Mahony's

Where? Mahony's (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Sunday December 29, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? PoBoys

My final meal in New Orleans is at Mahony's, another restaurant in the French Quarter famous for its poboys. A few doors down from Killer PoBoys, this joint is more traditional in its flavours, with fillings like fried shrimp, fried oyster, alligator sausage and roast beef. I've gone for the fried shrimp with full dressing.

Mains

Fried Shrimp PoBoy with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo
The shrimp is crispy and tasty, and there's a lot of it. This is a very generous portion. It's really the hero of the poboy, and all the other additions are nice accompaniments that highlight the protein. The pickles give that hit of acidity and the mayonnaise gives that delicious creaminess without overpowering all the other flavours. A few shakes of tobasco and this sends me to cloud nine. A bottle of root beer to wash it all down - perfection. Thanks, NOLA, what a fantastic time.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:53pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

The Court of Two Sisters

Where? The Court of Two Sisters (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Saturday December 28, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? Upscale Creole

For my final night in NOLA, I'm boujie af and fine dining with the Reveillon Menu at the very famous Court of Two Sisters. This is a very upscale restaurant in the French Quarter near Jackson Square, and the inside is beautiful and impressive. I'm here at opening time and it's practically empty; I made a reservation yesterday, since the restaurant was at capacity when I wanted to dine here.

Reveillon is a French word that means “awakening” and it refers to a long dinner usually held on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve. Participation usually requires staying up past midnight, since people would come home to eat after midnight mass. This style of dinner is commonly celebrated in the French Quarter in New Orleans, but at more conventional dining hours.

First Course

Turtle Soup au Sherry with lemon and parsley
This is very interesting. It reminds me of the tortilla soup I used to get from Viva Mexico, in Wellington's Left Bank. It has a rich tomato taste, but no seafoody flavour at all. The turtle is shredded and feels mostly lean with a few bits of fat. It goes well with a slab of butter on the baguette.

Second Course

Seafood Stuffed Puff Pastry with champagne sauce
It's a giant bread dumpling in a butter sauce with a hint of Cajun spices and shrimp on the top. There is so much butter. It's quite tasty but wow, it's incredibly rich, perhaps too over the top. It really needs some acidity to break through that richness. I feel my arteries tightening. If that portion was any larger, I'd be having a heart attack.

Third Course

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with new potato mash, roasted almond, haricots verts, dijon and caper cream reduction
Immediately after, my beef comes out. I need a break from the previous course, they should be staggering these out instead of serving them one after the other. The menu is supposed to be reveillon after all, not a rush.

The tenderloin is so soft, it's cooked a perfect medium rare, and melts in your mouth, but doesn't have a strong flavour to it. I think it needs some more umami, a garlic hit or a nice non-cream sauce. However, the rest of the plate - the potatoes and beans - is just more cream and butter, and I'm kinda fed up with that taste after the last course. The toasted almonds were added too early and have softened, losing that vital textural component on this dish. After a while, I decide that I'm not going to finish the potatoes. It's too overwhelmingly rich and that creamy taste is saturating my tastebuds.

My water keeps getting refilled every five minutes. It's a bit annoying.

Fourth Course

Bananas Foster: flambed tableside with brandy and banana liqueur, served over vanilla ice cream
This is kinda the real reason I'm here. The authentic Bananas Foster can be found at Brennan's, the restaurant that started it, but there is a minimum order of two per table! The reviews on Google for this one are stellar, so here I am.


The flambé is impressive and I can smell the smokiness and sweetness of the rum from two metres away.

It's decadent, the caramelised sugar, the spicyness of the cinnamon and the bitterness of the rum make this dessert a real treat and a fantastic way to finish the night, despite all the disappointments in the previous courses. Definitely a step up from the deconstructed cheesecake from a few nights ago, and a fitting way to end my time in New Orleans.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:48pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Killer PoBoys

Where? Killer PoBoys (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Saturday December 28, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? PoBoys

My time in New Orleans is running out and there's only a few more things on my food checklist to eat. Today I'm going to have a poboy, the New Orleans submarine sandwich. Originally called poor boys, these were served to the striking streetcar workers in the 1920s, then to the working class. Killer PoBoys is another eatery in the French Quarter and very appropriately next to the Museum of Death. They're known for international flavours with local style.

Mains

Glazed Pork Belly Po'Boy with rum-ginger cane syrup, lime slaw and garlic aioli
I've gone for the pork belly, because I can't resist that delicious layer of fat and thick meat. It's sweet from the cane syrup, and savoury from the garlic aioli, with a hint of acidity from the lime slaw to balance out the flavours. I'm normally not a fan of overly sweet things, but this is on par with the sweetness of hoisin or plum sauce that you'd get with Chinese cuisine.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:42pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

The Original French Market Restaurant and Bar

Where? The Original French Market Restaurant and Bar (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Friday December 27, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? New Orleans Seafood

I require more seafood so I want to get the crawfish pot from this restaurant. It's insanely busy and even though I can sit down at the bar immediately, it takes a while for me to get my drink and order in. I've gone with a Gingeroo, which has a very spicy ginger flavour and a smooth rum finish. I ask if they think I can eat a pound of crawfish as well as half a dozen oysters and the bartender recommends getting the crawfish first then seeing how I feel half way through. Sounds good. Challenge accepted!

While I'm waiting, I'm drawn to the television screen showing a college football match between Louisiana and Oklahoma, and Louisiana are doing extremely well. My rudimentary knowledge of American Football (thanks to that one game I made) is paying off. Go sports team, score the points! Do better than the other team!

Mains

Cajun boiled crawfish
Crawfish is half way between prawns and lobster, it's got the rich meatiness of lobster but it's finicky like prawns and doesn't have that much meat. In saying that, what they've done here is true New Orleans style seafood, juicy, spicy, full of flavour and totally delicious. I devour everything like a savage, pulling apart heads and claws, sucking out that sumptuous roe and meat from the shell. My hands are dripping with juices and I'm having such a good time. If I want ice cream, then I don't think I should get the oysters. Wow. That was fantastic. I still prefer lobster, but it's nice to have experienced a New Orleans signature dish.

Oh yeah the corn, potatoes and sausage were nice too.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:39pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Cafe Beignet

Where? Cafe Beignet (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Friday December 27, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? Coffee and beignets

Of course I can't come to New Orleans and miss the opportunity for beignets, these rectangular fried pieces of dough coated in powdered sugar were introduced by the French Creole colonists and are the official state doughnut of Louisiana. And where better to get some than from the eponymous Cafe Beignet on Decatur? I can't walk straight into the bar this time, I have to queue to order and pay like everyone else.

This was actually my second choice. First choice was the iconic Cafe du Monde by the French market, but the line for that was so ridiculously long for both a table and for take out that I decided to pass.

I've ordered an iced hazelnut with milk. It is not a hazelnut drink at all. It's coffee. This is a problem, because I don't like coffee. I'm going to have to chuck this out discreetly after I leave the restaurant (thankfully it's in a plastic cup). I should have gone for an iced chocolate. Regrets were had.

Beignets

I've had beignets before from the creole kitchen in Wellington, Sweet Mother's. I now realise that what I had was not beignets, what I had was nothing. These are beignets. They're delicious and warm and there is so much powdered sugar that Charlie Sheen would take a second glance. The outside is crispy and the inside is soft and fluffy. Definitely a must-have if you're ever here.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:35pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Stanley of New Orleans

Where? Stanley of New Orleans (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Friday December 27, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? New Orleans Breakfasts

I've lost track of what day it is but this is a good sign. Stanley's is right by Jackson Square, in the French Quarter where all the other great food places are. It's a busy breakfast and lunch place serving some classic Louisiana favourites as well as traditional brunch foods like benedicts, pancakes and waffles. There's room for one at the bar so I can skip the queue again. There is one dish that has caught my attention...

Mains

Crab Cakes and Soft Shell Crab Benedict: Fried soft shell crab and seared crab cakes with poached eggs and creole hollandaise
I can't pass up soft shell crab. It is one of the most delicious things on the planet. This one isn't as crispy as I would have liked, but it's seasoned well and that crab flavour comes through nicely. The eggs are poached perfectly and the yolk seeps through into the crab cakes below. Mmm yum!

Posted by Jeremy at 9:32pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Royal House

Where? Royal House (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Thursday December 26, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? New Orleans Seafood

I passed by this very busy place on the way home last night and the $9 half dozen fresh oysters piqued my interest, so here I am, going straight for some of that famous Louisiana seafood. No alcohol tonight...for now. Thanks to single diner privilege, I can skip the queue and sit at the bar.

Appetiser

Six fresh Louisiana oysters, shucked to order and served with all the "fixins"
I love fresh oysters. There's something about the natural saltiness that you get when they're raw, and it loses that when you cook them or pile them with cheese and other flavours. These Louisiana ones aren't that salty but they have a great meatiness and savouriness. The only condiment I'll usually add is tobacco or lemon, but this spicy chunky tomato cocktail sauce goes very well with the oysters. Great start!

Mains

Peel-n-eat Gulf Shrimp: jumbo gulf shrimp boiled in Cajun seasoning, with a side of cocktail sauce
What a magnificent aroma of spices, real Cajun style. The shrimp is absolutely delicious by itself, with the butter or with the cocktail sauce. I dive straight in with both hands and ravenously rip apart the shells to get to the meat. It's slightly overcooked but the flavours are spot on, and there's plenty of spice. That cocktail sauce is so good. Even the potato and corn on the cob are impressive.

Dessert

Bananas Foster Cheesecake: Creamy cheesecake scoops topped with warm bananas fosters sauce and a cinnamon graham cookie
Bananas Foster is pretty famous in New Orleans. It was created to help boost sales of this newly imported fruit in the 1950s. While this is just a cheesecake version, I'm hoping the flavours of smoky rum and cinnamon will come through.

It's...deconstructed and not what I was expecting. The cinnamon is definitely there, and so is that lovely rum taste. The filling - the two scoops of cheesecake - are extremely small in comparison to that biscuit base, and that's not how a cheesecake should be. There's a few banana slices on the plate and the filling does have a nice banana flavour, but I'm hoping the real one is much better than this.

Oh, the cheesecake is free because it took so long. Sweet!

Posted by Jeremy at 9:26pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Oceana Grill

Where? Oceana Grill (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Wednesday December 25, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? New Orleans Seafood

When I arrive at 6pm, there's already a queue outside. Fortunately for me, I'm by myself and there's plenty of seats at the bar. I start the night off with a smooth margarita called “Road to Bourbon Street”: tequila, Cointreau, lime sour and agave nectar. It's got some dry ice for theatrics and it already feels like I'm going to have a good time. The menu is different to what was advertised on a Google, but I ended up going with the special which wasn't on the menu anyway, redfish tchoupitoulas. I overheard some lady on the plane saying redfish was amazing so I might as well give it a go now.

Mains

Redfish Tchoupitoulas: Blackened redfish fillet on a jalapeño crawfish cornbread dressing, topped with sautéed shrimp in a garlic lemon butter sauce and mustard greens
Damn it's good. There's heaps of delicious buttery sauce coating the shrimp and fish, the proteins are cooked perfectly, the redfish has a beautiful crust on the outside that packs a punch. Even the mustard greens, which have never really made an impression on me, are tasty, and help to cut through all that richness. The jalapeño dressing underneath is quite subtle, so I've added a few drops of some local hot sauce to give it more of a kick. Yum!

By this time, the margarita is very much in effect and it suddenly dawns on me that American pours are much more generous. I should be careful next time.

Dessert

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie: Large buttery pecans, layered on a rich, smooth filling with a hint of kentucky bourbon, on a pastry crust
I can't resist dessert. Pecan pie is a southern staple and this one hits the spot. It's warm and comforting, and the center is soft and gooey, which contrasts well with the roasted pecans on top. The bourbon comes through nicely. My only criticism is that the crust is too sweet, the dessert has enough sugar already!

Posted by Jeremy at 9:19pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Chartres House Restaurant and Oyster Bar

Where? Chartres House Restaurant and Oyster Bar (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu

When? Wednesday December 25, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? Cajun and Creole

Right in the heart of the French Quarter, this 1830 building stands on the site of the Good Friday fire of 1788. A lot of the places on my list are super busy and I'm tired and hungry, so whatever, I'll give this place a go. What inspired me to even come to New Orleans? To put it simply, this viral video of two Swiss girls who copied an episode in the Simpsons, frame by frame, of Homer gorging himself in creole cuisine.

Mains

Taste of New Orleans: chicken and sausage jambalaya, chicken and andouille gumbo, crawfish étouffée
I've ordered a taster of gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish étouffée. I'm suddenly reminded of the Carpenter's song Jambalaya, where Karen Carpenter sings about jambalaya, crawfish pie and fillet gumbo. These three dishes are all extremely well-known Cajun and Creole classics. When it comes out, I absolutely have no idea which is which so I have to ask the waitress.

The red one, the crawfish étouffée, is my favourite. It's spicy and the seafood flavour comes through nicely. The garlic bread on the side is perfect with that sauce. It reminds me of a less creamy chowder.

The brown one with the yellow pepper is jambalaya. It's a fusion of Spanish, French and West African cuisines, and it resembles paella with sausage. This one is okay; rich and tasty, but not out of this world. I had a better one at this restaurant in Toronto called...New Orleans.

The saucy brown one is gumbo, a thick, hearty stew containing celery, capsicum and onions. This has a nice smokiness and pepperiness to it.

The food here is very comforting, really rich and soulful. It doesn't look like it's a large portion, but the sauces really fill you up, especially with that side of bread and all that rice.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:14pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::

Betsy's Pancake House

Where? Betsy's Pancake House (Midtown, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map

When? Wednesday December 25, 2019

Who? Me

Food Style? American Breakfast

I've arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana for a five day food excursion and I'm starting it off at Betsy's Pancake House. As I sit down, the aroma of toast and coffee fills the air, and after a brief read of the menu, I've decided to go with the pecan pancakes.

Mains

Pecan Pancakes

Warm, fluffy and aromatically nutty, this is a delightful way to start the day. Obviously they're not going to have authentic Canadian maple syrup here, but whatever this sweet brown sugary liquid is will do.

I love these suburban joints, full of locals enjoying their neighbourhood eateries. I'm really amused by the southern vernacular - especially “howdy y'all”, which is incredibly common. Also I think I'm the youngest person here.

I keep forgetting how large these American portions really are. I'm struggling to finish the pancakes but I power through. Phew.

Posted by Jeremy at 9:04pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::