April 2009
The Archives
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Chinatown, Restaurants
The Most Awesome Pineapple Bun in Chinatown…and Some Meat – NYC
04.28.09 | Permalink | 12 Comments
Exactly one month ago, I wrote about the godawful roast pork bun from Sun Say Kai. Well, I’m happy to report, Sun Say Kai has redeemed themselves with the most awesome pineapple buns (bo lo bao) in Chinatown! I kid you not, these buns are the real deal. The bread itself is soft, dense, and chewy, as Chinese pastries tend to be, but what really makes the pineapple buns at Sun Say Kai better than most, is the extra-thick crunchy topping. The sweet crumbly top is practically cookie-like, and is definitely addictive if you like thin crispy sugar cookies made with lard. MORE »
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NoHo, Nolita, Small Shops
Fish & Shrimp Tacos at Pinche Taqueria – NYC
04.22.09 | Permalink | 8 Comments
Spring is here and that means it’s taco time! Sure you can get a taco in the winter, but nothing beats grabbing a taco on a warm spring day and immediately eating it street-side or even better at a park right after it’s been made. Also, temperatures conducive to drinking ice cold cerverzas with your taco don’t hurt. Two weeks ago, it was one of those beautiful sunny Sundays in New York just meant for lazy city meanderings and taco eating, when David and I came upon Pinche Taqueria in Nolita. I’d read on Serious Eats they had the “first good fish taco” “outside Southern California or Mexico,” so our meanderings momentarily ended as we filed into the tiny shop for some south of the border goodness. MORE »
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Closings, LES, Small Shops
Buddha Hates Dumplings – NYC
You know it’s rough out there when a Buddhist church is threatening to sue your ass. On my way to work this morning, I saw an older Chinese couple intently looking at this sign. It looks like Fried Dumpling is closed for good and the Heaven Way Buddha Church wants them out STAT! Their dumplings were never as good as the ones at Vanessa’s Dumplings, but I used to go to Fried Dumpling for soy bean milk and cold sesame noodles. It’s sad, but I guess that’s life. Buddha 1 / Dumpling 0.
Fried Dumpling (CLOSED)
99 Allen Street (nr. Delancey St.)
New York, NY 10002 -
Chinatown, Restaurants
Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) at Pho So 1 – NYC
04.13.09 | Permalink | 3 Comments
My usual go-to banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) spot is Banh Mi Saigon on Mott Street. I used to prefer the other popular shop in Alphabet City, but then last summer, I got a severe case of food poisoning one day after eating a banh mi there. After that, I’ve been a bit wary of the place, and have been sticking to the Vietnamese sandwiches in Chinatown. Because trust me, if I got sick, something must have been terribly wrong.
Last week, I got off the N train on Canal Street with a craving for a banh mi, but for some reason, I didn’t want to go above Canal Street. Instead, I ended up wandering down Mott Street when I saw the grand opening sign for Pho So 1 advertising a ten percent discount off all of their Vietnamese sandwiches (take-out only). Banh mis, usually in the $3-$4 range, are cheap as is, but a ten percent discount on top of that was pretty ridiculous. So where some people would be scared of a discount on food in Chinatown, I readily descended into the depths of Pho So 1. MORE » -
LES, Restaurants
Recession Sushi at Sachiko’s on Clinton – NYC
04.08.09 | Permalink | 4 Comments
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or ensconced in a gated community, you probably know it’s a recession. Some say we’re even in a depression. And although I’m lucky enough to still have a job, you never know what may happen next. (Look kindly upon me corporate gods of Midtown!) As a result, I’ve been trying to be more conscious about cost when going out to eat, even more so than before. Last week, David wanted sushi and suggested Le Miu (which unbeknownst to us, closed recently), but not wanting to pay at least a hundred on a regular work night, I suggested Sachiko’s, which was right around the corner from where we were standing. (We had just finished looking at another crappy overpriced apartment in the Lower East Side. It turns out after a few weeks apartment hunting, our crappy overpriced LES apartment is slightly less crappy and less overpriced than we actually thought.) David didn’t seem too excited as usual, but he agreed after some coaxing, and five minutes later we were sitting inside Sachiko’s on Clinton. MORE »
