Dim Sum for the Suspect

i love dim sum. there will never be a moment when i reject someone's suggestion to eat dim sum for a meal (well, except in the instance where i just ate-and only because i am most likely too full to fit any food in my tummy, let alone dim sum).

Sully flies  his korean pride flag high, in that he favors korean cuisine over any other option. he rarely has an opportunity to eat dim sum, and the last outing didn't exactly impress him, so i'd been looking for another opportunity to go out for dim sum again. and that was how we found ourselves at Red Egg on a rainy Sunday morning. 

we were actually there due to a bloomspot voucher i had purchased which was about  to expire.  the deal allowed me to purchase $55 worth of food for a discounted amount. there had actually been a more reasonable offer but since Sully's daily intake of food exceeds most ordinary people's, i figured going for the larger option was best.

we arrived at the restaurant a little after 11 am, which is a decent time for dim sum if you want the freshest options without too much of a wait at the usual dim sum joints in Chinatown. however, when we arrived there were only 3 tables seated (all of them white). Unlike cart dim sum places, Red Egg offers a check-list for dim sum items and a regular menu for larger items. we ordered the following:

1. Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai ($2.75): this was one of Sully's favorite dishes.  the wrapper is thin and the pork and shrimp were juicy and plump.  not bad, although i wasn't as excited about it as Sully.

2. Veal Chops with Black Pepper Sauce ($3.75): a good alternative if you decide not to order the traditional spare ribs option. i offered Sully the option of either and he ended up choosing this one. very flavorful and juicy, with large easy-to-eat pieces although if you don't like the tendony portion attached to the bone, you may want to skip this. i have no qualms with using my fingers to get every bite.

3. Sticky Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf ($4.50): i primarily ordered this in order to provide Sully with a more "filling" option, in case he ended up not liking the other dishes. this is a dim sum staple dish as well, although Red Egg's version is a little too soft for my liking.  the flavor's "meh" although the meaty pieces were plenty (abundant minced pork/chicken and sausage).

4. Shrimp Steamed Rice Roll ($4.50): this was really the only dish i knew for sure Sully would absolutely love. and he did. i, on the other hand, found it just merely satisfactory. the shrimp pieces were nicely sized, but the rice roll wasn't as tender as i usually like it and the sauce wasn't as flavorful. 

5. Pork Shrimp and Cilantro Dumpling ($3.75): i was actually a bigger fan of this dumpling than Sully was, who preferred the Siu Mai instead.  i liked it for the thin egg-based wrapper they used as opposed to the white dumpling wrappers which can sometimes be too doughy.  

6. Octopus in Sweet Bean Sauce ($5.50): this is a cold dish that i had been hesitant to order but Sully had pushed for.  it was surprisingly good and a nice contrast to the rest of the dishes.  the little octopi were had a crunchy texture without being too chewy and the dipping sauce added a nice touch of salty-sweet.

7. Stir Fried Radish Cake with Duck Meat ($6.50): although a little salty, the accompanying hoisin dipping sauce made this dish an interesting treat. the radish cakes are fried and then stir-fried with shredded duck and other accompaniments e.g. julienned carrots, celery, and fried egg. afterwards, Sully commented that he didn't really like this dish except for the "potato" to which i clarified that wasn't potato but radish cake which surprised him and subsequently changed his opinion on the dish entirely.

all this food comes out in spurts and you can imagine our little 2-person table was filling up quickly. in order to hit our voucher quota, Sully had also ordered a dish off the regular menu: Jumbo Shrimp with Honey Walnuts ($19). he had recently tried this dish at Kiddo's bday dinner and had fallen in love (no surprise as this is every chinese kid's favorite dish when having banquet dinners with family. who can argue with candied walnuts and fried shrimp covered in a sweet mayo sauce?) we ended up getting this dish to-go because we were too stuffed at this point to contemplate eating any more food.

by the time we asked for our check, the restaurant had started to fill up.the clientele was still primarily white, although the elderly couple that sat next to us were cantonese. while i prefer the bustling push-cart atmosphere of traditional dim sum, this place isn't a bad way to introduce noobs/timid eaters to the wonderful world o dim sum.

Something Like Korean

initially when Cousin told me she was coming into town, i was a little put-out in that selfish-aww-man-but-i-wanted-to-laze-about-and-do-nothing-like-i-do-every-weekend kind of way. there's always something slightly inconvenient about being asked to deviate from your normal schedule.  but, as with all things, change can be a good thing.

the eating and drinking theme of last weekend definitely took an unintended "korean" turn. it was kicked off by meeting BlackSesame at our usual friday night happy hour at K-town for some 50 cent chicken wings, soju and Hite beer. i'm supposed to be dieting (the result of a "serious" conversation with my Mom) and had had a little Checkers relapse the night before, so i'd abstained from eating all day except for a giant iced coffee (with skim and splenda) and a half of a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese.

so after 2 bottles of soju, 4 beers, and a lot of inappropriate conversations with the bouncer, BS and i headed off to Chinatown before i became one of those "unni" girls in the bathroom. i had intended for us to check out Super Taste so i could cross another restaurant off my list (hey, if i'm gonna fall off the diet wagon, i might as well go down slugging noodles and dumplings). unfortunately, by the time we rolled onto Eldridge Street from the subway, most of the restaurants were closed except for one sole beacon of light: Sheng Wang. and so it happened that BS and i found ourselves sharing a bowl of Fujianese Dumpling Noodle Soup ($5) and an order of dumplings ($3). 

i honestly couldn't have been any happier at that moment. the dumplings were juicy and flavorful with thin dumpling skin, but not so thin that the filling just falls out at the slightest touch.  the noodles were chewy and a great texture.  the only thing that would've made it better was if i had been clear-headed enough to order what i had really meant to order: the fishball noodle soup. because fujianese fishballs are the best little treasure bombs any fishball could have (it's fishball on the outside and meat on the inside. surprise!). but that being said, our order was perfect for the meal we were fulfilling and the shared order was just the right portion so we didn't walk away feeling like fatties.

after dinner i lame-assed it home in order to prepare for my cousin's arrival since she was taking a red-eye from Cali. and by laming out i missed out on meeting Sarah Silverman who BS saw at the bar he went to (Bell House in case you were wondering. they were doing a comedy show there that night.)

This is what happens when you decide not to be lame and go home.

after cursing my bad luck when i woke up the next morning, i diligently cleaned my room waiting to hear from my cousin. but around 12:30 i had still heard no word and was getting stahving. so Kitty and i made plans to meet up at Miss Korea in K-town for some delicious kalbi and  pork belly bbq and dumplings.

Miss Korea supposedly has some kick-ass lunch specials and is generally all-around good. when we arrived at 2 pm on Saturday, the place was packed. however, by the time we finished eating (around 3:30ish), the place had completely cleared out except for a few stragglers. 

we ordered steamed beef and pork mandu ($8.95) to start. being chinese, i'm a big fan of boiled and steamed dumplings. however, to date i have yet to have any steamed korean mandu where the dumpling doesn't completely fall apart. when i'd told Kitty i wanted to order it, he raised his eyebrows in a "are you sure?" look which i had chosen to ignore. lesson learned: when eating mandu, always ordered to fried version.

for entrees we decided to go with straight-up BBQ, so we ordered a serving of thick-sliced pork belly ($22.95) and premium kalbi aka Hang A Ri ($26.95). while the samgyupsal was ok, the galbi was superb. the marinade flavoring perfectly complements and tenderizes the meat and the portion is very generous. and it comes with some interesting vegetables inside the pot which is also grilled with the meat. another perk of Miss Korea is that they allow you to specify which type of rice you want (healthy or white).  the healthy version is the purple rice with various types of beans and oats. very hearty and it fools you into thinking you're counteracting all that dense meat you're putting into you're stomach.

after the late lunch, i was pretty full and skipped dinner which worked out well for Cousin, who had a double dinner at Ippudo and Soba-Ya due to a miscommunication with the hostess at Ippudo. 

the next morning, continuing my korean-themed food-a-thon, we grabbed brunch at Bistro Petit in Williamsburg. hole-in-the-wall doesn't begin to describe how tiny this restaurant is. it has 3 dining counters and self-serve station of fancy sodas and coffee (and no free refills on coffee and no tap water available). we sat at the counter facing the kitchen and helped ourselves to menus. it's a limited menu, with only 1 page of options, but then again, for a place so small, what else would i expect?

we ended up sharing an order of Watermelon Salad ($10)-diced watermelon, pickled watermelon rind, mint, grilled haloumi cheese, and spicy watermelon reduction sauce and the Kimchi Bouillabaisse ($19)-mussel, scallop, pollack, shrimp, fried tofu, rice gnocchi, kombu, white wine, korean chili paste, watercress and kimchi. 

the clear winner was the Watermelon Salad. sweet, refreshing watermelon with contrasting yet complementing flavors of picked rind and salty haloumi cheese. amazeballs. the Kimchi Bouillabaisse on other hand was a little salty. while the seafood was well-cooked, the soup itself was salty. and i kept wishing it had made up its mind whether to be fusion or kimchijigae instead of a wishy-washy version of neither/both.

after our meal, i took Cousin down to Brooklyn Flea in order to walk off some of the food and to check out the wares. it was my first time visiting the Flea since they moved from Hanson Place to the Williamsburg location. the wares were interesting, but a more important food lesson learned: the lines at vendors at Brooklyn Flea are significantly shorter than at Smorgasburg. well, with the exception of Dough.

Hodge Podge

i was perusing  NY Serious Eats on-line wherein they rated the "25 Best Pork Sandwiches [They] Love in NYC."  i stumbled upon the Prosciutto Sandwich at Ground Support. intrigued, i looked up the cafe and realized: i've been here before. which then triggered the question: why was i there?

i don't often find myself in Soho, so why was i there that day? and then i remembered what a hodge-podge of a Sunday that was. JimmyDean, MrsButterworth, and i found ourselves on our way to Jing Fong for NannyDiary's bday brunch. we got there uber late thanks to JD, who didn't warn us that the uptown 6 train we transferred to at the Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall stop was going express to Union Square, although he knew it when we got on the train. so we ended up having to take another local 6 train from Union Square down to Canal Street.

aside from my recent experience at Sunshine 27, this excursion to Jing Fong was one of my less pleasant dim sum dinings for the following reasons:

1. ND had invited so many people that we were separated into 2 tables. totally deprives the whole purpose of dim sum dining. you're supposed to be chatting over tea and exclaiming over the diverse variety of food together. kind of hard to do when you're sitting at separate tables.

2. every separate group of friends had their own dining check. wha?!?! i didn't even know Jing Fong would let you do that, let alone WHY you would do that. yes, it would make splitting the check a lot easier. except chinese food is all about family-style. which always ends up being less-per-person cost-wise anyways. and chinese restaurants aren't that savvy when it comes to splitting checks. e.g. JD, MB, and i got charged everyone's teas which was just weird.

3. because we arrived late, everyone had already eaten a decent amount. so we were pretty limited in what we could/should get to eat since there were only 3 of us eating whatever we ordered.

4. BUT of course that didn't stop us. or more correctly, JD, who hadn't been out to dim sum in quite a while. so he went a little buckwild when it came time to order and grab food. and this is an observation coming from one of the worst offenders of this type of conduct. since i'm used to eating dim sum with my family since i was a little babe, there are certain staples that i insist on eating at dim sum, or else i feel incomplete. but this type of behavior, coupled with JD's ended up with us having too much food, and not finishing most of it. although, it was a little absurd for JD to order 3 orders of Steamed Pork Buns and Sauteed Snails (which of course everyone had a bite of and then abandoned as weird).

5. we spent $20/person on dim sum for what ended up being an unsatisfactory meal. and that never happens to me at dim sum (until recently). i'm gonna have to remedy this soon.

so after this dim sum fiasco, we parted ways with ND's party and went our own separate ways.

wherein i stumbled upon my current favorite bubble tea place: Kung Fu Tea. we happened upon this shop and noticed it was having a grand opening. when we first went in, there was only 1 customer in the store. i was super happy to see they had Winter Melon Tea on their menu, which i ordered with no boba and 50% sugar. this was the perfect antidote to my bloated dim sum stomach, which wasn't very happy with the prior dim sum meal.

we then perused Soho stores since JD and MB had some errands to run and i could use the walk to walk off all that food.  and that's how, a few hours later, JD and i found ourselves at Ground Support Cafe while MB shopped at the Anthropologie next door.

Turkey Picnic

the cafe is super cute inside, and pretty spacious, with a hipster vibe. and they serve wine which i though was interesting since it seemed more like a coffeehouse from outside. but the best part was that after 5 pm, they have half-price sandwiches. and so although i wrestled with it, i ended up buying two sandwiches to take home: 1 for dinner and 1 for lunch the next day. i got the Turkey Picnic (turkey breast, aged gouda, pickled red onion, potato chips,  bbq sauce, bibb lettuce, and tomato) ($9.50) and the Cuban (turkey breast, berkshire pit ham, gruyere, pickles, peppadew relish, dijoun remoulade) ($10). both sandwiches were good and refreshing, but nothing i'd travel for.

Cuban

SUN day part 1

at one point, i hit an eating wall. my stomach had finally thrown up its hands and surrendered from all the restaurants i'd gone to and all the food i'd supplied it with. it was just too tired and overstimulated.

and i think this wall came around the time i went to brunch at Fat Radish. which, btws, is delicious. on a beautiful saturday morning, i'd made plans to meet with TVDinner to try out brunch at this (not-so-new-anymore) british gastropub.  expecting the worst in terms of a wait, i was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant moderately full, but not crowded.  BlackSesame and i grabbed a seat at the bar while we waited for TVDinner and Kiddo to arrive.

since i never say no to a bloody mary, and brunch is really the only acceptable time to drink one, both BlackSesame and i ordered a glass. Fat Radish's bloodies are good, but nothing special, although they make use of fresh horseradish and their own pickled garnishes consisting of a tiny string bean, a beet, and (of course) a radish. the garnishes are great, very much like McClure's or Rick's Picks.   be forewarned that their bloodies are not spicy, at all, so make sure to indicate you want yours spicy (which i did with my 2nd glass).

considering that Fat Radish touts itself as farm-to-table fare (a label i find silly since in the grand scheme of things everything is farm to table really), i found it ironic that they were serving Tropicana OJ. they explained that something had happened with their shipment of oranges/OJ and so they had to run out this morning and get a substitute. i'd be pretty pissed if i found out i was paying $6 for Tropicana. just saying.

once TVDinner and Kiddo arrive, we were promptly seated without a problem.  when we finished our meal it looked like there was a decent wait-time, although it didn't look unmanageable.  

the atmosphere and setting at Fat Radish is pretty idyllic with wooden tables and bright lighting (in a natural way, not dentist's chair-style). it was perfectly aligned with the perfect weather we were having. and even though i'd been out drinking the night before, the atmosphere at Fat Radish didn't make me feel like the gross hungover mess i am prone to be at times for saturday or sunday brunch.


TVDinner and i opted for the Cloth-bound cheddar and potato cake ($14) which included sauteed brussels sprouts, bacon, and a poached egg. this was pretty on point with its flavors, although when it first arrived i was slightly disappointed with its size. however, since Kiddo and i shared plates, i got to eat half of his Hake Kedgeree (this was a special on the specials board so i don't remember its price or ingredient list), but this was damn good. and filling without making me feel gross. once again, Kiddo saved my eating escapade by being willing to accommodate me! hooray Kiddo! BlackSesame opted for the Full English Breakfast ($15) which contained the usual stage of characters Meyers of Keswick sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, and roasted tomato. and as is always the case, the beans were the only things leftover on the plate. poor beans. 

one surprising entry onto our table as the Lawnmower ($12), a cocktail consisting of dark rum, green juice, and lime. what is green juice you ask? well it's one of Fat Radish's many homemade juices. this once consisted of kale, spinach, celery and apple. my initial reaction to that mix was "bleh" accompanied by a turtleface a la Nick from New Girl. but Fat Radish schooled me: this drink is heavenly. it's the perfect summer drink without being overly sweet and is light and refreshing in the style of lemonade. and it really does kind of remind me of freshly cut grass. odd, but delicious.

so with our tummies satiated, we left the restaurant (passing a line of waiting hipsters), and discussed our plans for the rest of the day. BlackSesame had picked up a flyer for the Hester Street Fair, which was close to our location, so we had discussed going to check it out. in addition, i had some Ctown grocery shopping to do (i was making braised oxtail), and Kiddo was going to drop in on the parental units, who own a store close by.

before heading over to the street fair, we decided to get a cup of coffee. i noticed that all the patrons entering Fat Radish were holding a particular brand of coffee in a takeaway cup and  wondered if the shop was close by and also if it was really that good. i mean, usually you see people with to-go cups of coffee in only 3 types of cups: (1) dunkin donuts; (2) starbucks; and (3) that generic pattern that every deli in NYC offers. so for all these Fat Radish guests to have gone to the same coffee shop must mean something and it was a mystery i refused to let lie. luckily Kiddo knew exactly which shop it was and pointed us in the right direction.

and that's how we found ourselves at Lost Weekend NYC. and it's only after googling it that i realized how much of a hipster mecca we had stumbled upon. i think i must possess a suppressed hipster somewhere in my psyche because i've also been to Saturdays Surf NYC, and the 2 are comparable hipster coffeeshops. we got ourselves some hipster coffee made the fancy way-no drip coffee machine here-and ogled the Mast chocolate bars before we headed over to the street fair.

i've been to Hester Street Fair back when it began last summer. honestly, i wasn't that impressed. granted i hadn't realized before i went that it was a closed off lot. when i think of "street fair" i tend to think of a closed off street, not a vacant lot filled with vendors. so color me disappointed the first time i went. this second time was better in that i knew what i was getting myself into.


unfortunately, none of us were prepared for how packed the venue was. unbeknownst to us, we had decided to attend the street fair on opening day. so it was almost impossible to move around. so i'll just mention the highlights:
1. Filthy Farm Girl. amazeballs soaps. yes, they're a little hippy in style and smell but they're worth it just for the dirty/naughty descriptions on the soaps. i met be getting a bunch for BBM when i attend her bridal shower and/or bachelorette.

"Your Honor...my client is ready to come clean!"

"I'm not like those other kitties...When i get all wet and soapy i just purr and purr!"

"I'm a busy girl but i've always got time to get sleek and fancy!"

this one was epic, except it's not what you think it means. it's talking about knitting...BOOO.

2. Ample Hills Creamery. four words: ooey gooey butter cake. and done. just go and get it ASAP. you will not regret it. 

don't be deceived by the Clark-Kent look of this ice cream. this is AMAZEBALLS.

3. we headed over to the Pies n' Thighs booth but the only thing left was Banana Bread Pudding, which BlackSesame and i nagged Kiddo to get until he finally broke down ("come on, it's only a dollar! one dollar! really?! it's a dollar!"). poor Kiddo.


overall, i suggest hitting up the Hester Street Fair if you like flea markets and snacks. it should only take you an hour tops to complete the whole circuit, and that's with food lines. 


i was pretty exhausted after all of this (don't ask me why. i understand that all i did was eat and walk a little. don't judge me) and just wanted to go home and veg out for a while, but that wasn't in the stars for me...
 

second chance?

shortly after my final interview for my current job, i met up with Kiddo to celebrate finally transitioning back into the city after moving back home to NJ after law school. we had also made plans to meet up with JimmyDean and MrsButtersworth, although they had to work until later so Kiddo and grabbed drinks first.

this would be my first, but not last, appearance at Whiskey Tavern, Kiddo's favorite bar near his current job at NY County Supreme Court. i'd passed this place many times during my forays into Chinatown, but had never really been curious because honestly, who goes to Chinatown to drink? the answer: a lot of people, apparently. i don't really have an opinion about Whiskey Tavern aside from the fact the the drink prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is pretty good (it has the potential to be a local but usually tends to decently packed so you never feel like you've walked into a spaghetti western), and if you're an attorney often making appearances in NY County Supreme, you'll probably run into a lot of people you know at this bar. i did end up having an amazing honey-flavored Jack Daniels on the rocks, which was memorable.

i can't remember why, but we decided to migrate to another bar while waiting for JimmyDean and MrsButtersworth and ended up at B Flat. now this place, i love. a japanese jazz bar? get out! when we arrived, the place wasn't crowded at all and had a dimly lit, serene vibe; very "jazz-y" feeling. it was when we plopped down at the bar that i realized it was a japanese jazz bar. the cocktail menu offers various asian-influenced cocktails akin to Angel's Share but without the excessively long wait and white douchebags. the prices are on par as Angel's Share so i highly recommend coming here instead of AS. it's just so much better. 

after 1 drink, JimmyDean and MrsButtersworth met with us and suggested we go to Peels for dinner. i was pretty pumped since i'd never been, and Peels is on my "to-eat" list of NYC restaurants. however, the meal itself was sorely disappointing. and here's why:

1. the prices are outrageous. no, not Per Se outrageous, but are we really trying to claim Peels is akin to Per Se? i don't think so. the entrees are the only reasonably priced (and i mean NYC "reasonably priced") items on the menu and everything was upward of $20. that includes for fried chicken. so no surprise that Kiddo and i both opted for the $16.50 cheeseburger. which was good, but not $16.50 good. the fact that i can't even remember it says a lot.

2. drinks are just as expensive. $9+ for a beer and $12+ for a glass of wine. JimmyDean and i made the command decision to just order a moderately priced bottle of wine for the table. 

honestly, everything about Peels was just "so-so."  there was nothing particularly memorable about it except for the hefty price tag. and although i've all but written this place off as "over-hyped," the blogsphere keeps trying to entice me back. 

so i might make just 1 more trip. but only for brunch. in the hopes that it will be as good as this one was. even with it's redonkey kong prices.

not even for a minute

speaking of nights i can't remember, i really have to remember to eat dinner when i'm drinking, otherwise i end up playing a game of "whodunnit" the next morning.


things were off to such a good start initially.


i made plans with Kiks to meet up after (finally) getting a haircut in Chinatown. our initial plan was to check out Smorgasburg so that we could eat while still being outside and enjoying the sunny weather. there was a street fair going on so we walked from Chinatown to Soho in order to check out a surf shop/coffee shop i had recently read about.  yes that's right: a surf shop in NYC. that by itself is worth checking out. but add a backyard garden area for lounging? BONUS. Saturdays Surf NYC fits in perfectly in Soho as hipster and crunchy all at same time. yes, surfboards are cool. and coffee is cool. but the only reason i would have to go to Saturdays Surf NYC is the backyard patio area. super tranquil, spacious, yet cozy, you buy a coffee at the front of the store and meander your way to the back to sit on wooden benches with a friend and pretend to be hipper than you really are.

after coffee we made our way over to Filene's Basement in Union Square in order for Kiks to pick up some much needed intimates since she's lost so much weight that her old ones don't fit anymore (apparently Weight Watchers does work). at that point, Kiks was so hungry she couldn't even consider waiting and taking the L train to Williamsburg to eat at Smorgasburg, so we stopped for food at Crooked Tree instead for what i've heard are amazing crepes.

Crooked Tree is a tiny little place in the East Village. that supposedly serves up wunderbar crepes. although, now that i think about it, i've only heard rave reviews from ppl who went there after a night of drinking around 2 or 3 am. so maybe that would explain why the Spinach, garlic & hot pepper flakes ($6) and the Brie, plum tomato & arugala ($8) crepes Kiks and i ordered, while very sober, were just "meh."   However, that being said, the sangria at Crooked Tree is definitely worth an afternoon trip. i'm not often a fan of white sangria, just like i'm not really a fan of white wine, but the selection offered at Crooked Tree, mixed with peach, passionfruit, and various other light, summer-y fruits, have made me change my mind (or at least that's what i'll order if i'm around there again).

with plenty of time to kill before our other friends finished their Saturday errands and met up with us, Kiks and i racked our brains to try and figure what we could do in the East Village on a sunny afternoon. i don't know what it reveals about us, but the only things we could think of involved establishments that didn't open until after 6 p.m.  as luck would have it, Sixteen, happened to be only 2 blocks from where we were, watching a play that was being performed on 10th Street.  i love when that happens. and if i lived in NY, it would probably happen more often.


within the half hour, we'd decided to head to Professor Thom's to watch the Yankees vs. Red Sox game. i've heard of the bar before, mainly because of DRC and BGA, both UMich alumni.  so i was more than surprised when the waitress who came to take our drink order was decked out in head-to-toe Red Sox gear. Red Sox fan in NY? i commented on it, and was promptly informed i was currently situated in Red Sox Nation. i looked around and noticed all the Red Sox sports paraphernalia and realized it was true. who knew? only in NYC right? 


the afternoon quickly downward spiraled into night as more and more peeps came out to join us. lots and lots of Dewars on the rocks. you can imagine what happened to me by the end of the night. by the time Newlyweds arrived, my rolling brownouts had started again. thank god they always have my back because apparently AM was making moves to try and get me and him to continue the night together. alone. which would not have been a good idea considering how NOT clear-headed i was.   


Newlyweds decided to walk me over to Sixteen's apartment, with the two-fold intention of making sure i got there safely and also to shake off AM. but in true AM form, he refused to take the hint and tagged along, which prolonged the walk. a good side effect of the whole experience was i finally got to try Baohaus.  if i'd been more sober, i would've ordered up a whole variety of baos to try.  instead, even though i hadn't eaten dinner all night, i insisted i wasn't hungry and didn't order anything. which just goes to prove how drunk i was. luckily, Newlyweds had the foresight to order me a Chairman Bao, which was pretty tasty (from what i remember).  the bao is nice and soft, as it should be, but the flavor derives directly from whichever filling you choose. The Chairman Bao consists of Berkshire pork belly topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro, haus relish, and Taiwanese red sugar. i wish i could tell you that i remember all those flavors, but i don't. all i can vouch for is that it was tasty. 

after the baos, Newlyweds called an audible in order to rescue me from AM. they hailed a cab and pulled me in with them, then gave Sixteen's address to the cab driver. after we were 2 blocks away from where we'd just ditched AM, Newlyweds hopped out of the cab to take the subway back to their Brooklyn Heights apartment, leaving me in the cab to safely get to my destination.  talk about sneaky and clever, all at the same time.


 when i think about this night, i can't really say where/when it derailed into such a debaucherous event. nor can i calculate exactly when/what/which drink was the cause of the rolling brownouts. but it just goes to show you, you can't let your guard down, not even for a minute.

Vanity

Maybe it's just me but i believe there's something in human nature that makes it so that when you sit across from a mirror you can't help but keep looking at your reflection a/k/a VANITY.

I'm sitting in the salon right now waiting for MaMa and Hippo and I JUST CAN'T STOP checking myself out in the mirror. Particularly fiddling with my newfound bangs. And with my iPod earphones in, it's like i'm in my own world (like those scenes in movies where the protaganist is standing in the same place while the world around them is moving SUPER QUICK).

I always have really weird experiences in salons. Maybe it's because i always get my haircut at some Chinatown salon. For instance, i once had a stylist continually ask me if i wanted to dye my hair, not so subtly implying my hair was in bad condition. CONTINUOUSLY. and you can only listen to "you sure? cause it bad" so many times before it starts getting annoying/funny. On another occassion someone cut my hair with the worst random cowlick on the back of my head, which i didn't discover until after i washed it and dried it for the first time. every time i dried my hair it stood up to Alfalfa-like porportions.

Most recently, i walked into a salon to get full-on straight bangs. I've been really wanting them and WoofWoof's are always a constant reminder. My hair's not ideal for straight bangs because i don't have that STRAIGHT STRAIGHT hair that other asian girls have; mine gets wavy and cowlicky instead. I once got straight bangs in middle school with disastrous results (imagine helmet/giant poof). But i decided to take the leap. I'm older, wiser, and armed with a hair straightener now. I think i can make it work.

So i gave the stylist specific instructions to use the portion allotted to my former sidebangs and use it to cut straight bangs. She seemed to understand. She trimmed my hair and started to work on the bangs, which had grown to chin length since my last haircut. She then asked me, "how short do you want it?"

To which i responded "not too short but so i can see out of them." After which i pointed to the section above my eyes for reference.

She nodded and responded, "so here?" and pointed to the area AT MY MOUTH.

I corrected her again pointing to the area above my eyes.

To which she responded by pointing the area AROUND MY NOSE.

This negotiation continued for 10 mins before i just gave up and let her cut it (we'd reached a compromise to the area of my eyes but not above them). I figured i'd just correct her after. As the cut progressed it became very apparent that she was cutting SIDEBANGS not straight bangs.

So I advised her that i wanted straight bangs NOT sidebangs. This was her response:

"Uhhh... I not know your faaace. I not know if this works for your faaace. I know [the current cut] works for your faaace. You look good. I no know if [straight bangs] work with your faaace. So how bout nex' time when you come back we try that." (And this is exactly how she talked. I'm not being racist).

At this point i just gave up and let her do whatever she wanted. It was too tiring to negotiate.

2 days later i trimmed it myself and am now sporting the desired straight bangs.

it's no laughing matter...

FYI for anyone planning on becoming an attorney in New York: it's a real pain in the ass. i passed the NY bar exam officially around October 2009 and i still haven't gotten licensed yet in NY. NY really creates a lot of hoops to jump through in order to be licensed:

1. the application is extensive (a lazy person's nightmare to fill out)

2. you must obtain employment affidavits from all legal employers you've had since reaching the age of 21 or for the past 10 yrs (whichever's shorter)

3. your most recent employer/current employer's affidavit must not be dated more than 60 days from the date of submission of your application

4. you must obtain 2 affidavits of good moral character from individuals who are not filling out an employment affidavit, family, or applying for a NY license (thus all law school classmates are out)

5. good moral character affidavits must not be dated more than 60 days from the date of submission of your application

6. your law school must send a certificate of graduation and good standing

7. if submitting to the 2nd Department, you must attend a new attorneys registration class

phew, i got tired just listing out the requirements. and these aren't all of them, just some key ones. i just recently completed the attorney registration/introduction class requirement. the class itself isn't that bad since there's definitely some useful information-particularly the segment regarding client billing and funds (there are so many ways to get screwed from just the simplest actions/mistakes). also particularly entertaining is the final video about alcohol and drug addiction-i won't spoil it for you, you really must watch it for yourself.

after the class, i suggested getting a bite to eat in Chinatown and Adidas suggested going to Xi'an Famous Foods. i'd heard a stall had opened in Chinatown and had never tried it because the Flushing branch is simply too far. but not anymore...

...and totally worth it. the place is located under the Manhattan Bridge and is definitely a total hole in the wall. i actually had to call Snoopy to get directions after wandering around aimlessly looking for it for 10 minutes. there's no place to sit and it's very squishy inside. however, you can stand at the tiny standing counter to eat it. most of the food's ideal for eating in the winter because it's spicy and hot ("hot" meaning temperature-wise) so being able to sit down and eat it would be ideal, but considering the uniqueness of the cuisine being offered, i'll take what i can get.

since i was getting an order to go, i ordered the Lian Pi (cold skin noodles), which ended up being my fam's favorite dish. spicy with an intense peppercorn touch. i opted against getting the hot version because i had travel time to consider and the noodles wouldn't hold up as well if it cooked for too long from the heat. i proffer the same advice to you if you're not going to be eating it right away.

the Stewed Pork Burger was my favorite item. the dough for the sandwich is made fresh and while you wait you can watch them knead and press it. it's pretty perfect as it is, with a crispy outside but a nice soft inside. and anything's good when you get it piping hot. which this was. my fam wasn't as crazy about it, some saying it was too salty and others thinking the pork was a bit dry. i agree with it being slightly dry but the flavor is yummy and so is the bread (i'm easy to please). next time i'll get the cumin lamb.

due to the travel time issue, i ordered the Savory Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles, the dry version vs. the soup version. the flavor of cumin was intense, but the dish was not as dry as i'd hoped because they put A LOT of liquid into the dish as well (just not enough to be considered soup i guess). the travel time made the noodles suffer and be too soft. similarly, i ordered the Stewed Pork Hand-Pulled Noodles in Soup and yes, while the noodles did get soft because of travel, the soup was delicious. and this was the only not-spicy dish out of the bunch.

from what i understand, the cuisine Xi'an Famous Foods offers is part of its allure. it offers a cuisine from a distinct province of China that has been heavily influenced by its large Muslim population (hence the cumin and peppercorn). and, as of right now, no other restaurant or food stall offers this kind of food. this monoply of supply aside, Xi'an Famous Foods does the food well. which is why i'd be willing to go back, but i'd much rather prefer being able to eat the food right away because travel time does not bode well for noodles.

holding life in my hands

and who says big corps don't have a conscience? altho i don't think it really counts because voting, while i applaud the efforts, has become such a fad. it's like when P.Diddy did Vote or Die and Paris Hilton was 1 of the promoters and then she blatantly admitted she didn't vote. posers.

the family came into Chinatown for a haircut and dim sum on the weekend so of course i went to meet them. we ended up trying a dim sum place recommended by the stylist close to Bowery and Hester. eh... even tho Jing Fong doesn't cook their dim sum in the healthiest fashion all the other properties definitely win over all the places i've been so far: they have the best and widest selection, the best and fastest service, and the price is equal to all other places. i think it's best to stick to Jing Fong for dim sum.

afterwards i walked around with my parents while they did a little grocery shopping. my mom's under the impression that the groceries in Chinatown are fresher than in jersey. i think it all depends on where you shop. it looks like it's lobster and crab season and the prices on shelled seafood is pretty low so i got 3 stone crabs for $10, which is a great deal. i decided to steam 2 of them and then i got an idea. there's a delicious dish where you steam seasoned crab with rice which infuses the rice with the crab flavor and it's super delicious. i was all ready to do it except...

...the crab was still alive. and it really freaked me out. i mean, it was all lethargic and definitely on it's way out, but still. and every time i got close to it with the knife i kept imagining it would all of a sudden jump up and attack me, as if it was laying in wait for it's revenge just for me to put my face close up to it. it was kind of scary. for some moral guidance and physical courage i asked Egg to come over so i could ask his opinion about it. boy did i ask the wrong person for bravery support. Egg took one look at what i was contemplating about doing and told me how scary it was. and how cruel it was. and once he got started, it was all over for me and i just gave up on the idea and steamed it. we discussed how next time i'm contemplating this dish i should just have them pre-cut the crab for me.

i will not be dissuaded. i will make this dish. just with pre-cut crab.

the older men in my life

every once in a while i get a glimpse of what life out of school would be like. it reminds me of the days of yore when i could go out and enjoy the luxuries of restaurants and drinks in manhattan bars. man that feels like ages ago.

i met up w/JCrew for dinner and drinks at South Street Seaport. i know there are tons of bars and restaurants in that area, but, for the life of me, i really couldn't name any. i googled a bunch of places and found an interesting bar called Nelson Blue. it's an Australian bar altho i wouldn't really be able to tell you about that b/c the only indication the bar's Australian is with regards to the good it serves and we didn't try any of it. we stayed for 2 drinks and then moved on to have dinner at Stella Maris. i def recommend this place for the summer b/c it's off the main area of the seaport so not too many tourists are running around and the setting is small and intimate with large glass doors they leave open so you have the feel of the summer. if i didn't know JCrew since high school it would've been a perfect date (especially since he paid-yes, i still get impressed by that. word of advice: if you want to sweep a girl off her feet, do not ask her to go dutch with you. it just feels tacky). we had a bottle of wine and the food was really good (focus on seafood) and the service is impeccable-that kind of classy attentiveness you should expect from a small restaurant.

now let's compare this with my dinner with Oppa which happened a few days later. Oppa just bought an apartment in Jersey City and we decided we wanted to go out for cheap dinner and opted for somewhere in Chinatown. however, the only places i really like to eat at in Chinatown are all noodleshops. somehow, i didn't think that's what Oppa wanted so i called Snoopy for recommendations. we walked to Bowery from the WTC, and kept going from place to place until we finally found the place Snoopy recommended. did i mention that the whole the time this was happening Oppa had a cast on his leg? and it was brutally hot out. yea, my bad.

when we finished dinner, it started to rain and we were scurrying from awning to awning until we got to the subway and i directed him how to get him. and i paid for dinner. it was such the opposite of romantic but super low-key and chill. ironic how contrastingly different the experiences can be...

well, since you made the effort...

4th of July this year was pretty mellow but at the same time had that at-home appeal. i've never been that much of a fireworks fan but Coleslaw, Egg, She and i decided to camp out at Brooklyn Bridge Park and watch the fireworks. Egg was really worried about getting a good spot before the park got full and wanted to go camp out ASAP but i was starving so we decided to travel to Chinatown and grab some lunch. since i've never taken the F from Brooklyn Heights to Chinatown i called up Snoopy (my Chinatown guru since he grew up there and still lives there-or did until recently) who told us we can take it to East Broadway, and of course, invited him to lunch as well.

when it comes to Snoopy and eating in Chinatown he always opts for New Malaysia. in all honesty, yea, the food's good, but there are cheaper places in Chinatown. but since Egg and Coleslaw had never been there before, i didn't mind going. everyone who eats w/Snoopy's gotta be inducted into the New Malaysia club (Snoopy always wants to eat there. every time). after lunch, Snoopy decided to head to BBP w/us and, over Coleslaw's protests, we walked back across the Manhattan Bridge.

i'm so easily convinced sometimes. i, like Coleslaw, didn't really want to walk across the bridge (yes, i'm that lazy). however, when Snoopy mentioned we could see the Waterfalls, my immediate response was "really??" but in that excited-little-kid-someone's-mentioned-candy kind of way. as soon as Coleslaw heard that, she knew protesting was futile and started trudging along the way. my bad.

we ended up being at BBP super early and found a decent spot. word of advice: BBP doesn't get filled up until 7:30 at the earliest. it was a good picnic where we would make trips to Peas and Pickles for beers and snacks and at 1 pt, even pizza. it drizzled on and off which didn't really affect the whole event except for at the end when it started drizzling steadily for the last 30 mins. i was freezing. luckily, Coleslaw, like the good mama bear she is, had an extra hoodie for me to wear on the way home.

o, and as for the title of this post, those of you that were there know what it means. since you made the effort...

brownchickenbrowncow

hilarious (and complimentary) convo w/BigPapa:

BigPapa: i didn't realize iwas supposed to do stuff
i thought i just sat around and looked sexy
damnit
Me: hahaha
now you have to do stuff AND look sexy at the same time
phew
that's tough
BigPapa: seriously
sigh
i'm going to put up for a vote at the general meeting
a new position called "sexyness rep"
we can be cochairs
:-D

now how flattering is that? i saw BigPapa later today and he also inadvertently called me a hottie as well. gotta love BigPapa.

school's offiically started and it's been a whirlwind, seeing ppl i haven't seen in a while and all that. albeit to say, lots of drinks have been had. there was an unofficial party at Floyd's which ended up turning into a mini pub-crawl for the 3Ls. it was great to see all those ppl out at Floyd's (even 4A showed up! that's a momentous occasion since they usually never leave the apartment), but Floyd's, while decently sized, isn't equipped for that voluminous crowd. it was stifingly hot in there and super crowded and getting a drink was a nightmare. everybody decided to move over to Last Exit instead, which was much more mellow and full of only friendly faces (as opposed to 1Ls that i don't recognize or know...yet).

many, many, many drinks were imbibed and ridiculous conversations were had before we went over to Brazen Head as the final stop. i was a trooper all the way (but i still left before DRC, Coleslaw and Cubed: they're beasts!). i was in such bad shape the next day. i mean, it was bad...

i had the complete intention of staying in Friday night to properly recover but there was the BLS pub crawl going on. i thought i was being smart by going to just the tail-end of the event and showed up at Trout around midnight. however, 1 beer turned into 2 and so on and so forth. we were at Trout until they kicked us out and then proceeded to Brazen until they kicked us out of there before heading back to Feil only to try and post-party at DRC's. luckily for me that fizzled out quick and i managed to get into bed just as the sun was rising...

only to have to wake up at 10:30 am! i had made a brunch date for Lockbox to meet KimChi but we had to be there by 11:30 b/c KimChi was going into work at 1:00 pm. i dragged myself out of bed, got ready in time and went down to pick up Lockbox and head over to Chinatown except Lockbox wasn't ready. that bastard. i had to wait for him to pick out clothes and get ready before we could head out. luckily KimChi was running late too.

on the way over to dim sum brunch, Lockbox and i had an interesting conversation about guys. we universally agreed that men are all dogs, but the degree of doggy-ness varies on a sliding scale. using Lockbox as a barometer (he's a self-proclaimed 8) we came to the decision that generally good guys are 6s. basically, all men have to start at at least 5. b/c essentially they're all dogs. for instance, Egg's probably a 5 (a generally nice and sweet guy w/more stringent fooling around standards); Mr.Frenzy's probably a 6 (still a nice and sweet guy but could possibly be tricked into doing something if VERY intoxicated) and so on and so forth. what do you think?

we ended up eating dim sum at Oriental Garden which is right next to Jing Fong. honestly, i think Jing Fong's better. there's more variety and more space. the set-up or introduction (whatever you want to call it) didn't go as well. i give up on Lockbox. he committed 3 cardinal sins at that brunch:

1st: he had an opportunity to sit next to KimChi but instead sat next to me. Snoopy even tried to race him to sit next to me so that Lockbox could sit next to KimChi and they could actually converse.
2nd: Lockbox wasn't as witty and open as he usually is. it was to the point that KimChi forgot his name. when i mentioned Crush, Lockbox's roommate was having a birthday party that night, KimChi turned to me and went, "who's Lockbox?"; it was super funny.
3rd: somehow the conversation about all men being dogs came up but i purposely didn't mention Lockbox being an 8 b/c i didn't want to blow up his spot. it would never have come up b/c KimChi didn't ask what Lockbox was but then Lockbox, like the genius he is, volunteers the info that he's an 8 all on his own. aish...that night, i headed over to 4A which was pregaming for Crush's and LF's and a whole bunch of other ppl's bday party in the city. DRC had just come back from a day at Jones Beach and was the color of a lobster. then something interesting happened: Crush offered DRC some aloe to put on her skin b/c apparently he had some. he leads her to the bathroom and gives her the lotion. then he just stands there. it was super creeper mcgee. so DRC awkwardly applies the lotion while Crush stands at the door and watches. what makes it even more hysterical is that DRC goes to return the lotion to Crush and he points to her chest area and goes, "you're the most red here, you should put some on here". umm, thanks for you concern buddy, but could you not stare at my chest while i'm lotioning? now, we all know Crush is actually one of the most polite and nice guys so i'm gonna chalk this creeper incident up to alcohol and birthday shenanigans.

hello jersey!

this NYT article caught my eye: it's all about rebutting the Asian-American concept of a Model Minority.

um, if only they'd read my seminar paper from undergrad. i wrote a whole paper on the topic! harumph, if only i'd submitted it to the NYTs. maybe i'd be published by now.

my favorite Oppa (ok, my only oppa-or at least the only guy i call oppa) just purchased his 1st apartment. congratulations! such an adult now; it's mind-boggling. b/c he's just so popular (and some inter-friends politics in additional the size of his apartment), he had to have multiple house-warming parties. i was invited to 1 of them and brought Coleslaw w/me to jersey city to see the new place. i have to give props to Coleslaw who was very gung-ho about going at 1st, then she found out it was in jersey. but like the classy person she is, she sucked it up and didn't back out (tho i wouldn't have blamed her).

we take the PATH train from WTC to the Exchange Place stop and head out. of course, i don't have directions to Oppa's place but i figure i'll just call him and he'll lead the way since he says it's not far from the station. however, why is it that boys always give directions by using terms like north, south, east, west? do i carry a compass on me? i don't think so. so then Oppa tries to tell me to go towards the water vs. away from the water etc. this is also no good. from now on, let's just use the name of the street and a well-known landmark like the Au Bon Pain or the diner/deli on the corner etc. please, for my benefit.

Oppa's place is pretty impressive. immediately i noticed the super high-tech elevator the building has. it announces the floor that you press and lets you know when you arrive. it also tells you it's leaving and what direction it's going in after you've exited it. thank you Ms. elevator. i like to keep up-to-date on these things. his apartment is set up super-bachelor-y which means ginormous flat screen TVs (1 in the living room and 1 in the bedroom). the view's pretty nice. it's got a washer and dryer in the apartment (which i am completely envious of-i would love to not have to lug around my giant laundry bag or make all those trips down to the basement or share and wait for machines). 1 of the best features of the building is the rooftop. they've got it done up snazzy (to the point that they're thinking of opening it up for commercial events): it's got a bar, a jacuzzi, outdoor showers; basically the works. Oppa is very correct that it is definitely a PD for guys: if you bring a girl up there her panties will most likely drop.

Coleslaw and i drank frequently and although there was no plans to stay over, that's what ended up happening. this probably wasn't the best idea b/c i had to wake up super early to meet my parents at 9 am in Chinatown. we only barely made it, and i still had to go home and shower and change. it was cute tho when we got off the PATH and my dad happened to call right at that moment. i told him we were in front of the WTC and he offered to pick us up and take us back to Feil.

i don't think any of my friends since college have really met my parents let alone had to be picked up by them in the car. it was very cute to see Coleslaw sitting in the back and i introduce her to my dad and she greets him w/a "nice to meet you Mr. Ma." i couldn't help but giggle.

alcohol blanket

thank god for Coleslaw or else my Valentine's Day would've just come and gone w/no special to-do about it. instead, she decided to have a little Valentine's dinner party for the girls which was exactly what the doctor ordered. however, since it's me, nothing's ever easy.


initially i wanted to go to Trader Joe's and pick up some wine to bring to Coleslaw's, so i gathered my stuff and planned to go after Professional Responsibility which ends at 4:00 pm. i trudged over to Trader Joe's in Union Square, spent 30 mins shopping around for wines, then waited in that always long line to check out. except, as i approached the register, i discovered i didn't have my ID on me (it's a boring and stupid story as to why). so of course, they wouldn't let me purchase the wine. but i was determined, so i hopped back on the subway and headed to Chinatown to run my 2nd errand which took about another hour (have you ever tried to find duck tongue in Chinatown? it's impossible! i'll have to ask Snoopy to recommend a place next time. and yes, some chinese ppl eat duck tongue, my family included. and don't say blech till you try it). i finally arrived back at Feil, picked up my ID and headed back to Union Square and waited in an even longer check-out line before being able to purchase the wine.


the guy at the register made the mistake of asking "and how's your day going," so i told him about my previous excursion and how they had denied me last time. the girl at the register next to him tried to spin it and said, "well you do have a young face" to which i promptly replied, "yes, i know, however i'm 25 and will be 26 this april which is a far cry from 21 or younger." to this she responded, "well we live under the NYU dorms so we can never be to careful." touche. whatevers, i know i'll love it when i'm 40 and ppl still think i'm 30 but honestly, stuff like that just blows right now.

i got back to Feil and then headed over to Coleslaw's (at this point it was about 7:30) where she had filet mignon and jumbo shrimp waiting for me (yea fresh direct!). she even went to the trouble of ordering a pound of strawberries and a fruit plate to go w/the chocolate fondue she made, as well as a chocolate plate full of goodies like brownies, chocolate chip cookies, milk chocolate bark and rugelah. it was a good time full of drinking, noshing and 90's dance party. around 1 am, everybody decided to head out to Brazen for more drinks but alas, i had to pack b/c i was going home for the long weekend and had to wake up at the butt crack of dawn to catch the bus home. by the time i'd finished packing it was around 3 am and i hit the sack for 2 hrs before getting up and heading over to Port Authority to catch the 6:45 am bus back to Jersey.


while at Port Authority i had to wait for the ticket window to open before i could purchase my ticket. there i was on the escalator up to my gate, groggily holding the ticket i'd just purchased 5 mins ago when my butter fingers dropped the ticket and it fell into the crack of the escalator. i swear, i was about to tear up. the 2 hrs of sleep, my reedonkulously heavy bag full of stuff to bring home, laptop and books, and slight headache from drinking had made me seriously grumpy and the ticket falling was the last straw b/c i knew i would have to purchase another 1 (which i did, even tho i tried to go to the operations controller but they couldn't do anything). i had just wanted to throw my hands up and say "why God why?"


see, nothing's ever easy for me.