Pho Pasteur

Happy New Year, dear readers! Today I am seeking your advice! Where is your favorite place in Chinatown for Pho? 

Xihn Xihn was my all time favorite so I was pretty devastated when they closed in 2015. In an effort to branch out, I discovered Pho Pasteur is also very good. Once the weather starts to get really cold I find myself craving this comforting Vietnamese noodle soup often. And when that craving strikes, I typically head over to Chinatown for a quick lunch and order the Pho Ga ($7.95) which is chicken noodle and occasionally the Pho Tai ($7.95) which is rare steak. Accompaniments include scallion, onions and cilantro, with bean sprouts, thai basil, limes and hot chili paste on the side. 

This particular visit to Pho Pasture was a late night one - as evidenced by all the food! You can't go wrong with fried egg rolls ($4.50) and pork lo-mein ($9.95) to accompany your Pho!

Pho Pasteur

682 Washington Street

Boston, MA 02111

Revelstoke | British Columbia

After our spontaneous four day stint in Lake Louise, we headed south on the Trans-Canadian Highway, the jagged mountains punching into the partly cloudy blue skies and weaving with the long-stretching Pacific Canadian Railway trains. The new landscape had me in complete awe and excitement, and so did the prospect of our next destination, despite the fact that we knew the skiing at Revelstoke wasn't going to live up to her promises. 

"Revy" or "The Stoke" is a gritty, funky, ski-obsessed mountain town situated in southeastern British Columbia. Grizzly Bears greet you at the entrance.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort which opened in 2007, holds the record for the longest lift-accessed vertical descent in North America. It is well know for massively long runs, endless glade skiing, and deep champagne powder. It is a playful mountain, and I imagine just how phenomenal it could have been had even a small snow storm happened while we were there, or in the week prior to our arrival. 

I forgot about the lack of powder in moments when I was speeding down a freshly groomed trail like Snow Rodeo, a wide open steep like Hot Sauce, or tackling the bumps on Jalapeno. Mostly, I longed for it when I jumped into the woods for the heck of it, only to be greeted with bare spots and ice. Sometimes Mother Nature is on your side, other times she has plans of her own. (As every person we spoke to felt the need to point out what we were all well aware of: the snow was back east where we came from! Silent cringes in the gondola all around.) Never mind all of that. It's beautiful here.

We stayed at the fancy, well appointed, ski-in ski-out Sutton Place Hotel at the base of the mountain. The staff could not have been more accommodating and understanding about the lack of snow (and our need to seek it out) allowing us to shorten our week long reservation on the front end and check in mid-week. The hotel lobby is gorgeous, embodying a fresh modern look with luxe touches. They offer a fantastic wine and cheese happy hour every evening that we made sure to hit up before catching the free shuttle into town.

Breakfast every morning was at La Petit Baguette for cold brewed coffee and artsy lattes or cappuccinos. Hearty breakfast sandwiches or a terrific yogurt and granola bowl fueled us up. For lunch on piste it was mild enough to sit on the deck at Revelation Lodge with sweeping views of the Monashee Mountains and the valley below. From the cafeteria style offerings and from the bar, respectively, one day it's spicy beef pho capped off with a birthday Fireball shot ski, the next afternoon a large poutine (I'm beginning to loose count of how much poutine I've consumed...) and a round of Bloody Caesars (the Canadian version of a Bloody Mary and about my 8th of the trip). 

Look to après ski at MaKenzie Common Tavern by the outdoor fires or with a cold micro-brew at the bar, or a round of pool in the basement. The other restaurant at the resort is Rockford Wok Bar & Grill. We ate here the night we arrived - noshing on chili edamame, Thai steak salad and Kung Pao chicken noodles, washed down with bottles of cold Junmai sake. Sake bombs and creative cocktails like the lychee lemongrass martini or a green tea mojito ensured a fun and rowdy welcome to Sutton Place.

For dinner in town Kawakubo is where all the locals recommend. Reservations are encouraged. The sake bombs streak continues and the sushi is delicious. There's enough bars downtown for a crawl, we make our way to River City Pub, The Taco Club and The Cabin (sadly, all the bowling lanes are booked.) My favorite and not to be missed is The Village Idiot for all its retro straight-ski paraphernalia. 

 Mid way through our stay half us us choose to indulge in massages at the resorts Refinery Day Spa. I found the prices to be reasonable and my masseuse was excellent. I'd recommend booking in advance for ideal times as spots do fill up quickly. Otherwise, the secluded third floor hot tub should help with relaxation and absolving achy limbs. As far as hot tubs go, this one was pure bliss.

For the last run of the trip, three of us who had been skiing together all along decide it is the 9 mile green cruiser that loops back and fourth throughout the entire mountain, top to bottom, no stopping allowed. The Last Spike was a carefree run that fittingly ended our time here.

Revelstoke, I plan to come back and experience the rest of your glory when the Gnome is eyeballs deep in powder. In the meantime, I'm still stoked to have visited. We've been reminded on this trip that no matter what Mother Nature has in store: keep calm and go skiing.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort 

 2950 Camozzi Road
Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S1, Canada

on mountain / summit photos courtesy of Mike Nelligan

Dim Sum Brunch @ Moksa

A contemporary Izakaya brought to you by Chef Patricia Yeo, Moksa serves Japanese small plates for lunch, dinner, late night and weekend dim sum brunch, with a strong focus on the cocktail program run by bar manager Noon Inthasuan. Located in Central Square with a small unassuming exterior; a black awning shaded by leafy trees meets a shiny industrial doorway. The interior beholds a unique sprawling concrete floored space.

The bar and cocktail lounge (where we were seated) is illuminated by red and green LED lights while an eye catching white origami fixture parades overhead. Zebra-wood table tops adorned with Asian tea tins holding chopsticks add character. The dining room in stark contrast is darker and more intimate, almost cavernous with rich black ceilings and slanted walls to match the tables. 

Sunday afternoon marked my first visit to Moksa for their dim sum brunch as part of a Boston Brunchers outing with popular Seattle based blogger turned author Michael Natkin. At this event we received signed copies of his incredible vegetarian cookbook, Herbivoracious

(published by local agency Harvard Common Press) and had a chance to chat with Michael about everything from signing a book deal (out of the blue, the folks at HCP contacted him!), to his whirlwind US tour (he's been to San Fran, LA, Austin and after Boston was onto Providence + NYC), to family life (he has two young children who are also vegetarian and love to cook). As the conversation flowed among our intimate group so did the shareable pan-Asian plates, where everything from dumplings and noodles to pancakes and pho elicited praise. Dim Sum was not without boozy breakfast drinks made table-side and a number of Chef Yeo's daily dessert creations.  

It all started with a Sake Mary, a robust house made mixture perfectly spiced with peppercorns and laced with a generous amount of ginger and horseradish. Then a parade of dishes, notably inspired by Asian street foods begins. It is all about the textures in the Duck Confit Shao Bing ($7) where shredded and lightly crispy confit teamed with a soft griddle marked English muffin.
The Miso Eggplant Bao ($8) had a notch up on the Char Siew Bao ($8) - the clam shaped buns were irresistibly fluffy and slightly sweet, but the eggplant soft and steeped in miso flavor was unbelievably good. The Char Siew which is Cantonese style BBQ Pork marinated in a honey hoisin sauce was a little chewy and on the dry side.


The Tea Smoked Duck ($6) was elegantly prepared and sliced to a pristine thinness, the smokey flavors matched with a well dressed cucumber and carrot slaw. There was tender Vegetable Dumplings ($5), fantastic Edamame Potstickers ($8) and both the Five Spiced Chicken Spring Rolls ($6) and Vegetable Spring Roll ($6) with accompanying dipping sauces were comforting, crispy bites.

Perhaps the most intriguing item for their unusually chewy and overall astonishing texture were the Silver Pin Noodles ($14). Surprised to learn these are vegan, the bowl comes brimming with tofu, mushrooms and snap peas. We happily slurped a bowl of Vietnamese Beef & Rice Noodle Egg Pho ($14) though I wish it brought more heat. We dug into the Kim Chee and Shrimp Pancake ($8) which actually did thanks to the addition of sriracha sauce!

I'm noticing a trend where more and more chefs lately opt out of printing a dessert menu and leave this course to spontaneity. Chef Yeo's creativity excels in the sweet treats department, much to our surprise and delight. Homemade daily, the ice creams are a revelation, particularly the pistachio where the flavor of the nut is clean and authentic. The traditional green tea is lovely, too. A five spice ice cream sundae is the best of the bunch, I wanted that entire bowl to myself and I don't doubt everyone else felt the same.
I was content to share a just okay plate of strawberry rhubarb meets lemon jello cake (yes,  there is lemon jello infused into that cake) and an plate of hot churros.

I had a wonderful time getting to know Michael and I was thrilled to dive into his cookbook - where his personality, well written recipes, and vibrant photos fill the pages. As you well know, I am not a vegetarian but his recipes (I can't wait to share what I've made!!) still translate as flavorful, hearty and adventurous. Since I'm on a constant hunt to spice up my weeknight chicken or pork staples his book has me excited about forgoing the meat all together. Herbivoracious has truly inspired a change of pace in my kitchen. 

I find Moksa to be a welcome addition to Central Square's dining scene. Yeo's concept is well executed start to finish, it brings flavorful food and an overall fun experience! 

Moksa

450 Mass Ave

Cambridge, MA 02139