Amanda "Nooooooodles" L.'s Profile

You are not a tourist.  You work in the middle of boring Murray Hill.  You've been having Indian buffets at least every other day and ordering Thai the every other days from Seamless Web, in between you got the huge deli/cafetaria like Bread and Butter, Silo, Guy & Gallard, Europa or Pret-a-Manger.  What more options are out there without much walking and maximum relaxation in an one-hour lunch period?  

I go back to the basics and found Rafiqi's.

Previously praised by a few coworkers, I found new hope in lunch options again.  The cart was run by two guys with big smiles, which I particularly appreciated after another cloudy morning at the office.  I got chicken over rice with lettuce, corn, black beans and some cilantro, topped with white and some hot sauce.  The quality of my meal was solid.  Meat was cooked perfectly, not tough at all and was plenty juicy.  With the crispiness of the fresh lettuce/corn mixed with the creamy white sauce and the kick from the hot sauce.  All the textures and flavors worked together effortlessly.  

I don't want to compare this with all the other street meats in the city, but this was indeed filling and satisfying.  $5.25 chicken rice big enough to last me for two days and an alternative lunch option in this area, not bad.  

3 1/2 stars.

I really wanted to like this new supermarket.  The place is bright and clean and new and across the street from where I get my veggies, and to have a grocery store near the train that opens late is almost a dream, unfortunately New York Mart failed miserably to deliver quality and fresh products.

The prices were comparable to all the other Chinese markets.  I was excited to get my usual brand of frozen soup dumplings and Korean mixed fish cake mix.  Something must be wrong with their refrigerator, the dumplings obviously went bad (the meat was black!) and the fish cakes were not fresh and fluffy when I cooked them.  How could the fridge be bad?  They just opened!

One thing though, they carried this deep ocean coral shrimp (that no one else had unless you go to Flushing) for a ridiculous price, but they were very fresh and yummy.  

All in all, I think I am sticking with my usual market on Mulberry and Canal.

10 minutes before my 2-hour walking tour in Johnson Square, I figured I should take a quick pit stop at this fast food establishment across the street.

Me: "Excuse me, can I use your restroom please?"
Manager: "The restroom is for customer only."
Me: "Okay.  I will buy a soda after I use the restroom."
Manager: "A fountain drink is $1.49. Can I help a 'customer?'" as he turned to the woman behind me.
Me: "I said I will get it when I come out from the restroom.  Do you expect me to bring my drink with me to the bathroom?"

Thank you very much for rejecting my restroom request in front of 3 other customers and 4 workers in a 100-sq-ft space and making me feeling like shit on my first day in Savannah, Jimmy John's.  I don't care how good or bad your sandwiches are, but I will never be your customer at any locations ever again.

For the record, this incident occurred on 9/13/11 at 1:50pm.

This review is based on an almond cheesecake that was brought by M K. to a party.

The use of almond on a cheesecake is absolutely genius.  The crunchiness and nuttiness of almond balances perfectly with the richness of the cheesecake.  The cake itself was not too sweet, so I was able to eat a huge slice without feeling gross.

Well done, Letys!

Standing at the corner of 32nd and Broadway at 8pm on a freezing Friday night with dude, I asked him, do you want to be a FOB and have kimchi jjigae at K-town, OR, be a hipster and get overpriced gourmet diner food at the Breslin?

Well, actually he didn't have a choice and I chose the latter.

We braved the cold and arrived to a full house!  Quick side story:  This random Irish guy identified himself, came up to dude as we walked in and said that they had met in a limo back then.  We were making casual conversation for a good few minutes and dude told me after that he had never seen the guy.  WTF? I could've had a few drinks already!

Anyway, the hostess told us there would be a 2-hour wait.  Hell no!  First it was the random Irish friend and now we were delayed longer from food and drinks?  She said we could try the bar upstairs for first-come-first serve service.  Upstairs was more like an mezzanine that overlooked the scene downstairs.  We were seated right away at one of the four small tables by the railing.  I guess not many people know about it and I actually appreciate its exclusiveness.  No wait at all, AND for a more private but secret people watching spot!  The decor was cool and cozy, with animal headmounts, a little like Freeman's.  

I had a London Calling, which was crisp, clean and delicious.  Our food choices were the $17 lamb burgers that came with fries.  Definitely decent burgers, cooked perfectly medium rare with pungent flavors from the feta cheese.  Tasty but not "cravable," I think I still prefer the lamb burger from Kefi in my 'hood.  Price was a little steep, but the portion was huge and being there made up for it.

Overall, I had an enjoyable evening with dude at the Breslin.  Definitely a place that will make you feel prettier, sexier and more alive.  It was the right choice for the night - at least my cool and sexy sequin tank top didn't smell like Korean BBQ when I went home!

Tips: If you have time, check out the Ace Hotel, which is super cool because a talented friend had designed and picked out each unique fixture for the space.  You can also have some photo booth fun downstairs, which by the way, would lead to another secret bar in the basement.

Came back again for dinner the other day.  

I was disappointed - I thought I could feel the same magic again.  

As we went in, there was a strong and unpleasant smell that rushed to my face.  We should have known to walk out right away.  However we chose to believe it was just bad circulation from the heaters.  

For the food, nothing tasted memorable but horrible.  Good thing we only got some appetizers.  First was the daily special bouillabaisse, very bland with small pieces of clams and mussels, with only one piece of bread on the dish for the two of us to share.  I asked for more bread and they said the bread basket costs $3.  WTH?  I am paying you $12+ for an appetizer and you won't even give me free bread?  Am I just being a cheap Asian or this is just plain stinginess?  Ok, moving on to the soup of the day, which tasted like something that I could make at home.  Any soup from Zabar's or Hale & Hearty's would be more flavorful for half the price.  Then came the squid, which was grilled perfectly except it was ruined by the heavy yogurt/cream sauce.  So sad, what a waste on a good piece of squid.  

It's true, money can't buy happiness all the time.

Yup we did our research, this is the cheapest place to get drinks in the neighborhood.  Nothing fancy, just a regular bar.  I like how I can just put on my sweatpants and walk around the block to feel buzzed quick.  

Lots of college dudes, if you are into that.

Sweet blond and brunette bartenders, if you are into that.

Happy hour specials 'til 8pm everyday.  No tricks.

Just went tonight for HH, got a Dr. Pepper bomb and an Irish car bomb, each at $4 a pop.  Totally into that!

We stepped in the 4-$ restaurant greeted by a hostess who dressed like "The Real Housewives of NJ" goes to pick up her kids.  Interesting.

The restaurant had a classy decor and an old-fashioned grandeur vibe.  Comfortable seating and not at all pretentious.  The bathrooms were really fancy too with matching paint colors and traditional details.  Nice.  

Came here with a $50 http://restaurant.com certificate and everything we had was excellent!  Our waiter Howard was very attentive and explained everything that we wanted to know about from Today's Special.  We were doing family style and they were thoughtful to help us split the two main entrees.  Props!  This is what we ended up getting -  

1. Snow crab claw appetizer - yum yum yum.  Very simple and fresh crab claws cocktail style.  So good dipped with the horseradish.  We sucked the juices from every claw.
2. Pink vodka sauce penne pasta with huge prawns and clams - this dish supposedly only had 3 prawns, but because they split our plates, we got a bonus shrimp!  Very satisfying dish and good sauce.  
3. Grilled filet mignon -  decent and tasty piece of meat, cooked medium rare.  It got cold a little too quickly though.
4. 3 sides - handcut fries, sauteed asparagus and grilled wild mushrooms - all were very good, the asparagus were fat and perfectly cooked!  

We were stuffed and happy.  Overall a perfectly executed and delicious meal.  The crowd was a little older, so I think I will bring my parents here next time :)

My friend and I were wandering around the area trying to walk off our big steak dinner earlier.  Then we were stopped by this neat, little boutique hotel "Stay" with the coolest ocean theme design in the lobby.  The designer were very clever with placing the mirrors to maximize the space and I loved the light fixtures - it was like stepping into a mini-Bellagio!

Being my usual, nosy self, I chatted up with the receptionist and she recommended us to check out Aspen Social Club inside.  What a cool spot!  I could see this as a lovely speakeasy joint downtown with bunch of cool people.  It was very cozy with the Finnish/Scandinavian style decor - fabulous tree branch ceiling at the main floor with imitated wood benches along the long and narrow room in the front, with a more enclosed tucked-in seating area (perfect for making out!)  To skip the scene, come before 10:30pm - it felt like being at a nice lounge in Switzerland.    

The drinks were pricey (at standard hotel bar prices), but were tasty and strong.  The DJ didn't start spinning 'til 11pm and the dance party usually starts around 12:30 to 1am according to the bouncer.  On a Friday when we were there, it started with a mixed crowd, then followed by groups of Asian and Indian dudes.  

Also, if you feel like being adventurous, you could sneak up to the rooftop and check out the roof of the church across the street.  Don't blame anyone if you get caught though.    

I'd totally come back again should I again tend for a moment of peace in the hustle and bustle of the tourist dominated Times Square.

This place is like Disneyland, it has the happy and fun facade, underneath lies some stupid rules and a certain obnoxious individuals that one must not forget to overlook.

The PROs-
+4: View is absolutely gorgeous!  This exact location and height of the rooftop captures the best of the west side.  You get a breathtaking panoramic view of the Hudson River and Midtown.  Tons of rooftops on this side of the town are mostly too low/tucked in (=view sucks) or too high (=windy), but this was well done!  Props to the architect!  
+1: Service is excellent.  Despite the crowd, we got a server who was super helpful and attended to our needs quickly.
+1: Nice design - furniture was movable and we were able to snatch a few seats from here and there to accommodate our party of 10.  
+1: Good mix of crowd and I had a good time with my friends.

The CONs-
-0.5: Location kinda sucks.  We had to walk or cab all the way to 11th Ave just to go to this one place, it's like some goddamn pilgrimage.  I wish there were a few more other options to explore in the area.
-1: Long ass line.  We waited one hour just to get in.  Unless you are someone important, you ain't getting priority boarding.  Plus there is only one elevator.  
-2: Bitches from out-of-town and you know who you are.  I know it's your first time in the Big Apple and you are very, very exciting, but please treat this city and its people with some respect and behave just like how you did (or did not) back home.  I have a mother too!
-1: $15 Drinks that are watered down and served in plastic cups.  WTF?  
-0.5: No music = no dancing!  I came all the way out here for zero entertainment :(

This comes out to be 2-star.  Overall I think it's worth it to come out here at least once for the view, but maybe wait until the hype is over or when MTA finally connects the subway to this end of the town.