Kosher Kritic

By: Daniel Douek

Daniel may have completed his undergraduate studies at Yeshiva University, but he is still a student of great cuisine. By day he is a mild mannered employee at a large and growing internet company. By night he is a kosher restaurant critic with strong stances and an outspoken demeanor. He is, the Kosher Kritic.

Ozu

Monday, August 29th, 2011

OzuRecently, a friend dared me to try to go two weeks as a vegetarian (allowing for fish (I’m only human)), and as a man always open to trying new things and almost unwilling to pass on a good dare I accepted the challenge. I made it eight days and missed two barbecues – about as unsuccessful as any dare can be (again, human). However, in the process I did discover an excellent fish/vegetarian restaurant called Ozu, on the Upper West Side.

The first thing you’ll notice walking into Ozu is how cumbersome it is to walk into Ozu. This is caused by a pretty funky door situation where both doors open IN to the small entrance chamber. It isn’t a huge deal, but quality food is all about attention to detail so it didn’t bode well. After navigating the treacherous entrance, we stepped into a packed house and had to wait for a table to open up. Once we were seated, which took about five minutes, I noticed that even though the restaurant is small and was full of people, it didn’t feel cramped – a major victory in my book.  The restaurant itself has an Asian feel without any gaudy design elements that scream “THIS RESTAURANT IS JAPANESE.” I can’t tell you how happy it made me to not have a restaurant’s décor be screaming at me for once. Oh wait, yes I can, it made me very happy.

To start our experience the server brought out some bali tea, which is definitely not my cup of… erm… well, I didn’t like it very much. I imagine it is possible for someone to enjoy tea of that flavor – I once lived with someone who used to drink Genghis Khan tea, which I joked was named that because it smelled like a burning village – but I can tell you I am not that person. Moving on from the tea, we ordered a Dinner box (a wild salmon filet, three appetizers, brown rice and miso soup) an Ozu tempura and Misoni.

The first thing to come was the miso soup, a subtle mixture of fermented soy and broth made from kelp and preserved tuna (at least traditionally) with chopped scallions and pieces of tofu. This is one of my favorite types of soup (trust me, it tastes way better than it sounds) and Ozu’s version does not disappoint. The soup was followed by the highlight of the meal, the Ozu tempura, a plate of batter fried salmon and vegetables (we ordered this as a communal appetizer, though it is generally a main course). The vegetables and fish were perfectly fried – crispy on the outside, cooked, but not mushy on the inside – and were well complemented by the sweet dipping sauce. My personal favorite was the butternut squash tempura, which really had an outstanding texture and sweetness.

The dinner box arrived next in a sectional tray with spaces for the main course (a wild salmon filet for me) and each of the three appetizers, in this case I chose: burdock marinated in sweet soy ginger sauce, fried vegetable dumplings, and summer rolls (basically cold spring rolls). While the salmon filet was delicious, the variety of the dinner comes at a price – you get very small amounts of each thing. I would only recommend the dinner box if you don’t already have some idea what you like, otherwise just order a main dish and a soup. The misoni, a large miso soup with chunks of salmon and noodles in it, is one of those no brainer combinations, like ice cream and waffles, that just works amazingly well.

All in all I had an excellent trip to Ozu and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a subtle and sophisticated Asian eating experience. Just be sure to mind the doors.

Ozu
566 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10024





I wonder if they had burgers in the biblical Ark

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

When God told Noah to build the ark he gave him some very specific instructions (don’t worry this review is not about to become a D’var Torah – I’m a food critic not a rabbi). The guiding principle of those instructions can be found in chapter 7, verse 2: “You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female.” The reason I am mentioning this here, as part of my review of Noah’s Ark (the restaurant not the biblical endeavor) is that the restaurant seems to be following the same basic principle in constructing its menu. If all the other meat restaurants in the world were destroyed by some sort of flood, we could reconstruct them entirely from the menu at Noah’s Ark.

When I decided to review this Lower East Side fixture, I realized I would have to focus on a specific aspect of the restaurant, so I chose to focus on what I believe is their greatest strength – burgers. Noah’s Ark has a selection of 11 premium burgers, 10 of which are genuinely worthwhile and creative while the final one is of the, “this is just like a regular burger, but ridiculously oversized” variety that makes me worry about the future of our species.

The most basic offering is the blackened Caesar burger, which, while delicious and juicy, is essentially just a burger topped with Caesar dressing. From there things get a little more adventurous with options like, the ponzu burger, which is marinated in Japanese ponzu sauce, garlic and ginger, and topped with shiitake mushrooms, and the Lower East Side burger, which is topped with chulent and derma and is obviously not the health conscious choice. My personal favorite is the Brunch All Day Burger, which is topped with crispy pastrami, mayonnaise and a Sunnyside-up fried egg. If you have never had a burger with a fried egg on top, you don’t know what you are missing – it is truly one of the world’s great things.

The burgers are served in a metal wire frame shaped like a boat (get it? Yeah, you get it) with a side of soft and delicious sweet potato fries and chipotle dipping sauce. When you next find yourself craving a burger I cannot recommend Noah’s Ark strongly enough. If all the other kosher burgers disappeared, Noah’s Ark would be a good place to start rebuilding.





Kasbah BBQ and Grill

Friday, May 6th, 2011

Kasbah BBQ & GrillWhen I started doing this blog, I wasn’t planning on ever writing a review of Kasbah BBQ and Grill (more commonly known as Deli Kasbah). It isn’t a new restaurant – it’s been around for over 25 years – it isn’t hot in the press, and it’s already very popular. And yet, here we are – me writing, and you reading – a review about Deli Kasbah.

Deli Kasbah, located on the north side of 86th street just west of Broadway has a small entrance down a few stairs that belies its sprawling interior. The décor is pretty standard steakhouse, with a few Middle Eastern flourishes that you probably won’t notice if you aren’t looking for them. What you most certainly will notice are the two flat panel TV screens located at diagonally opposite corners of the restaurant playing a loop of video footage of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. It’s an odd design choice to be certain, but it does give the restaurant a style all its own.

We arrived at the restaurant around 7:30 and were quickly seated. That was the last time anything at the restaurant happened quickly. We placed our order – Texas nuggets and Rumaki as appetizers, a Philly steak sandwich, and a smoked turkey sandwich as main courses – and then we waited. There was a bit more waiting after that, followed immediately by some more waiting. About half an hour later we were eating. It is inexplicable that it took over half an hour for two appetizers and two sandwiches, one of which was a cold deli sandwich.

Our appetizers were delicious. Despite simply being chicken nuggets dipped in barbecue sauce, the Texas nuggets were outstanding – perfectly cooked, tender, yet crispy. The highlight of the night was the Rumaki – tender chicken wrapped in fried pastrami and coated in BBQ sauce – which even if it is a bit expensive at $13 for a pretty small portion is possibly one of the world’s best thing, as long as you aren’t concerned about health.

The Philly steak sandwich served on crispy garlic bread was solid, but unspectacular. The smoked turkey sandwich on the other hand… well, I don’t know why they thinks it is ok to charge $18 for some pretty standard sliced turkey on two pieces of small rye bread, but it’s not. I’m not going to lie, when the sandwich came out, I thought it was a joke.

Kasbah is a super popular place for birthday parties and dates and I think I get why. The food is simple and sometimes pretty good (especially the appetizers) and it’s expensive enough that it feels like a treat, but not so expensive that it breaks the bank. There is definitely a place for that, but I think they need to right the ship a bit – work on the service, cut some of the chaff off the menu – before I can honestly recommend it.





Basil Pizza & Wine Bar

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

Basil Pizza & Wine BarPreviously on the Kosher Kritic I wondered, “Given that there is so much bad pizza out there, where can you go to score a good slice?”  In that post I reviewed Rosa’s Pizza – a Pizzeria in the Empire State Building – and concluded that in a casual atmosphere you’d be hard pressed to beat Rosa’s. That’s all well and good, but what if you’re looking for a more intimate setting? To that end I set out to investigate Basil Pizza & Wine Bar, the trendy pizza place in that trendiest of neighborhoods, Crown Heights. And, just to make sure the setting was intimate enough, I went there on a date, but you’re not interested in hearing about that (and if you are, well then, hi MOM!).

A few months back a small publication wrote an article about Basil’s attempts to bridge a fractured society. While that may work for the New York Times (whatever that is), I wanted to delve into Basil purely as a restaurant (I’m a food critic not a sociologist). It is with that mindset that I made the trip out to Crown Heights.

Standing in front of the restaurant, I was struck by how starkly Basil’s modern aesthetic contrasts its surroundings. It has a beautifully paned front window revealing exposed bricks (a Kosher Kritic favorite), a rear wall that doubles as a wine case, and dazzling blown glass light fixtures. My only gripe, and it is admittedly a small one, is that the space is a bit cramped, with tables closer together than would be ideal – chalk it up as the price of popularity.

We were seated quickly and took our time mulling over the large selection of thin crust pizzas. We ultimately settled on “Margherita” and parmesan & white asparagus pies (narrowly edging out the Bosc pear & blue cheese). As an appetizer we had an order of Basil Fries, which were outstanding – perfectly crispy with a smooth center and topped with just the right amount of salt and parmesan – an absolute must have. The parmesan & white asparagus pie, which was also topped with onions, roasted peppers, and smoked paprika, was very good, but the “Margherita,” featuring homemade mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and delicious pesto in lieu of tomato sauce, really stole the show.

To cap off a great meal we ordered tiramisu, which was amazing,  and lavender dusted funnel cake, which was as delicious as it sounds, though the basil ice cream it came with was a bit less successful.  The meal came in just over sixty dollars, including the tip, which is outstanding, considering the quality of the food and the atmosphere.  I can’t speak to Basil’s success in unifying a disparate community, but I can tell you that it has some of the best and most unique pizza around.

Basil Pizza & Wine Bar
270 Kingston Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213

(718) 285-8777





Rosa’s Pizzeria

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Rosa's PizzaCheese, tomato sauce, dough. Pizza, with its three basic ingredients, is really a very simple food*. Why then is good pizza so hard to find? While that may be a good question – possibly even a great or profound one – it is not a question I am going to answer here. Instead let’s focus on something a bit more practical. Given that there is so much bad pizza out there, where can you go to score a good slice?

It is in search of the answer to this question that I sought a guru in India went to Rosa’s Pizzeria, located on the ground floor of the Empire State Building. I’d been hearing great things about Rosa’s for a while, but I just never made my way over there. I can’t say exactly why I didn’t go until now, but I can tell you that I feel like an idiot.

There is no outside entrance to Rosa’s, so you are forced to find your way through the labyrinthine hallways of the massive building’s lobby. Navigation is not my strong suit (I’m a food critic not a cartographer) but I managed to find the restaurant with little difficulty. Now that we’ve gotten directional issues out of the way, let’s talk about pizza!

I tried the plain pizza, a “Grandma” slice (cut in a square with thin crust, loads of sauce, topped with mozzarella and parmesan), a fried eggplant slice, a roasted pepper slice, a broccoli and mushroom slice, a “Margherita” slice (like the “Grandma” but more traditionally shaped), and a tomato and mozzarella slice. Upon hearing my excitement about trying his restaurant for the first time, the owner brought me a batch of fresh-out-of-the-oven dough knots (think garlic knots, sans garlic), which were delicious.

All of the slices were excellent, but there were really two highlights for me, the “Grandma” slice and the roasted pepper slice. The mozzarella and parmesan featured on the “Grandma” complemented each other perfectly and the pepper slice was not only topped with delightfully crisp slices of pepper, it looked beautiful to boot. The sauce on both (which is the sauce they use on all slices) had a unique and satisfying sweetness that managed not to be overpowering despite its robust flavor.

I’ve heard people say that Rosa’s is expensive at $2.75 for a regular slice and $4.00 for a topping slice (though the slices are big and everything is steeply discounted if you buy a pie). Relative to other pizza places this may be expensive, but based solely on the quality of the food, it’s the best kind of bargain. If you’re looking for a good slice of pizza, you really can’t do much better than Rosa’s Pizzeria.

*note: Pizza seems like a simple food, but it really isn’t. There are so many questions: What kind and how much cheese should you use?  What flavor should the sauce have? Should that flavor dominate the pizza or should the cheese take center stage? Should the dough be thin or thick? Should it be crispy or soft? But this isn’t pizza-making 101, it is pizza-eating 9000 and it is a robot from the future.

Rosa’s Pizza
350 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10001

(212) 244-7672





Lunch at Le Marais: Getting a Fresh Perspective

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Le Marais: Getting a Fresh PerspectiveWhen I decided to write a review of Le Marais – the French style steak house, not the aristocratic district that is a center of Parisian Jewry – I thought to myself that I had to do something new. I couldn’t just go there for dinner and order a Tournedos steak (the tenderloin cut for which the restaurant is famous) or a Steak Au Poive (the Tournedos’ pepper crusted cousin) or even the Hanger steak, because I’ve had all of those things so many times before and already know that they are fantastic. It’s difficult to bring a critical eye to something you already love, so to mix things up I went to Le Marais for lunch – something I have heard is great, but have never actually experienced.

I met my brother at the restaurant at 3 o’clock and we were seated quickly. Despite the awkwardness of the hour (no longer lunch and not quite dinner) it was still pleasantly full – maybe it’s just me, but there is something unsettling about eating in an empty restaurant. I’ll take this moment – with me and my brother looking over the menu and dipping a bit of fresh bread in olive oil – to discuss the decor. The restaurant is well decorated and relaxed, with a retro feel that calls to mind New York in the 20’s – a tin ceiling and exposed brick, mirrors and a few posters on the walls. That said, something about the size feels constricting, as if the room is too small or the ceiling is too low. That problem is alleviated if you are lucky enough to eat in the upstairs section by the bar.

Looking over the menu, we noticed that it was identical to the regular menu with only two “lunchy” additions, the French Dip Sandwich (a steak sandwich served with a beef broth dipping sauce), and the hamburger, both priced at fifteen dollars, so that’s what we ordered. Since this was a review lunch and not just a lunch lunch we also ordered the smoked duck breast with roasted peppers as an appetizer, which was amazing. Our waiter brought our food out quickly enough; though I know from experience that when the restaurant gets to be more full the service can slow to a crawl.

The lunch items were simple and delightful, and both were served with a side of delicious French fries. The burger was a bit more than an inch thick (though I’m a food critic, not an engineer so I may be off) without an excess of toppings to distract you from the perfectly cooked meat. The French Dip Sandwich was tender without being overly chewy and served on crispy French bread (not pre-dipped and soggy as it is many places).

We were too full for dessert, but even without something sweet to cap it off, it was still an excellent meal and, price-wise, a fairly reasonable one. I knew that Le Marais was a great steak house and a wonderful place to go for dinner, so I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me when it turned out to be a great place to go for lunch as well.

Le Marais
150 West 46th Street
New York, NY 10036

(212) 869-0900





Golan In The Heights

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Hi.

I am the new Kosher Kritic. I felt I should open this blog by introducing myself. So….

Hi.

I am the new Kosher Kritic.

For my first review in this position (I have previously written featured reviews for Blossom and Ariel’s Kosher) I decided to go to Golan Heights, an old favorite from my college days (that’s right, I went to College. Impressed?) when I would stumble in at 1 in the morning fresh out of the library (Hi Mom) badly in need of some good comfort food.

Golan Heights, located on Amsterdam Avenue between 186th and 187th, is a classic Middle Eastern restaurant in every sense of the phrase. From the food – an extensive collection of Mediterranean delicacies available in a laffa (soft doughy flatbread), pita, or on a platter – to the atmosphere – the bustling crowds, the Israeli ordering system (read: yelling as loud as you can), the entirely exposed kitchen, and that distinct “we’ve been cooking schwarma in here all day” smell – to the prices and portions – reasonable and overwhelming.

I know what you’re thinking – “I get that it is a schwarma place, I actually figured that out from the name believe it or not, but how about you tell me if it’s worth my time!” We’re getting there. I’ve been eating at Golan for almost six years now, and I’ve had almost everything on the menu – no small feat. You can order arguably the best schwarma laffa in the city (as huge as it is succulent) or you could be a bit more adventurous and order teriyaki chicken – grilled juicy dark meat pieces that are my personal favorite.and If you’re not feeling particularly Middle Eastern you can order a hot dog pita (only four dollars!) or “Zaidi’s Nuggets,” spicy fried chicken on loan from the late Ari’s Deli. If you’re there on a Thursday night make sure you try the chulent, and if you’re lucky enough to be there on one of those glorious days where they have lamb shish kabobs disregard everything I have said until now and order that instead.

This is only the tip of the iceberg but this review is running long so let me sum it up. Golan Heights is the ultimate comfort restaurant. You don’t go everyday (college kids excluded) and you don’t go on a date; you go there cause you’re hungry, it’s close, the food is great and it’s reasonably priced.

Golan Heights
2553 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10033
(212) 795-7842





Shabbat Prep without the Prep: Finding those Odds and Ends

Monday, February 15th, 2010

So you have your meal planned out as far as your main dishes are concerned, but still need a little help with the odds and ends.  Well, if you’re on the Upper West Side, there are a bunch of places you can go to help you round out your meal.

If you need challah, you can run into several different places (Super Sol, Kosher Market Place, Fairway, etc.), but did you know, you can now can challah at Essentials located on the corner of 80st and Broadway?  Yep, they have a stand (randomly placed I must say) in the middle of the cash register.  But now it’s official – that place really does have everything!  And just some advice … if you’re looking to save calories, don’t do it here by going for wheat instead of egg challah.  Go for the goods and work out after Havdalah.

Now let’s say you’re looking for a nosh to serve while your guest are arriving.  I have to say, I love the peach mango salsa from Whole Foods served with Stacy’s pita chips.  The salsas are part of their “365” line.  If you want to try a few different things, then be creative with your salsas and pick up some scoop Tostitos.  Last week, I went with whole wheat Tostitos and snack practically flew off my table. If you want a healthier option, pick up any kind of hummus (Sabra is my favorite) and serve it with pretzel chips.  I served all of these things to kick off my last two meals and my guests loved everything!

If you feel like these winter days have you looking for ways to warm up, Zabar’s kosher soups in a jar are a must!  The chicken broth (regular or reduced sodium) taste better with some noodles or soup nuts thrown in, but they’re so easy to work with if you’re in the mood for soup.  They also have a vegetable option, which is seriously, out of this world.

If you need kosher desserts and like Babka, then let me introduce you to another reason to save up those calories for Shabbat.  Zabar’s makes a chocolate Babka that is so addictive.  I’ve had other packaged babka’s, but Zabar’s nails the sweet and moist combo that every babka should.  Check out Zabar’s and Co. located at 2245 Broadway and let me know what you pick up!

Another foolproof option for dessert is Sharon’s sorbet.  I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like at least one of the flavors they make.   Whether served with fruit or cake, you can’t go wrong adding a scoop from one of their pints.  Lots of places carry them, but you may not know the Price Wise located caddy corner to Essentials has them all the way in the back.

Now, before I let you get back to your menu, I want to share what I think is the best kept secret on the Upper West.  The Westside Supermarket located at 2171 Broadway is never crowded and less expensive than Zabar’s and even Fairway sometimes.  If you know you need every day kosher items, go here!

So the next time you need a challah, something sweet or another starter, don’t fret.  You don’t have to go far in the city to find places to help you with your last minute prep.

Tell me where you like to go to grab your odds and ends.

Shabbat Shalom,

KK





Quick and Casual Lunch Options

Friday, January 15th, 2010

I walked into “NY Lunchbox” located at 255 W. 36th St. and immediately felt like I was in a hot spot on Ben Yehuda St.  Being that I eat in non-Kosher restaurants, I don’t always get the Jewish experience I did on that cold winter day. 

Let me set the scene: 

I walked in, there was a crazy long line leading to the register and a woman standing near me was talking on her cell phone; asking her friend, Rifki, what she wanted for lunch.   Before the woman placed her order (and Rifki’s), the woman in front of her studied the soups of the day and loudly asked, “Is the soup hot?”  I mean, where else on Earth do people ask if the soup is hot other than in a kosher place? I felt my grandmother’s presence with me at that moment.  She liked soup – HOT – too. 

The place itself is no frills.  I sort of felt like I was in a Jewish office and this was our commissary.  Or that I was in an airport and this was the one and only kosher kiosk.  The way it works when you get to Lunchbox is you stand in line, order and take your food out the door.  Or, you put your food on a tray and take it upstairs.  There is no so sign indicating where the line starts and the place is organized chaos at its best.  Soups, sandwiches, sushi, salads and amazing lunch deals are some of the things you’ll find on the menu.  You’ll also find a several people washing their hands, saying Birkat or davening Mincha — things I always appreciate and truly cherish when I’m in a kosher restaurant.  For that, I loved the place; however, I’m not rushing to pack my lunchbox there again anytime soon.  For under $10 I got their signature wrap, a drink and small salad.   I wish they let you mix and match your wraps because there were a few I wanted to try.  Whatever wrap you choose, you have to take both halves of it, which seemed silly to me.  In any event, the wrap itself was amazing.  It was sweet and soft and just out of this world.  What was inside it (tofu and veggies) was just so-so.   Overall, the experience was pleasant and their prices won’t break your break the bank.

On a day I didn’t feel like going anywhere to grab something to eat, I ordered in from Gan Asia.  I was really in the mood for chicken pad thai, so I ordered the dish their Web site claims to be a Thai favorite and steamed vegetable dumplings.  The dumplings weren’t cooked enough, so they were disappointing.  The pad thai was OK, but nothing special.  It was sweeter than I’ve had before, but it didn’t send me over the moon.  I’ve had other dishes from Gan Asia before (like their lemon chicken and chicken and broccoli — both were amazing!)  So, next time, I’ll skip the pad thai are go for what I know is great.  They’re lunch deals are awesome, though, so check it out in case you’re not into pad thai to begin with.

KK

Click here for the Lunchbox listing

Click here for the Gan Asia listing





Chanukah Prep Without Fret at The Kosher Marketplace

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Whenever I pass by The Kosher Marketplace, I immediately think of Chanukah.  I ordered latkes from TKM  a year ago always think of the holiday when I’m on 92 and Broadway.   This year, as Shabbat rolled around, I decided to do my Shabbat Prep without the Fret “Chanukah Style” and returned to TKM to sample more of their dishes.   

Since I wasn’t making a meal, I didn’t feel the need to pick things that go together, so I ended up with a random list to say the least.  I started with a small container of frankfurters that were pre-packaged  for (think one long kosher pig in a blanket cut into small pieces).  They were just OK.  I have to say, I often feel the food at TKM that comes in the small plastic containers like the wraps, salads, pastas, etc., have a gourmet look, the way food does in Whole Foods and Wegmans, but it doesn’t always taste as good as it looks.   And even if something is really amazing, I feel like you need to be a millionaire to shop at TKM because you could buy a handful of items and drop $30 in a matter of seconds. 

After I perused to store two to three times, I made my way over to the meat counter.   I was torn between getting one of their premade chicken breasts or their crusted salmon and decided to go for the salmon.   Sadly, it looked amazing, but was a little too bland for me.   Their latkes, however, didn’t disappoint.    I bought two plain and two zuchinni and thought were great.  They were still small and still expensive, but they were as tasty as ever.  I bought a small container of meatballs , but made the mistake of thinking they were Swedish.   So when I got home and realized they were just regular meatballs in a marinara sauce, it didn’t really satisfy that craving.  I also ordered a jelly doughnut because it was Chanukah afterall.  It was good, but not as good a the bag of chocolate ruggelachs I’ve bought before from TKM.  Needless to say, I lived in the gym for a good week after my Chanukah trip.  And while everything was good, I don’t think my choices were worth the money or extra calories.

Happy Chanukah!

KK

Click here for the Kosher Marketplace listing