Taking a bite out of the BIG APPLE!

Story and photos by Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet TM

All food photos are of real food with no photoshop

The inimitable and incomparable Travelling Gourmet TM jets to the BIG APPLE to see the…

MAGNIFICENT Statue of Liberty and the Big Apple that is NEW YORK! Like the song, “New York, New York! So good they named it twice!” this city is always exciting and very busy!

Steel and Mirrors!

MY base was the luxurious Grand Hyatt New York right in the heart of Manhattan Island. Fabulous location right next to Grand Central Station featured in many a movie, and within walking distance to Times Square, Rockefeller Centre, Macy’s, Saks of 5th Avenue and the inimitable Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The restaurants here are very good too, as is the Grand Lounge for guests on the prestigious Club Floor.

In one of the most famous real estate deals in history, in 1976, Donald J. Trump and the Hyatt Corporation partnered to buy the Commodore Hotel, now known as the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Since many of the buildings near the hotel were in or on the verge of foreclosure, and New York City was facing bankruptcy, Mr. Trump was able to negotiate an unprecedented contract in which the city provided a 40-year tax abatement, the first ever granted to a commercial property. Furthermore, the Bowery Savings Bank, and other smaller banks, also promised Mr. Trump $70 million in mortgages in an effort to rejuvenate the area. At first, the building was going to be a small, moderate hostelry. After construction started in 1979, the economy slowly picked up and the plans switched, and it became the 25-story hotel it is today. The renovations also established the Trump signature facade of mirrored glass and stainless steel. What could have been a disaster, putting Trump in massive debts, was credited with overturning the deterioration of the Grand Central Area. On October 7, 1996, Hyatt Corporation purchased Trump’s half- share in the hotel for $142 million.

Make America Great Again!

Normally I do not write on politics but I shall make an exception this time… Trump is good in my book. I am for Donald J. Trump. Almost 8 years of fecklessness, incompetence and corruption and treachery by that snivelling, lily livered poofter and pansy and miserable excuse for a President, namely Obama aka “obozo” the NIncompoop, it is time for someone who can do good things for America and the Free World. Trump! Hillary left 4 Americans to die horribly in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012, and told all manner of scurrilous lies to cover up her treachery and ineptitude is mentally and physically sick!

Enough Politics… it makes my blood boil…

27 July 2016

If you love brunch as much as we do, our brand new weekend brunch menu is just what you’ve been looking for.

And to sweeten the deal, we’re giving you one FREE specialty brunch cocktail with the purchase of any brunch entree! Which one will you choose? Just mention the password “LivingGrandNYC” to your server.

Stop in an see us for weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30AM to 2:00PM.

Watch for these monthly emails. Each one will have a different special offer; our way of saying thank you for dining with us.

We hope to see you soon.

– Chef Daron Lee

New York Central, Chef de Cuisine

(inside Grand Hyatt New York)

Chef Daron Lee created a special Menu for me when I was there! Oh MY GOD! Yummie Yummie!

BIG Apple

Why is New York called the Big Apple? Years ago there were apple orchards here. Kinda remonds me of Orchard Road in sunny Singapore. There used to be orchards there…hence the name. I digress. New York, New York, so good they named it twice is a remarkable city of energy, life and scintillating sights and most of all…GREAT FOOD and Wines! One interesting place to visit and have a coffee and a yummy cake is the home of “Carlos The Cake Boss”. The clear window lets you see the pastry Chefs making cakes. To be honest, his cakes are nice but way too SWEET and the decoration lacks a certain finesse and je nais se quoi. WTH, people like his cakes a lot…

Captivating KATZ’S Deli!

MARVELLOUS, mouthwatering, mesmerizing PASTRAMI on RYE is the speciality here! What a King Kong of a sandwich with really meaty, juicy and flavorful Beef Pastrami prepared in the time honored way with NO shortcuts. No chemicals, no additives and no water added to the meat that is cured for up to 30 days! Super Yummie! It is a sandwich to tweep a terrorist for! J’adore the Reuben with crunchy Sauerkraut! I LOVE this place near Battery Park. The atmosphere is raucous and most of the restaurant is for self service although there are some waiter service tables at the back. You just queue u and one of the many expert Cutters will freshly slice and dice your order for you! I love too the fermented pickles Gherkins that really stimulate your taste buds and whet your appetite. ONE order can actually serve TWO. They are that generous with their portions.

Steeped in History…

In 1888, a small deli by the name of Iceland Brothers was established on Ludlow Street in New York’s Lower East Side by the Iceland brothers. Upon the arrival of Willy Katz in 1903, the name of the store was officially changed to “Iceland & Katz”. Willy’s cousin Benny joined him in 1910, buying out the Iceland brothers to officially form Katz’s Delicatessen. Their landsman Harry Tarowsky bought into the partnership in April 1917. Katz’s Deli was moved across the street, to its present location, during the construction of the subway system. The vacant lot on Houston Street (pronounced “House-ton” after a Dutch emigrant of the same name) was home to barrels of meat and pickles until the present storefront facade was added between 1946-49. Their “Send a Salami to our Boys in the Army” is a big hit with parents and friends of sons and daughters serving in the US Army.

Grand Hyatt New York

109 East 42nd Street at Grand Central Terminal

New York, New York,

USA, 10017

Tel: +1 212 883 1234

Katz’s Deli

205 East Houston Street
(corner of Ludlow St)
New York City, 10002

1-800-4HOTDOG OR (212) 254-2246

To be continued…

More to come…

About thetravellinggourmet

As a renowned Travel, Food & Wine Writer he has travelled the world in a keen & indomitable pursuit of exotic delicacies & fine wines. His articles have been published in over 20 prestigious publications, both local & international. Dr. Lim has toured and trained in Wine Evaluation & Oenology in most of the world's top wine producing areas from France to Australia. The Travelling Gourmet says, "Gastronomy has no frontier. These are the gastronomic voyages of The Travelling Gourmet. My unending mission. To explore strange new cuisines, to seek out new wines and new culinary experiences, to boldly go where no gourmet has gone before...." Have pen, will travel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage & retrieval system, without permission from Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet and/or MSN. Material may be works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents may be true but may also be products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance whatsoever to actual person or persons, either dead or living, events, or locales may be entirely and purely coincidental and unintentional. No part of this website may be used to villify others or for criminal purposes. Interests: Travel, Food, Wines, Cooking, Wine Appreciation, Parachuting, Languages, Music, Reading, Swimming, Hunting, Ballet, Fencing, Archery, Anthropology and more... The Travelling Gourmet is a copyrighted trademark. All rights and photos reserved. No part may be reproduced without permission.

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1 Response to Taking a bite out of the BIG APPLE!

ken lim says:

June 21, 2016 at 19:34

Hope u have a good time in New York. Will see mum this am. Fly home on thursday. It was good to see u again. Lots of love and take care, chin

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