NYC with the BF

Hi Everyone! I'm recapping our recent trip to NYC, which includes some places I've written about before. There are a lot of pics, so you have been warned =)


Day 1:

The bf and I took a quick 1-night trip to NYC since we had never been there together. I heart NYC. It has always been a dream of mine to live in the Big Apple, but for now, I am only a reasonable 4-hour bus ride away. We ended up taking Tripper Bus from Bethesda for $25 each way.

Abraco
86 E 7th St
(between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

We got into the city in the morning and needed coffee badly. We visited this place because it was a few blocks away from our ramen lunch spot and yelpers liked it.

This place is so "NY" because it's like the size of my bedroom. There is no seating except for a tiny bench outside. Basic menu of very strong coffees and baked goods. Sorry, there are no sugar-substitutes, just white sugar in a canister.

The bf is so not a coffee drinker, and ended up saying "I'll have what she's having". We left sipping two Espresso Macchiatos ($2.50 each). We didn't add sugar so they were potent, had great flavor and didn't taste burnt like Starbucks can be at times.

Ippudo NY
65 4th Ave
(between 9th St & 10th St)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

I've been craving this place ever since the last time I went 2 years ago!

I had to take him here because there is no other ramen place I've ever tried that compares to it. It's so trendy and the staff is loud and fun.

Top: Nakasu Kawabata Shoyu Ramen (Soy flavored ramen noodle in a triple soup base of "sori-paitan" chicken, tonkotsu, and vegetable. Topped with pork chashu, red picked ginger, cabbage, garlic and scallions) for $15. I ordered this special ramen, which was very gingery and had thicker noodles.
Bottom: Akamaru Modern (The original "Tonkotsu" noodle soup topped with Ippudo's secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil) for $15. The bf ordered what I had last time, which included thinner noodles and a creamier broth. I believe this is their most popular ramen bowl, and our favorite too.

We didn't want to be super touristy and go to Times Square or climb the Empire State Building, but we did visit Battery Park at the southern tip of the Manhattan. This is where you can catch a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We opted for a quick stroll and photo before hoping back on the train.

Chinatown was our next stop for some refreshing drinks and snacks.

Vivi Bubble Tea
49 Bayard St
(between Bowery & Mott St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Chinatown

OMG, tell me this isn't the cutest bubble tea place you've ever seen?! Why is Homer Simpson there? Well, doesn't matter because the bf liked him there.

Another very tiny place without much room for sitting. They offer a variety of bubble tea flavors, shaved ice, popcorn chicken, corn dogs, etc.

How cute and fitting for us. I ordered a Lychee Black Tea and he ordered a Taro Milk Tea ($3 each). They were just fine and what we needed while walking around town.

Eileen's Special Cheesecake
17 Cleveland Pl
(between Kenmare St & Spring St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: Nolita

I wanted to introduce the bf to my favorite cheesecake place.

It was so hard for me to decide! I like the mini sizes and the fluffy texture of the cheesecake.

The bf ordered a Plain while I ordered a Pecan ($3.50 each). He apparently prefers more dense/smooth cheesecake rather than light/fluffy. Oh well, I was happy.

While shopping in SoHo, we took a hot dog break.

During our walk back to the hotel, we found that on the weekends a good number of streets are blocked off for vendors. We grabs an AMAZING gyro in Midtown East.

Matisse
924 2nd Ave
(between 49th St & 50th St)
Manhattan, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East

We decided to have a romantic but low-key dinner at a French restaurant not too far from our hotel.

To our surprise, they had a jazz band playing, which made the dinner even more romantic and cute! Check out Avalon Jazz Band's page: www.reverbnation.com/avalonjazzband. They play there on Saturdays. NYC has the smallest places ever! The front wall was open to the street, so that made it feel more open.

It was perfect. I love cozy, romantic, non-pretentious restaurants with good food. I heart this place so much.

We shared a Side of Truffled Mac & Cheese (Bachamel, Ham) for $14. We loved it! So yummy, and the bread crumbs on top added nice texture.

Top: "Julia Child" Beef Bourguignon (Bacon, Mushrooms, Carrots, served with Butter Linguine Pasta) for $23. The bf thought it was good, but slightly too salty.
Bottom: Mushroom Risotto (Asparagus, Parmesan) for $17. I thought it was good, but could have been more flavorful. We ended up switching dishes 1/2 way through.

SPiN New York
48 E 23rd St
(between 5th Ave & East 23rd St)
New York, NY 10010
Neighborhood: Flatiron

I met up with some friends from home that happened to be in NYC the same weekend. We were all exhausted from walking around the city all day, so we chose to do something low-key.

Ping Pong! This place was playing hip hop, had a fully stocked bar and tons of room. It wasn't crowded, stayed open late, and the couches allowed for us to lounge while watching our friends play.

53rd St & 6th Ave Halal Cart 
53rd St & 6th Ave
New York, NY 10079
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Midtown West

If you have never had "Chicken and Rice" at 3am in NYC, you haven't lived. This place is a must, and I like the lamb. This was the bf's first time, and he ate all of his and the rest of mine. Sorry I didn't have a pic, I was chowing down! You can check it out during one of my other trips.

Day 2:

Aroma Espresso Bar
205 E 42nd St
(between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10017
Neighborhood: Midtown East

A few blocks away from our hotel was this coffee shop to fuel us for our last day.

I ordered a Vanilla Latte and the bf once again orders something he doesn't know - an Iced Cappuccino ($3.25 each). We both thought the drinks were ok. All of his ice was melted because the frothed milk was hot...oh he has so much to learn.

Museum of Modern Art
11 W 53rd St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhood: Midtown West

We love art and NYC has some of the best art museums in the world. We wanted to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art too, but in the end, MOMA was closer to walk to.

This place was huge and featured some cool and weird stuff too.

So many famous paintings where there! I teared up when I saw Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. The bf's favorite painting was by Salvador Dali.

Pop Burger
14 E 58th St
(between West 58th St & 5th Ave)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East

My girl NV introduced me to this place the last time I visited her. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of my NYC friends, but I wanted to show the bf this cool place.

The Pop Burgers with cheese ($10) and French Fries ($4.25). These fries are so crispy, I love them! The burgers are small and have a thousand island sauce on it. Delish.

This was my first time in Central Park and we only hung out for 20 minutes because it was hot and we had to get back to the hotel for our bags. Being there reminded me of Sex and the City.

Wafels & Dinges
New York, NY 10011
(866) 429-7329

On the edge of Central Park was a food truck I saw on Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

We ordered De Throwdown Wafel (spekuloos spread and whipped cream) for $6. OMG it was amazing. Spekuloos is made of ground up Belgium speculoos biscuits (closest thing to a graham cracker/gingerbread thing). The texture of the waffle is more dense. It was refreshing to wash down our snack with a San Pallegrino.

Radiance Tea House
158 W 55th St
(between Avenue Of The Americas & 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhood: Midtown West

We walked and took the train everywhere! It was so hot outside so we decided to grab another refreshing drink before leaving the city.

The tea house was very nice and had a large variety of traditional teas. Peaceful environment, even though the wood doesn't help with the chatter. The staff was super nice too.

Left: Pineapple & Mango (Indian black tea, pineapple and mango fruit pieces) for $5.
Right: Southern Joy (Radiance Classic Black, fresh lemon, rock sugar) for $4.
Both were refreshing and tasted like tea, not just sugar.

Our trip was way too short, but it was a  fun weekend that we enjoyed (and probably gained 10 lbs from). Hope you guys can check out some of the places we tried!

If I moved to NYC, I'd be fat and broke.

NYC is one of those cities that I fall in love with every time I go. Granted sometimes its dirty, too crowded, expensive or hectic, but I love the food, the tall buildings, the accent and the excitement.

I took a weekend trip for a bboy battle, and to visit some friends. It's a different trip when you visit friends because you rely on them to show you around. Compared to my LA trip where I was researching 6 months prior on where to eat and visit, this NYC trip was relaxing and my friends did a great job showing me as locals, where they loved to eat.

Day 1

99 Miles to Philly
94 3rd Ave
(between 12th St & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 253-2700

I got to NYC for $1 on Gotobus.com. With all bad weather recently, I didn't get to NYC until around 10:30pm. My girl NV picked me up, asked if I was hungry and said "I know exactly where to take you".
I haven't had a Philly cheesesteak in months, so I was happy to try a new place. FYI, it's cash only.

Like many places in NYC, they're tiny. This place had around 5 small tables. Very casual but looked cool with the red lighting. Order up front, and they'll call your name. You can also place your order online.

I ordered the 'Steak, American cheese, Wit' (onions) and green peppers' for $8. Cheesesteaks come in one size (12 inches) and they're skinny. It was really good, and I ate the entire thing! Very soft sandwich, and the meat wasn't dry at all.

OMG these were the BEST waffle fries ($3) I've ever had in my life. They were hot, crispy, flavorful, and soft on the inside. You don't even need to dip them in anything, but their BBQ is really delicious.

Day 2

I met up with my long time friend Hank for lunch and walking around the city.

Souen
326 East 6th Street
(bet.1st ave & 2nd ave),10003
Neighborhood: East Village
212-388-1155

He took me to one of his favorite, and healthy Japanese restaurants. It is a macrobiotic (the thought that by eating balanced foods such as grains and vegetables that are more local and in season), organic and natural restaurant. 

Skinny little place that was SO tranquil on the inside. It makes you forget you're in a bustling city.

I ordered the 'Stir-fried Soba (sauteed vegetables with soba noodles in teriyaki and ginger-tamari sauce)' for $11. It was a large portion of a lot of vegetables and it was a bit bland, but with the soy sauce and sesame seeds, it was pretty good.

My friend ordered off their specials menu: pick a ramen and a side for $10. He ordered the 'House-made Curry Ramen (curry spices and vegetables with organic wheat noodles) and the 'Sauteed Garlic Greens (kale) with Sesame Vinaigrette'. The ramen was flavorful because of the curry base and the kale was yummy.

For dessert we shared a 'New York Tofu “Cheese cake” Pie (light and glazed with berry sauce)' for $6.50. It was better than it sounds, and it was thicker and less creamy than a traditional cheesecake. It can't compare to a traditional NY Cheesecake, but if you're lactose intolerant, its a good alternative.

Artichoke
328 E 14th St
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 228-2004

Right after we ate at Souen, we walked past his favorite pizza place, which already had a lot of people sitting outside eating.

Tiny place that has no seating, and you buy pizza by the slice for $4.50 each.

Their specialty is their 'Artichoke pizza (artichoke, alfredo sauce and fresh mozzarella)'. OMG this thing was so good! The sauce was very rich and the dough is more like a flat bread.

53rd and 6th Halal Cart "Chicken and Rice"
53rd St & 6th Ave
New York, NY 10079
(212) 586-7000

Around 3am we hit up the Halal Carts to get Chicken & Rice! The line was 4 times what you see.

I prefer the lamb & rice ($6), and OMG if they had this back home, they'd prob get all of my late night snacking money.

Day 3

Pie By the Pound
124 4th Ave
(between 12th & 13th st.)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-4977

My girl NV took me to this cool and different pizza place for lunch before practice.

Casual place with retro furniture and clean walls and floors.

You buy pizza buy weight. It's not announced, but we asked and it's around $9.50 lb (expensive!). You tell them how big of a slice you want to buy. You can taste them before committing. The pizza is very thin, and more on the crisp side. If you wanted to buy an entire pie, you can do that too for a non-weight amount.

We shared their deal, "Pie Sampler: 5 Samples and a Drink" for $10. We sampled the:
1. Spinach Pie (Spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic)
2. Mushroom Pie (Mixed mushrooms, mozzarella, tomato sauce)
3. Pepperoni Pie (Pepperoni, mozzarella and tomato sauce)
4. Some sort of tomato pizza (sorry!)
5. Fresh Cubed Pie (Cubed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cubes arugula, olive oil, garlic and basil)
They were all really good because the ingredients were so fresh and flavorful.

I chose a Boyland Soda in Black Cherry as part of my meal deal. It's so good! I wish these kinds of sodas came in 2-liter bottles. The cane sugar really makes the sodas taste more natural.

Walking around after practice, and there were so many closed off streets for weekend markets.

Berry Froyo
Neighborhood: Union Square

This is the 1st time I've had frozen yogurt from a truck! It was perfect weather for some froyo.

We shared an original tart with mochi and blueberries ($4). It was SO good. The yogurt was dense, tart and creamy. The mochi and blueberries tasted fresh, so I was a happy camper.

Day 4

Bagels & Co
500 E 76th St
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
New York, NY 10021
(212) 717-0505

It was my last day, by NV wanted me to try some places before catching my bus, so she showed me her favorite NYC bagel place.

They make their own cream cheese in house!

We shared her typical order of 'Plain bagel and scallion cream cheese" for $3.50. I forgot to tell them to toast it, but it was still good and the scallions were so fresh...mmmmm

Pop Burger
14 E 58th St
Neighborhood: Midtown East
New York, NY 10022
(212) 991-6644

Right after we ate the bagel, we drove to get mini burgers as part of my last meal.

Look are COOL this place looks! Casual place where you order at a window, and pick up your order. You can also order online.

Their speciality are their 'Pop burgers (burger, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Pop sauce )' for $7. You get 2 in a box, and they're super tasty. The Pop sauce reminds me of McD's Big Mac sauce. Very fresh ingredients, and I really enjoyed them.

We shared an order of fries ($3.75), which were so good! I didn't need ketchup on these either. They were crispy on the outside (more similar to beer battered fries) and soft on the inside.

I heart my friends so much, the battle was fun, and I can't wait to go back!