22 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – DBGB’s Matzoh Ball Soup: An $8 Bowl of Gold

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  I would take a giant bowl of this with a side of rice any day.

One would think that I was still dating my Jewish ex since, one fine night a few weeks ago, it looked as if I was taking part in Passover Seder.  Seder includes matzo ball soup and four cups of wine, among other foods and rituals.  Well, before going to DBGB for Jim’s Matzoh Ball Soup ($8), I took a wine tasting class at Astor Center and had multiple gulps and sips of nine varieties.  I was feeling reeeal festive after that, and there was no doubt that I needed something to flush out the alcohol at the end of class.  So it was a good thing that TSH was meeting me at the Center, from where we would walk over to DBGB.

I didn’t have high hopes for the Matzoh Ball Soup, not just because I’ve learned that New York magazine doesn’t always know what its talking about, but also because it’s Daniel Boulud’s restaurant, after all, and sometimes too much hype ensues just because of the name behind it.  But this $8 bowl piqued my senses from the moment the bartender placed it in front of me.  The scent of the golden broth traveled to my nose from behind the counter, which switched the “on” button in my mouth.  If I were a cartoon character, my eyes would be bugging a mile out and there’d be a waterfall gushing out of my mouth and onto the floor.

From the first taste, I wanted to become Jewish.  Maybe eventually the annoying Asian girl on my high school volleyball team can ask, “Really, you’re Jewish?” and have a good reason to actually ask that.

 

Jim's Matzoh Ball Soup at DBGB

 

The three medium-sized matzoh balls crumbled nicely.  Think of them as delicate, airy meatballs, without meat (I know, the horror, right?!), which were accompanied by pairs of two kinds of mini radish and baby balls of carrots.  The veggies were almost too cute to eat, but eat them I did.  And I loved every non-soggy bit.  I expected no meat, but, as I was swirling around, I found two little chunks of what looked and tasted like pork, but they had to be chicken, right?  Sometimes I really can’t tell, so in this case, I think I’ll safely assume it was chicken.

Sipping the broth was like sipping liquid gold – it was that rich.  Add some fresh dill and just a touch of salt, and you’ve got yourself a treasure.  At points, I even tasted a cinnamony flavor along with some essence of Italian seasoning.  Looks like parsley oil is drizzled in, according to NY mag, so that might partially explain the latter, along with some secret matzoh ball ingredients.

Ok, so, I’ve  never tried home made matzo ball soup, but I have a feeling it might just pale in comparison to DBGB’s.  And, until someone wants to cook up their home made version for me, I’ll take a pot of DBGB’s to go and eat it with a pot of rice, Asian style.  For me, this would be the best Jewish-Chinese pairing to date.

DBGB Kitchen and Bar
299 Bowery (between Houston and 1st Street)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 933-5300
www.danielnyc.com/dbgb.html

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

10 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Trying to Overlook the Negatives: Má Pêche’s Hue-Style Chicken Soup

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  If you’re going to try this, for every spoonful of soup you should have a gulp of water.

It’s Easter Sunday, and I’m staring out my dirty windows trying to write this post before I get started on more work.  Three months after moving into this brand new building, I still have to look past the grime covering the windows to get a glimpse of the beautiful sun shining through.  This is what I had to do with Momofuku Má Pêche’s Hue-Style Chicken Soup.

I almost didn’t get to try it on Friday because, after arriving, we were told by the host standing outside that there was a private party going on and the restaurant wasn’t even officially opened yet.  She said the Chambers Hotel was still serving a limited lunch menu on the Mezzanine level, but she didn’t know if they were serving the soup.  We walked upstairs to look at the menu, and, hallelujah, the soup was there!

As the host took us to our seats, I started sweating because it was so damn hot and humid inside.  This was going to be a not-so-great experience if I had to eat hot soup in a hot environment.  But ask and you shall receive, and the cool air

Má Pêche’s Arnold Palmer

was finally turned on.  Supplementing the cool air were a bottle of beer and a special Arnold Palmer ($5) made from Má Pêche’s calamansi lemonade (calamansi*, lemon juice, simple syrup, mint) and jasmine iced tea, which had a refreshingly delicate citrus flavor.

I was both expecting and not expecting a mind-blowing soup because the Momofuku name was behind it.  I had Momofuku ramen a few times (and it still needs a review on this blog), as well as dinner at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, and each time I’ve left unimpressed and annoyed that I spent a lot of money.  However, Momofuku still has an incredible reputation, so this was me hoping that I could see past my bad experiences and finally enjoy something I would rejoice about.

Má Pêche’s Hue-Style Chicken Soup

To my dismay, that didn’t really happen with their Hue-Style Chicken Soup.  I enjoyed the mix of ingredients that were in plain sight – fresh slices of mushrooms, real tender pieces of chicken, fresh cilantro, fried shallot flakes and Asian rice noodles.  The more hidden ingredients that my palate could figure out – star anise, lemongrass and fish sauce – provided some pleasant company.  But, at $12 a bowl, I wondered if they used about $9 worth of salt.  In fact, all of their dishes had salt dumped into them.  Maybe it wouldn’t have been as noticeable in the soup if I wasn’t eating the sodium-ridden side dish, too.  At this point, I was thankful for my many drinks so I could wash it down.

Why didn’t I just stop eating?  Well, I was investing $12 just for the bowl of soup, and wasn’t about to waste my money and spend more money to fill up my stomach.  So I forced myself to get over the saltiness, delight in the parts that I liked, and finish it.

This is similar to how I handle my personal relationships.  As I invest more of myself into a relationship, my expectations increase.  I expect the same that I give.  Over the years, however, I’ve realized, after a number of disappointments, that the only way I could lessen these disappointments was if I changed my own expectations and, from that, changed how I interacted with certain friends.  For example, flakers get invited less and less, but I’ll still be able to have a good time with them whenever we happen to see each other.  They’re still fun people, after all.

I’ve been a work in progress, trying to look past the rough spots and enjoy the shining moments underneath.  This doesn’t mean I never feel let down anymore, but it does mean that I feel happier overall.  If you rub enough salt on the wounds, though, and don’t provide me with an ounce of happiness, then my investment ends there.

So, Má Pêche, I think you’ve filled me with enough salt for a lifetime, and I won’t be coming back.

*Calamansi is popular in Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, and is also called “lemoncito.”  It is often described as a cross between a tangerine/mandarin orange and a kumquat.

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!