NYC: Donuts, Dumplings, and Dim Sum!

Josh and I head up to New York fairly often to get a food fix that just isn’t available in the LV, and consequentially, as it happens each time we visit the city, we each gained about 200 lbs. Above: the tres leches donut from the Doughnut Plant in the Lower East side.  A moist, cake-y concoction with a line of pudding-like cream running through the center.  These doughnuts are so good that we basically make a trip to the DP every single time we’re in the city.  I don’t even want to know how many calories I’ve consumed here.

We found the Dumpling Man by accident in the East Village, entered immediately and ordered the veggie and shrimp dumplings. All of the dumplings are hand-rolled in front of you, which makes for a very fresh tasting, delicious result.

Now the dumplings themselves were great; the dipping sauce, however, was not.  It tasted extremely watered down, and did little to compliment the flavors of the dumplings.  Note to self: next time, sneak in own tamari.    

The next day we ate brunch at the Vegetarian Dim Sum House in Chinatown – it was phenomenal. We probably got around 8 dishes total, and, split three ways, the bill came out to an insane $10 per person.  

Out of the table-full of food that we ordered, the Peanut Sesame buns were my favorite (pictured left – the fried ball on the right is the Mashed Taro Treasure ball, which was also good but really heavy and rich.  I think I could only finish half of one).  The Peanut Sesame buns are puffy rice buns filled with what literally tastes like the inside of a recees peanut butter cup. I ate four of those, but no one else at the table liked them so please, try at your own risk.

The Veggie Dim Sum house was definitely the highlight of the weekend, and since we barely put a dent in their menu, I’m sure there will be tons of new and exciting dim sum dishes in our future!

-Carolyn

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White Orchids

We all ate at White Orchids the other night for some of the indisputably best
Thai food in the Lehigh Valley.

My dish was the Green Curry which is pictured above. It was my first time trying a new dish because I usually get the Panang Curry. I told them mild but I knew it would have a little kick to it and it did. Be prepared for a little bite to your food when you eat here. They let you choose Tofu, Chicken, Beef or Seafood. I chose the Tofu and it’s usually prepared pretty soft so if you only like your tofu firm this might now be your best option. Perhaps if you request it to be more firm the could throw it in a pan. I know they can because there is an appetizer on the menu called “Vegan Tofu Appetizer” where tofu seems to be baked. Also very delicious!

I really enjoyed our night at White Orchids and have a great time whenever we decide to go. It’s a place where you can dress up or dress down with a very cozy atmosphere. We went on a Thursday night and the place was pretty packed. I know if you decide to try it on a weekend night you should really make reservations. I have tried a couple other Thai places here in the Valley and I would have to say W.O is by far my favorite!

-Mundania

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I went for the Pad Kee Mao. I love their noodles with the thick, soft texture and the wide rice noodles they use here set the bar high. I can’t eat them without talking about wanting to jump into a pool of them. Even if you don’t want to swim in pasta, the flavor combination really pops. The veggies and tofu are sauteed to a soft crisp, and the sauce is flavorful and clean. Thai basil used this way is very different from the basil that I’m used to in Italian dishes. This is the dish that’s so good it prevents me from trying anything else.

-Jaime

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I get the Pad See’ew almost every time I eat here. Now and again I’ll experiment with a curry dish (for the record: every curry dish at White Orchids is phenomenal) but there’s something about the Pad See’ew that I just can’t get
enough of. I’ll second Jamie’s notion of wanting to jump into a pool of these noodles and roll around. They’re seriously delicious. The crisp veggies and shrimp went so well with the noodles, and everything was sauteed in a mild, slightly sweet sauce with a little garlicy bite to it. Yum. 5 stars.

-Carolyn

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I switch between panang curry (usually with tofu) and spicy basil fried rice (usually with shrimp) and both are exceptional.  I already gushed about White Orchid in my previous post, so I won’t bore everyone, but both are exceptional.  Usually we go for an appetizer, the tofu app is simple, but amazing.  Also, the summer rolls are refreshing and flavorful.  If I am hungry I almost always go for tom yom soup, which has fantastic spice and depth of flavor.  Really I have tried all the curries (best green curry I’ve ever had), most of the apps, and a few of the soups and I have never been disappointed.

-Josh

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