Big AZ MEATZ

Brought to you by the same co-worker who tipped me off on The Modern Toilet restaurant in Taiwan, I am simultaneously intrigued and disgusted by this American product:

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!

Exhibit A(Z): Big AZ Chicken and Big AZ Burger

Kraft found a Big AZ Burger in the odd morning hours at the bodega near his place in Brooklyn and took a picture of it on his Blackberry. Showing our office the picture (not the one above) at 5:30pm prompted several questions and a good half-hour spent laughing AND discovering all we could about the Big AZ line on the Internets (and finishing up some other work....). I still have so many unanswered questions about the Big AZ Burger, such as, how can it stay in a vending machine so long? What is the meat ACTUALLY made out of that it can just sit at room temperature all day? It tastes...good?!

I guess those are pretty important questions that will only be answered upon finding this golden ticket in a bodega. Until then, here are the two answers I DID find:

Q1: Who makes Big AZ Products?
 A1: Pierre Foods. 

 With manufacturing plants in Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Pierre Foods prides themselves on making "Real food for BIG snack ATTACKS." They also hold the motto "Creative Ideas. Innovative Solutions." Nothing says creativity like naming your product line "Big AZ" or "Big AZ Bubba Twins" when describing a two-pack. I admit, I laughed out loud when Kraft first said, "Big AZ Burger." Say whatttt?!

Q2: What other Big AZ Meats are there?
A2: The Big AZ Product line is ridiculous(ly amazing?). Categorized on their website as "Handheld Convenience," Big AZ covers it ALL.

Breakfast/Deli Sandwiches:
Poor Boy Sandwich
Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Specialty Sandwiches:
Rack-o-Ribs BBQ Pork Sandwich
Country Fried Chicken Sandwich w/ Cheese
Fish and Cheese Sandwich

Rack-o-Ribs BBQ Pork RIB Sandwich (pictured)

**Curious to know how the Rack-o-Ribs BBQ Pork and Rack-o-Ribs BBQ Pork RIB differ...

Beef:
Big AZ Bubba Twins - Twin Charbroil w/ Cheese
Beef Charbroil w/ Cheese
Beef Charbroil w/ BBQ Sauce

Hot Dogs and Sausages:
Big AZ Bubba Twins - Twin Chili Dogs w/ Cheese

Chicken:
Big AZ Bubba Twins - Twin Breaded Chicken Subs
Spicy Chicken Sandwich w/ Cheese
Country Fried Chicken Sandwich w/ Cheese
Spicy Breaded Chicken Sandwich w/ Cheese

I may just have to put down for one of these, if I can actually find it at a deli in the wee hours of the morning. Mystery meat! To be continued...

Now, That's What I Call a Cover! Vol. 32

Record Club: INXS "Need You Tonight" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

I pretty much think that anything St. Vincent touches turns to gold. I'm sold!

Check out more about Beck's Record Club.

Crazy Flavored Kit Kat Bars: A Campaign to Bring Them Westward

Wow, this is unintentionally becoming an Asian food blog. Wamp wamp, what it do, what it doooooo? (Song popped into my head this morning...weird).

Lyndsey, Kathleen, and I decided to explore Flushing, Queens this past weekend with high aims for soup dumps (Nan Xiang success!) and Asian food shopping. Little did we know what Candy Shop USA had in store for us...

Exhibit A: Ginger Ale Kit Kat Bar and Hot Pepper Beef Jerky

Why have Americans been deprived of the numerous flavors of Kit Kat bars out there? Seeing the two flavors Candy Shop USA carried (Ginger Ale and Royal Milk Tea) was almost similar to finding life forms on another planet. Japan has been holding out on us! Japan, whyyy!

Lyndsey later found this website that shows a bunch of other crazy Kit Kat bars special to Japan, including Green Tea, Sweet Corn, and...Muscat of Alexandria Grapes? Red beak soup? Red BEAN soup right? RIGHT?

My roommate and I taste tested Ginger Ale together at the count of 3, and it tasted more like sweet ginger white chocolate than an actual ginger ale drink. Not bad...but I probably wouldn't buy it again. Coincidentally, it just so happened that one of my friends came back from Japan recently and was similarly intrigued by the array of Kit Kats out there. He brought back Wasabi and Soy Sauce Kit Kats, which I was able to try this week. Soy Sauce tastes like maple syrup and not at all like actual soy sauce. Wasabi tastes like Wasabi without the sting that climbs up yer nose. I would honestly buy Soy Sauce Kit Kats if they were around! Mmm, sweetness. My cousin working in Japan has also offered to send me pumpkin kit kats when they're in season (in the fall). Can't wait!

In other news, the Chinese make some pretty rad beef jerky.

Excited for the next adventure out to Flushing!

How Now Mantao!

It's been a few days. I finally bought myself a pack of Orbit gum. Chomp chomp chomp. Chew chew chew. It's another post about Beef & Kimchi! Oyyyyy

Two plugs on this post...

FIRST: Here, we have the amazing technicolor collective buying power that is Groupon.

I was introduced to Groupon in my boss' persuasion that our work bowling team (very short-lived) needed some practice before going face to face against Cherry Lane Music Publishing, our co-publishers on the Black Eyed Peas/David Guetta hit, "I Gotta Feeling." Groupon had some ridiculous bowling deal at Chelsea Piers. I guess she should have pushed the Groupon on us harder (we lost!), but it wasn't until Gao Di started letting Groupon change her life that I started to come around. Since then, we've contemplated buying a boot camp series on the Brooklyn Bridge, a poledancing class, and enrolling Gao Di in the "Live off of Groupon and Win $100,000" contest - all beautiful dreams that never came to fruition. ;)

In more serious matters, I've bought a handful of Groupons including a $12 (worth $24) hot lavender manicure in Tribeca (which also paid for an unexpected Leelee Sobieski celebrity sighting!), 4 Baja Fresh Burritos for $16 (which I split with my coworker), and now two $7 groupons, each worth $15 of fare at Mantao Chinese Sandwiches!

Which brings us to Plug #2: Mantao Chinese Sandwiches! Located on 53rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue, these tasty little sesame bun sandwiches are so delicious that I used both of my Groupons back to back in two days! And it is a little bit of a walk from Madison Ave...

The first day, I went sandwich crazy and ordered 3 - Beef & Kimchi, the Angus burger, and Spicy Pork. I slowed down tremendously by the end of the Angus Burger, and had to leave Spicy Pork as a dinner appetizer. The second day I sat in their sunny restaurant with my coworker, talking in between bites of the Beef & Kimchi Sandwich, Spicy Mackerel sandwich, and a side order of juicy pork and shrimp dumplings.  

The $9.95 combo box includes any two sandwiches of your choice, shrimp chips, and Chinese slaw. I recommend Beef & Kimchi (DUH) and Braised Pork. Those ones are the tastiest. Git git!

New York Hot Dog and Coffee!

I've been on such a beef and kimchi kick this week, someone buy this girl a pack of gum! >_<

The scenario is happening more and more. I ambitiously try to run from show to show, and find myself scrounging for food. Or dare I say...not eating? This was an all too familiar story in my SXSW experience. The difference between Austin and New York is that New York actually has some decent fast eats between venues. I made the unfortunate mistake of getting a "bulgogi sandwich with cheese" on 6th Street in Austin, which was essentially a grilled cheese sandwich with bulgogi somewhere in the middle. Needless to say, it was the one time I probably should have opted out of cheese...and withheld my urge to have Korean BBQ. :(

Yesterday, I romped around my old stomping grounds (the Village), seeing one Chris Thompson to another Christy Thompson, and remembered New York Hot Dog and Coffee! This has been a place I've been wanting to try ever since freenyc.net started advertising free bulgogi burgers in the summer to the first 100 people at lunch time. Unfortunately (fortunately?), this place is all the way over on Bleecker and 6th Ave - hence, too far from the Midtown Wasteland perimeters. The fusion of hot dog/hamburgers and Korean food just sounded downright appealing, and why this place didn't exist while we were at NYU is just a shame. A real shame!

Exhibit A: Kimchi and Bulgogi Hot Dog w/ a Side of Fries

Above, you are indeed looking at a hot dog covered with bulgogi and kimchi. I have to say, it was pretty tasty, but I actually found myself ditching the hot dog after half eating it and just attacking the bulgogi and kimchi instead. I think I felt a little meat overload? I much rather would have preferred just having bulgogi and kimchi on a hot dog bun. BUT, I am still curious to come back here and try the Bulgogi burger. Plus, the fries were light and crispy - almost like they were fried in light tempura batter or something. YUM.

Anecdote

I'm not that familiar with Ambulance LTD, but this song is sweeeeet. And, once again, I'm running a song into the ground by playing it on repeat until I get sick of it. The vocal line right before the "punchline" is killer! Thanks for this one, Ian!

M Noodle! My Saving Grace!

The Asian selection off of Graham Avenue was a bit lacking until this joint popped up!

549 Metropolitan Avenue 
btw. Union Ave. and Lorimer St.

I first passed by M Noodle on the way back from a show at Union Pool in December. It was around 2am, and M Noodle looked like MECCA. Took a mental note, and decided to come back that Sunday. Perfect rainy Sunday for soupadoup. Apparently, the place had only opened that week! 

Exhibit A: Sliced Pork Belly Noodle Soup w/ Pulled Noodle...mmm

Killer (recommended) combos: 

Marinated Beef Stew Noodle Soup w/ Wonton Noodle
Marinated Beef Stew Noodle Soup w/ Pulled Noodle
Shredded Beef with Chili Pepper Noodle Soup w/ Pulled Noodle

Den-den Mein w/ Pulled Noodle

M Noodle has now become my go-to Chinese take-out in the neighborhood. I love the fact that you can choose whatever noodle you want for the dishes they serve, though I've pretty much stuck with Wonton Noodle and Pulled Noodle. AND, even though I haven't really utilized it, I love the fact that M Noodle is open until 6am everyday. Noon-6am, 7 days a week! Noodles and dumplings at all times of day make me a very happy girl. CHOMP.

We'll Mine Our Sparks to Shoot Us Above!

I've already listened to "Excuses" 6 times this morning, which has probably been the average number of times I've listened to it per day since Monday.  

The Morning Benders have become my recent obsession after my roommate played this video for me on Monday. Lovin' the 1960's throwback/fun vocal harmonies. I can't get over how such a strong voice comes from such a skinny half-Asian dude! I will have to go see this for myself when they play the Housing Works Hype Machine CD Swap next Thursday, February 25th. (Upon which, you should then head over to 45 Bleecker for the long awaited Father Figures Record Release Show, featuring opening act, The Relatives, back from Prague!)

The Morning Benders' new album, Big Echo, comes out on Rough Trade Records on March 9th. Co-produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, you can guess there's gonna be some wacky accented beats and instrumentation. Until then, check out their cover of The Cardigans' "Lovefool."

Polonaise Hollandaise

Though I had my fair share of learning some beautiful pieces, the one classical piano piece I wish I learned while I was still studying is this one, Chopin's Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53. I bought the sheet music for this a couple of years ago with the hopes of one day teaching it to myself, and the process has been pretty slow going. Luckily, in the wonderful age of technology, I now have Vladimir Horowitz to show me how it's done. Check out his expression at the end; I'd feel the same if I could play it like him!

Ma Pechehhhhhh!

Expecting a great lunch or dinner and receiving lower than your great expectations might qualify as one of the "worst minor catastrophes" in the world, in the words of my co-worker.

Ma Peche, aka "Mother Peach", is the newest edition to the David Chang dynasty of pan-Asian cuisine that comprises the brand Momofuku, meaning "Lucky Peach." As a regular follower of Midtown Lunch Blog (a celebration of the wasteland that is the food selection in Midtown Manhattan), I was thrilled to hear about Ma Peche's opening in November 2009 and couldn't wait for a good reason to pretend I was fine dining ($10 lunch special, heyooo!). And unfortunately, pretend...it sure was.

Momofuku is known for their meats! They are known for having some of the best fried chicken in the city (inspired by Congee Village), the best pork buns, and one of the city's best pork ramen. It came as a HUGE disappointment to be (disappointed) by the meat in the dishes we ordered. I knew a $10 lunch special from the Momofuku Empire was too good to be true!

Exhibit 1: Banh Mi au poulet

 

First off, $10 for a banh mi and a coke is overpriced (this was expected), but the "banh mi au poulet" was half the size of a banh mi 40 blocks downtown for double the price. Really though, my main problem with this banh mi was the chicken, which is a shame because it's a chicken sandwich. I've never been keen on ordering chicken in Vietnamese restaurants (remember, never order Pho Ga, you wimp), but given Momofuku's reputation for fried chicken, I figured all bets were out the door.  The chicken wasn't fresh chicken breast. It was some sort of chicken patty/roll with a dry, block like consistency that was a bit tough. And they get away with calling it "au poulet..."

Exhibit 2: Bun du riz (aka Pork Rice Noodles)

This initially caught my eye from Midtown Lunch blog, and I pretty much knew I was going to order it before I got to the Chambers Hotel. Behind those layers of green is actually very salty ground pork. Very salty. The dish almost tasted like it could have been an Asian Box of Hamburger Helper...guh. The noodles were interestingly shaped into little cones. The redeeming quality of the dish was that they were fun to eat, BUT I usually find myself with a healthy appetite, and I didn't finish the plate. Salty pork drew my mouth-watering appetite dry.

At this point, I was ready to leave without ordering the peanut butter cookie (from Momofuku Milk Bar) which everyone raves about, but my 6'3 businessman who opened the colossal, wooden doors of the Chambers Hotel from the top of the door handles has a soft spot for peanut butter, so we stayed. 

 

As we sat in our cubicle-feeling bucket chairs placed diagonally far away from each other, my eyes drifted to the book Farm Animal Portraits placed in front of us on the bookshelf, and our waiter returned with a peanut butter cookie in a bag in his hand, almost high-fiving it over to us. Not even a plate! Just a cookie in a sweaty bag. Yipes. At least the center was chewy and peanut buttery?

Just say "momofuku" to Momofuku Midtown and get yourself over to Takashimaya on 5th Ave for the fine dining experience you deserve. Ma Peche ain't worth yer pennies!

If I Trust In You, Oh Please...

When I first started playing guitar, I ate up the two volumes of Beatles sheet music that my Dad had recently purchased at Barnes & Noble. There were two songs I remember him re-learning: "And I Love Her" and "If I Fell." I recently remembered how much I love the vocal harmonies in this song--