all of my favorite foodie cities in the united states - chicago, nyc and san francisco - have their own renditions of pizza that they can call their own. chicago's pride comes in the form of a deep dish pie (& has not been replicated successfully elsewhere so far) while san francisco's pizza highlights the use of seasonal farm-to-table toppings upon thin crust. 

what about nyc?

well, their pizza is so well known that it is simply called by its namesake - new york-style pizza. 

have i tried it while i was there?
i've had my share of pizzas while i was in the states, this was one that i have NOT tried during my few visits to the big apple...

so it was pretty weird but exciting when i had my first slice of new york-style pizza at mikey's original new york pizza that opened in telawi, bangsar a few months ago. the head pizza chef behind this initiative is chef andrew bellucci who is intensely passionate about the pie!

it was an unplanned visit - in fact, i haven't heard about it until { ds } and i headed to my favorite french bistro, yeast for a brunch when we saw this across the street. in the mood for pizza, our decision was straightforward after quickly scanning the menu, we seated ourselves in a classic diner-themed joint with a lot of nyc love.

enveloped by the exposed red brick walls, which were adorned by framed playbills and paraphernalia of the city that never sleeps, the decor was made complete by the chess floor tiles which were accentuated by the dark furniture including the high counter dining table that lined one of  the walls. 

the semi-open kitchen that was separated by the glass display of the many big round discs of pizzas, occasionally became the stage for the kitchen staff - he tossed the pie dough up high as it is spun into the right thickness before being slathered with sauce and finally garnished with familiar toppings of cheese and meat. nine different pizza pies make up the menu with a selection of waffle fries named after parts of new york city along side the popular boneless buffalo chicken wings and hot heroes (sandwiches). 

[#protip] order and payment is made at the counter and they offer several upgrades with the purchase of pizza slices/hot heroes. you will be given a number in the form of a street sign of famed streets of the city to receive your order at the table.

mine? it was astor pl. and it got me curious so here's what a quick internet search revealed: astor place is in lower manhattan that stretches two blocks where the alamo, the cube and the astor place theater are located. [#randomfacts]

pizzas :: classic new york pizza | this is the pizza that made new york famous. or is it the other way around? either way, our classic pie is the perfect blend of mozzarella cheese melted over our fresh tomato sauce, with a little bit of olive oil and finished at the end with a generous portion of grated grana padano cheese. fuggedaboutit! (rm8.88 per slice / rm59.88 for 18" pie)

a new york-style pizza virgin, my first had to be done the right way.

what better way than to start with the most famed - the classic new york pizza? it had all the essences that make a pizza - the pie crust, tomato sauce and abundance of cheese. the description pretty much says it all. it was also my first introduction to grana padano cheese and it donned similar sharp flavors as its counterpart, the parmigiano reggiano.

the details: fold-able and maleable thin crust - the way it should be with some chewiness. good sharpness from the grana padano and the basic tomato sauce which i wished had some herbs to elevate its flavors to compliment the sprinkle of julienned fresh basil leaves. one thing i was hoping for was more of a pulling of the melted mozzarella cheese as i took bites for that satisfying cheesiness. overall, it had the foundation of a good pizza, which thankfully wasn't too greasy but there was definitely room for improvement.

waffle fries :: staten island | our seasoned waffle fries served with mikey's four signature sauces : blue cheese, rich brown gravy, smoked chili mayo and traditional heinz ketchup (rm 10.88)

*step right up and pick your upgrade!*

- well, i did and picked what is behind door of upgrade #1: the waffle fries and a soft drink (it just gotta be coke) to make it all a complete pizza experience for an additional rm12. 

i love waffle fries - like a lot. as long as it is done right. 

this one was almost there. seasoned generously, the fries were slightly lacking in the crispy exterior department but was soft and fluffy inside - perfectly cooked through criss cross potato slices. if only the execution of the exterior matched the interior..

the fun part was picking out which sauce was the flavor of the minute ;) to rank them based on preference would churn out the list to be: hearty and savory thickened gravy, the suprisingly well-balanced but mildly pungent blue cheese sauce, the tangy heinz ketchup (classic pairing) and finally the chili mayo which jolted me with its spicy kick that overpowered the potatoes.

boneless buffalo chicken wings | breaded, boneless wings are deep-fried and then coated with mikey's signature buffalo sauce and served with our house-made blue cheese dipping sauce, celery and carrots (rm 12.88)

the authentic buffalo wing, which originated from a place called buffalo in new york are not breaded. [#source] and get this, boneless wings are kinda not wings - they are chicken breast [#source] it's wing madness, i tell you!

but i digress. { ds } opted for upgrade #2 that bought her to a drink and a basket of boneless wings for an extra rm13. breaded with panko breadcrumbs to seal in the moisture of the chicken when deep fried, they were then doused in the slightly spicy and tangy (the hot sauce vinegar-y kind - think tabasco) buffalo sauce. one of the tastier buffalo sauces i've had here in malaysia. 

the bite-sized chicken pieces were - well, some were hits and some were misses - one of the two pieces that i've tried were slightly overdone and borderline dry. it was greasy which became very filling after more than a few pieces. however, it was compensated by the blue cheese dipping sauce.

perhaps it is best that i explain myself - i am usually not a fan of blue cheese...anything, for that matter. probably because of the sharpness and pungent-ness of the cheese itself but somehow mikey's managed to get it just right.

the dipping sauce had bits of blue cheese running through it, which was delicious with the celery and carrot sticks and most certainly worked as the perfect pairing to the tangy buffalo sauce with its creamy, saltiness that ends with a subtle hint of bitterness. it even surprised me that i loved this blue cheese dipping sauce....

....i think it might be the start of something new ;)

mikey's original new york pizza offers a lot of heart in its food offerings. a tasty attempt from chef andrew bellucci in bringing a piece of american favorite to the local food scene but some tweaking to get it perfect, although it already won half the battle with the use of quality ingredients; that also explains the slightly hefty price tag. so, it's worth giving it a shot while you are in the neighborhood and perhaps fold a slice to taste a piece of that new york charming culture here at mikey's.

mikey's original new york pizza | location

17 jln telawi 2
bangsar
59100 kuala lumpur

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

p.s. still working on my skills as a haiku-ist

"encased in pastry

moist pink fish flakes atop leeks

salmon wellington"

i am most certainly not a poet... but i try with the haiku.

perhaps i should start with the story behind why salmon wellington became my next food project/experiment.

that was exactly what MADE me do it.. it was the challenge and my curiosity if i could actually do it right! that and my desire to learn a new simple recipe which can be found at the bottom of the entry.

{ veg. prep. }

{ mise en place. }

{ leeky filling. }

{ wrapping. }

{ egg wash. }

{ fin. }

{ side. whipped. }

made a couple of modifications due to the scarcity of the ingredients. the addition of mushrooms and substitution of white wine with apple cider vinegar + sugar mixture at a lesser extent as well as the substitution of dijon mustard with whole grain mustard for the whipped cream to be served on the side.

as it came out fresh from the oven, the pleasant aroma of pastry and the leeks emanated and filled the kitchen, whetting the appetites. from the scores on top of the pastry, the natural oils from the salmon bubbled as it cooled while the leek-mushroom stuffing spilled our of the pastry pocket seam that burst opened. i smiled with a slight smugness as i counted the layers that promised flakiness. 

using a serrated knife to cut into the pastry, slight disappointment struck when i realized the bottom of the pastry was slightly undercooked and almost soggy. despite that, you will first sink your teeth through the golden crispy shell that encase the flaky, butteriness of the pastry that echoed the richness of the perfectly seasoned, moist salmon and finally cut through by the hearty, sweet onion flavor of the leeks-mushroom stuffing, flavored with a borrowed hint of apple cider vinegar tartness. pair it with the light, airy whipped whole grain mustard cream to bring the whole dish together. 

one comment from my fellow tasters having the pastry thicker for a better ratio of salmon to pastry -- too much fish, not enough pastry although personally, i prefer the way it turned out... and i think a combination of dijon mustard with the whole grain would have been nice for the bite.. minus those two, my effort was rewarded with encouraging, positive feedbacks and even a request for recipe sharing!

half portions served with a side salad would make a lovely lunch/dinner. it always helps when this hearty dish is really simple to make. 

a recipe for keeps, perfect for entertaining.

salmon wellington

adapted from food network

makes 2 strudels, sufficient to serve 4 persons

ingredients |

• 1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed (follow packaging instruction)
• two 1/2 lb. portions (1 lbs in total, 2 fillets) of salmon fillets, skin removed 
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 fat leeks, washed and trimmed (white parts only), sliced on a bias
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 5 fresh button mushrooms (or 3 fresh shittake mushrooms), chopped roughly 
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of white wine (i replaced with 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar & 1/3 tsp of sugar)
• 1 egg plus a tsp of water for the egg wash. 

"beloved thai dish --

a secret ingredient;

boat noodles, it's called"

boat noodles has sailed from the 'land of smiles' and landed at kuala lumpur since earlier this year. about a month ago, {jl} asked me to check out his friend's new boat noodles shack in kuchai lama -- the kuay tiew reua boat noodles.

i am a stranger to boat noodles prior to the first of of its kind that opened in damansara perdana, bringing that thai love that originated from the days when the kingdom's capitol was ayutthaya and the country was still connected by canals. ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ or guai dtiaw rua is a classic thai cuisine where the boats pulled up to the shore to serve soup to people who savored them on the banks of the canal. on present day, this beloved warm bowls of comforting noodles are also sold at urban floating markets. resonating its rich history of origin, the richness of the broth is attributed to the addition of a (or perhaps, not-so-) secret ingredient. 

kuay tiew reua boat noodles is a petite shop nestled in the commercial row in kuchai entrepreneur's park. its decor was oddly reminiscent of the local food shops that i had seen or eaten at during my visits to thailand  -- minimal decoration on the orange walls that contrasted the monochrome tables and chairs. you can find the cook in action as he dished out petite bowls and bowls of noodles in the open kitchen at the back of the shop.

despite the rainy evening, the queue outside the door was not surprising. after waiting in line for about 5-10 minutes as we were willing for our turn to come by very soon, much to our horror and disbelief, a staff placed a 'sold out' sign at the entrance! i almost over-reacted! >.< before they explained that they were still accommodating those who were already in line. phew, that was close! 

the menu was simple: there is a total of six noodle options. soup or dry versions where you can pick your options of noodles: thai rice noodles, vermicelli or glass noodles. not knowing how many bowls would take to satiate the hunger without stuffing ourselves silly, we started with five bowls each.

a few things: closed on mondays, it's cash only, no take away's, crispy pork rinds for extra texture are sold at the counter and waiting is inevitable. because it sure felt that our waiting moved from the queue at the entrance to the tables -- it took a pretty long time before the many bowls of noodles finally invaded our table.

with all the usual thai fixin's, it was customary to enhance the flavor of the noodles with the addition sugar, fish sauce, or the variations of chilli condiments - spicy chili oil, toasted chili flakes, spicy green chili in vinegar. or you can even combine them all in a ratio if are a daredevil of all things spicy. in other words, you can customize the noodles till your taste bud's content!






okay, my inner giant was awaken at the sight of the number of bowls on the table. (trust me, it's a lot better if you imagined it being said in a deep voice). each two-bite-noodle bowls were topped with slices of pork, pork meat balls, chopped spring onions and finally garnished with crispy chopped garlic.




between the soup and the dry versions, my vote of preference goes to the former. its stock was (here it is, the secret ingredient!) porcine blood-thickened giving it a nice depth and thin richness as its savoriness danced with the mild fragrance of the spices. it reminded me of vietnamese pho but with a very subtle hint of complexity. its mildness of flavor was probably to accommodate the addition of fixin's if you like it spicier, sweeter or saltier. the delightful pork meatball was moist and most of the pork slices were succulent. the fried garlic was a brilliant inclusion to bring another dimension to the flavor profile. the dry version was less inspiring since it didn't quite possess that familiar thai flavors distinction.


overall, this bowl of noodles was pretty tasty and the condiments are a must. i think i found my favorite combination of all varieties that we've tried: thai rice noodles in soup, a dash of fish sauce and a spoonful of vinegar-y chopped green chilies -- savory, vaguely sour and spicy. as we were working on our fourth bowl, we begun to think that five bowls per person were maybe one bowl too many. each portion was surprisingly filling although it looked deceivingly small. i had to admit that the long wait harbored some frustration that somewhat put a dent into the whole experience.



although i've never tried the boat noodles before in its country of origin, this pretty tasty offering from kuey tiaw reua boat noodles prepared by a thai local was enough to convince me to be on the look out for this beloved canal street food the next time i go on vacation to bangkok. :) just be prepared to do some waiting since crowds are probably steadily flocking towards these boat noodles as the novelty still runs high.

kuay tiew reua boat noodles | location

no 40-g, jln kuchai maju 9
off jalan kuchai lama
58200 kuala lumpur

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.