Author: cia

Sparks Steak House

210 East 46th Street between Second and Third
212/687.4855
$200 for two, with a bottle of wine, without tip
♥ ♥ ♥

My older brother lives in Manila and whenever he visits New York City, he has one request: eat a nice slab of steak at Sparks Steak House. When mafia boss Paul Castellano and mobster Thomas Bilotti were gunned down in front of the restaurant in 1985 under the orders of John Gotti, it forever put it on the map as one of New York City’s institutions. It’s less violent today because the crowd is mostly made up of the younger finance bunch who want to splurge before signing a business deal, but commoners like me can still enjoy a juicy sirloin steak with a bold glass of red wine.

Avoid peak dinner times and reserve a table for 9pm or later, especially on weekends, because you’ll spend less money at the bar while you wait. (We once waited an hour drinking at the bar even with an 8pm table.) You might not be related to any one in the Gambino family, but you’ll feel like royalty after you treat yourself to one of the Ceetta Brothers’ cuts of meat.

Kalbi, Korean-style Barbeque

I watched the boy make his own kalbi marinade for a barbeque party once. It’s so involved, that’s why people usually just buy it in a jar. Kalbi, or galbi, as some Koreans spell it, is really just short beef ribs cut across the bone. You can even leave them uncut but they’re easier to marinate and broil later if the bones are smaller. Filipino barbeque is as sweet as this Korean-style version, so I immediately knew my parents would like it. I went to the meat market and asked the butcher to cut the ribs lengthwise. I now make this marinade ahead of time and store it in a jar in the fridge. For more flavor, marinate the ribs for a day.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef short ribs, cut lengthwise
1 cup soy sauce
2 tbsps white sugar
a jig of rice wine
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 knob ginger, minced
1 bulb of small garlic, minced
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
salt, pepper

1. Make kalbi marinade. In a small pot over low heat, slowly dissolve sugar in soy sauce. Slowly add small amounts of water to dilute the saltiness of the soy sauce. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Massage meat with sesame oil and the rest of the ingredients in a glass baking pan. Add the marinade over the meat and let sit, covered with plastic wrap, for a couple of hours.
3. When ready to cook, broil in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Noodletown

28 1/2 Bowery corner of Bayard
212/349.0923
about $10 for two, without drinks, with tip
♥ ♥ ♥

Noodletown is not only a restaurant, it’s an institution. When Chinatown becomes a ghost town, Noodletown, or Great N.Y. Noodletown, as their sign suggests, is still open and stays open until four in the morning. Asian kids who come from a long night of dancing and drinking usually end up in Noodletown. Customers sit with strangers in round tables with only one thing in mind: the congee to cure the hangover that’s to come in the morning. I’ve made many inebriated visits to Noodletown as well. I usually order the congee with slivers of roasted duck and dot it with spicy hot oil. Visit during the day for a saner experience and order the roast duck or roast pork hanging by the window. For less than $5, it’s a great deal for lunch. The soft-shell crabs, lightly battered and flash-fried, are delicious when they are in season. If you can manage to get one of the abrupt waiters to tell you what vegetable is fresh, order the peashoot leaves or the swamp cabbage sauteed in garlic or stir-fried in oyster sauce.

Lugaw, Filipino-style Porridge

The Philippines is a tropical country but during the monsoon season, Filipinos stay in and make soup. Lugaw is heavier than plain soup because of the sticky rice that we use. I grew up eating it with leftover chicken meat to drive the flu away. Americans will compare it to rice porridge and the Chinese refer to it as congee; the Japanese okayu. No matter what you call it though, and whether you like it soupy or thick, this dish will make you feel better.

This version is the easy way using leftover white rice and store-bought chicken stock. To add some flavor, my friend Anna introduced me to Chinese pickled cabbage and stinky tofu. I spoon a teaspoon to each serving and skip the salt and pepper.

Ingredients:
2 cups of white rice, cooked
4 cups of chicken stock
1 preserved duck egg, sliced
2 stalks of scallions, roughly chopped
a handful of cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced, toasted
a drizzle of fish sauce
juice from 1 lime

1. In a saucepan, combine stock and rice and let simmer until hot. Toss in the scallions and the cilantro and mix. Season with fish sauce and lime juice.
2. Ladle in bowls and sprinkle with toasted garlic and top with sliced duck eggs before serving

Related post/s:
Buy preserved duck eggs, pickled cabbage and stinky tofu from Asia Food Market

Rhubarb Crisp

This was the first dish I’ve ever cooked for the boy that impressed him. He’s a much better cook than I am and it thrilled me to watch him clean up his bowl and ask for a second serving. I was visiting him in Vermont and we stopped by his professor’s house to borrow a canoe. We harvested some ramps from the side of the lake and he gave us rhubarb from his yard. The boy cooked a nice duck dinner with the ramps while I baked the rhubarb for dessert. Top this with either vanilla or strawberry ice cream and your boyfriend will be impressed too.

Ingredients:
1 pound rhubarb, cut into pieces 3/4 inch thick
white sugar
flour
half a stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of plain oatmeal
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
vanilla or strawberry ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Place the rhubarb in a square glass baking dish and toss with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/8 cup flour.
3. In a food processor, pulse 1/4 flour with butter until clumps are pea-size. Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of oatmeal and cinnamon. Pulse to combine. Sprinkle over rhubarb.
4. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm in a bowl and top with vanilla or strawberry ice cream.

Related post/s:
Sauteed ramps with pancetta