Surf's Up

Tropical Happy Hour in Hell's Kitchen

After our cocktails at Havana Central, we went over to Reunion. Their happy hour is Mon, Thurs and Fri from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. I would love to check out Taco Tuesday for some great taco deals.

The happy hour deal is great here - drinks are 50% off. Normally $12-$14, they are $6, What an awesome deal in such a great environment! I love the lighting and décor.

Interior Bar

I ordered a Frozen Mojito, the Mermaid! It was phenomenal! I enjoyed it so much I drank it way too quickly. Can you say BRAINFREEZE?!

$6 Frozen Mojito

I love the tongue-in-check signage around the bar. It really adds to the whimsical feel of the space.

#truth

I want to come back here for some food. Watch out Taco Tuesday!

Cheers,

Liz

 

French? Oui, Oui!

A Lovely Restaurant Amid the HORROR of Times Square

I haven't seen my friend Ann in YEARS and we planned a dinner to catch-up. I wanted to pick a place that would be tasty, not too loud, and near the Port Authority (Ann commutes in from NJ). I did my best to avoid the hellhole of Times Square and found a great French restaurant, Marseille (http://www.marseillenyc.com/). I always appreciate the opinion of fellow Yelpers! to help me find somewhere to eat!

The restaurant has outdoor seating (I chose to avoid it because it can be distracting with all the people walking and cars). The interior reminds me of a French bistro - loved it!

Restaurant Interior

I got to the restaurant a little early and a cocktail caught my attention - Le Pamplemousse. This is a classy reinterpretation of a Greyhound. Made with Absolut Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, Campari, Elderflower, Fresh Citrus & Salted Rim. It was DIVINE. The perfect combination of salty and sweet!

Le Pamplemousse

Ann went with the Pomegranate Cocktail, made with Bacardi Silver, Amaretto, and Pomegranate & Pineapple Juice. I tried a sip - tasty but not as good as mine!

Pomegranate Cocktail

After reading reviews, I was pretty sure I would order the Lamb Shank (the signature dish of the restaurant). I changed my mind when the diners next to me said to get the Plat de Juor: Rack of Lamb. I asked our server and he recommended it as well - I was sold! I got it served medium rare - perfection! It was cooked to the exact temp and just lovely. I'm so glad I got it!

Rack of Lamb

Ann ordered the Beef Short Rib "Bourguignon" - she loved it too!

Beef Short Rib "Bourguignon"

We decided to split at dessert and since we both LOVE chocolate, we got the Warm Chocolate Cake. So good!

Warm Chocolate Cake

I really enjoyed this restaurant - especially the cocktails! I look forward to coming back soon!

Cheers,

Liz

 

Totto Ramen 2.0

The New Location is Right Next Door to the Original - How Convenient!

I met up with Lauren, a lovely classmate of mine, to catch-up over dinner. Lauren recently moved into a new apartment with her boyfriend, another classmate of mine, in Hell's Kitchen. She suggested a spot right near her place: Totto Ramen (http://tottoramen.com/). This well-known ramen spot recently opened up a second location (464 W 51st St, btw 10th and 9th Ave) right near its first location (366 W 52nd St, btw 9th and 8th Ave). Luckily, the crowds haven't gotten to this new spot just yet, so we were able to get a table at 7pm with no problem.

The Menu! and my finger!

Before we dug into the ramen, we split an order of the pork buns. They were utterly sinful! The pork is melt-in-your-mouth heavenly meat. It is by no means a lean cut of meat. The fat is what makes it so tasty. I'm not normally into aggressive amounts of visible fat (unless it is bacon) but this is something I will welcome with an open mouth. Delicious - a must try if you're here! I thought it was as good as, if not better, than Ippudo.

Char Siu Pork Buns!

For my ramen, I ordered the Miso. It looks a bit odd since a scoop of miso and ground pork sit on the top of the bowl. Don't be scared! Just take your chop sticks and mix it in! I tend to prefer Spicy Miso Ramen, but that wasn't offered. To make my own, I ordered a side of rayu. This is spicy sesame oil. It really adds a depth of flavor and isn't overly spicy. If you haven't tried Miso, I HIGHLY encourage it! Lauren doesn't typically order it, but once she tasted the broth, she is now a converted believer!

Totto Miso Ramen

Also, I used to be scared of the "egg in the soup" thing. Don't be! The egg is perfectly cooked here! The yolk is slight set without being hard or too runny. It has a delicious taste from the soup. Trust me! I was scared too, just go for it.

This is a fantastic ramen spot. If you want to go, you know you have someone willing to join you!

Cheers,

Liz

 

A Battle Through Times Square for Happy Hour!

Gyu-Kaku has Deals all Day!

Recently, I met up with Melissa during the week to take advantage of Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Times Square's Happy Hour (http://gyu-kaku.com/ny/timessquare.htm). This location has Happy Hour for lunch (11:30AM - 3:00PM) and dinner (3:00PM - 6:00PM & 9:30PM - 11:00PM). The drink deal during this time is 50% off select drinks. The meal deal is reduced pricing on most menu items.

I enjoy informative art

We ordered the steamed chili dumplings ($6, normally $8), bistro hanger streak ($5, normally $8), sukiyaki bibimbap ($6, normally $10), and chocolate lava cake ($6, normally $8). With a Yelp! check-in, we each got a free edamame ($4 value). Social media has measurable value people!

Steamed Chili Dumplings

Chocolate Lava Cake

I didn't snap photos of everything, but trust that it was yummy. The Bibimbap arrived in a hot stone pot. It is served with a raw egg and continues to cook. We didn't realize how hot it was and some of the rice started to get too crispy...nearly burnt. Next time, I'll need to make sure to monitor it more closely!

The dessert was super tasty. It didn't have any Asian twist to it (I love the Green Tea one at Spot Dessert Bar) but it was lovely.

I would recommend only visiting this spot if it is during Happy Hour, otherwise it is a bit pricey for what it is.

Cheers,

Liz