Yun Nan Flavour Garden

Remember that cold noodles place I raved about in Brooklyn? That little hole in the wall called Yun Nan Flavour Snack Inc. ? Well, I have good and bad (?) news. The good news is that they moved to a bigger restaurant with a decent amount of tables! The bad news is that I think it's not as good. Well, at least for me. H thinks it is just as good. Maybe it's because I've been eating the noodles there instead of eating it at home (I'm thinking that by the time I get home, the sauce is absorbed in the noodles making it tastier!)

I am going to test that theory out the next time I go there!

Dumpling with Hot and Sour Sauce - $5.25

I always forget which dish this is...it's either the rice noodle with meat sauce or the noodle with spicy meat sauce (I must have forgotten to take a picture of the other dish).

Hey you - yes you, the person who I was trying to make hungry with my last post. You should venture out to Brooklyn and finally try this place.

Yun Nan Flavour Garden
5121 8th Ave (between 51st St & 52nd St)
Brooklyn, NY 11220

(718) 633-3090

Tabaré

Going to go straight to the pics..

I enjoyed this bottle of rosato.

Complimentary Bread

1 Cheese and 1 Chicken Empanadas - $7

The cheese empanada was great. The chicken, not so much. I remember it lacking flavor.

Churrasco - Grass-fat skirt steak, chimichurri sauce, potato confit, market salad - $19

The steak was good. They cooked it to my likely and the meat just tasted good. The chimichurri sauce on top of it was excellent too. The potato confit was okay. I don't like thick pieces of potato because there is usually not enough flavor to go around. It would have been better if this came with small pieces like potato wedges. The salad could have been good. It would have went well with the dish except that it was pretty salty. I think the guy coming around with the pepper mill actually had a salt mill instead...

I believe this was their flan de leche? Personally, I'm not a big fan of flan because I find it too sweet. I think the others at my table enjoyed it though.

Anyway, this is a good place for skirt steak. We got there at 6 on a Saturday evening and surprisingly, it wasn't that crowded at all. I guess 6 is a bit early for some people.

Tabaré
221 S 1st St (between Driggs Ave & Roebling St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211

(347) 335-0187
tabarenyc.com

Yun Nan Flavor Snack

Since my last post on this place, I went back twice...

Cold Sesame Noodles

Cold Sesame Noodles after I mixed it

So on Yelp, everyone was raving about this. I'm not sure what the big deal is. I was really disappointed. Overall, I found it lacking flavor.I didn't even taste that much sesame paste/sauce. It was nothing compared to what I got yesterday. I had gone back to order a #13( Rice Noodle with Crispy Meat Sauce) again but I think she had given me the wrong thing. Whatever she did give me, it was super good. It didn't have any soup so it was more like a cold sesame noodle feel. The noodles with the sauce was really tasty. It even had more of a hint of sesame than the cold sesame noodles I got today. I gotta figure out what it was that she gave me.

Update 04-14-2013:
I found out what this was called..."17 - Noodles with Spicy Meat Sauce"!


Yun Nan Flavor Snack
774 49th St
Brooklyn, NY 11220

(718) 633-3090

Yun Nan Flavor Snack

Found this place on Yelp and decided to check it out because it had good review.

Menu

13 - Rice Noodle with Crispy Meat Sauce - $4.75

13 - Rice Noodle with Crispy Meat Sauce - Pic 2

13 - Rice Noodle with Crispy Meat Sauce - Pic 3

The noodles itself was good. The broth was good too. Good flavor but a bit oily (I would think mostly from the hot oil). I heard that the crispy meat was good.

27 - Dumpling with Hot and Sour Sauce  - $4.75

Not bad either. The broth is spicy and has a nice helping of vinegar. The dumplings itself is good but not great. I wish it was cooked a little bit more.

Anyway, if you are in the neighborhood, check this place out on a nice cold day.


Yun Nan Flavor Snack
774 49th St
Brooklyn, NY 11220

(718) 633-3090

Cafe Mogador

Dinner pics from a friend's bday dinner. Limited commentary this time. 

I love this menu cover.

I discovered that Malbec is my least favorite red wine.

I believe this is the Mixed Platter appetizer.

Mixed Grill - $19.50

I along with a few others got this dish. I personally didn't think it was great. Since I was somewhat already full from the soup and appetizer, I ate only the chicken. The other meats didn't appeal to me. The afghan place in queens (Bakhtar Afghan) has much better kabobs.

Hmm...I think this was the lamb dish on the menu.

...chicken dish.

Sea bass

Salad that came with most of the entrees.

Overall, I didn't think anything was outstanding in this restaurant. The grilled meats combo was not very good. The meat was a bit on the dry and bland side. The rice was decent. I think it could have been more moist and flavorful. The soup was good but not really my style.

Birthday cake (from a Bakery in Gravesend, Brooklyn)

Cafe Mogador
133 Wythe Ave (between 7th St & 8th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 486-9222
http://www.cafemogador.com/williamsburg/

Peter Luger Steak House

Finally went to Peter Luger this past weekend.

I made reservations about a month in advance but I'm not sure if that's needed if you are flexible with when you want to dine there. I got the feeling that there were some openings in the near future when I made my reservation.

Our party of 6 was seated within 10 or so mins after our arrival. It was a Sunday afternoon (1:45) and the place was decently populated.

Bread...Although the taste was not bad, the fact that I had to use a good amount of muscle to pull it apart made me not like it. It was also not warm when it came out. I was disappointed.

Damn my headache for preventing me from drinking too much of this

Ah, the famous Peter Luger steak sauce. What's funny is that I remember liking it in the past (the bottled ones) but for whatever reason, I didn't like it that day. I found it too tangy for the steak. I know it's laughable but I think I prefer A1 sauce. I will make a note to try these two sauces one day, side by side, and see which one I really like.

Luger's Sizzling Bacon

Omg, this bacon appetizer was so good, I put three pics of it up. The best part of this slice is the meat to fat ratio. It was just perfect. It was crisp yet I felt like it melted in my mouth. The flavor was also great. Salty but not too salty. Best thing I had there!!!

Onion Rings

I thought this was pretty good onion rings. I love onion rings but in the past few years, I haven't found a decent place that made really good onion rings. It was always usually either too fried, too crisp, too oily or too bland. I actually enjoyed these rings though. I thought the flavor was good. Great onion to batter ratio, wasn't too oily and went well with my meal. It was nice to take a few bites of it every once in awhile.

We ordered a steak for two and a steak for three. The steak comes out in a big dish, all pre-cut. The waiter puts it on the table and then puts a few slices on everyone's plate. I'm still learning how to eat steak so I'm still scared of the pinkness. As a result, I ordered it medium well (don't shake your head at me!)...

Personally, I didn't care too much for the steak. I guess I just can't appreciate a good piece of steak, eh? I found it a bit on the bland side and the first piece that I had was a bit chewy. That's what I get for getting it medium well? I don't know. It was chewy yet it was still a bit pinkish. I ended up eating three pieces and I was done.

The sides here are their Luger's Special German Fried Potatoes and Creamed Spinach. The creamed spinach as alright. Not my style (I don't get it often so I can't tell you if it tasted good or not). The potatoes were awesome. Flavor was good and the potatoes were not too mushy. I think this was the second best thing ;P

Complimentary chocolate coins

So would I recommend going to Peter Luger? Yes, I would. I would go for the experience. I think if you are somewhat into steaks, definitely come here and form your own opinion. I gotta warn you though, the ambience itself is nothing special . If you didn't know any better, it just looks like a ordinary restaurant. The tables are wood with some clear coating. The chairs are your standard cushion chairs and the plates look like plates that your mom would have in her house.

I'm going back but only to go with someone who hasn't been there and for the bacon and potatoes!


Peter Luger Steak House
178 Broadway (between 6th St & Driggs Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 387-7400
http://www.peterluger.com

Thanh Da

Earlier this year, my friend told me about this Vietnamese restaurant around my parents' house. It sounded good and since it was only about a 15 mins drive, I was very much interested in going.

As I was reading reviews about the restaurant, I saw several good comments about their viet sandwiches. Well, I love me some banh mi...so it didn't take me too long to drive out there!

I ate this back in Jan so I can't tell you what my exact opinions were but I can tell you that I didn't go "wow...".

I still think the Saigon Bakery in Chinatown is the best (when you can get a fresh sandwich with non-stale bread).

I will go back to this place one day and report back!


Thanh Da
6008 7th Ave (between 60th St & 61st St)
Brooklyn, NY 11220

(718) 492-3253

Pok Pok NY

I really wanted to go to bed (Yes, it's only 9:09pm...but I am tired!) but I figure I post these pictures up. Because my eyes are half open, I will post with minimum commentary.

Thai Iced Coffee...I gotta say. This was pretty good. It's the best Iced coffee that I've had at any restaurant. It was almost as good as my brother's Iced coffee. 

This was my friend's drink...was it peach? Or was it mango? I can't remember anymore ;P

...wait a sec...I think I see it on the receipt. I believe this is a Mango Alexander. My friend enjoyed it. 

Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce WIngs (Spicy)

This was good. The wings were small (which I love) and crispy. There was enough heat for you to taste but not enough for you to grab that cup of water. The flavor overall was rich. Good wings.

Kai Yaang (Half Bird)

Out of everything we ordered, I gotta say that this was the most disappointing. That might not be as bad as you think though. The hen wasn't bad tasting...it was just ordinary. Nothing special about it. The sauces that came with it was ordinary too. The chicken at Pio Pio is much better. 

Since there are so many dishes to try, I would not get this until you have tried everything else. 

Papaya Pok Pok

This was good. I've always been a fan of papaya salad. My sister makes it really good and I think this one here is just as good. The salad was flavorful and had just the right amount of heat. I would recommend getting this because it's light and won't interfere too much with your other dishes. 

Sai Ua Samun Phrai (Sausage)

There weren't that many slices so I only got to taste just a little of this. Based on what everyone said though, it sounded delicious. The sauce that came with it was described as good and spicy. 

Khanom Jiin Sao Naam

This was different. It's a sweet dish although I wouldn't categorize it as a dessert. I wouldn't say that this was bad but I'm not sure everyone would like it. This would be something to share among a big crowd just so that you can taste it. I wouldn't get it if I only had a party of two or three. 

Cha Ca "La Vong" (Catfish)

The fish was good. It was nice to eat something besides beef and poultry. 

Neua Naam Tok (Steak salad)

I think this was the steak salad...although I don't really see it on the receipt. Maybe it's under a different name. Either way, I enjoyed this. Usually, when I get these dishes, I am afraid that the steak is too red. To my surprise, this one was not. The beef was cooked yet still very tender. 

Da Chom's Laap Meuang (Minced pork salad)

I think I might have gotten a bad piece or something but I did not enjoy this at all. I only took a very small amount to taste and it had this funky "meat taste" to it. I'm not sure how else to describe it. 

Kaeung Hung Leh (Pork Belly)

This one might be under a different name too since I don't see it on the receipt. Anyway, I think there is only one pork belly dish on the menu and this one is it. This was good but I wouldn't say it's great. The taste is similar to a dish that my brother makes at home. The pork however was tender and flavorful. 

Kung Op Wun Sen

Picture one is what the dish looked like when it came out and picture two is what it looked like after we mixed it. 

...I think I'm writing too much so my comments will be limited to one sentence from now on... ;)

This dish was not bad. Nothing special. 

Sticky rice...how cute. 

Pok Pok Affogato

Yummy...their best dessert imo. 

Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich

The bread says enough...come on...

Sankhaya Durian

I actually liked this ;)

Overall, good restaurant. Just make sure you are ready to wait if you want to go there. The wait can range from an hour to 90 minutes or more...

Pok Pok NY

127 Columbia St

Brooklyn, NY 11231             

Tel: 718 923 9322

URL: www.pokpokny.com