Wahoo's Fish Tacos

Well folks, as you read this I am probably on my way to LA!  I'm taking a quick trip to visit a friend and I'll be sure to eat all the West Coast goodies.  For those of you looking to get a bit of your own West Coast grub in NYC, head on over to Wahoo's Fish Taco.

As you walk into Wahoo's Fish Taco, you'll see that it has a super casual, relaxed, surf-themed vibe - reflective of its California roots!

Casual surf-themed interior of Wahoo's Fish Taco

Fun bar area

If you happen to come during Happy Hour (goes until 7pm), you'll score some great drink deals on select cocktails and beers.  And they come out hugeeeeeee:

Happy Hour margaritas and sangrias

More interested in the food?  Then walk towards the ordering counters at the back - you'll see the menus along the wall there.  You'll be happy to note that almost everything on the menu is $10 and under!  Place your order first and then take a seat at a table of your choice with your number if you are staying to eat.  Someone will bring out your food to you.

Wafels & Dinges

Friday, unsurprisingly, is a favorite day of the week for many people, but at my office its an even more exciting day: the Wafels & Dinges truck is on our corner!  Yippeeeeeee!!!

Wafel & Dinges truck outside!!

While the truck does offer some savory waffle options (pulled pork wafel, chili con corne etc), my team and I really love stopping for for a little post-lunch sweet treat!

Take a look at their menu which is located above the truck:

Menu above the truck

Close-up of the menu

Each wafel order comes with your first dinges (toppings) free with each additional for an extra $1 and scoop of ice cream for $2.  Here are your dinges / topping choices:

Dinges (toppings)

Nyonya

Looking for some cheap eats?  In a bid to keep costs down for a dinner out, my friend suggested Nyonya, a Malaysian restaurant just north of Chinatown (around Little Italy) she had been going to for years.  I'm so glad she introduced me to this place!

For appetizers, my friend and I shared an order of Homemade Roti Canai.  The pancake is flakey and crispy and the curry dipping sauce has some nice heat.  Love! Seriously, you won't regret getting this dish.

Nyonya is known for their Hainanese Chicken with Rice, a steal at $5.75! The chicken is served room temperature (not hot) in their chef's soy sauce.  It's served alongside a serving of rice flavored with chicken - ohmygosh I could eat bowls of this.  Oh wait, I did!  I definitely licked my rice bowl clean.  The chicken is delicious with the soy sauce, but it also comes with a side dish of some spicier sauce.

Hainanese Chicken with Rice at Nyonya

Glaze (Union Square Location)

Glaze has finally opened their second outpost in Union Square!  Their first location in Midtown East is only a couple blocks away from Piggy KL's humble abode and I was definitely jealous.  Well you know what?  Now I get my very own Glaze just a couple blocks away from my apartment too!  YAY! 

Glaze Union Square now open!

The look, feel, and menu of this location is the exact same as their Midtown East location.  Glaze's specialty is the teriyaki plate and they streamline your decision making with a three-step process: you choose a protein (chicken, steak, salmon, tofu, veggie, or pork loin available), white or brown rice, and a dressing for your salad. 

Menu

Simple and open space

Morris Grilled Cheese

Piggy KL and I were wandering Midtown East for something to graze on and look at what we stumbled upon: the Morris Grilled Cheese food truck! 

Spotted: the Morris Grilled Cheese food truck!

We both had never seen this truck before so we thought why not?  Lets give it a try!  As we perused the menu, we very quickly started to experience commitment issues with what to order.

A truck that features grilled cheese.  Is this heaven?

After we managed to control the drooling and made a decision, we placed our orders and snuck at peak at the two-person team running the truck.  You can see all the sandwich makers in the truck - how do they keep track of what sandwich is in which machine?!  I'll leave the heavy thinking to the professionals and just wait patiently on the side for my order.  

Taking a peak inside the truck - the grilled cheese specialist was moving so fast he blurred right through my pic!

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.

Steak 'n Shake

Sometimes you just crave a good burger and fries...and maybe a milkshake to wash it all down!  When I heard that a Steak 'n Shake was opening in Midtown, I KNEW I had to give it a try.  I had never been before, but a college buddy from Chicago often talked about how good it was. My opportunity to try had finally come!

So on the second day after it opened, I made the pilgrimage to NYC's very first Steak 'n Shake.  Look at what greeted us:

Burger House

I like Korean food.  I like burgers.  Therefore, I like Burger House! 

From the outside, Burger House looks like any other burger joint - no frills, seating available for a quick bite, but definitely nothing fancy.  When you go in and take a look at the menu, however, you see that this place is not your average burger joint.

Ordering counter at Burger House

Burger menu

Burger House is Asian owned!  And in addition to traditional burgers, they serve Asian fusion burgers including Bulgogi and Kalbi burgers!!

NJ: Shanghai Noodle House

We all have that one restaurant that you always crave.  The one restaurant that you always find yourself eating at when you are in the neighborhood.  For me, my calling is at Shanghai Noodle House in Edison, NJ.

My favorite meal!  Read on to find out more!

Every time I go back to see my mom in NJ, I definitely have to must be no other option have a meal at Shanghai Noodle House.  My family has been going to the original location, Shanghai Bun in Matawan NJ, since it first opened 10+ years ago.  Even though it was a 45 min drive (was only 20 min before but my mom moved!) we still made the trip for my necessary bowl of noodles each and every time I came back to good ‘ole Jerz.  

Last year, I heard rumor that they were opening a second outpost in Edison, NJ.  And so, one glorious evening, my mom took me to scope out the situation and HUZZAH!  The rumors were true and the new location was only a 10 minute drive from my Mom’s place!  

Front of Shanghai Noodle House in Edison, NJ!! (pic from shanghaibun.com)

Baohaus



Wondering what I've been eating?  Read on to find out!

 The first time I gave Baohaus a try was at their original location down in LES.  It was a tiny bare-bones shop with barely any seating and no bathroom.  Its prices also made sure that I wouldn’t make the trek down to LES just for a Bao again (even though it was pretty delish).  Fast forward a couple years and Baohaus has now opened an outpost in the Union Square/East village area.  Located less than two blocks away from my apt, Baohaus was screaming for me to give it a re-do. 

The new shop is outfitted with bright blue fluorescent lights – you can’t miss it. 



Baohaus' bright storefront



East Noodle (Ramen and Robatayaki)

The best part of living in Union Square is how close I am to St. Marks.  I have several staples that I usually end up at but occasionally I try to branch out and try something new.  This time I decided to give East Noodle (Ramen and Robatayaki) a try.

Just like every other smart diner, I did a quick search on Yelp for East Noodle before I committed.  Surprisingly, Yelpers gave it a 2.5 star rating!  I usually put full faith in Yelp and would stay away from places with 3 stars or less, but something about the “50% off all ramen” signs (I like a good deal what can I say?) and the bustling atmosphere inside the restaurant encouraged me to take a risk.



Despite the low yelp reviews, East Noodle is moving and shaking inside!

First order of business after being seated: order a $2.50 glass of Sapporo draft.  Score!

Blast from the Past: Boston Market!

Now that fall weather has officially arrived, I've been feeling the call of my ultimate hot comfort meal: a simple rotisserie chicken dinner with all the tasty sides and gravy mmmm.  Where to go to satisfy my craving?  None other than Boston Market of course!

My favorite comfort meal: quarter chicken with large helping of buttery mashed potatoes and corn. 
Dont forget the extra gravy!

Growing up in suburbia Jersey, nothing excited me more than seeing my mom bring home dinner in Boston Market bags.  And to be honest, since I'm not a big turkey fan, a Boston Market chicken usually ends up on the table for me every Thanksgiving (don’t judge!). Thus, on this dire quest to fulfill my longing for chicken, seeking out a Boston Market in the city turned into a must do. 

I know what you're thinking - there must be some other option in this city that serves a fabulous rotisserie chicken dinner.  While that may be true, I was really looking for my chicken AND the nostalgic feelings of home and my childhood.  So looks like you’ll just have to bear with me as I wax poetic about my love for Boston Market.  I mean, don’t you guys just have those days where you crave Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory (no need to deny – I know its true!!)??  So, now that I’m done making excuses, off I go to 23rd St and 8th Ave!

Chipotle offers brown rice?!

I stopped by Chipotle for lunch today after cake decorating class and yes, they now offer a brown rice option!  I'm a huge brown rice fan and had to give it a go...

Dishing out some brown rice for my burrito bowl

mmmmm....so good!

It's just as tasty as the original rice option!  Looks like I have another excuse to go to Chipotle more often mhuahah...Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading - Piggy KK

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

The Original Nathan's

While most people are unwilling to make the trek out to Coney Island, it’s actually one of my favorite escapes from the city.  The boardwalk, aquarium, carnival rides, views of the ocean…I love it!  Sadly, the only way I’m able to lure the bf out to make the trip with me is with promises of lunch at Nathan’s Famous.  And as much as I complain about it, eating at the original Nathan’s is definitely a secret guilty pleasure of mine!

Home of the July 4^th Hot Dog Eating Contest, this Nathan’s in Coney Island not just any Nathan’s but the very FIRST Nathan’s ever opened!

The Original Nathan's!  The blue wall has a countdown to the next July 4th
Hot Dog Eating Contest

Bian Dang Food Truck

Lucky for me, one of Bian Dang food truck's regular lunch stops happens to be across the street from my office. If you can't make it to their food truck, don't worry because they have a store front inside the Food Court in K-town (West 32nd Street btwn Broadway and 5th Avenue).

They are best known for their Taiwanese-style Fried Pork Chop or Fried Chicken over Rice with Pork Sauce. I had the Fried Chicken over Rice several years ago (back when they were called the NYC Cravings truck). I remember it was a good amount of food for the money, though a bit difficult to eat at the office for lunch.

More recently, I tried their Zongzi (Chinese tamale) and steamed pork dumplings. The dumplings were meaty and plump with thick skin (my favorite kind). For $3 it was worth it!

Unfortunately I'm mixed on the Zongzi. I've gotten it two different times and both instances it was not evenly cooked through. There were parts where the rice was hard and, well for lack of a better word, uncooked. I just ate around these parts, as the rest of the Zongzi was still good. It was disappointing because I was so excited that the truck actually made it!  A well-made Zongzi is a hard find in NYC ever since the Queen of them, May May on Pell Street (Chinatown), closed down several years ago.
Bian Dang's are decent - the Zongzi are a good size and the ingredients are savory and plentiful.  If only they were fully cooked!

In any case, I don't know of any other Taiwanese food trucks floating around the city so I'll probably still return. Maybe next time I will give the Fried Chicken over Rice another shot.

Zongzi (Chinese Tamale): wrapped inside bamboo leaves with glutinous rice, peanuts, dried shrimp, pork, Chinese sausage, green beans, radish, mushroom, Szechuan veggies.........$4

Piggy says eh for the Zongzi, but yes for the truck!

Happy reading, happy eating - Piggy KL