Eating In Translation

A Night of Barbecue with Robbie Richter and Josh Ozersky

For this one-off event my SLR stayed at home, so only this take-home gift made my photo album. Many cellphones were brought into play, however; with a little searching you should be able to take a look at tacos stuffed with BBQ bulgogi, jerk pork belly paired with Israeli salad, and mojo chicken buttressed by that favorite Syracuse starch, salt potatoes.

At evening's end, Richter — the original pitmaster at Hill Country and at Fatty 'Cue, who will soon be decamping for Los Angeles and a new "fusion barbecue" enterprise — presented me with a token of the most curious fusion of the event. This menu item employed a Tamarack Tunis ewe and a version of the Central Asian rice dish called plov, and may mark the first time that a Vermont-raised heritage sheep has ever taken on the flavors of a spice mix from Kyrgyzstan.

According to the spice packet's label, printed primarily in Russian, the first four ingredients are barberries, cumin, saffron, and Bulgarian pepper; numbers seven and eight are tomato and dill. Number five reads "Zhambyl," a place name from across the border in neighboring Kazakhstan. I don't know its culinary meaning, however. And about number six of these ingredients, from Robbie with plov, I haven't a clue.

A Night of Barbecue with Robbie Richter and Josh Ozersky
Alchemy, Texas
71-04 35th Ave. (Leverich-72nd Sts.), Jackson Heights, Queens
April 29, 2013

Krumville Bake Shop

Propriety dictates that a tarte tatin (slice, $4) should be eaten with a fork, but if you don't care who knows how much you love peanut butter and banana, hands will do.

Krumville Bake Shop
917-406-7447
www.KrumvilleBakeShop.com
At Smorgasburg, 90 Kent Ave. (North 7th-North 8th Sts.), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Saturdays during the warmer months

Northeast Kingdom

(This venue is closed.) Fat, rich, plenty of juice: This grass-fed burger ($14) is stacked with mushroom duxelles, Vermont cheddar, and tobacco onions.

Northeast Kingdom
18 Wyckoff Ave. (at Troutman St.), Bushwick, Brooklyn
718-386-3864
www.North-EastKingdom.com

Khao Man Gai NY

Some of the most successful street vendors in Southeast Asia make their name from a single dish. That's literally true for this husband-and-wife startup, who serve the Thai chicken-and-rice combo called khao man gai (Cow mon Guy). As in the Sukhumvit district of Bangkok — and as with khao man gai's forebear, Hainanese chicken rice — at first the dish seems simplicity itself. Poach a whole chicken with ginger and garlic. Use the resulting broth to cook the rice, and as the foundation for a light soup to refresh the palate between bites; slice some cucumber as an additional palate freshener. Serve with tangy sauce on the side.

Here the execution was splendid: The chicken was tender, the rice was fluffy and fragrant. This khao man gai really hit the mark, however, with a pungent-sweet-spicy dipping sauce that combined fermented soybeans, garlic and ginger once again, simple syrup, vinegar, and Thai chilis. (Ultimately the dipping sauce became a pour-over-the-rice sauce.) In lieu of a basic order ($8), it's wise to ask for an order phi seht (Pea-Set, or "special"; $10), the upsized version that adds more chicken, more rice, and a second serving of the sauce.

Also shown: a modest addition to the one-vendor, one-dish formula for success, a homemade hibiscus drink ($3).

Khao Man Gai NY
At the Hester Street Fair, Essex St. at Hester St., Manhattan
Saturdays, late April through October
Also at the Hester Night Market, 851 Sixth Ave. (entrance at 29th St.)
Thursday evenings, May through September
www.Facebook.com/KhaoManGaiNY

Nordic Preserves, Fish and Wildlife Company

Lingon kola ($4.50), Swedish for "lingonberry fudge."

Nordic Preserves, Fish and Wildlife Company
Inside the Essex Street Market, 120 Essex St. (Delancey-Rivington Sts.), Manhattan
646-450-4544
www.NordicPreserves.com

Toki Underground

Only a modest blue logo marks the door of Toki Underground, which despite the name sits above a bar, up a narrow, steep flight of stairs. Long waits and a full house are, reportedly, not uncommon at this tiny ramen-ya, and seating is snug. I was squeezed in at the slender counter along one side wall, and only on withdrawing, after my meal, did I see that the footrests underneath are a series of skateboard decks. Between the passing bodies of incoming diners I saw that other decks, brightly colored and split lengthwise, form the balustrade where the stairs rise to the second floor.

Which is to say that there's little opportunity to check out the decor, or the crowd, or — unless you land one of the prized seats surrounding the open kitchen — even to see who's ordering what. I caught a look only at the dishes to my immediate left and right. Just as well: My own bowl arrived in very short order. The Toki classic ($11), which employs a tonkotsu, or "pork bone," broth, is dressed with red pickled ginger, sesame, scallions, and nori. More-substantive ingredients include straight, thin noodles, chasu pulled pork, a soft egg, and seasonal vegetables — this day, dark green bitter rolls of Chinese mustard greens.

Tonkotsu ramen is especially associated with the Hakata ward of Fukuoka, on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, and under the name "Hakata ramen" is regarded as a major regional variation. Toki's chef was born in Taiwan, and his dishes were "inspired" (says the menu) by his "experience at a Hakata ramen shop in Taipei," so his dishes have elsewhere been described as a fusion of Japanese and Taiwanese influences. This particular ramen has been dubbed "Hakata style," but I'm not enough of a ramen aficionado to point out the distinctions. I am enough of an aficionado to drain my bowl.

Toki Underground
1234 H St. N.E. (12th-13th Sts.), Washington, D.C.
443-857-0347
www.TokiUnderground.com
Closed Sunday
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Ben's Chili Bowl

Ben's rendition of the chili half-smoke ($5.70), featuring a coarsely ground quarter-pound sausage, equal parts beef and pork, is the most celebrated in the District. But what the hell is a half-smoke? There's no one firm definition.

Neither is there consensus on how to eat one without dribbling chili in all the wrong places. Some rely on knife and fork. Others may heed an instructional essay by George Washington University's Bernard Demczuk; "Bernie's Dog Bite Method" proceeds in five steps, from positioning, to grip, to lift, to entry, to bite. Dr. Demczuk kindly inscribed a copy for me, but my half-smoke was already at hand, and so I had to rely on my own years of training. If I was going to drip chili, I'd drip it onto those potato chips.

Ben's Chili Bowl
1213 U St. N.W. (12th-13th Sts.), Washington, D.C.
202-667-0909
www.BensChiliBowl.com
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Busboys and Poets

"Mekhleme" ($11), the menu tells us, is an "Iraqi 'corned beef' hash" that also includes tomato, onions, and potatoes, all topped by two poached eggs. The Middle East is no stranger to hash, but even when it's the meaty sort, generally hash has been the butt of a joke. (An older generation has similar feelings about creamed chipped beef on toast.)

All online citations that I've found, however, connect "mekhleme" only with Busboys and Poets, generally with favorable notices. (Add mine.) But as to the origin and significance of the name, and as to whether mekhleme is a traditional Iraqi dish or a more recent Iraqi-American invention, I still can't say. (Update: See the comments below.)

Busboys and Poets
1025 5th St. N.W. (K-L Sts.), Washington, D.C.
(one of several locations)
202-789-2227
www.BusboysAndPoets.com
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

O St. Market

With the Eastern Market and the Georgetown Market, this 1881 Victorian structure is one of three 19th century public markets in the District. It joined the National Registry of Historic Places in 1995; by late 2013, apartments are expected to be available at a made-over City Market at O.

O St. Market
Surviving signage at 1400 7th St. N.W. (at O St.), Washington, D.C.
(From an Easter 2013 visit)

Shiner Bock

Mural in progress at 354 Metropolitan Ave. (near Havemeyer St., above the outdoor seats at Fette Sau), Williamsburg, Brooklyn