In the heart of Chinatown, a restaurant located at 69 Bayard Street, bearing the same name, is papered with dollar bills.  From wall to wall, dolla dolla bills, y’all, cover every square inch of the restaurant.  Customers, visiting tourists or local New Yorkers, leave their mark by plastering a George Washington (or Abe Lincoln) on the wall or the ceiling and write something, a declaration of love, a Greek affiliation, a gang motto, or a simple “________ was here.”

The food served at the restaurant is simple enough:  meat and/or vegetables over rice with an abundant amount of source and flavor for around $4.75.  I always get the same thing when I come here, tofu and beef over rice.  And take out always comes with a free cup of soup.

In sum, give this restaurant a try; the food is simple Chinese fare, cheap and filling.  And the interior of the place is in itself worth seeing.

East Boat Lobster Restaurant
72 Kenmare Street
(212) 226-8881

The decor is outdated, the theme they were going for (I don’t think they were aiming for anything) is a cross between Chinese New Years and outdoor picnic area. The checker table cloth and mugs from 99 cents store makes you feel very casual.

They serve enormous portions in random plates. But they are very attentive. We asked for a couple of substitutions ( instead of chicken we requested snails) and they were more than happy to accommodate us.

Salt and pepper shrimp was really good, sweet and tender on the inside, light and crunchy on the outside. The octopus with pepper was nothing special, not my favorite dish.

This was the lobster ’s brain(there was a lot of brain), they asked if we like it serve over scramble eggs.  Nothing goes to waste and it was quite tasty.

Sea scallop, this was added.
“Hungry Buddha Jump The Wall” soup.

Baked Snails stuffed with mashed potato. (not that great)

This was a 4lb lobster so we requested for have fried and half steamed. I preferred the fried over the steam. The steam felt to watery and seemed tasteless.

Steamed lobsterThe Steak (edible)

Chinese spaghetti (tasted like they use ketchup for pasta sauce)

Fried rice (Ok, but it’s weird to have this plate last)

Dessert was ice cream and coconut tapioca. (again random mug and dish)

Overall, it was bargain for the amount of food and the size and amount for the lobster.

I personally got the ramen with satay beef and a fried egg on top. Loaded with my favorite substance of monosodium glutamate, it was satisfying and it just made my morning happy.  How could you not follow this up with HK’s signature morning beverage? It may look nothing special but the Hong Kong iced milk tea is simply divine. There is no possible way I have drank that beverage in NYC, the distinctiveness of that drink is something no one can get anywhere else.

A yet I shall show another Hong Kong signature morning pastry that started here first; the pineapple butter bun. Similar to its younger sibling the pineapple bun, this revamped pineapple butter bun seriously bullies its younger sibling. It is basically a fresh hot pineapple bun cut in half, and a big slab of butter is just sandwiched between, and it just slowly melts and just makes the pineapple bun that much more unhealthy. But hey the more unhealthy the food, the more delicious it’s probably going to be.

@ Union Sq

(in front of 157 Hester st, Hong Kong Supermarket)

5 varieties: pork, beef, chicken, dry shrimp, and plain.

Close up

Early 8:30am

Look what a pretty box.

They hidden the expiration date underneath a *FAKE* storage instruction label, how shady. You can’t see the expiration date because they marker out the month.

One of the best pizza you will ever eat in your life. The Sicilian slice is deLICious. The line can be long at times, but you never have to wait for too long. Relatively cheap. The slices are always hot and fresh. It’s pretty well-known — they have pictures of various actors/musicians coming here, throwing up their gang signs. One of the pictures I can remember is Ja Rule being there. Small and cozy. Trust me, you’ll be back for more after one slice.

1. Presentation:

(left)Paris Sandwich $4  (right) Saigon Sandwich $3.95

The Paris Sandwich took maybe less than 5 minutes from order to pick up. The Saigon Sandwich took about 20 minutes with close to 15 people waiting on line.

2. Ingredients:

Paris Sandwich’s ingredients: Vietnamese mayonnaise with special ground roast pork, salami, and a mix of pickled carrots, cilantro, cucumber,  and jalapeno peppers if you order spicy.

Saigon Sandwich’s ingredients: The sandwich is huge. The ingredient has same as above, the only difference is they use a Chinese barbecue grilled pork in place of the Vietnamese mayonnaise with special ground roast pork.

3. Taste:

Saigon: The over-toasted crunchy bread will scratched the roof of your mouth.  A heaping amount pickled carrots, radish with each bite, and cilantro gives it that freshness taste.  The meat they use is a fatty roast pork bits which taste very Chinese.

Paris:  Perfectly toasted piece of bread, and with the right amount of vegetable and meat. They give just enough to ensure that it overloaded .

My verdict: Paris Sandwich WINS – No annoying lines, fresh authentic Banh Mi taste, and a baguettes that won’t scratch up the roof your mouth.

Paris Sandwich Bakery Cafe
113 Mott St
(between Canal St & Hester St)
New York, NY 10013

Banh Mi Saigon
138 Mott St
(between Grand St & Hester St)
New York, NY 10013

Shanghai Cafe, located on 100 Mott Street, is a good eat for several reasons. It is cheap, colorful, and tasty.

The ambiance of the place makes it a good restaurant to bring friends, especially those of the Caucasian Persuasion. You know, it is not easy sometimes when figuring out where to bring such friends because they may not be as comfortable or accepting of the level of hygiene or taste of decor as you. You may feel right at home at a place whose walls are covered in dollar bills, where there is poor lighting or where the waitress/waiter throws, literally throws, you the bill when you’ve only just begun eating. But when you plan on going to Shanghai Cafe, cast aside your anxieties. Pastel colored lights line the walls and ceilings and the chairs and tables are modern metal.

In terms of food, I highly recommend the steamed pork buns; they are either number 1 or 2 on the menu. Get the cheaper ones, don’t get the ones with crab meat, it’s fake anyway. Below you will find a tutorial on just how to devour a steamed pork bun. It is rather like an art. ALSO, order the scallion pancakes; it’s simply divine and everyone likes them. They’re akin to French fries or mozzarella sticks in that they have a universal appeal.