another so-so meal at shanghai lee, but that's okay because we don't

go there expecting something spectacular.

we tried something new this time, shrimp in lobster sauce

and crispy tofu with broccoli.

tofu dish was good, as was the brown rice. haha.

good memorial day meal at khao sarn.

pineapple fried rice with soy duck and tofu green curry.

so yummy & flavorful!

brunch at bar tabac on a hot yet beautiful day.

audrey got eggs norvegiennes, matthew a salmon burger,

and me some spinach & swiss omelette.

all very good, though it's really hard to eat something so rich

lately somehow.

even then, we rounded out the meal with a walk, bike ride,

bookstore hopping, and of course, iced coffee & ice cream. :)

it's been a while since our last visit and apparently the recent NYT write-up

is pretty effective since now we have to wait for seats to open in an already-tiny

place (which explains the weird crop of photos above - couldn't zoom out!)

but it's definitely worth the wait (and i never wait at places).

we each got a cold sesame soba, cold natto soba, and a warm chicken soba.

sesame & natto sobas came with a little mortar & pestle to grind our own sesame seeds!

everything in there (including food) is so cute and well-thought-out that it's hard not to fall in love.

the always amazing japanese classic brunch platter at supercore,

yet again.

japanese classic comes with one entree (we got miso-braised salmon

and tofu burger and shared), with sides of kimchi, spinach, and hijiki salad,

and also brown rice.

definitely one of my favorite lunches.

our first grill potluck of the year at audrey's.

because of the recent string of beautiful warm weather,

we expected to hang in the patio with the city view, but alas,

spring has thrown us some chilly wind tonight.

still, we got to grill some veggies, tofu pups & veggie patties,

salads we made in 3 varieties : arugula & pear salad, quinoa &

artichoke hearts, and potato salad!

we even had a fancy dessert - chocolate & nuts-covered banana

popsicles. yummmmyyyyy.

always reliably good food at pho bang - this time i tried their

seafood & vegetables over rice in clay pot, and our usual

spicy & sour salmon soup.

crisped rice, great quiet flavors, so satisfying.

another beautiful day, we stepped out into manhattan for a short bike ride,

iced coffee and some simple food : hiyashi chuka men and salt grilled salmon,

with a side of rice, and a tall order of asahi.

then after, we rode around battery park city through sunset, then back home :

beautiful weather today, so we worked outdoors.

m with his computer and me with all my sketchbooks,

in the backyard garden at milk & roses - such a perfect weather.

we had iced coffee & a sandwich (gorgonzola, arugula, Salsiccia)

and amazing breezy spring/summer weather.

then on our way home, we stopped for a yummy dinner at

seven hills café :

lentil soup, mixed appetizer platter consisting of stuffed grape

leaves, babaganoush, bean salad, tabouleh & turkish yogurt,

falafels & hummus, which were all so yummy.

but we must remember not to get dessert there, though - both

the ricotta cheesecake today & the chocolate pudding last time

looked okay but had the gummiest, weirdest texture.

very weird for something that's meant to be a bit fluffy.

a beautiful day at the east river park, then a super deal lunch

special at khao sarn, which comes with soup or salad, then an entrée.

we got tom yum veggie soup & green papaya salad, then basil sauce tofu

& tofu duck red curry with brown rice each.

so good - especially for $6 each!

our first return to papacito's in a long long time.

the last time we were there was so disappointing that we vowed to

never come back and replaced it with other mexican joints around,

but since vamos al tequila failed us last time with food poisoning,

and spring/early summer weather was full on, we thought, why not

give papa's one more try.

and it was a success! maybe the key is to go during a lull.

fish tacos, spicy tempeh tostadas, and my tempeh platter,

all were so so good today, and perfect for outdoor lunching.

always great & satisfying (at perfect 70% fullness) meal at ash box.

this time i ordered the good ol' salmon onigiri,but switched things up with

a smoked salmon salad, and m with the potato salad sandwich.

potato salad was light & fluffy, not too much mayo.

who knew it would be so good in a sandwich?

rainy day always makes us crave something warm, some kind of comfort food,

most of the times against our better judgment.

the food was good at shanghai lee, hot & sour soup, egg drop soup,

shrimp with broccoli, and general tso's tofu, especially on brown rice.

but of course, i have a stomach ache now hours later.

(which was the part where the "better judgment" would've been of help)

pizza party, delivered from best pizza, at jenny's.

i didn't get to eat it but i heard it was good,

but not necessarily lived up to its name.

delicious, flavorful all-you-can-eat sri lankan food straight off the ferry

on staten island before our long bike ride.

all kinds of curries, including mutton, fish, dal (lentils) & yam,

and amazing eggplants, and spicy kale (that giant green heap).

i'm glad i ate two rounds, definitely enough to fuel me through the ride

all day.

our far destination of the day on the island.

rossville boatyard on the south east side of SI.