Cutting Board - it happened again, but for his sake

I finally took J to Cutting Board after months and month of talking about it. It just never seem to fit into our schedule and whenever we're in the neighborhood we rather eat something else. But this time, we promised each other we would go to Cutting Board after our salon appointment.

There were new things on the menu that I was told that were a must order, not to mention there were also a dish I have been wanting to try. We ended up getting 2 appetizers and 2 entrees to ourselves, leaving no room for dessert which I was totally bummed about.

I remembered the CB Mussels being really good so I had to order it for J. They sort of messed up our order of Grilled Calamari Salad and gave us Fried Calamari but they were nice enough to go back into the kitchen and gave us the right order.

The dish might look simple and plain but the calamari was delicious and the dressing worked well with the calamari and arugula. I wish they had a full entree portion of this.

J had the Ox Tongue w/ Spaghetti, huge portion with a lot of ox tongue.

The dish I have been longing to order and taste was the Uni Pasta. Why did I want to try this so badly? Because uni is uber delicious and they only charge $9 for this amazing dish. It truly was good, you can even find chunks of uni in there, portion size can actually feed two people and the pasta was cooked al-dente.

I can't get over how great Cutting Board is along with their never-ending dessert menu (which I have yet to try) that people are raving about. It's a great fusion restaurant for quality dishes that doesn't hurt your wallet.

Cutting Board
53 Bayard St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 528-0188

Shinjuku - we are not how we once were

After being terribly disappointed with a restaurant closing down (if you must know, Bab Al Yemen is officially closed as of August 2013), J and I had to decide quickly on a place to eat. We walked past Shinjuku before and saw the all-you-can-eat sign for $19.95 and thought we'll try it out one day - that day was here.

The restaurant was quite empty and quiet when we got there, it was around 9pm already. We were asked if we wanted to do the AYCE or the regular menu. The AYCE consist of a lot of varieties, sushi, cooked dishes, skewers, soup/salads and special rolls. The waitresses give you 2 small pieces of paper to mark off what you want. The wait didn't take too long for the food to arrive at our table.


Soups were ok, a bit on the MSG side but overall it's not bad. The vegetables in mine were definitely not cooked, it was just thrown into the hot soup which I'm not a crazy fan of.

J went a little crazy and got the Tuna and Salmon Salad which were practically the same thing but with different fishes. The dressing tasted like thousand island and they added a lot of panko which then got really soggy.

Probably my favorite out of everything because it was quite crunchy, meaty and not that oily. This was worth a re-order.


J wanted sashimi and ordered one, told me some of the pieces taste like it was frozen and was thoroughly defrosted. Hahaha...can't expect much from a place in Brooklyn. The sushi was just meh, uni wasn't fresh but the sweet shrimp was alright. The handroll was massive, it's like they cut 1/3 of the avocado and just stuffed it in there.

All of the special rolls weren't special at all. Each one was filled with avocado (must be really cheap). A lot of it tasted really mushy and you can't really distinguish the fish from the avocado from the rice from the seaweed. Yes, it was that bad.

Don't think I will be returning. The quality was really poor and I really just can't see myself eating more avocados. But, if you love them, please come.

Shinjuku
1664 Sheepshead Bay Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 934-8886

Yakiniku West - great late night bbq

So it was around 9pm, J and I were getting hungry after a few glasses of wine. We were hungry but didn't exactly want anything heavy so small plates would be perfect for us.

Yakiniku West popped into our heads because of the interesting take-off-your-shoes concept before entering into the dining rooms with the tables. Good thing I brought my flats along for easy slip-ons and offs. The tables are a lot lower than your average dining tables and you sit on the floor, but no worries, they have holes right underneath the table for leg room. Oh, and cushioned seats for your buttocks, so comfortable haha

We ordered an array of dishes (about 6 dishes plus a drink) to grill and the total of everything was less than $50, mind blown!

J was curious about this OneCup sake and when it came out I started laughing. It looked like those cup they give you at the doctors to do a #1 for a body check up. The taste on the other hand was like unfiltered house sake, I wasn't a fan.

Love me some Agedashi Tofu when I can get my hands on it. I love how light the tofu is and the dashi soy broth is just so refreshing. Pieces of tofu here are pretty big, one piece can be split into quarters while other places I can just split them in half and fit it in my mouth (that's what she said!).

The first time we had Yooke was at Takashi and it blew my mind. Ever since, J and I were on the search for the best Yooke and up until this day, Takashi is still in the #1 spot. YW's Yooke isn't bad, beef was tender and we liked that touch of cucumbers in it, but also agreed that something was missing. A flavor was lacking but we just couldn't put our hands on it.

Grilling at a Japanese restaurant is totally different than a Korean restaurant because you're not rushed. Every time I'm at a Korean restaurant, the waitress/waiter always come by and cooks the food and quickly places it on our plates. At a Japanese restaurant, you cook it yourself and get to experience it. Which is what I like about it, I can control how much I want on the grill because I like eating it piping hot and fresh off the grill.

Everything was delicious. We were given dipping sauce but some weren't really needed. Tongue was the best and next came the pork cheek but everything was excellent.

Really dig this spot because of the atmosphere, concept and decor. Great place for group get-togethers.

Yakiniku West
218 E 9th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 979-9238

Hong Kong: Kam Wah's Cafe

On our last full day in Hong Kong, J and I had to Google a cafe to get some pineapple bun (nothing about it was pineapple - just a name). Lo and behold, we found Kam Wah's Cafe aka 金華冰廳. It wasn't far where we were staying so we decided to head over for some afternoon tea.

The place was packed inside, but service was moving quickly. They have a lot of specials posted all over the walls and waiters yelling back and forth, now that's service for ya.

There's an extensive menu right in front of you if you care to take a look. Tucked right into the table is pretty much everything they offer. Sorry guys, no English here...maybe a Chinese friend can come in handy now or you can ask the waiter or even point around and order what other people are eating.

I wanted to get some noodles but with the things that we ordered, there's definitely no room for that. Plus, we were sharing a table booth with 2 other girls...awkward.

J had the Iced Lemon and Honey (凍檸蜜).

While I had the Iced Milk Tea (凍奶茶). If I have the chance, I'll always order the milk tea at a cafe/restaurant in Hong Kong.

Tis the Pineapple Bun w/ Butter (菠蘿油). We had the Mexican Bun (墨西哥包) first, but apparently I never took a photo of it because now I remember that we just devour that sucker because it was insanely good. Fresh and fluffy and sweet, lord I want one nowww! The Pineapple Bun was a bit more bland and the butter didn't seem to add any flavor, maybe salted butter would be better?

Ahhh the Egg Tart (蛋撻), these things have to be fresh to taste good. It was already room temperature by the time we got to it, wish it was a bit more sweet but the flaky crust is good.

Last but not least, the Hong Kong Style French Toast (西多士). Let's be honest here, nothing will ever beat the french toast I had in Stanley - that was the best of the best and I would definitely want that as one of the last things I eat on earth. This toast was just average and I needed to add syrup which was no bueno already.

Experience was great. Service was fast just like how it's suppose to be. I want more Mexican Buns now.

Hong Kong: Tofu Dessert

What's better than having Tofu Fa in Hong Kong? Nothing! It's its own origin and is authentic as it can get. After a fulfilling meal at a dai pai dong (previous post in HK), J and I were up for some dessert. Cheap and delicious dessert.

Grandma's Tofu (亞婆豆腐花) isn't your sit-down-and-eat place but a quick 1-2-3 bam kind of place. Quite popular for their tofu fa aka 豆腐花 and other things like herbal drinks.

A good bowl of tofu fa is light and silky with the right amount of sugared syrup in it. A bowl here is $7HKD if you eat it on the spot; $9HKD if you decide to take-out, charging you an extra $2HKD for the take-out container.

J and I wanted it right there, fresh and cold. By the way, you have the option of hot or cold. We chose cold since it was hot in HK even during the late night. The interesting part I thought (which I didn't take a photo of), is this orange powder they have. I thought it was some Hi-C orange flavor thing but it was just orange powdered sugar, weird. But it was great! Really fun to eat and it looked so pretty. Yes, I'm easily amused by strange miniscule things.

So, forget about the sit-down really sweet dessert. Get something light, quick, and cheap for a change. Cost us less than $1USD for that bowl...haha.

Hong Kong: roast pigeon, fish collar, and mystery part of chicken

Edit: After much research and with a fantastic memory, I found out the name of this restaurant. It's called Golden City Kitchen aka 金城小廚.

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This is what happens when I don't log what I ate when I'm on vacation. I have no idea what I ate and where I ate it. At least I can look back and pay myself on the back knowing I ate something so entirely delicious.

It was a long walk from the MTR (their version of our MTA), like a really long walk. When J said it was far, I was like brushing it off and thinking we can do this measly walking, but it was farrr.

But, it was worth it.

Been ordering bottles of beer everywhere we go for dinner. Blue Girl wasn't as great as YanJing but still good (it's because they didn't have YanJing here and Blue Girl sounded cool). Hong Kong's beer is pretty light, is this why I see them drinking a 6-pack in their dramas like it's nothing?

Ok, challenging part here. I know this is from a chicken, heck I'm sure you can tell that it's some part of a chicken. Thing is, J and I have no idea what part! But it was really tasty, served cold with cucumbers and had a wasabi flavored dipping sauce. So odd but yet so good. The mystery part of the chicken was chewy and had a bite to it, almost like chicken feet.

Speaking of chicken feet, here they are. We didn't order them but it came as an appetizer? I think I only had one, they were the same consistency as the mystery part above but require a lot more work to eat.

One of main reason to visit HK, and a must get/eat would be the Roast Pigeon. Small delectable bird, if made correctly would probably be the best bird you'll ever have. The skin is crispy with chunks of meat, flavored perfectly like any roast item. I can eat this all by myself and works great with beer. Only good when fresh, give it time and the skin starts getting wrinkly and chewy.

Last but not least and surprisingly good, salt and pepper fish collar. Packed with plenty of meat and the portions are huge. Our stomachs definitely shrank because we got extremely full after the meal. Good thing we decided to walk back to the MTR (tried getting a taxi but none were in sight and those that were, were already occupied, plus no bus).

I would come here again but the walking sort of puts it off. But if I'm ever in HK again, most likely come back because I need to get the name and address of this place...oh and the roast pigeon hehe.

Hong Kong: Snakes and Frogs

One of the more exotic meals I had in Hong Kong consisted of snakes and frogs. This is what I'm talking about. I know Asian countries eat animals that aren't considered "normal" in the states and it's so hard to find places like that back in the U.S.

Somehow, J wandered the streets of Hong Kong (prior to my arrival) and found this little shop. Really small, maybe about 6 seats? and definitely not for the queasy and OCD clean types.

The menu is in Chinese, not one bit of English at all. If you speak Cantonese then you're saved but for the unlucky ones that don't speak Cantonese, you have to wish and pray that a English-speaking HK-er is there to help translate.

Each meal was different. There's an A, B, C, and D meal, each consisting of different dishes. Although each meal does have a soup and a pot of casserole full of rice and meat.

We ordered the B meal which had the snake clear soup, snake thick soup, and a frog casserole in a clay pot.

The clear soup was very flavorful, also very hot! You don't taste anything snake-y about it. I mean, if no one told you they used snake to make the broth, you wouldn't even know.

I really enjoyed the thick soup. There was a lot of ingredients and had the consistency of hot and sour soup.

There was a lot of snake meat in the soup. Tasted bland and chewy, almost like chicken when you boil it down to make soup. All the flavor was in the thick broth, add some wood-ear mushrooms, preserved mustard cabbage and probably a lot of MSG and this was quite amazing.

Lastly, the frog rice casserole in a clay pot. Rice was really good, it had that dryness to it where the grains don't stick to each other (yes, that's how you know it was made correctly). Smother the whole thing in soy sauce and we had a perfectly cheap meal that fed 2 people.

So, there's nothing creepy, disgusting or gross about it. You just have to have an open-mind and be willing to try it. After all, everything is food...circle of life!

They had turtle also, wondered how that would've tasted...

Hong Kong: Fung Shing's cheap breakfast

While breakfast in Hong Kong is pretty cheap in itself, I mean you can step out and have a bowl of something for less than $5USD, whether it's the street vendor or at a cafe shop.

J took me to a restaurant (yes a real restaurant with servers and pretty clothed tables) for breakfast. We caught the breakfast deal a few minutes away from the lunch (lunch=more expensive). The special, which everyone comes to Fung Shing ( 鳳城酒家) for, is a bowl of congee which is rice porridge and a plate of rice noodle rolls for $15.80HKD. That's roughly around $2.25USD which is insanely cheap.

The size were quite decent also. You would get completely full from both items. J and I shared since we wanted to leave room in our tummy for more food later.

The congee consisted of corn and minced pork (玉米猪肉碎粥). I'm not fond of corn in my soup or congee, but in anything else I guess I'm ok with. We came here twice and the first time we had the congee, it was a lot saltier than the second. J came 3 times, his second time (which was with me) was the only time it was salty...how lucky of me.

The beef rice noodle rolls (牛肉腸粉) were delicious. So soft with a slight chewiness to it, plus it had minced beef in the center. I would order this alone, and multiple plates of it.

Lastly, I decided to order something extra. The skin was good and the filling was just mediocre. It's like a lettuce and shrimp dumpling (生菜蝦餃), tasted a lot better if I used the soy sauce from the rice noodle.

It's a great place to visit considering the deal you get for breakfast, the only sacrifice you have to make is waking up early.

Hong Kong: Amo Eno

Being in Hong Kong, J doesn't want to miss out on anything retro or "new." He somehow found a place inside a mall that offers touch screen for wine. Amo Eno, nestled in a mall in Central Hong Kong. A mall where all the high-end brands are. It's ok, we're just here for the food and booze.

I love the look and feel of this wine bar. They also sell different wine glasses and wine jars.

Ginormous touch screen to play with. You can choose your wine through here and even learn about them. I can literally sit here all day playing on that.

They also had these really good bacon toast. Went really well with sipping wine. Plus, it was refillable.

One of the great things about Amo Eno is the different amounts of wine you can get in a glass, your choice of sip, taste or glass. What's even better is they run on a membership card, a card which you pay a yearly subscription to and come whenever you want, put that card in the slot of which wine you want and get charged on the card. You can even get up and walk around with a glass and start pressing around and the machine will automatically distill the amount you chose, whether it be a sip, taste or glass.

The card is only for HK residents. J and I were bummed out. We hope that NYC is able to open up something like this for their NYC residents because truly, this is a genius idea.

Besides the endless amount of wine we drank, we ordered Cajun Crusted Shrimp Poppers with Brandy Lime Dip, a delicious side I might add.

If you like wine bars like we do and also something new and exciting, Amo Eno should be on your to-go list when you're in HK.

Hong Kong: Seafood by the water

What's better than relaxing by the water and having seafood?

That's pretty ideal. J and I went to Sai Kung (西貢) for the seafood because they apparently have the freshest kind. There's a whole strip of restaurants along the water but we went to Hung Kee Seafood Restaurant (洪記海鮮酒家) because J went there before and said it was good.

We went on a weekday and it was quite empty. J told me when he came with his relatives it was packed and you can barely walk. Waiting for a table can take anywhere from 15-45 minutes.

I actually wanted the experience of choosing my own seafood. It was tough since the workers don't really pay you much attention (unless you're a different color skin) but I manage to get some seafood for the table. After choosing what you want, they then bring it to the kitchen and a waiter comes and ask you how you would like it done. Pretty neat.

If you don't want the hassle of going up to where the tanks of seafood are, they do have a set prix fixe menu of 5+ dishes for you to enjoy, depending on your group size.

Starting it off, we ordered a bottle of Yanjing Beer. I have to say, it was one of the few beers I actually enjoy. Lighter than the usual beer and didn't have that bitterness to it.

The Blood Cockles came first. I had this in Vietnam, and I wanted J to try it. When I saw it here I knew I had to get it for him. The cockles were just boiled and given a vinegar dipping sauce. These seashells are the only one I've encountered that doesn't open when they're cooked, so you just have to open them up to slurp at them.

One of the main reason for coming to Sai Kung, for their Mantis Shrimp aka pissing shrimp (瀨尿蝦). I chose the ones with the roe and boy, was it packed with roe! Sauteed with salt and pepper is the way to go with these suckers!

Lastly I got us a whole fish. Finally, we can devour a whole fish on our own without our friends/relatives going in first.

Beautiful flesh. There's just something about Cantonese style cooking with fish that makes it so dam good. They just steam it but they do it correctly. If you steam it too long, it would be overcook and if too little, rare. Plus, I love the sauce - a light soy. Yum.

Eating seafood in any Asian countries is a must, so don't ever pass up on that opportunity.