My First NYC Restaurant Week Experience

I wanted to save this post for my food blog, but I decided to give you all the first look and review of my first NYC restaurant week experience at Brasserie Seoul.

I was born and raised in New York City and as a foodie in my family. However, I never took advantage nor experienced NYC Restaurant Week. This summer I decided with my boyfriend to take advantage of it. The restaurant I initially chose was Delmonico’s, but later changed my mind to Brasserie Seoul which is a new, hip, and trendy restaurant with Korean and French flavors and techniques. The restaurant is tucked away inside the new Holiday Inn in Downtown Brooklyn. I visited the hotel and restaurant twice during my summer classes. My class and I met the General Manager who said next time we return we would receive 10% off our bill as we are City Tech students.

I chose August 12th which was a Friday and also a celebration of completing my Bachelor’s degree. My boyfriend and I were seated in the center of the restaurant and had a good view of the kitchen. The servers seemed a little bit nervous and slightly inattentive. We asked for a sparkling water, but unfortunately the rim around my glass cup had a fuzz around it. The General Manager was behind me and asked if everything was okay, but I showed him my glass and he apologized and replaced it with a new and clean glass.

appetizerBrasserie

My boyfriend ordered the Crispy Salmon (salmon sashimi , crispy sushi rice, and chipotle aioli). This was definitely a unique and interesting take on a sashimi, but with a crispy sushi rice instead. It had a little kick of spice to it, but it was tolerable. I ordered the Wild Mushroom & Asparagus (wild mushrooms, asparagus, truffle soy sauce). I really liked this appetizer because I am naturally a mushroom fan. Although the dish was plated beautifully, I felt the plate was too large for the small portion that was given.

entreesbrasserie

For entrees, my boyfriend had the Duck Confit (endive, shallot, thyme orange sauce) which was recommended by a friend of ours. The duck tasted delicious and cooked just perfectly where the meat was soft, smooth, and moist. I got the Waygu Rib Eye Steak ( waygu rib eye with grilled vegetables) *$5.00* additional for my order and I also asked for medium rare, but not too rare. While eating my steak, I noticed parts of it was rare., but I didn’t say anything. The steak also tasted very bland. I wished they provided a sauce or rub on it. The vegetables were grilled to perfection, but again slightly bland.

dessert brasserie

I must admit that the best part of the experience was the desserts. My boyfriend ordered the Strawberry Pie (puff pastry, gelato, and housemade strawberry jam). The strawberry pie was puff pastry and strawberry heaven! It was crispy, flaky, and buttery. So good and so cute!  I ordered the Banana Split (devil’s food cake, caramelized banana, vanilla ice cream) as I saw a lot of photos on Yelp and kept dreaming about it. When it arrived to our table, the general manager kindly explained the different elements that made up this gorgeous dessert. Everything and all of the flavors really came together and tasted amazing! The devil’s food cake was absolutely to die for.

Our dinner cost less than I thought as the general manager gave us a City Tech discount. That was very kind of him and the hostess at Brasserie Seoul is so kind and friendly. Our experience could have been slightly better if maybe our entrees had a little extra flavor and juices to it. This isn’t your typical Korean restaurant, but this is definitely a gem and great addition to Downtown Brooklyn. I am looking forward to our next NYC Restaurant Week experience.

Have you ever been to NYC Restaurant Week?

The Best Spring Eateries

I can’t tell you how happy I am that Spring has finally sprung! Now that the warm and beautiful weather is here, it’s definitely time to take advantage of it. Spring means more reasons to be outside, more reasons to enjoy outdoor dining and try out different restaurants without having to worry about the cold weather.

I have come up with a list of eateries that’s worth checking out as the weather is warming up. Hopefully you will be inspired to try these eateries out.

food dishes

 

1. Dinosaur BBQ in Gowanus, Brooklyn is possibly one of Brooklyn’s hottest restaurant! It’s been around for almost two years and each time that I’ve been here has never been a disappointment. There’s indoor and outdoor dining available. It’s very cozy and laid back here and a great place to come with family, friends, or anyone really and enjoy some insanely good barbecue food.

Recommendations:  St. Louis Ribs, Brisket, Chili, Mac-n-Cheese

food dishes2. Hanco’s has a few locations in Brooklyn, but the one I normally go to is located on Montague Street which is very close to school. I like Hanco’s because it’s not your typical Vietnamese eatery. There’s indoor and outdoor dining. There’s no charge for tip and there’s a good variety of simple and traditional Vietnamese foods from banh mi’s to spring rolls to summer rolls to vermicelli to pho. I also like Hanco’s because it’s a very laid back environment and the food is tasty!

Recommendations: Classic Banh Mi, Shredded Chicken Banh Mi, Grilled Chicken over Rice Vermicelli, Vietnamese Iced Coffee

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3. Munchies Cafe is located in Bensonhurst,Brooklyn and is definitely one of my favorite places to visit. Their menu include a BBQ section, Hong Kong style munchies, cold dishes, pudding, bubble tea, and a lot more. I typically come here for their desserts because they are fresh, tasty, and refreshing. In addition, it’s a very laid back environment and very warm and welcoming. I like coming here a lot especially during the summer when it’s hot and I am craving for a cool, light dessert.

Recommendations: Papaya sago with grass jelly, Mario Brothers, Mixed fruits with grass jelly

food dishes

 

4. HOPHAP is located in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn and a great and unique Thai restaurant that’s worth visiting. The atmosphere is very calm and relaxing. Food is authentic, fresh, and full of flavor! I’ve been here twice this year and it has never disappointed.

Recommendations: Crispy calamari with sweet chili sauce, Pad Thai, White lychee sangria, Red mango sangria, and Golden Curry Puffs

desserts5. Just Desserts is another one of my favorite dessert places in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn! I like this dessert place because on most days it closes pretty late between 10:30PM-12:30AM, has a wide variety of desserts and bubble teas, and it’s inexpensive. Just Desserts is a cute place to come for desserts especially during the Spring and Summer time.

Recommendations:  Mango Sago with Grass Jelly, Watermelon Shake, Red Bean Ice, Toddy Palm with Grass Jelly

Hope you found this list helpful and try out a few of these places.

What are a few restaurants/eateries you like to visit during Spring?