#international eats

[destinationfoodfinds]

Fluffy cheesecake at Boutique Davoli (Paris, France)

Photo by @fulguropain.

[airyfairylinnie]

Lotus

Friday 15th July 2016

It was our last day in Kuala Lumpur (sad face) and Miss Traveler’s uncle decided to take us for some roti which he deemed was the best around. So he picked us up from the hotel and drove all the way to Lotus.

Miss Traveler’s uncle suggested Miss Mumma to get the special milk tea that’s made with fresh milk and not condensed milk and with different layers (due to the different densities of the liquids. NERD ALERT!). I didn’t really enjoy this because I like my milk teas a bit more sweeter. However, Miss Mumma LOVED it!

Special Milk Tea

We came here because Miss Traveler said we would be eating from banana leaves which was AWESOME SAUCE. The roti’s came out accompanied by various sides including dahl (for those who can’t handle their spices) and other curries. I just stuck with the non spicy please seeing as I kinda had food poisoning prior. The roti itself was so fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I LOVED it so much that I ordered another one for myself!

Miss Traveler’s uncle ran out and got some goodies for us to try. There was a fried banana, curry puff and a fried donut looking thing. The banana fritter was well, a banana fritter and I didn’t really find it super amazing. The curry puff was pretty nice but not as lovely as the one in the mid valley. The pastry was to die for though, it was all crumbly and had a touch of sweetness to it. Finally, my favourite was the fried donut thing and this was AMAZEBALL. When you dip it with one of the sauces, it was like HEAVEN! 

This is a great place for roti and little fried donut things (I really should learn the name of this) and when things are presented on a banana leaf, what more could you ask for? Will definitely return for them rotis

13 - 15, Jalan Gasing, PJ Old Town, Petaling Jaya, Selangor 46000 Tel: [phone]

[cleanplatescookbook]

[jessicapollack-blog]

A bitter farewell

Image courtesy of GQ.

Yes, our Canadian bro (and former Au Pied de Cochon partner) is closing M.Wells, a carnivorous, frivolous Queens resto housed in an old diner car. I wrote about the year-or-so-old spot a little while ago, and now it's in the middle of a whole lotta scandal with GQ restaurant critic Alan Richman's latest piece, in which the writer is accused of (spoiler alert)...sexual harrasment? Things get weird, real weird. And, despite what is probably atrocious service, I'm still mourning never having made it to M.Wells, though I'm not sure if they're closing or relocating.

Worth a read. Bizarre.

I leave you with some porn (Bone Marrow and Escargots, apparently amazing):

Image courtesy of A Melbourne Food Blog.

Chow for now...

[jessicapollack-blog]

Could I Love David Sedaris Any More?

Image from the Guardian UK.

Before we left for Montauk I read my first David Sedaris book, a collection of short essays called Me Talk Pretty One Day. Then I read all three of Chelsea Handler's. What a hearty dose of sarcasm, cynicism, hilarity and unabashed disinterest.

When we were in Montauk over the 4th of July weekend, there was a book sale in the town square with boxes and boxes of covers hard and soft for a couple of dollars each. Since we got there at the end of the day, prices were bottoming out. And what did I spot? Me Talk Pretty One Day, in hardcover. Laurence was looking for a good read and, since I read it on my Kindle, I felt we needed to own a copy. With a hefty $1 price tag, how could we not?!

Image from SmackAMack's blog. Ha.

Anyways, today I came across this Sedaris-penned article in the Guardian. It's about food in china. Going to read it now, toodles!

P.S. Sedaris is also a contributor to This American Life. Killer combo.

[jessicapollack-blog]

I get the Gilt Groupe email every day, running to the site at exactly 12 p.m. on days when Rick Owens' gothic sportswear or Tom Binns's brightly hued baubles are up for grabs, but it's a big tease. They only ship to the states and, despite collecting US addresses from friends on numerous occasions, I never buy anything.

So be still my heart when I see that they're launching a new site, with none other than Ruth Reichl as their Editorial Advisor, called Gilt Taste. The former Editor in Chief of Gourmet and New York Times food critic calls it a "radical venture". Not only is it a medium through which to purchase artisanal foods from mostly American bakers, butchers, dairies, etc., sadly only in the US from what I can see (double tease), but it is also a platform through which to find recipes and read about current issues in the food world. Image courtesy of Gilt Taste. Reichl calls it a new kind of magazine, ad-free and supported solely on product sales. It will be very interesting to see how well Gilt Taste carries itself, especially with such pricey product. I think it's an amazing idea, amalgamating e-commerce and editorial like so many have done, but in the realm of food. I'm intrigued. The articles are off to an engaging start and recipes are unique, like cured asparagus poached in butter and various uses for broccoli stalks (my personal favorite part of the vegetable). 

Let me know what you think of the site!

Chow for now...

[jessicapollack-blog]

Credit for the origin of Crab Louie Salad depends on who you talk to and which state of the West Coast you are in.

From What's Cooking America.

Image courtesy of Wolfgang Puck.

Yes, I've been getting into some salad history for work, and it's surprisingly fascinating! Rumour has it the Crab Louis salad, a delectable concoction of crab meat, egg, veggies and Thousand Island-esque dressing, originated in Seattle in 1904. As the story goes, the world's greatest tener at the time, Enrico Caruso, fell hard for the leafy greens and tender pink morsels, ordering so many Crab Louis salads in one day that he single-handedly exhausted the kitchen's resources.

A man after my own heart.

I want a Crab Louis.

It doesn't remotely have to be from Wolfgang Puck.

Chow for now...

[jessicapollack-blog]

Chasing the Dragon

Image courtesy of New York Street Food.

Sitting in my cubicle perched precariously on my chair for fear of exacerbating my neck/back injury, magic bag to my right and a ham and cheddar sandwich (with lettuce, mayo and Diana sauce) between my typing hands, I'm teased by images of Vancouver's Roaming Dragon food truck. The truck, commandeered by a chef who has worked at some of Van City's best restaurants, has been around for just under a year, "bringing Pan Asian food to the streets".

I saw it on my new favorite Food Network show, Eat St., last night, and let's face it: I'm obsessed. The menu offers an array of Tapas-y dishes, and the first thought that came to my mind last night was that I'd absolutely have to order one of each. Moaning in ecstasy as the host explained each dish, my roommate and boyfriend didn't flinch (that's how used to my food arousal they are).

Image courtesy of Munchkie's Munchies.

Here's a run-down for you (I'm pretty sure it'll all make sense after this): Pork Belly Sliders: Um, jackpot?! The pork belly slabs are grilled on every side to ensure maximum crispiness, then slices are laid on a super soft, dim sum-style bun and topped with cucumber salad and hoisin sauce. Reminds me of Sunda's braised pork belly buns at Lollapalooza's 2010 Graham Elliot-curated food town. Pinch me. Short Rib Tacos: Sweet Korean taco, this is the closest Canada will ever come to the Korean taco food trucks to the south (e.g. Kogi BBQ in Los Angeles). Korean short ribs sit on fresh, mini corn tortillas with bean sprouts, some slaw, nori and Korean spicy sauce, kind of like a bibimbap taco! Swooning. Rice Balls: These skewered balls of melty, rissoto goodness are drizzled with tangy sauce and a part of me wishes I could dive into a ball pit of rice balls, mouth wide open. Duck Confit Salad: Sweet watermelon and pineapple + tender duck confit + greens = sounds divine. Get. In. My. Belly. Chicken Karaage: Topped with multicolored sesame seeds, the chicken looks perfectly crisp, not overwhelmed by batter and glaze but complemented equally by the two. Top it off with a Lychee Basil Lemonade: I mean, delightful. What could be bad here?

Any two menu items are $10, while any three are $15. How about three of each?! Play it cool, Jess...

Guess it's no surprise the truck snatched up Vancouver Magazine's 2011 Best Food Truck nod. Vancouver has a surprising number of food trucks, as I learned just now, and I've always been jealous of Japadog (and even considered trying ot bring it hear with my former editor), and now I'm jealous that Toronto is completely unwelcoming to the idea of food trucks. Let's see if Zane Caplansky can change that. I mean, this Van truck po'boy looks like it would rock my whole world upside down!