Xi’an Famous Foods in the East Village is currently closed for renovations, which means I need to go elsewhere for my Chinese jajangmyun needs. Well, still relatively close, and even tastier (albeit dive-er) is Lam Zhou Handmade Noodles. READ MORE »

Recently, I attended a Tastemakers dinner at Pok Pok NY sponsored by Pepcid and Eater, and hosted by Ted Allen from Chopped. (Whoa, that’s a lot of links.) Why Pepcid and Thai food, I still don’t get (Thai food doesn’t gives me heartburn), but I did appreciate an invite to Pok Pok NY which I’ve never been to because it’s notoriously known to take forever to get a table (no reservations, you just have to wait). READ MORE »

So during a recent lunch with my mom, as per usual, the conversation moved onto food, and she told me Hand Made Noodle House, my brother’s family’s favorite kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodle soup) restaurant in New Jersey closed. According to the owner, the restaurant couldn’t make money selling $10 bowls of noodles so they revamped into a Korean restaurant specializing in chungukjang (청국장, extra fermented soybean stew) and Korean barbecue. I’m sure this was sad news to my brother’s family, but me, I was fine. Better noodles were always a few blocks away. READ MORE »

There’s lots of local places to grab brunch in the East Village, but for value and simple, tasty eats, there’s El Camion. READ MORE »

For Middle Eastern food, I have another go-to spot in the East Village (one that also serves meat), but for healthy date nights with my very special loved one, the outdoor tables at Hummus Place are Romeo-approved. READ MORE »