Dessert Works: Yat Yat Sweet

It's nice to know that Asian desserts are being served other than the generic American sweets. I mean I like cakes, cupcakes, ice cream and sweets of those sorts but you have to admit that they're quite overly sweetened sometimes. There are moments where I want dessert but not crazily sweet to a point that I feel like I need to rinse my mouth.

Yat Yat Sweet opened up in Brooklyn and serves Hong Kong style dessert and beverages. I always see it on television how Hong Kong-ers would order or eat in their desserts. Usually in styrofoam containers which is great since you can hold on to it whether it's hot or cold. What Hong Kong-ers call dessert in Cantonese is Tong Sui which literally means "sugar water" in English.

Ice w/ Evaporated Milk & Toppings. (includes small sago, mix fruits and lychee popping boba)
Such a refreshing cold dessert.

Herb Grass Jelly w/ Coconut Milk. (includes longan, passion fruit and lychee popping boba)
Can you tell that I'm obsessed with the popping boba? They're so fun to eat because if you put enough pressure on them in your mouth, it burst open with the fruit flavor. The herb grass jelly in this was extremely bland, wouldn't hurt to put some sugar in them. Plus, the amount of coconut milk was a joke. So little, this particular dessert was dry in general.

Ginger Soup w/ Black Sesame Mochi.
There's only 5 pieces in the container, wish there was more because they're pretty good. Even though it's hot dessert, it's really soothing. I wish there was more to it than just plain ginger soup with mochi balls, like maybe have the option to add toppings like taro or sweet potato...that would be pretty awesome.

7-Up w/ Salty Lemon.
Sweet and salty, love that combination. Be great for a hot summer day which it was that day when I went.

A nice rare shop that sells Hong Kong desserts and beverages. No longer do I have to tell my mom to make some Tong Sui, I can just get my fixin' here.

Yat Yat Sweet = Day Day Sweet --> everyday sweet!

Yat Yat Sweet
1926 Bath Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 513-6355

Weekday Lunch: Bian Dang Truck

Thanks to my new app which I got recently, I can tell which food trucks are around me. Such a useful tool to sure a hungry stomach. I found that Bian Dang, a Taiwanese cuisine, truck was around the neighborhood so I walked a bit. Giving the nice weather, too nice since the sun was blairing down.

The line was insanely long when I got there, probably more than 10 people. But, I was determined to get me some Taiwanese lunchbox!

After waiting for 15 minutes, my order took less than 3 minutes to reach my hands. That's pretty quick, I started to get a bit worried but I might as well hope for the best.



I got the Chicken Leg over Rice with Meat Sauce. Holy...it was a big portion.

Delicious meat sauce that is just clinging on the rice.

Amazingly crispy skin. How can you have chicken without the skin?! That's illegal!

The coloring on the chicken looks heavenly. The meat sauce was quite different than what I expected. Then again, I never had Taiwanese meat sauce before. The meat sauce is on the sour side and I found that it's from the pickled cabbaged they used. Extremely tasty because it's not the usual savory flavor you would get, a little kick of sourness is definitely unique.

What I do regret is not getting their tea egg. It probably would've went perfect with the entire meal, although I did have a problem finishing it. The prices for the truck is $1 less than if you get it at their storefront.

Bian Dang Truck

Various Locations - check their twitter

New York, NY

Boat House

I've been wanting to go to a seafood house for the longest time. Always seeing on television the great spiced seafood from the south gets me salivating each time. And at that moment, it feels like I go to the south to get my fixin' or fly to the west coast for The Boiling Crab. But I don't have to worry about that anymore, because recently Boat House just opened and it serves seafood, Louisiana style.

They have all the prices written on a board right by the door when you walk in. They also have another small menu with other items like fries, wings, and soup on it. Boat House offers 4 types of seasoning to your seafood - Rajun Cajun, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Butter or The Whole-Shabang and you can also pick your level of spicyness.

The concept with Boat House is the same as The Boiling Crab. You order, they come back out giving you a bib, gloves, a bucket for shells, and a nut cracker. When your seafood are ready, it comes out in a plastic bag and you dig in. Takes a lot of work but if you love seafood, this is quite enjoyable because you get to lick the sauce and spice off your fingers. Yes, I don't bother with the gloves because it's like impossible to peel/break the shells of the seafood with it on.

Cajun Fries.

Definitely could use a bit more spice but it's ok. It's a great side when you're eating the seafood and want a tab bit of a break.



Cajun Wings.
Taste just like regular fried chicken but fresh and crispy. I'm really hoping they amp up their spices with these fried plates.



Canadian Oysters.

Where exactly in Canada, we do not know. But they are so good, not briny or have that seafood smell at all. They're more on the pricey side but a splurge I'm glad I make every time.

Clams in Lemon Pepper Sauce.

I love clams. Actually I love all types of seafood but usually clams would come first because they take the most least effort to eat. It must be the season for these critters because they are so plump and juicy.



Snow Crab Legs in Garlic Butter Sauce.

I was hesistant on ordering this but glad I did. They cooked it perfectly and the labor of getting the meat out of the shells were successful! The meat was also very sweet and fat.

Crawfish in Rajun Cajun Sauce.

Finally, the star of the night. The reason why we come back again and again. It's suppose to be crawfish season now and going to end soon, pretty much the whole Spring season is when it's best to have crawfish. I love when I find roe in my crawfish, sort of get a bit excited. Oh and the corn that was in the crawfish bag totally soaked up the sauce which made it sweet, salty and spicy. Divine!

After 4 pounds of seafood, well 2 pounds for me and 2 pounds for J, we were stuffed. I need to come back before the end of the month so I can pig out on more crawfish. Just thinking about it makes me salivate.

Sodas are refillable which is great. The staff are friendly and tries to accomodate you as best as they can but don't blame them when it starts getting busy.

Boat House

4807 8th Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11220
(718) 633-5880

Weekday Lunch: Biryani Cart

There are so many food carts out there, especially halal carts which makes it quite overwhelming. Usually we just choose the cart that pretty much closest to us or go to the one that was conveniently there.

I been having some hit and misses with halal food carts because each vendor makes it differently. The meat and the sauce are pretty much similar throughout all the carts but the rice is the splitting point for me. I like the basmati rice, long grained and nicely spiced. There's only a handful of places that don't overcook their rice here in midtown.

While doing my lunch walks, one day I saw a cart that said Biryani Cart. Doesn't look like the regular menu I'm used to seeing so I gave it a try, not to mention the other carts closer to my office wasn't so great.

Halal food are so inexpensive, for a mere $5 you get all of the above. If you're a small eater, can definitely be split into two meals. Everything on the plate was extremely flavorful. I always order the chicken over rice because it's a safe bet. Back then, I would just have them put the white sauce on but recently I've been loving hot sauce. The two sauces, white and hot, perfectly mended together to give you the full affect of halal food.

If you see the little peek in the center, the rice is basmati which I absolutely love. This cart has been my go to place for a good hearty container of halal food. I've been going there nearly every week since I discovered it. Oh, they even dress your salad with vinaigrette - how awesome is that?

Besides the usual chicken/lamb over rice and gyros. This Biryani cart has different items on their menu. Anything from curry chicken to kati rolls to marsala chicken. I'd love to try their other dishes but I always find myself ordering the chicken over rice over and over again.

Biryani Cart

On the corner of 45th Street and 3rd Ave

New York, NY 10022

Weekday Lunch: Asian Station

My firm had previously ordered from Asian Station and what we had was so memorable that I had to get it again. Ok, I mean go there again but get something else because I have no idea what my firm ordered.

Hot and Sour Soup.

Pretty decent in my opinion. There were chunks of tofu and mushrooms. If it was just a bit more on the hot side, then it would've been perfect. But for a side soup, this is quite good.

Baby Eggplant w/ White Meat Chicken in Garlic Sauce and Rice.

This was delicious. Great hearty Chinese meal which really does the trick if you want something on the rice side. I ordered brown rice since it's a lot healthier and I don't feel too guilty. If you're not a big eater like me, this splits perfectly into two meals which you can do lunch and dinner or lunch and lunch.

It wasn't too pricey given that it's in midtown manhattan, just $7.50 for the rice and side of soup. Definitely one of the better Asian food in midtown I've had so far.

Asian Station

155 E 52nd St
New York, NY 10022
(212) 752-7321



Jadis

After The Ten Bells, J and I headed over to Jadis - the second place of the night we went to. It was fairly close to The Ten Bells, within walking distance that enable you to digest your previous meal or should I say snack.

Jadis wasn't too hard to track down. This restaurant requires you to take a small flight of stairs down to reach it. The restuarant was spacious with tables and seats by the bar and also more seats in the backroom. J and I sat by the bar where all the meals were literally prepared.

We ordered a carafe of red wine and 3 dishes to snack on since we were that hungry.

Duck Rilettes.
Sort of bummed out that J didn't get a chance to try it at The Ten Bells so we ordered it here and wondered what it was. Duck meat and fat that was so gamey it was good. Pair it with some bread and it's practically the best French appetizer out there. As you slowly work your way into the third piece, the fat that incased the duck meat together starts to melt yielding a glistening duck meat.

Country Pate.
One of my personal favorite, I like pate in general. Not to mushy but just the right amount of texture to be able to lift it up with my fork. I like the touch of gherkins and salad on the side.

Escargot.
We cannot neglect to order escargot when the restaurant offers it. Plus, it was only $8 which was a pretty good deal. The escargot were all juicy and plump which made J and I extremely happy. Happy to a point where we ordered another one. Had we not eaten before Jadis, we would've had about 3 for each of us. We just love escargot, and the excess butter with bread is just amazing.

The food was good at Jadis, definitely memorable. Although the service was on the iffy side. Seems like the waitress which I'm sure is also the manager/co-owner, is rushing us out when we were done eating. But she wasn't to the point of rudeness so it was tolerable. I would like to come back to try the sandwiches and more escargot... yes!

Jadis
42 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 254-1675

The Ten Bells

J and I have been feeling for wine lately and we're been looking for places that offer something like a wine bar. Since most wine bar offers tapas style food, we plan on visiting 2 places for a night because we're just greedy.

The Ten Bells has no recognizable sign outside of the restaurant. Either you know it or just happen to spot the little address number on the side.

J and I were one of the first to step in the wine bar and it felt really earthy and free spirit.

The menu rested on the side of the wall that enclosed the bar in the center. Which leaves 2 entrances which you can enter from. The breeze that flows from both side was perfect for a hot day. It was also hard to read the menu from your seat, which I think is a given that you would need to get up and walk around to read it.

I only had a glass of white while J went through 3 glasses of red/rose. The sommelier or wine steward would ask what kind of taste you want in the wine and he would try to match it to the best he can.

Naked Cowboy Oysters.
One of the specials of the night. They have happy hour from 5-7pm and their oysters are just $1.25.

St. Simon Oysters.
Our favorite of the night. They don't have any fishy smell at all and the size and shape was just perfect. Small yet plump which gave it a fun pop in the mouth.

Meat and Cheese Platter.
We finished off with a platter and told ourselves not to order anymore food. But, the aroma of the flaky pastries and mac and cheese were so intoxicating. We shall return next time.

Lovely place to relax after a stressful week. Definitely a place I would recommend if you're trying out wine for the first time or want to jump on the bandwagon.

The Ten Bells
247 Broome St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 228-4450