October 5, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Food, Life, Travel

Dinning Out At Pomme Cafe – A Savory French Cuisine in Astoria

Pomme Cafe is a local French style brasserie located in the heart of Astoria. Shortly after learning about this place I just had to take my friends there and I was thrilled at this discovery. The atmosphere here is great and the French decor is an elegant touch. The staff were also extremely attentive, knowledgeable, and very accommodating with all our requests. It’s definitely a great place to come to with a small group of friends for an intimate and nice dinner.

Everything on the menu sounds very delicious, so my friends and I had a difficult time narrowing down the choices. After looking through the menu we started with the oyster sampler, tuna tartar, French Onion Soup and Sautéed Burgundy Escargots. Our escargots with braised lamb was prepared perfectly. I’m not usually inclined to order anything with lamb in it, but felt like having something different and convinced myself that it was good choice. The escargots was amazing and complemented the lamb perfectly.

And for the highlight of the evening is my creme brulee. It’s so delicious and I can’t wait to go back again for it. Overall we had a great time. We ate, talked and drank our wine for over two hours. It was a great meal and one to be remembered. I would recommend the place to everyone.

Pomme Cafe
3719 Broadway Ave
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 545-4301

Oyster Sampler

Escargots with braised lamb

September 13, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Food, Life, Travel

Ramen Takumi – My Favor Tan Tan Men at Greenwich Village

I work by Union Square surrounded by many popular restaurants and shops. The coolest thing is that my girl friend “Diana” actually work on the same block with me. So I always look for new restaurant to try with her.

Every time I walked pass by University Place, I could’t help but notice the Ramen Takumi sign outside the entrance. Slowly my curiosity got to me so I invited Diana to have lunch with me at Ramen Takumi. We were hook after trying out their Tan-Tan Men. Believe it or not, we ate there at least once every week for the past month or so. Aside from the Tan-tan Men, their tempura, shumai and gyoza were pretty decent too. I must admit that I really like this ramen place a lot and the best part is that I get to see my best friend every day.

Ramen Takumi
90 University Pl
(between 11th St & 12th St)
New York, NY 10003

September 5, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Food, Life, Travel

Cafe Henri – Reminiscent of a Parisian Cafe In New York City

My fiance and I were in the mood for a light brunch this weekend. We visited Cafe Henri, a charming French cafe in Long Island City. It has a very relaxed atmosphere with an etching of Henri, the owner’s dog on the glass window. The cafe feels very inviting and filled with details like artworks and vintage chandelier that is reminiscent of a Parisian cafe.

The brunch menu has a great selection of French comfort food and variety of sweet crepes. Many people said their Eggs Benedict was really good, so we ordered the eggs benedict with smoked salmon served alongside a salad. And what did we think? Three words: We love it! In addition to the Eggs Benedict, we also ordered the Les Escargot and French Onion Soup. They are flavorful and beautifully presented. The escargot came in a very flavorful garlic butter sauce that was so divine. Everything was fantastic and if you are looking for a light French meal then look no further. Go check out Cafe Henri.

Café Henri
1010 50th Ave
Long Island City, NY 11109
(718) 383-9315

Cafe Henri entrance

We started out with orange juice

Allen didn’t know what to ordered yet

The vintage chandelier look

Interesting….

Gratinee A Oignon – French Onion Soup

Les Escargot – snails baked in garlic butter

La Saumon Fume – smoked salmon, egg, salad, mayo, basil on baguette.

He’s getting full

August 7, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Food, Life, Travel

Romantic Dinner at One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Last Sunday night I celebrated my 11th year anniversary with my fiance at One If by Land, Two If By Sea. This restaurant has been labeled “the most romantic restaurant in the city.” The atmosphere is incredible – just walking in we were very impressed by the ambiance and decor. It’s set in an eighteenth-century carriage house, formerly the site of Aaron Burr’s home (3rd Vice-President of the United States ). I’m so glad I picked this place for his surprise dinner because he was very intrigued by the character and history of the place.

A taper candle and a white rose were placed on top of each table with a pianist playing classy music in the background. As soon as we were seated, the waiter lit up the candle and handed the menu to us. Since it’s our anniversary we splurged and ordered from the chef’s tasting menu, which is a six course meal for $125 with a $55 wine pairing.

The meal began with a complimentary lobster salad. This was surprisingly tasty and my fiance loved it. Our first course was the Petite Salad and Scallop Sashimi. It was light and delicious. I found the presentation of the Scallop Sashimi to be very beautiful. Our second course was the Duck & Pork Country Pate and Tuna Tiradito. The Tuna Tiradito was his favorite course of the night. The tuna was prepared very well and fresh. The dessert was definitely the most romantic part of the meal. We ordered the Strawberry Basil Ice Cream Sandwiches. It came on a plate which had “Happy 11th Anniversary” written in chocolate and had little birthday candles in pink and blue colors. The dessert was light and not overly sweet with a creamy interior to be indulged.

Overall the food was well-executed and delicious. I’m so happy to see the big smile on his face and he’s been none-stop raving about this place to his co-workers the next day. I recommend my readers to consider this place when planning any special occasion or to try really great cuisines.

One if by Land, Two if by Sea
17 Barrow Street
New York, NY 10014
http://www.oneifbyland.com

Right: Colonial High Tea – chamomile grappa, sparkling cava rosé, watermelon juice served over crushed ice. Left: Rosemary Cucumber Martini – rosemary infused vodka, cucumber juice, St. Germain Elderflower, pasteurized egg whites.

A taper candle and a white rose were placed on top of each table

Scallop Sashimi

Petite Salad of Summer Vegetables

Petite Salad of Summer Vegetables

Tuna Tiradito (

Duck & Pork Country Pate

Pan Seared Scallops

Marinated Octopus

Poached Day Boat Cod

Maine Lobster Confit

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream Sandwiches sweet corn biscuit, basil ice cream, macerated strawberries

Us at the restaurant

June 5, 2011 | Posted in Blog, Food, Life, Travel

Part 2: Fabulous Food and Cocktails – Secrets Resort in Jamaica

We had so much food at Secrets Wild Orchid. Since it’s all-inclusive, we were basically eating non-stop and drinking every day. The breakfast buffet offered so much variation, there was always something we enjoyed. Dinner was pretty decent. Some were outstanding especially the Jamaican food. The Preferred Club Lounge always has good snack choices and yummy desserts all day long. I love their finger sandwiches, chicken and wide selection of cakes.

There are five restaurants for dinner which are Jamaican, Italian, Mexican, French and Japanese. My least favorite is probably the Portofino Italian restaurant – that’s because I have been to Rome, Florence and Tuscany. I had so much Italian food in Italy so I am just comparing the food in Jamaica to what I had in Italy. Overall it’s still a good dinner.

Room service was excellent. We had our breakfast delivered to our room and the breakfast at our ocean-facing balcony was a unforgettable experience. Overall it was a great experience and I can’t wait to go back and have those delicious snacks at the PC lounge.

Related post
Part 1: Discover A New Paradise – Secrets Resort at Jamaica
10 Absolutely Gorgeous Sunset Photos In Jamaica
Sampling Along the Jerk Trail, Jamaica
A Culinary Travel : Exploring & Eating off the Beaten Path of Jamaica
Negril’s Famous 7 Mile Beach
Cliff Jumping at Rick’s Cafe Negril
Travel Photography – Best of Jamaica

(Bob Marley drinks)

(Snacks from PC lounge)

(Feel like I’m in pardise)

(Chicken wing and sandwiches)

(Morning breakfast)

(Piña Colada)

(PC lounge)

(One of my favorite)

(More cakes)

(Are you a cupcake fan?)

(Lunch by the pool)

(Pool side)

(Jerk Chicken with Fries)

(PC lounge)

(Me at the PC lounge trying to bring more food back to my room)