I am constantly reminded of how old I am getting by just how forgetful I have become. I can't tell you how many times I have arrived at a new restaurant with dishes mentally selected, myself brimming with the excitement of new tastes, only to reach down inside my rag-tag purse to find:
No camera.
Ugh ! The ultimate food blogger failure in life !
And somehow, I end up doing it multiple times.
One day, I hope to learn.
Or.
I can get a new phone like the Blackberry Curve, which is what Greeshma has. After Greeshma arrived, I lamented to her my mental shortcomings, and she said, "Well, my phone takes pretty good pictures."
I was doubtful.
But I went along with it.
And the pictures were surprisingly, pretty good (but you can be the judge of that).
So all of that is to say: Thanks, Greeshma, for making this post happen. This one's for you.
----
The dinner spot was
Bozu.
A delightful, adorable Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg across the street from the Brooklyn branch of
Caracas Arepas. Every time Greeshma and I stroll through Williamsburg, we just cannot believe how cute the damn area really is. So cute, I have to cuss about it. It's
that cute.
Fittingly, Bozu specializes in absolute cuteness. The decor is dark, simple and charming. The menus look like small CD holders, with pages slipped into plastic sleeves. Drawings of cartoon edamame and other Asian miscellany drawn on napkins by past customers are interspersed throughout the menu book as well.
We flipped through it, just to be polite, but our hearts were already set on the Pork Betty appetizer and the party bomb platter.
Let's do this.
The Pork Betty: thinly sliced pork belly cooked in sake and soy sauce, dolloped with wasabi cream
As you can see, the pork bellies were 4/5 fat; it melted in your mouth like a pool of soft pork fat should. Splitting this dish with Greeshma pretty much satiated my pork belly cravings for a long while.
The party bomb platter features 12 party bombs, three each of the pink bomb, mc low bomb and spicy bomb, and then you have a choice of the ikura, una or spicy una bomb. We picked the spicy una bomb, naturally. As you can see, sushi bombs are rice domes with sushi toppings, except it sounds so much cooler when call them bombs. Sushi bombs !! Instant excitement.
Sushi bombs were served with a tray of three silver cups of premixed soy and wasabi: the waitress explained it as: regular soy, little bit of wasabi, and (in a sudden, deepened masculine voice) a lot of wasabi. Greeshma went for the "lot of wasabi" one, but found that it was not that spicy. I am beginning to realize Greeshma has a freakish spice tolerance.
The mc low bomb: tuna + avocado + wasabi cream sauce. Simple. Solid.
The spicy una bomb: grilled eel, cucumber, spicy mayo and fresh wasabi. I really liked this one. It tasted fishy but in a good way.
The pink bomb: salmon + scallions. This was probably my favorite one. The salmon was very fresh, and we know the ongoing love affair Greeshma and I have with scallions. I liked that it was bare and unadorned by any wasabi cream or spicy mayo.
The spicy mcbomb: tuna, spicy mayo, cucumber and crispy something toppings called katafi. This one was the most fun to eat, as you can see why.
End verdict?
Bozu = Da Bomb ! Yes, I went there! That phrase is so 1997, but I still love it. Between the Pork Betty and the Party Bomb platter, Greeshma and I felt just fine with the level of food. We loved the decor, the fobby but friendly Japanese waitresses and the food.
And then we headed to our next spot for dessert at
Fatty Cue! The pies at Fatty Cue are from
First Prize Pies, which I had
blissfully experienced at my last visit to the
Hester Street Fair. Greeshma and I had hoped that the s'mores pie would be offered up at Fatty Cue that night (the selection varies daily).
Unfortunately, as Greeshma's luck would always have it, they did not have the s'mores pie, and given the option of a rhubarb pie (
we seriously do not understand everyone's fascination with that funky fruit/vegetable) and the bourbon pecan, we went with the latter.
Presenting the bourbon pecan pie, served with a small pitcher of cream:
The Bourbon Pecan pie was actually what won Allison Kave first place at the 1st Annual Brooklyn Pie Cook-off. It is made with pecans, three types of ginger (ground, crystallized and fresh), maple syrup and of course, a nice splash of bourbon.
The pie was unbelievably good. I am not the biggest fan of pecan pies, since I typically find them so cloyingly sweet from the mysterious thick goop inside them, but this one did not have that same thick goopiness (I am so eloquent). The ginger notes throughout the pie, the nice crunch from the chopped, toasted pecans with just the right amount of sweetness was just about as perfect as perfect can be. I tried it with the cream too which was also a nice touch.
Fatty Cue was up and bumping that night. We barely snagged a couple seats at the window, so I would recommend, if you're coming just for pie, to go ahead and just grab some at the Hester Street Fair or at Roni-Sues on Saturdays.
296 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 384-7770
91 South 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 599-3090
