Sarabeth’s preview

[September 29, 2013]

Dear softrice fan:

xxx

May Ling wants to honeymoon in Hawaii, good taste, same dream as lover

xxx

may ling brunches once a month, says girls like brunch,

more popular than i believe,

she wants the best american breakfast, pancakes, waffles, doughnuts,

xxx

Sarabeth’s Tribeca
339 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
212.966.0421
www.sarabethstribeca.com

xxx

wait 10 to 20 minutes,

table in front, both of us wanted in back, but okay,

noisy environment, loud decibel, too much people,

have crayons and coloring paper for children,

local families and public workers, such as fire department,

today is the walk for diabetes too,

xxx

may ling has coffee,

Four Flowers Juice orange, pineapple, banana and pomegranate juice

xxx

she tells me the importance of breakfast,

but i only eat cereal in workdays because wake up early for work,

sleep in on weekends and goes straight to lunch,

today brunch with her is special occasion,

xxx

says HK is a city of night owls and not early risers, worker bees don’t even breakfast in morning, just bring something to work,

I say train station closes early at night, when we are 24/7, typical yankee and impose my standards and values

May ling says HK has cheap taxis at night, London closes earlier, so if they don’t have it, American jump to conclusions and assume most of the world wouldn’t have besides us then either,

xxx

Fat and Fluffy French Toast

almond flakes,

xxx

Chorizo And Sweet Pepper Frittata

didn’t really have a preference, have her choose for me, so she can taste two of what she likes,

because she doesn’t like, don’t have with manchego cheese

regular egg,

English muffin, more like a scone,

strawberry jam, whipped cream,

like hers better,

xxx

says she eats a lot, but still pushes food on me,

can have takeout breakfast for her on weekday mornings for work,

xxx

Food: C+
Drinks: C
Dessert: N/A
Ambiance: C
Final: C

xxx

shopping at American Apparel,

Muji, where i got container for my toy, her Purin is smaller, about two quarters,

Pearl River

Gap,

Linda has injuries filming Tiger Cubs II, may ling says because it’s her, certain she would cry

Uncertain if she would cry herself if fell and injured

Quiksilver

Uniqlo,

Banana Republic

Billabong, convince her to buy a Where’s Waldo hoodie, it’s Where’s Wally to her, cute, won’t wear for pictures, maybe ask her to bring back next time,

talkative sales, white girl, cute big eyes, smaller than me, may ling thinks she is cute and good for me,

American Eagle, buys a head band, makes into bracelet, black and white polkadots,

Urban Outfitters to return from yesterday,

American Apparel, cashier is a cute Asian girl, says i should go for her, i have choices,

she doesn’t know best one is lover,

lucky to win a prize, buy over a certain amount, never happened to her before, get another cream top for free, she rather has a bow,

ask her to bring one she bought last time back to ny to play with me,

xxx

hates my idea of exchanging Marvel Labbits, weird idea to her,

don’t stop by KidRobot,

my shoe laces keep falling off, more so with her today, embarrassing, need new shoes,

xxx

tour her of St Marks,

talk about David Chang and his restaurants, both of us are against no photos policy in restaurants,

she thinks it is detrimental to their reputation more than helpful,

xxx

Abraco
86 East 7th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.388.9731
www.abraconyc.com

xxx

cramped hole in the wall, mostly take out,

don’t have her Cafe Au Lait,

a gap in my research, didn’t check for menu,

xxx

Caffe Latte

okay, but not her best, #1 coffee in NY disappoints her,

xxx

Individually Dripped Coffee

straight black, dark and bitter,

too strong for may ling to even try,

best coffee for bitter, not our cup of coffee,

xxx

Share best cup of NY

want picture of coffee together, but she wonders where i have these ideas for poses,

xxx

Olive Oil Cake

her first and best, like very much, soft,

xxx

Food: N/A
Drinks: C
Dessert: C
Ambiance: D
Final: C-

xxx

walk down and have Van Leewan???

says better to have came here, more choices,

i would have ice cream,

get water for her at Walgreens,

says we don’t have competition anymore, is true, they are monopoly now,

xxx

her virgin metro ride,

Grand Central, her favorite sightseeing New York stop,

surprised me, she doesn’t like gimmicks, don’t like sightseeing, all about food, yet this attracted her,

best train station in world, don’t have in London, most probably in the world,

beautiful masterpiece to her, i take for granted,

perfect picture in her wally hoodie among the crowd,

xxx

walk her to see Junior’s Cheesecake,

she don’t like sweets, but surprised she is a cheesecake fan,

maybe next time,

uninteresting food court,

xxx

Taste of France at Bryant Park,

stationary, hot air balloon

may ling doesn’t want distractions from her store,

xxx

Sanrio store,

Chun Li Hello Kitty, think of Prima,

underwhelming,

not much products to her liking,

don’t find something for Honey either,

may ling will go to Hong Kong or Japan store,

train back to East Village for oriental food,

xxx

Ippudo
65 Fourth Avenue
New York, NY 10003
212.388.0088
www.ippudo.com/ny

xxx

wait 20 to 30 minutes

loud bathroom, loud atmosphere,

placed in back corner of wooden table, best spot in house since not communal table,

feels like a private corner in the restaurant,

xxx

may ling has green tea, likes warm drinks, i prefer cold,

Kokuto ‘Brown Sugar’ Plum Wine

may ling thinks i’m an alcoholic now, like drinking with friends,

sweet, but heavy with rum, but okay,

iced, cold,

quick to go, fast drink,

xxx

Ippudo Salad mixed greens served with sesame shoyu dressing

spicy,

xxx

Soft Shell Crab

one of her favorite foods

xxx

Shiromaru Hakata Classic the original silky “tonkotsu” (pork) soup noodles, toppped with pork loin chashu, sesame kikurage mushrooms, menma, red pickeled ginger, and scallions

portions small,

light broth, not salty as in London, which she doesn’t like, but everything London is better,

so London isn’t all bad, vast improvements in past few years,

proud for her country,

need to take her to Totto Ramen,

xxx

Wasabi Shoyu Ramen soy sauce and vegetable based noodle soup, topped with bean curd, wasabi, menma, nori, scallions, and wasabi infused oil

sweet wasabi, tastes weird, vegetarian,

looks special to her, may ling says i go for fancy, but never orders right, classic might be best sometimes,

i want different experiences and pictures to share with lover,

xxx

add Kakuni braised pork belly

xxx

Food: C
Drinks: B
Dessert: N/A
Ambiance: C
Final: C+

xxx

no Eileen’s Cheesecake or bubble tea for her,

walk back to the Smyth,

megu, name interests may ling, but won’t go, same as i, on principle,

xxx

errands and house calls tonight,

work, role play tomorrow,

first time meeting everyone,

xxx

next time,

Tokaji, cake, celebration,

Eileen’s Special Cheesecake,

Doughnut Plant,

better steak, better ramen, #2 coffee,

explore more neighborhoods,

brunch, Flushing, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Higline

when warmer, bike, water taxi,

xxx

Always in a puff of smoke,

softrice

Costata preview

[September 28, 2013]

Dear softrice fan:

xxx

may-ling calls in afternoon,

pick her up at the Smyth,

whole foods for her to sushi snack, coconut water,

she eats ginger, would be great to eat japanese with her, clean up my plate, she yells won’t be the only thing she eats,

not afraid this will affect dinner, she can eat more than other girls

xxx

workplace, Ninja, Chinatown,

different when not during a super storm and blackout,

enjoys the sun,

xxx

can’t make it to Abraco, first coffee in new york,

may ling too stressful and tired from work to start her coffee blog,

miracle bought a new place in london to start new life with property,

xxx

Think Coffee
1 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10012
212.533.3366
www.thinkcoffeenyc.com

xxx

when Red Eye meets Cafe Au Lait,

her fave is Cafe Au Lait, not available in London,

should get Spanish Latte next time, latte with condensed milk, like super sweet,

likes that New York is diversified, more orientals everywhere,

xxx

teaches me things,

most Americans don’t have passports, narrow minded, vacation same place every year rather than explore, don’t know where places are, we are poor in geography, regardless if we are in 2013,

Europeans get paid once a month rather than twice a month,

Vietnamese pho is pronounced “fur”,

Ibiza is pronounced “Ibita”,

she has never been to Las Vegas,

wants to party in New Orleans,

xxx

she is definitely a foodie, food first, sightseeing as a side win, and museums are exiled,

London have to really think hard on where to go, zoned out, go somewhere for one thing,

we have more choices,

but didn’t enjoy New York as much on first time, expectations too high,

Toronto no expectations, but loved it,

xxx

Food: N/A
Drinks: D
Dessert: N/A
Ambiance: D
Final: D

xxx

shopping at American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, latter have cool cameras,

couldn’t delay our dinner reservation, skip out on American Eagle until tomorrow,

will come back in November or December,

we will have pre Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner,

maybe if have advanced reservation can go to Bohemian or Peter Luger,

says might get travel jobs to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, or Japan too, she’s too tired to travel, i’m too localized and jealous of her travels,

support her frequent return to NY though,

xxx

Costata
206 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
212.334.3320
www.costatanyc.com

xxx

red color dominance, posters of paint,

large group of cute japanese girls on front floor,

we go to second floor,

wine cellar throughout layout, even basement bathroom,

bread was okay, nothing to write lover about,

xxx

may ling,

Pinot Grigio Elena Walch | Alto Adige

i make her try my dessert wine, okay sweet, slight hint of bubbly,

Moscato d’Asti Bersano “Monteolivo” | Piedmont

2011

xxx

Sea Scallop celery root, black truffle vinaigrette

may ling thinks generous portions, i say americans are obese,

what we thought was Chinese shrimp paste was black truffles,

pretty good for raw scallops, eats at perfect texture,

don’t know what I see in DaDa Chan,

thinks i will easily cheat on Linda,

says must try Tim Ho Wan, everyone says that, definitely need to next time,

Garganelli Alla Fiamma con prosciutto, peas, truffle cream

may ling doesn’t like parmesan cheese, don’t really eat, shouldn’t have ordered,

she never had pasta with steak,

but this is signature pasta, too springy, only mediocre when expectations high,

may ling too stressed out at work, boss imposes his unachievable standards, would call at 3 Am (time zone different between NY and HK) and get mad when you don’t answer, inhumane approach to work, but is able to learn from him,

can see she is tired, job too much for her, her mom notices, i agree,

i’m immature, just play play play, all i think about,

Costata 44oz tomahawk ribeye

medium,

not as good as Peter Luger,

Béarnaise

not what she thinks, weird to me, i just have steak as it is,

rosemary just for show,

Fries kennebec potatoes, sea salt

she calls chips,

Zucchini anchovy vinaigrette

courgettes to her,

enjoys teaching me in British,

not what she expected either, baby zucchini, she was thinking bigger, okay for her,

weird taste to me, combo with cherry tomatoes,

xxx

may ling takes pictures with her phone,

woman adjacent from me smiles at me,

may ling says we are having steak, she is having salad, smiling because she probably thinks she should be having something meatier,

xxx

too full for dessert, from steak,

too bad, for me, can just have sweets without food,

very opposite of may ling,

does what a girl does, makes me finish food,

jetlag, may ling tires from it, energy drains,

i have no jetlag, just came back from hong kong, fit right in,

xxx

Food: C
Drinks: B+
Dessert: N/A
Ambiance: C
Final: C+

xxx

food okay, but no wow factor,

not giving the best of new york to may ling,

no more michael white restaurants,

xxx

challenges me on being Linda Chung fan,

says move to London, nab girlfriends in six months,

may ling wants to vacation in Chicago,

xxx

walk back to the Smyth,

wall of toys, clocks,

take pictures together to remember a beautiful night,

but would not pose with my rubber duckie,

sleep in early, rest for brunch tomorrow, Sanrio, shopping, and possible biking and Flushing tomorrow,

xxx

Always in a puff of smoke,

softrice