NYC Tastes

This winter has been so cold, I've found myself looking for something warm and hearty to slurp almost every single day.  So Wagamama has become a constant on my neighborhood dining circuit.   This Asian hot spot began in London back in 1992 and has slowly built an empire with locations all over the world.  Mr. T and I have eaten at Wagamama's in multiple locations;  London , Copenhagen, Boston, and now NYC.  My current obsession is their wonderful Shirodashi Pork Ramen.  Slow cooked pork belly marinated in bulgogi sauce then tossed into a thick chicken broth with noodles, dashi, miso and a tea stained egg.  I just love how clean this ramen tastes; the rich, deep flavors of pork and chicken shine without that salty, fatty layer that coats most ramen.  And the bowls are so big I almost always have enough for breakfast the next day! Wagamama Multiple locations throughout NYC

I have a favorite new spot in the city and it's so good I want to keep it all to myself. But that would be a shame because everyone should really check out the incredible food and drinks at ROKC- Ramen, Oysters, Kitchen and Cocktails. This tiny little spot tucked away on the ground floor in Hamilton Heights looks unassuming from the outside.  But don't let those looks fool you; inside the bartenders are whipping up some of the best cocktails in the city like the incredible Thai Tea.  Made with cachaca, condensed milk and absinthe this is every bit as creamy and refreshing as the original Thai Iced Tea with a cute little quail egg on the side filled with an extra shot of liquor. The Pineapple cocktail doesn't look like much from this picture but it was literally on fire upon arrival with red and blue flames shooting up from the tropical blend of vanilla, lime and pineapple on top. This place has a cocktail for just about any palate and th...

Now that summer is officially winding down its time to tuck back into big warm bowls of ramen from the Iron Chef himself Morimoto!  Momosan's Tonkotsu ramen is one of Mr. T's favorite bowl of noodles; studded with thick cuts of pork, soft poached egg and a spicy garlic broth. When I'm having a noodle craving I want Momosan's Tantan;  a creamy blend of coconut curry, ground pork, red miso, aji tama and pork chasu.  It's got all that rich meaty goodness of a regular ramen but with a spicy, nutty kick that I absolutely adore. I'm already planning to enjoy the first snow fall of the season slurping down these noodles at their front window. Of course there's no reason to wait that long for a meal at Momosan.  Soft Shell Crab Baos are currently on the menu and those certainly won't last until the winter months. Momosan Ramen 342 Lexington Avenue between 39th & 40th Street New York, NY 10016

Iron Chef Morimoto opened a ramen bar in midtown and because it's the incredible Morimoto this place is much more than just a noodle joint.  There's rich chunks of house made Peking Duck inside a crisp goyza shell with cucumber, hoisin and a sweet apricot chili sauce. There's a satisfying Braised Pork Belly Bao served with a wedge of lettuce and a smear of mustard mayo... ...and one of the most incredible poke bowls I've had in NYC to date.  Thick cubes of soy marinated tuna tossed with nori and scallion atop a bed of fluffy white rice.  I seriously have dreams about this bowl. And then of course there's Ramen available in small or large size with four different variations including spicy curry coconut and steamed Tokyo Chicken.  We got the standard Tonkotsu with thick strips of pork, mushroom and soft boiled egg all inside a silky, creamy broth.   Everything about Momosan was fantastic.  I really enjoyed the fun decor, the service was great and...

Sunday of 4th of July weekend felt like a magical snow day of sorts to me.  We had zero obligations, the city was completely empty and there was no work the following day. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take Mr. T to lunch at one of my favorite Korean spots Danji.   I'll admit maybe somewhere in our area may have been a better choice. Both of us had a few too many beers the night before and traveling up to the westside didn't exactly seem like fun but I was determined.  I really, really wanted to eat at Danji.  So I dragged Mr. T off the couch and onto the excruciating hot train up to Hell's Kitchen; through all of the tourists and sailors in Times Square finally to Danji where we found the grate pulled shut and lights off.  CLOSED! I couldn't' believe it! I had even checked the website to make sure they were open however in my holiday weekend excitement I kept thinking it was Saturday not Sunday and yeah...we wer...