BABU JI (Modern Indian Food)

UWe read about this with great reviews so we wanted to try it.

Located in East Village in NYC where there are many hip and trendy interesting places to eat.

This claims to be modern Indian food.

There were some misses with our order.  My friends and I have traveled to India - with me just about over a year ago.

We started with crispy appetizer filled with tamarind sauce and cream.  That was good.

I know it's modern Indian food - but the first one we did not like which was highly recommended by our server was the cauliflower.  

Our imagination was running toward dreaming for it to get to our table.  But like a nightmare, one look and we said "what's this?".  After one bite, it tasted like sweet and sour pork with lots of dough and the cauliflower hidden in it.  It was literally covered with sweet and sour sauce.  I did not even finish my bite. We had it returned . They were nice about it.

Next thing we did not like was the Dahl.  

It was too saucy.  We hardly touched it.  It was like eating a glass of thicker sauce. 

Saving the night was my friend's butter chicken. But for that price - for that amount, a bit pricey.  It may look mushy but it actually tastes good and buttery.  Most people like butter chicken dish. This was done well but nit much chicken pieces for the price.

The shrimp curry sauce was good but the shrimp was a little over done.

Another expensive dish that was alright but not as good as the butter chicken, was the duck.  The size of the leg and thigh was as small as a small chicken fryer or almost as small as a Cornish hen's leg and thigh for $26 with sauce. 

Above was our basmati rice which we liked.  The garlic naan (not in photo) was excellent as well!  Hooray! It was well seasoned and over buttered - but I loved it that way.

If I ever go back, I will try the lamb next time - but I don't know why it is so expensive.  If the tip were already figured in every order, then I can understand the high price.  There are some who do that now.  You see when the price starts getting up there, your expectation start going up higher.  And this is a case I feel.

BABU JI

175 Avenue B

New York, NY 10009

SALAD ART

Contemporary cooking is all about presentation of food besides flavors.  I take the plate like canvas and arrange vegetables available in my refrigerator.

Instead of tossing all the various vegetables I have to make salad, I have arranged them on my white plate to combine certain colors to get together or separate them.

To the left, I used sliced fennel and flowers.  Top right, opposite the fennel are  thinly sliced rainbow radish which I bunched up and balanced the pink on the left.  I used the yellow cauliflower or the one color that is not common to any of the vegetables on my plate to the center with the darkest colors on one side.  The dots you see is balsamic vinegar glaze which could be the dressing for the vegetables except for the arugula which already has dressing.  I like plating my food to excite the palette and change the mood on the table.  It is like a three dimensional painting.

P&G Thank You, Mom | Pick Them Back Up | Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

It's how you get back up each time till you succeed that's important.

OOTOYA - #Japanesefood

I've walked so much today through snow puddles and slush only to find out the restaurant I was aiming for was closed. 

Thank God that Ootoya was open!  I have been here before and really liked it.

I think they serve really authentic Japanese food and they serve it really fresh.  Even though their sushi dishes are basic and familiar pieces,  they are fresh.

Tonight, I went for the original Ootoya Pork belly set.  I liked the grilled pork. I think it was grilled.  It was tender and juicy and sliced to pieces ready for you to eat it with chopsticks.  For those who don't know how to use chopsticks, they can give you a fork.  But you really won't need a knife.

It came with watercress salad, mashed potato, pickles on the side, bowl of rice and tofu custard in the small covered bowl.

Above is an appetizer which I ate as my dessert.  This is blue fin tuna with Uni on top of grated yam - which has the consistency of nato.

Above is a side dish of spinach with some mini mushroom and shredded bonito flakes. A little bit on the salt side, I thought.  But I wanted more vegetables.

They serve various items from grilled fish, sushi and sashimi, soba, ramen, chicken, beef and pork.

It is a very reasonably priced restaurant serving authentic dishes like as if you went to Japan.

#OOTOYA 

8 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011

USHIWAKAMARU

They're back! Now it's in Chelsea area.

I lucked out because the restaurant had just opened and people were still at work.  I happen to be alone on my way to rate a movie in the area.  There was another person waiting outside.

Slightly pricier than before but the place looks bigger and nicer. 

I ordered the sushi and sashimi combination prix-fixed set.  As usual, they still serve really fresh seafood just like I ate in Japan.

The new place where they prepare the sashimi a and sushi.

Table settings

My sashimi plate as part 1 of my dinner

My sushi plate as second course.  I think this pairing of sashimi and sushi is a fairly good deal counting the pieces and what it would have been if you ate it alacarte.  Plus don't forget the quality.  That comes first in rating sushi!

#Ushiwakamaru

362 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

917-639-3940

USHIWAKAMARU

They're back! Now it's in Chelsea area.

I lucked out because the restaurant had just opened and people were still at work.  I happen to be alone on my way to rate a movie in the area.  There was another person waiting outside.

Slightly pricier than before but the place looks bigger and nicer. 

I ordered the sushi and sashimi combination prix-fixed set.  As usual, they still serve really fresh seafood just like I ate in Japan.

The new place where they prepare the sashimi a and sushi.

Table settings

My sashimi plate as part 1 of my dinner

My sushi plate as second course.  I think this pairing of sashimi and sushi is a fairly good deal counting the pieces and what it would have been if you ate it alacarte.  Plus don't forget the quality.  That comes first in rating sushi!

#Ushiwakamaru

362 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

917-639-3940