We had heard some great things about Shiki, a Japanese Izakaya (small plates tapa style) restaurant near Brookline, MA. The fact that the Japanese players from the Red Sox eat here regularly AND that our friends from Japan recommended it made us all the more excited to try it out finally.
Somehow we forgot to capture any pics with our friends Monica and Yosuke, I guess we just got too busy eating and talking haha...
In addition to Boston being one of my least favorite cities to live in, (the weather, the "Boston is a walking city" PR line I always hear when I'm at Logan--which actually means Boston is a horrible city to drive in and can make you go nuts just trying to get 3 miles..., and the lack of very good Korean and Japanese cuisine), it also has no really nice Chinese supermarkets. The best Asian one is out in Burlington, MA (H Mart) but it's quite a trek if you want to just grab some fresh fruit and veggies and meat.
Anyhow, we go to Super 88 in Allston a bunch just out of convenience, but I have to say, it's really quite dirty and crummy. I actually would never buy any meat or fish there, unless it's to throw into a soup or something.
One thing the Super 88 does have is a little food court with a bunch of Korean, Chinese, and Indian cafes. None of them are very good, but it suffices if you need a quick ethnic lunch. Outside the Super 88 food court though is Pikaichi. It used to be Ken's Ramen up until sometime in Fall/Winter 2010 and it shut down and re-opened as Pikaichi.
I'd like to say Pikaichi delivers airport quality ramen and food, but I couldn't since I was just in Tokyo last summer and had several meals (due to layovers and multiple stops at Narita Airport) there which were DELICIOUS!!
Anyhow, Pikaichi IS clean and the food is very okay-good...as in you won't get sick and it doesn't make you go "eww what is that weird taste/flavor," but it also isn't like "wow this is sooo amazing." With the exception of one dish---Spicy Oyako Don. I've given up on the ramen there and the Pork Cutlet Curry is nothing compared to Hurry Curry on Sawtelle in L.A., but I always try to get the Spicy Oyako Don there when they have it. Sadly this was one of the times they didn't...so we got the ramen and pork cutlet curry LOL.
We've actually found some yummy Thai places in Boston...our favorites are Rod Dee (Peter's favorite, he loves their Pad Thai and I have to say, all the friends we have introduced to Rod Dee have also whole-heartedly agreed with Peter on the Pad Thai being the BEST ever!!) and Dok Bua :)
Rod Dee in Brookline is more casual, you order at the counter and seat yourself, so if you need a more "sit-down" restaurant feel, Dok Bua would be the way to go.
Fried Calamari at Dok Bua--not our favorite at Dok Bua but the sweet chilli dipping sauce made up for the batter-heavy dish!
Whole Fried Red Snapper in Sweet Chilli Garlic Sauce--YUMMY!!! This has consistently been one of our favorite Thai dishes!!
Other favs at Dok Bua include:
--Peek Gai Tod (Fried Chicken Wings Thai Style)
--Kang Jued Woonsen Moo Sub (Clear broth soup with bean thread noodles, ground pork, cabbage and tofu)
--Larb Salad (ground chicken with lime juice, onions, greens)
--Pineapple Fried Rice (get it with pork :)
--Mango Curry
Me--Balenciaga Black Leather Jacket, Chanel Navy and White Stars silk scarf, Chasely Dark Blue Skinny jeans, Isabel Marant Otway Black Suede with Silver stud ankle boots
Some random shots from home...
Peter came home from Super 88 Market in Allston, MA with loads of chippies for me, I was so happy I thought it was deserving of a photo moment LOL
I actually love Asian chips a lot more than American brands, with the exception of Hot Cheetos and Baked Lays...I'll always reach for my Shrimp Chips or Onion Rings or Pretz sticks :)
Cleaning my Cartier Love Bracelets with some white jewelry pads...I learned about these from my saleslady at Cartier in Tysons Galleria, VA awhile ago. It is a sandpaper-like pad meant to take off light surface scratches on gold, it's abrasive enough to work but not so much so that it damages your jewelry either!
These Pro-Polish Pads are what I use every now and then, I know Cartier Love Bracelets are meant to be worn 24/7 and that the scratches "add character" but I'm too OCD to be comforted by that. Just like with Hermes' Box leather, the fact that the scratches on Box leather are meant to happen and the patina it develops is what makes Box so unique---yah, I prefer no scratches/no patina LOL!!
After a pretty tumultuous and eventful summer...Corystyle is BACK!
Sorry for the long silence, but here's to the first post in a long while (yes, I'm still catching up thus, these posts happened back in early Spring 2011...)
Hei La Moon Dinner with HBS ABC peeps :) (back in February 2011)
Delicious Jellyfish with Smoked Pork Hock (i think...either way, this is one of my favorite appetizers at Chinese banquets!)
Seafood Basket...needed a little more seasoning for taste I think
Classic Chinese Lobster with Ginger and Scallions...delicious!
Mike, Me, Peter, Krizia and ZiHan--all of us happily stuffed!
Me--MaxMara Red Down Puffer Jacket, Burberry Lurex Metallic scarf, Salvatore Ferragamo Red Hairband
Thanks to Groupon, Living Social, BuywithMe and all these discount/coupon websites, Peter and I have trekked around Boston to try out a bunch of places we may not have otherwise known about or dined at.
Basho is a sister restaurant to Douzo, which we had dined at previously with our pals Amy and TQ.
Bento Lunch Box--you always get such great deals on lunch!
Me--Splendid Plaid Shirt (PZ hates plaid shirts and always tells me that the 1980s called and wanted their shirt back, or something to that degree. While I DO LOVE plaid shirts, when I purchased this one, I had no idea it would be so large/baggy...apparently I missed the "dolman sleeves" description, but then again, who thought DOLMAN SLEEVES would be a good idea for a plaid button up shirt? LOL)
Outside Basho--it was super windy and cold that day =X
Me--Chanel Nylon Trapper hat, Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse Pink Leopard scarf, Alexander Wang Grey Leather/Black Fleece hoodie jacket, Juicy Couture Cobalt Blue Velour Track Pants, Chanel Modern Chain Glazed Black Leather bag, Jimmy Choo Mandah Studded Embellished Ugg boots (LOVE LOVE these, so comfy yet stand out!)
Despite stuffing ourselves during our Christmas lunch @ Petit Robert BIstro, we still managed to squeeze in a rather large Christmas dinner at Peach Farm Chinese Restaurant in Boston's Chinatown.
I must say, one of the good things about Boston, is that their Cantonese food is much better than the offerings in D.C.
Sliced Pork with Watercress Soup--so light yet declicious, perfect for those days you don't want something too "heavy"
Seafood Basket--Peter insisted on ordering this even though I've never had much success with this dish. Not sure why but it usually comes out a bit bland and the fried basket part is actually not that yummy LOL
Sweet & Sour Pork Chops--quite yummy!
Lobster with Ginger & Scallions--just about everyone else in Peach Farm ordered this, so we felt obliged to do the same, it was definitely a winner!!
We had heard loads about o ya since we moved to Boston and while we are usually very skeptical when other people tell us to try a place, or that a certain restaurant is "amazing"...we were very excited to finally book our reservations at o ya for our four year anniversary celebration!
I know its crazy but we actually took pics of each of the 17 courses we had at o ya and thankfully took notes, so I can actually label each one here hehe
The best part of o ya was that each dish that came out was so innovative, yet the sauces and spices never overpowered the taste of the fish (which happens far too often and you wonder if you even just had fresh sushi because there was so much sauce and seasoning).
Enjoy!!!
Our view of the sushi chefs preparing food, MUST sit at the sushi bar for the best experience I think :)
Hamachi with spicy banana pepper mousse
Salmon with unfiltered wheat soy moromi and yuzu
Suzuki Sea Bass with spicy cucumber vinaigrette, avocado and cilantro--this had a super spicy kick but refreshing still :)
Warm Eel with thai basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho--soothing especially after the spicy sea bass plate
So cool seeing everything prepared right before our eyes :)
Homemade Russian Fingerling Potato Chip with burgundy truffle--left us wanting even more truffle!
Wild Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with garlic butter and white soy--loved the tobiko garnish at the top too!!!
Wild Cape Cod Bluefin Maguro with republic of georgia herb sauce--interesting names I just realized as I was typing all this out, this was a bit herby and if we dare say, our "least favorite" i think if we had to choose one dish at o ya we didn't LOVE LOVE
Shima Aji hue style with kaffir oil and table salad--sooo refreshing and light, reminded us of a vietnamese spring roll taste!
Scottish Salmon Belly with cilantro, ginger, and hot sesame oil drizzle--Peter described this as "melt in your mouth salmon!"
Hamachi with viet mignonette, thai basil and shallots--amazingly tender hamachi with striking sweet tones in the sauce
Shima Aji with spicy grapeseed sauce and masago--surprisingly, after o ya, we realized how much we do love jack fish!!!
Bluefin Tuna Tataki with smoky pickled onion and truffle oil
Kyoto Style Black Trumpet Mushrooms with garlic and soy sauce--very interesting looking, right?
Shiso Tempura with Grilled Lobster and charred tomato and ponzu aioli--YUM YUM
A very happy and soon to be super stuffed Cory :)
Grilled Chanterelle & Shitake Mushroom Sashimi with rosemary garlic oil, sesame froth and soy sauce
Seared Petit Strip Loin 2 oz. with potato confit, sea salt and white truffle oil--I'm not a huge huge beef fan but this was light and tender, delicious!!
Foie Gras with balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp and a sip of aged sake--perfect way to complete our meal at o ya!!
Peeking outside the o ya front entrance, which by the way is very non-descript and easy to miss if you don't look out for it!
Me--Balmain Khaki Military Zipper Jacket, Chanel Grey/Black Cashmere Scarf, Gucci Devendra OTK flat boots and Chanel earmuffs :)
I have no idea where I wore this outfit too, but the photo was mixed in with some other pics...
YES, you are seeing correctly--I am wearing Peter's size 11 shoes haha...
Me--Burberry Cobalt Blue Wool Cropped Jacket, Chanel earmuffs, Chanel Cashmere Shawl and gloves cos it's SOOOOO COLD in Boston!!
But below are pics from our dinner night out at Punjab Palace :)
Me--D&G Dolce Gabbana Brown Leather Jacket, Fox Fur Vest, Current/Elliott Zipper Skinny Jeans and Burberry Prorsum Shearling Aviator Booties!!
OMG there is a BONCHON Chicken in Allston, MA!!!! Sadly, when we walked in, they said they were having bathroom issues and had to close early--boooooo
PZ--Moncler Thom Browne Gamme Bleu Black Jacket, Current/Elliott Jeans
Luckily, next door is the DELICIOUS Punjab Palace, and they didn't have any bathroom issues and were ready and able to deliver on a yummy dinner for us!!!
We were not disappointed with our meal at Punjab Palace!!! It's become our favorite Indian place in Boston...you can even ask them to make the Chicken Tikka Masala (or any Chicken dish) with DARK MEAT CHICKEN!!!! You cannot imagine how happy I was when I first asked them about this and they said YES!!! I've always gotten "No, I'm sorry, it's already cooked with the white meat only..." response but I am persistent as I'd almost rather eat vegetables than white meat chicken! LOL
Me--Comme des Garcons PLAY Blue and White Striped Tee :)
As I was busy slaving away on my grad school applications, we didn't have much time to do anything special or travel for Thanksgiving holidays. So instead, we just decided to celebrate by dining at Asana, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston.
I love buffets, especially ones at nice hotels...Peter says it's cos I'm a "fatty" but I say it's cos I like the variety of quality and impeccably prepared bites vs. a variety at your local Old Country Buffet (don't get me wrong, I also like Old Country Buffet and will gladly eat it...just not my first choice)
Enjoy the pics!!! Try not to drool all over your computer keyboard or phone screen though!!
Peter excited to get started with the buffet!!!
I didn't realize till now that they were smiling for the pic too heehee
Peter is ready to dig in!!
YAY for lots of desserts!!! I think the chefs in the kitchen were wondering by now why these 2 Asians kept taking pictures by the dessert table haha
And here are all our plates of food from the buffet...
Peter and Me after stuffing our faces at Asana--you may not be able to tell, but we're in major food coma--went home and vegetated in front of the T.V. the rest of the day!
Recent Comments