Lyric Diner.

On March 31st, 2009, following talks about women's special places as we viewed a school production of The Vagina Monologues, we craved a food escapade.  So we, Volatile, Squishy, H, and I, decided to hit up our good old friend, Lyric Diner.  It was a nice rendezvous with a restaurant we were familiar with.

Volatile got a meal.  It came with soup, fruit, and an entree.  This is the lentil soup that came with it.  It looked thick and gloppy, but she said that it was alright.

Squishy got eggs, sunny side-up, and ham.  It came with home fries.  It was pretty run of the mill.  Nothing extra sexy or seductive.

I got my usual corned beef hash and eggs, over-easy.  This was the first time I got the hash here and it was especially good.  I could tell that the hash was made with fresh corned beef instead of coming from a can.  You could see the remnants of corned beef throughout the hash and could tell that it came from a nice and flakey corned beef.  It was also not that salty, which was definitely a plus, and perfectly crispy.  The home fries were nothing out of the ordinary.

H got the Derby Burger, which came with french fries, a pickle, and cole slaw.  The burger comes with lettuce, tomato, bacon, avocado, and bleu cheese.  H said that it was alright.  He especially enjoyed their french fries, which I must argue are some of the better fries for diners that I've ever had.

Here is Volatile's baked lasagna.  She enjoyed it because it was very cheesy and fresh.

Lastly, here is the fruit bowl that came with Volatile's meal.  The fruit seemed fresh.  There was cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, and grapes.

Overall, it is a safe place for eating.  Service during busy hours is a bit lacking, but if you go at an empty time, the service is alright.  Food is decent.

Price: <3<3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: Recommended

Yuka.

To continue our food orgy, Roomie, H, Volatile, Nico, Squishy, and I went to possibly the most sexy sushi restaurant in the whole city. The meal was extremely satisfying. There are two options at Yuka: (1) All you can eat or (2) Menu. We wonderfully decided to be fat pigs and decided on the all you can eat option. The way it works is that you have sheets of paper at the table with the sushi options. They (the restaurant staff) give you pencils and you mark off the number of rolls or pieces of nigiri you want. You generally order for the whole table, so the following pictures were basically for the whole table.

These were avocado-cucumber rolls. Volatile ate most of these because she's a veggie. She said that they were alright.

These were the spicy tuna rolls. They were extremely spicy, but that's how spicy tuna rolls should be in the first place. They were good.

Here is a plate of yellowtail and tataki nigiri. The yellowtail was extremely fresh and had great texture. The scallions that were sprinkled on top added a nice subtle onion flavor that complemented the yellowtail. The tataki was nice, but tasted just like regular salmon.

The top row is tuna, the middle row is mackerel, and the bottom row is egg custard. The tuna and mackerel were both very fresh. The egg custard was very fresh and soft, with a mild sweet flavor. It was one of the best egg custard sushi I've ever tried before.

Here is a beautiful tray of salmon and tataki nigiri. The salmon here was extremely fresh and practically melted in my mouth.

Beastly Roomie got some hand rolls for himself. Included were the crab salad and tuna salad hand rolls picture above. He shockingly stuffed almost a whole hand roll into his mouth at one point in the meal. He was so happy that night!

Here is more salmon. We also got unagi, but I was too busy eating some of the best unagi I've ever had in my life to take any pictures. It was the only thing I somehow missed, pictures-wise. I promise to have pictures next time.

Overall, this place was great. We got an both an extremely filling meal and good quality food at the same time. We definitely will be back there in the future.

Price: <3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<3<

Opinion: Highly Recommended

Ottomanelli Bros.; Beard Papa's.

March 26th, 2009 was day of epic eating for us.  To start it off, Roomie, M, L, J, and I went to Ottomanelli Bros. for lunch after class.  Roomie really wanted to go there because he fell in love with their Hulk Burger Challenge and wanted to ask the burger out for a challenge.  The food journey that thus ensued was sick, yet memorable.

M got the 1/2 lb. Steak Burger, I believe, with American cheese, cooked medium rare.  It came with waffle fries and a pickle.  He ate it extremely slowly, as he normally does, but stated that it was cooked just the way he liked it: bleeding.

J wasn't that hungry, so he got the Popcorn Shrimp appetizer.  He said that it was alright.  I tasted it with a little bit of the "spicy" dipping sauce.  The dipping sauce was disappointing and the popcorn shrimp was only mediocre.  It was nothing out of the ordinary.

Unfortunately, the Hulk Burger Challenge ended at 2:30 and we arrived at Ottomanelli's around 2:40, so Roomie and I both settled for the burger pictured above.  We both got it cooked medium well and it came with waffle fries and a pickle spear.  The burger itself was alright, but I did especially like the nicely cooked peppers on the top.  The roll that the burger was placed on was a potato roll and was nice and soft.  The fries were also nice a crisp and only need a tiny dash of salt.

Being stood up by the Hulk Burger Challenge, Roomie was dying to swallow something and preposterously proposed going down to Chinatown, buying a whole cake, and eating it all.  We, however, opted for something slightly less extreme and picked Beard Papa's.  I had heard about this sexy old guy after seeing some of Mellow's pictures, and wanted to check him out, so we headed on down to his joint in the village.

I got two cream puffs.  The first one, pictured above, was a Green Tea Cream Puff.  Unknownlingly, I bit into the puff and was splurged on by the precious cream filling.  I was unable to salvage a lot of the cream, sadly, but did enjoy whatever was left.  It had a very subtle, yet nice green tea bitterness to it.

As shown in the picture, I made sure to splunk right into the hole of this cream puff and did not waste any of the precious vanilla cream inside.  The filling was nice a light, not overly sweet.  The puff was very airy and light also, with a very flaky feel to it.  It was very delicious and satisfying.

Overall, Ottomanelli's was a decent place and I'd like to go back and try their steak one day.  They had good food for reasonable prices.  Beard Papa's was pretty good, but I must complain that they need more seats inside of there.  Maybe Papa should consider investing in a bigger place, no?

Ottomanelli Bros.

Price: <3<3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: OK to try

Beard Papa's

Price: <3<3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<

Opinion: Recommended

Ottomanelli Bros.

in Upper East Side

1325 5th Ave. (On the corner of 111th St. and 5th Ave.)

(212) 828-8900

Rice To Riches.

Following our indulgences in salty foods, we were craving a sweet dessert to ironically put the icing on the cake.  H had heard about Rice to Riches and we looked it up on the computer.  Upon finding out what it was, we had to go there.  It was a definite must.

Here are two bowls of rice pudding we found flirting in this trendy dessert restaurant.

I got the Solo Coast to Coast Cheesecake.  It actually tasted like cheesecake, but in a liquified form.  The pudding was very creamy and the rice had very good texture.  It was not too hard, but still had good bite to it.  Plus the nifty little plastic bowls they served it in with covers were a nice complementary gift, given that we could take it home, wash it, and reuse it however we like.

Roomie got the Epic with two flavors.  It was half The Edge of Rum Raisin and half Don' Cappuccino.  The cappuccino flavor was alright.  Roomie seemed like he liked it, but it's always difficult to tell because he scarfs anything and everything that he eats down.

H also got the Epic size with two flavors.  It was half Coconut Coma and I think half Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug.  I could be wrong about the hazelnut.  It could be caramel.  Judging from my memory, it must've been only mediocre and not memorable.

Volatile got the Epic Coconut Coma.  The coconut flavor was very powerful in this one, and therefore, very delicious.  If also made Volatile very volatile, if you get my drift.

Overall, it was pleasantly enjoyable for us and we were caught off-guard by the many funny placards with jokes all over the walls.  The atmosphere was fun and trendy and it's a great place to stop at for dessert with friends during a night out in the city.

Price: <3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<3<

Opinion: Recommended

Katz's Deli.

On Thursday, March 19th, 2009, Volatile, H, Roomie, and I finally got a piece of Katz's Deli.  It was amazing.

I got the Hot Pastrami on rye with mustard, two half-sour pickles, and a Dr. Brown's Root Beer.  The half-sours were alright, but Katz's should have fresher pickles, considering that they're in the Lower East Side.  The pastrami sandwich was very good.  the pastrami was nice a moist, with just the right amount of fat content throughout the slices.  The spicy mustard complemented the saltiness of the pastrami and the rye bread was nice a sturdy, with that great rye taste.  All of this was washed down with a good old root beer.

Roomie got the Combo Turkey and Pastrami sandwich with mustard, and a half- and full-sour pickle.  He commented similarly on the pickles, and also liked the sandwich very much.  He didn't say much, but once again wolfed the food down.

H got the Chili Burger.  H got two of them, in fact.  He said that it was very, very good.

Volatile got some french fries because this guy walked by with a huge tray of freshly fried french fries.  They were perfectly crisp and didn't get soggy for the duration of the meal.

Volatile also got the Potato Latkes.  She said that they were pretty good and enjoyed them.  They looked pretty well done for latkes.

Overall, this is a great place for sandwiches.  The sandwiches here are definitely more manageable than those at Carnegie Deli and tastier.

Price: <3<3<

Taste: <3<3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: Recommended

Max Brenner.

To bring a sweet end to their stay in the Great Big City, Roomie and I took MY and S to Max Brenner for dessert after a nice steak dinner.  It was an excellent complement to a great meal.  It also was a meal and restaurant that captured the essence of the city: luxurious, trendy, sweet, and sexy.

Above is the cappuccino that I ordered.  It came in a very aesthetically pleasing coffee cup and saucer that encouraged me to be playful and embrace the child inside of me when it was appropriate.  The cappuccino came with two pieces of chocolate, which I proceeded to stir into my coffee, giving it a very pleasant hint of chocolate.  It was very creamy, warm, and comforting.

MY felt like getting a glass of milk.  It came in this very interesting glass with a metal straw.  Kudos for Max Brenner's use of the Helvetica font on the cup!  As a graphic design student, I feel that Helvetica is a font that characterizes New York's modern (and perfect) atmosphere.

The first of two desserts we ordered was the Sharing (Tasting for Two).  Clockwise from the lower left: very light and airy whipped cream with a touch of very tart raspberry sauce, chocolate fondue sauce in an Erlenmeyer flask, chocolate & peanut butter snack, pop rock candy chocolate lick, chocolate-covered ice cream, and a banana split waffle.  The whipped cream, as stated earlier, was extremely light and refreshing, with the raspberry sauce adding a special zing to the light sweetness of the cream.  You can try drinking the chocolate fondue, which was warm and rich.  The chocolate & peanut butter snack had interesting texture, but the peanut butter didn't seem present.  The chefs, perhaps, were trying not to overpower the chocolate, since this is a chocolate-themed restaurant.  The pop rocks combined with the chocolate was exciting, like exploring unchartered territory.  Ice cream was normal.  The banana split waffle was ok, but I felt it was just to dense for the dessert.

First dessert, part two: Chocolate fondue.  Came with a pot with melted chocolate fondue for dipping, marshmallows, strawberries, and bananas for dipping, and a small personal grill to toast the marshmallows.  I absolutely love fruit dipped in chocolate, and the fresh toasted marshmallows were soft and creamy.  It was also fun when some of the marshmallows started to flame at certain points.

The second dessert we ordered was The Ivory Heart, a chocolate cake with layers of warm white chocolate and chocolate cream on the inside.  It comes with the plain ice cream, an Erlenmeyer flaskful of chocolate fondue sauce, and fresh strawberries and blueberries.  The cake was very warm and extremely chocolatey, but it was extremely good.  It was extremely moist and not overly sweet, but had a very strong chocolate taste.  The fresh fruit helped to balance the sweetness by adding a tart flavor to the plate.

Overall, the dessert was very satisfying and it was a fun experience.  It is definitely the place to go if you are a chocolate lover.

Price: <3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<3<3

Opinion: Highly Recommended

Les Halles.

For our last dinner with MY and S on their visit, Roomie and I took them to the pleasant little French restaurant Les Halles.  It was an ideal restaurant for us to dine at because MY was craving steak and Les Halles' motto is "American Beef, French Style."

Our complementary bread basket.  It had a wheat type of baguette and a regular French baguette.  The regular baguette was very fresh, light, and fine just by itself.  I tasted it both with and without butter and noticed that the butter is not necessary.  Without the butter, you can taste how fresh the bread is.  I did not taste the wheat bread, but MY said that the bread was a little dense and dry.  The baguette definitely was sexier here.

I got the Onglet à l'Échalote, hanger (or skirt) steak with a shallot dipping sauce, ordered medium.  My meal, along with everyone else's, came with pommes frites, or french fries, and a wild greens salad with a very light vinaigrette.  The hanger steak was very tender and perfectly cooked, each bite of the steak melting in my mouth.  The dipping sauce had an interesting sour taste that complemented the cut of the meat.  The fries were nice and crispy, perfect with a dash of salt.  There was no need for any ketchup.  The vinaigrette didn't overpower the veggies and was very refreshing.  Overall, it was just the right portion and was very well executed.

MY got the Steak au poivre, Frites, or steak coated with cracked black peppercorn, cooked medium.  Despite being disappointed by the meager size of the cut of meat, he seemed to have enjoyed it.  I had a taste of it and though I agree that it was cooked well, I also feel that the black peppercorn overpowers the meat, masking the taste of the quality beef.

Roomie got the Poulet Rôti, Frites, or oven roasted Amish chicken.  Roomie was quiet about this one, but judging from the continued speed of his scarfing, I can only assume that it was good.

S got the Faux-filet Bercy, New York sirloin with red wine butter, ordered medium-well.  Unfortunately, it was a little dry and should have been ordered at simply medium instead of medium-well.  However, she said the butter was a nice match to the steak.

Overall, the restaurant presented some nice steaks.  Despite feeling that the portions were just perfect, I don't think I would mind if they were a tiny bit larger, but I think that I also shouldn't be too greedy.  The ambiance was pleasant and trendy and the staff was friendly.

Price: <3<3<

Taste: <3<3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<3<

Opinion: Highly Recommended

Golden Bridge Restaurant.

In the continuing course of MY and S' vacation in the city, Mic and I took them out for yum cha.  Since our usual yum cha joint had about an hour wait, we all decided to go to Golden Bridge Restaurant since Mic said that their yum cha was decent.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Here's the first spread.  Clockwise from left: Chive Dumplings, pai gwat (Steamed Pork Ribs), siu long bao, and siu mai.  All were alright.  The pork ribs were tender.  The siu long bao were not true ones because there was no soup on the inside.

Here's the second spread.  Clockwise from left: ja lurng, cheong fun, and lo bok goh.  The ja lurng, Chinese donut inside a cheong, or rice noodle, topped with soy sauce and sesame seeds and with some hot sauce on the side, was very good.  The donut was perfectly crispy and crunched very nicely, while being wrapped in the texturally gelatinous noodle.  The churng fun, or pan-fried rice noodle with oyster sauce and sesame seeds, was alright, but nothing special.  The lo bok goh, or white turnip cake, was alright, but I felt that it was too floury and did not have enough turnip in the cake.  Plusses for the cheong fun and lo bok goh being freshly pan-fried in front of our eyes.

The final spread.  From left to right, chun gurn, ham see gok (mince meat pies in a chewy rice cake), and wu gok (taro fritters with mince meat inside).  The chun gurn and wu gok was pretty standard.  The ham see gok was a little cold and this was upsetting.

Overall, the yum cha was pretty good for the prices.  It was mostly fresh and there was a good variety of choices.

Price: <3<3<3<3

Taste: <3<3<3<3

Atmosphere: <3<3<3<

Opinion: Highly Recommended for yum cha