Foodventures: New York, NY

Last month I had the pleasure of visiting the city I would be living in had I not settled in Chicago: New York City! For me, travelling is equivalent to a binge-eating spree, with everything in between meals serving only as a way to kill time before I get hungry again. Naturally, I saw this trip as a perfect opportunity to expand my food horizons.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me at all times and was forced to take photos with my phone, which inexplicably broke down shortly after my journey; the good news is that though the photos are gone forever, the memories remain, and these undocumented places will not go unmentioned.

Chicken korma

There has never been a cuisine so flavorful and aromatic as Indian. I have had an ongoing love affair with Indian food ever since as a young teen, I broke free of the diet encouraged by my parents consisting mostly of Korean food and began to explore the culinary world. Naturally, when I began cooking for myself, Indian cuisine was among the first I sought to learn; however, I found the exquisite blend of spices to be rather intimidating, and relied on store-bought sauces and restaurant Indian food for the longest time to get my Indian fix.

Chicken Korma

The Bad Apple

I love cheeseburgers.

Honestly, the word "love" does not adequately describe my feelings toward a good, juicy burger; it is really more of an uncontrollable obsession. As a huge fanatic of "ethnic" food, a burger is just about the only thing I willingly consume at an American restaurant.

That being said, I have probably consumed hundreds of burgers in my life, and it is rare that a burger meets my expectations.

The "Grizzly Adams" at The Bad Apple, however, went above and beyond.

Image 1. The Grizzly Adams

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Lately I have been getting to the nitty-gritty of authentic Italian cooking. Now, I am nowhere near even remotely close to being Italian in any way, so I wouldn't dare tout my methods as "legit." You can go to someone's Italian grandmother for that.

Nonetheless, I discovered that using butter and cream on pasta is strictly an American thing, and I can't say I'm surprised (what don't Americans put butter on?).This means that heavenly, creamy spaghetti alla Carbonara - a dish I have been enjoying my entire life - does not actually contain cream; rather, it is thickened with eggs.

Image 1. Dat bacon tho

Needless to say, I was intrigued.

And thus began my quest to make (semi-)authentic Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

Namo Thai

Maybe it's the Asian in me, but I've always had a soft spot for food of the "Orient". For the past few years, my obsession has been Thai; I crave it to the point where I become a nuisance to everyone around me. Thankfully, this cute little place called Namo Thai has been within walking distance from my house, which has been a life saver.

My go-to Thai meal for years has been green curry with shrimp (or some other kind of shellfish) and a glass of Thai iced tea on the side, but Namo's $20 prix fixe menu encouraged me to switch it up this time. Instead of the usual appetizer-entree-dessert, Namo's 3-course deal was appetizer-second appetizer-entree, which in my opinion was a much better alternative.

Image 1. My one true love, Thai iced tea