Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆ ½
Cost: $$
Must try: Disco Tots, Waffle Special
Queens Comfort: Brunch, Astoria, NYC
Al di La, Park Slope, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Tagliatelle Al Ragu
Park Slope can truly boast about this neighborhood gem, which serves up simple, seasonally inspired, delicious food.
Al di La Trattoria is a charming little Italian restaurant where meals are artfully prepared in a rustic environment.
The story behind Al di La is simple…
“Anna Klinger and Emiliano Coppa
met while she was travelling through Italy
they fell in love, moved to Brooklyn,
and opened a restaurant
the rest, as they say, is history
– al di la trattoria –
serving Venetian inspired food since 1998
It is just as straightforward as that!”
At Al di La, they are not trying to re-invent the wheel or bring out super inventive, stellar dishes that blow your mind each night. They serve simple food, made from really great ingredients, that tastes marvelous!
And in that very simplicity they manage to Al di La (to go beyond)!
Here is some of what we ate:
Heritage Pork Belly Sandwich
Tagliatelle Al Ragu
Funghi E Polenta
Tagliatelle with Olive Oil
Eggplant Torte
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| al di La | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆ ☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Park Slope / Italian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 248 5th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215 | |
| * Phone | |
| (718) 783-4565 |
Blue Water Grill, Union Square, NYC
Momofuku Noodle Bar, East Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must try: Pork Bun, Shrimp Bun
Momofuku Noodle Bar was David Chang’s very first eatery that launched his enormously successful Momofuku brand of restaurants.
The concise menu here primarily focuses on ramen, seasonal eats, buns and daily specials. They also offer a fried chicken dinner (priced at $100) for parties of 4-8, which must be reserved in advance. Dessert offers soft serve and cake truffles.
Chang’s eats are inventive and extremely gratifying. The Ramen was good enough though I still think Ippudo rules. However, what I just could not stop eating were the buns! These soft steamed beauties filled with melt in your mouth pork belly or fried shrimp with just the right crunch are seriously addictive.
The Noodle Bar is priced just right, that is of course if you can stop with just eating one order of them buns! I know that I certainly couldn’t.
Here is some of what we ate:
Heirloom Tomato – watermelon, crab, avocado
Pork Bun – hoisin, scallion, cucumber
Shrimp Bun – spicy mayo, pickled shallot, iceberg
Momofuku Ramen – pork belly, pork shoulder, poached egg
Ginger Scallion Noodles – pickled shiitakes, cucumber, cabbage
Spicy Miso Ramen – smoked chicken, swiss chard, sesame
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Momofuku Noodle Bar | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆ ☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| East Village / Asian Fusion | |
| * Street Address | |
| 171 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003 | |
| * Phone | |
| N/A |
Felice 15 Gold Street, Financial District, NYC
DE Santos, West Village, NYC
Mint, Midtown East, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Chicken Malai Kabab , Chilly Fish, Lamb Shahi Pasanda, Garlic Naan
Pearl Oyster Bar, West Village, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Oysters, Lobster Roll, Scallops
Jeanne & Gaston, Chelsea, NYC
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Pike Mousseline, Chocolate Napoleon with Rasberry Soufflé
Sofia Wine Bar & Café, Midtown East, NYC
Food: ☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must Try: Ricotta Bruschetta, Meatballs, Cannoli
STIX: CHINESE AT HYATT, CHENNAI, INDIA
The Hyatt Regency in Chennai is one of the hottest new hotels in the city. With quirky charm, this hotel displays an interesting array of art installations, which is dotted all over the interiors of the hotel.
One of my favorite places to eat in, at the Hyatt is their Chinese restaurant. Stix serves up authentic street hawker style Sichuan cuisine which is perfect for the fiery Chennai palate.
SANKRANTI: ANDHRA CUISINE, CHENNAI, INDIA
I really love a good Andhra meal and was ecstatic to find this brand new food spot called Sankranti had opened up on TTK road in Chennai. I am usually wary of chains but this place really has excellent Andhra food – which is very hard to find (outside of homes).
KAPILA DASAS, CHENNAI, INDIA
Dasa’s is back and as good as ever! Everything tastes exactly as it did way back in 80’s when they had opened on Mount Road.
ENTE KERELAM, CHENNAI, INDIA
Ente Kerelam in Chennai serves classic Kerala Cuisine in a homey setting. Occupying an old bungalow, the restaurant fans out in several rooms over two levels.
Lunch at Amma Mess, Madurai, India
Madurai in India, is a 2500-year-old city that was essentially built around its gorgeous Meenakshi Amman Temple. This temple is a stunning example of Vijayanagar temple architecture with its intricate carved pillars, elaborate gopurams and stone carved idols.
Lunch at The Bangala : Karaikudi, Chettinad, INDIA
The Bangala is a charming heritage boutique hotel located in the heart of Karaikudi. Mrs. Meyappan, who is passionate about preserving the heritage of the Chettiars, runs it.
Chettinad: Eating at the Subbiah Home
The best part of my visit to Chettinad in South India was the food!
Chettinad is very well known for its fiery cuisine. There is great care taken in the preparation of meals. The kitchens are still very traditional using no modern machinery. Everything is hand ground and freshly cooked using the best of local ingredients.
Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, India
Chettinad is a region situated in the Southeastern area of Tamil Nadu, India. The capital of Chettinad is Karaikudi.
Chettinad is the where the Chettiars originate from. They are today a very successful business community in India. The Chettiars were originally a community of traders known for their strong business practices and great sense of adventure. In the 1700’s, many of them traveled to Burma, Ceylon and other parts of South East Asia and Europe to set up very successful trades.
A Cooking Class with Claire Clark of French Laundry: Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
Claire Clark needs no introduction. She was most recently the esteemed pastry chef at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry.The French Laundry is one of the best-known restaurants in the heart of Napa Valley which serves stellar cuisine.
Chai & Chill Lounge /Bar: Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
Chai & Chill Bar and Lounge take care of your day and night-time hydrations needs! With beautiful ocean views and overwater hammocks to hang out on, some of the islands best snorkeling is right by this spot.
Chai offers a variety of tea and coffee options form all over the world along with yummy ocean side short eats.
Chill Lounge and Bar has a resident mixologist who creates signature cocktails, using fresh organic ingredients from their garden.
Don’t be surprised to find a burst of fresh homemade jam or mint and rosemary infused into delicious cocktails.
There is a DJ every night playing soft tunes that keeps this spot buzzing.
Ice (Dessert Bar): Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
Ice is a sweet escape from the salt of the ocean!
This cute outdoor ice-cream parlor offers a wonderful array of homemade ice-cream and sorbets. They offer island infused flavors such as carrot papaya, coconut lychee and the more traditional flavors like chocolate chip and vanilla. There are jars of toppings that you can help yourself to and a cut little bar to prop yourself up on to enjoy your sweet treat.
Leaf Restaurant: Seafood Barbeque, Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
Altitude (Wine & Cheese Cellar), Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
Altitude is a spectacular 6.4 meter tower of spun glass which rises out of the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Six Senses Laamu boasts of one of the finest wine collections in the Maldives. Altitude offers over 400 vintages, many of which are organic.
Longitude Restaurant: Asian Buffet – Six Senses Laamu, Maldives
At Six Senses Laamu, there are select theme buffet nights offered during the week. One of my favorite meals during my stay there was the Asian Buffet night. The buffet was so extensive that is was spread out from Longitude all the way to Ice (the dessert room).
