Tastes of the World in NY

Like I said one of the things I will miss about New York is the diversity of the cuisine. You may be wondering what diversity I speak of as you have not seen that much, so here it is!

Latino eatery Macondo, with mojitos that are “to die for”! Especially, the pomegranate mojito.

Met up with a group, of mostly South Africans, for tapas and a few drinks at Macondo. Yes in NY, and yes at a Latino eatery.

We shared:



crispy calamari

1. Calamare crujientes. Crispy calamari with a wonderfully spicy smoked paprika taste. Almost like Fritos, I can see why South Africans love this place. Apologies for the picture but with the frito smell and taste we couldn't hold ourselves back.

mushroom croquettes

2. A La Lolita. Mushroom croquettes, figs, almonds, truffle trumpet allioli. Mushrooms were dice and fried in batter, earthy taste with a wonderful tomato roast pepper sauce.

3. Hojas de salmon ceviche served in a martini glass. Sashimi sliced Salmon, avocado, coriander, lime, sesame seeds and sesame oil. The ceviche was a taste sensation in it's juicy glory. The lime with the fresh, beautiful salmon, oh and how fresh that salmon was. If it weren’t for the fact that we agreed to share I would’ve had the ceviche all on my own.

Luckily for me, and my gluttonous appetite, a few of the people didn’t eat seafood so I could have an extra helping. 

Ceviche

4. Carne con yuca grilled skirt steak, yuca fries, calabres cheese and chimichurri. The smokey skirt steak with the salty, pungent blue cheese and the sweet yuca fries, really a taste explosion. 

5. Then there was the mince dish that tasted like a bobotie, sweet and spicy. I almost got up to ask the chef if they have a bottle of Mrs Balls chutney back in the kitchen.

6. The yucca fries were great, I mean fried sweet potato oh yeah

The best part of the experience is always the wonderful company but throw in a great Mojito and tapas with a slight South African taste and feel, makes it a memorable night!

Caribbean Eating at Negril Village

This was a late night adventure at an eatery where I spied Estelle, Elephant Man and Shaggy, so I figured that it must be the establishment to be at for Caribbean eating. To get a real taste of the food I ordered two starter items with a side of fried sweet plantains (they look like a huge banana but have a slightly tougher texture). I washed it all down with a strong, fruity Village Island Punch, which made for an interesting late night walk to the subway.

1. Calypso shrimp which is sweet and lightly spicy with a coconut milk sauce served on sweetish plantain mash

2. Jerk chicken ribettes which are chicken thighs in a peppery jerk sauce, So Spicy! But I just kept eating more, bit by peppery bit.

I wanted to try the curried goat but was with wonderful Tswana companions and they don’t do goat, so curried goat it is next time!

Vieros’ Cannolis in the East Village

It’s a crispy wafer pastry filled with a soft, smooth, perfectly sweet ricotta filling. At first I couldn’t place what the ricotta filling reminded me of and then it hit me, Milk Tart. I’m a lover of good milk tart and this filling is one of the best, so if you’re in Sicily or NY and are craving milk tart grab a vanilla cannoli.

Look at the trays of cannolis, just looking at it I feel like Alice in Vieros' cannoli wonderland!

So I'll be eating fritos, Mrs Balls bobotie and milk tart to reinvigorate a few of my New York foodie memories.