Mangiare

Kennedy Town has a lot of cool restaurants and Mangiare has been getting a bunch of buzz about its Italian "street food". The restaurant will definitely grab your attention with it's impressive array of steaks and sausages hanging out front. The space is super small and cozy and there is a blackboard of the selections of the day. The owners told us that the menu changes everyday which I really liked! We got a selection of appetizers, pastas, and a butcher's block. I particularly loved the octopus salad and pastas. The meats were tasty also but a little too fatty for me.

UPDATE: unfortunately I just found out that Mangiare is closed!!! It was renamed "Blackboard Kitchen" but that also closed according to Openrice :( That is so unfortunate because I really loved the down to earth and rustic aspect of this place. The service was also super warm and welcoming. Let's hope they re-open soon!!!

NEW UPDATE: Thanks to my smarty friends on FB I've found out that it is actually not closed! Yay!

They gave us a free bottle of prosecco! 

Mangiare 

Hang Yu Building 

45-55 Cadogan Street 

Kennedy Town

Hong Kong 

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

Round Swamp Farm

The Hamptons for me was love at first sight. I absolutely loved going there over the summer to enjoy the great restaurants, vineyard, and poolside/BBQ fun. I went again with my Soul fam and L introduced me to the most amazing farm stand/gourmet food shop ever (Thanks L!). But beware because Round Swamp is notorious for not having a price tag on any items and you are sure to ring up a huge total sum in the end! It truly is a joy to go there though and everything was delicious!

Round Swamp Farm

184 Three Mile Harbor Road

East Hampton

NY 11931

Serafina

Serafina has multiple locations in the city and is a safe choice if you are looking for solid traditional Italian food. I would not say its a must visit by any means but if you are looking for some well made dishes at reasonable prices this would be it.

Truffle Pizza 
This was delicious! The crust was well made and the truffles were fragrant on top of the ooey gooey cheese topping. 

Lobster Ravioli
I tried one of my friend's ravioli and was not a huge fan as the filling was a bit too minced for my liking and the pasta sheet was a tad too thick. 

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio 
A simple dish that was made very well. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the simple flavors really shone through. 

Tomato Gnocchi
The tomato sauce was hearty and tangy and the gnocchi was fluffy. My friend enjoyed this.

The atmosphere is welcoming and cozy and I enjoyed my dinner here.

Serafina

1022 Madison Ave

New York

NY 10075

Flex Mussels

Flex Mussels is a classic that never disappoints! The food is always delicious and the vibe is fun and cozy.

PARMA - parmigiano cream, lemon, scallions, toasted garlic, crispy shallots
The mussels are super plump and sweet and the crispy shallots on top gave the creamy dish a crunchy element. A squeeze of lemon was perfect to offset the richness of the dish.

The Flex Donut Collection
Oh my god these donuts are heavenly! These little nuggets of delicious are fluffy and injected with a selection of amazing fillings such as caramel and peanut butter and jelly. The vanilla sauce is also very well made. MUST ORDER! 

I have also seen pictures of savory donuts for brunch but unfortunately I will be unable to try them until my next visit to New York.

Flex Mussels 

174 82nd Street

New York

NY 10028 

Striphouse

Striphouse is one of New York's classic steakhouses and I've been wanting to try this place for a while. I usually don't do dish by dish reviews for steakhouses/sushi restaurants (unless there were some special dishes) so will do a brief synopsis.

The appetizers and sides were VERY good. I loved the creamed spinach and the creamed corn. It was incredibly indulgent and well made. The bacon was up to par to other solid steak houses and the mac and cheese was also yummy.

The steak was also cooked well and I enjoyed the unique rub they had. Minetta's is still my favorite steak in the city but Striphouse did a good job.

The one thing was a little bizarre was the service. It is a little hard to explain because our server was actually very nice but acted super strange towards one of our dining companions. She refused to fill up her glass with wine and also seemed to serve her less food. We had to ask her outwardly to fill her class in order for her to get much attention. This obviously ruined the mood of our friend and it was not ideal. If our server thought our friend was underage (she is not) she can easily ask for an ID but her behavior was unacceptable and just weird.

The food was actually very good, but the service was unfortunate. However, I wouldn't say that you should avoid Striphouse and that it is worth a try! It is also pretty easy to make a reservation which is a plus.

Striphouse

15 W 44th St.

New York

NY 10036

Osteria Morini

Osteria Morini has an amazing Monday Special where pastas are only $10! Their pastas are utterly divine and it was so hard to decide which one to get. We each got 2 each and left with very happy tummies.

GARGANELLI - Pasta Quills, Cream, Peas, Truffle Butter, Prosciutto 
I usually do not like peas but these were fresh and sweet. The cream sauce was not too heavy but still decadent. I loved this dish. 

CAPPELLETTI - Truffled Ricotta Ravioli, Prosciutto, Butter
This is one of their most popular dishes but it was not my favorite. It is definitely still good but I got a bit tired of the pasta after a bit. Ricotta in pasta isn't my favorite (I prefer gooey cheeses) so maybe that's why! 

TAGLIATELLE - Bolognese Ragu, Parmigiano 
This is what the perfect bolognese would taste like - incredibly hearty and rice. The pasta was also fresh and chewy. Delicious! 

Since this is such a great deal, it is usually a bit difficult to score a reservation here on Mondays but the dishes are also well priced on regular days! I highly recommend Osteria Morini for quality Italian food!

Osteria Morini

218 Lafayette Street

New York 

NY 10012