Homemade Shrimp Po'boys

After a long day, nothing is as satisfying as biting into an awesome sandwich.Sandwich of choice for this week? Shrimp Po'boys, a personal favorite of mine. Lucky for me, I live right by Napoli Bakery, which has some of the most amazing bread I have ever had. No matter when you go, all of the bread is fresh and crusty with a super soft inside. I picked up a loaf of bread, a little bit over a pound of deveined shrimp, and headed back home to start cooking! After cleaning the shrimp and setting vegetable oil on the stove to heat up (for frying the shrimp), I mixed together my own recipe for a seasoning:
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cajun seasoning, or cajun salt
1/2 tbs lemon pepper
Toss the shrimp in the seasoning until fully coated. It helps the mixture stick if the shrimp is still a little damp from the cleaning. When the oil starts to pop, slowly drop half of the shrimp in ( if you add the full batch, the temperature of the oil drops too much and the batter gets soggy before it fries).
While the first batch is cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing together:
3/4 cup mayo
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp cajun salt or seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
The shrimp usually cooks in about four minutes, but if they are larger I would leave them in for 5-6. After you take out the first batch ( place on paper tower to remove excess oil) and put in the second, toast the bread, and put the sauce on one side and lettuce on the other. I like to squeeze the juice from the rest of the lemon on the side of the bread without the sauce, but I am slightly obsessed with tangy flavors. Serve the moment the second batch of shrimp comes out of the pan for a crispy, tangy, and all around delicious sandwich.

Lovely Day

After reading about the reopening of NoLita Thai restaurant Lovely Day on Lunch Studio and Eater, I knew I had to get over there asap to try out their amazing looking lunch special. Lovely Day had been closed for over a year following a terrible fire that all but gutted the entire building, but reopened this October just in time to have it's annual Halloween bash. Today, there is absolutely no indicator of the fire damage at all. The decor was cozy, it reminded me of a French country side cafe with it's antique wallpapering and lush red booths and chairs. Interesting choice for a Thai restaurant, but it works!


With no waitress in site, I seated myself near the bar, where the bartender and a few locals were joking and gossiping. That's all fine with me, but I got a little irritated when I got up and asked her for the menu only to have her rudely point to them without saying a word. The menu was interesting, although not that diverse.The entrees leaned towards a Thai take on New American dishes, with dishes such as Flank Steak marinated in tamarind sauce, and the Ginger Fried Chicken. The rest of the menu was comprised of traditional Thai noodle dishes, no surprises there! Now, if you know me, you know there are two types of food that I love more than anything : fried and Asian. Ginger Fried Chicken? YES PLEASE! It was one two lunch options, the other being any of the noodle dishes served with 2 dumplings and edamame. I placed my order with the now present super sweet waitress,and was super excited when it emerged only 5 minutes after I placed my order still sizzling.

It came with two slices of lime, and a tangy chili aioli , another of my TWO FAVORITE THINGS! The first bites were absolutely amazing; the batter was seasoned with just the right amount of ginger, which balanced with the lime and chili mayo perfectly. It was a really refreshing tangy take on traditional fried chicken, but I just felt like it was missing something. It needed a vegetable, or something to tie the dish together and make it feel complete. That aside though,the meal was decently cheap at only $8, and I really enjoyed the Asian inspired flavors paired with the fried chicken.
Address:196 Elizabeth St, New York 10012
Phone:(212) 925-3310
Average Price: $9 for lunch, $13 for entree
Grade:B

Tuck Shop

Like Dumpling Man, Tuck Shop is an East Village cheap eats staple. Nothing there is over $6, and people flock from all parts of town to try the savory Australian fare. The restaurant specializes in pies and sausage rolls, with fillings that lean more towards Australian flavors (such as the Pork and Sage Rolls or the Traditional Meat Pie) as well as more worldly combination (such as the Thai Green Chook Curry Pie or the Vegetable Pie with Pico de Gallo) The restaurant itself is nothing fancy; there is only one table facing the street while all other seating is at the bar, which faces the refrigerator, oven, and sink. I sat at the bar, and ordered the Thai Green Chook Curry Pie ($5) and the Pork and Sage Roll ($3) per the recommendation of the helpful counter man.

I was surprised to see him pull the dishes right off of a heating rack behind the bar, but I don't know what else I expected , the place is definitely too small to have a kitchen! I was a little apprehensive about how fresh the pie and roll would be, but this worry vanished the second I bit into the Thai Green Chook Curry Pie!

The crust was crispy, flaky, and thick, and the second I cut into it piping hot gravy poured out onto the plate. The filling was better than I could ever have imagined. The combination of leeks, chicken, kafir lime leaves, galangal, coconut milk, thai basil and chilies was absolute perfection- it was savory, but not so much so that it overpowered the lighter sweeter flavors. Pair it with the sweet chili sauce offered up at the bar, and you couldn't ask for a better $5 meal!
The Pork and Sage Roll was a slightly different story.

After the pie, I was expecting something amazing, and this definitely fell short. The pork was well cooked, but the sage was too strong and aromatic for me to enjoy the dish. Also, without the recommended ketchup it was too dry for me to even finish.
Moral of the story: stay clear of the average tasting rolls and order twice as many of the delectable pies!
Address: 115 Saint Mark's Pl , New York 10009 btw 1st Ave and Ave A( other location 68 E 1st St btw 1st and 2nd Ave)
Phone:212-979-5200
Average Price:$4
Grade: A-

Skyway Cafe

In an effort to expand my food horizons, I decided to try a type of cuisine that was new to me: Malaysian. Malaysian food is influenced strongly by neighboring Indonesia and Thailand, as well as by China and India. Because of this, even though I had never eaten Malaysian before, many of the items on the menu at Skyway Café seemed at least slightly familiar to me. I wandered into the restaurant around 1pm on a Thursday, after a somewhat disorienting journey through the lower part of Chinatown.

It couldn’t have been more than two seconds after I walked in the door when 2 waitresses swooped in on me, seated me, and brought me my own steaming pot of tea. I looked over the menu, and was shocked to see that the lunch special was actually only $3.75! I had seen that price online, but assumed it was outdated. I decided to try out one of their appetizers since my lunch would be so cheap, and settled on the Roti Canai($1.95), which is an Indian style pancake that Skyway serves with a chicken curry on the side. For my lunch, I ordered the chicken with ginger and scallions. All of 5 minutes later, my food emerged from the kitchen! Talk about lighting fast service! I started with the Roti Canai, which I could tell had just been pulled off the stove.

The bread was so super flaky and sweet, I almost didn’t want to dip it in the curry! The first bite of the curry was amazing; I could really taste the coconut, the turmeric, and the chili, which are some of my favorite flavors. As I kept eating however, the saltiness of the curry became wayyy too overpowering, and I had to switch to my lunch dish. It was a shame it was so oversalted, because the flavor combo in the curry was phenomenal. My lunch dish was absolutely loaded with green onion, ginger, and chicken, and was still steaming hot when I started into it.

The vegetables were fresh and crispy with a light sauce that had a flavor that I couldn’t quite place, although I did recognize turmeric and chili again. The chicken was ok, but I feel like it may have needed a little bit more cooking time, no small wonder when you think about how quickly my food came. I only managed to finish half of my dish before I got incredibly full, and actually had to take leftovers home from a $3.75 meal. Awesome! All in all, while the curry in the Roti Canai was too salty and the chicken in my lunch was slightly undercooked, the meal was awesome. I’m eager to go back again and try some of the noodle dishes out, which are apparently their specialty.
Address: 11 Allen St, New York 10002
Phone: (212) 625-1163
Average Price: Lunch $3.75, Dinner $5-13
Grade: B

Cafe Himalaya

As a lover of Asian food living in NYC, I originally found it impossible to wade through all of the mediocre Thai, Chinese, and Indian places to find something fresh and unique. It seemed that everything was overpriced, over hyped, and just plain boring. All of this changed when I stumbled across Café Himalaya, a Tibetan restaurant nestled on 1st street just below 1st Ave. This place is definitely a hole in wall- seating is minimal (probably fits 20 people max), the decor is sparse, and the kitchen is open to the rest of the restaurant. But what it lacks in ambiance, it more than makes up for with the most amazing home style cooking I’ve had in New York yet. It's so good in fact, that I go about 30 minutes out of my way to go there at least every two weeks!

Before arriving at Café Himalaya, I recommend popping into a nearby Bodega to pick up some beer or wine, as the place is BYOB. There is no cork fee, which helps make an already cheap dining experience even cheaper. If you can, try to snag the table by the window-the couches are super comfortable and it’s a great area for people watching. If you’re looking for something cold to drink, I recommend any of the smoothies($4 my personal favorite is the mixed berry) or the mango lassi ($3.50). The fruit and juice used couldn’t be fresher, and these drinks make an excellent accompaniment to some of the menus the spicier dishes. However if you’re looking for something to warm you up, the Bocha ($1.50 Tibetan tea with salt, butter, and milk) and the fresh ginger tea ($1.75) are my favorites. The ginger tea is spicy and invigorating, while the Bocha is soothing and filling.
As for the soups, I recommend the Dal ($2.99 a lentil soup flavored with shallot and cilantro), and the Ashom Thang ($3.50 a corn soup served with lemon). The Dal has a creamy richness, while the Ashom Thang is lighter and tangy.

(Ashom Tang pictured)
The salads here are not your typical Caesar or garden; most of them incorporate tofu or potato. My favorite are the Shogok Khatsa ($4 spicy potato & peas cooked himalayan style in sesame dressing served on lettuce leaf) and the Himalayan Nezom ($4.50 a spicy medley of tofu, peas with seasoned potato & black-eyed peas served on lettuce leaf). Both salads are hearty and flavorful, but the portion size is just small enough to where it doesn’t take anything away from the entrée.
One of the best things about Café Himalaya is that they manage to pull off both fantastic vegetarian AND meat dishes. Out of the meat entrees, the Chasha Shamdey ($7.50 Himalayan style chicken curry marinated in homemade yogurt & spices with basmati rice) and the Shapta ($10.50 a traditional tibetan spicy beef dish sauteed with ginger, garlic & onion served with rice or paratha) are my favorites. The vegetables in the Shapta are always fresh and crispy, and the sauce has a lemony tang and is super light.


(Shapta pictured)
The Chasha Shamdey is spiced perfectly, and the curry is an amazing consistency, it doesn’t overpower the chicken or the potato, but rather enhances the flavor of both. As for the vegetarian entrees, I enjoy the Tsel Momo ($6.50 steamed or pan-fried dumplings stuffed w/ fresh seasonal veg. served w/ cabbage salad) or the Tsel Dofu($7.50 tofu sauteed with cabbage, carrots, spinach & ginger on a bed of basmati rice). The spicy sauce served on the side of these dishes really turns up the flavor!

(Tsel Momo pictured. Photo credit Plate of the Day)
If like me, you're tired of your typical Asian fare, I couldn't recommend trying a restaurant any more than Cafe Himalaya. They use the freshest ingredients and very unique spices, and manage to keep all of the food simple and delicious.
Address: 78 E. 1st St., New York, NY 10009
Phone: 212-358-016
Average Price: Lunch $4.99, Soup or Salad $4, Entree $8
Grade: A

Warma Cafe

I've been on quite the brunch kick lately in case anyone hasn't noticed. This weekend though, things were a little different. My roommate hurt her foot pretty badly, so we decided to order in instead of going out like we usually do. We settled on Warma Cafe because of it's affordability, and because it had both French Toast with sausage ($4.50 for french toast,$3 for sausage.) and Huevos Rancheros($6) on the menu-the two dishes we were craving. I first tried calling in the order at 12:30-only to be hung up on twice by mistake. I waited another 10 minutes to call back, and finally got someone. I placed the order and was told it would be 30 minutes before we got it. 45 minutes later, I called back to check on its status. The woman on the phone was beyond rude to me, even though I was very polite, and actually hung up the phone without answering me. We waited another 30 minutes, and the food still hadn't come. I called back again and asked about the status of the food again, and the women told me that the delivery man was just leaving, but not before SHE TOLD ME NOT TO CALL BACK TO CHECK AGAIN BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO BUSY! After waiting an hour and 15 minutes when I was told it would only be 30, I think it is totally reasonable to call to check on the food twice, especially since I was so polite. Thankfully, the food arrived about ten minutes later, putting our wait time at about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Ridiculous, especially considering the proximity of the place to my apartment. All of that aside though, the food was actually really good. The tortillas on my huevos rancheros were clearly freshly made, as was the salsa. The salsa was amazing- seasoned with just the right amount of onion.

The eggs even tasted better than eggs normally do, I think they must have cooked them in grease from the bacon or sausage (which is bad for vegetarians, but good for me!) My only complaint was that the refried beans were really dried out around the edges- I actually thought it was bread when I first saw it because of the texture. My hashbrowns that came with them weren't anything special, but I don't have any complaints.

My roommates french toast was moist and really delicious- although pretty basic. The sausage wasn't anything great; it was moist but under seasoned.

All in all, our "breakfast" was amazing, but the poor service REALLY detracted from the experience. I would only eat there again if I actually went into the restaurant-but even then I would be skeptical about the wait time. A dilemma!
Address: 442 Lorimer St Brooklyn, NY 11206
Phone: (718) 963-2003
Average Price: $5.50 for Breakfast/Brunch
Grade: A for food, F for service

Dante's on Hope St. (Brooklyn)

Being a southerner, I was super excited to try Dante's, a restaurant with the slogan "southern cookin' in the heart of Brooklyn." I initially based my decision to try their brunch on the fact that they had cheese grits-something I have been sorely missing these past few months. We walked into Dante's around 1:00pm, and were the only other group there. There were at least 5 waitresses mingling around the bar area, but it still somehow took us over 5 minutes to be seated. The decor/music of the restaurant was pretty funny. It was an odd mix of 70's soul music, 80's style graffiti art,renaissance style ceiling murals, and... Transformers 2 playing on big screen tv's. Definitely strange. We sat down, and everyone started looking over the menu. It took over 5 minutes for a waitress to take our drink order, and another five for her to bring the drinks out. Usually I understand, having been a waitress myself, but this place was entirely empty at this point. Looking at the menu, I immediately noticed some options that were different from your typical brunch fare. The ones that jumped out at me the most were the Eggs Sardou ($10 for two poached eggs on an English muffin with a ragout of artichoke hearts) and Cajun Crab Benedict ($15 for two poached eggs on English muffins with Dante's hand done lump crab cakes and smoked chili hollandaise sauce). Both looked amazing-but the Cajun Crab Benedict was a little out of my price range, and I wasn't really in the mood for artichoke. I decided to go with the regular eggs benedict, or the "eggs benny d" as Dante's calls them. My friends went with the biscuits and gravy, ($6) the pancakes with sausage, and an omlette with spinach,mushroom, and onion ($9). It took our food about 15 minutes to arrive, and it all looked really great on the plate! I was really hungry by this point, and dug right into the cheese grits.

Right from the get go, I was super dissapointed. The grits were cold, way overcooked, and the cheese flavor wasn't strong enough. I switched to the eggs benedict, which despite looking and smelling delicious were actually disgusting. The eggs tasted like they had been cooked in a soapy pan, as did the sauce. The Canadian bacon was cold and flavorless, and the english muffin tasted like it had been microwaved rather than toasted. Gross! I ate as much as I could, and then decided to try my friends meals. The biscuits and gravy were decent, but I felt like the biscuit was a little to dry and the gravy wasn't thick enough for my taste.

The pancakes were fluffy and sweet, and the sausages were juicy and perfectly seasoned.

What really stood out though was the omlette. It was literally stuffed to the brim with spinach, mushroom, and onion, all of which were perfectly cooked! The home fries on the side were also really good; they were nicely seasoned and perfectly crispy.


While my dish was absolutely awful, all of my friends dishes were at least decent. Even with that in mind, I personally wouldn't go back again. If they couldn't pull off basic eggs benedict, I don't have much faith for their other dishes that looked delicious- but more complicated.
Address:153 Roebling St. Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone Number:(718) 599-1945‎
Average Price: $9
Grade: C-