Many, many Asians gathered in Central Square yesterday. Home to some of the greatest Northern African food in the Boston area, Baraka Cafe features what is probably the best quality lunch steal I’ve ever had the luck of stumbling upon.
For under $5, you get an open-faced sandwich, a side salad, and spicy skinny fries. Delish! Next time, I’ll have to snap food pics.
Yesterday: Tunisian for lunch with Nan, Lena, Annie and Jason.
Baraka Cafe
Neighborhood: Central Square
80 Pearl St
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 868-3951
www.barakacafe.com
The famous Umami burger.
Umami, the so-called “fifth” taste (next to salty, sweet, bitter, and sour), is best described as “savory”. This burger exemplifies that concept by including mouth-watering ingredients such as a parmesan crisp, roasted tomatoes, grilled shiitake mushrooms, housemade ketchup, and caramelized onions. Definitely a step up from In-N-Out, the Umami burger is perfect for people like me, who can’t digest a pound worth of meat at one time but nonetheless enjoy burgers (as long as they include ingredients beyond beef).
I checked out the La Brea location when I was in Los Angeles, but there are also two others in the city.
Umami Burger
850 South La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 931-3000
Spare ribs
Uncooked pork bacon
Various meats on the grill
Back in New England but still lusting after LA eats. Here are some snapshots from my meal at Ham Ji Park in Koreatown last Monday. Thanks to Evelina for the restaurant rec!
Both Patrick and I love Korean barbeque but good Korean food is hard to come by in Boston. Does anyone have any recommendations for Boston city proper?
Ham Ji Park
3407 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 365-8773
Ceviche del dia - Swordfish
Causa - Peruvian Potato Salad w/ Roe
Ceviche del dia - Shrimp
Papa A La Huancaina -Roasted Potatoes
Entree and accompaniments
Lomo Saltado- Prime Beef Fillet w/ Frie
Arroz Con Marisco - Seafood Paella
Seco De Cordero- Lamb Chunk in Beef Stew
Quinotto - Wild mushroom risotto
Two Hungry Pandas took Patrick and me to Mo-Chica for lunch yesterday. I’ve tried Peruvian food before, but nothing terribly memorable. Situated in the food court of La Mercado Paloma, a charming indoor marketplace near USC, Mo-Chica served me a meal that won’t be soon forgotten. Don’t be fooled by the environment. The menu features flavorful dishes with fresh ingredients and impeccable presentation. Evelina mentioned that the chef is trained in Japanese cooking and moonlights as a sushi chef. After tasting the two ceviches of the day, I believe it.
Though the prices aren’t quite on par with Burger King, Mo-Chica is much more affordable than restaurants with comparable cuisine. You can get away with a drink (I recommend the iced ginger tea), an appetizer, and a main course for $20 before tip. I suppose you’re saving on the ambiance but don’t underestimate the appeal of a “food court”. With high ceilings, open space, and steadily strumming Spanish guitar in the background, La Mercado Paloma is far more pleasant than the Beverly Center.
Mo-Chica
3655 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90007
(213) 747-2141
$1 egg and cheese sandwiches with a free coffee (mine was from Illy) at specialty food shop Cardullo’s in Harvard Square. Needs a little salt but otherwise, pretty yummy.
Breakfast special runs from 7 to 11am through the end of October.
Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe
6 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 491-8888
Interesting dining experience on our first night (of two) in Salzburg. We ate at Carpe Diem Finest Fingerfood, located in Salzburg’s altstadt (“old city”). The restaurant serves small plates, both savory and sweet, in ice cream cones. Some of the things I tried:
- Marinated scallop with avocado, potato-bear’s garlic cream, & cress
- Red chicken wings with grilled baby corn & spicy dip in a paprika-cone
- Marinated char with asparagus salad & foam of asparagus served in a curry-cone
- Beef tartar with mashed potatoes & cress in a sancho-pepper-cone
My favorite dish, a goulash of chanterelle mushrooms, was actually not in cone form. (The dark chocolate ice cream I had for dessert was also quite satisfying.) All in all, I think the cone concept is a cool — if sometimes, messy — idea. Since I value taste over presentation, this only worked because everything was also really delicious.
(Photo via Carpe Diem)
Peeking into a box of goodies at Botegga Louie, the downtown restaurant where I had lunch on my last day in Los Angeles. For more beautifully lit pictures of the food and space, check out Wesley’s photography and Evelina’s full review on Two Hungry Pandas.
It’s lobster roll season! My lunch at the Barking Crab by the Seaport.
Surprisingly, I was most blown away not by the shellfish but by the amazing homemade barbeque sauce. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for sale, so it looks like I’ll have to learn how to make my own.
Braised pork shoulder at Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, one of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood.
Korean for dinner at the 24-hour BCD Tofu House on Western.
