Japanese
Zengo in Midtown East
I gotta admit, when I first heard of Zengo, I didn’t think it’d be so great (the name doesn’t lend itself much to first impressions). That and its dank location (40th and 3rd…I just think…suits…and…buildings…and…and yeah that’s also the first time I ever used “dank” on this blog). Plus the outside pretty much looking like a giant misplaced club made me a little dubious. But walk inside, and you’ll begin to realize all that is misleading (claustrophobics rejoice, this place is huge).
Zengo
Zengo
Tatsu Sushi Bar in Chicago
Fried calamari
As some of you may know, I’m not big on sushi. I don’t hate it, I will occasionally order it…I’m just not a big sushi buff. I’ve definitely had good sushi before, but I guess my ambivalence makes sense because I’m generally not very big on seafood. But here’s the other thing about sushi– it’s like eight bites. Some people can get full on eight bites, and others are…like me? Anyway, I just don’t really have ’sushi cravings’ or whatever. I tried to explain to this to my sister who LOVES sushi.
“SO…you don’t like sushi?”
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it…I just never crave it.”
“SO…you don’t like sushi?”
She can do this for hours. I think she eventually went on this “Let me convince Shyema to like sushi” thing because the last time I was in Chicago, she said once I eat Tatsu, I’ll have a different opinion. And when you go to Tatsu, apparently the thing to order is the crispy shrimp.
Crispy Shrimp sushi
The Top 15 foods I miss at U of I
The Quad at U of I Photo Credit: UIUC.edu
This post is going to be really fat of me. But remember I mentioned that there were so many dishes I missed from my college days at UIUC? Well, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to compile them in a list. I think it’s also where my interest in food heightened since there were so many options (I have my fat pictures to prove it…you’ll probably never see them though). I’m not sure if all of these are even standing still, but regardless:
15. Coffee filet steak from Radio Maria. One of those hidden gems in Champaign that created unusual combinations with common food. Hence, the coffee steak.
Koi Holiday Gift Drive
Koi New York, the Japanese restaurant known for signature dishes like Crispy Rice Topped with Spicy Tuna, is in the giving spirit this season. Starting this Friday, December 10th, the Bryant Park Hotel’s popular dining spot is giving customers a complimentary sake, champagne, or cocktail of choice for every unwrapped children’s book or toy donated to them ($10 minimum value). All toys and books will be donated to the Today Show Toy Drive, benefitting needy families all over the United States.
Noodle Bar in Greenwich Village…Love
There’s nothing I didn’t love about the food we had at Noodle Bar down in Greenwich Village. Their Pan-Asian food is a healthy mix of Thai, Indian, and Korean-inspired (at least by my count). I ordered their Coconut Shrimp dish with spicy flat noodles.
Coconut Shrimp & Spicy Rice Noodle, $11
What I loved about this dish was the jumbo shrimp was covered by a thick fried coconut shell where you can really taste the flavor. The flat noodles were delicious too, not overly-doused in oil.
Ninja in Tribeca
So I definitely watched this whole video and was dyinggg to go to Ninja New York ever since:
Ok yeah so the video is a little dramatic, but dinner at Ninja is definitely an experience. I don’t want to spoil too much for you, but let’s just say you can have your meal in a private booth while the waiters keep you on your toes. One tried to kill me with a sword right after dinner (don’t worry, it was plastic). And it’s kind of funny because you’ll just hear people screaming randomly after being caught off guard by one “ninja” waiter or another.
