Room Service but not Room Service

http://midtownlunch.com/category/food-type/food-type-thai/

Despite being located in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, Room Service Thai is serving up some rather heavenly offerings. I recently delighted eating lunch at Room Service with my family while in NYC, and it was my second time partaking of their selections. I really do find the name of this New York eatery so funny, and it's for two reasons: 1.) Room Service's food is undoubtedly more pleasing to your taste buds than a room service menu, and 2.) the prices are way more pleasing to your wallet than a room service menu. Upon walking in, you get a glimpse of an obviously very trendy Manhattan hot spot:

 The bar may be the first element you notice, and it certainly is pretty noticeable:

Next, as you are being led to your table, you will notice a bright grand chandelier in a rectangular prism glass case, in the middle of the dining room:

http://globalgraphica.com/2014/01/27/cool-spaces-the-interior-at-room-service-ny/

Anyway, so you're now at your seat, and you're handed a menu. Mmmmm decisions, decisions... Curry? Fried rice? A saute dish? Noodles? Chicken? Beef? Shrimp? Pork? Spicy? Mild? Medium? Appetizer or no appetizer? Well, let's say you're going with an appetizer... Some of their most enticing are the Corn Spring Rolls (yes, there's grilled corn inside), Curry Puffs, and the Chicken Satays. My sister ordered the Chicken Satays, as they are her favorite of Thai offerings. Notice the classy presentation of the grilled chicken skewers and peanut sauce:

Alright, so now time for an entree. While I normally go with curry (perhaps milder Massaman or the slightly-spicy Panang), I also recommend the Rama chicken, which I ordered on my most recent visit. Rama chicken is basically sauteed chicken served in a peanut sauce, and Room Service serves it with lots of fresh steamed broccoli and bell pepper strips. It was such a good move ordering it, because it was sooo good. It came with steamed rice and I ordered dumplings as my side- they were delicious and green! Check out my plate, before and after:

Before:

After:

As you can see, I made it into the clean plate club! The chicken was perfectly tender and the sauce perfectly peanut-y and tangy. The broccoli was still slightly crisp and the bell pepper slices were visually appealing and added freshness to the dish. The dumplings also had a great texture and were packed with bold flavor in the form of the vegetable filling. The rice "cone" was a great complement to the saucy chicken.

I obviously have nothing to complain about: perfect ambiance and food created a swag lunch for my family and me. When next you find yourself in Manhattan, skip room service and head over to Room Service on 9th Avenue! Tell them Gevin sent you!

Room Service

690 9th Ave
New York, NY 10036
Between 47th & 48th Street
https://www.delivery.com/nyc/room-service-thai (it's the closest thing they have to a website)

Here's what's "Kook"ing at Hankook Taqueria!

I love tacos. I love Asian food. Put them together...say, Korean tacos... PERFECTION! I had heard all about the delicious tacos Hankook Taqueria has been serving up, so when I finally found myself nearby this taco shack a few weeks ago, I knew that I HAD to sample their goods. It's an unsuspecting building:

http://www.hankooktaqueria.com/index.html

However, once you step INSIDE, you will quickly realize that the food has to be good...there will be a lunch line that goes out the door, you will see the cooks hard at work crafting little tortilla-wrapped bundles of goodness, and you will face a serious struggle when looking for somewhere to sit. However, all will be OK once you order at the cashier and find a seat, because in under five minutes- take my word for it- your teeth will be sinking into some mighty fine tacos. When I ate at Hankook, I had a fish taco (“saeng seon” panko crusted tilapia with hoisin tartar sauce) and a special Tong Dak chicken taco (crispy chicken topped with chipotle aioli, sesame soy salad), along with their famous Ko-kuma tempura fried sweet potatoes. Biting into the chicken taco, your teeth will first sink into the soft, chewy tortilla, then will encounter the crunch of the chicken's breading and lettuce topping, and your taste buds will register the savory juiciness of the chicken, the spiciness of the aioli, cooled down by the creaminess of the aioli. Whoooo, a party in my mouth! Don't even get me started on the tempura-fried sweet potatoes...the sweet, tender, warm potato slices blanketed by the light, crisp tempura batter. My, my! OK so just go try out Hankook's food for yourself. If you don't live in Atlanta, next time you're in the area, visit this wicked joint! For all, here's their website: http://www.hankooktaqueria.com

It's taco time yall!

Gevin

Cooking with some Cool Campers

Guess what: It's summer!! I've had a busy break so far; in fact, I just completed a month-long engineering internship at Georgia Tech! However, I've made time to stay in the kitchen of course! I had the privilege of being the "Guest Chef" at my school's elementary/middle school cooking camp last Tuesday and the Tuesday before that- what fun! I love working with kids, especially those who enjoy helping out in the kitchen, so I was thrilled when I was asked to participate in the camp. I chose to lead the campers through my Naan Flatbread Pizza recipe- a recipe featured on SWAGourmet! Having been so busy lately with school and college application, getting back into the kitchen with youngsters passionate about food was such a perfect opportunity. I'm looking forward to another SUMMER OF SWAG in the kitchen!

Stay hungry my friends- actually, cook and eat!

Gevin

Pumpkin Pie in the Sky

Happy New Year everyone!
I guess it's 2013 by now, but regardless, I still have to post this Pumpkin Pie recipe from the Thanksgiving episode of SWAGourmet! Give the recipe a try; it's quite tasty in all seasons!

Pumpkin Pie
Makes two pies (see the picture at the bottom of this post for the size), so make one for yourself and give the other to a friend!

Ingredients:

2 frozen pie crusts (you can find these in the frozen foods section of your local supermarket)
1 can of canned pumpkin
1 8 oz. container of plain cream cheese
1/2 banana, mashed
1 cup sugar
Pinch (1/4 tsp.) salt
1 egg + 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half and half
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Before you begin:
1.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2.) Make sure that your frozen pie crusts have been sitting in the freezer for at least one hour prior to beginning working with them.

3.) Remove your pie crusts from the freezer and line them with foil or parchment paper. Place two cans of beans in the each of the pie crusts, as weights. By doing this, the crusts will become crispy and crumbly when baked.
4.) Bake the weighted pie crusts in the 350 degree oven for 10 mins, then after 10 mins, remove the cans and foil/parchment paper, and let the crusts continue to bake for 10 more mins. In the mean time...
5.) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the all of the pie ingredients.
6.) Once the pie crusts are done pre-baking and the pie filling has reached a smooth consistency, pour the filling into the crusts.
7.) Bake your lovely pies at 350 degrees for 50-60 mins, until the crusts become golden brown and your toothpick comes out clean. You know what I mean.

Before

After...YUM!

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to everyone and Merry Almost Christmas!!

I hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving, complete with a SWAG Thanksgiving feast! Thank you to all who voted on the entree, side, and dessert they wished to see me make on the Thanksgiving episode of SWAGourmet- it was quite special involving the viewers! I sincerely apologize for taking so long to post these recipes from the Thanksgiving episode- I've been studying hard for my final semester exams, and in fact I just took my last one today! So I'm definitely ready to bring you some more SWAG recipes! So here's one to start with...

Holiday Cornish Hens with Rice Stuffing

From SWAGourmet’s Thanksgiving Episode

This dish puts a swag spin on your typical holiday hen- I mean who doesn’t like mini chickens?

Ingredients:

4 Cornish game hens (you can find these in the poultry section of your local supermarket)

Spice rub:

Salt/ black pepper, to taste (you know, your basic “swag seasonings”)

4 tbsp. cinnamon powder

4 tsp. ground cardamom (you can find this spice in the spices aisle at your local supermarket)

Glaze:

2 cups orange juice (like the one you drink)

3 heaping tbsp. hoisin sauce (this is basically Asian barbecue sauce, and you can find it in the ethnic foods aisle at your local supermarket)

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

 

Stuffing:

3 cups cooked white rice

½ cup diced red onion, soaked in water for 10 minutes

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, diced

¼ cup chopped parsley

½ cup shredded carrots

1 apple, diced

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt/pepper/cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.) Buy and get to know your Cornish hens. They are your friends. They are just mini chickens, and you can help them taste very delicious. Once you have gotten to know your birds, proceed to the next step.                                                                      

2.) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

     

3.) Mix the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl, then rub-a-dub- the rub onto the skin of the Cornish hens. Be sure to then season the inside of the cavity with the spice rub.

    

4.) Refrigerate your spice rubbed- hens for at least two hours. In the mean time, let’s make our stuffing…

     

5.) In a large bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients, then let the stuffing chill in the fridge until you’re ready to stuff your birds. Yup, that’s it. So if you have some extra time while your hens are still in the fridge, perhaps go caroling or something… “Stuff the hens with lots of stuffing, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la”

6.) After two hours, remove your birds and your stuffing from the fridge. Stuff the cavities of the hens with the stuffing, then put the hens in a baking dish and place the dish in the oven. Set your timer for twenty minutes, because after twenty minutes, we will apply our first layer of glaze… Speaking of that glaze…

7.) To start our glaze, add the orange juice to a medium saucepan and add the pan to the stove over medium heat. Heat the orange juice for 1 minute, then whisk in the hoisin sauce and butter.

8.) Allow the sauce to cook, while whisking occasionally, on the stove until it has reduced by half (just eyeball it). Then remove it from the stove.

9.) Once the hens have been cooking for twenty minutes, remove them from the oven and hit them up with a layer of the glaze. If you have a basting brush, use that, but if not, then just use a spoon. After your have glazed the hens, return them to the oven. 

10.) After ten minutes, baste the hens again with some more glaze. 

      

11.) Repeat step 10 three more times, and then remove them from the oven after the third repetition (so the total cooking time for the Cornish hens is one hour). Be sure the hens reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

      

12.) Observe the golden-brown, crispy crusts that have developed on your hens, as you begin to salivate. Photograph your creation if you so desire, but I suggest you feast on the juicy chickens while they’re still hot!

      

Visit youtube.com/user/swagourmetcooking to watch me cook up this tasty dish and many more, and check back for the rest of the recipes from SWAGourmet's Thanksgiving Episode!

It's up to YOU!

I want to hear from YOU the dishes (one entree, one side, and one dessert) you would most like to see on SWAGourmet's Thanksgiving episode! I've made an online survey, and the top entree, side, and dessert will be featured on SWAGourmet's Thanksgiving episode! Click here to take the survey and take it soon! Tell your friends to take the survey too! Check back for the Thanksgiving episode to be uploaded on Wednesday!

Craaazy Crepes!

Happy fall everyone!
I was very happy to upload Part 2 of Episode 6 of SWAGourmet a few Sundays ago! It features the first EVER SWAGourmet dessert! Since Episode 6 is all about  flatbread, my task was very clearly cut out for me: I definitely had to make a flatbread dessert, and it had to be tasty and easy! When I thought about sweet flatbread dishes, crepes came to mind. I figured that I could use a flatbread to replicate crepe batter, and tortillas seemed to be the perfect flatbread. When filled with ooey gooey chocolate and peanut butter, then topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, what other dessert can even stand up to this one? Just watch the episode and check out (then try) the recipe below, and let your taste buds be the judge...

SWAG Dessert Crepes
Makes 2 dessert crepes (trust me, you'll want to eat both of them)

Ingredients:

• 2 tortillas, softened in the microwave/toaster  oven
• 1/3 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese (you will likely find this in the dairy section of your local supermarket)
• 1/3 cup smooth OR chunky (take your pick) peanut butter 
• 1 banana, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. butter
• Whipped cream to garnish
• Sliced fresh strawberries to garnish

1. Whisk together the chocolate spread and ricotta cheese in a small bowl.
2. Spread the chocolate mixture onto one-half of one side of each tortilla (ie make a chocolate semicircle on the side of the tortilla that is facing up).
3. Spread the peanut butter onto the tortillas, so that there now is a chocolate semi-circle and a peanut butter semi-circle on the side of the tortilla that's facing up.
4. Add the slices of banana to the tortillas, on top of the chocolate and peanut butter.
5. Fold over the tortillas into semi-circle shaped pouches, which will be our crepes (see the picture above).
6. In a pan over low-medium heat, melt the butter, then add the crepes and let them brown slightly for about 1.5 minutes per side. 
7. After three minutes, remove the crepes from the pan and plate them. Top with some yummy whipped cream and the strawberries.... Good luck making yours look as pretty as mine ;) 
8. Enjoy!!