xteethx

Leaving NYC

I feel like I just got here but I’m preparing to leave NYC come August, maybe even July. There are so many things up in the air; I don’t even know for sure if I should be looking for jobs in Atlanta as H may not stay there for his career. So there are huge life changes ahead but still so much uncertainty that’s hanging over my head like a cloud, much like the  weather these days. I’m going to show the apartment to a couple people and I’m still trying to think of how to get my crap to ATL…

I came back from Bridgehampton where a childhood friend of mine had a group show opening at a gallery that’s been converted from a small barn.  It was such a nice day; the sun finally came out (now it’s overcast again) and I enjoyed catching up with her and hanging out with her friend Ben.  I realize you can’t take open-minded people for granted. Even though I realize Ben and I are probably so different we were able to discuss so many different subjects with mutual respect. Good company is gold…

We went to B. Smith’s, a restaurant on the waterfront where the Bloody Mary and the lobster roll were disappointing. I almost feel like I have to restore my faith in the lobster roll by going to Luke’s. But at least the oysters were good and we were on the waterfront.

We sauntered to the beach at Sag Harbor. It was so nice to just lie down and hear the waves lapping on the shore.

We headed to the gallery and looked at some paintings while sipping on wine and beer. I thought I could people watch for hours there…lots of yuppies for sure and people with these gorgeous manicured dogs. But the owner, Silas, didn’t seem so pretentious. Really quiet guy with a gentle demeanor.

We went to Pierre’s for dinner where I shared the bouillabaise with Ben. The broth was pretty amazing. We finished with this chocolate neopolitan dessert and coffee.  During dinner, this lady next to us started chatting with us. She was really sweet. Her name was Leigh and she lives on 57th and Park and also owned a home in the Hamptons.  Her husband passed away in the last year or so and I think she was trying to make the best of things, even if it meant dining alone and enjoying a dinner of wonderful mussels.  It seemed liked she was really active, traveling a lot and maybe taking on some entrepreneurial opportunities in the restaurant business.  I was really happy for her, that she was making the most out of life despite losing her husband. She wasn’t stuffy and seemed very kind; it’s nice to meet people like her.

We went back to Manhattan and I passed out. I’m thinking of making a final list of things to do in NYC before I have to leave. I realize it will probably revolve around food. there are way too many restaurants to try but I would love to eat at Balthazar and Luger’s before I go. Billy’s cupcakes too. Luke’s Lobster one more time. Maybe the mermaid bar as well. We’ll start with those, and then maybe I can work toward having oysters at John Dory’s and visiting Per se and the Fig Leaf and Olive. Oh goodness, maybe Restos. And Cask’s? Babbo’s for sure.

I’ll miss eating in NY, which is everything to me. I don’t care for the shopping or clubbing, but I will miss the eating. I won’t miss the everyday stress of the city…the crowded streets in Soho near work or  by Herald Square, or the crazy cars and bicyclists running the lights, the blaring of the horns, or the dirtiness of the subways. After awhile, you do feel like you’re stuck on an island because it’s such a trip to go out to NJ or most of Brooklyn. I still hate Brooklyn and all its pretentious bs. Shut up and stop wearing empty frames.

H visited me for the fourth time. You want to read the recap? You do, don’t you. He came while my friend whom I met in Korea was visiting so it definitely felt like a full house. He came on a Saturday and we went to the Madison Square Park eating fair where we ate some Asia Dogs and other finger food. We went back home to chill for a bit before going to Primehouse for dinner at 8:30.

Somewhere along the way I lost my glasses because I couldn’t find them in my purse when we went to have brunch at Osteria Morini’s the following day.  Anyway H’s egg crepe special was friggin amazing. I had some seafood pasta which was pretty good too but I never tried an egg dish that good before. I also ordered some dessert and then we came home. I think we were trying to watch Good Night and Good Luck with my friend from Korea, Hee Young, but H fell asleep a few times.  We went to church service and then H treated us for Pio Pio for dinner.

I don’t remember what I did Monday. Oh yeah we went to Pocha with Kumar and had pajun and budeh jiggae.

Tuesday I went to Brooklyn to Kumar’s sweet new pad where H was staying.  It’s two floors and he has a nice patio and balcony.  We went to the Gowanus Yacht Club (clever irony, right?) where Kuma’rs friend Pria met up with us and we all had dinner at some Thai place. Afterward we went to a swanky bar called Clover Club where I had some excellent oysters. It was the perfect thing to have after Thai. It was nice hanging out with them…I don’t know what we were talking about; just that we were all cracking up a lot. I said my goodbyes to H since he was leaving the next day when I’d be at work.

I’m going to ATL for Memorial Day weekend. I can’t wait. My friends tell me not to rush into living with H but I don’t have any qualms about it. I have never felt so sure about someone before and I’ve never been so compatible with someone before that it just seems so crystal clear to me that we’ll be together.  I’m sure we’ll discover more things about each other, some good or bad, but I don’t have any doubts about him boys and girls; no doubt whatsoever.

Jackpot

I’m still blown away by how lucky I am to have met him; I almost feel apologetic talking about it.  It’s infinitely better than winning the lotto..and like everyone else, I’d really like to win the lotto.

I feel like my friends had normal doubts and concerns about the people they were dating: he’s not affectionate enough, she’s too possessive, etc. but I don’t have any of that with H and I feel so blessed for that.  We talked about how meeting each other felt like it was too good to be true. But I don’t want to expect so little out of life anymore; why not expect more?  Jesus said he came to give life and give life to the fullest…

I don’t think we even know how to imagine what that would look like because we are so limited in everything from our fears and imagination.  As much as we think we’re beyond our time, we are so constrained by it. C.S. Lewis writes:

In fact what I so proudly call "Myself" becomes  merely the meeting place for

trains of events which I never  started and which I cannot stop.  What I call

"My  wishes" become merely  the desires thrown up  by  my physical  organism

or  pumped  into  me  by other men's  thoughts  or  even

suggested to me by devils.

I don’t think we can comprehend the best God has in store for us but I imagine it’s far crazier than winning the lotto.

I went to Morning Star today and I really appreciated the pastor’s vulnerability. He talked about the idolatry we have in our lives, which he defined as anything or anyone we value or trust more than God.  He shared that success was his idol, having grown up as an ambitious person.  He couldn’t help but to compare himself to his group of college friends that include a successful doctor, a president of a TV network station, a speech writer for Obama and a  major league baseball player. He once felt ahead of them as he used to work at a prestigious consulting firm before God reminded him of his promise to go into ministry.

I think anyone in NY can identify with this; who isn’t obsessed with his or her career here and how they measure up to others? Of course I also worry about money…but it is refreshing to see how often Jesus specifically tells us not to worry about money; that he already knows that we need all these things. It’s all about trust…

After service, I met up with H’s good friend and his wife.  I thought it might be awkward to meet them since we’ve never met each other but we ended up having a four hour lunch at Eat, a Thai place on the Upper East Side. It was really nice to get to know them and share so much with them already.  They also paid for me which was generous of them.

Overall I just had a pleasant weekend.  I went over Gary and Kat’s place for the first time on Friday. It’s a nice apartment by Columbus Circle that overlooks Lincoln Center and 9th avenue.  We watched Kentucky beat Ohio and VCU beat Florida.  I played with their two cats nd learned how to play liar’s poker. It was 3 in the morning before we knew it.

Saturday Mon and I went to Minetta Tavern to try the black label burger which lived up to its $27 price tag. Afterward I got a cortado at Third Rail (it’s the smallest cortado in the city and didn’t live up to its $3.50+ price tag) and then we walked through Washington Square Park. It was pretty cold but we walked back to my place.  Later on I went to Arirang kal kooksu for the first time with Yujune; it’s always pleasant to meet up with her.

I have a feeling work is going to be really busy tomorrow; Mondays always are. At least I will be going to Atlanta for the first time in my life on Wednesday and will be seeing H and my dad…

Purple Yam

Has it really been six months since I wrote about food on my blog? I blame www.eatclub.wordpress.com since I’ve been writing there and not here.  Anyway, consider these posts as rare gems; I only blog when I find things really, really interesting.

I went to Purple Yam on Memorial Day since I figured eating at a Filipino restaurant would be appropriate if I’m missing out on barbecue.  First oddity I noticed is that there are quite a few Korean dishes on there.  I later learned that the restaurant is known for its expansive menu and fusion tendencies. While reviews can help you steer clear of bad choices, I’m glad I didn’t read anything about the restaurant beforehand because I would’ve been a lot more selective and less adventurous.

My friend and I settled on the shrimp and scallion pancake (it screams Korean), adobo chicken and Korean meatballs. (I didn’t even know Koreans had meatballs but here it was, so I had to get it.) The scallion and shrimp pancake was similar to the Korean “pajun”, except it was a bit thicker. So far so good.

The adobo chicken was pretty good; I honestly have nothing to compare it to since I don’t eat adobo on a regular basis. I found it a little sour but it was enjoyable with the rice.

The Korean meatballs were served on a yam baguette with a side of 1 mm cubic radish kimchi and hot pepper sauce.  It was pretty good but pretty greasy.  I’m not sure what was so Korean about it, save for the kimchi condiment.  I opted not to use the hot red pepper sauce because it overpowered the sandwich.  Overall, it was good but it seems much more like an experimental item than a mainstay on a menu.

The second oddity I must mention here is that none of the plates and silverware matched. They looked like dishes they picked up at a garage sale. But when I noticed that the patron next to me also had one pink chopstick and one beige chopstick, I figured that this rag-tag look was intentional. Check out the chips on pot of adobo chicken and the missing handle. If anything I found it more off-putting than endearing but when it comes to Filipino food, I feel like it’s more about the comfort than presentation.

For dessert, I ordered a scoop of the banana rum and coffee ice cream, both of which were excellent. The banana rum had chocolate chips in it and the coffee ice cream was as rich as your morning espresso. Of course we had to try the halo halo. I found the best part to be the flan and the purple yam ice cream; such an awesome combo.  I didn’t find the rest of it that great; I’ve had better with Korean “pat bing soo” and I think you would too, with its crazy variety of fruits, red bean and different toppings like Fruity Pebbles.

I would definitely like to go back to Purple Yam and try all the other appetizing items I missed like the different lumpiyas and the pancit.  And I’d definitely have to go back just to order the flan with a nice heaping of purple yam ice cream for dessert.

Kati Roll

In a hurry for some curry?  Grab a kati roll, an Indian-style type of burrito that’s slender and has your choice of veggies or meat mixed with Indian spices.  (Even beef is served here.)

Kati Roll Midtown

I went to the midtown location which was a very orange and cute place with Old Bollywood movies adorning the walls.  It’s a no frills place; no utensils or anything.  I went for the Aloo Masala roll (spicy potatoes) and the Chicken Unda roll (chicken + egg) and I have to say the Aloo Masala won hands down; it was just tastier with whatever secret spice they put in it.  The Chicken Unda roll was a little bland for my taste. When I asked for some hot sauce, they gave me a bunch of green chopped chillies that looked deathly.  I used sparingly and survived.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to come to this place just because it wasn’t a completely orgasmic experience.  It wasn’t completely cheap either.  You can easily eat two rolls which will cost you anywhere from $8- $10 depending what you get.  If you’re going for cheap eats, there’s a lot more cheaper alternatives that will make you feel more full, such as Baoguette.

Baoguette

was good but they need to update their Websites.

As I wrote in Cupcake Stop, I went to the one on Lexington Ave & 25th but my date was waiting for me at the one in the East Village. My bf sent me a link of a review through TONY but I checked the restaurant’s Web site for more information which only had the Murray Hill location listed.   Another Web site lists all the current locations. (Okay so I need to plan better too)

The one on Lex feels like a shoebox where the only place you can sit and eat is on the bar stools along one side of the wall. The one on St. Marks is where you want to go eat with your friends.  Anyhow I wolfed down 1/2 of the catfish bahn mi while I was in a taxi going to the East Village location.  It was pretty tasty and all the ingredients were fresh; loved the spiciness of it.

I finished the other half when I finally got to the St. Marks location.   Had one spring roll which was good; tasted fresh and was nice with the dipping sauce.  I finished the other roll later on in the day and felt completely full;  did not even feel a need for dinner.  I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a healthy, cheap way to get full.  These bahn mi sandwiches are cheaper than others I’ve found in Manhattan but not at the expense of quality.

By the way, the owner grows his own veggies and grew this monster zucchini.

Luke’s Lobster

Luke's Lobster, 93 E. 7th St. NY

Taste of Maine (or 1/2 of Noah's ark)

Loved it. Yeah the portions are small but America needs to be weaned off of super size portions.  Trust me, even though you feel like you can eat five lobster rolls, you’ll feel full after eating $20 “Taste of Maine” which includes a shrimp, crab and lobster roll, two empress claws, chips and a drink.  The meat is fresh and was well-seasoned and even the rolls were toasted just right.  Shrimp roll was surprisingly good; would have to say that that was my favorite roll.

I’d definitely recommend this place if you’re in the mood for some fresh seafood without the hassle of using a nutcracker.

p.s.  Skip the pumpkin pie soda; the root beer was better.

Cupcake Stop

Unbeknownst to me I was going to the wrong restaurant to meet my beau when I came across the Cupcake Stop truck!

AND they were giving out free pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes on that day…holla!

I also got red velvet cupcakes at $2.50  each.  Honestly I didn’t think they even tasted like red velvet. It tasted like plain yellow cake to me with sweet frosting.  It was still good nonetheless, but the red velvet taste was hardly there.

Pumpkin cheesecake

Red Velvet

Although the pumpkin cupcake looks inferior to the red velvets, I thought it tasted better. I love that combo to begin with so maybe I’m partial to it and the frosting was creamy and rich but not too sweet.

I was supposed to meet my date at Baoguette in the East Village but I went to the one on Lexington Ave & 25th. (I went to the Web site that only had the location in Murray Hill listed.  Interestingly they have another Web site where all the locations are listed. ) Although it was unfortunate that I went to the wrong place, it ended up being a nice mistake to have picked up the cupcakes along the way.

Mercer Kitchen

Just visited for brunch. I don’t think I can write a review of a restaurant based on its brunch unless it’s a brunch place. (exception: dovetail. Its brunch will still blow you away) You’d have to be really horrible place to mess up an omelette.

We were seated downstairs which seemed darker than upstairs but the decor was still nice: brick and dark wood walls, large mirrors and candles. The other thing I liked about it was that there were community tables which reminded me of Le Pain Quotidien.

My beau and I had the calamari for appetizer. It was good and lightly breaded but the lime in the dipping sauce was overpowering. I preferred it plain with just a spritz of lemon.

Calamari with lime

The omelette with goat cheese was good; nothing stellar. Like I said, you’d have to be really bad to mess it up, or to mess up the potatoes or greens that came with it. At $13, it’s kind of pricey but it’s Mercer.

you have to be dumb to mess up an omelette. But this was good.

I liked my date’s bagel with salmon the best. The bread was toasted just right, and with the cream cheese, onions, tomatoes and capers, it made for a pleasant combination. It was $15; again not the cheapest bagel sandwich but they did give you plenty of salmon and thought it was the best item we had. I’m beginning to realize that what really makes a sandwich is how perfectly toasted it is; it’s the reason why I loved “The Wreck” so much at Potbelly’s.

the best item on the table

All in all, it was a little pricey but pleasant brunch to have in Soho. My suggestion would be to check it out for dinner with a date.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Sugar Sweet Sunshine
126 Rivington St.
New York, NY 10002

I’ll make this short and sweet and say Sugar Sweet was okay. I always measure a cupcake shop by its Red Velvet and their “Sexy Red Velvet” just wasn’t. Maybe I just have a problem with their “moose” frosting which tastes like butter. I did however, like their “Ooey Gooey” and thought it was better than their other chocolate cupcake, the “Bob”, which has a hint of almond in the frosting.

But at $1.50, these cupcakes are probably the most bang for your buck anywhere. I heard the pistachio cupcake and banana pudding are good and I’d like to try their pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting next time.

Coffee Cupping

Intelligentsia Coffee Lab
594 Broadway Suite 909 A
New York, NY 10012

Got to visit the Intelligentsia Coffee Lab for a coffee cupping in Soho on Halloween.  After visiting the Intelligentsia cafe in Chicago, I was eager to see what the NY coffee lab was all about.

Coffee cupping is like wine tasting, but with coffee. It’s $10 to go and usually lasts an hour.  They have eight spots open but but my date and I were the only ones who came since I suppose everyone else in the city was prepping for Halloween. It made for a much more cozy atmosphere where we asked all the questions we wanted and I took the liberty to take just as many photos.

Our barista/professor was Ramine (spelling?!), a pretty laid-back guy who owns a coffee shop in Brooklyn. After some small talk over coffee, he laid out four cups of different coffee grinds for each of us and our first step was to smell each cup and write down our thoughts about the aromas on a chart.

I used mostly generic adjectives such as “rich”, “dark”, or “sweet” to describe what I smelled. I haven’t gotten to the point of training my nose to detect a hint of lemon, blackberry or persimmon that others may catch with their snobby olfactory senses. But who says a common coffee lover can’t enjoy smelling coffee? I took the pleasure of taking it all in by putting the brim of the cup over my nose as if it was an oxygen mask that dropped out from the ceiling of a plane and I was inhaling for my life.

Next Ramine poured water into each cup so we could describe the wet aroma by breaking the foam in the coffee. It definitely brings out other flavors you can’t smell with the dry aroma but for whatever reason, I liked the dry aroma better.

Wet aroma

Finally Ramine took all the foam out and we took a spoonful of each coffee and slurped the coffee to check for flavor, body, acidity and finish. There were definitely coffees I didn’t like (#2, #3,) because they were too dark or bitter for my taste. I like #1 and #4 better; particularly #4 because it was “fruity,” “sweet,” and “clean.”

Turns out that #1 was “La Maravilla,” a coffee from Guatemala, and #4 was “Kenya Gichathaini.” My date gravitated toward the #2 which was from Zambia and the #3, the “Pacamara Peaberry,” which was from Nicaragua.

Ramine was sweet enough to give us all four coffee bags to take home with us, even though it doesn’t say on the Web site that that would be part of the deal. It’ll be our little secret.

Another sweet thing? Intelligentsia is a do-gooder and participates in direct trade with the coffee farmers and buys seasonally for you ethically conscious consumers out there. I can’t guarantee that you’ll get to bring any free coffee home after a cupping though, unless you sign up for the $200 barista class….