My New York Story (Part 3) With A Side Of Cronuts!

Grand Central Station

New York is a foodie haven. Michelin starred restaurants, multi- awarded cafe’s, world renowned pastries and food trucks, name it, you will find it there. On our last few days, we were basically just eating our way around New York.  After a brief visit to Grand Central Terminal, which, it has to be said is actually very grand for a train terminal.  Being there and looking at its grandeur makes me imagine a bygone era. Though that bygone era definitely would not have what the city has to offer now in terms of lovely food.

On a rainy Friday, we took the subway to the Upper West Side to buy some delicious cookies from Levain Bakery.  Every morsel was worth the train ride.  The melted chocolate that oozes when you break the cookie in two.  Definitely, heaven in a cookie. I was glad I hoarded as we were off on a road trip to Canada that afternoon, staying for a couple of days then driving back to America in to Virginia then Washington DC then back to NYC.

After our road trip to Virginia, Washington DC and Canada, we still had a couple days in New York before our flight back to London. We took the red eye train from Washington DC and arrived at midnight in NYC. We woke up late and missed the hotel’s buffet breakfast and we ended up having breakfast at a nearby Starbuck’s.

We spent a few hours roaming around the Flat Iron area and had a little peek at Eataly, an Italian market place owned by American chef Mario Batali. I have wanted to try their pasta dishes, being a pasta lover myself but the market like scene in Eataly did not appeal to me. It was crowded and dark. I promised myself I will brave the crowd next time as I have read only great reviews about the food.

From there, we dropped by Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret and did a bit of shopping.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the American Natural History Museum which the six year old enjoyed so much. She loves this museum as she has been to its British counterpart in London twice already.

Lunch was at the Shake Shack which was just across the museum. The rest of the day was spent walking along typical Manhattan neighborhoods, past brownstone apartments then walked up to Columbus Circle to have a quick bite of some macarons at Bouchon bakery by Michelin star chef Thomas Keller. The macarons were from a Michelin starred chef alright but it cannot beat my favourite Pierre Herme macarons in taste.

It was a wonderful day just us three, exploring Manhattan and just going where our feet would lead us.

The long queue outside Dominique Ansel's bakery long before it opened.

On our last day, I decided to wake up at the crack of dawn, five in the morning to be exact and took an Uber ride to SOHO with a girl friend to queue for the world famous Cronut.  The cronut was delicious but it was not how I expected it to be nor was it extraordinary. That is why it did not make it to My Best Three In NYC.  I actually enjoyed Dominique Ansel’s DKA and madeleines more. Although I did enjoy taking a selfie with the Dominique Ansel  himself who humbly opened the bakery doors.

As if by sugar rush, we rushed literally to Magnolia Bakery, taking into consideration that it was our only chance before leaving that evening.  I was told the cupcakes there were not that worth the calories so I went for the Banana Pudding which was the best decision of the day. I wrote more about it here.

And of couse, for a Sex and The City fan like me, no visit to New York would be complete without dropping by the steps of the ultimate and quintessential New Yorker, Carrie Bradshaw.

That sums about my trip to NYC, all three parts of it. I am sure we are not done with New York and we are definitely going back

My Best Three In NYC

Our travels do not only involve sightseeing, it also involves food, lots of food. I seek and queue just to try a culinary item that is on my radar. I also make a “to eat list” months in advance.  That, my friends, is how much I love my food.

Our recent visit to New York was no exception. Several months before the trip, I was already looking forward to the gustatory delights that we were going to encounter. After all, New York is a foodie haven.

The following are three of the best sweet delights that I have tried. Best in a way that, I think about them all the time and that I would consider going back to New York, eight hours flight and all, just to taste them again.

Sarabeth’s Waffles

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I look forward to my breakfasts even from the night before so Sarabeth’s is one of the priorities on this trip. The Central Park location is very NYC and the ambience and decor is very Upper East Side. The crisp white table linens and silver cutlery is what the Charlotte Yorks and the Blair Waldorfs of this world are used to but let us not dwell on that, we were there for the food after all.

There were a lot to choose from on the menu but for a pancake and waffle lover like our family, we went for the waffles and pancakes, of course. Heavenly was the first word that came into my thoughts the moment I took a bite of the waffles that was served before me. A little bit of crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside and of course, it was very delicious and I enjoyed every bite of it. The coffee is in a league of its own, I have forgotten how many refills I had.

Levain Cookies

I have read a lot about Levain cookies on social media and the photos of massive cookies with melted chocolate inside were enough to get me on a train to the Upper West Side where the bakery is located. Until now, I can still smell the sweet and mouth watering aroma of the baking that was going on inside the bakery while I was on the queue outside. I tried all four flavours and my favourites are  the chocolate and peanut butter  and the walnut. The texture is not like any normal cookie. It was crunchy on the outside but inside was cakey in texture, in a  nice and delicious kind of  way. The melted chocolate or peanut butter (whichever cookie it is) just adds to the awesomeness of this delectable creation. It is what every cookie lover’s dreams are made of.

Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding

Magnolia Bakery was brought to fame by an episode on Sex and the City and since then, fans of the tv series (me included) have trooped to their Bleecker street location which is very conveniently located just around the corner from Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in the series. The cupcakes were featured on that episode but for some reason, I was really not in the mood for cupcakes that day, having just visited Dominique Ansel’s bakery for some cronuts and DKA’s. Also, cupcakes are so last season and overrated these days.  Then I remember being told that the banana pudding is to die for so I went for it and I was glad I did. Every spoonful was a delight. If there is such a thing as banana pudding heaven then I think I have just been to one. It was highly addictive and tastefully creamy with chunks of fresh banana generously mixed into the concoction.  So, when you happen to be at Magnolia Bakery, pass on the cupcakes and go for the banana pudding. You will thank me for it.

My New York Story (Part 2)

Standing tall and watching over the city for over a hundred years, a symbol of hope and freedom for millions who migrated to America, the Statue of Liberty was not to be missed.  We finally had the chance to visit her on our third day. It felt surreal to finally see her up close. I learned on the audio guide that the exterior is originally copper but has turned green due to oxidation. Up to now, the Statue of Liberty has remained the symbol of freedom not only for America but for the rest of the world.  The tour took more than half of our day and once we were back in the main island of Manhattan, we were starving.

We had lunch at a random Chinese restaurant in the financial district and dessert was, I’m excited to say, in Serendipity, one of the locations of the movie of the same title. This movie, I could watch over and over again and it was amazing to finally try the hot frozen chocolate. Since reservations for dessert were not accepted, we had to wait for an hour once we were there. We went to Dylan’s Candy Bar which was just around the corner to while away the time. The 6 year old had a field day there. The frozen hot chocolate, their most famous dessert, having been featured in the movie, was worth the one hour wait.

It was past five in the afternoon when we finished in Serendipity and decided to finally use the ticket we booked online for the Empire State Building. There were lots of tourists but since we went for the express ticket, we were able to jump the long queue. Without realising, our timing was actually perfect. It was starting to get dark and the lights were starting to turn on, giving us both the day view and night view. It was an exciting experience to finally go up to the main observation deck on the 86th floor. I was imagining Meg Ryan running towards the lift to get into the last flight up, to meet up with Tom Hanks from the movie Sleepless in Seattle. I watched that film a thousand times.

The view was amazing and I could clearly see my favourite building in New York, the Chrysler building. Once it was all dark and the New York skyline well illuminated, all I wanted to do was stand there in silence and take it all in, 86 floors above the ground.

New York, too many places to see, too little time and too many things to write about so please hang on for the third installment of my New York story.

My New York Story (Part 1)

My New York Story (Part 1)

New York has been called by many a name. The big apple, the urban jungle, the empire city, the city that never sleeps. Each evokes a different idea which gives some preconceived notions. I for one had all these assumptions about this city, after all , it is the location of all my favourite movies. I have all these thoughts swimming in my head about New York, Manhattan to be specific.

The start of Spring had me finally set foot on the land of milk and honey, America. But I did not just want to go to America, I wanted to go to New York. I knew what I did not want to do and that is sit on a tour bus and just take in what the guide tells me, clicking my camera at every stop and turn. I wanted to do as the locals do, walk and explore New York on foot.

After a good flight with British Airways, we arrived at midnight and true enough, this city really does never sleep. The streets were still buzzing and the city all lit up. Excitement got the better of me and I did not sleep a wink.

The first half of our first full day was spent walking along Times Square with a ride on the indoor Ferris Wheel in Toys R Us. Times Square has that electric vibe, chaotic and crowded. Considered as the crossroads of the world, even when you are on your own, you will never feel alone there. A photo opportunity at the famous red steps was not to be missed.

Lunch found us queueing at the famous The Halal Guys (dubbed as the most popular food cart in the world) on 53rd and 6th which we happily devoured with a side of Central Park view. It was delicious.

The rest of the day was spent walking along 5th avenue, taking in the skyscrapers and visiting FAO Schwartz and having some latte at Starbucks inside the Trump Tower. The heavens opened so it was a good excuse to sit and people watch in the gold interiors of the building.

The next day, we skipped the complimentary hotel breakfast and went for brunch at Sarabeth's across Central Park. This was a good idea indeed as Sarabeth's hit the spot for a breakfast lover like me. The waffles, the coffee and ambiance. I could eat breakfast there everyday.

And what better way to burn off the calories than to have a lovely walk around Central Park across the restaurant. 

Central Park was magical even that time of the year when the trees have not come back to life and flowers were still not abloom. It was a lovely day. Despite the chill in the air, the sun was out.

A visit and a walk through at The Plaza which was just across Central Park was in order. Having been made famous by the movie Home Alone, The Plaza is world renowned as it is, having set the standard for luxury for more than a century and had the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mark Twain as guests in the past to modern day Tommy Hilfiger having his own penthouse at the hotel.

The Plaza food hall, a European inspired food hall, is a place to visit when in New York. Since we were still full from lunch, we could not try the wonderful European dishes that were presented before our eyes. I did not leave the place without trying French chef Danile Boulud's cafe and having a few of his macarons. 

 

Our visit to New York would not be complete without seeing the New York Knicks play. So that evening was spent in Madison Square Garden. This was one of the highlights of our trip.

The Birthday Lunch: L’ Atelier de Joel Robuchon London

As someone who is fond of afternoon tea, I celebrated my milestone birthday last year with an afternoon tea at Marriott’s Hansbury Manor. I enjoyed it so much that I said to myself I am going to celebrate every birthday from that day on with afternoon tea. But this year, Robuchon came calling.

Hailed as the “chef of the century”, Joel Robuchon is the only chef who has the most Michelin stars among all his restaurants around the world combined. We missed a chance in dining at his restaurant in Paris because we did not book well ahead. To my delight, I learned he also has a restaurant in London, the 2 Michelin star L’ Atelier de Joel Robuchon which is a few doors down from The Ivy. I did not waste time and booked well ahead  and voila, I got us a table for my birthday.

I know it is cliché but to say that the food was amazing would be an understatement. I am not a food blogger so I will let most of the pictures speak for themselves though this wonderful meal would be difficult to put into words in itself.

Kicked off the birthday lunch with my favorite cocktail, Peach Bellini.

ers

Amuse Bouche, heralded the start of our meal. Foie gras, port reduction and parmesan foam. We were told to scoop all the layers. The result, an explosion of different flavors that compliments each other. It was beautiful.

Game Terrine with lardo di colonnata and confit pear. The caramelized pear added a twist to this lovely dish.

Soft boiled egg on a Hampshire watercress coulis and young comte cheese cream. The husband's order.

Could I say this is the best tasting fillet of fish ever?

Pommes Puree. Robuchon's famous signature dish. Soft, silky and decadent. Once you have tried it, you will not look at mashed potato in the same light again.

What better way to end a four course meal for a macaron loving birthday girl than with a massive macaron, stamped with the chef of the century's logo.

Robuchon operates in an open kitchen which  makes it more exciting for diners to see how their food is intricately prepared. The service is very attentive. At the helm (pictured) is executive head chef Xavier Boyer.

L' Atelier de Joel Robuchon

13-15 West Street, London

WC2H 9NE

+44 (0)207 010 8600

My Favourite Macaron

Not all macarons are created equal. That is why I always want mine from the best, Pierre Herme, the current undisputed master of macarons.

There is something magical about them. The medley of texture is like wonderful music playing in my mouth. My first taste of a macaron was at the Laduree salon in Harrods. From that very first bite, I developed a growing obsession. I thought Laduree was the be all and end all of all things macarons. I was wrong, there were many out there. I ventured and from then on I have been on a quest to find the best macaron.

A macaron is made with egg whites, sugar and almond flour. Early macarons were just made of one cookie but Laduree introduced the two cookie macaron with ganache or filling between them. This is the macaron that we know and love today.

Aside from Laduree and Pierre Herme, I have tried Angelina’s in Paris, PAUL in London, TWG in Singapore, Bouchon in New York, Pierre Marcolini, Marks and Spencer’s and more recently, from Joel Robuchon's 2 Michelin star restaurant in London. Any macaron can give me my macaron fix but only Pierre Herme macarons can fully satisfy my craving.

Pierre Herme macaron. Perfect!

Enjoying Pierre Herme in Paris, Summer 2014

For me, a perfect macaron starts with a perfectly shaped smooth dome with perfectly even ruffled edges, also known as feet.  When you bite into it, there is a little bit of crunch but should not crumble and not chewy either. The filling should not be too little or too much. Lastly, it should not be too sweet.  I have to say, Pierre Herme macarons have all that, the perfect balance of texture and taste. 

 And while I am still on this quest,  I am more than happy to call Pierre Herme my favourite for now.