We stumbled upon this cozy Mediterranean restaurant in Brooklyn. Here’s Zizi Limona.
P.S. Apparently, they’re planning to extend their branch to Chelsea.
A fluffy, warm, hallow on the inside, flat bread.
Mix some chickpeas, tahini, and lemon.
The perfect texture of creamy, paired will with the warm flat bread, we (literally) liked this bowl clean.
The chicken was warm and juicy and I liked the saffron couscous at the bottom of plate.
I liked this main dish much more than the chicken. The food was a little salty for my taste but the combination of eggs, tomato stew with chickpeas, and to top it all off the warm, tender, skirt steak brought this dish together.
If the weather is nice, you can grab a seat outside or stay inside for a nice cozy meal. I loved the hummus and the Shakshuka with skirt steak.
I now understand why people talk so highly about the Omurice at Hi-Collar in the east village. I highly recommend this place. The Omurice was so fluffy. So. Good.
This restaurant has limited seating, so if you’re going on a weekend, make sure you line up early, so you can grab a seat (unless you don’t mind waiting, which is worth it, in my opinion).
Wow. I have no words. The egg was soft, wiggly, fluffy, not too runny but just very slightly runny once you scooped up a bite with your spoon. The Omurice was warm, not sweat, and I almost inhaled this is one go. Did I mention how fluffy the egg was?
Ten out of ten out of ten I would go back.
One of the most famous Jewish deli’s here in New York. Hi there, Katz’s.
Okay, let me explain: the only thing we’ve been doing and we’re planning to do all day was eat, eat, and eat. We went on a food tour in NYC, so we thought we’d at least TRY to be a bit healthy where we could.
You know, I’m usually not a huge fan of pickles, but this paired nicely with the rich deli meat.
I’m so glad I got the half order because, I mean, look at this thing! Kat’z wasn’t shy with the amount of deli meat they gave you. I now understand why people love this place so much.
If you haven’t been to Katz’s yet, you have to check this place out and get their corned beef and pastrami sandwich.
I kept hearing great reviews about Sfoglina’s pasta in D.C., so of course I had to check this place out myself.
P.S. the owners of this restaurant also owns Fiola and Fiola Mare, which we (aka the DC locals) all know has great food and great vibes. It can be a bit pricey, but I’d say it’s some of the best restaurants in DC.
Whenever I come to a restaurant that has high reviews, I’m always nervous about the outcome. Will it meet my expectations?
Free bread + good bread = the best type of bread.
I hadn’t had my caffeine for the day yet and I was feeling a bit tired, so I ordered a nice earl grey.
I was not expecting them to serve one large mozzarella, so this was a surprise, but if you’re a fan of cheese, please order this as an appetizer. Your tastebuds will thank me later.
Porcini Crema, Mushrooms, Parmigiano Reggiano. If you’re a fan of gnocchi, you must order this. I can’t stress enough how delicious this plate was. The texture of the sauce wasn’t too creamy but it also wasn’t watery. The warm gnocchi was soft and melted in your mouth with every bite you took.
Chestnut & Ricotta, Sage-Brown Butter, Barilotto Cheese. Another great choice if you’re in the mood for tortellini.
Overall, 10/10 I would come back here. The restaurant was bright, the service was impeccable, but most importantly, the food was fresh, high quality, and absolutely delightful. I know see why so many people talk so highly about this place.
If you’re looking for good pasta, you should add this place to your list.
A nice casual restaurant with good food. Here’s, Cote.
If you come during the lunch hours, you’ll be able to participate in their two or three course lunch set menu for a fairly good price.
Sliced smoked salmon with dill, shallots, baby capers and crème fraîche dressing with toasted sourdough bread. The smoked salmon was fresh, the bread was nicely toasted, put them together, squeeze some lemon, and your tastebuds will be pleased.
Rustic French onion soup with a sourdough croûte and melted Comté cheese. Okay, I’m usually not a soup person but wow this french onion soup was delicious. The cheese melted right in your mouth, the soup was warm and didn’t feel greasy.
Baked crêpes with wild mushrooms, spinach and Gruyère cheese. I normally wouldn’t order a dish like this but thought I’d change things up and I’m so glad I did. This crepe is very different from what you’d get in America or Asia, so this was new to me. It was a bit more “mushy” and the cheese and mushroom would melt in your mouth. I enjoyed every bite of it.
Pan roasted pork belly with gratin potato, braised Savoy cabbage, apples, thyme and calvados jus. If you’re looking for a more filling meal, this is a good safe option.
The restaurant was a bit crowded when we went, so it felt a bit chaotic, but overall, the food was good for its price.
P.S. apparently they have good espresso coffee too!
Here’s a nice Italian Spanish tapas restaurant in London near Covent Garden. Hello, Opera Tavern.
If you’re looking for a light snack or a full meal, this is a nice ambiance restaurant to go to.
The broccoli was well steamed and the lemon gave it a refreshing kick.
If you don’t like beans, I recommend that you skip ordering this. I personally enjoyed this dish and I have no idea what they put in their “herbs oil” but it was delicious.
These were bite sized and they went light on the parmesan. I completely forgot they even added some to it until I was re-reading their menu. The salsa was fresh and the meat was tender. Highly recommended!
This was another great dish but it didn’t leave me with a “wow” impression. If I ever came back, I’d probably skip this and try something else under their “Meat” menu.
A tiny crunchy cannoli filed with pistachio and powdered sugar to end the meal.
Unfortunately, Opera Tavern lost their Michelin star ranking, but their food is still delicious with great ambiance too.
Lotte recently built a new tall building in Seoul, so we decided to take a last minute trip to check it out. We were a bit hungry, so we grabbed a quick bite at The Lounge, which is one of the few places you can dine at.
They have small bites, afternoon tea, salads, and burgers. The food is a bit costly for the quality and size, but you get a nice birds eye view and ambiance.
I know I’ve said this before, but I seriously love cafes. I love tea, the smell of coffee, and appreciating the culture of the shop. Today, we stopped by: Everything but the Hero Cafe in Itaewon.
Fun fact: this cafe is owned by Jo In Sung’s brother. Jo In Sung is a Korean actor who… you know what, here’s a link to his Asian Wiki page since I had to look him up to figure out who he was too (oops!).
Bright white interior with lots of seatings up stairs. They even had a room (with a door that closes!) with a long table for students working on group projects or professionals needing a meeting space.
You can even snag a seat next to the large windows throughout the cafe.
Also, can we quickly pause at how tiny that tea - it’s more like an espresso - cup is?
I’m sensitive to caffeine, so I got a nice camomile tea as my afternoon drink.
Wow that coffee was fresh and I liked the slight cinnamon kick to it.
They also gave us some free chocolate, which they make themselves at the cafe. The chocolate wasn’t too sweet, was rich, and had that perfect amount of slight bitterness to wrap it all up. It didn’t taste like a cheap chocolate bar.
You will pay a bit more for a cup of coffee here, but hey, they make good coffee, they have a few pastries you can select from, and a nice ambiance. It’s cafes like this that makes me wish I was still a student. I would’ve loved to camp out here and work on papers or study for an exam.
I was disappointed by my usual go-to jjajangmyeon delivery when I was here during the summer, so we decided to try out Mao in Itaewon instead.
I’d recommend driving or taking a cab here since it is a bit of a hike from the subway station.
But if you’re craving something else, they have other options on the menu too.
I love open kitchen concepts and like how the staff were speaking in Chinese (don’t worry, they know Korean too!) and were laughing with each other. It kept the mood light and vibrant.
The meat was tender - you’d be surprised at how many hard tangsuyuk’s I’ve had - and I liked how the meat wasn’t overly drowning in the sweet and sour sauce.
Now this is a dish I haven’t had in a while. The sauce was light, the noodles were nice and crispy (except at the bottom) and they filled your plates with some broccolis, scallions, shrimp, mushrooms, and others.
One of my favorite comfort foods.
I’m still a child so I always ask for scissors to cut my noodles. The sauce wasn’t thick, it was actually a bit watery, but it didn’t taste like your cheap take-out jjajangmyeon.
My favorite jjajang place I’ve ever had is still the one in Chinatown, Incheon (post here), but if I’m looking for something simple, good tangsuyuk, and I’m in the area, I wouldn’t mind coming here to satisfy my cravings.
P.S. rumor has it that seats gets filled quickly at this restaurant on the weekends, so come for lunch on a weekday or arrive a bit early on a weekend to skip the crowd.
Before you hit up the Masungi Georeserve, you should come eat at the Silayan Dining Room.
Breathtaking.
This restaurant takes this blue flower and adds some local cinnamon to make blue flower housed iced tea.
So no, there aren’t any food coloring in this drink.
Fresh squash, corn, cherry tomatoes with some local basil heads. They handpick everything every morning, so the ingredients they cook with is very fresh.
Orange flower, which is rich in vitamin C, eggs, cucumber dressing with roots. There were also some dried bananas and sweet potatoes, white cheese, and onion on the side. All flowers were edible. I loved nibbling on these dried foods.
With local chocolate liver sauce on the side. Yup. I wasn’t a huge fan of this but the chicken was tender and had a nice cilantro kick. There were some bananas under the meat and all the greens were local ingredients.
The mango had a bit of a spicy kick thanks to the cayenne powder. The chocolate isn’t your gourmet chocolate, but it went well with the rest of the tart. Oh, and some blue edible flower to top it all.
We weren’t sure what to expect coming to this restaurant, so we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meal. They don’t take any walk-in appointment since the staff handpicks all the ingredients they need just for that day.
The view was great, make sure you use mosquito repellent if mosquitos love you (like they annoyingly love me), and sit back and enjoy your meal. 10/10 I would come back here before my hike at Masungi Georeserve. Don’t forget to call ahead to make a reservation if you want a seat though.
I love going to cafes to do work, catch-up with old friends, journal, or sit around to kill time. I recently moved to New York, so I’ve been looking for a new go to weekend cafe for all the above events. Here’s Manhattan’s Devocion.
A cafe with nice ambiance, good coffee (just kidding I’m a tea person, but good coffee is still important so my coffee-lover-friends will have an enjoyable experience too), is always a must.
I haven’t been to the Brooklyn location, but from the photos, it looks like that Devocion is a lot more spacious than the one in Manhattan (but are we surprised by this? Nope).
I love the smell and am staring to love coffee more and more again, but I tend to lean more towards tea since the caffeine is easier on me. It took me a few beats to figure out what I wanted (& thank goodness there was no one behind me to rush me!) since I had to refresh my memory on the coffee language.
I decided on the Soy (since I’m a bit lactose intolerant) Latte and wow this cup is the reason why I started to like coffee again. I know the espresso to latte ratio is about 1:3, but please be patient as I slowly ease my way back into the world of coffee.
I ordered a side of this peanut-buttery, walnut, pumpkin seed granola bar. It was a little too sweet for the morning for me but if I ever went back, I’d probably order this again.
I arrived around 9:30 a.m. and was able to easily snag a seat. The cafe did start to get a bit more crowded as we got closer to noon but the noise level stayed moderate.
The only down is that there isn’t wifi on the weekends, but if you’re coming in to work on a paper, catch-up with friends, or want a good cup of coffee (it’s seriously so good!), this is a great go to cafe.
I know, you’re probably wondering why in the world I’d eat Ramen while traveling abroad, but we were hungry and this spot looked cozy, so we decided to step into Shoryu Ramen and this place did not disappoint.
It always takes me a minute when deciding what type of ramen I want since I only started to like Ramen in the last 3 years.
I can’t remember what ramen this was but the broth wasn’t as creamy and rich as the Shoryu Ganso Tonkotsu.
I personally wasn’t a huge fan of this gyoza, it wasn’t the worst but it also wasn’t the best. Feel free to skip this order (unless you’re really craving some gyoza).
The broth was creamy and warm, the noodles were thin and the pork was tender. I highly recommend this dish.
I did a bit more research on this restaurant after I got home and it looks like Shoryu Ramen has multiple chains in the UK and one spot in Japan. Their Executive Chef was born in Hakata, so he wanted to bring their Hakata Tonkotsu ramen to the UK. I highly recommend this ramen shop if you’re in the UK.
We all have those night when we’re starving, craving something greasy, carb heavy, and hoping for a quick food delivery. I was debating whether I wanted to even write about this place because it was a disappointing meal, but felt like I had to write about it to remind myself how this meal went.
I’ll keep this short.
We got garlic bread and pepperoni/mushroom pizza. There was something off about their dough. It was fully cooked but felt thick and a little stale. Their garlic bread was disappointing too. I most likely will not order from this place again.
That’s all for Little Italy Pizza.
You know I love a good brunch spot. A friend and I stopped by Good Thanks NYC on a late Saturday morning.
The place got crowded pretty quickly and people were lining up to get a seat, so make sure you get there a little early if you’re planning to stop by this bright-cozy brunch spot.
They had toast, eggs, smoothies and juices too.
Everything was really fresh. They weren’t shy with the amount of avocado they added on your sourdough and I liked the sea salt kick. If you’re a big avocado toast fan like I am, I highly recommend this one.
Local mushrooms roasted in herbed miso butter on sourdough bread. The friend I came here with usually orders this or the Avocado toast depending on her mood, so this is another highly recommended dish.
They have “small” “medium” and “large” eat options on their menu. We ordered off their medium eats section, but I plan to come back to try their Banana Bread and House Made Granola from their small eats and the Good Morning bowl from their large eats.
City Perch Kitchen & Bar in Pike & Rose, North Bethesda, MD, started becoming my go to brunch spot on Sunday.
The serving sizes are generous, they have Mimosas, Bellini, and Bloody Mary for those brunching and drinking fans. There’s easy parking and a restaurant with nice ambiance to catch-up with friends.
I recommend ordering off the Brunch Box. For $20, you’ll get a main and a drink. For an additional $10, you can participate in bottomless boozy brunch.
With chocolate on the side to start us off.
You get to select three ingredients and a choice of meat for your omelette. My omelette was warm and the cheese melted between eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and ham. A nice healthy - high protein dish to start my day.
With a side of bacon maple syrup for those craving something sweet and salty.
For those who want a little bit of everything, here’s a dish that serves steak, eggs (style of your choice), potatoes, and toast. My friend looked like she was in heaven as she was taking a bite out of her meal and sipping her Mimosa on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Boozy drinks for the friends and a nice green tea for me to stay sober to drive everyone back home safely (please don’t ever drink and drive, be tipsy and drive, or drunk drive. Let’s keep the road safe for everyone :))
On our last day in Korea, we decided to let our bodies rest and sleep in a bit. We met up with my Aunt and Uncle at Yong Su San for some good traditional Korea food from the Koryo Dynasty.
We ended up doing the lunch set menu so we could taste a little bit of everything, and I highly recommend that you do too if you ever make your way over here.
The food was fresh, it was filling but didn't make you feel heavy at the end of the meal, and the ambiance of this restaurant was sophisticated but not to the point you felt like you had to dress up to eat here. I honestly don’t have any negative comments.
I highly recommend that you check this place out if you want good Korea traditional food. Even the staff were accustomed to people taking photos of their meal, so they were exceptionally patient and understanding.
Huge shoutout to my Aunt and Uncle for finding this spot and treating us to this delicious meal!
While my friends and I were walking around Itaewon trying to find a place to eat, we randomly picked Monalisa.
Even though I was mentally prepared for the food to be Korean-influenced, what I ended up tasting was something I was not prepared for.
A simple, safe dish. It was a little sweet but overall, not too bad.
Throw in some shrimp, vegetables, and sweetener (wait, what? Yup).
Ah, Korea’s carbonara is always sweet and not as creamy and a bit more watered-down. I’m used to this taste, so it feels like nostalgia, but I can see how others wouldn’t be too keen.
Okay, so this is what I really wanted to talk about: two pizza dishes. I already mentally prepared myself that Korean pizza (or just Italian food in general) would be sweet, but this pizza was something I was not ready for.
They added the cheese and meat on this pastry-like-bread making the food taste 10 times sweeter. I kept eating it because I couldn't tell whether I liked it or not. The verdict? I did not like it and I thought it was really odd!
First time for everything though, right?
Hello, Day 2! We went to Namiseom Island, Petite France, and lunch at this random dak-galbi (닭갈비) place for lunch.
To get to Namiseom from Seoul, you'll have to reserve an ITX tickets and get off at Gapyeong station, then take a cab or bus to the ferry station, and then finally make your way over to Namiseom.
To get to Petite France, once you head back to the mainland from Namiseom, you can either take a bus or taxi. There isn't much to do there, but if you're a huge kdrama fan and you want cute photos, then it might be worth stopping by.
P.S. I highly recommend that you rent out a bike when you're at Namiseom. I promise you won't regret it and it'll make the trip 10 times better.
A friend and I were in Virginia in the late afternoon and our original plan was to eat dinner back in DC, but because we were running behind schedule and our stomachs were getting hangry, we decided to change our plans and check out Amoos, a Persian fusion restaurant, in Virginia instead.
“Amoo’s Restaurant a Persian restaurant that features a very unique menu consisting of your traditional Persian dishes as well as modernized fusion menu.” - quoted directly from their website.
I have a way too big of an obsession with all types of breads, so I was excited that our server brought this out for us to nibble on as we waited for our entree.
Ground beef filet with saffron rice and grilled tomatoes! If you’re looking for something filling and nothing too daring, this is a great delicious option.
Meatball, ground beef tenderloin, lentils, and mixed herbs. My friend loved this dish, but for some reason, I could taste lamb in the meatball (I’m guessing it was because of the mix of herbs), and lamb is one dish I really can’t handle (I had a terrible experience once that ruined me forever). I personally didn’t like this dish but the friend who did ordered it said nothing but great things.
Always a must. I also thought the way they presented this rice was delightful with the flower on top.
The portion sizes are huge here! I was able to take almost half of my dish back home to eat for lunch the next day. The service was great, the staff were incredibly friendly, the ambiance of the restaurant wasn't too intimate but quiet and calm enough to comfortably talk with your party.
Would I come back? Absolutely.
I can't believe the last time I was here was back in 2016. Oh how time flies quickly! Alright, Antonio's, let's start our course:
This place switches up their menu all the time to keep things interesting.
Salad with fresh dressing, nuts, veggies, and cheese for appetizer.
Egg, croutons and some spice for the soup… but where’s the soup?
Your server will come to your table with a stainless steel pitcher and will pour your soup into your bowl. I loved how light this soup tasted, it wasn’t creamy and didn’t feel heavy.
Grilled dry aged Angus prime rib eye steak. The steak was tender, juicy and would melt in your mouth. My brother ordered a side of mushrooms and fried onions to accompany his steak.
Grilled chicken with mashed potatoes on the side. If you’re not into steak, this chicken dish is a great alternative. Their salmon section is pretty good too!
This is going to bug both you and me, but I can’t seem to remember the name of this dish. I really wanted their beef plancha (the dish I had last time I was here), but since they didn’t hold this dish on their menu anymore, I went with the closest dish our server recommended. This dish wasn’t as great as the beef plancha, but the meat was still extremely tender and would also melt in your mouth. I felt like they could have gone easier on the salt, but otherwise 10/10!
I picked the vanilla ice cream with the soft, warm, chocolate cake at the bottom.
We told our server that it was my brother’s birthday, so they brought out this additional dessert: meringues, hard chocolate with soft chocolate ice cream inside, baked orange, and chocolate powder to top it all off.
As always, Antonio's will not disappoint! Here's the link to my other Antonio's post I kept referencing in this post.
Okay, so I know I've already posted about Duke's Grocery before (pt.1 here), but because I was craving their burgers since the last time I came here, I had to stop by again and do a second review to see if I still loved this place as much as I did the first time around.
The burger was tender, the bun was nice and warm, the cheese melted right in your mouth, but I forgot how sweet their sweet-kick-sauce was.
The gooey, warm, thick, cheese. Still loved this dish.
Overall, I'd still put this place at the top of my list for good burgers and mac and cheese in D.C., but only if I'm craving a non-traditional sweet burger. I still liked the sweet kick to the burger, but it's a taste I’d have to be in the mood for. I definitely left the restaurant feeling like I ate too much, but hey, it was a good meal and would still recommend this place to friends (with a slight caveat).
I came here once before but because I forgot to take photos the first time, was in the area, and I wanted some puffles + ice cream, a friend and I decided to stop by this place for some sweets after lunch.
I’ve never had fruity pebbles on ice cream before, but after this try, I think this just might be my new favorite thing.
So, the first time I came here, I thought this place was pretty good, but it didn't leave me with a strong, "Oh my goodness, this place is amazing, I have to go back" reaction. I just remembered it as a fun place to go with a small group of friends for a photogenic ice cream.
Coming back a second time, I realized why the flavors didn't stick out. It's because the waffle tasted like something I could make at home myself and top it off with store bought ice cream. If you're hoping to get the authentic HK egg waffles here, you will be disappointed.
I feel like I always end up ordering the same dish whenever I come to an Indian restaurant, and maybe it's because I usually end up at an Indian restaurant with the same friend, but nonetheless, here's my trip to Bombay Bistro in Rockville Maryland.
My friend and I weren't too hungry when we met up, so we ended up ordering an appetizer and main dish to share.
Flour crisps, potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, tamarind, and cilantro chutney aka always a must whenever I come to an Indian restaurant with my friend. I personally really like this dish, but can see how some might not like the yogurt texture, but I recommend that you give it a try at least once.
Yes x 100. You really can't go wrong with garlic naan.
Homemade cheese, fenugreek, and tomato gravy. I'm usually not a fan of cheese, especially blocks of cheese, but I absolutely love this dish.
Our paneer makhani came with rice. Don't worry, this restaurant wouldn't let you eat your main dish alone (although you could).
This place is a bit hard to get to from the city without a car. There is onsite parking, but because the restaurant is about mid-sized, I recommend trying to make a reservation or getting their early. My friend and I were able to miss the rush hour, but once it hit 7 p.m., people were waiting to get seated.
I've been exploring the Maryland food scene a bit more lately, so I decided to stop by Niwano Hana in Maryland. Okay, let's start.
The restaurant is fairly big, so they should be able to accommodate a large group.
They had everything from rolls, teriyaki, udon, to tonkatsu.
The friends I came here with said their udon dish was the best item on their menu here, so I went ahead with their recommendation and ordered this.
Overall, this wasn't my favorite restaurant. Their udon was too salty, I took a bite out of my friend's salmon roll and it wasn’t fresh. I'll have to do a bit more searching for affordable Japanese restaurants in the Maryland area.
This was my first and will be my last visit.
