Cilantro, lime, avocado and other bright flavors at Bohemia Restaurant

Fried Green Plantain Cups Stuffed with Shrimp in Garlic Sauce ($10) is one of the appetizers at Bohemia, a Colombian restaurant at Main and Camden streets in Hackensack.  

Another appetizer is Seafood Ceviche served with green banana chips ($14).

A whole fried Red Snapper is served with salad and tostones, which are smashed and fried green plantains ($17). Sides of white rice and black beans were $2.25 each.

An entree of Grilled Shrimp is served with an Avocado Salad ($13).

Carne Asada or grilled skirt steak can be ordered with white rice and black beans ($11).

A highlight of our diner for four on Saturday night was a complimentary salsa filled with cilantro and onions that lent a spicy accent to plantains, fish and other items.

We ordered two sides of Tostones ($3 each). This is only a portion of one of the sides.

On our second visit to Bohemia, we had a $36 Groupon good for $60 worth of food for four people, but that and a photo menu that made every dish look delicious only encouraged us to order too much. The BYO, at 287 Main St. in Hackensack, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. As on our first visit in March, servers took our order right away and brought us batidos and other drinks, but we had a long wait for our appetizers.

-- VICTOR E. SASSON

Enjoying a bountiful meal of fresh seafood at Bohemia in Hackensack

A fresh whole red snapper is served as a stew at Bohemia, a Colombian restaurant in Hackensack offering Latin fusion cuisine.

A bowl of light, delicious fish broth is served on the side.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I've long noticed that Bohemia has one of the most attractive storefronts on Main Street in Hackensack, catty corner from the Johnson Public Library.

And after a wonderful dinner on Saturday night, I can report the food at this moderately priced Colombian outpost is great, too.

I bought an $18 Groupon for $30 worth of food at Bohemia, and that may be why we ordered too much: Three small plates and an entree to share. 

Or, maybe I went overboard because photos of the dishes look so good on the bilingual, four-color menu.

Fried Green Plantain Stuffed with Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, served with guacamole, was one of three small plates we ordered ($10).

A Fish Ceviche, served with green banana chips, is made with corvina, also known as croaker ($13)

Ensalada Tropical or Tropical Salad includes fresh mango, avocado, tomato and red onion tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper ($9).

Good service, slow delivery

We saw at least three young servers in the two dining rooms, and our order was taken right after we got a chance to look over the menu.

But Chef Jorge could probably use more help in the kitchen.

There was a wait for our three appetizers, and as we were enjoying them, our Red Snapper Stew or Viudo de Pescado arrived.

The fresh whole red snapper was covered in a thick sauce, with tomato, sweet pepper and scallions, and came with boiled green banana, yuca and potato ($21).

We loved everything, and all of it can be shared:

Plantain cups filled with garlic shrimp, the ceviche with green banana chips and the avocado-mango salad, which was such a nice combo I overlooked the bed of iceberg lettuce.

We took home ceviche and salad, but finished the wonderful whole red snapper.

As you'd expect at a Colombian restaurant, the menu is filled with beef, pork and chicken of every description, but there is an appealing selection of seafood for non-meat eaters.

The last time I ate Colombian food in Hackensack, it was in 2011 at Villa de Colombia on Mercer Street.

Now, Bohemia is at the top of my short list.

You can ask for a batido or smoothie made with water, instead of milk, and without sugar ($4).

Bohemia Restaurant opened in 2004, but has been expanded since then, and the storefront at Main and Camden streets in Hackensack was completely restored, below.

Details

Bohemia Restaurant, 287 Main St., Hackensack; 201-488-1010. 

Open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner; BYO; metered parking on street and in municipal lot off of State Street until 6 p.m., except Sundays.

Web site: Latin Fusion Cuisine

For Groupon users, Bohemia adds a mandatory 18% tip on the food total before taxes. 

In the wide world of food and drink, here are some of my favorite things

Garofalo Whole Wheat Pappardelle isn't organic and it's more expensive than the imported organic whole-wheat pastas sold at ShopRite and other stores. But these wide, mouth-filling noodles have an appeal no other shape can match. Here, I dressed them with Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto from Costco Wholesale ($7.99). A 1-pound package of pappardelle is $2.59 at Jerry's Gourmet & More, 410 S. Dean St., Englewood. Cook them for 10 minutes in unsalted boiling water, not the 8 minutes listed on the package.

I stuffed an egg-white omelet with slices of Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon, Basil Pesto and reduced-fat Swiss cheese, all from Costco. A 1-pound package of the sliced salmon is $15.99. The Hackensack Costco is closing on Tuesday, and a bigger Costco will open in the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center off of Route 46 on Wednesday.

Arirang Kimchi is made by hand in a storefront in the H&Y Shopping Center, 1 Remsen Place, Ridgefield. This crunchy mahk or cabbage kimchi is about $11 for a half-gallon jar.

Mustard greens were $1.79 a pound at H Mart, 260 Bergen Turnpike, Little Ferry. At home, I washed the greens, cut them into smaller pieces and sauteed them with olive and sesame oils, and minced garlic. Seasonings included black pepper, red-pepper flakes and sea salt.

Two cage-free organic eggs over organic quinoa, which I prepared in a rice cooker with organic diced tomatoes, and drained and rinsed black beans. Two dozen organic eggs are $6.99 at Costco Wholesale. Quinoa has fewer carbs than rice or pasta. 

These bottles of red wine from Chile and Portugal were among 15 shipped to me from Splash Wines, an online retailer. I paid about $5.67 a bottle with a Groupon ($55.20) and shipping ($29.95). I especially like the Carmenere from Chile's Colchagua Valley, left.

-- VICTOR E. SASSON

At Mantra in Paramus, mandatory 18% tip ruins a great meal

The interior of Mantra on Route 4 west in Paramus.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I couldn't resist an e-mail from Groupon offering dinner for 4 at a stylish Asian Indian restaurant in Paramus for $75, including a bottle of wine.

The voucher said the restaurant, Mantra, would serve us 2 appetizers (up to $11 each), 2 orders of bread ($4 each), 4 entrees (up to $28 each) and 1 bottle of house wine ($28).

I bought the deal and printed out my voucher, which said I should tip "on the total bill (Groupon value, plus anything else you order)."

But Groupon didn't do its homework.

Mantra automatically adds an 18% gratuity for "parties of 4 or more," though most restaurants do that only for groups of 6 or more.

Boldly flavored sauces of tamarind and cilantro.

And on Saturday night, if I expected the gratuity to be applied to the discounted price of the food and bottle of wine ($75), I was in for a rude awakening.

Mantra applied the 18% tip to the total value of food and wine ($148) -- $26.64. 

Groupon replied to my e-mail, saying the "Groupon value" is not what I paid for the voucher; it is the total original value of the meal.

My $75 voucher cost me only $52 after a credit of $18 and a special $5 discount. So, my total cost was $52 plus $26.64.

At first, the waiter gave me a bill for $26.64, labeled "an 18% service charge," and only brought me an itemized bill when I asked for it.

That listed all the dishes we had ordered, plus the bottle of wine, and their full value. There was no mention of the $75 Groupon voucher on either bill.

A Crab Chaat appetizer, bound by thinly sliced cucumber, was as delicious as it looked.

Our entrees were Lamb Vindaloo, Goat Curry, Fish Curry and Lobster Masala.

I usually don't order a full bottle of wine, and if I do, I don't tip on it.

I have enjoyed many promotional $24.07 three-course lunches during Restaurant Week in Manhattan, and have never been asked to tip on the full value of the meal ($40 to $45).

Garlic naan.

Some of the meat in the Lobster Masala was sinewy and tough.

When our appetizers of Mango Shrimp ($9) and Crab Chaat ($10) were brought to the table, they tasted as good as they looked, and I began thinking we'd return to Mantra, with or without a discount voucher.

My son wanted to order lamb chops, but they were $30 and the waiter said we couldn't order entrees averaging $28; each one had to be $28 or under.

Our entrees were Lamb Vindaloo ($19), Goat Curry ($20), Lobster Masala ($28) and Kerala Fish Curry ($26). Two bowls of rice were included.

This is the best Indian food I've ever had and the service couldn't be faulted, but getting muscled for an 18% gratuity on the total value of food and wine left a bad taste in my mouth.

I won't be returning to Mantra.

These tables remained empty during our visit to Mantra.

Mantra, 275 Route 4 west, in the Shoppes at IV, Paramus; 201-342-8868.

Web site: Hey, big spender

All dining coupons aren't created equal

Orange Glazed Crispy Sole at Session Bistro in Maywood.

I really can't fault the food and service at Session Bistro in Maywood, but how does a restaurant run out of seltzer?

On Friday night, I had a satisfying seafood dinner at the small BYO by the tracks, washed down with a nice Italian red wine I brought from home.

But it wasn't until after I had purchased a $25 Restaurant.com dining certificate for $10 that I saw "special instructions" on the printout. I would have to spend a total of $35 and an 18% gratuity would be added before my discount.

Family away

My family was away for a three-day weekend and I couldn't persuade a friend to join me, so I went alone, hoping I could find an appetizer, salad and entree to reach the $35 threshold.

Session calls itself a fusion restaurant, but it has a hard time filling what was once an Italian deli, judging from my visit for dinner on Friday night and a breakfast there on Jan. 27, when a friend and I were the only customers.

For dinner, the tables are covered with white cloths, but industrial-looking electrical sockets are visible high on one wall. At breakfast, I noticed some of the drop-ceiling tiles were discolored.

Table for one

Although there were empty tables for four on Friday, the host insisted I sit at a table for two next to a bar, with the register and telephone only inches away from the right side of my head.

I started with an appetizer from the specials read to me by the waiter, Grilled Baby Octopus with Arugula and White-Bean Puree for $9.95. The tender octopus was delicious and perfectly grilled.

When I asked the waiter for seltzer, he said it had run out. I drank water, in addition to my wine.

Soup had meat

The waiter said soup or organic salad came with entrees, but I told him I wasn't eating meat, so he said I'd have to have the salad. 

The small bowl of greens, blue cheese, diced cucumber and refrigerated grape tomato was dressed with a French vinaigrette the chef made. Very nice.

My entree was a tasty Orange Glazed Crispy Sole, served over rice, for $17.95. The waiter said the kitchen didn't have brown rice, but offered me a sweet potato puree instead.

Tempura of fish

The large, moist fillet was prepared in the style of tempura, with what I felt was too much batter, and served over the sweet potato puree and Chinese broccoli. The pleasant orange-chili glaze contained fresh citrus.

I was pleasantly full, but short of the $35 minimum, so I ordered another octopus appetizer, which I like as much as the first.

My food bill was $37.85 with a $25 discount. Tax was 90 cents, and no 18% gratuity had been added. I left a $6 tip. American Express credit cards aren't accepted there.

I won't be buying any more Restaurant.com certificates. I prefer vouchers from Groupon or Living Social, which have no minimum spending above the total value of the vouchers.

I've found Travelzoo vouchers exaggerate the total value of the deals.

Session Bistro, 245 Maywood Ave., Maywood; 201-880-7810.

BYO. Parking in lot.

Web site: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Bad food? It pays to complain

Costco Wholesale has one of the best return policies around.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss complaints about spoiled store-bought food, and three new menu items at a Korean tofu restaurant.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Earthbound Farm's Organic Spring Mix is one of the most delicious ready-to-use salads you can find, but occasionally, some of the delicate leaves rot before the expiration date.

When I've sent e-mails to the company, the response has always been quick and I've also received coupons or a Costco Wholesale gift card for more than the cost of the spring mix. 

Of course, Costco's return policy is one of the best around and you don't even need a receipt.

 

Refunds

On Saturday, I received three full refunds: 

$13.99 for unopened cans of Kirkland Signature Solid Albacore Tuna, $4.29 for Galil-brand Roasted Chestnuts and $9.99 for two jars of Kirkland Signature Natural Peanut Butter.

Solid albacore tuna has much more mercury than the light tuna I asked my wife to buy. The organic chestnuts turned slimy and moldy in the refrigerator, and I dumped them in the garbage. My wife and son didn't like the peanut butter, because the oil separates out of it.

I e-mailed Cargill Meat Solutions about oxtails I purchased at Costco, complaining there was so much fat and bone, a package of more than 4 pounds barely served three people.

The meat processor said it would send me a full refund of $18.68.

I also e-mailed Trident Seafoods of Seattle, Wash., about finding mold in a can of Bear & Wolf-brand wild Alaskan pink salmon. I will be getting a coupon good for one of Trident's frozen seafood items at Costco. 

Vouchers

I have had mixed success with complaints to Groupon and Travelzoo, online publishers of restaurant and other deals.

When we used an $18 Groupon to buy a $36 meal at Gammeeok, a Korean restaurant in Palisades Park, we were charged $3.74 extra for two small bowls of rice, a staple that is usually served free with every Korean meal.

Groupon responded to my e-mail by giving me a full $18 credit toward the purchase of my next voucher.

Travelzoo

Our $65 voucher from Travelzoo was supposed to buy a three-course dinner for two valued at up to $130 at Maritime Parc in Jersey City, plus wine, coffee or tea.

But when we were seated in the expensive seafood restaurant, we were given a menu without prices that listed many extra-cost supplements, and poured glasses of wine that were only a third full. Each glass was supposedly valued at up to $12

My wife urged me not to take it out on the waitress by leaving a smaller tip than the recommended 20% or $26 on the full cost of $130.

Travelzoo responded to my e-mail by telling me to take the matter up with the restaurant, which issued the voucher, and offering me a $10 credit toward the purchase of another voucher.

I'm not sure I want to buy another Travelzoo voucher, especially one that seems to exaggerate the value of the deal.

I bought a $159 Travelzoo voucher for a room and another "$130 dinner" for two at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, then asked for a refund when the hotel said I would have to pay $5 for parking.

In addition, the menu for the dinner at one of the Borgata's restaurants was valued at less than $35 per person, and no alcohol was included.

Expanded menu

A popular Korean tofu house in Palisades Park has expanded its menu to include a few other classic dishes.

The place-mat menu at So Gong Dong has added stone-bowl bibimbap, but serves the rice-based dish in three varieties (usually topped by a fried or raw egg): beef, vegetable or squid.

Two other new menu items are pan-friend pork slices in a spicy sauce or jaeyook bokeum, and squid barbecue with spicy sauce.

All are $12.99 each, including tax.

We had a great soft-tofu dinner there on Saturday night. My son explained he likes So Gong Dong, because when he asks for the spiciest tofu, he gets it. 

A complete meal of soft-tofu stew, rice and side dishes is $9.99, including tax.

So Gong Dong, 118 Broad Ave., Second Floor, Palisades Park; 201-313-5550. Open seven days. Valet parking available.

Why I love spending money at Costco

Image via Wikipedia

The interior of a Costco in South San Francisco, Calif.

Editor's note: How many food retailers publish their markup or try to sell for as little as they can? That's part of the philosophy behind Costco Wholesale. Today, I also discuss a sour note during an otherwise great Korean dinner at Gammeeok in Palisades Park.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I am spending more and more of my food dollars at Costco Wholesale, lured by high quality and low prices -- plus cash rebates that more than cover the annual membership fee.

Now, an article in in the January 2012 edition of Costco Connection -- called a lifestyle magazine for members -- explains the history and philosophy behind the warehouse store.

The writers say Costco's well-known strategies are "keeping markup to no more than 14 percent over cost (15 percent for Kirkland Signature products); providing a money-back guarantee on products and membership fees; focusing on a narrow selection of products in a wide range of categories; proceeding with steady, but cautious growth; and never selling seconds or other inferior good."

Costco also pays "above-average salaries," and offers health insurance to most employees. 

The history of Costco Wholesale is traced to a new retail concept established by Fed-Mart in 1954 in San Diego, then to the Price Club, which opened its first store in 1976 in San Diego. Costco, which opened its first store in Seattle in 1983, merged with Price Club in 1993.

Today, Costco sells the highest quality food outside of Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's, and its prices are often unbeatable.

We paid for rice

Rice is an integral part of every Korean meal, but when we used a Groupon at Gammeeok in Palisades Park on New Year's Eve, we were charged $3.74 for two small bowls of the starchy staple.

The Groupon was for pork-filled dumplings, a seafood pancake and beef barbecue -- two appetizers and an entree that normally cost $37.85. The Groupon was $18.

But if you ordered that same meal at any other Korean restaurant, you'd get free rice. I suppose the discount coupon we used at Gammeeok made a difference.

My wife and son shared those dishes, and they especially liked the hot, thick, crisp pancake with tender bits of squid and other seafood.

I ordered a stone-bowl bibimbap, and asked the kitchen to hold the ground beef and cook the raw egg that are usually placed over steamed rice and shredded vegetables ($13.95). 

You also get a mildly spicy red paste called gochujang that you add before mixing everything up and eating it with a spoon. It's my favorite Korean comfort food.

Free side dishes

Of course, we got four free side dishes: napa cabbage leaves, hot green peppers, shredded radish kimchi in vinegar and Gammeeok's wonderfully spicy cabbage and cubed radish kimchi, which are sweeter than most.

We had three small plates of cabbage and radish kimchi, and ordered a large container of the cabbage kimchi to go ($6.95). I brought a bottle of French sparkling wine to toast the new year during our meal.

Our meal for three cost $46.41, including the $18 I paid for the Groupon, a $9 tip and tax. 

UPDATE: This restaurant is no longer in business, and the original New Jersey branch in Fort Lee was closed by a fire.

Related articles

• Costco's accent is becoming more pronounced (doyoureallyknowwhatyoureeating.blogspot.com)
• Kimchi is the star of a Korean meal for 10 (doyoureallyknowwhatyoureeating.blogspot.com)

A bountiful seafood meal at a discount

Image by fritzmb via Flickr
At Nisi Estiatorio in Englewood, every server is a fish salesman.


Before dinner service begins, the servers meet with the chef to taste and discuss the texture and flavor of the fresh fish sold by the pound, as well as the special available that evening, so they can brief customers. 


The fresh seafood -- turbot, red snapper, European sea bass, Scottish langoustines and more -- are buried in ice in a beautiful dining-room display set against a soothing waterfall, and the servers encourage customers to look over the choices before ordering.


The motto of this expensive Greek fish house is written at the bottom of every check: "Eat Fish Live Longer." You might think the phrase needs punctuation, but you can't argue with the sentiment.


On Friday, I had my first dinner at Nisi -- using a Groupon for $50 worth of food and drink I bought online for only $25.


I ordered dishes and a glass of wine that added up to $50 exactly, then used my credit card to cover the tax and tip, a total of $11. My $36 bought a four-course seafood meal with a total cost of $61.


I concentrated on small plates, an octopus salad ($18) and two appetizers,  Portuguese sardines and wild-caught Shrimp Saganaki ($12 each), plus a glass of Greek retsina or resin wine ($8).


After taking my order and heading for the kitchen, the waiter returned and said the restaurant was out of octopus, which seemed odd for a Greek place. 


And before I left, I heard another waiter taking a grilled octopus order from another customer, though I didn't actually see the dish delivered to the table.


So, I took another look at the menu and substituted Fasolada ($8), a white-bean-and-vegetable soup, and a salad called Roca Nisi ($10) for the octopus salad.
Image by Getty Images via @daylife


The soup, served in a large bowl, was thick and delicious, and the salad was wonderful, with a winning combination of micro greens, diced beets, cheese, fresh orange pieces and crispy, spiced walnuts.


I got five fresh sardines, simply grilled, and really enjoyed them, even though it took a little work to remove the bones of these mighty little fish.


I was full, and would have been happy to end the meal there, but then the waiter brought me a small ramekin filled with savory, saffron-flavored tomato sauce and melted feta cheese that hid four large, unusually tender shrimp.


I ate it all with a spoon. That meal was what I call a "belly buster." Two could have shared it as a light supper.


At home a couple of hours later, I had dessert: Greek-style non-fat yogurt with honey.


Nisi Estiatorio, 90 Grand Ave., Englewood; 201-567-4700.
Valet and street parking.


Web site: Eat fish, live longer

Organic produce at my door

Image by hotdiggitydogs via Flickr

I bought a small box of organic produce from Suburban Organics and it was delivered to my door about 10 days ago. I took advantage of a Groupon, paying $19 for produce that normally sells for $39.

So far, I've enjoyed all the organic fruits and veggies I've tried. But I do live a couple of miles from the Whole Foods Market in Paramus, where I have total control over the organic produce I buy.

With Suburban Organics, you get a "menu" of what will be in your box when it is delivered the following week, and you can make up to five substitutions. If you're a repeat customer, you can set your preferences for what you like and don't like.

I used a head of organic spinach in a frittata and an omelet. Red-leaf lettuce made a fine salad. I baked a large butternut squash, cut into four sections, and sprinkled it with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, but it took more than two hours. My wife used organic Roma tomatoes in her cooking.

A variety of organic pears and apples were terrific eaten with sheep's milk cheese from a farm. We also got five organic bananas, button mushrooms and Satsuma tangerines, which were delightfully sweet and tart at the same time. I still have most of the mushrooms and a bag of cut and peeled small carrots.

Here is the link to Suburban Organics:


We deliver organic produce


Here is the link to Groupon:


North Jersey discounts