The Archives

Restaurants
L’Atelier de JoËl Robuchon - Las Vegas
12.30.08 | Permalink | Comment?

One great thing about traveling is having an excuse to go to a nice restaurant. It’s like, “Hey, we’re in ___________ (enter vacation destination here), we should go to at least one nice restaurant while we’re here.” Basically, it’s just an excuse to overeat. Vacations and holidays are great in that way. I love having a free fat bastard pass. So when David and I were planning for Vegas, I suggested L’atelier de Joël Robuchon. Yes, I know there is an L’atelier in New York, but when are we ever going to go? When we’re at home in New York, it seems too extravagant to go somewhere fancy unless we have a reason. I should really plan a “staycation,” and just enjoy New York one of these days. Perhaps when it’s warmer…

L’atelier offers “counter service” in that you sit at the counter and watch your food being created right in front of you in the open kitchen. This is restaurant theater at it’s best. Robuchon was probably the first to popularize this trend in fine-dining restaurants. Now, everyone does it. I love this concept because it’s fun to watch the dynamics of a kitchen. David likes it because he wants to make sure no one does anything gross to his food. Oh ye of little faith. MORE »
Restaurants
Noodles and Gambling - Atlantic City, NJ
11.26.08 | Permalink | Comment?

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, people who can’t sing shouldn’t claim they have a god-given talent, and poor people who can’t gamble should stay quietly at home instead of hanging out at casinos. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category and although I never win, except once at slots in the Bahamas, I love to gamble. It’s so scarily fun in a sick addicting way. That’s why a week ago, I found myself at the roulette table in Atlantic City getting a serious case of vertigo.

I was, however, able to pull myself away for an hour to fill my diet-coke filled belly with some food. David’s friend, James, suggested we get some Chinese noodles at The Rim in the Taj Mahal, and I happily agreed. It’s very rare I ever turn down Chinese food. Unfortunately, the noodles didn’t quite live up to my expectations. MORE »
Midtown, Restaurants, Small Shops
Big Bowl Noodles & Noodles 36 - NYC
10.27.08 | Permalink | 3 Comments

Not so strangely, Ying Du is closed again. This time it’s for renovations. I don’t think it’s DOH-related since they aren’t listed on the main DOH site, but who knows. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. I just hope they aren’t planning another price hike. I don’t need ambiance at a Chinese take-out restaurant.

Fortunately, there are other places to get authentic Chinese in Midtown. My favorite is Hing Won, but recently with the cold weather, I’ve been trying to stay west of Fifth Avenue and south of 42nd Street, which is closer to work. Also, I notice there tends to be less suits south of 42nd St, especially west of 7th Avenue. It’s not exactly downtown, but there’s definitely a different vibe, which is nice. I see enough suits and khakis at work. The two places I’ve been going to a lot recently are Noodles 36 and Big Bowl Noodles. MORE »
Announcements, Midtown
Possible Price Hike @ Ying Du - NYC
10.16.08 | Permalink | 1 Comment

So many of you know that Ying Du is back in business since they were closed by the DOH two weeks ago. If you didn’t, they’re open. So today I went to get my weekly duck fix, and when I went to pay, a strange thing happened. The woman at the register said my order was $5.50 instead of the usual $5 because I got a leg. Mind you, I didn’t order a leg, the woman just filled the container with leg, thigh, and breast meat like they normally do. I asked if the price went up, but she said it didn’t and that it’s always an extra fifty cents for legs. Now I’ve been going to Ying Du for more than a year and this is news to me. It seems to me every time they close and then reopen the prices go up. Before they renovated, duck over rice was $4.50. After the numbering system, it went up to $5. Now it’s $5.50. I really shouldn’t be complaining, considering they have the best roast meats in Midtown and the ridiculous amount they give you for the price. But, hey, sometimes I’m a cheap bastard and I get cranky when I’m hungry. In any case, be forewarned, you may or may not be charged an extra fifty cents.
Midtown, Small Shops
Roast Duck @ Ying Du - NYC
09.04.08 | Permalink | Comment?

Roast Duck over Rice @ Ying Du

Ying Du is one of those places that makes working in Midtown more tolerable. When I tell people I work in Times Square, people always ask what I eat. Yes, it’s true, Times Square is tourist central and there are a million of overpriced restaurants that cater to tourists that don’t know any better. Everyday, I have to fight the swarm of slow moving tourists to get in and out of my office building. No offense to tourists, I know what it’s like to be a tourist. You’re confused, discombobulated from a stressful flight, and you want to take it slow, but please, “Can you look at your subway map on the left or right of the sidewalk instead of smack in the middle of a busy street?!” In any case, among all this madness, a few blocks away in the Garment District, there are small restaurants like Ying Du that exist soley to feed the midtown masses, in particular the Chinese masses. Meaning, don’t go to Ying Du if you want General Tso’s Chicken or Sesame Chicken. MORE »