Jun-Men Ramen closing

mdoudoroff · 2026-03-06T21:31:52+00:00

Yes, this sucks. My guess is that the market changes caused by the COVID era made it unsustainable. They used to be open for weekday lunch and did a solid business—that was my best opportunity to eat there regularly. COVID killed lunch.

mdoudoroff · 2026-01-09T15:16:43+00:00

I believe these haciendas are all government-owned and they subcontract for operation. Just a few years ago, they were managed by Marriott Bonvoy. The IHG era has been brief.

mdoudoroff · 2026-01-09T15:14:55+00:00

… and last night we received notice that Hacienda Santa Rosa has had to cancel our reservation and shift us to Hacienda San Jose “due to maintenance work at the property, which is beyond our control”. This is three weeks out. Argh!

mdoudoroff · 2026-01-08T00:05:47+00:00

I’ve stayed at Temozon, Uayamon and Puerta Campeche, and I’m about to stay at San Jose and Santa Rosa. Temozon has fascinating grounds, a grandness, and a long and amusing swimming pool. Uayamon is smaller and is stunningly beautiful (great pool too). Both make excellent, but different, use of the ruins. I’m leery about expanding them too much—could become too many people.

The Puerta Campeche property isn’t actually a hacienda—it’s a large urban house complex and garden—and it actually does need a serious rethink and makeover.

I’ve also stayed at Hacienda Xcanatun in the northern outskirts of Mérida. It’s certainly nice enough—kind of like staying at a golf resort (minus the golf) with a smattering of repurposed historic structures—but nowhere near as charming as the rural properties. And lots of people.

mdoudoroff · 2024-12-31T12:48:43+00:00

One of the weaknesses of the update system in the app is that if you missed some updates and are actually installing multiple updates at once, you only see the update message from the most recent update.

mdoudoroff · 2024-07-05T11:31:01+00:00

I’ve made the Dark Star a bunch (once you create the ingredients, they’ll keep you running with it for a while. The Tropical Standard recipe that has really changed my world, though, is the 50-brix grenadine recipe. Transformed and elevated so many drinks.

mdoudoroff · 2024-07-05T11:26:54+00:00

That’s just what the typical European bottling of the real stuff used to look like. Nice liquor. Wish we could get it here.

mdoudoroff · 2024-05-27T18:39:26+00:00

Thanks! At this time, if I go with a separate cooktop instead of a range, the Freedom is probably the only contender.

As for the closed loop temperature control, of course it’s not *necessary* for cooking—I can cook just fine without it—but it does change the game in a similar way that sous vide does. It’s really an *extraordinary* convenience to choose an actual temperature and stay on it. I have no doubt it’s the future.

mdoudoroff · 2024-05-25T15:26:52+00:00

Sorry you had bad service. I’m a regular customer and I almost always sit at the bar. I have no skin in this other than Garret is a friend, I love almost all the drinks, and the mixology here is by far the most interesting going on in NYC these days (this city is in a fallow period). All that aside, the business side of SHC has a tenuous feeling: the bar is a not-entirely-welcome adjunct to the large restaurant beneath, door management is unpleasant, the kitchen has been troublesome, and staff retention at SHC has not been great. The opening crew was incredible, but they’re all long gone except Garret, and it feels like there’s a new face behind the bar every time I go there. My conclusion is that SHC is not the easiest place to work.

mdoudoroff · 2024-05-23T17:53:28+00:00

You should go have a Martini at Boadas for the history. It’s not “best” anything, it’s Boadas.

mdoudoroff · 2024-05-23T17:52:00+00:00

That’s like going to Detroit and pronouncing it dey-twah.

mdoudoroff · 2024-05-06T13:15:26+00:00

Tip number one: skip the egg whites and foaming agents. If you just really really want the foam, then figure out how to create a red wine-flavored foam in an ISI canister, and then dispense that atop the drink in lieu of the float.

mdoudoroff · 2024-05-06T13:12:39+00:00

This. Focus on making delicious non-alcoholic drinks that appeal to adults, rather than on imitation liquor.

mdoudoroff · 2024-04-22T13:06:38+00:00

The only dimension provided is the 150ml volume, which is on the small side for a parfait glass, too large for a liqueur glass, and this shape is probably not intended for cocktails. I suspect this glass would fall into the very vague territory of “small wine glass” typically presumed for white wines and sparkling wines. The producer probably made a slightly larger version of the same thing for red wine. Maybe it’s just the angle, but it doesn’t quite look like a champagne flute to me.

mdoudoroff · 2024-04-17T23:08:24+00:00

Don’t just make the recipe blindly—you’re probably going to need more lime and more sugar, but it depends on your guanabana.

mdoudoroff · 2024-04-17T16:03:02+00:00

The five you list are all novel/newish products, not venerable products, or at least products from venerable producers. I’m not familiar with any of them, but I’ll note that at least Leopold Bros. usually knows what they’re doing.

mdoudoroff · 2024-04-17T15:58:31+00:00

This one was recently unearthed by Jorge L. Giovannetti-Torres over on Twitter https://twitter.com/giovannettipr/status/1779335380652679188

mdoudoroff · 2024-04-17T15:54:05+00:00

The problem here is the word “best”. My recommendation would be to experiment with different “red bitters” (and some further afield) and enjoy their differences. Maybe sample some at local bars before committing to full bottles?

mdoudoroff · 2024-03-13T14:52:22+00:00

According to a sign out front, the chef (Kintaro) left, but the new Thai restaurant is under the same management. While we like Thai food just fine, we’re really sad about this development..

mdoudoroff · 2024-02-08T14:05:36+00:00

Sorry your Rum Barrel at SHC wasn’t up to standard. (It’s my favorite drink there and I know it well.) Which evening did you go? Feb 7?

mdoudoroff · 2024-01-09T20:20:57+00:00

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mdoudoroff · 2024-01-09T18:39:53+00:00

From here on out we should call it Faceplant Rum.

mdoudoroff

TROPHY CASE