Your cup of tea in the city - Tea Rooms of Manhattan

When it's time to relax, unfold your senses and simmer in an amalgam of your thoughts, no beverage other than the tea come to my mind.

Whether you like your cuppa tea served in a calming green tone with freshly boiled leaves or refreshing black with a dash of cream and sugar....there's a little for every personality in the various tea rooms established all over New York city.

And when I am not inclined towards hunting down one of these divine tea rooms, I just turn around the corner and enter through those doors marked with the friendly, green Starbucks logo :)






Cha-An
Neighborhood: East Village
230 E. 9th St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd ave)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cha-an-new-york
A Japanese Tea House recommended for some authentic tea, served with equally delicious food and marvelous desserts!

Tea Spot
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
127 MacDougal Street
(between W 3rd and W 4th streets)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tea-spot-new-york#hrid:OaRBzwS5D-J6MB4rp2VvpA
A great selection of teas topped off with free wi-fi connectivity!

Old school New York

For the charm and the classic spirit of old New York, while nurturing a $20 glass of scotch, head to the following watering holes.

Blue Bar @ the Algonquin Hotel
Neighborhood: Midtown East
59 W 44th Street
(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-bar-at-the-algonquin-hotel-new-york-city

King Cole @ the Regis Hotel
Neighborhood: Midtown East
2 East 55th Street
(between 5th Ave & Madison Ave)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/king-cole-bar-the-st-regis-hotel-new-york

Bar @ The Pierre Hotel
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
2 E 61st St
(between 5th Ave & Madison Ave)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pierre-hotel-new-york-2

Madame Geneva @ Double Crown Hotel
Neighborhood: NoHo
4 Bleecker St
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/madam-geneva-new-york
http://www.sheckys.com/newyorkcity/search/double_crown_1_9344.asp

The midnight Sun in Greenland

The Land of the Midnight Sun, a state of timelessness. This natural phenomenon along with Aurora Borealis, ethereal icebergs, Ilulissat Icefjord, and a massive ice sheet covering 656000 square miles of land area are found on the world's largest island: Greenland, which is almost three times the size of the US state of Texas!

The Land of Midnight Sun
Midnight sun in Greenland is practically a state of mind, and the traditional concept of time loses all meaning. You may as well leave your watch in your suitcase, because the day has neither a beginning nor an end. Children on roller skates run down the street in the middle of the night with the sun hanging low in the horizon. Small motorboats chug out of the harbour and groups of people sit dotted around the hills enjoying the never-ending rays of sunshine. During the summer the small communities buzz with life until the early hours.

Where to see the midnight sun -
Midnight sun can be experienced north of the Arctic Circle for a period lasting from a single day to five months depending on how far north you travel. In central Greenland the sun does not set from the end of May until the end of July. During this period, the soft, warm rays from the low-lying sun make the surrounding scenery appear almost dreamlike; icebergs and hilltops are bathed in a surrealistic palette of pink, purple, yellow and red hues.
North of the Arctic Circle it means that the sun can be seen around the clock during the summer months. In contrast, the dark polar nights are characteristic of the region during the winter. In the southerly regions of Greenland that do not lie within the Arctic Circle there is no midnight sun, although the nights certainly do remain light during the summer months.

Content courtesy of : http://www.greenland.com/content/english/tourist

An arched Iceberg near Nuugaatsiaq, West Greenland.

Omnivorous to Herbivorous - The culinary path towards vegetarianism

For a long time, being a gastronome to me meant having unbiased, unrestricted access to savory meals that infused my taste buds with an array of different flavors. In addition, being raised an omnivore, just caused my reflexes to naturally intake all types of food placed before me, without so much as giving a second thought to distinguishing between it's sources: plant or animal. This attitude very well allowed me to explore foods from almost all groups and all levels of the food pyramid!
Culinary satisfaction to it's fullest! At least that is what I thought.

But for a few years now, my omnivorous routines have been raising my concerns about health, food safety, sustainable fishing and not the least, animal cruelty.
It all started with a prolonged bout of feeling weak and unhealthy, mainly due to the lack of a well-balanced diet and one that mainly comprised of sugars, 'food toxins', animal fats and hardly any greens, fibers or healthy fats.

I investigated my diet, questioned my health habits and read intensively on what could possibly deliver the feeling of being healthy from within. I didn't immediately seem convinced that going vegetarian was the way towards my goals, especially since I was losing weight by the pounds and was diagnosed for iron and vitamin B12 deficiency - 2 important nutrients that are more easily assimilated by our digestive systems through animal food sources.

But an increased intake of meat wasn't the right solution, in fact it did further damage to the way I felt about my skin, my energy levels and my general well-being. Also, I learned gradually that my specific nutrient deficiencies just required to be combated through supplements.

At the same time I started reading a book, the autobiography of a great leader and humanitarian, who preached non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi, even though raised a vegetarian, describes how he had several phases where meat was a primary ingredient in his diet and how he mentally reasoned for and against his meat eating habits. He eventually succeeded in his emotional battle and turned back to vegan-ism for life.
Another book called Skinny Bitch is what I read that further helped calm my feelings towards vegetarianism :)

Today, I try to make an educated choice from the food options that are available to me. Every time I decide to go 'veggie' at a meal, I feel more confident of taking the step effortlessly the next time.

With this 'slight' diversion on my culinary path, I hope to more gratefully savor the fruits of a healthy and yet proportionately, balanced diet. Being a faithful herbivore, while not compromising flavor, comes with a variety of tricky dilemmas and odd challenges. But with an evolving creativity, a constant yearning for variety and a dash of openness towards embracing different cuisines, you won't have to make many culinary sacrifices while your omnivorous counterparts release satisfactory but slight belching sounds :-)
To make the entire transition less stressful, slight flexibilities and altercations are the keys you can keep handy!

It seems tough to give up an essential quality of being a true, unrestricted gastronome - the one which lets you indulge in all sorts of flavors and aromas. But setting out into the world of herbivores, I am excited as ever about my prospects of diverging from the beaten path and working towards defining new norms of what a tasty plate of food can constitute.

And then there is always the prospect of jumping into the parallel worlds of frugivores (predominantly fruit), gramnivores (nuts, seeds, etc.), folivores (green leaves) ...etc.
Throw in a few gallons of my favorite liquid - water and there you go ... healthy eating redefined!

Some favorite restaurants in New York City that serve vegetarian fare or are at least vegan friendly:
Buddha Bodai
Location: 5 Mott St (between Chatham Sq & Mosco St)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/buddha-bodai-new-york

Lan Cafe
Location: 342 E 6th Street (between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lan-cafe-new-york

Red Bamboo
Location: 140 W 4th St (between 6th Ave & Mac Dougal St)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-bamboo-new-york

Cafe Himalaya
Location: 78 E 1st St (between Ave A & 1st st)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-himalaya-new-york-2

Japanese language basics

A visual online site to learn a few basic phrases and pronunciations in the Japanese language.

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/language/quickjapanese/quickjapanese01.html

Enjoy :)

New York City hangouts open all night long

When you are craving that late night snack or are absolutely famished from an eventful night out, there are more than just a handful locations to head to for nourishment!

Presenting New York City go-to spots that cater to the ever-growing population of spirited people! Late night, early dawn or just about at any other time of the day, these establishments never seem to shut their doors .. Go NYC!


Yaffa Cafe
Neighborhood : East Village
97 St. Marks Place
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
Categories: Diner, American
Review from Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/yaffa-cafe-new-york#hrid:yK60jhmlCpw7PhkFgSJKSA


Veselka
Neighborhood: East Village
144 2nd Ave
(between 9th St & St Marks Pl)
Categories: Diner, Polish, Ukranian
http://www.yelp.com/biz/veselka-new-york

Kun Jip
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
9 W 32nd St
(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
Category: Korean
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kun-jip-new-york#hrid:QyNdLijydkmrUIZm2GSaEg/src:search/query:late%20night

Hallal cart on 53rd & 6th
Neighborhood: Theater District
53rd St & 6th Ave
http://www.yelp.com/biz/53rd-and-6th-halal-cart-new-york#hrid:oMrSWDJrZSiWvBsxpO7sqw/src:search/query:late%20night

More to be explored and noted..

Happy around the clock dining :)