INDIANS AND DUMPLINGS.

OH HAI BROGOSPHERE. Hope this Sunday evening finds you well, and sans ANXIETY ATTACK - which is what I get every Sunday evening in anticipation of yet another horrendous work week. I just wanted to let you know that INDIAN PEOPLE ARE TAKING OVER THE WORLD. Or at least my life.


For one, I just came back from watching THE most amazing movie I have seen in quite some time. 3 IDIOTS, a Bollywood film directed by Rajkumar Hirani. I believe their official website is here. I fear, my friends, that I will just NEVER live to watch Avatar on the IMAX screen. But it's OK because I'M ONTO THE NEXT ONE. 3 Idiots is ALSO a three-hour long movie and GUESS WHAT - it DOESN'T COST $18 to see it!!!!! Amazing cinematography, wonderful actors, and a truly engaging story. I don't really want to give much away because I truly believe it is one of those movies that you MUST SEE...but I will give some basic facts. It is a movie that reveals the college school system in India and the trials and stress that the student population undergoes. The story focuses on three particular students (and later, of course, one beautiful woman) and their journey through college. They learn a lot of valuable lessons within the 4 years, but I think the real lesson is learned 10 years later when they are all reunited. The moral of the story - do what you want...and success will come to you.


Secondly, I spent Saturday evening at Radio City Music Hall to watch the comedic stylings of Indian comedian, RUSSELL PETERS!!!! Phenomenal show...my face hurt from laughing so much. My one complaint is that he BARELY made fun of Asian people!!!!!!!! I was really looking forward to hearing jokes that utilized his HILARIOUSLY ACCURATE Asian accent. See here and here for examples.

But that's OK because I heard PLENTY of that today - when I spent the afternoon in CHINATOWN. With, yes, AN INDIAN PERSON. I swear to god, I cannot escape! Anyways - we went on a walk down Eldridge Street to check out the VEGETARIAN DUMPLING SCENE.


First stop was Prosperity Dumpling - a small little storefront with a "seating/eat-in" area that is, I kid you not, SMALLER than my bedroom. And for those of you that have not had the pleasure of seeing my bedroom - lets just say its humble size is just large enough to squeeze in a queen-size bed with a small 6-drawer dresser. DON'T MOCK ME, I LIVE IN THE VILLAGE. Being in Prosperity Dumpling transports me STRAIGHT back to China...where people don't understand what a LINE is and like to stand in line WITH YOU. And by "WITH YOU," I mean practically a PIGGY-BACK RIDE, if not simply pushing their way IN FRONT of you.


But a small place means a smaller rent, which means the dumplings here are CHEAP. 8 beautiful vegetable dumplings for $2. Yes, I said TWO DOLLARS. Or as Russell Peters would say, "TWO DOW-LO-AHS" (imagine terrible, scary Asian man accent).


We had to wait quite a long time for our eight dumplings to make their way out of the boiling water and onto a plate in front of us...most likely because while we were standing there patiently waiting for someone to take our order, nine old, pushy, Asian ladies behind us secretly (and some NOT so secretly) placed their orders. But the dumplings were YUMMY. I liked the wrapper to vegetable ratio...and to get the dumpling wrapper texture/thickness right is something that must be MASTERED.

We then walked up two or so more blocks and hit up Vanessa's Dumpling House. And WOW what a difference. Vanessa's Dumpling House is definitely the SEXIER of the two...and if their dumplings weren't so darn good I would say that they had SOLD OUT to Western conventions.


Obviously, the clientele at Vanessa's Dumpling House is much more...non-Asian. And that is because Vanessa realized that the other half of New York appreciates CLEAN TABLES and SEATING SPACE and LINES. We had no problem finding the back of the line and standing patiently as the line flowed neatly until our orders were placed. We were then given a numbered ticket and simply had to wait for our number to be called.


But for the bigger space, the higher potential of having an actual seat, and not being swindled by old Asian people who barge in front of you in line...the same 8 vegetable dumplings now cost a whole $3. THREE DOLLARS!!! Hey, for the extra comfort, you can HAVE THE DOLLAR, VANESSA. You win. I'm not really Asian. I can't handle Prosperity Dumpling.


The dumpling wrappers here are actually thicker than the ones at Prosperity Dumpling...which makes them a little more substantial when they are sitting in your tummy. These ones also seemed to have more greens stuffed inside. However, overall taste was pretty similar across the board.


I actually decided to order 8 shrimp dumplings, at the low cost of $4.


Huge chunks of tasty shrimp...for a mere FOUR DOLLARS...it truly makes me wonder why I eat anywhere else.

So here is what I think. If you want to go and enjoy a meal with friends - splurge and take them out to the classier Vanessa's Dumpling House. If you're flying solo and just want a quick bite to-go or you're looking to buy a bag of frozen dumplings - go with Prosperity Dumpling. They sell a pack of 50 frozen vegetable dumplings for $10. TEN DOLLARS. AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR!!? I am about to go buy their dumplings in bulk, open up a food cart, and up-charge like crazy in Midtown!!!!

BAOHAUS.

MMMM ATTENTION EVERYONE. IF YOU LOVE YOURSELF, GET YOUR BUTT OVER TO THE LOWER EAST SIDE RIGHT NOW!! Because you HAVE, HAVE, HAVE to go to BAOHAUS - amazing TAIWANESE-OWNED bun shop serving some serious happiness-inducing food!!!


Our cup of boiled peanuts - these peanuts are boiled in salt and rice vinegar for over EIGHT HOURS, for our eating enjoyment.


Squish and peel each peanut open to reveal wonderfully tasty, softened peanuts!


My can of Sarsaparilla - Taiwanese root beer!


URGHMMMMSEGJSNEG YAMMY. Looking at this picture of our Sweet Bao Fries is making me SALIVATE. The same yummy white dough they use to make the buns (or bao, in chinese) is fried to a lightly crisp but soft texture and then drizzled with CONDENSED MILK AND BLACK SESAME!!!!! AHH, I die.


And then, of course, the buns. I ordered the Uncle Jesse buns - which are the only vegetarian option available. It is made of tofu that has been coated in a sweet potato starch and pan fried that is topped with their Haus Sauce, cilantro, crushed peanut, and Taiwanese red sugar. The potato starch gives the tofu the same slightly gummy coating as Agedashi tofu. This bun was, as expected, DELICIOUS!!!!!!! The textures, the flavors, the whole kit and kaboodle.

So, my friends, I HIGHLY ADVISE you march yourself to the LES right now and get yourself a ROYAL FRUSH (yes, for one). You will not be disappointed. And do note that this establishment is CASH ONLY.

ROBATAYA.

My meal at Robataya occurred earlier this month and I have been meaning to tell you all about it, but let's just say this post kept on being sent to the backburner!!! That's what happens when you get behind on the blogging. Also that's also what happens when you eat a meal totally drunk and can't really remember exactly what you ordered...and only have the pictures to prove that you ate there.


Case in point...


Another case in point...my best guess is that this was the Japanese Yam and Nori Seaweed from the grill menu.

I apologize for not being able to be very descriptive or critical of this restaurant. I can assure you that my meal was enjoyable. There was nothing that was flagrantly offensive or off-putting and I think that the food quality was actually quite excellent. Also - for future diners - try to get seated by the bar..apparently it is quite the show!

It was clear, from the pictures, that I WORE THE PANTS in this dining experience. The remaining pictures were easily identifiable - I simply re-read the menu, chose every dish I would have wanted...and matched them with the images that appeared in my camera. To my un-surprise, we ordered everything I would have wanted.


This was our Kani Shumai - steamed homemade Alaskan snow crab dumplings in a clear soup. They were not your typical dumplings as the balls of crab meat were wrapped in a basket-like structure of noodles rather than your everyday dumpling wrapper. I like the difference it makes in texture and flavor.


Fukusa Yako - Japanese style omelet stuffed with white fish, carrot, shitake mushroom, and mitsuba leaf. The Japanese really know how to handle their eggs - how they create these wonderful roll of eggs that is wonderfully infused with flavor is a MYSTERY to me. Which is why I am giving my first-born the middle name TAMAGO. I sense a trial-in-the-kitchen coming soon...


We ordered two types of onigiri (roasted rice balls) - one miso, one soy sauce. Crispy and chewy, perfect.


Kamameshi - rice cooked in an earthenware pot with salmon and salmon roe. I don't know what it is about cooked salmon being smashed into rice that has appealed to me since a young age. But this is one of those dishes that I can simply never overlook when I'm at a Japanese restaurant.

I remember at this point, I was still not in my most sober of states (after emptying out another half-bottle of sake) and proclaimed to my dining partner that I was still not yet satiated. After consuming all of the above...so for some reason my dining partner allowed me to tick a few more dishes off to the waiter.


I can only presume that this was some sort of squid or octopus dish that was maybe a special? I could not identify it off the menu...


And then the Tamago Zousui - rice porridge with organic egg. This is my kind of dish!!!! Home-y, comforting, and does not require chewing. You know my taste for food is that of a baby with no teeth or a senior citizen with no teeth. Plus, my love for eggs and rice know no bounds.

And that, my friends, was my drunken meal at Robotaya.

DITCH PLAINS - THE SEQUEL.

Two weeks ago, I finally decided to make my second foodie run to Ditch Plains - which just so happens to be across the street from my apartment (so my foodie run actually turned more into a foodie skip). As you may recall from my last visit, I was deeply disheartened to find that the kitchen had run out of LOBSTER ROLLS for the evening. So I came back to avenge my hungry stomach and continual effort to try every lobster roll in the city.

I began my meal with a bowl of vegetable soup - I recall it being chock-full of a variety of veggies in a water-based tomato soup. I'm glad it wasn't a creamy tomato soup because that would have been too much combined with the mayo from the lobster roll. The soup served its purpose of warming me up on a cold evening and providing me with at least 1 serving of vegetables but the flavors were nothing to report about...but I didn't have very high expectations anyways.


Unfortunately, Ditch Plains' lobster roll (which I DID have expectations for) was also nothing to rave about. The salad was ICE COLD - if you have sensitive teeth, I definitely wouldn't recommend this roll. I think even the bun was cool to the touch. There was far too much celery in the mix and also some weird, unidentifiable green stuff (PARSLEY!!!?? CILANTRO??!!?) that was NOT welcome. You know it's bad when both diners are STRUGGLING to the finish line simply because one cannot waste lobster...even if it is covered in PARSLEY.


I wasn't allowed to substitute the sweet potato chips that come with Ditch Plains' lobster roll, so I opted to get a side of grilled zucchini. Nothing fancy, but was peeved that I wasn't able to just switch the chips out for some greens (which they typically allow at other restaurants).


To make up for our disappointing entree, we decided to splurge on dessert. Here we have their ice cream sandwich - a nice layer of ice cream sitting in between two thick layers of soft chocolate cookies (almost brownie-like). The sandwich was soft enough to bite into, but not a melty mess. Definitely a winner in the ice cream sandwich category.


And of course, we had to order the tried-and-true smores. One of those childhood desserts you really don't get to eat too often. There is just something about a warm marshmallow melting into a cool, thick slab of chocolate that really creates a wonderful texture. A great way to end any meal.

I feel bad ripping on my neighbor, but this was my second time eating at this restaurant and my second time feeling that their food is simply mediocre. My dining partner and I were NOT satisfied with lobster roll, at all. There are so many other great lobster roll options on the West Village vicinity - it really means business if you are going to participate in the neighborhood lobster roll game. Ditch Plains did not make the cut - but I would consider stepping in for a side of mac & cheese and some desserts.

SUSHI UO.

I have been wanting to check out Sushi Uo ever since I read about it in NYMag Grub Street back in November. SECRET SUSHI!??!? SUSHI SPEAKEASY!?!?! UNMARKED DOORS?!?!? All the words that drive me to absolute insanity until I finally see it (and eat it) for myself.

Thank goodness I had the PERFECT birthday occasion for dining at exactly this sort of establishment.


One lovely side of the table. Love the embellished shoulders on the sweater, Char!!! Check out her cackle/choke/snort-enducing and ab-enhancing blog here.

And the other side - the lucky birthday boy surrounded by two STUNNINGLY ATTRACTIVE women. Hey, it's my blog. I can say what I want.


We started off with several appetizers. The first of which being the Seared Somen Noodle Bundles with tsuyu dipping sauce. A simple, clean preparation of noodles wrapped into little nests and lightly seared on the bottom. The lightly salty flavor of the otherwise neutral noodle was welcome and I loved the touch of crispiness on the bottom of each bundle.


Our Chipotle Spiced Tuna on Crispy Rice. Either the wine or the sake had already ripped my taste buds to shreds - or the dish really wasn't spicy enough. The tuna didn't have enough richness to function alone - and really needed that extra kick. Sure, there was a jalapeno sitting atop each bite, but that didn't even do the trick. The spice needed to come from the sauce or be added to the fish meat. The bland taste of the crispy rice cannot be to blame - as the purpose of this component was to add texture...but I felt that even the rice wasn't crispy enough!


Next up was the Tuna Tartare with cilantro, jalapeno, and citrus. What a beautiful presentation!! I, however, was not the greatest fan of the tuna, once again. There was something about the tuna's flavor that evening that really just wasn't there. And the addition of citrus into this dish didn't really help (this is a very personally-biased critique as I don't love additive citrus flavors in virtually any dish). Also, not to get super technical - but the tuna wasn't even finely chopped as tartare should be prepared..it came in a chunk-form and each slice could easily be separated.

At this point, the sushi chef could probably see the disappointment on my face from across the small restaurant and had heard word of my overall disapproval of the meal thus far.


So out came the free swag. Creamy rock shrimp tempura prepared two different ways, compliments of the chef. This dish definitely lifted my spirits (and my opinion) and was very enjoyable. Our table gobbled it up in minutes.


Next up - my Uo Nigiri Plate. In clock-wise order starting with the top left nigiri: wasabi crusted tuna with creamy mustard sauce, marinated chopped saba, suzuki with suonomo gelee, salmon with black goma sauce, flounder with micro shiso, and red snapper with arugula pesto. Don't let the wordy melange of words fool you - because I was surprised when my dish ended up being so...tiny. Who wants to guess which one was my favorite!?! If you picked the one that is topped with black goma (AKA BLACK SESAME) - then you are RIGHT. Where is your surprised face??? I loved the nutty/earthy flavors on the salmon...worked very well. On a negative note...the suonomo gelee was so surprisingly acidic that it nearly made me choke. That aside, the presentation of the dish was quite beautiful and I enjoyed this dish overall.


I also ordered a LIVE SCALLOP. There are several LIVE sushi options featured on Sushi Uo's menu, which I don't believe I have ever seen or noticed before at other sushi restaurants. The waitress explained how the live sushi was prepared because we were all concerned with clams and octopi crawling off the table - and I wish I remembered exactly what she told us...something along the lines of the chef injecting something-that-sounds-like-an-electrolyte into the fish right before serving. Apparently if you you look closely enough or if you throw the live sushi against a hard surface you can see it recoil and pulse. WEIRD. I was kind of disappointed that the live scallop wasn't wriggling and squirming when it was presented to me. The texture was just slightly tougher than normal raw fish and the taste was clean and fresh.


We were then presented with this tasting trio ALSO compliments of the chef!!!! Uni, live octopus, and live clam!!!!! We were floored by his generosity. I was excited to get the chance to try other live forms of sushi!!!


If that wasn't enough - each diner at our table was then presented with glasses half-filled with a sweet plum wine, ALSO compliments of the chef!!!!! At this point, Chef David had completely won me over. And I just had to make my way over to the sushi bar to pay him my regards.


Chef and owner, David Bouhadana, is a charming young chef (and by young, I mean 23 - really makes you wonder what you have done with your life). Things had slowed down as it was nearly closing time, so we were able to chat him up and even take this sweet picture with him. He even told me about the bowl of small SATSUMA that was sitting on his sushi counter - which are like small Asian oranges. I noticed that they had all been grated - so I attributed the evil peel to the citrus taste of the sushi that I disliked. He is a very chill, laid-back, and friendly chef and I can't thank him enough for the special treatment he showed our table that evening. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHEF DAVID!!! WE LOVE YOU! Because of his hospitality and consideration - I would DEFINITELY return to Sushi Uo.

THE DEATH OF ICE CREAM/COOKIE MONSTER. UNTIL FEB.

OK, ERRBODY. I have an announcement to make.

I AM OFFICIALLY NOT EATING SWEETS UNTIL FEBRUARY.

Stop laughing. I'm being serious.

And yes, that includes ice cream. And chocolate. And cookies. And cake.

I know it's already January 20th, but the next 11 days (well, 10 - as this one is pretty much already over) will be extremely grueling and I strongly advise you to NOT GET IN MY WAY. I am serious. A woman with low blood sugar (especially when the woman is ME) is really not a force to be reckoned with.

You must be wondering what has suddenly pushed me over the edge...and the following story in pictures shall be enough proof that I have become a DESSERT MONSTER that needs to be given a TRANQUILIZER. Dessert is something to be enjoyed every once in a while...not a daily necessity.


On Sunday I enjoyed a nice bowl of pho on a cold, rainy evening in Chinatown...and then of course had to walk 3 blocks out of the way to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory to get my daily SWEET FIX - and my favorite form of sweetness is, as you all know, ICE CREAM. As you may recall from my last post concerning CICF, I was pretty much blown out of this world. My ice cream gobbling partner would not let me get my tried-and-true green tea and black sesame flavors and forced me to branch out...so I (reluctantly) ordered a scoop of Pumpkin Pie and a scoop of Almond Cookie. AND IT WAS SO AMAZING. OMG, the pumpkin pie is like...just like pumpkin pie...and the almond cookie is just like...almond cookie!!! These flavors were so realistic!!!I know that sounds so dumb - but I am convinced the only way something already perfect can taste better is if it comes in ice cream form.

This trip was even more exciting than my last visit because I got to chat with Christina, the lucky owner of CICF!!! Her father started CICF almost 30 years ago and it is no surprise that this joint has been such a success - Christina taught me that the Chinese invented ice cream!!!! I double-checked with my friend, Google, and she is so RIGHT!!!! She also has a sweet blog that gives true INSIDER tips on the best places to get grub in Chinatown. I encourage all my readers to stop by, order a scoop, and say hello!!!


If yesterday's meal of butter-laden gnocchi wasn't enough...I also decided to stop by at Momofuku Milk Bar on the walk home. They had new soft serve flavors and I just HAD to try the Nuts and Honey...and then order myself a cup of the Peanut Butter and Jelly with a topping of Ritz Crackers!!!! Super yummy (strong grape jelly and nutty flavors)...and what a great topping choice!! Very applicable.

I also decided to take home two cookies - thinking that they would make nice treats for the rest of the week.

Well...think again because GUESS WHO ATE THEM AS SOON AS SHE GOT HOME. NOT ME. Ok, yes...me. GROSS, JEAN. YOU'RE SUCH A MOTHER HEIFER. But can you blame me:


Momofuku's famous Compost Cookie - made of pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, and chocolate chips. The cookie gets surprisingly dense and thick in the middle...but remains very soft. I couldn't taste the pretzels and potato chips, which made me wonder if I actually got the right cookie - but after looking at other food blog accounts, I found this to be a common theme. It tasted very much like JUST a chocolate and butterscotch chip cookie...but still a very good one at that.


The cornflake cluster cookie, on the other hand, was my favorite of the two. There is something about the taste of cornflakes that is so familiar that it is almost comforting. Mixed with marshmallows, the cornflakes turned into a CORNFLAKE KRISPIE TREAT - which I prefer to one made of Rice Krispies. The cornflakes give it more substance and flavor. The chocolate chips added just the right amount of sweetness. Delicious!!!!

And with that...I bid all of you delicious treats adieu...until February. Pray for me.

HEARTH & HAITI.

It is comforting to know that people still care and it is nice to know that there are still some people that believe that even the littlest bit can help (all you cynics can stop reading this blog post now). The response to the Haiti earthquake has been tremendous - technology has made it now easier than ever to contribute to a cause even if you cannot physically be there in person, giving medical aid, distributing food, or helping with rebuilding efforts. So long as you had a cell phone or internet access, you could play your part white sitting at the computer chair, lounging on the couch, waiting in traffic in the car, or...even at the dining table!! I was so happy to see that the NY restaurant and bar scene really jumped to action to voice their concerns and show their support by sponsoring events where a percentage of their proceeds for the evening or week would be donated to help fund relief efforts in Haiti. For the most updated list that I have seen thus far, check out Eater's handy dandy eat-for-Haiti DIGEST MAP and get out there and eat for a cause!!

My friends and I chose to dine at Hearth yesterday evening - the benefit vowed to donate 50% of Hearth's gross revenues for the evening to relief efforts (more specifically, to Partners in Health). I am pleased to say that I was a part of the $7,700 contribution that was made last night. Giving back has never been this easy!! Or this tasty!!


We were first presented with complimentary shooters of red lentil soup. A salty, rustic puree of lentil that coated our tummies with warmth and got us through the long wait for our waiter's attention. I won't get into that though because this is supposed to be a positive post.


I began with the Cauliflower Soup that was nicely studded with Maine sea urchin sitting atop brioche croutons and little broccoli florets. The soup could have done with a little less cream but I liked the textures of the soup with the soft uni and the soggy croutons. I am going to ignore the fact that there was PARSLEY sprinkled all over the surface of the dish...


The Nantucket Bay Scallops were cooked nicely and placed in a puree of Kabocha squash and dressed with pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. Being that I absolutely love Kabocha squash, I was quite disappointed when the puree held little of the vegetable's natural flavors. The pumpkin seeds added a nice salty flavor and crunch but the pomegranate seeds were not a favorable choice. The small bursts of juice really did not jive with the rest of the dish.


And the side dish of Gnocchi which was served in some sort of sage/butter sauce. These were some of the softest gnocchi I have ever had in my life - each piece was essentially a bite of mashed potato. If this is the way gnocchi is supposed to be, than sue me for what I am about to say - but I definitely like a little more bite in my pasta. I shouldn't be able to dig into each gnocchi with my upper lip. Other then that - the flavors were great.

I know, I know - I was supposed to be positive...but even in the face of charity I cannot take off my CRITICAL HAT. Despite my remarks, this quaint little restaurant in the East Village has won my heart with its generosity and I will always hold it in a favorable light.

MOMOFUKU NOODLE BAR.

Two weeks ago I finally got around to dining at the famed Momofuku Noodle Bar. It's one of those restaurants that you've heard so much about that its practically as if you've already eaten there. I think David Chang would hate me if he ever met me. I'm vegetarian (the man so strongly either hates vegetarians or loves duck liver that he promised to donate the proceeds from his foie gras dish to charity). I'm a food blogger (on a list of 10 things David Chang hates, Chang mentioned "Type A's: like the people who take pictures and notes on the food at Ko. 'The food’s getting cold'"). And I'm about to bash on his shitake bun.


Ok...I get it. You hate vegetarians. But did you really have to make our bun option THIS boring!!? It was so boring that I thought the HIDDEN CUCUMBER was a highlight. The sweet sauce in the bun was tasty but left you only wishing there was something more substantial in the center.

I mean...just take a hint from this nice lady I saw on the side of a street in China...


She makes lots of buns all day long. And they cost 20cents/each. And I was probably still ripped off.


And look what her mushroom bun was filled with. Mushroom AND vegetables!!!!! Is a few greens too much to ask for!?!?


Exhibit B. Mushroom bun from restaurant in Yuyaun Baazar - with mushrooms, vegetables, AND TOFU!!!!

C'mon, Dave. You could have tried just a little bit harder. And then maybe we would have overlooked the foie gras thing.


I was, however, quite impressed with the pear salad - a thick smear of greek yogurt topped with what I mistook to be two different kinds of pears (I was under the impression that there were shavings of asian pears and normal (bosc? anjou?) pears) but in actuality it may be three different preparations of one type of pear (poached, pickled, and fresh??), hazelnut, and honsemeji (pickled mushrooms). Of course the pear salad was nowhere to be found in Chang's cookbook, so the contents of the pear combination will forever remain a mystery to me. The dense, creamy yogurt paired nicely with the tartness of some pear bites and sweetness of others. The earthy flavors from the hazelnut tied back to pear (there was always something a little grittier and earthier about this little fruit). The honsemeji added a slightly smoky touch to each bite, which was nice. You wouldn't normally expect a salad like this at a noodle bar...but despite my questioning its raison d'etre, I will admit I did fall a bit in obsession with this dish.


And of course - a little cup of their soft serve. Ya'll know how much I love going to Momofuku Milk Bar to try their new flavors of the month. The flavors at the restaurant are different from those offered at the Milk Bar - I imagine the Noodle Bar flavors are a little less riske, if you will. I opted for the Mocha and Mint twist - and it was delightful.

So...great job on the non-Asian food, David!!! As for a truer taste of Asia, head to another place in St. Mark's Place, Koreatown, or Chinatown. I guarantee you it will be better in your stomach and on your wallet.