November 24, 2009
· Filed under Dining · Tagged Butter Lane, Chikalicious, cupcake Stop, cupcakes, cupcakes nyc, Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
S'mores with a twist
My love affair with cupcakes all began about about 2 years ago when Chikalicious first opened their Chikalicious Dessert. I lived right next door to it and I decided to go inside and checked out what they sold. I saw these small, delicate and evenly colored, shaped and displayed cupcakes with unique flavors. I bought a chocolate cupcake and God i was in heaven. The cake was moist, sweet and had chocolate filling inside; the frosting was creamy, smooth and just about the right sweetness. So then I tried every flavor they have on shelf! My favorite goes to Caramel and their S’more. This is where I began my journey to search for the next awesome cupcakes.
My 2nd prize goes to Cupcake Stop. As a newcomer to the game, it truly surprises me. It doesn’t have a store front; instead, it uses a truck to carry cupcakes to different part of Manhattan. Everyday is a different spot and everyday has a different combination of flavors. They make getting cupcakes so exciting and unpredictable! I have tried pretty much all the flavors they have available. My favorites here are peanut butter jelly and Chocolate Cheesecake.
It is a tough call for third place because both candidates, Butter Lane and Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery win me over with the rich flavor, texture and quality. However, since I am more a “budget” eater, I would give it to Sugar Sweet Sunshine, whose cupcakes are only $1.5 each and it is huge! They have all the traditional flavors you could think of plus some creative ones such as Oreos, Peanut Butter, etc. My favorite here is their Red Velvet and Chocolate.
Butter Lane, though given the 4th place, it holds a special place in my heart. This is the first ever cupcake places I have been to that let you mix and match your own “cake” and “frosting”. So I could have a French Vanilla cake with Banana or Chocolate frosting. Also, all the cupcakes here are Organic. how cool is that!
Last but not the least, is Crumbs. It is not as delicate, “cool” and hip but it definitely will put you in a sweet food coma after having one of their cupcakes. They are gigantic! Nonetheless, Crumbs has some great and creative flavors as well such as Coconut, Reeses & more. The portion here is good for sharing if you want to watch your figures.
See a complete list of my favorite cupcake places in NYC here.
November 12, 2009
· Filed under shopping · Tagged boots, christian louboutin, fashion, high heels, nyc sample sale, sample sale, shoe sales, shoes
Turned out this is an Invite-only event!!!! I want those red killers too! CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SAMPLE SALE 306 West 38th Street 14th Floor bet 8th & 9th Thu 9am – 6pm Fri9am – 3pm
November 5, 2009
· Filed under fashion, shopping · Tagged sample sale, sample sale nyc, vivienne Tam
Vivienne Tam Sample Sale on Nov4-6 at 260 West 39th st near 7th Ave . NYC . Wed 9-8, Thu/ Fri 10-7
Don’t miss this great sale!
November 2, 2009
· Filed under Dining · Tagged best burger NYC, burger, cheeseburger, Dining, hamburgers, restaurant, top burger
After reading great reviews on Yelp.com, I was ready to try out their signature burger at Irving Mill. It has become a mission to try out great burgers around the States. So far, I have had In N Out, Shake Shack, Paul’s Burger, Big Nick’s, DBGB and Burger Joint. Irving Mill is known for its gourmet size juicy tender burger. I finally made my reservation to experience the burger heaven.
we arrived at 7:30PM on a Monday night. The restaurant was not packed, with crowds drinking near the bar and there were several tables occupied in the dining area. It was dimly lighted and well decorated. This is a perfect spot for dates too if you are coming as a couple.
After reading the menu, we had no second thought on ordering their famous Cheeseburger with beer Monday special for $13 and shared a salt and pepper ribs. The ribs came blackened and well seasoned. I just love its flavor and tenderness.
Juicy Tender Ribs
Then, the cheeseburger came and it just tasted like heaven. It looks small at first sight but the pattie is actually very thick and juicy. It doesn’t have fancy sauce on top but the mere seasoning with fresh juicy meat makes the burger outstanding. The only thing I am not impressed with is the bun, which tastes like any bun out there in the supermarket.
Delicious Burger
I am happy I conquered another delish burger joint in Manhattan! My next burger joint will be Stand. Stay tuned!
November 2, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged Park and Recreation Center, public decency, shower, swimming, swimming pool
I will keep this short and sweet but I was really grossed out this past weekend. I went for a swim at my local recreation center on 23rd and FDR Drive. Right before I was going to take a shower before I entered the pool, I saw an old lady completely naked standing there, in the public shower area. I was utterly shocked and disgusted. This area is not meant for public nudity. If she wanted to shower, she should have used one of the stalls. But no. She wanted to lay it out for the world to see. What is even worse is that she was shaving too!
Gosh I was traumatized. People need to watch what they do in public!
October 26, 2009
· Filed under Dating & Relationship, Nightlife · Tagged relationship, dating, sex, sex diaries, new york magazine, sexuality, iphone
I was reading New York Magazine and the headline really intrigued me, “The Sexy Diaries – A Critical (But Highly Sympathetic) Reading of New Yorkers’ Sexual Habits and Anxieties”. So I decided to read more. OMG! It is such an interesting experiment by the New York Magazine and you can see how much our technology and social media has impacted sex and sexuality in New York City.Do these tools help or hurt your sex scene? Do they give you more choices?
If you are wondering your iPhone is helping you getting lucky, think again.
http://nymag.com/news/features/sexdiaries/2009/60297/
October 18, 2009
· Filed under Dining, Taiwan, Taiwanese, Travel · Tagged Dining, food, oyster pancake, pig blood, pork intestine, sizzling steak, Stinky Tofu, Taiwanese cuisine, Taiwanese dishes, Taiwanese food
I am a big of Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World on Travel Channel because it is always fun to watch him eat all the bizarre foods from all over the world. This past October, I went back home to Taiwan with my boyfriend and I know I have to take him to try all the local specialties in Taipei.Below is the highlight of what we have tried during this trip:
1. Stinky Tofu: Pungent smelling fermented tofu, deep fried and served with pickled cabbage and soy sauce.
Fried Stinky Tofu
2. Pig’s blood and stinky tofu soup: Not only do Taiwanese like fried stinky tofu, we like it in a spicy broth as well with pig’s blood.
Pig's Blood and stinky tofu soup
3. Oyster Pancake: This is a very Taiwanese dish and you must try this. It is pancake with oyster and egg, top with a sweet and spicy sauce.
Yummy Oyster Pancake
4. Braised variety of food: Went to “Latern Braised Food” (燈籠滷味) at Shr-Da Night market for their famous braised food. It is a street cart with boiling soya broth. You get to pick a variety of food from the cart and they will cook it for you in the broth.
Braised Food
5. Taiwanese Sizzling Steak: This is a popular Taiwanese dish. They have all cuts for steak, chicken, lamb and seafood as well. It is usually served with pasta and an sunny-side-up egg. Their black pepper steak sauce makes it taste even better. A steak costs merely $10 dollars with salad bar buffet and unlimited supply of soft drinks and dessert.
Sizzling Chicken Steak with Pasta and Egg
6. Three Cup Chicken (三杯雞): This is a Taiwanese dish popular among locals. The naming comes from its ingredients. It means 1 serving of rice wine, 1 serving of sugar and 1 serving of soy sauce as the base for this gingerly seasoned sizzling dish. You can substitute chicken for squid, shrimp, etc.
Three Cup Chicken
7. Pork intestines fire pot: This is one of my favorite dish. It has pork intestines, pig’s blood with salted mustard greens in chili and garlic sauce.
Pork Intestines Fire pot
October 15, 2009
· Filed under Nightlife, shopping · Tagged Halloween, Halloween costume, Lady Gaga, MJ costume
Halloween is just right around the corner and it is time to think about what I am going to be this year. Since I moved to the US in 2003, I have not missed a chance to wear costumes during Halloween. I have been an angel, school girl, belly dancer, Hawaiian hula girl and sexy referee. What do these costumes have in common? They turn a proper woman into a slut for one day.
Isn’t Halloween costumes a form of liberation for women who want to act sexy, slutty, bad ass for one day when they normally can’t? This is probably the only occasion you could wear out a sexy bunny outfit (given you are not a playboy mate), French maid, super tight police dress, hot cheerleader skirt or even naughty sailor suit without getting disapproved looks or comments. And most importantly, you could be whoever you want to be.
So this year, I am still brainstorming on who I want to be. Lady Gaga seems quite easy to imitate and Michael Jackson is going to be very popular. I do know for sure, I will be looking sexy and slutty without any guilt! No judgment on that, please.
September 29, 2009
· Filed under fashion, shopping · Tagged sample sale, Tory Burch
Who could deny a sample sale like this?
Week of September 28
| Monday |
Closed |
| Tuesday |
10:00 am – 7:00 pm |
| Wednesday |
10:00 am – 7:00 pm |
| Thursday |
10:00 am – 7:00 pm |
| Friday |
Closed |
|
Tory Burch samples & damages sale information
- for women
- samples & slight ir’s
- all seasons
- shoes, bags & clothing
- all sizes of slight ir’s
- 3 days only
- all sales final
Dressing room is open, but closes 1/2 hour prior to close of store. Our entrance and selling closes 15 minutes prior to close of store.
Address is 261 W. 36th St, 2nd Fl, New York, NY, 10018
Or go to www.clothingline.com for more future sample sales!
September 23, 2009
· Filed under Dating & Relationship · Tagged dating, dating NYC, relationship, single asians, single men
I know many amazing single Asian men but they are all single and often ask me if I could hook them up with nice girls because they have trouble finding a girlfriend. The strange thing is almost all of them have a good job, good education, great personality but still cannot find a girl. So, here is my opinion, from a girl’s point of view.
Reason # 1: You are too lazy. Guys could be lazy, really. I have heard guys who have no problems getting digits from girls but never bother to call afterwards. Why? Because they are lazy and they don’t feel like calling. I mean seriously, how hard is it to pick up your cell phone, find the contact and dial? Guys need to treat courting with as much effort as applying for a job. Get the job application, apply and follow up. Simply getting the girl’s number and not bother to call is just not the way it works.
Reason #2:You act like a douchebag. You act like you like her but you don’t. You act like a hot shot but you are not. You pretend you don’t care about her but you actually do. You say you are not ready for a relationship but really what you mean is you want to sleep with more than 1 woman. Smart women would absolutely run away if they know you are such a jerk.
Reason #3: You act and or talk weird. This must be our upbringing. Asians are known for their conservativeness and reservation to express feelings. Hence, those scenes in Hollywood movies where fathers show their sons how to pick up girls rarely happen to us. To make matters worse, we spent on average more time studying and cramming and some of us become somewhat socially inept.I have a guy who went to Ivy league once asked me, “Are you on birth control pill?” as a pickup line. That is the opening line for disaster. And another I Banker guy praised my black and white dress, “Your dress is so colorful!” Or, you tell the girl you just met you want to marry her within first three dates. Yah, that will totally ruin it.
I am sure there are other tons of other GOOD reasons why these Asian men remain single. Be it personality, upbringing, past experience or what not. I just wish all my good single male and female friends could find their ideal mate and could stop going to speed dating or use Match.com only to disappoint themselves with more mismatches.
