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.

Savory and Sweet!

Last week I decided to re-visit my longtime favorite lunch spot, 'Snice on 45 8th Ave at W 4th St. with some friends as we were on our way to The High Line (yes even though I am a devout hipster I am ashamed to admit I had never been). I have always fancied their delicious, individually packages and waay overpriced Red Velvet cupcakes (their price increased from around 1.50 to about 2.62, geez!), but for some reason I found them to be a bit stale this time around. Though they did decorate them Halloween-style with orange icing and a choice of translucent vampire fangs and spider rings (for you plastic-haters out there, maybe this is not such a hot addition for y'all), and I forgot to take pics of them, so sorry ~_~ but they weren't that great anyhow!! The icing was too thick and sweet, and the cake itself was a bit too dry for my taste (I like a moist cake, dunno about you) 1.5 out of 5 carrots.

Well onto the actual food! I had the Philly-style Seitan sammy, which had some delicious melted vegan cheddar all over, yummm. The seitan was perfectly marinated and though without some Sriracha sauce on top it would have been just a bit bland, this really didn't take away from the whole sandwich-experience. The bread, as well, was fresh and toasty, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. 4.5 out of 5 carrots!





























Next up we have CocoaV, which is a fancy little chocolate and gourmet wine cafe in the style of Godiva (but way more awesome and I daresay healthier). Created by one of the co-founders of the famous Blossom and Cafe Blossom vegan restaurants (of which I am not that fond of myself-- Blossom, haven't tried Cafe Blossom yet), Pamela Elizabeth, CocoaV is 100% vegan, kosher, fair trade, and organic. They offer bonbons, truffles, barks, cookies, brownies and cakes, all which are made in their cozy little kitchen in the back of the shop.

I bought about 6 different pieces of chocolate: Silk Chocolate Truffle, Hazelnut Truffle, Coconut Truffle (my mother ate this one without my consent so I didn't get to try it -_-), Coconut Caramel Bonbon, Jasmine Tea with Caramel Bonbon, Pistapple/Pistachio and Apple Bonbon, and Pecan Praline (which I gave away, so no review :( ). I will review each separately.

(Clockwise from top left: Pistapple, Jasmine Tea w/Caramel, Hazelnut Truffle, Coconut Truffle)



















Pecan Praline, which I didn't get to eat ~_~



















The Silk Chocolate Truffle had a smooth taste, but I did not care for the contrast of the bitter cacao powder dusting on the outer part. The truffle is actually a shell with a softer, creamy inside, not a whole, solid piece. 4 out of 5 carrots.

The Hazelnut Truffle was tastier than the silk I felt, with bits of hazelnut embedded in the creamy center. 4.5 out of 5 carrots.

The Coconut Caramel Bonbon was incredibly sweet with a sticky, dessicated-coconut inside. I love coconut but still thought this confection could have been a bit more imaginative. 3.5 out of 5 carrots.

I loved the Jasmine Tea Bonbon, which had a subtle tea flavor and a not-too overpowering sweetness and lovely not-overtly-syrupy consistency for the middle. 5 out of 5 carrots!

The Pistapple (I love saying that) was not my favorite. The filling reminded me of a sour-y marmalade, chunky and really not very remarkable at all. So, if you like orange marmalade, then you'd love this one. 3 out of 5 carrots.

I also had their lovely spiced Hot Chocolate, which was 3.75 and comes in either spiced or plain. The spiced version is indeed spicy, with the addition of cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, allspice, and lots of other ones I don't remember. Though it was indeed tasty, I felt it was obnoxiously sweet and kept wanting to add soymilk to lessen the dominating sugary-ness. My taste buds were seriously in shock, and NOT in a good way. 2.5 out of 5 carrots.

A note I would like to make is that they have a fully-stocked First Aid kit in the very homey restroom, so just FYI!

Overall I much enjoyed the ambiance and the helpfulness of the staff, who were extremely personable and attentive. And, I might add, attractive :D

Going back for the pastries and baked goods next time! Cupcakes and cookies, beware!!















Bonbons and more bonbons!! <3

Pure Food & Wine

So after many stellar recommendations and reviews, I finally decided to schlep my ass over to the folks at Pure Food & Wine and see what the ruckus was about. Sadly, not much it seems!

First off, I had mixed feelings about coming to this restaurant since I actually do not really enjoy eating raw food. It's really hard to not cook something and actually make it taste good at the same time. I figure veganism is enough of a restriction, why must we take it another level and not even COOK food? It doesn't make much sense to me.

That being said, I am a very open-minded individual so I decided to give it a try. Boy, did I wish I hadn't.

I ordered the Portabello "burger" which was quite confusing to me because I actually expected bread, not two patties made out of some sort of quinoa-soy concoction. The "burger" patty or lack thereof consisted of a few meager slices of mushroom, and the whole thing was speared with three olives and a tomato (as you can see I took it off in earnest to see if there was actually a burger under there), and presented with a silly little side-salad which was some fancy lettuce, I dunno. I was a little shocked and appalled at how small the portion was and how expensive it cost: $17. Though considering the small statures and frames of the surrounding clientele, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise. 1 out of 5 carrots.















If I look pissed here, it's because I am STILL HUNGRY!















Next we have a guacamole and chip combination. The chips had a papery-consistency that I did not appreciate on account of it going soggy in seconds of it being served. The guacamole itself was mediocre, with nothing really standout about it save for the odd addition of corn kernels. I did not enjoy this either, as I could have made a better "raw" (isn't guacamole already raw?) guacamole myself from scratch! .5 out of 5 carrots!
















So I was contemplating not even bothering with dessert, but hey, if I was going to do this "raw" thing right, I may as well follow through.

Next we have this oh-so-lovely cookie-on-a-plate. I kid you not, they gave us ONE fucking COOKIE a little bit smaller than a regular oreo. And considering the price, which was $3.50, I would have MUCH preferred to buy myself a whole package of REAL oreos. The taste was totally awful-- the wafers had the consistency of cardboard and the creme was almost nonexistent. Oh, and this particular rip-off is called the "Orreo Cookie". Is the extra "r" supposed to make me feel better about watching my $ fall down the drain along with those composted carrot shavings? 0 out of 5 carrots!















So finally, we have my personal favorite, Tiramisu. I figured even THESE people wouldn't be able to fuck up such a classic dessert. And although it surely was not the best I've tasted (Vegan Treats has a MIND-blowing rendition of the classic Italian cappuccino companion), it was actually not bad! I am sad to admit that this cake made me more full than the entrée ever did. The inner layer is comprised of sake-marinated cake and the icing/creme was a good, creamy consistency, smooth and buttery. The top was simply dusted with cocoa powder and the portion was agreeable, even though the price was still steep: $15. I guess the fact that it is raw kinda makes me think it's a little more okay. But not really. 3.5 out of 5 carrots.















The service was actually very pleasant and affable, so at least it wasn't a total snob-fest. 4.5 out of 5 carrots for service!

So this trip was a complete flop. I daresay I will never give overpriced, raw food another go, but the ambiance and bathroom were top-notch, as should be expected, and it seems like a classy place to take a date. Just don't expect to leave satisfied. Well, at least not food-wise.

T