Short Grain - Jersey City, NJ

Never had I thought I would be living in another state...let alone Jersey.
But, it was one of those decisions that when you think back, you decided correctly.

On a random morning, well I guess it wasn't that random, it was Labor Day after all. The fiancé and I decided last minute we wanted Vietnamese sandwich for brunch. I can't remember the last time we had a good sandwich so I agreed.

Short Grain was a bougie version of a regular Vietnamese cafe that serves coffee and sandwiches. Actually, the only Viet thing about this place was just the sandwiches and coffee, they have other items on the menu like pancakes and avocado toast (which is like the "thing" now). The cafe has a good amount of tables and seats. We luckily grabbed one before the lunch crowd came.

The sandwiches are pretty solid and so were the coffees. We ended up getting an iced and hot version of the Vietnamese coffee, it was perfectly sweetened in my opinion. I'm iffy about getting Vietnamese coffee now since they usually make it super sweet to counter the bitterness of the smokey coffee beans. The sandwiches were massive, packed with ingredients which I did not expect. I ordered the Vietnamese Cold Cut Sandwich, I have to say that I like this better. There was a lot of layered meat like headcheese, Vietnamese ham, pate spread and not too much pickled vegetables. It was extremely filling. The fiancé had gotten the Coconut Curry Chicken, it was spicy but addicting spicy which you just can't stop eating. Had a flavorful curry flavor but not much coconut which I was a bit disappointed with. Our coffees worked well with both sandwiches, the iced with the curry and the hot with the cold cut.

I see myself coming back. The cafe had a really lax vibe to it and everything was solid.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Vietnamese Coffee

Vietnamese Cold Cut Sandwich

Coconut Curry Chicken Sandwich

Verdict:
Food ~ 5 out of 5
Price ~ 4 out of 5
Service ~ 4.5 out of 5

Short Grain
183 Montgomery St
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Anatolian Gyro

J and I haven't been going to new restaurants lately because we haven't really made the effort to. As of late, we've actually been visiting old places and just grabbing quick bites. Revisiting a familiar cuisine was definitely one in our books. Anatolian serves up Turkish food, and we been craving for hummus.

We both thought this place was more of a cafeteria style, you order at the counter and bring your food to the table but apparently not. We were told to have a seat and they'll serve us...haha we were such fools. For some reason, it was majoring hot that day. Weatherman said it was going to be cold, so I wore a thick long sleeve which was definitely not a smart move. There also wasn't much air circulation in the restaurant...

The waiters were extremely friendly, like big-smile friendly. I like that.

J ordered a Russian soft drink, I didn't notice it on the menu but it didn't surprise me since he's always up for trying something new. It was pear flavored and tasted good, refreshingly good. I can always count on J to order something different and good.

What we literally have been waiting for. The Hummus was served with fresh Home Bread; the waiter made sure to tell us that part. The bread was so soft and fluffy, spreading the hummus on top made it heaven!

The hummus quickly disappeared since J and I use a thick amount of spread on each piece of bread.

Another dish we have been ordering at Turkish restaurants are Fried Liver Cubes. Some might like the liver-y and iron-y taste of it but J and I love it. I mean, it's fried! Anything fried taste good, right? We squeeze the lemon all over and eat it with the raw onions they give and it's quite delicious. Great appetizer.

At this time, you might think that's all but we did order a sandwich each. We both had it on pita bread, I had the Shish Kebab while J had the Gyro. The sandwich came in similar form, meat on the bottom with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers on top. They also provide you with white and hot sauce so you can put as much as you desire.

I wasn't able to finish my sandwich so I started picking at the meat. There was a lot! I eventually gave up because I was so full. It was a really satisfying meal. Anatolian is moving soon but just around the corner for a more spacious area. Can't wait until they open up the new place!

Anatolian Gyro Restaurant
1605 Sheepshead Bay Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 769-4754

Brennan & Carr - a special independence day in the heat

This year's July 4th was insanely hot, like temperature hot, like I want to dance naked in the street hot. J and I wanted to go to the beach but you see, we woke up late...actually, we woke up around 8 and was like let's sleep a little more and rolled over and passed out. The next thing we knew, it was already 11 and we had to sluggishly push ourselves up and get ready. So, by the time we got in the car and headed off to the beach, there was a long line just for parking...we turned around and drove off.

Needing something in our stomach, more like J's stomach since I already had steak for lunch haha

Brennan & Carr was on our list for a while, because of their roast beef sandwich. The place looked like a little cabin, gave me the cute vibe.

The Onion Rings were ok, had too much batter going on there and just a small amount of onion in the center. Plus, it was like hard-crunchy not fresh good crunchy. Need to go get my fix on onion rings now since this didn't cut it.

The menu wasn't big, but there were different variety of things. Everyone there ordered the clam chowder and what seems like iced tea, must be really good...must order next time.

J ordered this massive sandwich which he inhaled in like 5 seconds. The Gargiulo Burger obviously appealed to J because of the beef patty, roast beef, cheese, and onions, plus it was dipped into this heavenly beef broth. It was good but also really meaty and heavy.

I had a regular Roast Beef Sandwich with cheese, didn't want onions this time. Very simple and quite excellent. Mine was dipped also, makes it less dry and a lot easier to eat. I wished I had the appetite to finish it but the steak that was sitting in my stomach earlier was fighting me. J ended up finishing my half sandwich, fatty!

The atmosphere was really laid back and the staff there were nice. Looks like they came out of a 1970s movie, cool eh?

Brennan & Carr
3432 Nostrand Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11229
(718) 769-1254

JoJu - an anticipation left in disapointment

I'm not gonna lie, I like a good Vietnamese sandwich sometimes. I know that I might not get the best service at these places because Asian people aren't the friendliest. They care about making money, so they just want your order so they can put it through and get it to you asap. JoJu was a bit different, the people behind the counter were actually young...

Apparently for JoJu, when you check-in Yelp, you get a free egg with your sandwich. Which means, I save just $1 which is still a lot of money. J and I also ordered the Kimchi Fries but they messed that up.

Fries came first, we really thought it was the Kimchi Fries which was why we dug right in but then learn that it was the Banh Mi Fries ($5.25). By then it was too late to change our order. The fries were definitely fried twice if not more than that because it stayed a hard texture throughout the entire time we were eating it. There were a lot of pickled carrots and daikon which I felt like a vegetarian dish, it would've been a bit more exciting if there were some meat in it.

The JoJu Monster (originally $6.75 but I got it for $1 less because of the Yelp check-in) was literally what everyone was raving about. Is it just because of the extra egg that so many people like it? I wasn't impress at all. First off, all the sandwiches I had before had the same problem as this, everything is sectioned off weirdly. Why can't it just lay flat so when I bite, I get a little of everything? The meat and veggies are always squished off to the side...I mainly just taste the egg and the veggies, I didn't even know the meat existed until I look at my sandwich.

I wouldn't travel for JoJu unless I'm in the neighborhood. Then again, I don't really think it was worth it. I rather spent my money at Banh Mi Saigon or Luu's Baguette.

JoJu
83-25 Broadway
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(347) 808-0887

Sunny and Annie's - Pho #1 (aka Pho Real) Sandwich

So, I know you can basically turn anything into a sandwich but a Pho Sandwich? Pho real now? (hahahahaha)

Post workout with J, I told him we should stop by Sunny & Annie's for a sandwich. I read and saw about the pho sandwich a while back and knew we just had to try it. We've had pho many times, but in sandwich form...never.

S&A is a corner deli. Really tight and cramp inside but boy, they have a lot of stuff. Sandwiches being freshly made is one of them. They have a load of other different sandwiches which I'd love to come back and try, especially with funky names like Joe Bama and MonaRisa.

The Pho Sandwich ($6.99) tastes just like a bowl of pho in sandwich form. Yummy roast beef, onions, bean sprouts, thai basil, avocado, tomato, hoisin sauce, and sriricha was quite bomb. That's actually better than any Vietnamese sandwich I've had. This was different and quite clever. You can get this cold or hot, we tried the latter and will be back for the former.

Sunny and Annie's
94 Ave B
New York, NY 10003
(212) 677-3131 

John's Deli - The magic is in the sauce

The day was raining, yet J and I decided to head over to John's Deli for their famous roast beef sandwich. I wasn't crazy about it, I mean it's just a sandwich with a creepy dark sauce on it. But since J wanted to try it so much, well he's been thinking about it for a while now so why not check this off our list.

We came a bit past noon and it was starting to get crowded. Luckily, we got a table before it was all filled. John's Deli isn't the greatest nor prettiest place but they have good quality food. They have it written somewhere for their patrons to read, that if you're in hurry then this place isn't for you. Our order wasn't quick but it didn't take too long either.

Our lunch! We basically split everything since it was our first time here and seeing so many things on the counter, we wanted to get it all.

J saw a whole tray of the Focaccia ($?) and he wanted a slice. To me, it was a slice of white pizza with onions. Quite delicious though.

I wanted to try their rice balls and J chose the Ham & Mozzarella Riceballs ($3.00). I wasn't so thrilled about it, a bit on the sweeter side and it definitely had corn incorporated into the rice which I didn't like. The consistency was good but the taste did not appeal to me.

The star of it all! The infamous Roast Beef Sandwich with Mutz and Gravy ($7.75) was the bomb! Simple yet so tasty. I loved how the bread was lightly toasted and the creepy dark gravy was delicious! It complimented the whole sandwich since roast beef is on the dry side. The onions added flavor and texture to the sandwich making it quite impeccable. Next time, I'm not sharing.

At first glance, I thought there was an egg in there but it was just the mozzarella. Now, how would it be if an egg was added? Probably heavenly. I can't wait for my next visit.

So, if you ever had boring and plain roast beef, do give John's Deli a go because this will excite you.

John's Deli
2033 Stillwell Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 372-7481 

Wild Edibles - An early affordable aphrodisiac coming my way

One of the best places for happy hour since it occurs everyday from 12-6pm. It's early but totally worth it.

J and I came for lunch around 1pm, good thing we were able to snatch seats at the bar because it was quite packed.

There was a small section of a fish market inside the restaurant. They sell their seafood by the pound there and during our lunch there, 2 people came for this...interesting.

I had a glass of Reisling White Wine ($9) while J had the Narrgansett Lager ($4) that came with 1/2 dozen of oysters. Quite a good deal for him.

We started off with a dozen of oysters, that day's special were Bluepoint ($.99 each). So delicious and succulent. For less than a dollar an oyster, we placed another order of a dozen oysters. They were so plump and meaty. Usually at happy hour, restaurants would give you the puny and meatless oysters because you're paying a cheaper price for it, but not here. Wild Edibles gives you quality even if the price they charge you is low.

For main, I got the Oyster Po'boy ($12.99). Going to avoid the next time I go there. The wrap was filled with cole slaw which made it taste like I was eating a plain lettuce wrap. I wasn't too impress with this. On the other hand, the fries were amazing...too bad I couldn't finish it.

A round of applause for J again for choosing the best dish (rolls eye). The Grilled Tuna Steak Club ($14.99) was the best fish sandwich I had ever devour. Hands down the best. The tuna was tender and grilled lightly so you can taste the fishy flesh within the sandwich. Tasted a bit like chicken if you ask me. I need to go back for this. I had to share half with J, at least he gave me half right?

I'm returning for sure, maybe some time soon since I can't stop thinking about the tuna club now.

Wild Edibles
535 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016
(212) 213-8552

Hong Kong: Afternoon Tea-in' @ Dai Pai Dong

One of the best meals I had in Hong Kong was at Stanley, a little town near the waters - beautiful.

This spot was one of those hole in the wall places and thanks to my awesome J, I was able to experience the best Hong Kong Style French Toast in the world - I am so not exaggerating.

This little dai pai dong might be a bit hard to find since the name on the awning is almost completely washed out. 泗益 is the name you must squint and look for when you're in Stanley, HK.

See how faded the name looks?
Or you can try finding the fruit vendor with a faded sign...haha
There was an insane line when we left 泗益. Good thing we went there early and was able to grab a table.

Delicious Iced Milk Tea wherever I go. HK just makes it right and I'm reminiscing every time I write about HK.

This had a long name in Cantonese and took a while to get it right when the waitress barely even pays attention to you. You just have to literally get her attention and then yell out your order - no eye contact involved here. Satay Beef with Egg Sandwich was the bomb! Omg how can a simple sandwich be so divine?! Also, I absolutely love that they cut out the crust xD

Lastly, the infamous HK Style French Toast! Look at that hunk of butter! I have to say, just typing about this makes me so darn excited. It tasted so fluffy and awesome, no need for syrup here. J and I ordered another one towards the end. The greedy part of us definitely took over and we were so stuffed! The wait for these sucker takes a while, probably 10-15 minutes but it will be the best 5 minutes of your life when you devour it!

I really need to go back to HK just for this. I'll take the long treacherous bus ride from Central, HK if I have to. If only I can have this every week...

Breakfast @ Ess-A-Bagel

This bagel shop is right near my workplace which is insanely convenient. They have the array of different spreads from tofu lox cream cheese to chicken salad. They also have your cold cut meats if you prefer.

Breakfast in the morning is chaotic here. Upon entering, you would be completely confused because of the long lines and crazy zig zag to get to the end of the line. Lucky for me, there was only 2-3 people in front of me that morning. I was so relieved.

You have to know what you want here because once you're being called up, you tell them what you want and how you want it. They don't have the patience to be waiting for you while they have a long line to cater to.

I was craving for a bagel with cream cheese, but the usual cream cheese sounded boring...

Decided on an Everything Bagel with Lox Cream Cheese ($3.95). Don't know what I was thinking but I find myself not being a fan of an everything bagel. I totally forgot about the garlic bagel, and this one was so pungent. I'll stick to a plain or sesame, anything but garlic.

The lox was really good. Creamy and had bites of cured salmon in it. I think I enjoyed it more because it was pink...

Had a Small Coffee ($1.40) along with my bagel since I'm sure I needed something to wash it down with. I had no sugar in my coffee this time and surprisingly, it was bearable and tasted great with the lox bagel.

A simple spot for sandwiches, there are endless combinations you can get here. Next time, I'll be getting the tofu lox... yum.

Ess-A-Bagel
831 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022
(212) 980-1010

Lunchin' @ Sophie's Cuban Cuisine - Fried Pork Sandwich

So I hate thinking about what to get for lunch when noon reaches. I don't like being so indecisive while having so many options around me. I don't like how there's nothing around me that appeals to me half the time which sometimes makes me go back to eating the same thing. And I don't like spending a fortune for lunch just for myself. Yup, I'm a little cheap-y when it comes to getting food for myself.

After much contemplation, I decided on Sophie's. Although I wanted their cod fish stew, I'll just stick to a sandwich since it wasn't a Friday. I've read somewhere that the Fried Pork Sandwich is really good, and with the description the person gave, I know I must have it.

I went a bit after the rush hour of lunch so there was no one on line, success!
I told the lady behind the counter I wanted a Fried Pork Sandwich ($6.95), she got to work right away. Seeing her prepare my sandwich was like heaven. Seeing her stack the pork (which didn't look fried to me!), then the plantains (that's the surprise), then onions and then she squirted mayo and this green sauce (which I assume it was hot sauce). I was already salivating.

I was staring at the pork thinking that it would be dry cause it looked dry. But the second I bit down, it was so tender that it nearly fell apart. I was impressed. I also love how the sweet plantains gave the entire sandwich a nice twist in flavor. The onions were amazingly good, lightly pickled with cilantro to enhance the flavor. A really good sandwich.

Sophie's Cuban Cuisine
Lower Atrium
805 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10022
(212) 308-1024

Mile End

The search for the best New York poutine still continues. Of course, it will never be the same as Montreal's poutine but I would like to think there is this possibility out there where we'll find a poutine that comes close to our (J's and mine) favorite Frite Alors in Canada.

Somehow, searching around Yelp brings me to Mile End. They had good ratings, great photos and most important, the poutine looks really dam good.

When we arrived, we had to wait a while. I was actually surprised at how many people were eating here, must be good...

They had a small menu so deciding on what we want wasn't so difficult.


Classic Poutine

Looks pretty legit to me.
I wish the cheese curds were smaller and colder. Because by the time they served us the plate, the curds were melting. Gah! I want that squeaky feeling of cheese curds between my teeth. The gravy was good, not too overly seasoned and worked quite well with the fries, which were quite good also. And so, that's where the good food ends...

Smoke Meat Sandwich w/ pickle and slaw

The smoked meat was dry. They needed more fat in that meat, not just lean meat. Felt like eating dry cardboard. But, the pickle was amazing. Nice, crunchy, salty... the way a real pickle should be.


Grandpa

Another disappointment. Layers of turkey breast with thinly sliced pickle (-_-) and a turkey rillette, one word - dry. The only moisture was the pickles and the rillette. Plus, I felt like it lacked some sort of texture, probably would've helped if they gave me more pickles.

So, the entire time J and I was sitting at the counter, we noticed the dude behind the counter that was preparing sandwiches started munching on pieces of smoked meat and turkey. He would purposely slice more and just eat the extra pieces, and I say extra pieces because they actually weigh the amount that goes into the sandwich. Man, I rather go to Katz's and let them pile on the meat and they're not dry!

All-in-all, I'm only coming back for the poutine, if I ever come back.

Mile End
97 Hoyt St
Ste A
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 852-7510

Weekday Lunch: Toasties

I always like a good sandwich, and sometimes a good wrap would do the trick also. It's hard to find a place that isn't skimpy on the ingredients when it comes to lunch meals. The price is usually jacked up and they barely give you enough greens and meat. I'm always hesitant when going to a cafe and ordering a sandwich or wrap but I sure did give Toasties a chance.

I like taking lunch after 1pm just because there's definitely less people. I hate lines and sometimes it causes confusion and we don't want that when it comes to food. I was in and out of the place in less than 15 minutes. They also have an interesting method of ordering and paying. They have different stations, sandwiches, pasta, salad, etc. - you would order your food, by then the person would give you a receipt and you would take that receipt to the cashier and pay for it all the while waiting for your food to be prepared. Once it's ready, they call a number (which is on the receipt) and bam you're done.

I got myself a Classic Grilled Chicken Wrap. It was delicious. Packed with meat and vegetables and the juices just ooze out of the wrap. There was grilled chicken breast with melted fresh mozzarella cheese, grilled onions, romaine lettuce and roasted red peppers. No sauce needed because everything tasted like it was sauteed so the flavor came directly from the ingredients itself.

Toasties makes the wraps really well. The price was reasonable for places located around midtown.

Toasties
599 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10022
(212) 644-8780

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