Thursday, May 30, 2013

5:30 pm, free appetizers and a cash bar.

Starting at 7 pm, a $25 prix fixe featuring recipes from the book.

RSVP to Amy at amy@purpleyamnyc.com

Ramps or wild leeks and young garlic always make spring memorable.

It is such a blessing that Mother’s Day coincides with spring when short lived treasures like ramps and baby garlic are available to remind you of the fleeting times of childhood.  We will use them in our fresh lumpia – a great example of how we can use the bounty of the green market and incorporate them in our culinary heritage.  We also have a very special coffee ice cream to go with Romy’s chocolate caramel tart.  I recently was able to bring a stash of freshly roasted Arabica beans from Bukidnon where a local tribe grows these “sweet beans” as they call them which are believed to have originated from Sumatra.  The Philippines now grows world class coffee beans.

Mother’s Day Brunch & Dinner Special Menu

(regular brunch & dinner menus will be available)

May 12, 2013, 11:00 am – 9:30 pm

MENU

Cuapao (red glazed pulled pork in steamed bun), $ 9

Fresh lumpia with ramps, asparagus & young garlic, $ 10

Poached egg with brandade (bacalao cake) with laing (taro leaves in coconut milk), $ 12

Nori & sesame seed challah bun with Korean pork nubiani & muenster cheese, $ 15

(pounded pork with kalamansi & spices)

Chicken inasal (marinated in kalamansi lime & grilled), $ 18

Black rice paella with Manila clams, shrimps & crab, $ 25

Beef short rib adobo, $ 28

Lamb curry & lamb inihaw, $ 26

Desserts, $ 9

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream

Chocolate caramel tart with Philippine coffee bean ice cream

Cherry clafoutis with siniguelas (Mexican plum) ice cream

Nori & sesame seed buns for pounded pork & muenster cheese sandwich

Black rice paella made with heirloom rice from the Philippine rice terraces. Topped with Manila clams, shrimps & crab.

Cherry clafoutis made with ground almonds topped with siniguelas (Spanish plum) ice cream

Philippine coffee beans from Bukidnon. We will make coffee ice cream with these beans to be paired with the chocolate caramel tart

Chef Romy Dorotan draws his dishes when there are no photos available. This is his rendering of the chocolate caramel tart.

Enjoy JAZZ at Purple Yam every Saturday Brunch

Starting the Saturdayof February 23, 2013, Purple Yam will feature Alex Levin on piano plus a variety of musicians every Saturday brunch starting at 11 am.

We love the musical talents of Alex and the fact that he has a whole roster of musician friends that he can assemble at Purple Yam every Saturday brunch.  Alex had suggested this to us a long time ago because he says he had lots of friends with little kids who would love to listen to him.  Late night gigs would have been impossible when one has little kids to take care of.  SO, why not an easygoing Saturday late morning and early afternoon session to bring the whole family for great music?  Alex is a school teacher so he really is psyched to get kids to appreciate jazz and different musical instruments.

For the first Saturday, Feb 23, Alex will be playing with Ben Cliness on drums,  Scott Ritchie on bass and Matt Thomas on tenor saxophone.

Looking forward to seeing you all then and every Saturday brunch thereafter!

BURMA: Rivers of Flavor, by Naomi Duguid

The last time I saw Naomi Duguid, the author of the recently released book, Burma: Rivers of Flavor, I praised her for being prescient.  “How could you have known that momentous political changes would happen in that part of the world just when you are ready to release this book?”  And, typical of Naomi, she said, “I didn’t.  I just lucked out.”

Well, Naomi, is one of our food, cooking, writing and photography idols.  Name it, she does it first class.  Romy had always been influenced by her cookbooks starting with one of her earliest titles,  Flatbreads and Flavors (1995).  He still makes breads today for Purple Yam from recipes he picked up from her several decades ago.

Last Christmas, we received a suprise gift from one of our favorite couples in the neighborhood, Ben & Liena.  And it was Burma which I was about to order online.  So Ben and Liena, this Valentine is for you.  Thank you for your gift of friendship which means very much to us.  All in the spirit of Valentine’s Day!

For reservations, call (718) 940-8188 or email Amy at acbesa@prodigy.net

VALENTINE’S DAY MENU

Thursday,  February 14, 2013

$ 45 prix fixe

(drinks, sales tax & gratuity extra)

6 – 10 pm

With Music from Alex Levin Trio

Menu inspired by BURMA: Rivers of Flavor by Naomi Duguid

To celebrate Lunar New Year

First Course

Mohinga

Rice Noodles with fish broth &  seafood toppings:

Grilled seabass with lemongrass

Shrimp curry

Manila clams in chili sauce

Second Course

Golden quail egg curry (turmeric, shallots & garlic)

Spice rubbed beef

Succulent pomelo salad with toasted chickpea flour & fish sauce

Tender greens salad with crispy fried shallots & lime juice

Third Course

Grilled chicken with sweet-sour minced ginger, chili & garlic sauce

Khao soy khem noi (rice crepe)with grilled pork in tamarind sauce

Kachin salsa (chilies, tomatoes & dried shrimp powder)

Served with coconut rice

Desserts

Ah boh, crisp rice crepe with Forelle pears in coconut caramel sauce

Fried sesame bananas with chocolate ice cream

Prepping the crispy rice crepe

Crispy rice crepe with Forelle pears in coconut caramel sauce & nut ice cream

The Smoke Rings is a jazz and swing quartet featuring piano, bass, drums & vocals/ukelele

The Smoke Rings will perform at Purple Yam for 2 Fridays: Jan 18 & 25

The line-up:

Sarah King–Vocals/Ukulele

Alex Levin–piano

Chris Pistorino–bass

and Ben Cliness–drums.

Music from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, and

credit Blossom Dearie and Ella Fitzgerald as inspirations.

LATE NIGHTS @ PURPLE YAM

DUMPLINGS, $6

STEAMED BUNS WITH PULLED PORK, $6

NORITACO WITH GRILLED SHRIMP, FENNEL

& POMELO SALAD, $12

EGG NOODLE SOUP WITH SOYA GLAZED

PORK BELLY, $12

JAP CHAE

WITH SALT ROASTED DUCK $12

BURMESE STYLE RICE NOODLE SOUP

WITH SPANISH MACKEREL & DUCK EGG, $12

BEEF TAPA WITH KIMCHI FRIED RICE & EGG, $ 12

KABOCHA PIZZA WITH CHORIZO

GORGONZOLA RICOTTA & LEEKS $12

SOJU SHOT AND SAN MIGUEL BEER $8

The Smoke Rings

Chorizo Gorgonzola ricotta pizza

Soy glazed pork belly with noodles

Join us for late night noodles, dumplings & pizza,

Friday & Saturday nights from 10 pm – 2 am!

DUMPLINGS, $6

STEAMED BUNS WITH PULLED PORK, $6

NORITACO WITH GRILLED SHRIMP, FENNEL

& POMELO SALAD, $12

EGG NOODLE SOUP WITH SOY GLAZED PORK BELLY, $12

JAP CHAE

WITH SALT ROASTED DUCK $12

BURMESE STYLE RICE NOODLE SOUP

WITH SPANISH MACKEREL & DUCK EGG, $12

BEEF TAPA WITH KIMCHI FRIED RICE & EGG, $ 12

KABOCHA PIZZA

WITH CHORIZO, GORGONZOLA,  RICOTTA & LEEKS $12

SOJU SHOT AND SAN MIGUEL BEER $8

The Smoke Rings will be performing on two Fridays, Jan 18 & 25.

The Smoke Rings is a quartet featuring piano, bass, drums & vocals/ ukelele

The Smoke Rings is a jazz and swing quartet featuring piano, bass, drums and vocals, with ukulele sometimes along the way.

The line-up

Sarah King–Vocals/Ukulele

Alex Levin–piano

Chris Pistorino–bass

and Ben Cliness–drums.

Focusing on music from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, and credit Blossom Dearie and Ella Fitzgerald as inspirations.

Daily dumplings (photo by Neal Oshima)

Lobster stew with lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal & coconut milk

New Year’s Eve Menu

December 31, 2012,  6 – 11:00 pm

Happy New Year / Manigong Bagong Taon!

For reservation, call (718) 940-8188 or

email Amy at acbesa@prodigy.net

Appetizers

Oyster Kinilaw with pomegranate ice  $ 12

(our oysters are from the pristine waters of Walrus & Carpenter Aquaculture,

Ninigret Pond, Charlestown, RI)

Noritaco (crispy seaweed) with grilled shrimp, guava & pomelo salad,  $ 10

Brandade (salt cod cake) with laing (taro leaves & coconut milk),  $ 10

Oxtail, beef chorizo & quail egg tamales, $ 12

Fresh lumpia with fresh winter bamboo shoots & water chestnut, $ 9

Pork satay with green papaya and persimmon salad, $ 10

Main Courses

Soy glazed heritage pork belly (Duroc) with soba noodles,  $28

Salt roasted duck breast with mung bean noodles,  $ 24

Bistec Tagalog with cippolini onions,  $28

(marinated in Philippine lime & soy sauce)

Caramel & tea smoked chicken, $22

Lobster stew with lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal & coconut milk,  $ 30

Crispy fried black seabass with pickled pineapple & ginger, $ 25

Green curry lamb with lime & cashew rice, $ 26

Desserts, $ 10

Chocolate soufflé

Clementine & ricotta tart

Cassava bibingka with jackfruit ice cream

Kalamansi (Philippine lime) cupcake with genmaicha ice cream

Recommended wines by the glass

Cremant de Limoux Brut, Collin, NV, $10

Viognier, Monferrato, L. Ferraris, 2011, $ 10

Ribeira Sacra, Guimaro, Rodriguez Perez, 2010, $ 11 (old vine Mencia)

Savennieres, La Jalousie, Domaine du Closel, 2010, $ 13

Cotes du Rhone, Brezeme, Eric Texier, 2010,  $ 13 (red, Syrah)

Freshly harvested oysters from Charlestown, RI

Oyster kinilaw on a bed of pomegranate ice

This year, as we did last year, we will again serve the delicious oysters from Walrus and Carpenter Oysters CSA from Charlestown, RI.  They will be freshly harvested early morning on December 31 and will be served to you that night on New Year’s Eve.

Caramel and tea smoked chicken

This is a very old recipe I learned from a Chinese friend several decades ago. I used to do this at home in my wok and never failed to trigger the smoke alarm causing us a lot of  grief.  But the results were always well worth it.  A very unusual Asian cooking method that should be preserved.

Crispy black seabass with pineapple & ginger sauce

Another homage to the past — a delicious version of sweet and sour or the traditional escabeche of the Philippines.  Except that we don’t use the common sugar and vinegar sauce, but use fruits, ginger and lemongrass instead.

Fresh water chestnuts for the fresh lumpia

Fresh winter bamboo shoots for the fresh lumpia

Chocolate souffle is best enjoyed with a great sparkling wine

Romy’s souffles are always wonderful.  Try them and don’t forget to order the bubbly to enjoy the desserts.

Clementine ricotta tartlet

Special occasions are what give Chef Romy Dorotan the excuse to come up with more homemade goodies for desserts.  December is the month for citrus fruits so we take advantage of this bounty.  Clementines are so vibrant and full of flavor, so we try to bottle them and put them on our desserts.

Kalamansi (Philippine lime) cupcake with genmaicha ice cream

We naturally want to end the night with something tart on our palates to cleanse it from all the rich flavors of New Year’s Eve.  What better way than to have the kalamansi drenched cupcake paired with everyone’s favorite tea, the genmaicha, made into ice cream?  For all non-tea drinkers, genmaicha is a Japanese blend of green tea mixed with popped and toasted rice (hints of pinipig in the tea).

We raise our glass to you, our friends, family, neighbors who have supported us into our third year at Purple Yam.  Thank you and have a happy new year!

Yes, we are bringing back the most delicious ham we have ever tasted — the Red Wattle ham (a heritage breed of pig that has a red wattle down its neck similar to that of a turkey).  Simmered in vodka, wine and pineapple juice, it is a special treat to start the new year. Thanks to Heritage Foods USA for making these rare breeds of pigs available to us again.

Red Wattle Ham platter with eggs and garlic fried rice

New Year’s Day Menu,   January 1, 2013,

12:00 noon– 9 pm

For reservations, please call (718) 940-8188

or email Amy at acbesa@prodigy.net

Appetizers

Ukoy (shrimp & vegetable fritters)  $ 9

Pancit Molo (pork & shrimp dumplings in chicken broth), $ 9

Arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge) with quail eggs, $ 8

Fresh lumpia with fresh winter bamboo shoots & fresh water chestnuts, $ 9

Blue cheese & kabocha tart, $ 8

Eggs & Garlic Fried Rice

Red Wattle ham, $ 16

Beef Tapa (air dried beef), $ 14

Dinaing na bangus belly, $ 15

Blood sausage (heritage pork),  $ 12

Main Courses

Heritage pork belly adobo, $ 26

Chicken Inasal, $ 18

(grilled chicken marinated in Philippine kalamansi lime juice)

Nasi Goreng with pork barbecue,  $18

Crispy fried seabass with pickled kumquat & ginger, $ 25

Noodles

Stir fried beef ramen with snowpeas, shitake mushrooms, 19

Salt roasted duck with soba noodles, 20

Manila clams, leeks, oyster mushrooms with rice noodles, $ 18

Desserts, $ 9

Mutsu apple bread pudding with buttermilk & maple ice cream

Bibingka (white & violet rice cake)

Chocolate ice cream with caramelized banana sundae

(other desserts from regular menu available)

Suggested cocktail drinks & wines

Coco Loco (coconut sorbet, young coconut juice & soju)

Sojito (soju & kalamansi) with coconut sugar

Sparkling wine & soju special for New Year’s Day

Blue cheese & kabocha tart

We did this for one of the most special Valentine’s Day celebrations we had in 2011 with Guest Chef Kathy Gunst who comes from Maine.   It has a delicious blend of tart cheese, squash and yogurt filling in a flaky crust.  A great beginning for a great meal.

Purple Yam's homemade beef tapa

This will always be one of my all time favorite comfort foods and it is special because we marinate and air dry the beef right in the restaurant.  The recipe is in our cookbook, Memories of Philippine Kitchens.

Heritage Pork Belly Adobo

This is a vintage photo of a heritage pork belly adobo taken during our adobo cookoff at Cendrillon many moons ago cooked by Perry Mamaril which won first prize.  Many ask what does heritage mean?  Heritage means the pork (or any animal for that matter) that belongs to a particular breed that was present in America before breeders came up with the idea of cross breeding to improve some commercial aspect of the animal.  We are grateful to Heritage Foods for supporting farmers who are once more raising animals of a particular breed before they disappear.  The Duroc is one of our favorites.  Heritage pork usually has a bit more fat in them which makes them more tender and flavorful.  The pigs are also raised in healthy, all natural farms and are not given hormones and medications and the farms are free from pesticides and poisons.

Soba noodle salad

On the lighter side of the menu, we offer more noodles and dumplings.  The soba will be served with the salt roasted duck, on old favorite of our regulars at Cendrillon.

Mutsu apple bread pudding

Bread puddings are one of my most favorite desserts especially when they are made with organic breads from the green market.

Coco Loco - a Purple Yam invention

At one point in time, we were able to get first class lambanog in NYC when we had Cendrillon in SoHo in the early 2000s.  A Japanese microbrewery owner had fallen in love with the Philippine native drink and went into business to bring the potent spirit into the US.  Unfortunately, the owner never was able to muster enough resources to promote lambanog and so he decided to give up the business.  But when we had it, we were able to develop the coco loco.  At Purple Yam, the coco loco is still a great drink.  We use soju, homemade coconut sorbet and buko juice.

Cheers to all of you and may you have an incredible year ahead of you.  We will make it a good year if we all get together and support one another.  The best thought for celebrating the coming year.

]]> http://www.purpleyamnyc.com/heritage-ham-for-new-years-day-at-purple-yam/feed/ 0 http://www.purpleyamnyc.com/purple-yam-open-new-years-eve-new-years-day/ http://www.purpleyamnyc.com/purple-yam-open-new-years-eve-new-years-day/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:41:06 +0000 Amy Besa http://www.purpleyamnyc.com/?p=1232

Purple Yam WILL be OPEN New Year’s Eve, Dec 31, 2012 and New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013.

We will have a special a la carte menu for both dates which we will post as soon as we finalize them.  Sorry but our long trip of research and relaxation in the Philippines until mid-December kept our attention span on other exciting things that are happening back home

Monday, Dec 31, 2012, New Year’s Eve, we will start dinner at 6 pm and people can just reserve any time.  Menu will be special, similar to Noche Buena and a la carte.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013, New Year’s Day, we will serve brunch & dinner starting at 12 noon – 8 pm.  Menu will be special a la carte, similar to our Christmas Day menu.

For reservations, call (718) 940-8188 or email Amy at acbesa@prodigy.net.

Happy new year!  May 2013 be a brighter year for everyone (hope springs eternal, but inspite of all the hardships people went through in 2012, we feel that it was a much better year than the previous one, so here’s to a really terrific 2013!)

To all our friends and loved ones and to those who have supported us at Cendrillon and now at Purple Yam, a big hug and heartfelt thank you to all of you! Amy and Romy

For New Year’s Eve, we are excited to announce that we will be able to get Walrus & Carpenter CSA oysters freshly harvested from the pristine waters of Ninigret Pond, Charlestown, RI

Chef Romy Dorotan’s oyster kinilaw made on a bed of watermelon & lime juice ice, fresh oysters bathed in citrus juice and topped with julienned radish, jicama, ginger and chives is something not to be missed.

Oyster Kinilaw (Philippine ceviche)

Roast heritage (Toulouse) goose with kumquat chutney.

For reservations, pls call (718) 940-8188

or email Amy at acbesa@prodigy.net

Christmas Eve Menu

Monday, December 24, 2012,  5:30-11:00 pm

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!

Appetizers

Shrimp and mussel sinigang soup with sweet potato tops  $ 10

Stir fried razor clams with santol bagoong  $ 12

Cojol (snails) in coconut milk, turmeric & lemongrass  $ 10

Noritaco (crispy seaweed) with pomelo, mountain yam & radish salad, $ 9

Rice tamales with duck, chorizo & quail egg, $ 11

Main Courses

Roast heritage Toulouse goose,  $25

With potato, taro & sweet potato gratin & kumquat chutney

Lechon Heritage (Duroc) pork belly  $26

With grilled calf’s liver sauce

Beef shortribs adobo  $30

Pandan wrapped red snapper in citrus sauce, $ 26

Duck egg noodle with roast king oyster mushroom & ancho pepper  $ 18

Grilled baby chicken inasal with burnt coconut cream, $ 21

Desserts, $ 9

Chocolate sans rival with guava sorbet

Kalamansi soufflé

Turon with lambanog chocolate ice cream

Bibingka with French feta and Gouda

Lechon pork belly (Duroc). Photo by Neal Oshima

Sometimes I prefer the pork belly lechon than the whole pig because this is a very special part of the pig and the I love every bit of roasted skin and the meat near the ribs.  Enjoy this with several sauces: the vinegar-garlic-chile dip or the grilled calf’s liver sauce.

Pan roasted red snapper wrapped in pandan leaves

We did this in Bacolod and Manila while we were in the Philippines and everywhere we went, this was a huge favorite.  Fresh fish is truly enhanced by flavors of different leaves such as pandan, banana and the most exciting leaf we have discovered lately — the hagikhik leaf.

Turon - plantain & jackfruit rolls served with homemade chocolate ice cream made from Philippine cacao laced with lambanog

The turon is one of my most favorite native desserts from the Philippines simply because we have the best bananas in the world.  Here in NYC, we use plantain from the Caribbean.  It is still good esp when we put jackfruit and shavings of native chocolate from home.

Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat!

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