The Art of Eat

Jaya Malaysian
90 Baxter St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-3331‎

Finding a good Chinese or South East Asian restaurant is the most difficult thing a person can do in America and I’m not kidding one bit. Besides the obvious Thai and Japanese Sushi restaurants which are plentiful in quantity and quality, a good Chinese, Malay, or Vietnamese restaurant is hard to come by. Even in areas where Asians predominate the neighboorhood like the Chinatowns in most major American cities, the restaurants have pitiful flavour, lack in authenticity, and rely heavily on MSG to spice things up. To find great, authentic Asian food one must travel into the non-touristy areas of the major cities where Asians predominate such as Monterey Park in Los Angeles or Flushing in New York and avoid the Chinatowns almost completely. But once in a while a good restaurant will sneak into the touristy areas and desperately deserves some good recognition.

Jaya is one such restaurant located on a back street in Chinatown a little ways off the beaten tourist track, but it is well worth discovering. Jaya has some of the most authentic food I’ve ever tasted outside of Malaysia, excellent service, and a nice ambiance to boot. Unlike most of the Chinatown restaurants which look like they were decorated by a moving company in a hurry and the floor hasn’t been swept since opening day, Jaya is filled with old antiques from South East Asia and is clean and tidy. The staff and service has always been particularly exceptional at Jaya, again unlike most other Chinatown restaurants.

The food at Jaya is by far the best thing going for it and is amazingly authentic. My last visit was a smorgasbord of appetizers and entrees of all the classics. For those unfamiliar with Malaysian cuisine, the food is a blend of South East Asian ingredients with Chinese, Middle Eastern, and South Asian accents. Malaysia’s religious population is comprised of 60% Muslims and the Western influence is apparent in the flavours and spices used in the cooking. For appetizers we feasted on Roti Chani, an Indian style flatbread, Martabak Mamak, a beef filled pancake with a sweet spicy curry sauce, and pork belly pepper soup which was to die for. For the entrees we started with the quintessential Malaysian dish Laksa, a spicy curry noodle dish with roots in both Chinese and Indian/Malay cultures. Following the rather excellent Laksa we moved on to Hainanese Chicken, Penang Chow Kueh Teow, Eggplant with Belachan, and Water Spinach prepared Malaysian style. Everything was done just right with as authentic flavours as you could get only in Malaysia. It was fantastic and I loved it all except the Belachan which I’ve never become accustomed to even after years of living in South East Asia.

So despite its location in a Chinatown, Jaya is really one of the best restaurants in New York. And a major plus to its location is the prices which are on par with Chinese or Thai restaurants in the city. If you’re looking for something authentic, exotic, and a hidden gem amongst armies of mundane Chinese dives, Jaya is the place.

Novo Restaurant and Lounge
726 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 543-3986‎

So finally I am reviewing what I consider the best restaurant in San Luis Obispo. I’ve been countless times, and every time, excluding my first meal at Novo under the old management, I loved the food, the ambiance, the wine, and the service. Unfortunately to be the best in San Luis Obispo means competition with the poor likes of Firestone, Thai Palace, and Buona Tavola, and so Novo even with its flaws is still my top choice. I would venture to say that when it comes to preparation of the meal the only restaurant with equally good food is Native Lounge and Restaurant but only when chef Charles A. is preparing which is not a guarantee. But enough about the competition.

Novo is the best restaurant in San Luis Obispo for a number of reasons. In large part, the ambiance is brilliant. The outdoor patio in the back overhangs the creek making it one of the most romantic places to dine in all of San Luis Obispo and only the closed Grappolo had a patio worth comparing. Novo’s interior dining room is chic and trendy with a wine bar at both front and back and late at night fills with better dressed patrons than the usual San Luis haunt although I’ve never considered Novo a lounge like its name would lead you to believe. The service at Novo is hands down the best in San Luis Obispo with the best service coming usually from the male waiters who are perky, attentive, and chatty.

Where Novo falls down a little is the menu. A little more than half of Novo’s food is fantastic and, besides Native, is unparalleled in San Luis Obispo. Half the menu is a selection of traditional tapas dishes including meats and cheeses which are amazingly well done, but the other half of the menu is a selection of Pan-Asian inspired fusion dishes which are lacking in flavour and skill in preparation. The dishes are of the trendy small plate variety, with a couple daily specials and a soup du jour, although I’ve never ordered one of the entree dishes since I love a good variety. Almost everyone I know that’s eaten at Novo loves their Lobster Bisque although it’s a bit too thin for my liking. My personal favourites include their Roast Quail, Lavender Lamb Chops, Moroccan Lamb Mechoui, Chevre, and Shepherd’s Plate, and the best special I’ve ever ordered was a tuna tartar taco salad that was literally a small mountain - unusual since their usual dishes are very small. Of the dishes I didn’t like the ones that stood out the most are the Spring Rolls, Singapore Chicken Satay, Lettuce Wraps, and Roast Duck Breast which had no flavour at all and was only saved by the Penang curry accompanying.

What Novo misses in lounge ambiance, mainly a dj, loud music, dark lighting, and lounge chairs, it makes up in sheer variety of alcoholic beverages. Novo doesn’t have a fancy bartender that makes tropical concoctions that’ll knock you off your feet like Blue, but Novo has a wine list that’ll take a half hour to read through and a beer menu as large as Spike’s, the beer bar down the street. Novo stays open Friday and Saturday nights till midnight as a Wine and Beer bar and is one of the better places to go if you’re fashionable and have money to burn. Of the wine’s I’ve tried at Novo all were excellent with a wide variety from the Central Coast and almost equally wide variety from all over the world. Novo’s beer prices are pretty reasonable, but the wine prices are a bit high with a $10-15 markup per bottle from retail price and almost nothing in the upper $20s. A word of advice though, with such a large wine selection to choose from perhaps check out the bottle you’d like to try before going since the staff generally haven’t tried all the selection and may not be very helpful in recommendations.

As I mentioned countless times, Novo is the best restaurant in San Luis Obispo in terms of food, drink, ambiance, and service. The biggest draw backs are the cost and Asian menu selections, but if you’re willing to spend and know what to order it’s a very rewarding experience. If you’re a big drinker expect the tab to be in the $50-60 range after a meal, but I’ll say for the last time, it’s a price that’s worth it in this town.

Fig & Olive
808 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10065
(212) 207-4555

I haven’t eaten at one restaurant in New York more than this amazing destination on the Upper East Side. After working at an Olive Oil store as a taster for a year I’ve become quite the evoo connoisseur and pretty much tried everything that olives can produce. My personal cooking usually revolves around which olive oils I have in stock since I usually have a variety of at least five to choose from. Not only is it healthy to cook with olive oil, but the taste is unbeatable. I’ve had many a friend tell me I should go into the cheffing business, although I’m not that great of a cook, I just know when and which olive oils to use to make food amazing and stand out like none other. Let me just say that no restaurant can cook with olive oil like Fig & Olive. It’s not greasy as some would think, but the right flavoured oil in the right amount can take a good Mediterranean dish and turn it into a delicacy par excellence, and it takes only a mild understanding of the differences in olive oils to achieve.

Fig & Olive is quietly hidden behind three large potted cypress trees on Lexington with a fantastic double sided bar that stretches from the front of the restaurant to the center. Small candle lit tables adorn the walls and a shelf display of Fig & Olive’s olive oils stands at the back of the restaurant for all to see. The dining room has a quiet cozy romantic atmosphere toward the back while the wine bar is great for a night out with a bunch of friends. Everything on the menu at Fig & Olive, not surprisingly, has either figs or olives in it and is it amazing what versatility those two ingredients have. Best of all is the olive oil tasting menus, of which there are three to choose from. Crostini, cheese, or vegetable accompaniments go with choice olive oils and the pairings are nothing but enlightened. I’ve not once gone and been disappointed and even after my first visit when it took 40 minutes to get our food did I think, after eating of course, of not returning. In fact it’s always on my to do restaurant list when I visit the East Coast.

My last visit to Fig & Olive started with the Fig Jamon Goat Cheese Carpaccio paired with the delectable Arbosana Olive Oil from Spain. The strong flavour of the ham and goat cheese is a perfect match for a strong green, vegetal, peppery varietal oil like the Arbosana. Following I had a set of three Crostini oil pairings which were all delicious and done just right. If you do visit at least give one of the tasting menus a go, it’ll make you realise the possibilities of a good bottle of olive oil even on simple dishes. For my main I tried the grilled lamb skewers with fig and scallion couscous. This dish was paired with a fresh, green, fruity Koroneiki oil from Greece that especially stood out in the couscous. Prices at Fig & Olive are also quite reasonable for New York and the caliber of food with entrees in the mid-twenties and appetizers from $10-15.

Fig & Olive’s website has a few recipes worth repeating for sake of delicious food. I have tried making the zucchini carpaccio and had wonderful results with a fruity, green tomato Ascolano from Robbins Family Farm in California. But nothing compares to visiting this fantastic restaurant. Even the wait staff are considerate and well mannered. Whatever is ordered, the dish is always prepared just right, and not once have I felt the food too oily or rich. As I said before, Fig & Olive is an amazing restaurant with an enlightened approach to cooking with olive oil and I can’t applaud them enough for it.

Jin Patisserie
1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd
(310) 399-8801‎

This is my gem of Los Angeles. The one and only place that I would consider a MUST go for any visitor to my favourite city. I consider Los Angeles my hometown even though I only went to high school there for three years, but I spent a lot of time prowling the streets of LA for the best places to go and without a doubt Jin is the place to go. Located in one of my favourite neighborhoods in the world, Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach, the little cafe and tea room is charming, delicious, and the epitome of what LA is about.

Los Angeles for most people is a confusing maze of freeways, bad traffic, and impossible to find places. What makes LA special to me is the secret stashes of bliss that dot the almost unlimited diverse neighborhoods around the city, and Venice holds the best kept secret in the whole county, Abbot Kinney. A three block stretch of modern design, California bungalows turned stores, and boutiques lies completely hidden from the outsider, but is home to many celebrities including Julia Roberts and Dennis Hopper, and more modern architecture homes than any other city in California. My favourite leather goods store, Daisy Arts, and one of my favourite shoe makers, Toms, are both located in this tiny stretch.

Jin Patisserie is located near the north end of Abbot Kinney in a fantastic California bungalow home. The entire house is the kitchen where the world’s best cakes are made and the front yard has been turned into a dreamy Asian-inspired modern garden surrounded by bamboo and reeds closed off from the rest of the world. In the garden is a small collection of chairs and tables creating a very quiet cozy eating place but it’s difficult to get large parties seated and calling ahead can definitely be a life saver.

Jin Patisserie was started by a Singaporean dessert chef trained in Singapore and France and the specialty of the house is the most beautiful and delicious cakes in the whole world. A selection of almost 15 varieties of cake spans the whole French and Asian palette, from dark chocolate and lavender to green tea and passion fruit. My most notable favourites are the Desire and the Passion Fruit. The Desire is a complex mousse cake hidden in a soft chocolate shell with a raspberry or cherry on top and feuilletine, creme brulee, and sponge cake at the base. The flavour mix is staggering and each ingredient holds its own as the cake melts in your mouth. The Passion is slightly more simple but no less intriguing, a passion fruit, mango, mascarpone cake that is sweet and pleasing to any tongue. Every other cake on the menu is absolutely mind blowing in flavour and delicate intricacy and there’s no wrong choice. Even the house cake served with the lunch special, the Tropical - a blend of mango and coconut usually served in a shapeless tumble, is fantastic.

The tea selection at Jin focuses on Green’s and Black’s from China and the Near East and is the perfect compliment to the cakes and sandwiches. My usual choices are the The de Loup and The du Hammam, strong greens with hints of nuts and flowers. The sandwich selection rounds out the menu items with traditional egg salad, tuna salad, and my favourite, the chicken salad. The sandwiches are made from fresh meats and ingredients and are luscious and creamy. I always got the fresh olive bread, a healthy whole grain Italian style bread with chewy crust and large slices of Kalamata olive in the large pockets and a dab of olive oil. The sandwiches are accompanied by a mesclun salad with an extremely light salty dressing that brings out the natural flavour in the fresh greens and I still have never been able to replicate the dressing to this day no matter how hard I try.

Jin Patisserie is one of the best tea rooms in the world, my favourite cake maker, and their take home chocolates, cookies, and teas make good gifts for the more discerning taster. As a cafe, the atmosphere is charming and dreamy, appealing to all the senses at once and closing off the diner from the rest of the world. Time stands still while eating at Jin. I can remember exactly the way the cakes tickled my taste buds, melted on my tongue, and smelled fragrant of flowers and fruit - even from the first time I visited five years ago. Yes it’s that amazing and if you don’t visit while in Los Angeles you won’t even begin to understand why it’s my favourite city.

One last note, the hours the cafe is open are very limited and so is the seating. Like most bakeries, the cakes are usually best about one hour after opening and often run out of the more tantalizing selections before closing time. Call ahead if you have a large party and don’t forget to stroll the street before or after your meal. It was a journey just writing about Jin. Enjoy.