Showing posts with label NYC restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NYC restaurant. Show all posts

Dinner time at Cairo Steakhouse, Astoria, NYC

Have you ever wondered how many restaurants are there here in the Big Apple? 
Being known as one of the most fantastic culinary destinations, New York City surely has a lot to offer. My recent peep in Google shows that NYC has approximately more than 16 thousands full-service restaurants and even more counter service restaurants. Not to mention bars, taverns and clubs or even food cart which will definitely add up that the list. I guess that explains why wherever you are going, you will always find one restaurant or deli to quench your hunger and thirst.

Rasanya ke mana kaki melangkah dan badan berbelok, kita bisa menemui aneka restoran, bar, pub, klub, deli, taverna, sandwicherie dan bahkan food cart alias gerobak makanan dan minuman yang tersaji di setiap pelosok kita New York. Dan saya harus akui, salah satu cara menikmati New York City adalah menelusuri beribu pilihan makanan otentik yang bisa kita nikmati dengan mudah di sini. Bahkan banyak yang bilang lebih enak dari di tempat asalnya :). Menggiurkan sekali kan. 


dinner time..
One of the lovely places we visited is Cairo Steakhouse in Astoria.
If you are looking for a spacious dining place serving yummy Middle Eastern food, this is the place :)


Boasting as "New York's First Upscale Halal- Contemporary American Steakhouse with an Egyptian Flare", as I quoted from their website, we came here for its famous kebabs and baba ganoush. So one cold evening in the beginning of winter, we went there with the kids  and enjoyed our dinner.

Tahun 2010 kami sempat mengunjungi Mesir selama kurang lebih 10 hari. Betul-betul perjalanan yang seru dan penuh kenangan, termasuk petualangan kuliner selama kami tinggal di sana. Usai menikmati piramid sambil naik onta yang bulu matanya lentik plus menengok koleksi mumi di Museum Nasional Mesir yang penuh dengan barang-barang antik yang usianya ribuan tahun, makan pun menjadi super nikmat. Salah satu makanan khas Mesir yang saya nikmati adalah baba ganoush, sementara Rudi sampai sekarang selalu terkenang dengan aneka daging panggang dan jus mangga yang memang rasanya oke banget. 

Baba ganoush sendiri sebenarnya adalah dipping, atau seperti saus yang dimakan dengan roti pita khas kawasan Timur Tengah. Saus khas ini dibuat dari campuran terong, bawang, tomat, minyak zaitun, dan aneka bumbu khas mereka yang saya tidak familiar. Don't ask me how to make because I haven't tried before :).

Waktu tau kalau di dekat tempat kita tinggal sekarang ada restoran otentik yang menyajikan makanan khas Mesir dan Timur Tengah, kami pun semangat untuk mencobanya. Apalagi sudah pasti halal kan, jadi tambah nikmat deh makannya. Dan memang betul, buktinya saya sampai minta tambah supnya dua mangkok karena anak-anak suka juga. 

So, to start with, we chose green salad and lentil soup. Love it..
Even Obi devoured the soup, which rarely happens. 
We also had baba ganoush but it was all gone before I took the picture :).

the fresh salad

lentil soup, yummy and fresh for sure :)
Done with the appetizer, we continued with the main course for the night.
And as you can see, we had fried calamari, Obi's favorite; lamb chop for Udi et mixed grill for me et Bo. And they all are yummy indeed.

the fried calamari

the steak for Udi :)

my choice that night :)..

The main menu comes with green salad and choices of side dishes, including white rice, pita bread and tahini sauce. I love the sauce as it's so fresh and delicious. And healthy as well because it's made of ground sesame seeds. My kids enjoyed the rice as well and I guess they ate more of the rice than the meat. The portion is big enough for everyone and we even had some leftovers to go.

Salah satu kelebihan makan di restoran di NYC adalah porsinya yang luar biasa besar. Well, ini bisa berbahaya buat mereka yang sedang diet. Tapi untuk saya, sisanya bisa dibawa pulang hehehe. Ngga mau rugi deh pokoknya. Dan memang to-go-bag atau doggie bag (duh, kenapa doggie ya >_<) lumrah kita jumpai saat makan di berbagai restoran di sini.

With the main dishes start from USD 18 and appetizers start from USD 5, dinner or lunch here won't cost you a fortune. With approximately USD 80, we have complete course for 4 people. Not bad for 

Another thing that I like here is the place is spacious, so it's perfect for any family gatherings or big events. The service is good and quite fast, so you won't have to wait too long. 

So, are you ready for a yummy session with an Egyptian flare? 

Cairo Steakhouse
2415 Steinway Street, Astoria 11103
Open every day from 12 PM - 11 PM







WW: Russian Tea Room

I'm having a blast in one of NYC's timeless fine dining spots.
Dominated with radiant red, it feels like stepping out in another world as I dined and had fun with my lovely friends.



Love all the details :)



One of the corners :)


Russian Tea Room is surely a place worth a visit!





Have fun bloghopping in (almost) Wordless Wednesday and feel free to link up here :)


Hot Kitchen Restaurant, Manhattan, New York City

Anybody here loves hot pot?
You know... It's one of the traditional Chinese cuisines where you have boiling soup or broth filled with beef, chicken, shrimps, tofu, vegetables and many more :)

I loveeee hot pot.
I have to say, as an Indonesian loveing a bowl of bakso at any time of the day, hot pot gives me similar satisfaction.
Especially during winter and cold days..
and even in summer days ;).
And I have one favorite spot here in Manhattan..

Hot Kitchen.

Frequently I come to this restaurant, especially the one located in 53rd street. The restaurant is strategically located and not far from my office as well as the UN, so it becomes one great meeting point for working lunch or simply for good food.

We usually order hot-pot with a mix of fresh green vegetables, fresh shrimps, tofu, fish balls, and beef.  My favorite is the fish and shrimp balls. 
You know why?
Because They are fresh, not frozen. 
Made and prepared on the spot.
I also love the fish tofu.

For the soup, ask for the half-halp...or if you dare, try the bold one, the original Sichuan soup. 
It's super hot :)
And super yummy as well..


Fresh shrimps and slices of lean meat will be great for the broth.

Hot pot...my fave :)

It's delicious...especially in cold days we often have here in NYC. 

For the starters, we usually order vegetable spring rolls, dumplings, and scallion pancakes. It's super yum as well :).

They have a great variety of Sichuan authentic dishes as well, so you can certainly explore more. But as I said, hot pot is my favorite indeed. and Hot Kitchen NYC is one of my fave.

In terms of service, you won't Have any problems here. The service is good and fast! Can't complain.
Ask for Albert, our favorite waiter ;).

And of course, the price of the food is very reasonable. With around $25 - 30 you already got a wonderful lunch :). Lunch hours can be very full sometimes, especially if you need to have the special table for hot-pot. But the wait shouldn't be that long.

Enjooy ;)...

Hot Kitchen
251 E 53rd st., New York, NYC, NY 10022


Ramen Takumi, NYC, for Ramen lovers

Who loves ramen here?




I do :)..

Imagine soft egg noodles soaked an dipped in hot spicy soup adorned with fresh veggies and sprinkled with cruncy fried onion and shallots. 

Some extra pouched eggs and nori will surely make it more delicious. I am literally drolling as I write this :).



Well...don't blame me, especially as you have seen the picture above :).

And you can enjoy it in Ramen Takumi, here in NYC.

Ramen is pretty popular in Japan, its origin. But NYC loves it, too. I guess that explains why we have so many Japanese restaurants have ramen as their specialty, including Ramen Takumi.

I love their ramens...

Many choices are available here, including the hang-over ramen with ginger and white spicy soup (don't you just love the name ;)), shoyu ramen, et tan - tan ramen.


My fave is the spicy tan - tan ramen with fresh bean sprouts, shallots, mushroom, and minced chicken. So fresh! And super fresh. You can see it from the first photo I put up there.
They have vegetables ramen as well. So, those who are not eating meat and chicken can still slurp its yummy soup and noodles. I have tried it and loved it, too.

Ramen Takumi, NYC, for ramen lovers indeed.

They have various menu for rice lovers as well, including one with bulgogi beef, chicken teriyaki, and Japanese style fried rice. Many more can be find in the menu for sure.


The appetizers are yummy as well.
So far, my favorites  are chicken bun (soft bun combined with sweet spicy chicken), aged gyoza, and spicy chicken wings. Of course they have many more, including crab cake, tempura, baby octopus in Wasabi sauce et salads. Enough choices for those with adventurous tummy.


want some spicy chicken wings? let's dig in..


With approximately USD 35, you have a decent bowl of ramen for two and an appetizer. 

For two. 
Not bad at all.

The place is not that big but it should be enough for individual diner and small groups. And the service is pretty quick. You won't be starving waiting for your food. 

So, make sure you make a stop here at 517 3rd Avenue between 34th and 35th street.
And have a slurpy day :).