South Street Diner--wanting a burger at 1am!

In the wee hours of this past Sunday, SKL and I wanted a burger! Granted it did not help that I did not have dinner so I was ravenous. The went to a fundraiser she had assured me had food did not. (She misread and thought of another fund raiser). We were around Chinatown but that is not the place for a burger though. By 1am we were starving and her feet hurt but we made it to South Street Diner (open 24 hours on weekends for sure).

There is even a bouncer for this diner too! Our wait was not long we entered the small diner lite with pinkish light with a mixed clientele of high schoolers (from their prom playing card games) to students needing a light night fix and us. We were seated at the counter were we got the first hand look at all the hustle and bustle by the line cooks and waitstaff. Our server was very pleasant, efficient and sported more tattoos and piercings I will never have.

We decided to order a cheeseburger and halve it and also we got the South Street Diner Breakfast Special ($9.50) with three eggs, 2 pancakes, choice homefries, sausage, bacon. We got plenty of fries and the diner generously divided up our burger and gave us generous amounts of fries that were fried to perfection. The potatoes with the breakfast plate were fried but bigger pieces and a bit on the dry side. The medium burger was just right and hit the spot. The corned beef hash as a option was nice and the eggs and pancakes were all filling. As with any greasy spoon, it hit the spot.

Lucky for SKN I knew of a this diner, there are no alot of places that serve food 24 hours anymore and at reasonable prices even!

Wagamamas Boston

Wagamama (meaning in Japanese Naughty) is a Japanese noodle chain started in the UK started to conquer Boston opening its first location earlier this week with a location in Quincy Market. (There are plans to open one in Harvad Square this summer and my waiter told me it is the start of 40 locations in the USA).

I went with my bro and JHY to stand in line and eat there this past Friday. I knew there were lines but I was not prepared for the long one I saw at 6pm. My bro told me that there were lines as well earlier in the day during lunch time. We waited for half an hour to get to our table.

We decided to share our food---yaki soba, kara tori age, cha fan, and the fish salad and then later had the baked ginger stem cheesecake and citron mousse cake. We all agreed the food was not overly greasy, very healthy tasting and fun! The desserts were not overly sweet and had a delicate lightness and airiness about them. We paid $21 a piece including dessert, 3 entrees, 2 appetizers and tax and tip! Our waiter was cool and they were efficient with PDAs taking our orders, marking down the numbers on our place setting and bringing the food once ready. *Hot tea is a free drink and I had some and water with lemon.

Our neighbors to the left of us was a couple visiting from MN with their cute 10 month old son. Turns out he loves eating food and gobbled up lobster and everything given to him.

New Golden Gate 4.26.07

Last night we went to New Golden Gate Restaurant (just expanded to take over the former bakery in that space) in Boston Chinatown. Also this was the first time my folks met my sister's new beau. Plus it is rare for my bro to meet any of her beaus too.

We all met up at New Golden Gate Restaurant in Boston Chinatown. Luckily, this the new beau is more open minded on his eating habits and loves seafood. We decided on getting the seafood combo soup, steamed tilapia, twin lobster, frog legs and garlic casserole, oysters panfried, a pound of fresh boiled shrimp (that were previously swimming in the tank), garlic and pea pod stems and beef casserole (gnow nam). It was a filling meal and we ended with red bean soup (hong dao saw) .

The food was not bad but my parents thought the prices were a bit much. They feel the renovations costs are definitely reflected on the menu. Since competition is stiff, they felt no need to go back again. They liked the restaurant more pre construction.

COLOR an affordable Korean place-off Harvard Avenue

Last week, I hit COLOR (166 Harvard AveAllston, MA 02134(617) 787-5656)in Allston/Brighton with my friend NT. This is a small place that is very colorful and simple with a few tables in the dining room. The service was uneven, but the food overall and prices made up for the long wait (we were famished by the time we received our food!) It has been awhile since we ate out and hung out. She is cool and we decided on Korean when the Shanghainese place we wanted to hit was closed and then the second place for Taiwanese ---parking was hard to find.

We got the ttokbokki (Korean rice cake-thick tubular in shape), Color's House Chicken-fried chicken with a sweet chili and garlic sauce (we ordered it after seeing many dishes coming out of the oven that we were were curious) and bean paste stew as well as seafood pancake. The sauce for the ttokbokki at first seemed mild, but got spicier as you ate it. Though I must admit the pojangmacha (street vendor) version on the streets of Seoul were better. I did like the bits of oden in our ttokbokki. As a Korean friend put it best, "It is the special sauce!" The bean paste stew was a first time for NT and she liked it! Not spicy and it balanced the other spicy foods. Very warming on the cold dank and rainy night when we went to Color. I always like getting the side dishes at Korean restaurants. The seafood pancake was good with bits of shrimp and squid in a crisp pancake served with the requisite soy dipping sauce. The side dishes were simple but great respite taking different bites of the food.

We had fun and though the service was slow. I got to practice my smattering of Korean here and there. It took a long time before we got our food but we were eating it with gusto. Seemed all the other customers were Koreans save us (the only non Koreans). Initially they asked if we wanted the Korean menu. Uhhh no we would like English please.

I had fun due to my friend and the conversation. The food was alright but comparing to Korea, it does not compare. (Same could be said with apples with oranges too.)

Casa Romero-in the Back Bay

Last Friday the 13th, I went with my constant dining companions MPK and TK for dinner at Casa Romero. I have been wanting to come here for years and turns out TK wanted to as well. I had made reservations for 7pm (as MPK has a bit of a commute from work back to Boston area). They were already there by the time I had arrived. The restaurant is hidden off a small alleyway around the corner from tres chic L'Espalier in the Back Bay. Touted as one of the most romantic restaurant (in many a publication and tv program), I was curious to find out why.

We started out with a half pitcher of sangria, not the best not the worst. The chips and salsa were ok. I liked the salsa much better at Sol Azteca. This salsa was a bit more runny and not as chunky. (Ok I admit I like chunky salsa more). We ordered the fish ceviche and chicken livers for an appetizer. Both were good but I must admit I was missing the shrimp or squid that usually stud the ceviches I have when eating this dish. The chicken livers were not bad. I really loved the house specialty chipotle and marinated orange with pork. Interesting mix of spicy and sweetness. The stuffed squids were great too. But the piece de resistance was the tres leches. Only my third time having it, I ADORED it! Yummy!

One tip we did not know, there is an early bird prefix. Order by 6pm and exit by 7pm you pay on a selected three course menu only $19.95 before tax and tip!

Toro--a great tapas hangout in the South End

I went to Toro on Thursday night -April 12 (last night). Boy the weather forecast said it was supposed to be icy messy and rainy. Well at least there was no slush and hail. By the time I met up with Suz, I was drenched in a torrential downpour. It did not help that I got off one stop too early on the #1 off Mass Ave. UGGGH!

I was advised that there are always long waits to enter but as long as you know when to go you can beat the neighborhood crowd. As I entered the small but very inviting place with the fireplace buring (ok something does seem weird with a fire place going in the middle of April---I did say that). I enjoyed seeing the communal tables in the middle but Suz and I got our own table. I have been wanting to meet up with her for quite some time. She has been someone cool to chit chat with on and off over time. But she is also another aficionado of food and drink. I am sure her knowledge of libations trumps mine and boy did she have a strong one--Manhattan. (To me that even trumps a Long Island Ice Tea or even an Alabama Slammer).

Within half and hour of being seated, the place was hopping and packed. Our bald server named Jason B. with the cool dragon tat on his right arm was cool. He had the right mix of knowledge about the food and was very attentive when necessary.

Luckily, Suz was willing to try alot of the foods with me. We got one pincho--the tuna belly, the seafood stew (uni, lobster and crab----magnificent $12), seared foi with ginger and orange ($10--decent portion), manila clams with chorizo, ham with egg and mushrooms ($13--Suz's fave and I loved it), smoked beef tongue over lentils and finally the house speciality grilled corn with spanish cheese and garlic aoili (yummy and messy) and tapas staple patatas bravas (potatoes folks). We ended with the Chocolate Bravarois $7 (definitely a good portion to share). I tried the sassafras mojito $10 and truth be told I only had alot of MINT in it. The Nana Nantucket was cool not too sweet but I loved the sassy tartness to it.

After eating and relaxing for almost 3 hours, I was blissfully happy and eager to make more dinner plans with Suz. Til next time maybe to Seiyo we go....

May's Cafe in Allston---a hidden Taiwanese gem

May's Cafe is a hidden Taiwanese restuarant near the Harvard Avenue "T" stop off the "B" line. (I had just typed a long entry to have it closed and not saved with pics too! UGGGH!) I got to go last Saturday.

I went this past Saturday with JH and Min Young (whom I met at the "Spoonful of Ginger" event earlier in the week). I almost missed the event after missing my flight due to my friend SKN getting lost. Thank goodness for my good friend LLD who housed us last minute in Burbank. You are a god and rock dear friend!

Anyways we found this place which I had not gone to in many hears. It is hidden away on Glendale and accepts credit cards, I was happy with this discovery. The menu front reads in Chinese--homecooking like your moms. The prices were a bit high (then again there was not much competition).

We got the house special fried rice $10.95, Ma Po Tofu plate $8.95, oyster pancake (loved it) $8.95 and ja jiang mein (spicy noodles in meat sauce) $8.95 (the Korean style with fatter noodles and no meat is not spicy at all). My fave was the oyster pancake, then the fried rice, noodles and last ma po tofu. Their oyster pancake trumps Taiwan Cafe's in my humble opinion!

Though the prices were a bit more than Taiwan Cafe (then again it is in Chinatown), the food was very homey, we all enjoyed it and the space was small and very no frills. They do serve Boba Drinks as well.