Dan and Marcela

Sunday, January 15, 2012

New York: Day 2

Shake Shack!

We woke up later than anticipated and didn't make it to our planned breakfast place :p so we ended up sleeping in and went straight to lunch at Shake Shack. A lot of people recommended this burger joint. We went to the one in the Financial District, since we were going to the 9/11 Memorial, which was close by, after lunch.

Outdoor seating area

The location was on the ground floor of a downtown office building. The decor was modern/industrial, with lots of metal, TVs, and wooden counter tops. It somehow felt more "upscale" than a typical burger/fast food restaurant, like In-N-Out or Five Guys.

NO LINE! :)

Since we went on a Sunday, there was NO line. Woo hoo! We heard that the Madison Square Park location usually have lines 1.5-2 hours long. We're glad we didn't have to wait at all. Dan ordered the regular single burger, I order the 'shroom (vegetarian) burger, and we shared an order of cheese fries.

Our order took about 10 minutes, and we were excited to finally dig in! The size of the burger was actually a little on the smaller side, but definitely enough. The burger was good, simple but solid. We really liked the bun; it tasted more home made style rather than fast food.

Our order

I would say the star was the 'shroom burger. When my friend originally told me to order the vegetarian burger, I was hesitant. But I'm so glad I did! The patty was basically cheese filled mushroom, deep fried! It was so unique and delicious. When I took my first bite, I could taste the crunch from the breading, and the cheese from the patty was oozing out! Yum! The fries were good too, simple and crunchy.

Shroom burger close up

Inside view with the cheese oozing out :)

We really enjoyed our simple burger at Shake Shack. We definitely recommend this place and would come back on our next visit to NY! :)

9/11 Memorial

The memorial was recently opened and we both hadn't been, so we made this one of the places to visit while in town.

Our friend told us to get tickets online which we're glad we did. Tickets were free, but we had to bring the hard copy print outs with us. When we came, they were doing major construction so there was only one entrance! We basically walked all the way around, and it was a LONG walk. So make sure you do your research on where the entrance is to make sure you don't do what we did. There was a pretty secure security measure--we had to go through something similar to airport security.

The memorial was very nice and tranquil. I think they did a really good job by making it a fountain-like memorial.... There were 2 fountain pools: North Pool and South Pool, signifying the North Tower and the South Tower. The names of the victims were engraved on the sides.

Chelsea Market

After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, we met up with Dan's friend at their place, and they recommended we check out Chelsea Market and High Line Park. They mentioned that the Food Network studio was above the Chelsea Market which made it even more appealing to visit!

There were cute stores, bakeries, cheese monger, cupcake place, cafes, and restaurants inside the building. It reminded us of the ferry building in San Francisco. Definitely a cute place to visit and wander around - especially during the day. We came at night and some of the stores were already closed.

High Line Park

Our friend also recommended us to visit High Line Park. Since our time in New York was limited, we decided to go ahead and check it out, since it's really close from Chelsea Market.

The High Line Park is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side.

Interesting park

Since we came in January, it was really cold at night around the park. I imagine that when the weather is nice, the park would be really neat to walk around or take a jog. The elevated park is a truly unique concept, and we did get a wonderful view of the city.

Beautiful view from the High Line

Too bad it was way too cold for us to walk around for too long, so we gracefully went back down and grabbed some warm drinks indoors at the Standard hotel.

Park Benches

Babbo

For dinner, we met my high school friend who I hadn't met in 10+ years! She currently lives in NYC and suggested that we eat at Babbo which is one of Mario Batalli's restaurants--apparently it's really hard to get reservations here! We were pleasantly surprised when my friend was able to make a somewhat last minute reservation at Babbo.

We were seated on the 2nd floor, which was a bit more quiet. The price was surprisingly not bad (appetizers were around $15-$18, pastas around $25+, mains around $30+). We decided to share the appetizers and pasta with our friend, and got individual main entrees.

We ordered the following:
Grilled Octopus with “Borlotti Marinati” and Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette
Baby Wild Arugula with Parmigiano and Aceto Manodori
Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Spicy Salami Calabrese and Green Chiles
Chianti Stained Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu
Grilled Pork Chop with Cherry Peppers, Cipolline and Aceto Manodori

The grilled octopus was probably the highlight of the night. It was probably the softest, most tender octopus we've ever had.

Grilled Octopus

The arugula salad was HUGE! It was slightly drizzled with the balsamic vinegar, and served with large pieces of shaved parmigiano.

Arugula Salad

Dan liked the Chianto stained papardelle. The tomato based ragu with wild boar tasted like a meat sauce. The dish was a good, solid dish.

Papardelle with Ragu

I actually really enjoyed the black ink spaghetti. It was cooked al dente with a slight chew which was great. There wasn't a sauce per se; it was served with shrimp and spicy calabrese which tasted like bacon. There were a little too much calabrese on the plate, but overall still a great dish.

Black ink spaghetti

The pork chop was delicious. Tender, juicy, and flavorful. The portion was so huge; we were glad we shared this because we probably couldn't have each finished a main course of this size.

Pork Chop

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Babbo. We were glad to try it out, but we weren't blown away. Maybe worth checking out once, but we probably would not come back given so many other food options in Manhattan.

Friday, January 13, 2012

New York: Day 1

Doughnut Plant

After what seemed like a very long journey (it took us about an hour from our hotel due to subway construction right in the heart of Downtown Manhattan), we finally reached the Doughnut Plant a little after 9AM. I was worried that there would be a long line, but there was actually no line at all. The shop was much smaller than I originally thought. They only take cash, so come prepared. There wasn't actually much of seating area. There were 2 separate seating areas, which had doughnut patterns and a small bar with 2 seats.

The daily specials were displayed outside on a chalk board. As soon as we came in, we also saw displays of their doughnuts. Interestingly, not all the doughnuts have similar shapes like Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme. Some of their doughnuts were square and huge, some were regular size and round, and some were small without any holes.

We ordered the Peanut Butter and Jelly, Creme Brulee, and Tres Leches doughnuts. I was expecting the doughnuts to be warm since it seemed like they were making them freshly on site. However, they were not served warm. :(

Peanut butter jelly, Creme Brulee, and Tres Leches

The peanut butter and jelly was probably our least favorite. It tasted like a big bready doughnut with jelly filling and peanuts on top. However, the creme brulee and tres leches were quite good. The creme brulle was probably our favorite of the three! It had a crunchy sugary top, and a creme filling. So unique, and it was the perfect combination of doughnut and creme brulee. The tres leches doughnut had more of a cake consistency. A friend of us later mentioned that Doughnut plant is more known for their "cake" doughnuts. So, if you do decide to visit Doughnut Plant, maybe try their cake doughnuts + the creme brulee.

Cafe Habana

Cafe Habana was actually located in the same general area as Doughnut Plant (within walking distance), so we went ahead and got a second mini-breakfast (or rather snack). They are known for their grilled mexican-style corn. They actually also had a to go counter next door which wasn't open yet, so we went to the cafe.

Cafe Habana sign

The cafe looked cute and was quite packed. Thankfully we were able to get seated immediately. The seating area was very small and the tables were so close together we basically felt like we were eating with our neighbors and could hear their conversation.

Cute corner cafe

The ambiance of the cafe was casual and very down to earth. It made me feel like we're in Miami (or Cuba?). The waitresses were all very nice and friendly .

Inside the cafe

Since we literally just had breakfast and weren't too hungry, we shared one order of grilled mexican corn. Looked like almost every single table ordered at least one.

Grilled Mexican Corn

The size of the corn was actually not that big. They covered the corn with this crumbly cheese topping which worked so well with the corn. The corn was served on a stick for easy eating, and we finished it in no time. :) It was actually not that filling, but it was just the right amount for us since we'd be having lunch in a couple hours.

We really liked the grilled corn, and it was definitely a great "snack". This place will be on our list the next time we're in NY.

Peter Luger

After Doughnut Plant and Cafe Habana for breakfast, we were hoping our hotel room would be ready so we could take a quick shower and nap before lunch, but unfortunately no rooms were ready for check in. :( So, we hung out at the hotel, and then went to lunch at Peter Luger.

Dan LOVES a good steak so when we were finalizing our New York trip, I suggested that we include Peter Luger since we had heard so much about it. I called to make reservations about a few weeks before and was glad that we were able to reserve a table for lunch.

Peter Luger is located in Brooklyn, which is a little bit of a trek from mid town Manhattan. Originally we were going to take taxi, but Dan thought taking the subway would be very doable. It ended up being a little troublesome due to construction and having to transfer lines, but we made it just in time!

There was a long line when we got there, but thankfully we had reservations so we didn't have to wait too long. The restaurant looked very "old school", starting from the manual reservations on paper, all male waiters wearing white shirts, black bow ties with aprons, and no fruffy decorations or fancy plating.

Dining room

We ordered the bacon appetizer, creamed spinach side, and the porterhouse steak for two. While we waited, I nibbled on their onion bread and surprisingly really liked it even though it wasn't served warm! Then the bacon appetizer came, and it was basically a really thick cut of bacon. It was pretty good, but not out of this world.

Bacon Appetizer

Dan getting ready for the steak!

We were originally going to order the steak for one and share, but when inquiring to the waiter which cut it was, he said it was a sirloin. Having read on Yelp that the recommended cut was the Porterhouse, we ended up ordering it the steak for two.

The famous porterhouse for two

The Porterhouse was HUMONGOUS! It came sizzling hot and the plate was really hot, too! There was a sirloin cut and the filet cut which was slightly more tender and moist. The steak was cooked perfectly, and it had this slight crisp on the outside! We'd never had steak where the outside part was crispy, and we really enjoyed it.

Perfectly seared steak

The creamed spinach was the perfect accompaniment. It was so smooth and perfectly seasoned, and didn't feel heavily creamed, but had this surprisingly creamy texture. I would really recommend getting the creamed spinach here!

Creamed Spinach

After our main course and side, we were way too full so didn't get dessert. They gave us 4 Peter Lugger chocolate coins with our bill. :)

The meat was definitely high quality. It was very good and memorable, although probably not the best that we've had. Dan said it'd be #3 on his list of best steaks he's ever had (#1 at Le Villa Mahana in Bora Bora, and #2 at Gumbos in Austin, TX).

The price was quite reasonable, our total bill was $118 before tip. They only accept cash, check, or Peter Lugger credit card, so definitely come prepared!

Momofuku Ssam Bar

Momofuku is one of David Chang's famous restaurants, and we definitely wanted to check it out. They do not take reservations, so we just had to come a bit early and hopefully we're able to get a seat. We chose Momofuku Ssam Bar to visit, which was one of the more "casual" restaurants of the chain along with the Noodle Bar, although I wouldn't really describe the restaurant as casual. Apparently "Momofuku" means the "Lucky Peach", hence the peach icon for the restaurant.

Momofuku Ssam Bar

We arrived at Momofuku Ssam Bar around 7 PM, and there was a 45 minute wait. The host directed us to the bar area which was connected to the main restaurant. It was definitely a good way to wait, rather than waiting outside. It looked like a lot of restaurants in the area discouraged people congregating outside while waiting; we saw similar notes at other restaurants. The patrons we saw there were young professionals in their late 20s, early 30s, who came quite dressed up-- or young couples enjoying a hip date night.

Momofuku Sign

Since we were a bit hungry, we ordered the famous pork bun as well as the fried hominy appetizers from the bar. The pork bun was really good! Very simple, but excellent. The bao is very similar like the bao you would get at Chinese restaurants. Inside, the bun is smeared with hoisin sauce, 2 big slabs of tender juicy pork, and pickles. The fried hominy were basically corn flour fries, which was served with a creamy mayonnaise sauce. The pork bun and fried hominy appeared to be the more popular items in the bay area, since we saw many others in the bar order these same dishes.

Pork Bun

Hominy is dried corn kernels; this particular dish tasted like big corn fries. The taste by itself reminds us of corn tortilla in a mushy/fried form (like pieces of tamale). It was actually pretty good - especially with the creamy mayo sauce!

Fried Hominy

After about an hour or so, we were finally called to the main area. We actually had to share a table with a random party, but I guess that's ok. :) At this point we were already a little bit full, but we still wanted to try a couple items from the menu.

Inside the main dining area

We ordered the spicy rice cakes with sausage, mackerel sandwich, and the mixed green with XO sauce. The spicy rice cake was really good! It's basically korean dduk, but I think they deep fried them since they were really crispy! It's similar to this Korean dish called dduk bokkee, but with a modern twist.

Spicy Rice Cake with Sausage

The mackerel sandwich was really good as well. The ciabatta bread was toasted, and there were crispy shallot as well as some refreshing pickles. The mackerel was lightly breaded, and the whole sandwich was served warm. It was surprisingly very delicious.

Mackerel Sandwich

We were unimpressed with the mixed greens-- way too salty for our taste, and we were really full at this point. So, we don't recommend ordering this! :)

Mixed Greens with XO sauce

Price was actually not bad - I think our total bill was around $70 (including drink and appetizers from the bar). We definitely had a great first impression of the Momofuku chain. For dessert, we went across the street to try Momofuku Milk Bar.

Momofuku Milk Bar

Even though we were really full, there's always room for dessert, right? There was a Momofuku milk bar directly across from the Momofuku Ssam bar. The store was really small, but it was packed!

We got the cereal milk soft serve, which was their specialty as well as a couple cookies and the crack pie to go. The highlight was definitely the cereal ice cream with the cereal crunch! The ice cream tasted like cereal milk but in soft serve form, and paired with the crunchy and slightly salted cereal, it was heavenly! Definitely one of the most unique soft serve flavors I've had, and one of the best ice cream I've had too.

The star of the show: cereal milk ice cream!

Roosevelt Hotel New York

Intro: Eating Our Way in the Big Apple
Roosevelt Hotel
Day 1: Doughnut Plant, Cafe Habana, Peter Luger, Momofuku
Day 2: Shake Shack, 9/11 Memorial, Chelsea Market, The High Line, Babbo
Element by Westin Times Square
Day 3: Ippudo
Day 4: Shake Shack, Wafels & Dinges, Eataly
Day 5: Kyotofu

I booked this hotel "accidentally" through Priceline; I meant to book a different hotel but used the wrong strategy and ended up getting this hotel. I immediately panicked and checked TripAdvisor and noticed that the ratings were really low, and the pictures of the hotel looked very unpromising. The hotel looked very old and some rooms have not been renovated--my worst nightmare. I called the hotel and asked if I could request a renovated room, and they said they will put the request in, but it's not guaranteed.

The hotel location was actually pretty good-- just a couple blocks (albeit long blocks) away from Grand Central station. Our flight landed very early. We got to the hotel around 8 AM and asked if we could check in early. Surprisingly, the hotel was so full, they did not have any rooms available. I inquired to make sure that we would get a renovated room, and they said it should be no problem.

Hotel Lobby

Another view of the lobby

We went to eat and came back around 3 PM, and they finally had a room ready. Thankfully it was a renovated room. However, Dan was surprised to see how old the renovated room looked. He made a comment how he can't imagine what the un-renovated room would look like. It's funny how his hotel taste has grown similar to mine over the years; he's a lot pickier now than before. :D Anyway, we figured we'd "rough it out" for a couple days, since we'd be moving to a second hotel for the last 2 nights of our trip.

The "renovated" Room

The bedroom was ok size for New York, but the room felt dry, and there was not enough air circulation. The bathroom was really small and basic, and didn't look renovated.

Small, basic bathroom

Thankfully we didn't spend too much time in the hotel, as we were out and about eating in Manhattan. :) And we were looking forward to the 2nd half of our trip when we move to a nicer and newer hotel, the Element by Westin Times Square.

Eating Our Way in the Big Apple

We had the opportunity to go to New York for a quick 5 day trip. Dan had a business trip, and I decided to tag along. :) We had both been to New York a couple times before, so we were not planning to do too many touristy activities. Rather, this trip turned out to be more of a food excursion!

Times Square

There were too many options to choose from for our 5 day trip, but we somehow managed to get a list together, and we were not disappointed! New York really does seem to be the food mecca, even more than San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Here's an overview of our itinerary with quick first impressions. I'll blog more about the details of each place in individual posts. :)

Day 1-3 accommodations: Roosevelt Hotel - Old hotel, but near Grand Central

Day 1:
Food:

Doughnut Plant - A little disappointing
Cafe Habana - Yummy Mexican-style grilled corn
Peter Luger - Great steak, worth the trek
Momofuku Ssam & Momofuku Milk Bar - My new favorite word is Momofuku!

Activities: Grand Central, Times Square

Day 2:
Food:

Shake Shack - Love the Shroom Burger
Babbo - Not bad, but not that great either

Activities: 9/11 Memorial, Chelsea Market, High Line Park

Day 3-5 accommodations: Element by Westin Times Square - Modern, eco friendly hotel - our kind of hotel :)

Day 3:
Food: Ippudo - Solid but expensive ramen!

Day 4:
Food:
Shake Shack (Madison Square Park) - Nice outdoor space, but lots of crazy & aggressive squirrels
Wafels and Dinges - I still prefer SF's waffle mania truck
Activities: Eataly

Day 5:
Food: Kyotofu - Order the tofu dessert!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Happy New Year from New York!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a good break over Christmas and the New Year holiday. We spent time with Dan's family over the holiday and had a wonderful and relaxing time.

We are currently in New York City for our first trip in 2012. This particular trip is a quick culinary tour :) Really, our itinerary consist of food places to try for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert! We compiled a list of recommendations from our friends, and so far almost everything have been spot on!

I'll wait until we get back home to write down more detailed review, but here's a preview of one highlight from day 1, cereal milk soft serve with cereal crunch from Momofuku milk bar!

Cereal soft serve - Momofuku Milk Bar

Pages