Jin Ramen

Jin Ramen opened a couple of weeks before the actual day we went to eat, which means it's pretty spankin' new. Just two weeks in and the place was already packed. J and I arrived around 7pm-ish and there were lines out the door. Luckily, it was only a 5-10 minute wait and we were seated soon enough.

The menu was small which I appreciate. Small menu usually means (to me) that they either make those certain dishes really well or they like to focus on those dishes to perfect it. You don't need a big menu to lure in a big crowd.


Nankotsu Kara-Age

J and I knew what we wanted already, I mean it was a small menu afterall. First came the fried chicken with cartilage. I didn't taste any cartilage with my chicken but they are good pieces of fried chicken chunks.

Kani Salad

My favorite of the night. I always see Kani Salad as just shredded cucumbers and imitated crabmeat but Jin Ramen sure twisted it around. I love Seaweed Salad and I was so thrilled when I knew they incorporated into the Kani Salad. The mix of textures and flavor just explodes in your mouth. Crunchy, sweet, tangy, salty, slimy, zesty... it was all there.


Shoyu Ramen

Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen

I had the Shoyu while J had the Spicy Tonkatsu. The broth was really good and I loved their char siu. Two things that didn't impress me was the bamboo shoots and the noodles itself. There wasn't much flavor in the bamboo shoots and I love bamboo shoots that comes in the ramen bowl. The noodles were a bit overcooked, like literally just 30 seconds overcooked - makes a big difference. I like ramen noodles to have that slight bite to it.

It wasn't a bad meal but if they tweaked those two things then this would be a bowl of heaven because I always thought that broth and char siu are the difficult items in the bowl. But really, their char siu is soooo good.

Jin Ramen
3183 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
(646) 559-2862

Yummy Noodles

After seeing Big Apple Nosh go to Yummy Noodles, I knew I had to visit it again. J and I ate at this place a couple of years ago and it wasn't really anything memorable. The restaurant looked shabby and was quite broken down. Located at the far end of an alley-way, it can be quite deceiving.

I was glad that we decided to come back because the experience the second time around truly changed. Seated promptly and right by the window of where the clay pot rice was made, was pretty neat. J and I ordered three items off the menu, the first two were a must because that was the reason why we came and the third was just a why-not-let's-just-get-it-anyway type of dish.


Dan Dan Noodles

First time trying Dan Dan Noodles and I love it. The noodles were springy with a bite to it which is so fun to eat. The minced meat sauce flavored the broth nicely. It was a simple bowl of noodles but the idea of perfecting the noodles and the taste of the broth is so not simple.


House Special Chinese Sausage and Minced Pork Rice Casserole

It's been so long since I've had clay pot rice, my mom attempt to make it at home and it just wasn't the same. I wanted that crust when we reach the bottom of the pot, and I wanted the pot! I was happy that this choice of clay pot consist of chinese sausage, preserved duck, minced meat and a fried egg. Boy, was I in happyland. I also love pouring soy sauce over this, J tried to stop me from saltness overload... oops?


Silver Fish with salt and pepper

I never thought of ordering silver fish or tiny white fish (as some may call it). This dish is usually ordered when I"m eating out with my family which consist of 8+ people. But for some reason, I wanted it. Freshly fried and they were so plumped!

When we near the end of our meal we realized that we should've ordered a vegetable dish. Something that would help us in clearing our palate of fried and salty goodness. Definitely keeping that in mind for next time since we will most likely return.

Yummy Noodles reminds me of something that came out from a Hong Kong drama. The feeling and vibe is purely Cantonese and I really like that.

Yummy Noodles
48 Bowery
New York, NY 10013
(212) 374-1327

Drink Up: Teado

I've seen this place all over the Chinese magazines and when I actually looked it up on Yelp, it looked really adorable. I also looked at the menu to see if anything caught my eyes and it sure did.

It was a late night, I decided to pay Teado a visit after my doctor's appointment. Seems about right to treat myself to something sweet since I just got a shot.

The interior was small. One small table that seated 2 people and 3 chairs by the window out-looking the streets. I ordered a Rose Green Milk Tea with Bubbles.

Rose Green Milk Tea w/ Bubbles

The truth is, I ordered it because it was pink. I'm such a sucker for cute pink things... even drinks! It was a mistake since the drink came out not so great. It was a cross between a really bad yakult and honey and lemon. It was quite hard to finish, which I ended up not finishing. I would love to come back to try their regular Bubble Milk Tea. I mean, the decor of the shop is really adorable. Little Mario and Yoshi dolls, it's just pretty. I'm going to cross my fingers for a better experience next time.

Teado
145 Hester St
Store D
New York, NY 10002
(212) 226-7687

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.