I first heard about balut a little more than a year ago on Andrew Zimmern’s “Bizarre Foods”. A Philipino specialty, balut is a 16 day fertilized duck embryo (which is basically a semi-formed body of a baby bird), boiled and eaten in the shell. Balut is considered a cheap and hearty street snack in Southeast Asian countries, just like a slice of pizza in America.

You can imagine my excitement to try balut when The Gastronauts organized a trip to Engeline’s, an authentic Philipino restaurant, located in Queens. Rare to leave Manhattan, I braved 5 trains and traveled hundreds of miles (just kidding: 1 train, and 25 minutes) to try this rare specialty which I vividly remember learning about on “Bizarre Foods.” Cracking my egg with the same excitement reserved for receiving an engagement ring, I was surprised to finally be holding this little “gem”! The eggs are savored for their balance of textures and flavors; the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped from the egg before the shell is peeled, and the yolk and young chick inside can be eaten. All of the contents of the egg may be consumed, although the white may remain uneaten; depending on the age of the fertilized egg, the white may have an unappetizing cartilaginous toughness.

Now for the pièce de résistance – a whole suckling pig! Although a great dish, and I can truly appreciate it’s appeal, it is not something I’d usually go out of my way for. That said, Engeline’s had a pretty great presentation: perfectly crispy skin, tender meat, and I even got to try an eyeball, some brain, and even tongue (my favorite bits of any fish or mammal!)

There were other impressive dishes served, such as bops (pigs heart and intestines in vinegar and spices) and chicharon bulaklak (deep fried crispy ruffle fat with vinegar sauce). I thoroughly recommend skipping dessert, which is a flavorless interpretation on a sponge cake. But it does come in some pretty neon colors!

ENGELINE’S
5828 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 898-7878

Grilled Squid and Arugula Salad with Espelette Pepper and Basil Oil | Wood- Fired “Island Creek” Oysters with Lemon Thyme-Shallot Butter

My weekend brunches are notorious for lasting into dinner time, way past the acceptable late afternoon mark of 5ish (thanks to my Papaya enzyme pills, which now have the same amount of importance in my purse as the Lancôme powder or the Hermès perfume.) Such was the case at this lovely number, Mas (la grillade), a French farmhouse-inspired restaurant in West Village. Arrival to the restaurant: 1pm; departure… 6:30pm (this did not beat my record!)

Grilled Whole Portuguese Sardines with a Mache Salad | Wood- Fired “Island Creek” Oysters with Lemon Thyme- Shallot Butter | Grilled Yates Farm Lamb with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Cippolini Onions | Grilled Whole Dorade Fish (check out it’s chompers!)

Luckily, my friend is just as passionate about food as I am, so we both ordered more than enough dishes to get a full taste for the restaurant’s specialty, which is foods grilled solely over hardwoods. No gas! (No pun intended.)  I was pleasantly surprised with all the dishes, and in some cases totally charred by the combination of flavors. (Pun intended!)

Grilled Pear and Organic Pecan Upside-down Cake, and Huckleberry Compote | Grilled Pumpkin-Chocolate Tart with Toasted Marshmallow Cocoa Nib Ice Cream | Cheese plate

Overall, I loved the food: simple preparation, clean presentation, and unique flavors because of the special woodsmoke. There wasn’t a dish that I didn’t care for, which can happen when I’m is stuffed to the brim like that house-cured lamb sausage in the picture above (enzyme pills to the rescue!) Even the cheese plate and desserts blew me away! The only disadvantage was sitting on the second level, where the grill smoke tends to rise and mingle with customers like a Maitre’D usually does. Shame, because the upper level is quite lovely for it’s oversized skylight! Leaving the restaurant I was lightheaded from the fumes, and my clothes smelled like I worked the grill for the past 5 hours (Hermès to the rescue!)

The service was a bit slow, and the check was off by $100, but I would go back – specifically for the sardines, oysters, whole fish, and the pear/pecan/huckleberry dessert!

MAS (la grillade)
28 Seventh Ave South, NYC | 212-255-1795

And once again, my photo was featured in “The Best of the Eater Flickr Pool” set! That delectable food of the Gods, uni & beef from Takashi (previous post). Thanks Eater.com!

Feed The Model Blog had the privilege of being featured in Karin+Raoul, a provocative Art and Lifestyle magazine. Issue 5: Taste (available in print & eBook version) is 200 pages of tasty visual and editorial treats. Check out this preview below:

KARIN + RAOUL MAGAZINE ‘TASTE’ ISSUE #5: TRAILER from Karin + Raoul on Vimeo.

I first read about Takashi in New York Magazine many months ago. The initial writeup advertised a fabulous assortment of offal to be cooked by yourself on a mini grill right at your table (or in my instance, chef’s counter.) It was not long ago that I saw the restaurant’s name resurface as a spotlight on Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover, New York episode. Well, what better night to nurse your hangover & forlorn heart than with a refreshing sake & sizzling bits of pancreas on a cold winter’s Sunday?

Eyes lighting up with every choice on the menu, I ordered a variety of dishes to try. My gentleman friend let me take the reigns on this one, and even though he was reluctant to try a few items, he later agreed that my selection was superb! The first dish to arrive was Niku-Uni (chuck flap topped with sea urchin and fresh wasabi), followed by Stewed Beef Tendon Casserole, and Bake-It-Yourself Oxtail and Potato Curry Pie. The first dish was featured on The Layover, and was just as spectacular as it Bourdain claimed it was. Tender, delicate, rich – the meat falls apart on your tongue and you think it’s all over, but then shiso, seaweed, and wasabi all gang up on and remind you that its only a beginning. It’s all quite sexy. But THEN came the Big Kahuna, a potent combination of Fioe Gras, Kobe Beef, and Chocolate BBQ Sauce – that can only be described as NC-17 flavors for your taste buds! I kid you not. This is better than falling in love for the first time.

The beef cheek and sweetbreads were perfectly marinated and cooked by our waiter. There ware minimal distractions with rice bombs and grilled onions – the meat is the superstar here. There are much more tender morsels to try from the menu such as different kinds of cow stomachs, raw liver, calf’s brain, etc. I will be returning very, very soon!

TAKASHI
456 Hudson Street, NYC| 212.414.2929