New Site!

So sorry blogger, but your slow photo uploading just didn't do it for me. I've moved to greener and faster pastures!


More Green!! ;)

See you there!

So So Souen!

What's Japanese, macrobiotic, organic and totally yum (except for the desserts)? If you answered Souen Ramen, well... you're right. :D

This restaurant is the perfect place to take a date or even just to hang with the girls/guys. With an aesthetically pleasing interior, warm muted lighting and an immaculately-kept bathroom complete with toothpicks, Souen impress the eye and the senses.

The service at Souen is not always speedy quick, since the St. Marks location is quite popular during the nighttime dinner service. During one visit, one employee was manning the register, waiting on tables and addressing the needs of each customer, with about two other waitresses. This turned out to be a bit disconcerting since he attended to another table in the middle of taking our order. This I think was highly unprofessional. Please hire some more capable staff! However, he was at least polite, if not a bit worn thin from the stress of it all.

St. Marks Location interior















This dish came straight from the Lunch Menu, which is available from opening to 4 PM. It comes with a choice of one of four side dishes (I always pick the Kale with garlic) and one of three noodle options (you can pick what kind of noodles you desire: ramen, soba, udon, etc), all for $10! Very reasonable.

The kale is tenderly cooked and lightly sauteed with garlic and sesame oil.

I chose the green curry option. The soup base was light, with just the right amount of spiciness (you can adjust this) and curry flavor. There was an acceptable amount of noodles, not too generous, but not skimpy either. There were plenty of bean sprouts and assorted vegetables in mine, which makes up for the smaller amount of noodles. Overall I really enjoyed this dish for the price I paid. 4 out of 5 carrots.





























Glossary of terms for the Souen-newbies!















Here we have the Vegetable Bibimbap. I thought that the portions on this were a bit small, considering it was $12, though certainly it's not a rip-off on the level that Pure Food & Wine was. Basically, you get what you see. An appetizer-sized portion of each vegetable neatly assembled on a cute zen-style serving platter. Since this dish was a bit un-inventive, I give it a 2 out of 5 and think it would be wise to pass on it and do try the lunch menu instead!















This starts the East Village review. The decor here is a bit more muted and the dining area is marginally more spacious than the St. Marks locale. However, I prefer the atmosphere of St. Marks to this one, which is more of an "eh, I guess I'll eat here tonight" kind of vibe. At least there are two separate bathrooms.

The service here is also blah. Though they are nice, the waitresses are a bit stand-offish but they do the job, I suppose.

They brought the actual Specials board over to our table!




















































Kanten Creamy Parfait: It sounds fancy, but it tastes like slop. though the menu lauds its "natural sweetener" and makes it sound oh-so-creamy, it really is bland, tasteless and gooey mushy. The "fruit" tastes like it was reduced to the point of not needing teeth to eat it. Really, this "dessert" would fit in perfectly on the Sunday early-bird specials menu at an assisted living home. I say .5 out of 5 since there was at least granola.















The "NYC Tofu Cheesecake Pie" was slightly better in consistency, but not by much. I actually swapped my dessert with my date because I hated the Kanten (sorry :D) and ended up eating this instead. It too was pretty bland and unexciting. I guess Souen doesn't think much of NYC in light of this sorry rendition of "cheesecake". 1 out of 5.














Back in St. Marks for another go (maybe I'm obsessed?)! It was a busy Saturday night and the restaurant was packed. The wait was not so bad, about 10 minutes.

Here we have the White Miso. I got mine with whole wheat soba and it was very hearty and minimally salted so you can add as much as you like. There were plenty of vegetables and I guess more noodles this time since I wasn't ordering from the lunch menu. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and ate everything in my bowl. 4 out of 5 carrots.















Close up of the veggies















This Mushroom and Seitan dish was quite the disappointment. Mushy, gloppy and altogether none too appetizing, I kinda expected more from the description but I guess not everything can be a winner (I am starting to believe the only tasty dishes are the noodle ones). They added much too much mushroom gravy and not enough seasoning. I would pass on this one. 2 out of 5 carrots.





























Ok so I probably should have known better than to order dessert again from Souen but I believe in second chances, so I gave it another go. Thankfully, it didn't turn out so bad. The Black Sesame Ice Cream pictured here was actually creamy, not too sweet and full of crunchy granola (I love granola!). It felt as if they had made it themselves with an ice cream machine, but whether they really did or not I wouldn't know (will ask next time). There was an ample amount of black sesame powder mixed in with the creamy vanilla-like base which I thought went together quite harmoniously. Too bad there was only one scoop! 4 out of 5 carrots.















Ok, so here is the real disaster of the night. The Chocolate Mousse seen here looks like some creamy mud, no? What a shocker it was then that it actually kinda tasted like it too. Overly bitter, unpleasantly slimy and a total waste of time (the Souen folks kindly took it back and did not charge us, which I thought was really nice of them), I took one bite and knew I didn't like it. 0 out of 5 carrots (I want to put a negative figure here but that's a bit dramatic, no?)!















My advice to Souen newbies: don't order dessert unless you're getting ice cream and don't order anything that's not in a soup bowl. Otherwise, I fully urge you to try their noodles.

Misadventures at Josie's

As much as I enjoy giving out raving reviews, some places simply don't deserve it. And Josie's on the UWS fits this category to a T.

I always find it funny that a restaurant that looks so fancy and welcoming can have such deplorable food and service. It's almost like, "Hey, we spent so much money making this place look spiffy, we can just stay in the back of the restaurant, talking amongst ourselves and ignoring the needs of the customers because they will be so awestruck by the decor that they won't need any water, or food for that matter." So you think you deserve that 15% tip, huh? I don't think so!

Though even if I find the waiters reprehensible I still tip them, since I'm not that soul-less.

Anyhow, the ambiance is, like I said, quite nice and a lovely place to take a date, but it ends there. Basically you would be better off buying your food somewhere else and don't expect too many refills on water (since the waiters like to commingle in the back to forget about their oh-so-hard jobs of walking a pitcher of water to each table) and bringing it here to eat just for the atmosphere. 4 out of 5 carrots for ambiance. 1 out of 5 for the service.


























The free bread and spread was actually the best part of the meal, besides the fact that it was ice-cold. You can choose from a basket of focaccia, 5-grain, or cornbread. Oh, and they apparently can't warm it up for you because they "don't have a microwave." Last time I checked, every kitchen had an oven. Though maybe they don't really use it, since I'm guessing this bread may have come from some surplus bread-distributor. Lazy hipsters. The bread came with some cold sweet potato spread (see a trend here?), which was pretty straightforward: mashed cold sweet potato. 3.5 out of 5 for the bread and 2 out of 5 for the spread.













Focaccia with Sweet Potato Spread

So here we have the "All Veggie Meatloaf: organic lentil, seitan, shiitake mushroom & sweet potato loaf with miso gravy & wok-sautéed greens... for 15.75." First off, as much as it sounds good on paper, this concoction was anything but. Mushy, disgusting, bland and flavorless, it tasted like something a 6-year old toddler could make out of play-doh, and it would've tasted better too (though not recommended). There seemed to be more sweet potato in this than anything, as I could barely taste the seitan or mushrooms. It seems they soaked the whole loaf in gravy because it was supremely doughy and un-appetizingly soggy. The side of bok choy was a feeble, haphazard attempt at adding another vegetable to the plate for sake of presentation, but it was wilted, overcooked, and not seasoned at all. I should also mentioned that they happened to stick a piece of yam in the middle, perhaps to imitate a bone? But it just looks silly and seems like a lazy attempt at being inventive. Totally disappointing and a waste of $16. 0 out of 5 carrots.













They didnt even bother to drain some of that gross fluid off.

Next and last (I didn't even want to try dessert, not that I could, since they don't have any vegan options), we have the "Seared Asian Tofu Stir-Fry: wok-sautéed string beans, broccoli florets, zucchini, cremini mushrooms, bell peppers & baby bok choy with organic tamari brown rice... for 14.75." Again, this was a sorry attempt at vegan cuisine, with the ingredients half-heartedly chopped, thrown and swirled in a pan for a few minutes, then drizzled with some commercial soy sauce-liquid. It was pretty bland and altogether too simple to warrant such a price. Really, Josie's? You guys try so hard to seem classy and elegant, and you present us with THIS? I am appalled and ashamed. At least the waiter was honest when she said that they really didn't have that many vegan options to choose from. So I guess it's my mistake for choosing this ill-fated meal. Maybe I shouldn't stay out so late! 0 out of 5 carrots.













In defense of this establishment, Josie's is really not suitable for vegans. 90% of the dishes are non-vegan, organic animal products and they simply have one section for vegan/vegetarian friendly dishes. So pass if you are a veg, for sure!

This and That

So this post is a little mash-up of my homemade goodies. Enjoy!

The first item on the list is cornbread. As the easiest bread/baked thing out there, there's really no excuse as to why you SHOULDN'T make this. As usual, I used the recipe straight out of The Joy of Vegan Baking, and it was super easy. This tastes best when eaten fresh from the oven, slathered with some Earth Balance spread and maybe some raspberry jam. Yum!















Since I was a little girl, I have always loved potato bread and just potatoes in general. This next item is from Veganomicon and had quite a few steps to it, but nothing too difficult. After letting the dough rise for about 2 hours, one additional step that I found annoying was that you had to leave the dough in the muffin tins to rise another half hour. It helps if you have several tins on hand and since I only had one, it took me quite a while to have everything ready. However, the additional rising time makes the buns extra fluffy and voluminous, so it is a crucial step. Delish and piping hot straight from the oven!















This is just 1/2 of the dough, it was twice this size!















Rising in the tins





























Finished! :)















The next kitchen creation is Apple Strudel, also from TJOVB. This may seem like a labor-intensive process, but it was actually quite do-able and the baking time was a mere 20 minutes. The most annoying thing was brushing the butter on each layer of phyllo (the phyllo itself is a bit tricky to separate) , since you do have to take care not to rip the sheet, though it does get easier with each successive stroke. I substituted the lemon juice with orange which was an acceptable swap (of course lemon juice would probably have been better), since it was a citrus, after all. Be careful when transferring the strudel from the assembly area to the baking sheet, since contents may fall out.















Apples prepped for filling















Toasted almond slices















Assembling the strudel: buttering each phyllo sheet. I used the brand Apollo Fillo, which was only about $3.99 and baked wonderfully.















Strudel filling placement















Lots of juice came out, but it was still yum!















Inside shot

For my last creation, we have a modified version of the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie. I added crushed whole hazelnuts and subbed roughly 1/2 the flour for whole wheat, and they came out delicious! Be sure to maintain the quantities of nuts and chocolate chunks as per the recipe. The dough was very stiff and was a bit of a problem when using the hand-held mixer, since it kept sticking to the prongs. However, with a bit of persistence, this recipe yields amazing and even maybe a little healthy of a late-night munchy. Don't over-bake if you like softer cookies, as always.















Crushing hazelnuts















So sticky!





























Yum!

These last two items are just a random add-in from Tahini @ St. Marks. The first, which is a pecan phyllo (as you can see I love the stuff), was very nutty and sweet, but quite steep at 2.99 each. 4 out of 5 carrots.















This was the chocolate roll and I have to say, I LOVED it! There was the right amount of crunch, nuttiness, chocolate and honey in this roll. Highly recommended! 4.7 out of 5 carrots.

Ultimate Buddha Bodai Review!!

So if you know me or at least know how much I love to eat out, chances are you would know that I have an obsession with Buddha Bodai. Even though I eat Chinese food at home already, this takes the cuisine to a, dare I say, "holier" level? This Buddhist/Kosher/Vegan/Vegetarian friendly eatery has two locales: one in my neighboring town of Flushing, one in the heart of Chinatown on Mott Street. Though they claim to not use "onions, garlic, chives and scallions" because they "make you horny", you really don't even notice (and me being a garlic aficionado, I was pretty impressed by this little-known fact!).

The decor in the Flushing location is very Chinese-y, homely oriental, with a mini-buddha in the back and potted palm plants framing the spacious dining room. There are signs spouting Buddhist mantras on a few of the walls facing the side tables, which may seem a bit strange but it IS called "Buddha Bodai" for a reason, right?

The Chinatown location is a bit more stark, with a gigantic-fluorescent lighted landscape that reminds me of France for some reason in the background. Daily/monthly specials are taped up haphazardly along the walls, which is a bit unsightly but not altogether too distracting. I prefer the service at this location better, and the co-owner of Buddha Bodai, Kent Zhang, is often here and all smiles and warm welcomes, so it does make me feel a bit more at home.

The waitstaff as a whole clearly speaks English as a second language, but this does not mitigate their accommodating service and easy friendliness.

I usually come here for the dim sum, which runs from opening to 3:30 PM. The rice rolls are to die for, and they come in a wide variety of mock meat choices. My favorite is a toss-up between the "shrimp" and the "bee chi" mushroom one, both are so delicious! Though I think I am partial to rice rolls because when I was a wee tyke my mom would only allow me a few pieces and I had to share with my little sisters... so now I eat as much as I can get :D















Chinatown Dim Sum table















Flushing Dim Sum

For dinnertime, my go-to has been the "Shrimp with Walnuts" dish which tastes almost identical to the non-vegan counterpart. The creme sauce the shrimps are coated with is spot-on: deliciously rich, tangy and savory all at the same time, and the honey-coated walnuts are a welcome crunchy addition. Be sure to order lots of white rice with that one!

So for my first individual review, we have the "Triple Mushrooms Spinach Soup". Ok, the picture does not do it justice, because it does seem to resemble the slime from the MTV Music Awards. Yet I must beg to differ that it tastes nothing like that! The soup was a lovely consistency, not too thick and very satisfying on a cold day (which it was) and was much like a clear broth with puréed spinach in it. The mushrooms, however, hit it out of the park. They tasted almost like butter, and I daresay like meat-ish, as they were extremely fleshy and fibrous, but not in a bad way. For me it was the equivalent of chicken soup! I loved the stalks just as I loved the variety of different mushrooms (I think there were three different kinds in there), there was one with a brown top, a mid-sized one, and the skinner bee-chi ones. Sorry, I don't really know my mushroom classifications :P but I hope you get the picture. 5 out of 5 carrots!!















I was so eager to eat it, I spilled a little.















This is the "Mushroom & Fungus Soup". I definitely liked this one less than the Triple Mushroom, the broth was salty and nothing special. Kind of like a Hot & Sour soup without the hot and sour. 2.5 out of 5.















Here we have the "Five Color Assorted Appetizer". I love Buddha's version of Char Siu, which is a classic Chinese creation. Their version is just as tasty, though my favorite of them all is the stuffed bread, which is essentially mock meat encased in a delicious crunchy shell, very dippable and totally delicious (it's the one in the middle). The hoisin sauce it comes with is very salty, so you only need a little bit. At 17.95 this may be a bit steep, but it is a large portion and I feel totally worth it since it even comes with mock jellyfish, which is really authentic-tasting and a great opposing texture to the stuffed bread which is on top of it. Eat with lots of rice as well! 4.8 out of 5 carrots!!















This dish, the "Dry Sautéed Beef Chow Fun", was very substantial in portion size (could feed two hungry people), and came chock-full of different mock meats. I liked the elasticity of the mock duck which came in strips, as well as the chewiness of the chow fun noodles. Pretty straightforward and the bean sprouts give it a nice touch. 4.3 out of 5 carrots.















Here we have the "Veg. Seafood Pan-Fried Noodle". This dish was chock-full of gourmet-tasting mock seafood. I loved the rendition of squid, the hearty pieces of veg fish, and of course the clear saucey-ness of it all topped with Chinese cabbage and bok choy. The noodles were so crispy and crunchy, oh, I was in veg-seafood heaven! Once again, a perfect marriage of creativity and classic attention to detail. 5 out of 5 carrots!
















The next dish on the menu was the "Shrimp Fried Rice". I didn't like this as much as the soup, but it was tasty nonetheless. I felt it was a typical fried rice, nothing too special, but it did the trick! There were some tasty shrimp morsels and Chinese cabbage slices and it wasn't overly salted. 3.5 out of 5 carrots.
















This dish is Buddha Bodai's version of the "Fillet Mignon". It arrived on a sizzling steam plate, and as such is sure to attract attention to your table, what with the crackling sounds of the sauce being poured onto the hot black tablet (which the waiter does for you) and the sauce jumping every which way (be sure to keep it a little far from you when this happens). The mock meat was very tasty but did not taste like the real thing in terms of consistency (yes I did eat real fillet mignon back in the day). However, it was still quite appetizing, though I doubt I will make it a repeat offender. 3.0 out of 5 carrots.

So just as a side-note, I did NOT eat this all at one sitting! I love coming to this restaurant, and hope my input will influence your hand... er, I mean your stomach next time you're in the mood for some good, no, GREAT Chinese food. And tell me about it, ok? Promise? :)

Pukk lukk!

I've always enjoyed Thai food, which should come as no surprise since I LOVE coconuts (much to the chagrin of my thighs lol). But Thai vegan food?? At super-cheap prices and top-notch quality?? Count me in!!

First off, I must mention how much I like the atmosphere and overall architecture of Pukk. The decor is clean and minimalistic, with polished white ensconced stone seating which extends to the walls and floor.

However, the service is very trite and no-frills: the waiters seem to let their faint grasp of the English language affect their friendliness and demeanor, which is a no-no. I've met waiters who can barely speak English but still manage to make a great impression because they go out of their way to make you feel welcome... not here! This is my third trip, and nothing about their icy attitude has changed.















They offered a seasonal menu, which I took advantage of by ordering everything... well, seasonal!
















The "Pukk Puff" was delicious, flaky, and just the right amount of soft-doughy-texture. The sauce was tangy and complemented the pastry perfectly. The filling, which was a radish-carrot-cabbage mélange was quite tasty. 4.7 out of 5 carrots!
















Closeup!















This was the "Pukk Salmon Teriyaki". I didn't enjoy this as much as I did the appetizer. The consistency of the salmon was a bit too firm and the sauce was nothing special, very soy-saucy and uninspired. 3 out of 5 carrots.















This dish, the "Triple Cripsy," was one of the regular offerings, and it was actually pretty good from the bite I sneaked from my friend! The tofu was very crispy, as the moniker promised, and the sauce was savory and had a hint of sweetness. I also love string beans, so this gets a 4.5 out of 5.















"Caramel Apple Fritters w/Caramel Sauce": This seasonal dessert was loaded with black sesame seeds and soy crème fraiche (not caramel like the name implied). The overall texture was sort of like sweet-crispy noodles but in pastry form. Inside were generously-sliced apples that were not mushy but also not spectacularly interesting in taste. I personally found the pastry itself to be sort of like an apology with overcompensation by the drenching of the creme, since it wasn't that great to begin with. Also, the "noodle" part was soaked in grease and definitely added weight to the overall palate. 1.5 out of 5 carrots.





























Finally, we have the "Chocolate Mousse Pie". The texture was very chocolate-y and rich, with the added bonus of having a chopped walnut bottom crust. The sweetness was quite agreeable, not too overpowering or obnoxious. For all you chocolate lovers out there, this is your dessert! 4 out of 5 carrots.

So, don't forget to stop by Pukk the next time you find yourself hungry and delirious in the East Village, 'cause the ambiance and lovely munchies-worthy food will soothe your over-partied soul.