NYC Uploaded

Pictures from this trip are mostly of food.  For pictures of birthday shenanigans, you'll have to ask one of the two birthday girls.  :)

NYC 2010

NYC, Day 2

Though the primary objective of this trip was to celebrate some birthdays, I was also determined to cram in as many meals as possible.  Despite my exhaustion and how drunk I got last night, I wasn't about to trade lunch at the Momofuku Ssäm Bar for a few extra hours of sleep. 

Unfortunately, I forgot to write down all the dishes we ordered, and since it's a seasonal menu, I can't find them online anymore.  Pictures to be uploaded later, but from what I remember:

steamed pork buns – hoisin, cucumbers, scallions
pork scrapple – fried egg, benton’s bacon, plum
spicy pork sausage & rice cakes – chinese broccoli, crispy shallots

 Everything was delicious.  While the steamed pork buns were really good (and what everyone talks about), I'd prefer to spend my money on some of the other dishes, since it's not that hard to find good pork buns in Chinese areas.  Another party at the restaurant actually ordered the bo ssäm, which is the pork butt feast, available only for parties of 6 or more and must be reserved in advance.  Next time, Ssäm bar!

Connected to the Ssäm Bar is the Momofuku Milk Bar, which offers items such as the cereal milk soft serve (exactly what it sounds like) and crack pie (toasted oat crust, gooey butter filling).  If you're wondering if it was any good, know that we came back for a second helping after dinner and got mostly the same things.  Cereal milk soft serve sounds like such an obvious thing to do, yet I haven't seen it around.  Yet another excuse for a return visit.

NYC, Day 1

In town to celebrate joint milestone birthdays, I took my first ever red-eye flight, for the start of a long day.

On tonight's planned agenda:
9-11pm: pre-party at birthday girl's apartment
11pm - 4am: PARTY!!
4am: after party eats

Considering my 7am arrival time, that's an especially long day.  Also daunting is the current freezing temperature. Dress warmly and to impress?  What?!?

But before all of that, there was lunch at Grammery Tavern, one of my favorite restaurants.  I was all set to order the mushroom lasagna after hearing so much about it, but got the pork special instead.  The pork was incredibly tender and juicy, it was almost like beef.  I can't even remember what else was on the plate, so I'll let the picture do the talking.  Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face.

Hokkaido, Japan