Union Square Cafe reopens in Gramercy/Flatiron district and it looks brand spanking new and classy as hell! There are two bars, downstairs and upstairs and two levels of table seating area.
Tip: The Lamb Shank is a great dish to share. It is this humongous piece of meat on bone with a side of perfectly cooked fingerling potatoes and arugula.
I have never been to a modern Indian restaurant until this one. I really enjoyed every dish but the portions are a bit small. It is probably a good idea to order a few appetizers and and a main course per person. You will be able to try out different things this way.
Drinks wise, I really like the double insulated cups! The cocktails are good but the mixes are a bit inconsistent.
Tip: Try to arrive before 1pm on the weekend. It gets pretty busy!
I came back for dinner with a few friends as there was some celebrations to be had! Apologies for the dimly lited photos as this was a bit hurried.
This 2 Michelin starred place is still as good as ever. It is the perfect place to indulge, especially if you have a seafood preference. They have meat options as well so that satisfies certain individuals who may be allergic! The desserts, which are made in house, creates a perfect end to the evening.
Hint: Hospitality is included so you do not have to tip on top of the total bill.
Feel like having a variety of foods grilled for you Japanese style? This is the place to be if you are around the NoMad/Flatiron area. Definitely get the mochi wrapped in smoked bacon (for that difference in texture) and beef tongue. I know, I know, beef tongue sounds gross but it’s good. Just think of it as regular beef and your stomach will thank your brain.
Hint: Bring a friend so you can share more different types of dishes!
Favs: everything! I don’t think there was anything I do not like here. What’s not to like? Fish? Gooood. Blood sausage? Gooood. Mango with sticky rice? Goood.
I don’t think you can go wrong with picking any of the dishes here. Come early as they get busy real quick.
Warning for the people with seafood allergies: they put it in just about everything, even if it’s not labelled. Shrimp paste/flavoring is a common ingredient, even in the vegetables. Be careful!
This place is huge. There must be at least 4 areas where you can get seated. To begin, the Parlour room is an excellent choice. The ambience is very soft and so is the chairs. It is just bright enough where you don’t have to squint at your menu or pull out your flashlight. Then, have your dessert in the beautifully decorated library where you can sip cocktails and chat away.
Tip: Come here for lunch and splurged on the $34 two course prix-fixe menu. You avoid the crowd and get to eat to your heart’s content.
Favorite Dishes: tete de cochon, scotch olives, and milk and honey ice cream dessert
This place ended up being a great second choice to Boise Tea Parlor when it’s closed for a private party (boo!). You can get your craving of tea, have a decently priced lunch, and indulge on the desserts at Cha-An.
Lunch Set:
Now I am on the search for 7 grain rice to make on my own since the one that comes with the lunch set is so delicious.
Individual Desserts:
Closer look at the Chef Dessert Sampler:
The desserts are not overly sweet and the chef sampler allows you try many different things. If I have to pick a favorite? Anything with mochi is a good choice. But only if you like mochi!
Cha-an Teahouse
230 East 9th St. 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10003
Short and sweet: sweet potatoes fries is definitely a must order. The syrupy maple butter with the mayo on the side makes a great sweet tooth appetizer.
Tip: If you get the chicken buns, order the sauce on the side. It gets everywhere and it would just be a lot easier to eat if you dip each bite instead.
Guess what? It’s impossible to starve on a cruise. In fact, you are guarantee to gain weight on one. You can be the pickiest eater and you will still find something you like. Since this was my first cruise, I may have overdone it. Just a tiny bit.
All the photos except for one are from the dining room. I didn’t take much from the buffet because I was busy stuffing myself with food. At least at the dining room, there was some time between plates to be *that* diner clicking away at their dinner.
Dining room: More of a real restaurant style service. You have two waiters in your section and they provide you with a menu with a few selections for appetizer, main meal, and dessert. Some people even ordered more than one type of dish per section. I guess it’s part of the whole ‘all you can eat’ concept on the ship.
Buffet: Basically food all the time. The particular ship I was on had two sides that is the same type of food to make the lines shorter. The salad bar was available just about all the time and other foods include pasta, various american style dinner food, and asian stir fry as well. Breakfast was nice too since they make waffles on the fly and pretty awesome omelettes.
If you were craving for a burger, there was a fast food style counter towards the pool where you can get fries, burgers and hot dogs.
I didn’t pay extra to eat at any of the fancier restaurants (there was at least two on this particular ship) because there wasn’t anything they were offering that I couldn’t get in NY. Plus, you have to dress up.. or something. But shorts are so comfy!
Even though the main courses was good for a cruise, the desserts were a bit lackluster. They looked great in presentation but taste wise, there were room for improvement.
I definitely miss ice cream after every meal though..
This Tibetan restaurant allows you to order shareable plates so you can indulge on as many different dishes as you want. I really like the vegetable dish and the noodle soup broth. The noodle soup reminds me a lot of Pho but with hand drawn noodles instead of vermicelli. I even tried buttered tea for the first time and now I want to put salt in all my teas!