Marea - Two Star Michelin Restaurant

Have you wondered how did the Michelin rankings started?



As per the brand Michelin, it started from an annual guidebook from the French Tyre company who awards restaurants with stars. During its inception in 1900, the guide had a purpose to boost the demand for cars and thus tyres where they distribute these guides free of charge to motorist detailing useful information such as hotels, petrol kioks, parking spaces and etc.

Today, the Michelin guide still stands with its reviewers kept anonymous and the stars are awarded based on the following criteria:

  One star indicates a very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. A good place to stop on your journey.

  Two stars denote excellent cuisine, skilfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality. Worth a detour

 Three stars reward exceptional cuisine where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients. Worth a special journey.

I managed to visit one of the two-star michelin restaurants during my stay in New York. With the recommendations of my friend, I settled for Marea and the experience was so fascinating, I never looked back. The food albeit is small and pretentious but the flavor is strong and memorable. 

Marea means "tide" in Italian, it serves fabulous Italian cuisine in the heart of NYC and it boasts as one of the best restaurants in NY. When you enter the restaurant, there is a gush of silence and pretence as with all fine dining restaurants. But as you settle in slowly but surely, the hosts would take your coats and your belongings and they will make you feel very welcomed. 

Surprisingly for a weekday lunch, the restaurant was packed with a huge crowd. As always, reservations are strictly needed. We made our reservations via Opentable through Marea's website directly. 

We settled for the set lunch, which is priced as USD$45. I think the price is really worth the visit as this is a 2-star Michelin restaurant. Other similar establishments will cost you at least twice the price.

The complimentary bread was cold and hard. I was surprised as I thought any decent place would at least toast the bread.

For my Antipasti, I picked Astice, which is the combination of nova scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al funghetto and basil. The lobster was fresh with my favourite burrata cheese and the complement of fruits it definitely serves as an interesting appetizer with a burst of contrasting flavors. 

My partner had the Crudi called Sgombro which is a sliced raw fish and shell fish combination with paci fic jack mackerel, tomato, fennel and potato chip topped with trout roe. It was a punch of flavor but the serving could be a tad bigger portion. Hah!

As for our mains, I had their pasta - what is Italian cuisine without the pasta?

I chose the STROZZAPRETI which is a combination of crab, sea urchin, basil. Have you tried Sea Urchin or Uni before? 

It is what I call, the taste of fresh seafood, a punch of seafood overdose in your palate. Well, they incorporated the Uni into the pasta made from scratch along with a generous serving of crab meat and basil to complement, I simply loved my main dish. 

My partner's love for shell fish was not without his choice of main course - CAPESANTE which is a seared sea scallops dish along with potato puree, fried chickpeas, crispy shallots, brussels sprouts and golden raisin mostarda. He said that the scallops were seared medium rare just they way he liked it. They were the best of their type and he still dreams about it today. 

My trip to Marea was an eye-opening experience for me as it was the first time that I have eaten at a Two-star michelin restaurant. It does not differ from any fine dining restaurant but women and their materialistic pursuit of brands do give an increased perception to the value. 

Marea, with its food and service in total would definitely qualify for a 2 star Michelin restaurant. Do drop by when you are in the heart of NYC. But don't you dare forget to tip! A good gauge would be about 10% the total bill as it is in Singapore. 

Marea
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: 212-582-5100
Fax: 212.582.5177
http://www.marea-nyc.com/

Peter Luger Steakhouse - the best steak I've ever had

If I am on my deathbed and I get to choose my very last meal, I would say Peter Luger Steakhouse.

Being a steak aficionado, it houses one of the best steaks I have ever had in my life!
I would definitely return to the States just for Peter Lugers.
Strictly by reservations. Even with one, you have sit by the bar sometimes before you get seated in the restaurant.

Nestled in the heart of Brooklyn, the restaurant is not exactly in the best location. Parking is limited, so if you are driving around the neighbourhood, get ready. I remember walking through the shady streets of Brooklyn just to arrive at Peter Luger's, but boy it does not fit in with the streets.

When we arrived, there were friendly hosts ready to usher us. It was a homely and cosy setting, somewhere you can feel the warmth on a cold winter night.

Of course, when it is down to the menu, we know we have to order the big guns. We travelled far and wide for this place.

We settled for good o' caesar salad, Luger's sizzling bacon extra thick by the size and the famous PORTERHOUSE steak for two.

The complimentary bread was warmly toasted. But we have to constantly remind ourselves not to gorge ourselves silly as the big guns awaits.

Our appetizers! Honestly, caesar is just plain caesar, there was nothing really special about it. Just that I am used to eating caesar with my steaks so we had to order it. My friend who has been there, was shouting out for its creamy spinach which we had missed.

The food at Peter Luger's is more of a rustic and family style kinda restaurant. Not exactly like your French fine dining sorta food. But it has earned itself one michelin star! It is extremely legit and I highly recommend!

The Porterhouse for two. But it is befitting for 3 to share.

The aged porterhouse was pink with very even marbling. Once it is selected, the loin is brought to the restaurant where they begin the dry aging process where the beef will sit in a temperature controlled cooler with circulation of air around them. After being properly aged, it will be butchered and brought to the kitchen for broiling before serving with Peter Luger's special house sauce.

Personally, I prefer it plain. The juices from the meat is sufficient and I feel that the sauce do take away some of its original yummy goodness. The meat was succulent, even amount of fat in each bite and the yummy goodness of meat surpasses that of Wagyu porterhouse I tried at an Italian steakhouse in Singapore.

So we stuffed ourselves happy with the porterhouse with a mega food-venture to share.

Peter Luger, Inc.

178 Broadway
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211
Reservations:
718-387-7400

Peter Luger of Long Island, Inc.
255 Northern Blvd.
Great Neck, N.Y. 11021
Reservations:
516-487-8800

http://www.peterluger.com/

Countdown to New Year at Times Square!

With the minutes ticking to the New Year, can you recall how was 2013 for you?
Did you managed to check off all the new year resolutions you made for 2013?

Since young, I will pen down a list of new year resolutions at the start of every year. But slowly as the years go by, I realised that the chances of checking those resolutions off is gets smaller and smaller. So last year, I only has one new year resolution - which is to be a happier person. I guess I have managed to fulfil it.

This year, although my new year was not that awesome standing in the middle of Times Square for hours waiting for the big ball to drop, it was nice and chill right at home with my family members close to my heart.

Have you ever been to a NYE countdown at Times Square?
Sitting right in front of the computer one year later, I shall recount my experience back then:

5 Tips for going into NYE Times Square Countdown Zone:

#1. Have a hearty breakfast, lunch or brunch
I remember having my brunch at a Spanish Place around the corner named as La Parrilla Dyckman Express Restaurant. The set lunches are priced between USD$5 - 10. It is opened 24 hours. The reason why you have to eat your fill or bring along a sandwiches and snacks is to ensure that you are fed while you're bound to get hungry during the 8 hour wait. But don't you worry, many pizzas, hot drinks for sale at 5 times the cost along the queue!

La Parrilla Dyckman Express Restaurant
101 Dyckman Street
New York, NY 10040
Washington Heights
http://www.yelp.com.sg/biz/dyckman-express-restaurant-new-york

#2. Do not drink any bit of water once you enter the street
That's because the security guards will barricade you in small areas and once you enter the barricade, you can't get out of it. Once you get out of it, you can't get back in again. And very unfortunately, you will have to survive through a long gruelling wait of approximately 8 hours. You want to consider peeing all that you can in advance as well. I had a hard time looking for a decent toilet in the vicinity.

#3. Avoid going too early in the morning
We reached Times Square at about 2pm. The timing is just right because that's the time where they open up the streets around the ball. I remember scurrying through 44th street just outside W hotel and we literally ran crazily with other tourists to be caged up for NYE countdown.

#4. Prepare to climb in, have lots of siblings, be pushy
When you are at the barricades, tons of people will try their luck with the security guards just to enter the barricades. Honestly you ask me to do it again, I will never. But be sure to go along with a group of people so you can watch each other's backs.

#5. Always prepare for fight or flight
Prepare for battle, if not, then just run and take cover from that area as fast as you could. For us, we could not withstand the long wait out in the cold. After taking a mandatory group photo, all of us part ways. The others went to the pizza joint to wait till the ball drops. As for me....

I have decided the best way to celebrate new year like every other Asians...
We had our steamboat fix at good O' Chinatown - Ala Carte Buffet for USD$18.99 per pax. What a steal!

We had awesome Cantonese styled steamboat, piping hot with a variety of dipping sauces, fresh seafood and fatty streaky pork and beef galore. Although it can't compare with the famous steamboat places back home, it really is a hearty NYE dinner. At least it beats waiting out in the cold in hunger for that tiny puny ball to drop.

I cannot seem to find the exact location of the restaurant but I am sure you will stumble it around Chinatown. It has an extremely long queue of people at the door and I am sure the smell of the broth will bring you right where it is.

Before the strike of midnight, we were back in our Airbnb right in the front of the computer, watching in full HD how the ball drop from Times Square. Aye, it was still an awesome 2013 after all.

New York City, the best place to be:
Concrete Jungle where dreams are made,
There's nothing you can't do;
These streets will make you feel brand new,
Bright lights will inspire you.

I hoped that you have dreamed, travelled and be inspired in 2013.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, I HOPE 2014 WILL BRING BIGGER AND GREATER HAPPINESS, HEALTH AND WEALTH TO EVERYONE!