Amelia's Bistro - Paulus Hook, Jersey City, NJ

Jimmy and I have chosen to brunch on Sundays in the recent year - weather permitting. Our staple was always Sam A.M. but decided to explore a bit more of Jersey City.

It was a sunny morning and we decided to sit outside, in the shade of course. Service was quite slow, actually pretty slow. A good 15 minutes had gone by after we placed our order and there was no sign of water or bread for us (and yes I was getting a bit annoyed). We had to ask for water and then they gave us bread (unacceptable), it was actually just mini muffins which tasted like store-bought. We both ordered an iced latte, another 10 minute had passed and the beverages came. The latte was extremely light in color (too much milk possibly?), it tasted like watered down coffee and not one bit of espresso at all. I'm completely bummed out at this point because everything so far was a disappointment.

Finally, our food came. The entree were a decent portion but my side order of apple chicken sausage was a complete fail. It was served on a large plate, one sausage link cut in half and cost $4. I was in disbelief and shock.

The only redeeming quality of this entire meal was actually the brunch entree itself. Jimmy's Shrimp and Grits were quite delicious, my Eggs Benedict was not bad, the home fries were great. We ended the meal with two mimosas - because why not?

Mini Muffins w/ jam

Iced Latte...

Apple Chicken Sausage - $4

Bistro Eggs Benedict

Shrimp and Grits

Mimosas (double vs. single)

The meal started in a complete disaster, but ended unexpectedly...not bad. Will we return? Probably not. I still can't get over the fact that a place cannot make an iced latte appropriately. Am I expecting too much?

Verdict:
Food ~ 4 out of 5
Price ~ 2 out of 5
Service ~ 1.5 out of 5

Amelia's Bistro
187 Warren Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Em Vietnamese Restaurant - Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY

There's never a time when I'm not in the mood for a soup noodle - ok, maybe when it's like 90 degrees outside but as long as they have the air conditioner blasting, I can eat a bowl of pho any day.

Pho wasn't really the specialty at Em, my eyes were fixed on the Hu Tieu. Coming from a Vietnamese descent, I'm always up for trying delicious Vietnamese food and hu tieu is one that really connects me back to my roots. The simple yet flavorful umami broth with toppings of ground pork, quail egg, shrimps and tons of herbs can leave a person salivating.

Jimmy and I were meeting up with a friend, so I thought Em was a perfect spot for some chill time and delicious food. Decor was simple and clean, service was quite good.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Pho Bo Em

Hu Tieu Em

The Hu Tieu Em really hit the spot. Lucky for me, the weather that day was dreary and rainy so it was the perfect comfort food. Viet life isn't just about pho (or maybe it is...), there's so many different noodle soups that Vietnam has to offer and the hu tieu at Em is perfect to start your adventure.

Verdict:
Food ~ 4 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 5 out of 5

Em Vietnamese Restaurant
1702 86th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11214

Sushi on Jones - NOHO, New York, NY

A small little sushi spot, giving a taste of how Japan run their business. It's a no frill, quick 30-minute meal. Don't expect any lengthy conversation with the chef, just a smile is what you'll get. The concept of less talk and more eat fits perfectly with NYC lifestyle.

Sushi on Jones has been on the sushi scene for a while. They've started out with $50 omakase and now (thanks to inflation) has gone up to $58 which is still a great price for good quality omakase style sushi. Be sure to make your reservations since there are only 6 seats available.

The omakase menu changes seasonally, so your best bet is to check out their Instagram and see which items they have to offer during that time.

They don't offer alcohol, so we opted for green tea. It was nice and refreshing on sunny spring day. Also helps to cleanse your palette if you don't like pickled ginger.

From top left counter-clockwise: hamachi, golden eye snapper, albacore, artic char, scallop, tuna

From top left counter-clockwise: ikura, botan shrimp, eel, squid, hokkaido uni, wagyu-ni

The omakse consist of 12 pieces, 12 delectable and satisfying pieces. All prepared within minutes of each other. Once you devoured a piece, the next piece was placed in front of you - hence the 30-minutes time frame. But, I like that. It doesn't give you time to think twice about it nor time to digest and feel "full." It was fast, delicious and to the point.

Specials from T-B: toro w/ caviar, uni w/ caviar, The Big Mac (wagyu, toro, uni)

We indulged a bit and that's where the price sky-rocketed - but it was totally worth it. These specials were amazing and to be quite frank with you, I've never had French Sturgeon caviar before. If this is how it taste, then I can eat this all day. I can understand why they are priced so high, it's so clean tasting and decadent, one of life's little pleasure.

If you get the chance, definitely do yourself a favor and visit Sushi on Jones. They have another location in the West Village that has indoor seats and alcohol but still only slot you 30-minutes. I'd much prefer this location since it's outdoor, you get to eat delicious sushi while basking in the sun and the busy streets of NYC surrounds you - quite an experience you can't get anywhere else.

Verdict:
Food ~ 4.5 out of 5
Price ~ 4.5 out of 5
Service ~ 4.5 out of 5

Sushi on Jones
348 Bowery
New York, NY 10012

Hidden Grounds Coffee - Jersey City, NJ

As you can tell, I've changed the name of the blog to incorporate my husband! We had gotten married last year which was why there was a major lack in food posts. We also have an IG page dedicated to food we ate and/or cooked. As for the name, it's our middle name merged into one; Ding and Ngoc. Clever me!

~~~

Jersey City has been treating us well. We can finally relax a bit after the chaos of our wedding planning the past year.
J somehow stumbled upon Hidden Grounds Coffee one Sunday morning when we were deciding on brunch.

It felt so nice to be able to take it easy and just stroll around. Needed this to de-stress the body and mind.

The cafe was super nice, modern with comfortable cushioned seats along the wall and a couple of tables for coffee sippers and mind wanderers.

Rose Chai

The beverages here are so pretty. I mean look at that Rose Chai, it taste as beautiful as it looks! The cups, flowers and succulents makes for great IG photos.

Rose Chai//Saffron Chai

J got the Saffron Chai which was very good also. I like how they were sweetened just right, and the sweetness actually brought out the flavors of rose and saffron. The pistachio nuts were a nice touch to give the drink a little different texture.

For brunch, I had gotten The Architect and J ordered the Just Bae. The gravy that comes with both dishes were excellent - maybe it was also the cold, windy weather but this biscuits and gravy totally hit the spot. I liked how there was a hint of garam masala in the gravy, gives it a nice depth of flavor.

I adore this place a lot. Especially when they offer a free latte with a Yelp check-in.

Latte

The latte was on point, strong espresso flavor which was not watered down by too much milk. I can't wait to come back in the warmer month to try the Iced Rose Chai.

Verdict:
Food ~ 4 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 4 out of 5

Hidden Grounds Coffee
148 1st St
Ground Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07302