Rai Rai Ken

With the weather cooling down, my roommate and I were on the look out for a big hot bowl of ramen.  Our usual choice (and apparantly everyone else's usual spot) Ippudo was quoting an hour and a half wait, so we decided to give Rai Rai Ken a try. 

The original location was a small space with only 12 seats.  It always looked so crowded so I never made it in, but they've recently moved two spots down to a bigger shop with more space!  Yes - there are now tables for seating (in addition to counter space).  Note that its still cash only. 

 

Looking at the menu, I was really excited to see that there were a lot of different options including non-pork choices!  Key for me! And "We use no MSG" is in all caps right on the top of the menu.  I like that!!

Bianca

I just can't seem to get enough of Bianca lately.  This great little Italian restaurant is perfect for any occasion - girls night, date night, dinner with out of town guests, everything!  With it's reasonably priced menu and great wine list I already can't wait to go back.

As you approach the restaurant, usually you'll see a small crowd mulling around outside.  Sadly Bianca does not take reservations so if you arrive during prime eating time there will probably be a wait.  But definitely put your name down because it's worth the wait!  And if its hot or rainy outside the restaurant will usually direct you to the bar next door and they will come get you when your table is ready.  Talk about entertainment while you wait!

As you step inside to your table, you'll notice that it's not a large restaurant.  The space is a touch tight but the brick walls and soft lighting create a warm and cozy feel.

Inside of Bianca - cozy and cute!

Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana

Thursdays...sooo close to the weekend which makes me too lazy to cook!  Ok ok I'll take any excuse to eat out, but I'm always on the look-out for low key dinner spots for Thursdays.

I recently scoped out Numero 28 Pizzeria Napoletana - they have a couple locations in the city including Soho and the West Village.  There's also one a couple blocks away from me in the East Village and it's just the spot for an easy dinner!  They are cash only though so make sure stop by the ATM before heading to Numero 28.

I love the atmosphere inside.  Exposed brick walls lined with simple chandeliers perfectly complement the low hum of lively conversations by your fellow diners.  The brick oven in the back just begs for you to order pizza!  And I loved that the table next to us AND behind us ordered in Italian.  That may not be a guaranteed experience for you should you decide to stop by, but it def made me feel like I was back in Europe!

Inside of Numero 28

Brick oven in the back

To start off our dinner, my dining compadre and I shared the Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella.  This was a pretty large portion - look how much came with the order!  The prosciutto was on the thicker side so not really a favorite of mine, but my dining compadre enjoyed it.  The mozzarella tasted great though and paired well with the prosciutto. 

Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella

Flushing: Mala Xiang Guo (Spicy Stir-fry Pot)

There's a new shopping center called New World Mall that opened in Flushing just last year.  And its amazing.  Located on Roosevelt Ave right next to the 7 train, New World Mall is comprised of a full Asian supermarket, two floors of shops, a gorgeous restaurant on the top floor, parking garage, and an awesome food court in the basement.  Just like the ones you see in Taiwan!! 

I'm sure I'll be posting about my various trips to eat there, but in this post I'll be taking you through my experience at the Mala Xiang Guo station. 

Mala Xiang Guo station at the New World Mall food court

Located in one of the the corners of the food court (when you come down the escalators, keep going straight and it'll be in the corner on your left at the end), This definitely offers a unique experience that I've never had in the city.

In the simplest terms, Mala Xiang Guo is a spicy and fragrant stir-fry pot.  Its almost like a dry hot pot with only one flavor choice - spicy fragrant.  Not really getting what exactly this is?  Easier for me to show you!

When you come up to the station, you'll notice a large variety of raw veggies.

All your choices to include in your pot!

The Halal Guys

The Chicken and Rice cart by Rockefeller Center is pretty much a NYC institution.  This is not the same as all the other street meat carts you see all over NYC.  This cart is run by the Halal Guys. Yes that's right - they even have a website!

 

More commonly known as Chicken and Rice, these guys are located on the corner of 53rd street and 6th ave 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Which corner specifically you ask?  Just look for the corner with the long line (and there is always a line!).

My view from the back of the line...

This line moves very fast though, so don't be intimidated!  And while you're waiting on line, you can think about what you want to order.  Well, to be honest, I'm not really sure what they offer as I've never seen a menu but I'm pretty sure your choices are either chicken or lamb (or mix of both if you can't choose!), and either in a platter (with rice, salad, and pita) or a sandwich.

Cha-An Tea House - Part II (Tea and Desserts)

Happy Valentine's Day to my fellow Piggys!  

In my last post yesterday, I took you through my meal experience at Cha-An Tea House which had me walking away disappointed.  However, what really did blow me away at Cha-An was their tea and desserts!  If you are still thinking of last minute V-day plans, I think this is the perfect answer for you!

Cha-An has a pretty extensive tea list that goes beyond your standard black tea and green tea.  In fact, they offer five kinds of black tea, eleven types of green tea, three types of Oolong tea, two types of Pu-erh tea, two white teas, six herbal teas, and two special latte teas!  You can take a look at their full tea menu here. 

During peak times, there is a one order per person rule  However, this does not mean one tea order per person.  They are perfectly ok with you sharing orders of tea and dessert and Cha-An is VERY good about refilling your tea pot with hot water so that you maximize your pot.

Cha-An Japanese Tea House - Part I (Meals)

I've been on a tea kick lately and have been loving all the new tea spots that I've finally been getting around to discovering!  One I've heard so much about for a while now is Cha-An Japanese Tea House.

Entrance to Cha-An Tea House

Located just a block off from St. Marks, this little haven is tucked away in a totally zen second floor space. Just as the sign in the picture below says, when you walk into the Cha-An space you really do "leave your cares behind" and "just feel the quiet moments" as you relax and enjoy their tea house setting

 

Inside of the tea house

Brunch @ Little Giant

As much as I dislike making my way down to the LES ( its just so hard to get there!), I inevitably find myself heading there all the time for all sorts of reasons.  Recently, thought, its primarily been food and drink related (no shocker here). 

This past weekend, I made my way there for an early brunch at Little Giant.

Front facade of Little Giant

I love that you can make reservations here (even for brunch).  Readers take note though - even though their website says they open at 10am, we had to wait outside until they "opened" at 11am.  Not sure what that was about, but just wanted to give you all a heads up that if you have an 11am reservation and get there early you may end up waiting outside for a bit until they're ready.

Kimchi Taco Truck

While heading home after a day of errands, I noticed the Kimchi Taco Truck parked right around the corner from my apartment.  I didn't think I was hungry at the time but one whiff as I walked past was all it took for me to rethink my current situation: sudden mouthwatering hunger.  Double bonus for me: no line at the truck AND I had cash on me (a rarity).

Kimchi Taco Truck

My crooked shot of the menu - you can check out their website here for more details on their menu.

A quick look in my wallet showed $11.  With my budget in mind and a quick scan of the menu, I settled on an order of the Spicy Rice Cakes ($3) and the set of 3 tacos ($7): Grilled Korean BBQ Beef, Pulled Chicken, and Tofu Edamame Falafel.

Spicy Rice Cakes

Clemente's Crab House

Next to Hello Kitty, blue crabs were one of the first loves of my life. While starting me on piano lessons, my mom also felt that it was time for my little six-year old Asian fingers to learn how to open and eat blue crabs all by myself. I’ve been self-sufficient ever since!

Fast forward twenty or so years: when I heard that there was a place in Brooklyn which offered an all–you-can-eat blue crab special for $32.95 with seating out on the water, I just HAD to check it out. Unfortunately for me, Clemente’s Crab House is wayyyy out in Sheepshead Bay and not easily accessible via public transport (woe is my beloved monthly metrocard). Fortunately for me, I have awesome friends who have a car and offered to soothe my ache for a piece of sweet sweeeeet crab.

On a Sunday afternoon, we started our journey to Clemente’s Crab House (note to readers – it’s cash only so head to the atm before leaving). 35 minutes and a couple shady back road detours later, we finally arrived!

Front of Clemente's Crab House (pic from Clemente's Crab House)