Saturday, October 17, 2015
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Bibble and Sip
Date: August 22, 2014
Location: 253 W 51 St
Bought:
Matcha Green Tea Latte
Comments:
Worth it. Yelp is very accurate on this one. If you like cafes, and you like Matcha tea, and you like cute plants, this is exactly where you want to be.
Rating: A
Snack: Momofuku Milk Bar
Date: August 26, 2015
Location: 15 W 56th St
Bought:
Cereal Milk Soft Serve
Comments:
The flavor was interesting, but I don't know if it's worth coming a second time--a little bit expensive. If you like experiencing new flavors, and you like ice cream, it's probably worth it at least once. Didn't try the other items on the menu, but I'm sure they are just as interesting and equally priced.
Overall rating: B+
Location: 15 W 56th St
Bought:
Cereal Milk Soft Serve
Comments:
The flavor was interesting, but I don't know if it's worth coming a second time--a little bit expensive. If you like experiencing new flavors, and you like ice cream, it's probably worth it at least once. Didn't try the other items on the menu, but I'm sure they are just as interesting and equally priced.
Overall rating: B+
Friday, September 11, 2015
Recipe: Fried Rice
Food ingredients
1. leftover rice
2. frozen vegetables
3. eggs
4. scallion
Directions:
1. Dice scallions and beat eggs
2. Stir-fry scallions in either vegetable oil or butter
3. Pour rice into pan with scallions, stir-fry
4. Add in frozen veggies
5. When vegetables are cooked, make a hole in the middle of the pan and pour in eggs
6. Wait for eggs to partially cook, then continue stir-frying
Optional ingredients:
salt
pepper
soy sauce
1. leftover rice
2. frozen vegetables
3. eggs
4. scallion
Directions:
1. Dice scallions and beat eggs
2. Stir-fry scallions in either vegetable oil or butter
3. Pour rice into pan with scallions, stir-fry
4. Add in frozen veggies
5. When vegetables are cooked, make a hole in the middle of the pan and pour in eggs
6. Wait for eggs to partially cook, then continue stir-frying
Optional ingredients:
salt
pepper
soy sauce
Friday, September 4, 2015
Gray's Papaya
Date: August 28, 2015
Restaurant: Gray's Papaya
Address: 2090 Broadway
Party: 1
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Recession Special (2 hot dogs, one drink)
Food:
The hot dogs were not very large--think small. They were decent. I mean, it's a fast food joint. Not a fan of the sauerkraut, but the mustard was good. Didn't order the other toppings, so no comment on the rest.
I ordered a papaya drink, which I do not recommend, but if you like yogurt type drinks, it's not bad.
Service:
The cashier was nice. Cash only. I changed my order three times, and I was kind of slow, but they didn't make any faces at me for being touristy.
Atmosphere:
It's a fast food place. You get your hot dogs, you get your drink, you can eat it standing up in 5 minutes.
Price: $6
Overall Grade: A- (compared to other fast food places, as opposed to comparing with a sit-down restaurant)
Restaurant: Gray's Papaya
Address: 2090 Broadway
Party: 1
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Recession Special (2 hot dogs, one drink)
Food:
The hot dogs were not very large--think small. They were decent. I mean, it's a fast food joint. Not a fan of the sauerkraut, but the mustard was good. Didn't order the other toppings, so no comment on the rest.
I ordered a papaya drink, which I do not recommend, but if you like yogurt type drinks, it's not bad.
Service:
The cashier was nice. Cash only. I changed my order three times, and I was kind of slow, but they didn't make any faces at me for being touristy.
Atmosphere:
It's a fast food place. You get your hot dogs, you get your drink, you can eat it standing up in 5 minutes.
Price: $6
Overall Grade: A- (compared to other fast food places, as opposed to comparing with a sit-down restaurant)
Monday, August 31, 2015
Leftovers Recipe: Chicken Broth
Leftover Needed: Chicken bones with meat still on it (example: leftover rotisserie chicken)
Suggested ingredients for Asian broth:
scallions
ginger
garlic
jujube (dried)
goji berries (dried)
shiitake mushroom (dried or fresh)
carrots
Suggested ingredients for American-style stock:
onion
celery
carrots
garlic
leek
parsley
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients into pot with leftover chicken
2. Cover with cold water
3. Put on stove and bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat and leave on simmer 2-3 hours
Suggested ingredients for Asian broth:
scallions
ginger
garlic
jujube (dried)
goji berries (dried)
shiitake mushroom (dried or fresh)
carrots
Suggested ingredients for American-style stock:
onion
celery
carrots
garlic
leek
parsley
Directions:
1. Add all ingredients into pot with leftover chicken
2. Cover with cold water
3. Put on stove and bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat and leave on simmer 2-3 hours
Recipe: Steamed Kale and Bacon
Food ingredients:
Kale
Bacon
Directions:
1. Slice kale and bacon into bite-sized pieces
2. Put in a steamer
3. Steam until bacon is done
Optional ingredients to add:
Onion
Bell Pepper
Salt
Friday, August 28, 2015
Pio Pio (Hell's Kitchen branch)
Date: August 26, 2015
Restaurant: Pio Pio (Hell's Kitchen branch)
Address: 604 Tenth Ave
Party: 2
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Limeno Cebiche
Juanita's Chicken
Fried Yucca
Chicha Morada (not seen in the menu)
Food:
No chicha morada on the menu, but my friend had been to Peru and requested it; it was very good. Not too sweet, and not too diluted.
The cebiche was fantastic. End of story.
We ordered an entire rotisserie chicken because it had been recommended by a different friend. The parts that were not burned were perfect. One of the wings was blackened and dry, but most of the chicken was delicious.
The fried yucca was dry, but it had a really delicious garlic sauce.
Service:
Service was okay. The fried yucca was recommended by the server, so a little bit disappointed in his taste. Water was refilled when requested.
Atmosphere:
Attempted upscale. There were candles and tablecloths and nice lighting, with a very grungy bathroom right next to our table and a metallic smell. Tables were a little too close together; we were inches away from the table next to us, and I could clearly hear the conversation coming from them.
Cost: $30/person
Overall Grade: A-
Restaurant: Pio Pio (Hell's Kitchen branch)
Address: 604 Tenth Ave
Party: 2
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Limeno Cebiche
Juanita's Chicken
Fried Yucca
Chicha Morada (not seen in the menu)
Food:
No chicha morada on the menu, but my friend had been to Peru and requested it; it was very good. Not too sweet, and not too diluted.
The cebiche was fantastic. End of story.
We ordered an entire rotisserie chicken because it had been recommended by a different friend. The parts that were not burned were perfect. One of the wings was blackened and dry, but most of the chicken was delicious.
The fried yucca was dry, but it had a really delicious garlic sauce.
Service:
Service was okay. The fried yucca was recommended by the server, so a little bit disappointed in his taste. Water was refilled when requested.
Atmosphere:
Attempted upscale. There were candles and tablecloths and nice lighting, with a very grungy bathroom right next to our table and a metallic smell. Tables were a little too close together; we were inches away from the table next to us, and I could clearly hear the conversation coming from them.
Cost: $30/person
Overall Grade: A-
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Legend Upper West
Date: August 25, 2015
Restaurant: Legend Upper West
Address: 258 W 109th St
Party: 2
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Spicy Cold Noodle
Sauteed String Beans
Twice Cooked Pork
Food:
The noodles were cold and spicy, so A+ for that. The string beans had preserved mustard greens, so also delicious. I was somewhat disappointed in the twice cooked pork; it was not nearly as spicy as I would have liked. However, my friend didn't eat spicy, and the waiter warned that it wasn't spicy enough, so I guess it's just a personal problem.
Service:
Nice. The chef is from Sichuan, and the waiter said I could ask for more spice next time. Water was refilled often.
Atmosphere:
Casual.
Cost: $18/person
Overall Grade: A-
Restaurant: Legend Upper West
Address: 258 W 109th St
Party: 2
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Spicy Cold Noodle
Sauteed String Beans
Twice Cooked Pork
Food:
The noodles were cold and spicy, so A+ for that. The string beans had preserved mustard greens, so also delicious. I was somewhat disappointed in the twice cooked pork; it was not nearly as spicy as I would have liked. However, my friend didn't eat spicy, and the waiter warned that it wasn't spicy enough, so I guess it's just a personal problem.
Service:
Nice. The chef is from Sichuan, and the waiter said I could ask for more spice next time. Water was refilled often.
Atmosphere:
Casual.
Cost: $18/person
Overall Grade: A-
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Leftovers Recipe: Korean Spicy Seafood Stew
Leftover Needed: Korean Spicy Seafood Stew
Suggested ingredients:
bean sprouts
tofu
asian noodles
mushrooms
shrimp
kimchi
fishballs
water
seaweed
Method:
1. Heat the stew until boiling
2. Add in new ingredients
3. Wait until boiling again
4. Turn off stove, serve
Adding just two or three things is enough to make the leftovers last for an extra two meals for one person. If you are making food for more than one person, treat the stew as a base for a dish and add what you want. You can also mix in your own soup base for a more nuanced flavor. If you want to preserve the original flavor, keep the added ingredients complementary to the stew base; this stew base is spicy and seafood and Korean, so adding in something like cheese or beef will drastically change the flavor.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Basera
Date: August 22, 2015
Restaurant: Basera
Address: 745 Ninth Ave
Party: 2
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Malai Kofta
Vegetable Jalfrezi
Food:
Pretty good. Not as spicy as I would have liked, and I think the masala was the same for both dishes, but one was dairy based and the other was a tomato base so it worked out.
Service:
Very nice. I asked about the ingredients in the dishes that I liked ordering and they had the answers. Water was frequently refilled. They also let us stay until closing, which was about 3 hours after we sat down.
Atmosphere:
Dim lighting, quiet. There was a sports bar and Bollywood playing on opposite sides of the room, but not in an intrusive way.
Cost: $14/person
*Sidenote: We ordered vegetarian and shared, so the cost is lower than if you were to order meat.
Overall Grade: A
Restaurant: Basera
Address: 745 Ninth Ave
Party: 2
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Malai Kofta
Vegetable Jalfrezi
Food:
Pretty good. Not as spicy as I would have liked, and I think the masala was the same for both dishes, but one was dairy based and the other was a tomato base so it worked out.
Service:
Very nice. I asked about the ingredients in the dishes that I liked ordering and they had the answers. Water was frequently refilled. They also let us stay until closing, which was about 3 hours after we sat down.
Atmosphere:
Dim lighting, quiet. There was a sports bar and Bollywood playing on opposite sides of the room, but not in an intrusive way.
Cost: $14/person
*Sidenote: We ordered vegetarian and shared, so the cost is lower than if you were to order meat.
Overall Grade: A
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Amigos
Date: August 15, 2015
Restaurant: Amigos
Address: 2888 Broadway
Party: 6
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Classic Guacamole Mild
Chopped Salad
Wedge Salad
2 Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Manhattan Latin Burger
Plain Jane Burger
Food:
Decent. Everybody ordered their own dish, but we all tried the guacamole and some of us shared our sandwiches with the salad people. Servings were large with fries and coleslaw.
The restaurant claims its guacamole is ranked "#4 in the US" by the Huffington Post. It's unclear what they were being compared with. If you are a native Californian with expectations of it tasting like the kind you get at your local California-Mexican eatery, please lower your expectations. It was a little watery, a little too sour, and the flavoring was...average.
The salads were good. They taste liked good salads, like the way that you want your salad to taste if you're ordering a salad.
The pulled pork sandwiches had very good texture, but there was way too much barbecue sauce for my personal preference. The hamburgers were a solid "good" for the two who ordered burgers.
Atmosphere:
Casual. "Mexican" style decor.
Service:
Decent. At the very end, it felt like they were rushing us to leave; they kept coming to clear away food that wasn't yet finished.
Overall Grade: B+
Restaurant: Amigos
Address: 2888 Broadway
Party: 6
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Classic Guacamole Mild
Chopped Salad
Wedge Salad
2 Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Manhattan Latin Burger
Plain Jane Burger
Food:
Decent. Everybody ordered their own dish, but we all tried the guacamole and some of us shared our sandwiches with the salad people. Servings were large with fries and coleslaw.
The restaurant claims its guacamole is ranked "#4 in the US" by the Huffington Post. It's unclear what they were being compared with. If you are a native Californian with expectations of it tasting like the kind you get at your local California-Mexican eatery, please lower your expectations. It was a little watery, a little too sour, and the flavoring was...average.
The salads were good. They taste liked good salads, like the way that you want your salad to taste if you're ordering a salad.
The pulled pork sandwiches had very good texture, but there was way too much barbecue sauce for my personal preference. The hamburgers were a solid "good" for the two who ordered burgers.
Atmosphere:
Casual. "Mexican" style decor.
Service:
Decent. At the very end, it felt like they were rushing us to leave; they kept coming to clear away food that wasn't yet finished.
Overall Grade: B+
Jaya Malasian
Date: August 16, 2015
Restaurant: Jaya Malaysian
Address: 90 Baxter St
Restaurant: Jaya Malaysian
Address: 90 Baxter St
Party: 4
Occasion: dinner
Occasion: dinner
Order:
Kang Kung Belacan (sauteed water spinach with shrimp paste)
Penang Chow Kueh Teoh (stir fried flat noodles with shrimp, chives, squid, bean sprouts, eggs, soy sauce, and chili paste)
Seafood Combination Casserole (seafood and soft tofu)
Coconut Rice
Chicken Broth Rice
Food:
DELICIOUS. The food came within a reasonable amount of time, nothing was over or under cooked, and the seasoning was perfect for our table's taste. The seafood was fresh, the tofu was soft, and the noodles were perfect texture. We ordered enough food for everybody to be full, but not too full. We ate family style.
Atmosphere:
Very casual. For friends and family. Clean, well-kept.
Atmosphere:
Very casual. For friends and family. Clean, well-kept.
Service:
Very nice. The waitresses were nice. We took a little extra time to order because we weren't familiar with some of the foods, but didn't feel rushed.
*Special note: we had a pescatarian with us, so we avoided the beef/pork/chicken section.
Total cost: ~$11/person.
Final grade: A
Final grade: A
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