Bahn Mi Saigon Bakery

Bahn Mi Saigon Bakery
138-01 Mott St (at Grand St)
(212) 941-1541

So the word on the street is that this place serves the best Viet sandwich in town. #1? I don’t know if that’s true, but, I’m here to investigate. I’ll rank the sandwich in terms of quality, taste, ease of eating, and the look of the sandwich.

This little shop is hidden in Chinatown but it’s past the marketplace, thank goodness. I always have a problem walking through there because it’s crowded, dirty, and chaotic. If you can avoid going down that section of Mott St, do so.

Upon arriving to this deli you’re going to see a jewelry shop in front. Don’t worry, you’re at the right place because the joint is just straight inside. Now there are a lot of hip, young, good looking people there. I’m sure they are loyal fans who can’t get enough of this deli, but just be forewarn about all the people in side.

My brother who was there ordered the chicken viet sandwich and the pork one. Pork is what I’ve been eating for years, but he wanted to change it up by having chicken. Of course they ask you if you want jalapenos in yours, and of course we didn’t. After waiting for like 10-15mins, and yes it really took that long and I literally have no patience especially at a deli, our sandwiches arrived. For $3.75, that price can’t be beat. We couldn’t wait to go back home in Brooklyn to give it a shot.

Pork Banh Mi Sandwich -

Alright, after taking this baby home, I realized that it was a little cold. Ok, not to worry, a little time with the microwave should help. One it came out, I quickly took a bite into it and first noticed how incredibly spicy it was. I could have sworn I asked for it not to be spicy. The reason why I didn’t want it to be spicy was because spiciness kills flavor and I didn’t want it like that for my first time. Some people like it, some people don’t, but I prefer it without. I took a look inside, and there is it, jalapeños. Lots of it. I’m like, what the f— is this? And you see the this deep dark red color? That’s right, that’s the pork. That is the hardest piece of meat that I have bitten on and it just made the whole experience unpleasant. Very unpleasant. I figured that I probably need to heat it up some more? Well, that didn’t help much either so the entire time it was like eating pork jerky. Yeah, it has like the same texture as jerky, but wrapped up in clumps.

With this and the jalapeño problem aside, I have to admit that the presentation was very good. I love all the nice vibrant colors and how pack the sandwich is. The bread was nice and toasted, the carrots and the salami tasted very fresh, but it was the pork that just threw it off.

Finechina’s Rating: 3.88/5
Quality – 4/5
Taste – 3.5/5
Ease of eating – 3.0/5 (because of me picking out all the jalapeños and gnawing on pork)
Presentation – 5/5

Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich –

Unfortunately, this one has jalapeños in it too, but I’ll overlook it. Look how beautiful this sandwich is. Hands down, I have to say Banh mi can really make their sandwich look drop dead hot and sexy. You see on the right picture that there’s garlic or egg smeared on the bread? That makes a WHOLE LOTTA difference. Most amateur viet sandwich joints don’t put that, but Banh Mi does. But because of my first bad experience with the pork sandwich, I didn’t know what to think about the chicken.

To my surprise, this is an excellent sandwich! Hurrah!! I knew this place has to live up to its expectations. The chicken was moist, juicy and soft, which is how chicken is supposed to be. And its partnership with the other ingredients, salami, carrots, turnips, cucumber and cilantro, resulted in a very mouth-watering…er, droolage moment. The bread was of course nicely toasted, the taste was very sensational where the sauce did not overwhelmed the sandwich, which usually happens with some sandwiches, and it was very easy to eat.

Finechina’s Rating: 4.9
Quality – 5
Taste – 5
Ease of eating - 4.5
Presentation – 5

So to me, this place is definitely not my number one, because of the long wait, putting jalapeños when I specifically asked not to, and the pork jerky-ish pork. I figure the pork sandwich is the signature sandwich. How can they screw that up? But I will still recommend people to come here to try out their sandwiches, especially the chicken one!

Look forward to my next post on Paris Sandwich!

Now the NYC Health Inspection Results!

SAIGON BAKERY INC
138 MOTT STREET, MANHATTAN 10013
212-941-1541

Current violation points: 8 – PASSED

Inspection Date: 03/23/2007

No violations that present a threat to the public health or relate directly to factors which lead to foodborne illness were recorded at the time of this inspection.

1.) “Choking first aid” poster not posted.”Alcohol and Pregnancy” Warning sign not posted. “Wash hands” sign not posted at hand wash facility. Resuscitation equipment: exhaled air resuscitation masks(adult & pediatric), latex gloves, sign not posted. Inspection report sign not posted.
2.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
3.) Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.

Viet-Nam Bahn Mi So

A Vietnamese sandwich is just a a Vietnamese sandwich? Wrong. With so many shops that devote themselves to the art of making this unique sandwich, each and every shop varies with their style and technique. But what makes them so special? Their style, technique, and love for this piece of bread. Haha.

Try the Viet sandwich at a Chinese bakery, like Century Cafe, and you’ll see how different tastes compared to your more authentic Viet sandwiches. When you get an authentic Viet sandwich from a Viet deli, you can’t imagine how rich some of their flavors are. I can’t even describe. Of course I can’t cover all of the shops, but I have a few that I like to start off first.

My battlefield is Chinatown, Manhattan. The so-called renowned ones are, Banh Mi Saigon Bakery and Viet-Nam Banh Mi So. Of course there are others, but I’ll just concentrate on these two first. I’m also going to visit Paris Sandwich and see how they go neck to neck with these two.

First stop:
Viet-Nam Bahn Mi So Corp (Vietnamese Deli)
369 Broome St
(at Mott St)
New York, NY
(212) 219-8341

I grew up eating the sandwiches here and it never disappoints. The only thing I regret is ordering the same sandwich, #1 [on menu], the pork Viet sandwich for over 5 years. My friends tell me that they make this kick ass meatball sandwich, which I swear I will try. I never had the courage to try other things on the menu, but I will soon. The people in there are nice and friendly who can speak in Cantonese, Vietnamese, and English. The place is a little small, but who cares right? It’s the food that counts? Of course that means it’s a take-out place, so don’t expect to be sitting around.

The woman who works there is still the same woman that I knew as a child and she’s always nice to give me some extra meat, which I can’t get enough of! Of course she’ll ask if you want it hot or not, and I prefer mines not because I think hotness kills the flavor, which isn’t what I’m looking for.

What’s different about their sandwiches is that there are more flavor and color in their sandwiches. I believe there’s a taste of garlic and butter in it, but I can’t be sure.

After bringing this baby back home in Brooklyn, the sandwich still remains warm and the aroma is strong. Yumm. Inside of course you see Viet salami, Viet turkey (I don’t know, I think so?), thinly sliced carrots, turnips, and cucumbers, and a leaf of cilantro. Yum yum. Don’t worry, it’s already toasted and it’s the only way you can eat it. The meat is so succulent and moist and the deli’s secret yellow sauce makes it that much more delicious. It’s not too salty, but it’s definitely a satisfying sandwich. I would give this sandwich a 5/5!

Rating: 5/5

NYC Dept Of Health Inspection Results:

VIETNAMESE DELI
369 BROOME STREET, MANHATTAN 10013
212-219-8341

Current violation points: 2 - PASSED

Inspection Date: 04/18/2006

No violations that present a threat to the public health or relate directly to factors which lead to foodborne illness were recorded at the time of this inspection.

1.) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

Wait for my next few posts on Banh Mi on Mott, Paris Sandwich, and Sau Voi Corp!

Koryodang

Koryodang
31 W 32 St
(btw Broadway and 5th Ave)
(212) 967-9661

It has been a while that I’ve been back in Korea-town. I believe it’s been over 3 years and you cannot believe how much this neighborhood has changed. There are more new and exciting shops opening around for young adults and hipsters to come here to hang out. I remember there was a day that this neighborhood was bombarded with many expensive korean bbq restaurants that was glowing with red neon lights to attract customers. But now not only are there korean bbq restaurants at competitively good prices, but there are local korean restaurants w/o the bbq and ones that have both. Added to that list are korean bakeries, cell phone stores, and lots more up and rising stores. This is a great time to be in K-town!

After my dinner at Gahm Mi Oak which was literally next store, we decided to come here. From what my friend Danny tells me, there’s a Koryodang bakery in Flushing and now there’s one here. It looked really nice, and what sealed the deal was a man flipping ice cream on a pan! I thought, how cool was that.
I really love how the koreans come up with new and innovative treats for me to eat. As a first timer, I knew I would not be disappointed here.

When me and my group came in, the place was literally packed with Korean people. Really packed. The waiter had to grab us 2 extra crappy seats for a table supposedly for 2, but it was alright. Nice gesture instead of having us to wait. Luckily I sat on their nice leather seat and Kim and Dawen sat on the “patio” chairs as Kim would put it.

After we were seated down, we received a framed menu with choices on both sides. I was already excited about the Icepan Icecream and Danny was excited about a Pear tart. I never had one, but I was excited to see one! Kim and Dawen ordered bubble tea, but I was curious on how the Korean’s take on it.

The Icepan Ice Cream! It comes with strawberry, kiwi, mango, green tea, pineapple, banana or raspberry. Price: $6.49

Beautiful isn’t it? I chose banana ice cream because I haven’t had that in a long time and I was so craving it. The ice cream is buried underneath all the fruit. My god, this is one of the BEST dessert I have ever had. My mouth was watering for more and my mood was excellent after getting into a fight with the bf. After we both had a taste of this, all the negative energies dissipated into thin air and we were both smiling and feeding each other. I loved this so incredibly much. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND you guys to try it! HIGHLY.

Here comes the honeydew bubble tea! It’s very expensive – $6.99. And I thought Ten Ren is expensive!

Honestly, this is not worth the $6.99. At Ten Ren’s, it tastes a whole lot richer and thicker than this. It’s better that all the other bubble teas, but this is not worth the price. I wouldn’t recommend this.

Next on the list is the Pear Tart! Price: $3.25 I’ve never had a Pear Tart before, but I know dam well that it sounds like a sweeeeet treat! Let’s see!

My god, gorgeous. Gorgeous. When I digged into this magnificent tart, it was like I was in heaven. This treat is so rich in sweetness that it drives my mouth wild. You have to try it to believe it. The tart itself as you can see is sweet too, which I wished it wasn’t, but it was still a very very delicious treat. At this time, Danny was bouncing off the walls because he’s very sensitive to sweets.

Overall it was an excellent idea to come here. I would definitely come here again to try their other treats. If you want to know what else is on their menu, let me a comment and I’ll show you. I don’t believe there is a menu online now but that doesn’t matter.

Ok, the NYS health inspection results!

KORYODANG
31 WEST 32 STREET, MANHATTAN 10001
212-967-9661

 

Current violation points: 25 – PASSED (27 to pass)

Inspection Date: 01/11/2007

Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

1.) Toilet facility not maintained and provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle and self-closing door.
2.) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
3.) Sufficient refrigerated or hot holding equipment not provided to meet proper time and temperature requirements for potentially hazardous foods.
4.) Cold food held above 41°F (smoked fish above 38°F) except during necessary preparation.

Gahm Mi Oak

Gahm Mi Oak
43 W 32nd St
(Btw 5th Ave & Broadway)
(212) 695-4113

24-hours, but there’s a limited menu after a certain time.

On this day, my Korean friend Danny came back from Boston for spring break and was going to take us (Kim, Dawen, and I) to a tasty place for “local korean food.” No, none of that fake american crap that gets pumped out everywhere else. I was so looking forward to this day that I literally starved myself, waiting for this fantastic delight. And when the time came, Danny-boy forgot where on earth it was and decided to call his homeboy. No one picked up. So after walking up and down and around the block, he decided to go in a korean cell phone store and asked where it was. Long story short, that man gave us wrong directions and we didn’t know where to go. We couldn’t stay out in the freezing cold anymore so we picked something that was price affordable and shared the korean experience.

Alright when we first came in, it looked like a nice cozy place. There was a couple in front of us, but after when Danny spoke with the waiter in Korean, we were off to a traditional table where there’s no chairs and only pillows on an elevated platform towards the back of the restaurant where the kitchen is. See it would have been nice if Danny boy told me we were gonna sit traditional style because then I could mentally prepare myself to sit with my legs crossed. Because of my thick ass thighs, usually the blood flow to my legs get cut and I have to recross my legs. Very annoying, but it happens to the best [fattier] of us.

When we finally sat down, we had korean menus!! I’m like, what in the hell is this? Danny literally had to recommend some of the things he thought was good. Apparently he didn’t translate the entire menu or asked for an english menu, which would be good!! I knew what I wanted, well the only thing I can eat and that’s the bibimbap. I wanted to see how their take is like here in comparison to Li Hua in chinatown. But yeah, after seconds of settling down, 3 waiters at different times came to us and asked what we wanted. I found that very annoying and I absolute HATE to be rushed. I really do. I know it’s all in good faith, but still, give me some time.

So Danny recommended the Sul Long Tang, which is snowy white ox-bone soup with white rice and white noodle, add scallion, salt and pepper to taste. I wasn’t in a soupy mood since I was famished, so the three of them decided on this since we had came out of the cold.

Okay, time for appetizers which came out the second we finished ordering! Wow, talk about fast fast service!

Kim Chi. Of course you get it in all korean restaurants, but I must say this is the best Kim Chi I have ever had. Usually I would get them in tiny portions which I can hardly get the taste of, but this, oh my god, it is really good. Really! It’s for free, so you must as well wolf down a lot of it. The free warm hot cup of barely tea helps tame the hotness from the kim chi too.

Sul Long Tang Snowy white ox-bone soup with white rice and white noodles. Carefully chosen bone and meat are cooked together more than 12 hours in a giant cast-iron pot to remove the fat and oil. Add scallion, salt
Price: $6.95

So I had a taste, seeing how desperately hungry I was, and this is one of the blandest soup I have ever had. Yes you can taste how pure and hearty it is, but it lacked a whole lotta taste even though if you add a sheit load of scallion and salt! Tasteless, my god, tasteless. You can taste how healthy it is. But if you want to come here for grease and taste, avoid this one. I didn’t like it, I’d have it for an afternoon snack, but definitely not for dinner.

Ahh, here comes my bibimbap. Bibimbap korean style jambalaya of rice, assorted vegetables and ground beef. Add long hot pepper paste to your taste and mix them in your bowl. Price: $10.95

I was hoping that it would be in a stone bowl like how it was at Li Hua and Bonjoo, which I need to do a post on that. Ok, so there’s no stone bowl, shouldn’t be a big deal right? Well…after mixing it and without the pepper because I’m scared of it, I had a taste and it was pretty bland. I had to add salt, which didn’t helped much and it was still bland! My gosh, Li Hua was starting to look better and that restaurant is based in Chinatown!

At this time our pancakes came, Bin Dae Dduk korean style fried pancake made of ground mung beans, carrot, onion, scallion, bean sprouts and ground pork — Price: $8.95.

This unfortunately tastes bland as well, and I had better ones before. I had to put a lot of salt on this to make this tastes better. It wasn’t all bad and this seems to be the hottest plate since I see it being pumped out a lot from the kitchen. Usually the waiter would only serve two big pancakes, but seeing how nice he was, he gave us 4 and didn’t charge us extra which was very nice!

My legs were getting numb at this time and the check came to us when we were done. I actually liked the traditional experience, even though my fat legs were gone. Would I recommend this place? Sure. It’s relatively inexpensive, but the taste is really really lacking. If you don’t mind, sure come and eat bland. But I care and probably would never come back. There are so many restaurants in k-town that there’s bound to be one that’s not korean bbq and that it’s rich in flavor. I will definitely find it.

Health Inspection report by the NYS:
GMO RESTAURANT
43 WEST 32 STREET, MANHATTAN 10001

Current violation points: 8 -PASSED

Inspection Date: 04/12/2006

No violations that present a threat to the public health or relate directly to factors which lead to foodborne illness were recorded at the time of this inspection.

1.) Immersion basket not provided, used or of incorrect size. Incorrect manual technique. Test kit and thermometer not provided or used. Improper drying practices.
2.) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
3.) Garbage receptacles not provided or inadequate. Garbage storage area not properly constructed or maintained; grinder or compactor dirty.

Man, a clean restaurant equals to a bland restaurant? Hm… I am seeing a link….

Anyways, look forward to my review on korean dessert. Oh man….absolutely amazing.

3pm munchie

What do you do when you’re craving for a mid-afternoon snack but you don’t want anything too heavy?  Well here’s a little something something that I pulled out from my fridge.

Let’s start off with Peanut Butter.

This is Trader Joe’s crunchy peanut butter and it looks homemade, which by the way does not taste bad at all.  There’s a lot of oil on top, but don’t worry, it’s okay.  Just stir it all around and you’ll see how rich in peanuts there are. This isn’t as thick as Skippy or your other lead brand, which is good for me.  Peanut butter doesn’t have to be incredibly fattening and can taste good at the same time.  Having your food portioned always helps.

Next thing I pull out is a pack of pepperonis that I bought from Trader Joes.  God, I love pepperoni, and it doesn’t have to be on your pizza.  Having some meat always give me a quick fix.  If you don’t have pepp, improvise!  You can use salami, ham, or what have you. Like I always say, whatever floats your boat.

And to top things off, a round cracker thick enough to absorb the peanut butter!  You can grab some sesame rounds at Trader Joe’s or wherever you can find it.

So wah lah, here you  have a little light afternoon snack! Enjoy!

Carne-Vale

Carne-Vale
46 Ave B
(btw E. 3rd and E. 4th St)
New York, NY
(212) 777-4686

If you’re looking for a cheap Brazilian bbq/steakhouse that also serves good quality meat and Brazilian chicas dancing, I seriously recommend Carne-Vale. Located in the East Village, Alphabet City, it is surrounded by a lot of great bars, restaurants, clubs, hookah-bars, etc. I remember a time when this neighborhood was rural and dangerous due to lack of people [with money], and money haha. But now it certainly has flourished due to a handful of innovative entrepreneurs who had high hopes. Thank goodness.

This is my first time going to a Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria which is Portuguese I believe, and my group and I did not want to spend too much money. I chose this place because there were rave reviews about this place, and that the price was right. Most Brazilian steakhouses, like Churrascaria Platforma in midtown, starts off at least $75+ per person and the atmosphere is really uptight/high scale, which I wasn’t ready to have. Plus they didn’t have exotic dancers, so that threw me off. Hey, you get what you get for your money’s worth, and I’m definitely sure that they have more varieties of food to feed you with until you blow up like a gigantic whale. But if you’re looking for a casual, upbeat, trendy place to have all the meat you can eat, starting at $35 per person, Carne-Vale is the place.

Upon entering the restaurant, I realized how incredible dark it was. Everything was lit up with candles, which is cute and romantic-ish, but I wished they would ate least have fluorescent lights around. Oh well, I can’t complain, but that was the one thing that I noticed. We made reservations a day in advance, which is highly recommended because this place can get quite pack after 7pm. Moving on, the restaurant looks very casual and relaxing which I like.

Very cozy. This is the very front of the restaurant. This place isn’t very big, but it’s certainly cozy and relaxing.

After our group of 7 got together, we were served with this:

This is my first time seeing this, but it’s essentially bread with cheese inside. Cheese-bread? It would taste a heck lot better if it was warm, but I guess it’s been out for a while. This comes for free, so don’t worry about it. Everything, except for drinks, come with the whole $35 pre-fixe package.

At this time the waiter asked us what we wanted to drink, and we chose a cocktail, the name just slips my mind right now, and flat water. The waiter seemed pretty new to his job because the cocktail we ordered, I believe it was the alegrea, was completely unknown to him. He had to double check with the guys at the bar in front even though it clearly says it on the menu. But yeah, you might experience that for yourself too, so be nice. Flat water is $7 per bottle. Next time don’t even bother ordering this because it tastes like regular tap water. I don’t know why on earth I said flat, where I could have sworn I said tap. He told us that the cards next to us are used to signal more meat and no more meat – one side green the other red. I thought that was interesting because I’ve never encountered anything like this. Ha, anyways, before the meats, we were encouraged to go to the salad bar.

Now I didn’t take a picture of the salad bar because I was famished. But be prepared because it’s not a huge salad bar, but there’s a good variety of food. There were 3 different types lettuces – romaine, spinach, iceberg, few dressings, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflowers, pasta, various cheeses, and some meats like salami and raw meat. This is what I started off. But you get the idea.

Later on the helpful waiter came by and served us a plate of soft fried bananas. It’s not quite a plantain, but it’s fried up. It’s very sweet and loaded with bananas, so eat this wisely if you have a small stomach because otherwise, you’ll be really full.

The point of this restaurant is all you can eat meat! So hold off the salads when the meat come. And when the meat comes, it’ll be coming so fast that you can’t even keep up! I have a small stomach, so I was already half full from the salad and the fried banana. Plus later on, there will be 4 little trays worth of rice, mash potatoes, beans, and something else that the waiter didn’t explain well. Maybe you can tell me what this is. It taste as dry as you see here, but it tastes fried. Any ideas?

But anyways, yeah these guys came nonstop with meat loaded in their arms. Oh my god. Let me tell you a list of things they serve: prime ribs, short ribs, beef ribs, ribe-eye steak, filet mignon, skirt steak, sirloin, flank steak lamb chops, leg of lamb, chicken, turkey, and Brazilian beef sausage. Don’t worry, they will repeat and you can have more of the same meats. Trust me, it sounds like a small variety of meats, but it’s quite a lot. Can you handle it?

This man is serving delicious, juicy, tender chicken. Sometimes you might have to use your tongs to grab meat off from the guy slicing meat at you.

Oh man, it was incredible, but I just could not keep up and I only had this: Filet mignon wrapped with bacon, steak, and chicken.  I think I had more, probably the sausage as well but I was so full afterwards.  The meats are overall delicious! Most were moist and loaded with flavor, and the others like some steaks that were kinda dry and lacking in flavor, but it’s alright.  Remember to eat it while it’s hot.  Don’t load up your plate with me — the guys will ALWAYS come around.

Around 8 o clock, the music grew louder with festive Brazilian music, and our lady of the night came out!

  Yes, she is a dancer, but she is not a belly dancer, as I was supposed to expect because of the reviews I’ve read.  She’s a very fun girl and she encourages people to dance.  My friends here were too shy, but in the end one of us got up and mingle with her.  She is the sweetest girl, and tried to teach us a few extra moves.

Nearing towards the end of the night we were down to dessert.  Yes, you may have read reviews saying that the dessert sucks here, but don’t judge yet until I’ve showed you the pictures.   The choices for dessert was, chocolate cake, tiramisu, and fruit yogurt.

  This is by far the best of out of the 3 dessert.  The waiter tells me that this is a new dessert, so of course I had to try it.  There were 3 layers – strawberry, mango, and kiwi.  My goodness, it was such a delicious treat.  It was very sweet and soft, especially the berries themselves.  I would highly recommend this.  The tiramisu was bitter and too loaded with chocolate liquer, and the chocolate cake was too dried.

One of my friend’s told the waiter that it was my friend Lori’s birthday, and so the waiter said he will set something up.  A few moments later,  loud festive birthday music in Portuguese came on and a bunch of waiters came out with a slice of chocolate cake with a candle that shimmered in the middle of the cake, which I thought was really thoughtful.  Everyone in the restaurant can’t help but to turned their heads to see who the birthday girl was.  It was very sweet of them.

Of course then everyone else started doing the same thing, which I can understand why they did it.  But it was very nice.  The only thing that I didn’t like at the restaurant was the bathroom.  The bathroom is in the back of the restaurant and there are only two stalls and is guarded by one man who works there.  The sinks and towels are not part of the stalls, but rather it’s outside, next to the guard.  When I came out of the bathroom, the guy opened water for me, squirt soap for me, gave me towels to dry my hand, and even lotion to moisten my hand.  My goodness, it’s such a nice gesture, but I felt guilty not tipping him because I wasn’t expecting that.  After my second run, I finally grabbed a dollar and gave it to him.  Whew.   I hate feeling guilty.  I really do.  Haha.

Overall, it was a good experience at Carne-Vale and I would recommend you to come especially if you’re like me and never had brazillian bbq before.  This is a place for meat eaters really, but they also try to accommodate to the vegetarians as well.

Before you leave, the waiter will ask you to tip him in cash, which I guess is understandable.  I prepared for this because I read a review that said the very same thing.  But yeah, be sure to calculate your bill correctly. We were in a party 6 or more and they said that gratuity was included, but it didn’t seem to be, but we weren’t sure.  Always double check.

I would post up the health inspection results but there isn’t any.  I think it’s probably because it’s a new restaurant.

Kyotofu

For more and newer posts, please visit the new site at http://finechinagirl.com!

Kyotofu
705 9th Ave
(Btw 48th & 49th St)
New York, NY
(212) 974-6012

Have you ever thought that tofu can ever be a dessert? Well I did, but I didn’t know there was more than one way of doing it! The only tofu dessert that I’ve seen is Chinese tofu, or Tofu Flower, look that up in google, which I see being sold on the streets of Chinatown. Tofu flower is essentially steamed tofu served with black melted sugar. It’s quite a tame sugary treat. But anyways, I believe the same concept of making tofu is used here at Kyotofu, but I had to investigate to find out for myself.

A little bit of history, Kyotofu opened last November and there has been a lot of rave reviews, especially by New York mag, which is my bible of restaurant reviews. Located in the trendy neighborhood in the Hell’s Kitchen district, Kyotofu fits perfectly well here, which you will see. A pair of two recently graduated students are the entrepreneurs of this lovely dessert boutique, and their youthful style are reflected within the restaurant.

After months of stalling to take my trip to the neighborhood, I finally made reservations during Japanese restaurant week and decided to take my group of closest friends with me. And btw, I believe you can only make reservations if you have a party of 4 or more and you cannot be more than 10 mins late because then your reservation will be given away due to the small capacity of the restaurant.

As I arrived with my team of 6 at 9:30pm on Friday, I told guy standing in a casual suit that I had a reservation and he told me to give him 10 mins because the people at the table was getting ready to leave. So as I was waiting, I noticed that that was a bunch of barstools sitting in front of the restaurant, as you can see with the above picture. People were already having delicious treats, like this gorgeous parfait! I’ve always had great experience with a Japanese parfait and two pocky sticks in it. Ahh nice. The people here looked very trendy and it looked like the place to go socialize with a friend or go out ona date. But anyways, during the wait, the room between the door and the kitchen grew incredibly small because more people came to wait. Me and my gang were packed in so tight that we grew uncomfortable and impatient. Believe me, regardless of reservations, you’ll have to wait because this place is really really small. At least we were entertained as we were waiting because the female Japanese chef was making desserts right in front of our eyes! She was pouring this black substance, we thought it was chocolate, but it was too thin to be chocolate and later saw her put it over a muffin. Mm…interesting. But yeah, after that we were all set to go. Woo!!

If you haven’t seen the picture of the inside of Kyotofu on the NY mag website, then you can see it now, but not as wide and detailed like theirs are. The theme of the restaurant is pure and clean — white on the outside and white on the inside. Since bright white isn’t all that sexy, there are fluorescent light bulbs and candles all around which produces this night golden look. I like it.

For drinks, Amy ordered:

Harajuku Martini whole lychee/green apple puree/shochu

Amy, correct me if I’m wrong since I’m no expert on alcohol, but yeah I had a little sip and it was very strong with a hint of sweetness. I believe this drink costs $12. And then my boyfriend ordered Soju, which I’m even going to put a picture up because it looks like ice water with a slice of lemon hanging on the edge of the cup. That soju was incredible strong and bitter. Yuck, I’m just not a fan of soju.

Alright on with the desserts!

First came the Toasted Walnut Tahitian Vanilla Parfait, that contains maple soy mascarpone mousse and caramel apricot sauce, and some pomegranate for decoration, which Judy and Queenie ordered:

Price: $8

Sorry I didn’t get a better shot at the toasted almond part, but nonetheless, it looks good. When I swiped a taste of this delicious treat, I thought it was ice cream. It truly tastes like vanilla ice cream, but it was missing something that makes it vanilla — it was the soy and mascarpone mousse. My goodness, you do not realize how delicious this treat is! Very very delicious! I absolutely loved it.

Next came Chi’s treat:

Warm Chestnut Mochi Chocolate Cake green tea-anko cream, fig yokan
Price: $10

I took a bite into this and it tastes like the best muffin I have ever had! Oh gosh, it was nice and soft, sweet, and there’s a surprise in the middle. Take a guess on what’s inside? I really like this, but it’s a little overpriced, but it tastes pretty good. I enjoyed this.

Next, my boyfriend’s treat:

Black Sesame Sweet Tofu (Tofu Flower), with hoji-cha tea syrup, white sesame tuille, goji berry
Price: $8

Wow, when I saw this I thought to myself, how artistic the presentation is. Growing up with the Tofu dessert in chinatown, it was just poured into a plastic container with the syrup and that was it. This, this is nice! You see it right? And how does it compare with the chinese version? Well, this is much more richer — you can literally taste the pureness of the tofu. Very clean and pure. That’s what I tasted, and don’t forget to pour some of that syrup on it. This syrup is much stronger than I one I had in chinatown, and my god, it tastes very very smooth and delicious. It’s not too different, but it’s not too similar too. I loved this.

Kyotofu Kaisaki Prix Nfixe zensai, dessert sampler, petitis fours
Price: $15

And here comes my first course:

I believe this is the zensai, which basically is a sample of the black sesame black tofu. I prefer having this sample because it looks cuter without me having to have so much tofu. If you like a variety, I suggest the sampler. It’s simply the best. And the rest of the pictures that I’m going to show you are samples of what my friends had.

Second course:

Top left clockwise, toasted walnut vanilla parfait, warm chestnut chocolate cake, peanut butter dipping, and lastly ginger infused Japanese rice okayu (rice pudding).

Green tea chocolate, sample of cookie gift box

I’m not a green tea lover, but after a bite of this, it actually did not taste bad. In fact, it was quite sweet, which was why I liked this. I actually wanted the cookie box to go, but then again I was so full and I wasn’t going to save it for the next day because I wanted it fresh. And because it’s $23 for this cookie box. Check their website, you’ll get a good picture of it.

And lastly, Amy ordered another cocktail since she’s such a cocktail-thirsty kinda gal:

Doki Doki Saketini melon puree/junmai sake/champagne

Again I could be wrong because I couldn’t remember what she ordered, but I believe this is the one. One sip, and it was already so strong and bitter in my mouth. Even though it looks incredibly fruity, it packs a powerful punch.

Overall it was a fabulous dining experience. The desserts came out really quickly and it tasted as good as it looks! And the waitress was very friendly to us. She took my boyfriend not to confuse the soju with water because it could get him very drunk which was funny. Then later on she came by and asked if one of us was a blogger, and of course I said yes, and then she said that she lost a bet. This bet was between her and the man who I thought was a waiter, Mike, but turns out to be the co-owner of this restaurant. Haha was my face red. After we paid, I asked for a picture with her and Mike.

Yeah, it turns out that this girl is also one of the co-owners as well instead of the waitress. Ah, it was one fun night. But yes, this is the first time that I’ve ever encountered seeing an owner at any restaurant. Plus they were friendly, professional, and speedy. Like I said to them, I will recommend all my friends to come here because this is such a unique place to come to. The dessert might be a little more than what you would expect, but it’s well worth it. See and taste this place at least once! I promise you that you will not regret it.

Alright, time for the NYC Health Inspection results of this place:

KYOTOFU
705 9 AVENUE, MANHATTAN 10019
212-974-6012

Current violation points: 7 – PASSED
Inspection Date: 10/24/2006

No violations that present a threat to the public health or relate directly to factors which lead to food borne illness were recorded at the time of this inspection.
1.) Mechanical dishwasher not operated as per manufacturer’s specifications (time/temperature/chemical concentration); machine defective.
2.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.

Japonica

Japonica
100 University Pl
(Btw E 12 and E 13th St)
212-243-7752

I honestly have never heard of this restaurant until it was listed as one of the participating restaurants for Japanese restaurant week, which was from March 4th – 10th, even though I pass by it like a million times. But of all the restaurants that I opted to chose, this was the one that I wanted to go because it has rave reviews, despite it’s steep price. If you do your research, you’re going to read that this place has one of the freshest sushis around and that it’s expensive. But for the week, they had a special which I had to take advantage — $29.95 for a Japonica Box that includes a variety of raw fishes, sushis, and rice bowls, and dessert. For that price, how can I go wrong! But yes, getting an impression that it’s like a mid-high scale restaurant, I knew I should at least try it once.

If you’re interested in going, call to make reservations. Now you might read that this place doesn’t take reservations, but they do. Just call to make a regular reservation because they might assume that it’s a special reservation where they put you in their small private traditional Japanese room with pillows on the floor for you knees. That room is a min of $300, so yeah, that’s something for you to know. Reservations help because it gets extremely packed at night, since it’s located 2 blocks away from Union Square, and the restaurant is pretty small — smaller than what I thought because the picture on the website gives me this vision that it’s big.

As I walked into the restaurant around 6:30, the place was already packed. Luckily I made reservations ahead of them because there were a lot of people waiting on line as well. After a few minutes of waiting, our tables were set up for my party of 6, and we were greeted very nicely by the waiters.

Like I said, the place isn’t that big, but it gets packed. There are Japanese waiters all around if you need assistance, which I thought was pretty good since they’re so helpful and efficient.

We sat towards the back, next to the private room, which has a long couch in the back with pillows that had nice floral designs, which was very comfy. And after a few minutes of settling down, the waiter came to ask what we wanted to drink and then got it right away. Very nice hospitality. It made me feel like I was in a Japanese home.

Alright time for food! As I said, I came to take advantage of the special on the Japonica Box, which contains:

JAPONICA BOX – $29.94 (reg. $34)

1) Begin with Miso soup or Edamame.

2) Box entrée:

- Salad, Tempura, and Fried sweet potato and broccoli
- Sashimi assorted(tuna, yellow tail and salmon)
- Spicy tuna crunch roll, Yellow Tail with Jalapeno roll, Hot Alaskan roll
OR
- Eel Don(Eel on Seasoned rice, in bowl) or Alaska-Don(seasoned rice mixed with crispy salmon skin, topped by salmon caviar).
- And choice of chicken Yakitori or beef Negimaki.

3) Finish with a scoop of scoop of sherbet or ice cream.

I opted for the sushi rolls instead of the rice bowls because I heard very good things about the hot Alaskan roll, so I couldn’t wait on that. My friends all had a mix of everything.

Here are the pictures!

I know, I have a million edamame pictures, but I’m so addicted to it. But this one, it’s lacking some more salt, but it’s very rich in soy. But just some more salt would do the trick, to me anyways, since I’ve tried a lot better in the Japanese towns in California.

Yakko-Tofu – $6.00

This fried tofu over soup is a delectable treat that has the combination of saltiness and sweetness. The tofu absorbs some of that soy sauce soup which gives the tofu and extra kick. For the price, it is a little overpriced but it tastes alright.

Here is my box!

I’m usually not too much of a fan of raw fish or raw anything, but my Alaskan roll that has raw salmon, cucumber, and avocado taste really smooth and tasty. I did not detect any strong hints of fishiness, which is always a good thing to me, and even my boyfriend who hates seafood, loved this roll. Excellent, just like how the other reviewers said it. The only thing I wished was better was the presentation of the roll. I know, they’re probably churning out a couple of hundred rolls a day and the chefs are tired, but a little rice would be nice on the rolls, because then it starts falling apart, like the ones I had.

The beef negimaki is best eaten with it’s still hot. After when it cooled down, it was pretty hard and the taste isnt really there any more. In the rolled up negimake is scallions inside, which I usually don’t eat, but I made an exception. It’s not bad, although I wish I could have accompanied it with a bowl of rice.

I did not have the fishes and gave it to my friends, who really enjoyed it. They tell me that it tastes very fresh and that it did not disappoint. I figure all 4 of them couldn’t go wrong since they were all in consensus. But yes, this seems like a good place to go if you love sushi!

Alright the rest of the pictures are a slight variation of what I ordered:

As you can see, the food looks pretty good and I could tell when my friends are having such a good time eating it.

If you’re not a sushi fan, I really do not recommend you to come here because everything is just ridiculously priced and it’s not worth it. My friend ordered udon noodles, and that cost about $20! Very expensive, and that bowl you can really get anywhere else.

And my boyfriend ordered the Sukiyaki – $24: 

It has vermicelli on the bottom, and everything else that you see here.  It’s actually an unique combination and it tastes pretty good.  The beef was nice and tendered since you can see it’s not overcooked, but yes, I’d definitely recommend this.

For dessert, you get a choice of red bean, vanilla, and green bean ice cream. I’m a fan of red bean, so I had that.

The ice cream reminds me of mochi ice cream, which I really liked. I wish there was more of the ice cream, but this was good enough.

As we were leaving, I learn that you can’t joke around with the Japanese, seriously. My friend wanted to see if the pillows were for free. Take a guess at who! She seriously asked the waiter the manager there if she could take it home and they gave her this awkward look, and at this time I interrupted and said, “She’s kidding.” When we left, they mumbled something in Japanese, and I figure, oh man, she shouldn’t have said that! You don’t kid at a mid-scale restaurant like this one!

Overall, it was a good experience. Dress code is casual, atmosphere is great for groups because it does get pretty noisy when it’s crowded, but it’s a tad expensive for my taste. Go here for the sushi at least once. You’ll learn to like it.

HEALTH INSPECTION RESULTS

JAPONICA RESTAURANT
100 UNIVERSITY PLACE, MANHATTAN 10003
212-243-7752

Current violation points: 19 – PASSED
Inspection Date: 11/27/2006

Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Toilet facility not maintained and provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle and self-closing door.
3.) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
4.) Cold food held above 41°F (smoked fish above 38°F) except during necessary preparation.

East Manor

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East Manor
79-17 ALBION AVENUE
QUEENS, 11373
(Train: R or V train to Elmhurst Ave and take a 10 min walk, but preferably by car)
718-803-3952

This is my second time coming to East Manor Buffet. The first time was to attend a  banquet, which was located on the second floor, and this time was to go for the buffet. I usually have a real bad experience with Chinese buffets because they all tastes like fake Chinese food like the ones you’d get in those chinese fast food joints, which are limited to the same 20 or so trays of food. But I figure, those places were cheap and the restaurant’s look reflected on that which is probably why I’d expect it. Here at East Manor, my expectations are a little high because it looks nice on the outside. My cousin is a partner the other East Manor restaurants which I’ve always heard good things about, located in flushing, but I figure all the East Manor franchises should be above standard for chinese cuisine and class.

If you come here in a large group, I’d recommend you calling in advance because the wait time could be pretty long, about 20+ mins. Let me tell you, this restaurant is enormous. It literally is a manor and it gets pretty packed especially on the weekends. Of course when you come to a buffet, you don’t expect sexy ambiance.  This is a loud restaurant with people chatting all around. It’s normal. But because it’s so much bigger, there’s more sound to be carried around. When I was there, there was another room on the same floor that was also holding a small banquet. It’s a festive place to be at.

During the 20 min waiting period, I walked around and took many pictures of the artwork in the restaurant. There were several statues of dolphins and some other fish, a piece of artwork on the ceiling that looks like Michaelangelo’s work, and a beautiful waterfall. Talk about decorative place, I like that. Then after walking around, I run into Stacy and her boyfriend’s family.  They sat right in front of a “bar” which I thought looked cool. But that’s me because I’m easily amused.

I swear, like all Chinese people gather here on weekends for dinner. Ahh, the funniest thing. They seem to be very satisfied with the food, so then I was extra eager to try the food.

After the long wait, the 8 of us were happy to be seated. We sat in a nice round table with a generic white cloth over it and on nice comfy velvety chairs, which was not bad at all. It really did good for my butt. The waiter, who was really nice, gave us a whole pitcher of water and came by every now and then to see if we were being helped which is good. It’s probably not as good as the service at Minado’s because they’re smaller, but it was good enough for me.

This is the first buffet that actually serves “hop-goo-cho,” I think it’s called Prunella herbal tea in English, but this is how it looks like:

It’s a sweet, cold, herbal drink that not everyone would enjoy.  It’s really an acquired taste, at least to me anyways because it has this strong herby taste.  My parents would used to tell me that it’s good for you if you feel the need to purge the impurities in your body.  I don’t know if it really does that, but it’s a soothing drink.

Anyways back to the buffet. Here are some pictures of the buffet that I thought looked nice:

This is only part of the humongous buffet. Your jellos, edamames, salads, other desserts are on this table. The part that I like about this are the decorations. I love the flowers even though it’s unnecessary. It’s the decorations that makes it look beautiful.

Actually I wished the sushi bar was bigger, this was considered to be very very small, but it’s alright because they specialize in Chinese food, not Japanese. I wonder if the sushi maker is japanese…

So this is my first helping:

I’m so addicted to the cali rolls, I just can’t help it. I’d actually like some more rice for the rolls, but this is alright.   I had some dim sum to start me off and I was off to a happy start. I couldn’t wait to get some more food.

My sweet boyfriend later got me:

That’s right, Peking Duck. This is my first time seeing Peking Duck at a buffet. Call me ignorant, but it is! It was my first time having it and it didn’t taste too bad to me. I’d probably like the fatter side of the duck, but this was good for me. Not bad, not bad at all.  According to my boyfriend, he tipped the server and received extra meat.   You should ask for more first and then tip if anything.

Of course I can post a zillion pictures of food from this place, but you guys have to go at least once to try. I guarantee that you’ll have a grand ol’ time eating here.

I think it was 8 of us, the bill came about $35/person which wasn’t so bad. This is including tax and tips. I think it’s definitely worth the trip to go. Check it out! =)

Health Inspection Results

EAST MANOR
79-17 ALBION AVENUE, QUEENS 11373

Current violation points: 7 – PASSED

Inspection Date: 04/19/2006

No violations that present a threat to the public health or relate directly to factors which lead to food borne illness were recorded at the time of this inspection.

1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Accurate thermometer not provided in refrigerated or hot holding equipment.
3.) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.

Peanut Butter & Co

PEANUT BUTTER & CO
240 SULLIVAN ST
(Btw Bleeker and W 3rd St, a block away from NYU Law School)
212-677-3995

Ever since I saw this on the Food Network I knew I had to come here. Featured on the show “Unwrapped,” many specialty peanut butter sandwiches were showed that I have never seen done before. When I saw a bacon on a pb&j sandwich, that just sold the deal for me. So today, I decided to come to this delicious shop to see how tasty their sandwiches really was!

My snack buddy and I went in at around 5pm and the place was literally packed. 5pm, I thought, do people come to this place to have dinner? It’s crazy since they only serve peanut butter and jelly and other light snacks. But you’ll be surprised at how many families and dates come here. Anyways, so I thought to myself and my partner, ha, so much for eating in. The only table that was empty only had one seat and a baby chair which wasn’t suitable for us. We decided to order it out instead of eating in since we didn’t have a choice. Okay, I was a little disappointed, and only hoped that someone would leave.

Well, it was time to look at the menu which hung over the cashier counter like at a diner. After looking at it for a good couple of minutes, we decided to order a Peanut Butter Club, The Elvis, and a milkshake. The cashier is going to ask you a serious of questions, if you’ve never came here before.

1) White or wheat?
2) Crunchy or smooth?
3) Grape, strawberry, or apricot jam?

We both chose white and crunchy, with the exception of the jam which I picked strawberry and the partner picked grape. Yum. I figured with all this peanut butter, we needed a drink. So we decided to get a milkshake. Not knowing which to get because there were so many, the cashier recommended the Mary Jane , which he swears is good. I ask him what’s in it and he says peanut butter and honey. “Wait,” I said, “Isn’t that a weird combo?” Apparently he tells me that he loves it and reassures me that it’s awesome. Yeah, let’s see how awesome it was! So we sealed the deal and ordered the Mary Jane. Yummm…

While waiting for the the food, I noticed that ceramic plates with sandwiches and celeries was coming out from the kitchen and was later served to a table of customers by this female employee who was wearing the company’s t-shirt. Wow, even though it’s a very small restaurant, the employees there treat their customers with the utmost care and it almost felt like it was a restaurant. Seriously, how cool is that? At this point, my Mary Jane arrived:

My god, you cannot believe how DELICIOUS this drink is! Oh my god, peanut butter with honey and milk absolutely cannot go wrong!! Oh man, it tastes like vanilla ice cream with traces of crunchy peanut butter. I’m sure the honey is in there but I couldn’t tell because it is very very sweet. I love it. I would TOTALLY recommend this to anyone!!

Price: $5.50

After a couple of sips of my cool Mary Jane, just as we saw an empty table, we were informed by this couple that said they’ve been waiting for a long time. So darn it we were back to square one again. The cashier noticed this and tried to ask some guys in the back if there were any extra chairs, but there wasn’t. Even though there wasn’t, it was still nice of him to try. I really liked that, such good customer service.

By the time our food was ready, we had two empty tables to chose which was just our luck! Gosh I was so happy, and it was better than to eat at Washington Square Park!

Here is my PB Club, which is a double decker sandwich with all the crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jam in it. Don’t let the picture fool you, it’s a gigantic sandwich, which is why it costs $6.60 for this sandwich. Heck if you’re feeling cheap and on a date, I think you can eat away with sharing this sandwich and order a Peanut Butter sampler where you can dip celery and carrot sticks into peanut butter which I saw with other couples there. How did this taste any different than a regular PB&J sandwich? Well, to me it was just another PB&J sandwich except that it’s toasted and it’s a double decker but it made me very happy eating it. Oh man, when I had a taste of the Elvis, oh man, that’s just another story.

This is a grilled peanut Butter sandwich with bananas and honey. You can try it with bacon but we opted not to because we were going to have dinner afterwards. As you see, there are bananas inside. And let me tell you, bananas with peanut butter is a godly mix! Oh my watering mouth, this is insatiable!! This is densely packed with their special peanut butter spread and banana to ease the load. It’s amazing, and I will DEFINITELY RECOMMEND it.

Price: $6.60

Overall, it was an amazing experience. I will definitely come here to try their other treats next time.

Until again, I’ll leave you with pictures of the restaurant and the health inspection report of this restaurant:

PEANUT BUTTER & CO.
240 SULLIVAN STREET, MANHATTAN 10012
212-677-3995

 

Current violation points: 12 – PASSED

Inspection Date: 01/22/2007

Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

1.) Food contact surface not properly maintained.
2.) Milk or milk product undated, improperly dated or expired.
3.) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’