poco a poco

Chronic(what?)cles of NYC eats

This city is made for foodies. I’ve been holding myself back from eating out every night and when I do, I want to experience the meal with others! Anyway, here’s what I’ve munched on so far.

Nabeyaki Udon from Nada Sushi

Midtown - 135 E 50th St

I had been in the mood for Pho that day but I ended up meeting here with some other interns and realized the only udon I have ever had has always been pre-packaged. So I decided to forgo sushi and get udon. It was a nice hodgepodge of ingredients. Fried tofu, shrimp tempura, chunks of chicken and egg. Not quite the same as Pho but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I liked that the restaurant had an authentic and traditional feel to it. The staff was extremely polite even though we could tell our large group was putting a big burden on the kitchen staff and sole sushi chef. We got our meals in a staggered fashion. Those that ordered sushi were already done eating by the time the others got their meal. There was enough conversation among us that I didn’t really even notice.

Tavuk Izgara from Beyoğlu
Upper East Side - 1431 3rd Ave

This place hit the spot after browsing the Metropolitan Art Museum for a few hours with a new intern friend from the legal division. Although it was hot outside, we both agreed that it was too noisy to hear each other inside. So we sat outside to be away from the chatter. It was a relaxing meal. It captured the essence of living in New York versus visiting. We watched between bites as tourists crossed the street in a hurry to get to their sight seeing destinations, lugging along strollers, souvenirs, or little kids. The food itself was simple. The plate had 3 juicy, tender, and citrusy pieces of char-grilled chicken breast and on the side, rice pilaf, shredded carrots, onions, and tomatoes. The flavors were fitting for the weather and I definitely started to go into a food coma when I was done.

Beef Soondubu Jigae from NY Tofu House
East Village - 6 St. Mark’s Place

Walked around East Village/St. Mark’s with a few Redditors looking for a place to eat after the NYC Global Meetup. After we walked past one of the many pride parades going on that weekend we came across NY Tofu House. They had free samples outside, so that kind of won me over. I usually order Bulgogi when I am at a Korean restaurant, so I decided to go with something different this time. Although I ordered the beef version, the stew was very much tofu dominant. It was spicy and hot! My sinuses were clear by the time I was done. I also cracked a raw egg into the bowl and let it cook as I nommed on the kimchi that came with my meal. The service was very prompt and a large part of our conversation involved trying to figure out the plot of each of the K-Pop videos playing on the televisions scattered around the restaurant.

#8 from Gorilla Cheese
Food Truck at Northside Festival - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

“Spicy buffalo chicken w/ Smoked mozzarella on french bread”
This was a grilled cheese sandwich on crack. I hadn’t had a grilled cheese sandwhich in a long time, but I obviously need to up my game. Definitely one of the better food truck eats I’ve had. Almost got in line to try another but it would have been too much, and the line was really long. 

“Sidney” Thai Chicken Hotdog from AsiaDog
Food Vendor at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 

Mango, cucumber, red onion, and cilantro relish topped with crushed peanuts and fish sauce. The fusion of ingredients was colorful and crunchy but I wasn’t impressed with the hot dog overall. Relish looked fancy on top of the dog and they took the time to grill the bun. After the first couple of bites,  I wished I had added sriracha to it. I guess I’m not much of a hot dog person.

Cold Sesame Noodles from Shorty Tang & Sons
Food Vendor at Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 

Sat in the grass near the Brooklyn waterfront to catch up on life and enjoy these with a friend from high school/college that came up to visit for the day. I’ve never had cold noodles before. These were very simple and delicious. I enjoyed their slippery peanut buttery-ness.