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Coty "Ragdoll" S.'s Profile

Photo of Coty S.

"American food is boring."

profile votes icon Review votes:
330 Useful, 152 Funny, and 248 Cool

Location

Sarasota, FL

Yelping Since

January 2009

Things I Love

New York City, JaJangMyun, Snow Pea Tips, Har Gow, Honey Roast Pork, Bahn Mi, Jo In-Sung, Adobe Illustrator, Cybergoth, Platform Shoes, Industrial Music, EBM, Futurepop, Electro, Karaoke, K-drama

Find Me In

New York F***ing City

My Hometown

Gainesville, FL

My Blog Or Website

http://partmachinery.w...

When I'm Not Yelping...

Apparel trend and color forcasting, plus collection building - it's my job.

Why You Should Read My Reviews

Because I review places you may be terrified to try.

My Second Favorite Website

http://mysoju.com

The Last Great Book I Read

Chinese Cooking Made Easy by Mu-Tsun Lee = best cookbook ever!

My First Concert

MC Hammer

My Favorite Movie

Bladerunner

My Last Meal On Earth

KBBQ Spicy Pork- Wrapped in lettuce w/ bap and ssamjang

Don't Tell Anyone Else But...

I love Dancehall music.

Most Recent Discovery

Japa Dog

Current Crush

It is still Daniel Henney! Runner-up= Choi Ji-Ho

Recent Reviews

341 Reviews

Filter by: Location   Category
8511 Cooper Creek Boulevard
Bradenton, FL 34201
(941) 359-8570

Pei Wei Asian Diner  

Category: Asian Fusion

3 star rating
 Update - 11/20/2009 6 photos  
Korean Spicy Beef ($8.50) is not spicy and is too salty.  It also has a weird tangy taste to it that I cannot identify.

Avoid the Thai Blazing Noodles ($6.95) at all costs.  I love black pepper, but this dish is just too much.  The flavor here is ketchup with TONS of black pepper.  It is seriously one of the nastiest things I have ever eaten.  

However, everything else is still great other than that.

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1 Previous Review: Hide »

  • 4 star rating
    11/15/2009

    I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of food here and the dining experience.  Sad to say that Pei Wei is more Asian than many of the "authentic" Asian places in Bradenton, FL.  So based on my grading scale by location, the score here is fairly high.  They actually give you chopsticks on your table, you do not have to ask for them.  You are encouraged to eat with chopstix and have to go to the drink bar to find the silverware.  You can ask for dishes to be mild or even extra spicy, and they actually make them really spicy if you ask (which is nice for a change).

    The atmosphere is casual and contemporary, just like some of the similar places that I am used to in Gainesville, FL- like Bento and Momoyaki.  But there is also a San Francisco style feel and taste to their food.  They do play 90's and current American alternative music, which is not to my taste, but it gives the place a younger vibe.  I love the animated flat screen menus when you enter that show various dishes.  The food does look better in person than it does in photos.  The wait staff and counter staff here was also on their toes to make sure that we had everything that we needed.  We arrived right at 11:00AM when they opened and were the first customers there.  The places was almost packed within 30 minutes.  Our food came out as it was cooked, dish by dish, and was all delivered to us within 5 minutes.

    The drink bar was pretty impressive as well.  There were regular free refill soda fountains, but I loved the Black Chai Tea and the Mandarin Orange Green Tea.  Both were either lightly sweetened or unsweetened.  There were even oranges and lemons on the bar for the tea.  On the top of the bar is a Maneki Neko (money cat) and many vinegar, soy, chili sauce, and hot mustards to take back with you to your table.  The take-out boxes are also on the drink bar, and are of the cute Chinese take-out variety.  

    I really enjoyed their Sweet Chili Sauce, which is included as a side to many of their dishes.  You can make it at home with corn syrup and chunky Sriracha, but Pei Wei's is much better.  The Crab Wontons actually have real crab meat inside of them and are cheap (4/$3.95).  They match perfectly with the Sweet Chili Sauce served underneath them.  The Thai Wonton Soup is light and delicious, and I recommend getting a large bowl instead of a cup (cup $2.25/bowl $3.95).  One of my favorites foods in the world is Vietnamese Salad Rolls (Goi Cuon) and I have had them many ways at many places.  Here they are not so authentic, but very tasty.  They are wrapped more precisely here than I have ever seen before.  The filling is the usual bean sprouts, cilantro, and lettuce.  But, there is pre-marinated and cooked chicken inside, as well as peanuts and dressing.  So you do not really need a dipping sauce, but it comes with two; Sweet Chili again and a Sweet Coconut Cream Peanut sauce.  I really hope that the peanut sauce does not have mayo in it, but I think that it might, ugh.  I recommend mixing the hot Chili Paste condiment with the peanut sauce if you are looking for something more authentic (3 rolls for $6.95).

    The Kung Pao Chicken ($7.95) was right on, other than the carrot and the snap peas.  It actually had peanuts and chunks of hot pepper.  They definitely understand Wok Hai here as well as how to make a delicious sauce out of dark soy.  Not floating the food in the sauce, but just enough to coat the food.  The use of dark soy also makes the dishes here look darker, richer- but that may also be where there are complaints of saltiness.  They do not dilute the dishes with sugar, unless you order Sweet and Sour foods with gelatin sauce that call for that sort of thing.  This is where I complain a little about the rice:   I do like the slight dryness, smell, flavor, and chewiness of the grains of steamed white rice here.  But, the rice does not stick together enough to eat easily with chopsticks, and the fact that they serve it all on a flat plate does not help either.  They do serve Chinese short grain rice, but I do not think that it is well rinsed or cooked for long enough.  The Dan Dan Noodles ($6.95) are the same as PF Changs with ground chicken and I asked for mine extra spicy.  You will want to pull the cucumbers off and set them to the side, and ask for the noodles Al Dente.  My noodles were way too mushy.  This dish is not authentic Dan Dan Noodles, but it does come close to curing my craving.  

    They can make many of the dishes vegetarian.  I have not tried their tofu yet to see if it is a good consistency and if it is crispy fried or just braised.  Just ask for any special suggestions and see what they can do for you.  There is nothing wrong with testing the cooks to see if they can come up with something amazing.  Overall, for Bradenton, this chain restaurant is fairly badass!

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Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10017
(212) 490-6650

Grand Central Oyster Bar  

Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Midtown East

1 star rating
 11/7/2009  
I came here with a large group and was not impressed.  The Lobster Bisque and the Oyster Stew were over $20.00 for a small bowl.  I left here hungry, broke, and searching out an actual lunch.  I would consider this place more of an appetizer for $40.00 place.

Everyone claims this place is so awesome, but you can get better and cheaper oysters at a Korean restaurant for 1/8 of the price.

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12 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 244-1115

Woorijip  

Categories: Korean, Ethnic Food
Neighborhood: Murray Hill

5 star rating
 11/7/2009  
I was quite smitten with this establishment, mostly because I have never experienced anything like it before.  Whenever I walk by it is always slammed with customers, so I figured that it was time to give it a try.  I get the feeling that I only made it half way through the building because I did not go past the Soju cooker.  Other reviews state that there is a cook-to-order ramen stall in the back.  

All of the pre-packaged food items are super cheap and pre-portioned to mix and match.  The inari caught my eye.  But, there were so many items on the buffet that I have not tasted yet.  The main one being the spicy chicken stew.  Which was large chunks of carrot and onion with tender chicken wings floating in a sweet and spicy liquid, the liquid being the starchy consistency of dukbokki sauce.  It was definitely my favorite, and the buffet is a great way to try new things.  The buffet items were fresh and I did not get sick from it, for those who seem to be concerned.  I also made sure to get an Aloe Drink.

I love the front counters for seating, perfect for those eating by themselves.  The prepared foods aisle in front of the register gets to crowded that you cannot move sometimes.  And, I was not even here during busy hours.  If you frequent Koreatown and have not stopped by here yet for a snack, then you are definitely missing out.

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New York, NY
(718) 702-2825

Cupcake Stop  

Category: Desserts
Neighborhoods: Chinatown, Civic Center

3 star rating
 11/6/2009  
I was able to catch up with this truck on Broadway in Soho and it stopped me in my tracks.  Being from Florida, I am still a little slow on the mobile food vendor trends.

They keep the prices fairly low compared to the brick-and-mortar shops like Crumbs.  However, their cake batter tastes like it is from a powder mix.  The icing is really good though, especially the butter cream.  The chocolate is not very chocolaty, and they did not have any weird flavors for me to try.  Definitely worth a stop if you see the truck, it doesn't hurt to give it a try!

It is annoying as hell when people do not read the sign and ask them the prices and what cakes they have.  This is NYC, smarten up and move your ass out of the way.

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1384 Broadway
New York, NY 10018
(212) 302-1199

Beads World  

Category: Jewelry
Neighborhoods: Fashion District, Theater District

4 star rating
 11/6/2009  
What do I like most about Beads World?   The prices!

This place is super cheap considering many of the other shops in the area.  Of course they cater mainly to the customer wanting to make jewelry, but I love their assortment of hardware for garment trims.  There are any metal findings that you could ever want.  My reason for coming here the most is their fine chain by the yard and their assortment of loose matt finish and shiny sequins.  You will find rare colors here that are not available anywhere else.  

As far as prepared appliqué trims, you will not find an assortment of that here.  The aisles are very narrow and the sales staff will watch you like a hawk and talk about you in Cantonese.  Make sure to take a plastic tray and get lots of baggies to write down the price and quantity of the items you choose.  They also offer bulk discounts.

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1008 6th Ave
New York, NY 10018
(212) 391-6200

M&J Trimming  

Categories: Fabric Stores, Hobby Shops
Neighborhood: Murray Hill

4 star rating
 11/6/2009  
Most trim shops on not on trend, and you will often have to make your own trimmings to create mood boards or garments to represent what is currently happening on the runway.  However, with M & J trims everything is very current and they even have trim boards representing the latest runway shows or color palettes.  

The prices are a little higher than most places and they are always slammed with customers, but that is the price you pay for an open, clean atmosphere and quality trims.  All cut items are sold by the yard only, unless they are over $20.00 and you can purchase a foot.  

I mainly go here for appliqués and buttons, since they have a selection of items that are more unique than most.  That is why I come here to visit every time I am in New York.

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8209 Nature's Way #111
Bradenton, FL 34202
(941) 361-1171

Matsuri Sushi  

Category: Sushi Bars

3 star rating
 11/5/2009 7 photos  
One of my friends from work recommended this place to me.  It is only convenient for someone living in Lakewood Ranch area.  It is not the best sushi in Bradenton, I like Sam Oh Jung more, but it is definitely runner up.  Since this was our first time eating here, maybe I just did not know the right items to order.  

I was lured by their one page of Korean food items.  Which did not end up tasting very Korean at all.  They put nutmeg or cinnamon into all of the spicy sauces here and it just tastes wrong.  Plus, I do not think that they are using the correct style of pepper powder.  The Spicy Pork $16.99 was not spicy and they do not give you ssamjang or lettuce wraps for the BBQ.  It came with a choice of miso shoup or chicken broth soup with tempura (which I had and it was decent).  Also came with a ginger salad that was lettuce, cucumber, carrot, and purple onion- the dressing was sweet and had lots of black pepper.

However, for sushi it is really tasty.  I ordered the Matsuri Roll ($14.95) because it said that it had lobster tempura inside.  It definitely did not taste like lobster, but more like friend fish cake.  It was covered in the strange nutmeg spicy sauce with a combination of ingredients that made the entire roll taste like celery with sugar syrup.  

Their  Alaskan Roll and Tuna Roll were good, but the sushi rice here is not seasoned.  However, the rolls are larger than at most places.  Based on this being my first time here, it was ok.  My favorite item here was the appetizer Chi Ku Wa Isobe ($7.94), which is two fried fish cakes stuffed with spicy tuna.  I could just eat that with steamed rice and kimchi for a meal.  We ordered the Crème Nigori ($16.99/bottle) and it was quite good.

My friend just told me that Thursday night is their Korean food night, so maybe they use the correct ingredients then.

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59 W 35th St
Manhattan, NY 10018
(212) 564-3688

Hampton Inn  

Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Murray Hill

3 star rating
 11/5/2009  
The rooms here are fairly large and the bathrooms are just plain huge for a NY hotel.  I love the location and that the hotel is very quiet and a great place to call a second home on business.  Make sure not to put your room key in your wallet because mine became deactivated quickly and at an inopportune moment.  I had to run back downstairs with my arms full to get it activated again.  

Also, if you are here on business- they do not want to check/hold your luggage for you anymore.  So you will be walking around the city with suitcases going to appointments, which can cause some real issues.  This is important to me to have the luggage storage service, so I recommend calling before coming here to make sure that they are still offering it.  If they do not during my next visit, I will be picking another hotel to stay in.  95% of the time your room with not be available until 3:00pm, so if you arrive early you will also be toting luggage.  

They reset the internet password every day, so you will need to call downstairs every morning to get the new password in order to check your email.  If you are here on business, this can be an inconvenience.

Nothing posh here, but they do have a complimentary breakfast downstairs with a nice solarium to dine in.  My favorite was the warm buttermilk biscuits every morning and a hot tea with cream.

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30 W 32nd Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 629-6450

Shanghai Mong  

Categories: Korean, Chinese, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Murray Hill

4 star rating
 11/5/2009 3 photos  
The atmosphere is great and it was not too crowded when we ate here.  It is a great place to go with friends to spend a longer dinner in a more intimate atmosphere where you are not rushed out.  The bubble tea is powder smoothie style and the portion is small.  The flavors are not listed on the menu, so you will have to ask the waitress and she will then have to ask someone else.  Their hot teas are blooming and are a great experience, especially when it is cold outside.

Most of the appetizers consist of different prepared versions of Mandu and are all around $8.00.  The Chinese dishes here can get fairly expensive- about $14.00 per plate, but are very large portions to share.  My favorite part of the menu is the noodles, especially the split bowl noodles with Jam Pong and Jajangmyun for only $9.95!  My favorite here is the Jajang and the noodles are cooked perfectly.  Definitely too much for one person to eat, but I will give it a try.  

There are usually only two banchan served, slim pickings.  The noodles come with sweet yellow radish side.  Service is attentive, but I have never been here when they are slammed.

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31 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10001
(212) 967-9661

Koryodang  

Categories: Bakeries, Desserts, Korean
Neighborhood: Murray Hill

4 star rating
 11/5/2009  
They are very expensive, but one of the only places in the area to chill with your friends in a wholesome non-alcoholic environment.  Most of the drinks will set you back about $7.00 each and the bubble teas are ok, but nothing as good as Saints Alp.  The pastries are fairly bland and sometimes the music can be too loud or just plain annoying.  I would recommend playing more down tempo music for a more relaxing atmosphere, unless they are trying to chase the customers away.

The reason for me going here- The Shaved Ice.  I like it with red bean, fruit, mochi, and scoops of green tea ice cream on top.  You can also ask for extra condensed milk, which I recommend.  It is not the best that I have ever had for shaved ice, but it is all that I have been able to find in Murray Hill so far.  

Don't expect to get good service here, and you will need to ask for your check when you are ready to leave.

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