Food | fabliss - Part 24

Junior’s Cheesecake | New York City

i don’t have to say much about this place because it is famous (it has been around forever, it was on bobby flay’s throwdown, it was featured in one of p.diddy’s mtv shows, etc). whenever i go to nyc, i always have to get a slice of the plain cheesecake ($6.50).

Junior's Cheesecake | New York

i cant speak to the food they serve in their restaurant since i only go to the little bakery on the left side. since i’m usually in nyc for business i need to grab and go. cheesecake here is on the dense side but i wouldn’t say as dense as the cheesecake factory but definitely not as fluffy as zanze’s in san francisco (still my number one). my favorite thing about this cheesecake is that it is not a graham cracker crust. it’s different and i appreciate that.

anyway, if you’re in nyc (specifically in times square and staying at the marriott marque), hop on over and get a slice. you have a few options: sit right outside (weather permitting) of the bakery or grab a small table in times square and just people watch. enjoy!

Junior’s Cheesecake
1515 Broadway
(between 44th St & 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Theater District

By vivilinh | June 12th, 2013 | Coffee, Tea, & Bakeries, Dessert, Food, New York, Travel | 0 Comments

Momofuku Noodle Bar | New York City

we went to nyc last week for a few days. obviously before we went, we made a list of places we had to try on our second food adventure in nyc. momofuku was one of the places. two things we were excited about: pork buns and the ramen.

made it over to the east village for lunch. lucky for us, we only waited 10 minutes to get seated. we talked to the hostess who told us that dinner time gets extremely hectic. good thing they take your cell phone number and just call you when your table is ready. efficiency.

since we had a long, long day of eating ahead of us, we only ordered the staples. pork bun ($10). momofuku ramen ($16).

no wonder people rave about the pork buns. they are fantastic. absolutely fantastic. the pork belly melts in your mouth. i get it now. so we have had ippudo’s pork bun too. i think they go head-to-head. i cant say one is definitely better than the other. both are delicious.

the ramen was good. we got the momofuku ramen (had to go with the original since it was our first time). it has pork belly, pork shoulder, a poached egg, scallions, cabbage, and kamaboko. don’t be fooled. this will definitely fill you us. i cant put my finger on it but the noodles are different. more al dente? is that it? we enjoyed it.

atmosphere: long communal table in the front of the restaurant with high chairs. it gets pretty loud in there. loved sitting near the window…i cant get enough of natural light. seating in the back is for bigger parties.
price: a tad on the pricey side. but i would say worth it.
service: food comes out fast. good thing because there is always a line of people waiting to be seated.
overall: loved our meal. pork bun, i will dream about you and await the day we meet again.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave
(between 10th St & 11th St)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

By vivilinh | June 10th, 2013 | Food, New York, Restaurants, Travel | 9 Comments

Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe | Culver City, CA

we are obsessed with the fried rice at rutt’s. we order the original hawaiian royale. kyle orders the king size and i order the regular. there’s a junior size…psh. that’s a mistake.

what’s in the royale? sausage, char sui, rice eggs, bean sprouts and onions all stir fried together. so simple. we are in love with the teriyaki sauce… liquid heaven in my opinion (i’m gross. i drench my fried rice in it). it’s not thick…very diluted. so it’s not as bad as it sounds. pour sriracha on top. bam. (make sure you douse in teriyaki and sriracha. you will not regret it)

i cant speak to the breakfast menu although a lot of people rave about it. we have ordered some of the other hawaiian items on the menu (kalua pork and spam) but always come back to the fried rice.

parking situation: metered street parking. we never have issues.
price: i consider this cheap considering how much food you get. $9 for a king size and $7 for a regular. i usually order the king size, pound some down and save the rest for later. if you are into veggies, you can get yours with extra veggies.
atmosphere: casual hawaiian. nothing swanky…feels a lot like a diner. s ervice is quick and friendly.
o verall: fried rice is amaze-balls. tell everyone.

Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe
12114 Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Neighborhood: Culver City

By vivilinh | June 10th, 2013 | Food, Restaurants | 2 Comments

SunCafe | Studio City, CA

i’ve always been a meat lover (even when my parents turned vegetarian). if anything, i became more of a meat lover after i started my job and frequent steakhouses (hard life, i know). it was not until my cousin dragged me to native foods cafe in costa mesa that i fell in love with vegan food! (vegan / vegetarian food has come such a long way) since then, i’ve been on the prowl for a good vegan place in los angeles! lucky us, we have suncafe! what we like to get:

lettuce leaf tacos – sun chorizo, cashew cheese, pico de gallo, avocado, green onion, pecan pieces & basil ranch
sun nachos – sun chorizo, nacho cheese, cashew cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, olive, jalapeño, green onion with 50/50 thin-sliced jicama chips and baked blue corn chips
portobello sandwich – with avocado, spinach, garlic pecan crumble, cashew cheese
the kale colossus – kale, sun chorizo, mushroom, bell pepper, onion, pico de gallo, raisin, banana
kale shake – they won best shake award. try it, you will know why
supreme pizza – marinara, sun chorizo, tomato, marinated bell pepper & onion, cashew cheese, on ﬂatbread (if you feel adventurous try it raw)
sliders – on the special menu

we are not fans of:

mac and cheese
pad thai

we always, always get the shake. two people can split one since it is pretty large. the lettuce leaf tacos are kyle’s favorite.

nachos are great! get the 50/50. if you get sick of the jicama, just jump over to the tortilla chips and vice versa.

ambience: this place is relatively small and can get a little hot. we’ve been in there when there was just a small fan blowing around warm air. at least its clean.
service: very friendly. they know their food.
parking: metered street. good luck!
overall: this is now our healthy spot (relatively healthy). food is great here. some items are better than others but still would not hesitate to recommend this place.

don’t worry, i still love meat. if i’m feeling sluggish, heavy and in need of a lighter meal, suncafe is my first choice.

SunCafe
3711 Cahuenga Blvd W
Studio City, CA 91604

By vivilinh | May 28th, 2013 | Food, Restaurants | 0 Comments

Japanese Dessert @ Mitsuru Cafe | Downtown Los Angeles, CA

i’ve been going to mitsuru cafe in little tokyo since i was a kid. what do we get here? imagawayakis! think hybrid pancake/waffle filled with sweet red beans. have i ever told you that i love red beans? love.

it is best when you get it fresh / hot. if i am ever in little tokyo, i cannot (i repeat) cannot walk by this place without buying at least three. usually i buy a 10 and eat it all day. a tip: keep it warm or warm it up if you eat it later. it is better that way.

it is one of my favorite desserts in la. i do understand that it is not for everyone but if you want to try a little japanese treasure and what i consider a staple in little tokyo, come here and eat this. it’s fabulous.