Saturday, November 20, 2010

Work: The Good Food and New York City Skyline

Boy do I miss blogging!  I was super busy the past month studying for yet another section of the CPA exam.  I felt prepared and ready for the exam, had an extra half an hour to spare and walked out extremely confident.  Can't wait to find out what my score is.  Two down and two more to go!

Although I've been home bound with my nose in the books for the past month, I made room for important dates with significant people.  There was my father's 60th birthday and me and my partner's 5th year anniversary =).  However, I will save those for next time!

Work has been constant as well, but one thing that I have to make note of is the BEAUTIFUL sunset I see every single night upon setting our clocks for daylight savings.  I truly hate not being able to walk back home from work in the sun anymore, but seeing this sunset every night just makes it all worth it.  I was especially  amazed by yesterday night's sunset.  It looked like a painting of a vast desert was set right behind the New York City skyline.  Speechless.



There's no room for fun & games when you're studying, but there's always room for food! Check out what I've been eating for lunch at work with my $5 budget.

Yes, I stick to my roots and eat Chinese almost each time I decide to buy something for lunch rather than bringing in my homemade delicacies, haha!  It's not that I don't like other cuisines, they're just way too overpriced in midtown!

For only $5, I can get myself a lunch box from Lunch Box Buffet, where there is a wide variety of selections to choose from.  I'm a big fan of their spare ribs, shiitake mushrooms with bamboo, ginger spiced chicken, ma po tofu, soy sauce chicken, rice vermicelli, and so on!  They have both hot and cold selections and for only $5, you get to choose 5 yummies in your tummy. Fay Da is situated in the same spot, so you can pick up a hot coffee, bubble tea or Chinese buns along the way!



Recently, I've also been frequenting Fuji Bakery, a hidden gem sitting only a few blocks away from my workplace.  My coworker gave me their menu several months ago, but I never gave it a chance after reading some pretty bad reviews from Yelpers.  Last week, I had a sudden craving for a hot noodle soup, so I decided to give Fuji a shot ... and am glad I did!

For only $4.95, I got myself a tightly stuffed quart of wonton noodle soup that came with bok choi.  It was so packed that the lid was literally about to pop off.  They weren't skimpy with the veggies, noodles or wonton.  Best of all, the noodle soup was tasty AND they gave me a sealed spoon!  Hygiene is a major concern of mine when ordering take-out.  You really have no idea where the utensils have been and who's hands have been touching them.  Judging by the pace of food going in and out of kitchens at fast-food restaurants, or any restaurant for that matter, utensils probably don't always get picked up by their handles.  So Fuji is definitely the way to go!  I went back to try their buns as well, and they were delicioso.  They even serve dim sum for breakfast!!


Another restaurant that deserves to be mentioned is Azuki.  I may be frugal, but I do and am more than willing to spend some money on food when it comes to dining experiences to be shared with loved ones.  I came here a while back with my sister, who was shopping around the area prior to meeting with me for lunch.  She loves Japanese food just like I do, so it was the perfect spot for us.

We both ordered a sashimi bento box, which came with California rolls, ha gow, salad, white rice and fresh sashimi.  I've dined and have had take-out from Azuki before and have never been dissatisfied.  It confuses me why some reviewers leave some horrible remarks and ratings for this restaurant.  Well, to each his own.  I know that we left with a full, happy tummy and a big smile on our faces.