US trip 2010 special: Carmine's in New York

About the food:

In NY, we had dinner at Carmine's, which is said to be one of the most popular casual dining areas there. The place is always full of people, especially during dinner time, such that, even if you arrive on time to get your reserved seats, you would still have to wait for an hour or more to get seated at your table. Furthermore, if you did not book a day in advance (or more), and you just decided to book upon arrival at the restaurant, then you would have to pay a substantial fee just for the booking of the table (no food and drinks included)!

Moving on, Carmine's is all about Italian casual family dining. All their servings are meant to be shared and come in really large servings.  The waiter/chef there will provide you suggestions on what are good dish combinations. Plus, he/she would also advise you when your orders are already enough to make you and your companions full.

On top, we got fried calamari rings and heads... which is really  A LOT for an appetizer. 

This is a clam soup, which is ok. 

 

 This one is meat with portobello mushroom, and is highly recommended.

This is one is seafood pasta (with lobster) and also comes in a massive serving size. 

This is also another variety of pasta, the name of which I can't recall. 

This veal dish is soft and tender.

Finally, when the huge dessert came, we were already too full and got to taste only a few of it. It had a lot of cream on top.


If you're a big family or a big group that came to visit NY, be sure to check this place out. It's a gastronomic experience of a lifetime.

US trip 2010 special: Street Food in New York City

About the food:

Walking all around NY city can be very exhausting. Plus we heard of the rumors of the great-tasting hotdogs being sold there.

So we stopped by and ordered the hotdog there..

For a hotdog given the slightly high price, we were expecting a lot more. The hotdogs being sold at Costco taste a lot better (plus it even comes with a beverage). There was nothing extraordinary about the taste. You pay more for the experience.

One important thing to note when buying in NY or paying for services is that, you should 1)count your change and 2) be on the lookout for cheaters. In any bustling metropolis, there are those who would resort to trickery and deceit, if you are a tourist and are not careful enough.

 

Moving on, in New York's busy streets, you can also buy nuts to eat when you're on the go. 

US trip 2010 special: Bangkok House in New York City

About the food:

We arrived at New York City a few days after Comic-Con. During inter-state economy flights, we are not given free lunch meals (only free soda), as compared to International flights. Furthermore, check-in bags have a separate charge (around 25 USD per check-in-bag).

Moving on, we were hungry, so we walked all the way from the hotel to find one. It is practical to walk instead of take a cab in NY. The roads are almost always jammed. In the end, we settled for thai cuisine. 

for soup, we got the spicy tom yang soup. 

iced tea..

salad..

chicken with vegetables, 

and banana fritters.


The food was reasonably priced and tasted good, but still, food is expensive in NY, as compared to other states. Furthermore, their sales tax and the service charge/tip/gratuity percent is also higher compared to California. To conclude though, this restaurant is worth trying. They offer package meals, just like the ones above.