Ruby Chan

Finally checked Tal Bagels off my list. Overall it is a very mediocre bagel spot. I might not go back again.

Their 1st Ave location is spacious with many indoor seatings and a restroom. The service was lacking as I had to remind our server a few times I wanted my bagels to be toasted. We thought it would be a great spot to work or study.

The bagel texture is soft, fluffy and flat. Yet both sesame bagels are not fully seasoned with toasted sesame. BEC bagel tastes standard. Tofu veggie spread is my staple at any bagel shops. This one is quite bland, yet it has a bold tofu flavor.

＊Takoyaki**
The takoyaki has a crispy outside, filled with creamy batter and bits of octopus. The size is smaller than the ones I ate in Japan, but it is perfect for one bite.

＊Handrolls (Salmon Avocado, Spicy Tuna)
The tuna handroll balances spice and flavor well and wraps it all together with soft rice and crunchy seaweed.

＊Spicy Chili Mazemen**
Been eyeing this mazemen long before I visited as I prefer brothless ramen. The noodles are thicker and hold the sauces and runny egg yolk well. The pork belly is bit overcooked though, but the minced pork on the side is a great addition. The mazemen is not shown on their main menu. Make sure to ask the staff!

＊Spicy Tonkatsu Miso Ramen
The spicy tonkatsu broth was soooo flavorful. The spice is noticeable yet not overpowering. We can’t really taste the miso though. They use thinner ramen for this bowl, and a perfectly cooked ramen egg.

＊Beef Menchi Curry Rice
Curry and katsu mixes to give a good contrast in texture and flavor with the soft juicy beef in the middle.

Nonono is a high quality izakaya with a casual vibe and affordable pricing. We were blown away by how authentic and delicious the food were, bringing us straight to Japan.

If we need to nitpick, the service was pushy and our server constantly looked annoyed which made us nervous talking to her.

＊ Cod Roe Cream Udon
The best-valued dish ($14) with a decent portion! The mentaiko cream wasn’t overly heavy, but still preferred to be shared. It was tossed with hearty portion of sliced pork belly and assorted veggies.

＊ Pesto Portobello***
Each grilled portobello was topped with scallop and mini tower of pesto sauce. They scorched the pesto sauce to give extra smoky aroma to the dish. A luscious and innovative fusion side that took the dish to a new level.

＊ Nasu Dengaku***
Slices of eggplant were grilled and enrobed in a glossy miso sauce, coated with lots of scallions. The eggplant literally melted in my mouth and it was bursting with sweet and tangy flavors. I love and worship eggplants, so this side was 100% right up my alley.

＊ Meatball, Chicken Thighs Scallion Skewers
Meatball was a minced chicken skewer glazed in a golden sweet-and-savory sauce. Very well seasoned, yet I prefer a tsukune being served with a dipping sauce of raw egg yolk. While the chicken breast skewer looked sad lol the meat was dry and lack seasonings.

＊ Chawan Mushi***
Love the jiggly and silky smooth egg custard. The price was steep but the bowl was bigger than we thought, and it was loaded with luxurious ingredients like uni, shrimp, crabmeat and ikura.

＊ Matcha Tiramisu
It was not outstanding but did a good job to end our meal. The matcha powder they used might not be top-tiered, but still delectable to finish off your satisfying date night.

A lovely plant-based cafe in Williamsburg. Their creative vegan pastries look intriguing on their feed, but as you can see in my reel, most of the pastries were gone when we arrived at noon LOL

＊ The Maple Foccacia Sandwich
The sandwich was so thick that it was impossible to eat everything in one single bite. The focaccia was pillowy and topped with roasted rosemary. I was amazed that their focaccia wasn’t as greasy as the ones I got from other bakeries. The egg was fluffy and complemented well with the cheddar cheese and be-hive sausage.

＊ Fig and Prosciutto Croissant Sandwich
The combination was great, but the croissant was stale and soggy. I read review raving about the flakiness of their croissants, so I didn’t know what happened to mine. It got messy when I tried to devour it as the prosciutto and fig jam kept slipping away. I liked that they spread scallion cream cheese on the croissant, which gave an extra savory layer to balance out the sweetness from the fig jam.

＊ Olive Oil Cake
The cake was dense and moist with a hint of zesty citrus throughout. It had a subtle savouriness from the olive oil, served alongside with sliced orange and strawberry. I enjoyed this cake a lot, yet since this was the first olive oil cake I had in my life, I couldn’t compare how was it different from a non-vegan one.

Hey carnivores, get your chopsticks ready and feast on their meat! Make sure you gather a group of friends as their dishes are all in gigantic shareable portion.

＊ Ban Ban Jokbal 반반족발
For the pig trotters we ordered half and half. Both flavors were immaculate and easily won our heart. The spicy ones were indeed more flavorful, but they might be too spicy for people with lower spice tolerance. The original one was well marinated with sweet soy sauce.

I typically steer away from pig feet because of its gelatinous and fatty texture. This dish kinda reversed my impression on pig trotters with its tender meat, luscious fat layer and gelatinous skin. You can reduce the greasiness by wrapping the pork with lettuce and banchan.

＊ Mugeunji Gamja Tang 묵은지감자탕
We ordered the potato stew with aged kimchi broth. The hotpot had a hearty portion of pork backbones, potatoes and veggies. It was supposed to be the restaurant’s signature dish, but it was less memorable compared to jokbal. I took away the leftovers, and it actually tasted better after a night lol because the meat was fall-of-the-bone tender and absorbed the kimchi broth.