Showing posts with label Soho. Show all posts

Restaurant Week | David Burke Kitchen

I don't know why but I have always had the notion that Restaurant Week would be too fancy for me to experience. When Bestie C asked if I wanted to go to a participating restaurant last week, I was intrigued but a bit hesitant. (But really more the former than the latter.) The $25 price tag pretty much sealed the deal. Still pricey? Yes but when comparing it to the restaurants' usual pricing, $25 for a 3 course pre-fix meal is a darn good deal. When else will I get to try these types of foods right?

David Burke Kitchen was Bestie C's pick. It's located at what seems like the edge of Soho in a quiet area that is a quick walk away if you're already near Soho. The restaurant itself was pretty big with various table sizes to fit big and small parties alike. We were seated at one of the smaller, more intimate tables since it was just the two of us.

Restaurant Week, Restaurant Week 2015, David Burke Kitchen
Grapes & Vinegar-y carrots
Restaurant Week, Restaurant Week 2015, David Burke Kitchen, appetizer, Lobster Dumpling Soup
Lobster Dumpling Soup
Restaurant Week, Restaurant Week 2015, David Burke Kitchen, entree, Hanger Steak Frites
Hanger Steak Frites
Restaurant Week, Restaurant Week 2015, David Burke Kitchen, dessert, Mocha Mousse Bar
Mocha Mousse Bar (& Toasted Coconut Tart in background)
If I am to be honest, I had somewhat high expectations. Restaurant week, fancy place (in my books), and great food were three things that automatically linked in my brain. Question now is did this meal disappoint? Mostly no.

The highlights for me were the appetizer and desserts. The Lobster Dumpling Soup was light but flavorful and both desserts were indulgent and delicious. Bestie C and I both agreed that the Mocha Mousse Bar was the better of the two, but I also really liked the Toasted Coconut Tart if it was sans the pineapple garnish. My entree of Hanger Steak Frites was just alright (additional cost to the $25 for this particular entree). The flavor was definitely there. The steak bit was too tough and chewy for medium cooked beef. Of the entree, the thicker cut fries were my favorite—crispy yet soft and well seasoned. I like the sweets we had so much that I would probably want to visit David Burke Kitchen just for it!


I think this coming week is the last official week of Restaurant Week - Winter 2015 edition. There is an overwhelming number of restaurants throughout NYC that are offering $25 lunch and $38 dinner menus. This may sound crazy but Bestie C and I've already got 2 more places we're planning to go to before the week is over. Hello more consistent workouts for the next bajillion weeks!

Has anyone been to a restaurant week before?
Any gem finds that I should add to my To Try list for the future?

Wandering Tales | Soho

Ah, I'm so sorry for the lack of posts. The PC that I usually edit photos with is all sorts of messed up right now and can't be fixed anytime soon. Because of that I kept on making excuses, like "I have no where to edit my pictures...", all month long.

Luckily I was able to score a really relaxed, very part-time, job and could spend my downtime editing photos, blogging, or studying. Although the quality of the edits isn't what I am used to, this will make do for now.

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Since the Spring semester started, I have been able to enjoy a few lunch dates with Bestie C. Some time mid-February we decided to try a (I think...) authentic Japanese meal. We ultimately picked Hiroko's Place in Soho because they had a lot of seating and Bestie C wanted to try their omurice.

(Although...come to think of it, we should really limit our food spendings for the rest of this semester. Explanation coming soon! :P)

Hiroko's Place
75 Thompson St.
New York, NY 10012
hiroko's place english milk tea
English Milk Tea

Err definitely not worth the money. But it was very cold the day we went and I wanted to drink something warm. I should have just had water...

hiroko's place omuhayashi
Omuhayashi

This is basically omurice (omlette + rice) & hayashi (beef stew) rice and is an off-menu item that I found through Yelp photos. I was stuck between this and curry rice but ended up with this because I wanted to feel special ordering something off-menu. (I know, it's a silly reason...) I remember liking it a lot because I prefer to eat these type of saucy rice dishes. But the meat was a bit tough? (I'm not too sure though. It's been so long...I don't really remember.)

Ladurée Soho
398 W Broadway
New York, NY 10012
laduree soho pastries desserts
laduree soho pistachio and caramel macarons
L to R: Pistachio Macaron and Salted Caramel Macaron

While wandering around Soho, Bestie C remembered that a new Ladurée had opened on lower Manhattan and we set to locate it. Somehow we ended up walking a very big circle before realizing we had been walking in the opposite direction from Ladurée. When we got to the storefront there was even a line-up to get inside! Good thing the line moved quickly, otherwise the wait would have been torturous in the cold and snowy weather.

I had not planned on buying anything. Once I got inside the store I couldn't help to pick up two macarons. They are as sweet as I remembered. But of the two, I think I prefer the salted caramel one more.

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Although I have been pretty good at controlling my spendings (excluding food-wise), I did end up making some small impulse purchases this trip.
murad acne spot treatment
Murad Acne Spot Treatment - $

Bestie C recommended this to me. I never really had an interest in Murad acne products because I thought they only used salicylic acid (which doesn't really work for me). But this spot treatment product uses sulfur. I have never tried sulfur on breakouts so I got one to try. *Cross my fingers* Hoping for the best!


Sunrise Mart Soho
494 Broome St.
New York, NY 10012
sunrise mart kai pins kao soap cow brand cleanser
L to R: Kai Bobby Pins, Kao White Bar Soap, Cow Brand SkinLife Medicated Acne Care Cleanser

My beauty buys from the Japanese market. I don't really have an explanation for these other than I wanted to try them? I have heard from somewhere before that Cow Brand cleansers are pretty good, so why not try it out? It wasn't too pricey anyways.

What have you been up to lately?
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