For lunch- or a beer!

So Eric has yet to upload the pictures from the Bahamas- so sadly I can't talk about all the awesome restaurants we went to! So if any of you can persuade him to get those up, it would be greatly appreciated :)

So the holidays are coming up and I still have so much Christmas shopping to do! I've been so busy with work and trying to get my relocation set up, that I have barely had anytime to do anything else. Trying to decide on whether I should just rent a place or purchase a place is a hard, hard decision and having this time crunch (my rotation starts Jan. 10th) is not helping!

So, I obviously have not had any time to cook- hence Curiosity killed the chef has sadly been baren and abandoned. So what do I do for food? Dine out of course!

So for the past week, I've been to the Tiger's Tale for lunch twice already- one time with Eric and another with my boss. I've obviously never heard of the place until my boss decided to take me there- and I'm really happy that she introduced me!

The Tiger's Tale, located on Route 206 in Skillman, NJ is a great little place that is always packed for lunch! There isn't an online menu (and I can't seem to find their website) but yelp has a number of reviews!

The menu is quite extensive and really anything you can think of is on there! From rack of lamb to sandwiches to pastas- you'll definitely have a hard time choosing!

The first time I went with my boss I got the lobster roll and I liked it so much that I brought Eric back a few days later. The food at the Tiger's Tale is great- simple yet flavorful, it's a great joint for lunch -or a beer!

Going back with Eric, I of course had to get that Lobster roll again- priced at $11- I didn't find it too unreasonable as it came with their delicioius old bay seasoned home made potato chips! Yum!

Eric started off with their French Onion Soup while I got the Lousiana style gumbo.

Both soups were delicious. Eric's French Onion soup was great and he commented on how it was the best he had in a few years! My gumbo had a bit of spice to it (which I love) and what was even better was that it had a lot of Okra! Okra, being one of my favorite vegetables is always a huge treat for me as many people don't use it in their cooking. Yum!

Eric got the Filet Mignon Sandwich where I, of course, got the Lobster Roll.

Eric's sandwich was ok- his first bite he got a big piece of tough meat which made it very hard to chew/swallow but the rest seemed OK. My lobster roll was great. I am surprised with the amount of lobster in the sandwich- it was plentiful and the sandwich was stuffed! Topped with some fresh shredded lettuce, the lobster roll is fresh and filling! The Old Bay seasoned chips- which you can order separately as well is great- I think it's one of their more favorite items on the menu. Who knew homemade potato chips seasoned with old bay would be such a hit?

We then of course ended with dessert. I got the rice pudding (surprise surprise) and Eric got the carrot cake. Both desserts were good- but nothing too special- you can never go wrong with dessert, I guess.

All in all, the Tiger's Tale is a great place and I am very happy that I found it. The food is reasonably priced and great for a quick bite to eat. Like I said, it's always packed so be prepared for a wait- it must be worth it, right?





Price: $

Ambiance: B

Service: B

Food: B+

The Monkey Family

Back from the Bahamas! And also, back to the cold cold weather :(

The Bahamas was great- although the weather there was 'cold' for the last two days (60s-ha) Eric and I had a blast and really enjoyed the trip!

We went to the different pools and numerous water rides (yes, I even went on the leap of faith) and enjoyed a lot of great food! Sadly, this post will not be about a restaurant we ventured to in the Bahamas (It's all on Eric's camera and he needs to upload them) but about a nice little place in the city we went to after the Bahamas!

This past weekend, relaxed and prepared (sort of) for the NYC weather, the Monkey family decided to get together and have a little reunion! I was so excited and I couldn't think of anything better to do on a Saturday!

My big made reservations at Barbounia, a nice Mediterranean place located on Park and 20th street. She told me that she goes there basically every weekend- so I knew it must be good!Apparently, the monkey family has been there before- and I was so excited to join them this time!

I was starving when I got there, and it took a lot of will power to not order too much off the menu. I was having a hard time choosing between the crab benedict and the mushroom and asparagus pizza (mainly due to the fact that both dishes had truffle oil). I ended up with the crab benedict while Eric got the smoked salmon benedict.





My crab benedict was good. The best part being, of course, the truffle oil! I really appreciated the fact that the truffle oil was mixed in with the crab meat (and not just drizzled on top)- I really got that strong truffle oil flavor out of every bite and really got to enjoy every single moment of my dish! I'm pretty sure that I really enjoyed this dish solely thanks to the truffle oil addition- as it was just a plain (but good) benedict besides that unique perk.

I didn't get to taste Eric's smoked salmon benedict but it looked the same and I can imagine, would have tasted the same (except really not as good because it didn't have truffle oil ;))- but he seemed pretty happy!





What did Eric really enjoy? My Big's Granola. After hitting the table, Eric completely forgot about his dish and totally focused on my big's granola. Eyeing her dish after every bite- I knew he was secretly hoping that she didn't finish it!

The Granola looked great- topped with plenty of fresh fruit and yogurt- it looked healthy and fresh and (sort of) guilt free! Yum!

Me being the glutton that I am, I of course had to get dessert.

For the past few days, I was on a rice pudding binge and couldn't stop eating rice pudding at every restaurant I went to! Coincidentally, rice pudding was on the menu and it took a lot of will power to resist and try something else. Boy am I mad at myself for doing so.

We got the Malabi. I got it because it sounded interesting- Rose water custard with strawberries and pistachios. The rose water interested me and I was very curious as to how it would be.

Ok, so the dessert wasn't necessarily bad but it definitely was not to my liking. I felt like I was eating a rose candle. The presentation was great and according to Eric 'the bowl is the best part about this dessert' but the flavor was very overwhelming and.. really... tasted like a candle. Hey, at least I tried something different?

Alright, so granted I didn't have a good ending to my brunch- the time spent was priceless. I can't believe I'm a big^5! The monkey family is really filled with such smart, unique and impressive girls- I am so proud to say that I am part of their family! I had a great time spending brunch with the girls and really enjoyed listening to their stories and reminiscing about the house. After a day with them- it is clearly obvious how awesome the Monkey Family is.

Like I said, what's better than good friends and good food? Nothing.

Price: $$

Ambiance: A-

Service: B+

Food: B+

Sex in your mouth

So i'm pretty surprised that this post hasn't come earlier. In fact, I'm surprised it wasn't the FIRST post I've made after moving back to NY! We all know NYC has great food and plenty of things to do- but what I have failed to acknowledge is that NYC has the best pizza! In the world. Period.

Nobody out there can convince me that there is someplace else that carries more superior pizza- in fact I really don't think there really is anybody out there that truly thinks that!

Besides our wonderful lunch at Sentosa on Saturday, Shaman and Sundar convinced me to get some pizza for dinner. Shaman wanted to go to Di Fara Pizza located on Avenue J all the way in Brooklyn.

Being surrounded by Amore's and other great pizza places nearby my house- it was hard to agree to drive all the way down to Brooklyn. What convinced me? Well, Shaman was telling me about the '90 year old man who makes the pizza and doesn't let anybody else touch it'. I had to see this!

Half expecting it to be a nice italian pizza bistro, I was a bit surprised that the 'best' pizza in Brooklyn was in an old, run of the mill pizza pick up place! We got there pretty late, and were lucky enough to be let in as they shortly closed afterwards, leaving hungry fans out in the cold!

The line was pretty long and after ordering our pie, we had to wait around 35 minutes to get it. I could tell that Shaman and Sundar were very anxious (ok, I was too) and we couldn't wait for this delicious pie to finally come out of the oven!

We ordered one pizza- half cheese (Boo Sundar and his vegetarianism) and half with pepperoni and garlic.

After this delicious masterpiece came out of the oven- it looked (and smelled) perfect. What topped it off? The fresh basil (grown at the windowsills) and smooth olive oil drizzled on top! Ingenious!

I'm not sure if we were just really hungry, or if the pizza was that good- but we finished the entire pie in a matter of minutes. Ok, the pizza really was that good (Shaman's friend described it as 'sex in your mouth').

Fresh sauce made with herbs grown by the owner with three different types of quality cheeses on top, Di Fara's pizza definitely lived up to its expectations. At $5 for a (small) slice and $28 for a pie- this heavenly experience doesn't come cheap. Double the price of a normal slice/pizza, many people wonder if it's really worth it.

Is it? Only for those who truly appreciate pizza. If you're looking for a quick bite- you may as well head over to the 3 other pizza places on the same block- but if you're a pizza fan, Di Fara's is a must! I mean- who doesn't like sex in their mouth?

Price: $$

Ambiance: B

Service: A-

Food: A

Good food and Good friends

I'm really not sure what is better- good food, or good friends. It would be ideal if you didn't have to choose between the two- and thankfully this weekend, I didn't!

This past Saturday, Shaman and Sundar decided to pay me (and Zeus) a visit! I was actually really excited to see them this weekend as they came down to Queens to see ME this time! Shaman and Sundar have never been to Queens, let alone Flushing, and they were quite surprised coming off the 7 train! I remember Eric describing his experience in Flushing as if he 'wasn't in America anymore'- and that's exactly right. The bustling and hustling of New Yorkers is common in the city but with 95% of them being asian and stores all around you in another language- you can't help but to feel lost in this new world of Flushing, Queens (and boy did they get lost).

Our original plans were to get some good Indian food in Queens but they changed their minds and wanted Thai instead. Not being able to think of a good Thai restaurant in Flushing off the top of my head, I suggested Malaysian as a compromise. Shaman immediately agreed as he remembered our previous experience at a Malaysian restaurant and of course wanted to get the Roti Canai!

We went to Sentosa, a Malaysian restaurant located on Prince Street, close to Flushing Mall. I have mixed feelings about Sentosa- I love Malaysian food and think that their dishes are great but I also find it a bit overpriced- being that it is in Flushing and you can go next door and get a plate of noodles for $2.

The menu at Sentosa is pretty similar to any other menu you would find at a Malaysian restaurant in the city. I usually get the same thing, and this time was no different.

Shaman and I started off with the Roti Canai- a roti (indian pancake) fried crisp, paired with a delicious creamy curry dipping sauce. Both Shaman and Sundar liked it very much, describing it as 'very Indian'. This is also one of my favorite things to get!

**Thank you Shaman for the pictures!

Sundar, always needing to be different, decided to opt out on the Roti Canai appetizer and got the Tofu Satay to start with instead. This was interesting as I was expecting it to be skewers of tofu, but instead it was 4 large pieces of tofu with cucumbers and a peanut sauce on top. It looked like a pretty healthy dish as a matter of fact, but I didn't get to taste it- I hope it was good Sundar!

My usual dish is the Char Keuh Teow. A stir fried noodle dish with a variety of seafood all in a yummy sauce. I like it because it's not drenched in sauce, the way some noodle dishes are and it's just delicious! Very heavy and greasy, I never finish it all in one sitting (which makes this dish a perfect lunch leftover!) but it never fails to hit the spot. I get it without the spicy chili paste- just so I can spare myself from an allergic reaction (Did I mention I was allergic to some spicy dishes?)



Shaman stuck with the curry theme and ordered a curry chicken rice dish. White jasmine rice with (probably) the same curry chicken sauce from the Roti Canai- although I didn't get to taste it- I can't imagine it not being good!



I guess Sundar really wanted Thai food, so he ordered the vegetarian Pad Thai for his entree- and he too could not finish it all. Shaman and I had a bite and to our surprise the Pad Thai was different from the others we have had. I usually envision Pad Thai as a noodle dish with a very strong peanut sauce, however, this Pad Thai was quite the opposite and had very strong flavors- all which were not peanut. It was very flavorful and tasty and I think I may try this next time!

At the end of our meal, it was time for a nap (of course). We went back to my place, played with the pup and watched Love Actually! What a great day!

I really enjoyed showing them around my neighborhood and not having to travel all the way to the city! Good food and good friends is the best way to go.

Price: $$

Ambiance: B+

Service: B+

Food: A-

Happy belated!

Happy belated Thanksgiving! But more importantly Happy belated birthday to my Big!

I have been meaning to write this post since my big's birthday celebration but I haven't had the chance to with work and everything else coming up. I thought it would be OK since I would be travelling to California for Thanksgiving, sure that I would come back with tons of pictures of the different places we went to. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go out much (except for In and Out Burger) and so sadly no pictures or new blogs from my Thanksgiving holiday. (Don't you worry- I'm going to the Bahamas next weekend) :).

Well a few weekends ago, right before my Cali trip, my big decided to celebrate her 26th birthday at one of her favorite sushi restaurants, Hane.

I've been to Hane before with my big and a few other friends and I remember being pleasantly surprised by the amount of sushi we got for the price we paid! I was hoping to experience the same thing again, and thankfully I did!

Hane is interesting in that it is a fusion Japanese restaurant, which of course means that their sushi rolls are far from traditional. The menu was filled with exotic looking rolls and a wide variety of dishes, it was hard to choose which ones to get! Good thing my big was there to help!

I got the Mango Lobster Roll, the Blue Crab Fantastic Roll (now how can you go wrong with that) and the Crispy Spicy Tuna Roll. All the rolls were delicious and had such a great combination of different flavors!

Mango Lobster Roll

The Mango Lobster Roll was very sweet- in fact I could have eaten it for dessert! There was a good amount of lobster and the texture of the roll (being that it is wrapped with rice paper instead of traditional nori) was interesting. The lobster itself was masked by the sweet mango sauce- I wish the roll highlighted the lobster a bit more.

The Blue Crab Fantastic Roll

The Blue Crab Fantastic Roll is my Big's favorite. Served with cooked blue crab and a delicious sweet sauce (the chef's special sauce) , the roll is warm and delicious. You can really taste the crab and the sauce didn't hide the other delicious fish- like the eel on top! My biggest disappointment about this roll? The head. The roll is served with a crab's head and being the asian that I am, I was VERY excited to eat the contents. However, flipping it over, it was empty and I was quite disapponted. Boy, do I love the head.

The Crispy Spicy Tuna Roll was my favorite. I unfortunately didn't get a picture since it was located on the other side of the table. However, the huge amounts of spicy tuna on top of the crispy roll is delicious! I'm really not sure what is in the "crispy" roll, but it's tempura fried and adds a great contrast to the soft texture of the spicy tuna.

Each roll, as you can see, was HUGE. With such large portions and great flavors, Hane was a great place for dinner! Fun and lively, I will most definitely be returning to Hane again (probably with my big).

At the end of the night, I left full and excited for our next adventures to come (and believe me, we had some adventures) and was very happy to be celebrating the birthday of my big sister. Happy Birthday again- love you!


Price: $$
Ambiance: A
Service: B+
Food: A-

Family tradition

Ah, my all time favorite family tradition- Dim Sum on Sundays! It has been a long standing tradition with my family that every Sunday we go out and have some Dim Sum and do a little shopping in the markets nearby. Living in Pittsburgh for the past 5 years of my life, I have truly missed out on this great tradition and am so glad to be back in the city! Granted there is Dim Sum in Pittsburgh, I have yet to find a place that is as tasty (and authentic) as the places you find in New York!- the Dim Sum places in Pittsburgh are awful by the way.

What's dim sum you ask? You can think of it as a Chinese take on Spanish tapas- small appetizer-like dishes perfect for sharing and sampling a number of different types of things!

I took this picture while out with Risa for some dimsum (she has rarely ever had it!) and her favorite by far was the chicken buns (white buns on the top right)

I was a bit surprised when I found out that a number of my friends (asians included) didn't even know what dimsum was!! What a shame- they have truly been missing out on something truly unique. Little asian ladies pushing carts of food around persistently trying to sell you their dishes is a special experience that everyone must at least experience once! Not only is it a fun environment, the food is so tasty (and perfect for a hangover, might I add)!

My family and I usually go to Jade Asian restaurant located in Flushing right on 39th avenue. We've been to other restaurants such as Gala Manor located on 37th avenue but we find that (although a bit more pricey) Jade Asian is a lot more tasty!

I didn't get to take too many pictures as it was very busy and my camera is slowly dying but the dishes at dim sum places are usually the same in all restaurants and they rarely ever vary.

My favorite dim sum dishes are:

Turnip cakes- rectangular white doughy "cakes" that have shredded turnips mixed in, fried and served with some tangy hoisin sauce.

Shrimp Chee Cheong Fun- I remember a few friends in the past describing this dish as 'slippery noodle' which is pretty funny but also pretty accurate. Shrimp wrapped in a long, flat white noodle drenched in soy sauce is my absolute favorite dish- they also have it in beef which is good as well.

Har Gow - The traditional shrimp dumpling- is just shrimp (with a bit of bamboo) wrapped in a clear dough is steamed and so yummy!

Shu Mai- The traditional pork dumpling- is a good amount of pork and mushroom wrapped in a yellow dough steamed and served (usually) with a bit of caviar on top- yum!

Those are just a few of my favorite- but i'm pretty sure you can't go wrong with any dish. There are so many dishes and I haven't tried them all but I am always trying something new every week!

If you don't know Chinese- don't worry, many of them know a bit of English and really all you need to do is look at the dish and point to what you want- pretty simple.

Dim sum is served usually as a brunch meal (10:30am-2pm)and doesn't usually go into the night- so make sure to drag your hungover butt out of bed for this great meal! Starting from $2.00 a dish and up, dim sum is also a cheap brunch!

If you are worried about not knowing what to get and not having the motivation to get up out of bed- just set up a date with me and I will for sure be happy to help you out ;)

Price: $

Ambiance: B-

Service: B

Food: A-

TLAM

What kind of key spends most of it's time eating bananas?? A Monkey!

So this past Friday a few monkies decided to have a get together to eat some yummy korean food! My little (Steph) and Pama decided to venture into Flushing, Queens to explore Kum GangSan- a Korean restaurant right off of Northern Blvd!

Now Flushing is really unique- not only do they have great restaurants- it's basically a Chinatown- located in Queens! If you don't have the time to push yourselves through the crowd in Manhattan, definitely stop by Flushing to get your fix of Asian markets and delicacies! Some may even say it's getting better than Chinatown!

Another great thing about Flushing is that it doesn't only have Chinese food- you can find cuisine from all over Asia in this small little area- Korean food included (in fact, there is a number of Korean restaurants all in a smaller korean town area) yum!

Kum GangSan is a great restaurant that is easily accessible and actually has a free parking lot! We all know how hard it is to find parking in Flushing, so I was very grateful when I found out that I didn't have to worry about the treacherous feat.

Entering through the parking lot, you instantly smell the delicious Korean barbecue being cooked up. As I sat down and got my cup of hot tea, I quickly browsed the menu- but it didn't take too long to find what I wanted.

*thank you pama for the pictures

As you know from my previous post on Korean food- I always get Bibimbap- it's my favorite! Hot steamy rice with a bunch of vegetables (they claim 26 different types) and a half cooked egg on top, all in a sizzling stone pot may be the best thing in the world! Mix in the sauce they give you on the side- and you're golden. And like I said before- the hot sizzling stone pot (compared to the cold stainless steel pot) makes a HUGE difference- I can't resist!

Pama and Steph also got the same thing (since we knew how great it was) and we all were very excited for our small dishes that were to come before our main entree!

Again, my most favorite thing about Korean restaurants is the abundance of food they give you. These small dishes are complimentary and filled us up before we even got the entrees! From an assortment of different kimchees and vegetables to fish and various tofus, the dishes are fresh and delicious!

We then of course got our Bibimbap, had a great meal and spent maybe 3 hours chatting it up about jobs, boys and more boys. What a great traditional family dinner!

Kum GangSan also has a location in Manhattan (which I have also been to) and so for those of you who live in the city- this is the perfect place if you want to avoid the train ride.

I had a great time with these Theta monkeys- even though our server was quite rude (and didn't deserve the tip we gave him). I hope that we can have more of these- and more importantly have more of our family there!

Oh- and another good thing about coming to Queens and not staying in Manhattan- you can come back to my place and visit Zeus (cough cough Shaman and Sundar cough cough)

TLAM

Price: $$

Ambiance: B

Service: B

Food: A-

I have a job!

I have a job! Ok, I already have a job but I got a new job offer, and will be starting in January! woot! This calls for a celebration!

What's even better is that my roommate also got a job- so we thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate and stuff our faces with delicious food! My roommate and I were really excited- as we made promises to do weekly roomie dinners (even though this only happened to be our second one out of the 10 weeks we have lived together-oops). Nevertheless, we had a great time! (and most definitely left full and satisfied)

We decided to go to Mediterra, a Mediterranean restaurant located on Hulfish Street in Princeton. We've heard good things, and I (of course), had already picked out what I wanted days in advance!

We had a bit of trouble with parking-it was freezing out and so all the parking lots nearby were full and we had to park in a lot a few blocks away. Boo. Apparently, Mediterra has FREE parking- just park in the parking lot on Hulfish (to the right of the restaurant) and they'll validate your parking ticket! Too bad I didn't ask that ahead of time- I will most definitely be doing that next time!

We were a bit late thanks to our parking ordeal but it didn't seem to be a big deal and we were seated immediately. Upon entering, there is a giant bread station where fresh bread (baked by their sister company) is layed out and servers are slicing them for their tables!

We were starving and couldn't wait to order and try the breads. My roommate got the Pumpkin Ravioli while I got the Fusili with Mushrooms as well as Fried Calamari as an appetizer. Now, I usually don't like Mediterranean food too much- but the menu was great enough to satisfy any palette-everything was so delicious!

Now, I couldn't take pictures of my dishes- and not because I didn't remember, but because the lighting was so low and dim that I couldn't take a picture of a dish without blinding my neighboring tables with my flash- sadface. I guess you'll just have to leave it up to your imagination (or go there yourself!).

There were an assortment of breads- and really I would have been happy just snacking on that for the night. Although a bit hard and tough and not as fresh as I would have liked it to be- it was still very tasty. The calamari appetizer was huge- nothing too special I guess, I mean, you can't go wrong with fried calamari. My pasta was great! The fusili was perfectly cooked while there was an abundance of different types of mushrooms mixed with spinach and pancetta. Yum! The sauce was great, but then again, 200 melted sticks of butter mixed with cream would of course be great. This dish is obviously not for the health conscious- but who cares- I have a job! :)

My roommate's pumpkin ravioli was also surprisingly good. You would think that the ravioli filling would be orange but on the contrary it was white and creamy and had such a great pumpkin flavor! Sweet yet savory from the sage and butter- this dish was amazing :)

At the end of the night, we left a little bit poorer (who cares we have jobs!-haha) but also completely satisfied. What a great roomie dinner! I will definitely be coming back and trying other dishes off the menu- everything around us looked so delicious! Did I mention, I have a job? :)

Price: $$$

Ambiance: A

Service: A

Food: B+

Oh. My. God.

Alright. This is it. The BEST meal I have ever had. (Ok, second best- first best was at Le Cirque in Bellagio, but thats another story)


So as you know, I went back to Pittsburgh this past weekend and I knew that I had to visit Umi again. The last time I went, it was some sort of anniversay celebration with Eric but it has been a while and I wanted to confirm the fact that the best sushi I HAVE EVER HAD was indeed, at Umi, located on Ellsworth Avenue.


It surprises me that Umi is a Big Burrito chain restaurant because, Umi is on another level on its own. Mr. Shu is a genius and doesn't need a big corporation backing up his creativity and skillz, and yes, Umi is in fact the best sushi I have ever had.


Now, thats a pretty big statement, as I've tried a lot of different sushi all over the country, and it's hard to say that a Big Burrito restaurant (the same corporation that owns Mad Mex) owns this unique establishment. But Oh. My. God. it was amazing.


So Eric and I decided to go to Umi without a reservation- how stupid of us. Luckily, upon arriving, we were able to get two seats at the sushi bar. After looking at the menu for a while, it was obvious that we had to get the omakase- which is what we got last time. The omakase is an 8 course meal that is an absolute must. In fact, after looking at the pricey menu, the omakase actually is a pretty good deal.


I can't even start talking about this great meal- it just makes me crave it even more. Alright, here it goes....


We started off with some white fish with some ponzu sauce:


Ah-mazing. The fish is fresh and delicate while the sauce is a bit tangy- it was so good.

The second course was spanish mackerel seared with hot sesame oil:

This was the best thing I have ever eaten. EVER. The fish is amazing, but the sesame oil really kicks it up a notch. The fish is buttery and melts in your mouth, while the sesame gives it a smooth, decadent feeling as it hits your tongue. I could have eaten 100 plates of these- seriously. The best dish of the night.

The third course was some toro tartare:


Now, you can't go wrong with toro tartare. Although I feel like, the last time I had it, it was a bit better, it was still delicious and the fish, again, is amazing.


We then followed with the Black Cod Miso:


Alright, second best dish of the night. Marinated in miso, and then broiled, the cod is not what you expect it to be- it doesn't even remind you of cod! Warm and juicy, this dish is amazing and again, melts in your mouth. Although, again, it was better the first time I had it (it was a bit too moist for me) the taste is incredbile- far better than the black cod miso we had at Morimoto.


Then followed our fifth course, white fish with mint:

This was my least favorite course- not because it wasn't good, but because I hate mint. Basil and mint leaves are just not my thing. But i'll tell you this- I finished all of it, which tells you how good it is.

Sixth course: Shrimp tempura with mushroom sauce and truffle oil (?):

Ok, so I heard and tasted truffle oil, but i'm not really sure if it had it or not- because Mr. Shu described it so quickly. But this was also amazing. My obsession with truffles/mushroom was completely satisfied with the delicious sauce! The shrimp were a bit soggy (thanks to the sauce drizzled on top), but one of the best shrimp tempura I've had! Again, far better than Morimoto.


So I forgot to take a picture of the seventh course (oops), but luckily it was a simple (ok, not so simple) nigiri dish. The small bites of nigiri are about half the size of traditional nigiri sushi, which is a perfect, bite sized portion! There were 5 pieces of nigiri: Salmon with cream cheese and tomato, Yellowtail with yuzu jalapeno sauce, White fish with mint and a berry sauce, Spanish Mackerel (with a sauce I can't rememver-my apologies) and Tuna with a tofu sauce. The flavors are great- the combinations of the unique toppings were perfect. Small bite-sized nigiri pieces are ingenius!


And last, our eighth course, is of course, dessert:

I know I've said this a few times in this post- but this is the best dessert I've ever had, hands down. So this may look like ice cream, but it is actually frozen chocolate ganache with a cashew interior drizzled with some raspberry and mango puree. I've had this dessert twice already, and I can say that it is amazing- cold with a unique texture thanks to the bits of grounded cashews it's indescribable!


Wow. I am so hungry. I may fly back to Pittsburgh (and not take the Megabus) just for this meal. We got this 8 course meal for $75 a person, which is a bit pricey- but believe me, it is worth it.


What was interesting was that, we saw that the frequent fans of Mr. Shu didn't sit at the table, but at the sushi bar- so they could converse and watch Mr.Shu do his magic. Warning, there is a $50/person minimum at the sushi bar- but you're going to get the omakase so it doesn't matter right???


I will most definitely be returning to Umi- and perhaps getting the more expensive omakases (it starts at $75 and goes up). The dishes our neighbors were getting looked amazing, and their faces after one bite of their dish tells it all.


One complaint that I had? The actual presentation of the dishes and the actual dishes themselves were a bit lackluster. A few of the dishes (which you can see in the pictures) seemed dirty and old- it really took away from the experience, but good thing the food was just that good. Presentation is everything, and I am sure that if it was placed on cleaner and newer plates, the meal would have been that much better.


This is not the place to get run of the mill, plain sushi- if you're looking for some sushi dishes that are inventive and different, Umi is the place to go, otherwise stick to Chaya for your more simple (and cheaper) sushi. Although a bit pricey, every penny is worth it. Again, Oh. My. God.

Price: $$$$
Ambiance: A
Service: A
Food: A+

"Eh"

Alright, I officially have a massive headache from work (really from my new headband that I bought) and have decided that I should take a well needed break.

I can't believe it's already Monday! After a great (and short) weekend in Pittsburgh, it's hard to say hello to this cold and dreary Monday. The only thing I'm looking forward to is exploring new restaurants (and getting manis and facials) with Risa Masuda this coming weekend! I can't wait!

But before I jump too far ahead, I can't leave this weekend unnoticed. Eric and I went to a number of places, some old and some new, but we definitely left every place with a comment (good and bad).

This past Sunday (wait, was it really just yesterday??), Theta had their initiation. 32 new sisters!!! Without giving too much away, I was able to be part of initiation this year and I was so happy to see all the faces of my new sisters!

Before I headed off to Theta, Eric and I decided to grab some quick breakfast at Bagel Factory in Squirrel Hill- or what we thought would be quick.

Bagel Factory holds a special place in my heart, I don't exactly know why I like this place, as I've had some pretty awful experiences here, but I guess I never learn and I always go back.

One time I went with my mom and they messed up a simple order, charged us incorrectly and then refused to give us the money back for the correct order because I "should have noticed the mistake earlier". Sorry for expecting my cashiers to be competent at pushing the buttons on that complicated machine, you're right, I guess it was my fault.

The interesting thing about Bagel Factory is that there is a separate line to place your order and then a separate line to actually pay for the food you've just ordered. I guess this could work out to their benefit- but not yesterday- it took over 30 minutes to get through this system. How awful. Eric even noticed some individuals getting their food before reaching the cashier, and so they just left. Good planning Bagel Factory!

Yesterday Eric and I waited 15 minutes to place our simple orders of bacon egg and cheese and oatmeal. Pretty impatient due to the fact that I had intiation in an hour, I was even more anxious than normal to stuff my face with some food. After finally placing the order, Eric had to wait another 15 minutes in line to pay for our food. What a joke!

I got the food before Eric even got done with the line (and I eat slow) and we didn't get to really spend anytime together in the morning since I was sitting at a table eating and he was in line for 30 minutes, waiting.

Is the food worth it, you ask?

As in the famous words of Mr.Bruner: "eh". I dont really find that there is anything special about this place, I just think that people are intrigued by the variety of bagels and decent food this early in the morning that they are willing to put up with the incompetent staff.

All in all, Bagel Factory is a good place to grab some decent food in the morning- but there are some incompetent people working back there which really kills the experience. But I guess there is something about that place that makes me forget, and I always end up going back! I guess it's my fault for putting myself through all this misery and I shouldn't complain huh? :)

And now my headache is back, thank you again Bagel Factory.

Price: $

Ambiance: B

Service: C

Food: B+

My uncle has been coming here for years!

So it's official, I suck at taking pictures. I always do have the intention to take pictures of my meals upon entering the restaurant, but once my food hits that table, it's game over. My mind goes a bit fuzzy, the room starts to spin and all I want is a bite of my food, and then another, and then another? I have been blaming it on the fact that my food always turns out to be really good and irresistable, but really, I suck at taking pictures.

Oh well.

This weekend, my aunt decided to spend some 'quality time' with me aka- have me help her with her wedding pictures. Funny, as I was helping her sort through her digital pictures on her webpage, I saw a few pictures of Raceday 2010 mixed in-why is that you ask? Well being that I had to miss Day 2 for my aunts wedding, you can be sure that I was watching the entire time as I was getting my maid of honor speech down! As people were taking pictures of the 'before'- I obviously was glued to the live feed from my laptop, with half of my dress on. Oops.

After showing her the picture, she thought it would be nice to treat me dinner for all that she has put me through (let's face it- she saved me from not racing that day- but we're not going to tell her that). We decided to go to Takara, a Japanese Restaurant located on 14th Avenue in Whitestone, NY.

Upon arriving, I was surprised to see that I have already been here before! A few years ago during winter break, I was craving sushi and decided to read some reviews on the best sushi in Queens- Takara was the obvious choice. I got take-out my first time there, and I still remember how surprised I was at the deliciousness of my spicy scallop handroll! The scallops were fresh and the texture and flavors were complimenting. I made a note to go back there- but never had a chance to.

So boy was I happy when my aunt brought me there this weekend! Looking at the menu, the special rolls seemed especially appetizing. I ended up getting a spider roll (you're welcome Eric) and a Red Dragon Roll. The Spider Roll was ok- but the Red Dragon Roll was great! A perfect shrimp tempura roll topped with mounds of spicy tuna, the Red Dragon Roll was absolutely delicious! My aunt got the seafood teriyaki, and the seafood in the dish, were plentiful and fresh as well.

Apparently, my uncle (my aunt's new husband) has been coming here for over 20 years! Wow! He loves sushi and he tells me that this place started out as a small joint, but quickly expanded due to its great food! It is now 3 times the size it originally was!

The service wasn't anything too special, but the servers did try to be attentive as much as possible. I also saw that there were private rooms in the back, perfect for a private, secluded dinner!

What a great find. Granted, this place doesn't have a parking lot and you do need to venture out into the streets to look for some meter parking, make sure to stop by this precious gem of a restaurant if you live in the area and are sick of going to Flushing!

Price: $$
Ambiance: B+
Service: B+
Food: A

The Russian

I can't believe it's already Thursday! Tomorrow starts my new adventure of new restaurants! This time it will be in New York- which is obviously the place to be.

I was thinking that readers from New Jersey would get mad at my posts and say that I wasn't giving New Jersey a real chance, and that I'm a stuck up New Yorker. Well, I am a stuck up New Yorker. And theres good reason for it too, at least when it comes to food and excitement. Come on, even my friends from New Jersey agree that it sucks here!

This past weekend Eric and I decided to go visit a native New Jersian (Ok, he's a native Russian) and ask of his opinion about this great state. He whole heartedly agreed that this place is boring and really has nothing to do! We were thinking about going to Six Flags (to spice things up a little during our mundane weekend) but the Russian was scared of rollercoasters (lame). Eric and I drove to the Russian's house, passed through security gates (haha) and decided to spend some good ol' quality time together.

We reminisced on 'back when the house was good' (and boy, was it really good) and talked about fast black things that I can't really talk about online for the fear of being shot (or least I would've gotten shot... back when the house was good :)). Can you guess who this Russian is? I bet you can't? Ok.. it's Yulian, it was pretty obvious- was there even another Russian in the house, ever? haha.

So after visiting Yulian's house, we decided to get some dinner in the town nearby. Living in Jackson,NJ (which is right next to Six Flags) we drove to Freehold Township to grab a nice dinner at Metropolian Cafe. I was a bit surprised entering the neighborhood as it actually had some activity, and I guess New Jersey isn't too bad, just as long as you know where to look.

The meal at Metropolitan Cafe was surprisingly good (afterall, I shouldn't have doubted Yulian). I was a bit skeptical at first since the menu had both sushi and american food, but in the end Metropolitan Cafe turned out to be something like a Cheesecake Factory- where there are foods ranging from all different parts of the world on the menu! Yum!

Yulian and Eric both started out with a salad- which we later found out could have fed a small country and wasn't a starter salad at all. Yulian had the Warm Autum Salad, with blue cheese and candied pecans... but really they put cashews instead (go figure). Eric had the Walnut Goat Cheese Salad with apples and huge blocks of crusted goat cheese. Both salads were good (and very large) and I was surprised that either of them had room for their main entrees to be honest.

As for our main entrees, Eric got the Australian Rack of Lamb, Yulian got the New York Strip steak while I got the Shrimp Ravioli. Eric's lamb was good, but a bit charred- he said he's had better. Yulian's strip steak looked good- any comments on this Yulian? While my shrimp ravioli was actually amazing!

I was very pleasantly surprised with my dish! Well first, the ravioli was really a dumpling, and there were only 4 huge dumplings on my plate. But there was an abundant amount of seafood in this light and creamy Champagne bisque- it was to die for. Not too heavy or rich, I was able to finish my entree although I was still stuffed from Morimoto the night before and Teresa Cafe a few hours before hand. Although I did wish they had more dumplings, I really enjoyed the dish- it was delicious! I highly recommend it.

Moving onto dessert, we got the Godiva Chocolate Cake and Ice Cream Sandwich to share. The ice cream sandwich came with coffee ice cream, and was very strong and rich (although a bit melted). The chocolate cake was EXTREMELY rich and decadent, I was surprised Yulian was able to eat it all actually. Both desserts were good, nothing too special but still, very tasty.

What a night! We actually spent over 3 hours at the restaurant catching up and enjoying our meal. I really liked this place although there were a few things about it that weren't as good as it should be. First off, the server is great but the runner and busboy were not. The hostesses seemed easily confused and their menu did not reflect what was given to us (cashews instead of pecans.. huge ass dumplings instead of the traditional ravioli). The flavors were great, but I sometimes got confused by the presentation. Haha.

In the end, all those things didn't matter- I had a nice meal and enjoyed my time. I would definitely return again (although it is a bit far from the Princeton area) and hope to try more things on the menu. I had such a great time regardless of the strange presentation-but then again, maybe it didn't matter because I was with the Russian.

Price: $$$$

Ambiance: A-

Service: B+

Food: A

It looked delicious

(edit) Pictures are up!!!

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Oh, what a disappointing start to my 'new' entries. I am kicking myself for not having any way to transfer my pictures to my computer!

I thought I should wait until I actually got the photos up, but I figure I'd write about my weekend and just add the pictures later on. So again, I apologize in advance for my lack of judgment.

So as you know, this weekend Eric came to visit. He flew into Philly Friday night and we got a great opportunity to try out Morimoto. Saturday morning, back in New Jersey, we though we'd drive to Princeton for some brunch. (Ok, we were forced to go to Princeton since there is no other place eat near me- thank you again, New Jersey).

We decided to go to Teresa Cafe, a hot spot for locals and students alike. Located on Palmer Square (right next to the Banana Republic), Teresa is a great place to grab some lunch. Upon arriving, the wait seemed to be long (there were lots of people lingering outside of the restaurant) - but we were seated immediately while the larger groups had to wait for a space in their small cafe. Suckas! (I guess this is where I should comment that larger groups will definitely have a harder time finding some seats as this place is quite small).

Looking at their lunch menu, it was difficult to figure out what to get, as many things looked so delicious! It wasn't until Eric saw the pizza that the girl next to him ordered, was he ready.

We decided to get the Mozzarella di Bufala to share while Eric got the Salisiccia pizza and I got the Penne Pecorino (substituted with whole wheat pasta, of course).

The Mozzarella di Bufala was my favorite dish. Pretty large for an appetizer, the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and salty proscuitto was a perfect combination- I couldn't have asked for anything more fresh and light as a starter.

My pasta was good as well, but I could have made better. (Actually I did make better- and had it for lunch today :)). The lack of shrimp and bay scallops were a bit disappointing, but the fresh spinach on top was a nice touch. There was a lot of liquid in the dish, which was very unexpected as I was expecting some penne pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil (which was what the description had indicated). The liquid threw me off a bit, and made the pasta soggy- which I really really hate.

The pizza looked good, but Eric being the fatass that he is didn't share with me and ate it all himself. I very much appreciated and was delighted by the fact that they used organic sausage! The pizza was in a white ricotta sauce, and looked delicious- again I wouldn't know. :(

The one thing I was most upset about? We didn't realize that the breakfast menu was right in front of us!! Although it was around 1pm, Teresa serves breakfast until 2pm (so make sure to take a look when you get there). Their breakfast menu is already on the table, and we weren't bright enough to catch it. I will most definitely be coming back for some breakfast some time!

The food in general was good, and I had a great time with Eric. He really enjoyed his meal as well as the area around the restaurant. To sum it up, Teresa is a nice place to have some lunch while exploring the Princeton area. The food is fresh and tasty and it is conveniently located near all the action! I hope to come back here once again (but after trying more restaurants near the area of course) and hopefully, I will be able to blend in with the Princeton area residents some more. I'm not really sure about the ambiance of the place, but I guess it's Princeton afterall, what else can you expect?

Next time, I will make sure to bring my American Express Black Card and I'll blend right in!

Price: $$
Ambiance: B+
Service: A-
Food: B+

A bit erotic??

(edited) Pictures are up!!

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I apologize in advance, I forgot my camera cord so I can't upload my pictures from this past weekend until this Friday night. :( But don't you worry, pictures will be coming soon!

So Eric decided to pay me a visit Friday night as it was his midsemester break. He could have came in Thursday night, but I think most of us know why he wasn't able to... why am I with him again? haha jk.

He flew into Philly and I thought this would be the perfect time to explore the great (and seemingly dangerous) city! We decided to go to THE iron chef Masaharu Morimoto's restaurant, Morimoto, for dinner (located on 723 Chestnut street). As we all know, Eric and I love sushi and not going to this restaurant would have been very uncharacteristic of us.

We had a 9pm reservation and arrived 10 minutes early, only to be seated 10 minutes late. Boo. It was fine though, as we admired the decor and interesting design of the restaurant in the lounge and watched all the happy diners enjoy their seemingly delicious meal.

As we got to our seat, we were very excited to begin our journey with Morimoto! The first thing we noticed at our seat? The centerpiece between us was part of the table and we weren't able to move it away. We found it a bit annoying (and a bit erotic??):

The only reason I have this picture is because I took it on my phone and had to email it to Eric right away to show him how he looked like from my view... interesting to say the least.

Alright, enough of the silliness, onto the food.

So looking at the menu, everything looked delicious. We were tempted by the omakase but realized that we could just get a number of different dishes and spend just as much and have all the dishes that we wanted (versus having the chef prepare us the dishes to his liking).

That night we got: Edamame, Rock Shrimp Tempura, Black Cod Miso, Soba Carbonara and the $50 Chef's Sushi Combination. We were.. stuffed to say the least. (Pictures coming soon)

Rock Shrimp Tempura

Starting with the Edamame and Rock Shrimp Tempura, we were already full; the portions are quite large. (Not to mention we were fatasses before hand and ate pizza thanks to our late reservation). The edamame was covered in rock salt which added a nice touch to the ever so classic appetizer, and the rock shrimp tempura wasn't what we expected- small balls of fried tempura shrimp covered in a light and sweet sauce. Both were good, and again, very large.

We then got the chef's sushi combination which came with a variety of sashimi, sushi and a maki roll. I was pleasantly surprised by how great the sashimi was, but was also very upset with the toro. They must have cut the toro incorrectly as the fish itself was good but the texture was bad as it left a strange rubbery vein (that I had to spit out). How can you go to Morimoto and get sushi that was cut wrong?!?! How disappointing. The rest of the sashimi was delicious but that was really the only thing that stood out. The roll (spicy tuna) was OK and the nigiri had WAY too much wasabi that completely killed the flavor of the fish. Blech. If you want to have sashimi with the chef's combination, make sure you get the $50 combination as the $30 one only comes with nigiri and a roll.





Moving onto our main entrees, Eric got the cod while I got the soba noodles. The cod was good, but I found it too blackened and sweet. The fish wasn't tender and soft but a bit hard due to the hardening of the sweet miso sauce. Hearing that Morimoto's fish is always fresh and flown in from Japan daily, the dish did not exhibit this quality of the fish. The Soba noodles were good, but again nothing amazing. I found the dish unique in that it incorporated truffle oil into the sauce and the noodles had a pleasant truffle aroma (and we all know how much I am in love with truffles).

Black Cod Miso

Soba Carbonara

All in all, Morimoto wasn't bad, but I feel like I was a bit disappointed because I had such high expectations. I was really looking forward to the best sushi I have ever had, but really it was just good sushi. Would I return? Yes. Purely for the experience though. I think that experience definitely plays into the dining fun, and who wouldn't want the experience of dining at Masaharu Morimoto's restaurant?

It's surprising to say that the best sushi we have ever had was at Umi in PITTSBURGH. We got the chef's tasting menu, and it really was delicious. So...so delicious.

Price: $$$$
Ambiance: A
Service: B+
Food: A-

Oh my god, we're back again!

So after a long , long vacation, my desire to explore the great foods around my area has returned! Sadly, I am no longer in Pittsburgh and can no longer comment on the great food that the city has to offer. But I am off doing bigger and better things! (Ok, maybe not really).

I have moved to New Jersey, and really, the only good thing about this place is that I live close to Philly/New York. Maybe I haven't tried hard enough to explore my area, but it seems pretty boring and the most exciting thing that has happened to me so far was a close encounter with a deer. (I'm lame I know).

Good thing I go back to the city every weekend huh? :)

I will be changing up the blog to ensure that it encompasses the great foods I eat all over the country, not just Pittsburgh. So to end my 'Pittsburgh blog' I wanted to make one more post about one of me and Eric's favorite places in the great steel city. Sonoma Grille.

Eric has been surprised that I hadn't made a post about it yet as I have been to Sonoma Grille probably 5 times within the last month I was in Pittsburgh. I call it my lucky restaurant as I went to Rivers Casino (which is close by) after my meal there, and won a ton a money. :)

But it's been so long ago since you've been in Pittsburgh, how can you remember, you ask? Well, Sonoma Grille is just that memorable. I sadly deleted my pictures from my phone, but don't you worry, I most definitely remembered my meal.

4 out of the 5 times I've been to Sonoma Grille, I got the tasting menu (and that's only because the first time I went with Eric, they didn't even have it on their menu yet). The tasting menu is unique in that you can choose from 3, 4 or 5 selections off their menu. I usually start out with the avocado and crab meat tian. The avocados are always very fresh and large lumps of crabmeat are very sweet. The crunch and cool from the cucumber balances the spicy chili oil drizzled on top as well as the soft texture from the avocado and crabmeat. This was my dad's favorite.

The potato gnocchi was my favorite, ok second favorite dish. The portion on the tasting menu was small and left me wanting more, but that goes for all of their dishes I guess. The gnocchi is cooked perfectly and is soft and light while the crunch for the vegetables compliments it. So delicious and most definitely a vegetarian's delight!

My favorite dish is the veal. Always cooked perfectly, and very tender the veal melts in your mouth. Finished off with a garlic demiglace, with wild mushrooms (we all know how big of a fan I am of mushrooms) this dish is absolutely perfect.

I've also had the char su duck which I didn't like, since most things done 'asian style' at non asian restaurants never appeal to me (i'm asian. im sorry). The lamb ravioli is good, but the moroccan spiced vegetables that came on top was not to my liking as it is very tart and tangy. I ended up pushing off the salad of vegetables (that were placed on top of the ravioli) and avoided the sauce and hoped to just eat the ravioli on its own.

I don't think i've ever had a dessert here. Why would I waste a course on dessert when I could get another main entree!?!

Sonoma Grille is great for many occasions. I came here for an anniversary date with Eric, but I've also had a more casual dinner with friends in my jeans (nice jeans of course). I'm sad im no longer in Pittsburgh and can't visit Sonoma Grille more often, but I will definitely return the next time I visit Eric!

Price: $$$

Ambiance: A

Service: B+

Food: B+

Always leaves you wanting more...

Cupcakes are a huge craze these days. With the new shows on Food Network and TLC all solely dedicated to cupcakes, it is hard to resist getting sucked into the evilness that is cupcakes. The sinfully fattening frosting on top of a buttery, rich, decadent piece of cake is absolutely addicting and always leaves you wanting more....

I've never really been into cupcakes, I really don't like pastries at all (I'm a strange one I know)- but after going to Vanilla cupcake this Wednesday with Ryan and Anupama, I have been converted. After a nice lunch/dinner at Pizza Sola on Penn Avenue, we stopped by next door to Vanilla Cupcake to get a nice piece of dessert.

Walking into Vanilla Cupcake, the pastel walls and decor were a bit overwhelming and girly but I was soon distracted by the little morsels of heaven. With cupcake flavors ranging from chocolate fudge to vanilla caramel, it was hard to choose which one to get and honestly, me and Pama were about to get more than 1 (until Ryan unknowingly dragged us away). This time, we all got the Vanilla Caramel cupcake and ate it in our infamous finance class- it was simply heaven.

Ryan devoured it within, i'd say, 2.5 seconds and I found myself really upset when I took my last bite. We sat through our 3 hour class whining about how we wanted another one. Best/worst idea ever? The frosting was creamy and delicious while the actual cake was light and fluffy. I was really impressed by how delicious this cupcake was and how different it is from Dozen cupcakes.

Dozen cupcakes, another cupcake store in Pittsburgh (located in Squirrel Hill) also has great flavors, which I feel is more complex than Vanilla. Dozen is also great, and I got a cupcake there with Eric for my birthday. However, after going to Vanilla, I feel like the simple flavors with the light pound cake is far more superior than the complex, rich and heavy cakes baked by Dozen.

Both cupcake shops were good, but Vanilla was better (that was just for Eric). I can't wait to return to Vanilla for another cupcake- perhaps I can convince Ryan and Pama to go again tomorrow?