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

Flex Mussels - Special Happy Hour

This past Monday, Flex Mussels sent out an e-mail stating that they would be having Happy Hour for the entire night. Which means, $20 for all-you-can-eat pots of mussels (with only 3 different flavors to choose from), $1 oysters and half off all their wine and beer selection. That's pretty dam awesome.

J and I had been to Flex before, specifically the one downtown (they have 2 locations) and loved their Happy Hour, we just never found the time to go again after last year.

It was a full house when we got there, you can only get the Happy Hour special at the bar or counter. The wait wasn't bad, especially when you have some booze in your hand. We got seated at the bar and fun began.

I had white wine the entire night, love how smooth and light they are compared to red wine. I switched between their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc ($5.50 - half off).

Mmm...Bread and Butter. I like places that serve their butter soft, not brick hard. I like to be able to spread them on the bread, I know you're thinking the same.

We wanted the $1 oysters but by the time we sat, they were all out. We ended up getting their special West ($3.50 each) and East ($3 each) Coast. They tasted divine. I would go for another round if it wasn't for the mussels.

Complimentary Flex House Cut Fries that comes with the Happy Hour special. They're pretty darn great. Also not a bad idea to soak up the sauce from the mussel pot either.

So, there were three choices you can alternate from for the all-you-can-eat special. Classic, Dijon and Fra Diavolo.

Fra Diavolo is just a very classic Italian sauce. It has chunks of tomato, basil and spices.

Dijon, which is J's favorite, was very buttery with a hint of mustard kick to it. I personally don't like because the mustard seems too strong for me.

My favorite of all, the Classic is just a simple herbs, garlic and white wine. It's not overpowering and you can definitely taste the freshness of the mussels here.

J and I keep saying how we should go back and try their other pot of mussels, like the one with bacon and lobster.

Flex Mussels
154 W 13th St
New York, NY 10011
(212) 229-0222

Clemente's Maryland Crabhouse

I was so excited to go to a crabhouse. J had found about this place and the idea of an all-you-can-eat crabs just made me salivate. The walk to this restaurant was insane but yet fun, in all I walked about 4 miles that day!

There were seats above the water in the sun and that was where everyone was sitting. J chose the no-shade side which soon later resulted him with a sunburn. He sports the color red on him quite well. The staff service was a bit slow, our waiter disappeared half the time when we were trying to flag him down. But the food sure does make up for it.

Beautiful view while eating. This was actually my seat and I was facing that but J was just facing other people and grass. Poor guy, always gives me the best.

My first time trying this, not bad at all. Beer flavor but not the beer alcohol content. Plus it makes me less bloated so I can eat more.

Bluepoint Oysters

Tasted so fresh and plumped. I can feel the crunchiness of the oysters which eat bite I take. I love eating mine with lemon and cocktail sauce. Next time we're ordering more, 3 for each of us just wasn't enough.

Clemente's Garlic Style

Old Bay Seasoning

For $32.95 a person you can enjoy endless amount of crabs. It was either the garlic infused oil or old bay seasoning. I personally really like the garlic oil because it was light and it didn't overpower the crab meat much. The old bay seasoning was good also, it was salty and then the spice hits you afterward. There is also corn and fries as your sides but I didn't waste my time on those, crabs FTW!

We were extremely messy. We went through 18 crabs each. Not much but we started getting tired to work for our food. Clemente's is a great place to head to when the summer hits because seafood in the summer is such a perfect match.

The bathroom were surprisingly clean also. They had automatic soap, towel, and toilet paper dispenser. Now, I only wish their toilet was automatic flush also.

Clemente's Maryland Crabhouse
3939 Emmons Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 646-7373

Flex Mussels

I'm so excited that it's May already. The weather has been nice the past few weeks which makes eating out a lot more enjoyable. J had found out about this place a while back and since I love seafood, it was perfect!

It's an all-you-can-eat mussels fiesta. Surprisingly, the price is only $20 but there's a time limit and only 3 different broths you can choose from. The special starts at 5:30 and ends at 7pm. Along with the mussels you get fries as your side and a glass of beer.

The neighborhood was quite nice. And those cherry blossom trees makes it look that much more inviting.

Fried Oysters

The pot of mussels were pretty huge. There are 3 different broths like I said before, Classic, Dijon, and Fra Diavolo. All 3 are absolutely delicious, my favorite would be the Classic. Call me bland but it tasted so simple and fresh. The fries are good also, perfectly seasoned with salt and there's ketchup to accompany it.

Flex Donuts

For dessert, we had their donuts. Heard they made some good ones so we gave it a try. There were so many flavors or should I say fillings? From left to right in the photo above, Fluffermutter, PBJ, Chocolate, and Strawberry Shortcake. All the way on the left is the vanilla bean dipping and that was the bomb!

Definitely an enjoyable meal. $20 for all-you-can-devour mussels plus fries was absolutely amazing. If you're a seafood lover, or a mussel lover you would love this place. They also have other amazing broth which I will be trying the next time I come. By the way, they specialize in oysters so be sure to check out their daily specials.

They have two locations, one in the West Village and the other in the Upper East Side.

Flex Mussels
154 W 13th St
New York, NY 10011
(212) 229-0222