Five Points

Five Points
31 Great Jones St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 253-5700

Goodness gracious me, this place has THE best churros, hands down. Yes, you have to try it with the mexican hot chocolate. Trust me, it is worth the extra $3! The fluffy, sugar-sprinkled churros soaked in mexican hot chocolate is like a party in my mouth: deliciously tasty. I would go back again..JUST for the churros :)

authentic churros w/ hot chocolate

 The food was good, I got the French Toast w/ caramelized apple compote, whipped cream and Vermont maple syrup while my friend ordered baked egg whites mixed w/ spinach, roasted potatoes, parmesan and mozzarella mmm-mmm!! The french toast was a bit too sweet for me - I knew I should've shared it as an appetizer. It was a lot of food for two people, due to its generous portions, but I'm not complaining :P Make sure you make reservations for brunch, it'll save you the wait, especially on the weekends when brunch is served. We were there on time and got seated within a few minutes, with a reservation. Overall, it was another pleasant dining experience in NYC :)

Overall: 3.5/5

いただきます~! (Itadakimasu) means "let's eat" in Japanese :D

Sushi of Gari
402 E. 78th Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 517-5340

A very nice sushi restaurant that is unpretentious and all about taste, Sushi of Gari is unlike any other sushi restaurants--they're in the business of good food AND service! Upon being seated, we were politely greeted by our waitress (the Japanese never failed to show proper courtesy) and were asked about our taste preferences and expectations--talk about attentive service!

The sushi itself were lovely pieces of mouthwatering heaven. Each piece had a unique and fresh taste to it. A compilation of my favorites:

*Seared Salmon: O-M-G, sooo scrumptious! Yea yea I know what you're thinking, "Chill out Pam, it's just salmon!" but noooo..it's THE salmon that melts in your mouth! Completely pleased my taste buds that night :)

*Fatty Tuna (toro sushi): Mmmm, here's to another melter! The presentation was absolutely perfect and the taste was simple yet satisfying. I could eat this everyday.

*Tuna with tofu creme: What a brilliant creation! The tofu creme looked like cream cheese at first (yuck) but the soft, light, and slightly sweet tofu paired with the tuna was enjoyable and provided a refreshing flavor.

*Shrimp with ceviche: This one was an interesting one. Ceviche on sushi you may ask? Yup. This pairing had more of a fruity/zesty taste to it, and while I give it credit for being daring in its ingredients, I wasn't a huge fan. (Or maybe I'm just being biased due to my love-hate relationship with anything shrimp-related) :P

After three courses, we were ready for desserts! Popular for its sushi, we were surprised to see that their desserts were just as delectable. We ordered the green tea mille crepes (which was GREAT - not too heavy nor sweet) and the creme brulee--a perfect ending to a very enjoyable and fulfilling meal.


Overall: 4/5

Baohaus

137 Rivington Street
Manhattan, NY 10002
(646) 684-3835
www.baohausnyc.com

Let me just say I was very skeptical when I heard this place was voted as one of 'The Best Taiwanese food in Manhattan'. Walking in the store, I wasn't sure what to expect because:

1) the store itself was decorated somewhat like a fast-food-type-place w/ colors of blue and white (think: white castle)
2) the people cooking the baos were Americans.

We were greeted by the owner's son (who was also Taiwanese) and he recommended a few of their signature baos..and ooohhhh boy was I wrong about Americans..they can cook Taiwanese food! The baos were delicious!! Unfortunately, the Haus Bao wasn't available that day so I tried their Chairman Bao instead which was TASTY TASTY - exactly something you would find off the street carts in Taiwan. I tried another more "americanized" bao: fried fish mixed with hot and spicy sweet and sour sauce...although not your traditional Taiwanese bao, it was equally tasty and flavorful. Prices were a bit expensive for a few small buns, but totally worth the trip!

Overall: 3.5/5