DOWNTON ABBEY TEA FOR TWO AT THE WHITBY HOTEL

Do not raise your pinky when you lift up your cup of tea as it is rude.   It actually connotes elitism as cultured people would eat their tea goodies with three fingers while commoners would hold the delights with all five.  Downton Abbey has an extraordinary exhibition in midtown Manhattan and just a few blocks away the British owned Whitby Hotel has paired it with Afternoon Tea. 

Chose from either dining in the Whitby Bar

or the Orangery.  I went with my dear friend Enid Lang due to her getting me hooked on watching Downton Abbey on PBS.  We chose the beautifully decorated and skylight Orangery with its displays of plates, chandeliers and cushiony high backed upholstered chairs. 

The Downton Abbey menu was then placed before us. 

With many tea choices Enid opted for the Rooibos, having it for the first time.  She loved it! This tea comes from South Africa.  It does not contain tea leaves but from a honey bush, which gives its slight sweetness.  Wanting to experience a different type of “tea,” I decided on a marigold flower, which is first placed in a glass.  When you pour the hot water into it, the marigold opens up little by little until full bloom.  A strainer is placed over the glass and the tea is poured into your cup.   All teas are loose and can be used for more than one cup.

Options that come with the $45 fixed price are:  Bespoke English Breakfast Blend – traditional English breakfast with an aromatic honey rose and a deep malty finish; Rare Earl Tea – hand crafted black tea with a pure bergamot oil from southern Italy (to be enjoyed with a lemon zest or milk); and Whole Chamomile flowers, which are caffeine free since it is an herbal “tea.” There is a further list of Specialty Teas for a $2.50 supplement.  

Delights come to your table on a three tier silver platter.  The top layer has the sweet treats of: Iced fruit cake and house made mince pie; Sticky toffee pudding; Chocolate and peppermint opera cake; Spiced orange and chestnut mousse buche de Noel. 

Tea sandwiches (with the crust removed) fill up the middle layer with: Smoked salmon sandwich with mustard cream; Turkey sandwich, cranberry, radish sprouts; Cucumber sandwich (of course), sweet butter, white balsamic; Chickpea hummus sandwich roasted eggplant; Gruyere Gougene. 

The bottom layer has the scones, clotted cream and two different preserves. 

Relaxing, sipping your tea and enjoying each savory bite of the delights are very important.  It may look as if the quantity of the food would not fill you up.  Don’t be surprised if you request a “to go” bag and you can also get a “to go” cup if you don’t finish your tea. 

 

Take a moment to walk around the charming lobby of the Whitby, one of two London based Firmdale hotels located in Manhattan.  The address is 18 W. 56 Street.  I recommend viewing the Downton Abbey Exhibit prior in order to truly set the mood. 

THE OSCARS FILM SERIES
AT THE WHITBY Hotel and crosby street hotel, new york

In the run up to the 90th Academy Awards ceremony, explore some of the most highly anticipated nominations from the comfort of Crosby Street Hotel or The Whitby Hotel's luxury private cinemas.
Or enjoy live coverage of The Oscars ceremony on March 4th, live from the comfort of either hotel's private screening room. Red carpet coverage starts from 6.30pm, followed by the ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel at 8pm.

THE WHITBY HOTEL:

Film Club includes brunch, a three course lunch or afternoon tea in The Whitby Bar followed by the movie of the week for $55 per person. The films will be shown every Sunday at 4pm.

FEB 11 - Victoria & Abdul

FEB 18 - Roman J Israel

FEB 25 - Blade Runner 2049

MAR 4 - Darkest Hour

MAR 4 - The Oscar's 2018 (LIVE) - Coverage from 6.30pm

RESERVATIONS:
To book, please call +1 212 586 5656 or email bar@thewhitbyhotel.com

CROSBY STREET HOTEL:

Film Club includes dinner or cocktails in The Crosby Bar followed by the movie of the week starting at 8pm. 3 course dinner and a movie is $55. Cocktail, bar plate and movie is $35. 

FEB 11 - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

FEB 18 - Blade Runner 2049

FEB 25 - Victoria & Abdul

MAR 4 - The Oscars 2018 (LIVE) - Coverage from 6.30pm

MAR 11 - Darkest Hour

RESERVATIONS:
To book, please call +1 212 226 6400 or email bar@crosbystreethotel.com

 

KOREAN FARE THAT SAVOR YOUR TASTE BUDS

Korean restaurants are well known for an array of complimentary small dishes called “banchan,” laid out with your entrée.  They are said to be impressive showcasing a quality of care, service and economic stability.   According to a bit of research, it is served in odd numbers as even numbers are considered to be “bad luck.” 

The best way to understand banchan is by general categories of ingredients and preparation. An infinite variety of banchan can be grouped into the following culinary techniques: namul muchim (lightly seasoned ingredients, in particular, vegetables, roots, sprouts); jjim (steamed); jorim (braised in seasoned broth or sauce), bokkeum (lightly sautéed or stir fried); kimchi and jangajji (fermentation and pickling).

There is also a variety of jun (thinly pan-fried savory pancakes and small meat patties) that are associated with larger feasts rather than an everyday casual meal. Three in particular will always appear, no matter how great or humble the table setting: kimchi, namul muchim and jorim.

What better way to sample these dishes and the menu than dining at KumGangSan BBQ located at 138-28 Northern Blvd, in Flushing.  Assist Manager Greg Kang provided some information for me saying that one set of side dishes would be something like 6-7small dishes of different foods plus a plate of kimchi. “So, typically one set of that will be served to minimum of 1 to 4 persons.For a group of 12 you will see 3 sets of those.”

 “There is basically a large spoonful on a small dish and we serve different kinds everyday with the exception kimchi, which is like a staple of the Korean food,” said Kang. The preparation of the side dishes are a big operation of which they have a separate department specializing in just the creation of these delights.

KumGanSan is open 24 hours, which is also part of the reason why they do so and having a crew of 10 that are working around the clock. “The side dishes we create not only get served at the restaurant but there is also a big demand for catering for large parties.”

Wanting to sample a good amount of the bill of fare, I dined with Yeou-Cheng Ma and her husband Michael Dadap, who are the owners of the Children’s Orchestra Society. Yeou-Cheng’s parents were born in China and then moved to France prior to her birth.  She is also an accomplished violinist, a pediatrician and the sister of Yo-Yo. Michael, originally from the Philippines, is the Musical Director and Conductor of the COS.  He has a great collection of stringed instruments.  Okay, they also have a daughter, Laura, who is both a cellist and actor. Loved her performance in The Voca People. They had eaten here prior and recommended it to me.  

I first must admit that I have not sampled Korean food for at least 30 years due to the thought of it being too spicy for me. Kimchi is the kicker made from fermented cabbage and usually with ginger, garlic and/or chili paste and hot pepper flakes. The chef here actually prepares a second kimchi that has much less of the red stuff, but still maintains a bit of a kick. Perfect for me.

Small dishes came out: Kkadugi (cubed radish kimchi) using radish instead of cabbage; pickled cucumbers; bean sprouts with scallions (that seemed to have marinated with garlic); julienned radish; water cress; fish cake and more. I will have to find out if one can do a “to go” of small dishes. 

Appetizers began to make its way to the table.  Sushi and Sashimi combination. 3 pieces of sushi, 9 pieces of sashimi.  Korean Steamed Eggs whisked in salted water and steamed in a pot with scallions.  There was no lack of flavor.  Seafood Pajun. Crispy rice flour pancake with shrimp (not the tiny ilk) and scallions.  I enjoyed these pancakes more than the Chinese version made with wheat flour.

  

Duk Guk - traditional Korean soup with oval shaped rice cakes.  The white oval shape symbolizes a bright and prosperous new year. The Korean holiday coincides with the Chinese New Year. 

Most popular entrée is the barbecue cooked at your table.  We ordered Kal Bi, thinly cross cut beef short ribs with bone marinated in a special sauce.  It comes with onions, garlic cloves, mushrooms, and peppers of which you can either eat raw or add to the cooking.  A second sauce is provided along with lettuce for you to wrap and enjoy.   Yeou-Cheng informed me that the BBQ would not begin until the sushi was completed.  Not a problem. 

As if it wasn’t enough food (That’s why they invent “doggy bags”) we sampled a second entrée called Bibimbap, a large bowl of rice topped with a variety of individually prepared vegetables and beef and then topped with an over easy fried egg. Although it is served with a seasoned red chili pepper paste, here again there was no need to add it unless you wanted to partake it in a spicier manner. 

Bibim means mixing, and bap means rice. This dish, served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, is mixed at the table right before eating. The hot stone bowl gives the bottom layer of rice a nice golden crust, and the rest of the food sizzles while being mixed.  Yeou-Cheng said that she loves to scrape out the crust and later use to mix with their meal.  I don’t believe she’s the only one that does this. 

Tea, made of barley and corn is automatically served in a glass.  Dessert is a soy based vanilla flavored yogurt. 

The décor of KumGangSan is spacious, decorative and calming.  Lots of wood.  There is an outdoor area in the back complete with a water falls.  I will wait for the “thaw.” 

www.kumgangsan.net/flushing.php