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.

Pizza? No, Pisa!

How often do people eat pizza?  Better yet, how often do New Yorkers eat pizza?  Frequently I suppose, since the good old "New Yawk Pizza" originated from this city.

Pizza parlors are scattered all over New York.  It leaves me wondering whether there are more pizza parlors than Starbucks, which seem to appear once every three blocks or so!  Has eating pizza become habitual as coffee has become addicting?  Hm!  Well, all I know is while there are those who eat pizza on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, eating pizza is a rare thing for me, but I  DO have occasional cravings for a good pizza!  My most recent craving brought me not one, but two pizzas!

So I offered him ONE bite & this is what he leaves me with

Out of the blue one day, on a train ride back home, I had a huge craving for pizza.  Thoughts came running through my head of good tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese, and the perfect last crunch of a pizza crust.  Pizza deprivation is a serious matter, kids!  So my feet walked me to a local pizza parlor to order a New Yawk Pizza and some garlic knots, all for $2.50 + tax.  I felt no guilt at all.  Nothing better than a cheap craving satisfaction and a full tummy! 

Unknowingly, I get home to find out that my beau has arrived home before me.  I wasn't going to give him my pizza, I only had 1 slice!

A couple of nights later, he comes home with a BOX for me.  Very aware of what a big fat foodie I am, what else would he fill a box with, really?  Lol.  Although I'd wish the box was 100x smaller and contain something that could possibly BLIND me, the huge box that contained a whiff of pizza was acceptable, for now.  He brought me some pizza from Adrienne's Pizzabar, which was a lot more upscale than my New Yawk Pizza.  Thin crust and topped with prosciutto, basil leaves and tomato, his pizza brought me back to Italy.  Oh, the days back in Florence, Rome and Venice ... the visit at the Tower of Pisa ...

Speaking of Pisa, Italy had the most amazing, authentic, thin crust pizza.  Here is a pic of us in Italy, with a huge a** pizza:

Pizza craving?  CHECK!

Long Week: As Long as My Foot-long

This week was painstakingly dreadful despite the upcoming, highly anticipated labor day weekend and being released a little earlier today.  I was really hoping to be let out before lunch and was so looking forward to (and expecting) it that I totally forgot about lunch ... until I realized that everybody in the office had gone out.  So I faced the truth and went to get myself a Subway's foot-long while moping.

I opted for the oven-roasted chicken on whole wheat bread with everything on it plus honey mustard.  It was literally as long as my keyboard.  All that for $5 excluding tax ...amazing!

When I finally got home, my beau shows me a mini-mooncake that his co-worker had given him.  It was delivered to her straight from Hong Kong and she demanded that he eat it quickly while it's fresh!  Hence we scarfed it down!

It really was just a mini "cake."  It was nothing like the traditional moon cake other than the "moon," or the yolk, in the center.  But then again, over the past few years, the moon cake has evolved into variations including chilled moon cakes and flavored moon cakes (such as green tea, red bean, etc).  Nonetheless, this mini moon cake was very delish and I'd prefer having this over the original moon cake anytime.

My Crazy Family's Photo Contributions

When I broke to my sisters that I just started a blog with a main concentration on food, I asked them to contribute photos of good food so that I can share them here.  I also requested that they take detailed and quality pictures of food in ALL ANGLES because they are unacceptable if they don't meet my standards, lol!  One of the first emails that I received had me rolling ...

LOL ... my family is crazy!  A Coke can in all angles ... who would have expected that?  However, it's nice to receive these silly emails once in a while to keep me sane!

Well besides that, I also received the following pictures.  It's roast pork over rice from Wing Wong on Mott St., a juicy burger with fries from Cup and Saucer on Canal St. and finally beef brisket over rice from Oversea Taste Restaurant on Canal St.

I told her that her photos suck ... but I honestly think that she has some potential!

My Cubicle Smells Like Fish!

If you ask me to name a cheap, simple food that I can't resist myself from eating, I'd have to answer you Chinese buns. Yes, those carby little devils that typically cost under $1.00 each that are paired with an array of fillings - roast pork, kaya, ham & egg, hot dog, cream, nothing at all, or the one filling that I was in the mood for today, tunafish!

Now, it is quite the challenge for someone who works in Midtown Manhattan to find affordable lunch. I am truly envious of those who can afford to go out for lunch 5 out of the 5 workdays, because like I've mentioned in a previous post, even salads can cost up to $10! So I've set a budget for my lunch on days that I don't feel like bringing any homemade food to work: $5.00. Yup, cinco dolares! Believe it or not, it is possible! However, my options are undoubtedly, very, very, and I mean, VERY limited. I can count restaurants in Midtown that offer lunch under $5.00 with five fingers! Well, I might be exaggerating a wee bit, but it is definitely as hard as finding treasures on the ocean floor! Luckily for me, Fay Da, a Chinese bakery is just around the corner ...

And so I decided on the tuna bun. Fay Da's tuna bun is unlike any other that you may find at a Chinese bakery. It isn't just a plain bun with tuna fish filling. It is a cylindrical bun with soft edges and a distinctive top crust whose texture is comparable to pastries made with phyllo dough. It is well-balanced with a slight flakiness and a slight crunch with every bite, but because it is much more compact than phyllo dough, it doesn't leave a single flake on your lip!

They also fill the bun with a decent amount of tuna fish, so don't worry about not getting your bang for the buck (buck 25 in this case). Although my cubicle smelled very much like fish after I split the bun into two, it was very well worth it.

Fay Da also offers a variety of other baked and steamed buns. What's even better is they are situated in the same location as Lunch Box Buffet, where I get my $5.00 lunch boxes with 5 selections.

Oh don't worry, you'll be seeing a lunch box soon enough, when my cheap a** gets too lazy to cook.

Food and Family ... the Perfect Combo

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I had Friday off [because I have very cool bosses]. So I spent some quality t-i-m-e in Manhattan's Chinatown with my sister. We tried out a Vietnamese restaurant for the first time, Tu Do, located at 102 Bowery St. We stepped in fearing for the worst, but hoping for the best. It was about 1:45pm with only 2 tables seated with customers, so we were quite hesitant to walk through the door, but we figured that we should give it a chance and establish our thoughts after the meal. Luckily about 10 minutes upon placing our order, customers started to show up and we let out a sigh of relief! I guess people who work around the area take a later lunch?


So we started off with a shrimp summer roll for appetizer. It's always refreshing to begin a meal with a light and cool little snack, especially on a hot summer day! We each ordered a beef pho as well, and boy was it a ginormous bowl! It was quite the deal as they didn't skimp on the beef nor the noodles. It was so big that I had to take the rest of it to go. One may disagree with me however, as my sister finished hers entirely!


Pho is one of my favorite comfort foods. Don't underestimate this broth! It is comprised of so many ingredients, that even Top Chefs may not be able to identify some of the subtle flavors at a round of the Tasting Challenge. The noodle soup is so soothing to the stomach, I suppose it is a popular item on winter days. Nonetheless, the richness in flavor also makes it an irresistible option on hotter days! I also suggest adding a little kick to the beef and tripe with a touch of hot sauce mixed with hoisin sauce. Garnished with basil leaves, lime, scallions, onions and bean sprouts, pho is one of my all time favorites 'pho sure!

Lunch and Frugality

Ugh, back home from an exhausting day at work. I had terrible sleep, waking up in the middle of the night to scratch my unusually itchy mosquito bites. Bugs and creepy crawlers make up the worst part of summer!

So I thought I'd share with you all what I had for lunch today! I know I said I'd touch on topics like fashion and fitness, but you're probably going to see more posts on food. Yes, I am a Fatty. Well, besides Fashion, Food, Fitness, my Family and doing Fun stuff ... there's another "F" that makes a big part of my life. It is FRUGALITY! It makes sense doesn't it, for an accountant to maintain her books, meet her budget and ensure that money isn't being spent wastefully? Honestly, someone who loves to eat as much as I do should really learn to be frugal. I mean, I've never been a big spender, but I've come to the realization recently, when I took a look at how much money I actually spend on dining out and food purchases, that not only do I spend most of my money on food, but it's not a small chunk! As much as I love fashion, I don't shop for clothing or accessories as much as I do for food.

Having said that, I decided to start bringing lunch to work so that I can save my chump change for indulging on friday nights and/or weekends. I mean, just compare spending as much as $10 for a salad in midtown to making a similar salad yourself for as little as $1! That is $50 worth of store-bought salad vs. $5 of homemade salad over the course of 5 days! Big difference people!

So let us appreciate and admire my money-saving salad! Grilled chicken breast with green peppers, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrots, topped with grated Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette!