This is a Russian dumpling, pelmeni. This was my first Russian dumpling and it was fantastic. The dumpling wrapper was thin but wrapped perfectly around the plump filling of salmon. The filling was plump and had a perfect texture as it wasn’t overcooked and dry or raw. The dumpling was topped with a sour cream sauce and salmon roe on top. The sauce provided a good creamy texture and the few roes on top of the dumpling provided the salty flavor the whole package needed. A lovely salad accompanied the dumplings, and the whole dish was very good.

This is a soy milk miso based ramen with tochucha ramen noodles topped with tofu, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and wild mushrooms. The noodles were a house special which were an additional dollar. Tochucha is a prized herbal tea made from the leaves of Eucommia tree. The noodles had more flavor than regular ramen noodles and a delightful springy texture. The broth was creamy and savory, not as heavily salted as ramen broth usually is. The toppings were simplistic in preparation. Everything was very well balanced and the taste of the noodle and broth paired very well together. This was a satisfying, different, and good vegetarian ramen bowl for those who are staying away from meat based meals.

Vegan bratwurst is on the menu in Black Forest Brooklyn! The vegan wurst is a blend of smoked peppers, onions, garlic, cumin seeds, and oregano. The visuals of it looks exactly like a regular wurst, the texture felt like a tofu or seitan sausage. It definitely tasted a lot like peppers, cumin seeds, and onions, which is a lot of delicious flavors in one wurst. The bun given with it was not fun or special, it was also topped with saurkraut that gave it freshness, and a side of mustard which gave it a spicy punch that I loved. All in all I would reorder this again to support plant based menu items because it is the best for the environment. I wouldn’t miss meat with this vegan wurst!

One of my favorite starches in the world + one of my favorite fruit in food…. lemon potatoes! I’ve never had this dish before and let me tell you, I AM OBSESSED NOW! Seeing this on a menu in a Greek restaurant fascinated me, so I ordered it. The lemon flavor was powerful but the creaminess of the potatoes made it all work. The potatoes were quartered so they were still in large pieces, skin still left on which left a rustic image to me, and they were oh so delicious! I am so happy to have stumbled upon this potato dish because I got to say this is probably my favorite preparation of potatoes… even more than chips and fries.. which says a lot! 

After an unsatisfying bowl of ramen in Port Jefferson, my boyfriend and I decided we needed an after dinner cheese plate. We went to the local cheese shop in Port Jefferson and I asked for the server to surprise me with a cheese that goes great with honey. Unluckily I had a server that was on her first day but she delivered the cheese the cheesemonger has chosen and left without any explanation of the cheese. Luckily Google is readily accessible and I found out that Cacio di Bosco is a Tuscan cheese made with both cow and sheep’s milk. Small truffles pieces are speckled within the cheese. It was hard, nutty, and was filled with truffle flavor. The small specks of truffles left me wanting more, but the intense truffle flavor embedded in the cheese was wonderful. It reminded me of a pecorino cheese. It tasted fantastic with honey and baguette. I will be happy to try this cheese again, maybe with a side of grapes or even cured meat.