Impressive Dining Experience At Oiji, A Contemporary Korean Fusion Restaurant In East Village

 Embark on an unforgettable culinary journey by dining at Oiji, where you can indulge in mouthwatering dishes that are pleasant to the eyes and the mouths.

One of New York City's standout restaurants since 2015, Oiji specializes in "Refined Authentic Korean" cuisine that fuses traditional flavors and dishes with modern cooking techniques and ingredients, artful plating, and portion sizes. The restaurant is helmed by the co-chef and co-owner team of Brian Kim and Tae Kyung Ku. Originally from Korea, both chefs have robust culinary experiences under their belts, having cooked at places like Bouley and Gramercy Tavern before starting Oiji.

In light of COVID-19, Oiji has set up arguably one of the most comfortable dining experiences in New York City that ensures both warmth and privacy for its diners. Oiji also offers indoor dining in its stylish restaurant with all the safety measures like more than 6 feet distance and barriers between all tables that are sanitized thoroughly for each seating.

Scallops "Hwe" and Mushroom Salad

The carefully curated menu encourages diners to explore all the fresh, quality ingredients that the land and the sea offer. My journey began with the Scallops "Hwe," which features thinly sliced layers of scallop crudo on top of snow crab and jellyfish mixed in Korean mustard vinaigrette. The scallop is topped with baby tomato slices and edible flower, and surrounded by refreshing cucumber broth. Oiji gives a unique twist to what I typically consider to be a "boring" dish with its Mushroom Salad. Three different types of mushrooms - maitake, shiitake, and woodear - are dusted in savory powder and crisped to perfection, and served with a melange of pine nuts, radish, raisins, and romaine in creamy dressing.

Oiji Bowl and Soy Trout

Possibly the most photogenic dish, the Oiji Bowl is also a fan favorite for those who love the creaminess of sea urchin together with sweet shrimp and spicy cucumber salad on top of savory seaweed rice. One of the newer items on the menu is the Soy Trout featuring slices of raw trout with golden smoked trout roe, English peas, and quail egg with rice.

Truffle Seafood and Chili Lobster

Continuing onto my seafood journey, the Truffle Seafood is the perfectly warm, hearty dish for the colder, winter days. The seafood broth with truffle is poured table side into a hot metal pot filled with clams, shrimps, calamari and bok choy. Balancing out the temperature is the Chili Lobster featuring chilled ramyun noodles in thick scallion garlic sauce, and topped with generous portion of succulent and spicy chili lobster, nori bits, and sugar snap peas.

Oxtail and Wagyu Wrap

Finishing off the journey on a heavy note, the Oxtail is another hearty dish with tender and meaty oxtail braised in soy-based broth and served with glass noodles and various root vegetables. Finally, the Wagyu Wrap highlights mouthwatering pieces of barbecued short ribs that are layered with mushroom and thin fried potato. The dish is served with scallion kimchi and pickled daikon that you can use as a wrap.

Moving In The Midst Of A Pandemic - How I "Survived" My First Move In NYC

 While it's common for most New Yorkers to move to a new apartment every few years, I moved for the first time after living in the same place for the last 6.5 years. Here is my personal experience on what it was like to move during a pandemic.

I moved to New York City - arguably the best city in the world - in 2014 with a small U-Haul packed with minimal furniture, a couple suitcases, and a bicycle. While most of my friends moved to a different apartment every few years (and some even every year), I stayed in the same 3 bedroom apartment with roommates for nearly 6.5 years due to its proximity to work. However, when the unforeseen COVID-19 marred the world and I spent more time than ever at home, I decided to take the plunge and moved to a new place on my own.

Because of a mass exodus of people out of the city and into the suburbs during the pandemic, the housing market was in my favor. Many landlords, whose apartments have been vacant for as many as 4 months, were offering crazy deals and discounts. After scouring through endless listings on StreetEasy and seeing about 10 apartments in my desired neighborhoods, I signed a lease on a small but cozy 1 bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village.

I have never moved once in 6.5 years, so I accumulated a lot of items during those times. I had some serious decluttering to do! After consulting with a few friends who consider themselves "moving pros" and doing my own online research, I decided to make the move as stress-free as possible by working with a moving company to help guide me through the process.

Next step? Choosing the moving company that's right for me. I read online reviews and one company stood out to me as "the one" - Rabbit Moving and Storage. Not only did Rabbit Movers have one of the best reviews (4.6 stars on Google and almost 600 reviews on Yelp), but it also has a unique mission of employing the creative types - from artists to musicians to writers - who are as passionate about art as they are about reducing as much of the customers' stress as possible.

The onboarding process began with a free estimate from the website. You have the option of getting a quick quote by simply putting in the from and to addresses or - for a more accurate pricing - record your inventory by marking different items you have. Shortly after filling out the information, I was assigned a "Relocation Consultant" who followed up with me for additional questions and confirmed the date and time of move. As easy as 1, 2, 3!

While Rabbit Movers offers packing and unpacking moving services, I decided to tackle this task on my own. In order to ensure I had enough time to pack all my belongings, I asked Bunny, my Relocation Consultant, to deliver a total of 25 boxes ranging in sizes (small, medium, and large) 5 days before the big day. Rabbit Movers also confirmed a few details of the move, including a 2-hour arrival time window.

On the morning of the move, I received a text message from one of the movers - Nick - that he was on his way. The two movers (both named Nick!) arrived right on time. Nick asked some questions to confirm which furnitures and boxes should be moved, and they were quick to get to work. Nick and Nick were extremely efficient at moving boxes and dissembling bigger furnitures like the bed frame. Additionally, they did an extremely thorough job of wrapping fragile items and corners of the furniture to ensure all the pieces get moved in one piece.

The entire process on Move Day - from arrival and loading to drop off and re-assembling of the furniture - took a little less than 4 hours. I was impressed by the movers' respectful, careful, efficient, and professional treatment of my belongings, and further amazed by how Rabbit Movers helped to make my first moving process so easy! I will be spending the next few days unpacking and organizing my belongings, and am so excited to settle down in my new apartment.

Treat Yourself At Home With These Favorite Wellness Products And Delicious Goodies

 Got the winter blues while staying at home? Then you need to treat yourself with these wellness products and delicious goodies from some of our favorite brands!

Wellness Warrior Kit - Altwell

Are you ready to level up your health goals? This convenient kit has everything you need to fuel tough workouts, soothe sore muscles, and achieve more balance and calm in your everyday life. The Wellness Warrior Kit contains Chocolate Protein Powder for the perfect for post-workout smoothies, mint flavored Tincture to bring more peace and calm to your day, and Sports Stick to soothe sore muscles and ease joint aches.

Subscription Box from The Clean Box

The Clean Beauty Box is a clean beauty discovery subscription service that delivers a bi-monthly themed, seasonal collection of full-size products to introduce you to the best all-natural brands. The October/November box features Dafna's Skincare to repair, hydrate and detox. The revitalizing duo uses the ayurvedic system combined with bioactive ingredients and highly advanced biotechnology to nourish and balance your skin as we head into colder, drier weather.

Coconut Milk and Sandalwood Bundle - Soapbox

At Soapbox, the mission is to empower people to change the world through everyday, quality purchases. The coconut oil hair care and personal wash products will moisturize and nourish your locks and skin for a deep hydration experience. The rich scent of sandalwood blended with the natural sweetness of coconut will bloom a relaxing aroma in your shower and at your sink with every use. Each purchase of Soapbox products donates a bar of soap to someone in need and also funds hygiene education taught by the people in the communities.

Shower Head - Moen

Whether you’re fresh off a workout or feeling stressed from work, the best way to wash away the day is with a luxurious shower. Moen, the leader in water experiences in the home, is giving consumers the opportunity to enhance their “me” time with the new Moen Aromatherapy Handshowers with INLY™Technology. The Moen Aromatherapy Handshowers are uniquely designed with the ability to infuse essential oils directly into the water flow to create an incredible and sensory shower experience

Non-Alcoholic Seltzer Water - H20 Sonoma Soft Seltzer

H2❤ (H2O) Sonoma Soft Seltzer is the the world’s first wine-infused non-alcoholic sparkling water. These naturally delicious, premium beverages promise to define a new category with 0 percent alcohol lifestyle drinks that combine the refreshment of sparkling water and the taste and spirit of premium California wines. H2O is pure water infused with the juice of 100 percent California varietal wine grapes, premium de-alcoholized wine and natural flavor extracts.

Cocktail Mixer - Craftstirs

Hosting friends and family during the holidays is a lot of work. CraftStirs Mixes can help you make delicious cocktails, more easily than you’d ever imagined. CraftStirs Mixes are available in three unique flavors that create three cocktails just by mixing them with water and their partner spirit: Tropical Margarita, Pomegranate Mojito, and Melon Cooler. With three simple ingredients, you can turn these three cocktails into thanksgiving drinks that will taste like fall in a glass.

Plant-Based Protein Frittata - Veggies Made Great

Veggies Made Great is on a mission to create the highest quality, remarkably delicious and nutritionally smart, veggie-rich foods. The company partnered with Beyond Meat to create a new Veggies Made Great Frittata Line made with Beyond Meat. The new Veggies Made Great Frittatas include Sausage and Pepper Frittata and Sausage, Egg and Cheese Frittata made using Beyond Beef.

Plant-Based Vegan Mayo - O'dang Foods

O’dang Foods launched brand new egg-free and dairy-free spreadable and dippable vegan mayo in three Mediterranean inspired flavors: Lemon Garlic, Cucumber Dill and Roasted Red Pepper. The new mayos taste like mayo but even better, and are the perfect spread on sandwiches, snacks, and for use in pasta and potato salad.

Plant-Based Meals - Mosaic Foods

Mosaic Foods was founded by Matt Davis and Sam McIntire in Matt’s New York City apartment kitchen in 2019, with the goal of bringing home-cooked, handmade food with high-quality ingredients that are frozen for freshness and convenience. The company makes delicious, plant-centric frozen meals that aim to modernize the $53 billion frozen foods industry through healthy, accessible and globally-inspired meals. Mosaic is on a mission to make wholesome food accessible and convenient. The company offers 30 varieties of veggie bowls, noodles, risottos and breakfast bowls.

Cup Noodles - Mr. Lee's

Mr. Lee’s offers100 percent tasty, 0 percent nasty gluten-free gourmet instant-noodle in a cup. By providing one of the healthiest noodles on the market, its diverse range of flavors is an extension of our commitment to improving diets. The award-winning range of six authentic, oriental noodles are the market’s lowest in salt, sugar, saturated fats and calories, with no MSGs, artificial preservatives, flavorings or colorings. The company uniquely use freeze-dried ingredients to ensure that its product locks in most of the nutrients.

Ultimate Grilling Pack

Meat District’s butcher-crafted, premium meats are the perfect ready-to-cook secret weapon to being the king (or queen!) of tailgating with premium cuts of beef, pork and poultry and perfectly seasoned with chef-created recipes. Win or lose, Meat District will be a hit! The Ultimate Grilling Pack includes everything from Zesty Ranch Chicken Party Wings to Sweet & Sassy Drumsticks to Steak House Premium Tri-Tip.

Late Night Menu - Boston Market

Boston Market, the rotisserie everything experts, newly launched late night menu that is available from 9 p.m. until close. You can enjoy an array of tasty, better-for-you options like crave-able sliders and bowls, such as Southwest Chicken Rice, Chicken Cheddar Mash, and Veggie and Cheeseburger Mac.

Healthy and Crunch Granola - Love Crunch

Made with exquisite organic ingredients like Fair Trade dark chocolate, red berries and crunchy peanuts, the delicious granola from Love Crunch are the stuff daydreams are made of. And for every Love Crunch product sold the equivalent is donated to food banks in need. So not only do you get to indulge in delicious granola, you help to give back with every bite.

Rainbow Brookie Cake - Baked In Color

Delicious to the mouth and striking to the eyes, the Rainbow Brookie Cake is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. The cake features indulgent fudge brownie bottom, Oreo middle, and Rainbow chocolate chip cookie top. The cake is perfect for birthdays, holidays, or just because there’s nothing more yummy or colorful. These cakes are freshly baked to order and ship nationwide.

Dark Chocolate Hummus - Sabra

Sabra is giving chickpea spread a sweet spin with a new Dark Chocolate Dessert Dip and Spread. This vegan dip predominantly consists of chickpeas, cocoa, brown sugar, sea salt, and vanilla extract. The decadent chocolate hummus pairs well with pretzels, graham crackers, crunchy breadsticks, fruit, or, simply, spoon

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Janies and Melanie

These bite-sized cookies will satisfy even the most discerning chocoholic. Made with only the finest natural ingredients, these cookies are baked to perfection. The Chocolate Chip Cookies are a wonderful variation of an old favorite using rich chocolates that would make grandmother proud. Traditional and Crispy with every bite. Enjoy them with milk, coffee, tea or by themselves anytime.

Hazelnut and Nougat Protein Bar - Barebells

Barebells – the revolutionary, high-in-protein, no added sugar protein bar brand – has expanded its line of bestselling protein bars to welcome Hazelnut and Nougat. Wrapped in milk chocolate with a creamy nougat center and hazelnut crunch, Hazelnut and Nougat will drive the taste buds nuts. With 20 grams of protein, no added sugar, free from palm oil and only 200 calories, Hazelnut & Nougat’s guilt free, gooey bars make the ideal workout companion or delicious snack to satiate cravings.