Category Archives: FavoriteThings

Favorite Things: Sottocenere al Tartufo

One of the perks of Park Slope Food Coop membership is access to their ridiculous cheese selection. Already reasonably priced, the small portion sizes allow one to sample cheeses not encountered often, such as the one below.

Sottocenere al Tartufo is a Venetian cheese we first tried at a friend’s house, one that caused us to close our eyes the moment it touched our lips. The cheese itself is mild and soft, but deeply laced with the flavor of black truffles.

The infamous cheese selection at the Food Coop – over 100 varieties at wholesale prices.

“Sottocenere” means “under ash” for the ash rind used to coat the cheese during its aging process to preserve its quality and flavor. It worked, because as mild as the cheese is, its truffle (“al tartufo” means “with truffles”) specks’ flavor seems to have seeped deep into the cheese, surprising because there aren’t many truffle specks that are actually visible.

The Sottocenere at the Food Coop at half the market price!

Sottocenere is made from cow’s milk and is categorized under the semi-soft category, its mildness due to the short aging time (3- 4 months). Because of its delicate flavor, this cheese is best served with simple accompaniments such as the plain water crackers above, a baguette, or on its own. It’s available in many other competitive markets such as Whole Foods and Union Market, and while pricey at these stores, will definitely not disappoint. Don’t take my word for it, take a whiff at the store.You’ll be swimming in the hypnotizing aroma of truffles that only says one thing: buy.

How about you? What is your favorite truffle presentation? Any obscure cheeses you recommend?

Favorite Things: Bukkake Okazu Rayu

Otafuku Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki

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For all the talk about New York being an expensive city to live in with restaurants that are often out of reach, there are still places like Otafuku in the East Village where one can get a unique gustatory experience for under $10. Sure, the entire place is the size of your bathroom and there is only standing room to eat (if you’re lucky). But this is New York, and if you live here you know that size is not equal to space. It’s what you make of it. And what Otafuku has done with nary a space to sit is quite remarkable.

It’s far from fancy. Three guys and a griddle plus a hardwood counter where they dump the nori, bonito, Bulldog sauce and Japanese mayo on your selection.

There are only three things on the menu: takoyaki (dumplings with octopus), okonomiyaki (potato and cabbage pancakes with pork), and yakisoba. I like simple menus. It keeps the restaurant focused and maintains the quality of its limited offerings.

A wall poster describes their offerings in detail:

“TAKOYAKI: Takoyaki, octopus balls, maybe called Japanese Comfort Food made by pouring a liquid paste of wheat flour into round metal molds and adding chopped octopus, ginger, scallion, and tenkasu to the paste and broil the mixture like little balls.

OKONOMIYAKI: Okonomiyaki is a Japanese style pancake made using a batter of flour, water and egg with shredded cabbag, corn, meat (beef or pork) or seafood (shrimp or squid) grilled on a hot plate and topped with special sauce, mayonniase, dried bonito flakes, dried seaweed powder. Okonomiyaki literally means Cook what you like, and customers can get choose (sic) their own favorite ingredients and then cook up their Okonomiyaki.”

My favorite is the takoyaki and okonomiyaki combo for $9, a full meal for even a big eater such as myself. I ask for extra ginger and red pepper powder and they gladly oblige, recognizing I must know my stuff. I’m not Japanese, but my country was a Japanese colony for a while. I’m just teasing. All I know about okonomiyaki I learned in New York, from Otafuku and in the homes of gracious friends.

Takoyaki on the left and okonomiyaki buried in bonito flakes on the right, plus extra red ginger.

I enjoy watching my food made in front of me because I can see the simplicity of the process: potato flour batter and some vegetables, a hot griddle and some chopstick and toothpick maneuvers.

Turning the takoyaki, as seen through a hot and oil-splattered window.

As far as the finished product, it’s the best of its kind. I hardly find okonomiyaki in Japanese restaurants (I’ve seen it once on a menu in 10 years of NYC dining, and it was nothing like Otafuku’s). The okonomiyaki is soft, flavorful, and served with an abundance of toppings and sauces. The takoyaki is crisp on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. I believe I only see takoyaki in Japanese market food courts, and rarely at that. This combo above remains to be one of my favorite quick go-to meals in the city. The crowd that gathers outside the cramp food stall seems to agree.

There is only one outdoor bench to sit on, and it has a warning sign.

The Otafuku lady guards the stall from the bark of wood in which she is carved. This box that must be as narrow as one king bed offers a secret that’s hard to guess from outside.

I’ve made okonomiyaki at home. It’s pretty good, but it can never be made with this much love. As far as Japanese street food (until a future trip to Tokyo), Otafuku has my heart.

Otafuku

236 East 9th Street New York, NY 10003-7503

(212) 353-8503

So Kong Dong Soft Tofu Restaurant

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So Kong Dong Tofu Restaurant in Fort Lee, NJ is a restaurant that could break my heart if it ever closed down. We have been going to this restaurant for the past ten years and it has never failed us. The soondubu (tofu soup) and the kalbi (Korean BBQ ribs) are the best we’ve ever had. Although they have raised their prices recently, it is still very affordable at $9 per soup (serves 1-2) and the kalbi is now $15 (then $10, but that was ten years ago).

House Specialty: soondubu jigae (tofu soup).
Pictured here, a boiling cast iron pot of seafood and beef soup, spicy.

The paper placemat also serves as a menu with only two main items: tofu soup and ribs. There are different varieties of soup such as beef, seafood, pork, kimchi, mushroom, beef & seafood, and plain. There are different levels of spice as well: not spicy, not too spicy, medium, spicy and very spicy. I would recommend medium for the novice who can tolerate a bit of heat, but I find that the spicy once is very tasty. I don’t think I’d go past spicy.

I love the unlimited banchan (appetizers), which include bean sprouts, kimchi, cucumbers and radish.

The soup arrives boiling in a cast iron pot. One has the option of adding an egg into the mix.

I like cooking my egg whole and then eating the semi-cooked yolk with my rice.

The ribs are tender, juicy, and very flavorful. I’ve been unable to find kalbi this good anywhere.

The secret is of course the thinly sliced, well-marbled meat. The seasoning is also out of the ordinary and tastes like it’s been marinating for a long time.

Rice is served in steel bowls. Here I have my rice topped with a piece of beef and two shrimp from my soup being made to cool.

After they serve the rice, they pour barley tea into the pot and the resulting mixture it makes with the burnt rice in the bottom is eaten as a palate-cleanser at the end of the meal.

As you can see, I hated it. :o) This is a bowl that might be big enough for two people but because it is so good, we always get our own.

A father cuts the beef into pieces with scissors for his daughters.

There must have been an overhaul of servers recently because the grumpier legends have all gone and have been replaced by kinder wait staff, a welcome change for this great place.

Wall fixtures.

Interior decor.

Outside the restaurant just reads “Soft Tofu Restaurant”

There is no dessert available on the menu but they do serve “Dessert Gum.”

So Kong Dong is a must if you are in the area.

Favorite Things: Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding

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Now I’m hardly a fan of sweets but can never resist this whenever it’s around. Magnolia Bakery‘s Banana Pudding is fluffy and tasty and expertly combines Nilla wafers, bananas, condensed milk and vanilla pudding. This seriously has to be taken away from me or else I’ll finish it all.

A tub of goodness.

If it doesn’t look so attractive to you, just close your eyes.
Pleasure awaits.

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