Ideya Restaurant

J and I visited this place out of random. We intended to go to a newly opened restaurant that had a Mexican and Japanese fusion but apparently they weren't open for business yet. How disappointing. So, out of hunger and desperation, we needed to find a place to cure our stomach. Lucky enough, Ideya's front was bright and lively. J got drawn in by it so we gave it a shot.

I have to say, I was skeptical at first but J was persistent and not to mention I didn't want to annoy him anymore than I had.

Ideya was known for their mojitos. Claims to be the best in NYC so I just had to try it.

I love good cornbread and what's better than complimentary jalapeno cornbread. Not at all spicy or full of heat, you taste the fragrant of the jalapeno and the rest is just yummy cornbread. Soft and slightest moist, keeps you yearning for more.

Island Punch

Guava Mojito

The drinks are absolutely amazing here. J had the Island Punch which tasted heavily of rum, the taste is a lot more stronger so if you're a weak drinker or want something that's light, stick with the mojito. My Guava Mojito was very refreshing and really good. The best mojito I ever tasted.

Huevos Ideya

For some odd reason, J always seems to order the best dishes. Well, still works for me since I get to have some. A great twist on the classic eggs benedict, I love the corn arepas that substituted the english muffins and instead of ham/bacon there's the chorizo. The sweetness of the corn arepas really worked with the dish. Next time, I'm ordering this!

Salmón

My dish wasn't bad either, I was hungry so I wanted something big. The salmon was grilled nicely, even though it was charred on the outside, it was still moist on the inside. The piece of salmon was a decent size also. And the salad that came with it, superb.

I need to come back for some more mojito.

Ideya Restaurant
349 W Broadway
New York, NY 10013
(212) 625-1441

Dessert Works: Victory Garden

After a satisfying meal, and it just so happen that J and I were in the area. We jumped upon the fact that Victory Garden served goat milk ice cream. Very unique concept which was exactly why we decided to try it out.

Mexican Vanilla with honeycomb candy, chocolate sprinkles, and honey syrup

I admit we went overboard and ordered too much toppings. We came to realize that the soft serve was absolutely perfect on its own. So, the next time we go to Victory Garden we're just sticking with the soft serve.

Goat milk ice cream is definitely interesting. It's not that different than the regular ice cream we usually eat that is made from cow's milk. If I were to pay meticulous attention to it, I would have the say that goat milk ice cream is a lot more smoother, and just a tad bit thicker. Besides the thought of it being made from goat milk, their flavors are pretty exotic also.

Victory Garden
31 Carmine St
Manhattan, NY 10014

(212) 206-7273

Stand4

This past weekend, J and I decided to get some burgers. It was about time we use our voucher before it expires in October. Pretty funny how you don't notice something but it was always there and when you go there for something you think back of how you missed it. Yea, weird but it's true.

When we step foot into the restaurant, we got seated right away. The place was quite empty for lunch on a Saturday. J and I already know what we wanted so it was a quick boom bam kinda thang.

Mint Cookies and Cream Shake

Personally, I'm not a big fan of milkshakes but since I'm at a restaurant that sells burgers and shakes, why not? I opted for the Mint Cookies and Cream because they no longer have the Honey and Lavender. I actually really enjoyed this shake, tasted just like cookies and cream but with a hint of mint. So refreshing and good.

Absolut Marshmallow Shake

I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised when J chose an alcoholic shake, so predictable sometimes. I didn't like it much because the Absolut cancels out the sweetness of the milkshake and made it taste a bit bitter.

B&B Pickles

I am in love with this dish. Fried pickles are just so awesome. I mean, anything fried is amazing (how many times have I said that?). The honey dijon mustard complimented the pickles so insanely well. Sweet and light.

American Kobe with added bacon, egg, cheddar cheese, and onions

Classic burger with Mozzarella cheese

J had the American Kobe, he's always the greedier one of us two - hence the extra add-ons he puts on his Kobe. I tried to play it safe and went with the Classic since no other burgers on the menu seemed to be calling me. I really like how big and massive the burger is, I'm also really happy how satisfying the burger can be.

When in need of a good satisfying big burger, Stand4.

Stand4
24 E 12th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 488-5900 

Lioni's Italian Heroes

I have seen this place on Yelp before and knew it was a must-go to place on my list. I know J wouldn't object either since they had prosciutto and freshly made in-house mozzarella.

J and I decided to visit this place on Labor Day. It was actually a risky move since we didn't bother to know if they were open or not (we just crossed our fingers and hope it was open). Lucky us, they were open but were closing up early for the day. Without further hesitation, we got on line and ordered our heroes. I knew what I wanted since it was literally posted all over Yelp. As for J, he's more adventurous and greedy.

A big counter and an insanely big menu. They have over 150 items on their menu, which means about 150 sandwiches!

Lots of different breads.

I had #21 and he had #139. The names are quite long so good thing they numbered each one.

Yummy Boylan drinks. The best one is the Ginger Ale!

#21 - Jerry Vale (Prosciutto di Parma, Lioni Fresh Mozzarella, pesto sauce, olive oil, black pepper)

My hero was uber amazing. I loved how light it was but I still get my prosciutto. The mozzarella is amazing, so fresh and you can totally taste the homemade-ness from it. I shall get their mozzarella ball the next time I go to munch on at home.

#139 - Doo Wopper Hero (Prosciutto di Parma Capicola, Sopressata, Lioni Fresh Mozzarella, Provolone, Bruschetta and Balsamic Vinegar)

Not too bad. J's greedy hero. Once he saw like 3 different types of meat on it he was set on getting it. If you love meat, I would suggest this. I thought it was alright, but it didn't blow me away. I guess I like balance, I needed some greens or veggies!

Hands down the best sandwiches in Brooklyn. I'm definitely coming back.

Lioni's Italian Heroes
7803 15th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11228
(718) 232-1166

Pearl Oyster Bar

To celebrate my new job, J wanted to take me to a Japanese offal grill place we once went to back in December. But the place was packed and the next available spot was at 9:30pm. Sorry, I love the place but it wasn't that serious where I have to wait 3 hours. So, I suggested Pearl Oyster Bar. There was something about this place which prompted me to bookmark it on Yelp but I literally drew a blank that day.

The waitress was extremely nice and said there will be a table for us in a couple of minutes. The restaurant looked packed on a Friday night, it was dimly lit but just enough for you to be able to see who was across from you, next to you, and probably a good 5-6 feet ahead of you.

The menu was small but simple. I loved how everything on the menu was seafood related. No chicken, no beef. We got greedy, like we always are, and order 4 different dishes to try. Surprisingly, none were of the lobster roll which is quite well known there.

Combination Cocktail

A cute littler sampler dish. Instead of ordering just raw oysters, J suggested we order the combo since he knows I love my lobster. The combo includes 2 shrimps, 4 pieces of lobster meat, 2 raw clams, and 2 raw oysters. A perfect way to start a meal.

Prince Edward Island Mussels w/ Wine, Mustard, and Cream

The sauce was fab-tastic but the mussels could've been bigger. Is mussel season over already? J ate all the bread and butter, carb freak!

Pan Roasted Sea Scallops

My first time ever ordering sea scallops at a restaurant. I usually eat scallops that were prepared at Asian restaurants so this was a bit exciting for me. I knew that America or non-Asian restaurants don't give a lot of scallops, that was so surprise to me. What I wanted to know was how it was different and how it was cooked. Pearl Oyster can cook up some good scallops, it was just great! I liked how it was placed on a bed of corn and fava beans. The corn was insanely sweet and worked so well with the scallop. I need to get this again!

Pan Roasted Skate Filet

J and I both love Skate ever since we had it at Robataya. When the waitress told J that Skate was on the menu for that night's filet, his ears just perked up. Skate is an amazing tasting fish which not a lot of people know about, they also have a lot of bones so you're in luck when a place debone it and serves just the meat. If you like fish, Skate is nothing different from it at all.

After a satisfying seafood meal, we took a small stroll around the city since it was a beautiful night. Kudos to me for a new job and a great boyfriend.

Pearl Oyster Bar
18 Cornelia St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-8211