Delicious Brunch Items You Must Try At Beauty & Essex In NYC

This favorite brunch spot in New York City’s Lower East Side neighborhood has mouthwatering dishes to satisfy your hunger.

LEMON BLACKBERRY PANCAKES

These lemon pancakes have the perfect fluffy texture with pieces of blackberry sprinkled throughout the batter. The pancakes are topped with a dollop of creamy ricotta and served with a side of maple syrup.

GRILLED CHEESE, SMOKED BACON & TOMATO SOUP DUMPLINGS

This interesting take on the traditional soup dumplings highlight grilled cheese “dumplings” on top of hearty tomato soup and topped with savory smoked bacon.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

Topped with sunny side up eggs and a drizzle of garlic-buttermilk dressing, the Chicken Fried Steak - made with short rib - has crispy texture balanced by runny eggs that ooze on top. The dish is served over a bed of salad.

FRIED CHICKEN BISCUIT BITES

These bite-sized biscuit sandwiches are great for sharing. Sandwiched in between buttery, crispy biscuits are fried chicken nuggets topped with red cabbage slaw and guacamole with a side of tabasco honey butter.

BRAISED SHORT RIB ‘HUEVOS RANCHEROS’

The tender, braised short rib sits atop crunchy taco shells lined with black beans and cotija cheese. The “Huevos Rancheros” is topped with sunny side up eggs.

CRAB EGG FOO YOUNG

You have never had an omelette like this one before. Stuffed inside the eggs are generous potions of lump crab meats. The omelette is topped with shiitake mushrooms and scallions over sweet glaze sauce.

NYC’s A.G. Kitchen Fuses Tantalizing Flavors Of Latin American And American Cuisines

Located in NYC’s Upper West Side, A.G. Kitchen features a delicious blend of Latin American and American cuisine by celebrity chef Alex Garcia.

CRISPY CALAMARI

Served over thinly sliced cucumbers, the Crispy Calamari is the perfect appetizer to start your dining experience at A.G. Kitchen. Just out of the fryer, the piping calamari is tossed in sweet Dominican honey glazed and topped with sesame seeds and organic sprouts for an extra crunch.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS AREPA

On top of crunchy, crispy sweet yellow corn cake is a generous serving of tender, braised short rib. The delicious arepa is finished off with sour cream, pickled onions, tomatoes, and arugula.

GARCIA’S SEAFOOD “PAELLA”

You will feel like being under the sea when presented with the Garcia’s Seafood Paella. This visually striking dish is topped with generous portions of seafood, including lobster tail, mussels, clams, and shrimp, as well as chorizo and chicken sautéed in saffron rice with peas, peppers, and other vegetables.

SAMBA CHICKEN

Served on a silver tray with two different sauces, the Samba Chicken is marinated for 24 hours in dry charcoal rub. This juicy, Brazilian style chicken is accompanied by honey glaze and A.G. Spicy Mojo sauce, and comes with a side of veggie or starch that ranges from asparagus and mashed potatoes to mushrooms and tamales.

BANANA MANIA

No matter how full you are, you still need to order dessert at A.G. Kitchen. The Banana Mania features two thick slices of warm banana walnut breads with caramelized banana and topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and powdered sugar. Heaven in your mouth!

TRADITIONAL FLAN

The rich Traditional Flan made with condensed milk is sweet and moist. Topped with fresh strawberries and mango, the flan is served with a side of whipped cream for additional sweetness.

Experience The DOVE Chocolate Journey From Bean To Bar With Its Partnership With CARE

Together, DOVE Chocolate and CARE will empower female farmers in Cote d’Ivoire

Mars Company, which produces DOVE Chocolate, recently pledged a donation of more than $1 million to CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, to empower female farmers in Cote d’Ivoire where cacao beans used to create DOVE Chocolate are sourced. Together, DOVE Chocolate and CARE provide on-the-ground training and support to provide more opportunities, financially and socially, for women to advance their role within the community.

For its launch event, guests enjoyed an elegant West African-inspired dinner by Ivorian-born Chef Morou Ouattara while engaging with cultural performances and learning about DOVE Chocolate’s partnership with CARE promoting women’s empowerment in Cote d’Ivoire.

The family-style appetizer included palm-fried plantain with onion, garlic, scallion, jalapenos, and ginger; black-eyed pea fritters, which were made with onions and chili and filled with DOVE chocolate, and medium-rare lamb chops garnished with fried onions, smoked paprika, and coriander.

For Course 1, guests indulged in sweet butter poached lobster tail & claw atop tapioca risotto, seaweed, white melon seed sauce, and sriracha pearls.

The main entree - curry crusted cornish hen - was pleasant to the eyes and the mouth. A block of creamed corn shaped like honeycomb was accompanied by juicy cornish hen topped with toasted banana and maple-cocoa glaze made of DOVE Chocolate blueberry juicy infused with cranberries and vanilla flavored cashews.

The dessert had multiple layers of deliciousness. On top of nutty banana bread were two slices of charred bananas on top of chocolate pudding made with DOVE dark chocolate. On the side were crunch maple granola with banana gelato.

Food Tastes Better With An Amazing View At Kimoto Rooftop In Brooklyn

The eclectic menu at Kimoto Rooftop in Downtown Brooklyn highlights American favorites with an Asian influence that are sophisticated in presentation and playful in concept.

1. Tuna Tartare

Over a bed of creamy, chunky guacamole is a generous portion of fresh raw tuna with pickled jalapeno and sesame seeds. Be sure to scoop up all the goodness on the plate, including the spicy aioli and the sweet soy sauce, with the crunchy, tri-colored tortilla chips on the side.

2. Tempura Basket

The tempura basket features crispy, hot-off-the-fryer tempura that ranges from shrimp to baby calamari in a skewer to potato croquette. The wasabi mayo and the sweet teriyaki sauces that come on the side pair perfectly well with the tempura.

3. Beef Bulgogi Tacos

This fusion dish highlights the cuisines of Mexico and Korea. Stuffed inside crunchy wonton shell are tender beef bulgogi with spicy kimchi slaw. The tacos are topped with thin slices of Asian pair, toasted sesame, and scallion.

4. Spicy Togarashi and Truffle & Parmesan Fries

The flavors of these delicious flavors are further enhanced with spicy togarashi (top) and truffle & parmesan. Perfect accompaniment to your main entrees, the fries have crispy exterior and moist interior.

5. Gochujang BBQ Wings

Forget all the chicken wings you have had in the past - the Gochujang BBQ Wings will completely change your mind! These wings have the crispiest skins with the juiciest meat. The spicy and sweet gochujang BBQ sauce make these wings even more addicting.

6. Kobe Beef Burger

These soft buns are lathered with generous amount of kimchi slaw at the bottom and gochujang bbq sauce on top. The juicy beef pattie is topped with white truffle oil and sprouts.

7. Crispy Pork Cutlet

The pieces of deep-fried pork cutlet are topped with kewpie mayonnaise sauce and red cabbage slaw.

Mouthwatering Burgers, Salads, And Fries You Must Try From Island Burgers And Shakes In NYC

Satisfy your burgers, fries, and shakes cravings at Island Burgers and Shakes in New York City.

Island Burgers & Shakes opened its first location in 1996, and have been serving mouthwatering flame-grilled burgers, sandwiches, salads, and milk shakes for the past 20 years. Here are some of my favorite items!

1. Tuscan Salad with Grilled Chicken

This huge, entree-sized salad incorporates fresh vegetables with a protein of choice for a healthy and hearty meal. The Tuscan salad includes generous portions of raw mushrooms, onions, roasted peppers, black olives, artichoke hearts, tomato slices, and fresh mozzarella with grilled chicken rubbed with spices, all over a bed of mixed greens.

2. Build-Your-Own Turkey Burger

Custom make your own burger creation. You start with a choice of protein - hamburger, grilled chicken breast, turkey burger, or portobello mushroom - and add additional items like cheese like cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, sauces, and toppings like onions, guacamole, mushrooms, and salsa. There are so many combinations to create your perfect burger.

3. Sweet Potato Fries

A side of sweet potato fries is a must. The fries are perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and packs tons of flavors. You can also add sauces like Bayou mayo or curried sour cream to enhance the flavors.

Most Delicious West African + French Dishes From Ponty Bistro In NYC

Sick of the boring old pasta or hamburger? Then try Ponty Bistro, a restaurant that specializes in a fusion of West African and French cuisine in the heart of New York City.

1. Crispy Tuna

Wrapped in pickled ginger and cilantro, the Crispy Tuna is an absolutely mouthwatering dish that you must order. Perfect for sharing, this appetizer highlights fresh chunks of raw tuna with crispy skin. It is served on a bed of sweet soy-ginger vinaigrette with wasabi aioli and a hint of chili oil.

2. Soft Shell Crab

The lightly fried soft shell crab is topped with a bed of marinated olive oil and other vegetables like peas, onions, green bell pepper, and carrots. There are four pieces of asparagus to add a bit of extra crunchiness to the dish.

3. 5 Stars Seafood Risotto

The rich and creamy 5 Stars Seafood Risotto packs generous amount of fresh seafood, from the meaty lobster to juicy shrimp to plump scallops. The rice is cooked perfectly al dante, and the creamy, rich base of the sauce will make you want more of this delicious goodness.

4. Le Poulet Yassa

A traditional chicken dish from Senegal, Le Poulet Yassa features juicy, half-chicken in savory marinade with onions, bell peppers, and olives. The dish is served with a side of white rice to soak up all the delicious juice and sauce on the plate.

Top 4 Brunch Dishes To Cure Your Hangover

Feeling groggy after a wild night out? Instead of staying home and suffering through the symptoms of hangover, come out to Brooklyn Kitchen - a family-owned cooking store that offers ingredient-driven groceries, quality tools and equipment, and technique-based recreational cooking classes - for a chance to make mouthwatering dishes that are not only delicious, but will also cure your worst hangover!

Don’t worry if you are a novice cook. Brooklyn’s Kitchen’s friendly staff and volunteers will guide you through every step to perfecting these sweet and savory brunch dishes.

1. Chicken and Ginger Spinach Soup

Nothing is more comforting than a bowl of warm chicken soup, which helps to restock sodium and water levels in the body. Chicken also contains cysteine, which gives the liver a much needed boost. Ginger works wonders for nausea relief and contains anti-inflammatory compounds. Finally, spinach is rich with potassium, an important electrolyte that is often depleted during alcohol intake.

2. Bloody Mary Egg Bake with Bacon Crumble

Inspired by everyone’s favorite brunch cocktail, the Bloody Mary Egg Bake with Bacon Crumble offers a kick of spiciness from the hot sauce to wake up your senses. Eggs pack a ton of cysteine, an amino acid that breaks down toxins in your body. Tomatoes help pack simple sugars to get your levels up and running again, and its inflammatory benefits don’t hurt either.

3. Everything Bagel Avocado Toast with Mascarpone and Red Onion Pickle

Avocado is everyone’s favorite new, trendy ingredient for brunch. The nutritional content of avocados can counteract dizziness and weakness that results from heavy drinking. Apple cider vinegar in the pickled onion can help dissolve foreign substances in your body, and also balance pH levels and increase deficient minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and iron.

4. Lemon Thyme Bread

And after all the savory dishes, who can say “No” to a sweet treat? The Lemon Thyme Bread packs rich scent from fresh thyme and lemon peel. After baking in the oven for 40-50 minutes, the bread is crispy crust and dense yet moist inside that just melts in your mouth. Top it off with a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt and drizzle it with honey, and you’ve got yourself the perfect dish to end the brunch.

Restaurant Review: From Presentation To Flavor, Hakkasan Delivers Delicious Dining Experience

Hakkasan Group

Dining at Hakkasan in Manhattan’s Theater District is more than just an experience - it’s an exquisite culinary journey through the restaurant’s innovative dishes that showcase traditional Cantonese cuisine with a modern twist. This year, I got to partake in Hakkasan’s celebration of the Year of the Monkey by attending its Chinese New Year dinner, which featured a limited edition menu created by International Executive Chef Ho Chee Boon.

Double Boiled Fresh Ginseng and Chicken Soup

Designed with the hope of bringing joy, luck, and prosperity to the diners, the elaborate pre fixe dinner began with a bowl of Double Boiled Fresh Ginseng and Chicken Soup. The soup was an excellent start to the meal as the flavorful broth enriched with ginseng, tender chicken breasts, bamboo pith, and wolfberry warmed my soul.

Diced Wagyu Beef & Pine Nut Golden Cup

The next course of “Small Eat” included Diced Wagyu Beef & Pine Nut Golden Cupand a selection of Hakkasan’s signature Steamed Dim Sum Platter. The finely diced, juicy wagyu beef and pine nuts were piled on top of lightly fried, crispy cup. Beyond the complexity of flavor and texture in the dish, I was impressed with the beautiful plating that highlighted natural colors of pomegranate seeds, micro greens, and flower petals.

Steamed Dim Sum Platter

There were four different varieties of dim sum in the Steamed Dim Sum Platter. My favorite was the Scallop Shumai. Wrapped inside chewy dumpling skin was a plump piece of shrimp and scallop with a scoop of caviar roe on top. The only disappointment in the platter was the Duck & Yam Bean Dumpling; the gravy-like, thick sauce on top of the dim sum, as well as the combination of mushy yam and salty duck, was not pleasing to the mouth.

Pipa Duck and Roasted Chilean Sea Bass

The shareable “Main” course featured a generous portion of four dishes and fried rice. My favorite was a tie between the Pipa Duck and the Roasted Chilean Sea Bass. The Pipa Duck had beautifully crispy, golden skin with juicy, albeit fatty, meat. The hoisin sauce at the bottom added pleasantly sweet end note. The Chilean sea bass, glazed with Chinese honey, was so succulent that it just melted in my mouth. I particularly enjoyed the tempura battered mushroom on top of the sea bass.

Wok-Fry Lobster, Hericium Mushrooms, and Scallop & Crab Fried Rice

Other dishes in the “Main” course included Wok-Fry Lobster in spicy truffle sauce with asparagus, mushroom, and carrots, and the vegetarian Hericium Mushrooms stir fried with lotus root, asparagus, and lily bulb in black pepper sauce. The Scallop & Crab Meat fried rice was the perfect accompaniment to the generally salty main entrees.

Golden Halo

To sweeten the palate, the dinner concluded with Golden Halo, an intricate dessert of soy caramel, cubed banana with edible gold flakes, chocolate truffle, and candied peanuts. Oh, and don’t forget about the dust of gold on the plate! At the end of the dinner, I also got to write my wish on a gold ribbon to hang in the restaurant and received a farewell gift of Year of the Monkey gold coin as a sign of good fortune. I have a feeling 2016 will be a prosperous year after this delicious Chinese New Year meal at Hakkasan!