TASTE TEST: Nuevo Latino at Zengo

I'm on a Bon Chon strike. I've seriously been gorging myself on Korean fried chicken for like 8 months, soooooooo I comprised a list of restaurants I plan to force myself to try. The first of what hopefully will be many was Zengo. I get all of my restaurant recommendations from my Thrillist newsletter, because they always introduce me to places with interesting menus...and because I'm too lazy to look anywhere else.

They mentioned that Zengo had Nuevo Latino cuisine, a mix of Latin American and Asian delicacies. I figured since I love both of those types of foods, I'd probably love them together.

When Ali and I first arrived one Saturday night around 9pm, we were told it would be a 20 minute wait. It was actually an hour-long wait and probably would've been longer if we hadn't complained to the bartender. We were then given booth seating meant for at least five people, so that made up for the neglect. Prior to being seated we got drinks at the upstairs bar. I'd recommend going up there. If you love architecture and interior design, you'll be in awe of the above-view of the hanging wooden beams and spiral chandelier. It's like a permanent art installation.

Once we were seated near the windows, I saw the intricate designs of the window gates. The decor seemed very Asian-inspired.

After realizing that the bar bill doesn't carryover onto the meal bill, I skimmed the menu for food I normally eat (pork, beef, and pasta). I never eat chicken or fish outside, because I already eat chicken at home every night and I'm afraid of food poisoning when it comes to seafood. I also try to stray away from $20 salads (because they're not very filling or flavorful), burgers (because nobody can top Five Guys), sandwiches (because nobody can top Subways or Chopt), and anything with spicy sauces (because downing five glasses of water is sort of a killjoy).

So after skipping over Churrasco (since I've never really liked it), lamb (because I can't remember if I like it and I didn't want to find out for $31), tofu (because yuck), and all the seafood, I settled on Braised Beef Short Ribs ($28).

And I'm so glad I did. It was de-licious! However, I read the words ribs and thought, That's totally edible. I decided to skip reading the meal description so that I wouldn't talk myself out of it. Had I read it though I would've known that it contained oaxaca cheese potato puree, shiitake (a Japanese mushroom), huitlacoche (an edible corn fungus), and dragon sauce. Dragon sauce. As in spicy. The tender beef and smooth mashed potatoes just melted on my tongue, cradling it in pillowy waves...and then assaulting it like a fire-breathing dragon. It's delicious, like I said, but probably far more enjoyable if you like spicy food.

Ali ordered the Achiote-Masala Grilled Chicken ($21) with black bean dal and mango salsa. I thought it was kind of bland, but she really enjoyed it. All in all, I'd recommend this restaurant if you love an array of Latin and Asian food. I probably won't eat there again because $28 is pretty pricey for a meal that's too hot for me to finish, but they have several other interesting-sounding offerings: Torched Wagyu Beef, Volcano (seared salmon, red crab, sesame-chipotle aioli), Mango Eel Roll, Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Tuna Tataki (involved grilled watermelon), and even a Build Your Own Bento Box option. It sounds like one of those restaurants you only hear about on the Food Network. So if you have every series from the channel TiVOed, get off your couch and get to Zengo.

622 3rd Ave. | at 40th St | New York, NY

TASTE TEST: Mofongo at La Casa de Mofongo

My Haitian friend Stace loves mofongo. My Miami-visiting friend Morayo has always wanted to try mofongo. I have never (and I mean, ever) wanted to try anything that sounded like mofongo. It childishly reminds me of the Spanish word mojon, which means shit. This did not entice me. But they've been begging me to take them to a place with great mofongo for weeks, since I'm Dominican and I should know where that is. So I went to the great Dominican oracle (Google Maps) and I searched the words "mofongo + ny," and there it was...La Casa de Mofongo, the promised land of all things mofongo.

This is the part where I tell you it was a religious experience and I am now a mofongo-ite. And I spread it on my toast in the morning, and I carry it around in my bag to freshen my breath, and I've frozen a block of it in my fridge in case of emergency. Alas, that is not the case. I have the palate of a newborn. If it aint salty or sweet, it's gross.

For those of you who don't know what mofongo is--essentially 99.9% of you--it's mashed plantains. I know what you're thinking. That sounds friggin delicious. No. No it isn't. Fried plantains are delicious. Plantain mush tastes like mush. Pureed plantains with shredded beef (a.k.a. ropa vieja, which literally translated means "old clothes" and still sounds better) is delicious. Mashed plantains are not. Not even when you mix in a meat (pork, beef, chicken, etc.) and then mold the mixture into a hard, 4-inch tall, cylinder shape, as La Casa de Mofongo does.

The only person who enjoyed it and vows to return is Stace. I, on the other hand, will stick to my old clothes, because if a place that specializes in a dish can't make it taste good, I doubt it ever will...to a newborn at least.

La Casa de Mofongo, 1444 St. Nicholas Ave

FLASHBACK: Cerveceria 100 Montaditos

In the summer of 2005, my Chinese friend Anna convinced me to study abroad in Madrid with her for our Junior Spring semester. I mention her ethnicity, because even though I'm Dominican, she was more confident speaking Spanish than I was. Of course, she learned Spanish in a classroom, five days a week, and I learned it in the barrio. Not everyone knows this, but all Spanish people do not speak the same Spanish. We all have our own cultural colloquialisms that get lost in translation once we cross the border, and it can lead to plenty of misunderstandings. Not to mention, Spaniards pronounce the letter "z" as "th," and they use the "vosotros" tense. The idea that I would have to be a mime for 4 months was freaking me out. What I didn't count on—despite my history of being a picky eater—was not liking the food.

When we first arrived, our school treated us to a few snacks at orientation. I passed. I rarely like buffets at meetings. Then they told us to meet them at a restaurant for lunch, and bought us all paella. I rarely if ever eat seafood. Chalk it up to my deep fear of aquatic animals or the fact that it just tastes like salt, so I didn't eat much. To top off the day, a few us met up at a restaurant for dinner—safety in numbers and all that. I had the chicken. It was a little weird. I figured I just needed to get use to Spaniard menus and learn all the translations, and eventually I'd find something I liked. Until then, I was a frequent customer of Burger King and TGI Fridays. Yes I know, how American of me.

As a part of the study abroad program, our school organized several weekend trips to some of Spain's cities. Places, like Segovia and El Escorial, that tourists rarely think to go. On every trip I played it safe: chicken, with a side of chicken, drizzled with chicken. Then one day I saw what looked like spaghetti and meatballs on the menu…only to discover that "meat sauce" was alfredo style with chunks of pork. The Spaniards are HUGE fans of pork. The cow has no stock here. Babe is king. So I gave up. It was no wonder I lost 20lbs in 2 months. With all the walking and the serious lack of food, I might as well have been on a diet.

Then one magical day in Seville, on a birthday weekend trip for one of my roommates, we all went to Cerveceria 100 Montaditos for lunch. It's a restaurant that runs like clockwork. At each table is a list of 100 tapas, small dishes—each for 1 euro. You check off as many as you'd like (or can afford), bring it to the counter, and wait to be called for pickup. I tried my friend's tortilla española: eggs, potatoes, onions, and a shaker-full of salt. At last! It was like my stomach had finally arrived from America. It got stuck in customs, but once it was cleared, it was ready to party. After that, I was a little more adventurous to try more tapas. There were a few hits (ox tail) and misses (patatas bravas - eck!). I was just happy to finally feel like I was in Spain.

Photos by jordanfischer and E Vön Zita