The World on a Plate

I am a college student based in New York, Chicago, and Tokyo. I like to eat at restaurants in different places and write reviews on them. Please follow me for good food around the world! I also have an Instagram - @theworldonaplate. Thanks for visiting!

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Ramenster, Chicago

After a long day at the archives of JASC (Japanese-American Service Committee), researching the injustices committed against Japanese-Americans obviously, I really started craving ramen. Took the 22 down to Belmont to eat at Ramenster. 

Ramenster

919 West Belmont Avenue

Chicago, IL 60657

I honestly was really surprised when I walked in. You had to walk up to the cash register, give them your order, then sit down at a table awkwardly by yourself until they gave you your food. Because it was a late lunch at 2:30, I was the only person there. I had the ahiru ramen (ahiru means duck in Japanese) - which consisted of duck, bean sprout, celery, daikon, green onion and cilantro.

This tasted funny. I don’t know what the broth was, but it tasted a lot like chemicals. The duck was delicious though - a good substitute for those who can’t eat pork. The ramen was a bit on the firm side, but I was left with a weird aftertaste on my tongue from the stupid broth - tasted kind of inappropriately zesty, if you know what I mean. 

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Makana, New York

Apologies for the delays in posting! I just finished another quarter and am now home. I can finally post! 

The day before I left for school, I went to a restaurant called Makana with my sister. I’d always wanted to try this place - known as a Hawaiian/Japanese/Asian fusion place, I was really craving some Hawaiian food. It’s a small place in Manhattan Valley (somewhat close to Columbia). It’s a sit down place, but when we went there, not a lot of people were there. My sister and I were super hungry, so we ordered lots of great stuff.

Makana

161 West 106th St (between Amsterdam and Columbus Aves)

New York, NY 10025

This is the loco moco - juicy hamburger patties topped with fried egg, caramelized onions, covered in a mushroom brown gravy topped with crispy garlic. Loco moco is seriously my favorite thing - what an ingenious idea to combine all these things together. This loco moco was really delicious. To be honest, I’ve never actually tasted island loco moco, though.

Here is also an island favorite - spam musubi, which is teriyaki glazed spam on top of rice, wrapped in seaweed. Seriously very delicious. Just how I know it.

And lastly, here is the ahi poke - sashimi grade of Ahi tuna seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt, shoyu, sesame oil, onion and green onion. This was okay. Considering that I’ve been to Da Poke Shack, which is the highest rated restaurant on Yelp ever, this was definitely subpar, but good enough to satisfy my poke craving!

Overall, I definitely recommend this place. I think it’s losing money, though, so I’d definitely encourage you all to go. Especially calling on all you hungry Columbia students~

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Forty Dean Street, London

I apologize; I don’t think I’ve been writing these posts in chronological order. We went to London, went to Paris, and then came back to London. My first post on Cafe des Deux Moulins was meant to be somewhere in the middle of the posts I’ve written, somewhere before Angelina. 

The day we got back from Forty Dean Street, we headed to the Oxford Circus area for some shopping. We walked along Regent and Carnaby Streets. I really liked both of them - they were thriving and vibrant, just like Tokyo’s Omotesando or New York’s Fifth Avenue. It was hard to walk around, though, because there were so many people around.

We moved away from the hubbub and walked towards Soho. This place used to be kind of dingy and had a ton of sex shops, but it’s gone through quite a bit of gentrification and looks very nice!

We had dinner at Forty Dean Street, an Italian restaurant that sits amongst other bustling restaurants on the street.

Forty Dean Street

40 Dean Street

Soho, London W1D 4PX

UNITED KINGDOM

The interior was rather dark, reminiscent of some Italian restaurant/bars in New York, but we were seated near the front of the restaurant, which spilled out into the street. It smelled like cigarette smoke (since yes, people here do smoke quite a lot.) 

I ordered the Linguini Pasta with Fresh Seafood, Cherry Tomatoes and Brandy Sauce. This was really delicious - the seafood was fresh and the tomato sauce was just the right amount of rich and salty, while the pasta was cooked in a perfect al dente.

For dessert, I had the Panna Cotta, a dessert I haven’t had in a while (ever since I messed it up when making it.) This was really creamy and the raspberry sauce topped it off very nicely!

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Angelina, Paris

We had a bit of time until our 7:00 at the Louvre (tip: be sure to go to the Louvre either on Wednesday or Friday nights - it’s open until 9:45 PM!) so we popped by Angelina in Paris, a couple of minutes away from the Louvre. Angelina is famous for its Mont Blanc cake and various sweets. 

Angelina

226 rue de Rivoli

75001 Paris

FRANCE

I think it was upon entering this establishment that I learned that tourists ruin everything. I could tell that Angelina once used to be an establishment for the locals, not so hyped up. It fails to retain its charm - the service was rude and inattentive, the parlors were infested with tourists (I am guilty of being one of them, unfortunately). We were seated in the way way back where the decor seemed to have rubbed off and everything looked drab. Our waitress seemed to be fed up and could not retain her faux charm. 

My cake was delicious though. I had the Charlotte aux fruits rouges. It wasn’t overly sweet, and the cake was very spongy. I only wish it was a little bigger, because it is overpriced for the amount you are getting.

There must be better patisseries out there that are less expensive but equally as delicious. As someone who prides herself on finding good places to eat - I felt like the decision to come here may have been a bit rushed. 

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Afternoon Tea at the Ritz, London

One of the must-do’s in London is, of course, afternoon tea! This outing was probably the very posh gem of our European trip. We dressed in our best clothes (I wanted to look a lawyer) and took a taxi to the Ritz from our just as posh hotel, The Savoy.

The Ritz London

150 Piccadilly

St. James, London W1J 9BR 

UNITED KINGDOM

I was surprised by how small the parlor was - the parlor for the Savoy Hotel afternoon tea is much more spacious, but my friend told me that it was probably because they can’t have too many guests at a time, that it’s really quite an exclusive event.

(Fun fact - the man and woman you see in the above photo got engaged here. He proposed to her, she accepted, and the whole room bursted into applause. Then she looked at her bling-bling like WOW. He must have been very nervous.)

We had a variety of scones, pastries, and finger sandwiches. Everything was so delicious! The service was courteous. Except I guess I don’t really like scones that much...

Lastly we had a choice of choosing between a cake and a tart. By then I was already so full from carbo-loading that I asked the man to serve me the thinnest slice. The result was impressive.

I also wasn’t into the idea of drinking traditional tea (I’m a weird person) so instead I had passionfruit orange tea. It was certainly very zesty and fruity.

It was such a great experience! I wouldn’t do this every single day since it’s such a special occasion, but if I ever come back to London, I’d definitely like to do afternoon tea, but this time, somewhere else! 

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The Crown Pub, Oxford

When we were in London, we took a day trip to Oxford, where my mother studied abroad for a year. I had heard so many stories for a long time, and to finally see it with my own eyes was an amazing experience. Oxford is so rich with history. We visited the Christ Church (cathedral and dining hall), the City Centre, the Covered Market, as well as Mansfield and Trinity Colleges. We had a really great five hours touring the University and the town.

We had a delicious lunch at the Crown Pub, a very traditional British pub tucked away on one of the side streets off Cornmarket. My mom said she would get drinks here sometimes. 

The Crown Pub

59A Cornmarket Street

Oxford OX1 3HB United Kingdom

When we entered, we had no idea what to do. The restaurant was pretty much vacant. We had to get some guidance - we could sit anywhere we wanted, we had to order up at the bar. We definitely stood out like tourists amongst all the locals eating there.

It was pretty dark in the pub and minimally decorated - just what I expected.

I had the Giant Couscous Salad with Mixed Baby Leaves, Herb Oil and Gin-Cured Salmon. This was really quite a delicious salad - I don’t really like heavy dressings so the herb oil was light enough. The salmon was also delicious, and I guess I just really liked it because I hadn’t really eaten that many greens since arriving in London.

My sister’s Macaroni and Cheese was delicious too. The cheese was really rich.

I highly recommend this if you’re ever in Oxford! This is truly where the locals eat. Although it was a bit off-putting walking in, everyone was super friendly.

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Cafe des Deux Moulins, Paris

I’m back! After a 9-month long hiatus (not exactly a hiatus, but more like SCHOOL), I am finally back and ready to write. 

This 9-month “break” has been very busy. I finished up my second year of college, very successfully, and I spent the summer doing an internship in New York. After my internship, my family spent a week in Europe - five days in England (London and Oxford) and two days in Paris. Needless to say, it was a great trip and I’ve caught the travel bug.

One of the cafes we ate at in Paris is called Cafe des Deux Moulins in Montmartre. This was where Amelie in the very famous movie Amelie worked as a waitress. The decor is absolutely the same, but certainly catered towards tourists - on the wall there is a huge Amelie poster signed by Audrey Tautou, the actress who played Amelie, as well as English-language menus. 

Cafe des Deux Moulins

15 rue Lepic

75018 Paris, FRANCE

Restaurants in France seem to be really into prix-fixe menus. I ordered the Boulette de boeuf au romarin, puree maison. This was a classic dish - nothing too luxurious. Basically two meatballs with mashed potatoes with gravy. Yum!

And for dessert, I had the Creme renversee au caramel. It was basically an egg tart drizzled in caramel. This was also a very simple dish - not in-your-face-sugar. Think of it as your grandmother’s cooking.

Overall, this was a really nice cafe, but the service was very slow and the restaurant was certainly understaffed. We had to work hard to get the waiters’ attention, even though we didn’t order that many things. I saw many tourists coming in, taking a picture with the poster, and leaving - that may be a good idea.

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Crillon, Tokyo

Why does everything in Tokyo taste so good? 

Crillon

Takashimaya Times Square 14F

Sendagaya 5-24-2

Shibuya, Tokyo 151-8580

Accessible by: Shinjuku Station

Crillon is in the famous Takashimaya Times Square department store. We came here at night for dinner and the view from the window is absolutely astounding. Sorry, no pictures as there were people sitting by the window.

As I've mentioned before, Japan is obsessed with prix-fixe sets. My first course was this cute little plate of salad, beef carpaccio, and some bread. Everything was so delicious and flavorful (obviously.)

The second course is what got me a lot of Instagram likes - foie gras over beef filet in demi glace sauce. This was absolutely incredible. I'd never tasted anything like it - you've got the soft foie gras and the firm beef filet, both melting in your mouth. Crazy!

What an incredible meal, followed by the much-needed walking around the department store and back to the train station.

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Canal Cafe, Tokyo

My sister and I went out for our sister lunch date at Canal Cafe, an Italian restaurant that's about two minutes from where we live.

Canal Cafe

Kagurazaka 1-9

Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0825

Accessible by: Iidabashi Station (JR Chuo Sobu Line, Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line), Kagurazaka Station (Tokyo Metro Tozai Line)

It's an extremely scenic riverside restaurant overlooking the rowboats. You can get a lunch set (forgot the price) - but it provides you unlimited salad at the salad bar, and a pasta. I got the summer vegetable pasta - I'd say it was okay, nothing too special. But the salad was super delicious! Lots of choices for toppings and dressings.

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Cafe Hakari, Fuefuki

Now I'm going to write a review about a place very personal and dear to me. 

Over the summer, my sister and I went WWOOF-ing at a peach farm in a town about 2 hours away from Tokyo, a place called Fuefuki. Yamanashi is known for their peaches - they can go up to 8000 yen for four (that's $80 for four!) in the city. So I got firsthand experience learning to pick peaches, shipping them in gift boxes (as they are known to be good gifts also). I also tried living a vegetarian lifestyle during my stay there, stayed with a great host family with two rambunctious and lively boys, and got to help out with their cafe, which is what I'm reviewing today!

Cafe Hakari

Ichinomiyacho Kaneda 1223

Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi 405-0079

Accessible by: Yamanashishi Station (JR Chuo Main Line). Take taxi to Cafe (~10 min drive)

So Cafe Hakari is the cafe run by the matriarch of the family. It features all organic all vegetarian foods. The cafe is not open all the time - usually only for lunch on certain days, and it features the same food. But it's all done in the kitchen, which you can see.

The cafe has an all natural feel to it - built entirely of wood. It also has an amazing view of its surroundings on the 2nd floor.

Like I mentioned before, their food is completely organic, vegetarian, and and features a lot of the things they've grown on the farm. For example, they serve the peaches that they grow. Japanese peaches are juicy, sweet, delicious and BIG - not like the ones you eat in America.

They also served chilled tofu soup, which admittedly, was a little hard to drink because I wasn't really into the idea of tofu soup. It wasn't to my liking so I had to chug it nose closed.

Next, we had deep fried seitan. I think I might have featured saitan before - it's wheat gluten, a non-meat protein substitute. This was delicious and you wouldn't think that you're eating something that's non-meat. The sauce was good, and the side salad was fresh and had a tinge of light pickled plum dressing. Just this alone could convert me into a vegetarian (maybe.)

We also had zakkokumai and gomokugohan. These are really healthy substitutes for white rice, rich in nutrients, grains, etc.

This is more of an information post about my experience rather than a recommendation, as I'm sure many of you will never venture here in your life. However, I do want to say that I also write this out of appreciation, not just for the delicious food but also for the wonderful experience I had organic farming. As a girl who has only lived in cities all her life, organic farming in a foreign place (well, not exactly foreign to me) was a life changing experience. I hope to be back there again!

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Manrikiya, Tokyo

And now for the obligatory ramen post. Tokyo is famous for it's ramen. My sister and I ate at Manrikiya, which we had passed by so many times when we used to live in the area but never actually went inside.

As usual, many foreigners and jam-packed. As you will see in one of the photos.

Manrikiya

Azabu Juban 2-3-2

Minato, Tokyo

Accessible by Azabu Juban Station (Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Toei Oedo Line)

I had my favorite Tantanmen. Unfortunately it was too spicy and whatever flavor was in the broth was completely dominated by the spiciness. However, the texture of the ramen was firm - not too al dente or not too soft.

At least it looks pretty!

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Cafe La Boheme, Tokyo

I used to go to Cafe La Boheme when I lived in Japan. I have a lot of great memories there - it was the first restaurant we went to when we first moved in, and it was the restaurant where I had my first date ever (we were on the second floor, and my mom was on the first floor oh how embarrassing.) 

It's located right in the Azabu Juban area, in that little square. 

Cafe La Boheme

Green Court Azabu Juban

Azabu Juban 2-3-7

Minato-ku, Tokyo 

Accessible by: Azabu Juban Station (Toei Oedo Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line)

I don't have any photos of the exterior or the interior, so I pulled these off of the website.

It's really a spacious and lively place. They advertise Italian food, but like I mentioned in my earlier blog posts - Italian food in Japan takes on a whole new life. It's infused with Japanese influences. I ordered the Calamari and Mentaiko Pasta, which was delicious, light, and not too much! A classic example of Japanese-Italian food.

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Vinuls, Tokyo

Thanks for being so patient with me! I have a backlog of places in Tokyo, New York, and Chicago that I'd like to share with you now that I'm on winter break and have more time to write.

I'm not one to know where the good restaurants are in Tokyo because there's simply too many of them and they're also so good! Here is a Spanish bar and restaurant located in the Ginza area.

Vinuls

Ginza 2-5-17

Chuo-ku, Tokyo 

Accessible by Ginza Itchome Station (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line)

What a find! The interior was very cute and you could tell they tried to make the interior of the restaurant look a little Catalan.

We had a couple of appetizers and our big paella. It looks like the Spanish are really big on fish. The paella was delicious - not too oily but rich in flavor. A lot of great things mixed in there - sausages, onions, shrimp, etc. 

This place is definitely recommended! It's hidden from the main Ginza 1-chome road but it's cozy, quiet, and serves great Catalan food. 

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Bar Boulud, New York

Both my sister and father were away on trips, so my mother and I decided to go eat out. We had been meaning to go to more Boulud establishments so we made a reservation for Bar Boulud.

Bar Boulud

1900 Broadway (on 64th Street)

New York, NY 10023

I honestly don't know why all the Boulud establishments are all pretty much within a couple of blocks of each other in Lincoln Square. Anyways, Bar Boulud looks like the inside of a tunnel. It's a rather long room and as a result, the ambiance is noisy. I do like the whole orange-thing they have going on, though.

My mother and I shared the Escargots Persillade, or wild burgundy snails with garlic, almond parsley potato croquettes. These were quite delicious and I appreciated the fact that they made it look like a Christmas tree. This didn't go anywhere below my expectations and the potato croquettes were really a nice touch.

And for my main, I had the Cavatelli de Chevre, which is housemade cavatelli with spiced-braised goat, confit eggplant, baby spinach, and goat ricotta. Basically I felt like I was gulping sodium. The goat meat was quite delicious and chewy but sodium overload. Do these people not do a sodium check?

This restaurant did not live up to the hype.

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Tre Dici, New York

I know nothing about the Chelsea eating scene so on my way home from work I decided to try one of the Italian establishments in that area - Tre Dici.

Tre Dici

128 West 26th Street (between 6th and 7th Aves)

New York, NY 10001

Unfortunately the interior was rather dark so I could not take any pictures. I recall it being rather sexy with silver walls and posh chairs. There were a lot of well-dressed people of all ages, mostly middle-aged to elderly people dining here.

My dinner was the Organic Salmon - taggiasca olive tapenade with heirloom grape tomatoes and sliced cucumber salad, shaved red onion, feta cheese, radicchio and banyuls vinaigrette.

Possibly the best quality salmon I've had in my life. It was well-cooked and extremely tender, so tender that it melted in my mouth. The composition of the meal was also wonderful - everything worked well together, especially the tomatoes, the feta cheese, and cucumber salad.

Go here and get the salmon!

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Cosimo's Woodbury, Central Valley

No trip from upstate New York is complete without a stop at Woodbury Premium Outlet, The only fine dining establishment on the premises closed so we headed to Cosimo's Woodbury, which is a five minute drive from the outlet. 

Cosimo's Woodbury

100 State Route 32

Central Valley, NY 10917

I never know what to say about suburban restaurants, because they always look like houses to me. They have a lot of compartments. Unfortunately we were placed in the last room where it was completely empty.

To start, we had Fried Calamari, which is a favorite amongst our family. It was really quite delicious - wasn't expecting this for a small upstate NY Italian place!

And of course, my absolute favorite pasta dish is Seafood Fra Diavolo. They did it well! It was on the spicier end but nonetheless delicious.

Recommended!

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Sperry's, Saratoga Springs

Surprise! On our way home from Montreal, we stopped by Saratoga Springs again. This time we ate at a very lovely establishment called Sperry's.

Sperry's

30 1/2 Caroline Street

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

The inside is rather dark and fit for a romantic date, but who cares? My family had a great time.

Perhaps the highlight of this entire meal was the raw stuff. And I mean oysters, jumbo lump crab, poached lobster tail, clams, and shrimp. Wow. Everything was so fresh and the sauce matched perfectly with the texture and taste of each seafood item. If anything, come here for this!

For my entree, I had the Pan Seared Diver Scallops (parsnip puree, broccolini, orange saffron verjus). I did not like this very much. The taste of scallops got old pretty easily to the point where I was struggling to finish it all. The orange saffron verjus tasted kind of strange and did not seem to go well with the scallops - made them sweet. Overall, I don't recommend this item but everything else looks pretty good.