Mundo (2)

The return to Mundo did not disappoint. With an updated menu for spring, there were a few new options to try and they were all very good.

As V and I were discussing what to order, we decided to take a route we've tried several times before, opting for a few appetizers, rather than individual entrees. I suggested we try a dip and V agreed saying, "I'd try anything but the carrot dip." Admittedly carrot dip does sound a little strange, but it was one I was intrigued by. I wasn't sure if it would be hot or cold, crunchy or creamy, good or bad. The menu described it as "sautéed grated carrots, garlicky homemade yogurt." I had to ask our server if I could try just a spoonful. (V tells me I'm a little crazy.) Our server obliged and brought me a little mini dish to try. I really liked it–a perfect texture that wasn't too creamy like baby food or too crunchy and raw, it wasn't chilled cold but not served hot either. The garlic flavor was well balanced with the yogurt and not too strong. Perhaps next time we'll try a full order!

We ended up ordering the Crabmeat & Artichoke Dip, which was served warm and too was quite good. I found it a little too chunky but really this is a personal preference. The portion was reasonable, especially with our other orders coming.

The Brazilian Coxinha was a chicken croquette with catupiry cheese (a Brazilian cream cheese). The single croquette was a good size and the filling was creamy which was nice with the crunchy crust.

Next we tried Puro Turco, cheese rolls. These reminded me of a cross between the state fair and egg rolls. The hand rolled dough was stuffed with feta cheese & parsley and was hot, crunchy, salty and creamy all at the same time. Great.

Finally we tried the house specialty, a vegetarian dish called Red Sonja. It consists of "red lentil patties with cracked wheat (bulgur), scallion, parsley & oriental spices on a bed of lettuce with lemon wedges." Even from this description, it is hard for us to comprehend what would come from the kitchen. The 'patties' were kind of like a raw mash of all the ingredients. We sprinkled a little lemon juice over the top and with some guidance from our server, picked up the patty in the lettuce leaf for a bite. It had a nice texture which was complimented by the crunch of the lettuce leaf and the flavors were very good–not too strong, just a good mellow mix of fresh tastes.

For dessert we tried another specialty, Warm Semolina Helva with Ice-cream. It was kind of Mundo's take of fried ice cream: a scoop of vanilla ice cream surrounded by a warm, soft shell of coarse-ground semolina flour, with pinenuts, pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon sprinkled over the top. It was really a unique dish, and one that I really enjoyed if only because slightly melted ice cream is one of my favorite desserts.

Mundo really is a great find, the small space means you will get great service and personal attention, the location makes it affordable and the cuisine is authentic and delicious. I'm happy we went back.

Novecento

The idea was to make the Americans feel the real atmosphere of an Argentine place.

Novocento is an Argentine bistro in SoHo which I happened upon with a friend. Honestly there are only two reasons I chose it: first being there were a good number of people eating inside for a Tuesday night and second, the prices on the menu outside looked good (I didn't even look at what the actual food was).

Upon stepping inside I was happy with my choice. The atmosphere was warm and inviting with a good number of people eating and at the bar, but not too crowded that I couldn't sit down for a drink before taking a table. The music playing was loud but not overpowering, and I believe it was Argentinian.

Upon recommendation from our server, I ordered the skirt steak, with chimichurri sauce, and mashed potatoes. (My other choice was the more expensive pan-seared tuna.) I know that skirt steak isn't the most tender cut but I did expect it to be more tender than it was. The sauce was tasty, at bit salty, but good. The mashed potatoes seemed almost like they came from a box - they were overmashed. I wished they came with some kind of gravy or sauce or at least butter, but they were served plain. Odd.

I really liked the restaurant and the atmosphere and the rest of the menu looked good, but overall my meal wasn't as good as I had hoped. Still, Novocento has some allure to me and I will have to go back and try again sometime.

Mundo

This restaurant was a complete surprise favorite. Mundo Cafe and Restaurant is just off Broadway at 32nd St. in Astoria. I've walked by it dozens of times (yes, I just moved here, but I've been to the neighborhood before) and I always thought the place looked odd and honestly, kind of uninviting and scuzzy. But last week I walked by and picked up a copy of the menu to peruse and it looked fantastic, and not too expensive.

We dined there just a few days later and had a wonderful meal. The place is tiny, with enough seats for maybe 25 people. The atmosphere is nice with art for sale on the walls. When you're walking by outside you can see into a window into the kitchen, and it too is tiny - not much bigger that the kitchen in my apartment. There were just two servers for the whole place. The were very helpful and friendly.

There was a lot we wanted to try off of the menu. We ended up going with the Cheese & Spinach Dip, the Ottoman Dumplings and the Crab meat Burger. Everything was good though a little different than I expected. The dip was very spinachy with cheese melted on top. I had expected it to be more blended or creamy. We ate it with little pita wedges, which there weren't enough of. The dumplings were smaller than I expected, about the size of grapes, each with a little piece of ground beef inside. The yogurt sauce was mellow and tasty. The burger was great, with huge chunks of crab and great herb-seasoned fries on the side.

We definitely liked the place and will be back - there's a lot more to try!