eating at kin shop (2nd of 12)

Last week we took the kids to kin shop. Going out with them often devolves into something like less than ideal. Anyhow we went with an open mind and weren't disappointed (hey, the kids even got along.).

And the food was very good. I think this was my favorite Thai food outside of the three meals at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. The restaurant space and design are not great, not even very good. The chair backs are marked up. The bar looks a little dusty. The floors have a cafeteria feel to them. The space and design remind me of a high-end restaurant in Flushing.

The food and service were excellent. We had the following:

1. Miang of fluke - 5 lovely bits of fluke, each on a shiso leaf (do they have shiso in Thailand?)
2. Stir fry of aquatic vegetables - delicious stir fry with a very light touch with the oil and salt
3. Stir fry rice flakes - the most unusual dish, these were wide rice noodles shattered into pieces and stir fried with tremendous shrimp (and I usually dislike shrimp intensely)
4. Massaman: braised goat - the curry was delightful with enough peanut taste (not heavy), great texture and an aroma of, well, everything it seemed (fish sauce, cardamom, star anise...). The goat was bland. I sold the goat pretty hard and the kids ate it saying it "Daddy, isn't it just lamb?" I was hoping for gamy.
5. Crispy roti - I always associate this with Malaysia. We're glad to have seen it. The kids rejoiced in eating it and we ordered a second (nearly a third). It was perfect: crisp, aromatic, slightly oily. 

The cocktails and wine didn't really jump out at us so we stayed with water. And with tax and tip the bill came to ~ $105. We would definitely go back.

Five favorite spirits of 2012

We tried a few new (to us) spirits in 2012. One or two were awful, many were simply fine, and five were favorites.

1. Carpano Antica Formula - You can't find a bar that doesn't feature Carpano (well, unless you're in New Jersey) now. And rightfully so, this is delicious any way you use it.
2. Banks Island 5 Rum - Never has a 750 mL bottle been finished as fast as this one. We couldn't make enough daiquiris and mojitos with this rum. Delicious in every way.
3. Pierre Fernand Dry Curacao - In small doses, this made every drink better. We added it often to Daiquiris and even to an occasional Brandy Crusta.
4. Brooklyn Gin - So far this is my favorite all-purpose gin. I use it most often for a Negroni or Gin & Tonic. Really delicious in that it's not too much heat nor are the botanicals so strong in any direction that all you taste is a specific flavor.
5. Luxardo Cherries - Not a spirit. But this redefines the garnish to me. Going through some domestic and German competitors, nothing is even close to this cherry.

Allswell Review

On Friday night we visited Allswell on a very busy stretch of Bedford Avenue. We haven't been out in Williamsburg at night (daytime coffee trips happen) in a long time. Honestly, maybe it's been ten years. So our first observation was the level of foot traffic, cabs, and yelling. It reminds me of 2nd avenue in the East Village. Second observation is that Allswell is not a comfortable restaurant. The benches and stools are low and short. You are not really going to want to sit here very long. In summary, we old!

Overall Localvore rating - Meh, fine. Worth going to if you live nearby.

Our menu covered all the basics - some fish, some beef, a flatbread. It's not challenging or particularly interesting. Aside from the herring and mussels, there's nothing on the menu I couldn't procure at the Food Coop on any given day.

We had the mussels, scallops, and short ribs. Far and away the mussels in green curry were the tastiest of the three. The kitchen does something pretty difficult. It made a curry that is both very flavorful and not insanely spicy. We loved it. Strangely, they serve this with a little piece of baguette. We asked for additional bread. That took some time to return with and by that time the curry was cold.

The scallops and short ribs were fine. They were tasty enough; fresh scallops, creamy polenta, etc.

Actually we enjoyed the cocktails more than the food. Allswell makes their own orgeat and featured it in a cocktail. I don't recall the names, but if we were nearby again, we would stop by for a drink.

Allswell is similar to The Vanderbilt, but not quite as professional or interesting.

12 Restaurants for 2013

Happy New Year. 

It's been a long, slow blogging process. So if anyone reads this, I apologize for the delay. 2013 will be more fertile with posts about drinks out, drinks made, dinners out, and a recipe here or there. The photography will not be great. This blog will not compare to smitten kitchen or lady gouda.

So this year's first post will be the 12 new restaurants we'll visit this year. We made it to 9 of the 12 in 2011.

The final daiquiri is made with these ingredients:

• Chairman's Reserve Rum
• Pierre Ferand Dry Curacao
• Simple syrup from candied kumquats
• Squeeze from Meyer lemon