Monthly Archives: May 2010

Nocturnal Eats: Twenty Ninth of May

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My dear childhood friend C was in town visiting over the weekend. Here’s a few things we had:

The Monty Special cucumber, tomatoes and cheddar cheese

The Adopted Luke with baked sweet potato fries mushrooms, caramelized onions, swiss, bbq sauce
Half rum raisin and half FTO white coffee topped with almonds
Cherry Limeade
cherry vodka, amaretto, sweet and sour, cherry, fresh lime
Wachusett Blueberry draft
C’s yard of Woodchuck Amber Ale
Youngberry Chocolate
Lindeman’s Framboise and Young’s Chocolate Stout
Berry Sexy Martini

Metropolitan Tea, Bond Restaurant, Langham Hotel, Financial District, Boston

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Bar in the lounge area
Stunning ornate chandeliers
Isn’t that the cutest lil honey pot?
I ordered the Orchid Vanilla tea but had a change to sample the Citrus Mint as well. Both were delicious. The Orchid Vanilla was subtle yet semi-sweet. The Citrus Mint was very strongly scented, the hints of herbal orange wafting over before it was even served!
1st Course Scones with Devonshire Cream, Honeycomb and Beach Plum Jelly
My favorite combination was to lightly swipe some of the fluffy scone with some cream and then drizzle it with honey. I also liked the jelly, but would have preferred it paired with a baguette or wheat toast.

2nd Course Assortment of Tea Sandwiches
Maine Lobster “BLT”
If this came in a regular lunch portion, I would order it in a heartbeat. What’s not to like about sweet lobster combined with the salty heartiness of bacon on crunchy butter slices of baguette?
Meadow Brook Egg “Mimosa” with House Smoked Salmon
This was an interesting take on a deviled egg. When you bite into it, there’s some salmon roe mixed into the piped egg yolk mixture that gives you little surprise pops of salty goodness. Then your teeth sink into the smoked salmon that is hidden in the bottom.
English Cucumber, Farmer’s Cheese and Dill Sandwich
Simple, classic and delicious. What more can I say?
French Ham Roulade with Cornichons
Also another classic tea sandwich. My portion was a bit heavy on the cream cheese, but I’m sure that is probably because I dislike heavy amounts of cream cheese to begin with.
3rd Course, Assortment of Desserts, Boston Creme Pie, French Macaroons, Chocolate, Dipped Strawberry, Madeleine
These were rather disappointing to me. They were probably pre-made and not fresh as they should be. The texture of the pie and Madeleine were very dry. The macaroons were not even close to the taste or delicate crunch I’ve experienced with other locations. The only passable item was the chocolate dipped strawberry sadly. They may have just had an off day as well.

Overall, I enjoyed my first tea here. I highly recommend you go for the atmosphere and the first 2 courses. Also later at night Bond becomes a very popular nightspot that is great for people watching and they also serve some great cocktails!

Metropolitan Tea at Bond Restaurant in the Langham Hotel
Served daily from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
250 Franklin St.
Boston, MA 02110
Tel: (617) 451-1900, ext. 7777
Bond on Urbanspoon

Sonoma Grape and Prosciutto Salad

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Peppery arugula and mixed greens tossed with lemon roasted asparagus, feta cheese, grapes, pine nuts, and peanuts. Top with crisp prosciutto and serve with lemon thyme vinaigrette.
Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
  • 3 T lemon juice
  • lemon zest from half a lemon
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
  • 3 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients except the olive oil, salt, and pepper. While you are whisking, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Continue whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste. This dressing keeps well for up to two weeks in the fridge and for several days on the counter.

All Seasons Table, Malden

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Lady in Red Maki, from the menu description it is a “soft shell crab tempura maki topped with tuna and tobiko drizzled with balsamic syrup.” This was one of my favorite maki of the lunch. Our mom for her birthday asked to go to All Seasons Table just for this roll. A couple we know very well just announced they were going to have a baby and what they missed most was the Lady in Red Maki.
Spicy Tuna Maki (Left), Spicy Hamachi Maki (Upper Right), and Una Avo Maki (Lower Right)
Both the spicy tuna maki and spicy hamachi maki have some tobiko mixed in along with some thinly sliced scallion. I like how you get more fish than rice in the maki rolls here. This restaurant also makes one of my favorite versions of the una avo maki around. The barbequed eel is served semi-warm and pairs wonderfully with the soft buttery flesh of the avocado. It needs no wasabi or ginger.

Peking Duck Lettuce Wraps

The waiter prepares this appetizer for you table-side so that none of the ingredients get soggy from the sauce or duck. It’s a good take on regular lettuce wraps. The duck is well made and the fried vermicelli noodles add a nice crunch. The plum sauce that comes with it has a good amount of hoisin sauce mixed in.

Pan Fried Chicken in Malaysian Curry Sauce

This was a very good curry if you prefer your curry to have a slightly more sweet edge and lots of coconut milk. The chicken is tender and not overcooked. There is are a few too many onion slices but I think that may have been a fluke.

AST is a pan Asian restaurant owned by a Vietnamese entrepreneur. The hostesses are friendly and quick to get you seated. The interior is sleek and modern. There is live jazz here on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8 pm. The sushi here is well made with lots of fish and a small amount of rice in the maki rolls. It is not the best sushi I have ever had, but it is delicious. Drinks are tasty and pricing is moderate. The waiter was very attentive. The menu has typical Chinese fare but also a lot of flavors from all over Asia and there should be no problem for diners to find something to enjoy. Overall, this would be a place for a date or to get drinks with friends.

All Seasons Table
64 Pleasant St.
Malden, MA 02148
Tel: (781) 397-8788
All Seasons Table on Urbanspoon

Lamb Tacos with Chili-Tzatziki

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Adapted from Ming Tsai

Serves 4

  • 1 T garlic, minced
  • 1 small red onion, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp Sriracha, adjust to taste
  • 1 C plain non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 6 mint leaves, finely sliced
  • 1 C cucumbers, quarter-inch dice
  • 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 package of small corn or whole wheat tortillas
  • extra virgin olive oil for cooking

In a large skillet or saute pan coated lightly with oil, saute the garlic, onion, jalapeno and cumin until lightly carmelized. Add in the lamb, season with salt and pepper, then cook through, about 5 minutes. Fold in the lemon juice and check the flavor. In a separate bowl, mix the two srirachas, yogurt, mint, cucumbers, and lemon zest together and season to taste. Warm the tortillas. Assemble the lamb mixture, lettuce and tzatziki in the tortillas and serve immediately.