EATING BOSTON

Warning: this is a very overdue post from my visit to to the States last summer.

My first stop was Boston - its not hard to love this city - people are friendly, getting around is easy, although rainy summer days and winters can be tough... 

On my first night, my friend K took me to a Tapas style restaurant called Toro and I must say it was a very memorable meal. We arrived around half 9 and the restaurant was full to the brim save for two seats at the bar which was fine for us. After consulting the menu a little, this is what we shared! 

"serrano ham"

"garlic prawns" - so much tastier than the traditional gambas pil pil

"asparagus and egg"

"uni sandwich" - flavoured with miso

"Vegetable paella"

assorted veggies with rice... honestly best paella I've had to date.

This was a truly excellent restaurant, even if service can be a little off - their kitchen is amazing for being able to execute their dishes so well and according to K their menu changes a little from time to time to keep things fresh! My favourite dish amongst ones we had was definitely the vegetable paella which had a good amount of charred assorted vegetables, and the rice was delicious for it was cooked in a rich seafood and tomato broth - total comfort food. The garlic shrimps were also a close favourite - the charred shrimps gave it a smokey taste and the sauce was excellent, so much better than just garlic oil...! 

The next day was lunch at Mooo... which specialises in steaks. At lunch, you can get a very decent 3-course meal for US$25 (HK$200). For the appetizer course I chose the Maine Lobster Bisque, for mains I couldn't pass the 12-oz N.Y. sirloin with truffled fries and dessert was chocolate tart. We also added a steak tartare (US$9) to share. 

Table bread and butter

"Maine Lobster Bisque"

with cognac and sherry and oyster biscuits on the side. the soup had chunks of lobster meat and the rich and creamy soup itself was deliciously sweet - i don't think i've tried a lobster bisque this good in Hong Kong! 

in

"Steak tartare"

Served with a quail egg yolk on top and grilled flatbread. the steak tartare itself was excellent - it was actually hand-cut slices (not diced) of quality steak, very fragrant olive oil and good seasoning from the herbs, black pepper and sea salt. admittedly this was my first steak tartare (i know!) and i loved every bit of it! now only if the flatbread was better....

"12oz NY Sirloin"

 Served with marrow butter and truffled fries. The steak was cooked to a nice medium and the marrow butter made the meat all the more tastier and meatier! This was my first taste of meat in the states and already i could tell a huge difference between our meat here in Hong Kong and in the States. Not a fan of fries, but i did try a couple and I imagine any potato lover would've enjoyed these because they were light, crisp, and very fragrant with truffle oil.

"Chocolate Tart"

This tart did not look impressive but I assure you it was one fine tart! The chocolate is actually a milk chocolate mousse that was not too sweet and the tart shell thin and crisp. Definitely could work on presentation here!

This meal was a very filling but delicious lunch - particularly the steak tartare and the lobster bisque. 


That night we went to Island Creek Oyster Bar which is famous for its lobster rolls and of course, selection of oysters. This is actually one of K's favourite restaurants and I can see why - located next to a hotel, the restaurant is very modern-looking, decent sized bar filled with hip looking Americans and has a great menu with a raw bar selection.

"shigoku" (left two) and "Island creek" oysters with cocktail sauce, vinegar and lemon wedge

 The two kinds of oysters we chose were very different - the shigokus (from Bay Center, WA) were much more brinier and slightly sweet - a lot like the sea, and the island creek ones (from Duxbury, MA) were milder and I would think a crowd-pleaser. 
 

cholula hot suace, gypsy juice: both are very different hot sauces optional to go with the oysters

"Ethel's Lobster roll" (US$21)

 Originally served with cole slaw and kettle chips but since we wanted to fit in other food we asked if we could forgo these heavier sides and just be served a simple salad. They kindly agreed and served us a peppery arugula salad with lemon-olive oil dressing! The rosemary brioche bun was what made the lobster roll for me - it was fragrant and slightly sweet and buttery.... I'd happily make all my sandwiches in this bread! The lobster meat was generous, and use of mayo restrained, but i felt the lobster meat wasn't the best Boston had to offer - definitely did not have that sweetness i was looking for. 

"Lobster Roe Noodles" (US$27)

 These noodles are basically pasta made with lobster roe and dressed with olive oil and a little braised short rib ragu. The noodles were too soft and I would've preferred a lobster bisque-like sauce to dress it, and the lobster meat on top was not very fresh either. The short rib ragu's presence was a little odd for me and overall an under-seasoned dish.

dessert menu - i wanted to order them all!

"ICOB Doughnuts"

 We decided on the doughnuts and I'm so glad we did - these cute pillowy deep fried buns were filled with a delicious lavender creme and the tart berry coulis help cut the sweetness of the doughnuts - one word: yum!

A trip to the chain restaurant Legal Sea Foods was on the agenda the following day (3) and we were in for a lobster feast! 

"steamed lobster"

simple, with the best lemony-butter for dipping...

"lobster bake"

essentially steamed lobster, with scallop, shrimp and butter crumb topping
  
Later in the 'Little Italy' of Boston...

"chocolate ricotta" cannol

"Florentine" - honey and nut cookie-based shell filled with ricotta and studded with chocolate chip

Modern Pastry's much smaller version - had a better regular shell than MIke's. 

Dinner was at Top of the Hub - we chose to sit at the lounge area where they have a more casual setting and different menu to the main dining room.

...dat VIEW!

"baby spinach salad" with pears, goats cheese, roasted walnuts, port wine reduction and a creamy lemon vinaigrette

Hands-down best.salad.ever.
WHY? Sweet, savoury, creamy, fresh, tangy, crisp, crunchy... - flavours and textures achieved in one simple looking salad. 

"tartar of yellowfin tuna" with avocado, cilantro (right) and pickled ginger (left) came with a drizzle of what I think was sweet soy and mustard sauces

I liked the sauces that came with the tartar - very Asian with the pickled ginger.

And that concludes my lovely eats in Boston!