the NBA are probably younger than me. Damn, this sucks. Now is when we gotta start makin some changes to maximize the prime years.

Since I am havin a joint bday party with a friend next Saturday, I figured I would try to keep it low-key on Saturday. So a few of us went to dinner at tapas joint on Clinton Street called 1492. And no, it has nothing to do with Columbus, at least as far as I know. Though I did discover how tapas was born, which is quite an interesting tale. It was over a century ago now in Andalucia, Spain, (which is also the birthplace of sherry--the liquor). So back then, the bartenders would place some bread over a customer's glass to stop the fruit flies from getting in. Eventually they began spicing up the bread with some cheese or meat, making a tasty snack. Thus was born, tapas. Tapa being the Spanish word for lid or cover. Thought that could be an interesting tidbit to impress your tapas dates.

Anyway, 1492 was a cute, dimly lit, LES hipster meets hometown Spain tapas joint. The Sangria was good--light and smooth. The tapas were of standard size which were very tasty, and a decent selection, a little pricey at about 9-12$ each. It may leave you with some room in your stomach, but not a bad choice for a small group or a date, in a fun Clinton street location.

So after dinner we had a drink at Verlaine. A long, narrow, sexy, very red lounge with tasty strong drinks. A nice place to stop by for a drink with a couple of friends when your in the LES, though it can get kinda crowded in there. Then we went to this new place, Gstaad. It actually means "ski lodge," and they even have this big screen playing clips of extreme/crazy skiing and snowboarding. A nice touch. Not packed, nice crowd, good loungey house music and minimal yet trendy nyc decor with high ceilings give it a fresh and spacious feel.

Then at about 2:30am a few of us ended up at Coral Room. My friend DJ Reach was spinning again, and supposedly there was a Wesleyan party there, so I had to at least drop by to represent. Same old scene over there, music was good hip-hop, desis were plentiful (yet less than last time), but it was a fun time. He also threw me some shoutouts over the mic, and I got myself comped to avoid a 20$ cover.

Finally at about 5:00am, my friend and I ended up going to l'express diner on park ave with these two girls. It was funny, because me and my friend split a burger, and could barely eat half of it, whereas these two chicks cleaned up their plates! (And they weren't even fat chicks) Despite our lack of hunger that nite/morning, this 24 hr french diner will never let you down. A nice option for those late nyc nites. We eventually made it back to the bronx at a bright and early 6:30am. Just like the good ole days.

Well so much for keeping it a low key nite. If this was low-key, I fear the joint bday party we are having next week. Luckily since I pulled the birthday card, I spent less than 20$ all night. All in night's work I'd say =)

Schiller's Liquor Bar

Ahh Geriatrics. You know life is good when you go into work at 9am and get back at 2:30pm. I had time to go to the gym (for a good amount of time), do laundry, and clean my kitchen. Quite a day. And of course, with such a lax schedule, what else to do but go into the city everyday!!

Today's dinner was at Schiller's Liquor Bar. Finallly after the third attempt at this place, we actually got a table. Of course it took a reservation on a Tuesday. On the prior attempts, two Fridays in a row left me with a 1.5-2 hour wait, so good luck getting a table after 8:30pm at this new LES hotspot! From the creator of Balthazaar and Pastis(two fancy, chic, high-end French brasseries of nyc) Keith McNally brings you a slightly different creation. The dining room is plastered with white tiles, wooden chairs and tables, smoky warehouse-like windows, and walls lined with painted wine bottles--kind of like a secret British pirate's cove for hipsters. The bathroom even has two doors for men and women, only to enter into one room with a giant tub basin as the sink, with individual doors for men and women. A very retro-dive feeling of the whole place, a nice change from the ultra-foofoo places you usually see these days. The menu was like pre-fusion. An array of dishes from all types of cusines--steak frites, fish and chips, oyster po boy and cuban sandwhiches, and even lamb curry. It was like meals from an old-school british trading port. The best was the wine list, which was simply "Cheap," "Decent," or "Good." Ranging from 15$ to a whopping 19$. We decided to be bling and went for the "Good." It was kinda like the menu for the diner from My Cousin Vinny. The wine was served in standard mini-water glasses from a custom painted wine bottle simply labeled "#3 - Good." Amazing. (For you wine snobs, the menu did indicate the type of wine you would be drinking.) Dessert was damn tasty--The sticky toffee tart I believe it was called. A warm toffee cake-like tart with ice cream. It would kill a diabetic, but damn what a good way to go. Price was surprisingly decent as well. And of course a giant Liquor Bar at the back with all types of drinks to appease you. Even when I arrived waiting for my dates, I said "I'll have a drink at the bar," and the host responded "Good. We encourage that here."
My Vote: Recommended, go on a weekday with a couple of friends and some loud conversation.

Asia Society and Italian Food

Today I visited the Asia Society on 71st and Park to hear a lecture on the economy of Pakistan by Shaukat Aziz, Minister of Finance of Pakistan (also a close family friend). Very interesting talk I must say. I learned that Pakistan's financial situation has been dramatically turned around in the past 4 or 5 years. Reform in just about every area of Pakistan's governmental and financial policies has been reducing the deficit, boosting the economy, and improving business, banking, investments, poverty, etc. The numbers were quite impressive. Even simple things like actually implementing a working method of collecting taxes and reducing corruption in the ranks can take a country a long way. Tourism has even blossomed in the homeland, and it is one beautiful country to visit! Check it out. Anyway, the Asia Society has some pretty interesting stuff that is worth checking out: lectures, art exhibits, performances, films, book readings, etc. A link between Asia and the U.S. to build awarness, understanding, and communication for the changing facets of the region and its culture. It's worth a look: www.asiasociety.org

Later I endulged in an excellent Italian meal at Mezzaluna. A long-standing neighborhood upper-east side Italian joint that really makes you feel like your in a hometown Italian restaurant, where the waiters are actually Italian, the walls are plastered with Milanese art, and the tiramisu is killer. Try the grilled squid or the black linguini. Always tasty indeed.