Bangin' Biscuits!

After hours of waiting we finally got into Clinton Street Bakery on a Saturday for brunch! The wait is the only reason that I haven't been back there in probably over 5 years, it's really ridiculous! That said it IS worth it. The food is very good and the vibe, once inside, is mellow. We ate WAY too much, each ordering our own breakfast as well as an order of french toast for the table. Their buttermilk biscuits, which come under their egg and Benny dishes (Smoked Salmon and Ham pictured here) are nice and buttery! The pancakes were really good and the french toast was amazing too! Their syrup is almost butterscotch flavoured and oozing with deliciousness! They have a variety of warm alcoholic drinks, which was a godsend this day because it was unusually cold, so I warmed up with an apple cider with rum which was spot on! It was a great brunch with old friends from San Francisco and it was everyone's else's first time there so they all left very full but very happy!

Clinton St. Baking Co.
4 Clinton Street (nr Houston)
New York, NY
(646) 602-6263
clintonstreetbaking.com

Some Kind of Wonderful... or Sub

No.7 Sub is finally open! They opened their door a week ago and the line is already out the door by 12:30pm! I had heard that their freshly-made-on-the-premises-bread runs out fast so we headed there early and just beat the crowd. There were more sandwiches on the menu than the original preview menu which was a nice surprise. We decided to share a few different ones to get a proper sampling. The "General Tso" was great, the fried tofu was deliciously soft and the whole thing had a banh mi-ness to it, cilantro, pickled carrots... it was delicious! The "Broccoli" sandwich was a real surprise, it was made with simple steamed broccoli, fresh mozzarella, thai basil pesto and fried lemons. It was amazing and fresh... a truly unique taste! The "Roast Beef" was also really interesting, with pickled blueberries and korean Doenjang sauce on it! Their homemade Yuzu Hibicus Gingerale was amazing! I'm not really the type to care for a flavoured drink while eating but I loved it SO much that I plan to get it every time. It's not very sweet and has a strong ginger flavour.. and as you know Yuzu is my true love. So all in all I was impressed with No.7, the sandwiches were really good and unique tasting and the fresh bread was soft and yummy. I look forward to heading back for more. I plan to try the "Ceviche" and the "Hot & Sour Egg Salad" sandwiches next!

No.7 Sub
20 West 29th Street (at the Ace Hotel)
New York, NY
(212) 679-2222

Homestyle Udon

Yoko was here this week visiting me from Tokyo and she made me some homemade chicken udon one night. It was amazing. I watched her every step so that I can recreate it on my own. She made a simple broth from soy sauce and a bit of soba sauce I had from before until taste was right, then the secret and most special ingredient was the gobo (burdock root) she grated and added to the soup. I love gobo, it's got such an amazing earthy taste and it's amazing for your digestive system! It was just what I needed that night and we ate Japanese style on the floor over a small low table. (and because I don't actually have a table ;) The special addition was the yuzu kosho, which is a citrus wasabi-like paste that is usally used with chicken and duck. I had been given this little jar from a friend in Tokyo last time I was there and I love any occasion to pull it out and use it! Yuzu is one of my favourite things in the world! Itadakimasu! いただきます！

Garden is Guud!

The new Guu in Vancouver is open and it's really really good. All the Guu restaurants are good but I was especially into the food at Garden. I think it had some trouble getting going when it first opened but they are definitely up and running now. It's location is nice on the second floor, with a more modern and yet casual vibe to it. I really liked the feel and they have a lovely little japanese garden off to the side. We got the one little table right next to the garden, it was so nice. As for the food, the menu is similar to the other Guu's but seems to have more sushi and a whole Oden menu, which is amazing! Here's the duck oden pictured here. We ordered the classics, the tuna tataki and the salmon sashimi, which were both amazing! The ebi-mayo was also especially exceptional. I miss all the amazing Japanese food in Vancouver and always look forward to going back again.

Guu Garden
M101-888 Nelson Street
Vancouver, BC
(604) 899-0855