Dinner at Cafe China

Cafe China is a brand new Szechuan restaurant opened at 13 East 37th street..
 It was reviewed by New York Time two weeks ago, and got two stars. I wanted to give it a try since, and finally went last nite. When I first walked in, the decor got my attention. It tried to capture the old Shanghai feel. It was unique in the neighborhood. The food itself is somewhat average, not as good as what I expected. And also, maybe due to the fact that the restaurant is new. The waiters seem a little slow, and  unprepared. It usually took me a few minutes to get the waiters attention.

Szechuan pork dumpling in chili oil
Not spicy enough, not as good as
 Szechuan Gourmet two blocks away.

2046
Grey Goose Pear Vodka, rosemary & juniper berry infused syrup,
lime juice. I love the drink, on the strong side. The drinks here
are tiny with a priced tag $12 each.
Most of the cocktails here are name after Wong Kar Wai's movies. Like 2046,
In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express etc. 

Crispy Savory Fish

breaded sole with hot & sour sauce on the side

Mung bean jelly in garlic and roasted peppercorn chili oil
I like this dish, finally something that actually spicy
and was only $5.00

Sautéed String Beans

Tea smoked duck
The favor of the duck itself was tasteful. The only problem was there's no
meat. All I got was fat, and bone. Also, $19 for less then a quarter of duck seem overpriced.

Soicy Baked Fish- whole tilapia with bamboo shoots, mushroom &
cumin. Best dish of the evening, Sharp-tasting, spicy. Fish is tender, and fresh. Love it!!

Sweet Potato Cake
Too greasy

Wine Rice Balls with Sesame and red bean
I didn't taste the wine, and they were not much different than the frozen  one
you can buy in Chinese super market. My friend Lynda suggested
perhaps it would have been better if there had been a bit of ginger to bring out the taste of the wine.

Dinner at New Budda Bodai

New Budda Bodai has relocated at 59-08 Main St Flushing, NY 11355. My first impression was that it was much cleaner and more organized.
 The reason I stopped going to the old location was that it kind of looked old and dirty. I am glad  they moved.




Crispy Taro Veg Duck
. There's no need to worry about the extra oil
released from the duck meat or be afraid the dish would be too greasy. Because the meat was actually made from tofu skin, and taro. The texture was crispy, not oily.  And, since it was lightly fried, it brought out the favor of the Taro.  It was tasty enough that I forgot it's not actual meat.



Stir Fried Pea Pod Leaves
Fresh, and not overly salted. 

Pan fried Lotus root Cake
Not bad, but a little too bland for me.

Veg Crab Meat with Egg White
This dish is the main reason I go. I simply
love it!!

Dinner at Fu Run Restaurant (Part I)

I've been wanted to go to this restaurant for a very long time, and  I am glad I finally went last night. Fu Run is a restaurant located at 40-09 Prince street, Flushing, NY. It specializes 

in Northeast style Chinese food. The food was tasty, and favorable. It's so good that I might go back again in a few days.

Country Style Green Bean Sheet Jelly
 A salad with sheets of green bean jelly, cucumbers, pork, carrots, cilantro, wood ear mushrooms. Wonderful appetizer to start with.

Yellow Fish w/ sweet & sour sauce
Love the sauce,  not your typical Chinese take out
sauce.

Muslim Lamb Chop
The signature dish of the restaurant.The meat is marinated, braised,
deep-fried and coated in cumin seeds, crushed chilies and white and black sesame seeds. The lamb
is cooked to the point where it easily falls off the bone. Juicy, crunchy, tender, and fatty. Very satisfying. A must order dish  in the restaurant. 

Muslim Lamb Chop

Dinner at Antibes Bistro

Back to Antibes Bistro again last week, but what a difference a month makes. I assumed 

the restaurant had new management, or simply just a  new owner. None of the old servers

were there, and the food was not as good as the last few times.

 I had a perky girl as my waitress. She came over to ask how everything is

every five minutes. I believe there's a fine line between being caring and annoying.  

I 

Beet And Goat Cheese beet sauce, crushed walnuts, herb salad
This one still maintains the standard as before.

Country Duck Pate caramelized pear, port reduction, aged balsamic
I ended up having two orders of this, because the waitress insisted
she will remember all of the orders without writing it down.
Of course, she made a mistake.

Seared Foie Gras red wine onion marmalade, brioche, port syrup
This used to be my favorite dish, and the main reason for me to go there.
The size of the toast remained the same, but not the Foie Gras. It's smaller, and
was not as delectable as before. 

Seared NY Strip potato puree, watercress, maitre d' butter

Chicken Under Brick truffle potato puree, haricots verts, chicken 

Pan Seared Tuna saffron parsnip puree, artichoke hearts, caramelized leek
I ordered this medium rare, but it came well done.
Not sure if it was the chef, or the perky waitress's fault.

Australian Lamb Shank white corn polenta , cippolini onion

Dinner at Sapporo East

Sapporo East is a fine Japanese Restaurant located at 245 East 10th street. This place is very solid, never disappointing me. The price is more than reasonable. In my opinion, it is one of the best Japanese restaurants  in Manhattan.

Sashimi Salad tuna & salmon with avocado, lettuce & onion: served with soy onion dressing

Deep Fried Spicy Asparagus asparagus rolled in spicy mayo, crab stick & smelt roe: wrapped with seaweed outside and deep fried
This is a must order dish. Simply "scrumptious"!

Hamachi Kama broiled yellow tail neck

I don't like noodles, so I didn't taste this

Chicken Katsu japanese style chicken cutlet.
Wonderful dish. The outside was crispy but not overly so, and the
meat was still tender and juicy. 

Sashimi Deluxe 3p tuna, 2p yellowtail, 2p octopus, 2p salmon, 2p whitefish, chopped white fish mixed with salmon roe
"FRESH"

Dinner at Dohyo

Dohyo is an Asian tapas restaurant that serves pricey style dim sum. It is located at 570 10th Ave inside of  Yotel. 

White is the color of the restaurant and it certainly has a feel like dining in a cafeteria. The problem of the evening was the server was always missing in action, so most of the time, the food arrived at the table already cold.

Sake Sangria sangria, sake, fresh fruit
I didn't like it.

Spicy Tuna diver scallop, wasabi, cucumber, scallion
Tasted good, but I think it is hard to messed up this roll.

Grilled Asparagus/crispy poached eggs/xo sauce
My friend ordered this, because personally I never like to order grilled
 asparagus when I dine out. Grilled asparagus just doesn't interest me.

But, the crispy poached eggs was dainty. 

  

Shrimp Ceviche yuzu, melon, orange, cilantro, serrano chili
Recommended by the waiter, and I wish I didn't listen to him.
Very watery and shrimps are missing in action here.

Grilled Pork Spare Ribs hoisin plum sauce
Taste good, but in my opinion no different than the one you buy in Chinatown
except the price is three times higher.

Crispy Chicken Wings garlic, teriyaki, sambal
Definitely one of the best dishes of the evening, the meat is tender,
and the seasoning is flavorful. 

Steamed Crab Dumplings Alaskan crab, shrimp, yuzu-sriracha sauce
It's ok, and that's all I have to say.

Pork & Foie Gras Gyoza black vinegar plum sauce
I love Foie Gras, therefore this is my favorite.  

Pork Belly Bun achiote-hoisin, pineapple escabeche
The bun was cold when  served, so I disliked it immediately.
It's an updated version of  a roasted pork bun, and also overpriced.
Those two little buns cost around $9.00 

Crunchy Wok Fried Okra spicy ponzu
Surprised to see this on the menu, and it didn't disappoint me.
I only wish the server could have brought this to my table a little sooner.

Key Lime Pie
I hated it. There's no pie. It basically was key lime mousse on top of  pie crumbs. I had no idea how was I supposed to
spoon up the crumbs.

Dinner at Cafe Istanbul

I went to a Turkish restaurant for the first time the other night. I was hesitant at first, as I didn't know what to expect. But, I am truly glad I went. The restaurant is called Istanbul located at

1715 Emmons Ave, Brooklyn. When I walked in, I immediately knew I was in the right place for the good Turkish food. The restaurant's family-style atmosphere is very authentic, and on the night I went (a Saturday), my party was the only non-Turkish group I could see. I can't wait to go back again

Menupages review

Yelp Review

Ahtapot Salatasi - Octopus Salad combination of grilled octopus, red onion, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil and dressing

Kalamar Tava - Fried Calamari calamari rings lightly pan-fried
Fried Calamari is a must order dish for me whenever I dine out.
Crispy outside, and the calamari is very fresh and tender. Not those frozen calamari
 some other awful restaurants serve.

Karisik Izgara - Mix Grill combination of chicken kebab, shish kebab, meat ball and lamb chop
Love the authentic and the spice of this dish. 

Karides Guvec - Shrimp Casserole large shrimp baked in a casserole with mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, garlic and shredded cheese on top
Another great dish. The tomato sauce is luscious , but not overpowering the
flavorful  of the shrimp.

Akdeniz Levregi - Imported Mediterranean Sea Bass exotic, tender and delicious white meat served whole, recommended char-grilled
The best dish of the everything. Simply one word "Excellent"