after catching a movie at union square, a few of us walked to the kimchi taco truck that was parked on astor place. since it was our first time trying it out, we went for the 3-tacos combo for a mere $7 that are topped with asian pico de gallo, fresh kimchi, green onion on toasted corn tortilla:
- Grilled Korean BBQ Beef – Kimchi Taco’s Signature Marinade
- Seared Pork – Korean Spiced Pork Tenderloin marinated with Red Pepper Paste
- Pulled Chicken – Slow Cooked Shredded Chicken lightly sautéed with Red Wine Soy Sauce Reduction
in addition, we got 2 sides with healthy portions for just $3 – $4:
- Spicy Rice Cakes - Grilled Rice Cake dipped in Korean Red Pepper Glaze and topped with Queso Blanco and Green Onions
- BBQ Nachos – Korean Marinated BBQ Beef & Spicy Pork with Kimchi, Queso Blanco, Pico de Gallo, Green Onion and Chip
i love authentic korean food but it was fun to try it with different flavor. between the three of us, we each had a taco – i had the pork. the flavor was nice and the kimchi was a nice touch. personally, i’m not a big fan of corn tortilla bcuz it is a bit crumbly so if i had to change it, i would have it with flour tortilla. the rice cakes were different with the addition of cheese. my favorite was the BBQ nachos – the flavors just mixed so well together!
since the flavors probably are meant to appeal to the masses, the kimchi and sauces aren’t anywhere near as the spicy as i love from authentic korean food but i still enjoyed their creative mixture. i look forward to trying the kimchi bowl and kim-cheeseseak so i’ll be on the lookout for the kimchi taco truck!
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enjoy some kimchi eats at the Kimchi Taco Truck parked in nyc by liking them on Facebook or following them on Twitter
the first time i saw the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck over a year ago in soho after dinner with friends. it caught my eye bcuz it had an earl grey flavored ice cream – my favorite tea. since we just finished a huge meal, i couldn’t fit any more food so we had to walk by without a taste. since then, i have seen the pale yellow truck several times in the city but always at similar inopportune moments. today the streak ended.
i have been looking forward to trying belgian waffles from Wafels & Dinges for a LONG TIME but each time i bumped into the cart, i had been too full to enjoy it. when i went looking for it once, it left its scheduled location early! i got so mad, i refused to follow it anymore. it just wasn’t meant to be … until now! i was taking my relatives around the city and in the middle of museum hopping, what do we find? the waffle truck and an empty stomach! so my niece, who has heard about my failed quests, treats me to a waffle! light, chewy and yummy – it was SO worth the wait!
cupcakes, cakes and shakes. sounds decadent. but to feel better about treating yourself, cake & shake uses organic milk, eggs, flour, sugar and butter in the cakes. the milkshakes use real fruit and organic fruit flavoring. in addition, the packaging uses recycled paper or plastics that are biodegradable, recyclable or compostable. cool.
the cakes have fun names and are topped with frosting. some cakes have a mousse center. unique to other cakes, the MET location also has savory cakes with sausage, turkey, risotto, rice and/or cheese. the first time i went to the Alexander McQueen exhibit w my gf, i was in the mood for chocolate so i got the cup o’ joe cupcake – chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse, chocolate mocha butter cream and bittersweet chocolate shavings. YUM!
i’ve taken short rides on the amtrak before – one hour to three hours maximum. but this trip was the first ride that was longer than a few hours – not just a few hours longer but overnight! 21 hours long to be exact en route to florida!
meals are prepped for you to order in tiny tiny quarters. the dining car is filled only with tables, with seating for 4. if you’re a party of 1 or 2, you sit on one side of the table or next to each other. then you site with another party of 1 or 2 across from you. this is also what makes the taking train / dining experience unique because you get to meet new people. m & i met a lady from florida who’s dealing with real estate issues, a mother and son who moved to boston from the bronx and has no regrets, and a grandmother who has homes in ny and florida and loves to joke around! it was so much fun meeting new people!
so, i asked cola man what was the deal and where is the ice cream? and that’s how i learned about molly moon’s homemade ice cream, a cute parlor in freemont. now, the first day cola man drove by there, it was a weekend night and it was late but there was a line out the door. apparently it is a frequent occurrence – lines out the door for a scoop of ice cream. now that’s my kind of city! so we tried another day and we were successful! i had the ginger ice cream. it was creamy and gingery with little bits of crystalized ginger. yum!
i was in the village shopping and passed by a cart stationed on broadway between houston and bleecker selling cupcakes.
m & i stayed at a hotel a few blocks from rue cler, a street well known for its markets, restaurants and stores. it was on that street that m & i had our first crepe: crêpes à la banane et nutella. the crepe man spread nutella on one half of a large paper thin crepe, piled on the sliced bananas, then folded the crepe over twice forming a quarter circle and finally put the filled and folded crepe inside a paper wrap for you to hold as you eat. it was divine!
when m & i went to paris, one of our best meals wasn’t french – it was belgium! along the famous Champs Elysees was this restaurant: 
