Hearth: New Year Brunch

Hearth
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I recently had the fortune of enjoying a delicious brunch with two of my favorite people at Hearth, a restaurant I read about in Timothy Ferriss’s book, the 4-Hour Chef. In the book, Timothy emphatically describes the culinary prowess of Marco Canora, the chef-owner of Hearth and Terroir. After seeing many positive reviews about the brunch, I booked a table shortly after the new year.

There was still snow on the ground when Anna and I stepped out of the cab. We were running 10 minutes late and Miho had already texted that she was close by. We gingerly stepped over newly formed slush puddles, a result of New York’s bipolar weather.  

The entrance to Hearth isn’t where you think it is. The correct entrance can be found around the corner on 12th street. The first thing I noticed was a beautiful bookshelf filled with cookbooks, memoirs, and Marco’s book, Salt to Taste.

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Rob's Chirashi Bday Dinner

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Last weekend, Rob and Jessica hosted Chirashi Night at their apartment for 16 guests to celebrate Rob’s birthday. After having many food adventures together in 2013, it was no surprise that they were flying in fresh fish from Catalina Offshore and preparing 16 bowls of heaven. I was skeptical about eating fish delivered from a website but after some research about the reputation and reviews of the website, I was sold. And, if anybody could pull off a successful chirashi night, it would be Rob and Jess.

The menu: ahi, maguro, chutoro, scottish salmon, escolar, hamachi, unagi, uni, avocado, masago, ikura, poached egg, and tamagoyaki over sushi rice.

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Sushi Nakazawa: The Apprentice Becomes a Master

Sushi Nakazawa
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My first meal of 2014 was at Sushi Nakazawa, a restaurant that I couldn't get a reservation for last year.

The early buzz was due in part to the fact that its head chef was Daisuke Nakazawa, the hard-working apprentice seeking perfection in the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi.  In the film, he made over 200 tamagoyaki before getting a nod of approval by Jiro. That tireless commitment to exacting standards would translate well when Nakazawa made his American debut in 2011 at Shiro’s, a restaurant owned by a fellow Jiro apprentice. My friend Kevin recounted a positive experience and said that a flight to Seattle was warranted just to try the omakase.

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Noodle Village: Best soup dumpling in Chinatown.

Noodle Village
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The best soup dumplings in manhattan are at Noodle Village, a nondescript restaurant tucked away from the epicenter from Chinatown. The soup dumplings at many establishments are marred by a lack of broth and a thick, doughy skin that ends up being dry. Noodle Village’s version has a great balanced ratio of thin, translucent exterior and ample juice.  After trying them for the first time 2 weeks ago with Vince and Jon, I needed to go back immediately. The opportunity presented itself last Saturday.

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