To my few faithful readers, I’m not ignoring the blog but simply going through a tough patch right now in my life. Some people stuff their faces when they’re down, but I lose my appetite. Yup, it’s that serious. In a way, it’s kind of fortunate, because I’d been eating like a beast the past few weeks and had been making lots of bad food decisions. Like eating a battered, deep-fried pork chop… READ MORE »

For the longest time, there wasn’t a great Thai restaurant in the East Village. There were a few decent ones I’d order from once in a while, but none I’d ever recommend to a friend. Not even the popular Isan (Northeastern Thai) restaurant that opened a few years ago on 1st Avenue. I never understood the hype. Somtum Der, the latest Isan-Thai restaurant to open in the neighborhood, however, changes everything. READ MORE »

Some restaurants require a snack beforehand and possibly a slice of pizza after. Others require nonconstrictive wardrobe considerations, like stretchy pants, no belt, or even no pants (a loose dress is best for maximum hidden belly expansion). Rotisserie Georgette, a newish rotisserie restaurant with a “French accent” on the Upper East Side, falls somewhere closer to the former. On a recent lunch with two girlfriends, Sherry and Sung, while the food was quite tasty, I couldn’t help but think everything was a bit lacking portion-wise. READ MORE »

Happy New Year! No, not a again. Happy Lunar New Year! And no, it’s not Chinese New Year, but Lunar New Year. If you didn’t know, several countries in Asia beside China celebrate the Lunar New Year, including Korea. However, being in the US with a huge Chinese population, Chinese celebrations usually dominate. Which I don’t mind, because it gives me yet another excuse to eat Chinese food. READ MORE »

Our last day was slightly problematic. Almost ruinous in fact. We woke up in our hotel with no running water. Running water is one of those things you take for granted. In terms of shelter, it’s probably the biggest game-changer. So after a few times flushing the toilet with a bucket of water from the swimming pool, we decided to high-tail it out of the hotel. READ MORE »