Ippudo NY

J and I have been to Ippudo before it got all the hype it does now. I remember back then when we ate, we didn't have to wait over an hour for seats. Because we want that satisfying taste again, we waited. Would we do it again? I don't know, maybe when we're either desperate enough or drunk.

The waiting area is crowded and the later you go, the longer you would have to wait. We arrived around 6 and still have to wait for an hour, imagine those that came at 7... they would have to wait 2 hours.

When we finally got seated, we were starving and didn't really care about my wallets... as long as our stomachs were satisfy. The waiter was quite fun to chat with despite the little grumpiness in our voice. We placed our order and waited (yet again) patiently for our food.

Hamachi Carpaccio

I find that I dislike sashimi but I love carpaccio. The only difference is that there's a light citrus-y in carpaccio which I absolutely love versus just raw slices of fish. I mean, I eat sushi but not sashimi. Anyways, the Hamachi Carpaccio was very refreshing. The light yuzu citrus dressing that covered the hamachi brings out the taste of the fish, which isn't pungent at all. I also like how they pickled the jalapeno, not spicy/hot at all.

Kurobuta Steak Ginger Sauce

I think the reason why we ordered this was because of the fried egg, and I definitely misinterpreted kurobuta steak for a real steak... fail. But, nonetheless it was a nice dish. The slices of pork could use a bit more flavor and it was a tad bit dry. Good thing there was the fried egg because the runny yolk totally saved the day.

Umakara Tori Tatsuta Age

Fried chicken wings without the bones? Yes please! Not only that, but it was stuffed with minced meat and that spicy tangy sauce was so addicting. Sad that there was only 2 pieces of wing... wish they would just have more in an order.

So, time for the ramen. Ippudo is known for their spectacular ramen, that's what everyone said I'm just reiterating the truth. I've had ramen at other shops and after having that first spoon of soup I understand and remember why J and I like Ippudo so much.

Akamaru Modern

J's bowl of ramen goodness. There's an extra garlic oil and miso paste which makes the bowl so awesomely good.

Shiromaru Hakata Classic

I had the classic bowl. Yea I know, how boring can I be... but hey, I like to savor the simple things in life. The broth was so rich and flavorful. The noodles were cooked just al dente and I love how they make the egg. J and I need to write down places that makes their egg runny just like in the photo. Though, Ippudo does give you 2 options for eggs... either poached (which J had) or seasoned salt boiled egg (which I had).

To end the meal, we ordered a dessert that left us remembering it the last time we were here.

Matcha Brulee

Matcha Green Tea Creme Brulee. I don't remember it being this small back then but it was enough to satisfy us since we were stuffed by the end of the meal. The crust was a tad bit burnt and I do think the dish should've been deeper.

So yes, I do like Ippudo. The place is actually really good, it's no joke and it "might" be overrated but the food justifies everything. It lives up to its expectations.

Ippudo NY
65 4th Ave
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0088

Bubble Me: CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice

I first knew about CoCo when it opened around Baruch College, I usually get my Bubble Milk Tea (BMT) around Chinatown so seeing a joint that's around 23rd Street really sparked my interest. They have another CoCo opened around 45th Street, as far as I know, the BMTs are pretty consistent here.

It was late night, around 9:30pm when I decided to stop by CoCo to get my BMT fix. The wait was quick since I ordered the regular BMT. Unlike other BMT joints, CoCo hands you your straw which means you can't choose your color. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think they have a wide range of colors to begin with. The 2-3 times I've been here, it's either been red or orange.

Besides the straw colors, the actual BMT was pretty good. Regular milk and tea with tapioca but with a slight twist. I taste a bit of mocha or coffee in there, which is not a bad thing. I like that refreshing and unique twist to a classic milk tea. The tapioca are chewy and it isn't that sweet, winner there!

Overall --
Service 4/5
Atmosphere 3.5/5
Taste 4/5
Likelihood to return is 85%

CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice
38 Lexington Ave
Manhattan, NY 10010
(212) 851-6618

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

Matsukado (Closed)

Sadly to say that Matsukado is no longer open, it actually closed down some time during 2010. J and I only had the opportunity to go their once out of a spontaneous last minute decision.

It was definitely memorable, there was something about eating there that I didn't forget -- hence the writing of it now.

Matsukado was different. The atmosphere and the interior design was very intriguing. But it was empty when we arrived. It was about 7pm, dinnertime and the only people in the restaurant were us and the staffs. We still stayed and order because the waitress was just so friendly and well-mannered. Now I know why this place was memorable, the waitress kept apologizing every time she came over to our table. It was funny, not annoying.

Kurobuta Sausage

Lightly pan-seared sausages. Extremely flavorful and also oily.

From what I remember, deep-fried sushi? J and I will eat anything deep-fried so we gave it a shot. With sushi being deep-fried, you have to eat it right away because the longer you wait the less crunchy it'll be.

If only I have the memory of a genius, but I don't. A rice dish that accompanied the ramen that we ordered. Fried egg with meat over rice and a dash of soy sauce, that was enough to satisfy me.

The ramen isn't the best looking but it was different. It had bean sprouts that not a lot of ramen shop give and also the egg when cut into half has ridges on it. Little details like these really matters.

It's such a shame that Matsukado has been closed for 2 years, and they were only open for 4 months. But I'm glad I was able to experience it before it actually closed down... forever.

Minetta Tavern

A night of celebration. I know J have been wanting to come here for the longest time and it was a perfect place to celebrate. We were hoping they have tables open since we didn't make reservations.

We got seated right away, how perfect is that?! Minetta is small, the walk-way is really narrow but when you step further into the restaurant, it quite big but it doesn't mean walking around is easy. You need to know how to weave through the chairs, tables, and people. Our waitress was so perky and fun to talk to, plus she makes everything on the menu sound good.

I knew J wanted the Dry Aged Côte de Boeuf and I wasn't against it at all.

Murray Sour

Escargot on Puff Pastry

The escargot was one of their specials of the night and once the waitress said escargot, J and I knew we would get that dish no matter what. We both love escargot and we can literally eat plate after plate of escargots. This dish was extremely creamy and also a bit on the salty side but the pastry was perfect. And the escargot were so plump, if they went a little light on the salt this dish would've been amazing.

Huîtres et Crépinettes

The oysters were on the small side but the sauce that was on top of it made it taste extraordinary, totally enhanced the flavor of the oysters. The pork sausage which looked like meatballs were a little bundle of surprise, unlike any sausage/meatball I've ever had, it was packed with flavor and was tender.

Dry Aged Côte de Boeuf

The star of the night was so mouthwatering. The smell was intoxicating when it was brought out to us, only to let us know that they were going to take it back in to slice it for us. Once it reappeared we started salivating again. The slices of the dry aged beef was so soft and melted in your mouth like butter would on a hot pan. We had it cooked medium-rare and that was just perfect. This dish also came with Roasted Bone Marrow which was insanely fatty and gelatinous, I wish they gave us some toast with it though. To finish it off, there was also a small side salad towards the end. Great palette cleanser.

Grand Marnier Souffle

To wrap everything up, we ordered the souffle. The waitress came by our table and asked if we wanted to have souffle for dessert since it would take 20 minutes to make. I didn't hesitate one bit and placed the order. When the souffle came out, it was huge! Definitely enough to feed two people.

Minetta is usually known for their Black Label Burger but they sure do have other dishes on the menu that is just as good. Considering coming back for sure.

Minetta Tavern
113 Macdougal St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 475-3850

Bo Ky

Bo Ky has been around for a long time, pretty much ever since I was a kid. They serve up some delicious noodles and their broth is just amazing. They have noodle soup ranging from seafood to wonton to assorted pig's innards. Besides the meat that goes into the bowl, they also have different kinds of noodles. I usually eat the rice noodles or pearl noodles, but they have egg noodles and flat rice noodles. Another dish that's on their top list is the Country Style Duck, marinated in soy sauce and different spices and cooked perfectly.

Seafood Noodle Soup

Combination Noodle Soup

Country Style Duck

I love coming to Bo Ky because service is quick. It's a big place and there's a bunch of seats so if you come hungry then you can satisfy your tummy sooner than you think. You might think that the staff there are rude or they're just "brushing you off" but it's the quick service and good food that always has me heading back.

Bo Ky
80 Bayard Street
New York, NY 10013

(212) 406-2292

Bibim-Bar

I've been craving for spicy food lately and I just couldn't stop thinking about the Korean spicy rice cakes. To give a new place a shot, J and I met up and headed to Bibim-Bar.

This Korean restaurant is located behind a ramen shop. If it weren't for their small sign in the front, I would've never known a place existed. With a large flat screen right above the bar, the place was quite dim. The TV was playing Korean music performances which is quite entertaining if you're the type that follows the Korean entertainment industry.

Teok-Bokee

Rice cake smothered in spicy sauce. I thought the sauce was way too thick, like they just emptied a whole bottle of hot sauce into the dish. But I really like the consistency of the rice cake, chewy and dough-y.

Japchae

Another favorite Korean dish of mine, potato noodles sauteed with vegetables and slices of beef. I just love how light it taste and the noodle has a bit of "spring" to it when you bite it.

Marinated Beef Rib Eye Dolsot Bibim Bap

Hot stone bibim-bap is another staple of Korean dishes. Rice along with vegetable and meat, throw in some hot sauce and mix it all together, and don't forget the egg! Almost taste like fried rice but Korean-style.

Bibim-Bar isn't a bad place but because it's located in the back of a ramen shop, not a lot of people would know about it. The food isn't bad and the space is quite large too. I also see a door that leads to the backyard...

Bibim-Bar
141 1st Ave
New York, NY 10003