Underground Lunch: Sandwiches & Salads

Better Being Underground is a hidden organic lunch spot in the West Village.  The only advertisement for them is an inconspicuous black sign on Leroy and Varick St stating: GoUndergroundForLunch.com.

The store is masked under scaffolding and buried in the basement. As of today only 14 yelpers have learned about Better Being Underground. It hasnt even been blogged on SeriousEats yet. But word of mouth has spread since their opening in April and while the closet space can barely hold 6 people at at time, you can expect a line.

Better Being Underground is take-out only.  It's opened weekdays 12PM to 3PM. Meals are made fresh daily, and menu is constantly changing depending on market availablity. The novelty and quality of your meal  makes up for the price and occasional small portion size. We liked it so much we've been 3 days in a row.

Day 1:
The R@dical Roll: FRESH LOBSTER ROLL w/Spiced Lemon Butter on Toasted Potato Hot Dog Bun (Lots of meat. Better than Lukes Lobsters. No mayo, whew)
The Slumdog Millionaire: Curried Free Range Chicken w/Cilantro, Spinach & Mint on Pressed Garlic
(could of used a litttttle more curry, but loved that the chicken was so moist!)
The Salad: Marinated Kale w/Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Radishes, Walnuts & Shallot Vinaigrette
(Huge portions. Delish!)

Day 2:
El Jefe: Grilled Free Range Chicken w/Chipotle Mayo, Avocado Salsa, Pinto Bean Puree, & Homemade Chimmichurri (mother f-in huge)
Peasant Salad: w/Sourdough Croutons, Feta, Tomatoes, Cukes, Red Onion, Basil, Oregano, & Red Wine Vine
The Rauschenberger: Seared Tuna Burger w/Chipotle Mayo, Avocado, & Rainbow Micro Greens
(wow, best one so far)The Knishwich: w/ thin layer of pastrami (wish it was as big as Katz)

Day 3:
The Monte Cristo: Antibiotic Free Turkey & Ham w/Cranberry Jalepeno Jam, Mustard & Swiss on Egg Pressed Brioche
The Is-What-It-Is-Wich: Free Range Chicken Salad w/Cranberries, Walnuts, Apples, Blue Cheese on Toasted Everything Bagel (kept me full all day)


We'll see how long Better Being Underground can be kept a secret. Until then, check out their daily menu.

Restaurants: Rucola

So you've most likely heard of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and perhaps have been overloaded with enough peas and rhubarbs this week to last you for a lifetime. In comes ThisBatch.com. It's similiar to CSA (sustainable and supporting local farmers) BUT it allows you to choose the batches you want. No more surprises. You can learn more about ThisBatch and sign up for the program here.

Anyways, I found all this out after dining at Rucola in Boerum Hill. Its a new corner Italian restaurant on Dean and Bond that uses the ThisBatch system. Although we were just strolling by and nibbling (always have room for food) it blows Building on Bond out of the waters (BoB lacks flavor and quality in their dishes). The menu changes weekly since they only use fresh produce.

Rucloa has ambience, great service, sustainabily AND great food. (Crap, forgot to take pictures of the light fixtures...that was my favorite decoration).

Please note I am writing this review after only splitting one brunch meal with Erka (I hate it when people do that on yelp), but this one meal was that delicious.

Braised duck, potato and garlic scape hash--sunny side up eggs

The goodness underneath....

Market Squash Salad-- English cucumber, squash, eggplants topped with ricotta and toasted seasame

A Bloody Mary that almost beats Char4.

And although full, we were so happy with our meal, we decided to get dessert and save it for later.

hostgator promos

675: Not Douchey After All

I didnt know what to expect when Elis suggested the MeatPacking District for her birthday drinks. Its not a scene we usually crawl in.

But as I got to the steps of 675 Bar, I remembered why Im friends with Elis + crowd. Even in the midst of douchey MeatPacking District there is still a haven for something unpretentious and hidden.

Anything dark and sketchy gives me goosebumps.

675 has a long narrow hallway that opens up to intimate brick nooks and crannies with comfortable plush leather seats, board games aplenty and even books to read.

Its a nice upgrade from the usual dive bars, but still feels at home.

AND they have a pool table with a horse statue in the back.

Mixed cocktails are only $12 a piece and you can lounge all night.
Surprisingly a place worth your time in the MeatPacking District.

Flushing, Queens: Golden Mall

Score! So after the interesting experience at GuangZhou Restaurant, Don showed us (music please) the Golden Mall. Yes, redemption.

Through these sketchy doors you go down a flight of steps and enter into a basement of food stalls ranging from lamb burgers, dan dan noodles, dumplings, lan zhou noodles, and my pride and joy-- Taiwanese food.

Be warned, there are no English menus. Seating is sparse and crowded. But you gotta love eating next to a table of old men and huge 40's of Budweiser.

Stall #29 holds my 2 favorite foods if all time--

1. Oyster Pancakes 2. Stinky Tofu

(I know, here I am complaining about GuangZhou Restaurant-- all the while eating other crazy shit that people wouldnt even touch with a stick).

Oyster Pancake-- made from flour, egg and oyster to this sticky, gooey consistency-- nothing like a green onion pancake or American pancake. Topped with some green veggies and a sweet sauce. Yes it is slimey, but I love it.

Stinky tofu. Obviously fermented with a deadly odor. But I dont care. Deep fried and pungent is how I like it. The stink stays in your mouth despite gum or brushing your teeth. It is heaven on earth. Topped with pickled cabbage and hot sauce. No other way to eat it.

Very acquired taste, I know. But if you can stand it, you will be very happy like me!

Golden Mall
41-28 Main St, Flushing
7 Train to Main St

Zenkichi: Hidden Bamboo Izakaya

So after 4 years of bookmarking Zenkichi on my yelp list, I finally made a date to eat here last night with my friend Emily. My expectations were high, I was a little under the weather but thankfully we were not disappointed.

The restaurant is an illusive dark wood exterior with the door ajarred.
Inside is a labyrinth of small dining L-shaped nooks, bamboo curtains for privacy,and a little buzzer to ring in the waiter. The space--some call it romantic and intimate, but if youre claustrophobic its small and tiny. (Picture above is waiting room. Actual dining area is 1/4 its size).

The floor is a mix of pebble and slate rock floors. Be careful of your step as you walk up and down the 3 floors.

For drinks we ordered the $18 sake tasting menu. From left to right fruitier to light: Junmai Dai Ginjo, Junmai, Nanbu Binjin.

The omakase menu ($95 for 2 ppl) was an 8 course meal. Some have complained that the portoins are small-- but its a tasting menu-- and once you eat all 8 dishes, you do become full. We did at least.

Anyways, picture above is a chilled plate-- Amaebi Sweet shrimp with Uni, Kumamoto Oyster, Yellowtail Sashimi, and sauteed eggplant.

Miso Soup and the best salad Ive ever had. I cant believe Im impressed by a simple salad! Grilled Scallop from Hokkaido, turnip, onion ginger dressing on bed of salad (including arugala).

Shrimp Tempura -- Tempuras are never on my list of things to eat-- but this is probably the best Ive ever had, topped with green chrysanthemum leaves.
Jidori Gohan-- flavored rice with free range chicken and mushroom. Topped with sliced cucumbers. Again, something so simple done well.

Saikyo Miso Cod-- buttery! Roasted Honey-Soy Duck-- served medium rare in honey-soy sauce served with green onions.

For dessert, there was a list of 4 that you could choose. The Frozen Black Sesame Mousse was definitely the winner. My Rice Flour Trifle-- I ordered it because I had no idea what it was...what it was--was not sweet, served room temperature and...a dry cake like consistency. I thought a rice flour cake would be more like a mochi...but I guess that would have written mochi then. Oh well, 7 out of 8 is not bad!

Zenkichi
77 N. 6th St., Brooklyn, NY 11211

Sushi Ou: Should Remain A Secret

Im a purist when it comes to sushi-- but the secret location of Ou seductively described by New York Magazine, the fact that David Bouhadana was trained under Morimoto, and my openness to try fusion food convinced me to eat here.

Alas, if you like Dos Caminos Mexican food, you may like Sushi Ou. Its that same feeling of 'authenticity'.

This may sound wrong--but when I walk into a sushi joint, I expect to be surrounded by Japanese/ some Asians--at least one. Instead my dining partner and I were the only token Asians. Okay, I know, were not the only ones who can appreciate sushi. Fine. But if another person next to me orders a california roll...I swear.

Whatever. Ill stop worrying about my surroundings-- Ill focus on the food.
We ordered majority of chef's choice (omakase) and then a few of our own nigiris.

IF you do decide to come here (but there are so many outstanding sushi restaurants in NY, Id really skip Ou)--come here for the nigiris. I can not complain about my live scallop, orange clam, octopus, abalone and uni-- but I still would not come back.

The wait time for our food took a while, so the chef sent our table the octopus confit on the house until our sushi came. Not bad, but still on the fence about the tangy tartness from the grapefruit.

The Classic Chef's Choice of 12 piece sashimi left no impression on me-- besides the fact that they do not give you ginger to cleanse your palette. Who does that?

The Omakase Nigiri Plate--too creative for me. The weirdest one was salmon with black sesame paste (bottom right) and the striped bass with jelly (top right). I can say for sure now that I like my classics.

Conclusion. Not my type of sushi. I prefer Yasuda and Ushi.

Uo, 151 Rivington St., nr. Suffolk St, second fl.; 212-677-5470.

Unmarked: 151

Out with the girls on Saturday and
was introduced to an unmarked door at 151 Rivington.
Didnt know if I was going to a house or bar--
turns out to be just the kind of obscure dive bars I like.
2for1 drinks till 10PM-- be sure to mention that to the bartender-- he'll forget.
And dont come in with your Murray Hill crowd.

Building on Bond: Right Underneath My Nose

Goes to show that you can live in a neighborhood for over 4 years and still not know what goodness lays just around the corner. All this time I was trekking to Buttermilk Channel and Hope & Anchor when Building on Bond was right underneath my nose on Bond and Pacific.

I came for brunch this past Saturday and instantly fell in love.

If youve never been to the Ace Hotel, this is basically what it feels like. Hipster chic, every inch of the restaurant decorated throughout, cozy, sun drenched rooms-- you literally dont want to leave the place...

...even if the food isnt that great. The Bloody Mary needed more horseradish, less ice--but still managed to give us a small early morning buzz. Each brunch plate we got was just a tad bland-- not bad, but Id load up on ketchup, salt and pepper, and hot sauce for more flavor.

Sigh. I cant believe Im saying this --but in the end-- who cares! For $8 a plate, girlfriends chatting away and the charming interior-- this was still money worth spent!

Building on Bond
112 Bond
btwn Atlantic and Pacific
(347) 853-8687

Henry Public: Try Again in a Month or Two

*Updated 12/23*

Hidden in Cobble Hill, Henry Public, a new gastropub with speakeasy-ish drinks, now joins anti-Smith Street restaurants Lucali, Bocca Lupa and Hibino on Henry Street.

The cozy saloon atmosphere and friendly staff, makes this place an easy choice to hang out in--much better scene than sister bar Brooklyn Social-- but be warned that, Henry Public is still going through its soft opening. Id wait at least a month or 2 before pursuing the joint again.

Bone marrow was delish, but then...
Last Thursday they ran out of hamburger buns.
Yesterday they didnt have any burgers at all. WTF.
Its a good grass-fed burger, but definitely poorly managed kitchen.


And sadly, the drinks were weak in alcohol content.

After 4 cocktails each (+1 beer) you would hope the money you were spending ($11 each) would get you slightly buzzed. Instead we "ooo-ed and ahh-ed" at the Kold-Draft ice cubes and soberly analyzed each sip:

-Wide Awake: Tasted and smelled like formaldehyde
Made with gin, lemon, fresh ginger, ginger liqueur, and scotch
-Brooklyn Ferry: Tasted like Robitussin, gummy bears and Fred Flinstone vitamins
Made with rye, Carpano Antica, maraschino, and absinthe
-Kings County: Best tasting one yet--ordered 3!
Made with rye, lemon, sugar, egg white, and a port float
-The Beecher's: On the sweeter side but worth ordering 2--minus lack of buzz
Made with pimms, lime juice, orange liquer, and dry cider

I mean sometimes the company is more important than the actual food and restaurant right?? We stayed till 2AM, noone kicked us out, service was good, environment welcoming....they just need to tweak some of the other issues... like cash only.

Henry Public
329 Henry St., nr. Pacific St.
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
718-852-8630

F%$# Ippudo: I Go To Rockmeisha

Yes, I know Ippudo ramen is delicious, especially the miso ramen. Even their chicken wings. And the fact that Ive spotted Mario Batali there is definitely a perk.

But hidden on the empty street of Barrow, you no longer have to wait 2 hours in the lobby only to be seated in a half empty restaurant to have good ramen.

Welcome to Rockmeisha. It's hardly ever crowded, and rather unknown on Yelp. It is not a ramen bar either, it's an izakaya--more bar snack/ tapas. They only have 1 ramen available-- tonkotso -- but it is the best milky thick pork broth ever. It is always served last after the tapas.

This is what we had on our last visit:

Mentai Wings: Ive had chicken wings before, but never grilled this crisply and with mentai pollack roe rubbed all over-- its the best salt seasoning ever!

Tonsoku: Grilled pig toe. The collagen, meat, stickiness, and perfectly browned skin melts in your mouth. Some like it braised with sauce, but I like it just the way Rockmeisha prepares it-- natural.

Tonkotso Ramen: The reason why I no longer find the need to go to Ippudo. I always slurp down every last drop of the broth. I will give you a refund if you do not like it.

I wouldnt recommend ordering sushi rolls or the mackerel.

Rockmeisha
11 Barrow Street
212-675-7775

***Ramen joints NOT to try: Ramen Setagaya or Rei Rei Ken.

Cold Days: Arirang Noodles

Hidden in Koreatown on the 3rd floor is the best Korean version of chicken noodle soup you will ever find for this cold rainy weather. Just follow the stairs with walls decorated of kids playing traditional cultural games up to Arirang and you will be happily greeted by Mama Arirangs cooking. She likes to walk around asking how everything is.

This is an example of murals to follow. Yeaaah, not kiddy p0rn--apparently, this game is called "hammer a pile" in Korean and "thick milk" for Romanians. News to me, since I grew up in the US with only "hide-and-go-seek" and "duck-duck-goose". If youre curious to learn more, heres a youtube.com link to show you how to play this game.

But, back to chicken noodle soup. Im a huge noodle fan. For $10 you get a huge bowl full of kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) and sujaebi (hand pulled noodles). If you order the combo of both types of noodles its shortened to "kal-jaebi"--highly recommended bc you get the mix of thin long noodles vs gnocchi ish thicker shapes.

There are a variety of broths to choose from: chicken, anchovy, seafood or kimchi.

I had the chicken broth, which is nothing like Campbell's filled with tons of sodium, and other canned vegetables like celery and carrots. Arirang keeps it simple. They concentrate more on the natural flavors of the chicken broth and textures of noodles topped with scallions; theres hardly any chicken meat, but is definitely made from a chicken. Its just about everything you would need to cure this dreary NY weather. Easily shared between 2 people--but dont be shocked that I ate one all by myself. Also comes with 2 types of kimchi banchans.

Arirang
32 W 32nd St
(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 967-5088

**If you like Arirang, but want a cheaper version of knife cut noodles and hand pulled noodles try Sheng Wang or Super Taste in Chinatown -- not a fan of LanZhou though, so skip that. They dont have chicken, but their beef noodle soup and tong-gu (pork bone) is goooooood.

Hidden Inside the Swanky Meridien Hotel: Burger Joint

After 458 reviews on yelp.com...do I really need to blog about this? Is it even a secret anymore?
Im no burger connoisseur--but I know what I like-- and I actually liked Burger Joint better than Shake Shack and my gourmet burgers so Im sharing the news! (In N Out still wins, but thats not in NY).

There's 2 entrances, 57th through a red velvet cocktail lounge, or back on 56th, which shoots you straight to the entrance. A neon sign, leads you to the dingy Burger Joint, that despite being 'hidden' is seriously packed. Dont expect to have a 10hour conversation here-- it's really eat and go.

The menu is simple: a burger with or without cheese.

The hands holding the burger are from a 6" tall friend, so the perspective makes the burger look pretty small--they really are pretty substantial.

Anways, the best part of the meal is the meat-- medium rare, thick and juicy. We topped it off with "the works"-- cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, onion, pickles, mayo, ketchup, mustard, and enjoyed every bite. All it needed was Shake Shakes potatoe bread and I would have been in heaven!

Fries, greasy, as you can tell by the bag-- not better than McDonalds, but almost as good.

Le Parker Meridien
119 W 56TH St, nr 6th Av
212-708-7414