Blog - Flying Fourchette

Ladurée Soho, New York

June 26, 2014

Seems New Yorkers can’t get enough of French sweet things as seen by the buzz surrounding the recent opening of Ladurée’s second NYC location in Soho. Over two and a half years have passed since the French luxury sweets house opened its first North American outpost on Madison Avenue and the queue for their famed macarons has yet to die down.

While you can still get your hands on the 15 or so flavors of the now classic cookie at the new location, there’s a lot more waiting for you there the moment you step into what has been proclaimed to be “the most beautiful of all the Ladurées.”

The front room holds the retail shop underneath a sky-painted ceiling and is filled with candy-colored pastries.

The true stunners though are the two ornately furnished dining ‘salons’ at the back inspired by French courtesan Madame de Pompadour, and the closest thing to a visit to Versailles this side of the ocean – it’s simply stunning. Antique chandeliers, 18^th-century style paintings, floral curtains and every other details of the over-the-top décor is what make eating at Ladurée such a special treat.

You’re literally transported to the original location on Rue Royale in Paris as you sample the restaurant’s signature dishes surrounded by ladies who lunch and French expats. This is the place where you’ll want to pick the light entrées (which are the best anyway) and leave room for dessert as the intricately crafted pâtisseries are reason alone to come. A gorgeous back garden has opened for the warm months and would be the perfect place for an afternoon tea or sipping the house’s signature drink of champagne and rose petals… An absolute delight whatever the occasion for a lot cheaper than a return trip to Paris!

Concorde Omelette – Diced chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach leaves, cream and meaux mustard sauce

Ladurée Salad – Arugula salad, small artichokes, green beans, dried tomatoes, green asparagus, mozzarella cheese, pumpkin seeds and crispy homemade chips served with a citrus vinaigrette

Ispahan – Smooth rose flavored macaron biscuit, rose petal cream, fresh raspberries and lychees

Millefeuille Praline – Caramelized puff pastry, praline cream, almond pralines and crispy hazelnuts

Ladurée Soho
398 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012
T: +1 646 392 7868
Map

Hong Kong Restaurants

Ronin, Hong Kong

June 20, 2014

An unassuming passerby would have no idea what’s happening behind this windowless and unmarked gray façade off On Wo Lane in central Hong Kong. No one would ever guess that the heavy door hides one of the city’s most respected, and tiniest, restaurants.

Riding on the success of their much loved chicken mecca Yardbird, the same team has produced yet another hot spot, this time a modern seafood izakaya called Ronin. The 14-seat dining bar is a world away from its boisterous sibling with an intimate feel and a focus on drinks more than on food with bottles stacked in fridges and on shelves taking up most of the back area. Besides the expected inventive cocktails and sake, Ronin has the biggest selection of Japanese whisky in Hong Kong which they’ll be pleased to help you pair with a few tasty snacks.

The one-sheet menu has a selection of 10 hot and 10 cold dishes with at least 4-5 different types of sashimi, mostly from Japan, and some larger, tapas-style dishes. What mostly stands out from the menu are the prices (on the expensive side) and the unfamiliarity of ingredients to everyone but the most connoisseur of Japanese cuisine. Ronin wants to challenge you a bit and they do a great job of introducing some lesser-known fish which are expertly described by the skillful staff.

You won’t find the same buzz as at Yardbird, but you’ll get a more intimate experience with more refined dishes, and I frankly think the two places shouldn’t even be compared since they suit such different occasions. Go to Ronin for an expensive booze-filled night with fancy sashimi and Japanese tapas, and bring a good friend, as the slightly awkward bar seating doesn’t lend itself too well to a first date (!). It’s good to try once and sample food and alcohol you won’t find anywhere else, add it to your bragging list, and then keep returning to Yardbird for the more comforting and satisfying food that awaits you there…

Amuse-bouche

Mejida rudderfish sashimi, spring onion, ginger

Market chips, black sugar, Kyoto shichimi and Ikura (salmon roe), crème fraîche, yuzu

Flower crab, uni, mitsuba

Kagoshima beef, maitake, egg yolk

Udon, mentaiko, shiso

Ronin
8 On Wo Ln, Hong Kong
T: +852 2547 5263
Map

Appetizer Recipes Vegetarian

Tomato salad with flowers, za’atar and farro

June 14, 2014

Less than a week before Spring is officially over so this is a farewell of sorts, a thank you to all the beauty and colors the season has brought at the end of a decidedly hellish winter. This salad tastes like pure Spring and looks as if you would have carefully reassembled an idyllic garden onto your plate.

Almost too pretty to eat, it is a great way to use the most magical of ingredients, edible flowers, which instantly turn anything into a celebration. Whether you buy your pesticide-free flowers at your farmers’ market, fine grocery store, or grow some in your garden, any combination will work here and add wonderful fragrance and color to your salad.

The other key ingredient and my favorite farmers’ market purchase at this time of year, heirloom tomatoes, represents all the brightness and freshness we seek on a beautiful Spring day. Their odd shape, vibrant array of colors and absolutely incredible taste need next to nothing to shine which is why they’re perfect in this simple and stunning salad. The ever-versatile nutty Italian grain farro makes it more substantial and add a pleasant bite, and the unexpected Middle Eastern touches of za’atar and pomegranate molasses are an original and tasty twist. This super light and refreshing salad is begging to be eaten outside, at home or taken to your next picnic.

Tomato salad with flowers, za’atar and farro

Recipe from Stevie Parle’s Dock Kitchen Cookbook
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

50g farro (or freekeh)
Sea salt
Olive oil
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
6 tomatoes of great flavour, colour, and ripeness
1 scant teaspoon za’atar
A few edible flowers

Wash the farro and boil it gently in unseasoned water following the package’s instructions for time. It should be soft but slightly chewy. Drain, then season with salt and dress with olive oil.

In a little bowl, whisk the pomegranate molasses with 3 tablespoons olive oil to make an emulsified dressing.

Slice the tomatoes thinly, in little wedges or round slices, a way that looks pretty and is sensitive to their natural shape.

Toss with salt and a little olive oil. Lay the tomatoes on a plate, scatter with the farro, za’atar and edible flowers.

Finish the plate by drizzling with the pomegranate molasses mixture.

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Hong Kong Restaurants

Little Bao, Hong Kong

June 9, 2014

What started as a small stand in the Island East Markets is now a vibrant restaurant with old and new fans flocking to its central location just off the busy stretch of Staunton street in Soho. You can’t miss Little Bao‘s big pink neon logo outside the small concrete space nor the queue of hungry diners, inevitable with its no-reservation policy.

It’s worth the wait to get into this ‘American diner with a modern Asian twist’ though and there are plenty of nearby bars to serve you a few drinks while you wait for your seat. The main reason to go is of course the trademark “Chinese burgers”, a twist on the gua bao (pork belly bun) from Taiwan, which here get an innovative update.

One bite of any melt in your mouth bao on offer and you’ll understand the hype and how a restaurant could be created around these heavenly buns. The menu doesn’t stop there though and is well rounded out with a small selection of equally appetizing Asian fusion side dishes and small plates such as pan-fried short rib dumplings, steamed clams with yuzu cucumber broth, mac & cheese, truffle fries, etc. Everything we ate packed a lot of flavors in small packages and it’s all really easy to eat. Just like their buns, Little Bao is tiny but superbly fun and creative, making it ideal for a late night bite.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with fish sauce, caramel, chili, lime and fried shallots

Truffle fries with shiitake tempeh, truffle mayo and pickled daikon.

Fish tempura bao with tamarind palm sugar glaze and pickled lemongrass fennel salad.

The famous pork belly bao with leek & shiso red onion salad, sesame dressing and hoisin ketchup.

The only dessert option – Little Bao ice cream sandwiches, a deep-fried bun sandwiching here salt ice cream with caramel sauce… enough said!

Little Bao
66 Staunton Street
Central, Hong Kong
T: 852 2194 0202
Map

Appetizer Recipes

Ceviche with Coconut Milk

June 2, 2014

With the nice weather comes a flow of cooling dishes we had forgotten these previous months, one of my favorite being the ceviche. The old South American dish has a renewed popularity and can now be found in all kinds of restaurants and in all kinds of variations. It makes for such a light and perfectly summery appetizer that I find myself ordering it every time I see it on the menu these days, and I’m clearly not alone in my adoration of it.

The simplest ones using only some lime juice to ‘cook’ the fish are delightful on a blistering day, but for a less acidic flavor and more oomph, the addition of coconut milk lends an undeniable taste of holidays and exotic locations…without packing too much extra calories!

This recipe brings the best of both preparations together by starting with a simple lime-based ceviche, and adding a luscious coconut and cilantro sauce which you can use as little or as much as you’d like. The flavors are sharp and very refreshing, and you can play with it by using any combination of white fish you choose, always going with the freshest available of course. A wonderful way to kickstart a summer meal or even as a light snack with a few margaritas…

Ceviche with Coconut Milk

Recipe from Elle a Table
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 3+ hours
Makes 6 servings

600g white fish (from 3 different ones)
1 celery stalk
¼ cucumber
½ garlic clove
6 limes
A bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 piece of ginger (1 inch)
1 can of coconut milk

Start by cutting the fish into small dice.

Wash the celery, peel the cucumber, and dice them both equally into small dice. Grate the ginger and mix it delicately with the fish and vegetables.

Squeeze 3 or 4 limes and pour the juice over the preparation. Let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

For the sauce, mix in a blender a generous handful of cilantro, the can of coconut milk, the garlic, and a few quarters of limes until smooth. Leave the sauce in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.