Fattie's/Fatty's

The first time I went to Puerto Rico, I read about this restaurant and I must admit it was the name more than anything else that had me interested.  But then I went there and had AMAZING curry chicken.  I returned several times during that week and vowed to return whenever I made it back to Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately, I was not able to enjoy the curry chicken this time because there was no running water in Old San Juan.  Luckily, they still were able to make a couple of dishes for us.  I ordered the fried chicken breast and yellow rice with corn.

I know it doesn’t look spectacular and is really more like chicken fingers, but I assure you whatever she used to season and fry that chicken was very impressive.  Bestie ordered the pork chop with white rice and beans.

She enjoyed her meal as well.  I was disappointed that there was no curry chicken so I went back later in the week with my buddy Mr. A and his lovely wife.  Alas there was no curry chicken that day either but we decided to eat there anyway.  This time I ordered fried chicken pieces and yellow rice with corn.

The fried chicken was even better than the chicken breasts.  WOW it was fantastic.  Packed with flavor and juicy!  Mr. A also ordered the chicken, but his wife went with the pork chops, at least initially.  

There was some plate swapping that eventually happened.  Between the two of them though they cleaned up both plates.  Fattie’s is a hole in the wall if I’ve ever been to one, but I tell you it is the best hole in the wall I’ve ever been to! The owner is kind and definitely chats it up with you if you’re open to it.  When I was there with Mr. A and his wife, she brought us some cassava fritters which were awesome.  The lunch special is $6 and totally worth it. I will return to Fattie’s every time I go to Puerto Rico – even if it’s a hunt for curry chicken that doesn’t show up on the menu often enough.

Hungry yet?

Café Habana

After last night's debacle I had no desire to eat anything that I didn't make. So when Mr. G suggested that we go to Café Habana, I reluctantly agreed.

Cafe Habana on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth streets was the place to be on Thursday night.  The relatively small restaurant was completely full and there were a number of people outside waiting for tables. I knew then that this was a good decision.

Within 20 minutes we were seated at a small table in the back near the stereo which played Stevie Wonder, MC Hammer, Michael Jackson and some Cuban tunes. We started off with an order of Mexican corn.

Grilled corn with cotija cheese sprinkled with chili powder. It was phenomenal!!! The chili powder was only on one side of the corn so when I needed a break I would flip to the other side with a cool taste of melted cheese. The few parts that had blackened a little from being on the grill also tasted amazing.

The corn was so good I would have ordered more and ate it as my entree. However I was quite happy to have the Baja Fish Tacos.

They were incredible! The taco was in a corn tortilla that was hard enough to stay in one piece but soft enough that it didn't scrape the roof of my mouth. The beer battered catfish was juicy, well seasoned and tasty. The taco also contained cabbage, tomatoes and spicy crema. For those that are not a fan of white sauce, the sauce was definitely not offensive. I barely noticed it.

The tacos were accompanied by rice and beans and salsa negra. The salsa was excellent and I dipped my taco in there several times. The rice and beans were seasoned to perfection.

This was one dining experience that I didn't want to end. The incredible flavors were only one part of what made this enjoyable. The service was on point and the music added a fun and playful atmosphere. Café Habana is totally worth the trip and I highly recommend it.

Hungry yet?

Cheap Eat of the Week: $15 dinner!

I've been asked a couple of times why I go to Spice so often.  Aside from it's extremely delicious offerings, it is also one of the more affordable restaurants in NYC.  So when Ms. S suggested that we dine there earlier this week, I happily accepted.

We ordered some of the usual that you've seen before, but there are a couple of new items too. Calamari was delightful as always.

Next up we tried the Nabon Steamed Dumplings.  Chicken and shrimp dumplings in a black vinaigrette sauce.

Yummers! The dumpling was light and perfect. The vinaigrette was pretty light and didn't overpower the flavor of the dumplings.  To keep things light, we ordered the Spice Caesar Salad with miso ginger and szechuan crouton.

First time I tried salad at Spice.  It was perfect...the croutons were the perfect addition.  It was so tasty that I couldn't believe I was eating leaves :-)

We rounded out the meal with the 6 o'clock spicy thai fried rice with chicken.  It took them about 15 minutes to bring it out but it was worth the wait.

2 appetizers, one salad and one entree for $15 each (tax and tip included!)  Seriously how do you pass up this opportunity?  We feasted and couldn't have been happier.  As always Spice gets my highest recommendation!

Hungry yet?

Thai Market

There are so many Thai restaurants in New York that I could probably eat at a different one every day of the week.  Thai Market is one of these great restaurants.  It offers an $8 lunch special with choice of an appetizer and entree.

I met Mr. G there after a failed attempt at bike riding.  We both started with the curry puff.

It was pretty good.  Standard fare though a little greasy and def not as plump as the ones from Land.

Mr. G ordered Chicken Ginger.

It didn't look particularly appetizing but apparently tasted good.  The chicken was coated in ginger, but there were only 6 pieces in the dish.

I asked for Pad Kee Mao.

Looks like drunken noodle to me! Flat rice noodle, chicken, thai basil, bird's eye chili and bok choi.  It tasted pretty good but they definitely held back on the chicken.  It was spicy and bold, but not necessarily better than other Thai places.

The best part of Thai Market is the outdoor seating on Amsterdam. It's a colorful neighborhood and you get to observe the people and traffic while enjoying your $8 meal.

Hungry yet?

Pearls

I was still dreaming of noodles at lunch today, but when Mr. G suggested that we try something new.  We decided on Pearls, a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Times Square.  I've never been a fan of Times Square and dining there is certainly not something I wish on anyone, especially a non-tourist.

The second we walked in, it was clear this was a no nonsense restaurant.  We were seated almost immediately.  There is an upstairs seating area that was pretty crowded, so we sat on the main level.  We ordered from the lunch special and the food came in less than 10 minutes.  Usually that's unsettling, but I was quite happy with what came out.

Mr. G ordered Hunan Chicken with vegetable fried rice.

Looks good right? I didn't taste it but based on the fact that the plate was empty at the end of the meal, I'm assuming it was delish!

I ordered Shredded Chicken with garlic sauce and vegetable fried rice.  It was great!  The lunch special also comes with a choice of egg roll or spring roll.

Pearls is awesome! The food is very tasty and not greasy.  The lunch specials are a great deal and I highly recommend fighting through your disdain for Times Square and enjoying this delicious lunch spot.

Hungry yet?