Basera Indian Bistro NYC: Indian Spice But Not Everything Nice!

Basera Indian Bistro 9th Ave bet. 50th and 51st

I caught with my teacher friend, who was in town for the weekend.  In an unorthodox coup on education, Teacher transitioned to Teach for America after spending a year in finance and a year as a fellow in a school.  This was my first time seeing her since she moved south.

She wanted to grab food that had lots of flavor to offer the palette and I thought Indian.  Rather than visit Mint, my go-to Indian spot in Midtown East,  I decided to take us to Hell's Kitchen and try out the newly-established Basera.

Basera is a Hindi language word meaning meaning "Abode,"  and the location is true to its name.  The restaurant is about 35 tables large and there wasn't a ton of people in the place, so it was just the right ambiance for a private dinner. 

Vegetable Samosa - potatoes and peas wrapped in a light pastry

Miss Teacher said that this was the best vegetable samosa she's ever eaten. She raved about its flakiness and the appropriate blend of potatoes and peas.  I had to agree with the educator, as the texture of the peas remained intact in the pastry creation. 

Chicken Tikka Masala - cubes of grilled chicken in tomato and cream sauce

Teacher decided to go with what she knows best. That's probably why she's doing such amazing things in DC's school system.  Chicken tikka's literal translation is "chunks of chicken" and masala means "mixture of spices."  Usually marinated in spiced and yogurt, the chicken is then baked in a tandoor oven shown below:

Tandoor oven

It is then served in a sauce usually made with tomatoes and coriander.  Basera's rendition of the dish was good.  It didn't really blow my mind but was solid.

Chicken Korma - Chicken Tikka Masala only served with a saffron almond cream sauce

Wait a minute, isn't this like the same dish I showed you earlier?  It was basically chicken tikka masala except with the sauce substitution.  I got the korma for myself and made them make that joint really spicy.  It was good and I could taste the hints of almond, but, again, not anything incredible.

But that Naan was the truth!

These peas are literally popping out of the picture

We took all of our ingredients and hooked up chicken tikka pizzas..

So while we ate and caught each other up on our respective lives, we did have some Bollywood entertainment...

Someone tell this chick to get off her knees, please.

I thought it was pretty cool...

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:  The service was very amateur.  We were really excited when our server/manager, Raj, started to take our orders, as his opinions on menu were thoughtful, He also seemed generally cool.  But then mid way through the dinner, he went home!  I understand that it was close to closing time, but as the server/host, you don't just leave mid way through managing a table, let alone while your restaurant is still open (another server confirmed that he had gone for the evening).  The dude that replaced him was not good.  Example:  Mid-way through taking my drink order, he tried to bounce and come back with my drink.  Only problem was that I wasn't done ordering.  So when I ordered a Ciroc Coconut and Sprite, it wasn't surprising that what came back was a Ciroc Red Berry and grape juice (who drinks that??), and it was brought by our third server of the night.  It was just logistically dysfunctional.  At least they did correct my drink order gratis.

Overall, the food is pretty good and the environment is relaxing, but the restaurant has some logistical kinks to work out.  I say that if you're thinking about this restaurant, it's okay to pass until they get the service right.  Furthermore, Raj the manager should not be leaving early on a Saturday night to go get his freak on.  The manager sets the tone, and it wasn't surprising that the service, and ultimately the restaurant, fell short.

Rating: B -
Food: B
Service: C+

An Exceptional Steak Dinner: Angelo & Maxies

Angelo & Maxies - Corner of 19th and Park Ave. South

"When you're used to filet mignon it's hard to go back to Hamburger Helper." -Jay-Z


When asked where to get a good steak I usually respond in the following order:  1) Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse 2) BLT Prime  3) STK House 3) Strip House, and the only reason why Peter Luger's isn't on this list is because I haven't been there, yet.  I know, blasphemy. My boys wanted to catch up over a steak dinner, but since we were looking for something in the Union Square-ish area and I had walked by Angelo Maxies many a time and wondered what that was like, those four restaurants were out of the question.  So we hooked up a 6:30pm celebration and got it done.

Angelo Maxies' oak wood, stone-layered walls and dimly-lit environment make it the perfect place to catch up with you inner circle of friends.  The waiters are very old school and business-like in their service: they give you the food and the specials with a poker face, say thank you, and then quickly disperse so that you can resume discussing private matters unperturbed.  Love it.  We ordered Captain & Cokes all around and caught up.

Oysters

For an appetizer, we started out with oysters.  We had a mixture of Blue Points from Nova Scotia and Skookums from Washington State. All were fresh and lightly salted from growing in fresh salt waters, most-likely living there up until the beginning of this week. We used the fresh horseradish and cocktail sauce to enhance the flavor.

Ya'll know how I feel about calamari.

The "cali"(mari) was fresh-tasting, although a bit over battered.  Not as great as the calamari that I had a Nougatine, but this dish did the trick and I recommend ordering it.

Entrees..MEAT!

Waiting in anticipation..check out the smoke coming from the grilled wondrous dish..

Teriyaki Filet Mignon with Scallions, Mushrooms & Onions served medium and still smokin!

Eating a steak above medium robs one of the flavor of a good beef cut.

The Oscar - 14 oz. grilled filet mignon topped with crab meat and hollandaise served with grilled asparagus. Served medium rare-ish (in-between medium and medium rare).  Creamed spinach on the side.

All three of us got some variation of the filet mignon.  This was a deviation for me, as the bone-in ribeye has been the main staple in my steak arsenal.  But the last rib eye I got from BLT Prime proved to be too much for my gastrointestinal system to handle, so I opted out this time around. 

This had to be one of the most tender and flavorful filet's I've had.  The meat literally parted like the Red Sea when the knife got to work.  There was almost no work needed to masticate this beefy specimen.  We marveled at how buttery the meat tasted.  Slammin'. This was also my first time using steak sauce. I'm an idiot for not using it to this point..

If you're serious about steak, then Angelo Maxies has to be in rotation.  It's a great place to enjoy some steak with some peace and quiet.  Oh yeah, ask for Frank. He'll take care of ya.

Overall rating: A

Perfect for:  Small small birthday dinners, dinners with friends, and dates.

French Connection: Nougatine at Jean-Georges

Nougatine - a Jean Georges Vongerichten Restaurant. Columbus Circle. Trump Hotel.

In March 1997, Vongerichten opened Jean Georges restaurant in the Trump International Hotel and Tower, earning a four star review from The New York Times less than three months after opening, and the "Chef of the Year Award" from John Mariani at Esquire. Jean Georges Restaurant remains one of five restaurants in the city awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide.

My friend April was late.  We were suppose to see Mooz-lum (Go see that movie.  Nia Long reaches Angela Basset status in here) at 1:30pm, but she got into train issues coming from New Jerus.  That just meant we had to eat until the next showing :-)  My boss told me about Nougatine @ Jean-Georges, which is one of the many NYC homes of French chef Jean Georges Vongerichten (Spice Market, Jojo Market, Lagoon Dune, ABC Kitchen).  Furthermore, my homie Jean Hsu (www.jeanjhsu.com/) raved about his Perry St. location, so I had to see what the dealy was.

Jean George is the perfect place to catch an early lunch or early dinner.  For $28 (from 12pm-3pm daily) you get an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert.  I recommend sharing everything. #FTW (for the win).

Fried Calamari with basil salt and citrus chili dip

The calamari was the freshest I've ever tasted. I mean, it looked like actual calamari:

The Canon died, but the iPhone 3Gs camera filled in valiantly 

The second app..

Shrimp salad, avocado, tomato, champagne vinegar dressing

I grew up hating vinegar.  Them Kraft bottle dressings just ain't right.  However, homemade dressing I can do.  The dressing was very light and very citrusy.  The shrimp, while cooked, had a raw and crunchy feel to it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I ate sting ray.  By far, the most ballinest sh*t ever!! (said in Dave Chapelle voice). Now all I need are some tyrannosaurus eggs...

Ladies and gentlemen, skate (sting ray) is the best type of fish I've eaten, by far!  The white fish is so buttery and so soft that is practically melts in your mouth (now I know why those devil rays stay with that impenetrable armour - they've got a lot to loose).  The nutmeg and cinnamon really make the fish and black beans pop, as well.

Roasted red snapper, spaghetti squash, sesame broth in chili oil

The squash soaking up the sesame broth...

I was told by my wonderful friend that spaghetti squash is created by scooping out the inside of a squash.  When you do so, the insides actually comes out in a string-like fashion resembling spaghetti.  Faint-tasting, the squash played second fiddle to the sesame broth and chili oil.  #Nicely-done.


Now, the whole reason why I came here in the first place...

Jean Georges' warm chocolate melting cake served with Madagascar vanilla bean.

Anyone who knows me knows that I live for warm chocolate melting cake. I used to use my Duke University food points to splurge at the Fairview Inn Restaurant back in the day.  I absolutely love it.   When you slice into your very own chocolatey version of "Krackatoa," the chocolate lava rushes out to meet you.  Additionally, the vanilla ice cream, made with so much vanilla bean that you can actually see the specks, wasn't your Haagen daz.

Son.. (sorry for the pic. At this time, my iPhone and Canon were now dead and I had to go over to Blackberry land.  Shout out to April for holding me down.)

I loved the milk chocolate taste, although my partner would have preferred a dark chocolate one.  Nevertheless, this dish is so good that you just might wanna come in an try it out for $9 (but you might as well cop the pre-fixe lunch for $28).

Service:  Surgical.  Everything about the service was precise.  Our waiter, Nicholas, moved with clock-like precision as he catered to our needs.  It was like he was running football routes in the dining room.  The staff was super attentive; as soon as I was out of water or bread a person appeared to re-up.  It was a good display of teamwork.

Setting: Unpretentious.  Because of the glass windows, Nougatine is great place to go to on a sunny day.  The natural light really makes the place feel light despite being housed in the Trump Hotel (no knock on the Trump). One would think that this restaurant is uppity, but it is far from it.  We ate amongst families, friends, children, etc.  While each table has its own conversation going, the restaurant volume barely rises above a murmur.  You can actually hear yourself think.   Engrossed in respective conversation, NO REALLY CARES WHO YOU ARE!  It was the great place to catch up with a good friend.

Recommendations:  Great for 3rd dates, Sunday lunches,  power lunches for brokering business, great restaurant to attend before a Broadway play, before seeing a movie.

Recommendation: A+.  I will be back.

- Maven Out!

Brunch at Eatery: A+ Brunch

Eatery - 798 Ninth Ave. at 53rd St.

It was 11:15am and I had just finished playing some ball.  My team had lost the series 3-1 and I was heated.  There's nothing like losing a basketball game.  I hate it.  Filled with wrath, I had all but made up my mind to go and pump some iron when my boys said that magic words...

"Brunch."

"I can work out after," I said to myself.

Eatery is probably one of the most-well known Brunch spots in all of New York City.  Though a certified brunch spot, this place gets poppin' at 11am! Peep:

Jumpin.

Since we didn't have a reservation, we sat the bar and proceeded to negate our 2-hr workout starting with this fancy dish:

Eatery's Mac and Jack - heavy cream, pepper jack cheese with frizzled onions. As los Dominicanos say, "Bahng!"

Our appetizer was the famous "Mac and Jack." The name of this dish sounds like either a move that former WWF wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper used to use or the latest dance move.  Either way, this dish body slams you with flavorful accents that pop in your mouth (full stop).

Feeling a bit experimental, we added bacon and mushrooms to the dish, which made this joint crack.  I learned somethin' about mack and cheese:  you can either let the cheese be the center of attention or you could use a less flavorful cheese and add ingredients that get it crackin 4real!  All of my boys agreed that the bacon was definitely the highlight of dish.  Furthermore, the macaroni was not overcooked, so you could actually taste the consistency.  The mushrooms were a bit of a gamble, but the risk paid off; it was my bootleg version of truffle mac and cheese.  Lastly, Eatery sprinkled a ton of cheese on top and baked it over.  It was the best mac I've have in a while.

Entrees...

Pulled Pork Tostada - with Fried Eggs, Monterey Jack and Poblano Relish - most flavorful entree due to the sweet Poblano relish. The toasted tortilla was also a welcomed addition, helping to gather the relish.

Chef's Frittata of the Day - I didn't get a chance to try, but my boy mirked the entire thing.

House Buttermilk Pancakes with wheat bread.

While Corey attempted valiantly, the pancakes whooped his butt.  Nevertheless, Corey made way more process than I would have made.  Clap for 'em.

My Omelet - Egg whites, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, spinach, and cheddar.  And I still worked out after brunch!

Snackie Cakes  (I just call them that cuz Eric Cartman's my homie)

Shout to that man, Cartman.

Service:  Refreshing.  We sat at the bar, but bartender Dave was probably the most personable bar dude I've ever met.  Like, I would roll with him to holler at girls.  He knew everything on the menu and made me feel like a culinary genius when I chose random nonsensical ingredients to put in my food.  He was our best friend afterwards.  If you go to eatery, you might just want to sit at the bar and shoot the breeze with Dave.  Not mention, there are tons of beautiful ladies (all boo'd up) to admire from afar.


Our brunch experience can be best summarized by the pic below:

Take No Prisoners.

Rating: A+


Maven out!

Kittichai - Dope Thai Brunch Spot That Won't Break the Bank

Last week, I celebrated the birthday of one my new favorite people, Kristen Rich.  Kristen is both friend and employee, as we've collaborated on several nightlife events over the past year and a half.  A unique blend of advanced maturity and organizational skills make Kristen a real winner in my book, and I'd probably do most anything for her at this point in our lives. So when she asked about 15 friends to squad up for brunch in SoHo, despite a long night out on the city, I was both honored and naturally down.


Kristen selected Kittichai, which, coincidentally, is where I ended up on New Year's Eve after a minor snafu.  I don't want to get into it....

Wait, why are there flowers flying all over the place?  Well, the place is pretty magical..

Kittichai is a dope sexy brunch spot to which you can take a date.  Let's spend some time profiling the place:

The Bar

Decent Wine Selection

You know I had to let the Canon blast off and limit all of the color to the fruit

Ya feel me?

 The dining area is outta control...

The Lead-in to the dinner area.

Lily Pads floatin' in the water with flowers floating above in the sky.

For some reason, this was slightly balleristic to me and reminded me of P. Diddy's "Victory Video." Where he had mermaids swimmin' in the club.

 Something like this...

Ok, maybe not this... but what would YOU think if you walked into a club and saw a mermaid in the pool? 

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming...


$35 dollars at Kittichai gets you an entree and a 2-hour bottomless "happy hour" comprised of bellinis and mimosas.  This includes tax AND TIP.  Needless to say, everyone was a big fan of this, as it facilitated the optimal state in which to celebrate Kristen's birthday.  Entrees ensued:

Asian 5 Spice French Toast, Thai Basil and Fruit compote. Despite being rated a 6 out of 10, it was gobbled up with the quickness.

Smoked Salmon, grilled naan bread, onion, fresh mozz, cream cheese, tomatoes. Standing ovay.

The young lady who ate this described the dish as pretty tasty.  She was impressed by how well all the ingredients came together.  The fresh mozzarella was a new twist on the traditional locks dish.

Kittichai Omlette, Thai Sour sausage, Jumbo crab

The Kittichai omelet was a fan favorite.  I think it took home the gold medal.  Peep the comments by some of my guests:

"This was possibly the best omelet I've encountered in life."  - BC


"I concur. the friggin' best. and i don't even think there was any cheese involved. Imagine that." -KB






So if you know me, you know I gots to be different.  Some may ask, "Food Mave, why you gots to be different?"  It's just what I do.  As Busta Rhymes said in his famous rap song "Gimme Some More," if I ain't gon be part of the greatest, I gotta be the greatest myself."   I decided NOT to do the bottomless drink brunch and decided to go WITH an option with a little more value.  It was Restaurant Week, after all, and I spotted the deal of the day. Besides Saturday had been a rough night :-( 

For Restaurant week, Kittichai had a $20 three course prix-fixe lunch that I couldn't pass up.  So I sacrificed the drink to holler at somemore food.  This is what I got:

Seared Duck Soy Broth with Asian celery and young coconut.  First of all, what the heck is "young coconut"???  Sounds like a suspect rapper to me.  Young Money, baaaaby...

The seared duck soup was a great appetizer. Because it was light and did not fill one up, it only moderately opened up my taste buds.  The soy and coconut married very well -t he coconut wasn't overpowering because the soy curtailed the sweetness - and the dish left me wanting the main course.

Kittichai gets a B on this dish and a C+ on presentation.  C'mon son...

The chili-smoked hanger steak, long beans, and preserved chili jam was good! They didn't overwhelm you with massive amount of meat (full stop), which was nice.  But the dish wasn't amazing.  I might just get that good 'ol Pad Thai next time and call it a wrap. #WhenBeingDifferentGoesWrong

The Flourless Valrhona Cake (which came wrapped in some foilage) with fresh cream. B+ on taste. A- on presentation.

Watching my weight, I got my Tenacious D on with the flourless cake (for those of you who don't know what I'm referring to by Tenacious D, shame on you!  Check out Jack Black HERE) because I'm trying to watch my weight.  The dish was good and went well with the cream.

Overall, Kittichai is a sexy spot worthy of any date.  The low ceilings and tranquility pool in the middle really set a nice ambiance.  Furthermore, it won't break the wallet because there's no regularly-priced entree above $16.  It's also great for large parties with friends you really care about.


Aight, it's time to go play some basketball.


Maven Out!