New York City - My Food Journey continues

After working for a year I moved into a downtown apartment on the 45th floor with this amazing view! 

Moving to New York City was another pivotal point in my life, having just graduated I got my first job as a marketing analyst around mid-town; I was overwhelmed with work during this phase of my life, desperately tiring to make ends meet, I would take on many freelance design, photography and even manual labor jobs just to make the rent for the month plus setting quiet alot aside for my only indulgence in the city, Fine dining.

Following my obsession with the Food Network, it was only natural that I spent my first few pay checks at restaurants owned by Iron Chefs; Morimoto's, Del Posto, Babbo, Lupa and Mesa Grill. But this was only the tip of the culinary ice-berg which is New York City.

Pictures from my mom's phone @ The union sq farmers market and Soho

It was also in New York that I experienced my first michelin-star meal, this was probably at Fleur De Sel (now closed), a quaint 1-star restaurant in Flatiron. I ordered the seasoning tasting menu of 6-courses, which was a mind-bending sensory experience. From then on, I became a certified food-snob, restaurants by Jean Georges, Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert soon followed. But there was still something lacking, Michelin-starred quality restaurants couldn't be the end of it. While I tried to recreate Michelin quality food at home, I always found myself trending towards the casual and more whimsical style of cooking.

It was about this time that I started to discover quaint small eateries in the city which define New York dining. Restaurants like Prune, Public, Kyo Ya and Momofuku soon became my favorite destinations for me to indulge my palate. Soon Saturday and Sunday New York brunches seem to be the norm, and I would venture into underground dining which peeked my culinary mind.

The view from my apartment. Oh! how I miss NYC

My very best meal in New York?
That was probally at Corton (Paul Liebrandt) when the restaurant just opened its doors and before it received any of their coveted stars.
239 West Broadway (Walker Street), TriBeCa; (212) 219-2777, cortonnyc.com.

My Favourite Sushi in New York?
Definitely Sushi Azabu; It was a perfectly executed when I was there, and the whole place is so perfectly unassuming.
428 Greenwich St, TriBeCa, (212) 274-0428, greenwichgrill.com

My favourite brunch in New York?
Probably Prune or Public; but nothing beats quaint sunday brunches lazing at home.
Prune Restaurant ::: 54 East 1st Street New York, NY, prunerestaurant.com
PUBLIC Restaurant 210 Elizabeth Street  New York, NY, public-nyc.com

It was about this time that I started conceptualizing my cookbook and planning it out, and that takes me onto a whole new path of my food journey; Learning by experience and Crazy nights in NYC's china town.

Rochester, NY - Where my journey into food began

We all have certain pivotal moments in life, experiences which change us greatly and experiences which change us whether for better or worst. and as hard headed as us chefs are we have all experienced those life changing moments which define us.

Mine happened when I was a marketing student in Rochester, NY. It was my 21st birthday, I had just moved to Rochester, had no friends in town and my family Singapore would be fast asleep at the time; So I switched on the TV and flipped to the Food Network Channel and started watching it, I became addicted to say the least. While not all program on the network are perfect, the channel contains enough culinary know-how and concepts to inspire just about everyone.

I took these photos days before I left Rochester. I should have taken photos in this beautiful city.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d always had a keen interest in food and cooking, and I’d even wanted to go to culinary school instead of studying marketing. But I never had any clear direction as to how I would do that or how I could develop the necessary skills; So while other students were out partying or chilling out I would be at home watching the food network, baking bread from scratch, experimenting with salad dressings and a little molecular gastronomy.

More scenes from Rochester

When I was done at Rochester, I moved down to New York City and started work as a marketing consultant only to find alot more culinary adventures in the city that never sleeps.

Needless to say, I didn’t have much of a normal college life nor did I have a very normal 21st birthday; but they were both very special and they are both experiences which have and will define my choices in future.

Bermuda - Home to pink sand, exquisite waters, bermuda fish chowder and the perfect dark & stormy

It was four hours before my 10am flight to Bermuda from JFK airport, I woke up, dazed from entertaining clients just a few hours ago; the pizza we ordered from Stone Street just stood there, embedded in my stomach like a bronze boulder. That uneventful Saturday morning I almost didn’t jump onto Jetblue flight 1731, I almost didn’t experience a place so life-changing that I would eventually consider it the holy-grail of relaxation, I almost cancelled my trip to Bermuda; but instead I rolled out of bed, stuffed some clothes and a brown suit into a kaki-green duffle bag, took the elevator down 21 floors, gave a passing smile and a nod to my doorman Julio, then I jumped into a yellow cab and I was on my way.

Bermuda - Pictures don't lie; crystal clear waters, pastel houses and amazing people

A 2-hour flight later, I was in the land of pristine pink sandy beaches, immaculately clear waters and, best of all, the home of Bermuda fish chowder and Dark & Stormys (a cocktail) - I was blown away! Bermuda is perhaps one of the most beautiful places I had ever been to and I was kicking back at the Fairmount shortly after my arrival; chilling at the beach, sand in-between my feet and an icy-cold, perfectly prepared, Dark & Stormy in hand.

The proper color for a Dark & Stormy

Amidst the beautiful pastel colored colonial houses, the beautiful people on the hundreds of beaches sprawling across the island and lilac sunsets (not kidding), I did manage to find two culinary gems in Bermuda, which were, before my trip, unknown to me.  

Bermuda Fish Chowder

A chowder so potent with rum and sherry pepper sauce, you can almost describe it as happiness enveloped in seafood broth. The Bermuda fish chowder is essentially a chowder of white fish, some shellfish and then spiked with copious amounts of dark Bermudian rum and a swig of sherry pepper sauce (potent stuff). Although the recipe varies from restaurant to restaurant, the underlying characteristics of Sherry Pepper sauce really makes the entire dish and gives it a unique distinctive taste. I have tried recreating it with other brands of hot sauce, but the taste just pales in comparison to the original Outerbridge’s brand. 

Dark & Stormy (cocktail)

Often been described as Bermuda's National Drink (no wonder Bermudians are always happy) they are served in plastic cups on the beaches, the serving method really doesn’t do this drink any justice. It’s perfect for warm and humid weather. PERFECT for the weather we have in Singapore!!! The drink in itself is rather simple, a combination of Gosling’s Dark Rum, Ginger beer and a wedge of lime, but there’s something special about this combination. Maybe it was the pink sand or maybe I took one to many Dark & Stormys in Bermuda, but I have been drinking it ever since coming back and I predict I will be drinking it for many years to come.

Recipe for Nick’s Dark and stormy Serves 2 

120ml Gosling’s Bermuda black rum
240ml Bundaberg Ginger beer
2tsp lime juice
2 lime wedges, for garnish

Oh did I mention how beautiful the beaches in Bermuda are??? I would love to go back there, perhaps cookup a storm on the beach, hit back 3 or 4 drinks and just listen to the waves and the sound of silence before retiring to the hotel for the rest of the evening.

Have you been to Bermuda? Would you like to see Bermuda fish chowder and Dark & Stormys at a restaurant near you soon?