Justin surprised me with Indian food from Haldi Chowk at Sandy Hook on Monday (Neelam is closed on Mondays). He ordered us chicken tikka masala and asked for as spicy as possible. While it was delicious, it really wasn’t too spicy. I had a slight runny nose but nothing lethal. However, the flavor of the…
Tag: Rice
Photo of the Day: September 6, 2018
How would you like to start your day off with this? Fried rice topped with an omelette, brown gravy, and a couple of meat balls. It is impossible to shop at Edison’s H-Mart without stopping at the food court.
Photo of Day: September 5, 2018
Justin’s mother’s masterful rendition of pernil (pork shoulder). It is cooked covered for three hours and 15 minutes, then the top is removed for the remaining 45 minutes in order to achieve a crispy skin. The meat was tender, juicy, and bursting with an unmatched flavor. As for the skin, when chopped into pieces, it…
Stir Fry on Sandy Hook
Last week, my chef friend Walter (featured on this blog here and here and maybe a few other places) went all out to whip up the following meal on Sandy Hook. He had said a week earlier that he wanted to have my mom, Justin, and I for stir-fry on the beach. However, he ended…
Photo of the Day: August 19, 2018
Two plates of the best rice money can buy and a platter of carne guisado. Taken at a second visit to Perth Amboy’s Don Manuel.
Restaurant Review: China Star (Bethlehem, PA)
Bethlehem on a Monday night is sleepy. Bethlehem on a Monday night after 10 PM after a few hours at the casino is dead. We searched online and drove around trying to find something. Anything. When it seemed like our only option was a Perkins, we did one more search and found a nearby Chinese…
Restaurant Review: Sofrito Gastropub (Reading, PA)
I had never realized the sheer numbers the Hispanic population represents in Reading. There was one restaurant after another. It was hard to decide which one to check out. Being in town on a Sunday helped, as many of the dining establishments we had our eye on were closed. We felt like something cultural, and…
Restaurant Review: Cocina del Sol (Frenchtown, NJ)
If I had to describe Cocina del Sol in only two words, I would say “fun” and “interesting”. It is located in the basement of Frenchtown’s historic Gem Building, which dates back to the 1800’s. There are a few tables street level for al fresco dining, but the bulk of the restaurant is underground. You…
Photo of the Day: July 5, 2018
Probably the best food I’ve had at a baseball game. This was a beef brisket burrito salad bowl thing that wasn’t half bad.
Restaurant Review: Chilangos (Highlands, NJ)
For years I had heard from people, “Chilangos is the best Mexican food in Highlands”. Well, they are right, but with a caveat: they are the only Mexican restaurant in Highlands. Actually, in the entire surrounding area. You would have to venture into Red Bank or Keyport for true Mexican food above the “fish tacos”…
Restaurant Review: Don Manuel (Perth Amboy, NJ)
You’re off to a good start when once again you’re the only white guy in the restaurant. Perth Amboy strikes me as one of the last bastions of the Jersey Coast where ethnic and cultural centers have not been overtaken by the bearded hipster in flannel. Such a sight would have caused me to run…
Photo of the Day: June 2, 2018
There are dishes that change your life. This would be one of them. Camarones ala Diablo is a fiery, rich dish containing about a dozen shrimp in a blistering sauce. The ingredients, as told to me by the owner of Los Corrales herself, are simple enough, but the complexity that follows sends you into a…
