Green Mango (Monroeville)

I am crazy about Thai food, so it is rather outrageous that it had taken me so long to visit Green Mango.  But that we finally did when we were looking for a place in Monroeville to meet up with some of R.'s colleagues, and Green Mango was the perfect choice.  (The Monroeville location is now the only one remaining; the Regent Square location closed in September due to family health reasons.)

I am a huge fan of taro, a starchy root vegetable with a hint of sweetness and is used often in Asian desserts.  Luckily, R. loves it too, so we started our meal with a delicious Taro Bubble Drink to share which I didn't get a good shot of, but it was tasty.

For my entree, as per usual, I selected a curry.  This time, I decided to try the Penang Curry with Pork.  It was rich and flavorful and everything a girl could hope for in a curry.

Penang Curry with Pork ($11.95)

R. went for the Queen Tilapia, served with mangos, Thai basil, green bell peppers, an onions, in a sweet and sour sauce.  Even though I really like curry, and the Penang Curry was excellent, I'd have to concede that R. made the better choice.  Everything was just perfect about this dish: the fish perfectly cooked, the sauce perfectly balanced between sweet and sour.  I can't believe what I'm about to say, but I actually liked the Queen Tilapia better than curry!

Queen Tilapia ($13.95)

We saved room for dessert, of course.  My memory is a bit fuzzy now, as I'm not quite sure who ordered the Coconut Mango Ice Cream.  I do remember ordering the Taro Custard (because I just had to have everything taro on the menu!), and it was excellent, even if it was more like a cake than a custard consistency.

Coconut Mango Ice Cream ($4.50)

Taro Custard ($4.50)

We all thoroughly enjoyed our meal.  Green Mango is truly a great spot for Thai food out in the eastern suburbs!

Restaurant info:
Green Mango
3462 William Penn Hwy, Pittsburgh, PA 15235
(412)824-9500
On the web: http://thegreenmango.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Green-Mango/243630822831


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E2 (Highland Park)

E² (That's right, it's "E-Squared," not "E-Two") is one of those restaurants that people are always shocked to hear I hadn't been to.  I finally had my opportunity back in September when I was fortunate enough to be a guest of a private party down in E²'s new basement "party dungeon."  I felt so honored to be one of the first people to check out the new space, and I was even more excited to finally experience Chef Kate Romane's culinary expertise.

E²'s Party Dungeon

E²'s Party Dungeon

The party dungeon decor is spacious, simple, yet modern.  Though our group had about a dozen or so guests, the space can certainly accommodate a gathering of a much larger size.  Our meal was a set eight-course menu, consisting of a generous variety of anti-pasta, two different salads, two small bites, two main courses, and a dessert, each of which was a flavorful and undoubtedly thoughtful creation.

Although all of the anti-pasta items were fabulous, the clear favorite among our group was the Gorgonzola Mess.  Lucky for me, as a supporter of E²'s Kickstarter project on the party dungeon, I had been gifted the recipe for this dish.  I haven't tried making it yet, but when I do, I know it'll be a crowd-pleaser.

Anti-pasta

Anti-pasta

Anti-pasta

After some anti-pasta, BYOB wine, and general mingling, we were seated for dinner.  I loved both our salad courses.  Salads can so often be mediocre; the Big Fat Salad - a perfect balance of fresh greens, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, and balsamic vinegar - was anything but.  The Heirloom Caprese Salad, likewise, was a tasty twist to the typical caprese salad.

Big Fat Salad

Heirloom Caprese Salad

Our small bites consisted of Arancini with Marinara, which were essentially deep fried rice balls served with a marinara sauce and shaved cheese, and Beans and Greens with Sausage, which was lovely, and I'm not even a big fan of beans.

Arancini with Marinara

Beans and Greens with Sausage

Then came our main courses.  I was very intrigued by the Rabbit Ragu, served with grilled baguette, Saint-andre cheese, and a light tomato broth, as I'm not sure I've had rabbits before and I'm (almost) always up for trying something new and different.  Though the Rabbit Ragu was delicious, I'd have to say my favorite course of the evening was the Tortellini with Chive Butter, Pine Nuts, and Chiles, which was absolutely heavenly, and I say this as someone who's generally not into stuffed pastas.

Rabbit Ragu

Tortellini with Chive Butter, Pine Nuts, and Chiles

We rounded out the meal with a decadent Chocolate Bread Pudding: a perfect end to a perfect dinner.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

To sum up, I think it is safe to say that our entire party was hugely impressed by the quality of our dinner at E²; it was an exceptional meal and a fabulous celebration to remember.  For more perspective on this meal, check out SaborPgh's post.

Restaurant info:
E²
5904 Bryant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412)441-1200
On the web: htttp://e2pgh.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/e2pgh
On twitter: https://twitter.com/e2pgh
Bonus: BYOB


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Sushi Class at Habitat (Downtown)

Back in September I attended Habitat's cooking class.  The theme of the month was sushi, which is one of my favorite things in the world, and considering I am not particularly well versed in sushi making, I was definitely interested in learning some tips from the pros!

The class started with a tour of the place where the culinary magic happens - Habitat's kitchen.  Being a hotel kitchen, we were privileged to see how they handle everything from room service to wedding cakes. We were then directed back to the dining room where we would have our class by the gorgeous open kitchen, but not until we were each served a glass of ginger-lime Sake Gimlet cocktail. :)

Sushi class setup

Nothing like learning how to make sushi while imbibing in Sake Gimlet!

I am not a fan of sake, but this was a delicious drink!

Our teacher was Chef Luis Jimenez, who provided patient instruction and guidance while we practiced making California Rolls, Salmon Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Salmon Nigiri, and assorted Hand Rolls.  Some of the techniques were similar to what I already knew learning on my own, but some were new or different from how I have made rolls before, and it was great to see how techniques vary so I can figure out what works best for me.

Chef Luis Jimenez talks spicy tuna

The making of a California roll

Learning the proper placement of the unrolled maki on the sushi mat

Let's roll!

Salmon nigiri

The making of a spicy tuna hand roll

I had never made hand rolls before, so this for me was probably the most challenging - especially the part where you form it into a cone shape.

Once we were done making sushi, it was time to eat!  The large table in front of the open kitchen was beautifully set up for us.  We started with appetizers Miso Soup and Seaweed Salad, then proceeded to the star of the afternoon - the sushi we made!  (Thanks to Chef Paula Smagacz for cutting them up for us!)

Miso soup, chock full of mushrooms and tofu

Delicious seaweed salad

California rolls

Salmon rolls and hand rolls

Spicy tuna roll

And to wash all that down, we each had a sparkling Sake Raspberry Peach Cocktail served with a piece of crystallized ginger.  So good!

Sake Raspberry Peach Cocktail

And at the end, we had this (non-alcoholic) mango bubble drink as a dessert.

Mango bubble drink

The class was plenty of fun, and I learned a lot, too!  We were treated like royals from the moment we walked in to the moment we walked out.  We received copies of the recipes, as well as an apron and a sushi mat.  I'll admit to initially balking a little at the price of the class ($65), but it turned out to be an amazing value when you also factor in the drinks, ingredients, lunch, and enough sushi to take home to last another two days.  And really, you can't put a price on a neat experience!

Habitat's cooking classes are held on the first Saturday of the month, and each month has a different theme.  I'm not sure if Habitat will bring the sushi class back next year (I hope so!), but there are some holiday themed classes coming up to round out the year.  More information can be found on Habitat's website here.

Restaurant info:
Habitat
510 Market Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412)773-8848
On the web: http://www.habitatrestaurant.com (click on "Events" for cooking classes)
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HabitatRestaurant
On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HabitatPgh


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Pesto Shrimp with Lemon Risotto

Back in August, when my basil plants were still producing succulent, fragrant leaves, I was making a ton of pesto.  I quickly got tired of chicken pesto pasta, however, and needed a new idea to use up my pesto.  I thought that shrimp would probably work well, and that I might pair it with some risotto.

Pesto Shrimp with Lemon Risotto

For the risotto, I tried Rachael Ray's Lemon Risotto recipe.  The first time I tried it I thought it was too lemony, however.  On my second try, I eliminated the lemon sections, using only the juice and zest of one lemon, and it turned out great with the adjustment.  I then cooked 1 lb of jumbo shrimp and mixed in about a 1/2 cup of pesto, and served it with the risotto.  It works well, and I can see myself making this again next summer when I have fresh basil at my disposal again.

Pesto recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves gaarlic
¼ cup pine nuts
2/3 cup exttra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black peepper, to taste
½ cup fresh grated Pecorino cheese

Directions:

Combine the basil, parsley, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add ½ cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth.  Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

Verde Mexican Restaurant & Cantina (Bloomfield/Garfield)

My trip to Toronto unfortunately coincided with the Summer 2012 edition of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, but I did manage to return in time for one Restaurant Week outing with some friends.  I picked Verde, because I hadn't been and really wanted to try it, and because its Restaurant Week menu looked so good!

Restaurant Week menu

We started with an order of amazingly fresh Guacamole to share, courtesy of one of my dining buddies.

Guacamole

For my three-course meal, I started with a refreshing Ensalata Verde.  From the menu: Arcadia greens, nopales (which is like a cactus plant), chayote (a type of squash), roasted beets, yucca chips, and cactus cilantro vinaigrette.

Ensalata Verde

I then proceeded with the Pollo en Mole Poblano as my main - a juicy half chicken chargrilled to the point of perfect crispiness on the skin, served with housemade mole sauce, scallions, and a side of yucca fries.

Pollo en Mole Poblano

Pollo en Mole Poblano, another view

For my dessert, I chose the Tres Leches Pudín de Pan - a tasty bread pudding with rum sauce.

Tres Leches Pudín de Pan

Add to that some delicious, delicious margaritas - ah, perfect meal!

Margarita

Margarita

Everyone at the table seemed quite satisfied with their meal, and the service was absolutely fabulous.  As an aside, during reservation I had made a special request for a table with good lighting (for photo-snapping purposes, of course!), and even though we were a fairly a large group, Verde was able to accommodate us without any problems.  It was too bad that I had to miss much of Restaurant Week this summer, but I'm really glad that the one meal I had during this week turned out so great!

Restaurant info:
Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina
5491 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412)404-8487
On the web: http://www.verdepgh.com
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VerdePGH
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerdePGH


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Gelato Simply Italian (Toronto)

During my whirlwind trip to Toronto, I had one free evening to meet up with a longtime friend and her boyfriend who weren't able to make it to my wedding.  We had dinner in the Yonge and Eglinton area, where the food was good but the service was...odd, to say the least.  So to make up for our bizarre dinner experience, we went over to Gelato Simply Italian for what my friend promised is some of the best gelato ever.

I'll admit, I was skeptical.  People who know me know I'm extraordinarily picky when it comes to frozen treats, and even when I was in Italy I had a tough time finding gelato that was up to my standards.  I will also admit to being impressed by the selection at Gelato Simply Italian, where you can sample most of the flavors before buying.

Gelato display (that's only about one half of the entire selection)

I got three different flavors: Mojito, Hazelnut, and Cioccolato Matto - the latter literally means "chocolate crazy," and if memory serves me right, it consists of chocolate gelato, chocolate fudge, and chocolate chips (or some similar crazy combination of chocolate³ concoction).

My Mojito, Hazelnut, and Cioccolato Matto Gelato

So what did I think?  Well, I must concede that my friend was absolutely right!  The flavors were natural, rich, and just divine.  Gelato Simply Italian exceeded my lofty standards and truly rivaled some of the best gelato I had in Italy. I mean, Italy! Now that's pretty freakin' impressive.

Our three cups of gelato

Restaurant info:
Gelato Simply Italian
2076 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4S2A3
(647) 346-0125


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Tour of Toronto's Kensington Market and Chinatown

I know, I know...I am way behind on my blogging (*blush*), but work has been a little crazy so free time has been harder to come by!  In any case, back in August I spent a few whirlwind days in Toronto, my hometown.  I didn't have a lot of free time while there either, but I did manage to book a two-hour tour of the Kensington Market and Chinatown with Toronto Urban Adventures.

Why go on a tour in your own hometown??  For one, the food tours of the Strip District and the Dormont neighborhoods in Pittsburgh I've taken with 'Burgh Bits & Bites have taught me that any city, even your own, has many cool nooks and crannies to explore.  Secondly, I have always been curious to learn more about the unique Kensington Market neighborhood, so why not be a tourist in your own city?

I had actually done a bit of a preview of Kensington Market the day prior to the tour, when a friend I hadn't seen in a long time suggested meeting up at the really cool Cafe Pamenar in the heart of Kensington Market. Cafe Pamenar offers standard and not-so-standard cafe beverages as well as snacks and sandwiches.  There is seating inside, out back in the courtyard, and up front by the sidewalk.  We snatched a table in the front to take advantage of the gorgeous weather.  I ordered a Sekanjebin, which is a traditional Persian drink with mint, cucumbers, and lemon, and it was super refreshing and tasty.

Sekanjebin at Cafe Pamenar

The next morning, I arrived for the tour super early and met the group outside the Art Gallery of Ontario, just a few short blocks from Chinatown.  Our tour guide, Jason Kucherawy, is an affable, energetic fellow who obviously loves showing off his city to eager tourists.  As my major interest was Kensington Market, I didn't take as many photos of Chinatown, but there were definitely some highlights.

Our first stop was outside the Lucky Moose Food Mart, which used to be known as the "Lucky Ox," as its Chinese name still states.  I'm not sure at what point it changed its name to "Lucky Moose," but I think it might have something to do with the Moose in the City campaign back in 2000, where several hundred fiberglass moose statues decorated by local artists were spotted all over the city (I fondly remember a photo taken of me hugging the Mountie Moose at the CN Tower).  During the campaign, the Prosperity Moose stood proudly above the Chinatown market, and it has stayed there every since.

Perhaps more interestingly, however, was that Lucky Moose made headlines a few years ago when the shop's owner chased down a repeated shoplifter and kept him in a van before police arrived.  To the Torontonians' shock and outrage, the police charged Lucky Moose's owner with assault and kidnapping!  He was eventually acquitted amid strong public support, and this case has led to some recent changes in legislation, known as the "Lucky Moose Bill," making it legal for citizens to make arrests in the case of self-defense.

Lucky Moose

Young coconut on the streets of Chinatown - a refreshing choice of beverage in the summer.

After a brief walk-through of Chinatown, we crossed Spadina Avenue into the Kensington Market. Kensington Market is a unique neighborhood with an interesting history, which started in the 1800s when a British soldier bought and developed land in the area.  In the late 1800s, the Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived, building Victorian style row houses on small plots of land.  When the Irish and the Scottish moved up the socioeconomic scale, they also moved out of the neighborhood, and the Jewish and Italian immigrants made Kensington Market their home.  The new immigrants would set up shops in the bottom floor of the building and live in an apartment upstairs, and many buildings of this layout still remain today.  By the mid-1900s, the Jewish and Italians had moved out, and immigrants from Portugal, China, Africa, Central America, and other areas moved in.  I have always considered Toronto to be the most multicultural city in the world, but its embracing of immigrants really started in Kensington Market.  Today, Kensington Market is considered a historic site and is frequented by artists, writers, tourists, and hippies and yuppies alike.

Kensington Market

Kensington Market is also known for its murals and graffiti.  The murals are absolutely stunning, and adds to the distinct character of Kensington Market.

Miles Davis, featured in this art piece named "Miles Ahead"

Buddha

Gorgeous work!

Mural and "Garden Car"

At the corner of Augusta Avenue and Oxford Street is where I spotted the intricate Asian-themed mural pictured above.  And parked right in front of this mural is a hippy-looking community garden car, in which herbs are planted and anyone walking by is free to grab some to munch on.  Yeah, seriously.  Also, Augusta Avenue is now a pedestrian-only street on Sundays; the big silver block at the front of the photo is a barrier that swings out to block the traffic.  Gosh, I kinda wish I lived here!

I do not proclaim to know much about graffitis, but our tour guide, Jason, happens to know a lot, so much of the tour was focused on graffiti, and truly gave me a whole new respect for what I used to consider shameful defacement of public property.  In short, graffiti is considered a style of writing as opposed to art, and that the purpose of graffiti is for the artist to mark their territory.  As such, graffiti often depicts the artist's name, though honestly it reads like a whole different language to me!

In this alleyway, graffiti is legal on one side and not on the other. When graffiti is illegal,
the artist have little time to devote to their work, so the graffiti ends up looking not nearly
as sophisticated and colorful as legal graffiti. Gotta say, legal graffiti is quite pretty!

Graffiti on a garage door

Graffiti on a wall

This is a particularly creative one. Jason, who amazingly can read graffiti, claims that it says
"Bacon" as the artist's name is Bacon. And so this particular graffiti depicts "Smoked
Bacon." Clever!

Interesting neighborhood aside, as this is a food blog, it would behoove me to say a few words about the food in Chinatown and Kensington Market! First, let's start with Kensington Market. Its rich history and immigrant-friendly reputation means that the neighborhood is home to many restaurants serving a variety of ethnic foods, sometimes even a seemingly random mix of two different cuisines together (like a restaurant we walked by called "Hungary Thai.")  Kensington Market is also staunchly supportive of local, independent businesses - a big box store that tried to open here was driven away by the residents who wanted Kensington Market to maintain its community-oriented character.

The Toronto Urban Adventures tour ended, conveniently, right at lunch hour, and I decided that it would only be right to try out one restaurant in each neighborhood.  First stop: The Grilled Cheese in Kensington Market - a small shop featuring different kinds of fancy grilled cheese sandwiches.

The Grilled Cheese in Kensington Market

While many of the options on the regular chalkboard-scrawled menu sounded awesome (The Dill-Licious was specifically recommended by Jason), I decided on the special of the day: Cheddar, Caramelized Apple, Onions, Bacon, & Avocado Sandwich. Mmm...cheddarlricious!

The Grilled Cheese

Sandwich Special at The Grilled Cheese

In contrast to the ethnic diversity in Kensington Market, Chinatown is, well, very much Chinese, though there are other Asian ethnic cuisines mixed in as well, most notably Vietnamese.  There are actually several "Chinatowns" in Toronto, as Chinese immigrants started to move away from its original downtown location. From what I understand, many current inhabitants of this Chinatown actually came from Vietnam, which explains the abundance of Vietnamese cuisine in this neighborhood.

Despite being rather full from a whole grilled cheese sandwich, I was determined to try some dumplings at Mother's Dumplings in Chinatown, which also came highly recommended.  The restaurant was buzzing, and I got a seat in an oddly secluded area in the back.

Mother's Dumpling, interior

Mother's Dumplings offers a variety of fillings for their dumplings, as well as other traditional Chinese fare.  I apparently neglected to make a note on the kind of dumpling I got, but I know the meat was pork, and I think it came with chives.  In any case, these were just absolutely delicious.  The wrappers were perfect - thick enough to not disintegrate after a bite, and thin enough to not taste too doughy. The filling was juicy and nicely seasoned.  Despite having just had a whole mac daddy grilled cheese sandwich, I devoured all 10 dumplings. Yowza!

Mother's Dumplings

Mother's Dumplings

After the tour and the lunch feast, I made my way back to the Art Gallery, but had a few hours to kill before my evening plans with my siblings.  I decided to hang out at this little shop across the street from the Art Gallery called Eskimo Iced Fruit House to take advantage of its free wifi.  I also couldn't resist getting a Taro Milkshake, which tasted like soft taro ice cream, and who doesn't like that??

Taro Milkshake at Eskimo Iced Fruit House

All in all, I am really glad I did this tour and got to learn more about Chinatown and Kensington Market, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.  I also can't help but think that the 'Burgh Bits & Bites food tour concept would work super well here.  Does any entrepreneur wanna use my idea and cut me a share of your profits? :)

Map of Kensington Market and Chinatown:

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