A Day In The City: Hot Dog Extravaganza

I think it would be safe to say that I truly love food. I usually keep an open mind and will try anything once (for the most part, don't go shoving cooked bugs in my face =P). After watching the Food Network and the Travel Channel, I had accumulated a list of food eateries of all kinds on the notepad of my phone. Among these places were quite a few hot dog joints so after talking with some friends, we decided to make a day of sampling different types of hot dogs from different places in the city. I mapped out each of the locations (and still got lost) but I digress! Let's just say we were quite full by the end of the day.

Gray's Papaya Greenwich Village

402 6th Ave

New York, NY 10011

Known as a classic hot dog, we had to stop by here first. They were probably the cheapest dogs we paid for on this entire trip.

The verdict? Quite tasty. I personally like my hot dogs well done so when you bite into them there's a bit of a snap. Gray's also offers an array of different juices so I had to try the Coconut Champagne. It was very coconut-y and very sweet, coyly sweet. I would try their famous pineapple juice next time.

Japadog

30 St Marks Pl

(between Cooper Sq & Astor Pl) 

New York, NY 10003

If you watch "No Reservations" or "The Layover" with Anthony Bourdain, you might have heard of the next two locations I'm going to mention. Japadog is basically a place where they serve hot dogs dressed with Japanese toppings such as bonito flakes, seaweed and plum sauce. We were recommended to try the Bourdain Special which featured the Terimayo and Okonomi hot dogs. The Terimayo hot dog consisted of: teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed while the Okonomi hot dog contained a Kurobuta sausage topped with bonito flakes. Our other friend decided he would rather try the Love Meat hot dog which had the topping of meat sauce fused with melted cheese.

The verdict? I thought the Terimayo hot dog was delicious! The Okonomi was also tasty but had an overpowering fish smell due to the bonito flakes. If you are not a fan of fish smell or fish avoid the Okonomi. If you are more of the adventurous type, I would suggest you try this place. They even a deep fried bun filled with ice cream! I had to save room, so I passed.

Crif Dog

113 St Marks Pl

(between Avenue A & 1st Ave) 

New York, NY 10009

OMG. I love Crif Dog! I had been here before with a friend but with all the possibilities I wussed out and only got the avocado and tomato toppings. This time I decided I would be different and try one of their creations. Let me just say right away that this was winner hands down. Oh man...so good!

I had the Jon Jon Deragon which consisted of cream cheese, bagel seeds and green onions. Me and my girlfriend loved it. The Mister had the bacon wrapped Crif dog with mustard and sauerkraut, and he loved his. My girlfriend got the tsunami, a bacon wrapped hot dog with teriyaki sauce and pineapples. Her hubby had the B.L.T. which was a bacon wrapped dog with tomato and lettuce. My homi got the chili dog which he said was the best chili dog he's had. He also said that those who like meat based chilis would love this one.The verdict? Highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is cool with a bit of grit and the hot dogs are really delicious. And yes, Anthony Bourdain loved it. 

Los Perros Locos

201 Allen St

(between 1st Ave & Stanton St) 

New York, NY 10002

Ok, after getting caught in a downpour, we finally got to our fourth destination, Los Perros Locos. Specializing in Columbian hot dogs, this place offers pretty unique creations. At this point I was getting pretty full, but I ventured on and ordered another dog. I'm going to say that this place needs another chance because the hot dog I selected did not do it for me but the Mister's hot dog was pretty tasty. Now onto the breakdown.

My girlfriend is a tiny little thing and she was quite full at this point so we decided to just split a hot dog. We both thought the Pablo Escobar (bottom right) sounded tasty. The Escobar consisted of salsa de pina, apple chipotle slaw, potato chips, Kewpie mayo and a dusting of cheese. I think the mayo was what turned me off, there was just way too much stuff for my tastebuds to comprehend what was going on.

The Mister had the Spicy Spicy Mango (top right). This concoction of spicy, mango, mojo, melted mozzarella and crushed hot Doritos was really tasty. The salty and sweet melded really well together.

My gf's husband decided on the Amerro-Perro (bottom left). This was a chili dog, the chili made with beer and cocoa infused beef, shredded Vermont cheddar, chipotle kraut, crushed Fritos and ChipZana sauce. I didn't taste this one but the Mister tried and and said it was pretty good.

And last but definitely not least was my friend, B's dog (top left). This poor man ordered the Mas Perfecto which had 10 toppings. It was a combination of almost all of our hot dogs

He looks utterly confused. I am proud of him though, he ate the whole thing!

The verdict? Go on an empty stomach and be sure to go over the menu thoroughly because they will give descriptions of what the salsas are made of, etc., I will say one of the highlights of this place had to be the Coco-Cola! These were imported from Mexico and made with real sugar instead of HFCS. Yummmm

Asia Dog

66 Kenmare St

New York, NY 10012

The last and final stop of our hot dog trip! At this point my girlfriend and her hubby bowed out gracefully while the Mister, B and I ventured forth. Mister had the Mel & Steve (left) which consisted of Asian sesame slaw. I settled for the Wangding (middle) with the toppings of Chinese BBQ pork belly, onions and cucumbers and B had the Ito (right) with Japanese curry and homemade kimchi apples.

The verdict? The hot dogs were unique in their creations. The Wangding was a little salty for me. The Mel and Steve and Ito were better. I recommend this place if you like Asian fusion/Asian food in general.

Whew! What a post! Overall I had an amazingly awesome time with my friends. Great food and great company can make any day better. We are already talking about our next trip! The debate is between burgers or pizza. What do you guys think our next trip should be?

NYC Blushable Creme Sticks (Deal Alert!)

Here I present to you the limited edition N.Y.C. (New York Color) Blushable Creme Sticks. They run retail at drugstores for $3.99 USD and are a real steal especially if you a creme blush fanatic! I found these sticks way back in April and I think that there are still drugstores that are selling them, so snatch these up before they're gone! I went to N.Y.C.'s website and they're no longer listed there to buy so I'm guessing your only option if you want these is the drugstore.

These blushes have pretty good staying power considering that they are creme blushes. I have tried some and they seem to melt off my face, but these are pretty decent.  If you buy these blushes and find that the staying power isn't fantastic for you, you can always apply a powder blush on top to set it. Just like with foundations you can set your creme blush.  I also like the fact that these can be easily blended with your fingers to give you a nice flush. Also, a little goes a long way, or else you end up looking like a clown. For the price, there is a ton of product as well (0.28oz/8.0g.) Again, if you are a bargain hunter but still quality items I think this is definitely an item you should look into. I know that Stila creme blushes run for about $25.00 USD and Tarte's blush sticks are $30.00 USD. A big difference! If you aren't a bargain hunter but just like to experiment with makeup and don't want to dish out the dough I think this should be in your collection.

I swatched these in the order of the picture from above. I thought it was odd that Urban Spice was lighter than Berry New Yorker but yeh. 

My no flash pictures are horrible. I think it's because of my lighting in my living room. I think that is what gives off the yellowness, but I figured I post a picture of it as well.

My favorites would have to be Berry New Yorker and Plaza Pink. I think Plaza Pink would be a great highlighter for people who have darker complexions. Well, in actuality, I like all the colors I bought haha. 

Have you girls tried these? Let me know what you think of them!

My Dinner Date with Morimoto

Last night I went to Morimoto NYC. Restaurant home to the amazing Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto. I just wanted to do a quick blog entry about this place because the food was delicious! I went there with my Mum to celebrate Mother's Day because last week she was unable to. What mattered the most, besides the awesome food was that my Mom thoroughly enjoy herself.  The pictures were taken from my phone because I didn't have my point and shoot with me so excuse the poor quality in some of the shots.

The entrance to Morimoto. The ambiance inside was calm and cool. In the far back you could see the chefs work in action preparing your food.  Sheets of crystals cut into blossoms illuminated the place. The chairs were super comfortable too. The wait staff was amazing. Our server was probably the best server I have ever had. She knew when to come by and ask how we were doing. She knew everything about anything on the menu. (I'm sure she gets paid tons to know this but still) And her recommendations were delicious.

My mom and I decided on two appetizers, the Wagyu Beef Carpaccio (a cold appetizer) and the Kakuni Pork (hot). I loved both, the beef was salty with a kick from the baby cilantro. It was seared with hot sesame oil.

Our Wagyu Beef Carpaccio

The Kakuni pork belly with rice congee. Sweet and buttery. This wasn't presented this way. I took the picture of my serving because we dug in right away and I forgot I was documenting the food haha.

For our main course I got the Surf and Turf which had a Kobe Beef Filet, fingerling and blue potatoes, and Hamachi Ribbons in an avocado salad that is tossed at the table by the wait staff.

It was delicious!!! The Hamachi melted in my mouth and the avocado was so fresh. And the potatoes, man I wish I could cook my potatoes like this at home. the skin was crisp but the inside of the potato was tender and soft. The beef of course was delicious. Oh the greens at the end are bok choy sauteed in with a touch of miso. I think I ate about 75 percent of the plate haha.

My Mom's plate. It was called Duck Duck Duck. Half of a duck I believe. A croissant made with foie gras and a duck egg. The sauces were au jus and a red miso. She gave me some pieces of her duck and it was delicious. She was in love with the croissant and egg haha.

Of course we couldn't leave without dessert. Our server told us about these cream filled donuts with an array of dipping sauces/powders. Me and my mom said yes yes yes lol. We had green tea powder, honey lavender, ginger powder, black sesame (i think), and soybean powder. The donut was fluffy and not too sweet so you could taste the different toppings. With the coffee it was a perfect way to end dinner.

Bathroom shot! Serious! The bathroom was awesome too. The seats were pre-warmed. There was a remote on the wall (literally) that could flush the toliet, clean your bum, the whole nine. I've seen these before but this was fancy smancy.

Cherry blossoms behind you while you do your thing in the bathroom will make anyone feel comfortable....LOL

All in all, if you come to New York and have some extra money, come here to eat! Me and my mom are already talking about going back to do the tasting per person because we saw the sushi and sashimi and went O___O. 

Make posts starting next week! Or even this weekend if I'm ambitious. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I miss you bloggers