This was a great meal. Like I said in many previous posts what makes up a great meal is going to be different for you. Zuzu Ramen is one of those places where they’re going to make you spend $14 on a bowl of ramen. $14!! On ramen!!! And it wasn’t even amazing ramen, it was only okay. But I am glad that it is there. We need more ramen shops in Brooklyn!

So if the ramen was only okay, why did I think it was a great meal? That whole day I was craving for some Japanese curry but I rarely go into the city during weekends and heck I’m not going to go into the city just for curry. Then after a drink fest at Draft Barn with Mr.Matt, I had my mind set on grabbing dinner at Zuzu. It was a chilly night and at that moment I wanted ramen. I walked into a near empty place and grabbed a seat along the wall. I looked through the menu and saw a curry ramen, hello! I was able to satisfy 2 cravings in 1 night with 1 meal. I think that was pretty great.

Also the place was kinda quiet and cozy which was what I needed after few hours at the Draft Barn.

- Zuzu Ramen 173 4th Avenue Brooklyn

Maybe it’s the difference between what you see and what you taste, but white sweet potatoes seem sweeter to me than the traditional variety. They also seem to keep their shape and texture better, more like a traditional potato, but with more flavor. I’ve used it in a salad, and in a curry, but I think next I’m going to try to make french fries.

Couple weeks ago my friend Anh had her “Breakfast in Brooklyn” get together where she made breakfast for everyone. I was pretty excited because she promised to make a Vietnamese omelette! What’s a Vietnamese omelette? It’s an omelette with diced onions, chicken liver pate and pork roll! Genius! Its everything I love in 1 dish. I had tried to make this couple nights before but I wasn’t sure about the proportions. Also the recipe she gave me didn’t include the pork roll, what da? Anyways, this was a really yummy omelette, I wanna eat it all the time.

Texas omelette, home fries, baked eggs and Vietnamese coffee were also on the menu. I brought the St-Viateur bagels and others brought biscuits and pastries from Ladybird Bakery.

I’m not really keeping up with my food news. I had no idea Mile End, a Montreal Jewish Delicatessen on Hoyt St, was even there AND I live so close to it! So last week I bumped into a friend at Union Hall while at the Via Audio show and he told me he had just reserved a dozen Montreal bagels from Mile End for $20. I asked him…”Huh? Where?” He told me where and that I have till noon on Friday to get them.

Now I know next to nothing about bagels from Montreal except there are big debates on the web comparing bagels from NYC and Montreal. I do know that a fresh baked bagel with veggie cream cheese is a pretty damn good thing. But a not so fresh bagel tires my jaw so quickly.

On Saturday after lazily waking up and got dressed, I walked over to Mile End to pick up my dozen bagels, half poppy seed and half sesame seed. At 10:30am the place was packed, though the place was tiny. I would like to go there, grab a seat at the counter and have a proper meal there.

Anyways back to the bagels. People from Montreal rave about how good their bagels are. I do agree with them on some points. The St-Viateur bagels were denser which made it very easy to slice in half. Plus. The bagels were smaller and thinner which meant less room for cream cheese. But here’s the 1 reason why I still prefer NYC bagels over Montreal bagels, taste. After having eaten 2 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday I have concluded that there was no flavors in the Montreal bagels at all. I can’t even say it was bland, it had no flavors whatsoever. Even after toasting it a bit, there was just nothing. The sesame seeds had no flavors in them as well! WTF? Both Mo and Matt agreed that these bagels weren’t that great, so it wasn’t just me. BUT my friend that told me about these bagels loved them and found the bagels to have great flavors. So…..I don’t know.

I’m not gonna give up on these bagels just yet, not until I had a proper 1 from Montreal in Montreal.

But if you REALLY want a dozen St-Viateur bagels go and order from Mile End.

- Mile End 97 Hoyt Street Brooklyn

I can hear you out there, reader, complaining. The first Market Watch column in over a month, and I give you eggs? Indeed I do. Two weeks ago I picked up a dozen eggs from Bradley Farm, and they were the best eggs I’ve ever had. Rich, vibrant yolks, and clear whites that whipped up into meringue in no time flat.

First there was Hanco’s, then Henry’s, and now there’s Home, the newest banh mi shop in Park Slope. Home opened in the space formerly occupied by Earth Tonez, and it’s been open for about two months. I visited on a chilly winter night a couple of weeks ago. Home makes sandwiches in the mold of those two other places, but not nearly as well crafted. My tofu sandwich, though a bit cheaper than even Henry’s, had way too much mayonnaise, not enough spice, and some limp-looking cilantro. If you’re down on 5th Avenue and you just have to have a Vietnamese sandwich it’ll do in a pinch, but I’d stick with the two places on 7th Avenue.

Home — 349 5th Ave, Brooklyn