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"I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it. So I said "Implants?""
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2552 Useful, 724 Funny, and 1980 Cool
New York, NY
Yelping SinceNovember 2006
Find Me InYour Bed! Ok, Mine.
My HometownPacific Northwest
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm unpacking my suitcase.
Why You Should Read My ReviewsBecause it might just save your life.
My Second Favorite Websitehttp://www.kayak.com, http://www.hulu.com
The Last Great Book I ReadMax Tucker's "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell"
My First ConcertJets - 1986
My Favorite Movie(Tie) Shawshank Redemption / Borat / Oldboy / My Sassy Girl
My Last Meal On EarthRight now? Arepas and a good bowl of Ramen.
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...re-uploading all of the local photos was a real pain in the butt.
Most Recent DiscoveryRemote areas of Queens / Brooklyn
Current CrushYou. Pucker up!
DateNew York, NY 10013
(212) 625-2359
Nice Green Bo Restaurant
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Chinatown
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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2/22/2007
New Green Bo is easily one of the best neighborhood Shanghainese options in Chinatown as they combine good service with even better food. Like most restaurants, its cash only and the place is packed on almost any given night. The main attraction is possibly its very delicious version of soup dumpings, which are not large in size, but smooth as can be with just the right amount of filling. Other recommendations include the scallion pancake and various noodle dishes. Don't feel too compelled to wait long for this place when crowded as there are other similar options in the area (and perhaps across the street).
Brooklyn, NY 11220
(718) 492-8916
Nha Trang Palace
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Borough Park
Well I have news, I've not only tried the food, I've had it THRICE. And the good news is, everything I've tried so far is tasty and worthy of seocnds. So why is this significant?
I've long noted that most Vietnamese places in New York are subpar, lacking in quality and flavor. Similar to the same argument most Southerners and Westerners have about NYC Mexican food, the same can be said for Vietnamese. Yet strangely enough, the ones that are halfway decent are for some reason are located in Brooklyn (not counting "Little Mexico" in Corona, Queens).
Somehow Nha Trang has managed to fit into this bubble, though they are hardly the best (even in the NY), they're certainly far from the worst. Though the actual Nha Trang is a coastal city, don't expect to see much regional influence from their menu apart from the standard stuff. It really just boils down to ample portions of good Viet food at a reasonable price. Give the pho (any combo) a try and try to stick with their soups and appetizers (like Guoi Cuon, Banh Cuon, or even their Banh Xeo if there are some available). The rice dishes are heavier (Bo Luc Lac, Ca Ri, etc.) and are probably the things on the menu that drag down it's rating due to inconsistencies. If you decide to go all out, shoot for their specialty (Dac Biet) dishes, but be prepared to eat.
I still vouch for their drinks. There's almost nothing like iced Vietnamese coffee AKA Ca Phe Sua Da on a hot summer day (and conversely, nothing like a steaming bowl of pho on a winter night).
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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10/14/2008 ROTD 10/8/2009 First to Review
I am not a fan of coffee, but for some reason I am able to stomach Vietnamese style coffee, which happens to be extremely strong. I came here with a few friends to enjoy a good conversation and a nice drink.
The prices were very inexpensive and the service was fast. The staff seemed mostly Chinese, though they were able to communicate with our group in Vietnamese. Speaking of Vietnamese, a good number of their dinner time patrons were Vietnamese and slurped away at their bowls of ramen while emptying the bowls and plates of their lemongrass chicken, pho, rice, and curry dishes. The aroma from all of the food was making my head spin from hunger, but no one else in my group was at all hungry. As I walked up to observe the rest of the restaurant's surroundings, I was in awe of how ample the portions of the food were and how delicious each item looked.
The interior of the joint is nice and spacious. There are plenty of group friendly tables and their bathroom is surprisingly super clean. I couldn't help but notice the old school Cantonese songs that were being played in the background, taking me back to the days of Wong Fei Hung, Stephen Chow, and any popular HK movies from the 80s and 90s.
I know at some point I will have to come back here for the food, but in the meantime, they deserve 4 stars for a nice, unrushed time.
New York, NY 10007
(212) 227-9092
Century 21
Categories: Department Stores, Thrift Stores
Neighborhood: Financial District
With the economy in a slump and NYC's lack of sales tax for everything under $110, you're bound to find all sorts of people in here. Tourists is a given, but so are the hardcore locals who will stand at nothing to snag a Kathy Van Z bag or that DKNY graffiti T. It's screams competition in every sense of the word, and every man, woman, and child is out there for themselves.
The obvious stuff: service is likely to suck, the crowding is an issue (or adventure), and inventory is stretched pretty thin, especially during the holidays. But in the end, it's about the prices. With sales any cheaper, they may as well be renamed Conway (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). But alas, this is not cheaply made material, just discounted retail.
A patient shopper tends to be the one that finds success in this store. After all, combing through the various aisles of unfolded or messy clothing is like a treasure hunt and can be very rewarding experience for the average bargain shopper. There are no fitting rooms here, so be sure everything fits. Or take a page from the many unbashful shoppers, who will try anything and everything in front of any of the store's many mirrors.
Think of the long lines for the cashier like virtual finish line from a long day of battle. It gives everyone time to reflect on their purchases, good or bad. Some will have headaches from the experience and for others, a smile from the overwhelming satisfaction of cheating retail once again.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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10/14/2007
Not to be confused with the real estate business, Century 21 is a department store that is something like a madhouse on the weekends and a zoo on the weekdays. There are usually hordes of people here scouring for the best deal and as a result the clothes, accessories, and various items that are on big time discounts are either in a pile, disheveled, miscategorized, or somewhere on the ground. Since the customer service is so limited and the store is so big, it becomes a personal scavenger hunt for the items one seeks.
Its usually good to come here when there is time to kill and there is nothing particularly specific in mind. Looking around randomly is subject to finding some of the best deals in Manhattan. The quality of the goods aren't as cheap as people make them out to be and its all very genuine. So the $300 retail priced CK Leather Jacket is real. The only reason they're selling it for $45 is because it looks hideous and is no longer fashionably acceptable (j/k). The place is a huge TJ Maxx but with more luxury items. Its worth the trek and the experience of shopping here is one not to be missed.
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 899-9599
Sripraphai Thai Restaurant
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Woodside
When I first came here, the restaurant was well received but I would gather was not as popular as it is now. The floods of people night in and out goes to show how far a little word of mouth can go. The wait to get in can as much as 90 minutes during the peak hours (6:30-8:30) of peak nights (Thursday-weekend).
It's hard to avoid the hype, but try not to buy into it so much until you're craving Thai food and are hungry enough to settle for the subpar stuff. That's the mentality to have to avoid any serious disappointment from this place.
One thing to their credit, is despite all of the attention, their prices have remained reasonable and the flavor is consistent across a spectrum of dishes. Sripraphai boasts a wider variety of Thai regional dishes than most restaurants and neatly categorizes it into different sections within their extensive menu. Try this place on an off weeknight and don't be afraid to try new things as suggested by the wait staff.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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10/14/2007
I seriously feel like I should give this restaurant a second chance as my first outing here ended in pure disappointment. Folks had told me this was the place to beat in terms of Thai food in all of the 5 boroughs and the hype got the best of me as I was unimpressed.
It could have been the shotty service, the semi-long commute from Manhattan, the intense crowds and wait time, or the bland food. The soft shell crab, drunken noodles were decent but didn't blow me away. I had massaman as well, which was soupy and the onions were a little on the excessive side. At least the prices were good but it still didn't justify the time off the beaten path to get here.
I will come back again because I feel like my experience was slightly jaded. Maybe I ordered the wrong dishes or came on a night that was too busy (very likely). I should definitely come back with someone who is savvy with the place and loves it like everyone else out there. I do want to be on the bandwagon, as good Thai food is too hard to find at times.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 262-2525
Film Center Cafe
Categories: American (New), Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Hell's Kitchen
My eggs benedict looked amazing, tasted like it came out of a box. I don't have anything against Jimmy Dean's, but I'll go to a grocery store if I want some of that, not a restaurant. Nevertheless, I couldn't finish the eggs benedict and I normally always clean my plate. Sampling the potatoes and other egg dishes, the same sort of blandness came out in every dish. Watch out for the Huevos a La Mexicana, looked as if there were more jalapenos than egg.
The real draw for brunch was simply the $8 all-you-can-drink (AYCD) deal most of the folks were doing. Sangrias tasted like the strongest drink they offered and the bellinis and bloody marys did nothing more than quench a thirst. 4 very full Sangrias and several bellinis later, I just knew that I had my $8 worth.
And that still wasn't enough - so I went to Sunburnt Cow. Better food and better drinks made my brunch party happy. We really should have just gone there first.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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5/17/2008
Ever since Film Center Cafe had their major renovation over 2 years ago, the place went from a classic diner-esqe establishment with a fun theme to a trendy restaurant with snobbery service. The prices looked like they took a bit of a sky rocket, but that is expected when they've made as many upgrades as they have. Plus, for Manhattan places like this, the prices may seem a bit of a value compared to some of the higher end places in the area. Ultimately, the transitions have turned this place into another date spot along Bangkok Boulevard (9th Ave) featuring food with a gourmet twist on American cuisine.
The bar is probably one of the better places to enjoy a mean martini in the neighborhood and the bartenders are fairly friendly. Waitresses here can be a tad pretentious, rushing folks on busy nights and giving attitude for the others. That said, most of them seem to be attractive and the management seems to have particular taste in selecting their staff here.
Food wise, the verdict here results in a thumbs up. Mac and Cheese while creamy and crusty (the perfect combo) doesn't have as ample of portions than its $11 value suggests. The burgers are good here as is the crab cakes. The Filet Mignon was a solid value for only $22, but was smaller than the size of my palm (or I just have big hands). Brunch and delivery earn solid marks here as well. If only they could change up the service attitude, this place could be so much better.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 765-2929
Mee Noodle Shop
Category: Chinese
Neighborhoods: Theater District, Hell's Kitchen
For me, it's all about the noodle soups here. Cantonese style noodles are decent as are the wontons that come with them. The skin wrap of the wontons seem fresh and the tastes are consistent with some of the stuff one would find in Chinatown. Sometimes the broth / soup is a little heavy with the flavor (MSG?) but I do admire the quality of their soup noodles. This is what they specialize in anyway, anything else might be very much hit or miss.
The Homestyle Dishes seem to have gotten better as well, with their Shrimp Qiao Dan taking the cake. Request the eggs are fluffy and not well done and the final product should taste pretty good. Service here has also improved so I guess I can resume eating here again.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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5/7/2007
Mee Noodle Shop has some of the finest delivery and one of the better menus due to some very good variety. They even have Shrimp with Egg (xia chao dan), which is not commonly found on most of these American Chinese fare. Despite the variety, the food could use some help as I've been disappointed time and time again. The Xia Chao Dan is overwhelmed with onions, the casseroles are completely drowned in sauce, and the noodle dishes barely pass for quality.
The prices are decent and the delivery is extremely quick. Phone manners were not a problem and the people are even nicer in person. Eating in is not so bad either, as the service seems very touristy oriented more than a neighborhood joint. Despite all of the praise, a bit of advice would be to stick with the (noodle) soup and small appetizers. Ordering the wrong thing here keeps them consistent with every other nearby Chinese-American dive.
Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 686-5947
Interamerican University Studies Institute
Category: Language Schools
It was never really my plan to study abroad, though it was a fascination of mine for the longest time. Given my background in growing up in a hispanic neighborhood, while having plenty of hispanic friends, and having taken years of Spanish classes, I didn't really see the need to visit a country like Mexico. Later did I realize that my learning experiences in Mexico far exceeded anything I learned in a classroom or in the United States.
IUSI did an excellent job of easing any concerns all of the students had during the application process. They gave us several weeks of preparation, with plenty of documents to learn and study from before we got into the country and handled all of the arrangements except for our plane ticket. Regardless, this came as good news to many of us, a lot of whom were first timers in international travel.
The instant I landed in Mexico City (DF) I was already feeling the cultural immersion and out of nowhere Spanish I hadn't even spoken with my Mexican friends at home just began sputtering out. While I eventually settled into Querétaro before traveling to other parts of the country, I knew this journey would be one that would be life changing.
Living with a host family was crucial to my development within the program. It was literally a backdoor to the culture that no tourist would ever see. I established lifelong friendships and bonds with people who spoke no English and was accepting of my background so as long as I was of theirs. It shattered all stereotypes I ever had about Mexicans and opened my eyes to the diversity that existed in a country that was so largely misunderstood by people back home.
My time there was too short and though this experience was years ago it still remains fresh in my mind. I learned key family values, adapted to a new environment, gained a new cultural perspective, became more adept in Latin American history, and changed the way I approach foreign relations and people. Learning and speaking the Spanish language was merely a bonus on top of all of these things.
The day I stepped foot into Mexico marked a turning point in my life, a transformation that would lead me to become an advocate for all folks to experience life in another country. I wish most schools had the money to make studying abroad a requirement, it is a guaranteed life changer, one that almost always turns out better.
IUSI has enhanced my life in so many ways, I can't thank them enough for giving me an opportunity to experience the new pleasures that exist in other environments. All folks who are on the fence on studying abroad should stop hesitating and just do it. It's never too late to try something new and if Latin America is your destination of choice, consider IUSI to be your guide.
It's located on the 2nd floor of a Chinatown mall, where it was an absolute zoo when I arrived. The stairs were filled with patrons all waiting for their number to be called and the crowd only got thicker with every stair step to the top. There was almost little-to-no room to move and getting to the front to collect a number felt like an impossibility. Not to mention I had 10 people with me and no reservation.
I some how made my way to the front, where I managed to play nice with the manager, who was busy handing out numbers to folks. A crowd of close to 100 became a crowd of no more than 15 in a matter of minutes, due to the diligent seat assigning from the hostess. Talk about a deceiving wait, I almost convinced the group to leave for another restaurant but was glad I stuck it out. My group was given a nice private room overlooking the restaurant and not a moment too soon, since we were all starving.
Service was a little overwhelmed and was not able to clean our table or get food to us right away. The staff was a little slow and getting attention to the room was marred by the fact they almost seemed too busy to tend to us. Eventually the Dim Sum ladies wheeled their carts into room and managed to serve us heaping plates of Dim Sum goodies. While most of them spoke some broken French / English, most of them had a tougher time speaking Cantonese than they did Mandarin.
Food portions here are ginormous. I've never seen Dim Sum in bulk like this, not even in the South where everything was fatter and greasier. The wu gok (fried taro dumplings) looked like they were the size of grenades and when stacked on top of eachother, looked like a hairy nest of eggs or unpeeled kiwi fruits. Ha Cheung (shrimp crepe) and Ha Gao (shrimp dumplings) were both also massive, to the point where it took only a few dishes to make everyone full. Zha Hai Kieu (fried crab claws) reminded me of jawbreakers and the Siu Mai was plenty thick with more meat than rice wrap.
Bigger isn't always better though, as most of the food was just adequate enough not to be mediocre. I prefered most of the cart items than fetching items from the long table in the banquet hall area. Most of those plates looked old and overly greasy.
Given the price and the portions, I think I could stomach another visit here in the future. The final bill was a modest one, which came out to be $120CAD for roughly 10 people. Surely the same Dim Sum rules still apply - come hungry, get a good spot, and arrive before noon. A reservation here probably doesn't hurt either, something of which I'll consider next time I bring a big group.
Elmhurst, NY 11373
Queens Center Halal Carts
Categories: Halal, Food Stands
Neighborhood: Elmhurst
I haven't seen Halal cart competition this fierce since I worked near the Flatiron district and Midtown. For all I know, these guys are on the same team and part of the same network, but something tells me they're all trying to one up each other.
The prices are probably the cheapest I've seen in any Halal cart. One week they were $2.99 and then another cart decided to sell their meats for $1.99. And this is for a mixed lamb / chicken combo! That's a real recession special!
This is certainly no Sammy's (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and not close to 53rd and 6th (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) but for less than $3 for a platter there isn't much complaining one can do.
A handy little tip is to go to the neighboring McDonalds (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and use the tables there in the back. If you feel guilty about this, then buy something at the counter and bring it back there. I suggest a $1 32oz Iced Tea.
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 524-4600
A & A Video Specialties
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Fourth Ward
I was impressed they had multiple camera folks and had set up posts in different corners of the room. Boom mics were incorporated while on the go and the camera flood lights weren't overwhelming at all. They were courteous and not at all pushy while going about their business, I wish could say the same about other photags during other weddings I've attended.
I can't wait to see their final product. I'm not sure what type of editing setup they have (Final Cut, Premiere, Avid, etc.) but I have a feeling it'll be real decent.
12 Lists
Their soup dumplings (xiao long bao) have become more stale with every visit. The texture is slimy and the thickness makes for a doughy taste. Add to that the darker color, makes one wonder the quality of the pork and it's juices within. The soup dumplings aren't the only victim, the Shanghai noodle and scallion pancakes were as dull as can be. Over time I stopped ordering mapo tofu and pork with rice cake because I can only stomach so much blandness.
But the real kicker is the service - even on their busiest nights they have to sport an attitude like they're too good to serve you. Couple that with a demand for tips and it's already too much to bear on a consistent basis. When the food is already lacking, bad service will kill any business. I'm not coming back, it's just not the Nice Green Bo of yesteryear.
Bad Green Bo. Really bad.