El Oriental de Cuba, Jamaica Plain, MA

El Oriental de Cuba has been a staple Latin restaurant in Jamaica Plain near Hyde Square for a number of years. Restaurateur, Nobel Garcia moved his family to Jamaica Plain in 1955.  The space is cozy but vibrant in color, music, energy, and fragrance from the open kitchen. There's a palpable family and community vibe with a diverse circle of patrons including the neighborhoods deeply rooted Hispanic residents.

The food here is farm and sea fresh presenting familiar Latin flavors cumin, garlic, pepper, and flecks of cilantro and abundant tomato-based sauces.  

The menu boasts classic Cuban dishes like ropa vieja and the Cuban sandwich, culturally-shared dishes such as pernil asado, and Puerto Rican dishes like mofongo.

Mofongo (Mashed, unripened plaintain with pork rinds.  I've also had it with chicken and shrimp substituted for pork)

 

With typical pork and beef heavy dishes, on this particular night we sampled a couple of seafood dishes and the must have ropa vieja.

Loved their mixed ceviche and the fact that it included mussels, which was a new experience for me as an interesting component.

Mixed ceviche

A few Side dishes:Tostones (twice-fried plantain), crisp plaintain strips,  red beans and rice

Cuban pork tamale

Anyone who knows me personally or reads this blog knows how excited I am when my protein comes with it's head and body intact!  There's no flavor or level of moisture that can be added post cooking to fish, poultry or even pork for that matter, than when cooked intact.  Check out my previous heads-on raves at Suya Joint (Nigerian Restaurant) , a day in Chinatown Boston on a Foodie Tour , and of course prawns should never lose their heads and if you stuff them with delicious leek and liver mousse, like Chef Carey Dobies at Savvor, they're magic!

I've tried the whole snapper fried with tostones, arroz congri (Cuban rice & black beans) and mofongo as take out prior to ever eating there and was happy there are no corners cut when not dining in the restaurant.  

Whole fried red snapper with arroz congri, mofongo, and tostones

You can also order it with garlic sauce as below or coconut.

The meat is so tender, juicy, and abundant, it seems you can eat from the same dish for days!

The ropa vieja (a succulent slow-cooked shredded beef dish) was fantastic.  Its balanced flavors of onion, pepper, tomato, and garlic was made all the more great by the fall apart strips of beef and tender veg.  Even still, my favorite ropa vieja was in Vero Beach, Florida at The Wave.

Check out El Oriental de Cuba on your next visit to JP!

Native Delight A Beachside Seafood Food Truck, Public Beach, Grand Cayman Islands

Native Delight immediately drew my attention when me and my family arrived at the beach in Grand Cayman Island for a day of relaxation.  One, I love a food truck and Two, it was run by two ladies who were clearly proud of the food they produced.  They took time with cooking and presenting their dishes.
 

The ladies were serving up majorly fresh seafood.  I loved my grilled fish made to order  with red beans and rice as well as the conch (ceviche style) salad.

Grilled whitefish with red beans and rice

Conch salad

If ever on Public Beach in Grand Cayman, I highly recommend paying Native Delights a visit!

Lobsta & More Lobsta @ Pauli's North End, 65 Salem Street, Boston, MA

North End Boston, 1901

There are three things I find absolutely beautiful about Boston - the food, the history, and the scenery.

After a hearty lunch at Pauli's North End, my friend and I discussed how Boston is a "just-big-enough-city" that features landscape that people appreciate most about metropolitan areas - waterfronts and green space.

Pauli's is located in the historic North End of Boston.  The neighborhood exemplifies Old meets New World in its design/layout, restaurants, culture, and community.  Salem Street amongst other popular "main" streets in the neighborhood are juxtaposed with the large, wide Greenway.  Short story tenements with small shops or restaurants below them suddenly appear even smaller once the city's sky line becomes visible again from street level.  There a sense of opening up, of deeper breathing once leaving the closeknit, narrow streets of the North End heading towards Fanueil Hall Marketplace or Haymarket.  The contrast is quite an experience.

The North End certainly has an air about itself.  There is definitely a community feel.  Many of the business owners are welcoming and inviting and Mr. Pauli's 'super deli", where you are sure to receive "wicked fresh and crazy good" eats, is no exception!

I must say, after spending 8 years in southeast Alabama for school, it is refreshing to enter an eatery, or any business for that matter, and immediately experience or note warmth between patrons and staff.  Pauli clearly takes pride in assuring that each customer he serves receives his personal best.  And yes, Pauli helps run the register most days!

The restaurant served a multitude of dishes.  The number and variety of dishes offered by the kitchen is nothing short of amazing for a place that is small, even for the North End.  There are three rows of double basic tables and room for two to three people at the window bar where people are watching you and your food as much as you're watching them.

It's really no surprise that we order the lobster roll.  After all, it IS award-winning and all the buzz in the foodie community!  We were not, however, brave enough to sample the $49.99, 1.5 lb USS Lobstitution lobster roll, created back in July 2013 as the largest lobster roll in New England (no doubt)!  We went with the 7 ouncer as to save room for other bites.  The lobster is locally-sourced, arriving daily from Globe Fish Co. at Marine Industrial Park.

Now, when I say other bites, your options are abundant, hot or cold sandwiches and wraps, pasta dishes, salads, wings, and breakfast foods like steak tips and eggs, omelets, pancakes.  The list goes on...

7 oz. Lobster Roll + "Dirty" Kettle Chips

  What I loved most about the lobster roll was its pure, unadulterated, sweet, tender lobster!   The precious claw and knuckle meat was simply tossed in light mayo, no filler and no shreds of sad crustacean.  Pauli's serves a purist lobster lover's dream resting on and even toppling out of a sweet roll.

I guess this was the day of the lobster as I also had to sample the lobster mac n' cheese.  My only disappointment was the substitution of penne for macaroni, but other than that minor detail, once the dish was mixed well, the pasta and lobster coated in the cheesy sauce, all was right in the world.  Again, this dish featured a hefty helping of succulent lobster claw and knuckle meat and topped with buttered breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

For my non-seafood taste, I order the Pollo Pazzo, a large hot sandwich featuring hearty, crisp chicken cutlets, crisp bacon, a beautiful herbaceous pesto mayo, purple onion, fresh feta cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

I have every intention of returning to sample a few breakfast and more lunch/dinner items.  Breakfast is served until 5 pm, but Pauli informed me that this may change soon to give the kitchen a bit of a breather and maintain their reputation of all day fast service.

We left with big smiles.

DrFoodie

Erika

 I want to thank Pauli's North End for filling our bellies and extending such fantastic hospitality.

 You can check out Pauli's blog with great photos and recipes,  here.

Disclosure:  Pauli's North End covered the costs of this meal.  All opinions are my own.

Snapshots of New England Lobster: Oh, How I'll Miss Thee! James Hook Co.

James Hook Co.'s $17 lobster roll...worth the dimes?  Yes!

This has to be the best cold lobster roll I've had in New England.  I prefer mine warm and drenched in drawn butter, but James Hook really was fab.  All meat, no excessive mayo or celery filler, served on a warm toasted, buttery roll, you can downsize to the $12 smaller roll, but why bother?  Just go for it!

Never eat a lobster this large and old....this guy is at least 70 years old.  Check out those claws!

James Hook Co. is a must do when in Boston!

 They also sell fresh fish and shellfish, seasonings, & accompaniments.

'Tis The Season....CRAWFISH!

 

I finally checked out Brother's Crawfish in Dorchester today.

While I was super excited about grabbing in-season crawfish, their 'liquor' left a void for sure.  Even though I ordered the spicy batch (which is unfortunately titled "Asian Fusion - Fire hot Cajun style with Louisiana spice") it was anything but!  
The "liquor/boil" was sweet, not spicy and hardly reminiscent of Louisiana spices in the least bit.

I suppose, real Cajuns or at least REAL Southerners was expected...not so much here, so check you expectations at the door.



I guess one should be leery of "Asian Fusion" or "Oriental Express" (sauteed in garlic-onion-butter & scallion) when dealing with crawfish advertised as Southern-style, but I didn't think it would be too much of a disaster.  Maybe going with the "Cajun Calm" (Original southern Cajun flavor with special dippin sauce) would have been more authentically "Southern", though I very much doubt it. 

Now that I am in a crawfish state of mind, I suppose I will be on a mission for the next month and a half for something real, even if I have to head down to the Gulf Coast (New Orleans, of course, being a favorite) on my quest.  You guys know that's not outside of my realm of possibility.  Any excuse to travel and eat!  :0)

Oishii Sushi (South End Location), 1166 Washington Street, Boston, MA

Me and Chef Ting (Owner)

Oishii Boston is a totally different world from Oishii Chestnut Hill and we had a few minutes to chat with the uber-friendly Chef/Owner, Chef Ting about the difference.  Greeting us with hugs and smiles, as my friend Erika has been a regular for years, his smile and great energy was tremendous and contagious. 

Oishii Boston is sexy and the out-of-this world creative dishes even sexier!  Watching what comes out of the kitchen is like attending a high end fashion runway show.

We sat at the sushi bar where just watching the talented, fast hands of Boston's top sushi chefs was entertainment and satisfaction enough!  The did brilliant tricks with torched kobe beef maki rolls with arugula centers, seared hamachi and O-toro, dollops of tobiko (flying fish roe- a personal favorite) and ikura (salmon roe).

We, of course, ordered our favorite spicy, crunchy tuna Gunkan followed by a few pieces of sashimi: o-toro, hamachi, and Grade A uni.

Hamachi, Uni, and O-toro

We followed up with beautiful torched kobe beef and salmon topped with ikura.

I really enjoyed the miso shiru (miso soup) with wrapped sea bass, made more aromatic by an outer bowl of fresh mint leaves seeped (tableside) in boiling water.

The highlight was a spicy dish of o-toro topped with tempura serrano and jalapeno peppers and gold flakes.

The Wave Kitchen & Bar, Vero Beach, FL

Nestled within an older beach resort (Costa d'Este owned by Emilio and Gloria Estefan) surrounded by an aged but quaint Vero Beach neighborhood, you really are not quite sure what to expect when walking towards this restaurant, but I've read a few pretty great reviews and enjoyed perusing the menu online so I went for it.

 

"Ocean-front dining is a bit of an overstatement as there is a small pool, wooden fence, and brush between the dining area and the Atlantic.  The description of the view boasted on the website is certainly misleading, but the restaurant itself was lovely and made up for other lacking details with its open dining space and kitchen. The dining area is roomy and rounded, enclosed in glass, brick, and wood - very modern. 

Our service was terrific.  Bethany and Tony took very good care of us.

Everything was extremely fresh - a testament to The Wave's commitment to locally-sourced ingredients.

Serving Latin dishes that can stand up to any in Miami, Chef Antonio Estremera's menu melds the Estefans' Cuban cookbook, Estefan Kitchen, with his Peruvian influence.

Chef Estremera's world cuisine training is most evident in the ceviche trio:

Rocoto Pepper Ceviche, Shrimp, Calamari, White Fish, Red Onion, Cilantro

Ahi Tuna, Avocado, Florida Orange Juice, Soy & Wasabi

Passion Fruit Ceviche, Scallop, Calamari, Shrimp, Passion Fruit Juice

The Peruvian-influenced Rocoto pepper ceviche was the mildest with great, simple flavor. while the ahi tuna was grossly overpowered by soy sauce, lending much too much acidity and salinity.  The avocado worked to mellow and add richness to the dish, though apparently no fresh cut.  The passion fruit ceviche was different, adding sweetness to a traditionally savory-sour dish. 

It was a bit redundant to order the black bean soup as it was the same as the side dish black beans that came with Latin entrees in addition to white rice.  It was good, none-the-less.

We tried three distinctly-prepared plantains: thin crispy fried chips, crunchy tostones which were tender in the center, and sweet plantains - all delicious.

 

On to the amazing entrees:

We decided to go with three of the traditional homestyle Cuban specialty entrees on the lunch menu from Estefan Kitchen.  I thoroughly enjoyed each. 

Cited as "Gloria's Favorite", the Cuban-style roasted chicken (pollo asado) was fall-off-the-bone tender and moist with great flavors imparted by sour orange, olive oil, and a smothering Cuban Creole sauce with tomato and spice.

The Cuban Creole sauce with sauteed onions and peppers also paired well with Shredded Beef (Ropa Vieja).  The generous amount of tender meat was cooked perfectly.

I loved the Shredded Fried Beef (Vaca Frita) with Onions.  The crisp, juicy meat was made all the more flavorful with a spritz of fresh lime juice.

The food at The Wave surpasses the restaurant's mediocre surroundings and we were thankful.  I plan to stop in next time I'm visiting the area and hopefully get to meet Chef Estremera who was attending the SOBE Wine & Food Festival, which we attended the day before.

The Wave Kitchen & Bar

 http://www.costadeste.com/dining/lunch_menu.asp

Sashimi+Gunkan Maki+Soup @ Oishii Sushi Bar - Chestnut Hill

The original Oishii (Chestnut Hill), outfitted with only 14 or so seats is cozy and well run and amazingly does not feel too claustrophobic.  Several to-go orders were picked up during our 1.5 hour feast and it's best to head in at the start of dinner service (5 p.m.)
Because it's only proper to begin with sashimi, I ordered beautiful slices of hamachi (tuna collar) and toro (fatty tuna belly).  Both were as fresh as possible with clean, oceanic flavor.  This was my first time having hamachi as sashimi.  Usually, I order bone-in grilled hamachi kama under a brilliant crisped skin and zested with fresh lemon.  The hamachi sashimi at Oishii was lovely and the generous portions of buttery, well-marbled toro - decadent.

Forgive my images...I avoided pulling out the pro-cam for this meal.

Hamachi and Toro Sashimi

 
We then progressed to a Gunkan-maki, which my friend promised would serve as the "food orgasm" of the day, made with a healthy pile of tempura-cruchy toro spilling over this amazing battleship roll.  It took center stage as we repeated the order.  I think I'd prefer it as sashimi next time around.

The uni (sea urchin) bore the color and appearance (partially broken lobes) of Grade B or C grade with its reddish brown hue.  Grade A uni tends to be bright and golden-colored.  All the same, it did carry the slightly briny, creamy flavor and unforgettably rich, buttery, velvety texture with a mouth feel similar to a pâté with a richness that can rival foie gras any day.

Uni, Crunchy toro Gunkan, and ikuru

 

We also enjoyed ikura Gunkan-maki - red salmon roe and watching the sushi chefs delicately and meticulously send out beautiful, ornate plates at the sushi bar is always a treat.

Ikura

I found the spicy seafood miso soup to be slightly overly salted, but the scallops and shrimp were perfectly cooked - sweet and tender.  

Oishii is worth every penny!