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| Kara Ramen |
159 East 55th Street
New York, NY 10022
Monday, September 21, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Midtown East, NY - Katsu Hama
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| Katsu Sauce |
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| sesame (for katsu sauce), miso soup, and pickled vegetables |
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| Minced Meat Katsu |
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| Pork Katsu |
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| Tori Kara Nanban |
11 E 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
Monday, September 7, 2015
Gramercy, NY - Casa Mono (Michelin)
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| Bar Seating |
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| Razor Clams a la Plancha |
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| Upstate Burrata with Greenmarket Pepper Sambal and Anchovy Toast |
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| Pulpo with Fennel and Grapefruit |
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| Sweetbreads with Fennel al Mono and Marcona Almond Vinaigrette |
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| Pig Ears Chilaquiles with Pickleback Ramp Sauce and Crema Fresca |
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| Grilled Dorada with Sun Shrimp, Yellow Tomatoes and Squash Blossom Salsa |
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| Rabbit with Habanero Cuajada and Mono Kimchee |
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| Quail |
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| Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas |
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| Espresso |
52 Irving Place
New York, NY 10003
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Bangor, Maine - Thistles Restaurant
Bangor, Maine holds a lot of nice restaurants but you have to be able to find them. After much exploration from J and his relatives, we finally visited Thistles.
I've heard good things about this restaurant so my expectations were a bit high but nonetheless still open-minded.
It was hard to decide if Thistles was casual dressing or a little dressy. The interior was dimly lighted and was decorated in a modern way. Our waiter was courteous.
We had ordered 4 appetizers and 4 entrees and just 1 dessert to call it a night.
Not a bad Shrimp Ceviche at all, it definitely had a kick to it and the shrimps were plump which is always a good thing.
The Lobster Caponata Crostini was a bit of disappointment. I guess I expected better since Maine is the lobster state. This dish was quite underwhelming, felt like I just had a lobster roll...I mean, there was plenty of lobster meat but the flavor and taste was just kind of boring.
Absolutely love this dish. I was so skeptical about the Queso Fresco with Guava since it was a cheese dish and fried cheese is a bit odd. In the end, it was the best appetizer I've had. The guava sauce paired so nicely with the fried cheese, I would honestly go back just for this dish.
The Argentinean Empanadas were just ok, nothing special about them. It could use a bit more crunch, the center was starting to get a bit soggy.
I find all the entrees to be mediocre, nothing exactly stood out. The Paella Valenciana was a huge portion; the Mofongo de Camarones were a bit mushy because of the mashed green plantains; the Veal Special was on the tomato-y side; and the Latin Grilled Pork Chops was ginormous with a heavy soy-balsamic white wine reduction sauce.
Their portions are very inconsistent as you can tell from the pictures. Portion size control is not welcomed in Maine so watch out.
For dessert, I stuck with the Spanish Flan with Caramel Sauce. I think I would've liked it better if it was a round shape, don't know why but the flan felt "thick." A little thinner, flatter and rounder would be perfect. Maybe I'm just picky.
What better way to end a meal with than with espresso. Nice palette cleanser.
Thistles Restaurant
175 Exchange Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
I've heard good things about this restaurant so my expectations were a bit high but nonetheless still open-minded.
It was hard to decide if Thistles was casual dressing or a little dressy. The interior was dimly lighted and was decorated in a modern way. Our waiter was courteous.
We had ordered 4 appetizers and 4 entrees and just 1 dessert to call it a night.
Not a bad Shrimp Ceviche at all, it definitely had a kick to it and the shrimps were plump which is always a good thing.
The Lobster Caponata Crostini was a bit of disappointment. I guess I expected better since Maine is the lobster state. This dish was quite underwhelming, felt like I just had a lobster roll...I mean, there was plenty of lobster meat but the flavor and taste was just kind of boring.
Absolutely love this dish. I was so skeptical about the Queso Fresco with Guava since it was a cheese dish and fried cheese is a bit odd. In the end, it was the best appetizer I've had. The guava sauce paired so nicely with the fried cheese, I would honestly go back just for this dish.
The Argentinean Empanadas were just ok, nothing special about them. It could use a bit more crunch, the center was starting to get a bit soggy.
I find all the entrees to be mediocre, nothing exactly stood out. The Paella Valenciana was a huge portion; the Mofongo de Camarones were a bit mushy because of the mashed green plantains; the Veal Special was on the tomato-y side; and the Latin Grilled Pork Chops was ginormous with a heavy soy-balsamic white wine reduction sauce.
Their portions are very inconsistent as you can tell from the pictures. Portion size control is not welcomed in Maine so watch out.
For dessert, I stuck with the Spanish Flan with Caramel Sauce. I think I would've liked it better if it was a round shape, don't know why but the flan felt "thick." A little thinner, flatter and rounder would be perfect. Maybe I'm just picky.
What better way to end a meal with than with espresso. Nice palette cleanser.
Thistles Restaurant
175 Exchange Street
Bangor, Maine 04401
Monday, July 27, 2015
Midtown East - Hot Kitchen
I've been to Hot Kitchen a couple of times, for dine-in and takeout.
I see myself coming back whenever I'm craving for something spicy. It's a Szechuan style cuisine. The service is quite fast and the food is usually a hit or miss, depending on what you order. I usually get the lunch specials since it's the best 'bang for your buck' kind of deal.
I'm not exactly fond of their soup, the Hot and Sour Soup is barely hot - spicy wise and temperature wise.
I think this is probably one of the best dishes I've had from them. The Double Cooked Pork was very flavorful and I just couldn't stop eating those scallion/leek things.
The Shredded Pork with Dried Bean Curd was insanely oily. I think I would've enjoyed it if it was more gravy and sauce without the extra dollop of oil in it.
Not a bad rendition of the Mapo Tofu. Feels like it's missing some magic powder or ingredient but overall, not a bad choice for something spicy.
Hot Kitchen
251 East 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
I see myself coming back whenever I'm craving for something spicy. It's a Szechuan style cuisine. The service is quite fast and the food is usually a hit or miss, depending on what you order. I usually get the lunch specials since it's the best 'bang for your buck' kind of deal.
I'm not exactly fond of their soup, the Hot and Sour Soup is barely hot - spicy wise and temperature wise.
I think this is probably one of the best dishes I've had from them. The Double Cooked Pork was very flavorful and I just couldn't stop eating those scallion/leek things.
The Shredded Pork with Dried Bean Curd was insanely oily. I think I would've enjoyed it if it was more gravy and sauce without the extra dollop of oil in it.
Not a bad rendition of the Mapo Tofu. Feels like it's missing some magic powder or ingredient but overall, not a bad choice for something spicy.
Hot Kitchen
251 East 53rd St
New York, NY 10022
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Chinatown - Ken's Asian Taste
Takeout only --
Sunday lunches are a difficult decision when there are so many choices. But lately, the choices are getting more and more expensive. Before this whole lunch inflation thing, I would order regularly at Ken's Asian Taste. Might I add, they have really good dim sum.
Their lunch specials are $5.95 and $6.95 the last time I ordered, which was just a month or so ago. The extra dollar one applies to the rice being totally separate, which means you get more rice and more side dish by paying a little extra.
I love eggplant and this Eggplant with Fish Filets was not bad for $5.95. Really good flavor and wasn't overly salty, it also had enough gravy for me to eat the rest of the rice with.
I think this would by my second favorite dish. Sate Beef with Vegetables, the gravy sauce is killer with the rice. The vegetables had enough crunch to them and was not soggy or soft at all.
And my favorite? Pork chops with Onions really hit the spot. This is the $6.95 lunch special I was talking about. A lot of pork chop in the container which was a great deal. For people that eat a lot less, this can be divided into two meals.
The Beef Filets with Chinese Broccoli was ok, felt like something was missing and the beef didn't exactly tasted like beef.
It's a good lunch, but depending on what you order it's going to be a hit or miss.
Ken's Asian Taste
40 Bowery Street
New York, NY 10013
Sunday lunches are a difficult decision when there are so many choices. But lately, the choices are getting more and more expensive. Before this whole lunch inflation thing, I would order regularly at Ken's Asian Taste. Might I add, they have really good dim sum.
Their lunch specials are $5.95 and $6.95 the last time I ordered, which was just a month or so ago. The extra dollar one applies to the rice being totally separate, which means you get more rice and more side dish by paying a little extra.
I love eggplant and this Eggplant with Fish Filets was not bad for $5.95. Really good flavor and wasn't overly salty, it also had enough gravy for me to eat the rest of the rice with.
I think this would by my second favorite dish. Sate Beef with Vegetables, the gravy sauce is killer with the rice. The vegetables had enough crunch to them and was not soggy or soft at all.
And my favorite? Pork chops with Onions really hit the spot. This is the $6.95 lunch special I was talking about. A lot of pork chop in the container which was a great deal. For people that eat a lot less, this can be divided into two meals.
The Beef Filets with Chinese Broccoli was ok, felt like something was missing and the beef didn't exactly tasted like beef.
It's a good lunch, but depending on what you order it's going to be a hit or miss.
Ken's Asian Taste
40 Bowery Street
New York, NY 10013
Friday, July 17, 2015
East Village - Ten Degrees Bar
I don't understand why it took so long for J and I to come to Ten Degrees. He's been nagging me about the wine bar but I was dumb enough to ignore (sorry babe!).
Ten Degrees has this awesome happy hour, like really really awesome. It's from 12-8pm everyday and you basically get 2 drinks for the price of 1. Insanely good right? The deal isn't just good but the drinks themselves are quite incredible.
The service was pretty quick. The wine bar was spacious and even had a backroom. The atmosphere was honestly really carefree and you can sit here for hours talking about absolutely nothing.
We ordered a meat and cheese plate and it was a really good bang for your buck deal. They had fresh berries, I mean, what other place gives this many fruits?! It was the perfect snack to go along with your happy hour drinks.
Ten Degrees is definitely a place I would recommend. It's no speakeasy but the quality and the deals you get here can't be beaten anywhere else.
Ten Degrees Bar
121 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
Ten Degrees has this awesome happy hour, like really really awesome. It's from 12-8pm everyday and you basically get 2 drinks for the price of 1. Insanely good right? The deal isn't just good but the drinks themselves are quite incredible.
The service was pretty quick. The wine bar was spacious and even had a backroom. The atmosphere was honestly really carefree and you can sit here for hours talking about absolutely nothing.
We ordered a meat and cheese plate and it was a really good bang for your buck deal. They had fresh berries, I mean, what other place gives this many fruits?! It was the perfect snack to go along with your happy hour drinks.
Ten Degrees is definitely a place I would recommend. It's no speakeasy but the quality and the deals you get here can't be beaten anywhere else.
Ten Degrees Bar
121 St. Marks Place
New York, NY 10009
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