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Eating Out

La Palapa

by Ling on September 22, 2010

Tu quieres Taco Bell? When younger, I had always associated Mexican food with fast food chains and school cafeteria tacos stuffed with ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and cheese. I came to New York and was further exposed to the magic of overstuffed Chipotle burritos and small Tex-Mex takeout restaurants. Mexican food was never considered an exquisite cuisine until a friend suggested lunch at La Palapa.

The restaurant has a lunch pre fixe special Monday-Friday for only $12.95! Unable to resist such a good deal, I chose menu #1 and eagerly awaited my 3 course meal.

First came the Sopa De La Casa – Pozole Rojo, a zesty hominy corn chicken soup called Pozole Rojo.

Dressing up the soup with avocado and radishes definitely added the necessary color and texture. The radishes did nothing for me (I ended up leaving most of them uneaten), but the avocado incorporated a rich smoothness with every bite of warm soup.

The main entree boasted of Taco de Tinga de Pollo and Quesadilla Sencilla. I greatly enjoyed wrapping the chipotle barbecued chicken with the soft corn tortillas, washing down my tacos with bites of grilled flour tortillas stuffed with melted anejo, monterrey jack, and queso fresco cheeses. I’ve always had a soft spot for stretchy, chewy wraps, which probably explains my love affair with Chipotle burritos.

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B & H Vegetarian Restaurant

by Ling on March 17, 2010

It was a funny feeling walking down St Marks street on a Monday night, purse in one hand, gym bag in other. A street synonymous with Asian restaurants, tattoo parlors, and late night college binge drinking, I was there that night neither for alcohol nor Asian food. We passed all my favorite restaurants – Pho 32, Klong, Boka, Je’Bon, Kenka, Zen, and turned the corner to find a tiny Kosher deli tucked away on 2nd avenue next to Pomme Frites and a newly renovated falafel stand.

I had actually checked out B & H Vegetarian Restaurant a little under a year ago when I used to live within walking distance, and I was comfortably welcomed back by the seemingly unchanged deli. The same weathered “Specials” signs hung on the cabinets behind the counter, and the clientele hungrily ate dinner while hunched over at the counter or seated at the tiny square tables lined up in the narrow hallway. We took the table closest to the door, and the platinum blonde waitress leaned over the counter to pass us our menus.

hot borscht

I already knew what I wanted – red borscht soup. Hot, of course. There are very few foods I’m unable to tolerate, and neon pink cold borscht one late night last summer happened to make that list. The piping hot soup was brought over almost immediately, but I was saddened that the thick slices of challah bread had to be ordered separately.

My friend and I dug into the soup, every spoonful laden with thick cuts of beets, cabbage, and potatoes. A particular type of beetroot is used for the soup, which gives it that rich red-purple color. We agreed that the soup was excellent and would have been perfect if we had some challah bread to soak up the broth. Then again, I didn’t want something too heavy after my gym workout. Who knew beets could be so good!

white fish sandwich

The white fish overstuffed sandwich came out next, and of course I had to try it. You really have to work to get your mouth around these sandwiches to get a little bit of everything in the first bite, but this one was manageable. An excellent alternative to tuna, the mixed in celery provided an additional crunch to every bite.

While the Jewish deli now seems out of place amidst the expanding food and entertainment empire that is Asia, it is a charming reminder of times gone by. A great place to dine if you suddenly get the strong urge for some good ol’ potato knish or pierogis. The deli also delivers if you’re too lazy to travel ;) ($10 minimum)

I wonder what the B & H stands for…

127 2nd Ave
(between 7th St & St Marks Pl)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-8065

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Ramen Setagaya

by Ling on May 23, 2009

Ramen here, ramen there, ramen shops everywhere. I’ll truly miss all the amazing ethnic cuisines available within walking distance when I move out of the East Village come July 31. Ramen Setagaya was actually my first experience in a ramen shop, introducing me to the world of non-fried, non-instant ramen I had known my entire life. I returned to the 1st Ave location a few weeks ago when I craved something warm, soupy, and filling for lunch. The restaurant was surprisingly quiet on the Sunday afternoon, and we were cheerfully greeted by the cooks behind the counter when we stepped in.

oyako don

We split a side order of Oyako-Don to start, which was minced chicken with rice, pickled vegetables, and a soft cooked egg. The egg cooked itself after being mixed into the rice, much like Dolsot Bibimbap. I ordered the Shio Ramen, which came adorned with slices of pork, bamboo-shoot, salt taste egg, seaweed, and scallions. The noodles were cooked al dente and the pork had a yummy proportion of fat to meat.

shio ramen

While the broth at Ramen Setagaya is definitely not as rich and flavorful as the one Ippudo boasts, presentation gets an A! (Probably because they use a smaller bowl so the ramen keeps the egg and pork afloat, but still, I remember my disappointment when my Ippudo ramen was brought out) I had to refrain from drinking all the salt-infused soup, since, well you know, I can’t help picking at food left in front of me. =/

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NY Kom Tang Soot Bul Kal Bi

by Ling on April 7, 2009

Hello world! I returned from spring break in Dominican Republic about two weeks ago, and I finally found time to start writing again. While it was nice to be back in the city, I would be lying if I said that I enjoyed the cold weather and homework assignments waiting for me upon my return. I definitely have a lot more self control in what I eat in NYC though since food here isn’t all-inclusive. (But then there is still the ever-present issue of my binge eating while studying…)

Before I had set flight for the DR, we had Jihyun’s birthday celebration at NY Kom Tang Soot Bul Kal Bi in Koreatown. This Korean restaurant was one I had passed numerous times but never really noticed. The place is known for its old-fashioned charcoal grilling, with the meat grilled right at your table if you order two portions or more. There are two floors to the restaurant, and the staff politely greeted and seated us upstairs before our entire party arrived. The prices were on par, if not a dollar or two cheaper, with other restaurants in Koreatown.

The key to being treated well in Koreatown (which I will refer to as Ktown from now on) is to go with Koreans. There was a good variety in the ban chan served (the complimentary small side dishes of food that out before your meal), and with Ji on our side, we managed to get seconds (and even thirds of that cold crab!).

ban chan

The pickled julienne daikon and seaweed are always crowd pleasers, and the egg/mayonaise/apple dish also offered a surprising blend of yolky texture and sweet flavor. Erring on the fiscally conservative side for the night, I went for the Gobdol Bibimbab as my main entree, which is beef, egg, vegetables with rice in a hot stone pot.

gobdol bibimbap

Birthday girl ordered Kalbi Gui, prime short ribs marinated in Korean barbecue sauce, and Naeng Myun, ice cooked vermicelli noodles in soup with thin slices of beef with cucumbers, pears, and radish.

kalbi gui

I tried some of the Naeng Myun after Ji mixed in some vinegar – not the biggest fan of the dish, though it was probably because I dislike vinegar in my noodles or soup.

naeng myun

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Ippudo – Ramen Shop

February 28, 2009
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I finally had the chance to eat at the much anticipated, much hyped up noodle bar that is Ippudo. From the 400+ mostly positive reviews on Yelp to personal recommendations from friends, Ippudo had been on my list of restaurants to try for months now. A group of us (friends from freshman year of college) decided to [...]

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Panna II Garden Indian

December 24, 2008
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We knew it was over the moment we made eye contact with the two Indian men standing at the top of the metal stairs. They started waving and yelling passionately at us to come into their respective restaurants the instant they realized our intentions to venture in for some Indian. The Panna II guy caught me [...]

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Congee Village

December 18, 2008
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You know a Chinese restaurant is good when you see a lot of Chinese folk eating there. Like many other Chinese restaurants in NYC, they try to overwhelm you with the extensive menu plopped down on your table as soon as you take a seat. There must have been at least 100 dishes to choose from, [...]

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Pho in Chinatown

November 19, 2008
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I really like pho. In fact, I’m craving it right now and hopefully I’ll be eating a big bowl of pho for dinner in Chinatown this Friday :D. It’s been one hectic month, but I am back (again) to work on this baby. And oh so many food adventures to catch up on. When in Chinatown and [...]

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Paprika

October 18, 2008
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A friend of mine, who also happens to be a fellow foodie, had long ago suggested this casual Italian restaurant. It took a full year before I actually had the opportunity and (memory) to check Paprika out, and I was not disappointed for the most part. Unfortunately, we just missed the early bird special, which ended [...]

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Om Nom #2 – Buenos Aires

September 24, 2008
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Alas, my school/work/social life schedule has finally caught up to me, and I have abandoned this blog temporarily. =( Rest assured, my love for food can never die out, and I have been eating and cooking well these past two weeks.  I hope to get a real food post up by this weekend, but for [...]

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