JAMON IBERICO in London

In my recent trip to London, I visited the famous Borough Market. I also learned that most of the stores are open beginning Wednesday through Saturday being more busy and more items on Saturdays - just like any markets I know of.

I stopped at the Brindisa stall which sold various Spanish foods.

I approached the table where they were slicing the Jamon Iberico.  They explained the difference between the Iberico hams and the Serrano which they all sold.

After trying some samples I decided to get a little bit for me to take home. It sure makes a good snack without having to go to a wine bar.  The jamon Iberico Bellota is tender and finer in texture than other Inerico hams I have tried.

He explained that they salt the pork and sit for 10 days. They then wash it and let it cure by itself in a special room for pinto 4 years. The process and the feed contribute to it's texture and flavor.

So if you read the board, it explains the differences with Spanish hams.

1. Brindisa Shop at Borough Market
2. Food Store
3. The Floral Hall, Borough Market, Stoney St, London SE1 9AF, United Kingdom

   www.brindisa.com/

   
   

LUNCH AT THE SQUARE

I had to have one if my meals in this week's vacation at a Michelin starred restaurant.  Because of proximity to my hotel, I chose The Square by Chef Philip Howard.  He had just come out with a book in 2012.

Sample of the day's menu when I went.

They recommended I try one of their signature dishes so I did:

Lasagne of Dorset Crab with a cappuccino of shellfish and champagne foam:

This was excellent! The concentrated lobster cream sauce foamed with super thin green parsley lasagna dough at the bottom and on top of the crab meat.

My main course:

Breast of New Season's Yorkshire Grouse (from France) with a croustillant of the leg, summer turnips, elderberries and smoked bacon. 

And for dessert, I chose the plum soufflé which was perfectly done served with a spooned homemade spiced gelato.

Above, the ice cream melts into the hot soufflé like it's sauce.

Above was my amuse bouche:

Tartlette with custard and crumbled onions and crumbs. On the right is Bonito cracker with seaweed with curd cream ( like a fine thin kropek - but homemade - so he calls it cracker - with toasted sesame seed).

It is open at lunch time although sometimes when you google it, it inky shows evening hours. So make sure you check!

Excellent Chef, perfectly executed, nice ambience, great service, edgier nouvelle versions of French cuisine.

I had the honor to meet the Chef briefly for a quick photo.

At #17 Bruton Street is where the Queen was born!

THE SQUARE

1. 6-10 Bruton St, London W1J 6PU, United Kingdom
2. +44 20 7495 7100
3. 
   

• Opening hours:

  Lunch served noon-2.45pm Mon-Sat. Dinner served6.30-10pm Mon-Thur; 6.30-10.30pm Fri, Sat; 6.30-9.30pm Sun

QUICK EGG BENEDICT

Sauté the spinach, some onions, mushrooms, some chili pepper and then season them last with some salt and pepper.

Make your poached egg.

If you have hollandaise sauce or make them from scratch, toast your English muffins and first pit the spinach mixture, the egg on top and the poached egg.  Top it with your hollandaise sauce.

And if you have smoked salmon on the side you can also serve it on the side or put it under the spinach as well.

Good Morning!

#Exoticfruit MONSTERA DELICIOSA

I bought Monstera deliciosa last month and watched it ripen in my kitchen.  It's not an easy fruit to eat although it taste good.  The fruit is a little mushy and reminds me of corn kernels being pulled out of the husk.

As it ripens the green thick skin starts to fall off.  Do not force it open or peel it. There are some black carbon like things that appear at the base of the fruit.

The flavor of this fruit is somewhat like a banana and a pineapple. It is mushy white but sweet. I had to pull each fruit out of each "socket" as you can see below:

 See the black parts inside?

I find it tedious to eat. It took me days to finish as I waited for each section to ripen.

To ripen, you place the fruit standing up in a talk glass and leave it on the kitchen counter. Wait for the thick green skin to fall off signifying it is ripe.

Each of these tiny kernel like pieces are pulled off from the fruit to eat.

Monstera deliciosa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.m.wikipedia.org/.../Monstera_delicios...

Monstera deliciosa, the Fruit Salad Plant, is a species of flowering plant native to tropical rainforests of southern Mexico, ...

JING FONG for Chinese Food and Dumplings

It's been a few years we've been going to this restaurant and they never cease to slow down.  That's how this restaurant has survived.

ThIis big Chinese Restaurant probably has a capacity for up to 1000 if not 800 people.

With these many people and a lot of staff, I can be sure they serve fresh food each time.

For this Sunday afternoon, we decided to go around 2PM.  Normally, lines are super long; but around 2PM, you can get a table much easier.  Our wait was about 10 minutes.

Up the escalator, you arrive in a humongous ballroom-size dining area.

Above is just half or about a third of the entire restaurant.

One of the dumplings I like are these vegetable and shrimp dumplings.

Above is another favorite dumpling of mine, shrimp.

These are called chicken feet. Don't worry, they remove the skin on top of this skin (there are layers of skin in chicken feet).  These are so tender, the meat just come apart from the bones so easily.  I love the sauce.

Above are the pork rib pieces. They are tender that the meat comes off the bones so easily as well.

They have many others but I thought I'd just give you samples of unusual dumplings.

They have fried rice, all sorts of seafood, vegetables, soups, and interesting desserts. There must be about 100 food choices.  One of which is roast duck which look so good when I saw it on a table; that I would like to order it next time.  It's been many years I have been going to this place and I've never had the roast duck from here!

1. 1. JING FONG RESTAURANT

      20 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10013

   (212) 964-5256

Min. $15.00|Free Delivery

FRENCH PUB BISTRO

What is a Bistro and what is a restaurant?!

Amelie, to me is a pub bistro. They call it a Wine Bar. Yes, there is a bar counter area and tables too where you can dine.

We tried the brunch. Below is spinach with poached egg:

Above is their French Toast

Eggs poached in wine served with salad is actually a new taste for us. Good flavor!

We've also had the dinner here:

For dinner, we had a better dish - grilled Brook trout above. and Gratin Au raviole, a cheesy pasta below which is like a rich macaroni and cheese.

Not to forget, I ordered this. Yes it was cheese too but it had more potatoes in it mashed up to a ball. Tasty but too much carb for me.

The food is okay and the drinks are very reasonable especially during brunch on weekends.

AMELIE

• 22 W 8th St, New York 10011
• (Btwn 5th Ave & MacDougal St)

VILLAGIO #Italian

This is a perfect place to see and to be seen restaurant (it's in Central Park South) with good "home-type" Italian food. 

This just opened this year located just west  of Fifth Avenue where many tourists flock to see Central Park and walk around shopping. It is definitely a place to be seen and to see who may walk by or may be in the restaurant.

Above, we were served with breads as you have decided to stay for lunch.  A basket of assorted breads and herbed thin bread plus crisp cracker-type bread were paired with a little bowl if chopped seasoned tomatoes.  I guess it's to make bruschetta with the breads.

Their vongole is an excellent choice. The  clams were fresh and the pasta was cooked al dente. Authentically prepared the Italian way, one may opt for the tomato kind if you want.

Their Ceasar Salad is generously prepared with the Parmesan cheese and anchovies which we requested!

We shared the salad. This was my half.

So far, it has been a very good experience for me. They are new in NYC and I welcome them!

VILLAGIO 

• 40 Central Park S, New York 10019
• (Btwn 6th Ave & Grand Army Plaza)
• villagiorestaurants.com/locations.php
  Villagio On the Park New York, NY 40 Central Park South New York, NY 10019. Tel: (212) 369-4000.
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