Asian Flavors

Last time I was craving Mexican food like nothing else and not much has changed in that department. Today however, I will discuss some of the delicious food we have been enjoying since being here.
I know I have mentioned Chinatown a few times and some delicious Dim Sum we had. There are many other Asian flavors we have discovered since then and I’m not talking about simply sushi.
In Midtown, there is a street dedicated solely to Korean food. Technically it’s considered Koreatown but you can’t really turn a street into a town in my opinion. Nevertheless, I love, love, love going there and enjoy the food as much as I do the people and vibe. It’s busy and exciting and really makes you feel as if you were in some Korean town as opposed to the middle of NYC.
In our own neighborhood in Brooklyn we have also been exposed to Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese food, all good and all really affordable. If you take one thing away from this article, let it be that Asian food is good for your wallet.
So, here are our fave dishes, courtesy of some Asian culture or another.

Korean BBQ - you cook the meat yourself on the hot plate in the center of the table and eat it along with all those extra side dishes

Pad Thai Noodles - noodles cooked with 16 other ingredients including your meat of choice - contains peanuts!

Vietnamese Pho Soup - refreshing broth with rice noodles and your choice of meat

Japanese Ramen Soup - noodles in hearty beef broth with your choice of meat or veggies and optional eggs; often served spicy

Shrimp Spring Rolls - I think this is Thai; glass/rice noodles rolled up with shrimp, carrots, cucumbers, mint and cilantro served with peanut dipping sauce

Korean Tofu Stew - can be spicy or not; best eaten with rice thrown in to absorb the broth

Vietnamese Sandwich - fresh and crispy roll stuffed with bbq pork, carrots, cilantro, cucumbers/onions

Missing Mexican Food!

It’s been eight months now since I moved to New York and the thing I was afraid of is happening – I’m missing Mexican food like crazy. Other than missing family and friends whenever I travel or move to a new place, I miss the food the most.
So San Diego is known for delicious Mexican food because of its proximity to Mexico. Lots of dishes are what you would consider Mexican-American or Tex-Mex but I don’t care, I love it. I didn’t realize how much I had grown accustomed to this type of cuisine until I moved to NY and couldn't find any good Mexican food here. I haven’t tried every single place in the city but the ones I have been to have not lived up to my expectations. Guess the closest thing I can get is Cuban food, which is somewhat similar but not really.

So occasionally I get a ridiculous craving for carne asada fries or a satisfying bean and cheese burrito. Damn, maybe I shouldn’t be writing about this as my mouth is starting to water…. I’ll just give you a run-down of the things I’ve come to love and the things that have sustained me through high school, college and grad school. Ditching class in high school for a carne asada burrito was always worth it to me and when one of my teachers allowed us to order food to be delivered to our class, I was in heaven. Every Thursday I’d devour a shrimp quesadilla during Chemistry. In college I survived off Taco Bell and their incredibly cheap bean burritos and soft tacos. Not the most authentic Mexican food but on a college budget, it hit the spot. Those two items traveled with me through grad school but with a bit more money in my pocket (not sure how that happened), I also indulged in shrimp burritos from Rubios as well as their carnitas street tacos. That’s more legit I guess. And finally my husband introduced me to the best place ever in South San Diego, a place called Super Sergios which is a typical taco shop that provided many carne asada fries on our late nights coming home from parties. Anyways, here are my faves and rules for eating them.

Bean & Cheese Burrito - best eaten with hot sauce although I'm chicken and only eat "mild" (Taco Bell Mild Hot Sauce is the best)

Carne Asada Burrito - perfect as is if done right; should be juicy and flavorful and no hot sauce needed

Carne Asada Fries - fries covered with beef strips, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and drizzled with hot sauce

Fajitas - sizzling skillet of your choice of meat (mine is shrimp) with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms

Shrimp Burrito - shrimp wrapped in a flour tortilla with rice, beans, sauce and pico de gallo - best served with guacamole and roasted chipotle salsa

Quesadillas - I like mine stuffed with shrimp but there are endless variations, just make sure they are crispy and eat with sour cream, guacamole and salsa

Street Tacos - best ones in my opinion are the pork ones, served with onion and cilantro; just top with salsa and ready to go