If it's good enough for Mr. Big Burrito, I guess it's good enough for us

I have had the ultimate meal. And yes, it was at Umi again. Oh Umi. It's strange how I haven't talked to anybody that has even gone to Umi and I really have to say that you are all missing out. Mr. Shu is an absolute genius, and if you really appreciate good food, I would say forget about damn Soba and head upstairs for something soooo much better!

We finally did it. We did the 'Trust Mr. Shu' omakase. We've had the regular $85 omakase a bunch of times, then upgraded to the $125 omakasse, and we finally decided that we'd go all out and have one of the best meals ever!

There were 16 courses so I'm not going to go into detail, and I of course can't remember. But I hope these pictures speak for itself...

Kumamoto Oysters with special sauce

Uni on top of tempura

Raw Kobe Beef Carpaccio with special sauce

Kumamoto Oyster with foie gras and a side of fried eel, with foie gras

Whitefish Sashimi

Spanish Mackeral with a light citrus sauce

Lobster Sashimi with special sauce

Salmon two ways: One with spicy sauce, and another piece of nigiri topped with foie gras

Salmon Belly

Spanish Mackeral seared with hot sesame oil

Lobster sashimi spoon with foie gras, sashimi topped with Uni

Raw Scallops with special sauce

Yellowtail with mushroom paste and truffle oil

Black Cod Miso

Lobster Sashimi with raw scallops on top

Soft shell crab tempura topped with O Toro

Just looking at these pictures is agonizing. Each dish was spectacular and absolutely perfect. I would say the dish I liked the least was the soft shell crab with the toro. But, really, it was still amazing. 

To top it all off, we sat at the sushi bar and had this great meal with the owner of Big Burrito! He was celebrating his birthday with his son Max (the reason Mad Mex is named what it is) and it was great to know that we were having the same meal as him! If it's good enough for Mr. Big Burrito, I guess it's good enough for us. 

I don't know the next time I will have this meal (probably never) but I can say that it is one meal that I don't mind paying for. If you are new to Umi, I would suggest to bite the bullet and go for the simple omakase and then build you way up to 'Trust Mr. Shu', but I promise- whatever you go with you won't be disappointed. 

Seriously, go to Umi and get the Omakase. 

And say hi to Drew for us!

Price: $$$$

Service: A+

Food: A+

Ambiance: A-

Almost there Class of 2011!

First off, I hope all is safe from Hurricane Sandy! Please let me know if you need a place for refuge as I am currently housing the Russian and so the more the merrier! We have power and heat and lots of food!

To be honest, as great as it is to hang out with Yulian all day, I really wish I was at work and things were back to normal! I miss my lunch excursions and can't wait to have my next one! (Too bad EVERYTHING is closed around here)

A few weeks ago, Pooja decided to visit Titusville and so Jackie and I thought we should visit Paulie Anna Rose for some lunch. Oh the good old days.. the days when you can get lunch at a restaurant......

We had a great time together and I was really happy that Pooja came to visit! I wasn't too happy with the food though. 

Penne Ala Vodka

Pooja and her sandwich

Jackie and I both got the Penne ala vodka while pooja got the grilled vegetable sandwich. Both portions were huge and enough for two meals, but the flavor itself was not huge. 

My penne ala vodka tasted more like a tomato based mac and cheese. The creamy, heavy, sticky sauce was almost even yellow! It wasn't awful, but it definitely isn't something I would pay for again. Very heavy and oily, I would say that I probably ate 2000 calories- and I only ate half!

Although the food was a bust, the lunch itself was not! It is always great to see Pooja and being all the way in Titusville, Jackie and I love visitors!!!

We can't wait to venture out to more places for lunch once everything from the hurricane settles down. As final placement comes rolling around, I can't wait to try as much as I can out here before we possibly leave! 

Almost there Class of 2011!

Food: C-
Service: C
Ambiance: C
Price: $$

Yes, the vegetarian chose a steakhouse

I am officially experiencing Vegas withdrawal. ACK.

Maybe it's because it's all the way on the other side of the country, or that it feels like you are in an alternate reality, or that I am an addict, or that it's all of the above, but whatever it is, I want it again. 

So a few weeks ago, I took yet another trip to Vegas with a few co-workers. Yes, I went to Vegas without Eric. And to be honest, as much as I love Eric, I had a blast with my co-workers. Some were Vegas veterans and some were new to this world (Jackie),  but I would have to say that all of us had a great time!

The one thing about Vegas is that you can never get bored. No matter how many times you've been there (I would say that I've been there almost 20 times in my life- it's really too many to keep track of nowadays) you can always have fun and always experience something new. 

Thanks to Krishna, I was able to get my first breathtaking view of the Strip from the Rio Casino. All of us were on a quest to get as much out of the town in the short 3 days we were there. Especially since Jackie had never been-we wanted to show her everything!

Krishna was in charge of planning our 'fine dining' experience one night, and he chose VooDoo Steak. Yes, the vegetarian chose a steakhouse. He justified his decision by telling us that he had heard about the amazing view at the Rooftop Night Club- and boy did he make a good decision! The view was AMAZING. 

It truly was spectacular, and with just the view alone, I would say that you should visit VooDoo Steak (so you can get the free access to the rooftop)

The food wasn't bad either- I was pleasantly surprised!!

The menu at VooDoo Steak was pretty classic and so of course, I got the foie gras to start and the scallops for my entree

Seared Foie Gras with Fruit Compote

Pan Roasted Sea Scallops with Braised Short Rib

The foie gras was perfectly seared and was balanced well with the tartness of the fruit compote. Buttery and not oily, I would say the foie gras was executed very well- I wish it was bigger!

When the menu described the scallops as being paired with some braised short rib, I was expecting a round rib bone to be on my plate. However, it was just some thin slices of meat, and I think I liked it better that way. The scallops were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, and was not overcooked. The light aroma of the mushrooms paired with the tender short rib meat was perfect. The crisp salad on top also added some great crunch and contrast to the tender proteins on the plate. What a great dish- what a great meal!

The only thing I did not like about this place was the service. It turns out that if you are a Total Rewards member you get a few discounts off the menu. Once the server heard about our discount he was completely rude and was not attentive at all. Not only was he rude near the end of the meal, his ability to coordinate the order placements of our drinks and our entire meal was laughable. We ended up sitting with the huge menus on the backs of our chairs because he didn't know how and when he should take our orders. It's not hard buddy. 

Besides the poor service, the food and view were absolutely amazing. I am so happy that I got to experience something new in Vegas. Thanks Krishna!

Price: $$$

Food: A-

Ambiance: A-

Service: C-

Sorry Ewing,NJ- I'm a city girl

So, I did it. Yes, I went to another restaurant near work. I'm on a roll!

Although I did say that it was just going to be Jackie and I, this time we invited a bunch of coworkers (and then somehow our intended restaurant was changed to a restaurant that a coworker wanted to go to.....boooo... but that's another story...)

So this past Friday, right before the holiday weekend, a few of us went to Metro Grill, a small restaurant in Ewing,NJ.

Jackie and I had wanted to try Paulie Anna Rosa, since we were hankering for some pasta, but I guess Metro Grill hit the spot this time! 

Jackie got the Penne ala Vodka while I got the linguine with white clam sauce...

Linguine with white clam sauce

Penne ala Vodka

After a good portioned meal, I would have to say Metro Grill was not too disappointing. I tried a bit of Jackie's penne and it was creamy and delicious and lighter than some other vodka sauces I've had. 

My linguine was also great and had a lot of clams for the amount of pasta- perfect! The sauce was light and buttery and filled with fresh slices of garlic- very tasty indeed.

The decor was a bit old and traditional while the service was nothing spectacular. The only big complaint I have about Metro Grill is the prices!!! You figure that in the area that you are in, you would get a slightly cheaper meal (or at least have some type of lunch special!!!). 

I don't think I would visit Metro Grill again, simply for the price (It came out to $20 a person). With the price I'm paying for lunch, I rather grab a lunch special at a nice Italian place in New York City. Sorry Ewing,NJ- I'm a city girl.

Thanks for the lunch Metro Grill, see you.. never...

Price: $$

Service: B

Food: A-

Ambiance: C

I'm a bad asian

My oh my, how long it has been since I have visited my dear old blog!

So I have to admit that I haven't been taking pictures of my food lately (I know, im a bad asian), and thus, I haven't had any material for my blog posts! 

Thankfully, when going to lunch with Jackie last Friday, I was able to snap a quick pic! Yay!

Jackie and I have been trying to find good places to eat around our office for months. We work next to a farm, so really, we work (and live) near the middle of nowhere.

We searched for a nearby lunch joint so we could get out of the office during the beautiful summer day and we happened to come across Nick's Cafe 72 in Trenton.

Yes, we went to Trenton. Yes, in my new car. Yes, I was scared.

After parking my car as far away from other cars as possible, I was hankering for something greasy, fattening and of course, delicious. I got the Corned Beef Reuben- and it hit the spot.

Reuben from Nick's Cafe 72

So flavorful and a perfect pairing with sweet potato fries and an arnold palmer, this sandwich made my day. Salty briney corned beef with sweet sauerkraut and russian dressing, this was an amazing reuben.

Not only was the sandwich yummy, the service was quick and fast. Perfect. Although a little bit pricey for being a random diner/cafe in Trenton, I would have to say that I would definitely return again if I'm hankering for something sinfully fattening.

So excited we found a good place near work, we're going to try another place this Friday! Stay tuned!


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

Smell ya later!

So this is going to be a short one. Mostly because I forgot to take pictures and really have nothing spectacular to say about this place- Shibuya at MGM Grand.

Before our trip to Vegas, we saw that our friend Yulian had went to Craft Steak for dinner at the MGM. Eric and I were intrigued and so we made reservations for our last night in Vegas. We were really excited to go but then got the hankering for some sushi- so we changed our reservation to Shibuya. Boy was that a mistake. 

Although we weren't very hungry, we decided to go with the Futari for Two- a special menu that was $80 per person. Ugh, what a waste of money!

We started out with this dish, a kani salad:

Ok, so it looks cool since the salad is on top of a fish bowl, but really, that was the only good thing about it. The salad was extremely fishy tasting and had that metallic taste that was extremely unappetizing. The best thing about this dish? I couldn't see how the other dishes to come could be worse...

We got some Tuna Tartare, Yellow Tail, Seared Albacore, Kobe Beef Skirt Steak, Miso Soup, Nigiri and a Dessert Trio. Some of the dishes came out at the same time, so we felt a bit rushed- bad server. 

The meal was OK. Like I said, nothing spectacular. The tuna tartare was a very good portion and was pretty fresh while the kobe beef was tender (obviously, it's kobe beef). 

I would say that this was not an $80 well spent. Our meal was lackluster and got off to a very bad start with our salad. I wasn't very pleased with our last dinner in Vegas. Sadface.

I'm hoping that the other dishes at Shibuya are better because the meal we had was quite disappointing. With all the great choices of restaurants in Vegas, I would not return to Shibuya for another meal. 

Hey, at least we got a picture with the lion!

Smell ya later, Shibuya!

Price: $$$
Food: C-
Ambiance: B
Service: C-

Boy am I glad that I gamble. (sort of)

Annnnnnd I'm back!

Back from where you ask?? Well... VEGAS of course! (Come on, where else would I be)

Now that my purse is feeling a lot lighter and my abundance of money in my bank account is no longer a problem, I finally have time to write another post about the great food I had in this special, yet dangerous place...

First stop- Picasso at the Bellagio!

We knew we wanted to go to a good restaurant in Vegas and had passed by Picasso during our last trip in Vegas. (Right before we perused the Chanel store to buy... nothing...)

The menu looked interesting and I of course am always up for a good meal, so we thought- why not! Afterall it is a two star Michelin and a 5 diamond AAA restaurant, no biggie.

I first want to start off by saying that I am going to be extremely critical of this place because well, after our usual dinner cocktails and a typical wine pairing with Eric's dinner- this came out to be the most expensive meal we've had- over $200 a person. So I think I can be a little critical, no?

To start, if you're looking for a cheap way to enjoy this restaurant and think you can cheat and order just an entree and say you've 'been' to this restaurant, try again- there is nothing but predetermined menus for you- nothing a la carte!

We got a choice of two different menus, one was a pre-fix theatre menu while the other was their degustation menu. The degustation had one extra dish for just $10 more so we thought, if we're already paying over $100 a person for a meal, why not just go all out and shell out the extra $10 bucks! And so.. we did!

Our meal consisted of a Maine Lobster Salad (not pictured) with an Apple Champagne Vinaigraette, Pan-Seared Scallops with a Potato Mousseline, Sauteed Foie Gras with a Blood Orange Sauce, Roasted Loin of Lamb with tempura zuchinni flower and a Warm Chocolate Fondant for dessert. Deeeeelicious!

Scallops

Foie Gras

Lamb

I have to say that the meal was great. The Maine Lobster Salad was fresh and had an abundant amount of lobster (it better) and the vinaigrette was a tart refreshing addition. Eric loved the scallop. Although it was just one small scallop, the texture of the scallop with the smooth potato mousseline was indescribable and had me breaking my etiquette manners while I was basically trying to lick the sauce off the bowl. Oops. 

Of course, I loved the foie gras. The good sized portion was perfectly seared and did not have that overwhelmingly 'fatty' taste, but was more rich and buttery. Delectable. The crunch of the almonds really made a great addition to contrast the smooth silky texture of the foie gras. 

The lamb was also really good and had great intense flavor, even without the sauce (but of course, the sauce made the dish). I didn't finish it though, and ended up giving the rest to Eric. 

The warm chocolate cake was amazing. The toasted marshmallow with the gooey chocolate cake was a great twist on the classic molten chocolate cake. Decadently rich with chocolate flavor, I couldn't help but to think of a few friends that would have killed for this chocolate heaven! (Yes Pooja, I mean you)

I would have to say that the food here was great, and the service was wonderful. It took a lot longer for us to get our dessert than the rest of our meal, so I think they messed up their timing a bit when it came to 'firing' their dishes. Minus 2 points. 

When I think back on this meal, boy am I glad that it was comped because I would not have been happy to pay for this meal out of pocket (thanks Mirage). It seems fairly overpriced (well obviously, it's Vegas) for what you get and I have had better meals for less.. 

It was a great experience to have been around the $300 million worth of Picasso paintings and to be with my love, but in the end, was the experience really worth the $500 check? I think not. 

I guess technically I can't really complain about the 'price' as this meal ended up being comped and I got to celebrate yet another anniversary with Eric, but don't say I didn't warn you if you end up with a ridiculously large bill!

Thanks again Vegas for another memorable experience. Thanks Mirage for the great meal....boy am I glad that I gamble. (sort of) 

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

Not even for the frost bitten ice cream

Week 3 in Titusville! What a journey it has been (ok, not really)

It's been pretty boring here.. all I have been doing is cleaning/organizing, couponing and going to the casino. Fun. I've been looking for some good restaurants, but there really isn't anything here- there isn't even a grocery store that compares to Wegmans- I'm so upset!

Thankfully, last week during lunch, Jackie and I decided to explore this good ol' town and try out a place called It's Nutts. And yes, yes it was. 

Jackie got the Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas:

While I got the personal pizza:

I found this place on yelp, and thought I'd give it a try. Although I was in the mood for a sandwich, i read rave reviews about their tomato pies, and knew that I needed to try it. 

We got to the restaurant and got seated right away. I already knew what I wanted before I got there, and Jackie jumped with joy when she saw the buffalo quesadillas on the specials menu (Jackie apparently loves buffalo sauce).

We placed our order fairly quickly and got our food in a timely manner. Jackie's quesadillas (although I didn't get to try any) seemed enjoyable while my pizza was great. An overwhelming flavor of fresh tomato and hand rolled pizza crust, my personal pizza was devoured in a very very short amount of time (by only me). It was great. 

I loved that my pizza was incredibly fresh and hand made! I did wish that there was more cheese on it and that the crust wasn't that crispy (it seemed a little bit overcooked/burnt) but in the end, it was a pretty good pizza. 

I do have to say that I am incredibly shocked with the prices. Although it wasn't unreasonable, I would say that it was overpriced for the quality of service/decor/area- we were basically in a trailer...... come on guys!

Although I am glad that Jackie and I ventured out of the J&J Cafe, I would have to say that It's Nutts was a little bit too overpriced for what we got. 

Although I can't say I wouldn't return here, I don't think I would come back here any time soon. Not even for the frost-bitten ice cream.

Food: 8

Service: 8

Ambiance: 7

Price: $$

See you at Carnival, boys!

A few weekends ago, I finally traveled back to the big apple to celebrate a co-worker's birthday. We went to a rooftop bar and I thought that I would take advantage of this opportunity and get together with a few pikes and have a Pike Reunion Dinner!

I heard a few pikes were in town and that they wanted to all go out to dinner, but of course, they had nothing planned and left it to me to organize...Great. I ended up choosing SD26, a modern italian restaurant that was very close by to the bar we were heading to later. (Location played a huge factor)

I was very excited for dinner and was surprised after walking in to the restaurant! SD26 had a very large space (for nyc, anyway) and the decor and lighting were very intriguing!

What was even cooler was their drink menus- ipads! Aw yeah technology!

After waiting for an hour, (I have begun to realize that pikes are not punctual at all) we finally got to look at the menu and order our dinner (at 9:30). We all got a bunch of different things- I got the Uovo ravioli with truffle butter and a half portion of the gnocchi with chicken liver and brussel sprouts.

Gnocchi with Chicken Liver, Brussels Sprouts and Fried Sage

Sundar's Gnocchi (I have no idea what sauce it's in)

Shellhammer's Lobster Bisque Pasta

I have mixed feelings about this place. First off, I really liked the ambiance and the courteous service (our server was very gracious when the rest of our party showed up over an hour late to our reservation). The food was very good- unique twists on simple dishes. But really, this place is extremely overpriced and the courteous server ended up being very slow in taking our orders and giving us our check.

My gnocchi was awesome. I ended up getting the half portion (which I would say is a lot more worth it than the full portion) and the soft pillowy gnocchi with the crisp brussels sprouts and sage was out of this world. Chicken liver is definitely an acquired taste as half of the table didn't like the flavor, but I love it and couldn't have enough of it! Make sure you like chicken liver before you order this dish though.

My Uovo ravioli was interesting. One very large ravioli with an uncooked yolk on top was such a decadent and rich entree. Although the portion is very tiny, the silky egg yolk running over the soft and creamy ravioli filling was so... sexy. It is also very heavy and incredibly fattening that after you had that one ravioli, you won't want anymore.

Both of my entrees were very unique and the flavors were incredible- it was a very yummy dinner!

At the end of the day, I liked SD26. However, with their prices, I dont think I would return. I would say it would be a good place to try out and would recommend this place to others if they're looking for something new and different, but I wouldn't go there very hungry as the portions are very, very tiny.

Nevertheless, I of course had a great time! How can you not when you're surrounded by brothers?

After a few sips of absinthe with Dorian, usual ridiculousless with Sundar and Shaman, reconnecting with Sean, Shellhammer and Moon, I couldn't believe how long it's been since I've seen them! I need to move to New York....

See you at Carnival, boys!

Thanks Wolfgang

So I realized that I recently have been on a food binge and I have nothing but the great meals I've had at Borgata two weekends ago to blame. Not only did I get to enjoy famous Chef Zakarian's place, Sunroom, we got to celebrate a good friend's birthday at Fornelletto as well!

But before all that adventure started, Eric, BJ and I decided to have a 'casual' Friday night dinner at Wolfgang Puck's American Grille to start our trip off right. And boy did it.

It happened to be restaurant week in Atlantic City and so we were able to get our three-course dinner for only $35! We of course added wine and Arnold Palmers to the check so in the end it ended up costing more, but hey- we were at Wolfgang's in ATLANTIC CITY, we had to live it up, right?

The restaurant week menu was a little different than the normal menu but we were glad to have been able to try out the 'best' of Wolfgang's creations!

BJ and Eric started with a special crisp apple salad while I got the traditional Minestrone.

Crisp Apple Salad

Market Vegetable Minestrone

For our main entrees, BJ and I got the Shrimp and Crab Risotto while Eric got the Braisesd Beef Shank.

Shrimp and Crab Risotto

Braised Beef Shank

(I've been trying to rotate this picture, but it won't work!)

We then ended with the molten chocolate cake (of course!)

Molten Chocolate Cake

What a great meal! The Crisp Apple Salads were great and was barely a salad at all! Mostly just thin strips of sweet apples, the appetizer was a perfect light start to the meal. My soup was also good. Nothing all too special, you can't really go wrong with some fresh vegetable soup!

Our entrees were great. My Shrimp and Crab Risotto was so incredible, the broth was amazingly full of sweet seafood flavor. Although the risotto itself was a bit undercooked, I would say that this dish left me craving for more- in fact, i'm hoping to be able to find a recipe and make it at home myself!

Eric's beef shank was tender and fell off the bone- he absolutely did not need the the knife that was provided to him. In fact, I liked his dish better than my risotto.

And of course, of warm molten chocolate cake was divine. The warm oozing uncooked chocolate cake batter was a perfect contrast to the freshly homemade vanilla ice cream. A classic dessert.

I would have to say that we started out our weekend pretty right with Wolfgang's American Grille. We had a wonderful meal and got to fill our bellies before we headed to the craps tables!

Thanks Wolfgang for a great meal!

Price: $$$

Ambiance: A

Food: A

Service: A-

Skip if you can, please!

I just left a Yelp review on Osteria 2350 and thought I'd make a quick blog post to warn fellow friends about this place.

On my recent visit to Pittsburgh, Eric and I decided to try Osteria 2350 as it was the closest lunch option (he lives in the Cork Factory).

We were excited about the seemingly fair prices and the clean interior and we ordered a mozzarella appetizer to start and I got the Mushroom Pasta with Truffle Oil.

The appetizer was OK and was pretty decently priced for what we got. The warm tomato with olive oil was a unique twist on the classic caprese salad- a salad that Eric and I are oh-so used to.

My pasta was gross. It was extremely watery and this time, that truffle oil did not satisfy my palette. I ended up feeling nauseous from the taste- how can you mess up truffle oil?!?!?!

I would say that this place would not be a great place to go to for lunch, especially with all the other great options in the Strip District! Skip if you can, please!

Service: B+

Food: D+

Ambiance: B

Price: $$

Get the spoons

So over a year ago, I made a post on Umi- indicating that it was one of the best meals I've ever had.

Although, recent meals at the Four Seasons in Italy and other great dining locations have rivaled Umi, it is still by far one of the best restaurants I've ever been to- most definitely the best sushi restaurant, at least.

After many, many visits to Umi, Eric and I were ready for something more. We have frequently seen others get the omakase (which is what we normally get) and have tried different variations (replaced a dish or two or added a few on).

On our most recent trip to Umi, we saw that the menu had changed, and that there was more than the original $85 omakase option- there was a $130 one! An eleven course meal with Mr. Shu....we had to get it.

Delicious... absolutely perfect.

We got 11 delicious dishes, some similar to the ones we always get during our usual omakase but the spoons made the world of a difference...

The first spoon seen was two different selections, Kobe beef with garlic and Lobster with Foie Gras. Holy crap was this good! The tender kobe beef with the sweet sauce was absolutely delicious while the lobster with foie gras is the best combination of my two most favorite ingredients ever. Both were silky and luxurious and absolutely melt in your mouth...

..speaking of melt in your mouth, the monkfish liver with salmon was to die for. I didn't think i would like anything better than foie gras (duck liver) but monkfish liver was 100 times better. The buttery smooth liver with the soft texture of the salmon was delicious and left us wanting more.

Mr. Shu is a genius. Born and raised in Taiwan and getting his culinary expertise from great cities all over the world.. I can't wait to go back and GET THE SPOONS.

Price: $$$$

Ambiance: A

Food: A+

Service: A+