Ramen Setagaya

Ramen Setagaya.

This is not a review.

These days I've been a woman of few words on this blog. More so due to time constraints and job responsibilities - not because there's nothing to say about food! (The day that happens will be a sad one.)

I'm going back to school next month to earn my Web Design degree, so I'll be posting more sporadically than usual. (If you haven't noticed, I've already been cutting back considerably.) Nonetheless, you can still look forward to fun shots of my foodie adventures.

For now, I'll have to let the pictures speak for themselves.

Gyoza.

Charsu Ramen.

Shio Ramen.

Beginner's Japanese.

Arigato gozaimashita! I sincerely thank you for continuing to give this blog love. Oh, and the ramen here isn't bad either.

Location:
Ramen Setagaya
141 1st Av
New York, NY 10009
212.529.2740

Birthday Lady

It's Mom's birthday today.

To the woman who gave me life, kissed every boo-boo and always remembers to pack extra napkins - thank you.

Mama & Papa bear.

Finally! A normal shot.

Northern Manor...plus my dad.

When I was a young girl, I remember going to yum cha in Queens several times a year to spend time with all the relatives. Now that "the kids" have grown up, moved away and/or the economy has tightened people's wallets, we don't meet up for nine-course dinners nearly as much as we used to. Still, every now and then we like to eat dim sum. Northern Manor, in Little Neck, is close enough for us to get to.

Hot sauce, various siu mai (dumplings).

Ha cheung fun (shrimp noodles).

To be continued...

Dumplings, Boba & All That Flushing

Cabbage, celery and pork dumplings.

Best Northern Dumplings. Impressions: good, but wouldn't call them "the best." But ten dumplings for just $3.25 is indeed a bargain. I prefer the juicy xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, at Joe's Shanghai. I also don't have an affinity for leeks, even though that's a popular ingredient for the second thing on the menu: Leek & Aquatic Food Dumpling.

Quickly Corp.

The sun was steadily melting my face into a hot mess. So what did I crave? Boba, of course! Enter Quickly Corporation: The guy in the white polo is so stiff with his popped collar that I had to do a double take to make sure he wasn't a mannequin.

Kumquat boba.

When I saw the guy behind the counter push down on the yellow syrup container, my heart almost burst. What -- no real kumquat? I guess I was expecting too much, though. For $3.25, this boba is alright but nothing special. At least the tapioca pearls were the right texture...not too hard, not too soft.

Assorted pastries.

Several blocks away, I trucked on over to Grandpa's for some afternoon refreshments and grandfather-granddaughter bonding time. Featured: Chicken pot pie bun from Star Bakery on Kissena, and banana walnut muffin.

Ratings:
Best Northern Dumplings: 4 out of 5 stars. After hungrily downing all 10 dumplings, my head was a wee bit dizzy. Could it be the MSG content? It's good for lunch, but it wasn't exactly quick. I do love the red vinegar sauce.

Quickly Corp.: 3.5 out of 5 stars. Stick to the regular bubble tea and skip the simple syrups.


Locations:
Best Northern Dumpling Shop
135-08 Roosevelt Av A4
Flushing, NY 11354
917.834.4991

Quickly Corporation
41-40 Kissena Blvd
Flushing, NY 11355
718.358.1835

Joe's Shanghai
136-21 37th Ave
Flushing, NY 11354
718.539.3838