Eating Out New York City - Day 2 (American, Continental, Malaysian)

The two cities in US that I have always loved to visit and never got bored are NYC and Las Vegas. Beside the hustle and Bustle the food definitely is the main attraction. On this week long visit to NYC my boys upfront decided that highlight of this trip is going to be checking out several NYC restaurants.









The morning of Day 2 started with a beautiful view out the window of millenium hotel at 1 UN plaza (1st Ave and 44th). We had a view of Hudson river/ UN building on one side and the Manhattan skyline on the other. We highly recommend the hotel for the value it offers and the close proximity to all the points of interests. Hot American Breakfast buffet at the hotel dinning room "Ambassador" was very good too.

We walked down to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and decided to go to the Time Warner Building to try Buchon Bakery owned by famous Chef of "Per Se" (number one rated restaurant in NYC by some, where reservation may take a month advance notice) Thomas Keller. Buchon Bakery is on the second floor of Time Warner Building where Per Se is on the thrid floor.




MOMA





Columbus Circle




Bouchon Bakery
10 Cloumbus Circle
2nd floor Time Warner Center (Cross from cloumbus Circle)
RECOMMENDED

We had a quiche, ham and chees grilled sandwich and the braised chicken soup.
The quiche was excellent so was the sandwich the bread but the soup was too salty.

After lunch we just walked cross the street to the Central park a took a nap under the tree ;)













Time Square NYC July 8th 2009










Fatty Crab Upper West Side
2170 Broadway
(between 76th and 77th)
New York, NY 10024
ph: 212.496.CRAB
NOT RECOMMENDED

Zak Pelaccio, chef of 5 Ninth and its newly opened Malaysian spinoff, Fatty Crab, was a true disappointment. We had seen great reviews on some places including gayot.com and seemed like it is the newest craze in NYC. The food was very basic Malaysian cooking with LOTS of Salt. When we mentioned to our waitress she claimed food was savory... ha ha ha .. not salty.

Any way the boys enjoyed the japaneses bubble drink more then the food. The Nasi Lamak that we ordered was Ok and the soft shell crabs were good. (How can one go wrong with a deep fried soft shell crab? Well fatty crab did.. by adding extra salt to the batter)

Fatty Sliders | mini pork & beef burgers were juicy and falvored with herbs (lemon grass?)and the Chinese Broccoli w/ Salted Fish had too much soy sauce. When cooked with salty fish.. do u really need soy sauce?

May be if someone asks for less salt when ordering the food may taste better, but why bother.

Eating out New York City - Day 1 (Greek)

The two cities in US that I have always loved to visit and never got bored are NYC and Las Vegas. Beside the hustle and Bustle the food definitely is the main attraction. On this week long visit to NYC my boys upfront decided that highlight of this trip is going to be checking out several NYC restaurants.




Kellari Taverna
19 West 44th Street New York NY 10036 (between 5th and 6th Avenue)
Restaurant Phone: 212-221-0144
Executive Chef / Partner: Gregory Zapantis
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

As we head out to restaurant around 11 p.m. after 12 hrs of train ride we were hungry. We decided to order tasters menu for 3 of us. And we were glad we did.

First came the appetizer platter with breaded fried calamari, soft and tender inside and nicely crisp outside, succulent grilled lamb ribs and the wonderful grilled octopus. The seafood were fresh and done to perfection.

Next was a grilled whole Lavraki - (imported) "The Greek Pride" loup de mer, a mild
Mediterranean bass. The fish was accompanied by a scallops avocado sauce that blended very well with this mild fish. The fish was also done very well, not overcooked.

Next was,Paidakia - rib cut, grilled lamb chops with olive oil & oregano potatoes
They were cooked medium well however was tender and flavorful.

Then came the desert tray which had the
Rizogalo -
Arborio rice pudding with mastic & spiced poached quince
Bougatsa -
Semolina & ricotta custard in cinnamon phyllo with fig ice cream
Baklava
Traditional phyllo and walnut pastry with honey and rose-water syrup

They were all excellent. Even the Baklava was crispy and done just right.
Kellari had 14 out of 20 rating from the gayot.com but we felt it was definitely
under rated. The ambiance of the restaurant, service and food quality put this restaurant in the definitely revisit list.










Crossing the US Canada boarder via train to NYC. The 12 hours journey was great, and truly Train journey is the most civilized way to travel, however Amtrak ran out of food at the snack bar by the aftrenoon and we were really hungry by the time we reached Penn Station.

Culture Unplugged

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Washington D.C.

"KOI SHIKAWA NEHI, KOI GELA NEHI"


A trip to D.C. with the boys during their spring break has been a ritual for many years. However this year it was a little late. Every year our children seems to grow a lot more then we want them to. As usual the trip was great. Nothing like seeing good ol friends, their children; enjoying their hospitality and connecting again.

In this trip as soon as we approached the border at Buffalo and all the way to the US Capaital, it sure felt like good ol days. The feeling of the USA I use to know in my youth.. the John Wyne, the Marlboro man, the Elvis and the feeling of freedom & beleiving that everything is possible. Is it because that GW BUSH is gone? or is it beacuse of Obama?






The Ten Thousand Dollar "Rickshaw" ;)






Good ol Masud Bhai was as ususal himself with lots of laughters but the best was the Urdu quote he shared with us that he learned many years ago in FCC from one of his class mate Khurshid Bhai. "Koi shikawa nehi, koi gela nehi"...................... the closest translation of that will be something like:
"No regreat in Self, and no complain to God".



The quote had such a profound effect on me that, since I have used it atleast ten times.

Whenever any one asks me "how are you?"

I reply with a smile "koi shikawa nehi koi gela nehi"

Los Angeles, California

I used to frequent to California but it has been five years since. I was wondering how would the drive be in LA and if I could do it alone? but after 5 mins or so after I picked up the rental car, I was Driving "SOLO" and the radio was playing "On the road again..."

California: One of the most beautiful places for lovers ;)











And most memorable were when my lil sister made the "Dhupi peetha" for breakfast (like Mom used to in winter mornings) and my nephews face with his Batman sunglasses.






The lunch at the "Deshi Resutaurant" was awsome with the good ol threes stoogers. (from Arakansas days in the early eighties)







I always loved California and since George has left the office it was feeling awsome again to be back in the US and California again.

Brisbane, Australia

With last miniute changes to schedule, I was not sure if I could get on the connecting flight from Port Moseby in PNG to Brisbane, Australia. But I was on board. The travel agent did not get the Aussie visa but the lady and the man in the Counter was very helpful. Funny enough the Man started to speak to me in Bangla when he noticed my place of birth in my passport. He was posted in Dhaka in Australian highcomm for 3 years. Small world indeed.







Brisbane, Queensland was very relaxing. The train ride from the airport to Surfer's Paradise was long (1hr 40 min) but when I arrived at the Surfer's paradise station, I knew it was worth it ;) The view from the hotel room was gorgeous, the Pacific Ocean was right out the windows and for the next couple of days, I had an wonderful time that will be in my memory for a long time.







SO WHAT? If I missed "The Train of Life"///
If it is a dream, do not wake me up.






In the Burleigh head the walk and getting lost in the hills, the ocean view from the lookout, lunch at "Oskars" watching the surfers... riding the wave.... made me not to even think about lost luggage, stinky 2 days old clothings and my lost "Bat Sunglasses". And my friend was genourous with time and drove me around town to the Mall to get a haircut and to pick up some toiletries. I was told that I could get a haircut in Goroka but it may make me look like that of Tuna boat's sailor... so I was waiting for 60 some days for the haircut. ...No the haircut in Brisbane did not help much anyway... The princess never kissed me to get me out of my frog curse...LOL LOL LOL