Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku is one of the most famous restaurant empires in New York but it took me almost 3 years until I actually tried the noodle bar (I've been to Ssam Bar multiple times for the heavenly BO SSAM OH YEAH). The noodle bar has some traditional noodle soups along with some surprises.

Shrimp – Spicy Mayo, Pickled Red Onion, Iceberg
The shrimp patty was fresh and bouncy with a nice golden exterior. The bao was also thin but fluffy (I had excessive buns). I think the cabbage was a little soggy but overall this was great! 

Look at that patty to bun ratio! 

Chilled Spicy Noodles – Sichuan Sausage, Thai Basil, Cashews
I was a little taken aback when I first saw the green noodles smothered with nuts but one bite and I knew I would love this. The noodles were nice and chewy and the nuts added a great sweet crunchiness. It was also quite spicy with a very unique herby flavor from the thai basil. The little nuggets of sichuan sausage was also super fatty and indulgent. This is one of the most interesting flavor combinations I've had in ramen and I really enjoyed it! 

It's a great spot for a quick lunch and I really appreciated the interesting noodle combos.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 1st Avenue

New York

NY 10003

Monster Sushi

J, L, and I were at Pure together to train for the Spartan Race and was looking for something yummy post workout. We have never heard of Monster Sushi before but the menu looked decent and we were starving so we gave it a go. This sushi will probably scare away all sushi traditionalists but I enjoyed it! I love love loveeee mayo and as much as I adore a pure and traditional omakase meal, I am also more than ready to spritz some kewpie mayo on that salmon! The price was also super reasonable due to some half off promo after a certain time. We left happy and full.

Wahahahahaha so blasphemous but so good

Monster Sushi is by no means some amazing must try spot, but is a great choice if you are hungry for some decent Japanese fare at a very reasonable price!

Monster Sushi

Shop A

16th Floor

Lee Theatre Plaza 

99 Percival Street

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong 

Hanagushi

I am always looking for great Japanese lunch options! Hanagushi is a great alternative to Kuu (sometimes less busy and servings seem larger...?) even though I love Kuu as well! The fish is very fresh and I left very satisfied!

Hanagushi

8/F

M88

2-8 Wellington Street

Central

Hong Kong

Kura revisited

I have heard such great things about Kura and was so sad that I did not have a stellar experience when I first went. I am happy to announce that my second visit was amazing and now I know what everyone is talking about. The fish was incredibly fresh and each piece was a delight. This is the same team behind my favorite Raku (BOMB ASS UDON) so I recommend you give both place a visit (or many!).

Kura 

130 St  Marks Pl

New York

NY 10003

Yakiniku Great

Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) has been really popular in recent years and Hong Kong has a number of options all over the city. Yakiniku Great is the best that I've tried but is also the most expensive. We ordered two tasting menus to be shared between 4 girls and it was definitely enough food! I think we may have added one dish? I love my meat but I think that it must be quite filling for one person to eat an entire tasting menu.

Yakiniku Great

255 Queen's Road Central

Sheung Wan

Hong Kong 

Takashi Ramen

I have always been a huge fan of Takashi but have never gotten their ramen! They only serve it at Friday and Saturdays at midnight and 1 am so you definitely do need to make an effort to taste this bowl of yumminess! Similar to the beefastic yakiniki offerings of the regular menu, the ramen is also beef centered with a beef broth and roasted beef belly. The broth is incredibly rich and the noodles were cooked perfectly. I was super full from dinner earlier so I shared a bowl with A but halfway I was actually wishing I had a full bowl!

I definitely recommend trying this bowl of ramen out! I wish it was served during more hours of the day but perhaps it makes it even more alluring :p

Takashi 

456 Hudson Street

New York

NY 10011

Katsu-hama

Katsu-hama is a tonkatsu speciality restaurant and I've been meaning to pop by for a while since I love tonkatsu. I thought it was pretty tasty but nothing too special. I've had better katsu don's at regular Japanese restaurants. My ultimate favorite tonkatsu is still Tonkichi in HK but that is far far away right now :( I still need to try out Go Go Curry!

Prawn Katsu 
The prawns were well sized and the breading crispy but slightly too thick. 

Katsudon 
The sauce and onions were well cooked but the pork filet had large chunks of fat which were quite unappealing. I actually prefer the katsudon over at Raku, which also serves amazing udon! 

In general I would not go back but I think it's a decent place for a inexpensive lunch if you work in the area.

Katsu-hana

11 E 47th Street

New York

NY 10017

Cocoron

New favorite alert! Cocoron has been around forever but unfortunately it took me this long to finally try it out. I thought the tofu serving was rather small but loved the clean fresh taste of it. I got the mera mera dip soba and added chicken meatballs and ADORED it. The soup was so flavorful and it just perfection for a chilly winter day. Everyone there was also super friendly and nice and I loved the cute decor and menu illustrations. I will definitely be back!

Cocoron

61 Delancey, #1

New York

NY 10002 

Gyukaku

Gyukaku is a popular Japanese yakiniku chain with numerous international outposts such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and here in New York. Gyukaku serves affordable yakiniku in a casual setting and is a good choice for a fun meal with friends. W and I decided to meet M for lunch one day and we left the establishment very full. The cuts were not very premium as expected and I felt that the marinade was much too salty and heavy for some dishes. However, for the price you pay we had a pretty decent meal. I also really loved the s'mores dessert at the end. My favorite yakiniku in New York is Takashi but the prices are also much higher as compared to Gyukaku. I have also been meaning to try Futago (a favorite while I was in Hong Kong) but have always had scheduling conflicts.

Gyukaku

805 3rd Avenue 

New York

NY 10022

Tomoe

I've seen pictures of massive slices of sashimi and sushi at Tomoe and I've also heard that a number of my friends like it so I definitely wanted to check it out.

Ankimo 
The serving was very large but the ankimo wasn't too flavorful. 

Agedashi Tofu 
Once again, the serving was huge, but the execution was not ideal. The coating was very slimy and lost its crispiness. 

Sashimi Lunch Set
The slices were HUGE. While this is good value for money... I felt like the slices felt quite butchered and I missed the delicate and expertly cut slices at other establishments, even if it were to be pricier. One major issue was that I found a BONE in one of my slices which is unacceptable. The chef apologized and comped our ankimo dish... but it really grossed me out and it also could have been dangerous. 

The uni sushi was pretty fresh and I enjoyed this piece. 

While I agree that the food is really well priced, I think I would rather pay a little bit more and have more refined slices of fish and carefully cooked dishes. I liked the cozy atmosphere and the service was very friendly, but I unfortunately did not enjoy this place as much as I hoped I would. 

Tomoe

172 Thompson Street

New York

NY 10012

Raku

I am so incredibly excited to share this new restaurant with you guys! I met my dear friend J in Beijing and we've had many fun and crazy adventures in the motherland. He moved to NYC from Toronto a couple months ago and switched from his consulting job to opening up the best udon shop ever! I'm so happy to see all his hard work come together and hope you will all check out this place!

I initially came for the soft opening and noticed that there were some small tweaks that needed to be adjusted. I've been here twice after the official opening and everything has been STELLAR. The shop has hand pulled udon delivered from Japan 3 times a week and it's some of the best udon I've had. I know I'm not the only one who thinks so as you can see from these Yelp reviews! Apart from the delicious bowls of udon, the appetizers and rice dishes are also delicious! Please excuse the discrepancies in lighting - I combined photos from various visits!

Kiriboshi Daikon - Simmered Dried Radish 
The daikon is crunchy and seasoned perfectly. It is such a nice refreshing start to the meal with its sweetness and umami flavor. 

Chicken Tatsuta-age - Marinated Fried Chicken
The fried chicken is super juicy and the exterior is very crispy and not greasy at all. The kewpie mayo dipping sauce also has a nice kick to it! 

Agedashi Tofu - Deep-fried Tofu
An extremely Japanese appetizer done right. Soft and silky tofu inside with a fluffy and crispy coating. 

Atsugiri Bacon - Thick-cut Bacon
The bacon has such an incredible flavor. It has a lovely smokey element and also bursting with umami. I did not eat the fat but J said that it tastes great when you eat the entire piece with the fat and the leaner portions. I think it would be even better if it was grilled more to render out the fat and perhaps achieve more crispy bits (I love everything extra crispyyy)

Katsudon - Deep-fried Pork Cutlet and Egg Rice Bowl
Mmmmmmm I love this rice bowl. The onions are cooked until they are soft and sweet and the egg is creamy and perfectly incorporated into the sauce. The katsu is also able to maintain its crispy exterior and is lean but still tender. 

Niku Udon - Beef Short-ribs and Tripe 
Ok yes finally I talk about the udon. The soup for the niku udon is BOMB DOT COM. The soup for the other udons (except the egg and curry I think) is a clear dashi broth that is also delicious, but this beef soup is just next level. It is so rich without being heavy and has such depth of flavor. The short ribs are cooked over night and melts in your mouth. The udon has the ideal texture of being chewy and silky smooth. This dish is definitely a home run! 

Raku is definitely a must visit! Especially in these chilly winter months. You will be so satisfied and I can not recommend this place more!

Raku

342 E 6th Street

East Village 

New York

NY 10003