T.W.Food

Somewhere, hidden in a largely residential section of North Cambridge, lies an unexpected gem.

I know - sounds familiar doesn't it? But no, I'm not talking about that famous restaurant (which, incidentally, has since moved from that leafy location). I am, instead, talking about T.W. Food, a cozy little place right on Walden street between Harvard Square and Alewife.

Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann are the owners of T.W. Food, a small, intimate restaurant serving dishes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.  The menu changes daily depending on what's available that day.  Chef Tim Wiechmann exhibits creativity that's also grounded in solid, classic French training. He's not afraid to experiment and definitely plays around with molecular gastronomy. Don't be surprised if you see some foams (among other interesting things) here.

T.W. Food is inviting right when you walk in -  the exposed brick, tiny bustling kitchen, and small cozy dining space beckon one to sit down and just relax.

The menu is set up in two ways. You can either order the Grand Tasting, which consists of courses and costs $75. Or, you can order from the a la carte menu, which allows you to choose a starter, entree, and dessert for $41. Everything is a fixed price menu here.

For a great deal, you can also try their Tuesday Wine Series, which is a 4-course meal paired with 4 glasses of wine for $55. It's great fun because each week they explore wine from a different region. In the next month or so, they plan on exploring Argentina & Chile, Bordeaux, French Riviera, and Sicily (just to name a few).

We went on a Saturday with Bryan's old co-worker from years past. This is the same co-worker who first introduced us to one of our favorite casual dining spots. Chatting with him is always a pleasure, as he constantly gives us new ideas about cooking, shopping, and eating.

Because it was summer, we started with a beautiful amuse bouche of fresh corn and a creamy, custardy cake. The bite was delightful, and definitely whet our appetites for more.

I decided to start with the smoked fish pate with house pickled cucumber and red onions. The smoked fish was nice, perfectly salted and infused with a beautiful smoky flavor. It went well with the accompaniments.

Bryan ordered one of their signature dishes, the "Fois Gras Creme Brulee".  It's an unusual mixture of savory and sweet - the rich, savory umami of the fois gras is topped with a hard, candy coated shell from the creme brulee.

"Summer Lettuce" is a compilation of seasonal, summer greens, fruit, and other fresh produce.

Whole Wheat Pappardelle 
heirloom tomato, bucheron goat’s cheese, spelt grains, escarole and basil 

Though Bryan does not typically like whole wheat pasta, he was intrigued by the idea of fresh, homemade whole wheat pasta. The verdict? He very much enjoyed the flavor of the sauce, but maintains that whole wheat pasta just does not have the same texture (and thus just isn't as good), as white flour pasta. Having said that, he conceded that the texture of this homemade pasta was quite good, and he was still perfectly happy eating it.

Both of our favorites from the evening? - this lovely summer corn ravioli with house smoked ham. The ravioli itself had amazing pasta texture (much better than Bryan's whole wheat pasta!), and I absolutely loved the intense flavor of corn that dominated each bite. The sweetness and creaminess of the ravioli contrasted perfectly with the salty, smoky ham. The dish was perfectly balanced and absolutely delicious.

Dessert was really really interesting. We ordered beignets with tobacco infused chocolate sauce. The tobacco flavor was subtle but it was definitely there. It added an interesting smoky element to the chocolate sauce.

What a nice touch!  We ended with some complimentary mignardises that wrapped up the meal nicely.

General Thoughts
I had a fantastic time at T.W. Food trying the various dishes. Everything is executed with precision and lots of care. The ingredients are top notch and the menu is creative.

Unlike most French-inspired upscale restaurants, T.W. Food serves rather generous portions. We actually took quite a bit of food home, which we didn't mind at all. The leftovers were still very, very enjoyable!

I would love to stop by on a Tuesday and try their wine series. I tried their grand tasting several years ago but frankly, it was so long ago I don't remember it that well. Maybe it's time to go back and try that as well!

All in all, I'm enjoying the interesting dishes at T.W. Food and I will definitely be back.

T.W. Food
377 Walden St
Cambridge, MA 02138

Blue Asia Cafe

You haven't really tried classic, Taiwanese casual cuisine until you've had either the pork chop over rice (pai gu fan 排骨飯) or the salt and pepper basil fried chicken (sometimes referred to as popcorn chicken).

OK, perhaps I exaggerate, but these are very traditional, classic Taiwanese "bento" dishes that are very common throughout Taiwan. There's often a cult following for the places that make the best ones, and quality varies, a lot.

A traditional Taiwanese pork chop over rice consists of a deep fried pork chop, rice, Taiwanese meat sauce, and pickled mustard greens. Sometimes the vegetable may vary and you may get a soy sauce egg (or tea egg!), all-in-all, though, the basic premise is the same.

Simple, quick, convenient, and very very delicious.

I was thrilled to discover yet another Taiwanese casual place that has just opened up in Allston not too long ago. It looked promising full of all sort of classic Taiwanese dishes such as various boba teas, shaved ice, Taiwanese maki rolls, and, of course, the beloved pork chop over rice.

My mom was in town helping out with my sister's new baby. My brother-in-law was oh-so-kind to offer to watch the baby while my mom, sister, and I snuck out for a quick girls lunch.

The decor of Blue Asia Cafe really reminds me of Taiwan. It's bright, colorful, and one wall is filled with anime books. They are both a cafe and a restaurant, serving a strong assortment of boba tea, shaved ice, and other sweets while also offering classic, casual Taiwanese dishes.

For some reason, I always get sooo excited when I see an authentic Taiwanese menu. I have trouble deciding between all the fun dishes to try. This menu was pretty Taiwanese, although there were some weird fusion stuff thrown in there, like maki rolls made with hot dog, eggs and cheese (???), as well as popular dishes from other cuisines (bi bim bop or General Gau's chicken, anyone?). All in all, though, I was pleased to see dishes that reminded me of Taiwan.

We started out with an order of scallion pancakes, which were fine although nothing special. My mom kept saying they really reminded her of i-Mei (a well known Taiwanese packaged food brand) frozen pancakes (which,mind you, are quite good for frozen . . .). They were fine, but I wouldn't order them again. Many other places in Boston make a much better scallion pancake.
I was slightly tickled (and partly mortified) at the creative spin Blue Asia had taken on the humble make roll. Sure, we all know that the classic Taiwanese maki roll is very different from the Japanese type. Taiwanese people love to put pork sung (pork floss) in their maki rolls, as well as pickled vegetables, egg, and other cooked things. Honestly, it's quite flavorful and quite good, though different from any Japanese-style roll. However, I couldn't imagine how hot dogs and cheese would taste in a roll.

Anyway, no one at our table wanted to take that risk, so instead we took the conservative approach and went with the pork chop Taiwanese style roll.

This one, called the "Typhoon Rice Roll" had pork chop, fried egg, lettuce, pork sung, and some pickled gourd. It was pretty good and reminded me of the classic Taiwanese maki (although my mom never made it with pork chop! Just pork sung).

We ordered another classic - the salt and pepper chicken with basil over rice. This is a classic street dish in Taiwan that is often not served in a dish like this. Instead, you might get the fried chicken in a bag and you eat it with skewers. In fact, I believe Lollicup in Allston serves it this way and they call it popcorn chicken.

The pepper flavor was very distinctive, having hints of 5-spice (though I could not distinguish which one it was). We asked the server (or perhaps she was the owner?), who told us that they import the spice mix from Taiwan and it's the best one there. I can't remember the name, but it sounded something like "A-1" or something.

Like every classic Taiwanese rice dish, this one also came with the classic meat sauce, which is poured over the rice (and originally hidden under the egg!). The side of tofu (similar to mapo tofu) was unusual, but not bad at all.

The pork chop (pictured above), was also pretty good, but I think the one at Taiwan Cafe is still my favorite in Boston.

My sister was craving boba, so she tried a Thai iced tea. I actually thought it was pretty good, though (again), it may not be my favorite in Boston.


All-in-all, I had a fun time at Blue Asia Cafe. The fun, slightly schizophrenic menu is still very Taiwanese at its core and they deliver decently on all of their dishes. I wouldn't say they have the best of any particular dish (there are places in Boston that still do Taiwanese food better). However, they do an admirable job on most things, and I personally love the casual, very Taiwanese ambiance.

Bottom line is, it's a fun, casual place to visit that won't break your wallet.

 Blue Asia Cafe
113 Brighton Ave
Allston, MA 02134

Scampo

There are at least two reasons to visit the Scampo if you're in Boston.

First, it's housed in the storied Liberty Hotel, a former prison that's rich with all sorts of history. The former Charles Street Jail housed prisoners from 1851 to 1990. The US district court ruled in 1973 that the jail violated the constitutional rights of the prisoners because of terrible overcrowding.

Massachusetts General Hospital now owns the property and opened a luxury hotel in the space in 2007. They have maintained some of the original architecture, so it's quite fascinating to see the former jail decked out in luxury finishes.

Of course, architecture and history alone would not be enough reason to visit a restaurant. The second reason to visit Scampo is that it's another restaurant by Lydia Shire, probably one of the most well known chefs in Boston. A driven woman who worked her way to the top during a time when male chefs dominated the industry, Lydia Shire continues to wow us with her current empire, which includes the venerated classic Locke-Ober, the trendy Towne Stove & Spirits (opened this past year), and Scampo - the ever so popular restaurant inside the Liberty Hotel.

It's hard not to be impressed by your surroundings right when you enter the Liberty Hotel. The high ceilings of the former jail fill you with a sense of wonder and fascination at the same time. Scampo is in the lower level of the Liberty Hotel, which also houses the new American restaurant Clink.

The space at Scampo is trendy, lively, yet cozy and warm at the same time. A huge open kitchen sits at the center of the restaurant. You can watch chefs preparing pizzas in the brick oven or baking their homemade naan.

The restaurant is decidedly Italian, although it draw influences from both the Mediterranean region as well as the Middle East.

For example, we enjoyed an interesting edamame (? or was it pea?) puree with Italian breadsticks. Naan-like bread is also cooked in tandoori ovens.
We started with this lovely lobster appetizer that came with fresh avocados, thinly sliced radishes, and a fried plantain chip on top.

Razor claims with house made gnocchi, potato chips, and basil were sweet, fresh, and perfectly seasoned.

Roasted Suckling Pig
A special only available on Fridays, the generous portion of the "roasted suckling pork" was juicy and had perfect crispy skin (not unlike Peking duck!). It was served with fresh handmade pasta (Bryan's favorite!) and asparagus.

For dessert we tried the "house made cookie plate - chef's whim" and the tiramisu. The cookies are great because you can easily take them home if you can't finish them. 
We definitely enjoyed our meal at Scampo. In fact, we could definitely see the resemblance between Scampo and Lydia Shire's other restaurant that we've tried, Towne Stove & Spirits. Everything we tried was solidly executed and had great flavors. Ingredients were top notch, and overall the meal was quite enjoyable.

The menu is quite interesting, and there are still so many things we haven't tried. For example, they have a mozzarella bar full of their house made mozzarellas. You can even try a mozzarella tasting where you sample burrata, buffalo, house made, and quark mozzarella. I'm so curious to try that. There are also many types of pizzas, including Lydia Shire's famous lobster pizza (named best pizza in Massachusetts by the Food Network).

All in all, Scampo has excellent food and a great atmosphere. I'm looking forward to my next visit, hopefully soon!

Scampo
215 Charles St
Boston, MA 02114

All Things Taiwanese

Eating shaved ice with various mochi toppings at Ice Monster in Taipei

"lı́ hó bô? chiah-pá-bô?"

Taiwanese was the "secret" language that my parents used when my sister and I were growing up. While they spoke Mandarin Chinese to us, they spoke Taiwanese to each other all the time.

I still sound like a wako lang (foreigner) when I attempt to speak Taiwanese. However, my parents' plans for a secret language totally failed. Kids absorb languages like sponges, and we were no different. Surprisingly, though I never spoke a word of it growing up, I can actually understand quite a bit of Taiwanese. This proved to be quite useful many times in my life - talking with relatives in Taiwan, ordering Taiwanese food at restaurants, and just getting around in the streets of Taiwan.

Why all this focus on Taiwan all of a sudden?


I'm pleased to announce that TaiwaneseAmerican.Org, a foundation dedicated to all things Taiwanese American, has published an interview with Tiny Urban Kitchen today at their site. Check out the interview here!

As one who grew up relatively isolated from a large Asian American community, I think sites like these are great for helping fellow Taiwanese people connect and share the love of their country, heritage, and culture.

In the spirit of the interview, I've gathered all my Taiwanese content and put them together on a few pages dedicated to Taiwan. Definitely check out the recipes page (where you'll find mouthwatering recipes for Taiwanese classics such as bawan, lo ba bng, and batzhang), as well as the restaurants page, which describes Boston Taiwanese favorites as well as other restaurants I've visited in Taiwan and elsewhere.

Enjoy!

TAIWANESE            TAIWANESE
RECIPES   RESTAURANTS 

A typical Taiwanese breakfast from Yong He Soy Milk Shop

Antico Forno

LINGUINE AL FRUTTI DI MARE
Linguine pasta with clams, mussels, calamari and shrimp sautéed in a plum tomato sauce baked in parchment paper $21

The North End is one of our favorite eating neighborhoods, and I write about it frequently on this blog.

However, I've realized that most of the places I've described are more suited for special occasions. The ever-so-quaint-and-charming Mamma Maria (inside of a lovely townhouse overlooking the square) is wonderful for a first date (or even a proposal!). The elegant Prezza is great for a snazzy work dinner or a special celebratory meal. These establishments undoubtedly serve some of the best Italian food in Boston, and you'll pay a pretty penny for the experience.

What about good, solid everyday Italian? The type you can enjoy on a random Friday night without breaking the bank?

Time and time again, Bryan and I have met friends at Antico Forno, a casual, boisterous and friendly restaurant which serves excellent food in a very inviting and kid-friendly environment. The best part? - the surprisingly reasonable prices that come with such high quality food in this prime location.

IL MARINARO
Sautéed shrimp with smoked mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, topped with fresh arugula $16.50

Antico Forno does a lot of things well, but one that stands out is their authentic brick oven pizza. The crust, which is of medium thickness, has just the right amount of substance when you bite into it. It's charred perfectly on the outside yet has a satisfying "chew" to it.  The nice variety of pizza toppings are fun to try and have all been really good.

CARCIOFI E PORCINI
Artichoke hearts, imported Italian porcini mushrooms, fresh homemade mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, finished with white truffle oil

I have always loved the combination of mushrooms with artichoke hearts. Antico Forno steps up their version a notch by using porcini mushrooms and drizzling white truffle oil on top. This pizza reheats beautifully and  I definitely enjoyed it a few more times after taking our leftovers home!

MARGHERITA
Fresh homemade mozzarella, plum tomato sauce and fresh basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil $13

I really like the Margherita with its simple flavors. It's also a great pizza to order for kids since it's essentially a glorified cheese pizza.

RIGATONI ALLA BOSCAIOLA
Rigatoni pasta sautéed with mushrooms, sweet peas, onions, Italian ham in a plum tomato mascarpone sauce $17

Of course, their pastas are fantastic as well. They offer many homemade pasta dishes (such as the linguini-based ones), as well as those made with dried pasta, which are all cooked perfectly al dente. I especially love the rigatoni all bascaiola (pictured above). The marscapone cheese adds just the right level of creaminess to round out the fragrant tomato sauce. Bryan's favorite is the frutti di mare (pictured at top), which is made with fresh homemade linguini. Generous chunks of fresh mussels, clams, shrimp, and squid are sautéed together in a plum tomato sauce and baked in parchment paper (in the huge brick oven!).  The resultant sauce sings of the sweet combination of seafood flavors and fresh tomatoes. It's a real bargain at $21.

CALAMARI FRITTI Semolina crusted fried calamari with mixed greens drizzled with a citrus honey vinegrette $14

The deep fried calamari (squid) was fine - nothing particularly special but it was enjoyable. We liked the generous portion size and the fact that it came with a little side salad (to offset the guilt!).

Restaurant Week
The second time we went this summer happened to be during Restaurant Week. You know how I feel about Restaurant Week in general, so I was a bit dubious. However, the menu offering looked promising so we decided to take the risk and get one order from the Restaurant Week menu. Everything else came from the regular menu.

Arancini
The food quality was pretty good, though I'm not sure how much of a "deal" you're actually getting. The first course was a huge arancini, which is sort of like a stuffed, deep-fried risotto ball. This particular one was filled with shrimp, peas, and cheese and slathered with a marinara sauce. It was pretty tasty, though I personally still love the one at Basta Pasta more.

Homemade Fettuccine with Beef Bolognese Ragu
The second course was a tiny portion of bolognese pasta. The texture of the homemade pasta was good, and the sauce was hearty and flavorful. The portion size was much smaller than their typical entrees.

Strawberry Gelato

Dessert was a simple scoop of gelato, which was OK but nothing special.

General Thoughts
Although the food in the Restaurant Week menu was fine, I feel like diners really miss out on the best that Antico Forno has to offer if they stick with the simplified menu. Honestly, the prices at Antico Forno are so reasonably, there's really no reason to go with the Restaurant Week menu. Our frutti di mare pasta was only $21 but was probably about three times larger than the Restaurant Week portion of the bolognese pasta.

I would suggest just going with friends, ordering a few pizzas, appetizers, pastas, and desserts to share. You'll end up paying about the same as "Restaurant Week" but getting a much better meal (and really a much better idea of the best that Antico Forno offers).

I'm a fan of this place, and it's the first place we think of when parent friends as for a "kid-friendly" restaurant in the city. The ambiance is lively and loud. No one will care if a baby starts to cry or if a child starts fussing. The restaurant has a nice supply of high chairs in the back and has several kid-friendly menu items (though there isn't a kids menu per se).

Everything we've tried has been solid, and there have been several standouts. Definitely try the frutti di mare if you like seafood, or give the rigatoni all bascaiola a try. You can't go wrong with the pizzas either. Over all, it's an excellent choice for a casual, reasonably-priced, and delicious Italian dining experience right in the heart of the North End.

Antico Forno
93 Salem St
Boston, MA 02113

Ten Years Ago Today

Ten years ago today I married my college sweetheart.

Our first dinner out together was the result of a lost "bet" over a game of ping pong (or was it pool? how weird that our memories fade so quickly as we get older). Mind you - it wasn't the first "bet" that had been lost. I lost the first time, but cooked a simple dinner of sauteed chicken and broccoli with rice as my "payment." When Bryan lost, he "paid" by taking me out to a nice dinner on Newbury Street.

Sneaky sneaky.

Our first real date was at Icarus, an iconic South End establishment that finally closed in 2009 after 31 years. We saw Phantom of the Opera afterwards.

Pre-dating days . . ."just friends"

Though we were poor college students, Bryan never failed to treat me lavishly during our years of dating. By the time we graduated from college, we had enjoyed nice meals at places such as Julien's (formerly in the Langham hotel - now closed), Aujourd'hui (formerly in the Four Seasons - now closed), and Hamersly's Bistro, among others.

Bryan proposed on a mountain top amidst beautiful fall foliage in October. If you ever plan on visiting Boston, definitely come in October. It's by far the prettiest month here. We were married 11 months later, right in Boston overlooking the Charles River, the Zakim Bridge, and Beacon Hill.

And here we are, ten years later.

A little older, a little wiser, and just as happy.

Sure, we may not always agree on everything (people think we're opposites) . . .

But hey, opposites attract and complement each other. Thanks for being a wonderful partner all these years. I look forward to many more decades to come.

So how are we celebrating? Bryan treated me to a spa treatment at Canyon Ranch Spa this afternoon. Tonight, we will be having the full menu degustation here.  Happy Anniversary!