as i'd previously mentioned, i've been into subscription boxes lately. to date, the most satisfying box is POPSUGAR. their monthly must-have boxes, although slightly more expensive than others ($35/mth) have the most value per box.
the February 2013 box was Valentine's Day themed (no surprise there).
the reason i don't do subscription box reviews often is because i don't always use all the items in a box right away. they're more like nice little treats that i use when the occasion arises (but that might also be because a lot of the items tend to be make-up related, which, while fun, isn't something i use day-to-day).
but that's where POPSUGAR differentiates itself. while yes, there are some cosmetic items, there's always a bunch of other items too e.g. small food/candy samples and non-food items. my favorite item from the February box was the Brokedown Spa Wrap (regularly $84). this was a full-sized (so to speak, i mean it's a short body wrap) item! and it was super soft and comfy. i've already worn it a few times after the shower or using it as a quick cover-up for short trips around the apartment.
the only other item i tried from the box was the MarieBelle Tresor Box (regularly $12). i mean, who can resist chocolate right? and these were really good, like little rice crispies/ crunch bars in small dot form. the only problem is that you never grab just one and always ending up dropping at least one dot on the journey from the box to your mouth.
the other items, which i haven't tried but was still stoked about:
Hanky Panky's Rolled Signature Lace Thong (regularly $20): allegedly these are amazing. i'm not a big fan of thongs tho, so if i do end up liking these then they really are amazing.
Connoisseurs Quick Jewelry Cleanser (regularly $8): again, i don't really wear that much jewelry but that doesn't mean i don't own any. so this'll probably come in handy at some point.
Safe Haven ($10): i haven't bought a book in forever. so it was nice to get this. and now i have something (other than work) to read on the subway! and although i hate to admit it, i actually like Nicholas Sparks books (and movies). also gotta give props to the movie promoters for really pushing the opening of this film. Bloomspot was also doing some type of give-away related to the move premiere in NY.
the rest of the items included a lip balm/stain and candy hearts. pretty sure i won't partake of either of those items but will probably gift away to somebody else.
i purchased the POPSUGAR box via a deal which gave me 30-40% off a 6-month subscription. the January and February boxes have both been pretty great, with values way over the $35 i (am supposed to have) spent.
i love japanese food. it's simple and delicious and tricks me into thinking i'm eating healthy. be it luxury japanese food e.g. sashimi/sushi or japanese comfort food e.g. ramen/donburi/udon/ soba, i love them all and would gobble them up any time of day.
so no surprise that i was frothing at the mouth to go to Samurai Mama in Williamsburg. a hipster udon house that boasts a fancy water filtration system that contributes to its delicious udon noodles. while i can't vouch for the veracity of their claim, i can testify that they have f*ing amazing udon.
a small restaurant with the now-commonplace communal long wooden table/bench in the center, there are also cozy booths running along the wall, making it a great place for both an intimate dinner or a group outing. both times i've been there, i attended a weekend lunch, which allowed me to save a few bucks by ordering from their lunch menu (yay a restaurant that has a lunch discount even on the weekends!) as well as their a la carte menu.
for lunch they provide you with a gratis order of salad and Kinpira, which seems to vary but will inevitably include the cooked burdock root and carrots with sesame oil and soy sauce. it's a nice way to whet the appetite and start introducing the refined and subtle japanese flavors that infuse the meal.
the Pork Betty Daikon ($9) is a tender piece of pork belly with a melt in your mouth portion of the both the fat and lean parts of the pork (hence the pork belly). full of flavor and a made-at-home comfort food feel.
a must-order is Mama's Pork Gyoza ($7/$10). Samurai Mama serves this dish in the original cast-iron skillet it's cooked in. there is an amazing crispness on the bottom of the gyoza while the inside remains succulent and juicy. an added bonus is the web of crispy starchiness that is created in the skillet, which makes the dish seem more like an art piece than food. i'd seen the starch web cooked in certain japanese shows but had not seen the skill displayed here in the states until now.
i don't think that sushi is Samurai Mama's strong point, but they do have some interesting combinations. if you do opt to order sushi, i highly recommend the Hot Pepper Tsukudani ($5/$6). it is a spicy bite of cooked green hot pepper with sake, mirin, avocado, and bonito flake. there's a spicy kick from the hot pepper which is complemented by its accompaniments. the Guacamole Tuna ($6/$7) on the other hand was forgettable flavor-wise. we had ordered this dish taco-style which means 2 larger pieces of sushi seaweed containing tuna, guacamole, and cilantro wrapped like an open tortilla. the serving style is novel, but the seaweed dwarfs the contents creating an inequitable bite.
lunch offers you different options and combinations, all which are very filling. my first trip, my friend and i ordered the Japanese Dry Curry and Croquette ($10) which is served with salad, soup, and small appetizer (the kinpira). we opted to upgrade the soup to a mini udon ($2). even for a mini, the udon portion was still decently sized, and then coupled with the giant bowl of curry and rice, made a filling portion that could be shared between 2 people.
if you're in the mood for udon, then definitely order the Spicy Bukkake ($11). this a dry udon, so no soup. however, the spicy minced beef sauce and poached egg that comes on the side, to be "dumped" over the noodles, is plenty flavorful, while still being subtle, and moisturizes the udon noodles sufficiently. the addition of a perfectly runny, poached egg is the cherry on the sundae.
while dining there with a friend who wanted a more traditional udon experience, we opted for the Sansai Udon ($9). this is vegetarian friendly, so i immediately think it's healthy. it's a lightly flavored broth and is a great veggie option, but not enough where i would opt for it again since i'm not vegetarian. in addition, the problem with ordering udon in hot broth is that the broth continually cooks the noodles, which may result in overcooked, soft noodles if you don't eat fast enough.
i genuinely love this restaurant and, if it were around the corner, i would eat here all the time. i guess a 30 minute bus ride isn't too bad either.
i've had the pleasure (i use this term loosely) of dining at David Burke Kitchen twice: once for Summer Restaurant Week and once for brunch.
for those that are wondering whether to go to David Burke Kitchen for RW, i'll cut to the chase: it's not bad and you leave feeling full, BUT the experience is food is "meh." so if you were hoping for some mind-blowing experience, DBK will probably leave you disappointed.
ironically, i went to David Burke Kitchen with GI during the summer of 2012. however, our experience is still pretty relevant since the menu options haven't changed too much. when we arrived, we found the restaurant packed which meant we were seated dangerously close to our neighbors (so much so that our neighbor commented to us when our entrees arrived). also, due to the high ceilings, get ready for a high noise level, although not as bad as Delmonico's Kitchen.
for appetizers, GI and i split the Tuna Tartare Tacos and Lobster Dumpling Soup with Coconut Fennel Creme and Red Watercress. i noticed the current RW offering doesn't have either of these on the menu although there are variations of both (Canal Street Lobster Dumpling Soup and Tuna Sashimi). the soup was the clear winner of our orders. it was beautifully presented, with the bowl placed on the table with the dumplings nestled inside it then the soup poured from a pitcher table side. the flavor was delicate and pleasant, which is what you really want an starter for a 3-course meal to be. the tacos on the other hand were simply tartare inside a crispy taco shell. no surprises there.
for entrees, GI ordered the Pork Chop with Cumin Bacon, Mango Chutney, Parsley Onion Rings. if you decide to get this, be prepared because this thing is a monster. DBK definitely does not skimp out on portions just because it's Restaurant Week. the mango chutney was refreshingly sweet to counteract the savory pork chop. however, the pork chop was a little dry, and to battle through such a large dry piece of meat isn't fun.
i ordered the Short Rib and Cavatelli with Wild Mushrooms and Truffle Cream. again, this is a hunking piece of meat atop a generous serving of pasta. the truffle cream is a cool dollop served atop the dish, which is thoughtful, but i barely tasted any truffle flavor and unfortunately the temperature of my dish was not hot, and the addition of the cool cream didn't do the temperature any favors. flavor-wise, while this dish was pleasant to eat, it wasn't memorable and there was no impact to it's generic flavor profile.
for dessert, i opted for the Red Velvet Cake in a Jar. this was exquisite. not too sweet, the cake was airy as was the whipped cream layers. a nice end to the meal. the Chocolate Cream Cheese Bar with Hazelnut Whipped Cream was what you would expect of a chocolate dessert, although not too sweet. btw, if you do decide to go to DBK for RW dinner, definitely get the molten carrot cake. that is to die for delicious.
so there were highs and lows to our RW dinner. and while the highs were good, i'm not sure it was come-back-again good.
but then i found myself at DBK again due to a Groupon brunch purchase Sully made.
walking into DBK during the day was a whole different experience. although this restaurant is downstairs, there was plenty of natural light and the blue-checkered table clothes gave it a quaint feel.
due to the Groupon we were confined to a prix-fixe menu. shortly after we arrived, the restaurant was packed with people waiting at the door. our waiter service suffered because of it with a long time before receiving the coffees we ordered or giving our brunch orders or receiving our first course.
for the starter we both ordered the Yogurt Parfait (our other option being oatmeal). this took forever to come out. and when it did, while the fresh fruit was nice as was the tiny little jar they served it it, the yogurt wasn't particularly cold and it was mighty tart without any fruit to cut it.
for mains, i ordered the Kitchen Eggs Benedict. the twist is that this is served on Crispy Italian Sausage Polenta. this was a good rendition, but nothing special. basically it tasted good and filled me up.
although i was pretty well-fed at this point, since our Groupon included dessert, we ordered the Himalayan Rock Salt Sundae with Milk Chocolate Malt Ice Cream and the above-mentioned Molten Carrot Cake with warm vanilla bean-cream cheese center, cinnamon walnut ice cream. the sundae was way too sweet although when they serve you they do this cool thing where they take out the himalayan rock salt and drip warm caramel off of it onto the sundae table-side. the carrot cake on the other hand was perfect with the cake being not too sweet, then revealing the warm cream cheese center. the accoutrements help to mellow the dessert out so it's not too sweet, simply comforting.
last night i found myself screaming and yelling at the tv for the first time in a long time. and i watch the Walking Dead.
i was a big fan of Top Chef when the show first started. it was innovative, it was interesting, and it coincided with the food/foodie craze that had just started. however, recent seasons have been less than stellar. they did a dessert-themed season (meh-after a while you become numb to pictures of cakes and sweets). the regular seasons became too formulaic (a trademark villain that everyone loves to hate and a clear standout winner). and with the master chef series it was delicious but boring (no scandalous behavior since everyone was already an accomplished professional well-known chef).
the above introduction aside, somehow, i found myself diving back into this season's Top Chef-Seattle.
and so it was that i spent the last 15 minutes of last night's episode yelling obscenities at the tv, with the final one being "f*ck you!!!!!!!!!" before throwing my remote with disgust on the bed.
*****spoiler alert*****
really Top Chef judges? you eliminate Kristin? i mean look at this bitch (said with the implication of fierce, smart, graceful leader):
pretty good-looking and kicking ass in the challenges. she kicked enough ass in the last episode to become executive chef for Restaurant Wars.
then let's compare her with who she was competing against for elimination, which was this bitch (said with the tone usually reserved for Jerry Springer and Montell):
Josie was barely hanging on in the last 2 episodes. and it's always an issue with her timing (and in the last 2 episodes her flavor profiles and cooking as well).
in the end, although Josie entirely f*cked up challenge for Kristin, you eliminated Kristin. yes, Josie threw Kristin under the bus, which was a game methodology that Kristin refused to play so she simply owned up to the fact that "the buck stopped" with her since she was the executive chef.
it seems there's been some serious backlash on the interwebs about their decision and both Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio have backtracked and attempted to justify themselves via the Bravo Top Chef blogs (here and here). but Top Chef judges know better. they've been at this game for at least 9 seasons. and they've actually seen Josie perform in a prior season (where she was eliminated). and saw some clear issues with her from the last few challenges. shame on you judges. particularly Padma Lakshi, who (the show edited to appear) instigated and got-all-up-in-Gail's-face to advocate giving Kristin the boot.
i'm not really sure i can continue watching the show right now. every time i see a Top Chef logo i get incensed.
they're just lucky that she won at Last Chance Kitchen.
GI kicked off Restaurant Week 2013 by picking Delmonico's Kitchen. i recently went to Delmonico's for a post-Thanksgiving dinner with Sully which usually would have precluded going there again, especially for a limited menu.
however, Delmonico's Kitchen was one of the participating restaurants that offered a Sunday lunch option. i'm a big fan of participating in RW for lunch, since the menus are often similar to dinner and cost less. in addition, a Sunday lunch meant that Sully could also attend, since his work schedule during the week makes it so he would be too tired to attend a weeknight dinner.
so color me a little surprised that i have no Sunday lunch RW outings coming up. even when my friends chose a restaurant participating in RW Sunday lunch, they opted for a weeknight dinner instead. aarrgh.
is it because their weekends are too precious? or too precious to spend eating a meal with me? perhaps.
regardless, it was fun to meet up with GI, since i don't get to see him that often (his job often has him travelling and when he's not travelling for work he's travelling for fun) and it was perfect timing since he has a trip to Japan coming up and will be gone for a few weeks.
Delmonico's Kitchen is Delmonico's expansion into midtown, and while some of the aesthetics remain similar, the tone of the restaurant is very different, and definitely has a "midtown" feel to it. the service is less smooth and classic as the downtown location: the server we had at Delmonico's was polite and congenial but all business; the server at Kitchen was a little handsy and a little more personal-in a good and bad way. similarly, the sommelier we had at Delmonico's was a gruff older gentlemen who offered a little advice regarding the wine options, whereas Kitchen's sommelier simply provided us the large wine list and advised us of the RW wine special (which we ended up ordering. $30 for a bottle pinot noir? i'm in!).
the biggest difference between the 2 is the noise level and the spacing between tables. Kitchen likes to pack it in so that you can't enter or exit your table without inconveniencing your neighbors. in addition, the noise level at Kitchen was way too loud. as soon as we sat down i realized i would have to shout in order to converse with GI across the table. it was so loud that at times it was hard to hear what our waiter was saying.
surprisingly, we weren't offered any bread service. i don't know if that was because we ordered off the RW menu or just the service was so harried. as we left i noticed the table of "ladies-who-lunch" that sat next to us received an entire tray of assorted rolls and breads.
for appetizers, GI ordered the Scallop Risotto. the risotto was cooked perfectly al dente in that it wasn't too mushy or crunchy. it was slightly sweet and creamy and topped with 1 large scallop, which was well cooked and retained it's original seafood flavor. not a bad appetizer, just not a memorable one.
i ordered the pasta of the day which ended up being Parpadelle with Bolognese Sauce. the parpadelle was handmade and was paired with a flavorful bolognese that cut the salty, meaty aspect of the sauce with the lightness of tomato. i had been worried about ordering a pasta dish before attempting to eat a steak, but the appetizer, while substantial, managed to be light as well.
for entrees, GI ordered the Slow Braised Short Rib with Whipped Potato and Garlicky Spinach. this is definitely a filling entree. the short rib was just short of melt in my mouth but was still sufficiently tender. they provide an ample serving of the potato with the dish (and seem to trade it off with the spinach, which was a meager portion).
i opted for the Filet Mignon with Chef's Seasonal Vegetables (which ended up being carrots and green beans). the filet was cooked exactly how i'd ordered it: medium rare. they maintained the nice char on the outside but kept the inside warm but still rare. if it had been served with a side of potatoes i would have been in heaven.
for desserts, we ordered the New York Cheesecake which was served with blueberries in syrup and Beignets. the beignets were served with a chocolate dipping sauce and a creamy, subtley-lemon white dipping sauce that i can't identify. the beignets were served warm, dusted with powder sugar and were amazing, especially when dipped in the unidentified white sauce.
Winter RW 2013 has officially started! next stop: Locanda Verde...
during the holidays, while i was vexing about what presents to get people (ANOTHER sweater?), i stumbled upon the concept of subscription boxes.
and completely became enamored.
and a little subscription box crazy.
there's something about the idea of getting a surprise box every month that's SO fun. there was a promotion going on for Julep so i decided to purchase an intro box and 1 month for my sister as part of her christmas present.
and that's when the trouble started.
since i wanted the gift to be a surprise, and i wanted her to be able to receive it before the holidays, i decided to test out the subscription on myself and create one for her as well. as it turns out, you cannot receive more than 1 Maven box per address. so color me surprised when, although i purchased my subscription (and they charged me) on December 9th, more than a week later i had not received any confirmation of shipment.
a quick call to their customer service reps cleared up the misunderstanding and my sister received her introductory box in time for me to wrap it for christmas morning. and she received her January box shortly after the new year.
however, my boxes for December 2012 and January 2013 were still yet to arrive. another call to their customer service assured me that my boxes would be shipped out right away.
tick tock, tick tock. and hooray! my January 2013 box arrived! and it was a Gold Box, which means i received extras in addition to the January It Girl colors.
i haven't used any of them yet (i have a weird system when it comes to wearing clothes and make-up. probably something to do with having been scolded once as a child about only liking "new" things vs. "old" things). but 7 polishes (and 2 neon hair ties-the type that supposedly won't leave a crease in your hair) for $19.99 is not bad. not bad at all.
except for the fact that my introductory December box still hadn't arrived.
so another phone call to their customer service, a weird e-mail regarding a failed shipment, and 5 days later, i have my December Boho Glam box.
fun nail glitter and a cuticle balm in addition to the nail polish. for the introductory price of $4. again, not bad. but the hassle of getting these 2 boxes, and the fact that i have enough nail polish to last me the next 20 years, means i'll be stopping my subscription.
plus i still have other subscriptions to think about...
now-a-days, i have a regular happy hour tradition with BlackSesame and Kiddo on friday nights. however, if i think back, the tradition really started with Kiddo and me. due to the close proximity of our job locations, we would randomly ask each other to meet up for drinks or dinner, our schedules permitting.
on 1 such particular night, Kiddo asked me to meet him for drinks and dinner. suffering from a particularly nasty hangover that day, i had initially wanted to decline. however, Kiddo pressed me to attend, and something in the way he said, "i just need to drink tonight" convinced me to acquiesce, although i suggested a ramen restaurant for dinner in the hopes that the broth would soothe my stomach (there's just something so home-y about ramen and noodle soups. its the asian equivalent of the American chicken noodle soup).
my stomach was still acting up by the time i arrived at St. Marks to meet Kiddo. being the earlier party for once (it's very rare), i stopped into Spot Dessert Bar for some Condensed Milk Ice Cream, figuring the dairy would help to line my stomach for the alcohol i intended to put into it. when Kiddo arrived, he recommended we go to Soba-Ya for noodles instead of my ramen suggestion. soba sounded like a nice, gentle option for my tummy and was close to our current location, so we headed over.
holy jabroni what a good decision. Soba-Ya is a decently sized restaurant (not too big, not too small), but due to the popularity of it there's always a wait. ours wasn't that bad, about 20-30 mins.
since Kiddo's primary objective was to imbibe alcohol, he was very generous with the menu and allowed me to pick what we ate. we started with 2 special appetizers: uni with yuzu-ponzu gelee and fresh wasabi. being a big fan of uni, i was curious about this dish. the uni was very fresh and creamy and the gelee added a nice acidity/sweetness to the dish, with the wasabi rounding out the flavors with a slight kick. my only complaint would be that the dish is a little difficult to eat as the gelee melts extremely quick and the proportion of gelee to uni is very unbalanced leaving you with a dish of gelee at the end.
our other appetizer was ankimo (monkfish liver). this was the best rendition of this dish i've tasted to date. it's served cold and the texture is akin to pate, with an equally game-y, complex flavor. dressed with a little bit of ponzu sauce, this was my favorite dish of the night.
for entrees,Kiddo and i differed slightly for our preferences. since my tummy was still a little sensitive, i preferred to get a hot soba whereas Kiddo preferred a cold one. so in the end we ordered a large order of the Kamo Seiro ($16): sliced duck and tokyo negi in a hot dipping sauce and a large order of the Mori ($9.50). while the Kamo Seiro was very good, it was a little salty and distracted from the natural flavor of the soba. in the end, i preferred Kiddo's order of Mori, so it was lucky for me that we shared both entrees.
although i was happily satiated food-wise, i was intrigued by their offering of honey-wasabi ice cream and, with Kiddo's encouragement, ended up ordering a trio of ice creams for dessert. and i can't recommend the flavor enough! it's sweet with a little wasabi-mustard kick that isn't unpleasant!
by the end of the meal, i had discovered a restaurant i really loved, and Kiddo had managed to drink approximately 70-80% of a very large bottle of sake. as we exited the restaurant, Kiddo (a little intoxicated) convinced me to go check out Japadog, as he could "still eat," and he knew the restaurant was on my list.
which was how we found ourselves at Japadog. i ordered the Croquette (japanese croquette and arabiki sausage) while Kiddo ordered the recommended Terimayo (teriyaki sauce, mayo, and seaweed). while the Croquette had a little too much going on for a hotdog, i liked the Terimayo which was savory and sweet at the same time. next time, i would order the Oroshi. Kiddo wasn't as impressed.
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| The Terimayo |
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| The Croquette |
inquiring about what else was on my list, we found ourselves around the corner at Pommes Frites for my first time eating these crunchy french fries. at this point, i have no idea how i managed to fit any more food in my stomach and i can't recall exactly what sauces we chose although i remember there being 2. i do remember the weather was nice enough that we sat outside while we munched away and the french fries were salty and delicious and the dipping sauces were perfect.
oooo, just thinking about this night reminds me of why i'm such a fatty now.
Ryan Gosling's been making the late night circuit to promote his new movie Gangster Squad. i saw the preview for this and although it immediately struck me as just a flashy movie with a hip hop soundtrack that would be fun to watch but instantly forgettable, i still wanted to watch it. but only because of Ryan Gosling. he's just so shmexy and funny.
and how much do i wish i was Linda so that Ryan Gosling could whisper into my ear.
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