Sushi Dumpling House - new in my hood...

Hmmmm....so what is this Sushi Dumpling House that is under construction in my 'hood?  And what does the "KB" stand for?  Well, I like sushi, and I like dumplings, so there's a reasonable chance that I would like this place, however it's in my neighborhood which gives it an automatic 50% chance of sucking.

When I moved into Grey Box this place was a Goat Meat store.  Then, ironically, it became MooShoes (vegan shoe store).  THEN it became the smaller takeout outpost of Tatany (sushi), which had been a good restaurant on Third Avenue, and is now some intolerable bar. 

Let us cross our fingers, shall we?

AHHH!!! Teriyaki Boy to become Noodle Boy?

I am not happy about this. At all. I have come to rely on "The Boy" for the cheap tuna bowl and salad on many a night on my way home from the gym. And while I enjoy a noodle now and again, I would rather have a fast food sushi option, because there's no way the new noodle shop will be better than Republic -- which is also near my gym -- anyway.

According to the JapanEASE, it looks like some Boyz will remain in tact, like the one on E. 10th St. But that is not helping me, spur-of-the-moment. I blame the students of Baruch. Damn kids and their noodles.

Too Many Restaurants Week

Post-holidays, I promised myself that I would cool it with restaurants and take out food, but alas, this week made that nearly impossible. I visited the following restaurants, one being an old standby favorite known as: Les Halles (the one on Park Ave. South).

Les Halles - A great, crowded New York City brasserie that isn't exactly the height of cuisine, but it is solid, consistent, and fun. The kind of place you should bring out of town guests when you want to ensure that they get a real New York City experience without being overly touristy. While not cheap, it is not too pricey. My recent visit included 3 drinks, dinner and dessert and ended up costing me $70 all told.

Benjamin Steakhouse - An extremely nice looking room on E. 41st St. where you can go for your office Christmas lunch or if your aging parents come to town. Good food and service, a bit stodgy for the likes of the Guerilla Shopper, but meat is aplenty in this joint.

Le Miu - A decent sushi joint on Avenue A. I had an interesting meal consisting of sashimi over soba noodles - a new take on an old dish and something I had never had before. So big points for originality. Otherwise, the room was nice but not anything spectacular. Maybe I'd go back - but only if I couldn't think of a better option...

Sugar "Tiny Cafe of Big Sweet Nothings" - This is that long narrow place on the corner of Allen and Houston under whatever giant child porn ad American Apparel is pimping these days. I love my desserts so I love this place. It's not comfortable or convenient at all, but there are endless treats a la Willy Wonka and therefore I shall return.

Japonica Sushi

I hadn't been there in years, but tonight I met my friend at Japonica for some over-priced sushi on University and 12th St.

Our collective bill, including tax and tip came to $105. This is about $40 more than I am willing to spend on sushi for two, however, it was probably worth a bit more than the typical sushi outing. My dragon roll was uniquely excellent, and came styled in the form of one of those Chinese New Year dragons. Hard to tell from the camera phone photo, but I swear.

The service was good, the space is comforting and the green tea ice cream came with two wafer-cone-like cookies. So overall, an above-average satisfactory fish eating experience. Check it out.

Teriyaki Boy - Great Japanese fast-food

Are you a fan of the BOY? The Teriyaki BOY? I have been having an affair with this particular Boy since 1997. He provides me with a luscious alternative to typical New York fast food…Japanese-style! Not only does the boy offer fun combo Teriyaki combo platters of the chicken, salmon and EEL kind, but he also rolls up all types of sushi for you. It tastes good and is reasonably priced!

And for those of you, like me, who aren’t so prone to cooking or baking for parties that you throw or attend, the Boy works on your behalf, ensuring that you have enough Party Sushi Platters to serve your guests. And so reasonable! I consistently get rave reviews on the Party Roll – 74 pieces of cut sushi rolls – California, tuna, eel, salmon & avocado and more…all for a mere $26.99. You can hardly get four a la carte rolls for that much in this town anymore.

The Boy is strategically located in various spots throughout the city for your daytime or nighttime enjoyment: Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Midtown, East Village, Financial District, you name it. And he’s even willing to give you his digits.