Elephant Grounds

Elephant grounds has been opened in Central for a while but I never really liked that location because it was so tiny. I heard that they have a new location in Star Street and it is now one of my favorite places to hang out. The location is super airy and bright and I love working/grabbing a coffee there. It does get quite busy during lunch times (especially during the weekend!) but it is a perfect location to hang out during off peak hours.

The food is also yummy and there are a lot of wholesome options such as donburi bowls and poke bowls. Their menu changes at 2:45 pm so make sure you time yourself accordingly!

Tuna Poke - Sweet Chili Soy, Green Onion, Tenkasu, Furikake, Radish & Onsen Egg
My friends loooove this poke bowl and I think it is very well made but quite expensive (~145?) given the price of other poke places popping up all over the city!  

Miso Black Cod - White Miso Marinade, Torched Miso Mayo, Shimeji Mushroom, Snap Pea, Nori Potato & Carrot 
This dish is both delicious and beautiful! The serving of fish is a little small and I don't like how it is broken into random little pieces but the taste is very good. It is a TINY bit too salty but overall I enjoyed it. I think since it is quite strong in flavor, it would go very well with rice. 

Yeah we had a lot of poke lovers that day haha 

Ebi Mayo - Tempura Shrimp, Cabbage & Housemade Mayo Sauce This dish is part of their "sharing plates" and is quite a large portion! This dish is tasty but can be a little heavy and isn't my favorite out of the menu. 

Matcha Latte 
I loveeee their matcha latte! It is incredibly smooth and strong in milk and matcha flavor. 

Aburi Short Rib Donburi - 36-Hour Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs, Onsen Egg, Fried Garlic Chips, Pickled Ginger, Corn, Green Onion & Furikake 
I did not try this but my friend said it was really good! I think the addition of the pickled ginger is really smart to off set the richness of the short rib. 

Torched Salmon Donburi - Cured Salmon, Sake Soy, Pickled Cucumber, Onsen Egg, Mixed Leaves & Onsen Egg 
This dish was perfect for lunch! I felt like I was getting the perfect serving of veggies, protein, and rice. Everything complemented each other well both in terms of flavors and textures. 

It can get really packed here but I think it's a super comfortable location for some yummy eats!

Elephant Grounds

8 Wing Fung Street

Wan Chai

Hong KOng

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

Mimi Cheng's Dumplings

I am going to be posting some backlogged New York restaurants so Hong Kong friends please don't kill me when you get excited and then realize it's thousand of miles away!

I love love love dumplings and Mimi Cheng's is a must visit! I love how they use their mother's recipes and how they also keep things creative by partnering up with other popular restaurants for special monthly dumpling collaborations. Mimi Cheng's is started by two sisters and the shop is super cute and serves awesome food. I love how they named the restaurant after their mom and each dumpling has a adorable little background story. Apart from their regular menu, they have incredible monthly specials where they collaborate with a popular restaurant (I see that they now collaborate with businesses that aren't only restaurants now also!) in New York to create the special dumpling. I was lucky to try two great monthly specials, the Blacktap and Sunday Sauce dumpling. Apart from dumplings, they also serve other yummy dishes such as noodles and veggies.

Slather this on! It's delicioussss

Spicy Dan Dan Noodles - Soba Noodles, Housemade Chili Garlic Oil, Tahini, Baby Bok Choy
I love sesame sauce so this noodle was right up my alley. I loved how it really packed a flavor punch but also used very simple and health ingredients. The bok choy added a much needed crunch and the chili oil was fragrant and spicy. This is something I definitely want to try recreating myself at home. 

Reinvented Classic Dumplings - Pasture Raised Pork, Baby Bok Choy, and Cabbage
These dumplings were awesome! The skin was the perfect thickness and each dumpling was nice and crispy. The filling was well flavored and you can tell that the ingredients are fresh. The meat was not overly fatty but still very juicy. These dumplings are also large! They will definitely fill you up. 

Look at this beauty! 

Monthly Special Sunday Summer Dumplings - Pasture-raised Beef and Pork, Fresh Basil, Parsley, Mozzarella, and Parmesan Meatballs in Marinara Sauce 
These dumplings are definitely more on the heavy/hearty side! The marinara could be slightly more tart to offset the meaty dumplings but they were still very tasty. I usually would prefer a little more veggie in my dumplings though. 

Monthly Special Black Tap Burger Dumplings - Dry-aged Pasture-raised Beef, Caramelized Onions, Blue Cheese, Summer Tomatoes, Arugula, and Dill Buttermilk Sauce 
OMG these dumplings were BOMB. The tomato and arugula was the perfect freshness to the indulgent beef and onion. The dill sauce was also quite tart and creamy and was perfect with the dumplings. These dumplings are some of the best I've ever had and also super unique! I was so sad when they were no longer available. 

I love Mimi Cheng's and am so sad that I am no longer able to enjoy their great dumplings! The food is awesome and I also love the story behind the restaurant. I would definitely recommend going!

Mimi Cheng's Dumplings

179 Second Ave. 

East Village 

New York

NY 10003

ABC Cocina

ABC Cocina is celebrity chef's Jean-Georges Vongerichten's tapas style restaurant. The cuisine is Spanish and Latin inspired and packed a huge flavor punch! The decor is very eclectic and we came for a yummy lunch after a intense soul session.

Guacamole with Peas and Warm Crunchy Tortillas 
The addition of peas wasn't as bad as I thought it would be haha. The guac was perfectly chunky and very fresh. I loved the warm tortilla chips.

Maitake Mushrooms with Goat Cheese, Fresno Pepper Vinaigrette 
The char on the mushrooms was perfect as it added another level of smokiness to the already earthy flavor of the mushrooms. The tartness of the goat cheese paired perfectly with the mushrooms and I loved how the cheese made the sauce creamier as it melted. It was a tad too salty but this would be absolutely delicious with some rusty crusty bread.

Chimichurri Grilled Shrimp Salad
The shrimp was juicy and well cooked and paired very well with the crisp salad greens. 

Charred Octopus, Smoked Paprika Creme Fraiche, and Guajillo-Vinaigrette 
Such a decadent dish! The little potato cubes were so crispy and fluffy on the inside and was the perfect bite with the tender chunks of octopus.The creme fraiche had a nice little kick and held the dish together. Once again this was tad salty for me but was just so flavorful that I did not mind. It would be so good over a bowl of white rice (I'm so asian). 

Arroz Con Pollo, Crackling Skin, and Lemon Zest
This was so so good! The rice was permeated with chicken flavor and the crackling was perfect on top of the warm and wet rice. It was such a comforting dish that had many textural components. 

Overall I felt that the food here was well executed and flavor packed. I did think that many of the dishes were a little too salty but they were definitely delicious also. I love the atmosphere and can see how this is a super popular night time spot. I think it would be great for a fun girls night out!

ABC Cocina 

38 E 19th St.

New York

NY 10003

Delicassen

Delicassen serves international comfort foods and is definitely a spot to check out if you are craving some stick to your ribs food. The food is also well prepared and super hearty but be ready for a 4 hour nap after your meal!

Spinach Artichoke Dip 
Mmmmm doesn't it look beautiful? This dip was creamy and decadent.. everything you want a spinach artichoke dip to be. I also really liked the chips, they were fresh and held up really well to the dip. 

Lobster Roll
Meh the bun was nicely toasted and while I know that lobster rolls are usually small this was truly so miniature. It wasn't bad but I think you can skip this and order other yummy things from their menu. My top choice for lobster rolls in the city will also be Luke's Lobster! 

Delicassen is not a must visit but I think it's a great choice if you are looking for a nice variety of comfort food, they have dishes ranging from fried chicken to Thai mussels... along with a

Delicassen 

54 Prince Street

New York

NY 10012

Crave Fish Bar

I love oysters and seafood and W has been wanting to try Crave for some time! We knew that it was near one of our friend's house but we had no idea it was just one street away. Unfortunately I was not super impressed with the meal and probably won't go back. The food wasn't bad, but there were a few dishes that were big misses and others were decent but not good enough to warrant a return.

Oysters
They were fresh and I liked how they added little bits of grapefruit for color 

Plancha Grilled Octopus - Chinese Broccoli, Cumin Mustard Vinaigrette
The octopus pieces were a bit skinny and this made them a bit chewy and dry. The cumin mustard was also much too overwhelming and the Chinese Broccoli was too bitter and didn't really complement the octopus or the mustard well. 

Fluke Ceviche Tostada - Bean Puree, Hearts of Palm, Baby Romaine, Thai Chili 
I did not like the addition of the baby romaine as it was just distracting and did not really go well with the smooth texture of the ceviche. The ceviche itself was fresh and I like how it was on top of a crispy tostada but the romaine was out of place. 

Rice Dusted Point Judith Calamari - Thai Miso Sauce, Mung Bean Sprouts, Aleppo Chile
I really liked the flavor profile of this dish, we all said it tasted very "Asian". It's a bit hard to explain, but it had the taste of Asian noodles or a very stereotypical Asian flavor that we all enjoyed. I also liked the addition of the bean sprouts but unfortunately the calamari itself was not crispy enough.

Chilled Local Scallop - Anise, Tomato, Lemon Puree, Shaved Fennel 
Once again, the scallop was fresh, but the puree was so sour and overwhelming that it totally distracted from the quality of the seafood. I had to scrap it off before I ate it. 

Local Diver Sea Scallops - Oyster Mushrooms, Spring Onion, Yellow Wax Beans, Tomato Champagne Vinaigrette
The scallops were perfectly seared and very plump. I also liked the oyster mushrooms but could do without the beans. 

Lobster Curry - Chu Chee Curry, Charred Red Onion, Japanese Eggplant Thai Apple Eggplant, Fresh Bamboo Shoots
One of the better dishes of the night. The lobster meat was chunky and sweet and I liked the flavor of the curry. 

Seared Rare Yellowfin Tuna - Mexican Corn, Queso Fresco, Pickled Onion, Guajillo Salsa
This dish looked pretty but was definitely not my favorite. The tuna was MUCH too raw and it was a little sickening as the raw tuna was not seasoned well at all. I love sushi and raw fish but this was just not enjoyable as it was such a large chunk and the fish had no flavor of its own. It was just this cold raw lump. The corn was good though. 

Garlic Chive Griddled Rice - Snap Pea, Egg 
I think this rice mixed with the curry was what I ate most of this night. The rice was the perfect texture and I loved the slightly crunchiness from being griddled and the garlic and chive flavor. 

I think Crave is ok for some oysters and specific fishes if you are in the area, but apart from that, I would say skip it. There are so many other better oyster places in New York such as Mermaid Inn.

Crave Fish Bar

945 2nd Ave

New York

NY 10022

Tuome

I've been wanting to try Tuome for a while after seeing it's "Pig Out" dish on instagram. Tuome is opened by Thomas Chen, who used to work at Eleven Madison Square Park and Commerce. The menu is American with Asian influences. I made reservations a couple times but something always came up and I ended up having to cancel it. I finally got the chance to try it out at a fun girls dinner! I think they may have changed the menu on the website as I can't find some of the dishes below but I will try my best! We also ordered the "Rice - Kale, Chinese Sausage, Duck Fat" and "Corn with Curry and Crème Fraîche". The rice dish was basically a "zhong" (a sticky rice package wrapped in bamboo leaves). It was a little soft but very flavorful and yummy. The corn was also very delicious and I loved the creaminess of the crème fraîche with the spiciness of the curry.

Tartare - Wagyu, Three Hour Yolk, Lemongrass 
The meat, as expected since its wagyu, was very juicy and decadent. I liked how it wasn't too chopped up and still maintained a great bite. The flavors were fine but not particularly memorable. It was also a little bit too watery. 

Chicken Liver - Mousse, NY Maple, Milk Bread
This dish reminded me of one of my all time favorite dishes: Yardbird's chicken liver mousse in Hong Kong!! The mousse was very fragrant and smooth and the crispy shallots were the perfect textural contrast. While Yardbird's one is still my number one, this was very enjoyable. 

Soft Shell Crab - Burrata, Heirloom Tomato, Herb Lime Sauce 
The soft shell crab was perfectly crispy and I loved the contrast with the creamy burrata. However, I feel like this dish was just missing something... perhaps some type of carb? I feel like this would be so good as a sandwich but slightly lacking as is. 

Pig Out (For Two) - Berkshire Pork, Spicy Peanut Noodle, Condiments 
The pork was really well done but we all commented that it just tasted like Cantonese roast pork... the skin was really crispy and not fatty and the meat was juicy. While it was good, it did not really justify its much higher price point when it tasted the same (maybe even less good!) than siu youk. However, we all LOVED the spicy peanut noodle. The noodles had such a perfect chewy texture and the peanut sauce was delicious! 

Overall I really enjoyed my meal here. I don't think I will be coming back anything soon because I have a lot of other things to try and I didn't have any specific dish that I was blown away by. But I really enjoyed the creativity in these dishes and would definitely recommend this place to others if they are looking for some fusion cuisine.

Tuome

536 East 5th Street

New York

NY 10009 

Whole Rotisserie Duck Ssäm at Momofuku Ssäm Bar

I've had the bo ssäm a few times but have never tried the other large format meals at Momofuku Ssäm Bar so was pretty excited when C decided to to do his birthday dinner there. The duck was quite good but I think I prefer the bo ssäm! We got a set dinner and were all extremely stuffed at the end of it. Pork buns were delicious as usual and we also had this yummy chicken liver spread that is not pictured.

Whole Rotisserie Duck Ssam 
The duck was flavorful and all the condiments worked together to result in a tasty bite, however, I preferred the bo ssam as it's more rich and I prefer the cutting style of regular peking duck as compared to this rolled up method. The chive pancakes were also a bit too thick. Therefore I think if I were to get a large format meal I would opt for the bo ssam and have roast duck elsewhere (like decoy) even if it's a slightly different style. 

 Momofuku Ssam Bar

207 Second Ave 

New York

NY 10003