Needs more peanut sauce

MalaysiaKitchenNYC at Grand Central

I love Malaysian food.  I love the spicy sweet kick of peanut sauce over satay, and washing it down with a warm glass of teh tarik.  This past spring, I got a chance to visit Malaysia on the east side for a crazy family reunion. Over the years my palate has become more eager to try new things, so this was a perfect opportunity to try everything. There was good food and then there was food to try once and never again (i.e. sea cucumber).

The reason I’m fawning over past vacation memories was because today I happened to stop by Grand Central’s Vanderbilt all to check out the last day of Eat|Drink|Explore  MalaysianKitchenNYC – a weekend culture celebration of all things Malaysian.  They had things like chicken and beef satay, chicken curry over rice, mee goreng (noodles with curry, vegetables, and chicken). While I was mainly there for the food, I was impressed by the large stage setup on one end with native dance performances.  At the other end there were more flat-screen TVs showing the performances if you couldn’t see because of the crowd.

I couldn’t decide on what to eat, so I went with a sampling of chicken satay from a vendor that is an upcoming restaurant collaboration with Todd English and Ian Chalermkittichai. Unfortunately it was so good I didn’t have time to take a picture of it so you’ll just have to take my word for it.  Or check out their restaurant when it opens in November.

Ramen Noodle Snacks (no water needed)

Malaysian cuisine is very much a melting pot of Indian, Chinese, and Nyonya (native Malaysian) foods.  Here are some common Malaysian food-related phrases you should know:

teh tarik – tea that has been strained between two cups several times so it develops a frothy texture
kopi o – black coffee
maggie – instant noodles
roti – light thin, fluffy pancake/pita
satay – thinly sliced pieces of meat/tofu on barbucue skewers accompanied with peanut sauce
mee – general term for flat egg noodles
kaya – sweet coconut jam (great on toast)

Malaysian Restaurants around the city:

Café  Asean
117 West 10th Street
New York, NY
212-633-0348

Fatty Crab
2170 Broadway
New York, NY
212-496-2722

Jaya Malaysian
90 Baxter Street #28
New York, NY
212-219-3331

Laut
15 East 17th Street
(Between Broadway & Fifth Ave.)
New York, NY 10003
212-206-8989

Malaysia Grill
224 West 104 Street
New York, NY
212-579-1333

New Malaysia Restaurant
46-48 Bowery
New York, NY
212-964-0284

Nyonya
199 Grand Street
New York, NY
212-334-3669

Overseas Taste Asian Restaurant
49 Canal Street
New York, NY
212-925-3233

Penang
41 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY
212-431-8722

Sanur
18 Doyer Street
New York, NY
212 267 0088

Skyway Restaurant
11 Allen Street
New York, NY
212-625-1163

These are the restaurants that are in Manhattan, but there are plenty more in Queens, and Brooklyn, so if you’re interested in trying something Indian, Chinese or just something different look into MalaysianKitchenNYC. Watch out for their food truck too.

Bryant Park Holiday Market Opens Today!

While I do miss the tents at Bryant Park, it also meant that the ice rink and the holiday markets would be set-up earlier.  The ice rink opened last weekend, but it’s not the same without the sweet aroma of kettle corn and apple cider and hot chocolate.

So if you have a chance stop by Bryant Park today and get a first look of what will be around for the next month or so. Or go ice skating for a bit and buy a cup of apple cider with a cinnamon stick to warm you up. Or find out what exactly is a chocolate syringe.

The Holiday Shops at Bryant
Bryant Park
Between 40th and 42nd Street and 5th and 6th Avenue
November 5, 2010 – January 2nd, 2011

See Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson for $50

Ever imagined what any of our founding fathers would be if they were a twenty-something, emo rock star? From the mind of Michael Friedman, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a musical rendition about just that. Dealing with populism, the Indian Removal act, and of course making time for his wife Rachel, Andrew Jackson has complicated life story that can only be illustrated through song and dance.

The producers of the show would like to show their political support with their “Jackson for a Grant” initiative which offers $50 tickets to the show through November 24th.

Just use the code BBJVOTE when you purchase your tickets on BroadwayOffers.com or purchase tickets at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater box office (242 West 45th Street, Manhattan); or by call (212) 947-8844.

Crumbs Cupcake of the Month – Apple Cobbler

With the weather getting colder, nothing will warm you up better than a warm slice of apple pie.  Forget the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, dig into November with an Apple Cobbler cupcake from Crumbs. With a scoop of ice cream on top it will surely beat the average pie à la mode.

Check out more sweet tweets from Crumbs on Twitter.

Meet the real Duchess of Devonshire

Have you ever seen The Duchess? Well now you’ll get a chance to meet the real Duchess of Devonshire.  Join the Frick Collection as they welcome Deborah Cavendish, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, and Charlotte Mosley, niece and editor, for a special meet-and-greet on November 2nd in honor of the release of Fizz and Sparkle: The Effervescent Life of Deborah, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire.

No Reservations needed.
The Frick Collection is free after 5:45PM.

Fizz and Sparkle: The Effervescent Life of Deborah, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, with Charlotee Mosley
6:00-7:00 PM
November 10, 2010
The Frick Collection, Music Room
1 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
www.frick.org

Crumbs Cupcake of the Week – Madison Avenue

Mad Men may be over for this year, but you can at least pick yourself up with a Madison Avenue cupcake from Crumbs.

This week’s Crumbs features a vanilla cupcake with raspberry filling. Topped with chocolate ganache and edge with almonds, this is a cupcake you don’t need a high falutin sales pitch for this mouth-watering treat.  
I’m already sold on the picture. 
Check out more news on Crumbs’ Twitter.

It was a Dark and Stormy Night…

Ever since I’ve fallen in love with Lolita, I’ve been following several Lolita blogs.  One of my favorites is La Vida Frills. It’s not one of your ordinary Lolita blogs with fashion advice, but incorporates her love of film as well.  And after going to a college that is famous for its communications school, I love being introduced to new movies, mainstream or independent.

Catching up on all my blogs, I noticed she had a contest about your “Dream” coordinate, which seems to take a step beyond finding and owning just a “dream” dress.

In addition to anime, I would have to say that Anne Rice introduced me onto the path of Lolita. I was a big fan in high school and throughout college.  Like a typically outcast I dressed gothic, but I leaned towards more Elegant Gothic.  However since I’ve discovered Lolita I have never dressed gothic at all, so this outfit is homage to my gothic and vampire roots.



If there was ever a dress I would love to own it would be Alice and the Pirates’ Vampire Requiem, especially in the red. In addition to being one of the great classics in gothic literature, Dracula is also one of my favorite vampire movies.  I’m a big fan of the Aristocratic side of Lolita so I would wear a simple black high-collared blouse with this JSK. And like a vampire I’m very cold-blooded so a black stole help keep in the heat in any weather.

When it comes to dressing in Lolita, I prefer heels to flats. So as a big fan of Vivienne Westwood shoes and I would love to own any of her Melissa collaborations, particularly the Lady Dragon Wax Seal Shoes in black. With spats from MorriganNYC (all sold out I’m afraid), you can rest assure a little dirt or blood will not touch these shoes.

And what’s a vampire without a giant tome to record past lives and never-ending angst? When Innocent World came out with a literal “book” bag, I thought it would go perfect with any gothic coordinate if I ever dreamed of one. I’m also an avid reader and judge books by how many pages, so this would be the best badge of honor I could ever find.

A pair of fingerless gloves to show off rings, and it’s an outfit ready for a local ghost tour or stay inside for some red wine and watch Interview with the Vampire for the umpteenth time.

Macarons are the new cupcake


Macarons are an iconic symbol for Lolita. They appear in prints (i.e. Angelic Pretty’s Dreaming Macaron), jewelry and is a common food item to bring to picnics and outings. Personally, I’m not a big fan of almonds, which is the main component to macarons. Cupcakes are more my thing, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

(Macarons should not be confused with macaroons, as macaroons are made with coconut not almond paste.)

Now before I go any further, perhaps I should explain what exactly is a macaron. A macaron is like a small sandwich cookie, usually about the size of a silver dollar, filled with jam (sometimes crème), except much more difficult to make. Making macarons are like baking a soufflé because the recipe must be followed exactly as directed or else you’ll end up with charred inedible cookies instead of something light and crisp.  However practice makes perfect, and when you get them right, macarons are simply delicious. Violet LeBeaux has a great entry on how she made macarons.

A few local patisseries even organized Macaron Day at select shops to raise the reputation of this dainty delicacy. Last March marked the first year Macaron Day came to NYC. Do you have a favorite place to find macarons in the City?


Here are a few places I recommend for your macaron fix:

Financier
(Grand Central)
105 E 42nd St
New York, NY 10017
(212) 973-1010

(Sixth Avenue)
1211 6th Ave
New York, NY 10036
(212) 381-4418

(First Avenue)
983 1st Ave
New York, NY 10022
(212) 419-0100

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
(212) 823-9366

Macaron Café
(Upper East Side)
625 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10022

(Herald Square)
161 W 36th St
New York, NY 10018
(212) 564-3525

La Maison du Macaron
132 W 23rd St
New York, NY 10011
(212) 243-2757

Crumbs Cupcake of the Week: the Chocolate Good Guy

Besides being a meal and a half, Crumbs not only has a Cupcake of the Month but a Cupcake of the Week. This week’s cupcake is the Chocolate Good Guy. With all the colored sprinkles and chocolate, it’s definitely something to pick up on your way home when your feeling down.

Check out more news on Crumbs’ Twitter.

Locations I recommend:

Broadway
1675 Broadway (53rd)
New York, NY 10019
T 212-399-3100

Bryant Park
43 West 42nd St (5/6th Ave
New York, NY 10036
T 212 221 1500

Union Square
124 University Place (W.13th)
New York, NY 10003
T 212 206 8011

Wall Street
87 Beaver St (Pearl/Hanover)
New York, NY 10005
T 212 480 7500*

(NOTE: Crumbs Bake Shop are little like Starbucks in the City, so if you wander around you’ll bound to stumble upon one)

New York, New York

New York City is one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world.  Tourists come visit Time Square just to take the iconic picture between Broadway and 7th Avenue. What most people don’t know it is also has one of the largest Lolita communities.

This blog aims to provide Lolitas, fellow New Yorkers, and the occasional tourist some inside tips on the best way to get around, what’s going on in the city, and where to find the best cupcake while dressed like one.  
I created this blog because New York City is a big city. A big city with so many events and places they more than often go unnoticed.  New York City is also one of the fashion capitals of the world — one of the best excuses to wear Lolita.