May 2013

I'm a lady of my word. So, when I told you a few weeks ago (after going to the Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale) that I was going to take advantage of living in New York and go to more sample sales, I followed through!

All for you readers, all for you.

My Botkier Haul: a Teal Lucy Crossbody for Mom & a lace-textured Valentina Luxe for $100 each

I've been coveting a Botiker bag ever since I first saw it on Lani at SugarRock Catwalk. And, if you follow fashion blogger Aimee Song at Song of Style, then you will know that she is the current face of Botkier and she actively promotes a Botkier bag in almost every other post. And of course, the more I saw the Botkier Valentina purse, the more I wanted one for myself.

So when I saw that the Botkier Sample Sale was coming to Chelsea Market - a quick stroll from work - there was no avoiding it. I had to go check it out.

How's the line - Got there this morning right at 9:50 AM, 10 minutes before the sale started and there were about 20 other ladies who were also standing outside waiting to get in. As I stood outside the glass doors, I was able to quickly scope out what was available and where things were located. The opened the doors 5 minutes early and I walked right in. Easy peasy!

The store isn't too big but was very organized - all the current season's bags are all readily available in front of store, with older samples further back.

How discounted are the bags? As I mentioned, I've been wanting a Botkier bag for a while now, so I've been tracking the price of these bags for a while. Since I've subscribed to their newsletter Jan 2013, I've received one 20% off a Valentina bag offer and two 50% off the entire website offers in my inbox.

So, for me to really consider these a GREAT deal, I was hoping to see at least 50% off or more of these bags. Also, some of their bags are pretty cheap all over the web. The Amazon's Botiker page brought me to these two heavily discounted beauties:

Black Metallic Valentina Shoulder Bag, currently selling for $98.51 (67% off the original price)
Leopard Valentina Shoulder Bag, currently selling at $87.16 (75% off the original price)

I actually saw the same Leopard Valentina bag selling for $100 at the sale, so it's even cheaper online if you can find it. Do some homework, make sure you're not falling into the trap of the sample sale!

NYC: Botkier Sample Sale Report, May 21-23rd 2013

purses • Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I'm a lady of my word. So, when I told you a few weeks ago (after going to the Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale ) that I was going to take a...

Spring is finally here and to celebrate, Madison Square Eats returns to Worth Square, right next to Madison Square Park! Mad. Sq. Eats is a month-long outdoors market that brings some of the most popular New York food vendors into one location.

If you haven't checked it out already (like I failed to when it first opened a few weeks ago), it's definitely worth a visit. Here, you can get a taste of Brooklyn favorites like Roberta's pizzas and Red Hook Lobster without leaving Manhattan!

It's opened 11AM-9PM daily, and in the middle of all the booths, there are quite a few tables set up for you to enjoy the warm(er) weather of May. I visited at 8PM last Tuesday and was able to get a table with a bit of table stalking.

To my surprise, there were actually quite a few vendors who sold beer and other alcoholic beverages, so instead of going to a bar, you can hang out here and people watch.

Hong Kong Street Cart

Green Chili Mac n Cheese with Pulled Pork Sandwich

NYC: Madison Square Eats

food trucks •

Spring is finally here and to celebrate, Madison Square Eats returns to Worth Square, right next to Madison Square Park! Mad. Sq. Eats i...

This summer, a few friends and I have decided to start something we call the Tuesday Night Drinking Club. Every Tuesday, we're going to try to get into some of the most popular speakeasies and bars around Manhattan, but without the terrible long wait times.

Last week, we went to The Raines Law Room, a speakeasy tucked away under an unassuming front door in Flatiron. The bar isn't hard to find, there is a clear sign outside that will let you know you're at the right place. As you walk through the door and black velvet curtains, you are immediately transported back to the Roaring 20s. I was fascinated by its art deco decore, it made me feel luxurious and like I just walked into the set of The Great Gatsby. The metal ceilings, gold tables and the velvet tufted sofas and chairs created such a great mood for me to unwind and enjoy a good cocktail.

Source: The Raines Law Room & Empire Guides

Reservations & Wait time

Raines Law Room only take reservations on Sunday - Tuesday, so perfect for the inaugural Tuesday Night Drinking Club event! We were able to get a reservation for 6 people at 8pm just a few days before by e-mailing them. If you're a planner and dislike ambiguity, this is a much better option than, say, PDT, another speakeasy in the city where you have to call a busy number at 3pm at least 50 times before you get through and can make a reservation.

Without a reservation, we saw a couple who was told by the hostess that it would be an hour wait on Tuesday at 8pm for a table for 2.

NYC: The Raines Law Room

bars • Sunday, May 19, 2013

This summer, a few friends and I have decided to start something we call the Tuesday Night Drinking Club . Every Tuesday, we're going to...

Enough of a distraction from NYC Eats, this is the 3rd post in my LA Food Tour, Spring 2013 series. Previous post includes Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (the best Korean BBQ ever!) and Manhattan Beach Post.

Before Tsujita LA, I had never even heard of Tsukemen Ramen. But this dish has made me a believer and now it's a must-have everytime I go to LA.

Tsujita LA is known for their tsukemen ramen which is served only during lunch. Everyday at 11 AM, Tsujita opens their doors and within a few minutes, there will usually already be a waitlist.

LA: Tsukemen Ramen at Tsujita LA

japanese • Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Enough of a distraction from NYC Eats, this is the 3rd post in my LA Food Tour, Spring 2013 series. Previous post includes Kang Ho Dong B...

Looking for healthy food that's not only affordable but delicious? Look no more, Beyond Sushi serves just that, 100% vegan sushi, unlike anything you've seen before. I've seen Beyond Sushi and its 4.5 star rating on Yelp in the past. But, given the choice between eating regular sushi versus the vegan sushi at Beyond Sushi, I usually choose the sushi that I know and love.

I mean, sure it looked pretty, but vegan sushi? Really? The words vegan and sushi just doesn't seem to go together. This all changed when I was doing my cleanse, and became desperate for a taste of sushi. Since I couldn't eat raw fish at the time, sushi options were extremely limited so Beyond Sushi was my only option to get my fix.

That said, Beyond Sushi is THE BEST discovery during my three week cleanse. It showed me that healthy food can be convenient and doesn't have to cost a million bucks. (I'm looking at you, Quintessence.)

Beyond Sushi is located near Union Square and is opened by Chef Guy Vaknin, a finalist on Hell's Kitchen. He was inspired to promote a healthier lifestyle so he opened a concept that is clearly missing in the current market.

Vegetarian sushi is usually pretty boring, usually an afterthought make from ingredients that are left over from the regular rolls. However, the menu at Beyond Sushi gets really creative and each roll is not only bright and colorful since it's only made from plant-based ingredients but there is pretty much no guilt after eating because everything tastes so fresh and healthy.

Another thing that I love about the rolls at Beyond Sushi is that it's each topped with a sauce that enhances the rolls. I especially like their toasted cayenne sauce, which reminds me of spicy mayo, but it's also vegan and gluten free so anyone can enjoy.

I seriously love how unique each roll is, and if that's not impressive enough, each of these rolls come at only 6.50 a pop. Seriously, that's cheaper than most rolls at a Japanese restaurant. Another point to Beyond Sushi.

Warning: Beyond Sushi is actually a really tiny sushi joint, it only had 3 tables with 4 seats to it each. So don't expect to bring a big party here, if you want to share with many, be sure to just get it to go.

To test out how much of my love for this place was my cleanse delusions or if this place was pretty solid, I recently brought my friend Jo here for dinner to see her thoughts. We ordered 2 rolls and Combo #3, which includes a roll and small wrap.

We ordered La Fiesta, Spicy Mang, and the Crunch N' Munch (pictured below from left to right). My favorite is definitely the Spicy Mang because I love the spicy vegetable topping along with my fave toasted cayenne sauce.

The roll we ended up getting was the Spicy Shroom Wrap made with buckwheat noodles, enoki mushrooms, teriyaki braised shiitake mushrooms, grilled portabella mushroom, pickled ginger, spicy cashews, romaine lettuce and sriracha. Served with shiitake teriyaki sauce.

Our consensus at the end is that the rolls start to taste a bit similar, but still delicious none the less. And for less than $25 total, we were able to get a quality and healthy dinner that really filled us up. Jo approved!

The only thing negative thing I have to say about Beyond Sushi is that they don't deliver to me - I miss it only by 5 blocks.

So for you skeptics out there, definitely give Beyond Sushi a try. It won't hurt you to eat a little healthier once in a while.

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Beyond Sushi | Yelp

229 E 14th St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: Gramercy

(646) 861-2889

NYC: Beyond Sushi

cheap eats • Sunday, May 12, 2013

Looking for healthy food that's not only affordable but delicious? Look no more, Beyond Sushi serves just that, 100% vegan sushi, un...

*Check out my new post for What to Expect at Nov 2013 - Rebecca Minkoff's Sample Sale!

Readers, I have a confession to make. I've been a bad New Yorker. This month marks my second year living in New York, yet the sample sales that I have shopped at - well, I can count on one hand!

One of the best parts of living in New York is being able to take advantage of these things! That said, I am proud to say that I finally went to the Rebecca Minkoff sample sale yesterday and came out a winner.

Rebecca Minkoff sample sales happen twice a year, usually in May and November. Just last year they expanded from just having a NY sale to having a LA location as well. You see, I've seen countless emails to these sample sales in my inbox for quite a few years now, but somehow never needed to go since I already owned two RM bags - a black croc embossed M.A.C. and a matte gray mini M.A.C. I just didn't want to tempt myself.

I try to never pay full price for anything if I don't have to and these bags were no exception. My black MAC came from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale 4 years ago for $220 (orig $295) and my mini MAC was purchased with a Refinary29 deal for $110 (orig $195).

My M.A.C. has been such a go-to bag for me that the piping on the bottom is finally starting to give out, so I knew it was time for me to finally hit the sale to see if I can find a suitable replacement...

1st Attempt - I wanted to go to the sale the first day when it opened to shop the best of the lot, so on Monday afternoon, I got there right when the sale started at Noon. I figured I could skip lunch and grab a bag instead. WRONG. By the time I got there, the line was around the block and the ladies who were in line ahead of me had been there for over an hour! There was no way I was going to get in and shop before lunch ended. Bummed, I hopped back on the subway to go finish the work day.

Note to self: don't go to Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale on the first day or be prepared to wait 1-2 hours in line.

The long tables filled with Regular and Mini M.A.Cs, mini 5-zip and more!

NYC: Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale Report, May 6-11th 2013

deals • Thursday, May 9, 2013

*Check out my new post for What to Expect at Nov 2013 - Rebecca Minkoff's Sample Sale ! Readers, I have a confession to make. I've...

Hakata Tonton is a Japanese temple to pig's trotters located in the West Village. After hearing my brother rave about the grilled trotters, garlic fried rice, and the hot pot (I love hot pot), I knew I had to give it a try.

The restaurant is quite small and given its popularity, I would highly recommend making a reservation way in advanced. Even when I made a ressie a week ahead, the first opening for a table for 4 on a Saturday night was 9:30PM, so plan accordingly.

After taking a look through the menu, you will know that most of the dishes include pork of some sort - from ears, to belly and of course, the trotters.

The Spicy Tuna Carpaccio (which was delicious by the way) might be the only non-pork related item we ended up ordering. I absolutely loved the fried garlic that accompanied it. I'm a sucker for fried garlic.

Next up, we ordered two orders of Grilled Tonton Pork, one of their most popular dishes. The tonsoku, or pig's feet, was served with a spicy garlic sauce and also with a yuzu miso paste. Honestly, I believe I might not be the biggest fan of pig's feet. I mean, I'll eat it, but I don't LOVEEE it. The trotters were perfectly braised so that it was soft, but the grilled charred skin gave it texture that's normally not found with trotter dishes.

Another popular dish at Hakata Tonton is the popular Japanese street food, Okonomi-Yaki Pancake, served with pork tonsoku (of course), konjak & okonomi sauce. This was actually a lot spongier than I expected, but who doesn't love this savory pancake covered in a sweet and tangy sauce? Definitely one of the best that I've had.

Given the whole pork bun craze at Ippudo and other Japanese joints, we had to try the Slow Cooked Pork Belly w/ buns and spicy mustard. The pork was braised for a long time, perhaps too long as the fat was sliding off the meat, making it pretty awkward to eat without making a huge mess. The buns weren't especially soft either, but perhaps their generous portions made up for the lack of execution.

If you like garlic, you will love the Garlic Fried Rice, made with, what else? Pork tonsoku.

And finally, came time for the big finale, the Hakata Tonton Hot Pot, the namesake hot pot made of just all kinds of boiled goods. It's a specialty native to the city of Hakata in Japan, It's made with a collagen broth, tofu, chicken, dumplings, vegetables, pork belly and... say with with me... tonsoku!

The whole dish is actually quite impressive. They took it out towards the end of the meal as it was still cooking, and fresh veggies, chives in a stone pot. It takes about 10 minutes before it continues to boil down on top of the portable stove, giving all of us time to digest and make room for the feast ahead.

The pot of soup was so hearty, it was perfect for our cold winter day. As a lover of hot pot, I really enjoyed the flavorful broth here. Unlike Japanese Shabu Shabu, which they also serve here with a collagen broth, I really liked the random items added to the soup.

And of course, what's a post about Hakata Tonton without pictures of the tonsuku in the soup?

All in all, I enjoyed my meal at Hakata Tonton, but unless I was craving a really hearty meal full of pig's trotters and other less traditional parts of pork, I wouldn't be running back here anytime soon. The service here was a bit slow. The price was fair for Manhattan, but I can see the smaller dishes definitely started adding up. The most affordable dish was the Hakata Tonton Hot Pot which was only $13 per person - which I will easily come back in the winter time for.

Bu, unless I wanted the hot pot, my go-to joint for Japanese comfort food would still be Sake Bar Hagi in Midtown. Now, if only I can get myself to take pictures of that instead of eating everything in sight, I might blog about that in the future.

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Hakata Tonton | Yelp

61 Grove St
(between S 7th Ave & Sheridan Sq)
New York, NY 10014
Neighborhood: West Village

(212) 242-3699

NYC: Hakata Tonton

japanese • Sunday, May 5, 2013

Hakata Tonton is a Japanese temple to pig's trotters located in the West Village. After hearing my brother rave about the grilled tr...

This is the 2nd post in my LA Food Tour, Spring 2013 series. Previous post includes Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (the best Korean BBQ ever!).

Long before I ever came into the picture, J and his bestie regularly went on brunch dates around LA. Their bromance grew from this special meal they shared together every weekend. Name a good brunch spot in LA, they've probably been there together. So when the weekend came along during our most recently LA trip, I felt honored to be taken out with them to the brunch hot spot, Manhattan Beach Post.

Manhattan Beach Post is, well you guessed it, located in Manhattan Beach. That in and of itself gives it some cool points from me. LA + beach = ❤!

Manhattan Beach Post is a "social house", and unless you have a brunch reservation, you are seated in the long communal tables, meant to be shared with whoever comes along.

LA: Manhattan Beach Post

brunch • Saturday, May 4, 2013

This is the 2nd post in my LA Food Tour, Spring 2013 series. Previous post includes Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong (the best Korean BBQ ever!). ...

This is the first post in my LA Food Tour, Spring 2013 series.

It pains me to write about Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong. Why? It's because I have to look through these food photos and remember that I don't live in LA, and that I am not going to be eating here again anytime soon.

I've always heard that some of the best Korean BBQ is in LA (in the US at least), but after multiple meals at different K-BBQ restaurants around LA, I never really noticed the difference between LA and NY. Who would have thought that a restaurant opened by a Korean wrestler turned comedian, Kang Ho Dong, would show me the way?

Yes, in case you are wondering, that's Kang Ho Dong illustrated on the menus & napkins in the photo below.

There are generally two categories of Korean BBQ restaurants in LA - all you can eat meat buffets such as Manna, or slightly more expensive joints that serve better quality meat a la carte such as Baekjeong. Since I usually don't eat enough to get my money's worth, I end up going for better meat quality since the cost ends up about the same either way.