40 days of meatlessness..

The transition from hearty, beefy foods to seemingly lackluster vegetarian chow can be challenging and almost cruel to our hungry palates :)
But let's not fret this season of Lent - because when you venture into the NYC outdoors, a satisfying vegetarian meal is anything but a challenge to find. And NO, I am not saying that we enter into those mainly meat-based restaurants and sit down for a meal made up of slimy salad juices and silly-looking sides!

There are many fantastic places that will serve a generous vegetarian meal that consists of almost all the flavors that one's gastric senses would crave for. And yeah while they are not abundant, fortunately I have been able to discover a bunch of what's not only the best but also the super affordable ones :)

(In the Village):
Counter
Sacred Chow
Café Himalaya
Red Bamboo
Gobo
Hummus Place

(Uptown):
Candle 79
Josie's
Peacefood Café
Maoz

(New places still to be tried):
Quartino (Roman Trattoria - Noho)
Taim (Middle Eastern - West Village)

Mundo Café (Turkish - Astoria)

And as I'd like to think, a touch of velvety fish here and a spattering of meaty broth there won't hurt our abstinence routine much :)

Mitsuwa ..

The largest Japanese marketplace in the US - that's what Mitsuwa is in a nutshell! This place is a wonderland for lovers of Japanese food, groceries, household stuff, electric appliances, and the culture.

And I am part Japanese at heart :) So I have always been in awe of Mitsuwa, and that it's east coast location is less than a few miles from where I live, makes things all the more exciting!

Situated along the Hudson river in Edgewater, New Jersey, this Mitsuwa center is more of a mini-mall than a traditional supermarket. From Japanese tea/mochi selling kiosks to book/video stores to restaurants/sushi bars, this gigantic location will meet many demands.
And of course, the supermarket section sells everything from packaged snacks to grade-certified Angus beef.

So here's presenting to you .. Mitsuwa
Oh, and here's the English version of the site

Enjoy... Tanoshimo :)

Unique n essential NYC stores

Yesterday I walked into Fishs Eddy, an NY institution that has been around since 25 years into the business of (in their own words) 'doing dishes'! These guys have dedicated their cheerful vintage-like stores to selling one-of-a-kind kitchen and lifestyle items that are also quite affordable.

My visit to the Flatiron store felt like walking into a charming small-town shop - filled with gorgeous articles for sale! Needless to say, I walked out with a few unique gifts :)







More such essential NYC shopping institutions that I plan to visit

And also some other favorites from Yelp


Happy NYC shopping!

A placeholder and the closing of my favorite Indian restarant in New york City

Why is this a placeholder post?

I just got back from my short vacation to India. And both, my mind and heart are brimming with tales to write. Alas my overpowering schedule and dreaminess has got the better of me. I have also started maintaining a small (really cute) diary of places and food zones I'd like to visit. So I think it's just a matter of time before I start transmitting juicy bits of information from my black diary to my blog!
This placeholder post serves as a self-reminder :)


Now for more on my most favorite Indian restaurant in New york - Tabla.
It was where I had the most delightfully inventive yet completely authentic Indian flavors-bathed meal of my life. This was the summer of 2010 and I must thank my friend profusely for taking us there on his birthday, else I don't think I would have ever entered through the doors of Tabla on 24th St and Madison Ave in Manhattan.

The setting was classy and upscale and yet there was nothing even remotely pretentious about the attitudes or the food that was floating in there. The dishes served were groundbreaking from the first appearance of the food through the flavors exploded by the last bits. Quality of ingredients, retention of natural colors and the build-up of flavors - everything about Tabla had won me over.

Chef Floyd Cordoz, the man behind the food at Tabla says a few words in this article on the closing of Tabla on 31 December 2010.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2010/12/floyd_cardoz_di.php

I am glad he recommends some upcoming Indian food places to try.. I know I will without any regrets!
Junoon Restaurant 27 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10010-3290