Eating out is something I took for granted when I was back home in Singapore. It is cheap, convenient, delicious, and there will always be a coffeeshop open 24hours within 5mins in your neighbourhood. We call them Kopitiam(Kopi=coffee).
Not the kind of "coffeeshop" you find in Amsterdam...oh no..., this Kopitiam literally sells coffee and breakfast in the mornings but come night time, there will always be full-scale dinner worthy meals of fried rice with roast pork, beef hor fun, seafood bee hoon, bak kut teh, teochew porridge, mee goreng, and even spicy frog legs porridge, if you wish.
Back to NYC where Kopitiams are nonexistent(*sobs*), we forged our own food trails in this city(where eating out is a hit-or-miss game) within our wallet's permit. The Insider's Guide to NY Neighbourhoods was an excellent source of information as Eleanor Berman guided food lovers like us through walking, eating and shopping to ethnic enclaves throughout NYC. Oh! How I love the library! =)
First Stop: Katz Deli
Native New Yorkers, 3 generation Jew families and tourists alike all flock to Katz's Deli for their famous hot pastrami sandwiches. I came here for the orgasm.
Whatever Sally had in this deli(remember the famous scene in When Harry met Sally?), I wanted it too.
Forget about the corned beef s/w, chopped liver or whatever blintzes, matzos or knishes. Just zoom right to the server who is slicing the pastrami upon each order and then just chomp down on that 3" thick of juicy meat like you've been starving for days. 
Then...the ooh-ooh-ahhh..."orgasm" will come. Trust me. Trust us. See what happens when u eat at Katz? 
Even the men luuurve it! Hehe... ;p 
Second Stopsss: Arthur AvenueThe guidebook introduced us to the other Little Italy located in the Bronx, more commonly known as Arthur Avenue.
I also came across the time-honoured Mike's Deli via Bobby Flay's Throwdown show when he challenged Mike's son, David, to the ultimate throwdown of Eggplant Parmagianno. David made all the Italians within a 10mile radius proud by winning the challenge! I.e. I HAVE to try this famous eggplant parmagianno then! 
Since Arthur Avenue is within a hop to the Bronx Zoo, we stopped by and took out some freshly made eggplant parmagianno for our lunch picnic in the zoo. Man, oh man...it was some wholesome goodness deep fried with lots of tomato sauce that should only be eaten as a treat on special occasions, or otherwise, your cholesterol level would skyrocket through the roof! Well, my cholesterol level is doing good so I dug in heartily. Oh mamma mia!!! 
Who can leave Arthur Avenue without stopping for some mean cappuccinos and Italian cannolis and pastries? 
To refuel ourselves after a day in the zoo, we parked the stroller and our tired asses down in a cafe with trays upon trays of edible sinful treats and Italian ices. I can't believe I didn't take note of the name of this cafe cos it was soooo...GOOD!!! 
See the look on my face? ;p 
The Honey Nuts Bar was dangerously addictive and I had to go back for seconds(was even contemplating buying some home!). 
It was hard to choose what pastries to eat when they all look so tempting... it's a good thing they come in mini sizes so you can get a good selection w/o filling up fast. Now, Roberto's restaurant has been named as one of the BEST Italian restaurants in the city by Esquire magazine. It's been 2 years since my man popped the question so we went to Roberto's for a little celebration. This place is insane - it opens at 4pm and by 5pm when we arrived, it was already packed with a long queue outside and we had to wait for another hour! Who knew New Yorkers eat dinner so early???
Some reviewers claim that it is best to let Roberto(owner/chef) guide you to eating the freshest and tastiest by ordering off his blackboard specials. 
Now, that is one fine advice I took cos Emmanuel ordered the grilled rabbit from the menu and it was a BIG mistake. After his first bite, he took a deep breath and proclaimed to me in a stony voice, "Don't be disappointed...BUT this is the worst rabbit I've ever eaten in my life." 
I've never eaten bad rabbit before so I took a bite and it was indeed rubbery and chewy, quite unlike any rabbits I've ever tasted. 
Well, my Veal Osso Buco(braised veal shanks) was world class supertasty and I even picked clean the bone marrow down to the last morsel. Emmanuel loved the fall-off-the-bone tender meat and the flavorful sauce over it. One of the best he's had, he says. It's my first veal osso buco so I can't comment much except to say I LOVE it! 
Our thumbs up for the whole meal is the antipasto fresh mozarella with roasted peppers, proscuitto and arugula salad. That started the evening off with high expectations for our main course, so, for Roberto's to drop so high up from the pedestal...I can feel Emmanuel's big rabbit disappointment. Next time, we are ordering strictly off the blackboard!
To top off our entire Arthur Avenue's Italian experience, we bagged home some proscuitto bread from Addeo's Bakery for breakfast the next day. OMG...some of the finest bread I have E.V.E.R. tasted in my whole life. Mmm-mmm-mmm....!!! Emmanuel kept asking me if I am sure that I dun wanna buy 2 breads instead of just 1, and I was like..."Ummm, nah...Let's not be gluttons.", and I so regret it now!!! Addeo - open a branch in Manhattan, please!!!!3rd Stop: Morimoto (Iron Chef America)
Trying Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant by chance, I left feeling light-headed from the earl grey creme brule we had for dessert. I've had my fair share of creme brules(always classic) and this variation took me by storm the minute I put the spoon into my mouth. My lament? That it is such a tiny portion and I simply can't get enough of it!!!
I'm not big on the ambiance(feels like some chi-chi lounge) since I was heavily pregnant at that time and wasn't feeling that sexy in my preggy frocks. BUT...I adore their modern Japanese wash/blow style toilets! Have to get one of those into my own house in the future...
4th Stop: Momofuku
I came here cos Anthony Bourdain frequents this place whenever he's not working. If celebrity chefs come here to EAT, it can't be anything but DAMN GOOD, right?
The steamed pork buns blew me away. Buns like these are commonly served during funerals in Singapore(pork belly stuffed buns) and I used to eagerly look forward to eating them despite the grim occasion it was served at. Up and rising chef/owner, David Chang, brought the simple pork bun into another level from the ones I used to savour, that's for sure! Again, I WANT more of it!!!!
They are known for their ramen tho' I can't say it is my favourite ramen. Packed with ingredients, it is definitely value for the buck but for me, the most important thing in a noodle soup is the SOUP and the NOODLES. This noodle lacks the crunch and the soup is not packed with flavors, the way I like it. Still want the bun...mmm...5th Stop: Kang Suh (Little Korea)
One word: BIBIM BOB. Sounds like a cartoon character? Tastes like heaven in a bowl.
I came here for the Korean BBQ but since I was the only one ordering BBQ, they did it in the kitchen instead of at the table. :( Emmanuel had the Bibim Bob and since I've never had it before, I tried it although it is with raw beef. It resembled a riot of colors and flavors which exploded in your mouth all at once, leaving you yearning for the next spoonful. Soon, my bbq beef was quietly ignored as I gobbled up Emmanuel's dinner. Love this place in Little Korea right in mid-town Manhattan where Macy's and Manhattan Mall are. It is open 24/7 and food is served with a dizzying array of tiny kimchi dishes that made us regret ordering appetizers.
Of course, there are more restaurants and cafes to trudge towards to with a growling tummy(that's the attitude!) in this city. Our food trail ends here today(for the moment) and The Planels shall continue to blaze on ahead with filling up our tummies! =) P/S: You may look at photos of me and wonder...
"Hmmm...is that remnants of her pregnancy? Or...is it just a really full tummy?" Heh heh...it's for me to know and for you to guess! ;p
