Treats Truck: I'm Obsessed

Okay, so I know I posted Treats Truck a couple of weeks ago, but boy am I hooked! I can't wait for Tuesdays and Thursdays when they are parked on 38th and 5th as my greedy little butt hikes up there for a sugar rush. I had been getting the walnut chocolate chip cookies, but this time I decided to go for some new stuff.

Rice Crispie Treat

Check out my sweet iphone ( I shattered it because I suck at life and fell while running over the Williamsburg bridge. Serves me right to try and stay in shape. Oh, and sorry about my nasty ass nail polish job too... that is hard even for me to look at.) Anyway it is just a size reference at how HUGE the treat is! It was actually quite hard to take a bite into, and I ended up having to pull it apart with my fingers to eat it. Other then that, it was chewy, sweet and basically, the perfect treat.

Price: $3.00

Caramel Creme Sandwich

I LOVE sugar cookies.... but brown sugar cookies?? Ohh yes! Sandwiching vanilla creme, it was amazing. Nice snap with each bite, and not too sugary. You  know a sugar cookie is good when the butter stains the napkin, leaving evidence of the sweet affair

Price: $1.75

Verdict:  Sugar, sugar, sugar.... yum, yum, yum. You just can't go wrong with anything they have!

Treats Truck

http://www.treatstruck.com/

Renaissance Time Square Hote, RLoungel: Free Food and Drinks? Where Do I Sign Up?!

A couple of weeks ago, my former boss Ana invited me and the rest of the crew to a free happy hour at R Lounge in Renaissance Hotel. Free? Food? Liquor? FREE?! I was totally in.

*just a note, I forgot to write down the prices and name descriptions, so all of these are just educated estimates. Their website isn't up yet with the menu.

Strawberry Alcoholic Concoction

Acai Martini

I got this... and boy was this filled with alcohol. If you really want to get hammered and crunk with Britney ( for those of you who know what I'm talkin about) then just 2 of these babies will do the trick. I couldn't even finish my one drink! 

Price: $10.00

Queso Dip

Nice, cheesy, gooey dip, freshly fried torilla chips hit the spot and pairs perfectly with beer.

Price: $ 8.00

Calamari

The marinara sauce was the kind that I would totally want to pour over pasta. Light, not too sweet and not too sour. The calamari were chewy, and a nice size.

Price: $10.00

Beef Sliders

Rock Shrimp

Okay, so 2 of us at the table ordered the shrimp. I only got 4 shrimp, and they got 5!! I totally felt ripped off. Granted, they did just open, so maybe they are working out the kinks in the kitchen. But still for the money, I hope everyone eventually get 5 shrimp. This came with a side of mayo and cocktail sauce. For what it's worth, the shrimp were huge.

Price: $10.00

Hummus Toast

A little too excited, someone already took a piece before I could take the picture

Pork Chips

This was deep fried and topped with cheese and spices. Like a rich mans pork rinds.

Price: $8.00

Pulled Pork Sliders

Chicken Wings

4 hole chicken wings. Too much breading, not enough meat! The breading was also tasteless, but the honey helped.

Price: $8.00

Pigging out, a girls other favorite hobby other then shopping.

Fried Peas

Tempura battered, with a side of mayo (??) Now eating vegetables can be yummy!

Price: $6.00

Chicken Burgers

My first touristy picture, ever. Not a bad view at all.

My former co-workers! Aww, I miss them.  From left: Aaron, Janelle, Me, Priscilla, Giselle, Ana, Donna, Carly, Cherry, and Kristina

The Lobby

Hanging testicles, and ass shaped pillars. I guess all the sexual innuendos are supposed to help you get laid ( with the help of that acai drink!) 

Verdict: I normally would never suggest voluntarily going to Times Square, but if you happen to be in the area and are in desperate need of a drink, snack, and hanging balls, this is the place to go. The view is amazing and not too crowded when I went on a Thursday night. There was a DJ there, but he kind of sucked so maybe they fired him, or hopefully he picks better songs. 

The R Lounge at Renaissance Hotel

714 Seventh Ave

New York, NY 10036

http://www.rloungetimessquare.com/

Treats Truck: More Cookies!!

I guess I am on a cookie kick! Walking around the city last week a sweet aroma filled my nostrils...what else other then the Treats Truck? How could I say no to a cookie? It's just physically impossible!

Oatmeal with Raspberry Jammy

These are a pretty decent size, a bit smaller than a CD. The oatmeal was  chewy, soft and dense. Although I wished for a little crunch on the edges, it was still satisfying. The jam came with either apricot or raspberry, being a fan of both, I decided to go for the raspberry. It was rather gelatinous and pretty tart which overwhelmed the poor oatmeal cookie. I ended up scraping the rest off. Next time, I will just get the regular oatmeal

Price: $1.25

Chocolate Chip with Walnuts

This may be my favorite "after lunch stuck at work" chocolate chip cookie yet! Chewy, dense and  just absolutely perfect as a late afternoon snack. Generous amounts of chocolate and walnuts drizzled throughout each bite. The winner of the two treats I got.

Price: $1.00

Verdict:  A cheap, tasty sweet treat that really hits the spot! I can't wait until they are in around my office area again so  can try more of what they have to offer! Next time their brownies are calling my name. Mmm..mmm!

Treats Truck

Multiple Locations

http://www.treatstruck.com/

Arirang : Apparently They Think a Giant Ordered the Meal

Oh Koreatown.. .how lucky I am to now work right across the street from it? Packed with a seemingly endless array of restaurant options, I ended up trying out Arirang. After hearing rave reviews on their hand pulled noodles, I had to order from them. Especially since on that particular day, it was rainy and cold out.

Trying to find the actual entrance was a bit confusing, nested on the 2nd floor between 4 other stairs/ resturants will make you do a little back and forth dance before you find to correct pair of stairs. Oh, and they are pretty creepy....

Did I say creepy? Yeah.....

After picking up my order, I was certain that I had gotten the wrong thing. I mean come on, the bag was the size of a large grocery bag! And the noodle container was literally a gallons worth!! The girls in my office looked at me with their egg white and lettuce salad in envy disgust.

The three sides it came with. They smelled like death, and I had to immediately close the containers before the fumes seeped into cubicles

The Chicken Kalgusu and Sujaebi

Well this would be just impossible to eat from the container, I don't think my desk even had enough space to fit it. I had to scoop some in a separate bowl ( this was particularly difficult since the noodles were so slippery!) 

I took spoon full of broth, it was thickened with the starchy run-off from the kalguksu (knife cut noodles) and the sujaebi (hand pulled noodles). It was chickeny in every way possible. Not too salty and so aromatic. It would put any chicken noodle soup or chicken broth to shame. It also came with sliced potatoes, sliced onions and and a heap of curly scallions to top off this hearty meal. 

The noodles? Slippery pliable and when slurping, I most definitely flung some loose droplets of broth on my computer monitor. The knife cut noodles were like eating pieces of dumpling dough, super chewy.  

Price :$10.00

Verdict: Well this tub lasted me about 5 days (!!) worth of lunch. Though I had to buy some more chicken (since there were only about 5 pieces in the whole thing) it was still am amazing deal. Perhaps I will try eating in next time and share this dish with 4 other people...

Arirang

32 West 32nd Street

New York, NY 10001

Lunch: A Guaranteed Greasy Keyboard and Food Coma

There have been a lot of talk about kati rolls lately and so I wanted to join in on the shenanigans. Off I went to see what all the fuss was about on my lunch break! 

Oh, and just a little history about kati rolls: They are an indian street forrd, the "bread" is a roti flatbread or paratha. Inside they usually stuff various savory spiced meats/ potatoes/ and eggs.

Jesus... what was I walking into?? The line inside was insane....insane!!!! ( okay maybe not that insane, but it was pretty damn crowded)

 Guys hard at work. ( Why does this remind me of the episode in Seinfeld where Kramer flew in all the Dominicans to roll cigars but ended up rolling crepes?)

After waiting 20 minutes (!!?!?!) I rushed back to the office I opened my to go bag.  Just taking them out, my hands were covered in grease ( though I shouldn't be surprised since I watched the guys behind the counter drowning the bread in oil).  These were also pretty big, about 7 inches... I was waiting for a stomach ache and food coma ahead.

Unda Beef Roll

This was with pickled red onions, eggs and beef in a spicy green coriander sauce. The bread was pretty flaky and chewy (just like if naan bread had sex with pastry dough and gave birth to this). The eggs however, were ridiculously over cooked and dry, I immediately needed a glass of water. The beef had an interesting texture... pliable, almost spongy. I wasn't a huge fan of that texture, but the spices completely marinated into the meat and the onions added a nice fresh hit. The whole roll could have used another healthy douse of sauce, over all pretty dry. 

Price: $ 5.75

Unda Aloo Roll

This was with egg and potato along with the red onions, and spicy coriander sauce. The potato was pretty much flavorless other then the sauce that they added. The texture was great however, soft, and mushy (which helped moisten the dry eggs).  Again, this could have used another helping of sauce to add some more flavor.

Price: $5.25

Verdict: Well after eating 1/2 of each roll my hands, face, keyboard, mouse and other various items on my desk ( and quite possibly even items on my coworkers desk) had a nice coating of grease.  On the plus side, I had tomorrows lunch...on the minus side; like I had predicted my stomach began yelling at me as I proceeded to pop some Tums later on that day. This would be incredible drunk/hangover food but as a lunch sober? Not so much ( which is why I have the feeling they are open til 5am on weekends...)

Kati Roll Company

49 West 39th Street
New York, NY 10018

www.thekatirollcompany.com

Lunch: $2.25 for a Tiny Macaron?! It Better Give Me an Orgasm!

I had always passed this place while walking to Penn Station to catch a train. Finally I made it my priority to check this place out on my lunch break since it looked so gosh darn cute. I have had 1 or 2 macarons in my life time, but was never a huge fan. Maybe this trip will change my mind?

Even a little line for lunch makes me nervous...I don't like waiting more than 5 minutes for food during lunch. I feel like I'm wasting precious "me" time!

I want their uniforms as a costume. They are freakin adorable! Oh, and the space was small, crowded and cramped. Not for the claustrophobics out there.

With is display, how can you not get a macaron? The colors are hypnotizing!

Mango and Lemon Macaron

They had samples of the macarons on the counter for people to nibble at while waiting to get  food. Naturally I had to try some!

Mango: This was the orange one. No mango taste whatsoever. Pure (overly) salty whipped butter. I wouldn't recommend getting this flavor.

Lemon: Tart,  subtle hint of lemon. Lemons a pretty boring flavor in general, so I'm glad I at least tried it since I wouldn't have purchased this any other time.

The Norvegian

This was made with filone bread, smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese mixed with dill and scallions. Tiny ass sandwich. The whole thing was about the size of half a normal sandwich you would get at a deli. However, they make it up by the nice hefty portion of salmon. I loved the bread, airy light and fluffy like a cloud. All the flavors blended together nicely except for the capers. They were vinegary and overpowered the rest of the subtle flavors of the sandwich. Even hours later I could still taste the capers in my mouth. Blegh.

Price: $7.75

Honey Lavender

Of course I couldn't leave the cafe without trying a macaron of my choice....but hmm, 2.25 for a itty bitty little macaron?? When I can get a gigantic cookie for half that price? It better be worth it!  I took a bite... thin crispy shell, airy chewy center. I was really enjoying the texture. Alas, it should have been named ginger honey instead. All I tasted was ginger. The lavender part must have been referring solely on the color.

Price: $2.25

Verdict: This place is a little gem in the mass industrious jungle of midtown. A little Parisian escape that I would gladly visit again. Everyday they have a different featured sandwich of the day. Wednesdays is fresh crab! I will be checking that out for sure. Oh... and am I a fan of macarons yet?.... Maybe much less of a fan then the cupcake or Neapolitan pizza fad, but if there is an interesting  sounding flavor, I just might get one.

Macaron Cafe

485 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10018

www.macaroncafe.com