SateYourHunger

There are quite a number of economical rice outlets in Flushing, Queens. However, this new outlet - Lunch Box attracted our attention. Price : Priced at $4.75. You will have steamed rice, four choices of dishes and a bowl of soup. Value for money for one or two decent meals for the portion given was huge. Quality : The dishes were freshly cooked. I loved their sweet and sour pork, braised tofu and even their vegetables. However, some dishes may have stronger taste, such as being a little too salty, than the others. Otherwise, the whole range of dishes was sumptuous. You might want to give it a try. Store layout : The store was newly opened with bright fluorescent lights. Once you enter the restaurant, you will be served with polite staff. You have to pay before choosing your food. There are three rows of dishes arranged in the shape of a letter ‘U’. There are many different kinds of meat, vegetables, poultry and tofu and staple food such as noodles. You will be spoilt ...

My friend and I found a bar lounge at the newly opened Queens Crossing Mall, Flushing Queens. Ms Yang Hui Shan, owner and former Taiwanese Golden Horse Award Winner, has a vision to create an ultra hip bar lounge made entirely out of colored glass. There was also a TMSK in Shanghai. China. There were excellent reviews from various websites, which made us give the lounge a try:  http://www.worldsbestbars.com/city/shanghai/tou-ming-si-kao-tmsk-shanghai.htm http://www.yelp.com/biz/mulan-flushing#hrid:Q3MH2iHCVkZZ2eHfCX9ahg/query:tmsk Price : Affordable. We ordered a Volka Orange and Dry Martini at $18. Quality : The drinks tasted great. The glassware was so beautiful. Store layout : The lounge had a very chic, yet oriental theme. We loved the place very much that we would definitely come again to chill out.  "This was a bar counter. They looked very beautiful that created a chillax ambience... " "My friend's - Dry Martini with a twist o...

After trying out the different kinds of rice noodle rolls in Flushing, Queens, I thought that it was time to share my reviews by creating a comparison chart. My reviews were based on 5 variables: Texture Sauce - How good the sauce is Fill stomach - How full you are after having the rice noodle roll Affordability - How expensive the rice noodle roll Preference ranking  Variables Corner 28 AA Plaza New Pacific Chinese Cuisine Texture Soft Chewy Soft Sauce Average Above Average Excellent Fill stomach Yes Yes No Affordability Affordable Very Affordable Affordable Preference ranking 3 2 1

Price : Approximately $6. Fairly expensive.  Quality : Shin Ramen with fish balls is served with egg in Sago Cafe 's broth, topped with scallion. In fact, it tasted more like cooking a packet of Shin Hot and Spicy ramen with egg and fish balls. The fish balls were stuffed with minced meat. If you like to have a high-class instant noodles, you may want to order this. Otherwise, you can cook it yourself at home. Forgettable. Store layout : The store was strategically located diagonally across the Main Street Subway Station. There are two doors in Sago - the first door was the entrance and the other was an order window for takeouts. The cafe was always full of people during hot summers - who either dined in or ordered takeouts. You might have to wait if you craved for a cold drink at Sago Cafe. Though the staff were very efficient, they were also unfriendly and rude. "This cafe was always crowded. If you were able to get a seat, you should also get a lottery ticke...

I dropped by Flushing Library today to borrow some books. Along the way, I thought of trying the rice noodle roll at AA Plaza . As I was not aggressive enough, other customers cut into my queue. Sigh~ Price : Value for money. $1.25 for a tub of rice noodle roll. It could be eaten as a meal.   Quality : The serving was generous. I had it for lunch. The texture of the rice noodle roll was a little hard but it tasted delicious together with the sweet sauce. Something you should not fussed about when the food was cheap and good.  Store layout : A simple takeout stall beneath Flushing LIRR station. The staff were quite friendly. The only problem was the queue. People will cut queue if you were not aggressive enough. Otherwise, you can get the food within minutes.  "Remember AA Plaza. You will not miss the signage from afar." "Chewy rice noodle roll with sweet sauce and hot sauce. Yummy." Where : AA Plaza, 40-40 Main Street (West bound LIRR...

There are two Han Ah Reum marts in Flushing, Queens. We ordered a take-out today at the second supermarket after a strenuous workout.  Price : Priced at $7, you can have a decent meal for one or two.  Quality : The whole meal was indeed value for money. With generous portion of hot pepper sauce, the steamed rice and vegetables were so tasty. The fishcake-like soup was also delicious. As for the lettuce kimchi, it was good too. Overall, it was delicious! The crux of this meal was that it was vegetarian. There were different kinds of vegetables like lettuce, bean sprouts, etc. I think it would be great for those who go on diets. Must try! Store layout : The restaurant is part of Han Ah Reum Restaurant. Located in the supermarket, the restaurant is a simple set up. You have to make payment at the cashier and then hand the order to the staff located at the counter. A simple plank of wood hammered along the walls to serve as table with bar stool-like chairs. ...

After trying out the two frozen yogurt dessert chains in Flushing, Queens, I made a comparison between the two popular froyo brands - Pinkberry and Red Mango . To make an objective comparison, I ordered the same toppings and size of the popular froyo. My evaluations were based on the following: Sweetness - How sweet the frozen yogurt was Almond - Quality of almond (slices/crushed) Cocoa chips - Quality of Cocoa chips Mango - Freshness of Mango slices Portion of toppings Affordability - Is it value for money Preference Ranking Frozen Yogurt (Small) Comparison Chart Variables Pinkberry Red Mango Sweetness Moderate Moderate Toppings: Almond Excellent Average Toppings: Cocoa chips Excellent Excellent Toppings: Mango Average Excellent Portion of Toppings Generous Generous Affordability Affordable Affordable Preference ranking ...

It has been some time since we last ate Japanese food at West Udon . The last time we had was Oyaku Don. We wanted to try something different today and decided to try Nabeyaki. Price : Affordable. Enough for one. Quality : The udon had a very nice texture. The clear broth was mouth-watering. It was light and did not contain any MSG. I loved the Tempura Prawn too.  In mathematical terms, Udon + Clear Soup Base + Tempura Prawn = Nabeyaki = Superb!! Store layout : The restaurant had a typical Japanese layout concept with wooden furniture and paper lamps. It had a warm setting that you feel very comfortable dining at the restaurant. The store was strategically located along Union Street and Northern Blvd.  "look at the delicious noodles, and tempura prawns... Omg... I cannot stand looking at it without salivating." Where : West Udon, 137-80 Northern Blvd Tel : 718-359-2324 Website : NA Overall rating : 4/5

After a good workout, we decided to give ourselves a treat.  Price : Value for money. A balanced diet with a portion of meat and vegetables is worth ordering. Quality : The beef was cooked with a huge portion of water spinach and broth. The beef was tender and succulent. The broth was delicious. The water spinach was cooked just right because the vegetables will usually turn yellow after prolonged cooking. Must try!! Store layout : The restaurant - Corner 28 at the second level has a more zen look. We love sitting along the glass windows so that we can look at the view of Main St, Flushing.  "The sliced tender beef stir-fried with water spinach. Eating it with steamed rice brought out the flavour. A balanced diet with at least two portions of vegetables." Where : Corner 28, 40-28 Main Street Tel : 718-886-6628 Website : http://www.corner28ny.com Overall rating: 3.5/5 View Larger Map

Price : Reasonably priced. Must share with at least two persons. Quality : The diced beef was cooked just nice. The beef was tender and the amount of sauce was just right. Together with the roasted peanuts and dried hot peppers, the whole dish was even more mouth-watering. You need to eat with rice to savour the taste. Must try. Store layout : Because of the dark tinted glass walls, you may not notice that this is a restaurant unless you are one of their regular customers. Lucky Joy Restaurant had a simple table arrangement with a little tint of the 70’s flavour, you will feel as if you are back in the old days. All of a sudden, I remembered an old movie, "Back to the Future".  "The diced beef with peanuts and hot peppers makes a good combination. You can just have it with steamed rice or eat it on its own." Where : Lucky Joy Restaurant, 41-10 Main Street  Tel : 718-539-2287 Website : NA Overall rating: 3.5/5

After two failed attempts at Namoodol Restaurant , I decided to try noodles this time round.  Price : Value for money for a decent meal. Quality : The meal was provided with servings of two different kinds of kimchi – lettuce kim chi and cucumber kim chi. Both of them were superb. It whipped up your appetite. However, the broth was a letdown as it tasted a little bland. I wonder if it was made from the rice cake. The rice cake was ready-made and lacked texture. The dumplings however tasted the best. The meat was marinated with pepper and I thought I saw some carrots as well. I will miss this one, though. Store layout : A simple layout with one row of tables for customers and the other for the kitchen, located at Han Ah Reum Mart, Union Street. You may have to enter from the supermarket. The walls are painted with warm colors and you feel very comfortable having your meal there. However, at the end of the restaurant, there may be boxes that may be a little hazardous. Y...

Enclaved in the tranquil 37th Ave, Joe's Shanghai is one of the longest running and popular Chinese restaurant in Flushing Queens. I happened to hear very good reviews from friends and decided to check out the place.  Price : Priced at around $8, you can have a decent meal for one. Quality : The presentation of the fried rice did not match the taste of the dish. The dish had ham, egg and prawn as part of their ingredients. It was salty. Nah, miss it. Forgettable. In the end, we drank lots of water and tea to quench our thirst. Store layout : A montage of pictures taken with famous celebrities will greet you when you enter the restaurant. The staff will hand you a queue number. The restaurant is always crowded and people will usually queue outside the restaurant. There are at least three rows of tables. Their staff understand English and are polite and attentive.   "the amount of fried rice is best shared with two persons." "although the ingre...

Enclaved in the tranquil 37th Ave, Joe's Shanghai is one of the longest running and popular Chinese restaurant in Flushing Queens. I happened to hear very good reviews from friends and decided to check out the place. Price : Expensive for a half of a scrawny and dry duck priced more than $10. I could have bought a fat and succulent duck from elsewhere. Quality : The name of this dish sounded very interesting at that time. ‘Crispy’ and ‘Pepper’ are the two keywords that attracted me to make such an order. When the dish was served, I was very disappointed. The duck was small like the size of a pigeon. The flesh was dry and there was no crispiness and pepper in or on the duck. All I could taste was salt and more salt. Forgettable dish. In the end, we drank lots of water and tea to quench our thirst. Store layout : A montage of pictures taken with famous celebrities will greet you when you enter the restaurant. The staff will hand you a queue number. The restaurant is ...

Enclaved in the tranquil 37th Ave, Joe's Shanghai is one of the longest running and popular Chinese restaurant in Flushing Queens. I happened to hear very good reviews from friends and decided to check out the place. Price : Expensive for only a few pieces of bacon and lots of preserved vegetables at around $12. Quality : The presentation was nice. The dish was very salty. The preserved vegetables and bacon were too salty. The only salvation was the steamed vegetables arranged around the dish as decorations. Nah, I don’t think you want to eat something that taste like a pile of salt. Very disappointing. In the end, we drank lots of water and tea to quench our thirst. Store layout : A montage of pictures taken with famous celebrities will greet you when you enter the restaurant. The staff will hand you a queue number. The restaurant is always crowded and people will usually queue outside the restaurant. There are at least three rows of tables. Their staff understand En...

I asked some of my friends living in Flushing on where to get the best steamed buns. They would say, “ Joe’s Shanghai ”. So, I made some preliminary research and found that this restaurant has received food reviews from the New York Times, Time Out Magazine Eat and Out, Travel and Leisure, Zagat Survey and even in the New York Magazine. Because of these great reviews, we decided to give a try and share our reviews. Price : There are two different prices for the steamed buns. If you were to order a regular pork steamed buns, it will cost around $5. However, if you were to order a crabmeat with pork meat steamed buns, it will cost around $7. There are eight pieces per order and is marginally expensive. We ordered both steamed buns to give it a try. Quality : The skin of the steamed buns was thin. Be careful when you eat the steamed buns. I almost scalded myself when I took a small bite. The hot broth in the steamed bun gushed out. The steamed buns must be dipped with the vin...

After the great find the day before at Namoodol Restaurant , I decided to try a different dish. This time is beef dosilock, that is, lunch box with marinated beef. Price : Value for money for one decent meal. Quality : The meal comprised of a lunch box and a bowl of lettuce and bean sprout soup. In the lunch box, there was a serving of kim chi, steamed rice and grilled marinated beef. The beef was freshly grilled. The taste was super duper yummy! Each bite was filled with surprise and anticipation. Anticipating taking another bite of it. Must try! Store layout : A simple layout with one row of tables for customers and the other for the kitchen, located at Han Ah Reum Mart, Union Street. You may have to enter from the supermarket. The walls are painted with warm colors and you feel very comfortable having your meal there. However, at the end of the restaurant, there may be boxes that may be a little hazardous. You can get free water (hot or cold) from the dispenser prov...

Found a new food court at Han Ah Reum Mart at Union Street – Namoodol Restaurant . It is a simple and cheap place to have a meal. Price : Priced at $6. I had a huge portion of rice and generous portion of vegetables – a heavy meal to last you throughout the day. I merely ordered by giving the numbers listed in the picture menu to the Korean staff. Not forgetting that the meal includes the two different kim chi and a bowl of delicious vegetable soup. Quality : The defined pearly-white steamed rice mixed with hot pepper sauce and greens is a great option for those who do not want to take meat. I decided to go vegetarian today. The hot pepper sauce mixed with steamed rice and vegetables were delicious when I tried it. I was not able to stop and finished the whole bowl of steamed rice instead of stopping at half a bowl. Both kim chi were fantastic. I love them, as they are crunchy and delicious. As for the soup, I was surprised that a mere vegetable soup with lettuce and bean ...

I was shopping at Han Ah Reum Mart at Union Street when I stumbled upon a small snack outlet in the supermarket. The tempting and delicious aroma spread throughout the supermarket but you cannot help but follow the smell to the simple booth at the far end of the supermarket. Price : Value for money. Five pieces at at $4. Quality : A simple snack made from flour and moist red bean paste will be something I love each time I visit H-Mart. The five pieces of red bean fishes were shared between the two of us. Store layout : A simple booth that sells various pastries. But the sweet red bean pastry aroma caught my senses and got me addicted to it.  "You will love it." Where : Han Ah Reum Mart, 29-02 Union Street  Tel : 718-445-5656 Website : http://www.hmart.com/ourstore/ourstore_main.asp#ny Overall rating: 4.5/5

I spotted this Korean noodle restaurant while walking towards Main Street along Northern Blvd. This restaurant is always crowded and many a times there are people who seem to be in the waiting list. Price : Value for money. You will have a very heavy meal – one serving of kim chi white radish and kim chi lettuce and brown rice tea with your main course. Quality : Fragrant broth with well-cooked handmade noodles. It is served with lots of spring onion slices coupled with two types of kim chi. I love both kim chi though I prefer the lettuce kim chi to white radish kim chi. Store layout : The restaurant gives you a homely and warm feeling. As you enter the restaurant, the warm Korean ladies at the open kitchen will greet you. At the window display, a simple green-checkered curtain adds to that warm feeling in the restaurant. All you need is to point at the menu or ask one of the ladies to assist you with your ordering. The friendly and helpful ladies will recommend you some ...

Pig trotters dishes are popular among the Chinese. In Southeast Asia, black vinegar pig trotters are perceived to be one of the staple foods for post-natal mothers during their confinement period. It was believed to make post-natal mothers to lactate. This time, we are not having black vinegar pig trotter but braised pig trotters. Price : Affordable. A plate of pig trotters costs around $6. It can be shared with at least two persons. Quality : Apparently, the restaurant used a leaner pig trotter. It is suitable for the health-conscious customers. The meat was soft and the sauce was fragrant. It makes you want to eat more. Do give it a try. Store layout : Located directly opposite of the Flushing Main Library, Chao Zhou Restaurant was very popular food joint. It is always crowded during the weekends. A simple arrangement of furniture made the restaurant neat and pleasant. You will be greeted by a Terracotta solder at the entrance.  "The lean pig trotters not ...

Flushing, Queens has a unique phenomenon – that is, bubble tea is sold in almost every Asian cafes and restaurants. Without a thought, I decided to give bubble tea a try and see what makes them so popular in such a competitive market. Price : Fairly affordable. It is priced around $3.50 for a regular-sized green tea with tapioca balls. Quality : Chao Zhou Restaurant gave a generous portion of medium-sized tapioca balls. The tapioca balls were chewy and moderately sweet. The green tea was moderately sweet. The drink quenched your thirst under the hot sun while you chew on the tapioca balls. Store layout: Located directly opposite of the Flushing Main Library, the restaurant is very popular food joint. It is always crowded during the weekends. A simple arrangement of furniture makes the restaurant neat and pleasant. You will be greeted by a Terracotta solder at the entrance. "The crowded restaurant... you need to wait a little." "Regular-sized ...