I forgot how fun Hibachi is! I was recently invited to a 12 year old’s birthday dinner at Ginza in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Although he looks slightly terrified in the photo above, he really had a great time!

Photo © Erin Gleeson

You know it’s true: it’s damn near impossible these days to find a good sandwich. What’s up with that? I mean seriously, it should NOT be that hard to make a decent-tasting sandwich. I blame Subway’s $5 Footlong entirely– they’ve made it impossible for the public to have any standards when it comes to the art of the sammy. What a tragedy.

That said, I randomly stumbled into Brooklyn Gourmet Deli on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, the last time I was in town. The decor is not what I would call “gourmet”, it really looks like your ordinary corner store, if not better lit and cleaner than most. But never mind this– the most important fact is that this little deli is bringing integrity back into the sandwich. YES!

First thing you notice when you walk in is that the sandwich station is positioned much higher than ground-level, above the meat fridge, creating something of a centerstage upon which all hungry onlookers look up to gaze.

There was a long line around noon, and I patiently waited at the end of the line with other local folk– not so many hipsters, as is the usual crowd in this neighborhood. Rather, it was the working folk on their lunch break, like EMT guys and a dude that looked like he was from The Wire (yes, they get a lunch break too). No matter, we were all mesmerized by the meticulous movements of the BGD Sandwich Master.

This theater is definitely worth checking out: with short, speedy moves, The BGD Master slices the bread, puts it in the toaster, and slithers the meat of your choice through the deli slicer. Then, he carefully adds one item atop the other, slathering the mayo and mustard and stuffing peppers and tomatoes into the sandwich along the way.

He places the sandwich into the plastic box, along with a banana, and other goodies, like sliced cucumber. How lovely!

No frills here, nothing fancy. Just a fluffy hero, an abundance of roast beef, some horseradish cheddar, extra onions and peppers. Mmmm… All the sandwiches have silly names like “The Godfather”. I forgot what mine was called but, but it was one excellent sandwich, made and packaged with love and care. And only like $6. Does Subway give you a banana with their grossass sandwich? I don’t think so.

Let there be integrity in every sandwich!

BROOKLYN GOURMET DELI
313 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NYC
T: 718.486.8261

For those who are itching to go to Japan but can’t afford the trip or don’t have the patience for that 14-hour flight,  Japan Society is offering the next best thing: j-CATION!  It’s a 12 hour mini experience of Japan and Japanese culture without leaving NYC.  From  game show-style contests, music, film, and a variety of entertaining and educational activities and workshops, the entire day is focused on our favorite topic, Japanese food.

In Clash of the Foodies, the j-style live game show, our money is on THE TASTE BUDS, Umamimart’s own Paystyle, James of The Eaten Path, Yvo the Feisty Foodie and Mary the Puff & Choux, but pro wrestler extraordinaire Queen of Squeeze Amazon Annie & Her Lobos Locas and cabaret superstars Our Hit Parade with Herb of Kiki & Herb look like fierce competitors.

Hotdog-eating champion Takeru Kobayashi and Brooklyn-based dream pop band Asobi Seksu round out the fun-filled festival. Don’t forget workshops for Crash Course Japanese, Japanese calligraphy, Furoshiki (the original eco-friendly reusable packaging) and Japanese tea and sweets.

Date: Saturday, April 10^th from 1pm to 1am

Location: Japan Society
333 East 47^th Street
Between 1^st and 2^nd Avenues

Suggested donation: $5

For more info, visit the website.

A bourbon expert once told me that the defining ingredient in a cocktail is bitters. PDT clearly takes this very seriously.

Wine bar meets patisserie? Yes, please! Especially when it involves Pichet Ong.  Imagine a place where you can sit either with a book and cappuccino in the afternoon or with friends and Cabernet in the evening.

Reminiscent of a mini Parisian brasserie, the walls are decorated with antique mirrors and the leather booths are cozy. Order a coffee and a brie & pear tart, or a six course meal. There’s a bakery counter in the front and a great wine list in the back. Does it get much better than that?

THE VILLAGE TART
86 Kenmare Street at Mulberry
NYC

photo of radish salad © erin gleeson

Umamimart finally relaunched last month. We made it! It’s now, I hope, faster and easier to navigate for ya’ll– and of course, so much prettier. Although we’re still tirelessly trying to work out the kinks, I think this move marks a new era for Umamimart. Heck Yah!

To celebrate, I made a pitstop to NYC last month to check into UM’s birthplace, where I consider to be its homebase, no matter where any of the writers might be in the world. I somehow rounded up over 20 people to join me for a special dinner at Sammy’s Roumanian Steakhouse, a Lower East Side institution for classic Jewish cuisine.

Sammy’s is, in a word, Crazy Town. I knew this the moment I walked in, saw all the pastel balloons flying everywhere, the streamers hanging from the ceiling, the small dancefloor with a little DJ area, and one long keyboard set up in the center. It’s a place I had heard about during my years in NYC, but never had the opportunity to go. I had deeply regretted it since moving, and so I thought it would be the perfect venue for the relaunch party.

You won’t find any two tops here either– all the tables were set up for at least 15 people. None of us quite knew what we were getting ourselves into, but figured that we couldn’t be all that disappointed when there’s a keyboard involved.

As usual, here’s what everyone thought. All photos taken by Erin, Alda, Kiwa, and myself.

LAUREN
Words may not be able to capture the full experience that is Sammy’s, as this establishment is not so much a restaurant but rather a cleverly disguised sideshow. The closest analogy would be to a thinly plotted action film like Die Hard or The Fast and The Furious in which plot is sacrificed for the pure shock and awe of fantastic pyrotechnics, improbable chases, and large balding heros.

YAMAHOMO
I felt like I was at a bad Jewish fire hall wedding of some sort.

KAYOKO
The walls are covered from top to bottom with decades-old photographs. Sammy’s has been keepin’ it real and holdin’ it down at this exact location for over 30 years.

PAYSTYLE
Of course let’s not forget the most important (and amazing) aspect, the food. In my experience old school spots usually cruise on reputation and reputation alone (see Smith & Wollensky).  Not so at Sammy’s.  Every bite I tried was delicious.

KAYOKO
Everything was coursed out– cold appetizers, fried foods, then the meats. We were all fascinated by the schmaltz (chicken fat), which I had read came in a bottle on every table.

PAYSTYLE
The schmaltz was something I wished I could have bathed in. I would’ve poured it over my head if I had the parlor all to myself.

JENNY
I was excited about the schmaltz on the table but was unsure how to use it.

KIWA
The pickles were great, though the pickled green tomatoes were a bit too tart for me.

KAYOKO
Now, onto the belle of the ball: I introduce you to The Chicken Liver.

YAMAHOMO
I don’t remember any part of the food, except for completely utterly gross chicken liver that tasted AWESOME.

KAYOKO
Here’s a video I took of our guy pouring in the schmaltz and mixing the livers and carmelized onions altogether. Did you know heaven comes in a metal bowl?

KIWA
The chicken liver was my favorite– totally blew me away. I don’t know what the hell was in there but holy crap, it was amazing.

JENNY
The chopped chicken liver blew all other chicken liver out of the water and was hands down the best thing in the meal.

KAYOKO
Dude, those carmelized onions paired with the livers… incredible. I loved the rolled cabbage too.

JENNY
The fried items (in the appetizer course and the latkes) were stupendous.

KIWA
The potato pancakes looked so good that I actually broke my vow to give up fried food during Lent and scarfed one down. Totally worth it.

KAYOKO
Kiwa, I can not believe you gave up fried food for lent. I stand in awe.

KIWA
The grilled sausages were incredible — I loved the way they crumbled and were so juicy.

KAYOKO
OMG, those sausages!!!! Such plump, moist pieces of… nevermind.

PAYSTYLE
And last but certainly not least, the surprisingly tender, garlicky, and absolutely delicious steak.

KIWA
The downside was that I had eaten so much by the time the steak came out that I was only able to manage one strip of that grilled deliciousness before calling it quits. Too bad cause if I had room I would have licked the plate clean. My least favorite dish was the salmon, which I thought was bland and unnecessary given how much food we already had on the table.

KAYOKO
The steak was off the hook!!! Perfectly cooked, so tender, and not so much seasoning so  that garlic spread really came through with true bite. I agree with Kiwa on the salmon– it was really not fresh and unedible.

LAUREN
In Sammy’s case the poor quality and flavor of the grease soaked meats and potatoes was over shadowed by the sheer magnitude of dishes and vodka that continued to flood the table. But the table and the Roumanian “cuisine” it held was just the tip of the proverbial vodka encased iceberg.

YAMAHOMO
One thing I fully remember (or partially) is brilliant idea of freezing the vodka. Did you all see what I did with my Sammy’s t-shirt? Alcohol gives me creative inspiration. Thanks Corey for helping me.

KIWA
Oh, LOVED the old-school soda bottles for the make-your-own egg creams! I never knew what went into one so it was interesting to see how easy it was to make. (Paystyle showed us.)

KIWA
The rugelach was pretty blah too but at that point I was so stuffed I didn’t really care about dessert.

JENNY
The rugelach was remarkably good. I previously couldn’t have imagined getting excited about rugelach, but these were pretty stellar.

KAYOKO
Sorry, no pics of the rugelach, but I agree with Jenny, they were excellent.

At the end, it was a bit pricey at $100/head (yipes!), but I think everyone felt that it was well worth it for the amount of fun that we had, in addition to all the food that was served.

JENNY
Overall the experience and service far exceeded my expectations, which is why I was fairly quick to get over my shock at the bill, once it was over. Sammy’s is a complete vortex of fun, and definitely unlike any place I’ve been to new york (maybe the closest comparison would be the Bulgarian Bar circa 2002- miss those days!). So much camraderie and dancing amongst the different tables and service people! That night I attributed it to the feeling of being on a cruise ship, in the best possible way. I don’t know if I’ll go back next weekend, or even for a good while, but it was the perfect venue for Umamimart and Umamifolks.

KAYOKO
Everyone had so much fun dancing before, during, and after dinner with one another in the restaurant, through the tables, on the chairs, on the dancefloor. We all got to know this dude really well.

LAUREN
The true delight was seeing how this Lower East Side restaurant suddenly morphed into a living breathing organism. The frequent lighting changes and DJ’s random collection of music typically reserved for Bar Mitzvas and weddings suddenly turned several large tables of strangers into a single winding chain of friends bonded by chaos, fat clogged arteries, and a shared unique experience that no outsider would ever believe.

PAYSTYLE
Sammy’s Roumanian is the type of spot I’d imagine a Jewish gangster from the back-in-the-days Lower East Side would want to have his last meal. For me it was a completely novel cultural experience, yet it still had the familiarity of the loud, boisterous family get togethers I’m used to. I felt as if I crashed a Jewish wedding, and nobody minded. Needless to say I’ll be heading back soon.

KIWA
I thought Sammy’s was totally amazing! I went in without very high expectations for the food because I expected it to be much more about the crazy Jewish Wedding experience, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that most everything I had was totally delicious.

KAYOKO
Let’s just say that Sammy’s is not the sort of place where you would go for a romantic dinner, or take your tame in-laws. It’s the equivalent of a night at your local, hole-in-the-wall stripclub– where the chicken liver is the ageless hottie with the perkiest boobies… who has been dancing at the same joint for 40 years.

Thank you everyone for coming out and making this Umamiventure an extra special one. See you at the next relaunch party!!!

This here is the tamest photo taken throughout the night. I love how this captures the very OPPOSITE of the Sammy’s experience. Ponder the Pickle, by Alda.

SAMMY’S ROUMANIAN STEAKHOUSE
157 Chrystie Street
NYC
T: 212.673.0330

Find more photos, and special portraits by Erin Gleeson, on the UM Flickr page:

*Umamiventures are organized monthly, traveling far and wide to find good, cheap grub off the beaten path.

**Become a Facebook Fan of UM to stay updated on all future trips!

Past Umamiventures include:
1.) Ocean Jewel Restaurant – Flushing, NYC; June 2007
2.) Red Hook Ball Fields - NYC; June 2007
3.) Taste of Jackson Heights – NYC; October, 2007
4.) Sripraphai Restaurant – Woodside, NYC; November 2007
5.) WINTERMARKET – South St. Seaport; December 2007
6.) Jackson Diner- Jackson Heights, NYC; January 2008
7.) Pacificana – Sunset Park, NYC; February 2008
8.) Puerto Alegre – The Mission, SF; March 2008
9.) Dinosaur BBQ – Harlem, NYC; April 2008
10.) Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden – Astoria, NYC; May 2008
11.) Brooklyn Banh Mi Crawl – Sunset Park, NYC; August 2008
12.) Sheapshead Bay Lobster Crawl – NYC; September 2008
13.) Flushing Food Circuit – NYC; October 2008
14.) Strong Beer Month – SF; March 2009
15.) Loisaida Throwback Crawl – NYC; April 2009
16.) Harley Farms Goat Dairy – Pescadero, CA; June 2009
17.) Tomales Bay Oyster Farm – Marshall, CA; August 2009
18.) Din Tai Fung – LA; September 2009
19.) Din Tai Fung – Tokyo; September 2009
20.) Schroeder’s Oktoberfest – SF; October 2009
21.) Fish Taco Crawl – San Diego; November 2009
22.) St. George Spirits & Hangar One Vodka -  Alameda; January 2010
22.5) Everett & Jones – OAK; January 2010

Sunrise Mart is a tiny little Japanese market in the East Village with a distinct, and authentically claustrophobic Tokyo feel. Located right above St. Mark’s Bookshop, the seedy porn shop-esque entrance is easy to miss. I have spent a lot of time here.

You’ve gotta brave the rickety elevator ride up to the second story (when the fourth person crams in here, fear for your life), and when the doors open, you’re welcomed into a little world of Japanese food, condiments, produce, carry-out meals, fresh meats and fish.

Altogether, there are about seven aisles, all pushed together and quite cramped. Just like New York City. Just like Tokyo.

SUNRISE MART
29 3rd Avenue
Between 10th Street & 2nd Avenue
NYC
T: 212.598.3040

Had a chance to go see my acupuncturist in Chinatown while I was in NYC. My body is falling apart on me these days from being on my feet all day, everyday. Dr. Wu on Baxter– he’s the best!

So as is my Chinatown/Dr. Wu ritual, I went out for my XLB fix. There’s nothing like soup dumplings to keep your calm after having a dozen pins pricked into your body. Usually, I go to Shanghai Cafe, but I wanted to try Nice Green Bo, as I had heard a lot about it but never tried when I lived there.

Until recently, the place was called NEW Green Bo. Now it’s NICE Green Bo. See how they covered the sign? Hilarious.

Lots of accolades.

The place was PACKED! I was alone so was seated right away– I love sitting next to random strangers at the big round tables, it’s so New York. I shared a pot of tea with the couple next to me, it was nice. I have to say that I love going out and eating solo in NYC– at the risk of sounding cliche, it’s “liberating”.

I didn’t even give the server a chance to give me the menu and ordered the pork and crab XLB right away. It’s the only way to go!

The skin was thick and held everything together without breaking apart. It’s heartbreaking when the soup just collapses on you– which is the result of dumpling skin that is not thick enough, and bad chopstick skills.

Surprisingly, the soup was dark and more soy based, so it was more salty than what I was used to. But the crab was still moist (it has the tendency to dry out). No pork stinkiness, which is always appreciated at Chinatown joints.

Overall, they were delicious, as far as XLB goes. I hear the scallion pancakes are awesome too, but I wanted to go get Great NY Noodletown after this so I didn’t order anything else. Exercising restraint!

Also, Dr. Wu always tells me, “Stay hungry.” Yessir.

Happy Year of the TIGRRRRR!

NICE GREEN BO
66 Bayard Street
NYC
T: 212.625.2359

Last week I was invited to dinner at the Farm on Adderley in Brooklyn and by chance there was a special dinner going on, so we signed up for it! The butchers from Fleisher’s in Kingston, NY were hosting the prix-fixe meal at a handful of communal tables in the back room. Their shop supplied all the meat and the shop’s founders, Josh and Jessica, spoke about their dedication to local, sustainable meat.

Sometimes I love how small the world is (or maybe just living in New York) because I happen to be reading the book Cleaving right now, and Josh and Jessica are two of the main characters. They are as cool in real life as in the book and I hope to visit their shop someday soon. The menu was delicious but quite pork heavy- there was even bacon in the dessert! My favorite course was the butternut squash soup (above) that had a juicy pile of pork in the middle.

As my plane hovered over Gotham City yesterday, descending into Newark, I felt a sense of ease. I was home. That’s an annoying thing to say, coming from someone who abandoned the city for really no good reason– but in my heart of hearts, I am a New Yorker.

What’s the first thing I did, suitcase in tow and all? I headed straight to Grand Central Oyster Bar. You all know it is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, the states, the WORLD– but sitting in one of the swivel chairs at the actual oyster bar is one of the best spots on Earth.

It immediately makes you feel like a true New Yorker, no matter where you may be from.

See that board in the background of the photo? That’s where all the available oysters for the day are listed. It’s an ever-changing list throughout the day, you gotta get ‘em while they’re hot! I get really excited when my faves, Totten Virginicas, are on there. Got some of those, some cherrystone clams, and of course, a martini.