Le Bain

 at the top of Standard Hotel, lies the surreal bar with an indoor jacuzzi and disco ball on top, Le Bain bar.

I wanted to go here for quite a while so was pleased with the heart shaped flotation devices and part time models wearing swanky yacht outfits, as if they always do.  Yea right!

Mojitos are what my friend Suzie calls, "a drink that can easily be good but when made bad, just horrible", so from her perspective, this is a great place, but from mine, $12 per drink is not really my budget.  

The view was outstanding though! Evenings spent gazing at Hudson river from above isn't bad I must say...

the "Biergarten" on the ground level is more of my scene (if I had to choose a scene in this hipster gone rich hotel).  I mean, it had beer....DUH.

Gyukaku

 There's not so many things I like more than Gyukaku-happy hour.

Plainly put, it's so cheap!

I went to Gyukaku during the seasonal happy hour specials a lot because I thought they were such great deals, and kept asking everyone around me to come with me.  That resulted in everyone going on different days of the week so I've been to both midtown&east village locations, SO MANY TIMES with so many different groups lol

 

this time I went to EV gyukaku and had the salmon volcano for the first time (sorry, I took the picture after biting off half of it) but it was good!!  I experimented by putting it on the grill, rice down of course, but that didn't make too much of a difference so I wont recommend doing that...

The other day I was talking to my coworker who also loves Gyukaku happy hour, and we noticed that although we both have been there so many times, we have only been there when it's not happy hour, like twice only!  Ahh the yumness and the great feeling of getting a good deal - priceless (JK, totally a bargain!)

ps. for my Japanese friends, JK in the States means "just kidding", not 女子高生

Speakeasies

there is this secret little bar I adore called "Bohemian".

this is a picture of one of their drinks the very skilled and charming bartender makes.  Cute ya?

It's in Manhattan, I'll give you that much, but the location and contact info is a secret♥

Another hint I'll give you is that the space was the place Basquiat died.  

aka. his last studio.

According to the brilliant movie of his life, "The Radiant Child" made mainly with interviews of him and people close to him, it was, when he and Andy Warhol had this amazing connection and admiration towards each other as artists, yet failed to hold a successful collaborative art exhibit together.  Poor young Basquiat was crushed by the fact that he could not live up to the expectations he had for himself and what he thought Warhol had for him, and spent the last few years of his life in despair.  Sad cus he's such an interesting and beautiful artist.  

Anywayzz, this is where he died, and thats my favorite bar in NY.

It is owned and run by a Japanese company, of course.

One more hint, the bar is very close to one of the only Indian Contemporary art galleries in NY (picture from the latest group exhibit...sorry if you don't like the work I chose)

I'm telling you, this gallery used to be the best in the field.

In Tokyo, there's speakeasies everywhere!

It's in a random apartment occupying one of the rooms, or the basement of some office building that you just cannot find on your own. 

this is a picture I took at one of the speakeasies-ish places in Roppongi, called "Roku Nana".

It's on the rooftop of a vacant apartment building, done by Yasumichi Morita, and, just stunning.

Flashy, yet nicely done.

I wish they had more places like this in NY...

Oden

If you are in Japan during the winter, you want to try Oden & hot sake.

It's one of the staples of "what you want to eat when it's cold outside". 

I took a pack of frozen Oden-set and pre-cooked daikon radish and konnyaku to my friend's place, and the gourmet host added sea food! which made the whole thing so much more flavorful. was SO GOOD!!

I have to post a view of the table before the Oden came though...the osashimi and beef carpaccio were amazing!!!

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Another great way to have oden would be at a small yatai outdoor...

there will be a grumpy old man behind the serving area who specializes in oden, been-doing-this-for-30years!-type, and you will dash into the yatai, grab a seat, and know exactly what to order.  You will then chit chat with the person(prob a middle aged/old guy) sitting next to you, which is UNHEARD OF in Japanese culture (we don't just start talking to strangers. no, not even when we are in the elevator alone), get a quick drink and a bite and head home a little warmer and jollier than before.

At least that's how I imagine it to be...had to add my imagination to my experience for the ideal Oden situation.

My friends tell me how I am an Oyaji in disguise, and I must admit that I am somewhat of an Oyaji-gal (a girl who likes what middle aged man/old guys like eg.beer, hot springs, yakitori etcetc...) but mind you I don't look too Oyaji-ish ;-)

Another reason why people categorize me as an Oyajigal is because my favorite place to go to is a Izakaya called Hagi.  Frankly, nothing too great about it, but I'm just used to going there.

I order the same stuff all the time; Edamame, Karaage with daikon oroshi, Mentaiko fried rice/Takana rice along with a pitcher of beer. 

It can't go wrong!

Eggs, the taste of freedom

The other day, the idiots that are Kings county court selected me as a juror to serve on a case starting yesterday.  

After a looooooooooong process of waiting bored out of my mind, they finally settled out of court and now I AM FREE FOR 8 YEARS of jury duty!!!!!!

SO EXCITED!!!!

This happened on Friday afternoon, so I called up my freelance friend for lunch at Shimizu where he bragged about how good the Omurice he had there was...

It was good, but with this amazing feeling of freedom, probably Anything I eat is good lol

It's always good to have lunch with beer outside on a weekday anyways!!! 

It feels so special :D  I was all smiles throughout lunch.

 In addition to that, I just love eggs.....

This is from a Japanese chef's website.  

What, a GORGEOUS, omelet!!!

I just want this chef to make this in front of me, over and over again.

He makes it look way too easy!

It is amazing! its at the level of magical!!!

and so is this; Steam Scramble Eggs on one of my favorite food sites, foodmayhem.com;

Steam Scramble Eggs - Foodmayhem.com

I have to go there.  I have to see them make this, and I HAVE TO EAT THIS!!!!

I cannot wait!!!

YAY EGGS!!!!

Natto

as we all know, I am an avid user of this Japanese recipe site, cookpad.com .

I have an account under the handle name "cookpadding" and one of my biggest hits happens to be a Natto recipe. 

I pity the fool who cannot eat Natto, but then again, I also understand how it can be intense cus it smells and its sticky and just, wont, let, go~~nevereverネバネバ～～

I love it though.

A lot of people in Ibaraki, famous for their Natto, eat their Natto on rice with raw egg.

My recipe takes it one step further by microwaving the Natto with the egg.

Very simple; mix Natto & egg

→microwave 30 sec & mix

→repeat till its as firm as you want it to be.

Try it! I promise it wont hurt ;)

Mac & Cheese - I will never grow up.

One of the best things about growing up is that you get to make decisions on your own.

You can choose anything and everything; friends, part of your family (spouses), where to go, and the most important part "what to eat".

You can eat ANYTHING you want for lunch. 

M&C is like, as good as it gets for lunch-yummm

I heard the kid in me go yuppieeee!!! when I bought a box of mac & cheese with the intention to cook it and bring it to lunch.  I dont care what my coworkers think, I was so excited about lunch that I went to the microwave at 12 sharp. 

I added Parmesan cheese and black pepper, but yea yea I know, dress it up all you want but its still good ol' Mac & Cheese!