Mini Express - well worthy breakfast

I find myself struggling to think of what to eat on a Sunday mornings. I usually pick up my breakfast on my way to work and sometimes it's just the regular Chinese pastry with a small coffee, cost me $1.70 total, can't beat that price.

But there are times where I want something different and maybe a bit more extravagant.

And this was definitely something I was looking for in a gourmet breakfast (as least to me). I like the whole Cantonese-style breakfast thing, where I can just choose a letter on the menu and the staffs would know exactly what I want. There are a lot of options but I went for the Sauteed Ramen Noodles in Soy Sauce, all came with toast and coffee. The best part is the price, total was just $3.25. Yes a little more than what I usually spend but I get noodles with meat and vegetables, have to treat myself sometimes.

You might think it's a heavy and oily breakfast but after nights of drinking, this is probably the best Asian hangover breakfast. I also like how their "buttered" toast are made, with sweetened condense milk, score! The place is small so if you can help it, order it to go as service is quite fast. They also have some really great items for lunch and dinner.

Mini Express
14-18 Elizabeth St, Ste 32-33
New York, NY 10013
(212) 267-0888

Cutting Board - taking mom out for a nice run

I originally wanted to come here with J but I took my mom instead...haha

It was a mother and daughter day, didn't really want to eat the generic Chinese food so I took my mom out for something new and different. Heard good things about Cutting Board, the fusion of it.

Spacious inside but there were only 2 waiters, really? But they were quick, so not exactly any complaints about that.

I don't think my mom has ever experience mussels like this. The CB Mussels ($8) were quite delicious, served in a saffron broth, one breadstick was definitely not enough. Mussels were plump, which was a good thing. Generous portion too.

My mom had the Curry Beef w/ Rice ($6) which also had a fried egg. I liked the idea of how they separated the meat sauce from the rice, this gives the person utter control of how much meat they want and plus it doesn't sog up the rice this way. A sunny-side up egg is always a good addition to any dish.

I had the Pancetta & Cream over Linguine ($6), not bad at all. I was afraid it would be too creamy and weird tasting since you know, Asian places don't do creamy. But this was pretty good, kind of impressive if you ask me. I've been wanting carbonara but this will do for now until I actually find a place that serves up good carbonara.

So far, I kinda like Cutting Board. It's different and pricing is really reasonable, not to mention the taste isn't bad at all. I still need to take J here.

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

Memorial Day @ Red Hook Ball Fields

This past weekend J and I spent it together and just tried to take it easy. We went to Red Hook where the soccer games took place and had delicious authentic food. Trucks were set up to serve the Hispanic community and now it became something more than that. If you want some real tacos and ceviche, this is where you want to get it.

There wasn't much trucks and stalls this weekend probably because of the holiday. But that didn't stop us from getting great food and enjoying the weather.

I heard about pupusas and knew we had to try it. It's basically a patty cake with meat/vegetable/cheese fillings. I've never tried pupusas and was extremely excited about it.

J and I got the pupusas along with a meal that included chicharrons (fried pork bits) for $9. Not a bad price. Pupusa are made from corn flour and shaped into a round patty filled with your choice of anything on their menu. The longer they have it laying on the grill, the crunchier the texture will be, but if they're in a rush the pupusa would be cooked just right and still have that soft corn bread texture, I prefer the former. The cabbage was really good and the chicharrons were nice and crunchy meaty goodness. I liked how they threw in some onions and cilantro, can't forget the lime - all together, it was delicious and a true hearty meal.

For munchies, I got some Fried Plantains ($3). I thought they were flavorless until I got further down, it was salty but quite addicting.

J ordered the Horchata ($2). Definitely not my thing, I tried it twice and it was still not my thing. The initial sip was fine until the aftertaste hits you and you get that awkward feeling in the mouth. Like, a beautiful looking female suddenly opening her mouth and sounded like a guy kind of awkwardness.

One of our last dishes was the Ceviche de Camerones ($7). Extremely refreshing on a hot sunny day. We were sitting on the bench and just watching and enjoying the people playing soccer in the field. The next thing I know, I see a lady pushing a cart of...churros! I have to get it since it's been so long and we needed to be in the spirit! I mean, since we're there already, might as well right?

It was a wonderful day.

Might be a little breezy but the sun was always trying to peak out. This little date in the park was really relaxing. I rather have this with J anytime than a hectic barbeque (unless we don't have to hook and clean up).

Red Hook Ball Fields/Vendors

Clinton St & Bay St
Brooklyn, NY 11231

Teariffic Cafe - a really quick afternoon tea to get my nerves going

It's been a while since J and I came here and it's probably because we haven't had any time lately, not to mention it always seems packed when we walked by.

But this past Saturday it was quite empty, even around 1pm. Got a table in the right corner, yay for the wall because I can lean back. We ordered ourselves a drink and a plate to munch on to kill some time (I had an errand to run around 2, hence the quick tea-ing).

Usually this place is ran by waiters but that day, there were only 2 waitresses. J joked that the girlfriends had to substitute in for the guys...haha

The regular size Blackjack ($3.05) was something that J and I ordered a lot of back then, but haven't been for the past 2-3 years because it was too sweet. It's still sweet now. Our palettes changed a lot but I did want to recall some memories while drinking this, brings me back to high school.

This "exotic drink" as Teariffic quote it as, is on the sweet and sour side. It has blue curacao, strawberry syrup, lemon juice and honey - definitely taste the curacao and lemon juice more than anything and the color gives it that mysterious look. Wished it was more on the black side than blue to justify its name.

J wanted something hot, don't know why since it was humid that day. He ordered the Dragon Pearl Jasmine Tea ($4.50), really wasn't worth the price since it was just tea. For some reason I was hoping it would have some pearls like tapioca but dragon type...yeaaaa. We admit it was good tea, very fragrant but I wouldn't come to Teariffic to get this type of tea.

Deep Fried Chicken Strips ($3.25) is usually what we get when it comes to tea-ing. It just works really well as just a dish to munch on and shoot the breeze with another person. Plus, it's enough to share and let the time pass. This time around, the chicken strips tasted more like pork, maybe it is pork but it's disguised as chicken. It isn't as great as it once was but it had that nice crunch factor to it, so it wasn't too bad.

I guess so matter how bad Teariffic changes or screws up, I think we'll still come back because there's so many more options on the menu. It's also one of the few tea cafes in Chinatown that has a lot of seatings and is also really casual.

Teariffic Cafe
51 Mott St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 393-9009

Cha Chan Tang - late lunch that felt so right into the evening

Cha Chan Tang basically means cafe in Cantonese. Serving quick fix dishes for the busy person.

J and I came on a Saturday around 2pm, the time where Hong Kong people start their afternoon tea. The reason why CCT was on my to-visit list was because of this...

The interesting idea of an ice bucket around your milk tea. I've had this in Hong Kong but I didn't like it much because it was so strong. I was hoping CCT was different. Their Special Cold Hong Kong Style Tea was just right, for me. I wish I could take the whole entire thing to go, that would definitely be interesting. J had the Black and White Milk Tea, it was bland so he had to add some sugar. But both drinks were really well made.

Why choose when we can get the Mixed Balls in curry sauce. The balls were mediocre, there's your average fish balls, beef balls and (my favorite) cuttlefish balls. The curry sauce was pretty amazing, had just the right amount of spice. I need to know if they make their curry rice dish with this curry because I need to get it next time!

Chicken Wings w/ Coke was pretty delicious. Very tender and flavorful. Not too much on the heavy and sweet coke flavor but you do taste that coke flavor. Give me some bread to soak up the sauce and I'll be a happy camper.

I asked J what's a popular dish Hong Kong-ers order at a cafe along with their milk tea, he told me satay beef noodles. Exactly what I got. The Satay Beef w/ Ramen Noodles was a big portion. Hidden lettuce leaves in the soup and a lot of noodles! There was also a good amount of beef which I couldn't finish. If only I can make ramen like this at home...

J had the Singapore Fried Ramen Noodles. It looked really appetizing. I'm always skeptical about ramen noodles being pan-fried because I'm afraid it would be too soft or soggy, but not here. CCT made it really well. I love the curry flavor that was in the dish, they also put a lot of ingredients in the dish (as you can see up above). I would totally get this again...to share of course.

CCT is a great spot to hang out and location-wise, it's at a good spot for teenagers stop by after their weekend Chinese classes. Food is good, service is quick. I really look forward to returning.

Cha Chan Tang
45 Mott St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 577-2888

Tito Rad's Grill & Restaurant - Six years is celebrating with comfort and homecooking

Surprise surprise!

Suppose to be how I should've felt when J took me here for our six years together. I was, but I also guessed it before we even started walking to the restaurant. I'm pretty dam good sometimes.

Tito Rad's a Philippines cuisine restaurant that specializes in home cooking, or at least that's what it felt like. The atmosphere was very laid back. Also, my first time trying real Philippines food. I really wouldn't know what to order if it wasn't for J.

The layout of the restaurant looks a lot like a Vietnamese restaurant. It's not big, but the decor felt really home-y and simple. There's TV screens everywhere, so it's like you're dining at home.

Our spread. Yes, we ordered a lot of food and yes we did finish it all. Philippine cuisine is definitely different than your Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. Not too salty or packed with a "bam" flavor either.

Dinuguan ($7.95) was a creepy dark looking dish. The appearance is quite a turnoff eh? It's pork in vinegar and pork blood, the cooked pork blood gives it that dark brown color. How does it taste? Well, for one thing, it was really iron-y and gamey tasting. I like coagulated pork blood but this was on a totally different level. It tasted too strong for me, good thing J liked it...he can have it all.

I have to have some vegetable on the table, so I decided on the Ginisang Ampalaya ($8.45). A simple dish consisted of bitter melon, eggs and shrimp. It tasted really light and not bitter at all which I'm surprise. I've had bitter melon at other restaurants before and it was always bitter. Plus, this melon is good for you - prevents diabetes.

J was so excited about the Lechon Kawali ($7.95). When it came out, I knew why. It was pork belly, fried pork belly. It wasn't even dripping in oil, felt like it was flashed fried because it was dry and still really crunchy. Ok, maybe crunchy to a point where it's a bit hard. You need to know how and where to bite so you don't get hurt. No joke, eating this takes experience and practice! Either that, or just chew and bite really slow. I really like the skin and the fat part...hehe.

Last but not least, the Inihaw Tuna Belly ($Seasonal) was really good. Smokey and tasted great with the salty sauce. It took the longest to cook and I keep telling J to wait for it because I didn't want to start eating the other dishes before this. Totally worth it because the skin was sizzling and had a nice crisp to it.

And if that wasn't enough, we ordered dessert.

Tough decision but I clenched my hands and ordered the Tito's Delight ($6.95). Presentation was really pretty and colorful, 3 different slices of cake - Ube (purple yam, addicting texture and taste), Leche Flan (tasted like a cheesecake version of flan, quite dense), and Cassava (suppose to be made from the cassava plant but I take sticky rice and banana here). Great dessert overall and it really lets you have a glimpse into the Philippine's culture.

Lovely meal and I couldn't ask for anything more than just spending the evening with my boyfriend and having a simple yet satisfying dinner for our six year.

Tito Rad's Grill & Restaurant
49-12 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside, NY 11377
(718) 205-7299

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.

Jum Mum - Stick with the buns I tell ya, it's the best from the rest

So, feeling for some buns but don't really want to pay a hefty price for it. Baohaus is out since it's almost $4 for a bun, crazy! Jum Mum recently opened around last year and seems to be doing quite well from the reviews.

I knew J would be hungry after his workout so I suggested Jum Mum and we went there to grab a bite.

They have buns for a deal of 3 for $6, which totals out to just $2 per bun, totally worth it!

It was a small place and that's their work station with the steam racks. I wanted to reach over and just take some buns and run.

The girl behind the register was really nice and helpful. She was also very patient with me since I had no idea what to order since they have so many variety to choose from. I ended up getting 4 buns and noodles...and it was suppose to be a snack.

Awww shucks, I just read that poster...should've added my comment/suggestion in the box! Now I feel bummed out. Anyways, I took this photo because of the awesome strange chips/junk food they had up there...so bummed.

Starting with the Bulgogi Bun and Pork Belly Bun; whoaaa...these blew my mind. Both are a must get. I actually love the pork belly the most out of everything. The pork belly was such a big slice and look at that beautiful fat!

The Chicken Cutlet Bun and Fried Duck Bun wasn't so "wow." The chicken was covered with the spicy Japanese mayo and tasted like a chicken sandwich; whereas the fried duck was just very crunchy and oily.

The Street Style Noodles ($5) was one of the reason why I wanted to try Jum Mum in the first place. I thought it would remind J and I of Hong Kong-style rice noodles but nope *shakes head* not even close. The flat noodles were covered in shredded pork and tofu, then a sweetened soy sauce was poured over it. The sauce wasn't really soy but more on the brown sugared-caramelized type kind of thing, if you know what I mean. The dish was a bit on the salty side for me.

I wouldn't get the noodles again but I would totally try their other buns and get the pork belly again. Plus, they got rice...wonder how that would taste.

Jum Mum
5 Saint Mark Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 673-6745

M Star Cafe - Reminding me of what I once had

Occasionally, J and I would go out for breakfast. It's easy to find a diner here but for an authentic Hong Kong style breakfast, it's a challenge. What I mean by authentic or even close enough to an HK breakfast would be ordering by the letter. That's right, you didn't read wrong...ordering by letters. HK is all about being quick, so just saying the letter A, B, C, D, E, etc...can mean 2-3 items in your meal.

J went to M Star before so he knows what to expect. M Star is actually the closest you can get to some authentic HK breakfast. If you want to know how it feels like in HK, this place can definitely give you a glimpse/feel to it.

J got the C meal and I got the D meal. Both includes a drink, coffee or milk tea unless you feel adventurous, then go ahead and mix the two (there is a such a thing). Both of our meal include toast, but J got the egg...

My Satay Beef w/ Instant Noodle came in a decent size bowl, but it was packed with noodles. The satay beef gave a nice kick to the entire dish. Even though this might be really simple to make as home (I mean, hello...it's just instant noodles right?) but the idea of going to a restaurant for it just makes it that much better knowing that I didn't have to cook it and I wouldn't have to clean it, yay!

J's Macaroni w/ Ham, yet another simple dish but so comforting. This is refreshing and tasted clean, hearty and filling at the same time.

And because that wasn't enough, knowing our greedy-asses we got the Pan Fried Steamed Rice Noodle ($3). We both never had rice noodle pan fried before so it instantly caught our eyes. Deliciously crunchy and smothered in the sweet sauce and peanut sauce. I just wished they cut it into smaller pieces...

Overall, great place for some Cantonese breakfast. Might be a bit packed in the morning but if you're a small group of 2-3, spots open up within 5-10 minutes.

M Star Cafe
19 Division St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 966-8988

Xi'an Famous Foods - East Village

To my knowledge, this is the third time J and I revisited Xi'an. We finally ordered the spicy dishes which they are known for this time around, the first 2 times we didn't because we knew we weren't able to handle the spiciness. Finally, the hard training days of eating spicy food paid off and we can enjoy it! Love spicy food now!

We were lucky to find seats inside this small and cramp spot. Xi'an has other branches but this is the original and we always see ourselves coming back to this same spot. I love how each dish has a letter and number that corresponds to it. You don't have to read the longass name, just say A1 or N1 or whatever it is, makes the ordering process a lot easier and faster.

Feels like cafeteria Asian style kind of eating. If you order dry noodles they give you a plate and if you order noodle soup, they give you a bowl. The day was too hot for soup noodles so we stuck to non-soupie dishes, didn't help much since it was spicy.

I wanted something cold for before thinking I told J to get me a Stir Fried Cold Skin Noodle. It soon hit me that stir fried means it's going to be hot and not cold...dammit! Nonetheless, it was delicious and addicting. Stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts and gluten which is amazing, got a little tang to it but certainly yummy!

J had the Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles. The noodles were swimming in a pool of hot sauce, a lot less spicier than mine. I really like the texture of the noodles in the hot sauce and the pieces just add enough meaty-ness to it all. I want to slurp his entire plate!

To end it all, we had the Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger. Very similar to J's noodles but a bit more on the dry side. Eating the burger this time was a lot messier than the first couple of times  because the juices were oozing everywhere. I think I still like the pork burger better.

There's very limited seats at this Xi'an location but the cool thing we found out is that if you order food from Xi'an, there are a couple of places near the area that let you sit in their restaurant/shop if you buy a drink from them. How awesome is that?!

Xi'an Famous Food
81 St Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
(212) 786-2068

Lunchin' @ Mulberry Meat Market

The past year or so I've been ordering my lunch from the Mulberry Meat Market because it's cheap and delicious.

It's a meat market which you can buy all sorts of raw meat and have it cook at home or you can look at your left hand side when you walk in, everything is already cooked and made for you. They have 2 sides and rice for $3.25 or with 3 sides add an additional 50 cents. They also have a lot of roast meats and barbeque meats also. Everything is priced at an affordable rate. I usually get their Roast Pork over Rice which is only $3.75 and they even give you vegetables.

Their Soy Sauce Chicken over Rice is amazing also, dark or white meat, the price is still at $4.50 a box. Extremely filling and pleasantly to look at also!

The chicken is moist and tender, the flavor of the soy sauce is soaked into the chicken skin which makes it packed with flavor. I really enjoy the ginger and scallion sauce they layer on top of the chicken, you need that sauce for a more authentic Chinese meal.

There is really only a few places that gives you vegetables with your rice box without the extra cost. I need my meat and veggies with my dish so this is why Mulberry Meat Market won me over.

If you want cheap roast meats that delivers in taste also, this is the spot to hit up. It's basically in the center of Chinatown and very conveniently close to Canal Street where all the tourist roams around.

Mulberry Meat Market
89 Mulberry St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 267-0350