Mochi Donuts & Cream Puffs at Alimama NYC

Alimama

89A Bayard St, Manhattan, NY 10013

Alimama is a small cafe nestled in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown and they’re famously known in the neighborhood for their mochi donuts and cream puffs that originated and popularized in Japan. The first couple of months Alimama opened, hoards of people lined up inside the little cafe space in hopes of trying this new food item.

New York is famous for it’s plethora of Doughnut joints so there’s always steep competition but to name a few of my favorite doughnut shops that has met my expectations and not just there for the hype are as follows:

Dough offers their gigantic fluffy yeast donuts in very unique flavor combinations you can imagine. I really enjoy their limited matcha cream dipped donuts, dulce de leche with almonds and if I want something tart, I opt for their famous Hibiscus doughnut, pictured below.

Hibiscus Doughnut from Dough

• The Donut Pub which hones a very 90’s vibe and is open 24/7 for the late night drunks or the early morning risers. They offer tons of flavors from old school classics such as powdered jelly, simply glazed and even funky flavors such as maple bacon or fruity pebbles for the ones wanting some color on their foodstagram pages. Their first location is located on the corner of 7th Avenue and West 14th street and they also opened another shop near St. Marks on Astor Place (near the famous black cube). I enjoy these doughnuts for their simplicity and the fact that they’re so much better than dunkin donuts, LOL.

• DunwellDoughnuts is my third favorite doughnut shop in NYC. I believe they first opened their shop in Williamsburg Brooklyn and with high demand, they were able to open the East Village location as well. I really like Dunwell because despite the fact that their doughnuts are VEGAN, they don’t taste bad at all. The doughnuts are light and the frosting on top isn’t too sweet.

What makes Alimama stand out is that their doughnuts are made with a very familiar asian ingredient called sticky rice flour/sweet rice flour. This ingredient is crucial in making these doughnuts chewy instead of doughy like a traditional doughnut. The experience in eating these doughnuts are one of a kind if you’ve never had them before, it’s pretty fun chewing the dough.

I enjoy Alimama’s doughnuts because they’re reminiscent of the mochi desserts normally made in my Chinese household but with contemporary flavors that most millennials such as I enjoy such as matcha, ube (purple yam), boba milk tea, brulee;

brûlée mochi donut

This brulee doughnut pictured is easily one of my favorites at Alimama because there’s a crust on the doughnut and when you bite into it, you get the contrasting crunch with the soft and chewy mochi. It’s a one of a kind experience.

matcha mochi donut

ube cream puff

If you’re exploring Chinatown in New York, I highly recommend you try one of these doughnuts. I don’t think there’s any shop in NY that sells mochi doughnuts besides Alimama as of right now. Price for doughnuts aren’t cheap though, they’re $4-$5 per doughnut yet I justify them because they’re such a unique item and a delicious treat from time to time!

Happy Eating!

-Shannon Z

L&B Spumoni Gardens

2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223

(718) 449-1230

If you’re from South Brooklyn and you’ve never heard of L&B’s, where have you been? This establishment is everything you’ve ever wanted and needed and then some! Opening in 1939 by founder Ludovico Barbati, L&B resides in the neighborhood of Gravesend, Brooklyn and operates three businesses in one, combining the fast and efficient pizza slinging shop right next door to their spumoni and Italian ices and finally a fully sit-down family style Italian American restaurant to finish it all off. L&B’s is a one stop shop for all your foodie needs. There is something for everyone and it’s evident during the summer months when hoards of locals and tourist alike come here for a slice of L&B’s famous rectangular Sicilian slice and finish it off with an italian ice while enjoying the sun and it’s ourdoor seating. The place has history, long history, so long that some families even have 2-3 generations that enjoy L&B pizza til this day. Businesses that succeed through generations are very rare and a true gem in the ever changing Brooklyn.

New York is known most for their triangular, easy to fold thin crust pizza. It’s the most popular slice everyone gets because it’s affordable, fast and portable. I can’t tell you how many times I grabbed a slice “to go”, and walked out of the shop using a white round paper plate for leverage to keep my pizza uniformly folded for consumption. I’d munched on the goodness while walking down half a city block, hoping the oil from the pizza didn’t drip or soak into my hands before I could finish.

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NYC thin crust pizza is arguably the best but in this post, I want to showcase the famous L&B Sicilian Slice. The Sicilian slice is what every frozen pizza company aimed to achieve back in the 90’s. It includes a base whos texture is more like a pillowy bread than a thin crust, formed into a uniformed rectangular shaped pizza topped with smooth and slighty sweet tomato sauce finished with a light dusting of cheese. You can buy it by the slice for ($3 each), or if you’re feeding a group get a full pie (12 slices for $24). The Sicilian slice is noticeably different than it’s New York counterpart since it’s sliced into 5×4″ rectangular shaped servings. It’s a total opposite from the thin crust triangular slices we’re all used to but the distinction of a Sicilian slice cannot be missed. It can be addiciting and a fresh take on pizza that you’re used to.

Soft pillowy dough almost like Chicago deep dish style pizza.

After grabbing a slice or two, I highly recommend you walk over to their Spumoni shop right next door. If you’re new to Spumoni, think of this dessert as a napoleon ice cream. The spumoni has three different layers of flavored “gelato”; pistachio, chocolate and almond that all work wonderfully together. The texture and consistency of the spumoni isn’t rich like gelato though, it’s a mixture of that and italian ice so it’s light and airy but packed full of flavor. It’s tasty but does not make you feel guilty even after consuming a whole pint.

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that old school note. you pay and go based on a trust system.

& finally, the restaurant section (not pictured) is more for planned gatherings so think of birthday parties, anniversaries, date night. Things of that sort. They have a full menu and you can check the menu out right HERE.

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So there you have it guys, the famous L&B Spumoni restaurant. It’s been talked about by many major food network and publications but one this is for sure, the recipes will never change even after 50-60 more years and L&B will always carry a family first vibe. That’s what this area of Brooklyn is all about!

Happy Eating!

-Shannon Z

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

604 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215

(347) 429-7030

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is one of a few chain barbecue joints in New York among the others such as Mighty Quinns and Hometown Bar-B-Que that I used to frequently visit when living in Brooklyn. Dino BBQ has a long history, opening its business in 1983 (heck thats older than me!) and serves a fusion of good ol’ slow cooked meats touched with American diner influences in addition to a good sized alcohol menu. They offer a pretty solid menu so everyone in your group can find something they would like, picky eaters included. Food ranges from the typical ribs, brisket, chicken wings, chicken/brisket/pork sandwiches, crossover to diner inspired sliders, nachos, salads etc. You see how the menu reminds me of a diner with the salad and nacho options?

I came here a while back with my college friends Jinhyun and her boyfriend Chris during a weekday happy hour and we ordered a variety of items from their happy hour menu so we could try a litle bit of everything. Here’s a rundown of the food below.

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If you can’t make it to this particular spot in Brooklyn don’t worry. Since Dinosaur BBQ is expanding rapidly, they have locations all over the east coast such as Harlem, Newark NJ, Stamford Connecticut, and a few locations in upstate NY such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Troy.

I believe that for anyone who has not tried traditional bbq before start with the beef brisket or pork sandwich with your choice of 1 or two sides. This option will introduce you to the true essence of bbq in its original form. Once you’ve tried it there’s no going back! You’re going to crave a meal like this at least once a month, I guarantee it! 😀

Happy Eating!

-Shannon Z

An Update:

Hello all my fellow foodies!

It has been a while since I wrote a new post, 10 months to be exact and I’m so sorry that I have been away for so long. A lot has changed since I started this blog. I moved across the country from Brooklyn, New York all the way to Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to this big change, I left my first corporate job of two years that I worked at right after graduating Hunter College to explore + experience the “other” lifestyle America has to offer. I wanted move in order to develop myself in a place that isn’t New York so that I can be a more well rounded person in the future. I know, crazy right? Who leaves New York, the city that has it ALL to a state such as Colorado in the Midwest for “a different experience?” This girl right here! After being in Colorado for a few months, I can definitely attest to the quote:

New York City: If You Can Make it Here, You Can Make it Anywhere

Me at the bus stop near my house

Since moving to Colorado in August I have realized that New York and Colorado are extremely different states in each their own respect but they cannot be compared because each state is special in it’s own way. New York is where you need to be if you love convenience, everything is where you need it to be. The abundance of ethnic enclaves in each borough makes it extremely easy for one to get whatever food they crave in a very short amount of time and it’s always a subway or bus stop away. Public transportation is the #1 way to get around in New York while in Fort Collins, a car is needed since everything is so spread out. The Transfort bus system here gets the job done however the bus only comes once and hour and the bus service ends pretty early (6:30pm) compared to New York’s 24/7 MTA service. If you want to be out later than 6:30pm, you’d have to catch a Lyft to get back home.

Fort Collins is known to have an abundance of food establishments (yay), but sad to say so far it lacks a variety of authentic Chinese food (that I miss so much) however I don’t fear because the trend seems to be that many people of all diverse cultures are starting to see Fort Collins as a more affordable place to live and to start a business than the city of Denver; soooo hopefully in a few years I’ll see more authentic Chinese restaurants such as Beijing Noodle. It’s hard to group Chinese food into one category though because theres so many different types of chinese restaurants ranging from cantonese dim sum, hotpot + bbq, bubble tea joints with desserts, szechuan restaurants, fujianese eateries, etc.

I also want to mention that Fort Collins offers a ton (like 20+) of breweries if you’re all about drinking alcohol. People are encouraged to drink beers and bike. I think some of the bike messengers in NYC would love this culture, but I personally don’t know how safe it is to be riding a bike while intoxicated.

I first started this blog about a year ago as a way to express my love for food. It was an outlet I used to share my experiences with fellow foodies and in doing so, many people who did read my posts have given me great feedback and admiration. The lovely Joyce, a coworker from my previous job mentioned to me that she really enjoyed my content and that I should continue to write these posts because she enjoyed reading them. Because of Joyce’s appreciation for these food posts, my general love of writing about food, and a fresh start from the typical corporate job I am enlightened to restart this blog and trust me I am so ready. I’m currently super backed up with the amount of dining establishments I need to write about from this past year so I’ll try my best to crank out as many as possible while keeping my quality of posts. I am super excited to restart this journey after a long haitus. So without further adieu I will end this post and I’ll see you on the next post!

Happy Eating!

Shannon~

In front of the History Colorado Center in Denver

Curry-ya

Curry-Ya

214 E 10th St,

New York, NY 10003

Curry-Ya is the quintessential spot you go to if you want Japanese style Curry. Japanese curry is a bit more sweet in taste and less on the spice side than lets say your Indian style curry. In Japan this type of curry is known to be a comfort food that many mothers make their children and each mother has her own special recipe.

My first contact with Japanese curry was when I went to another favorite East Village restaurant called Kenka and on their menu they served a very delicious curry rice topped with a fried pork cutlet. Since then I’ve also ventured out to another Japanese curry spot, a chain called Go! Go! Curry! which also serves up a solid tasting Katsu cutlet curry. Each spot’s curry has their own different taste since each restaurant has their own recipe. The curry is normally offered in different spice levels such as mild, medium and hot.

Even though Curry Ya is counter seating that fits roughly 14 people, the restaurant is so popular that it constantly has people lining up outside during the peak lunch and dinner hours. I call this place the quintessential curry spot because they’ve really perfected the taste of this wonderful dish. You’re going to be paying a few dollars more for a meal here than lets say the two previous restaurants I mentioned but in my opinion it’s worth it. Come during lunch and you’ll also receive a complimentary house salad served with all curries (pictured below).

Left: Vegetable Curry ($13) with an extra order of Mini Berkshire Pork Katsu ($5)  Right: Berkshire Pork Katsu Curry ($16)

The pork katsu cutlet is fried to crispy perfection! Once you eat it with the curry, it’s a symphony in your mouth from the warm curry, white rice, and the cutlet. I recommend for your first time try the curry with no spice level so you can enjoy the unique taste of Japanese Curry. The curry is a big sweet and savory with a thickness than complements the rice perfectly. This is a hearty meal, perfect especially for the fall or winter time but tasty for no matter what time of the year.

Pro Tip: Add on the pickled fukujinzuke, shallots or garlic flakes on your rice for an extra zing to your already delicious meal.

 

HAPPY EATING!
-SHANNON Z

Ortobello’s

6401 Bay Pkwy,

Brooklyn, NY 11204

Ortobellos has been in my rotation for family dinner gatherings for a few years now. It’s a dying breed of a restaurant in Brooklyn and what I mean by that is that it’s one of the last Italian restaurants in Brooklyn that still makes meals the old school way. The dishes the kitchen serves is a generous amount and the food is meant to be served family style because that’s how Italians or any other immigrant group served their food for their families to eat. The food at Ortobellos should always be shared for two reasons 1) The menu here is vast and the food is so abundant that in order to try everything, one must share with a few people if you’d like to order a few dishes 2) You can’t possibly finish the family style dishes yourself because of the big portions, (unless you’re extremely hungry).There’s so many options to choose from while eating at Ortobellos but one of the dishes I highly recommend is the Zuppa Di Pesce. Look at the sheer size of the Zuppa Di Pesce below. It’s a huge dish full of your favorite seafoods ranging from mussels, shrimp, squid, all in a delicious tomato based stock. It’s simply the creme de la creme dish here and serves at least 6 people comfortably. Order this if you want to impress your guests.

Baked Clams:

These baked clams come served by the dozen for $20. They are deliciously breaded and has such a nice briny flavor to them. The juices flow through the breadcrumb mixture and tastes so savory. Make sure you squeeze lemon juice on top of the clams to balance out the briny flavor. Tip: Use your complementary bread to soak up all the juices that remain from these clams. It’s super yummy.

Fried Calamari:

Another delicious appetizer to go around the table. You know a calamari is good when the squid isn’t tough and the batter is lightly coating the seafood. The calamari is amazingly delicious and came with a tomato dipping sauce (unfortunately not pictured)

Arugula Salad $12:

I am a huge fan of arugula because of it’s slight bitter taste. They serve their arugula salad loaded with a variety of vegetables such as red peppers, red onions, cucumbers, olives, and cauliflower. Don’t be fooled by the abundant amount of veggies on top of the arugula. There’s a pile of the greens below all the veggies. The salad was served with their house balsamic vinegar dressing.

Spaghetti with Shrimp

Desserts:

Tiramisu $10.50

The lady fingers sponge base is absorbed with coffee liqueur and then topped with the mascarpone cheese and followed with an abundant amount of whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. I really enjoyed this dessert because it was light and not too sweet but you can definitely taste the coffee flavor in the sponge layers. A delightful classic Italian dessert.

Cappuccino $7

Last but not least no visit to a classic Italian restaurant is ever complete without a cappuccino. This drink is the quintessential Italian drink and for a good reason. After you finish such a grand meal you’re bound to have a bit of the itis. The cappuccino has the caffeine you need to keep you from falling asleep at the dinner table. They dalloped the drink with layers and layers of whipped cream which I love! You can also choose not to have the whipped cream if you wish to savor just the coffee drink but I think the whipped cream gives the cappuccino an extra sweetness and creamyness, plus it also looks very pleasing to the eye.

There’s so much to offer at Ortobello and it’s a versatile restaurant whether you come here for a casual dinner or a celebration. The food is always yummy and you’ll always leave with a full stomach.

HAPPY EATING! -SHANNON Z

Petee’s Pie Company

Petee’s Pie Company

61 Delancey St,

New York, NY 10002

I first came in contact with Petee’s Pie Company about two years back when my boyfriend’s uncle brought back home a slice of Petee’s brown butter honey pecan pie. The slice of pie at first glance was rustic and was looked super yummy. It was the kind of pie you wouldn’t mind eating because it looked so inviting. You know those pies that look like they’re made by grandma, with love? Yeah that’s how I felt when I saw Peetee’s pies.  When I bit into that pecan pie, my oh my was it something else. The flavors of the pie filling balanced so well with the crust and it wasn’t overly sweet. I tasted the pecans with the brown butter.

This slice of pie brought me back the holiday season when everyone is home celebrating thanksgiving and togetherness which brings me to another point of mine with pies, whenever I’m eating a slice of pie it’s always reminiscent of holiday time for me. I think it has to do with the fact that I don’t eat pies as a dessert on a daily basis; instead I regularly have cake based desserts and ice cream. So whenever I have a pie, it’s always synonymous to the holiday time for me, (think apple pies, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, blueberry pie, etc)

Petee’s has a somewhat niche business because you don’t see many Pie Shops in New York even though there is a vast amount of bakeries on the Island and the surrounding boroughs. We see a ton of cake and pastry shops with a few offerings of pies but having a store solely put its main focus on pies is very niche however this store is a true gem and I don’t mind that at all! I think of going to Peetee’s as a way to feel a little bit of warmness and love to counteract the hustle of this crazy chaotic city.

 

They serve up the famous fruit based pies but also carries the ones we normally don’t see much In New York, the Chess Pies usually made down south with all the goodies like butter, eggs, sugar; all the things that are Carb and Fat heavy but so damn delicious if eaten with a cup of milk. They also serve these ice box pies which are pies that have cream pipped on the top of the pie which require refrigeration. I usually go for those in the summer time as a way to cool off.

In the summer time they have a special where you can take a slice of their pie and they’ll blend it up with vanilla ice cream so you get an “ice cream pie” dessert. – Pictured below is a slice of blueberry pie that they mixed with vanilla ice cream.

So without further ado if you love pies you probably are going to come here immediately to try a few slices and if pies aren’t your thing for whatever reason, I highly advise you come here and try a slice because their pies really are to die for. Don’t confuse the store bought mass produced pies we both normally buy for one of Petee’s Pies because the moment you taste one of these babies you can automatically tell they’re different and very special.

HAPPY EATING! -SHANNON Z

George’s Souvlaki of Astoria

 

George’s Souvlaki of Astoria

7006 Fort Hamilton Pkwy,

Brooklyn, NY 11228

Oh where do I start with George’s Souvlaki of Astoria other than saying this place is so legitimate I can’t even begin to explain how yummy the food is. The owners use real meat and the traditional way of making good Greek cuisine. They don’t cut corners on anything and that’s the reason why the food always tastes the way you expect and it’s hearty. The food at George’s tastes authentic to the bone and my family and I all agree its the best we’ve had in Brooklyn.

I always come here with family and we eat everything family style because the portions are very generous and its a good way to try everything. Our go to salad is the mixed green salad topped with an abundant amount of feta cheese. It’s a really refreshing dish that opens the palette.

Mixed Greens Salad

For entrees sometimes we go with various meat kebabs and sometimes we go for the gyro platters. Both are equally filling and full of flavor. The gyro meat isn’t the typical meat one would get if they ordered from a halal cart. This meat is quality meat.

Gyro Platter with Rice, Salad, Pita

If you’re looking for a quick option to grab and go, my go to is the Chicken Gyro Pita served with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions and Tzatziki Sauce.

Chicken Pita

Here’s a look at what our usual spread looks like if we’re not ordering the gyro platters.

Now I know this post has a lot of food coming at you all at once but these pictures were from 2-3 different visits. There’s so many things we like to try here and obviously we can’t try all at once so I suggest you take your time and order slowly, start with a meat kebab with some pita and hummus and then start your way from there. After you eat the kebab I guarantee you’re going to be wanting more cause the flavors are just that good.

All Spread Sample (olives, feta cheese dip, eggplant, tzatziki, hummus, peppers)

 

HAPPY EATING! -SHANNON Z

Chikurin

Sushi Lunch (Chef’s assortment) with California Roll

Chikurin

 1105 Quentin Rd,

Brooklyn, NY 11229

Chikurin has been one of my go to American style Japanese restaurants for the past 10 years. I started going to their location on 86th street between 23rd and 24th avenue when I was in high school and I always enjoyed the quality and taste of the lunch specials they served. Coming to the Quentin Road location is no different. The sushi is always fresh and of decent quality. I never spend more than $15 for lunch at this spot and that includes me getting a soup or a salad and an abundant amount of sushi rolls.

Walking into Chikurin, it’s a bit dark inside and you can be a bit intimidated with how the atmosphere is if you’re used to brightly lit restaurants however just go with the flow and enjoy the atmosphere because it will slowly become more comfortable and in about 10 minutes you truly do feel like you’re not even in the hustle and bustle of the city streets. There’s a very tranquil feeling when you’re inside the restaurant.

My family and I all ordered something from the lunch special menu since it was lunch time (who can pass out on a good lunch special right?!) and the food we received did not disappoint at all! We ordered the Sashimi Lunch which came with 12 pieces of sashimi. The types of fish that were in the pre-selected lunch option were salmon, ahi tuna, yellowtail and white tuna.

Sashimi Lunch (12 pieces)

In order to try a range of maki rolls, we decided to go crazy and order a range of different rolls. Pictured below from left to right is the shrimp tempura, salmon mango, and Philadelphia roll.

Pictured below: Tuna Avocado, Salmon Avocado, & Eel Avocado Roll

Considering Chikurin has been in the Brooklyn area for such long time, it’s pretty safe to say it’s because they’re great at what they do which is serving the community good tasting and affordable non traditional sushi. If you’re ever having massive sushi cravings and don’t want to go the ‘all you can eat’ route, Chikurin is a great option to have in your rotation.

HAPPY EATING! -SHANNON Z

A Salt & Battery

 112 Greenwich Ave,

New York, NY 10011

A Salt & Battery is one of its kind In New York City. The food origins of this shop is from England. British fish and chips is like our American burger and fries. It’s street food in a fast setting. In England, they’re called Chippy shops, an abbreviation for fish n chips. I’m super happy that they have one close to my vicinity because the fish I ate at Salt & Battery was heavenly. I ordered the 8 oz cod and my boyfriend ordered the 4oz of haddock with chips to share. The fish came with home made tar tar sauce which was a bit mellow on the tang and more creamy, which complimented the fried fish superbly.

Top: 4oz Fried Haddock and chips

Bottom: 8 oz Fried Cod with tartar sauce.

The fish is cooked so well! No piece was dry and the outer coating of the fish was crunchy and crispy. The batter doesn’t seem to be seasoned either so when you receive your fish, you can put the amount of salt and black pepper that you wish. They also leave a bottle of ketchup for you to use on your chips. The pictures below show just how flaky and fresh the fish are. They’re cooked to perfection without any dryness, simply amazing!

Look at that Juicy Piece of Fried Haddock

Fried Piece of Cod

It’s a nice experience trying something new. We usually eat a lot of chicken, beef and pork in America and to have a different protein that is normally eaten in sit down restaurants offered as a fast food is really exciting. I hope you will enjoy this shop as much as I did.

HAPPY EATING! -SHANNON Z