Review my dining itinerary, please?

haha!

Mink! I'll be warm and still look fabulous! ... Pretty sure I'll be spending less on all my meals than a mink coat would cost me. :)

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Oooh, shearling. That might be a bit difficult to find in Hawaii. Shearling would be very cozy, though! I'll cross my fingers that it's not raining and freezing while I'm there. You've given me hope! hehe.

Thanks for the notes on the other restaurants! Everyone has such great things to say about EMP, I'm really looking forward to it! I'll try for the Palm Court, but if not I'll check out the Food Hall. Can't believe I forgot to write down Bouchon Bakery in my itinerary. I'll definitely be there.. trying everything. :) Also, I did not know that Laduree opened in NYC. I'll be there trying everything, too!

ahhh, I don't know how I'm going to fit all of these places in 4 days... :)

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Thanks for letting me know about the menu options. I'm glad I can try the dining room menu!

I was planning to be there at 11:45, 15 minutes before opening. That should be fine, right?

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Hi! I'd seen your photos and looked through your blog after reading lots of posts on the Manhattan board, but I'll certainly be happy to take another look at all your mouth-watering photos. ;) Your write ups and pictures of your experiences at Tocqueville were what made me want to try it in the first place! I'll be keeping things as they are, as I figured it would surely be a good time either way. Thanks for the assurance! :)

Embla in Manhattan

Shave Ice on Oahu

Wait, how has no one mentioned Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha?! Even I forgot about it when I replied earlier.

If you're ever around Aina Haina, you must check it out. The ice is really soft and fine, and the syrups are homemade and all natural. I think they try to use local ingredients as often as they can, too. They do have a weird kale/spinach/apple syrup, but it's actually pretty good. I prefer their more normal fruit flavors though - I recommend lychee, lilikoi, and strawberry. Plus, you get two free toppings! (fresh fruit!) yumyumyumyum.

Also, the owner, Uncle Clay, is all heart. :)

I'd say it's very different shave ice from Shimazu/Waiola/Matsumoto/etc but it's definitely worth a try if you're ever in the area.

Embla in Hawaii

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Woweee, thanks for all the suggestions! Although everyone is suggesting many new things I didn't consider before and now I want to try them all! except I unfortunately have limited time and stomach space. hehe

I realized only after making the reservations that it might be better to do Tocqueville for lunch and Jean Georges for dinner. I may switch them if I can, although Tocqueville only has a 2pm opening for lunch on Open Table so I'll have to call... If things don't work out though, that's fine. I've wanted to try Tocqueville for a while now. :)

haha, yeah. I suppose EMP and Shopsin's are on different ends of the spectrum. I did manage to get a lunch reservation at EMP though, so lunch is solved. However you did remind me that Katz's, Balthazar, Ippudo, and Kyo Ya were high on my list after reading through the board... ahhh, So much to eat!

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Thank you for the recs! Salumarria Rossi does look good, and I've seen Bemelmans recommended in other posts as well. I do like jazz too. I'll try to squeeze in a visit to both during my trip. So many things to eat/drink, so little time! :)

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

I do have JG reservations for Christmas Day. I only started checking restaurant websites two days ago for holiday hours so they must have put that up recently. Before I checked JG's website, though, they weren't showing any openings for Christmas Eve or Day on Open Table.

Thanks for the thread link. I'm leaning much more towards Ssam now. :)

Wow! It sounds like I could spend many, many hours at Eataly and Chelsea Market. I was thinking I might check out one or the other if I have time to kill, but now I'll definitely make sure to check them out. Thank you!

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Beautiful pictures! The pictures of the salon are helpful too, now I know what to expect. I did try searching flickr previously but for some reason your pictures didn't come up. Thank you for sharing! Your other restaurant pictures are beautiful as well. :)

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Oh no. I missed that! Salon menu it is then - at least I don't have to worry about not being hungry enough for the tasting menu. Thank you very much for letting me know about that. :)

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Hmm.. I don't think I'll really mind sitting at the bar for Le Bernardin, but I'm a little disappointed about sitting on a sofa at Per Se. I wasn't able to get a reservation though, so I suppose I have no choice. :) Thanks for the informative response!

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Also, thanks for the Maialino suggestion. It seems to be well regarded on these boards. I'll try to make it if I can squeeze in another meal somewhere... Breakfast or brunch, at least?

Embla in Manhattan

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Hi Kathryn, thanks for the reply!

Eataly and Chelsea Market sound great. I'll try to make it to both of them. Would you have any suggestions about what I should keep an eye out for at either place?

I chose Momofuku Noodle Bar just because I've never been there before. :) I know they're doing a Christmas Eve prix fixe at Ma Peche but I'm not as interested in it as trying Noodle Bar.

For Christmas Day, I'll be dining at JG... I'm fairly sure, although I read here that their dining room is going to be closed, so I'll double check.

I did manage to get reservations at EMP at noon (yay!) but now I'm worried that I might not be hungry enough to do the tasting menu at Per Se at 5pm. Is walk-in seating at the lounge difficult to land if I don't go right at opening time?

And yes, I'm a woman. Layering and tights, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks! :)

-----
Per Se
10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023

Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

Embla in Manhattan

Valentines Day in Honolulu-where to eat?

Yes, the Willows restaurant is still around.

Would you have a price range or a cuisine preference we could work with?

Embla in Hawaii

Review my dining itinerary, please?

Hi all,

I'll be in NYC from the 24th-26th and the 30th. Finding reservations during the holidays has been a bit tricky, but here's what I've planned on so far. Could you please review it and remark on whether it's doable or overkill?

*** Sat. Dec. 24
* Union Square Holiday Market ~12:30pm
* Kyotofu (maybe) to kill time until hotel check-in
* Momofuku Noodle Bar for dinner

*** Sun. Dec. 25
* Lunch at Jean Georges
* Dinner at Tocqueville

*** Mon. Dec. 26
* Lunch at Le Bernardin (no res. :( walk-in for lounge seating)

What is the lounge at Le Bernardin like?

*** Fri. Dec. 30
* Lunch at EMP (waking up at 3:50am today to try for reservations. *crosses fingers*)
* Lunch backup is Shopsin's (meh. maybe.) or Kyotofu if I don't get to go during the previous days
* Dinner at Per Se (no res. :'( walk-in for lounge seating)

Could someone please let me know what the lounge at Per Se is like? I read a review here where the person went right at opening and had a window table and it seemed grand. But a mention in the NYT had the reviewer disappointed that he sat on a sofa while eating..?

Also, how do you stay well-dressed for a nice meal when it's freezing cold? :p

I was considering going to the Palm Court for breakfast/brunch because I saw it suggested to someone looking for a nice breakfast place and they ended up enjoying it. Yelp reviews aren't entirely great either but they're mostly for the afternoon tea. Has anyone been there lately?

That's all - thanks in advance! :)

P.S. back-up plans for all meals is to sit in my hotel room in my pajamas with a spoon and a tub of Salvatore Bklyn ricotta. mmmm.

Embla in Manhattan

Shave Ice on Oahu

Have you been to Ice Garden? Their ice is finely shaved too. A couple posts mentioned that they feature toppings like flan and oatmeal, but they also have flavored syrups if that's what you prefer.

By the way, if anyone's interested in trying more Asian/Taiwanese style shave ice, I'd suggest Coffee or Tea in McCully. City Cafe on Makaloa St. is similar and offers flan. Or you could have a great meal at Sweet Home Cafe and get the delicious (complimentary!) shave ice - yum!

-----
Ice Gardens
Aiea Shopping Ctr, Aiea, HI 96701

Sweet Home Cafe
2334 S King St Ste 102, Honolulu, HI 96826

Embla in Hawaii

Source of Sichuan peppercorns (hua jiao) in Hawaii?

Nope, found some in Chinatown pretty easily. :)

Is the ban just for Hawaii? I heard they were banned nationally some years ago, but it's been lifted since. (And even then, it's hard to believe that people weren't figuring out how to get their hands on some ;)

Embla in Hawaii

Fargo ND/Moorhead MN area restaurants

I would second the recommendation for the Hotel Donaldson. The Silver Moon Supper Club (I believe that's the name) has also been good in my experience, and the setting is quite nice. I know ND isn't really the place for ethnic food, but there is surprisingly legit Middle Eastern food to be found -- Cafe Aladdin and Ali Baba's, both near Hotel Donaldson. Also, Passage to India is really delicious and legit Indian food. Kobe's is as decent as you'll find in the area (note that that's not saying much), but I'm kind of a sushi/Asian-food-in-general snob -- the groups eating there always seem to have a ton of fun, so... That's what counts. :)

Those are just my preferred places to eat, but you might be looking for something less exotic or expensive (Hotel Donaldson and the supper club aren't too expensive, but there are much cheaper options). Was there anything you were looking for in particular?

Hope this post isn't too late. ;p

Embla in Great Plains

Tasty/Ethnic Food For Slightly Awkward Hours

I'll be headed to DC for the weekend to help a friend settle in. I'll be in on Saturday afternoon, but my friend won't get in until Saturday night (10pm). I'll also be leaving on Tuesday afternoon, at about 7pm. Does anyone have any recs for tasty food for places that will be open late on Saturday and for an early dinner on Tuesday? Recs for Sunday and Monday meals would also be appreciated since restaurants I would love to bring him to (CityZen, Komi, etc) don't fit that schedule. My friend loves ethnic food, especially Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Caribbean, so tasty + ethnic recs would be awesome. And cheap is always good. :)

Oh, also, restaurants need to be metro accessible. We won't have a car to bring us to the better ethnic places in the suburbs. :'(

Also also, specific things I'm looking for:
1. a Korean place where we could grill our own meat
2. Moroccan food (most particularly, chicken bstilla)
3. a Caribbean place with good chicken curry roti
4. Burmese food...?
5. Somewhere with momi/boba milk tea and/or smoothies

So far, on the list of places he's allowing me to drag him to are Zaytinya, Manouch's hotdog stand (hee hee), Mr. Yogato, Marrakesh Palace (of all the chicken bstillas we've had in DC, theirs, although tiny (and.. fried..?!), has been the one my friend has liked the most), and Brickskeller. When he's busy, I will also be sure to hit up Trader Joe's, Eastern Market, and Cowgirl Creamery. Om nom nom. :)

I am keeping an eye on the following threads, so if you've already posted there or have ideas that could be added to the threads, muchas gracias:
"Ethnic Recommendations!"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/642469
"Jamaican beef patties around DC area?"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/530823
"Looking For Authentic Thai Food"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/526311
"shabu shabu"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/526311
"Best recs close to a Metro station"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/641584
"Just moved to Logan Circle and need tips"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/614026

Thanks in advance!! :)

Embla in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

WINNIPEG -- Ethnic Eats

Yay, thanks!

I remember seeing Nhu Quynh being mentioned a while ago, but when my friends saw it, they balked at what it looked like from the outside. Thanks for the rec, though, I'll try and drag my friends there next time! :) I'll also cross Papa George's off the list.

I've seen Sukhothai recommended on CH, but I'm no fan of that frozen veggie combo. Any recommendations for Thai?

Embla in Prairie Provinces

WINNIPEG -- Ethnic Eats

Hi!

I'll be sort of near Winnipeg for the summer, so I'm planning to day trip there as often as I can. My friends and I are mainly concerned with eating ethnic food, so please tell me what tasty things can be found in the city! :)

I have mainly been relying on ooold Chowhound posts and where.ca reviews to find restaurants. Here are the places I've already been to:

- Meiji Sushi & Bangkok Thai, off of Osborne
- Right There Korean Museum/Restaurant (I love this place.)
- Rasoi, for the awesome deal on samosas! ($6/dozen, and so tasty, too!)
- Edohei
- Clay Oven (I feel tricked by where.ca...)
- Caribbean Spice (Very "meh" experience two years ago with their rice/bean + jerk/curry combos, but then I had their jerk/curry + roti combo -- MMM!)

Here are the places I plan to go to, off of recs/listings from CH and where.ca ... although if you think I should skip what's listed and go somewhere else, your opinion would be greatly appreciated. :)

Lebanese: Shawarma Time / Baraka Pita Bakery
Laotian: A Taste of Laos/Vientiane/Lao Thai -- any recs?
Tunisian: Les Jasmins de la Tunisie (so excited for this!!!)
Vietnamese: Kim Sang/Little Saigon/Viva/Thanh Huong -- any recs?
Greek: Homer's/Kristina's/Papa George's -- any recs?
Sri Lankan: Taste of Sri Lanka
Indian: East India Co. / Ivory
Japanese: Blufish / Wasabi
Korean: Be One / Nou Eul Tor
Thai: Sukhothai
Salvadorian: La Fiesta Cafecito
Argentinian: Simon's Cuisine
Portuguese: O Tacho

Yeah.. My friends are mainly just into Asian and Middle Eastern foods, but I will definitely try to snag a bite at Mise, Dandelion Cafe, Amici, etc that Chowhounders have suggested in the past.

Also, I love cheese and Israeli couscous, plus I'm wondering if Winnipeg has any froyo places (like a Pinkberry). Recommendations for where to find those would be great, too. Thanks in advance!

Embla in Prairie Provinces

[DC] Ethnic Food (and more!) near metro?

I just found the answer to my frozen yogurt question. If anyone is interested, the Post did an article about it in July and it mentioned a few of the froyo places already open. Read and google for addresses. :)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/08/AR2008070802660.html

Does anyone know if any of these have mochi available as a topping?

edit: Nevermind! I found at least once place that does. :)

Mr. Yogato in Dupont: http://www.mryogato.com/menu.php

Mochi AND li hing mui, red bean paste, and... balsamic vinaigrette(?!) Strawberries and balsamic are a wonderful combination, but I'm a little doubtul that strawberry yogurt with balsamic vinaigrette would be as good.

Embla in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

[DC] Ethnic Food (and more!) near metro?

I found a really cheap flight to DC for this weekend, so I'm running down there to hang out with a friend who just arrived there last week. I looove Citronelle as much as the next person, but it's not really within his budget. He's from a small town in the midwest and hasn't had much exposure to different types of cuisines, so I would love to take him around and be there for his first taste of everything... Kimchi? Laotian shrimp paste? hehe. :)

Could you please recommend some cheap, authentic ethnic food that is easily accessible by the metro?

He has been wanting to try mainly Asian and Middle Eastern food, so I would greatly appreciate recommendations for good shawarma, Lebanese, Persian, Vietnamese, Dim Sum (rolling carts), Korean, Thai, and Japanese. I know that you usually have to trek out of DC for these (K-town in Annandale, I wish I could go!), but we won't have a car and the trip will be really busy so a 30 minute metro ride may not be an option.

Lebanese and Korean are the main ones, though. :) I'll be arriving at DCA a bit before lunch time, too, so if there are any good Lebanese or Korean places outside of DC and closer to that area, it'd be great to save on travel time!

He has tried Ethiopian and wasn't a big fan, but I'll be taking him to my favorite place to try and change his mind.

Also, does anyone have recs for good South American food? And are there any frozen yogurt places similar to Pinkberry or Red Mango? I heard there was one somewhere in Georgetown..

As for me, do you have any bakery recommendations? I am looking for a French or Japanese style bakery with fancy cakes and pastries. I've been to DC quite a few times, but I have yet to find one like this...

Okay, and finally, does anyone have any bars/lounges to recommend? Nothing too upscale and crowded, but especially somewhere with a large beer selection.

All right, that was long!

Thanks so much in advance!! :)

Embla in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Sumac & Israeli Couscous on O'ahu?

Hello!

I've been hopping around the Middle East for the past year, and I'm missing the cuisine. Would any of you know where I may find sumac or Israeli couscous here on O'ahu?

I remember that the King St. Star Market used to have Israeli couscous around their deli area, but I couldn't find any when I checked last week. As for sumac... I don't even know where to start looking.

Any help, please? :)

Embla in Hawaii

MSP -- Lebanese/Ethiopian/Japanese

Holy smokes, that was quick! Thank you everyone so much!!

Thanks tvdxer for the list. That is quite extensive and has a lot of other cuisines I didn't realize I could get in Minneapolis.

Yay, thank you for all your advice, everyone!!! :)

Embla in General Midwest Archive

Honolulu- fresh shrimp?

Kahuku vendors sometimes show up at farmers markets/swap meet. Last time I checked, though, shrimp numbers were low so the vendors were just selling from the shrimp trucks (if they were selling at all!). Best bet would be to go to Kahuku, I think.

Thanks for the tip, though, fatstern. My Chinatown shrimp experiences have always been negative. The shrimp is often frozen then defrosted. I will check out that Kahuku vendor, though. :)

Embla in Elsewhere In America Archive

MSP -- Lebanese/Ethiopian/Japanese

Hi!

I'm going to Minneapolis for this weekend until the rest of the month, and I'm hoping to get my fill of good ethnic food while I'm there. :)

Do you have any recommendations for Lebanese, Ethiopian, and Japanese (sushi, specifically) restaurants?

From the advice from past threads, I am planning to check out Origami and Fuji Ya, since they seem to be getting the most consistent ratings. No one seems to oppose Sakura, either, so if i can get to St. Paul, I will definitely try that, too. But please speak up if you oppose this plan. :)

I'm not even sure if Minneapolis has Lebanese and Ethiopian food at all, but I'd really love some so if you know of any restaurants, please share.

Thanks!!!

Embla in General Midwest Archive

WINNIPEG -- Recommendations?

Oh, wow! Those places sound amazing, I'll try to get to them! Thank you!!! :)

Embla in Western Canada Archives

WINNIPEG -- Recommendations?

Oooh, yum. Sounds delicious. Thank you for replying :)

Embla in Western Canada Archives