a ROYAL makeover: Kings of Kobe

RER 8.23.17

What is more classic than hamburgers and hot dogs? Nothing, except perhaps the regal American wagyu “Kobe style” counterparts at Kings of Kobe in Hell’s Kitchen. At Kings of Kobe, they have taken American favorites, elevated them with fine ingredients, and made them into royalty.  

Even though there is an on-the-go feel inside the small space, complete with colorful murals and fiery orange stools set against dark furniture, it is apparent that thoughtful innovation has inspired the most regal makeovers for the plain burger and dog. The small storefront on 9^th Avenue offers big flavors, because King of Kobe dresses up what goes between the buns with a range of unexpected combinations that come together like classics. 

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Kings of Kobe is keen to lay on the fresh toppings and unique sauces for both their dogs and burgers. We are here for the freshness that comes in the form of fruit relishes, fresh vegetables, an assortment of cheeses, amongst others. Each addition works together to make the high-grade beef kingly.

There is nothing typical or bland about the list of hot dog and hamburger offerings.  Even the King’s Classic hot dog isn’t topped with just plain ol’ mustard, but there is sauerkraut and sautéed red onions to take it up a notch and the King’s Standard burger goes beyond the standard with roasted tomato, pickles, white cheddar, and a not-so-standard cherry pepper aioli. 

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The All Nighter hot dog at first glance seems more traditional: bacon, sautéed red onions, bleu cheese dressing. But Kings of Kobe would add on the surprising element of lemon zest. That brightness of lemon highlights the tang of the bleu cheese and brings out the sweetness of the onions and the saltiness of the bacon. It is not a battle of toppings that could outshine one another, but rather a song and dance that make us want to call the hot dog Your Highness.

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The Louis Louis has a lot going on underneath that bun. The burger is topped with spinach and a runny sunny side up egg, and crowned with a heaping pile of crunchy bacon and a thick drizzle of roasted garlic aioli. Here, the silky earthiness of the spinach overwhelms the burger, which is not quite front row center. Although an egg is reminiscent of breakfast, this egg does the savory work and pulls the flavors together with a smooth ribbon of yolk. The varying textures on this bun are pleasing and engaging.

Please, do not skimp on sides ranging from chili fries, to onion rings, to slaw, to a mixed green salad. The herbed truffle fries make you feel like a queen. There is the crunch, the aroma, the salt, all of the things one wants most from delicious fries.

And don’t forget dessert. After chowing down on the umami of layered savory hot dogs and burgers, give that sweet tooth a chance to come out and play with the royals. A tall twist of whipped cream hides the loose banana pudding studded with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in the playful All Hail the Banana dessert. Like with the savories, even the sweets play deliciously to American nostalgia.

Kings of Kobe has truly created the burger and hot dog monarchy.

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10.7.17

RER 8.23.17

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the let-DOWN : UMAMI Burger

RER 1.12.15

Maybe, I wasn’t finding that the meal was worth the hype. Don’t get me wrong— I’m a burger kinda girl. I really love a good burger. But as much as I wanted to love my burger from Umami Burger, I did not.

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I got the Manly Burger, which was topped with beer cheddar, bacon lardons, onion strings, house ketchup and mustard spread. It was greasy and a lot. The textures were fun—the chewy lardoons, the crispy onion strings, the decadent beef and almost fluffy bun. But it was too much grease, too much heavy, and somehow I feel like truffle had infiltrated everything.

I did try my friend’s Truffle Burger and that too, was greasy and difficult to get down. Delicious, but more than three bites of one of these burgers seemed nearly impossible to me.

By the end I peeled off the cheese, removed the strings and lardoons, skipped the bread and just ate my patty. My Manly Burger was emasculated and denuded.

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And as much as I love truffle, it is possible to over-do it. It seems like truffle is “the thing” at Umami Burger, and my friend wanted to eat there for the Truffle Burger. But I wasn’t feeling it. The truffle fries were skinny and salty, with a dense glob of truffle cheese. It lay thick and creamy and truffly, too truffly. Next time I would opt for the plain fries.

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I really wanted the truffled beet salad, before I realized how truffly everything was going to be. Surprisingly, I really liked the salad, even though its base was spicy adult arugula. The truffle was definitely highlighted but it made the arugula less aggressive. The smooth ricotta, sweet beets and smoked almonds broke up the utilitarian truffle. It was a vicious cycle of necessary evil and vanquishing that evil.

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The staff was super nice and friendly, even though our server never brought the beer I ordered. He answered all our silly questions and gave his recommendations. I don’t know if the cool vibe and the service are really enough to make me try another burger, though the dessert list looked pretty up my alley! 

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1.12.15

photo op: RECENT eats

RER 1.11.15

You know that whole “New Year, New Me” shtick? It’s totally not me. Sure I would love to join the clean eating movement and participate in the paleo livestyle and pretend to be gluten-free, but I can’t. So I’m just going to keep being the old me (maybe with the addition of a few more veggies and sit-ups). And new old me still likes to eat and bake and indulge.

So I had a duck fat grilled cheese and salty fries late night at the Pig & Prince.

RER 12.26.14

RER 12.26.14

And I tried to balance out the “bad” with some “good” wholesome and healthful breakfasts on ig.

And I baked kamish bread and experimented with apricot preserves and stiff raisins while the boy was working hard on a Saturday afternoon.

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And I went on an greasy early dinner date at Umami Burger that got cut short but was too long on truffle.

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RER 1.13.15

And I forced my Food Fun kiddies to make ice cream sundaes for their last day of the activity, with too many oreos, sprinkles gummy bears and most definitely far too much whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

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And I watched my mom make vegetable lasagna and ate a ton with no shame whatsoever.

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RER 1.15.15

Any changes for you all in the New Year? How are you thinking of mixing up your food encounters in 2015? Follow on facebook, instagram, twitter, and yelp to keep up with all the pretty eats, big bites, and upcoming restaurant weeks.

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1.15.15

RER 1.15.15

NYCRW: LAVO new york

RER 8.8.14

Lunch at Lavo for New York Restaurant Week was not just tuna tartare and margherita pizza, it was a lovely time catching up and soaking in the City. The just right breeze rolled into the restaurant through the open tall windows, but hardly any light came in passed the heavy bar into the darker dining area. Mixed music disrupted the mood lighting and detailed décor, which spoke to another time and place. But the food was classic and straightforward, combinations that were expected and reliable.

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RER 8.8.14

It was thick colorful tomato slices with too little creamy bufala or a bed of buttery avocado supporting chunky pieces of pink red tuna in a pool of dark acidic dressing.

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RER 8.8.14

It was peppery steak slices lost in sauce and accompanied by truffled parmesan fries or a little margherita pizza, straight to the point.

It was also dessert— light and colorful fruits with an adult strawberry sorbetto or doughy and greasy fried Oreo zeppole with a miniscule malted milkshake.

But most of all it was good company, good chatter and a good time.

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8.8.14

RER 8.8.14

re. CAP: Taste of Tribeca FAVES

RER 5.17.14

With so many delicious offerings from all ends of the spectrum—eats to sweets, meats to seafood, elegant to down and dirty— you would think it would be hard to choose favorites. Despite the difficulty, somehow, I managed to pick my top bites at this year’s Taste of Tribeca. 

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RER 5.17.14

Sarabeth Tribeca’s offered the attendees the most perfect little sandwich, a bite of summertime and seafood. Those delightful crabcake sliders were my favorite down and dirty selection. Crabcakes and a sweet fluffy bun are classic, especially with these mini sandwiches from Sarabeth Tribeca’s. The crabcake was hearty, fresh and meaty, not weighed down with fillers and nonsense. Even the sweetness of the bun brought out the natural sweetness of the crab of the cakes. Bun sticking to the roof of my mouth was definitely the cherry on top, speaking to a job well done.

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RER 5.17.14

Scanning through the program, and seeing foie gras sushi, I knew I had to try it. And let me tell you, I am so glad I sampled the offering from Daruma- Ya.  We watched them sear up the plump pieces of foie gras, and so when we got our plate, the foie gras was still warm, melding with the sweet sticky rice. My first bite was uncertain, unprepared for the texture. But then the decadent deliciousness set in, and I was overcome with fatty meaty flavors, countered by the chewy brightness of the sticky rice. The combination was so unexpected and intriguing, but the flavors and the textures are what won me over. But really, who could turn down foie gras?

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The chef surprise presented by Golden Restaurant, Bouley, was a showstopper, a crowd pleaser that definitely had more than a few guests running back for more, using another precious taste on their tasting card.  Bouley gave guests a stunning two-parter, a little bit of savory and a little bit of sweet. The two did not necessarily work together in terms of flavors, but the balance of the rich decadence of the savory bite and the refreshing nature of the sweet taste created cohesiveness. The crunchy kuzu chip balanced the smooth creamy thick whipped potato and cheese topping, while the truffle added dynamic luxury. The sweetness of the cooling parfait was layered with fruity cherry and raspberry flavors and adult moments of white chocolate and amaretto—a combination of heavy in light resulting in success.

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There was also a wide array of delicious desserts, but the big fat whoopie pies from Tribeca Treats most definitely caught my eye. Sure there were cupcakes of all different colors and flavors at their table, but those dark round pies were recommended. They were chocolaty and delicious, fluffy and satisfying. Chocolate chips melted through the chocolate cookies and the vanilla cream sandwiched in between offered sweet relief and balance. Somehow this childhood favorite felt fresh and new while recalling memories of times passed.

See more about the Taste of Tribeca benefit on their website or in my recap up on Miss A. And to taste more of Tribeca through photos check out my photo op from last week!

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5.17.14

RER 5.17.14