When I first set my eyes on the Ruby Charlotte, I was pleased that jam filled raspberries were adorning the raspberry mousse and lady fingers. If you remember, the Raspberry Pistachio Tart that I had in November contained them too. I would assume that each raspberry was painstakingly piped by hand. The white chocolate squares also added a nice contrast to the whole piece.

My only complaint? The lady’s fingers were a tad dry. ‘

Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring St
Manhattan, NY 10012
(212) 219-2773

The Lobster Place sells a large variety of seafood in addition to prepacked salads and sushi. There was a point of time when my friends and I would head there everyday to get fresh oysters.

According to the display tags, I purchased:

Watch Hill Oysters – Rhode Island
Slightly briny and delicate with a sweet aftertaste

Widows Hole Oysters – Greenport Harbor, NY
Clean crisp brine and perfectly plump meat

They were both extremely fresh and delicious. I definitely preferred the Widow Hole Oysters.

The Lobster Place
Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave
(212) 255-5672

The religieuse pistache is a two tiered cream puff. Luscious piped cream within the choux pastry paired with the salted pistachios offered a sweet and savory experience like no other.

Don’t sleep on it.

Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring St
Manhattan, NY 10012
(212) 219-2773

The best pork buns and ramen in the city.

Bring an iPhone or a book for the long wait. You’ll need it.

Ippudo
65 4th Ave

Brisket Hash and eggs. According to the menu, roasted brisket, tomato, scallion, potato, poached eggs, and Bearnaise were in this dish. The poached eggs were perfect, and the roasted tomatoes brought dimension into an otherwise normal breakfast dish. Unfortunately, the brisket was overly salted. My server Angela was a sweetheart too.

2 stars on yelp due to bad service? Not on my visit.

The Highliner
210 10th Ave.
(between 22nd St & 23rd St)
(212) 206-6206

Pho 32 is one of my to go places after a night of heavy drinking. The waitstaff are friendly, and it’s one of those places that sells great Korean/Japanese/Vietnamese food.

Pho 32 & Shabu
2 W 32nd St
New York, NY 10014

Kasia’s is this little Polish deli located in the Ukrainian Village in Chicago that sells a large variety of prepared food. My friends and I got stuffed cabbage rolls, german potato salad, sausages, and pierogies. The food here is absolutely on point. I’ve been suffering from Polish food withdrawal since I got back to New York.

Does anyone know where I can get good Polish food in Manhattan?

Kasia’s Polish Delicatessen
2101 W Chicago Ave
(between Hoyne Ave & Leavitt St)
Chicago, IL 60622
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village
(773) 486-6163

Dil-e Punjab is one of those places that are open 24 hours a day. It is often frequented by cab drivers looking for a late night bite. If you ever walk into a place brimming with Punjabi men sipping chai at 2am, you know you’re in the right place.

US$1 doesn’t buy you much nowadays. At Dil-e, it gets you a warm, crispy samosa packed with peas and potatoes. These curried, savory samosas are extremely well seasoned; I even spotted thin strips of curry leaves embedded in the potatoes.

Come here, and be wowed.

Dil-e Punjab Deli
170 9th Ave
(212) 647-9428

This very burger is as good, if not better than an In n Out Cheeseburger. A thick & juicy patty juxtaposed with crisp vegetables is pure gold.

My only complain is that the fries were slightly burnt, but it’s no big deal. I’ll definitely be here if I don’t want to deal with the line at the Shake Shack.

Lucky’s Famous Burger
264 W 23rd St
New York, NY
(212) 242-4900