AzrihaEatsWorld's Xanga

Crabs @ Costas Inn

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:08:00 GMT

Costas Inn
PH: 410-477-1975

4100 Northpoint Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 2122

Older sister had been bringing back old bayed crabs from this joint for the longest time, and they had been really freakin good each time that she had brought them back...so i just had to try them fresh right when they come out. So I added it to my itinerary when i went to my two good friend's (Chris and Qiao) wedding in DC.

Décor:

As you can see its not a super classy joint...and the place is pretty plain jane...but there is a reason for that as you will later on see in this post.

Food:

My partner in crime at the time ordered the Crab Cake Special $16.95. Which came with two sides and sauce.

The garlic bread looked good, but a little overbuttered for my taste, but i was told it was really good.

as for the mashed pots, i also heard it was really good.

I admit i had to try their homemade crab cakes...which were actually really freaking good...huge lumps of pulled crab meat...it was very flavorful, great texture and pretty freaking good.

A Dozen 80's (80's represent the size. old bayed baked crabs) This was the main event, what i had been really looking forward to at this restaurant...$80.

They are encrusted with their own mix of spices (old bay crust) and baked in the oven till perfection.

Of course supplied hammer is for the claws, which make it quite messy, i had to partly derobe in fear of getting too messy and stinking up my car later.

Alot of people complain that crabs involve alot of work and little reward, but that is not the case here, as you can see the huge lumps of body meat and the flavoring and juiciness just put it all together...well worth the price and well worth the work....

Summation: I highly recommend you try this place, how they bring them out and shtuff, i think in the end i was only able to consume maybe 5 or 6? I only ate the body and not the claws, as i was really into the body meat. I ordered half a dozen more and brought them all home for the family to feast on.

Looking at the other tables, this place had quite wonderful smelling/looking bbq items that i wouldn't mind trying...but most of the tables had some incantation of the crabs for feasting. I definitely got my crab fix. woot!

A bit of a heads up, if you're going to go to this restaurant, you should definitely call in your order first, cause by the end of the night they had run out of alot of the crabs. First come first serve policy is high in affect at this place. I say get the biggest ones you can, cause so far, its not like lobster...so the bigger the better so far.

Dessert @ Whole Foods

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:08:00 GMT

Yumi surprised us with these fruit tarts from Whole Foods.

The fruit was quite fresh, all organic and very tastey.

What i liked the most was that it wasn't overly sweet...which was a pleasant plus.

MeridianMan

Yumi

Boo

Summation: Yumi got us each one to partake in, it was quite grand...also later on we'd get some of the food at the 'buffet'...it was surprisingly really good...I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Whole foods to try some of the other 'healthy' goodies that they have.

Fat Nation @ Soft Tofu Restaurant

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:08:00 GMT

So Kong Dong Restaurant
PH: 201-242-0026

130 Main Street
Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024

After FatNation had gone to Sunset hill to shoot, we had built up quite a huge appetite. And Yumi had a great korean tofu joint that she wanted us to all try...SO WHY NOT!?

Décor:

Its a really small/packed place...very interesting...we actually ordered before we even sat down...place was bumping.

Eaters:

Azriha, Boo, and MeridianMan and Yumi.

Food:

Run of the mill Ban Chan and the sour soups...some of us had tea, some of us had water.

Holey crap, the short ribs were soooooooo gooooooooooood...if there's anything at this place that i would definitely recommend would be the short ribs. 100% must get when you are at this restaurant.

MeridianMan's non-spicy tofu. As you can see there is no redness in it at all...i think it was somewhat bland...but Meridian said it was good.

Now this was mine...i got super extra spicy. woot!

Summation: All in all i loved the fact that this place finally gave me the SUPER SPICY i ordered...as other places never make it spicy enough...however, i felt that their tofu was just not that good....like it didn't seem as fresh and slippery as BCD on Northern that i usually go to...in closing if i went there again i'd go probably for the short ribs...and i'd probably want to try some of the other things on the menu...i look forward to trying more shtuff as its also quite close to Mitsuwa.

White Castle

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:08:00 GMT

White Castle
PH: 718-426-0618

89-03 57th Avenue @ Queens Boulevard
Elmhurst, NY 11373

Now i know this isn't much of a place to review, but i should tell you that this specific location of white castle has been here since like...FOREVER...so they got to be doing something right...either that or the neighborhood its in has alot of weed heads....

So my doongseng told me that she's never had white castle before so i had to get her the different kinds for her to try. She was eager and excited as she had heard both good and bad stories of this place.

We ended up getting two crave cases. YUM!

And kicked it up a notch with quacamole from Costco and some awesome hot sauce from MAINE.

First up, the Bacon Cheese Burger which wasn't bad...but wasn't anything spectacular... bacon was kinda limp...but add the quac and the hot sauce and it was disco. lol.

next up is the jalepno cheese slider. Which is my favorite out of all the new 'flavors' of burgers that white castle is pushing...and adding the quac and hot sauce make it ever so much better....

Then of course had to get the regular cheese slider for her to try....again just your run of the mill steamed burger.

and last but not least the regular burger...which is good if you like that sort of thing.

Summation: Mind you i don't eat white castle that often, but it does at times hit the spot for large get togethers. or big eaters. lol. But i would definitely recommend this specific location for all those that have not yet tried a White Castle Slider. CHEERS!!! (sidenote: this whitecastle location is 24/7 )

Working Dinner @ Good Burger

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:08:00 GMT

Goodburger
PH: 212-838-6000

636 Lexington Avenue (corner of 54th Street)
New York, NY 10022

"Fresh, preservative and additive-free burgers and sides. Milk shakes made with Vermont Ice Cream. Goodburger is New York City’s Burger Joint! After years of training in the nation’s best burger places, goodburger’s chefs have mastered the art of the hamburger. At Goodburger, freshness is everything. That’s why in a world where food is often chemically processed, prepackaged and frozen, each and every Goodburger is made the old fashioned way." Well supposedly its the "healthiest" burger in manhattan...so WHY NOT GIVE IT A TRY!?

Décor:

some pics of the inner workings and seating of the place.

*Note i did not take these pics, they are from seamless web.

Food:

Food came fast...and in all recyclable material. (or so it says on the website.)

First up was the slaw...nice and creamy, with a nice crunch! follow through...it was a good cole slaw..

My Double Cheeseburger made to order (Double means two beef patties, Medium cooked, Lettuce, Tomato, Bacon and ketchup on the side)...I always love bacon and either provolone or swiss melted on it with a side of bbq sauce...they forgot my bbq sauce...but thats all good.

here's a view of the cross section. you can see the burger was cooked to my liking...mmmm so juicy...and below is a close up of the single side. The tomatoes and lettuce were fresh and crisp and the bacon was nice and salty, the way i like it.

Summation: Ultimately this becomes my new BEST BURGER IN MIDTOWN...but the only thing preventing it from holding the king crown is the fact that its ridiculously expensive for a burger at this joint. I definitely like them more than Five Guy's burgers, but for the bang for the buck, Five Guy's would definitely reign supreme here...the burger is very juicy, very flavorful, perfectly cooked and 'healthier'...so i guess its really your call...but i say try both. lol. $14.50 burger + $1.29 tax + $2.00 tip = $17.79 (thats just for the burger and all the extras i added, no fries or anything.)

Blue Berry Jam from Maine

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:08:00 GMT

Bought some Wild Blueberry Jam from Maine...alot of people don't know or realize that Maine is actually known for their Blueberries before they were known for their lobster. Afterall it is the state berry...lol.

I cannot iterate how good and amazing this jam is....

then mixing it with peanut butter or cashew butter or the butter of your choice...makes it one of the best PB&J sandwiches to ever be made...

and the whole berries burst with such great flavor...just thinking about it makes me want to....ok nvm, going to go and make a pb&j sandwich now...

Working Dinner @ Bella Vita

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:08:00 GMT

Bella Vita
PH: 212-664-7670

158 West 58th Street (between 7th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10019

Well Meridian Man's back in the office, and we decided to order some pizza. He picked the place and boy oh boy was it freaking good.

Décor:

Some pics of the inside of the joint, which i did not take.

text

Food:

food didn't take long to come...came nice and piping hot...which made me worry that it would be soggy...

Plates and condiments.

mmmm parm.

spicy pepper flakes.

What a beautiful pie...check out the basil leaves...this is just a regular pie...very different from what i'm accustomed to from the mom and pop joint near my house.

to my surprise, it was not soggy at all....very crispy crust...i love this style of pizza....

mmm fresh basil leaves....soooooo gooood...very aromatic.

the flavors and pairings were/are perfect...the crispy crust...the kick of the sauce...then the mellow cheese then the aromatic basil...a work of art....drooling just thinking about it.

For some reason little sis always wants me to take a pic of the upskirt...*shrug no idea why...but i guess its a foodie world thing...well here you go...and a close up....

Summation: This is the best version of this pizza i've ever had. I've tried some other locations...even one that's been around for a 100 years...and it still wasn't good...(i'll be doing a review on them later on.) but this is definitely my go to place for this kind of pizza...the only thing that disagrees with me is my wallet...as it is in Midtown...etc..etc...twas $14.50 for the pie. $1.29 for tax and $3.00 bucks for tip...which makes it come out to $18.79 total...if you can live with the price...eat it everyday. lol. I highly recommend this pizza joint.

Fat Nation @ Black-eyed Sally's

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:08:00 GMT

Black-eyed Sally's BBQ & Blues
PH: 860-278-Ribs (7427)

350 Asylum Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

So as Boo and I were returning from our weekend getaway to Maine, we decided to stop by my doongseng's college to pick her up and grab some good eats. Moolgy gave us some options, which we in the end picked Black-eyed Sally's for some gooooood barbq.

Eaters:

Boo was camera shy, Moolgy Dongseng, and last but not last, Mr. Azriha.

Décor:

Its definitely a nice bar setup with live music at night...we were at an 'off' hour so the place was pretty empty, but you can definitely tell this place is bumpin at night.

Sustenance:

Unsweetened iced teas, and wonderful Lemonades.

The food didn't take long, but long enough that we were able to catchup on each other's lives.

Blackened Salmon Salad (Pan blackened salmon over chopped greens, crispy cornbread croutons and a sweet corn vinaigrette): Boo opted for something healthier after all the fried seafood and lobster we had had in Maine. It was actually really good...the vinaigrette accented the food really well. And the real kicker was the cornbread croutons that really made the dish crunch! $10.95

Memphis Style Pork Rib Platter: (1/4 or 1/2 rack of their famous slo-smoked ribs w/red beans & rice, Sally's slaw and cornbread): I got the 1/2 a rack...but i just noticed they forgot my cornbread...booooo!!! $13.95

The slaw was pretty good, fresh and crunchy.

I also got a side of Mac and cheese: which was aite. $2.95

The rice and beans that came with the meal were pretty good, but nothing outstanding.

The ribs were pretty freaking good. very flavorful and juicy, but what really made the ribs spectacular was the sauce that was on it. DEEELISH!!!

Crispy Cornmeal Catfish (Salt-n-vinegar fries, cole slaw and tartar sauce and fresh lemon): This was definitely the show stealer here. Boo and i had a small piece and completely fell in love with the dish...I don't remember the slaw or the salt and vinegar fries....but the fish was totally AMAZING..and that's without the special tartar sauce. The next time i go to Black Eye Sally's...definitely gonna get this dish all to myself. $10.95

Mississippi Mud Pie (Coffee ice cream pie with a chocolate cookie crust, topped with fudge sauce and whipped cream): The girls were in a mood for dessert...so why not? Though i admit i didn't have much, it was pretty good...$5.50

Summation: We were all very happy campers at the end of our meal. Great atmosphere, and i can't really judge the service since we were practically the only people there, so service was pretty good. Food very good...definitely recommend this place as somewhere to go with a group of friends, and if you're going to bring a date, i say bring her/him at night when the place is bumpin with live music.

Lunch @ Valencia Luncheria

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:08:06 GMT

Valencia Luncheria
PH: 203-846-8009

172 Main Street
Norwalk, Connecticut 06851

So boo and i were watching food network and Guy Fieri was talking about this place...and not only that, the food looked fucking amazing. (You can actually watch the 'review' here on youtube). Also since I was planning a trip to Maine with Boo, and it was totally on the way...and Boo was definitely interested in going SO WHY NOT?!?!?!

The décor inside is of a cozy little friendly joint. Three boards chalked up with today's special. Its a nice quaint little place, but don't let this picture below fool you, we went during off hours, and on our second trip there, the place was sooo busy we had to order out (for Boo's birthday, which was made ok, cause i found a nice nearby park for a romantic...yeah ok back to the review...)

Two sauces supplied on the table. One is a cold vegetable sauce that accents almost anything you put on it, and the second i don't really remember, but i think it was a spicier sauce...hmmmm guess i'm just gonna have to go back and try some more... *wink

Boo got a papaya Batidos
(fresh fruit blended with milk and ice)
which was a bit on the thicker side for me,
but she loved it.
$3.50

Boo also ordered Mango Iced Tea for me
cause she felt i'd like it...which she was very right...it was fucking amazing and i loved that they let you get the syrup and add as much as you want...and the bamboo stick was a nice piece to chew on. $2.50

Our food didn't take that long to come. Presentation was really nice, a cool banana leaf on the bottom, piping hot food...looked GREAT!!! Yesh we only ordered Arepas our first time around.

Arepas: Pernil (Venezuelan pork roast): $3.75 and Carne Mechada (shredded beef): $4.00

Funny story about the Pernil...first time around i didn't even get to try it cause *ahem* someone took it and scarfed it down thinking that the Pernil and Carne were the same thing....Well second time around, i was able to try it...and it was really really good....a definite, MUST GET whenever we er...i go.

The Carne did look on the dryer side, but it was very flavorful...and accented well against the fried corn cake (which you can get skillet roasted if you want) It was very good the first time around, however, second time around it wasn't as good.

Jenny (chicken, cheese, spinach): this was ok good. not my most favorite, but i can definitely see it as something someone could like alot. but it wasn't for my taste buds. everything was moist and savory, well cooked. no dryness or misplaced flavors. $4.00

Zach (crispy chicken, honey): now this was totally a show stealer...we figured it was gonna be on the dryer side, but the chicken was perfectly cooked, perfectly crispy, and the honey PERFECTLY accented the ENTIRE dish. This is a MUST GET everytime we go there...it was ridiculously good. $4.00

What was interesting was our second time around we actually got a free burrito...don't know if it was compliments of the house, or a mistake in the order. It was a Pulled Pork Burrito, and it was really freaking good...but it was HUGE!!! and not to mention $9.00 bucks on the menu.

Summation: What was really cool was, second time around we got to meet Micheal Young, who was on the episode of 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'. He's a really nice guy, totally not full of himself or anything like that. Even though it was slamming busy in Valencia Luncheria, he took the time to take a pic with me. I highly recommend the place, as all of the food was good to really freaking good. I look forward to stopping here for all my trips up to Maine, and can't wait to try the other quite interesting dishes and combinations. Great food. Great company. what more could you ask for? CHEERS!!!

Back Home in Lahaina (Manhattan Beach)

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:08:00 GMT

Back Home in Lahaina Hawaiian Cuisine
PH: 310-374-0111

916 North Sepulveda Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, California 90266

So on my way back from Australia, i had a six hour lay over in LA. Peachmentos was nice enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to show me around and take me to try out some Hawaiian food...that's a rarity to nil in NYC. WOOT! FATNATION FOR LIFE!!!

Menu:

Menu Pages 1 and 2

Interior:


	*note i did not take these pictures, they're from the google gods. It has a very interesting set up inside, of a bar and eating area...but i think the thing that you will notice the first/most is the fact that there's a tree in the middle of the joint. Though i did not have the opportunity to find out if it was real or not, it was a nice touch to the interior design...which oddly enough did match up pretty well. Not like i'm about to go and put a tree in the middle of my living room or anything like that...

Grub:

We got Hawaiian iced tea...that was ridiculously good...best part was the tea wasn't over powering, and it wasn't overly sweet...so it was quite refreshing with no stingy aftertaste to make anything bad. ($2.59) yeah...just a tad bit on the pricier side...

Spam Musubi: Everyone's thats had this has been raving about it to me. so i just had to try it....($2.59)

I feel these pics are really good of the food, but they don't even remotely do justice to how good the spam musubi was, i wanted to order more but Peachmentos told me that there was alot more for me to try...

Lahaina Platter 1 (a triple combination of kalua pork, beef teriyaki, and tahaina fried chicken): This was a very interesting platter...($15.79)

The mac salad that came with it was aite.

The kalua pork was actually really good...surprisingly good...i've never had kalua pork before, and on first look...it was kinda ugly...and unappetizing...but the juicness and wonderful flavoring was really good.

Tahaina fired chicken was quite good. nice and crispy...once cold it wasn't as good, but when it was hot and crispy...soooo goooood.

the beef teriyaki; the beef was actually really really dry, but the sauce made it really good, really good...it actually rejuvenated dry beef into something not only palatable but quite enjoyable.

The cole slaw was ridiculously good...i mean it really put the plate together. and the crispy-ness of the ramen noodles worked really well with the slaw.

supplied dollop of hot rice, and the uber yummy teriyaki sauce, glad they supplied more of the great sauce.

Hana Fish Tacos (Grilled Atlantic Haddock on corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, red onions, tartar sauce, Asian-Fusion Salsa, Served with fries or fresh corn chips and macaroni salad): definitely a very pretty plate.($10.99)

This fish taco was grilled and not fried...which i think really took away from the flavor of it.

Macaroni salad was again ok, fries were nice and hot and moist insides, and the salsa was particularly good.

All put together the fish tacos were ok, I really think they should serve the cole slaw ontop of the fish tacos, i think that would have made these tacos AMAZING...Peach thought i should recommend it to the place.

Summation: In the end all the food was really good, though we had to doggie bag alot of it, that didn't take away from the experience.

I'd have to say i liked the spam musubi the most, and would definitely say that its a MUST GET. Kulua pork a close second...but in all honesty i'll probably just repeat the Spam Musubi, and then try some new dishes.

Another repeat would definitely be the the Hawaiian Iced Tea.

THANKS PEACH!!! twas quite the experience! and thanks for driving me around...Fry's was awesome!!