NYC: At Kiehl's. Just Want to Thank...

...that really nice lady at Kiehl's. I went in yesterday evening to restock on the French Rosewater, a product I love very much, especially during the summer months. There are two Kiehl's shops in Manhattan, and I am lucky to live right near the flagship location on the corner of 13th Street and 3rd Avenue.

I checked in the "body" section where they usually keep it...but the rosewater wasn't there!! To my dismay it turned out that the product was discounted in the US :/
"But wait here," the woman told me. "I'll get you some samples in the back!"

I waited for less than a minute, and she came back out with a bag filled to the top with many and I mean MANY MANY samples of the French Rosewater! Love!
While I was there I also picked up a few other products I needed, including this Cucumber Toner (it's hard to find a good alcohol-free toner!) pictured above...and some Tinted Moisturizer for my trip to San Francisco next week. My routine is bare bones. The moisturizer and maybe a bit of liner is all that's needed. And the rosewater of course. It feels so nice to splash it over your skin on hot days, or right when you get out of the shower. And then you will smell pretty too :)

I checked online and it looks like you can order the rosewater off their online shop...just might have to do that...though I wish they would keep it in stock, especially since it is the flagship shop!

Kiehl's
109 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212-677-3171

Hawai'i: Curry House CoCo Ichibanya

Curry House time!!! Every visit home means one stop at Curry House, preferably the McCully Shopping Center or University Avenue location.
I went with Robyn and Noelle on a Friday night...we shared two big plates between the three of us...because we had to save room for ONE SCOOP OF EVERY FLAVOUR at Bubbies.

There's a set menu, but you can adjust everything to your specifications. Additional toppings. Quantity of rice (ranging from 200 to 1300 grams), spicy level, etc.
Everyone was in a katsu mood, so both orders were katsu-based. First up: Chicken Katsu Curry with Corn and Cheese! I'm not sure if doing cheese and corn is a local thing (is it a Japanese thing as well?)...but I LOVE CORN AND CHEESE in Japanese curry!!! There's nothing quite like it. The katsu is laid over a bed of rice, and then goes a pour over curry (we ordered spice). The corn is already mixed with the curry sauce, cheddar cheese to top. Growing up I also grated cheddar cheese into bowls of ramen. Did anyone else do that?? That was ono, for sure.
This is the other order: Pork Katsu Curry with Kimchee, also spicy. Robyn and Noelle liked the pork katsu more than the chicken katsu. In general I'd pick pork over chicken, but I think Curry House does a better job with the chicken katsu than the pork.
Oh, and don't forget to have some fukujinzuke on the side! Our dinner totaled less than $20 for three of us. Full table service and all :)

Curry House CoCo Ichibanya
1009 University Ave Rm 2
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 947-2206

NYC: Jean Georges with Justin

Amuse Bouche: Trout Sashimi with Snap Pea Dressing, Carrot-Miso Soup, and Pickled Radish and Dijon Mustard Butter Toast

Justin was in NYC last week (hooray - have not seen you since Christmas '09 in Hawai'i!) so we took plenty advantage of flexible schedules and had an abundance of great meals. Our last meal together was for lunch at Jean Georges, a restaurant I have been meaning to visit for a very long time.

French Bread and Butter, Salt

JG offers a lunch prix fixe of $29 for two-courses, and $8 for dessert. I was expecting a lot, perhaps too much, because we came away underwhelmed, with both service and food.

Appetizers were the highlight (especially that Foie Gras Brulee), mains were disappointing, and dessert? The highs were high and the lows were forgettable. What I couldn't get over was how messily plated and disorganized the plates were, so different from these. I would have gladly paid extra for the "four play" style as opposed the chaotic takes served at lunch. They're the same desserts plated differently.

Perhaps we ordered wrong? Maybe you can tell me. I enjoyed lunch experiences at Eleven Madison Park ($28 for two courses, $12 for dessert) and Del Posto ($29 for three courses) significantly more, and would gladly pick lunch at either of those two restaurants in place of JG.

Photo by photo breakdown of our meal below:
Coach Farms Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Caramelized Baby Artichokes, Lemon and Olive Oil
Foie Gras Brulee, Rhubarb Juice, Pineapple Raisins and Sichuan Peppercorn
Sweetbreads, Alsatian Potato Salad
Caramelized Veal, Silky Cauliflower and Kumquats with Chartreuse
Desserts are split in four categories: Garden, Rhubarb, Citrus, and Chocolate. We shared the Garden and Citrus.

Garden: Chocolate Cremeux (bottom left), Chocolate Mochi (the one that looks like the Chocolate Cremeux on the right middle), Blackberries (the fruit rollup esque creation), Hazelnut Bitter Almond Macaron (closer look), Sweet Pea Ice Cream, Green Almonds

Citrus: Meyer Lemon Shaker Tart (closer look), Hazelnut Streusel, Meyer Lemon Sorbet, Matcha Semifreddo, Almond Praline, Seville Orange, Candied Kumquats.

The Matcha Semifreddo was the definite highlight of this set. The Almond Praline on which it was served was abundantly studded with pop rocks...can you imagine the surprise effect of that first bite? poppopshock! Semifreddo itself was wonderful, a velvety chill with a center of kumquat marmalade. I would have loved a giant version of the semifreddo, hehehe.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Macarons
Chocolates (from front to back): Earl Grey Tea, Hazelnut Praline, Mint, and Strawberry-Rhubarb
Vanilla Bean Marshmallows. Yes, fresh from the marshmallow cart :)

Jean Georges Restaurant
1 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023
(646) 200-5919