Ethiopian Food @ Awash, NYC

Hello everybody, as some of you  know I was on a long holiday in the US/Canada from June 25th, and not to mention a small trip to Paris from the 13th-21st of June; which is why I was unable to post for more than a month. But no worries, I have tasted a lot of food from these places I will try my best to blog about it! 

Our first stop in our American trip was in New York, where I spent about five days at, from June 25th-29th. During this time, we had decided to try out some Ethiopian food, which surprisingly is quite popular in New York. The restaurant's name is Awash and is a quite popular Ethiopian restaurant in New York. It is located in Manhattan, at the heart of New York City. Awash has locations both uptown and downtown, as well as one in Brooklyn. 

The restaurant has a nice, rustic interior, with warmly lit orange lighting giving a very cosy and pleasant dining experience.

Awash All-Meat Combo Platter

At Awash, we didn't want to try individual dishes as we thought it would be better to have two or three big platters to have a taste of everything. 

The Awash All-Meat Combo Platter (USD24.95) consisted of small portions of different meats and vegetables with curries, on top of Injera, a fermented Ethiopian bread. The layout and concept is very similar to a South Indian appam and curry, with the Injera bread being almost similar to an appam or dosa. It was pretty surprising to see how similar certain cuisines can be!

This combo consisted of three meats, three vegetables and three dals. The meats were Tibs Wat, Doro Wat and Yebeg Alicha, which are classic Ethiopian preparations of a beef stew, chicken stew and a lamb stew respectively. Although all three meats were good, my personal favourite was the Tibs Wat, or the beef stew (center of the plate) simply because of how soft and tender the beef cubes were, and the wonderful heat that was brought out by it. The Yebeg Alicha, or the lamb stew was also fantastic as the lamb was also tender however, along with the Doro Wat, or the chicken stew was rather bland. 

The dals were made out of both red and yellow lentils, with both being a wonderful side to the meat, as they blended the flavours of the meat wonderfully.Also, the dals at Awash had a very similar taste and preparation to the dals we make back home in India. However, I was not too pleased with the vegetables as I felt they were too bland and watery for my liking.

Another very interesting aspect of this platter was the bread, the Injera. This bread had an extremely similar taste to an appam and was very fluffy and moist. However, the Injera in my opinion was too sour for my liking due to its fermentation and  I felt that this bread sometimes overpowered the flavours of the curries in the platter. Although, after a while when all the curries soaked into the bread, the sourness of it seemed more bearable. 

Overall Rating- 8/10 

I thoroughly enjoyed having a taste of Ethiopian Food, in a place I'd have never imagined to try it! The food was fantastic and hopefully I get another chance to try Ethiopian food. I would certainly recommend Awash for people who haven't tried Ethiopian food before. 

Thank you for reading through this post and hopefully you enjoyed it, stay tuned! 

Awash (Uptown NYC)

947 Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY

10025

Tel: 1-212-961-1416

Web: http://awashny.com/index.html 

Opening Hours: 12 pm- 11 pm 
Daily

Hot Tomato @ Plaza Singapura

Hot Tomato is a Western casual dining restaurant that was established in 2006; the era of the boom in Western cuisine in and around Singapore. I was quite excited to try out this place as I was shocked by the meter-long queues outside an outlet of Hot Tomato at Nex. This time, rather than going to Nex, we went a few stops down the line to Plaza Singapura at Dhoby Ghaut. The outlet at Plaza Sing was an express outlet but included everything in the main menu, however with limited seating and faster service.

Since 2006, Hot Tomato has rapidly expanded to feature seven outlets around the island as of now, with a few being at 313@Somerset, Nex, Bedok Mall etc. To avoid the possibility of a long queue, we stepped in on a Friday afternoon. Despite the timing, the place was close to full with people both from work, and people like us who wanted to give this place a try. Hot Tomato's philosophy was to give everybody a slice of the good life at friendly prices, and I was hoping I would have such an experience. 

Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon

The Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon ($6.50 + $4) was our first appetizer of the lunch. Although I'm not a big fan of salads I had decided to give it a go. However, this salad certainly didn't change my initial opinion of salads. Evidently, by the photograph, there is an overload of the caesar dressing causing an imbalance in the flavours. Due to this, the whole salad was acidic in taste. Also, the overload of the dressing caused the crutons to become bland and soggy in nature, which spoilt the classic contrast of the leafy from the salad leaves and the crunchiness from the crutons.

Although the grilled salmon was perfectly cooked, the balance in flavours of this dish was not up to the mark in my opinion.

Rating- 2.5/5

Mushroom Soup

The Mushroom Soup (4.50) was the second of our three appetizers we ordered. This mushroom soup was actually extremely delicious as the flavours were balanced beautifully. The soup had this robust creaminess that really elevated the soup and added a wonderful consistency to the soup. The soup was rich and thick but not too filling as the mushroom flavours were light, yet delicious. The soup was also flavoured with onions and olive oil, therefore elevating its flavours, making this soup from a mundane mushroom soup to one I would come back to slurp. 

Rating- 4.5/5

Calamari with Fries

The Calamari with Fries ($6.90) was a side dish I was keen on ordering. This classic side didn't fail to impress me at all. The calamari was incredibly crispy therefore making it a joy to eat, and so were the fries; although they lacked some vital seasoning. The sauce you see in the small red container in the picture was a lemon tartare sauce. This sauce proved to be an amazing complement to the calamari and fries. The classic rich tartare sauce was elevated by the infusion of the lemon adding a citrus kick to the sauce that made this classic side dish delicious.

However, I was not too pleased with the doneness of the calamari as it was overcooked and rubbery, making it difficult to chew on. Overall though, this was a wonderful dish. 

Rating- 4.2/5

Lobster Linguine

The Lobster Linguine ($14.90) was the only entree we had ordered for our lunch. Picking out an entree took me quite a while as I had a conflict between several dishes on the menu, and this dish certainly didn't meet my expectations. From the photo itself, you can tell that the presentation was extremely clumsy, and so was the proportion of the pasta to its ingredients. Although the lobster was perfectly cooked, other ingredients such as the cherry tomatoes overfilled the plate; so much so that there were 15 cherry tomatoes on that small plate after counting! 

The pasta itself was rather bland and lacked basic seasoning. The flavours of chilli, olive oil and garlic were non-evident in this dish. Overall, I felt that this dish was clumsily made and could be greatly improved upon. 

Rating- 2.8/5

In general, the experience at Hot Tomato was not up to the mark as I felt some dishes didn't deliver in terms of flavour and presentation, and was made in a hurried manner. However I feel that this particular outlet being an 'express' outlet wouldn't serve food to the potential that the non-express outlets would serve, and therefore I would definitely come back to Hot Tomato probably at its outlet at Nex to taste the difference in quality between the two outlets. Also, with meter-long queues at the Nex outlet, the food should certainly live up to its potential.

Overall Rating- 7/10

Hot Tomato (Express)

68 Orchard Road

#B2-40, Plaza Singapura

Singapore- 238839

Opening Hours

11 am - 10 pm

Daily

Tel(Plaza Sing)- 6341 9162

Web: http://www.hottomato.com.sg/

Nearest MRT- Dhoby Ghaut (NS24, NE6, CC1) 

Mad Jack @ Nex

Mad Jack is a value-for-money Aussie and Fusion food cafe which had first started an outlet in Singapore in Bukit Timah in 2005, with now 3 outlets in Parkway Parade (Marine Parade), Clementi and Nex (Serangoon). The outlet I visited was in Nex @ Serangoon. The decor of this cafe was rather disappointing; the kind of decor I'd be expecting in a fast food restaurant. I'd been to nex quite a few times due to its convenience and after going to the same old restaurants there, we thought we'd go for a change, and give Mad Jack a try! 

The menu posed a wide variety of both aussie and Asian fusion food, giving us plenty of options to choose from, ranging from finger food to an Asian stir-fry. 

Broccoli Strawberry Salad

Seems like an ordinary salad isn't it? Well, it was anything but ordinary! The Broccoli Strawberry Salad ($6.90) was probably the strangest sald I've ever tasted. Apart from the rather strange combination of broccoli and strawberry, this salad had a secret ingredient- yogurt! This whole combination definitely didn't tingle my taste-buds as the whole balance had gone all wrong. The overpowering yogurt gave the salad an unbearably sweet taste that didn't balance out with the strawberries and broccoli, giving the salad a strange milky, creamy texture. Overall, a bad start to the promising dinnner.

Rating- 2/5 

Grilled Barramundi with Cajun Seasoning

The Grilled Barramundi ($19.90) was a dish I picked out and was excited to try out. Presentation-wise the dish looked pretty appealing, evidently from the photograph above. The Barramundi, which is a white fish commonly known as the Asian seabass is rather quintessential in Australian cuisine. This dish combined the classic Australian flavours with the cajun seasoning giving the fish some heat. The fish was perfectly cooked as it was incredibly moist and the cajun seasoning gave the fish a non-overwhelming heat, which elevated the flavours of the fish. 

Alongside the glistening fish was a creamy sauce that put out the subtle fire in my mouth from the fish. The whole orchestra of flavours was absolutely wonderful and therefore made this dish a oen I would come running back for.

Rating- 4.5/5

Cheesy Garlic Bread

The Cheesy Garlic Bread ($6.90) was a side dish chosen by my sister (she loves her cheese!) and something I would try in probably every Western-styled restaurant I would go. This dish was rather mediocre as there was an overwhelming explosion of cheese, giving the bread a rather heavy and dense texture. Due to this, the garlic (in the garlic bread) could not really be tasted, and the cheese gave the dish an uncomfortable saltiness making you grasp the nearest glass of water. Overall, an average dish but the balance of ingredients could be worked upon. 

Rating- 3/5

   Fruit of the Forest

 The Fruit of the Forest ($7.90) is a berry smoothies incorporating strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. (My love for berries is clearly evident now!) This drink had a wonderful blend of acidity ans sourness from the berries that was incorporated beautifully. However, I felt that this drink was too dilute with milk as it tasted more on the heavier side rather than the light, refreshing side. This drink therefore didn't really live up to its potential considering that it was a recommended drink on the menu. Overall, it could be improved upon. 

Rating- 3.5/5

My overall experience at Mad Jack was rather average as the food seemed to be wonderful, but in reality didn't seem to live up to its potential (expect for one or two dishes). Considering the huge variety of restaurants at nex, I feel Mad Jack need to make a significant improvement to stay in the game. Hopefully in the future I get the chance to go back to Mad Jack to try out different dishes. Overall, it was a mediocre experience.

Overall Rating- 7/10

Mad Jack 

23 Serangoon Central

#B1-27, Nex

Opening Hours

11:30 am- 10 pm 

Daily

Tel(Nex): 6634 7551/ 6846 8231

Web: www.madjackcafe.com

Nearest MRT- Serangoon (NE12, CC13)

The Great India Trip- A Parsi Treat @ Jimmy Boy (Mumbai)

As many of you may have known, I was out of town from 15th Dec to the 2nd of Jan, as I was spending my holidays in India. Well, this time it wasn't the traditional Kerala visit, but was more towards the Northern side of India. Therefore, we visited Mumbai, Bhilai and Hyderabad, and as with every trip to India, my tummy was treated to all sorts of tasty delights! Therefore, this post will be about one of my experiences with the food I got a chance to eat in India.  

When we arrived at Mumbai, we were told about the great Parsi population, and their culture, religion and most importantly, the Parsi food. With Parsi restaurant chains all over this buzzing city, and with recommendations from friends and family, we had to try out Parsi food, and in particular "Jimmy Boy" which was recommended by my aunt in Mumbai.

For those who do not know about who Parsis are; Parsis are a group of followers in India that follow the teachings Iranian prophet Zoroaster. The origin of Parsis are in the concentrated areas in and around Iran and with the majority of Parsis residing in Mumbai, a whole new culture was brought into this city. Although Parsis tend to be more private amongst themselves in their beliefs and faith, Parsi culture such as Parsi food is common in cities like Mumbai. 

Jimmy Boy is one of the many restaurants located in the touristy area of Colaba, South Mumbai, in the heart of the Colaba Causeway

Tarelli Fish (Pomfret)

The Tarelli Fish ($13*) is the name for a pomfret fish. This pomfret fish was not served the way you would expect in Western restaurants, but wonderfully wrapped in a banana leaf. This banana leaf serves a double purpose. One, to keep the fish wonderfully moist whilst the entire cooking process, and secondly, to add extra flavour to the fish. The rub, as you may see in the above photo is indeed a light and simple coriander rub. However, these simple ingredients didn't reflect badly on the flavour. In fact, the fish was extremely flavoursome, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The fish was incredibly moist, and the moment I unravelled this parcel, the most wonderful smell tingled my nose. The simple yet delicious coriander rub was wonderfully light, refreshing and gave a subtle citrus-y kick, an ever classic flavour that goes perfectly with any fish. After this dish I thought about how such simple ingredients can produce such wonders. This dish was definitely one to try and perhaps one of the best fish I have eaten till date.

Rating- 4.8/5 

Jardaloo Salli Boti

   
The Jardaloo Salli Boti ($6.80*) is a truly classic Parsi dish, blending both traditional Indian and Parsi flavours. It is basically a delicious mutton (or lamb; mutton in this case) curry with the mutton being served as small boneless chunks topped off with crispy shoestring potatoes known as the 'salli'. 

The curry itself holds a mouthwatering Indian-Parsi blend of spices and aromatics. The Parsi ingredients such as apricots, which is the jardaloo, the red wine vinegar and sugar blends wonderfully with the classic Indian spices of chilli powder, garam masala etc. This curry was brilliant as these rather strange combinations, which Indians wouldn't use in a traditional curry such as red wine vinegar and sugar seemed to work extremely well with the Indian spices. The apricots gave the curry a dry, sweet chewiness that was balanced with the acidity of the red wine, and the spices gave the curry a kick! However, I was not pleased with the mutton itself as it was rather dry and sometimes chewy. However, a classic blend of Parsi ingreidents with Indian spices, topped off by the crispy potatoes brought about an orchestra of textures in my taste buds, making this dish a one I would come back for.

Rating- 4/5 

Mutton Dhansak

  Yes, we were certainly not done with the Salli Boti! The Mutton Dhansak ($7.20*) is yet another Parsi classic dish and as simple as it may look, the amount of flavour in a dhansak is amazing. The rice as you would notice, is brown in colour, because the rice has been caramelized with wonderful aromatic spices after it was cooked. I quite enjoyed the rice has it has the roasty and robust flavours brought out due to its caramelization. As I mentioned earlier, Parsis enjoy using sugar, which is quite evident in the Salli Boti, and also in this dish. The mutton curry is basically stewed lentils and meat, flavoured in Indian spices caramelized in jaggery, or brown sugar, balancing out the flavours and giving the curry a tangy and mild taste. However, I was not too pleased with the curry as the seasoning was certainly too less, it definitely needed more salt, and the spices just couldn't be tasted and the dish lacked its kick, which could have been wonderfully brought out if executed well. 

Rating- 3.5/5  

*DISCLAIMER: Prices of the dishes denoted in the asterisk are in Indian Rupees and converted into SGD based on an approximation in the current exchange rate. The conversion rate is likely to change in the future, therefore these prices will also fluctuate.

So this brings me to the end of this post, and I hope I gave you guys a valuable insight into Parsi cuisine, and the methods and ingredients they use. Jimmy Boy was a great experience and an eye opener to both myself and my family into Parsi cuisine, and the whole story behind how Parsi's came to Mumbai and other parts of India, and how Parsi cuisine was influenced by Indian spices and herbs and the other way round as well. It's amazing when Parsi ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts and fenugreek blends with Indian spices to create unique dishes. Parsi cuisine is a truly unique and wonderful cuisine and I would highly recommend you to try it.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post after a long time, and I hope you guys still continue to support me and follow my blog. I will try to post as often as I can in my hectic schedule filled with exams and deadlines. Also, Gong Xi Fa Cai to all, and have a prosperous CNY!