Friday, 2 May 2014 – Dinner

 

What did I eat? Korean BBQ

Where from? Mapo Korean BBQ

How much did it cost? $120 for three including tax/tips (ouch!)

How was it?
We heard about this place from a few of our Korean friends who said this was the best BBQ in town. I’m used to my usual K-Town joints or my favorite AYCE Korean BBQ place, Picnic Garden. Mapo is a tiny place with no more than 10 tables. The waitresses were super friendly and had phenomenal service. The grill is unlike other places; they use actual charcoal in the middle of the table. It’ll be good in winter but I can’t imagine how hot it’ll get in the summer.

Now for the food. An order of beef is barely enough for one person. We ordered 2 orders of marinated beef. This is not a cheap place!! $35 for an order of beef which will barely feed me. We also ordered a kimchi jigae. Although the beef was expensive, it was worth every penny! Man… I have never had such good beef at a Korean BBQ place. It was so tender and juicy. AMAZING!! Moreover, the charcoal just adds to the flavor. Next time I go though, I’m going to take a pile of cash and just order like 3 orders of beef for myself! The kimchi jigae was something to write home about too. It’s got a real sour kick to it which I enjoyed thoroughly. I don’t remember other places having noodles in their jigae but these guys had some noodles also which was great. The side dishes were plentiful too, but it’s the usual stuff – fish, pickles, that fluffy steamed egg thing, etc.

The only complaint is the price. Then again, I’ve raved about the meat so it’s probably worth the price you pay. I would expect to spend between $40 and $50 per person here and for some people, that may be a bit much considering it’s not an all you can eat place.

Rate it!
8/10. I really want to give it a higher rating but the value is just not there. Solely on the BBQ, I’d give it like 11/10 but for value it’s like 5/10.

Sunday, 13 April 2014 – Dinner

 

 

What did I eat? Steak and sauteed mushrooms

Where from? Made it myself!!

How much did it cost? Under $10

How was it?
I bought this new cut of beef from the Asian grocery store – something loin related. Fantastic for grilling and the marbling is perfect too. It also helps that it’s about $5 for 2 strips so it’s really not expensive. I stay away from buying expensive meats when I grill because I don’t think I can control the heat too well on the gas grill and I tend to overcook the meats a lot. Although I am realizing that the thicker the cut, the better I can grill. I used the Chicago steak seasoning rub from Penzeys spices.

The mushrooms were just small portabella caps sliced and sauteed in butter and Worcestershire sauce with a bit of paprika. I think I used a bit too much butter this time since I ran out of olive oil. That made the mushrooms a bit rich but then again, you can never go wrong with excess butter!

The steaks turned out very well. The triangular piece wasn’t the loin but I think it was a London broil. All of the meats turned out very well. Check out the pink center in one of the photos. I’m only buying those loin pieces now since I can cook them to my taste very well.

Last photo is some noodle salad which the wife made and insisted I add it to this post.

Rate it!
9/10. Would have been a 10/10 meal had I made some mashed potatoes paired with a glass of sparkling apple cider.

Saturday, 12 April 2014 – Dinner

 

 

What did I eat? Double-Cut Prime Rib On The Bone

Where from? Waterfront Crab House

How much did it cost? $35

How was it?
This place has the best steaks at unbeatable prices. That piece of prime rib was just $25!! Unbelievable value for money. As much as I’m a big meat eater, I can never finish the prime rib. I always end up taking it home and reheating it on my skillet for lunch the next day.

The order comes with a salad and a side. The salad is just a regular salad, nothing particularly interesting. For sides, you can pick between onion rings, fries, baked potato or pasta. I wish they made mashed potato though. I had onion rings this time and they weren’t anything special either. Now the prime rib comes with some crispy onions on top and those are delicious!! The prime rib can be a bit fatty though and it’s really wet and juicy. I’m not sure if the fat will turn some people off but if you take the fatty part home and reheat it the next day, trust me, you’ll love it!

Crab House is an old joint from the days when LIC was undeveloped. There seems to be the usual crowd of regulars and they also have valet parking in case you want to drive in. In addition, if you’re in Manhattan, it’s super close to the LIC ferry dock so it’s easily accessible. Take a boat from 34th Street port across East River, take a stroll along the Piers in LIC, have a drink and dine at the Crab House and take the boat back over.

Rate it!
9/10 Best value for money when it comes to meat!

Friday, 21 March 2014 – Dinner

What did I eat? Brazilian BBQ

Where from? Brazil Grill

How much did it cost? $90 for two (using Groupon deal, plus tax/tip)

How was it?
Before I begin about the food, I should clarify the Groupon deal bit. The Groupon deal said you get a meal with 2, a value of $120 for $60 and it includes 2 all you can eat rodizio, 2 desserts and a bottle of wine up to a $35 value. The tax and tip came up to around $30 so the meal for two basically ended being $90. The Groupon deal is not so bad but I personally would have just gotten the regular priced AYCE rodizio since I don’t drink. Plus the wine they gave was a $5 bottle.

The food was fantastic as usual. The best piece was the top sirloin (middle right pic). The layer of fat surrounding the meat was heaven! Add the saltiness and the blood oozing out, it was amazeballs! My least favorite was the sausage and maybe the chicken. The beef and pork cuts were succulent and just to my level of rarity and saltiness. The meal also comes with an order of fries, rice and beans. I would skip out on those and just binge on the meat.

Rate it!
9/10

Saturday, 25 January 2014 – Dinner

 

 

What did I eat? Grilled cornish hen, BBQ spare ribs, brisket, baked beans, collard greens, mac & cheese, banana pudding, German chocolate cupcake

Where from? Hill Country

How much did it cost? Birthday dinner so I’m not disclosing!

How was it?
Going to be a short review since I have many posts to put up before going on vacation. Hill Country has gone down since I last came here. Either that or other BBQ joints in NYC have improved. We came here for a friend’s birthday since they were able to accommodate a large crowd. The place is as crowded as ever, and there’s live music too. The service was very good in my opinion.

The brisket wasn’t that great; the lean one was too lean and the moist one, too fatty. The chicken was so so; nothing to write home about. The ribs weren’t as tender or juicy; they had some sort of seasoning on it, which made it taste almost like Chinese style spare ribs. The mac and cheese was quite good; it was more like penne and cheese. The baked beans are acceptable but could be sweeter and softer. The banana pudding was probably the best part of the meal.

Rate it!
7/10

Monday, 20 January 2014 – Lunch

What did I eat? Cheese ravioli, beef something (forgot the name but looked good) and potatoes

Where from? Pizza Rustica

How much did it cost? $8

How was it?
I haven’t been back to Pizza Rustica in a while but since they just followed me on Twitter, I decided to pay them a visit. They have different pasta and meat specials every day. First time that I’ve seen ravioli on the menu though. The beef had some Italian name but it looked like beef stew. Since I only wanted the ravioli and the beef, the guy at the counter gave me all the ravioli that was left. The normal platter consists of 1 pasta, 1 meat and 2 veggies but I normally end up with 2 servings of pasta and 1 serving of veggies.

The ravioli was a simple cheese one topped with some marinara sauce. I like ravioli and this one was decent. Don’t expect high-end Italian restaurant ravioli; this is meant for the working man and as such won’t be as “premium”!! The beef was interesting. There was a strange sweet flavor with the meat which I couldn’t identify. It could be the sweetness of the carrots or just sweet gravy but it was oddly tasty. The beef wasn’t that tender so I had to cut it quite a bit; I had to take care in cutting so I don’t puncture the metal container.

Rate it!
6/10

Wednesday, 15 January 2014 – Lunch

 

What did I eat? Pho Saigon and dumpling soup

Where from? Boi

How much did it cost? $8 for the pho, $6 for the dumpling soup

How was it?
I did not have the dumpling soup so I can’t comment. I just figured I add this since the pho looks boring.

The pho today was exceptionally well made, even compared to other days. The noodles were at the right level of firmness and there was plenty of meat, assortment of sliced beef, stomach and beef balls. Since this was a fast food place, the sliced beef were served well done, and for good reason; I’d be wary eating a rare piece of beef. For a bowl of pho being served in a plastic container, Boi does a pretty good job. Their sandwiches are pretty good too.

Rate it!
7/10

Sunday, 12 January 2014 – Lunch

What did I eat? Sul Long Tang (white ox-bone soup with rice and noodle) and Soo Yook (thin beef brisket)

Where from?  Gahm Mi Oak

How much did it cost?  ~$30

How was it?
I’m a fan of Korean food, except when it comes to their noodle dishes. I think they do their meats very well but I’ve yet to acquire a taste for their noodles such as naengmyeon or japchae.

The dish came in a very white broth as you can see. The soup is very bland, as indicated in the menu. This is good as well as bad. For those who like to fix their dishes according to their own tastes, this is perfect; add as much salt, scallions, kimchi, etc til you perfect it. For a person like me who prefer to eat what’s given to me, this is a chore. Regardless, I added some salt and kimchi to add some flavor to the soup. The noodles were delicious but… there was rice at the bottom. I DISLIKE RICE IN MY SOUPS! I like congee/porridge where the rice turns to mush but I don’t like it when you can still feel the rice grains. All in all, I think the noodle soup was pretty light but it’s definitely an acquired taste.

On the side, we ordered some thinly sliced brisket. This was top notch. It paired very well with the kimchi and I enjoyed it. It would go well over rice too.

Rate it!
5/10 for the noodle soup and 8/10 for the brisket

Saturday, 11 January 2014 – Dinner

    

What did I eat? BBQ spare ribs, brisket, burnt end baked beans, Coca Cola. Chocolate souffle with raspberry sauce.

Where from? Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque and Cha-An Tea House

How much did it cost? $24 and $12

How was it?
I’m on a journey to try out every barbeque restaurant in NYC. My favorite placed, RUB, closed down last year and I’ve been trying to find suitable replacements. So far, there have been plenty worthy competitors.

I came across Mighty Quinn’s via Immaculate Infatuation; the restaurant was rated one of the site’s favorites for 2013 so I decided to give it a shot. I decided to venture out with a buddy of mine who never fails to join me in my quest for the best BBQ in NYC. Plus, being a wet Saturday night, I figured the crowd wouldn’t be so bad.

I ordered ribs as usual and was contemplating about getting burnt ends, but instead, went with an order of brisket. As in all BBQ joints, my trusty side order is always baked beans. The burnt ends looked very different from what I was envisioning; they looked more like pulled beef, as opposed to chunks of meat. The brisket was super tender, in fact, it was too fragile in my opinion. The ribs were fantastic though. I normally don’t like the ribs already covered in sauce but I was OK with these being sauced. The baked beans were GREAT! Massive chunks of burnt ends, tossed together with beans; it could be improved by adding a tad bit more sweetness. Oh and everything pairs very well with a glass of Coca Cola.

After dinner, we decided to hit up my regular East Village dessert spot – Cha-An Japanese Tea House. I had my usual fare of chocolate souffle with raspberry sauce. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo before I dived in so you can see the remainder. I’m not a fan of the raspberry sauce since I find it too sour and messes with my chocolate flavor. However, if you get some green tea ice cream, douse the ice cream with that sauce!

Rate it!
8/10 for the ribs and beans, 7/10 for the brisket, 7/10 for the dessert

Friday, 10 January 2014 – Dinner

  

What did I eat? Beef curry, anemone salad and rice

Where from? Elmhurst Aunty

How much did it cost? ~$12

How was it?
The salad has quite a bit of a kick if you happen to chew on a piece of chilli. The texture of the anemone is chewy, like tendon; it may be a hit or a miss. The salad also has chicken so it’s not fully vegetarian. The beef curry is just regular beef curry, but this one resembles the Malaysia beef rendang version very much; perhaps due to the smaller pieces of beef.

Rate it!
6/10