New York Bites: Xi'an Famous Foods

Hello there Nomsters,

Spicy Lamb Noodles

It's been a while since we last met, but I'm promising that from now on I won't wait two months+ to dish out the latest food porn, reviews and recipes. For many college students, summer is a time to relax, travel, or start that internship that we chased during the spring semester. Personally, I ended up in New York, which is the perfect place to be a foodie in my free time. So over the next few weeks I will be blogging about my fantastical foodie adventures in the boroughs! To kick the summer off I thought Xi'an Famous Foods would be a fun place to visit after a semester spent in Shanghai.

Spicy Lamb Burger

Xi'an Famous Foods was conceived in Flushing, NY, the place to be if you want authentic Chinese food. After gaining a firm following at their location in Flushing, the owner expanded to Manhattan, making it that much easier for those who sought out authentic Chinese food! The menu features mainly noodle dishes along with some "burger options." Xi'an Famous Foods keeps things simple by doing what they do best, noodles.





On my first visit, we went to their Chinatown location on Bayard street. The ambiance of the restaurant is really reminiscent of being in China. The limited seating, quick service, and menu board picturing each item all reminded me of the little hole in the wall food spots in Shanghai! One of the quirkiest aspects of the restaurant was the dumbwaiter in the middle of the room that sent up patrons' meals!


I ended up ordering the Spicy Lamb Noodles ($7.00), featured in the picture above, and we also ordered a lamb burger ($3.00) and a pork burger ($3.00). The noodles were delicious, very fresh and chewy as they would have been in China. There was a generous serving of tender cumin-spiced lamb meat atop my noodles with fresh herbs, but boy was it spicy! If you order any dish labeled "spicy" off the menu, be sure you can commit to it, because once you start, there's no going back. The burgers were also very tasty. Huge portions of both lamb and pork nestled between crispy pancake rolls, like the ones seen being sold in the streets of any Chinese city. The lamb in the burger was also super spicy, the pork on the other hand is a great option if you are not a fan of spice. The pork was tender in texture and had a sweet flavor that contrasted well with the savoriness of the bun.

Overall, Xi'an Famous Foods is a great option if you are looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant for some good take-out. Every one of Xi'an's locations is cash only, so make sure you're prepared. Additionally, psych yourself up for the spiciness!

Xi'an Famous Foods

67 Bayard Street
Manhattan, NY

(212) 608-4170

Keep Calm and Nom On,
GF

Restaurant Review: Tarry Lodge by Mario Batali

Black Fettuccine+Rock Shrimp

Hello Friendly Nomsters,

It's been a while since I wrote about the wonders of a dinner on the town and with my past post about bug eating I think it's high time I give you some pictures of things you would consider eating on the spot rather than as a "life experience." Prior to my travels to Beijing, I ended up with an impromptu layover and visited my roommate and her family in Westport, CT. The Westport and Greenwich areas boast a nice array of dining options due to their proximity to the city, which is why Mario Batali chose to open his second Tarry Lodge restaurant in Westport. With some strategic planning/pestering on my roommate's, part, and a bit of luck we ended up with a reservation during the restaurant's opening week (obviously I was practically jumping out of my seat with excitement when she told me).

The basic fact you need to know about Mario Batali: he's an Iron Chef praised for his impeccably fresh Italian cuisine and known for running around Kitchen Stadium in clogs (of the Dutch variety). From homemade gnocchi to stone oven baked pizzas, Batali prides himself on using the freshest of ingredients to satiate the tastebuds of his loyal critics and customers. He has a wide array of restaurants, mostly in New York, ranging from trattorias to seafood restaurants. Tarry Lodge Enoteca Pizzeria (crudely translated "an informal place to grab some delicious wine, pizza, and pasta"), is one of Batali's  culinary experiences that packs a flavorful and memorable punch.

Tuna Tartar

For dinner we sampled a variety of appetizers and entrees. I personally satisfied my foodie appetite with Tuna Tartar as a starter and a bowl of the Black Fettuccine with Rock Shrimp and Chilis as my entree. The Tuna Tartar was delicious if raw fish is your thing and if your first time going for raw fish (besides sushi) be sure to go someplace that you know uses good cuts and fresh ingredients. A nicely formed mound of raw tuna was placed atop a bed of arugula and mixed greens, finished with small cronstinis for dipping. The tuna mixture had a nice tangy flavor, probably from lime juice. Overall a satisfying small plate, but nothing to moan about.

On the other hand, the Black Fettuccine could have had me out of my seat screaming after the first bite. When I first saw the menu, I wasn't quite sure if I really wanted to try the Black Fettuccine, which is a homemade pasta that turns out black as night due to being made with squid ink. After perusing the rest of the menu, I decided to try something I was less likely to find at another Italian restaurant, than my typically gnocchi overdose. The Black Fettuccine was incredible. The pasta had a hint of seafood due to the squid ink, while the broth was enhanced by the lobster base and rock shrimp topping. There was also grilled corn and onions throughout the dish that added a bit of spice to the pasta. The overall dish was savory, but very light, making it a perfect entree.

Finally, we split an order of tiramisu, which was also quite tasty, but not overwhelmingly sweet, which made it a good ending to a lovely dinner out.

Enjoy Restaurant Week DC!

-gf

Bug Eating: Foodie Travels in Beijing, China

Hello Foodie Followers,

Cicadas on a Stick...

Sorry for our absence in the blogging world for the past couple of weeks. I've been traveling (and eating) my way across Beijing for the past two weeks, and as most of you know, China's blocked a fair amount of blogging sites. On the upside, they haven't banned the art of photograph (or eating), therefore I have a lovely assortment of photos for you all.

I spent the past two weeks with Georgetown students (GIRC) and other students hailing from a number of universities teaching kids about Model UN and working for a Model UN expo called WeMUN. Hands down probably one of the best experiences of my life that just so happened to allow me to collect some good street food info too! Therefore, I'll be using the next couple of posts to elaborate on the deliciousness of Chinese food (the real stuff, we're not talking about Panda Express). Up first, Bugs!

Cocoons, Cicadas, & Scorpions, oh my!

So, it's pretty common to be walking down a Beijing street and see either vendors selling snack food or people walking about the streets with items on sticks or in plastic bags. Both methods of packaging work well for those traveling on foot. However, generally speaking if you're walking around with something a stick, chances are you're a bit more of a risk taker in terms of trying the local fare because meat/bugs are usually what come of a stick. Whilst casually strolling down a neighborhood walking area of Beijing, our small group of Georgetown IRC reps decided to try out some of the more risky of the "on a stick" variety, which is how the four of us ending up nomming on cicadas. Now, bug eating in China isn't some ancient delicacy by any means, I would say 50% is a tourist attraction, 25% is because the Chinese actually enjoy eating bugs, and 25% is for the protein. We had three options, something that looked like giant maggots (which in fact turned out to be cocoons, thank goodness we avoided eating a butterfly), cicadas, and scorpions....

Each item was nicely placed on a stick and lined up in rows. Obviously the cocoon was a no-go due to the probability of it going "pop" in our mouths, the scorpions were also quickly set aside as an option since only three came on a stick when we had four willing to sample the bugs, that left us with the cicadas (shell intact). So for all of $2.50 USD, we were handed a freshly fried and salted stick of cicadas and left to our own snacking. Needless to say, we all survived the bug eating, but some of us took it better than others, haha.


Long story short, the cicadas were incredibly crunchy and salty, so it could have passed for some other type of food on a stick. However, since we were well aware of what we were nomming on, the tastiness index dropped. I could sort of taste the sharpness of the outer shell, which was not appetizing, but at least is was better than a butterfly...

Dane (G'town IRC) mentally preparing for the crunch

Would we do it again... yes! Why? cause it's a good story to tell, which half the fun of cooking, baking, eating, and the culinary tradition is about sharing food experiences and stories to build a sense of community.

So try something new (and if you're not up for deep fried bugs, maybe start with seafood?)

-Georgetown Foodie