the elephant walk

Last weekend I headed out to a friend's birthday party at The Elephant Walk, a Cambodian-French restaurant with 3 locations in the Boston area. Never having experienced Cambodian food, but obviously a huge fan of French food, I went in with an open mind but minimal expectations, and was blown away by the amount of flavor packaged in these dishes. This is also one of the most accommodating restaurants I have been to, with a massive menu including both Cambodian, French, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, this is a great place to take a large group.

T started with the nataing; ground pork simmered in coconut milk with sliced garlic, peanuts and chili pods served with crispy rice (which felt & tasted just like unsweetened rice crispies).

I started with the rouleaux; crispy Cambodian spring rolls filled with mushrooms, peanut, noodles, carrot and onion with tuk trey for dipping. I shared only 2 of the 5...mmm.
 

Next T went with the crepe au canard et champignons; a warm crepe filled with duck braised in soy-ginger and tamaring juices, with mushroom and scallion. I had half and kept sneaking more...I don't even like duck but this was amaaaazing!

Although you reeeeally can't see it very well, for his entree T went with the dish I forced him to order (as I wanted half): loc lac; cubed beef tenderloin lightly caramalized in black pepper, garlic, and mushroom soy witt a lime dipping sauce. It was good, it didn't blow me away, and I was glad I ordered mine..which was the best dish of the night...

A dish of braised boneless short ribs with a gravy-like sauce, asparagus, and garlicky mashed potatoes...unbelievably tasty. One bite of the beef and my whole mouth was overwhelmingly filled with a whole bowl of beef stew. This dish is definitely in my top 5 last-meal requests.

For dessert T & I split the le peche au chocolate; a rich, creamy, chocolate truffle cake paired with a raspberry sauce. Tasty but extremely rich & filling, I would not recommend getting this on your own! 
 

My only complaint is the fact that dinner took about 3 hours, with terribly slow service I was given 2 cocktails within the 3 hours...soooo sloooowwww. If the food wasn't amazing, I definitely would not go back...but it was...and I will be back when I have the time to spend waiting! 

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boston restaurants: n

The highest rated N restaurant in Boston is No. 9 Park, Barbara Lynch's Italian-French masterpiece located in Beacon Hill steps from the state house. With dark wood floors & multiple antique chandeliers hanging in every room, the restaurant exudes elegance. The menu consists of a 3-course prix fixe option as well as a seven-course chef’s tasting menu. With multiple accolades under its belt including a AAA Four Diamond Rating, 2012 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine Program, and always placing on the Best of Boston and 50 Best Restaurants list, you will have a memorable tasty meal, every time.

 

After ordering a bottle of Sancerre for the table, I started with the potato agnolotti with celeriac brown butter, chestnuts, and black trumpet mushrooms. This dish was my favorite of the evening. Little pierogi-like light pillows of delicious potato mixtures, I couldn't get enough! Apologies for the dim & washed-out photos, the candle mood-lighting got to me once again!

As always, I had to order the chicken. I went with the Giannone Farms chicken with a sunny-side up egg and an escargot puff-pastry. The puff-pastry was a nice addition and texture change to the dish, and the chicken was obviously perfectly prepared.

One of my dates went with the prime flat iron steak with roasted shallot, bone marrow bread pudding, a chard and spinach parcel, and a few roasted carrots garnishing the dish.
 

My other date went with the dish I was so close to ordering: the medium-rare roasted Scottish salmon with potato mille-feuille, beet jus, and horseradish.
 

To finish the meal, we went with dessert over cheese. I went with the cashew nougat glace with banana, molasses, and banana. Delicious once again, but I was still dreaming of my appetizer.
 

The other desserts at the table were chocolate-focused. One of which I can remember nothing other than chocolate, mint, and meringue, and the other was the chocolate cream tart with bourbon raisin, smoked cinnamon, and banana.

 

Another memorable meal, with fantastic service, and a beautiful setting. Next on my No. 9 Park go-to-list is their lunch!

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boston restaurants: c

I had been to Craigie on Main once before, a couple of years ago, when T & I were in the midst of becoming sick. Neither of us had happy memories of this dinner, as we were both in a sickness-induced fog of miserableness. I never had any interest in returning to this restaurant, but when I set out to visit each of the highest rated #-Z restaurants in Boston, I realized Craigie on Main would be mandated to be re-visited. We headed over with minimal expectations...and we were blown away by the experience.

Located between the Central and Kendall/MIT T stops, Craigie on Main is also car-friendly, with some street-parking as well as valet available. An interesting mix of local seasonal New England cuisine with French techniques, Craigie on Main has moved towards the top of my Boston-area favorites.

We arrived (a bit late) for our reservation, and were told that there was a recent cancellation for the chef's counter, and were asked if we would like to sneak on in. We snatched the opportunity to peek into the kitchen, and plopped ourselves front and center.

The whole restaurant is focused on the open kitchen, which is a nice change, but does create a bit of a bustle for those that don't have front-row seats like we did. Fortunately, there are many mirrors placed throughout the dining room so diners are able to see bits and pieces of the cooking.
 

Every night the menu may change, but there are always prix fix menus along with tasting menus of 6- or 8-courses available. T and I went with the prix fix as we had our eyes on certain items already. After ordering, we were surprised with one amuse bouche each, for T, a mussel, and for me, a beef heart pastrami with spicy mustard. 

 

As an appetizer, T went with the house-made farro flour spaccatelli with wild boar and forest mushroom ragoût. T reported this was very savory, and I stole a piece of the spaccatelli which I can report was very rich & tasty. I went with the grilled Spanish octopus with grilled cipollini onion, green olive & lemon salad, bulgur wheat, and chorizo purée. Soft, delicate, and delicious, this was the perfect light appetizer. We were also amazed by how large our appetizers were.

 

 For entrees, I chose the slow roasted chicken breast (since I love restaurant chicken so much) with chicken sausage, dried apricots, forest mushrooms, spring-dug carrots, and a scotch whisky jus. This is the dish that single-handedly blew me away. This chicken has undoubtedly moved to the top of my Boston-restaurant-chicken list...a hard list to even get near. Moist, tender, and flavorful, the combinations on the plate were unbelievable. 

Travis went with the Vermont pork three ways: suckling confit, spice crusted rib, smoked & grilled belly with russett apple purée, turnips, port-soaked pruned, and maitake mushrooms. The confit melted in his mouth while the rib was crispy and moist. The grilled belly reportedly paired well with the mushrooms. We also split a side of duck-fat roasted brussel sprouts, which were fresh, crispy & scrumptous.  

As T was stuffed and out of commission for dessert, I took control and ordered for us (....me, really). I have always loved anything malted, and the moment I read those four little letters on the menu (m-a-l-t) it was decided. We got the malted milk parfait, with honey roasted peanuts & a chocolate sorbet. I allowed T to have 2 bites, but then after tasting this dish, I hoarded it for myself. This dessert is easily in my top-2 desserts in Boston. Unbelievably tasty, the contrasting textures harmonized into an amazing flavorful bite. Bits of chocolate brownie, a small almost peanut-buttery-caramel textured bit, with crunchy pieces resembling cocoa crispies and the salty honey roasted peanuts...I was in food-heaven after bite one.

 

At this point, we were completely stuffed, we enjoyed the hazelnut-caramel macarons before heading home, passing the cute seasonal pumpkin-lanterns strewn about Central Square.
 

We will most definitely be back to Craigie on Main. I now have the Chef's Whim's tasting menu on my to-visit list. Every Sunday after 9pm, chef Tony Maws will cook up a discounted 4- or 6-course tasting menu on a whim. More information here.

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codman estate art fair

Saturday, the gorgeous Codman Estate in Lincoln held an art fair. To make it a Lincoln-day, we headed to Aka Bistro for a brunch of french toast with blueberry compote to start us off on the right foot. If you are ever out in the metrowest area, Aka Bistro is a must. The restaurant is comprised of 2 chefs with separate menus, one Japanese, and one French. Perfect if you need a place to eat, but are unsure of your guests' favorite cuisines! Website here.

We headed out before the ominous rain cloud moved in, making sure to leave plenty of time to explore the grounds and visit the craft stands. Located on a windy tree-lined road, the Codman Estate is a Georgian beauty that was built in 1790.

We strolled up & down the aisles of tents, peeking in each tent. From wooly-lined slippers to silver jewelry to paintings & pottery, this crafts fair had it all. Obviously I was mostly focused on the animals though, as usual.

After a day of exploring the crafts fair, we headed out with our new goodies. Off we went pick up some crab legs & have a romantic night in.

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