Toyama Sushi

It's interesting to find that on a sunday, there's not really that many options for lunch in certain areas. Especially trying to pick one thats near the office... Wanting a light lunch and some google searching later, found this place that wasn't too far away for myself and a colleague.

Toyama Sushi

Surprised to say, it was EMPTY when we got there... and this was during lunch hour. Is that a sign for something... should I be worried??

Nabeyaki Udon

I opted for the safe option of nabeyaki udon with tempura. It tasted a little... too bland... even after overfilling it with the spices. The tempura was done well, but still doesn't seem to compensate when the udon and soup is the main thing! Wasn't a fan of the way the egg was done... not your typical japanese poached egg.

Sushi and Sashimi Lunch Menu

Sushi and sashimi lunch menu. Didn't look too fancy, and nothing surprising.

I guess an average place for a simple lunch when nothing's around. Definitely wouldn't be top of the picks for a japanese place to go to... but when there's no other options on a sunday - it will have to do. It's good value for money in a sense.

11 West 36th Street
(Between 5th and 6th Avenue)

Viet Cafe

I haven't really had any vietnamese food while here, apart from some order in which was I guess acceptable for delivery. What I thought was a warm-ish night turned out to be colder than expected and the small trek felt much longer than expected.

Viet Cafe

I've walked past this place a few times thinking I should give it a try. It's a quite spacious and dimly lit place with some vintage vietnamese paintings and stylings on the wall.

Goi Cuon

Shrimp roll... but with a modern twist. In fact, I was really impressed with the way it's done both visually and how it tasted. The only downside I found was it came with peanut sauce as opposed to the typical hoi-sin sauce with peanuts and chilli that gets served with your normal goi cuon.

Bun Cha Ha Noi

Wasn't what I expected of the pork and meatballs either. Usually all served in a bowl but this was separated out into its dipping sauce. I felt the sauce was too strong for what it was, and was slightly disappointed. That aside, the meat was done really nice.

Next time I'm back for a simple meal, would definitely give this another go. Although I want something more traditional, the modern twist does give it a fresh new feel that's worth going for.

345 Greenwich Street
(Near Harrison Street)

Bills Bar and Burger

Another famous bar and burger place to try. It's been a while since a splurge out on some "healthy" goodness, and no better way than to indulge into some juicy burger.

Girl's Scout Mint Chocolate Shake

Mint chocolate shake... shouldn't really go wrong with shakes. But maybe I was more disappointed than anything. Bills was also meant to be famous for its shakes along with burgers and beer. It was definitely interesting to have them serve the milkshake in a glass and then in the metal tumbler. What was in the tumbler were the bits that didn't fit into the glass =) Always nice to scoop out the last bits! Even better, I could then just  move all the whipped cream I didn't want into there without feeling too guilty. The shake itself was however, felt... not thick enough? It just felt like it was melting and falling apart - and didn't have the appeal to continue to finish it.

Bill's Burger

I opted for Bill's burger. It did come quite smaller than expected of a burger, and I'm definite that it wouldn't be filling (if not for the whole shake to go with it!). Again, was able to request how the patty is done which is always great. The patty was nice, but just felt it lacked something, compared to some of the other burgers I've had here. Also one of the few places with sliced up pickles!! Unfortunately they don't put it inside the burger, but on the side... along with the onions... so I put them all in myself. Now this just totally reminded me of a McDonalds quarter pounder! The bun, the toppings...

It wasn't the best burger ever... not was it the best shake. But value for money, this is pretty good. It had a nice spacious environment to sit at a table and dine at.

16 West 51st Street
(Near 5th Avenue)

Nyonya

Off to try some malaysian food... and it didn't get off to a great start upon arriving. It was packed... the only packed place around here as well, so hopefully it would live up to expectations. However... enter the restaurant and the guy says to sit down and wait to get a ticket number. Weird, but ok. And then walk in more customers and they just get given ticket numbers. Really?? Extra waiting time for no reason at all... cos of their crappy service??

Nyonya

From the initial view, looked like a small little place. Yet after having a table free up towards the back of the place did actually see it to be quite a reasonable size.

Malaysian Iced Tea

Started off with a malaysian iced tea. Not too bad, but again on the sweet side (with everything here). Would of been nicer if it tasted lighter.

Roti Canai

Home made roti canai. Crispy style pancakes with curry chicken dipping sauce. This was nice, good, but definitely had better. At least it looked appetising and wanting to have more =)

Nyonya Rajak

Fruit salad with squid, shrimp and paste sauce. Somehow... it just didn't look right, nor did it taste right. Disappointing and bland...

Hainanese Chicken Rice

I opted for the chicken rice, and the chicken was... overcooked. Then drenched in their soy sauce. The rice had a ok taste, but was just too dry for what it's meant to be. For the price, I guess you couldn't really complain but when you're paying for a meal - and at a place that's meant to be great, really did expect better.

Nasi Lemak

Now this was much better. Had the taste of what nasi lemak is meant to be!

Kind of interesting that a famous malaysian place is actually located in little italy as opposed to chinatown. Although they're not that far apart, it's still separated. Service wasn't great here... food, I guess hit and miss? It's definitely on the cheaper side, but I guess everything in and around chinatown is like that.

Possibly when I do come back, would opt for some sharing dishes and something more famous. Hopefully they'll treat us better. Definitely annoying that it only takes cash... Remember to bring some.

199 Grand Street
(Between Mott and Mulberry Street)

Ninja

Couldn't resist having more japanese (especially when its meant to be the healthier options out of all my choices). Wanted a relatively quick dinner after a late night, and even then it was hard to get a booking for 2. On a weeknight, they managed to squeeze me in at 10pm??

Something didn't feel right when they wouldn't let me wait at the table... and the fun of having to take an elevator down a floor to the restaurant and being attacked by ninja's... could definitely see the funny side of it. Something not expected and totally a great novelty, with all the waiters and waitresses in ninja uniforms LOL

Ninja

 Got seated into a little private room... but it's not exactly private. The doors are see through and it only covers one side. Yet they keep sliding it from side to side (still never figured out the reason for that tho)

Ninja

Ninja stars on the menu... but nothing too fancy about the cutlery tho. But was sure funny to watch the waiter present the menus in "ninja style".

Batto Jutsu

A duck pate with house made yuzu mustard. Rock shrimp and yuzu ceviche with carrot salad served on the side. Haven't seen dry ice been used for a while and the "fun" of the waiter making u draw out the sword and watch the smoke fill up the dish... impressive

Rock N Roll

The so called Rock N Roll NY. A spicy cray fish, avocado with habernero masago sushi roll. To make it interesting, pop rocks was in it! Having it snap and crackle and pop in your mouth... was definitely something different! Still watching more of the dry ice going everywhere... must be a theme!

Katon Explosion

Guess this is a true "explosion" when the waiter decides to play with fire and magic. The lobster and eggplant wrapped in shrimp paper, which was then lit up by fire in front of you...

Bonfire

A true bonfire? Watching my lamb chops go up in flames... Hatcho miso basted grilled lamb chops with yuzu butter torch, taro and cauliflower gratin. Tho the flames were technically just melting the butter to create a sauce... i'm liking the presentation and effects they've produced and created. Taste was just a little too strong but was still nice.

Bonfire

A better view of the lamb chops...

This place was totally not something I expected (maybe more research should be done before randomly rocking up to places with funky names). Service was nice (when they were there). Guess that might be a thing with the ninja's? Hiding... randomly popping up... playing with fire... keeps the whole time light hearted =)

Quite amazed at the speed of the food arriving at the table. Definitely much quicker than most places I've been to as well - but that might show in the slight lack of flavours in some of the dishes. Possible half pre-prepared, as there's not an extensive menu.

Would definitely come back, but with a larger group and some fun =)

25 Hudson Street
(Near Reade Street)

Blaue Gans

Austrian... was something different to go for after all this time here. Probably one of the few cuisines that I've yet to indulge into.

Blaue Gans

Wasn't a large joint, and the vintage posters cover all the walls with the mirrors making it feel much larger than it really is. Definitely has the vibe of an austrian/german hall. The menu isn't extensive, but would be sufficient. Blaue Gans translates to blue goose but there is no blue goose on the menu... and I'm not too sure on its reference.

Blood Sausage

Blood sausage with fingerling potatoes and sauerkraut. It was topped off with a hint of wasabi. Wasn't what I was expecting of a blood sausage, especially in the way it was presented. Couldn't exactly taste much of the sausage unless you scooped out a bit by itself. Unfortunately it was overpowered by the sauerkraut. That said, the sauerkraut packed a punch. Although I'm not a great fan of sauerkraut, this was pretty good.

Jager Schnitzel

Jager schnitzel with mushrooms, bacon and fresh herbs. Again, this wasn't what I expected of a schnitzel (probably from the way they've usually been done back home). It appeared much "healthier" without the deep fried crumbs all over it... and the schnitzel itself, I would say I'm liking it. It wasn't dry and the cream sauce gives it enough flavour without being over powering.

Chocolate Bomb with Pistachio Ice Cream

A chocolate mousse bomb and pistachio ice cream. This literally was a bomb... layers upon layers of chocolate with a gold leaf to top it off. Upon cracking open the first layer, you are presented with a rich chocolate mousse set over chocolate biscuits and bread. The pistachio and broken crumbs of pistachio definitely do well to break up the rich chocolate. This is definitely much more than I wanted or expected at the end of the meal. A little too much and rich for me, and probably would have been better had I skipped on the starter.

Blue goose, although I didn't get to try or see one... the food was commendable. Impressed and liked the schnitzel but the blood sausage was a bit lacking. With a few other items on the menu that looks appealing, I'm guessing I could come back for more. The down side...  the service. It wasn't great, and lacked attention to you. They definitely took their time to serve and take your orders... which doesn't go very well when you are hungry.

139 Duane Street
(Between Church Street and West Broadway)

McDonalds

I couldn't really say I've been in the US without having eaten Maccas now can I?

Third Pounder Angus Burger

So I decided to try their new third pounder angus burger. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they officially list a double third pounder, just like how they do that with the double quarter pounders.

It's not all that bad... but the bun and patty and everything else has this sweet flavour and taste to it... Unfortunately (or is it fortunate?) I couldn't supersize! I would have loved to see how large the supersized servings are, but guess in the mean time - this will do.

Mudville 9

Found a pub-style joint not too far away from where I stay (courtesy of google maps!). And they have this "wing ding" special where it's unlimited wings, fries and beer in a 2 hour limit. Being silly, this was something that's on the to-do list! But being a little smarter... decided to sample some of the food first

Buffalo Wings

Buffalo wings... at the WOW level. And it wasn't all that spicy, so I'm thinking could possibly consider the EXTREME WOW next time =P

Baby Back BBQ Ribs

I've yet to try any ribs here... and thought it would be time to give it a try. This was a full rack with a choice of side - fire roasted corn. The chilli powder didn't really hit me until afterwards... but i'd still go for it again. The ribs however, tasted nice on the outside but lacked flavour and was pretty dry on the inside... Disappointing to say the least.

The wings are definitely the go. Probably not the best I've had, but they were generous size servings. Looking forward to the unlimited wings challenge soon!

126 Chambers Street
(Near West Broadway)

La Colombe

It's been a while since the last coffee run... and in place of experimentation, decided to go with something that was known to be good (or so it appeared the first time).

La Colombe

Same name, same order, different  location. This was situated pretty much in soho and I was surprised to see it being quite empty. I guess the pouring rain outside deterred many people walking around town, but the rain wouldn't stop me for some good coffee!

Croissant

As with last time, I ordered the croissant. It looked nice and crispy and it was indeed light, fluffy and crispy on the outside. I'm believing that the butter gives all the extra flavours you want from a croissant. A great breakfast to start the day =)

Latte

Latte's... Love it how the barista draws different kinds of art on the coffees... =) Different love hearts, and I can definitely say I love the coffee here. Upon the first sip, again I could feel the tingle of the caffeine going through the whole body. What was surprising was this time it didn't last as long as the previous, but still great nonetheless.

270 Lafayette Street
(Corner Prince Street)

Basta Pasta

Having walked past this place a few times, it looked like a place that was worth trying. Seemed like a fusion of japanese and italian pasta that had recently opened up - and of course, seeing them hand make the pasta through the window in the early afternoon... definitely wanted to go and try.

Basta Pasta

What I didn't know was that this place originally started in tokyo in 1985, designed after iron chef for an open theatre type kitchen! No wonder every time I tried to book (even if it only was for 2 people) the only availability was like 10pm on a weeknight...

Basta Pasta

Some bread as complimentary starters... with a relatively large selection of different breads =)

Add caption

Compliments of the chef...

Spaghetti con Proscuitto e Parmigiana

With the open theatre type kitchen, this definitely caught my eye. Spaghetti con proscuitto e parmigiana. Essentially spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano and parma proscuitto served in a half wheel of parmesan cheese. I originally thought they'd give you the half wheel on your table to eat out of... but i'm sure that's not very practical

Insalata d'Anastra

Given the late start with the bookings, was definitely hungry and went for the smoked sliced duck breast with watercress and arugula. Duck was soft and tender, and not too chewy. The watercress and arugula was light and went well with the duck. A much larger serving that expected for a starter!

Linguine alle Pescatore

Linguine with clams, mussels, shrimp, squid and sea scallops served with white wine sauce. Definitely the best pasta I've had to date. Pasta not over cooked, and the freshness of the seafood in the sauce complements its nicely.

Dream Boat

Opted for the daily special of the dream boat to end off. An orange cream panna cotta with mint sorbet and orange campari sauce. Presentation wasn't that appealing, but the panna cotta was definitely worth going for! Mint flavoured sorbet to top it off, a great refreshing way to end!

Definitely the best pasta place I've been to... and I would say its decently priced. Given the prices some other places have listed, this is reasonable! The ambiance and feel to this place, with the open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant... definitely worth going for and going back! I know I will be going back =)

37 West 17th Street
(Between 5th and 6th Avenue)

Shake Shack

Have heard colleagues talk about the shake shack quite a few times, and that I should really give the shakes a try. On the way for some window shopping... came across one of the shake shacks.

Shake Shack

And upon entering... the queue was all the way to the front door... could it really be this good?

Shack Burger with Chocolate Shake

I opted for the shack burger with lettuce, tomato and onions. The burger wasn't something I'd go for again, was actually quite small. The bun was cold, but the patty was actually ok. The up side, was the chocolate shake I chose. In a small size to try it out, it was actually delicious for what a chain store delivers!! Cold, rich and thick it was actually a surprise to notice how nice it was (relative to all the shakes I've had elsewhere).

I know I will be coming back - just for the shakes that is (and maybe the fries that I saw everyone pick). The menu options is great, with so many choices. This also includes daily special flavours!

154 East 86th Street
(Near Lexington Avenue)

Tinto

Having seen iron chef america a few times running on tv, I was recommended to try one of Jose Garces restaurants. Jose is an ecuadorian american chef who won the second edition of the next iron chef. This definitely created some high expectations...

Tinto

The outside wasn't anything special, but upon entering - it didn't look such a big place (which probably explains why it was so hard to get a booking). Service was great after being greeted into the restaurant, apart from getting taken downstairs to a private room which was a little too dark and eyes didn't really adjust with the steps...

Tinto 

The private dining area was very nicely done. Tinto is also known as a wine bar with a vast selection of wines, and on the way to the table - there was many corks and wines on display.

Wafers

As part of the chef's complimentary dish was some very crisp wafers with a sweet dipping sauce. I was recommended to give the special pyrenees tasting menu a try. Tinto specialises in basque country tapas.

Oysters

The first dish to arrive was oysters with cava creme, egg custard and herb butter. And WOW. No questions about the wonderful presentation, especially on the egg custard with it flowing out from the egg. Tasted even better with the cava creme on the bread with nicely cooked through oyster.

Garrotxa Souffle

Next up the garrotxa souffle of a spinach crepe, grape tomato and guindilla puree. Not your typical souffle, but a spinach crepe. Definitely surprising and interesting, but works well as a light starter.

Butifarra

Still with the starters was the butifarra. A house made pork terrine, baby carrots, turnips, cornichons and mustard. The mustard seeds provided a little kick with the soft terrine on bread.

Fig and Cheese Salad

To complement the butifarra was a fig and cheese salad. The cheese balls was probably a bit much for my liking, but the fig and salad was a nice and light freshener.

Idiazabal Gnocchi

The first main dish of the night was a gnocchi in jamon serrano broth with english peas and chive. Biting through the gnocchi, you could taste the hints of smoked bacon flavour infused inside.

Manzanas

Was impressed with the apples consisting of cabrales espuma, candied shallots, pistachios and baby arugula. Another of the pretty presentations that blew me away. Texture didn't feel like an apple, but more towards a pear. Cutting through it, you could see and then taste the sweet apple juices.

Foie Gras

One of my favourite foods, the foie gras. This was served with le puy lentils, celery heart and sherry vinegar. I still have not been a great fan of lentils, but the foie gras made up for it. Cooked just enough to bring out the flavours and juice, along with the froth and foam... just great.

Merluza Al Escabeche

A pan fried sea bass served with golden potatoes, shisito peppers and champagne vinegar. Could definitely taste the freshness of the bass as it falls off the fork and knife as you cut through it.

Arroz De La Riviera

Fava beans, pearl onions, meyer lemon and mahon. Although it felt the serving size was small - this was actually extremely dense and filling. Presentation wise it looked a little bland, but unsurprisingly contained more than enough flavours. However was still probably my least impressed and liked dish of the night.

Suckling Lamb

Suckling lamb served in sliced sausages with spring vegetables and nautral jus. By this stage, all the small tapas sized servings didn't feel small anymore. The sausages were nicely cooked through and you could taste the juicy lamb.

Torrija

Torrija (bread soaked in milk and deep fried in batter) with cava anglaise and green apple sorbet. I didn't expect the torrija to be cold, but that gave it a nice refreshing feel with the sorbet. The apple sorbet had nice sharp apple flavours to balance out the deep fried bread.

Two and half hours later with my first tasting menu here in the states, combined with an iron chef, this definitely lived up to expectations in all the presentation, taste, environment and service. Could definitely say this has been one of the best meals I've had to date!!!

114 South 20th Street

(Corner Sansom Street)