DeBoles has two new products for its gluten-free line of pasta products.  The older variety of gluten free products are made with either rice or corn.  The new variety is a multi grain blend of quinoa, rice, and amaranth.  Sounds healthy, sounds tasty…hmmm. I spent some time with the new multi grain penne and multi grain spaghetti, and actually encountered a couple of challenges along the way.

The first problem I encountered was cooking the products.  The ingredients that make up the pasta make it brittle, and unless the it’s …

As I was channel surfing today, I saw a very intriguing advertisement. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Kentucky Fried Chicken aka KFC, as we all know it by, is now offering Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC). With an acronym sounding to similar to the famous Russian secret service group, this could be an addition to KFC’s menu that could change the way consumer looks at KFC forever.  KFC should have thought about grilled chicken a long time ago, especially in a society of more health conscious consumers and picky …

I wonder if chicken sausage is any healthier than pork sausage?  Somehow I doubt it.  But it does sound healthier, and that’s good enough for me.  I picked up a package of Brat Hans Chicken Sausage: Spicy Andouille flavor, a couple of days ago at where else, Whole Foods.  I don’t usually eat sausage because it is loaded with preservatives, nitrates, and a heaping dose of sodium.  However, this brand of sausage doesn’t contain nitrates and monosodium glutamate.  It also follows  the trend of listing “no antibiotics” on the packaging.
The …

Ramen Setagaya At University Place
90 University Place
(between 11th St & 12th St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 229-1489
www.setaga-ya.com

Continuing on my quest for great ramen,  I went to Setagaya Ramen at University Place for dinner.  There are two other Setagayas in the city, but this one was the closest at the time.
It was around 6pm on Saturday and there was only one other person in the place.  By the time I left, half of the restaurant was filled with customers.  The setup is comprised of large communal tables and stools, and I was …

OMS/B
Website
156 East 45th St., NY,NY 10017
Mon-Fri 8:00-19:30
Sat 11:00-17:30
Sun Closed
Ah, Japanese rice balls.  Even if you have never seen a rice ball in real life, I’m sure you’ve seen them in Japanese animations, that is if you watch anime.  What are rice balls?  Well, in the cartoons, they’re usually depicted as a triangular wad of rice that’s wrapped in seaweed.  Sort of like the ones shown on the left.
Known as Omusubi, or Onigiri, the rice ball originated in and is found all over Japan.  They are also popular in Taiwan and …

Batten Ramen
2024 Center Ave
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
After being a customer of Santouka in Edgewater for a while now, the benchmark for New Jersey ramen was set.  I haven’t been to other places in Jersey to compare its ramen to, but that all soon changed after I visited Batten Ramen in Fort Lee last night.
I went with a friend around 6pm on a Sunday night.  It was dead quiet in there…a little too quiet.  My first thought was, how does this place stay in business?  I pretty much could have chosen …

Trestle on Tenth
242 10th Ave
New York, NY 10001
(212) 645-5659
I went to this place on Saturday night for a close friend’s welcome home party.

After reading the customer restaurant reviews, I wasn’t expecting anything great.  It was more about a social gathering than the food.
There were 10 people in our group and we were seated in the very back of the room.  The layout of the restaurant wasn’t anything special, just tables either spaced apart or together with the essential votive candle placed right in the middle of each table.  How romantic.
One …

Socarrat Paella Bar
259 W 19th St
New York, NY 10011
212 462 1000
Socarrat Pella Bar is just the place to go to satisfy the paella crave.  What makes this restaurant stand out from other paella joints is the “dinner at home” feeling.  Everybody sits at a long, narrow communal table on tall, plushy stools.  You will feel cramped, and you might even accidently rub elbows or knees with the person sitting next to you.  That’s quite alright because when the paella comes out, that’s all you think about.  All other external stimuli …

Inakaya Robatayaki arrives in New York City, and it looks to stay.
Inakaya
NY Times building
231 W. 40th St
(at 8th Ave)
Times Square
New York, NY 10018
212-354-2195

Robatayaki is traditional Japanese barbeque where the food is cooked in front of the customers over charcoal.  The chefs sit or kneel behind a counter of displayed ingredients.  Customers can order from the menu, or select from the mound of fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables displayed on the counter.  The food is prepared behind the counter and the chef extends the finished dish to you on a long …

Souen Organic Ramen
326 East 6th Street
New York, NY  10003
Souen Organic Ramen is the third Souen location in New York City, and as you might have guessed, it focuses on all natural, organic ramen.
Don’t expect to find any fatty pork or any kind of meat on the menu.  The only thing that’s as close to meat is the organic chicken broth,seafood broth, and the steamed ‘meat’ dumplings.
The Decor/Ambiance

Yes, it’s really that dim inside.
The decor wasn’t anything extraordinary.  The place is dimly lit, and I counted 10 tables total, laid out in …