Bis.Co.Latte 08-26-2011

Location: 667 10th Ave.

Time: 12pm

Feelings: After experiencing 10 days of blackout in Astoria, and the Great Hanshin earthquake, a category one hurricane might not be a big deal. After all, I managed to put on makeup and curled my hair in the dark. During the MTA strike in 2005, I walked from Astoria to Midtown East in five inch wedge boots for three days. But I could not hide my nervousness on Friday.

I decided to take a walk to Bis.Co.Latte on 10th Avenue. Bis.Co.Latte is a quaint family-run cafe that specializes in tea, coffee (Illy coffee), baked goods and what else--over 60 variety of hand-crafted biscotti. If you want to pick up light lunch while you are here, they have savory offerings like cold and warm soups, frittatas, and risotto. After reading the reviews on yelp, I was nervous about their service that seems to involve a lot of shouting, but they were surprisingly warm and friendly.

I ordered iced decaf white raspberry tea ($2.75) and corn and leek risotto ($8.95) and to finish off, chocolate hazelnut biscotti ($1.15). The portion of risotto was quite small for $8.95, but it was fresh, buttery and hearty, and I would certainly order it again. It would be a perfect lunch for the crisp fall weather to come. The biscotti was chocolatey and scrumptious, and compared to cantucci from Il Cantuccio in West Village, it was more of the American style. I would recommend getting a warm cup of latte or tea to go with it.

Bis.Co.Latte is an adorable cafe with no-nonsense Hell's Kitchen mood, which means you need to treat this place as pre-Starbucks era--no laptop, no sticking around for hours without ordering--the basic code the "cafe" people have forgotten after the Starbucks invasion. So if you are tired of Starbucks full of tourists in Midtown, stop by here for a moment of serenity with delightful tea and biscotti.

What Did You Have for Lunch? 08-24-2011

Feelings: I don't really care if Will Smith and Jada are staying together or how many dresses Kim Kardashian wore for her wedding, but I am always curious about what other people had for lunch. Here's the list of lunch people had on Wednesday, the 24th.

Most of the items below came from people who live in NYC, but some are from LA, Atlanta, DC, London and Beijing. Can you guess which one was my lunch?

• Chicken and kale
• Lamb korma with nan
• Ham and cucumber sandwich with mayo
• Thai tofu and eggplant
• Virtual lunch
• Pizza
• Harusame soup
• Pesto with tortellini and a brownie
• 99 cent pizza and a Pepsi
• Eggplant with cannellini beans and a side of fries
• Thai yellow curry with chicken with a side of calamari
• Pork and veggie dumplings and a scallion pancake
• Spinach salad and chocolate marble yogurt muffin
• This spicy half crepe, half omelet thing that was folded into this burrito looking mass and a bottle of strange iced tea (All for $1!)
• Egg, cheese and potato wrap
• Spicy grilled chicken hot wrap
• Green smoothie (avocado, mango, spinach and frozen berries)
• Veggie burger, hummus and Swiss cheese sandwich
• Roasted chicken with steamed rice, a banana

What did YOU have for lunch?

City Sandwich 08-22-2011

Location: 649 9th Ave.

Time: 12pm

Feelings: Sandwich shops are usually not vegetarian friendly, one of the reasons I don't care for sandwiches. While I enjoy my occasional sandwiches from Despana, Salume, and Van Horn, the section of vegetarian friendly sandwiches is always quite limited. Midtown especially lacks modern gourmet sandwich shops that incorporate vegetarian dishes, so I almost never have one during workdays.

City Sandwich, Portuguese and Italian influenced sandwich shop in Hell's Kitchen, is an ideal place for pescetarians, vegetarians and vegans alike. All the sandwiches are categorized into three: Without meat (includes seafood, color-coded with green), With Meat (color-coded with red), and With Eggs (color-coded with yellow). Alas, non meat eaters will never have to be left with one sad avocado and alfalfa on toast any longer.

I ordered "Nonna," ($7.25, omelet, sauteed onions, fresh oregano, melted mozzarella, olive oil), which was generous in portion, especially with substantial amount of eggs. As a Lactaid popper, I appreciated that it did not come with too much cheese, and also as a result the overall sandwich did not taste greasy. It remained as a rather light and simple fare. The eggs were overcooked, but the softness of the bread and the kick of oregano kept the soul of the sandwich intact.

I can't wait to try their octopus salad sandwiches since I hear that it is quite fresh and delicious. Sardines play an important role in Portuguese culinary culture, so I should obviously try their sardine sandwich as well. For those of you who are anti-carb, all of their sandwiches can be served without bread or as open sandwiches. The wait here is rather long, so I would recommend to call ahead and order as a pick up. You will save about 10 minutes and take more time enjoying your succulent Portuguese sandwich.

Fonda Nolita 08-20-2011

Location: 267 Elizabeth St.

Time: 5pm

People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: I have many, many phobias. So much so that when I watch "Monk" re-runs, I wonder why people think it is funny. Here is my main list of phobias:

1) Nature

2) Summer, warm weather

3) Sweating

4) Any strong smells

5) Uncleanliness

6) Suburbs, anywhere that I cannot find Duane Reade or sample sales within 20 minutes.

So where do people like myself go to enjoy the end of the summer? It certainly is not the beach, inhabited with too much nature, sweat and strong sunscreen smells. My summer spot is Fonda Nolita, a bit of the Yucatan oasis in the heart of Nolita. This garage with high heel friendly concrete floor and skylights decorated with a laid back Mexican beach theme is hands down my perfect vacation spot.

Tacombi, a VW taco bus located inside of this lofty garage, serves one of the crispiest and freshest fish tacos outside of San Diego. Their crispy fish taco ($4) is incredibly crunchy without the unwanted oiliness and grease. The batter to fish ratio is a perfection, and all the fresh ingredients shine through. The seared Veracruz fish taco ($4) is not at all boring either. The fish in a serrano rub, pickled chiles, onions, and green tomatillo and avocado salsa created layers of delicate and tasty flavor with a slight kick.

RB's Chorizo Breakfast and Mexicana Breakfast Tacos ($4 each) were spicy and scrumptious treats. RB has always been a fan of breakfast sandwiches, and any place offering all-day breakfast tacos is truly after his heart.

I also recommend their refreshing hibiscus tea or watermelon water ($3), which comes in a gigantic glass that I could not finish. This is also a kid friendly spot, and as a part of kid friendly menu, all of their tacos can be split into two mini tacos sans hot sauce.

Fonda Nolita is a relaxing and kid friendly oasis with tasty tacos and quality ingredients, located in walking distance of all the Nolita boutiques. Many people may prefer to spend their summer weekends on the beach, but I prefer to spend them next to people in designer shoes, devouring delicious tacos.

Ramen Dim Sum Set at Saburi 08-20-2011

Feelings: My faviorite Wafu-Chuka (Japanese style Chinese food) restaurant, Saburi in Midtown is serving $9.75 Ramen Dim Sum set--appetizer, dim sum, and ramen-- in the celebration of their 6th anniversary. Tasty!

Japan Block Fair Tomorrow! 08-20-2011

Location: Madison Ave and 44th
Feelings: If you are in Midtown tomorrow, Sunday the 21st, head over to "Japan Block Fair." There will be 40 vendors selling Japanese food and various merchandise!

R&F+Japanese TV @ Ippudo! 08-18-2011

Location: 65 4th ave.
Time: 7:30pm
People: 12 Ramen and Friends: ALev, MGru, SaSha, Effie, JT, BLee, RB, Gisela, LauraE, RoGo, Alexis and myself PLUS Japanese TV crew filming us slurp the noodles!

Feelings: I received an unexpected phone call. A TV Tokyo producer from my father's favorite show in Japan, "Ariehen Sekai!" wanted to film our monthly Ramen and Friends outing for a ramen in America segment. I was excited and hesitant. After all, gathering the right number of people at the last minute is incredibly challenging. But the VIP treatment, a great group, and 50% off the bill at Ippudo made all my stress melt away in the end.

Getting a table at Ippudo on Thursday night usually requires an hour of wait, perhaps two, but we were escorted to their back table shortly after we arrived exactly at 7:30 PM. Do people like Ippudo because of the wait and expectation? Would their broth and noodles be as tasty if I don't have to build up anticipation?

The answer was yes. Their noodles were incredible regardless of the wait. The top-notch high end service definitely helped, but both the broth and noodles held clean, dense and sophisticated flavors. "If I had never been to Totto, I'd think Ippudo is hands down the best. But Totto definitely gives it some competition," said SaSha. Both Totto and Ippudo serve some glorious ramen, but if you want more up-scale, schleping Louboutin worthy spot, Ippudo is the place.

Ippudo regulars ALev and MGru and most of the guests in their general vicinity ordered "Akamaru Modern" ($15, miso paste, chashu, cabbage, kikurage, scallions and garlic oil). MGru wished her egg topping was hard boiled instead of soft since it would create a nice texture difference. SaSha thought the noodles had the perfect texture, and the broth was porky and rich. Contrary to MGru, SaSha thought the soft boiled egg added an extra layer of silky richness. While JT thought the noodles were a little on the overcooked side, he thoroughly enjoyed the broth and eloquently referred to it on camera as "pork milk." He added, "I would happily pour the broth on my breakfast cereal."

My "Wasabi Shoyu" ($15, soy sauce and vegetable based, topped with bean curd, wasabi, menma, spinach, nori, scallions and wasabi infused oil) was light and resembled a hot bowl of Tokyo style soba noodles. The noodles were thin and chewy, and it was overall a perfectly dreamy bowl of noodles.

I know that many people tend to think Japanese food is healthy, but ramen is quite caloric and high in sodium. In order to prevent unwanted heart burn and fat intake, I always drink oolong tea ($3). Oolong tea supposedly helps absorbing extra fat content you consume. I don't know if that is 100% accurate, but I love the taste of oolong anyhow.

After the TV crew left and we finished our soupy noodles, we all went to Sundaes and Cones nearby. It was gratifying to know that I was with a group of exceptional people who truly appreciate the diverse New York culinary culture regardless of the presence of camera. In this Facebook era full of self absorbed people who seek 15 minutes of fame, it was swell to be able to spend time with them and know that there are great people out there to share tasty bowls of ramen with.

Sockerbit 08-10-2011

Location: 89 Christopher St.

Feelings: Don Draper drinks scotch to bond with his colleagues. In 2011, scotch has been replaced by the candy jar, usually filled with Hershey's products. While I'm not much of a candy person, Mr. Goodbar and Special Dark compliment my 3pm decaf break. I do wish they were a few bitter and rich German chocolates, but sometimes chalky American delights that call themselves "chocolate flavored candy," sans cocoa, do justice.

But today, we had special treats from Sockerbit, a new Swedish candy shop located next door of Il Cantuccio in West Village. They come from Sweden to kick Hershey's in the butt. Marshmallow bears dipped in chocolate, Dumle, Vanilj Praliner--and many other authentic Swedish candies that are sold at their grocery stores can be found here. At $13 a pound, you can save a trip to Ikea or Sweden and enjoy 3pm Fika at your desk. They are certainly sweet treats, but they go absurdly well with a strong cup of coffee. Now, I just wish I had some real coffee at the office and co-workers who actually have time to take a coffee break.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor 08-09-2011

Location: 13 Doyers St.Time: 7:30pm

People: 16 Ramen and Friends: Binx2, SaSha, Rich & Friend, RoGo, Alexis, KaV, Punj, JBH, StevenC, Effie, JR, MKang, JLam from MeSoHungry, RB and myself

Feelings: The gentrification of many New York neighborhoods has kicked many locals out of the city, and for those who can barely afford to live here, we see a vanishing New York: a giant mall on the island of Manhattan filled with banks, Duane Reade, Starbucks and condos. Sometimes the loss of traditional culture is a good thing--it makes people less prejudiced and opens their culture to others. In the case of New York City, each neighborhood used to represent unique traditional customs and food, but when those started to disappear and replaced by yuppies and hipsters, what do we have left?

In the midst of this change, what happened to Nom Wah is a miracle. The oldest dim sum joint in the city was recently renovated while a new owner faithfully preserved the old dining area. His mother must be a Tiger Mom like mine--I would not even question destroying the 90 year old historical space. Respecting the elders, traditions, and history is something I want to cherish in this youth oriented culture we live in now.

Since the face-lift, Nom Wah has been a beloved spot for both tourists and foodies alike. When I entered the restaurant, it instantly brought me back to Wong Kar Wai's highly stylized masterful drama, "In the Mood for Love." Although I missed the graceful presence of Tony Leung in perfectly tailored suit, this modest spot will take you back to the mid-century feel without a hint of irony or theme restaurant ambiance. Both Effie and RB mentioned that it was the first time they have seen check patterned tablecloth at an Asian restaurant. "I fully expected to start eating Italian," said RB.

Although they serve dim sum, this is not one of those large dining halls with cart service you may see in Chinatown. This is a tea parlor after all. Just like Vegetarian Dim Sum House nearby, you mark your selections with a pencil and give the sheet of paper to them.

Except the still frozen-in-the-middle vegetable dumplings ($2.50), almost all the members at the table enjoyed the food and service. The "Shrimp Sui Mai ($3.50) and scallion pancakes ($3.50) were my favorites. And I actually liked the taste of chicken feet, go figure," JBH said. Our resident tea aficionado SaSha enjoyed the tea selection and said that tea is usually free in restaurants like this, but for the price we got a strong, satisfying pot of oolong that easily served three of us. "Much better than the free tea at most restaurants." The pot of oolong tea unquestionably complimented their famous almond cookie. If you are not a big dim sum fan, I'd recommend you to stop by for just the tasty, soft almond cookie and a pot of tea. If there was a Chinatown version of Seinfeld, I could easily envision Jerry and George hanging out here over some tea.

It is a fact that in recent years, the best Chinese food is found in Flushing, not Manhattan Chinatown. And while my favorite dim sum spot remains Ocean Jewel in Flushing, and as StevenC thought the food at Nom Wah was not the highest of the quality, sometimes it is not just about the food. It is about the dining experience. It is about history. So why not take your future spouse to Nom Wah for your first date? You could someday come back to the same location with your grandchildren and say, "I took your grandmother here on our first date." Be a part of their history--I'm sure the history of Nom Wah will live on.

Westerly is Open! 08-11-11

Feelings: Westerly is open again after renovation! If you need instant oatmeal, it's only $1.99 (normally $5), and they are giving away free samples of Cliff bars at the register.

Free Food: Foreign Language Food Truck 08-11-11

Feelings: Free food! 1745 Broadway between 55th and 56th, from noon to 5pm. Click here for more details.

Torrisi Italian Specialties 08-04-2011

Location: 250 Mulberry St.

Time: 1pm

People: SaSha and myself, along with RB's picture above

Feelings: After the much anticipated Alexander Wang sample sale, battling through crowds of half naked women trying on various dresses, we were ready for lunch. Torrisi, an authentic Italian-American joint, serves dinner with $50 prix fixe menu and hours of wait, but lunch is certainly more accessible and affordable.

The only vegetarian option of the sandwich menu, potato, egg and provolone on hero ($10, $8 for rolls) was tasty and filling. There is nothing dainty about this sandwich. It was greasy and salty in a good way, and fresh ingredients really shined through. While I appreciated the sandwich, I missed more of delicate, clean flavors with artisan bread and pretty presentations. Torrisi is like a beautiful girl I knew in college-- every guy she was with ended up being gay after dating her. It seemed she was their last resort. "If I can't be turned on by her, it is 100% certain I am gay." If I cannot be turned on by this amazing Torrisi, my palate must really not be accustomed to Italian American cuisine. But if you grew up in New York, this will make you feel nostalgic for old New York.

The tasty pictures above are RB's turkey sandwich, which he occasionally gets for lunch. He is a New Yorker to the core, and he sure knows his sammichs. He refers to it as possibly the best turkey sandwich in town and highly recommends the spicy sauce.

Overall, Torrisi lunch is cute and flavorful, and most people will agree that they serve a delicious sandwich. I unfortunately have tried one of the best sandwiches in town and have realized I'm playing on the wrong team.

Seersucker 08-07-2011

Location: 329 Smith St.

Time: 1pm

People: FA, DA, RB, CK and myself

Feelings: CK is at the age where he cannot sit still for a second. He wants to explore the world and chases after pretty ladies and shiny objects. Having a son makes me really realize that men do not change that much as they grow up. How many men do you know who can hold still without the help of electronic devices or ladies?

Fortunately, Seersucker, located right in front of Carroll Park is sophisticated yet kid friendly Southern inspired spot. (It was even voted as one of the best toddler-friendly new restaurants by New York Magazine.) The hostess was perhaps the most genuinely delightful and courteous person, which matched with their Southern theme. A true Southern hospitality can be found here. If you live in BoCoCa and go for a brunch, you usually will encounter at least two or three kids, but this place was particularly courteous to kids and the parents. They treated us just like any other patrons, but with extra care and thoughtfulness. There was a 45 minute wait for a table, but they took my cel phone number on their iPad, which gave us a bit of play time at Carroll Park.

As with the other tables, there was a bit of a wait for our food to arrive, so if you are hungry, I would suggest to order big glasses of drinks since they don't quite have many appetizers for brunch. They also serve complimentary house filtered still or sparkling water.

The food was worth the wait. My "Vermont cheddar omelette" ($11, with salad and biscuit) was perfectly cooked and seasoned without any distractions from cheese. There were no bumps or lumps on the eggs--it was as if the omelette was wearing Spanx.The eggs just melted in my mouth ever so smoothly. This is eggs, I thought. Now I am not sure if I could ever eat all those overcooked, runny or misshaped eggs from the rest of the New American brunch spots in the area.

I used to live in Florida for almost six years, and while I miss almost nothing about the state, I miss the good biscuits. The craving was handsomely satisfied by the Seersucker's version. Their biscuit was cubic and minuscule, yet significant compliment of the brunch. It was moist, smooth, and soft without being sickeningly buttery. Perfection.

There are indeed tons of modernized Southern restaurants in the area, but Seersucker truly brings the refined flavors of Southern comfort food. When you hear "Southern food" and think of gigantic, greasy food that overstuffs you, this is not the place for you. The portions here are small, but every bite is incredibly powerful and hearty--sans extra calories and Tums. Who knew "quality over quantity" would successfully work with Southern cuisine?

$32 Bieber Sundae.. 08-08-2011

Feelings: I don't know anything about Justin Bieber, but his $32 ice scream sundae called, "Bieber Bocker Glory" at Harrods sounds tasty.

Where is Magnum? 08-04-2011

Feelings: Ever since I found out that my beloved Danish born Magnum Ice Cream landed in the U.S., I have been looking for them everywhere. These wonderful treats are widely popular in Europe, and with cult followings in Japan, it is about time they start the distributions in the U.S.

RB was able to find a couple of boxes of double caramel and double chocolate flavors at Key Food, but by the following week, they were all gone. I would love to tell you how wonderful these treats are, but it is almost impossible to find, and I must warn you they are utterly addictive. Once you taste the crispy rich chocolate, luscious caramel or chocolate sauce along with the smooth vanilla ice cream, there is no going back. RB is currently going through Magnum withdrawal symptoms: overall anger towards all non magnum-ice cream.

If you see them anywhere, please let me know.

Fisherman's Dawta 07-30-2011

Location: 407 Atlantic Ave. BK

Time: 3pm

People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: While I enjoy Caribbean flavors, it has always been difficult to find vegetarian friendly dishes. It's a good thing I occasionally eat seafood. It turns out Fisherman's Dawta, located at the former Loretta's next to Bedouin Tent, is serving vegetarian options as well as Caribbean favorites like jerk chicken.

Their backyard patio was still intact from Loretta's and decorated quite cheerfully. If you don't suffer from allergies or the bugs don't seem to annoy you, this is a bit of oasis in Downtown Brooklyn. At this BYOB and counter service joint, you can just kick back and relax a steamy summer afternoon.

There were four dishes on the menu: Jerk chicken ($10), basa fish ($15), shrimp ($15) or Ital stew ($8). All dishes come with generous amount of rice and beans and steamed cabbage. My vegetarian Ital stew was flavorful with a hint of coconut milk, and every vegetable soaked up all the tasty flavors. CK, quite the finicky eater, thoroughly enjoyed this stew with rice and beans, and he managed to finish half of my plate.

RB's jerk chicken was tender and delightfully seasoned. He enjoyed the long lasting but not overpowering heat.

Some people enjoy going to the Caribbeans for vacation, but I almost prefer this mini Brooklyn vacation at the vibrant backyard of Fisherman's Dawta. No packing, no high priced flights, no lines-- just great food and a relaxing time.