Ranch 1

918 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022, US
212-759-4000

Stopped by here after seeing some great reviews about it's chicken teriyaki bowl.
I opted to try their Ranch Classic sandwich which comprised of a pounded thin grilled chicken breast on a bed of chopped lettuce and your choice of sauce (I chose sesame ginger) all in a 6 inch roll. I made it a combo with their french fries (quite tasty!) and a beverage (opted for iced tea). For $6.75 plus tax it was pretty good!

Service was speedy, the counter girl pleasant and I will definitely be back to try the teriyaki bowl!

A menu can be viewed here

Jade Asian Restaurant

136-28 39th Ave
Flushing NY 11354
(718) 762-8821

www.jadeasianrestaurant.com

Located a block from the 7 train's Main Street subway stop, this restaurant offers the most wonderful dim sum at just $2 a plate weekdays. Some carts offer dishes that cost more like the fried shrimp or gail lan.

My friends and I have have eaten dim sum at several restaurants in Manhattan's Chinatown and were VERY impressed with the variety and quality of the dishes. It has quickly become a new favorite and we will definitely make the trek out here again!

Credit cards are only accepted on checks totaling $20 or more.
Take out and doggy bags are charged full price so be careful on over ordering.

Lotte-Assi Plaza

131 -09 39th Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 321-8000

Store hours: 8AM - 10PM

http://www.lotteplaza.com

This has got to be the largest Asian/ International Market in the NYC area with branches scattered about the United States (check website for addresses).

Mainly Korean, the store also carries a large variety of sauces and ingredients from China, Japan, and the Philippines. They also sell a few kitchen and home gadgets and small appliances.

Produce, seafood and meats geared towards Asian cooking are also sold here at average to pretty good prices. I was lucky to grab some packaged beef short ribs at $2.59 per pound before they went into the deep freeze section. This week fresh crab is selling at 99¢ per pound! Click my photos to see larger versions.

The staff is Korean but they pretty much understand and speak English and the signs above each aisle are printed in English.

The store is brightly lit and clean and a short walk from the 7 train to Main Street.
All major credit cards and food stamps are accepted.

Red Mango

6101 Junction Blvd.
Rego Park, NY 11374
Phone: 718 760 7100

sun-wed: 11am-10pm
thurs-sat: 11am-11pm

http://www.redmangousa.com/default.html

Red Mango is a chain of frozen yogurt stores but you serve yourself. 49¢ per ounce.

5 flavors were offered today when I visited this branch in Rego Park. Original, Mango, Pumpkin Spice (limited time) Pomegranate, and Madagascar Vanilla

I tried Pumpkin Spice and Pom's Pomegranate. Yes, you can mix the flavors and add any topping you want but mind you, you are charged by the ounce!

I topped my Pumpkin Spice frozen yogurt with graham crackers and flax seed granola.

Tasty, tangy, cool and refreshing.

I'll probably go back next time I'm there but I've found there are several around the NYC region.

Excellent Pork Chop House

3 Doyers Street #1

New York, NY 10013

212-791-7007

http://excellentporkchophouse.com/

I visited this restaurant tonight for dinner with a friend who used to live in Chinatown. This place is well known for it's pork chops and with a name like "Excellent Pork Chop House", I was ready for the experience.

We both ordered the Pork Chop Noodle Soup with mung bean with noodle of choice. The waitress brought over a large soup bowl for each of us filled with a lovely broth, bean sprouts, mung bean noodles, and chopped pickled cabbage. Next came the plate of pork chops. I detected the flavor of 5 spice and the pork chops were tender and tasty.

The decor is not very fancy, more like a family owned restaurant. Dishes and prices written in Chinese on bright colorful paper adorn the walls. An English menu sits on your table along with a caddy holding disposable bamboo chopsticks and plastic eating utensils. Their famous hot sauce sits in a glass container next to the napkins. The hot sauce is mild with a base of black bean. Deliciously fragrant.

Service was good and prices cheap by New York City standards. Judging on the amount of people that were coming in on this cool rainy Summer night this place is quite popular.

You can view the menu here.

Krystal's Cafe 81

81 East 7th Street

(between 1st & 2nd Street)

NY, NY,10003

(212) 473-4900

Visited this East Village branch of Krystal's Cafe in Queens last night with some Filipino friends for a late night bite. The bar/pub atmosphere is inviting with many Filipinos and non-Filipinos gathered at the bar while Filipino and Spanish novelas air on the flat screen TVs.

We grabbed a table and preceded to order, lechon kawali (crispy roast pork), pancit sotanghon guisado (Filipino version of Singapore noodles), tokwa't baboy (tofu and pork), and halo-halo with ube ice cream (shaved ice mixed with an assortment of colorful ingredients)

The food was good as well as the service. Good prices. Nice atmosphere but I hear that it tends to be more crowded earlier in the evenings.

Mitsuwa Marketplace NJ

595 River Road,
Edgewater, NJ 07020
TEL: (201) 941-9113

http://www.mitsuwa.com/english/index.html

Located just a few minutes from NYC, Mitsuwa is a large shopping place specializing in Japanese foods, cookware, groceries, sake, wine, cosmetics ... you name it! It's like taking a trip to Japan without the airfare! Items may be a bit expensive but it's because they are imported from Japan.

Mitsuwa offers a shuttle bus that travels back and forth from Pennsylvania Station's Gate 51. The fare is $3 cash each way.

You can view the shuttle schedule here.

Wing Shoon Seafood Restaurant

165 E Broadway
New York, NY 10002
(212) 780-0238

Located on the corner of East Broadway and Rutgers, this little Chinese Restaurant offers Dim Sum for as little as $2 a plate (Monday through Friday only)!

I came here with a friend today to experience their dim sum. The restaurant is filled with mainly large round banquet tables so we wound up having to share a table with other lunch patrons.

Atypical of dim sum service, a card with a grid on it to designate how many dishes and of what size you consumed is placed at your side and the cart comes around with steamed, baked, and braised specialties all on various sized plates. $2 for small plates, $2.50 for medium, and $3 for large.

We chose shu mai and har gow ($2.50 per plate), stuffed tofu skin and braised spare rib tips ($2 per plate) and a steamed pork bun (80¢) and a small bowl of rice. Check came out to $10.05!

The food is very tasty and pretty good. The service is somewhat cordial as they were attentive but English is not their strong point. You may have to come here with someone who speaks Cantonese (or Mandarin). The menu is in English and in Chinese.

Overall a wonderful experience and easy on the wallet!

Monster Sushi

158 West 23rd Street

New York, NY

212-620-9131

This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants that I've been going to for many years and it has always been consistent in it's great food, service, and price at this location.

Recently returned to this branch for lunch with friends. WARNING! This place is VERY popular and you may have to wait for a table. Best time is after 1PM when it dies down and you can hear yourself think let alone get a table.

We started off with Shrimp Tempura, Soft Shell Crab Tempura, and Shigiyaki (fried eggplant with sweet miso paste). Simply delicious and the eggplant was creamy, sweet, and luscious.

Lunch Bento Specials are $14.95 (Dinner is $17.95) and come with miso soup, salad, shumai or spring roll, California, Salmon, or Tuna roll, rice, and your choice of entrée.

I opted for Chilean Sea Bass this time as I had Tonkatsu a few weeks ago here too.

The waiter and servers were very attentive and friendly and the complimentary back rubs from the massage pads (look for them!) made for a more enjoyable and relaxing experience (that and the bottle of sake we had too!)

Definitely a place I will return to again and again.

I haven't checked out the other branch in midtown but will soon and post a review.

BonChon Chicken

207 W28 Street

near 7th Ave (Fashion Ave)

NY, NY 10018

Korean fried chicken chain famous for their double fried chicken glazed in a garlic soy sauce or spicy sauce.

Ventured in here for lunch with a friend while in the Fashion District and started with zucchini fries (zucchini sticks battered and fried dusted with Parmesan cheese and served with spicy mayonnaise and ketchup dipping sauces). I had the Bulgolgi Beef Rice Bowl which was served on a plate with a salad covered in Ranch dressing while my friend chose their famous chicken which came with pickled Daikon radish on the side.

Tasty and cute concept. Dining area is upstairs. Service was good. Definitely a place to check out.

Menu here: http://menupages.com/restaurants/bonchon-chicken-2/menu

Pho 32 & Shabu

13 Saint Mark's Place

NY, NY 10003

(212) 777-0606

Came here with some friends late night and had the pork chops which were served with sauteed vegetables with what I could distinctly taste as hoisin sauce.

The Pho soups are pretty good. Delicate in flavor yet each ingredient shines through.

Inexpensive menu, Vietnamese and Korean dishes offered and pleasant service make this chain popular.

Quite busy even for past midnight as I suspect party revelers have found this place a haven for that late night munchie or snack before heading home. It is open 24 hours, perfect city that never sleeps!

Menu can be found here: http://menupages.com/restaurants/pho-32-shabu/menu

Spain Restaurant

Spain Restaurant

• 113 W 13th St, New York 10011
• (Btwn 6th & 7th Ave)
• Phone: (212) 929-9580

Came back here again for a friend's birthday celebration.

Same waiters and bartender with owner overseeing everything.

Food is consistently delicious and reasonably priced. Cash only!

Tapas and a small salad arrive at the table after you have sat down.

Garlic shrimp scampi, Spanish sausage, BBQ lamb ribs, Mussels cured in an onion vinaigrette, and Bread served with REAL pats of butter! All these years they have been serving margarine and FINALLY real butter!

We ordered pitchers of white sangria which went well with the seafood entrees. We all ordered lobster tails that are not on the menu. A plate of 6 small lobster tails halved came shortly with what looked like drawn saffron butter to dip the succulent meat in. Heaven!

The tapas and bread really fill you up but we ended the meal with dessert.

Vanilla ice cream topped with Green creme de menthe and Leche Flan.