As nightfall approached, hunger was a calling and directed us to a small establishment called Taisho Yakitori. As implied by the name, the restaurant specialized in yakitori, but also served traditional sides and appetizers. Although the the establishment was a restaurant, it had the ambience of a bar that served amazing food. Instead of pints of beers, there were pints of Calpico, a Japanese dairy-based drink. Hot wings and cocktail nuts were replaced by musubi rice balls and french fries served with a smelt egg mayonnaise. The crowning achievement of the eatery was their amazing assortment of grilled meats served on kebabs. Customers had their choice of chicken, beek, pork and vegetables and each choice was grilled fresh right in front of your eyes. Between both Mark and I, we had ordered tongue, chicken with plum paste, beef, and yes you're reading this right, chicken skin! I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of chicken skin, not even of the Kentucky fried variety. However, I was on vacation, and this was the time to live it up and eat it up! As expected, the chicken skin was dripping in grease and goodness. The crisp, grilled exterior and the pure richness of chicken goodness made it easy to finish each and every bite! This place proved to me that sometimes, a restaurant doesn't need a great ambience, flawless service, nor a world class view. What it comes down to for a restaurant to be great is delicious, simple foods in a comfortable atmosphere and Taisho Yakitori provided just that.
When you think of hole-in-the-wall, a few things come into mind: cheap, fast, and above all tasty! With street corners hustling and bustling 24 hours a day, New Yorkers need a place where they can order, pay and eat in a matter of seconds. Enter Papaya Dog, an eatery that showcases fast food or as referred to in Seinfeld, "not fast food, good food, quickly." There were many franchises in the city, but I just so happen to stop by the Papaya Dog at Penn Station. On a Monday afternoon, numerous travelers were running to and fro to catch their respective trains to destinations all over the state. Unlike them, I prioritized my appetite before my travels and I decided to stop by the Papaya Dog to experience a real New York hot dog. After scanning the menu once over, I decided to go with a hot dog and smoothie combo, although it was tough to over look the hot dog and Coors Lite deal for $3.75. Smoothies were stored in large stainless steel tanks with spigots and signs that read their respective fruit flavors. They could be best described as a tropical version of the traditional Orange Julius drink which was a perfect accompaniment to my two grilled hot dogs. Two men manned the grill that had a dozen hot dogs and half dozen hamburger patties on it at any given time. Once the meat was grilled, the customer was to follow it to the condiment bar where the traditional fix-ins were ready to top the dogs or patties. Being a simple girl, I went with good ole sauerkraut. The two medium sized hot dogs were a marked improvement from the traditional steam hot dogs I was used to from home. For a mere five bucks, I deemed the entire meal of smoothie and dogs to be the perfect on the go meal. I also kept in mind that if I ever needed to wind down during the commute, that I would definitely go with the Hot Dog and beer deal in heartbeat.
On my trip I also made these quick stops while I was in the Big Apple. They were definitely worth checking out!
Le Maison du Chocolatier
I had only heard of this chocolatier on TV and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be able to sample some of the world's finest chocolate. The chocolate here was of the highest quality and was smooth as silk. Luckily, I didn't have to wait years down the road when I finally got around to Paris to experience good eats like this!
The Original Soupman
Surely everyone has seen that episode of Seinfeld in which the crew covets this amazing soup from an amazing New York vendor who has the tendencies of a Nazi as far as service is concerned. This is the real soup that inspired that actual episode and it was being sold right in Manhattan without a line and without the hellishness portrayed in that episode. The lobster bisque is definitely worth checking out and in addition you get a piece of bread, fruit, and chocolate in the form a tootsie roll. Can't beat that!
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