Super Fresh Fish and Chips

I got a chance to eat lunch and catch up with a buddy of mine today. The place we went to was Courthouse Seafood Restaurant, an amazing “hole in the wall” in the East side of Cambridge, MA. Stepping through the front entrance, I was greeted with a familiar fragrant of seafood that excites my taste buds in anticipation of what’s coming. And since it was Wednesday, there was the Super Fish and Chips special. I got one with onion rings while my buddy got it with regular fries.

Delicious is all I have to say. Four giant fillets of white fish perfectly breaded and fried. A quick bite into the super-hot fish fillet tells me that they did it right. The fish wasn’t greasy at all, which tells me the chef knows what he/she was doing.  And the fish was just oh-so-fresh.  I guess it helps to have a sister fresh fish market (Courthosue Fish Market) right next door.

So if you’re ever around the East side of Cambridge, give it a try. But you’ll need to try your luck during lunch time, because they close early.

A Few Treasures in NYC

Since my girlfriend lives in NYC, I’ve been visiting the city alot and have come across a number of treasures:

1. Ess-A-Bagel (website, map) – This is one of the best bagel joints in NYC.  Soft chewy dough inside an semi crunchy bagel crust, simply fantastic.  And mind you that I’m lactose intolerant, their selection of tofu cream cheese just speaks to me like no one else can.
2. Grill 21 (E21st & 1st Ave in Manhattan) – Authentic Filipino cuisine will have to begging for more after a delightful brunch session.
3. Planet Thailand 212 (website) – A design-conscience restaurant offering a variety of fantastic dinner selections.  Remember to try the fried calamari appetizer and seafood entree.

Soup in a Dumpling

The traditional Chinese soup dumpling (also known as “Little Dragon Dumpling” or 小籠饅頭) is one of the culinary wonders of Asian cuisine.  Here’s a description on wikipedia.

I had a chance to visit Joe’s Shanghai in the heart of New York’s Chinatown a couple weeks ago.  They are known for their soup dumplings.  After much anticipation in a 15 minute line wait, my girlfriend and I ordered a basket of 8 from the appetizer section of the menu.  Five minutes later, the cute little steamy buns was dropped off swiftly in a bamboo steamer by an expert waiter.  The moment of truth arrives as I took my first bite… WOW is the only word I can utter.

Max Brenner

While visiting NYC this past weekend, I got to visit an fantastic chocolate place called Max Brenner. To read about my personal review, visit the article on my other blog.

Boston Restaurant Week

Wow, it’s been more than a month since my last Platinum Chef post, things have just been crazy. So here’s a quick update:

Boston Restaurant Week, is an event that occurs twice a year in the city (and greater areas) of Boston that helps promote and celebrate dining out. Spanning one week, famous restaurants in different areas of Boston offer fantastic 3 course lunches and dinners at a fixed price. The upcoming restaurant week takes place on Sunday, March 4 to Friday, March 9.

I was able to lock in a reservation at a French restaurant called Brasserie Jo via opentable.com. This restaurant should be fantastic as it is describe (on its website) as:

The Colonnade Hotel is home to Boston’s most authentic brasserie, Brasserie JO. Under the culinary direction of world-renowned Chef Jean Joho, owner of the acclaimed Everest and Brasserie JO restaurants in Chicago and the Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Las Vegas, Brasserie JO has the style and cuisine of classic brasseries throughout France.

I’m looking forward to this dining experience and also writing my personal review.