name : wesage : 24
location : hoboken, nj
occupation : food
explain yourself:
i love to eat food.
i love the thought of eating food.
i love reading about people who are eating food.
this blog is to document every chew, gulp, sautee, and taste i encounter. there's plenty of food out there, and i want to experience all of it.
[featured photos and video were captured on my iphone 3gs. others will be fairly and rightfully credited to their proper owners.]
who do you like:
midtown lunch
amateur gourmet
serious eats
VendrTV
Robyn Lee
Wine Library TV
what are you up to?:
Theme by nostrich.
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NYC Cravings’ Taiwanese Fried Chicken and Pork Platter
Let’s start you off with a little riddle: you are placed in the middle between two tables. On your left, a succulent chicken leg, perfectly fried crispy skin, juicy thigh and drum dark meat. On your right, a tender pork chop, thick, chewy, just the right amount of salt that gets your mouth gushing. The question .. which way do you go?
The correct answer: the NYC Craving’s truck is, which brings the chicken and pork as duo to street eaters in the glorious $7 steal: PORKEN!
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The Taco Truck - Mobile Mexican Comes to Hoboken
On most nights, Pete and I will walk home together after work from the PATH to our apartments in Southwest Hoboken. On one chilly evening, we caught a glimpse of an orange truck driving towards the riverfront, with “Tacos Straight From the Truck” written in bright white lettering on the side. Sadly, it drove so fast that I wasn’t able a chance to catch the name. My Sherlock-esque detective skills kicked into gear. 1) the vehicle appeared to be large, almost truck-like; 2) according to their marquee, they specialized in the Mexican dish known as tacos. After several nights of grueling deductions (and a minor hint from a Twitter-friend), the identity of the mystery mobile eatery was clear: The Taco Truck. And believe you me: all the sleuthing paid off in delicious taco-y goodness.
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Banh Mi So Hungry!
One thing about my dad, he’s a giver, even on his birthday. We assembled in his apartment, awaiting to depart for dinner, and he presents us with a bag of the best un-birthday gifts ever: foot-long sandwiches from Banh Mi Saigon Bakery. I haven’t had one of these in months, and hope to never make that mistake again!
Sitting on the border between Chinatown and the Lower East Side, Saigon Bakery runs its small operation in a back of a shop, sharing its real estate with a jewelery store. Walking in, you would never imagine that gems like these would ever walk out of the doors (you hear that? Gems? A pun? Geez, I stink…). Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches are super cheap, starting as low as $3.75 for pork, and $5 for chicken. They pack massive flavor without being overly stuffed with ingredients. Dad bought us banh mi saigon, featuring roast pork, pickled carrots and daikon, a type of Asian radish, cilantro, cucumbers, pate, and a thin coating of mayo. I normally order it spicy, adding super hot jalapeno peppers, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. All of these components sandwiched between a soft baguette.
Yes, we held these in our hands, and managed NOT to eat before dinner.
When ordered, the sandwich makers will toast the bread, giving it an exploding out crust, adding to an already crisp vegetable repertoire. Dad asked them not to, knowing that we’d hold off eating until the next day. Having saved this until today’s lunch, counting the minutes down before sinking my teeth into the sub, I skipped the toasting process and dove right in: just as good. I did miss the tang from the hot peppers, but having it plain was fine.
My brother and sister love cilantro, and have no problem asking for as much as Saigon Bakery would be willing to put in it. They came through big time, as you can see above. The cilantro is a key ingredient in the taste of banh mi, rounding off the sweetness of the pork and subtle sourness of the veggies with its own cool, refreshing, almost minty, taste. I would recommend adding it to almost any sandwich for the same effect. My sister told me she added it to a turkey sandwich with just as positive results.
Saigon Bakery has been held as the banh mi sandwich shop to visit. And at a $3.75 price point and consistent quality, how can I not continue to give them my loyal business? Still, this being a blog about food exploration, and never one to close my wallet to a good meal, the journey continues. For now, I’ll continue to call this shop my Vietnamese sandwich home base.
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We added pork to just about everything else. We said, ‘Fuck it, let’s just cook what we want.
