A special restaurant with only 12 seats, Momofuku Ko serves tasting menu both for dinner at $100 for lunch at $160. The web only reservation system needs your credit card to secure a spot, as well as penalty for no show-up. However, people still get up early trying to get the chance to eat here. What do they offer? 

       To disclose this secret gem, we finally managed to have dinner on a Saturday evening. It was a small place in the east village, only having seats at the bar. And the chef are just cooking in front of you. But I doubt they still have another kitchen underground. The first dish offered is the garlic bread, which is warm, oily, and heavily flavored with garlic flakes and brown sugar, yummy!

       

        Then it comes the tiny chopped potatoes with some green onion sauce as toppings in a spoon, the taste is good, but I wish it was some caviar in that spoon. Nice presentation although. The following is  fluke sashimi with some  rainbow color sauce. At this moment, I have to say, since it is a up-scale tasting menu, please give us some better fish. Café boulud has yellow tail sashimi in the similar way, which taste s much better. But the next one is a highlight, uni  in a soup. It is so elegantly presented, looks like a Chinese or Japanese painting. The uni is sitting on a green boat (which is the pea skin), floating on the soup, with some flowers and leaves. It also reminds me the Japanese Sado, which has improved the eating or drinking to the spiritual level. Following the uni is smoked egg with black caviar. The egg is smoked to be medium-rare, with the honey heart flowing outside. Next is the scallop,   seared on one side to be crispy, tender and chewy in the middle. Love it! At this season, they also have soft shell crab, topped with some creamy and spicy sauce. It is good, but the sauce does not match perfectly with the crab. It is hard to describe, but I would say it did not make much difference if I had the crab alone without the sauce. And I start wondering when will the signature Foie Gras come. Finally, it is here. Quite different from my expectation, it is is shaved to be the topping, covering canned leeches and brown sugar. It is very creative, but I prefer the classical way better. And the piece of brown sugar is so big, I kind of feel I am eating candies. Another highlight is the deep fried short ribs, rich in flavor, crispy outside and tender inside..

       The two desserts are the failures of the day. The sorbet is too sour, and the last dessert, ice cream with fried funnel cake. It is not a snack bar, and the presentation just looks weird. Anyway, we finally tried Momofuku. I really appreciate the way they present the dishes. Although I am not sure if I am coming back, it is definitely a place worth trying. 

 

My gourmet tastings started with 蛇王良, a very small and shabby eatery. As its name, the Sanke King, it sells very decent snake soup as well as some simple entries such as stewed lamb, fried rice etc. It was my first time to eat snake. Since it was stewed in the soup over hours, I could not tell the texture any more, but still felt like eel but not that tender. There were also some Chinese medcine in the soup so it  should be very nutritious.  The lamb stew was OK, very home style. Maybe it was what I should have expected here, the warm home made soup and rice, but not the splendid cuisine. I will give it 3.5 starts for the soup, 3 stars for the lamb, 1 star for the environment.

 

蛇王良

 

The second day in Hong Kong I had lunch with David at Superstar in Causeway bay. It was a renown seafood restaurants and famous for the fatty crab and stone fish. Unfortunately, it was not the crab season when I was there. We tried the special soup, steamed stone fish, some dim sum including stone fish roll, penguin dumplings and rabbit cotton candy. The stone fish looked very ugly and just like the reef. But I really enjoyed the taste, very fresh and tender with few bones. For the dim sum, they might be the best presentations of dim sum I have ever tried. The stone fish roll are made of stone fish and mango, very Malaysian style. The penguin dumplings and rabbit candy are all right so I do not think I will order them if coming back some time later. It cost ￥700 HK dollars in total, not a cheap lunch at all. I will give 4 stars for the fish, 3.5 stars for the dim sum and 3.5 stars for service.

 

 

Hong Kong  (Jan 2009)

One of my friend from Hong Kong once said proudly, "Hong Kong is the No.1 modern city in the world with many skyscrapers, fashion malls and fine restaurants....", although I was not 100% convinced, it is interesting to go there to explore what happened after my last visit in 2002.  At the end of 2008, it came true.

The 6-day trip plan is as follows:

1. Fly from NYC to HK, stay at North Corner （北角）

2. Causeway bay （铜锣湾）

3. HKUST （科大）

4. Saigon （西贡），Tsim Sha Tsui （尖沙咀），Victoria Peak（太平山） and the Center （中环）

5.  Stanley(赤柱），Deep water bay（深水湾), stay at Tsing-yi (青衣）

6.  Lantau (大屿山)

 

Dining:

Although it is the said to be the heaven for eaters, I kind of felt disappointed. I had to admit I had really high expectation and compared them with the high level restaurant  I tried. But it still has some highlights such as Lung King Heen (龙景轩), Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant (全记)， Honeymoon Dessert (满记)，Superstar Seafood Restaurant (红星), and Prince of Bun. Most of time I was trying the Chinese restaurants there, and I realized that the standard for Chinese food in Hong Kong was authentic and traditional. Different from it, the mainland now has more creative dishes with many varieties.

Sightseeing:

The best impression is Hong Kong's night. The light show at Tsim Sha Tsui  is a must-see experience, way better than the light show in Luxor. The river, the light, and skyscrapers (the most distinguished one is Bank of China) altogether, performed a most fantastic and splendid show.

 

Then it is Victoria Peak, a romantic place to see the sun-set and night view. There is also a Madame-Tussauds at the peak featuring many Hong Kong stars such as Miriam Yeung, Kelly Chan, Twins etc.

 

I took a half-day taxi tour with Simon, since I had been to all the famous places, he took me to somewhere not listed on the travel guide. It is Stanley,  a western style town by the sea. I could not believe Hong Kong has a small and quiet town like those in the US. There is a farmer market, a board walk, and some historical building which was moved from the the center city by the English. Sami told me the British loved this place and they did not allow Chinese to step in, what a shame! I also found some historical pillars.

 

The last day I decided to go to Lantau to visit the largest Buda statue. I took the subway from Tsing-Yi and then switched to the bus to continue onto the mountain. It is the only undeveloped rural place in Hong Kong with many trees, farm lands and few people. For about 1.5 hours, I got to Po Lin Monastery (宝莲禅寺). Looking upforward from the mountain foot, the golden Buda Statue is gorgeously sitting in the sky with clouds around him. After climbing onto hundreds of steps, I got a closer look. His eyes are long and smiling, looks very gentle and nice, sitting on the lotus seat.

 

Shopping:

No trip to Hong Kong can complete without shopping. I wonder if it has the largest density of stores in the world. Fashions, jewelries, cosmetics, from low level to upper end, you can find anything in Hong Kong. But on the other hand, you can also find the similar staff in the States or China. I just can not understand: do you really need to go to Hong Kong for shopping?

 

Quebec City Dinning Guide

Due to the strong European influence, the Quebec cuisine features fine French dining and traditional Canadian local food. From hundreds of restaurants, we chose each from different categories, Café de la Paix,  Casse Crepe Breton, Saint-Amour and Aux Anciens Canadiens.

Café de la Paix

It is a classical French restaurant with a traditional French menu including Escargot, Frech lamb chop, orange duck and seafood. The food make you neither surprised nor disappointed. The environment is nice and romantic. I will give it 3 stars out of 5 for the food, 3.5 for the environment, and 3.5 for service.

 

Casse Crepe Breton

It is a popular Crepe place, people were waiting in line at lunch time to get in. It looks like a small cafe with a few seats and a bar. More interestingly, they make the crepe right in front of you. We tried the onion soup, ham and cheese crepe, mushroom and asparagus crepe. They are all fresh and delicious! If you want something light and casual, it is a good place!

 

Saint-Amour

This was the highlight of our trip! Voted No.1 romantic restaurant in Quebec City, it has a beautiful garden hiding inside. Imagine you are sitting inside a botanical garden, with the flowers and leaves hanging around you, is it like Eden? I have also been to One if by land, which claims to be the most romantic restaurant in New York City but can not be compared with here. My eyes opened big when I saw their menu as thick book, since most restaurants in the US only have a less-than-10-page menu with so limited selections. We ordered its signature dish, six-ways to enjoy foie gras, and a pre-fix menu with vegetable soup, veal and chocolate mousse cake. Everything is fantastic, especially six-ways to enjoy foie gras, which includes some creative inspirations such as foie gras cream brulee, foie gras truffles, etc. It is a four star dinning experience, so is the price. We spent 180 Canadian dollars for 2 people in total. So it is definitely not a place for every meal but for some special occasions.

          

Poutine

I can not finish this dinning review without mentioning Poutine, a snack in Quebec. It is just French fries with some meat sauce, and you can find it in any casual dinning places. It is heavy and rich in oil, but the taste is good.

We spent two days exploring Quebec city.  

景点攻略：

全区导览
　　概述
　　和宗教圣地耶路撒冷、罗马、埃及的金字塔相较，魁北克?以战争遗迹傲立于世。不过，遗留此地的可不是残骸废墟，而是做为防御工事而建的城墙壁垒，以及十七、八世纪的古老建物。市区至今仍被古老的城墙所围绕。来到旧城，你一定会对独特风格的建筑心醉不已，因为旧城的范围并不大，建议你可以采用步行的方式，踩着石砖，悠闲地漫步在这浪漫的城市中，体验魁北克市独特的法式风情。

分区导览
　　旧城区(Vieux-Quebec)
　　古城墙碉堡区 The Fortification
　　在魁北克市区里，近乎4.6公里的古老壁垒环绕着整座旧城，也是北美唯一被联合国教科文组织依「世界文物保护区」规划的城市。这座古老的防御性城墙筑于1957年，辉煌的历史岁月痕迹犹在，如今已是魁北克最著名的历史性建筑，游客可一路顺着城墙到城门，途中都有镶版文字解说，叙述着古城碉堡的由来与演变。

　　芳堤娜城堡饭店Chateau Frontenac
　　矗立在岬角峭壁上的芳堤娜城堡，建于1820年代，是上城区中最醒目的地标。青铜色的屋顶与砖红色外墙，建于1893年，城堡内共拥有613间客房。二次世界大战期间，加拿大总理麦肯奇、英国首相丘吉尔及美国总统罗斯福等盟国领袖，曾在此讨论诺曼底登陆计划，并召开联军会议。特殊的星形碉堡是它的著名设计，许多艺术家和作家被它美丽的建筑外型所启发，以它为名的画作、诗文更是不计其数，当地的艺术家称它为? 美洲的直不罗陀 ?！登上城墙边阳台可以眺望蜿蜒盘绕的圣罗伦斯河，并可以前往附近观赏艺术家群集的文艺街，感受二百年前的浪漫情景，或可以享受一杯法国浪漫咖啡的情调，漫游这个美丽的古城。

　　星形碉堡 Citadelle
　　位于钻石岬角(Cape Diamant)上，始建于1820年，历经超过30年的时间才建成，扼守圣罗伦斯河道咽喉，被公认为大英帝国最坚固的要塞之一。如果你是在夏天来到这里，可以到此观赏驻军的检阅及卫兵交换的传统仪式，这项仪式表演从6月24日至劳工节早上10点举行，除了下雨天 之外每天都有，须购票参观，大人加币5元，老人4元，青少年(7-17岁)2.5元。城堡内有一座皇家22e陆军团博物馆，是由旧的发电厂和陆军监狱所改建，馆内展示传统的兵器、火炮、制服、装饰、徽章，以及从17世纪到现在的文献。

　　战场公园(Parc-des Champs de Bataille)
　　星形碉堡右边有一片广大的丘陵，展示着18世纪残留下来的武器，并且竖立着纪念碑追悼战争殉难者，这里就是战场公园，又名亚伯拉罕平原。1759年英、法两军在此发生一场具有决定性的战争，法军在这场战役中打了败仗，从此魁北克市成为英国的殖民地。占地 250英亩的战场公园，视野辽宁，结合休闲、文化和历史，当春夏时分百花盛开，坐在碧绿草地上野餐，欣赏音乐会表演，实在很惬意。到公园里还可以参观魁北克博物馆(Musee du Quebec)，欣赏魁北克最好的艺术作品！展示精美的雕刻以及从印象派到抽象派的画作。此外，魁北克博物馆也经常举办世界知名艺术家的作品展览。

　　兵器广场与要塞博物馆
　　芳提纳克城堡饭店前的兵器广场(Place d'Arms)，有许多街头艺人在此表演，古色古香的广场很适合当作游览旧城的起点，无论是徒步的方式或是在此乘坐马车都是不错的选择。广场上有一座哥德式喷水池，以及有「新法兰西之父」之称的香普兰纪念碑。附近一栋建筑物的2楼就是袖珍的要塞博物馆 (Musee du Fort)，展示六次曾发生在魁北克的战事内容，有兴趣想要更进一步了解魁北克历史的游客可以来参观看看。
　　地址：圣安妮(Sainte Anne)街10号
　　门票：大人$6.25加币、老年人$5.25加币、学生$4.00加币。

　　魁北克圣母大教堂 Notre-Dame-de-Quebec Basilica-Cathedral
　　这座魁北克最大的教堂，也是北美(墨西哥以北)最古老的教堂，约有350年的历史，是一座华丽的巴洛克式大教堂，左右两个形状不同的尖塔是其最大的特色。因为曾遭受过好几次的火灾及地震，现在所看到的教堂是于1925年重新整修过的。教堂北边有魁北克神学院(Seminaire de Quebec)，以及旧拉发尔(Laval)大学。

　　国会大厦
　　国会大厦是魁北克市最具代表性的建筑之一。1877年始动工的国会大厦，虽然历史并不长，但其结合法国16世纪古典主义与现代感的设计，华丽的外观几可比拟欧洲的凡尔赛宫！从近乎100平方公尺的正四边形展开四翼，展现精致的法国文艺复兴式风格，充满独特的美感。大厦正面壁龛中立有22座铜像，纪念那些对魁北克有卓越贡献的人，别具历史意义。

　　郊区
　　奥尔良岛(lle d'Orleans)
　　从旧城区开车约15分钟越过一座桥后，就进入了奥尔良岛，欧洲人到达加拿大就是从这里开始发展的。在这里可以看到充满田园风味及展现魁北克历史的住家、农村、教堂，一路上还有美味可口的餐馆。来到这彷佛回到了1636年的魁北克，纯朴亲切的农庄主人会热情的招呼你，每逢盛产季节，还会邀请游客采摘草莓、玉米和苹果喔！

　　蒙特伦斯瀑布 Montmonency Fall
　　出了魁北克市东方约1公里处，就有一处不容错过的自然美景，那就是赫赫有名的蒙特伦斯瀑布，号称比尼加拉大瀑布还要高1.5倍的大瀑布，是圣罗伦斯河沿途中最主要的一个景点。瀑布是由蒙特伦斯河从83公尺高的山壁垂直落下所形成，观赏如此壮观的自然景观，保证让你印象深刻。到了冬天的时候，蒙特伦斯瀑布就更热闹了！结冰的瀑布只剩下细细的一条冰柱，十分新奇，时常有喜爱刺激的人到此攀爬。刺激的雪上摩托车在结冰的湖面上穿梭，而湖岸旁因瀑布落下激起的水气，掉下来后堆成馒头状的雪丘，是玩平底雪橇的最佳地点。邻近的公园内也有一些小景点值得游览，在瀑布旁有一间典雅建筑，是隶属于瀑布的法式餐厅，供应美味的法国料理及魁北克当地菜。

　　摩里斯国家公园 Maurice National Park
　　魁北克的自然景观也很吸引人，最特别的是魁北克心脏地带的摩里斯国家公园（Maurice National Park），自然纯净的小湖和蜿蜒清澈的小河，都是千万年来冰河的杰作。

 

      

 

Au Pied de Cochon (Montreal)

This crowded and a little noisy restaurant was a great starting of our stay in Montreal. It is long and narrow, with mirrors down one side and open kitchen on the other side. We got there around 10pm, and was asked to wait even for the bar  since  the wooden dinning tables are crowded with boisterous eaters of every age and description. They have a full page of foie gras, foie gras burger, foie gras on a pizza ,foie gras terrain......  We chose Plogue à Champlain (Pancake, potatoes, foie gras, maple syrup, thick cut maple cured bacon)  and the very classic Seared foie gras. My goodness! The Foie Gras just smelt in my mouth. And the portion is generous, I never had a better foie gras experience! Especially Plogue à Champlain , the sauce is sweet and sour, and the pancake tasted great with foie gras, such a creative chef!We also tried Guinea Hen Liver Mousse and a pork dish which are OK. Maybe the foie gras dishes were so overwhelming.

 

 

 

I should have finished this travellgo earlier, but anyway, better late than never!

 

这次Memorial Day之行，Montreal+ Quebec City，回味一下Quebec的法国风情。

一路上还算顺利，到达Montreal是晚上9点半，饥肠辘辘的我们自然把restaurant作为1st Stop, 我选择了一家以Foie Gras

出名的店：

Au Pied du Cochon

www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca

有很多种方法做的Foie Gras,我们试了Foie gras tout nu和Plogue à Champlain ，很不错，一个是煎鹅肝，还有一个是鹅肝配pancake,酸酸甜甜的sauce.他家的猪蹄膀好像也很有名。

 

 

早上起来以后，先去了著名的smoke meat店，Schwartz's, http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/

去了城里，Notre Dame，广场，Art Museum，然后在old town走了一会儿，去一间据说很好的甜食店,看了一眼就是一间bakery，（Olive & Gourmando (351 St. Paul West)）于是就走了，不过去吃早餐的话应该也还好吧。

Montreal的旅游咨询：

蒙特利尔最壮观的建筑、教堂和难以计数的博物馆就位于此地。您可以购买售价C$20的Montreal Museum Pass，可通行无阻于蒙特利尔25间博物馆(包括大多数以下所介绍的博物馆)，但该票只有两天的使用期限4。您可以在博物馆、闹区的Infotourist等地购买，电话514-873-2015。或参观网址：http://www.tourism-montreal.org/1_0/cartmusa.htm，获得更多详细信息。

　　Mount Royal Park
　　Mount Royal Park也是当地人所称的Mountain，启用于1876年，是由纽约中央公园的设计者－Frederick Law Olmsted所设计。Montreal之名便是Mount Royal两字结合而成。这个蒙特利尔最大(494英亩)、最好的公园是您欣赏各种植物、鸟类的最好场所，其中的步行道也相当适合散步、慢跑和骑自行车。冬季也可在此滑雪、溜冰。Centre de la montagne提供各种活动，帮助您利用园内的各种丰富资源。Smith house有园内相关展出项目，而Chalet Lookout则是您欣赏蒙特利尔城全景的绝佳地点之一。
　　交通：由Camilien-Houde Parkway 或Remembrance Road，或在Mont-Royal地铁站下车后，转搭11号公车。
　　电话： (514) 843-8240

　　Musee des Beaux Arts(Fine Arts Museum)
　　为这是加拿大最古老，也是最重要的艺术机构之一，因此当然也名列为蒙特利尔主要的美术馆。从1860年成立至今，Montreal Museum of Fine Arts便以能够吸引各种不同人的欣赏为指导方向。这里有北美最好的收藏，总计超过来自世界各地的30000件收藏品，年代由古至今都有。除了各地的收藏之外，该美术馆的建筑本身也值得您的欣赏。
　　地址：1379 - 1380 Sherbrooke Street West，Peel/Guy-Concordia地铁站
　　电话：(514) 285-2000
　　网址：www.mmfa.qc.ca/a-sommaire.html
　　开放时间：周二至周日11 a.m. － 6 p.m.周三至晚间九点。
　　参观非常设展作品需购票，票价约C$10，学生和老年人可以半价参观。

 

Old Montreal(Vieux Montreal)
　　Old Montreal述说着1642年蒙特利尔成立以来的历史，原本就充满博物馆、精品店、咖啡厅和广场的热闹地区，在增加了夜间照明后更加迷人。
 

　　Place d'Armes & Basilica Notre Dame
　　建立于17世纪末的Place d'Armes如今已成为蒙特利尔重要的地标之一。广场旁的建筑、广场内的纪念物已都成为蒙特利尔各个阶段的里程碑。站在广场中间的是蒙特利尔的创建者Sieur de Maisonneuve的雕像。在110 Rue Notre Dame Quest上的就是Basilica Notre Dame。这个浩大的新哥德式长方形教堂于1829年启用，内部是中古世纪的装潢：彩色玻璃、蓝色圆顶天花板，以及松树和胡桃树所制的雕刻，您不可错过。该教堂足以容纳5000人，圣诞夜时尤其热闹。您可致电514/849-1070，可免费参观并有导览。

 

 

中午我们在一个French Bistro ：L'express， 3927 St. Denis Street， Montreal, QC H2W 2M4 Canada
我们点了烤鹌鹑，salmon,还有一个甜点，是用蛋白作的，外面是焦糖，很特别。

下午我们决定去皇家山顶看风景，顺便路过St. Joseph 教堂，发现它的建筑风格很类似巴黎的圣心教堂，连环境的很相似。

 

The Ferry House ***

32 Witherspoon Street, 609-924-2488

 

After heard some good things about it, I gave it try. But perhaps I had such a high expectation, I was a little disappointed. We ordered lamb and yellow fin tuan. They are good but not outstanding. I could have same quality of food in many other restaurants with cheaper price too. And for deserts, they showed us a plate of them. But nothing looked tasty. So we just finished the dinner. Maybe I did not try the right thing.

 

 

 

KC Prime ****

4160 Quakerbridge Rd, Trenton, NJ 08648  (609) 275-5418

 

I think it is the best steak house around Princeton. We had very good prime rib and cocktail shrimp here. But it would be better if they indeed used a cocktail goblet but not a normal plate as the container. The portion is really large, for 2 persons, 1 entry+1 appetizer are enough. The environment and atmosphere are cozy and friendly.  

 

 

Mediterra *****

29 Hulfish Street, 609-252-9680

 

It is used to be my favorite western restaurant. I have been here many times to celebrate birthday, V-day and other occasions. Dishes are consistently well prepared. The grill king salmon is tender, fresh and goes well with the sauce.

Acacia ****

 

 

 

Blue point grill: ****

258 Nassau Street, 609-921-1211

Specialized in seafood grill. They don't have anything fancy or complicated, everything is just simple and good. The fish is grilled right at the point, very tender and fresh. The only complaint might be they don't have much space so you may have to wait. ****

 

Triumph Brewing Co. ***

138 Nassau Street, 609-924-7855

They are experts on beer brewing.  The shining star on the menu is the beer sampler. You can taste 7 kinds of beer for several bucks. They also have a mixed menu which includes some Asian fusion dishes, western dishes as well as fast food. Here I tried best French fries in this area. People say their Hamburg are also tasty. But I don't like the Asian fusion dishes here. They have Dungeness jumbo shrimp as the appetizer. It may originated from China. But the authentic one is made with fresh alive shrimp drunk by wine, which combines the sweetness and freshness of the shrimp with the fragrant of alcohol. The dish here, although the shrimp is huge, is frozen and overcooked to be hard. And for the sauce, I only tasted the soy sauce and vinegar. Neither did the other entries taste better. I also tried the French dish--Roast duck leg.  The texture is very tender, but it is too salty. Also the Italian style veal, they did not use the go od quality of meat, and the sauce is not great, either. So this is the place for some beer and fast food, but not a fine dinner.

 

Le Mezzaluna ****

This upper scale Italian restaurant offers some classic and yummy dishes such as seafood risotto, mustard lamb chop, veal and so on.  Most of them are fresh and tasty. The seafood risotto is well seasoned and comes with a good portion of shrimp, mussels, and scallops. The lamb chop is tender with a crispy skin. The salad dressing here is very impressing. It is a little bit sour and sweet, which goes very well with the fresh vegetables. Also you have to try their signature dessert: Gelato on the frame. It is just cooked in front you. They heat the butter and brown sugar, then add fresh berries and rum. Using a lighter, the mixture is on fire and then dripped on the delicious gelato. You will enjoy both the taste and the cooking show.

 

Sotto Ristorante & Lounge  **

128 Nassau Street, 609-921-7555

An Italian restaurant opened in 2005. There are many selections on the menu such as risotto, pasta, seafood and steak. The cream sauce for risotto is really yummy, but the rice itself is not as good as Le Mezzeluna. The veal is cooked very well and comes in a large portion. The lamb chop is just ok. And for the surf and turf, the steak is overcooked to be so hard to bite. And the lobster lost its freshness.

 

 

 

Lahiere's ****

5 Witherspoon Street, 609-921-2798

This is the only French restaurant in Princeton. The decoration and environment are nice. I recommend it for some special occasions. Menu offers some classic French dishes like Foie Gras, duck in cranberry sauce and so on. The pistachio crusted tuna is quite impressing. It is simple but delicious. The cream sauce is yummy with a little sour taste from lemon. And it is presented in an elegant way with asparagus. The veal dish is also yummy. But there is not many choices for desserts. And the duck roll during lunch time is a bit salty. Some times the foie gras is overcooked. In general, the taste is good and authentic. 

 

Acacia ****

2637 Lawrenceville Rd , Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 ,(609) 895-9885

I heard about this restaurant several years ago when I just came to Princeton. Since people are still saying good things about it, I finally gave it a try. We had lunch there. It is a fine restaurant with artistic decor, and famous for their “Inventive American Cuisine”. From the menu, it looks like a kind of fusion food with the flavor of Italian, French and Asian. We ordered the lamb chop and roast chicken. The lamb chop is grilled perfectly. The meat was so tender. And the sauce was also tasty. For the chicken dish, it is flavorful and yummy. Definitely I would like to come back!

Dim sum go go: Very good steam dumplings, chicken feet, fried shrimp with mango, beef tripe. Sticky rice chiken is avarage, avoid pumpin cake. 7.5 of 10 cherries.

Tigerland: Good viet restaurant, carmalized shrimp, pock chop, crepe, good ice tea too. A little pricy. 8.5 of 10 cherries.

Chai: Grill lobster, satay , ice coffee, avoid soup and grill pork chop. 7 of 10 cherries.

East Japanese: very good deal, 12$ for the shabu (good beef with lots of vege). The grill yellow tail chin is in large portion too! 8.5 of 10.

Topaz: Thai, sauce is good, but the duck and steak are a little dry. Maybe should give another try. 6.5 of 10 cherries.

Kashkaval: Greek, good swiss cheese foundu. 7.5/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

无聊的时候只好做实验了，下午Jenney叫我去看电影，可是居然sold out。。。。。

肚子饿了，一个人煮了意大利面，默默地吃了，继续做实验。。。。

这大概才是正常的phd Life吧

坚持。。。

 

第一个：cocktail shrimp

2. 爱心小番茄salad

3. 南洋咖喱烤虾

4. 香橙叉烧鸡腿

5. 玫瑰扣肉

6. 腌笃鲜

7.  鲜奶顿蛋

就是觉得时间过得很快，3个小时一晃就过去了，真后悔没有早点来，还有就是没有多拍点照片。

 

又到了情人节，想起了2首经典歌曲

 

又见雪飘过 飘于伤心记忆中
让我再想你 却掀起我心痛
# 早经分了手 为何热爱尚情重
独过追忆岁月 或许此生不会懂
·又再想起你 抱拥飘飘白雪中
让你心中暖 去驱走我冰冻
冷风催我醒 原来共你是场梦
像那飘飘雪泪下弄湿冷清的晚空
$ 原来是那么深爱你
此际伴着我追忆的心痛

 

 

后来　我总算学会了　如何去爱 可惜你　早已远去　消失在人海 后来终于在眼泪中明白 有些人　一旦错过就不再 栀子花　白花瓣　落在我蓝色白褶裙上 「爱你」　你轻声说 我低下头　闻见一阵芬芳 那个永恒的夜晚　十七岁仲夏　你吻我的那个夜晚 让我往后的时光　每当有感叹 总想起　当天的星光 那时候的爱情　为什么就能那样简单 而又是为什么　人年少时 一定要让深爱的人受伤 在这相似的深夜里 你是否一样 也在静静追悔感伤 如果当时我们能　不那么倔强 现在也　不那么遗憾 你都如何回忆我　带着笑或是很沉默 这些年来　有没有人能让你不寂寞 永远不会再重来 有一个男孩　爱着那个女孩     他已经消失了，我还站在那里张望。。。

我们四个人又难得聚在一起了，自从Johson同学工作以后就神龙见首不见尾了，见面的时候总是抱怨工作太累，难得抽空来和我们一起fb.大家都是吃道中人，而且算是小有点功力的了，当然不能糊弄，先花了点功夫定下菜单：冷盘是哨子凉粉，酸辣凤爪，主菜是豆花鱼，芋茸香酥鸭，法式小羊排，甜点是一道成都小吃--蛋烘糕。今天可是要挑战高难度了，除了凉粉都是第一次试做。头天晚上做好凉粉，然后是豆花，好像还比较成功，yeah!做好芋茸馅，提前腌上鸭子，泡上凤爪，然后要准备蛋烘糕的馅料。这是上次吃饭的时候小鱼提出来说非常怀念，而且在纽约的成都印象也没吃到，于是我决定试做，只是可惜当年我去成都的时候也没有尝到，完全没有概念，google了一个recipe,倒是更像在介绍这道小吃，用量都写。。少许或者适量。。。。。汗！我只好凭着经验啦。。。

不说废话了，讲讲战果：凤爪剩下了，其它全部消灭干净：豆花鱼非常受欢迎，豆花滑嫩，入口即化，鲶鱼+鸡汤+秘制泡椒底料，味道鲜香，微辣，但是又有泡椒的酸，在我告诉他们豆花和底料都是自己做的之后，嘿嘿，就更加得意了。。。第二个就是芋茸香酥鸭，鸭子的酥脆加上软滑的芋泥，配上酸酸甜甜的梅子酱，哇，香甜的味道留在舌尖。。。当然有不足了，芋泥有点散，下次要多加生粉；再有就是羊排了，原料是restaurant quality的羊小排，我先切开再烤得，一则比较快，二来容易入味，三来不会有血丝，而且依旧肉质非常鲜嫩，很juicy.配上特制的红酒汁，加上黑胡椒的香味，嗯，这一份要卖$36.

最后是蛋烘糕，当我端上第一个来的时候，专家鉴定皮有些薄，成都卖的比较厚，比较小，但是味道很正。于是第二个摊得小点，厚点，哎，四川人都快激动地哭了，想不到能在美国吃到蛋烘糕了！！！

大家七嘴八舌的帮我出谋划策将来开餐馆，说一定要开到学校附近，还说目前我的水平已经很高了，远远超过这里的餐厅，只可惜半年才营业一次，嘻嘻。

在纽约工作的朋友说新开了一家比较地道的川菜--成都印象，位置在42nd St, 9ave and 10 ave之间。

二姐兔丁：麻辣鲜香，用料足，花生芝麻更增添了兔肉的香气，很不错；

伤心凉粉：用的是糍粑辣椒，辣味比较浓，但是没有麻的感觉，也还不错；

夫妻肺片：sauce不对，没有红油浸着的感觉；

鱼羊锅仔:羊肉炖得很烂，汤比较鲜，不过鱼用的是fillet，味道挺好；

豆花肥肠：肥肠没煮透，用的是嫩豆腐而不是豆花，欺骗了我的感情，55555，不过后来偶自己会做了，哼哼

红油抄手：不错，正点

总体来说，还是很地道的川菜馆，希望能够在mahattan survive下去

情网 原料：土豆500克 鸡蛋液1个 豆粉30克 糯米粉50克 葱花、精盐、味精、椒盐、花椒面、辣椒面各适量 色拉油1500（约耗100克） 制法： 1．土豆去皮切成细丝，纳盆，加入精盐、鸡蛋液、豆粉、糯米粉拌匀。 2．净锅上火，滑锅后，放入拌好的土豆丝，用锅铲按成圆饼形，煎至定形后出锅，再下入五成热的油锅中炸至酥脆且色呈金黄捞出，沥油装盘，一半撒上椒盐，一半撒上辣椒面、花椒面、葱花，稍加点缀，即可上桌。 一心一意 原料：猪脑花1个 猪心1个 野山椒茸15克 泡椒茸20克 泡姜米10克 蒜茸10克 姜片、葱段、精盐、料酒、白糖、味精、水豆粉、鲜汤、色拉油各适量 制法： 1．猪心放入加有姜片、葱段、料酒的冷水锅中煮熟，然后捞出切成片，在心形盘中摆成心形；猪脑花撕去外膜，入沸水锅中汆熟，捞出沥水，摆在猪心上。 2．净锅上火，放入色拉油烧热，下泡椒茸、野山椒茸、泡姜米、蒜茸炒香上色，再掺入鲜汤略煮，打去料渣，调入精盐、白糖、味精，用水豆粉勾薄芡，起锅浇淋入盘中，即成。 心心相印 原料：鸡心12个 鸭心12个 香菇50克 玉兰片50克 水发木耳50克 火腿肠50克 西兰花50克 水豆豉50克 小米辣、青尖椒各10克 泡姜米、蒜茸、精盐、味精、鲜汤、水豆粉、红油、色拉油各适量

制法： 1．鸡心、鸭心均对切成两半，再放入沸水锅中汆熟；香菇、玉兰片、火腿肠均切成片，然后将鸡心、鸭心、香菇、玉兰片、火腿肠、木耳装入扣碗中；西兰花切成小块，入加有油盐的沸水锅中汆一水；小米辣、青尖椒均切成小丁。 2．锅上火，掺入鲜汤，用精盐、味精调好味，烧沸后浇入蒸碗中，接着封上保鲜膜，放入笼中蒸20分钟，然后取出蒸碗，滗出蒸汁，翻扣入盘中，边上围上西兰花。 3．净锅重上火，下入红油烧热，放入蒜茸、泡姜米、水豆豉炒香，接着掺入蒸汁，调入精盐、味精，放入小米辣丁和青尖椒丁，用水豆粉勾薄芡，起锅淋入盘中，即成。 鸳鸯鱼 原料：草鱼1条（约1000克） 鸡蛋液2个 黄瓜1根 番茄酱、泡椒茸、姜米、蒜米、葱花、精盐、白糖、味精、白醋、酱油、鲜汤、水豆粉、糯米粉、色拉油各适量 制法： 1．草鱼宰杀治净，取两扇净鱼肉，片成薄片，鱼头从下颌处剖开成相连的两半；糯米粉、水豆粉、鸡蛋液调成蛋糊；黄瓜对剖后切成片。 2．锅上火，注入色拉油烧至四五成热，将鱼片挂匀蛋糊入锅中炸至外酥内嫩，捞出沥油，分成两份装入盘中，中间用黄瓜片隔开，再下鱼头、鱼尾炸熟，捞出摆在盘子两头。 3．净锅上火，放入适量色拉油烧热，下入番茄酱炒至翻泡时，掺入少许鲜汤，调入白糖、白醋，用水豆粉勾薄芡，起锅淋在一半的鱼片上；另锅上火，放入适量色拉油烧热，下泡椒茸、姜米、蒜米炒香出色，掺入鲜汤，调入精盐、白糖、酱油、味精、醋，用水豆粉勾薄芡，撒入葱花，起锅淋在另一半鱼片上，即成。

蛋卷和棒棒鸡丝

 

 

无锡排骨

重庆烤全鱼+涮锅

江石肥牛

凉粉

蛋黄鸡肉卷

烤鸡

醋泡花生

茄夹

巧克力慕丝蛋糕