[NOTE: Semi-scary photo after the jump. Proceed with caution.]

Last weekend it was crazy hot, ninety-eight mother-f*cking degrees hot. So hot that when the power went out in my apartment and the building manager questioned why I had two air conditioners, I went berserk. It wasn’t a meltdown, it was a complete blaze-up. I don’t even know how I managed. I was weak from barely eating for three days (I was sick, not dieting god-forbid), but somehow all of a sudden I was ready to open a can of whoop-ass. Thinking back, I realize I need to take a minute or two before reacting sometimes. The poor guy was just trying to figure out what happened, but the only thing running through my head at that moment was, ‘This is America, I can have two air conditioners if I want!”

In any case, it won’t be as hot as heck this weekend, but a cool icy Halo-Halo ($4.50) from Johnny Air Mart will still hit the spot. The halo-halo at Johnny Air Mart is a milky concoction — more like a very icy frappé than shaved ice — full of soft beans (garbanzo and red mung beans), young coconut strips, caramelized diced plantains, chewy sugar palm fruit (kaong), and jelly-like nata de coco. It’s a gamut of textures. However, for me, the best part was the smooth square of flan swimming on top. I love Taiwanese and Korean shaved ice, but given the choice, why not have shaved ice with flan?! It just seems silly without it. Flan, where have you been my entire shaved icy life?

For those more adventurous, Johnny Air Mart also sells balut ($1.50), fertilized duck eggs. The eggs are sold uncooked, so you’ll have to cook it before eating it. At home, I boiled the balut for twenty minutes (as instructed at the store), and then gently cracked open the egg. I heard the liquid inside shouldn’t be wasted, so I drank that first. It was a bit like soup, a rich poultry soup without the oil. So far it wasn’t scary. Nothing too odd.. and then I saw the baby duck head and foot. The foot looked like a little clenched fist. Oh my. It was beginning to get scary, but I persevered and ate the tiny chick head first with a little salt. The body plus clenched foot I ate shortly after. It tasted pretty good. As you can expect, it tasted like egg and duck, but with a slight funky liver taste. I was expecting some crunch from the bones or beak, but everything was soft, except a hard white cartilage-like segment which I threw out. I hear it’s good for you because it’s all calcium, but it was quite tasteless, and I decided I get enough calcium from my daily multi-vitamin, thank you very much.

Would I eat it again? If served to me, why not? And if I ever find myself in the Philippines, I would definitely want to try it from a street vendor, but for now, I’m not in a mad rush to have any more. With halo-halo, that’s another story.

Johnny Air Mart
214 Avenue A (b/n 13th & 14th St; map)
NY, NY 10009
212-387-7080

• Lechón at Johnny Air Mart – NYC
• Cheapo Lunch at Lunch Box Buffet – NYC
• Pork Banh Mi with Pâté at Banh Mi Saigon – NYC

One night, after a full day of driving up and around Maui on mostly unpaved gravelly car sickness-inducing dirt trails (I actually missed the dirty New York subways in Hawaii), we came upon Mama’s Fish House. From the name, I had expected the restaurant to be a small homey establishment, but it was actually a bit fancy in the island resort type of way. And the place was packed. We were told there was a forty minute wait without reservations, but we were tired of driving, and decided to wait it out at the bar. When I told our waitress I hadn’t expected the restaurant to be a place where you had to make reservations, she informed me that it was five-star restaurant and reservations were always necessary. ‘OK,’ I thought, ‘five-star, let’s see what you’ve got.’

At the bar I got a Mai Tai ($16). I was in Hawaii, so I figured something with an umbrella was in order. It was decent cocktail with a nice orange edge, but $16 was a bit much. Perhaps I’m a bit spoiled, but a good cocktail in New York runs around $13, and even at Painkiller, a tiki-inspired bar on the Lower East Side without the tourist bullsh*t, the drinks run around $13-$16, with those in the upper range having enough alcohol to cure/kill all that ails you. Mama’s Mai Tai was good, but not worth $16.

Mid-drink, they moved us to a table. The bar area wasn’t bad, but a table was much appreciated. Dinner soon began with an amuse bouche: carrot tomato bisque. It was creamy, smooth, and hot. A very nice start.

For his appetizer, David ordered the Ahi Sashimi Salad ($25), tuna sashimi with fried wonton strips, mixed greens, crumbled wasabi goat cheese, and roasted sesame seeds tossed in a Maui honey and Dijon mustard dressing. A light bright salad with a lot of texture, it was quite delicious. The wasabi was mild, but the tanginess of the goat cheese made up for it in flavor. Size-wise it was much larger than expected. The restaurant may be 5-star, but the portions definitely didn’t reflect that.

For my appetizer, I chose the Ahi Poke ($16). Ahi poke is a regional specialty in Hawaii. Made with raw yellowfin tuna, it’s similiar to sashimi, but comes diced and dressed in a mixture of soy sauce, raw onions, chili pepper, kukui nut, seaweed, and sesame oil. Mama’s poke — made with sweet Maui onions and lots of spicy red pepper that made my Korean mouth burn — was the best I had throughout the whole trip. It was also the most expensive, but considering how much I enjoyed it, it was well worth it.

Poi (mashed corm of the taro plant), another ubiquitous Hawaiian dish, came free with our appetizers. It was my first time eating poi, and the waitress seemed apprehensive I wouldn’t like it, but it was pretty good. It reminded me of melted tapioca. It was definitely subtle in taste, but for a person who likes tapioca and rice cake, it wasn’t too weird. Later in the trip, I came to realize that Mama’s version was definitely more bland. Poi elsewhere, even when fresh, had a sour note Mama’s did not. Mama’s was also less viscous in texture. Both styles I liked, but I probably prefer Mama’s. The waitress suggested dipping the hot poke into the poi, but I was quite happy eating it alone with a spoon.

Our entrées were less successful, so I’ll keep it brief. I had the Stuffed Fish ($48), mahi-mahi baked in a macadamia nut crust and stuffed with lobster, crab, and Maui onion. I never like stuffed meats of any kind because the stuffing is usually so fine you can hardly taste anything and the protein (the stuffee) is most often overcooked in efforts to thoroughly cook the innards. Nevertheless I ordered it anyway because the waitress mentioned it was what the restaurant was known for. Big mistake. Sometimes it’s best to trust your gut, your own stuffing. They did a good job with the macadamia nut crust at least. It was browned well and crunchy.

After a few bites, I traded my fish for David’s Uku ($44), which was much better. It was fresh fish, caught that day, grilled and served in a light wine sauce with tomatoes and capers. Simple is sometimes best, especially since it’s harder to screw up. Stick to the fish in the “Today’s Fish” section at Mama’s. There’s a choice of at least three, so you can choose the type of fish you want.

We were too full for dessert, so the meal ended with haupia, as most meals in Hawaii do. Haupia is like coconut gelatin. I could eat slabs and slabs of it. The mignardise-sized haupia at Mama’s were lovely. Not too sweet, not too hard, and with bits of toasted coconut. It almost made up for my main course, almost… I would have needed a lot more mini-haupias for that to happen.

Dinner at Mama’s Fish House wasn’t bad. The appetizers, poi, and haupia were fabulous. The rest, over-priced resort fare. Service however was exceptional. Our waitress couldn’t have been nicer. If I ever go back, I’ll be keeping it simple, and drinks I’ll be having elsewhere.

Mama’s Fish House
799 Poho Place
Paia, HI 96779 (map)
808-579-8488

• Island Brunching – Maui
• The Overpriced & The Bad – Las Vegas
• A Dinner Date with Mom at Alex – Las Vegas

As usual, my blogiversary post is late, but by now you should expect it. It’s become tradition. In any case, Bionic Bites turned two this week, and what better way to celebrate than to have a giveaway to thank all my loyal readers. Thank you for all your wonderful comments, tweets, and likes! Honestly, if it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have kept this little blog going for so long.

As a thank you, I’m giving away a bottle of Esperanto Spiced Oil from Esperanto. If you’re not familiar with Esperanto, it’s a great local spot in Alphabet City specializing in Brazilian and South American cuisine. They serve an incredibly indulgent moqueca that I adore, but the place is really known for the spiced oil that they serve with their bread. The oil is a blend of olive oil, canola oil, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorn, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic. It has hint of heat, and a nice nutty depth from the fennel and cumin seeds. To put it simply, it’s completely addictive. The last time I was there, David and I went through two baskets of bread, and with the remaining oil, we poured it all over our fried calamari. Probably not a smart move, but certainly delicious.

I notice the spiced oil they sell is slightly more mellow than their restaurant version, but I have a feeling that’s because it’s freshly bottled. A little more time, and I’m sure the oil will fully develop.

To win the Esperanto Spiced Oil, write in the comments below how you would use the oil. Dipping is great, but I imagine it would work beautifully in a marinade or simple sauté. I’ll be picking one lucky person at random. Giveaway ends Wednesday (July 28, 2010) at noon. U.S. entrants only. Good luck and thank you again for reading!

Update (7/28/2010): Jenny is the winner! Congratulations Jenny, and thanks everyone for participating. And remember, you can buy the spiced oil at Esperanto or online.

Esperanto
145 Avenue C (at 9th St; map)
New York, NY 10009
212-505-6559

• Bionic Bites turns 1 & Blogiversary Giveaway
• Family Lunches at Margon – NYC
• Eatin’, Rockin’, and Burnin’ @ Sirenfest – NYC

As I mentioned, portions are HUGE in Hawaii. Outrageously ridonkulous. So most days, David and I took the big brunch and dinner route. It was like weekends in New York, but everyday. Not a bad thing.

In Maui, our two favorite places for breakfast/brunch were Gazebo and Sam Sato’s. Both places had something for each of us: fat pancakes for David and non-breakfasty Asian-inspired food for me.

Sam Sato’s is known for saimin, the Hawaiian version of ramen. (Saimin is even on the menu at McDonald’s in Hawaii.) I ordered a small Saimin ($4.95), and it was a medium bowl (Small in Hawaii is like a regular size in New York) of curly egg noodles and porky broth, topped with roast pork and scallions. The pork was dry, but I liked the chewy noodles and the hot soup. After reading about saimin on Wikipedia, I had expected the soup to be a lighter and fishier, but the waitress told me they use a stock made from dashi and bones, usually pork and/or beef bones. She also said when people get sick, they order the soup to-go and cook it up with ginger at home. I could see that being a good cold remedy, but really, how do you get sick in Hawaii? It’s seventy degrees and gorgeous all year round! In any case, my first saimin was a success. Hot noodle soup is definitely my kind of brunch.

David opted for the Breakfast ($5.90), two eggs with a choice of starch and protein, and a Hot Cake ($2.60). He chose toast for the starch and a hamburger patty for the protein. The eggs, toast, and hamburger were average, but the Hot Cake ($2.60) was big and fluffy with a really nice crumb structure that quickly sopped up the super sweet pancake syrup and melted butter. Completely delicious. It reminded me of when I was little I would get the hot cakes at McDonald’s because they looked good on the menu. Unfortunately, after one dense and rubbery bite, I would always regret it. If they tasted like the hot cakes at Sam Sato’s, I would have been a happier and more rounder child.

At Gazebo, a small gazebo restaurant overlooking Napili Bay, we went the sweet and savory approach again. Sweet and savory for him, and savory for me. I ordered a half order of the Fried Rice Plate ($6.50), fried rice with bacon, Portuguese sausage, ham, red cabbage, peppers, and scrambled eggs on top. I rarely ever order fried rice in New York since it’s so easy to make it at home, but for breakfast/brunch in Hawaii, it was homey and comforting, even if it was heavy on the soy sauce. If the eggs were fried instead of scrambled, I would have loved it even more. Fried eggs with runny yolks make everything taste better. If I ever go back, I’ll make sure to ask for fried or poached eggs on top. I’m sure it would be easy for them to accommodate the request. In Honolulu, at a restaurant called Hula Grill, they were happy to oblige, and they even brought me a bottle Sriracha along with the fried rice. It was like they read my mind. It was absolute heaven.

David had the Two Egg Breakfast ($7.50) with potatoes and toast, but again nothing too exciting. More exciting were the Macadamia Nut Pancakes ($7.75 for a short stack), two large macadamia nut pancakes crowned with a giant dollop of whipped cream and garnished with chopped macadamia nuts. Pancake syrup and coconut syrup were served on the side. Again, the pancakes were thick and fluffy, but with the addition of airy whipped cream and drizzled with coconut syrup and pancake syrup, it was amazingly good. Coconut syrup is a little hokey, in that tropical gimmicky way, but we were eating macadamia nut pancakes in a gazebo in Hawaii after all, and it had a nice coconut flavor and it wasn’t too sweet. Combined with the pancake syrup, the sweetness level was perfect.

To drink, I bypassed my usual alcoholic brunch beverage for a POG ($2.95), a juice blend of passion fruit, orange, and guava juice. We were taking a boat out after brunch to snorkel, and I wanted to play it safe since I have problem with sea sickness sometimes. I’m sure the people of Hawaii didn’t want me to sully their beautiful azure waters with semi-digested fried rice. (By the way, I didn’t get sea sick and snorkeling was extremely fun. I saw two turtles!) POG was pretty much everywhere we went in Hawaii. Again, it’s one of those touristy things, but it’s tasty, like a light tropical punch.

One tip, lines are long at Gazebo, but if you get the food to-go, you can skip the line. As long as you can handle the heat, order your food to-go and take a seat by the pool of the Outrigger Napili Shores Condo right in front of Gazebo.

Pancakes and Asian-inspired food for brunch, not sure if a place like that would ever open in New York, but if it did, I would be there in an instant. Until then, Gazebo and Sam Sato’s awaits, albeit ten hours away…

Sam Sato’s
1750 Wili Pa Loop (map)
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-244-7124

Gazebo
5315 Lower Honoapiilani Road (map)
Lahaina, HI 96761-9005
808-669-5621

• Dinner at Mama’s Fish House – Maui
• The Overpriced & The Bad – Las Vegas
• Dinner at Momofuku Ssäm Bar – NYC

Last month, to the joy of my sugar-loving boyfriend, I was invited by Melissa to Top Ten Pastry Chefs 2010, an event announcing the “the top toques of tuile, cocoa and sugar” according to Dessert Professional. During the event, guests were given the opportunity to walk from kitchen to kitchen at I.C.E. (The Institute for Culinary Education) and sample desserts from participating chefs. A lot of chocolate, sorbet, and even pop-rocks were eaten, but my favorite by far was Chapeau Chic by Nicholas Lodge of the French Pastry School.

This très chic dessert consisted of a pistachio mousse cake filled with sour cherry crémeux resting on a bed of red cherry granola, and topped with an edible gumpaste blossom. In a sea of intensely rich chocolate creations, this delicate cake stood out from the rest. The cake was light, the cherry crémeux airy and tart, and the granola and candy flower both had a wonderful crunch. Of all the desserts eaten that night — and trust me, we ate and conquered all — Chapeau Chic is the only dessert that really stands out in my memory one month later.

As a testament to the damage we did to our teeth that night, above is a slideshow of some of the desserts we devoured. Watch it with a glass of milk. You’ll need a big swig afterwards.

• I Heart Doughnuts Only at Doughnut Plant – NYC
• Fried Chicken and Fixins’ at Pies-n-Thighs – NYC
• An East Village VDay: Sapporo East & Milk Bar – NYC

After ten days of eating giant Hawaiian lunch plates consisting of lau lau, kālua pig, Portuguese sausage, ham, and bacon, I’ve been eating light since I got back. (Why everyone in Hawaii isn’t obese is beyond me.) Yesterday, lunch was a Yakisoba Sandwich ($3.25) from Panya.

Noodles in a sandwich may seem wrong on every level, but when you want something light, but still tasty, it gets the job done. Especially at Panya where the yakisoba sandwich is practically meat-free, and isn’t drenched in mayonnaise and yakisoba sauce. Composed of stir-fried noodles, crunchy cabbage, carrots, and topped with shredded pickled ginger, seaweed sprinkles, and bonito flakes (meat!) in a soft slightly-sweet roll, it’s more of a snack than a meal, but after more than a week of pork stuffage, this was just right for me. A few tips though, first, redistribute the ginger and bonito flakes before eating. The ginger is always clumped on top or at the end, and the bonito flakes always at the end. Second, eat a big fat steak for dinner. Devoid of much nutritional value, your body will probably need and/or crave it.

Panya
8 Stuyvesant Street (b/n 9th St & 3rd Ave; map)
NY, NY 10003
212-777-1930

• An East Village VDay: Sapporo East & Milk Bar – NYC
• Spicy Chicken Sandwich at Cafe Zaiya – NYC
• Lechón at Johnny Air Mart – NYC

When I have guests from out-of-town, I always recommend Momofuku Ssäm Bar. Why? Simply put, because the restaurant is freakin’ awesome. Or to be more specific, Momofuku Ssäm makes insanely good well-crafted food that could be served in a four-star restaurant in a casual atmosphere. Unfortunately, friends are not always convinced, especially if they’re Korean. Their mentality is that while they’re in New York, they don’t want Korean food. However, Momofuku Ssäm isn’t a Korean restaurant. It’s New American with Asian influences, Korean being one of the more prominent influences. And even if they’re not Korean, they don’t want to go to Ssäm because they haven’t heard of the restaurant. They rather go to Lombardi’s or Magnolia Bakery (Lombardi’s I like, Magnolia I do not). Well, seems this year things are changing. Ever since Momofuku’s cookbook came out last year, all of sudden the Momofuku restaurants have become New York destinations.

Last month, when Alvin came to visit and said he wanted to go to Ssäm, I was stoked. I love taking people to places I love. It’s a win-win situation, for them and my belly.

I began dinner with the Seven Spice Sour, togarashi infused sake, fresh lime juice, and yuzu. I loved it. It wasn’t spicy, but it was clean, crisp, tangy, and not too sweet. I ordered another as soon as I finished it. Alvin ordered the Celery & Nori, which he said he liked, but wished the nori flavor was stronger.

Shigoku Oysters ($18 for half a dozen) with kimchi purée followed shortly after. Oysters and kimchi is a classic Korean pairing — my favorite type of kimchi is gool kimchi (굴김치, kimchi with oysters) — so this worked nicely. The small plump oysters were fresh and light tasting, and the kimchi purée was mild enough so it didn’t overpower the oysters.

We also ordered Seasonal Pickles ($11) for the side. Selections change daily, but on our visit there was cabbage kimchi, carrots, celery, rhubarb, daikon, and cucumbers. All the pickles were good; the whole carrots were my favorite, and the kimchi my least favorite. It was way too salty. I’m Korean after all, so I’m a bit more picky with kimchi.

When the Hawthorne Valley Buttermilk ($12) — buttermilk with Fuji apple dashi, market herbs, and pine nuts — was brought to the table, it was a bit of a surprise. I was expecting a salad with a buttermilk dressing, so this gorgeous plate garnished with edible flowers was even better. The scoops of buttermilk had a soft delicate mouth feel, similar to flan but even lighter, and the Fushi apple dashi added a subtle sweetness.

The Steamed Buns ($9) which I’ve written about before, were good as usual, although I recall the pork being more tender in the past. Still as always, they were a crowd-pleaser.

The Spicy Honeycomb Tripe ($14), tripe with ginger-scallion, celery, pickled tomatoes, and garnished with black sesame seeds, was a dish of textures; squiggly, squishy, and slightly chewy with a little crunch from the black sesame seeds and celery. The heat wasn’t too strong, but it was definitely more than a tickle if you kept eating it. It wasn’t my favorite dish of the night, but a pleasant addition.

My favorite was the Chili Soft Shell Crab ($21) with asparagus and lemon confit. The crab was crunchy on the outside, fat and juicy on the inside, and the lemon confit was perfectly tart and creamy with a touch of sweetness. I’m not sure where the “chili” part came to play since there was no detectable heat, but it was more than delicious without it.

Alvin’s favorite dish was the Fried Baby Artichokes ($14), with pistachio purée, sunchoke slices, and bottarga (cured fish roe). Fried artichokes are always good, but combined with creamy pistachio purée, crisp sunchoke slices, and salty bottarga that sticks to all the twisted frizzled artichoke bits, it’s incredibly delicious. Our bowl was empty in seconds.

Dinner concluded with cookies, pies, and cereal milk galore next door at Momofuku Milk Bar. We left full and thoroughly pleased with dinner. After that night, the next week involved more fooding at fancier and more expensive restaurants, but Alvin said his favorite meal by far was at Ssäm. For locals, is it better now that tourists know about Ssäm? Lines may get a tad longer, but I have a feeling Ssäm won’t garner the mass appeal of Lombardi’s or Magnolia. People seem to like cupcakes more than tripe, and that’s fine by me.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar
207 2nd Ave (corner of 13th and 2nd Ave; map)
NY, NY 10003

• Moving to the East Village – NYC
• Lunch at Momofuku Ssäm Bar – NYC
• An East Village VDay: Sapporo East & Milk Bar – NYC

Just a reminder, lechón is happening today at Johnny Air Mart. It usually starts at 11:10am, but I was told yesterday sometimes the lechón is late. So get there around 11:10am to 12pm for lip-smacking porcine goodness, they run out within a few hours.

And while you’re there, check out the Fried Dried Squid ($4.50 for a small aluminum container) they sell at the counter. (People who “like” Bionic Bites on Facebook already got a heads-up on this one.) If you like dried seafood, you’ll love this. It tastes like charcoal grilled squid in chip form. Salty, slightly bitter, and hella’ crunchy, it’s great with beer. However, one caveat: It stinks. Not a good pre-date snack. Eat it alone or with other like-minded folks. Also, if you don’t finish it, it’s a good idea to transfer it to an air-tight container. I ate half and left it out in the same container it came in and for days my boyfriend complained about a strange odor emanating from the apartment. I had my mom take it back to Jersey when she came to visit just to appease him.

Also, I’ll be in glorious sunny Hawaii next week. While there, I’ll be posting from Hawaii on past New York eats (Hawaii posts will have to wait until I return!), but for immediate news about my Hawaii fooding adventures, visit me on Facebook. (It’s like Bionic Bites Lite.) So if you haven’t liked Bionic Bites on Facebook yet, what are you waiting for?! Twitterheads can also visit me on Twitter.

Johnny Air Mart
214 Avenue A (b/n 13th & 14th St; map)
NY, NY 10009
212-387-7080

• Lechón at Johnny Air Mart – NYC
• Sweet & Semi-Scary at Johnny Air Mart – NYC
• Yakisoba Sandwich at Panya – NYC

I’ve been going to Mandarin, a Chinese-Korean restaurant in Palisades Park, for years. They have best jajangmyun (자장면, wheat noodles in black bean sauce) in the area because of their noodles. The noodles are made in-house, and to attest to this fact, they used to have a monitors in the dining area showing the cooks hand-pulling the noodles in the kitchen. Now the monitors show Korean programming. I guess the people working out front got tired of watching the back of the house day in, day out. In any case, the noodles are still good, and late last year I learned about their buljajajangmyun (불자장면, literally “fire jajangmyun”) through my brother’s friend, Young. By the way, I have a somewhat funny story about him. When I started this blog, I used to get a lot of weird comments that I attributed to an evil troll. Later on, I discovered it was Young. See, “somewhat funny.” I guess pestering your friend’s little sister never ends, even when she’s no longer little. Regardless of the source, since then, buljajangmyun has become a favorite of mine and my brother’s.

Buljajangmyun ($8.95) at Mandarin is similar to ganjajangmyun (간자장면) in that the sauce is more intense, and the noodles and sauce are served separately. What sets the two apart, however, are the diced jalapeno peppers in the sauce. Lots of peppers. As a result, the sauce is spicy, extremely spicy. Proceed with caution. I’m warning you, your lips and stomach will burn. I consider it in a good way, you may not.

If you’re sensitive to heat, don’t mix in all the sauce at once. They always give you more sauce than necessary, so add it in little by little. Although the sauce being very thick, if you add too little, the starchy noodles won’t get sauced properly and stick. But really, if you can’t take the heat, order the regular jajangmyung ($6.95). There’s no shame in it. In fact, my mom considers the buljajangmyun a rip. According to her, why pay two more dollars for some peppers?

Of course the other option is the Jjambbong (짬뽕, $8.95), the same house-made noodles in a spicy seafood soup. When I was little, I always preferred jajangmyun over jjambbong because I found the latter too greasy (the vegetables and some of the seafood are sautéed in oil before being added to the soup), but now for some reason, I don’t mind the grease as much and every once in a while I order jjambbong. The jjambbong at Mandarin is pretty good, the noodles are chewy and the soup has a rich seafood flavor. If you can’t decide between the jjambbong or the jajangmyun, Mandarin has the split bowl where you can have half and half, one on either side (called Jjamjamyun, 짬자면), but I prefer to order the opposite of my dining companion instead and share. In the split bowl scenario, I notice you always get less of each. Why have less when you can have more? Especially if one person is ordering the buljajangmyun. Thanks Young for the tip! (No need to leave a comment.)

Mandarin
110 Broad Avenue, 2nd Floor (b/n W Harwood & W Edsall Ave; map)
Palisades Park, NJ 07650
201-313-0121

• Cheapo Lunch at Lunch Box Buffet – NYC
• Dim Sum at Golden Unicorn – NYC
• Tacos & Hot Dogs at New York Hotdog & Coffee – NYC

I get emails from PR people all the time about events around the city. A lot of times the events are lame, but this one sounded pretty cool. Pierre Thiam, the chef and owner of Le Grand Dakar in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn is having a viewing party called Senegalese Summer next Thursday (June 24, 2010) for his battle with Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America. Not into Iron Chef? Well that’s okay, because there will also be food (such as shrimp & sweet potato croquettes, oven roasted dates stuffed with spiced lamb, black eyed pea fritters, and skewered grilled steak with ginger & peanut crust) and unlimited sangria. Still not convinced? Well, there will also be music. Jojo Kuo — a veteran jazz, Afro pop, and World drummer who has collaborated with Fela Kuti — will also be performing. (There’s a nice story about him and his collab with Fela on Lens, The New York Times‘ photography blog.)

Tickets are going for $25 advance/$30 at the door, but I have two tickets to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, write in the comments below your favorite Senegalese or West African dish. If you’ve never had either, simply write what you’d like to try. I’ll be picking one person at random. No heart-wrenching stories necessary. Giveaway will end on Monday (June 21, 2010) at noon. Good luck!

Update I (6/21/2010): The winner is “someguy.” Congratulations! Thanks everyone for participating!
Update II (6/21/2010): For those who missed out, Serious Eats: New York is giving away another pair of tickets. Good luck again!

Le Grand Dakar
285 Grand Avenue (b/n Clinton Place & Lafayette Ave; map)
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718-398-8900

• Sweet & Semi-Scary at Johnny Air Mart – NYC
• Top Ten Pastry Chefs 2010 – NYC
• Yakisoba Sandwich at Panya – NYC