here and there~ crumbs everywhere~

I am sooo behind with posting about my recent food-adventures!  this post might be a bit random (goes back to my weekend in NYC in early Feb!) but here we gooo~

Thalia (8th Ave and 50th street, NY)

one place I would really like to recommend is Thalia by Columbus Circle area in NYC.  It’s your typical midtown restaurant really.. but what i enjoyed about it is that it’s quite low key in a chillax atmosphere~  Also, who can say no to $1 oysters???!  Thalia does offer dollar a shuck DAILY from 7pm to 10pm— which is AMAZING b/c the only thing you have to figure out is “do i want oysters today?” and if yes, then just visit Thalia at 7 or later.

Fried Calamari is also a solid choice as well.  $9 on the menu and as you can see, the portion is GIANORMOUS!  i think the plate– more like a bowl, i think.. offers more than what you get at Cheesecake Factory AND almost at half the price! lol This will be a MUST get from now on.  it makes a great happy hour muncher.

Squid ink Capellini $20

this is actually from my 3rd and most visit at Thalia.  Super hungry when i arrived at the restaurant and decided to order an entree even though my friends and I were just relaxing with some oysters and drinks~

for a while now, i’ve been trying to figure out why Thalia only has 3.5 stars on yelp.. and I guess because of that, i wasn’t holding very high expectations when coming here~  but so far each time after my meal, I’ve always walked out of Thalia in content and satisfaction.  So of course, the Capellini did not disappoint and only surprised me.  For those who are fans of seafood, you have probably heard of or tried the squid ink pasta.  it is soooo delicious especially, in all its al dente-ness.  i highly recommend this flavorful tour di mare dish and i feel like Thalia is quite generous with its portion too! look at all those clams and mussels!  there are shrimps and calamari in there as well!  it really brought out the squid ink/fresh taste of the sea flavor in the pasta and complemented the seafood extremely well.

Ai Fiori (36th st and 5th ave, NYC)

Ai Fiori is definitely one of the more memorable dining experiences in my life. they offer a $90 4-course dinner with a wide array of choices~  and to start, they gave us a complementary sample of their cream of wild mushroom soup.  it was fantastic!  as soon as i took the gulp, I instantly wanted to wave down the waiter to order more!– but.. i didn’t… haha no joke, it was that captivating!  they also top the soup off with a dollop of buttery whipped cream? it made it even smoother and literally melts down your throat.

onto the actual first course~!

Lobster Salad

this is completely different than what i had pictured in my head.  Yes, i know it’s missing a lot of greens….? haha actually the whole appetizer only consisted of lobster meat with their special dressing.  the closest comparison i can think of is the chicken salad? or potato salad? but minus all the lardy mayonnaise in the mix.

Scallops in bone marrow

of all the appetizers on the menu, i think, hands down, this is the best choice of all.  If you’ve ever had the Japanese Tonkotsu broth ramen, then you probably have an idea what bone marrow tastes like.  it delivers a potent and distinct savory taste to your pallet.  somewhat resembles how truffle adds a punch of deliciousness to whatever it touches.  the scallops and the marrow became perfect complements.  it’s another one of those dishes where with just one bite, it makes you craaave for another.  the taste of the sauce definitely lingers and grows as you masticate another scallop.  if you enjoy and actually prefer dishes where there are levels of flavors, this is a must-try!

2nd course! pasta!  I had the blue crab linguini (on the left) and him– the squid ink with more! scallops (well baby shallots)! haha  i looooved the crab pasta!

the shape of the squid ink was pretty cool~  i wish i know how they made it into a spiral haha i felt like a little kid at a science museum just examining and  starring at the pasta in awe.  anywho~ it was yummy and that’s all that matters really.  haha  it had a lighter taste than my blue crab noodles.  though not surprising when compared to crab meat, since out of all the critters under the sea, i’d say crab is the crustacean king of aroma.

3rd Course – long island duck, foie gras, apples, chestnuts, mustard greens

Compared to the first 2, the entree was kind of underwhelming~  maybe because by the 3rd dish, we were somewhat feeling full already.  it was delicious with the foie gras but it didn’t wow me.

Dessert – Apricot tart (?) with sorbet

i am no connoisseur of desserts, but it was yummy! it was like a light apricot tart paired with some dark chocolate sauce on the side.

I highly recommend Ai Fiori in NYC.  it was definitely one of the most memorable dinners i’ve had.  the taste was so fresh and fabulous~ it’s no wonder why they have 1 Michelin star.  i think they’re most known for the pasta and after trying it out, i can see why! that was definitely my favorite course! yum yum~ i hope to return soon!

to be continued…

Xmas FEASTING!!!!!

It has been so long since I posted about food!

Thankfully, with the holiday and the wonderful gifts it has brought to my family, I got oodles of pictures to share again ^_^

12/22 Ocean City Seafood Restaurant (Chinatown, Philly)

dim sum is definitely one of favorite meals of all times~ not only is the food delicious– you get your portion of fried stuff and many steamed dumplings and assorted buns!  <— those are undoubtedly some of the best of chinese food!   It also tends to bring families together ❤  it’s hard to come by some good-o-quality time with the family during the busy modern era now a days…

my experience at Ocean City was good– there’s a decent variety, nothing tasted weird and everything was clean (that I can see ^^;;).  the other competitor in the area is Ocean Harbour.. I think I prefer this one since the food tasted a little fresher.

12/23 Han Dynasty (Cherry Hill, NJ)

unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures for this one.. if you’ve been, then you probably know about the Dan Dan Noodles which is my favorite at Han!  the other one is the Wanton in Chili Oil~  another favorite that we got was the “Fish in Hot Sauce” — it is exactly what it sounds like haha but with more flavor and umph.  The fish fillet is covered in a gravy like sauce with red pepper flakes sprankled ALL OVER the dish.  Celery and cabbage at the bottom as garnish.  The fish is slippery and silky like tofu.  I highly recommend trying this as it is a well-known dish to the locals of szechuan as well.

I do have several pictures uploaded onto Yelp from my previous pics, you may check them out here:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/han-dynasty-cherry-hill#hrid:z1-AmNSxfdeYGXeXMCalFQ

12/24 Scaturro’s (Marlton, NJ)

Xmas eve dinner! We had so many people at dinner, we ordered a bunch of the appetizers to share and then our own entree.  THERE WAS SO MUCH FOOD!! I brought half of my dinner home and ate it the next day lol

Fried Calamari

Grilled Octopus

Buffalo Mozzarella (left) and cold fish (right)

“Veal Oscar” with crab meat and parm mashed potatoes

I’m not sure if i have a favorite that’s a “must-try” if anyone ever asks me… everything was fabulous but I wasn’t wowed.  The most unique I would say is the Grilled Octopus and the cold fish.. haha I wish I know the actual name of it.. but i didn’t pay too much attention to the menu.

Tiramisu

This was delicious!  it didn’t feel heavy~ it carried the balance of sweet and coffee taste.

12/25  Xmas brunch! Homemade ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT dumplings!

this was pretty awesome~ all the parents (except for the men.. so I guess really just all the ladies in the house ^^;;) took part in wrapping the dumplings and cooking them for everyone 🙂  I feel very blessed to be part of this wonderful and loving family, feeling the love in every bite :3

Xmas dinner at Imperial Inn (Chinatown, PA)

Roasted Pork with jelly fish

Lobster and crab stir fried with scallion and ginger

fried quail? pigeon? bird? and steamed fish in soy sauce

lastly… fried noodles and fried rice in ying yang sauce

Ying Yang Fried Rice is one of my favorites of all times! I think mainly because it’s somewhat rare even for restaurants in Hong Kong/China.  In fact, this was my first time having it in the states.  It was sooo nostalgic… haha can’t say it was 5 star quality but still yummy– partially because I was savoring it from my memories too lol  not to many people are fans of this dish because of the butt load of sauce? kids love it though.  🙂 the white side is more of a creamy sauce with shrimp.  The red is made from ketchup, sweet n sour, with chicken.

12/26 BOXING day feast!

during the past couple days, the families have been taking turns picking a restaurant and etc… this time, my Iranian aunt wanted to reach out of the norm for my traditional chinese family and introduced to my stubborn dad the flavors of Lebanon!  (well living in the suburbs, you’re limited to choices.. the below is the closest we could get to a authentic middle eastern style dinner ^^;;)

catered by Norma’s (Barclay plaza, Cherry Hill, NJ)

 from bottom up: flavored rice, salad, falafel, hummus&pita and tabbouleh!  (we made a side of steamed broccoli lol)

lamb and chicken kebabs!  beef kebabs(? on the left)

close up of the Falafel

we had SOOOO much Tabbouleh, this is like the end of it haha

we also got food from Joe’s Peking House (Marlton, NJ).  But i get that so often, i didn’t even bother taking pics haha.  I would recommend getting the fish filets in clay pot.  We also got their sweet and sour pork which is always a solid choice.  Stir fry clams deliver a kick every time.  Overall, if you  haven’t been, definitely give it a try.  A very consistent Chinese restaurant in south jersey.

that’s all I got for now!  🙂

New Year’s Day fooding

So my boyfriend took me to a place called Bice Ristorante in Midtown.  It was such a nice surprise because I did not expect to go some place fancy and have a full-on-dine-out with 3 courses.

Crab Cakes

They were good, but the calamari appetizer was better.  There is a spicy tomato sauce that accompanied it and it was the BOMB! Took the typical and ubiquitous calamari to the Bice exclusive taste.

Taglioni pasta with lobster and mushroom

Again, it’s cooked in the wonderful tomato sauce I adore so much.  The whole time i was eating this, trying to find my way around with the different ingredients and flavors… the lobster and mushroom didn’t stand out too much, but the basil with tomato did!  I enjoyed it nevertheless, the texture of the noodles was bouncy but not too chewy.  Delicious!

"Baked Alaskan"

For dessert, I got the chef’s choice.  It is actually caramel & vanilla ice cream hidden under the cover of whipped cream or something alike~  i loved it, one it’s so photogenic! 😀 two, how can anyone not like ice cream?! yum yum yum perfect way to end the meal 🙂

Just a note: the total for our bill came out to like $163.xx… was it worth over 100..? Absolutely not! It was tasty but definitely not worth that price.  So personally, I wouldn’t recommend going there.. you can get a much better value and at a lower cost.  Cheers! 🙂

7 E 54th St
(between 5th Ave & Madison Ave)
New York, NY 10022

Hong Kong yum yum!

Came here for dinner tonight, so delicious! haha of course I would cut off its name in the picture.  But yeah it’s far deep in New Territories, I doubt people will go all the way there for this restaurant. haha but if you REALLY need to know, just ask 🙂

This! One of my favorites! A chao zhou (潮州) folk dish.  Deep marinated soy sauce squid and intestines.  It is called “Da Lang” （打冷）.  Soy sauce marinated things might not seem all that special.  I guess what captures me is the ingredients used in this.  Seriously, how often are you gonna eat goose intestines?  They also have pig ears, cow tongue, red sausage, etc etc~ There are so many choices! Ps it’s goose in the back. 😛 yum.  By the way, if you have not tried goose before.. it tastes exactly like duck.  Except geese are BEEFIER 😛 and FATTER holding more of the savory bird taste.  Both dishes are also paired with tofu at the bottom.  I love tofu! such a good healthy stable :3 How can I not love this stuff?

Another one of my all time favorites, the oyster pancake! There are a lot of ways making it and I have never tried 2 that taste alike.  There is the one with a higher concentration of egg in the batter.  So essentially, it turned into oyster scrambled egg.. but this is the extreme fried pancake version! Every bite like popped in my mouth! As you can tell by its texture, it’s bubbly.  It was I-want-seconds delicious! The oysters weren’t over-cooked at all and they were moist at heart under its crispy outer coating.  This one here definitely deserves praise.  I’ve had many in my life and there was only other one that was simply unforgettable.  It’s so nostalgic… the last time I had such a fabulous one was 3 years ago.  However, I will say that the one delivered by Penang in Philadelphia also packs a punch as well.  But like I said, every one is different, they all have their special characteristic that brands the restaurant.  It’s difficult to compare sometimes and decide on one single winner.

The finale of the night, the salt baked fish.  It was baked with a full bowl of sea salt covering not only the body of the fish, but also it overflowed the plate.  It wasn’t the highlight of my dinner… well, the presentation, maybe 😛 but taste wise was so-so.  I just find it so interesting how you must cut it open, pretty much detach the skin and only eat the meat and not the coating.  So supposedly this type of fish (I have no idea what it’s called) has a very rough and basically non-nutritional skin b/c of its habitat.  However, if you prepare it in this way (a very popular Thai street snack), it instantly upgrades to being a worth mentioning delectable.  Bottom line: fair enough. lol

Dessert? We went next door to a mango specialty dessert place.  Yum~ except I didn’t order anything containing mango because I still have to mango mochi that no one would eat with me!! 😦 but yea haha I got the coconut milk purple rice “tong shui” (糖水).  It’s a thick syrupy water based dessert soup.  Rich with the coconut cream and healthy with its ingredients.  It was the perfect way to call it a night. 🙂

a midnight snack that won’t make me fat

As I’ve shared before, I love to eat .. and I tend to get hungry very often.  But just like every other girl, I am afraid that I’ll eat too much and I’ll gain weight and then my boyfriend won’t like me anymore!! ;_; ok. ok. I’m going too far. 😛 You get the idea… So anyways, I always get hungry right around bedtime.  It is absolutely the worst habit to get into… but when a girl’s hungry, a girl has got to eat! In order to make myself feel less guilty tonight, I snacked on this!

Salad with ham + 1/2 croissant = I will not get fat! 😀

Now there is actually more to this post than my insecurity ranting on the surface :P.  As I’m sure you know, the typical American diet often lacks daily servings of veggies.  Even when you think you got your portion, I still think it is not enough.  The best way to stay healthy is to get more veggies than meat.  I try to reach the ratio of 2:1, meaning for every bite of meat, I want to eat AT LEAST 2 bites of veggies.  Hence, the late night salad.  It is a great chance to catch up and double the intake of veggies.  Plus, veggie consists of mostly water content and a key ingredient in helping you have a smooth excretion process.

Key dressing: I am using the creamy caesar dressing– you might think, if one really cares about health, then one should use low fat or at least not creamy… But come on, let’s admit it, low fat is no fun… life is short! Have to enjoy every moment of it with tasty food 🙂 I know creamy is not the greatest, BUT! there is a way to counter attack that, I squeeze fresh lemon juice and mix it with the salad dressing.  I have a strange affinity to lemon juice…?? I add it to everything.. salad… pho… fried calamari… fried seafood… my tea…. yeah, also lemon has mucho! vitamin C and it helps break down those fatty acids!  Anywho, you’ve heard it before, don’t drench your salad, use just enough to get a taste of flavor in every bite.  Add little by little! 🙂

I don’t know why but felt extra hungry today.. So I added more ham.. I usually prefer to eat a no-meat salad.  But I’ll let you know right now, eating a salad with no protein DOES NOT fill you up!! To ensure I won’t remain hungry after the salad, I got half a croissant too. Yum~~

One important point to remember if you are interested in losing weight is that not eating is not the only method.  Not eating what you desire will only increase your craving.  If you are unable to suppress your inner beast, you will result in the opposite of your initial intention.  Thus, the key is to eat! with moderation.  For example, the croissants looked mighty tasty on my dining table… I could wait until morning and eat.. but I want to eat now.. Ok, no problem.  I could eat a WHOLE croissant, but I chose to eat half.  Compromise!!  Also, PATIENCE is the ultimate factor in winning this long battle against yourself! 🙂 Like the story of the turtle and hare, “slow and steady wins the race”.

Ps. I’m not just saying this b/c… I can :P.. this is actual talk from experience… I lost 15 lbs in 2 years time and have been able to keep it off without dramatic changes in my lifestyle and diet. I eat fried chicken with joy and satisfaction ^_^ v

Lastly, I finished my snack with a hot green tea latte~ yum yum (you can purchase this in most Asian supermarket, it is an instant beverage with hot water)

Now I will do some yoga moves!! 😀 😀 exercise is good for your body!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Hurricane?!? meh, spring roll time!

Yesterday was dumpling… today was spring rolls!! Making this a shorter post because I got a how-to video this time. 😛 so enough said… check it!

they look a little like mini fried chinese burritos… LOL but the important point is that they’re delicious!

Yogurtland adventure <3 (in Jersey!)

At last! I finally got my hands on this yogurt! I’ve been seeing all this Yogurtland buzz on the internet and was wondering what it was for the longest time.  At first, I thought it was only a west coast thing, then I wouldn’t be able to do anything other than sit at home and be jealous.  But luckily, New England States have a Yogurtland or two, too!! Right here in New Jersey.  Needless to say, I had to go!

I was so excited! and finally arrived at the destination.  I was never a huge fan for red mango or pinkberry… it was ok, but never overflowing with joy and satisfaction.  However, after I tried several flavors at Yogurtland, I knew I found my yogurt spot!  The moment I tasted the red velvet cupcake batter, I thought I landed in dessert heaven.  Then I tried a couple more and lastly came across taro.  Once I put that in my mouth, I was dead set on getting it! YUM~!

I felt like a little kid in a candy store.  My eyes were glistening like I turned into an anime character and stared at these adorable spoons and yumming each scope of yogurt.  Seriously, how can you not like this place? Delectable and unique flavors with an abundance of cuteness! The only thing that I was disappointed with was that they ran out of the special Hello Kitty paper bowls… 😦 I hope they get more in, so I can complete the full sanrio Hello Kitty scene at Yogurtland.  Also, unfortunately I already missed the Hello Kitty and chocolcat spoons when the campaign first launched, but at least I have melody and Keroppi.  I’m happy 🙂

I decided not to get any souvenirs… Mini Keychains for $3.50 (seems like they ran out), plush keychain $8, and T shirt for $19.99.  The spoons are enough for now. 🙂 they will be my official yogurt-eating spoons 🙂

To share the knowledge of Yogurtland to the east coasters, here is Yogurtland’s full menu:

I’m looking forward to trying more flavors :3 Like greentea and lychee.  Vanilla waffer sounds good, too.  For now, I’m super duper content with red velvet and taro.

So yeah, until next time! I hope the summer fun continues!

new york food tour 1

pick some booger or w/e

drink and eat

inevitable stage

This cartoon is cute, right? I think it explaines my daily routine perfectly when I was in nyc.  All i did was pull some silly stunts, eat and drink, and poop it all back out! It’s a perpetual cycle LOL “gross….” I know! but I’m still amused. 😛

Anywayz, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve been going in and out of NYC.  You probably have an idea of what I spent most of my time doing… Eat.  NOM NOM NOM NOM~  I feel so fortunate to be able to have a taste of the city each time.  Now I feel like I have the duty to share my experience with the woOORrld, which brought about “NYC food tour 2“, my first post. Quite frankly, the major stimulus for starting this blog is because I really needed a place to write down all the places I went to before I forget!  So now catching up with what’s going on.  Part 2 is already up, now comes part 1.  This list is definitely not as long, it’s a little less… diverse? but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t expensive lol and I assure you it was just as adventurous as part 2.  Again, for now they are linked to my yelp page with my reviews.  Maybe more on this later.

1. PS 450 – typical pretentious midtown bar but with bangin’ food!
2. Lavo – for Restaurant week
3. Totto Ramen
4. The Cupping Room – happy hour free wings
5. Papatzul
6. Original chicken and rice
7. Ava Lounge – Gilt City’s 4 margaritas for $24
8. Almond– brunch