Clear Winners.

Even though there was no contest or my usual food hunt, I must share some great food finds in NYC. I've spent the past few weeks feeling a bit aimless since I haven't been able to establish a food target that I could focus on and review.

It's probably a good thing.

I recall the Great Cupcake Hunt of 2010 and in hindsight, maybe visiting 48 cupcake shops/bakeries in 3 weeks was not one of the best decisions I've ever made. I mean what did I really accomplish by the end of it?

Yes, I may found the best Red Velvet Cupcake in NYC, but the added inches to my girth definitely offset any feelings of satisfaction. Oh, and let's not forget my 3-week sugar-induced belly-aching. And the sugar-crash crankiness. And feeling hangry (hungry + angry) all the time from not eating proper, real food.

But ironically, I just don't seem to learn.

So, despite the lessons not learned and not having a food focus, I've still somehow inadvertently managed to find what I believe might be the greatest pastry that ever lived. It is beyond description, so here are some photos to express what words cannot.

Meet the DKA. The outside:

And the lovely innards:

This little bad boy is from Dominque Ansel Bakery, a nice little cafe just up the street in Soho. The DKA is their signature item. The website describes the DKA as:

DKA: Dominque's Kouign Amann: tender, flaky, croissant-like dough with a caramelized crunchy crust.

I would suggest the description be re-written as:

DKA: Dominque Kicks Ass: with his heavenly, luscious, other-worldly pastry parcel made of layer after layer of sugar and butter.

So, what the heck is a kouign amann? And who cares? Well, you'll care after you've had one. Trust me.

I didn't know what it was either up until a few days ago, when my evil friend in NYC passed along an article from the New York Times. I love/hate this friend because he has this thoughtful/awful habit of clipping New York Times articles related to food, restaurant reviews, etc. and setting them aside. He then mails them to me, or better/worse, presents them to me when I arrive in the city. I then feel excited/cursed, because after reading them, I feel compelled to go and see (eat) for myself. I've recently retaliated by bringing back treats from my newspaper- inspired outings and hoisting them onto my evil friend. I'm taking him down with me. He now admits gaining weight during my visits and frantically hitting the gym immediately after my departure. Serves him right.

Hunting in New York

I have one month in New York. As with every other trip to one of my favourite cities, I feel the need to go on a hunt. Previous trips have focused on hunting for the best pizza slice in NYC...

...hands-down, Artichoke in East Village on 14th Street was the clear winner and has proven its first-place status in subsequent trips. I noticed they've had a few more locations pop up, but I've yet to try them. I hope they're equally good.

If one of these master pie-makers asked me to run away with him, I'd live out the rest of my days fat and happy.

One of my past trips was dedicated to finding the best cupcake which has to be that of Sweet Revenge on Carmine Street. I used a Red Velvet as my benchmark, and Sweet Revenge nailed it. Their's is called Crimson and Cream and it's made with raspberry red velvet cake and topped with cream cheese frosting.

They also do wine and cupcake pairings. Interesting. If you find yourself there, I highly recommend the Dirty cupcake (Valrhona cake with dark chocolate truffle. It's like love.) and the Not So Dirty (Valrhona chocolate cake with milk chocolate ganache. I'm having a long-term adulterous love-affair with this one.).

I think Tanoreen in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn has the best Middle Eastern food. How can a meal go wrong when this arrives at your table once you sit down? And you haven't even ordered yet.

And then your order arrives, your jaw hits the floor and you have to lift it so you can fill it with goodness like this...the Eggplant Napolean. It's simply divine.

So, what should this trip focus on?

Should I hunt for the best nachos?

Milkshake?

Pie? (For a while, I was convinced that I would happily be paid in pie instead of drawing a salary. That's how much I love pie.)

What about tacos?

Or dumplings?

Any ideas? What should the food focus be of this trip?

Leave me a comment if you come up with any brilliant food suggestions! I'll see if I can get some take-out for you.

Highway 4

I was skeptical that I'd find a restaurant near my place in Hanoi that could consistently satisfy the needs of a vegetarian. I'm so happy that I've found Highway 4 Restaurant! It's literally a one-block walk and has become my go-to place for dinner. Here's what last night's dinner looked like:

The location I went to is at 25 Bat Sue, but there are 4 other locations in Hanoi. They have an extensive menu with lots of interesting options.

I'm hooked on the salad pictured above. Ah, the Spicy and Sour Green Mango Salad. It's dreamy. So far, I've gone for dinner here 3 times in less than a week. The place has great atmosphere and lots of cool art throughout its 3 floors. It's even been mentioned in the New York Times.

At some point, I'm hoping to take the cooking classes they offer. I'll let you know how it goes.

Lao Eats

I must admit Laos has been a food reprieve from meaty Hanoi. I've gone on a bit of a food rampage and am feeling rather gluttonous. Guilty, gluttonous but happy.

Here are some of my foody-goody experiences from Vientiane...

Street-side fruit shakes near Samsenthai Road...(I highly recommend the mango...and the coconut...and the papaya...and...)

The humble little Taj Mahal restaurant in a little alley behind the National Cultural Hall serves up a mean aloo prantha (Indian bread stuffed with spicy potatoes)...it's appropriately greasy and heavy...and a nap after consumption is a must.

Fathima's has great bhaingan bartha (roasted eggplant curry) and some mighty fine chapatis (Indian flat bread)...all washed down with a not-to-sweet lassi (a drink for the gods - divine, frothy, yougurty goodness)...

Conveniently, Noy's Fruit Heaven was located right beside my hotel. The choices for fruity shakes are endless. Noy definitely deserves a place in heaven.

The Shade Restaurant along Fa Ngum Road filled my need for some good Middle Eastern food. The baba ghanoush was wonderfully spiced with ground sumac and a smattering of freshly chopped cilantro...all washed down with a refreshing lime shake.

The French influence is quite evident in Laos - and very noticeably in the cuisine. I just had to indulge in a mille feuille. It was one of the best I've ever had. If only I could remember which cafe I purchased it at...

It must seem weird that I've not talked about local Lao food. Well, the body wants what the body wants. And to keep this one ticking, I need at least one dose of Indian food per week. However, after I'd filled up on good Indian eats, I did have a great Laotian meal at Lao Kitchen on Hengboun Road.

I tried the laab. Laab means 'good fortune' and it's pretty much a required dish for celebrations and important events. I think every time I eat it's an important event so it seemed fitting.

I had the vegetarian version made with tofu, soy sauce, lime, red onion, chilli, roasted onion, mint and basil. It was served alongside some long beans (my fave), sliced cucumber and a basket of sticky rice. It was awesome and I highly recommend it!

I will leave Laos with a full belly and happy memories.

Is it lunchtime yet?

There are many great things about my job - the people I work with, the office environment, the casual atmosphere, the flexibility - but one of the most unexpected and wonderful surprises has been lunchtime! I'd like to introduce Huong...

She cooks lunch for the office staff every day and she charges us each 30,000 VND ($1.50 Canadian). Around 11:30 am, the smells of highly-anticipated Vietnamese dishes start to waft through the office. At noon, we all eagerly head for the lunch room/kitchen where she cooks and serves up a fresh, hot meal. It's the best Vietnamese food I've had so far! This was today's lunchtime feast...

This is the sweet and sour soup...

My new favourite dish - a beautiful salad with crunchy green papaya, shredded carrots and loads of fresh basil and mint.

And another favourite of mine - freshly fried peanuts with coarse salt.

I love the fact that Huong sits with us and shares the meal. I hope to get to know her better in the coming months...who knows, maybe she'll share some of her cooking secrets with me and I can become half the cook she is?

For the Love of Jam

There's one thing I always seem to really miss when I travel. Jam. There's something utterly delicious and homey about that good old-fashioned jam that you can pick up at almost any Canadian farmer's market. For me, it's a comfort food that I crave every time I go overseas.

If Bobbles and Uncle Gary ever joined the dark side, I think they'd be jam bandits.

I few days ago, I was ravenous and the only thing that could seem to satisfy me was thick cuts of a fresh baguette heaped with spoonfuls of sticky jam. Unfortunately, I had to settle for store-bought jam instead of some lovely home-made concoction, but still it was so jammy and good...and so simple and so divine.

I know I can find good baguettes in Vietnam, but I wonder if I can find good jam there. I hope so.