Talking Tiki: Cocktail Buzz Visits the Oldest Chinese-American Tiki Restaurant in NYC

A little old-school charm lights up a small corner of Queens, N.Y.

Recently we paid a couple visits to King Yum, in Fresh Meadows, Queens, and since 1953, this retro Pan-Asian haunt has been a tiki lover’s paradise. Let’s take a quick peek inside. [click “Talking Tiki” link below to read our “Notible Edible”]

“Talking Tiki,” by Steve Schul and Paul Zablocki. in Edible Queens, Summer 2011.


Over a dozen rum-laden tiki drinks await you at King Yum.

There’s the tiki bar, with its thatched and lacquered Pacific island resort look, which beckons you upon arrival. Then, the Polynesian dining room, decked out in bamboo and white-clothed tables piled high with “exotic” delights. Says foodie Julie Stainer, “King Yum is a taste of old-school fun. On top of the tiki bar, the main dining room is straight out of a 60’s movie, with large red panels and fans. You expect a gong to sound every time the next course is served.”

But what about the food and drink? Read on, fellow traveler, and discover the joys of pu-pus and mai tais. And after you’ve finished, gather your friends for the delights of Chinese tiki right here in NYC. At King Yum, you’ll be reminded of the tastes of another time, with a dining experience that’s kitschy, delicious, and bewitchingly retro. Zipcar it. Just make sure to have a designated driver.

“Talking Tiki,” by Steve Schul and Paul Zablocki.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

BuzzWords

A Culinary and Mixological Puzzle for Your Delectation

by Paul Zablocki

UPDATE: PUZZLE HAS BEEN SOLVED.

Congratulations to Tony Hightower of Astoria, N.Y. for solving the puzzle first. Bonus points for writing his answers out on a napkin [see photo at bottom of post].

And congratulations are in order to two more people who managed to solve the puzzle in spite of my errors in clue-numbering:

Susan Pereira of New York, N.Y., got her puzzle in second and Peggy Laurel of Sante Fe, N.M., third.

If you would like a printable version of the puzzle, click here.

Enjoy, dear reader, our very first BuzzWords, a crossword puzzle peppered with the things you imbibe, the tools you use to get your fix, and the terminology and lore associated with the world of that which we ingest { with an occasional random word thrown in to neatly fill up the squares }.

The first person to successfully solve the puzzle will get a box of booze swag. Just e-mail your results as a list, PDF, JPG, GIFF, whatever to Paul@CocktailBuzz.com.

ACROSS
1. Peculiar, curious
4. Chinese cabbage
8. In style
12. River in North Yorkshire
13. Leave out, as a step in a recipe
14. Billions of lives depend on this food staple
15. Cute actor Efron
16. Derby drink
18. Free-shipping steak company
20. Rare occurrence in a food competition
21. Robert Burns’s “— to a Haggis”
22. Fallen soufflés, for example
24. What onions make us do
26. Zester, e.g.
29. Kimchi country
33. Elated
34. Tamarind container
36. This Greene is “Insatiable”
37. Imbibed
39. Salt vis-à-vis water, perhaps
41. Crank up, as a mixer
43. Energy supplier, for short
44. Romaine
47. Regs defining quality standards for French cheese and wine
49. Possible response to “Who is this?”
52. What Cocktail Buzz loves to pair with a cocktail
55. Sticky product of wood distillation
56. Lambs lamentations
57. Once pooh-poohed fat
58. For someone fragile, this can be bruised easily
59. Units of electrical resistance
60. God of war
61. Opium-smokers’ hangout

DOWN
1. Greek shot
2. Small portion of a drink
3. Like devil’s food cake à la mode
4. Before agriculture, Homo sapiens were these
5. French friend
6. Pub request
7. Where country hams can be aged
8. Premier — (wine grade)
9. City where one can dine on laulau and poke
10. With 27-Down, a summer cooler
11. Porcino mushroom, to a Parisian chef
17. Caribbean chicken rub
19. Gatherer’s cohort
23. Taste
25. Popular fermented dairy product
26. Application
27. See 10-Down
28. Angeles lead-in
30. Chased bunnies
31. Sargasso Sea spawner
32. Anchor Steam makes a Christmas one
35. “What’s up, —?”
38. Rocks alternative
40. Applejack producer
42. French chef’s interjection after adding the final touch
44. — Wabo tequila
45. Moonfish, to a Mauian
46. Hawaiian’s love this canned treat
48. Martinet in the kitchen, or a Russian ruler
50. Strong stuffing herb
51. Liver is rich in this
53. Scotch begins with one
54. Before, in poesy

The Perfect Gin and Tonic

Gin and Tonic is a summer standard. It’s easy to make a drink when the recipe is its name.

Now that summer is officially here according to our social calendars, gin is in. Every gin drinker has a favorite way to make a gin and tonic. For some, substitutions will not do. We have several ways of making this refreshing cooler, and they all have the same 2:1 ratio of tonic to gin. One of our readers wanted to know about tonics and how they interact with different brands of gin.

“I’ve been trying to perfect gin and tonics for the summer, but always feel that the mainstay tonics — Canada Dry and Schweppes — could stand replacement with a better product. I’ve heard of a few boutique tonics, but haven’t had any luck locating any. Can you identify these products, and possibly even do an evaluation of various tonics?”

— Chris Boerboom, Brooklyn, NY

So to answer Chris’s question, we did a gin-and-tonic tasting using four different readily available gins we had on hand and three different tonics, all in our standard 2:1 ratio, plus lime wedge. Even though taste is very subjective, but we made a few discoveries along the way, namely that a dry gin is preferable, and that tonic with corn syrup is a little too sweet and leaves a bitter and somewhat chemical aftertaste. That said, here were our favorites:

1. Bombay Dry Gin and Fever Tree Tonic: Regarding London dry gins, Fever Tree Tonic is a great foil. This gin and tonic is refreshingly balanced (you can taste all three ingredients), clean and smooth, with a slightly bitter taste (but no change in the finish, it’s a consistent flavor)

2. Tanqueray Dry Gin and Fever Tree Tonic: This gin and tonic is a little sweeter than our first recommendation. The gin is more prominent, and the bitterness is stronger yet pleasant.

3. Tanqueray and Canada Dry Tonic: If you cannot locate Fever Tree Tonic, you can go to your grocery store and pick up this tonic that uses corn syrup. Sweetness and bitterness are balanced when mixing this commercially produced tonic with Tanqueray, but the overall effect is a sweeter start and a bitter finish.

Overall, we prefer London Dry Gins (the drier the better, with mild juniper taste) and Fever Tree Tonic (available at finer grocery stores . . . ask your grocer to stock it).

You may have your own preferred brand of tonic (there are lots more out there). You may want to try Q Tonic and Fentimans with your favorite gin and see if any sparks fly. And by all means, don’t stick to the 2:1 ratio if that doesn’t cut it. After all, it is your drink. Don’t settle for something you don’t like.

Gin and Tonic

Ingredients
1 1/2 (or 2) ounces gin
3 (or 4) ounces tonic water
ice
lime wedge, optional

Method
In a highball glass filled with ice, add the gin, stir a bit, and then top with tonic water. Give it another quick stir. Garnish with a lime wedge for extra flavor.

Serve with potato chips or some other salty snack.

We would love to hear from you. Let us know your favorite duo for making your perfect gin & tonic.

For more cocktail and party food ideas, visit us at www.CocktailBuzz.com.

Photo © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

At the Manhattan Cocktail Classic 2011 Gala at the New York Public Library

Nattily dressed imbibers bask in the pink and purple glow of the New York Public Library at this year’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic on May 13.

This year’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic gala was held once again at the New York Public Library. The weather cooperated fully as Mother Nature blessed us with a cool spring evening with no humidity. Hanna Lee Communications, led by the illustrious Hanna Lee, delivered us cocktail aficionados yet another extravagant kickoff to the spirits and liqueur seminars and events to take place over the next four days, during which cocktail-geek nirvana is sought. Upon entering, we rubbed shoulders with thousands of thirsty souls clambering for tens of thousands of well-crafted cocktails made from every spirit that ever dripped out of a still. And, if you could flag down a cater-waiter, you can nibble on tasty au courant morsels such as a marrow hors d’oeuvres, and the now ubiquitous steamed pork buns made famous by chef David Chang and his crews at the Momofuku restaurants.

We stuck with American Whiskey, as is our wont, and delighted in sipping Dana Hutty’s riff on a Manhattan cocktail using Russell’s Reserve rye (or was it Michter’s?). We followed that with a Maker’s Mark Manhattan riff topped with champagne in one hand, and, breaking tradition, a rum rocks drink in the other. Three drinks proved sufficient to bring a silly grin to our faces.

As we roamed the majestic hallways and stairways of this iconic building, we snapped a few photos on our iPhones. Take a look. [CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE]

Enter at your own risk. If you can’t find a cocktail in five minutes, you’ve already had too many.

Paul decides to have his mug immortalized.


Do we really look like this after only one cocktail?


The faces of revelers, both real and drawn.


Steve noshing in between sips.


Red Light Texting.


Luminescence at the New York Public Library.


Aerial artistry above and below (watch video).

Get Ready for Spring Pea Guacamole

by Steve Schul



While traveling through Maui’s Upcountry, Paul & I stumbled upon a restaurant which occupied an old general store in Hali‘imaile, simply named the Hali‘imaile General Store. After a long day driving winding roads through incomparable beauty and cascading waterfalls, this was a fitting way to cap off a beautiful day.

We ordered a well-made cocktail with a little kick, their signature jalapeño margarita, which we accompanied with a red grape quesadilla festooned with dollops of spring pea guacamole. All delicious, but the Spring Pea guacamole was the recipe I kept thinking about and tried to re-create back home. With no idea to how it was made, experiments began. The original perhaps had some avocado in it, but I wanted to see if I could come up with a version that used only the freshness of spring peas, a simpler mix that would satisfy and refresh. The result couldn’t be easier, and a perfect companion for homemade tortilla or pita chips.

Spring Pea Guacamole
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Serves 4–6

Ingredients
14 ounces frozen green peas, rinsed to thaw
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Method
Pulse in food processor until desired texture. Serve with baked homemade tortilla chips, or with store-bought tortilla or pita chips.



The French 75 cocktail—fizzy, lemony, and refreshing—turns out to be a perfect accompaniment to your Spring Pea Guacamole. Have some friends over this weekend, or make a batch for you and yours during the week. You’ll marvel at how the citrus and the champagne mingle with the taste of your springtime spread.


The French 75 will light up your life this spring, especially if you serve it with a side of Spring Pea Guacamole.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Kahlúa Cocktails

The Sombrero is a rich and sweet combo of coffee liqueur and dairy. After a few sips, you may end up with a milk mustache.

Cinco de Mayo (the Fifth of May) commemorates the Mexican army’s defeat of the French in Puebla in 1862, and is celebrated today primarily by Mexican-Americans, proud of their rich heritage. You can bet that Kahlúa will be involved in the festivities, especially when served with desserts such as those Mexican doughnut rods known as churros. Kahlúa, as you probably already know, is one of the most popular coffee liqueurs on the market. This Mexican syrupy tipple has been around since the 1930s and is an ingredient in a smattering of world-famous cocktails that rely on its rich coffee-bean essence, and its robust bittersweetness. Can you remember the first time Kahlúa touched your lips? Perhaps like Paul, you tried it for the first time in college, mixed with some milk plus a few ice cubes bobbing in the mix. Or maybe your initiation into the world of Kahlúa occurred earlier in life, as with Steve. His parents always had Kahlúa stocked in their home bar? Why? It’s an ingredient in Steve’s mom’s favorite drink, Kahlúa and Milk, aka a Sombrero. But did you know that any coffee-flavored cordial mixed with dairy is called a Sombrero? Try it with cream or half and half, and its rich velvety goodness ventures into the realm of liquid dessert.

Sombrero
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua) or coffee-flavored brandy
1–2 ounces or more milk, cream, or half and half (your preference on amount and type)
ice

Method
In an ice-filled rocks glass, pour the liqueur first, then top with the dairy. Stir if you like.


Like cream? So does your Sombrero. Add as much as you desire.

Sombrero sounds so much nicer than Kahlúa and Milk, though we suppose the Kahlúa people would disagree. It’s a decidedly “light’ drink in terms of its alcohol content—it sports half the proof of most spirits, such as vodka. We understand that sometimes you want a little more hooch in your beverage, and that’s where the vodka comes into play. By adding vodka to your Sombrero, you’ve just created a White Russian, a drink immortalized by Jeff Bridges’s “The Dude” in the Coen Brothers’ flic The Big Lebowski, a wacky mistaken-identity romp whose primary location is a bowling alley. We think it’s time you take your White Russian to your local oak-laned alley and get busy.

White Russian

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce coffee liqueur
1 ounce cream
ice

Method
Shake ingredients and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

And for those drink enthusiasts who are lactose intolerant and don’t have a Lactaid pill handy, there’s always the Black Russian, whose provenance dates back to a 1949 Belgian bar.

Black Russian

(adapted by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce coffee liqueur
ice

Method
Shake ingredients and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz

Say Good-Bye to Winter (finally!) with a Whiskey Sour

Made with the freshest lemon juice, a Whiskey Sour may become your go-to cocktail next time you’re at the bar.

What a long winter. Time to shed this malaise that’s been hanging over us like a damp wool overcoat and toast winter’s overdue farewell with a bright dash of sweet and pucker called the Whiskey Sour. Just smelling the whiskey hit the lemon juice brings back memories of our parents mixing them for friends to grand acclaim back in the seventies. Aah, that golden aroma. Making Whiskey Sours now transports us back to our families’ basement bars. For Paul, one plushly swaddled in hi-lo rust-yellow-orange shag, edged in caramel Naugahyde; for Steve, one evoking the Wild West, fashioned with reclaimed Civil War–era wood.

We’ve been perfecting our Whiskey Sour recipe for what seems like years. Some seasons we like them more sour than sweet, like in the deep of winter when all you crave is the scurvy-fighting power of citrus; then sometimes in the summer, you just want a hint more sugar to balance with whatever food you happen to be nibbling on, such as Lamb Meatballs. Whiskey Sours also pair swimmingly well with Spiced Nuts.

This is the recipe we prefer today. So raise your glass high with a colleague after work, a friend who applauds your penchant for mixed drinks, or a loved one who is raring to celebrate the arrival of flowers shooting up from the frost-free ground. Discuss more childhood basement tales. Bottoms up!

Whiskey Sour
(adapted by Cocktail Buzz from a traditional recipe)

Ingredients
2 ounces bourbon or rye (we like a higher proof, between 90 and 100)
3/4 ounces simple syrup
3/4 ounces lemon juice
maraschino cherry and/or orange slice, as garnish (optional)

Method
Shake in ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled glass. Add cherry and orange slice, if you so desire.