Hakata Ton Ton

Japanese hotpot in the summer? Let's go!

When it comes to food it doesn't matter what kind of weather is it. I might be eating boiling pots in the summer and ice cold desserts in the winter. As long as my stomach get some sort of satisfaction then my brain is happy.

I made reservations for HTT knowing they won't have seats if I just walk-in. With restaurants like this, that a lot of people know about and with fantastic food that is being serve, it's better to come prepared.

HTT is known for their hotpot dishes and also their tonsoku which is basically pig's feet. They have a ton of delicious appetizers also, hot or cold.  J and I got carried away with ordering, as you will see in the photos below.

Hakata Mojito

I wasn't going to order anything to drink, hoping to stick with just water than take on some empty calories but J was so persistent about it I ordered the mojito. Totally glad I did, one of the best ever just because it was sweet. If you like minty sweetness, you would love this.

Seared Veal Liver Sashimi

Half seared half raw, it was a different balance of texture. The cooked side was soft while the raw side was crunchy, quite interesting. The sauce was great also.

Atlantic Salmon Carpaccio

This dish was definitely one of the few dishes that made the taste buds go "fresh." I also love the pairing of all the colors. I don't know what the small orange balls are but they're crunchy and yummy! You might not be able to see it but they also have salmon caviar on top.

Sauteed Pork Tongue

Utterly disappointed with this dish. It wasn't sauteed and it was bland and dry. There was a sauce that came with it but it was just a sesame based sauce, didn't do much for my taste buds.

Foie Gras Inari Sushi

Sadly to say this was one of my favorite dishes. I don't like foie gras like that, maybe it's the texture or taste but I just don't like it. The only reason I like this dish is the inari sushi, the sauce that is smothering the sushi is delicious. J loves foie gras so I'm glad I can just throw the piece of foie gras to him and just enjoy my sushi.

Grilled Pork Tonsoku

What we basically came here for. I can't believe how soft they are, and gelatinous too. Never thought I would eat pigs feet outside of home but this was indeed good. If you think this is gross, well then try it and then tell me that again.

The before and after photo of our hotpot. We chose the Motsu Hotpot which is beef intestines hotpot. We had intestines before and totally forgot it would be chewy, oh wells, it was still good!
Warning though, you should try and devour this pot quick before it goes into the salty level. As the pot cooks while you eat, all the vegetables and meat get salty. If you eat slow, make sure you like sodium chloride or have a huge glass of water next to you.

Soba Creme Brulee

Dessert to end the meal with. I was surprised when the waitress gave us tea, it's 'cause I did not expect it at all. I have to say, the tea helped the saltiness a lot. The dessert came out and we were so happy the ice cream was in a bowl. You know how hard it is to eat ice cream on a plate? They just never learn, but HTT did! The black sesame ice cream tastes truly authentic because there was so little sweetness to it, love!

Lovely meal. I want to come back and try the Tonsoku Hotpot, maybe it would be less salty. This place would be great for winter but during the summer they have a/c inside so you'll be in good hands.

Hakata Ton Ton
61 Grove St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-3699

Peking Duck Sandwich Stall

Finally, J and I made our way out to Flushing, Queens. First stop was definitely this Peking Duck Stand, known for their $1 duck sandwiches. Surprisingly, there's no line. Why is that? No one likes peking duck?! Or maybe you just don't see the $1 sign.

I guess that's quite hard to miss 'cause I didn't even see that sign.

You pretty much tell them how many sandwiches you want and they whip it up right then and there for you. It's fast because they have pots of buns cooking in the back, the duck is being sliced by one lady while the other assembles. Fast and cheap, lovely.

Probably the best because everything taste better when it's cheap. They don't skimp out on anything here, you get all of it and more. A soft bun that covers the piece(s) of duck, scallions, cucumbers, and hoisin sauce. Next time, I'm going to buy 10 all for myself.

Peking Duck Sandwich Stall
Main St and 40th Rd
Flushing, NY 11355

Recipe: Bánh Cống

A simple Vietnamese dish that is served as a snack (well at least to me it was - and still is). It's fried with your choice of dipping sauce or none at all. The process of these dough-y fritters are extremely simple!

Ingredients:
- Deep Fried Shrimp Cake batter
- any sorts of beans
- shrimps
- water
- oil (to fry)

Three simple ingredients to make the final product, and also water but I know we all know what water is.

I used this large metal soup spoon to get the rounded shape of the Bánh Cống. You can find this is any Asian kitchen gadget store.

After prepping everything, it's time to make the mixture. The package on the batter tells you to mix 12 oz of flour with 1 3/4 cups of water. I usually eyeball it and mix it to a light gooey consistency. It also tells you to wait 30 minutes for it to rise but you don't need to!

Get your pot of oil ready. I fill the pot just so the oil can cover my "metal spoon," fries better that way!

In goes the action!
What you want to do first is take the "metal spoon" and fill it with a spoon of the mixture, then put the beans in, top it off with a shrimp, and take another spoonful of mixture to cover the shrimp. When that assembly is done, place the "metal spoon" into the pot. It should take no longer than 3-5 minutes for each one. When its golden brown remove it from the oil!

I love these as snacks and it's so easy and simple to make. Who knew that 3-4 ingredients can make something so mouthwatering and complicating-looking.

I love eating mines with fish sauce.
Next up, how to make - fish sauce!

Hot Mini Cakes

I love it when I find out that my mini-cake dude is there at his corner when I'm around the area. I grew up with his mini-cakes and they're just $1. Actually, he's the only one in Chinatown that still sells 20 pieces for $1. But it was never really quantity, it's always quality over quantity.

A small cart on the street is all you need for some scrumptious mini-cakes. He's been there for over 10 years because I remember getting this every Saturday when I had weekend school.

They are so fluffy, soft, and moist. I tried all the other carts in Chinatown and none can beat his. The others would be too hard, dry, or even tasteless. It's a great snack to munch on when you don't have munch of an appetite on a hot sunny day!

Hot Mini Cakes
SE Corner of Grand St & Bowery
New York, NY 10002

Pommes Frites

Pomme Frites is just the way to have it when you're feeling a little adventures with your normally everyday food. Who knew that fries can be this good. Wandering off in the East Village after a simple meal, J wanted some fries. We've passed this little hole in the wall a couple of times but each time after a fulfilling satisfying meal. This time, we made sure we had a meal that only half fulled our stomach.

Looks quite fancy for a Belgian fries kind-of-place. Actually, I like how it gives off a European feeling.

The evening was hot with just a breeze here and there. I was mighty happy to see two chairs outside with a table, which means it's gonna be munchtime! There are seats in the back of the store but it was way too hot inside. I barely walk 10 feet into the store because there was literally no air circulation at all.

Big chunks of fries which were said to be double fried, and I believed that since I saw a batch that was fried but still had a light yellow crust to it. Hot and fresh, I wonder how people held the cone since it literally burned right through it.

Look at how nice the fries look. Personally, I do like McDonald's and Popeye's fries more because there's more flavor and crispy texture to it. I mean, I do enjoy these fries also, the best part is actually in the sauce/dip.

Endless selection for you to choose from, they have insanely exotic flavors. They have the regular dippings for free while the unique flavors are $1 each.

Top: Parmesan Peppercorn - extremely heavy parmesan scent and flavor. If you love parmesan then this is definitely for you.
Lower Left: Sweet Mango Chutney Mayo - the best out of all 3. A light mango flavor mixed with yogurt and it's fruity sweet. Goes extra well with the fries. I would totally recommend this to anyone!
Lower Right: Rosemary Garlic Mayo - quite garlic-y and a hint of rosemary but it wasn't anything too special.

And the feast begins!

Like our arrangement? We actually had a hard time finishing since we were greedy and gotten the large after a dinner meal. Total fail!
All-in-all, it's a great snack and if you love fries you should really check out this place. I would go back just for the sauce. Not to mention they have over 20 sauces to choose from.

Pommes Frites
123 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 674-1234 

123 Burger Shot Beer

Prior to heading over to a club, my two friends and I went to 123 Burger Shot Beer for a pre-game plus not to mention we need food in our system. We came here around 7:00pm and it was already a full house on a Saturday night. The decor of the place reminded me of Hooters, the shorts and tight tank top with the orange background. Nonetheless, the service was on point. Our waitresses were very nice and comes to us periodically to ask if we need anything else.

Red - One Night Stand
Teal - Naughty Barbie

The cocktail drinks were on the so-so side. They actually taste more like cough syrup than anything else. If I knew they were in martini glasses I would've passed because I really dislike drinking out of those.

Oh, I forgot to mention what was so great about this place.
$1 burger
$2 shot
$3 beer
Can't get any better than that.

Although the burgers might seem small, even smaller than White Castle's burger, but the quality was good. And for a buck, it's pretty much a steal in Manhattan New York.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ribs & Honey Garlic Wings

I was surprised at how tasty these were. The only thing I didn't like was how the ribs was covered in endless BBQ sauce, a bit too much! But the meat did fall off the bone which so won me over. The wings were fantastic also, nice and crunchy with tender moist meat.

I really like this place a lot for group hangouts or even pre-game because the food holds up to its expectations (at least for me). Now, maybe next time I ought to try the beers or drinks that are off of their menu.

123 Burger Shot Beer
738 10th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 315-0123 

Weekday Lunch: Vanessa's Dumpling House

I must have a fetish with going to Vanessa's while it rains out. It's not a heavy downpour but it's still rain. I felt for light and cheap lunch today so I actually took the bus and got myself some dumplings.

It's a small place. Once you enter, walk straight to the back and slowly work your way up to the door. You put in your order, pay, and the cashier gives you a receipt which you will move a couple of steps up and wait for your number to be called. The wait can be anywhere from 2-10 minutes, depending on if the place is packed or not. I guess it's a win-win for me since I go on rainy days, usually less people on these messy weathers.

What's so great about this place? The cheap dumplings, actually a lot of their food on the menu are cheap but you simply can't pass up on $1 for 4 pieces of dumplings. They're not your average size either, bigger than the usual dumplings you get at restaurant and they are so good and juicy.

Top Left - Chive and Pork Dumpling
Top Right - Hot and Sour Soup
Bottom - Sesame Pancake with Beef

They have other options other than chives and pork, and if you don't like pan-fried they also have it in soup. The possibility are quite endless and I still can't get over the fact that it's so inexpensive.

The pancake sandwich was huge. It's like a size of a face, though more on the triangular side. You can have it plain, pork, beef, duck, etc. and there are cilantro and pickled carrots to accompany the meat. This alone can fill you up if you're a small eater and it was just $2.

I always see myself coming back for their Hot and Sour Soup and it's not like the other foods aren't good there. I've literally gotten hooked onto this soup, for $1.25 you can get a nice medley of vegetable in a hot and sour broth. This entire meal can feed two people and it only cost me $6.25, jealous?

It's a hole in wall kind of place, on a block where no one really knows. It's either by word of mouth or if you're a crazy food person then you would be able to find this on the internet. There are quite a number of cheap eats in NYC, you just need to know where to look.

Vanessa's Dumpling House
118 Eldridge St 
New York, NY 10002
(212) 625-8008