ooh, jason lam so hungry in nyc
I came here with Mike and Sam to watch the Jeremy Lin game in the East Village. We got to wing it up. Pretty decent wings, but the nice thing was the $5 big bowl of Nachos. I can’t tell if it looks big in this photo, but it was. That’s a good deal on nachos …even though they always get soggy at some point.
I can’t tell if I’m over Linsanity. I’m Lindifferent?
Dempsey’s Pub - 61 2nd Ave (btwn 3rd & 4th St) New York, NY 10003
This past weekend, I visited Rik and Nancy while they were shooting a tribute video for their good friend Seth, who’s recovering in the hospital. It was very touching how many people came to support. I can tell he’s very loved and there are many people that are very loving in this world.
On my way to the train, I stopped in for Filipino lunch at Sa Aming Nayon in the East Village. Service was a little weird. I think they just forgot about me. And when I asked for a menu, it was really awkward. They were very apologetic.
I went with the Dinuguan (Pork Cheeks with Pork Blood cooked in vinegar). I’m not sure what pulled me in –the Pork Cheeks or the Pork Blood? I started to regret my decision immediately after I ordered.
It came out. Looked pretty good. Tasted really good. The bloody vinegar sauce complimented the tender pork cheeks. The sauce had a bit of a livery taste and grainy texture. I didn’t regret it after.
Sa Aming Nayon - 201 1st Ave (btwn E 12th & 13th St) New York, NY 10003
Here’s the tribute video…
Rusty and I were watching the Denver game last Sunday at O’Hanlon’s in the East Village, rooting for our boy Tebow. Yikes!
During half time, I walked around to try to figure out what’s the meaning of life after I just saw Tebow get smashed, smothered, and diced. I passed by the Halal truck on the South-East corner of East 11th St and 1st Ave. I’ve passed there many late nights before and it always smelled so good. Most of the time I see a cart there, but this day it’s a truck.
Got the Lamb & Chicken combo over rice with white sauce, hot sauce $6. Dang. This is some of the best and spiciest Lamb & Chicken combo I’ve had in a long time. The rice is very similar to the Famous Halal Guys on 53rd & 6th. But I like this better. They put slices of jalapeno in there for extra spiciness. The chicken is not chopped up as much as most halal carts. The flavor was tangy and spicy. I just might have a reason to go back to root for Tebow tomorrow.
I suppose being a professional athlete has it’s ups and downs just like the challenges of real life. Maybe last week loss is just a stepping stone to success. I hope Tebow learns from last week and becomes the best NFL winner in the world. So keep Tebowing.
I’ve been on a no-carb diet for the past three weeks and today was supposed to be my last day before I go on tour and gain all the weight back. But after band practice tonight, Matt and I went to Punjabi Deli and I ate the rice. So close to finishing the goal. Only a few more minutes until midnight. I fucked it all up. It tasted good though …but I do feel fat now.
Punjabi Grocery & Deli - 114 E 1st St (btwnn 1st Ave & Ave A) New York, NY 10009
I also got a new camera today …the Sony HX9V point and shoot. A lot of DSLR videographers are raving about the video quality …and from the videos, it looks sharper than the Canon DSLRs. Perhaps it doesn’t have the shallow depth of field, but at wide angle, it’s freaking amazing for such a small thing. Shoots 1080p at 60fps (only $350). That’s insane. Motion a little flickery on Youtube, but I think that’s a Youtube thing. Looks better on Vimeo.
Anyway, I bought this for pocketable quick video, but I’m really impressed at the stills …especially compared to my Canon S90 that I’ve been using for a year and a half now. The HX9V hardware and optics doesn’t seem as good (f/3.3 lens vs f/2.0), but I feel like the results is comparable and maybe a little better through the software trickery. For the low light, it takes multiple images and somehow composites them to look decent. It’s slow shooting this way, but the resulting photo is pretty good.
The faster lens on the S90 is a little brighter, but a little more washed out and more noise.
I know video is looking darker in low light compared to the S90, but I still can’t wait to shoot some sweet HD video with it. Look at what Cheesycam blog did with this camera…
I’ve always wanted to try a balut egg (Wikipedia: “A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell.”) Luckily the East Village is thriving with three new Filipino restaurants. I went to Krystal’s Cafe 81 on 7th St. Balut is two for $5 or one for $3. I had to have a few drinks before and this is what happened…
I haven’t watched this video and kinda don’t want to. But… I remember it tasting like a chunk of boiled pork on a hard boiled egg. There was a rubbery piece on the bottom. The slurping of the soup when I first cracked it had a nice brothy flavor. Apparently, it’s just boiled with nothing special, so I was surprised at the flavor of the juice. I kinda wished I pulled out the embryo to see if there was a shape of a body, but maybe it was good I didn’t and just chomped down on it.
The young Filipino guy next to me said he used to eat these everyday …preferably with developed with feathers, but no way if there were bones. Thank goodness I had the bartender and this guy guide me through. I’m glad I did it.
I also ordered the Pork Adobo, which was super tender. I bet the sauce would be fantastic on rice, but I’m avoiding white carbs in my current diet. Buffing up.
By the end, I was a little tipsy, weak from being carb-less and my breath smelled like fertilized duck embryo. Then I was late to my blind group date via this new dating site Grouper. I had a good time. I remember was there was a labyrinth.
Krystal’s Cafe 81 - 81 E 7th St (btwn 2nd & 1st Ave) New York, NY 10003
I met up with David who I met a few days ago at the 4Knots Music Festival. He got me into see EMA at Mercury Lounge tonight for her first NY concert. She’s got a lot of buzz going and the place was packed for this early evening show. She was pretty good, like a 90′s Alternative Rock combination of Portishead, Nirvana, Courtney Love, Sonic Youth and The Blow.
Then David, friends and I went for beer and Minca Ramen. Got the Toroniku Pork Belly Ramen. Three big blocks of delicious Pork Belly in my bowl. So good and big. I could only eat half. I’m working on my Captain America/Chris Evans figure, so half was plenty.
Minca - 536 E 5th St (btwn Avenue A & B) New York, NY 10009
On the way back home, I saw this guy Ben Simon play the craziest guitar (Guitar2D2) that he built himself. It sounded interesting (more so live than in this video).
I thought I learned a good lesson tonight that I was hoping to share with you guys —If the L train is running on one track during late-night construction, you might as well jump on even if it’s going the other way (and ride it back, securing a spot and standing in AC) …Because nothing sucks more than being on a packed platform and being the only one (seriously, the only person) to not get on the train. Lesson learned –I got on the next train going the opposite way 30mins later. There was even a cute girl that I was hoping to see on my way back and she’d be like “Whoa! How’d you do that? Let’s make out.” All was great, until I saw the another train going back into Brooklyn while I was still on the 8th Ave bound train at Union Square. So I got off at 6th Ave and waited another half hour on the sweaty hot platform to go back to Brooklyn. It took me 2 hours to get home only 4 stops away.
I’m trying to think what lesson I learned in all this. There’s always a lesson to learn in all of life’s struggles according to the self-help and development audio tapes I’ve been listening to these past 4 years. I couldn’t think of any lesson I learned out of this. It was just bullshit. I can’t believe the L train instantly fucked up all these years living optimistic and happy. FML …I get it.
Fuck everything, I decided I’m going to eat a balut.
Killing time with Sam at this ramen spot, before I went back to my place for my roommate’s birthday. Unfortunately, I’m getting really lazy with bringing my camera with me. It’s just too bulgy in my tight jeans in the summertime. I did have my phone with the Camera360 app. It has a filter called “Japanese Style” which was very appropriate for the cuisine. It brings up the brightness, lessens the contrast and gives it a purple-ish tint. It’s so dark in Menkui-Tei, I don’t know how these people on Yelp got their bright photos.
The best thing was the Age Platter special –fried squid legs, fried octopus balls, and fried octopus. I could eat a whole plate of the fried octopus.
Tan Tan Men noodles was too soupy for me, but the flavor was right.
Afterwards, I brought home a cake from Grand Morelos. I’ve wanted to get the naked girl with the see-thru night gown topper, but I didn’t know how to ask for it. So I just got a dinosaur. Then things got crazy when I pulled out the guitar and cranked it up with the Happy Birthday song. Some dude called out for me to play Stairway to Heaven and ACDC. I freaked out and screamed “FUCK YOU!!!” then stormed off. He thought I was being funny and laughed.
Menkui Tei Noodle Restaurant – 63 Cooper Sq (btwn 7th St & Astor Pl) New York 10003
I stopped by for a bite at Nicky’s in the East Village. I knew I wanted a spicy Pork Banh Mi sandwich. But after I ordered, I saw Sardines Banh Mi. Dang, sounds interesting. I asked to change it, but was too late. Anyway, once I started eating the pork sandwich, all was right.
Anyone try the Sardine sandwich?
Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches – 150 E 2nd St (btwn 1st Ave & Avenue A) New York, NY 10009
Deluxe Food Market
Rotisserie Chicken Now In A Drug-Free Zone
Chef Jason Wilson of Crush Catering the Meet & Greet
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