wheninromi. Food.Drink.Love.

[wheninromi]

Chicago Round 2

Hi all! Sorry i’ve been slacking on my entries! As you may/may not know, i started off my New Year with a new job (yay!) and traveled to Chicago (again) for 2 weeks to meet my team. During my stay there, I visited a few different locations and thought I should share with you all :)

I tried a couple of different entrees from this place called Chuck’s, where I was able to request in-room dining service from my hotel. My only excuse for not going out the first 2 days were simply because it was FREEZING outside. If you ever decide to visit Chicago during winter season....don’t underestimate it, because it’s literally negative degrees outside.

ANYWAYY, First round - I tried their organic chicken with Arro, barley risotto & chimichurri. The chicken’s skin was crispy and definitely met my satisfactory needs, which the risotto was cooked to perfection!

Day 2 from Chuck, I had the Braised Short Ribs with Poblano Polenta, Tempura Corn and Watercress. The short ribs literally melted in your mouth, to the point where you didn’t even have to chew! Overall...DELICIOUS!

The next day, my teammates and I from work decided to go out for lunch at Sweetwater Tavern & Grille, where I decided to try their parmigiano-reggiano crusted tilapia with sautéed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes, and lemon caper butter sauce. I literally finished the whole dish in an instant :)

When you think “Chicago,” you immediately think “Deep Dish Pizza.” So I decided to try one near the hotel I was staying at called giordano’s. Quick note: I ordered a small, but don’t be fooled....it’s a pretty big portion. This was pretty good and if you’re really craving pizza with extra volume, I highly recommend!

Lastly for lunch, I went to Remington’s, where we were seated in a nice, secluded area with glass window filled with wine bottles (Pretty much heaven to me). Apologies for applying filter to the image below, but I had their chicken dip, which is a rotisserie chicken with jack cheese, mayo, tomato, onion, arugula and chicken au jus (pretty much a french dip, but with chicken). This was definitely one of my favorite dish in Chicago! In addition, I ordered side of fries, which made it even better :)

In conclusion, I decided to wrap things up in Chicago by going to Magnolia Bakery which is one of my favorite places to go to for cupcakes. I decided to get one that had the Chicago branding on it, with fancy blue sprinkles on it to kick off the season! At first, I thought, “It’s too cute to eat!” but I ended up devouring the whole thing few minutes afterward.

So that’s it, guys! I’ll be going back to Chicago again next week so stay tuned for more updates on all things foods and dranks!

[wheninromi]

Orlando Vacay! - F&W Festival Edition

Its been a while since my last post, but I finally have some great new foodie stories to share with you all (yaaas)! I took my much-needed 1 week vacation and flew over to sunny (and SUPER HUMID) Orlando, Florida. Of course, my boyfriend and I went to Disney World and Universal Studio during our stay there...BUT, we were mostly excited about the International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot! You’re basically traveling the whole country at that one location and feasting like a beast. 

Horray, we made it to the festival!! #NOMMZ

First stop was Australia, where we tried their Grilled lamb chop with mint pesto & potato crunchies, as well as the grilled sweet & spicy bush berry shrimp with pineapple, peppers, onions, and snap peas. I’m not a huge fan of lamb chops, but this one was so tender that even I could eat without any hesitation! As for the shrimp, the semi-sweet & spicy sauce glazed all over made this food an absolute perfection.

Next at Mexico, we had the Chilaquiles de pollo (Corn chips layered with seasoned chicken, queso fresco, sour cream and cilantro). In addition, we had the Dos Equis Lager beer with Floater - which was AMAZING! 

South Korea - we had the Korean BBQ short rib with steamed rice & cucumber kimchi and Roasted pork lettuce wrap with kimchi slaw. For drink, we tried something called the “iCing Grapefruit Sparkling Rice Brew.” All DE-LISH!

Africa - Buttered chicken with micro cilantro and naan bread. If you love curry, you’ll definitely get a kick out of this one!

Germany - Roast bratwurst in a pretzel roll and something called Schinkennudeln (i’ll most definitely butcher the pronunciation, if I dare to do so) which is basically pasta gratin with ham & cheese. It’s a bit heavy but totally worth it!

Brazil - This one by far one of my favorite food there! Crispy pork belly with black beans and tomato...oh my god, it literally melts in your mouth *Queue the drool*

France - So I actually had food here as well, which was called Boeuf bourguignon (Braised short ribs in cabernet with mashed potatoes) but for some odd reason, I didn’t get a picture of it (you suck, Hiromi). BUT, I did get a drink there as well, which was the La Passion Martini Slush (Grey Goose Le Citron vodka, cranberry and passion fruit juice). AH-MAZING! 

JAPAN - How could I forget this one, right? Kakigori (Shaved ice with syrup flavoring) is definitely refreshing to eat when it’s scorching hot outside! 

Scotland - Fresh potato pancake with Scottish smoked salmon and herb sour cream. Looks plain, but definitely worth it if you’re a salmon lover. I definitely enjoyed it!

We also had a white wine flight at the Germany station. 

Aside from that, we’ve gone to several other restaurants nearby but Emeril’s was hands down the best one (BAM!).

Of course, I couldn’t resist NOT getting the chef’s tasting menu...

Complimentary from the chef (no, not Emeril) when I ordered the chef’s tasting menu!

First course: Scallop Crudo (with Honey-truffle vinaigrette , pistacchio dust, and citrus sauce)

Second Course: Braised Pork Belly (with Charred brussel sprouts, salad, apply jam sherry mustard vinaigrette)

Third Course: Grilled Filet Mignon (with broccoli + potato cheddar gratin, red pepper chimichurri)

Dessert: Neapolitan creme brulee trio (with White chocolate, cherry, pistachio cookie).

Boyfriend’s meal: Sweet BBQ roasted salmon (with adouille + potato hash, crispy onions, and housemade worcestershire)

Overall, the trip was exhausting and I feel like I need a vacation from this vacation...BUT, I had so much fun (which is all that matters)!! I got my money’s worth and would highly recommend you do the same if you’re in that area! 

...But seriously though, looking through these pictures makes me hungry for more.

Current status:

[wheninromi]

Ninja NYC - Beware of the Ninjas...!?

Where do you go in the city if you want great entertainment that’ll make you jump, and have amazing food at the same time? Go to Ninja NY! This place is perfect for both children and adult! After a pre-screening event, my good friend Alina and I decided to check this place out for dinner. When we got there and entered the building, all we see are boulder-like wall with receptionist standing in front of this one elevator (which we assumed it takes you to the dining area). When we got up, one of the servers/ninjas came out of nowhere and scared us! It was quite hilarious, actually. 

Once seated, we each ordered a drink and shared the appetizer (salmon tartar).

I had their specialty cocktail called “Retsu” which consisted of japanese green apple syrup, whiskey, cranberry juice, and apple juice. 

As for my friend, she had the “Rin,” which had passion fruit puree, blueberry vodka, orange liquor and cranberry juice.

This (believe it or not) is the presentation of the salmon tartar! It had the dried ice effect and we were both totally amazed by the display! Not to mention mini pancakes coming with the salmon tartar! You’re probably wondering where the salmon tartar is, right? It’s actually right underneath the one in this picture (it’s kinda like a bento box). AMAZING!

Lastly, we ordered their signature dish for 2 called “Katana.” This included (as you can see in the above picture) the angus steak with teriyaki sauce (covered in cucumber), fried risotto and alaskan king crab served with tomato mango sauce topped with white sauce and melted cheese. Presentation was amazing once again, displaying a long, wooden plate in front of us to share.

AMAZING EXPERIENCE ALL AROUND! From time to time, Ninjas will come and try to surprise you (as they did with my friend haha). Definitely a great spot for children and even a date night!

[wheninromi]

Chicago outing - Lou Malnati’s & bellyQ

Totally delayed in creating this post (sorry!). In mid-April, I went to Chicago for the first time with a couple of my friends and had the best time ever! Of course, when you hear “Chicago,” you immediately think Deep Dish Pizza, right? RIGHT! So the first place my food-loving friends and I went to is this place called Lou Malnati’s, where they’re known to have the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. 

First, we ordered their signature salad called “Malnati’s Salad” which had  Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, Volpi salami bits and gorgonzola cheese with our Sweet Vinaigrette and romano cheese. Those salami bits were nice and crunchy, which gave it a nice touch in flavor. Since the pizza takes about 1/2 hour to make, we ordered some drinks in the meantime. I had the Goose Island IPA (since we’re in Chicago, why not?) while everyone else had their own specialty beer/drink. 

Now for the best part...THE PIZZA! We ordered the Malnati Chicago Classic™ which is made with Lou's lean sausage, extra cheese (yum) and vine-ripened tomato sauce on Buttercrust. What’s not to love about all of those? The deep crust definitely added on the extra texture. Presentation of the food may seem small, but it’s quite filling (not to mention there were 4 of us)! Overall, I give this place a gold star for my first deep dish pizza experience in Chicago :) 

Next for dinner, we went to this place called bellyQ, which is an Asian-Inspired BBQ restaurant in Chicago. As soon as I entered, I fell in love with the interior designing of this place. We ordered some drinks, appetizers and entree of our own. Did a little flight of whiskey/sake (which were provided with a mat that had full description of what each of them were), and they were both delicious! See below images for description of each item.

Chilled Edamame w/ soy balsamic

Noodle + Cheese (aka Asian Mac n’ Cheese). Hint of spice with a curry taste. Definitely recommend for those of you that love curry!

Special Jambalaya dish they had with duck.

whiskey flight for the gents...

...followed by a sake flight for the ladies.

My friend had the wagyu beef burger and it looked very appetizing....YUM!

Late at night, we stopped by Goose Island brew pub for a quick drink. What a successful 1st day in Chicago, amirite?

Last food adventure we went on is this American-Style gastropub called SideDoor which was located near our hotel. When you enter, you see multiple pictures of keys displayed on the wall, which gives it that mysterious and vintage look. We ordered the deviled eggs to share, and I had a cosmo fizz (I believe that’s what it’s called) to drink. I was pretty beat by the end of this day so I honestly didn’t get a chance to drink the whole thing, but it tasted amazing! We also ordered their baked mac n’ cheese which was baked to perfection! For our main course, I ordered the Pulled Pork Poutine (which was amazing and definitely filling) and my boyfriend had the slow roasted duck.

Overall, my trip to Chicago has been an amazing experience (to the point where I may even consider moving there one day)! If you’re ever in town, I highly recommend checking these restaurants out! 

[wheninromi]

Menya Sandaime (Noodle House 3rd Generation) - Fort Lee, NJ

I found out about this place a few months ago through a friend and decided to try it out. Their main restaurant started in Seoul, but recently opened one in the heart of good ‘ol New Jersey as well (yay!). 

The store front gives you an “Edo” period atmosphere and shows you a full blown menu up front. 

I decided to order the Black Ramen with a side of Gyoza (Pan-fried pork dumplings). Black Ramen consists of Tonkotsu broth soup with a touch of seafood base, topped with pork chasyu, scallions, marinated eggs, bean sprouts, and spinach. 

Gotta be honest, the broth was a little bit on the salty side, but the noodles were absolutely delicious (Note: Noodles are handmade in the restaurant with a machine they use, which can be viewed in the restaurant near the entrance!).

Boyfriend decided to go with the regular ramen (a.k.a. Tonkotsu Ramen), which includes silky tokyo style pork broth soup topped with pork chasyu, scallions, marinated egg, bean sprouts and spinach.

I think my greatest experience from this restaurant is the gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings). They were probably one of the best dumplings i’ve ever tried in my life! The crispy outer layer was definitely the best part :) 

If you decide to go here, be sure to order this FOR SURE! 

Overall, my experience at Menya Sandaime has been absolutely amazing! If you’re ever in NJ (Bergen County area), definitely check this place out!

Also, their parking space is extremely tiny, so I suggest you park on the side street for meter parking. 

[wheninromi]

BarBacon - Gastropub with bacon-infused eatery.

The love of bacon has grown to surreal heights and became a collective obsession around the world.

 Therefore, I’d like to officially start my restaurant review with this phenomenal place called BarBacon located in NYC - Hell’s Kitchen! As you can probably imagine from the name of this place, majority of the food and drink they have consists of bacon as their key ingredient. 

I ordered the BarBacon BBQ Pork Sandwich (Originally wanted the Lobster Loves Bacon Mac & Cheese but they ran out...so until next time!) with their specialty bourbon champagne. Meanwhile, my boyfriend ordered the Bacon Steak paired with their original Bacon Bloody Mary. We also ordered a side of fries as well as their special for the night, which was the shrimp and pork buns. Literally melts in your mouth...whatever sauce they had in there was DELICIOUS!

Overall, I thought everything was delicious! BBQ pork sandwich could’ve used a bit more flavor in my opinion, but I was satisfied with my experience here, regardless :) 

Below is a closer look at the Bacon Bloody Mary, which includes real strips of bacon! Judging by the boyfriend’s reaction, I’d say the drink was spiced to perfection and highly recommendable.

Closer look at the Bourbon Champagne (Can’t quite remember the name of this particular drink), which was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I would recommend this drink to anyone who loves a little bourbon in their champagne :)

I give this restaurant an A+ and highly recommend it to anyone who loves bacon! 

It’s a bit harder to get a seat at night, so I suggest you go earlier than later (Especially if there’s a huge game on).