Hand Pull Noodles and Dumpling House

I needed to get my grub on.

I met up with a friend, and his dad suggested Hand Pull Noodle and Dumpling House.

Great suggestion.

So the three of us made the move over to Bensonhurst, pointing out old favorites and worthy newcomers. Old Italian specialties and the new Asian crowd.

We pulled up to the dive-y looking noodle and dumpling joint ready to feast.
Upon entering I noticed the chef prepping, slapping noodles on the counter in back only to fold them on themselves and set them aside for later. 

A real mom-and-pop joint, complete with little kids and grandma nannies, the service was casual and forgetful, but most of all sincere.

Appetizers and entrees came out as they were ready, in no particular order.

We ordered Hot and Spicy Bok Choy, thinking we'd get a fried dish.
It was Bok Choy kim-chi.
Cold, spicy and fermented - we nibbled a little. I added it to my soup later on and it was a fine addition. Not a repeat buy, nor a worthy picture. It really just made me want to make my own kim-chi. 

Dumplings were absolutely necessary as they are part of the namesake.

They delivered the goods! The dumplings were delicious.

The kind of place I could go and get a few orders of dumplings for lunch and be totally satisfied. 

Steamed dumplings filled with flavorful pork and spices. Wonderfully pleated and steamed, needing little accompaniment.

No plates.
Grab a little dish near the chopsticks and add some sauce. Or eat your dumpling as-is because they're really freakin' good.

Next up is meat sauce over hand pulled noodles. Served with steamed bok choy.
This is awesome sauce.

Although this was not my dish, we all had the spirit of sharing. It certainly was delicious. I would definitely order this next time as there is something about fresh noodles and saucy, fatty meat that really speaks to me.
I really wish I lived across the street from this place.

My food came out next.
Fresh Shrimp Wonton with hand pulled noodles in soup.
This was really good.

Wontons with full, fresh shrimp in addition to regular ground pork and noodles with great consistency and flavor.
This is the kind of dish you would expect at a noodle and dumpling house.
The broth was lightly porky and flavored with star anise - flavorful enough to stand on it's own, but simple enough to welcome additions.
So, I added some vinegar, hot chilies and soy sauce to pick it all up.

My friend Ezra got this next dish.
Rib Tips over fried noodle.

The rib tips were deep fried and crispy, slicked with a sweet and tangy sauce that fit really well with the rest of the food. The kind of saucy meat you want to wrap a bunch of noodles around. I ate a few of these bad boys. The noodles were lightly stir fried.

And now, as a bonus, here is a picture of my soup after the additions.
I'm holding up the noodles because the first picture doesn't look like there are so many noodles. Believe me, there are plenty.

If you look in the very top right corner of this picture you will see some food that I have not talked about.

The fried buns.

Similar to dumplings in composition, these buns had a great wrapper and crisp edge, but the filling was lacking and made me wish we had more steamed dumplings.

Also, fyi, dumplings are available to buy frozen, 50 at a time.

Rocco's Calamari

Jamaican, Mexican, Vietnamese, Russian - I've eaten it. I've photographed it, and I've shared it.

Now it's time for some real Brooklyn Italian fare.

Funny, I know just the spot. Rocco's Calamari.

This casual Italian restaurant has it all. The kind of place where people dressed up fancy sit at a table next to thick accents and football jerseys. Where I've come with my family for over a decade, sitting next to grandma's, plumbers, and suits, listening to the old familiar Rocco call out his patrons as they come in, welcoming them as he has for years.

The kind of place you've got to try hard to order a dish over $10. The kind of place that you overhear "one butcher's sandwich," only to find out it's a huge Italian loaf stuffed with eggs, sausage, cheese, bacon and home fries. I've had a few of those in my day too. (Did I mention I was chubby in high school?)

But this time, I went with my sister for some early Brooklyn nostalgia and a meal I won't soon forget.

Check out the menu here, but keep in mind some of the prices have changed.

Potato croquettes and rice balls were a dollar each, worth the price, but I gladly would have paid more for a better filling - or any filling really.  Hot, cheesy, and full of rice, they were certainly enjoyable, but I'd like to see some seasoned ground beef and peas in there, or chunks of ham and cheese, something.

Escarole with beans, $5 for this size, $8 for a large.

The escarole was exactly what it should have been; delicious. Garlicky and full of slightly bitter, juicy greens, soft but not mushy beans, this dish kept me grounded as I tore through my main course. A great dish to share.

My sister got her old standby, penne a la vodka, $8. This is one of the more popular dishes on the menu, and for good reason.

I ordered my favorite menu item, mussels in red sauce, $10. It never lets me down, it always fills me up, and I always clean my plate. I opt for no pasta underneath, because I like to use the semolina bread as my vehicle for sauce, and the empty shells as a spoon.

 

These mussels were fat, sweet, and meaty. The red sauce has a nice bite to it, but is not overly chunky nor too thin. It coats the mussels well, and sops up perfectly with bread. Also available with a white sauce, I've never ordered it, but I hear good things.

Perhaps I am obligated to mention that the calamari is fantastic. My sister abstains from seafood of all kinds, so ordering the calamar' would have been a little overkill this time around. When I have ordered it, the rings are thick and lightly battered, cooked through but not chewy. I love tentacles. When we eat calamari, I pick out the tentacles first. I love the way they fry up and hold sauce. Served with marinara sauce in varying degrees of hotness and a wedge of lemon, it's sure to please all those involved.

The pasta has always been delicious at Rocco's and the eggplant parm is supposed to a real winner. I suggest that you order what speaks to -or ask Rocco, you'll recognize him.

Fresh Italian semolina bread studded with sesame seeds, ice cold water with lemon, and $25 dollars later - I needed a nap.

Wrap Up

I took a lot of pictures in 2011. For many of the months, my camera was broken, but I got a new camera and started snapping away again.

I try to post the very best of my pictures, so you've all probably seen the top notch ones, but here are a couple photos that never made the blog but I think are pretty rad.

Remember, you can click on the photos to enlarge them!

This is a picture of some Bamboo Shoots I saw in a Sunset Park Asian Supermarket. They were all lined up in rows, and reminded me of the Terracotta Army.

This is a big ol' crab! He was standing guard over a lobster. He's big.

This is some crazy green thing I can't remember the name of. It's a member of the Brassica family, and is supposed to taste sweet, and like a mix of cauliflower and broccoli.

I love to take pictures of seafood markets. This is a crab harvest in Chinatown in February.

This is another seafood pic from Chinatown. In the middle are some razor clams, which are freaking delicious; sweet and meaty, these are some of the best clams for eating. On the right are some Goeduck!

This is my bowl, just before I put some soup in! A friend of mine cooks Burmese food, and sometimes when I visit I get to try some new things. This was her take on Mohinga, considered to be the national dish of Burma.

And this crazy thing is a Buddha's hand! A member of the citrus family with no pulp or juice, this pithy monster is extremely aromatic and smells like lemons and roses. Very pleasant as a tea, and as a room freshener.

Happy new year every body!