The financier

Ny Strip with cream sauce, french fries

barbecoa chipotle bowl with hella corn :3

Should I try this?

Managed to buy 2 packs of hmart chestnut bread

sidecar

amaro sour (Montenegro)

eastside fizz riff with split base tequila blanco and dry gin

successfully avoided eating bread yesterday 🫡

Got a meatloaf flavored vape at goodwill and now my arms won’t move

new spot opened by my parents house in danville and it’s so much better than east bay bakery and much cheaper too

chocolate chocolate croissant w dulcey brownie filling, regular chocolate croissant, caneles, chocolate almond croissant, choco chip pain suisse, pain aux raisin

mini paris brest and pecan flower tart

Homemade

crazy angle

14oz steak with grilled potatoes and veggies, sourdough bread with olives and a few spicy sides to even it up

There’s a wing place in my city that gives you 4 free tenders if you use a promo code and sign up with a new account. I’ve gone for the past 3 days with a new account every time, but am trying not to blow the whistle. It’s a national chain so I don’t think the workers have any control over it, and have worked at chains similar to this before and know that the workers that do thousands of orders a day don’t care. I think im gonna go again today.

Garlic Alfredo Tilapia with Spinach on the side:

99 cakes came out w another hit

banana milk purin
strawb n something something makgeolli
dry persimmon (hoshigaki) + walnut warm torte
rice cereal palova
the warm torte was saur good
luved the banan milk purin 2
not a fan of the pavlova but i just dont like pavlova at all
i like korean cereal as a topping a lot tho
theres this bar called reunion that has a drinky w it n its rly good (dessert cocktail side of things but its not sweet sweet)

hit this coffee shop i saw on ig reels that looked good
xoco-latte
ill b honest
the drinks r good (mexican hot choccy/mochas)
but the concha was dry as f***
soooo frickin dry
mayb if u go early, but it felt so dry it had to have been 2 days old tbh
the ppl are really nice n welcoming, great hospitality
but the dry ass dusty ass concha rly had me sooo disappointed
the do other stuff 2 like concha muffins/manteconcha

hoji panna cotta from brooklyn ball factory
ive liked every single thing ive tried here tbh
the bentos arent outta the world but solid, the miso soups one of the best in ny for sure tho (more like tonjiru)
this panna cotta is incredib
so good
not a panna cotta girl
this is honestly more purin than panna cotta flavorwise

bought me this cheese coin from speedy korean grill -- new food court thing in ktown w a make ur own instant ramyun thing upstairs n yadda yadda

i got cheese corn
p mid
just a mid taiyaki w cheese n corn inside.....
i only like ice cream taiyakis so this was like v ok 2 me
the taiyaki itself wasnt like peak taiyaki either

hmart chestnut bread--
honestly so disappointed!! me n bf didnt like these
the outside is cocoa powder crusted like dry shell (not crispy, just dry)
the then its mochi...
then its bean paste and chestnut chunks
but the cocoa doesnt go w the paste
n the paste is 2 sweet
and then the external texture is v whatever
it just didnt rly like
make sense to me as a single unit food item
pick either mochi + filling
or mochi + cocoa powder
both + the weird dry outside is 2 much conflict

little rascal in greenpoint
cosmic something drink
it had a fruity pebble garnish + pistachio cream so i got it
but i think the base was bourbon
and the bourbon overpowered it such that i never rly at any point was like ah yes this is the pistachio cream i taste

I had Wingstop three times this week

cho dang gol
their potato banchan is so frickin good....they do diff banchan every day n never got this one before
jeju gogi guksu -- pork bone broth w sliced pork shoulder
reminded me of the okdongsik gomtang (aka just a straightforward, clean, porky broth) but better value + more pork
ofc this is noodles n not rice
but i took the leftover soup home n just dumped it over rice it n it was very good
no fighting for res either like a maniac, but cdg always has a wait unless u go weekday lunch

also got the bulgogi w baby octopus, which also included some tteok/rice cakes in it, n their rice cakes r rly chewy n perf. hate mushy/soft rice cakes

tonchin ramen again, got the clam / smoked dashi ramen. pizza ramen still >>>> but this was rly nice n unique. broth was rly good albeit a lil salty to just drink for me

i got their hoji / mushroom old fashioned which was rly good
n their shaved ice to me is still like top 3 ny

braised lamb lamb neck for easter + fennel salad
theguardian.com/food/2024/mar/23/spiced-easter-lamb-marmalade-glaze-fennel-pepper-gratin-yotam-ottolenghi-recipes
theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/02/fennel-orange-salad-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi-steamed-salmon-raw-winter-veg-meringue (didnt add fennel seeds, only added parsley for herb + added goat cheese)
it was honestly one of the best things ive cooked in a while

okiboru house of udon
the ppl who did okiboru house of ramen (good tsukemen) just opened a spot selling wide thicc udon.... the udon manufacturer is the same one as the spot in tokyo thats hella viral, but okiburu just buys the noodles from them n cooks it ig

honestly this was really awful
1. noodle didnt have nearly enough chew or bounce for me like a properly springy udon. maybe they do all wheat flour and no cornstarch???
2. noodle was wide but also rly flat. it honestly resembles chinese hand ripped noodles closer than fresh udon, or maybe it just resembles those s***ty dry udons at white ppl grocery stores...... while eating it i just craved xian famous foods' hand ripped noodles
3. the broth was straight salty ass water. it has color but im guessing its just a bit of soy sauce bc there wasnt rly a dashi or any other flavor at all, making the broth p unbearable n gross.
4. the tempura were kinda mid. not enough daikon for the dip, shrimp was tough, asparagus was limp, bacon tempura is actually awful
5. bacon should not be tempura-ed--its so frickin oily the tempura crust just gets drenched in the bacon oil, and then its also just dry and super salty.... not crispy inside... just dry. n its so salty that u cant even dip it in the sauce, u cant dip it in the salt water bc that just makes it saltier, i just did not want it.
6. it was like 28 bucks which felt rly lame for what we got. raku is an actually good udon spot w good broth udon n toppings and is cheaper
7. we got there at like 5:45 on a rainy weekday and there was no wait, but when we left at like 6:20 the wait was 40 min. ive heard ppl wait 1.75 hrs for this, which would have honestly made me super mad had i waited that long

justonecookbook.com/simmered-beef-and-tofu p yummy n quick/easy/light lunch

foodandwine.com/recipes/toulouse-style-cassoulet
i honestly cant make this or eat toulouse style cassoulet ever again
the beans had me so f***ing bloated
and it was so salty bc of all the salted meats
it was crazy
we ate it w a demi baguette from l'imprimerie
n i made a toasted almond/goat cheese/champagne vinaigrette salad w it
theres like prosciutto, ham hock, duck confit, french sausages, pork shoulder, etc etc etc in it
n a s***ton of cannellini beans
it was good (but salty) but like... i cld eat so little before my body physically gave out
bought most of the pork from ridgewood pork store, shout out to them
theyre right next to this halal butcher that only grinds meat to order, super fresh (melindas halal meat). not on a pork vs halal thing or anything, just cool to see 2 small, passionate mom n pop butchers within 2 blocks. highly rec both. ridgewood pork store has like hundreds of sausages on deck
i bought the duck confit from foster sundry, they also are a great butcher (whole animal, so they have some cool cuts other ppl dont have)

lexington candy shop -- rly og diner/fountain spot


great diner style burger
great coke floats that they hand mix-- like they add pumps of coke syrup n then pour in soda water then mix them together by hand

Braised lamb look fire

bungalow
new resto from a masterchef india judge (who used 2 be at junoon when it had a michelin star)+ the guy who owns gupshup (great large group/south asian/fully halal brunch spot)
i recall going to junoon solo when it had the mich star for restaurant week n vaguely finding it a bit cold/stuffy/overly formal for just being 1 michelin star. but i actually liked this new spot a lot, it had a really warm n welcoming atmosphere
the drink i got (the curry leaf one) was v forgettable so id skip the drinks but food wise i thought it was really interesting. its also all halal n they have a mocktail option (just one... which my friends said was not particularly interesting or memorable at all)

apps:
1. kiss of kashmir (lotus roots, kidney beans imported from kashmir, radish walnut raita)
2. shrimp balchao cones (shrimp, nigella, tamarind)
3. lamb seekh kabab filled w some specific indian cheese i forgot the name of (sorryyy... i googled it n maybe its kalari cheese but idk... it was v melty n gooey though)

mains:
1. chicken chitranee -- homestyle curry
2. eggplant bharta w japanese eggplant n smoked onions
3. rajasthani pulled lamb -- caramelized onions
sides:
1. rice
2. garlic naan
3. farmers sattu roti (made by grinding roasted chickpeas into flour)
4. sheermal -- cardmamom/saffron/ghee bread

dessert:

choco lava cake w gulab jamun ice cream n cherry compote. the choco lava cake was super whatever but the gulab jamun ice cream was good enough to eat on its own tbh. their pastry/dessert selection was p weak imo.

overall:
1. shrimp cones, eggplant bharta, and pulled lamb were the standouts for me. the shrimp cones i cld eat 10 of, just tasty n buttery. eggplant bharta might be the best eggplant bharta ive ever had, just rly hit w the spices n everything--had great depth of flavor. pulled lamb was also rly good (honestly tho the eggplant was > for me j bc it was the dark horse)
2. the chef kept coming around to explain the dishes n sourcing of ingredients which was really cool n nice. for instance, the sattu roti he explained was something he grew up eating on the farm in india n was something rly home-y for him/the symbol of indian farmers. i think he was hoping ppl wld eat it n get a ratatouille moment, but to keep it a buck.... none of us liked it LOLLLL he cld tell too he was like :') its ok if u dont like it ill make u a sheermal u will defs like it :'''') and we cld not lie. idk how to describe it. if u really really really really like the taste of chickpeas and rly rly rly rly rly like dry flatbreads this is IT!!!!! for you. if u are not a huge fan on the flavor of pure chickpea n like warm fluffy moist breads over dry breads u will just simply not like this at all. it was dry n chockful of chickpea flavor. we were all theorizing that our respective moms wld like the bread lol. same w the kiss of kashmir, he was explaining where all he got the beans n the whole time i was like :') these r like the f***ing kim kardashian of beans or something n thats cool but i dont actually personally like beans :'''). but my friends rly liked the kiss of kashmir. its just 2 bean focused for me
3. the level of care at this spot is incredible. u can tell theyre trying rly hard 2 make sure everyone likes everything n is having a good time
4. id skip the kebab, the kiss of kashmir, n the chicken. i just dont think they blew me away in any which direction. naan was good tho. they also gave a free like fried tapioca snack 2 start that was ok but id just skip it n save room for other stuff

angel indian restaurant-- also halal, in jackson heights

free papad 2 start

goat biryani -- some argue not enough goat, not enough spices. i will say, its less spiced n flavorful than the dhamaka/adda biryanis but still rly good n probs cheaper. it did have a ton of caramelized onion tho which was so good, and overall we all felt it was one of the best biryanis in ny. it also had no whole spices in the rice which may be a plus or minus for u depending on ur pref

butter chicken (bought it for home lol)
i rly liked it, but i wish the gravy was like.... chunkier/thicker personally. i like it when the gravy can still like sit on top of the rice rather than just becoming spoon of rice in soup. but the spice mix hit n it was buttery. very tomato-y, so if u dont like super tomato-y curries this aint it. i will also say, friend got the chicken vindaloo n didnt like it bc it was 2 tomatoey for him and the potatoes were undercooked. i enjoyed a lot tho still
i think it has a good neighborhood vibe
they were blasting this inside which honestly slays

2 round out jackson heights:

arepa lady -- blew up via righteous eats recently. my honest thought is that theres good arepa spots by me i have no need 2 go all the way out 2 jackson heights just to get the same quality there LOLLLLL
good though--arepa de choclo w chorizo.
arepera guacuco + santa salsa r both good n dont have any waits, if ur located off the JZML this is more convenient than jackson heights for good arepas
if ur in manhattan i like patacon pisao a lot tbh

evelias tamales

chicken mole. + sweet raisin. didnt like sweet raisin personally. it was just sugary n cinnamony, tasted like atole but id rather have atole than eat this, n they actually do sell atole there
the chicken mole tamale was reallllly good though. good mole flavor, just rly yummy. great tamale 10/10
they have oaxacan style tamales wrapped in banana leaf 2 but were out n a pipian pork tamale they were also out of which was sad.

mamas empanadas-- we got the spicy chicken n tbh i didnt like the flavor, reminded me of airplane food but friends rly liked it.
my fave empanada (dont shoot me) in ny is not an empanada but rather a saltena from bolivian llama party

i need to try empanada spots empanadas still
i also think criollas malbec beef.empanadas were rly good but just pricy compared to every other empanada spot lol
i think they do shoot for like ~~rly high quality ingredients tho

the bit of char on the onions >>> yum