As some of you might remember, I visited my dad at Boston during Easter weekend. With this visit, I was able to revisit my favorite place in Boston, Faneuil Hall!

It was amazing to go back. Back in Vancouver, my favorite place in the city is Granville Island, which truly reminded me of Faneuil Hall because of the activities and marketplace.

I remember that Boston was known for their seafood and clam chowder, so I knew I had to try them!

While I was walking around the market, I noticed people walking around with these delicious-looking lobster sandwiches. After searching, I found where the sandwich came from. I went to Boston & Maine Fish Company where they sold all kinds of seafood.

I order the Lobster Roll. It had a roll, fresh lettuce, and tons of lobster and mayonnaise. It was a little expensive, but it was filling and delicious. I had a hard time eating this roll without making a mess. For one thing, it doesn't really fit in your mouth, so you have to slowly eat away the lobster with a fork then attempt to eat it like a sandwich.

Lobster Roll - $15

After walking around for awhile, I saw a young couple sharing a plate of fried seafoods. So I thought to myself, why not?

I found Fisherman's Net where they do all sorts of fried seafoods. I order the Fried Platter. Again a little expensive, but for what I was paying, I got a lot!

With my meal came Faneuil Hall's famous street performers!

This platter had fried fish, shrimp, clams, and oysters! Although unhealthy, everything was delicious! The scallops were juicy and the best part of the dish. Even the simple fries were yummy. I would definitely go back for this (I mean, at least when I'm in Boston).

Fried Seafood Platter - $15.50 (approx.)

I really love Faneuil Hall even though it's as cheesy as Time Square and it's where the tourists go.

"You know, Boston people are full of sauce."

-Ellen Pompeo

I had intense craving for quiche today. I don't know why, but I just had to get one. With a little help from Yelp, I found the closest places to get quiche.

After watching Marymount Manhattan's production of Beaux Stratagem with my friend, Kim, we went to Le Pain Quotidien. 

1270 1st Ave, New York, NY, 10065

I honestly didn't expect this place to look as good as it did. I was just expecting a little French café.

This place was really vegan and organic friendly (which seems to be my trend for this week). It wasn't just a sit down restaurant, but a bakery and a shop for gluten-free and vegan foods.

Look at those tarts! They're adorable!

The atmosphere was really nice and comfortable. Everything had a wooden feel to it and was just very home-y. 

Coffee - $3.95

Even Kim's coffee was served in a fancy tea set.

Mint Lemonade - $3.95

I ordered a Mint Lemonade. This was really good! It was refreshing and perfect for the warm weather. This is really sour though compared the the other lemonades I've had. The mint had a great after taste that complimented the sour flavor of the lemonade.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche - $12.95

Finally, I satisfied my craving. I ordered the Spinach and Mushroom Quiche. It was a little hard and crunchy on the outside, which is unusual for me, but the inside was incredibly cheesy and delicious! The cheese was gooey and the inside of the quiche was really well seasoned.

Kale Caesar Salad - $12.95

From Kim's end of the table, she ordered the Kale Caesar Salad. It had kale, bread (that wasn't croutons, but something more chewy), bold parmesan cheese, and light caesar. I don't really know what it tasted like, but Kim said it was really good.

We seriously looked like hipster vegans.

They also really had interesting Belgian spreads. I tried the White Chocolate Belgian Spread and it was sooooooo good! Imagine Nutella, but in white chocolate. It tasted like heaven.

Mini Chocolate Tarts - $1.75/ea

Finally, I couldn't leave this place without Mini Chocolate Tarts. These little dark chocolate treats was a sweet way to end this yummy meal.

Overall, this place is expensive, but delicious. Most of the food is organic and gluten-free. The main sell point for me is the place itself. This is a great place to bring a group of friends for brunch. There will definitely be something for everyone in this restaurant.

"Save the planet, buy organic"

-Nancy Phillips 

Hello Foodies, I have bad news.

Last night, my roommate (Josh) and I waited for my other roommate (Eli) to arrive from work. We wanted to grab some buffalo chicken pizzas at Cassiano's Pizza. It was pouring rain when we went. We bought the pizzas and walked back home, but as I walked across the wet street with a box in my hands, I slipped was unable to catch myself.

My face smacked the hard cement leaving my chin seriously scraped and my front tooth painfully chipped off. It's pretty embarrassing and painful, but I wanted to share this with you guys. I'm OK if you guys were wondering. This just means that I can't and won't be able to really explore restaurants for a week or so.

"Then what are you going to eat, Norg?"

 "It hurts too much to chew? Oh no!" 

This was my solution: SOUP!

I recently discovered this amazing health/vegan/vegetarian place called Organic Avenue. They serve all kinds of vegan and gluten-free salads, soups, juices, shakes, baked goods, and even wraps.

This place is Vegan Heaven!

Since I'm like an old man who can't chew his food, I grabbed two soups and a vegetable juice.

For the soups, I got a Gazpacho Verde (purified alkaline water, organic cucumber, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, green pepper, jalapeño, onion, spinach, olive oil, garlic, pink salt, mint, cumin, and black pepper).

It was really thick and spicy. You could really taste the jalapeño!

The other soup I got was Spicy Avocado (purified alkaline water, organic avocado, spinach, celery, cilantro, pink salt, garlic, jalapeño, lime, and cumin).

This one is much smoother than the other soup. I also personally really like the rich avocado taste. This too is REALLY spicy!

The vegetable drink that I got was Medicinal Green (Organic cucumber, organic swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, kale, lemon, garlic, turmeric, pink salt, cayenne pepper).

This one I didn't like so much. I'm all about the healthy lifestyle, but this was just too green and sour for my liking.

Overall, this is an awesome place to get delicious organic juices and food and for a great healthy, yet maybe slightly more expensive, alternative.

"My body will not be a tomb for other creatures"

-Leonardo Da Vinci

As a proud Filipino, there is one thing that our people truly love: RICE.

This morning, my dad cooked me a big breakfast to set me off today. This time, I got to take a picture of the cooking up close and personal

THEN... There's the rice...

I'm not really a breakfast kind of person (I know, I know, it's the most important meal of the day...), so I consider this to be a bigger than BIG breakfast.

The rice was seasoned with soy sauce, the eggs were cooked runny, the bacon was sweet, and the asian sausage was delicious! After that meal, I was stuffed!.

And if you thought that was a big meal... You should see my dad's plate...

"Expect problems and eat them for breakfast"

-Alfred A. Montapert

This kind of post was something I wasn't really expecting to do whatsoever. Just like I posted food that my mom makes, I am posting about the food that my dad made!

It's been awhile since I last saw him. Last time I saw him was when I was touring universities in Boston, but even then I really only had lunch with him and my family. So really, I consider the last time I spent time with him was 3-years ago when he visited Vancouver for Christmas.

I had the most frustrating bus ride experience with Greyhound. The traffic in New York was so bad that I had missed my 5:30PM bus and after that, everything just went downhill. But when I got to Boston, my dad made me this amazing Surf & Turf dish.

Bear Sausage Jerky

But before I had that, he let me try a Bear Sausage Jerky while waiting for him to cook. Yes, everyone, as of last night, I've had bear. It actually tasted really good! I mean, I actually wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a regular jerky and this one.

Chef at Work 

My dad is a chef, by the way.

Surf & Turf - Fillet Mignon, Lobster, and Scallops

And after a couple of minutes or so, this was the masterpiece. A delicious Surf & Turf dish. It had lobster, fillet mignon, and scallops. The fillet mignon was medium and cooked really well. The scallops and the lobster was the best part of the dish though. It's because it was cooked in garlic and butter. And you guys should know how much I love my garlic and butter! This was a great over-the-top homemade meal for welcoming me to Boston. 

Thanks dad!

"Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love"

-Craig Claiborne

Walking around East Village as a foodie is like walking around a candy store as a child. This area has the most interesting food in NYC that I've explored. From little unique cafes to hole in a wall restaurants, the food spots here are limitless.

Exploring the area, I found Otafuku. It's a cute, clean, and authentic Japanese owned restaurant. 

239 E 9th St, New York, NY, 10003

This place is quite small and orders are made quickly (at least for the Takoyaki)

I ordered the Takoyaki. 

For those who don't know, takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled, ginger and onions. It is served with sauce that is similar to Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise. Sometimes it comes with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) which are flakes of dried fish.  

It was really hard to get a clear picture of the takoyaki because of all the delicious bonito flakes all over it.

Takoyaki - $7

I was really excited to have takoyaki in New York because for some reason, it's apparently hard to find good takoyaki in the city. It tasted amazing! It melted in your mouth and the seasoning was perfect. All the ingredients just mix perfectly together with the seaweed flakes, the bonito flakes, the sauces, and the takoyaki itself! Yum!

Finally, I all the bonito flakes. Here's a clearer picture of what's underneath.

Overall, this place was a great discovery. I've only tried the takoyaki here, but I definitely want to come back for more and try all their different food. This place does authentic Japanese food well.

"I buy soy sauce and flavor it five different ways: with sake, mirin, sugar, kombu and bonito flakes. I use them on lots of dishes at home."

-Masahara Morimoto

Today, I found the best Mac & Cheese in the city (so far). My roommate, Josh, and I traveled around Manhattan. We literally walked from 7th St and 1st Ave to 55th and 3rd Ave. That's A REALLY LONG WALK.

During this walk, we found Beecher's Handmade Cheese. I've had this famous Mac & Cheese before in Seattle. There are only two of these restaurants in the world and as of today, I've been to both locations.

900 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003

One thing that is really unique about this place is that they have a factory-like area where you can see the cheese being made in right there and then!

The atmosphere in this place was both casual and formal.

Confusing? Let me explain:

The furniture is wooden and comfortable giving it a home-y sense. They have cut cheese that you can purchase as if it was like a farmer's market. But the people who go here are business men and women that have business meetings over cheese and crackers rather than a cup of coffee.

I also really like how they keep things organic and free of harmful additives. I also like how everything on their menu had their famous cheese as a major part of the dish.

World's Best Mac & Cheese -- $6.50

This Mac N' Cheese was so gooey and filling. It really melted in your mouth.

Overall, this would be a place to either have a meeting with someone or to go for delicious comfort food!

"Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese"

-Luis Bunuel

Five Words: Big Gay Ice Cream Shop.

With a shocking and bold name like this, how can you not get customers? Oh, I know, how bout serve delicious ice creams with a name like Salty Pimp?

125 E 7th St, New York, NY, 10009

Only in New York City will I find a place like this. I've walked by this ice cream parlor several times before I actually went to try it. This is just in East Village of Manhattan.

Inside, they sell Big Gay Ice Cream merchandise.

Oh did I mention that their mascot is a unicorn?

Beat Arthur - $5.50

My roommate, Josh, ordered a Bea Arthur. Vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, and crushed 'nilla wafers. It has an interesting dusty texture that went really well with the smooth vanilla ice cream.

Salty Pimp - $6

I ordered the Salty Pimp. It's salted vanilla ice cream and dulce de leche dipped in chocolate. Oh man, this was delicious! I really liked the contrast of sweet and salty. I also liked how the chocolate itself was soft rather than crunchy.

You can't have ice cream alone!

Overall, this is a great ice cream shop to go to during these up and coming hot days. I recommend the Salty Pimp!

"Love is an ice cream sundae, with all the marvelous coverings. Sex is the cherry on top."

-Jimmy Dean

Having been away from my family for the last couple of weeks, I am forced to eat cafeteria food, take out, and the occasional noodle cup. And honestly, as much as I love living independent from my family, I truly miss my mother's cooking. For my first post about Mom's Cooking, I want to explain to you how we do thing at my house.

1. Everyone eats together

2. Every meal is a feast

3. If you don't eat fast, you don't eat at all

4. We're all carnivores

5. Eat vegetables (mom's rule)

This is usually how a dinner at my house would look like.

My mom started with a Kale Salad. Here's the eat vegetables rule. It's a mixed vegetables dish with a special, sweet Japanese dressing. We really like to use this Japanese dressing for a lot of our salads, especially our spring salads. Unfortunately, I don't exactly know what the name of dressing is, but I only know what the bottle looks like.

And for the main course, my mom made Sinigang Fried Chicken. 

Some of you, especially you non-filipino people, may be wondering what sinigang is? Basically, siningang is a filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory flavor. This dish usually has pork and vegetables. It's a great dish for cold days.

So the twist with this dish is that it is fried chicken with the sour and savory flavor of sinigang. This is definitely the best homemade fried chicken I've ever had. One that is very unique too!

I mean, I could eat about 7 of these as if it was nothing! Yum yum yum!

"The best comfort food will always be greens, cornbread, and fried chicken."

-Maya Angelou

Nothing like late nights at your usual diner. My roommates and I have been going to this same diner for so long now that the owner knows us as regulars.

Plaza Diner is just a 2 minute walk from my dorms, which is why it's so easy to access!

After waiting on my roommates to end work at 12AM, I've never been so hungry in my life. I ordered Mozzarella Sticks. Most likely frozen from a bag, these sticks were unhealthy and oily enough to satisfy my craving for cheese.

The next thing I ordered is a Pizza Burger. This isn't usually something I'd order, but I was really feeling a burger today. It's really just marinara sauce, the same one used for the mozzarella sticks, and cheese. I was really hoping for more than just that, at least fries would've been nice. But it wasn't bad.

Now, the Nacho Supreme is my favorite item on their menu. It has meat, jalapeño peppers, beans, cheese, and corn chips. It's the best nachos I've ever had in a diner (but I do not go to diners often). This really satisfies my food cravings and after you finish this dish, you'll want even more!

Overall, this post was not much of a review, but more of a show and tell of a nearby diner I go to. It's not the best of all foods so it's definitely not a place to take a date, but it's the experiences I've had here with my good friends that really hooked me. It's place to chill out with your good friends for some good 'ol diner food at midnight.

Recently, I've learned that it isn't just the food that makes the restaurant great, but it's the experiences you've had there.

"Never be a food snob. Learn from everyone you meet -- the fish guy at your marker, the lady at the local diner, farmers, cheese makers. Ask questions, try everything and eat up!"

-Rachael Ray

I was looking through my computer folders for the pictures of all the restaurants and food spots that I've visited and realized that I completely forgot to post about Park Royal's Taphouse.

Located in The Village in Park Royal (West Vancouver), the Taphouse is a pub that is home to 20 different cold brews on tap.

This is also the home of my girlfriend's new favorite Beef Dip.

Since I only had 9 days in Vancouver, most of it revolved around my mother's wedding. Because of this, I didn't have too much time to see my good friends.

I thought it would be a good idea to have a nice lunch at the Taphouse with Croft, Monet, Q, Olive, and Sydney since the pub grub here is great.

Beef Dip - $16

Sydney, Monet, and I ordered the Beef Dip. It was actually really good! It had crispy onions, cheese, and tender beef on a garlic baguette. In my opinion, anything garlic is amazing. The dip itself was really flavorful as well. This will definitely fill you up.

Bison Burger - $16.5

Olive and Q both ordered the Bison Burger. It's naturally raised BC bison, blueberry caramelized onions, crispy pancetta, and pecan goat cheese. This is more than the basic burger, and to add to that, it's more delicious!

Croft had a salad. I didn't take a picture of his food because in a big group, it's hard to do so.

Overall, it was a nice place to bring a group of friends. Hopefully by Summer time, I get to do this again!

"You don't need a pack of wild horses to learn how to make a sandwich."

-Phil McGraw

Hey foodies! Quick update here today!

I'm finally back in New York City. My flight here was delayed two hours so I wasn't able to get to my first class on time.

I actually had a field trip for my other class and visited the Mid-Town Public Library.

Since I'm not on vacation anymore, it'll be difficult to post daily compared to when I was in Vancouver. I plan to try out new restaurants or food spots around the city during the weekends. Also after having ALL those foods during Spring Break, I'm going to be hitting the gym more often.

New York Public Library via Instagram (@NothingButNorg)

FINALLY--

I want to introduce my new page called "MAPS"-- There, you can see a small map of every place I've mentioned on my blog. I've categorized Vancouver into sections like "North Vancouver" & "West Vancouver" to make it more specific of where you want to look at. But for NYC, I get confused with districts so I'm going to be making it a big food map!

 

Check it out now! Click here

I really hope this works out and improves my blog!

Thank you all for following! I've come so far from just 2 months ago!

"Practically everybody in New York has half the mind to write a book -- and does."

-Grouch Marx