"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
--Virginia Woolf
Ah, Woolf sums up my current philosophy to a T. After much hemming and hawing (and prodding from my equally food-obsessed boyfriend), I've decided to start a blog that'll cover my weekly culinary jaunts throughout New York City.
While I don't claim to be a food snob or even a "foodie," I love to eat. My palate doesn't discriminate and I'm willing to try just about anything. As a half Burmese/half Chinese gal living in New York City, I've grown up eating dishes like my mother's coconut curry noodles (owno kow sway) and fish soup (mohinga) to dim sum delicacies like chicken feet and beef tripe.
Since moving back to New York City after college graduation, my stomach has never been happier (my wallet, on the other hand, is another story!). After subsisting on mostly suburban chain-restaurant fare and Chinese takeout for most of my four years in Albany, I was ready for more adventurous cuisine.
I'm currently working as a writer/associate editor at a trade magazine, so my salary forces me to be somewhat frugal when eating out. In addition to the occasional indulgence at a nice restaurant, this blog will mostly review the cheap eats that I seek out and/or stumble across. For example, I harbor a weakness for the Middle Eastern chicken and rice cart in my 'hood, as well as a good slice of pizza and a $2.50 falafal sandwich in the Village. I'm also just as happy with a bowl of soup with wontons, noodles and roast pork from Big Wong or pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) from Pho Bang (both in the Chinatown vicinity).
It has also been an unofficial mission of mine to explore the hidden gems in my own neighborhood. Once known for being a predominantly Greek nabe, Astoria is suddenly becoming the next hip thing (and yes, the hipness factor extends beyond the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden). My half-brother (currently living in Minnesota) recently came to visit over Christmas break with my sister-in-law and was amazed at how the neighborhood we both grew up in has been transformed with a slew of new bakeries, lounges, bars and ethnic cuisine that hadn't been there before. In fact, my favorite sushi restaurant (I go at least once a month, if not more) is J.J.'s Fusion Kitchen Sushi Bar, located on quiet 31st Ave, a couple of blocks off of the more-trafficked Steinway St.
The swelling ranks of young professionals who've decided to make Astoria their new home does annoy me when I jostle for a pole to grip on to on the subway during rush hour every day, but if the growing population means the arrival of Bakeway NYC, which has awesome almond croissants and the best damn coffee ever (screw Dunkin Donuts, with a small cup of coffee setting you back $1.40) and restaurants like J.J.'s, then bring it on. Stay tuned for a more thorough post dedicated to my favorite haunts in Astoria, as well as other places I've visited recently.
Happy eating,
Irene
