New York City
Saturday, March 3, 2007

Lunch at Roti Roll

This joint, located conveniently by the Columbia University campus, was recommended to me by Sarah, who I would say is a trustworthy source when it comes to nailing down the good eats in hip cities. After settling in to the city for a few hours, we headed down to Roti Roll, which is easily identifiable from the street by its colorful (if not slightly cheesy looking) sign. Upon entering, we were blasted with strong aromas of simmered chicken, fried calamari, garlicky cheesy naan, and curry. With an awakened nose and an appealing menu before me, I knew I was in for a treat.
Dave and I opted for spicy Indian calamari with cilantro yogurt dipping sauce , a potato-spinach-green pea curry wrapped in garlic roti, and a tea--for less than $10! That alone earned a gold star for me, a working professional who’s kinda stingy with the money. As for the taste, here goes:
Calamari: Simply disappointing. Although the calamari was bright red, indicating that it had been spiced, it tasted boiled and flavorless. The texture was soggy and the cilantro yogurt sauce was overwhelmingly creamy. I felt like I was eating half and half straight out of the carton and wondered if the cook used green food coloring to help with the "cilantro" designation.
the Roll: Delicious, especially for a sunny, breezy day in Central Park. The veggies still had a bit of bite in them, which was great because it prevented the Roll from tasting like a curry mashed potato. The curry flavor was subtle, but poignant, and the garlic roti was fried to a crisp perfection. It was also very easy to handle since it resembled a burrito. Brilliant!
Tea: It was a Peach Snapple. What else can I say?
Overall impressions: Good, especially if you're a student on the run for class. Don't come in expecting to find tables to sit down and chat at, though, because we're talking about a small-diner like Indian joint here.

Dinner at Spice Market

At first glance, the restaurant looks like a hole in the wall because the exterior is very warehouse-like with steel beams and dim shades of gray and black. But, first impressions, as we know, don't always reveal true character. The minute I walked in the door, I was overwhelmed with feelings of "Oh, shit". To the left were beautiful women decked in Miu Miu and Prada, all leggy and fabulous, and to the right were Adonises sporting splashes of Dior. My contribution? A dry-fit track jacket from the Gap, jeans, and Aldo track flats. Oh, and a ponytail whipped around my face by the NY wind. Fabulous, just fabulous. I had just learned my introduction to "Stumbling upon a Trendy NY Resto with Hiking Gear and Feeling Like an Ass: How to Dust Them Shoulders Off".
I dusted my shoulders off, alright, and got down and dirty with the grub. Dave, myself, and our two friends indulged in some Asian Fusion through:
Chicken with Chutney Samosas paired with Cilantro Yogurt Dip: Delicious. The chicken, perfectly seasoned and grilled, had hints of cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise layered throughout, and each spice had its own moment to shine through. Nonoverlapping spices=perfection.The pastry was crisp, although a little too bready, but good nevertheless.
Shanghai Noodles with Silken Tofu and Bok Choy: *Snore*. It tasted just fine, but for $10, I expected the world since you can get noodles of equal (or probably better) caliber up in Chinatown for less than $5. I have to give them props on the tofu, though--they skillfully were able to fry it in without dismantling its structure, which was great for me since I like melting whole silky tofu in my mouth.
Spicy shortribs: The ribs were richly, but not overly, seasoned with Hoisin and star anise and cooked until the meat fell right off the bone. Combined with al dente flat rice noodles in a hearty, yet juicy beef broth, the dish made for a comforting, simplistic, and inviting addition to the meal on what was an extremely cold day in New York. I slurped about 2.5 mini bowls of this dish alone.
Garlic Ginger Rice: This was by far the most interesting dish on our table. The rice was a short grain and cooked to the consistency of rice that you would find in a "dol sot bop" at a Korean restaurant. Infused with peas and ginger, the rice sat under a sunny side up egg, which combined with the rice, tasted like a gravy, gingery porridge. We all reached for this dish repeatedly.
Sea Bass: Thumbs down. The meat was crumbly, dry, and mixed with a sauce that tasted like a tangy, salty concoction of Sriracha sauce and vinegar. Surrounding the fish was KIM CHEE. Why was I distressed? It's like they piled salt upon salt.
Overall impressions: This is a great restaurant to go to if you're dolled up and ready to party in the town. The ambience is mysterious and exciting with its Asian trance beats, bamboo structures, and orangey red dim lighting. Intrusive service is to be expected, though. A waiter is guaranteed to be hanging around every few minutes with new questions.
Dessert: "Milk and Cookies"
How fun! The inside of the store is decorated like a little girl's kitchen with low stools and tables, puppets, cabinets filled with cookie tins and milk glasses, and books. But, the desserts are for all ages. This place has a great variety of your favorite childhood cookies, as well as some interesting flavors (of which I already forget), and a wide selection of hot cocoas that include toffee almond, Andes mint, etc. Dave and I shared a double chocolate chip cookie and an oatmeal cinnamon cookie with a toffee almond hot cocoa. The cookies were delicious! Small and niblet size, they melted in our mouths and tasted so freshly baked, PLUS, they were not overly sweet. The hot cocoa, however, was another story. It tasted like we got a bunch of heated powdery mixture. :(
But, we had fun. We had a nice time recapping our first day in NY over a TOASTY warm treat and just being together in a quiet, non-hectic place after being apart for two months. The only qualm I have about this place is the service. The girl manning the store was as accommodating as a woman having labor pains. Her response to my walking up to the register to order was "What do you want?". I want a cookie, girlfriend.

Dessert #2: Magnolia Bakery

We visited this famous-for-their-cupcakes bakery earlier in the day, but given that there was a line wrapped around the store and down the city block, we opted to visit later. We got in within five minutes, and upon entry, I was mesmerized by the cupcakes. As I had gotten to know through my old roommate's replications of their cupcakes, the frosting was creamy, not pasty dry, and so vibrantly colorful with shades of blues, greens, pinks, and purples. The cakes, which come in chocolate and vanilla, looked moist, fresh, and firm. I couldn't wait to place one in my mouth, because from what I knew about Magnolia, the frosting was supposed to be creamy, buttery, and soft.
Dave and I ran off with four so we could share them with our friends. When the knife hit the cupcake, I bolted in for a piece..and then I sank to the floor in utter disbelief. The cupcakes were your classic overrated case! The frosting tasted like powdered sugar out of the bag with no hint of the butter or cream that people rave about. Each bite was nauseating as the sugar permeated my gums and swirled in my stomach. The cakes themselves were moist, but were also a tad too sweet/artificial tasting. As the rest of the crew indulged, I sat there with a sad look on my face, determined to find another "best"cupcake in NY.
I’ll give them credit, though. It must be difficult to whip up something like you intend to in mass bunches and the cupcakes are still better than the ones you buy from Safeway. Hope is not lost.