MC Event: Locande Verde

This is the first MasterCard dinning event I was able to get in. The competition was fierce, so I was really excited to be one of the lucky few. The best part? It's a fried chicken feast, something not available on Locande Verde's regular menu. I've heard a lot of Locande Verde and its Michelin Starred chef Andrew Carmellini. This is my first taste of AC's culinary skills. Menu first.

Appetizer - shrimp was large, sweet, and fresh. If I had to be picky, I would prefer to have the head removed, so eating it would be easier. The sauce actually tasted like salsa, not very memorable.

Sides - I'm not a veggie person, the salad was alright, and the collard green reminded me of a very traditional Chinese dish. The mashed potatoes and the honey biscuits are absolutely the best I've ever had in my life. Yup, you heard me right, the best I've ever had. So smooth and buttery, I can eat them every day.

 

 

 

Main - The fried chicken was piping hot, perfectly fried, juicy inside, and crispy outside. My only and biggest complain? It's under seasoned/marinated. In a way, it tasted kind of bland to me. My dinning companion agreed with me. But we also wondered if it's because both of us have a salt heavy diet, our taste buds ain't easily stimulated no more. However, others who attended the event seem to agree with us on the lack of seasoning part, so obviously there's room for improvement.

Dessert - I don't really remember the names of the two pies offered. One is banana cream something with shaved almond and shredded coconut. The other one is honey blueberry something served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I liked the banana cream better because it was lighter, the blueberry was overly sweet, like a sugar bomb.

I had great expectations about the fried chicken at Locande Verde, especially since they were ranked #3 on New York Magazine's "Nine fried chickens to eat before you die".  I mean, they were good, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't consider it 'to die for' good. The mashed potatoes and the biscuits, on the other hand, were right on point. Unfortunately, they ain't available on the regular menu either. However, rumor has it that Andrew C. is planning a new restaurant featuring his fried chicken. I would definitely go there just for the sides and maybe give the fried chicken another go.

Yummy Chicken Nuggets

During my layover at CVG last Friday, I got the Chick-Fil-A nuggets as a mid-day snack. I love CFL, too bad they don’t have a presence on the east coast. The nuggets were tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned the way I like it. It was the best Chicken Nuggets I’ve ever had, period. Maybe the best airport food I've had in years. They were real chicken meat from the breast or perhaps the thigh, not the mushy & mashed up kind you get from McDonald’s & Wendy’s. I don’t know if they were fried or not, they certainly didn’t look like fried, at least not heavily with coating. All in all, I think the quality and the taste along justifies its price tag, 2X of McD’s yet nugget size is half of a McD’s. I devoured these and almost went back for more. But I refrained, for my belly’s sake and knowing there’s Biscoff Cookies to be had on my next flight…

MC Event: Nobu Next Door

Went to Mastercard's Event at Nobu Next Door tonight with my good buddy Jin. Here's the menu. The meals are served family style except the dessert, so what you see is not what I had all to myself. Although I wish I did.

First up, the appetizers. The sashimi is alright, a bit too vinegary for my taste. The spinach salad on the other hand, was perhaps the best salad I've had in a long time. I've never been a salad person, but I definitely this one.

Next comes the mains, the signature black cod with miso was fork tender. I'm a big fan of the fish, but not so of the sauce, a little too sweet here covering up the umami of the cod. Beef filet was seared to medium-rare, it's a good cut of meat, perhas a bit underseasoned. Or tmaybe here's something wrong with my palate?

Third course is the Sushi, we got Salmon, Yellowtail, Hamachi, and Tuna. The rolls are shrimp with asparagus and yellowtail with scallion, I think. I'm not entirely sure. These are fresh, and you can't go wrong with fresh fish with well-seasoned sushi rice.

The dessert includes a decadent Chocolate Souffle and home-made Green Tea ice-cream. How can one say no to such combination? Alright, I admit I like the Green Tea ice-cream better because of my Asian pride.

All in all, it was a great meal. Hey, it's free, I really can't complain. Nothing tasted bad, but nothing WOWed me either. The salad was my favorite dish of the night. The sauce/seasoning in the entrees are a bit too sweet for me. It's just me though, I like things salty, MSG laden, and with a spicy kick. Think Szechuan.