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The Hungry Nomad: 04/01/2012 - 05/01/2012

April 29, 2012

Delachaise (New Orleans, USA)

Delachaise is a lovely little wine bar tucked away on Saint Charles street close to Touro hospital and my favorite sandwich shop (Milk Bar). 

We usually go here for drinks and appetizers (more specifically, the Lambic framboise beer and goose fat fries for me). On this particular day I was craving steak (poor attempt at vegetarianism preceded my cravings). It was a bit early- many restaurants were still not open for dinner and as we drove by Delachaise I checked the menu online to see if they offered your typical french Steak/Frites. Once we discovered that they did we quickly made our way over- both being big fans of the place.







Delachaise is a really lovely place and many of their dishes are delicious. The place is usually packed in the evenings- offering a cozy patio overlooking Saint Charles Avenue and the passing streetcars. 










I have never had a bad culinary experience at Delachaise; however, I've never had a meal and stuck to the fries and other small appetizers. Craving steak I predictably ordered the Steak/Frites while the Count ordered the special for the day- a Peruvian stir fry served on basmati rice. 

Once the food arrived I was delighted to see the beautiful presentation and the resemblance of a typical steak/frites dish I frequently had in France. However, as soon as I dug my knife in the meat I was quickly disappointed. The meat consisted of 80% fat. I left the entire thing untouched..and the count had to dissect it to find some small pieces of meat. The worst part...it was not cheap! I was expecting a good quality meat given what they were charging which added to my disappointment. On the bright side, the fries were delicious- as they always are. 





On the other hand, the Peruvian steak stir fry was an amazing blend of flavors and sauces.






I don't usually post these sort of photos as shown below but I wanted to show what remained at the end of our meal: Below: steak dissection... 




...and to be fair, our Peruvian stir fry was polished clean. 



Since I love this place, my bad steak experience will not stop me from going since everything else is amazing, I guess all I can recommend is: stick to the what they know best: appetizers and amazing wine. 


Delachaise on Urbanspoon

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April 28, 2012

The Creole Creamery (New Orleans, USA)

I've tried many ice cream shops in New Orleans and this one has made it to the top of my list. It has by far the best ice cream in town. 

As soon as you walk through the doors you take a trip back in time. It reminds me of many hollywood movies based in the South- it definitely has that old world charm. 

There are so many delicious and creative flavors to try and it's usually hard to choose just one.  However, over time and many flavor tests I find that I tend to gravitate to chocolate flavors. My personal favorites at the Creole Creamery are the entire chocolate section  (located on your left as soon as you walk in); more specifically, the chocwork-orange (a dark creamy chocolate ice cream with a hint of orange flavor), the butterscotch english toffee (soooo good) and lavender honey (who doesn't love lavender?)

What's your favorite flavor? 








Creole Creamery on Urbanspoon

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April 18, 2012

Bittersweet Confections (New Orleans, USA)

Chocolate truffles, cakes, cupcakes and more chocolate. This is what you'll find at the new Bittersweet Confections location in the Central Business District. Originally there on a cake tasting mission, we ended up tasting many of their delicious cupcakes in various flavors: chocolate, red velvet and almond. All were delicious and washed down with a perfect cup of cappuccino. They also offer little treats to take away- neatly packaged in clear plastic and pink stickers. 

Originally located in Lakeview close to City Park the owners have relocated downtown. Lucky us- their treats are now more accessible for those living on this side of town. 

I hear their truffles are to die for and so I'll have to go back sometime on a truffle tasting mission. Will keep you posted on my discoveries. 








Bittersweet Confections on Urbanspoon

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April 17, 2012

Magazine Deli Sno Balls and Ice Cream (New Orleans, USA)

One of the best ways to cool off from the heat in New Orleans is to have a sno ball. I had my first one just the other day and now understand why there are always long line ups at each sno ball stand. 

There are literally thousands of  stands all over town and some gain more popularity than others based on the flavors, quality of ice and syrup quantity. Some offer preservative free syrup made mainly from cane sugar, extracts and water but most use pre-made syrups. 

What is a sno cone you ask? It's a delightfully simply treat: shaved ice and flavored syrup. I added ice cream to mine which made it extra spectacular. The best part? It is a very cheap way to cool off. 

Magazine deli is a little stand close to my house. The staff were so friendly and gave me a little history of sno balls and offered their best flavors to taste. I am already a fan. 





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April 16, 2012

Magasin Vietnamese Cafe (New Orleans, USA)

Yes. Finally a Vietnamese restaurant on Magazine street! This one being modern, sleek, trendy yet cheap and friendly. 

Magasin Vietnamese Cafe has quickly become a popular spot on Magazine street so you may find yourself waiting in a line up during rush hours. The staff seemed overwhelmed the night we went and I can't say that the service was amazing because it was far from it but given that they are a new restaurant I won't be quick to judge. Hopefully, once everything falls into place they will get the hang of things and provide better and more prompt service. On the night we went, we had to wait 15-20 minutes before anyone came to our table. The food came out in a timely fashion but there was not enough spoons and when we asked it took another 15 minutes (the waiter forgot) and we had to go inside to grab spoons ourselves. There was no alcohol (assuming they do not have an alcohol license) so we went across the street to buy some wine which was fine. We went on a Friday night and were surprised to learn that the restaurant closes at 9 pm until we looked around and saw that the place was empty except for us.

Despite the lack of proper service the food was great (see menu). It was everything you could ask for on a Vietnamese menu: pho, spring rolls, subs and rice noodles. The best part was the vegetarian and vegan options which I found to be extremely refreshing since its a rarity down south. Our vegetarian friends were very happy with the options and ordered several of the veggie dishes off the menu. I am a big pho fan and opted for the chicken pho which was just perfect. The spring rolls (both friend pork and shrimp) were good as well. Perfect proportion of meat and rice noodles served with peanut sauce. The crab rangoon for appetizer was really delicious. I had never had it before and found it to be a perfect dish- creamy cheese and crab wrapped and fried in a crispy dough. The best part had to be the prices. Everything was reasonably priced: dinner for our table of 5 came to just over $60 dollars. 

This place is great if you don't feel like making the trek to the West Bank for your Vietnamese food fix. I for one will definitely be back for more. I just hope their service improves in time. 


















Magasin Vietnamese Cafe on Urbanspoon

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April 15, 2012

Chiba (New Orleans, USA)

A new sushi restaurant in New Orleans? This I must try. So far I have not been impressed with the New Orleans sushi scene. Most sushi joints serve sushi rolls covered in various sauce, many deep fried, and really not healthy at all. So you can understand how excited I was to try out Chiba hoping that it would resemble more of what sushi should be about: fresh fish with no frills and gimmicks. This is a sushi spot for true sushi lovers. In fact I quickly learned that the restaurant prides itself on serving less common fish and no Americanized sushi rolls (which means no crispy/fried sushi)! Great if you are looking for a healthier meal. 

Chiba is a beautiful modern, clean and roomy restaurant located on Oak street. I love everything on this vibrant and eclectic street, Chiba is a great new addition.

We ordered several sushi dishes and loved each one. The perfect amount of rice on each roll (not too much) and fresh fish. Delicious! Being from Vancouver its hard to rate this as the best sushi I've ever had but I can easily say that it is the best sushi I have ever had...in New Orleans. 









Chiba on Urbanspoon

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