Restaurant Review: Pio Pio

604 Tenth Ave (between 43rd & 44th street)
New York, NY
(212) 459 - 2929


Peruvian dishes
Price: $4 - $30
Dine In
Take Out (selected branches)

I went to the city for an event and my friends asked me if I want to go with them to Pio Pio for dinner. They were surprised that I haven't been to Pio Pio and it surely wasn't a disappointment.

Pio Pio is a Peruvian themed restaurant that started in 1994 in Rego Park, Queens and has since branched out to other parts of New York City and surrounding islands. It has branches can be found in Jackson Heights, Queens; Mott Haven in the Bronx; and Four branches in New York City - Upper West Side (Amsterdam Ave), Hell's Kitchen (Tenth Ave), Murray Hill (East 34st)  and Upper East Side (First Ave).

We got their pretty late (10:30pm) and luckily the kitchen was still open. Once you open the two big glass doors, you are greeted by marble top that has the menu. Being so late, I didn't think that any hostess would be around - I might be wrong as well, maybe there are no hostess at all. Anyway, as you walked in, you will be greeted by the place's long bar with marble top and nice wooden bar stools on one side and a couple of bar tables on the other Browsing around, I could see they have a great variety of liquors. Once you walk all the way to the back and down the stairs, you almost feel like you are in a different world. The walls were branch-like making you feel like you are in a wooden place. There is ample seating with most tables can seat 2 and 4 people. There is also enough sitting for larger groups especially on the farther side with padded bench-like sitting that could accommodate at least 20 people.

Looking at the menu, the dishes are either mostly chicken or seafood. We ended up ordering the Matador Combo which is a whole well-marinated rotisserie chicken - chopped into fourths, rice and beans, tostones (sliced plantains), avocado salad, salchipapa and a giant pile of fries topped with sliced hot dogs. Surprisingly, the service was quick, the wait time between ordering and the order coming out of the kitchen was fairly short. Again, this could be different if you came in during lunch and/or dinner time. I would say that the combo can feed 2 - 3 people. The chicken was juicy and sumptuous. Rice and beans were delicious. The tostones were crisp. The avocado salad was fresh and the salchipapa has just the right kick on it. The sliced hot dogs were bit salty but the fries were crisp and not soggy.

The price is fairly reasonable with price ranging from $4.00 appetizers to $30.00 main dishes. The Matador Combo cost us $30.00 but was split between 5 people. And all of us were fairly full after the late dinner.

Overall, I would say that this is a nice place to meet up with friends or even a nice place to meet up with a date. I would definitely go back to this place again - maybe even try the other branches to see if they all have the same food standards.

Pio Pio's website

Pio Pio's facebook page

Restaurant Review: Kumo Sushi and Lounge

170 S. Main Street
New City, NY, 10956
(845) 708-5825
(845) 708-5826 - Fax

Japanese
$2 - $46
Dine In - Take Out - Delivery

Monday - Thursday 11:30AM - 3PM; 4:30PM - 10:30PM
Friday - Saturday 11:30AM - 3PM; 4:30PM - Midnight
Sunday 1PM - 10PM

This was the last restaurant I went to before the New Year. Kumo Sushi and Lounge is located Clarkstown Mall property in New City, Rockland NY. It just opened not so long ago and the only reason I found this place was seeing a street sign about their grand opening.

If you have not notice, Sushi places have suddenly pop out everywhere as people became adept into eating raw food. And New City is no exception, Kumo is the fourth Sushi place in this town. I thought at first that this would be just another Japanese restaurant but surprisingly its not.

Kumo's Dining Area

Two heavy glass doors opens up to a very classy and modern setting with lightly dark motif. The bar - which covers the length of the place will surely make you look twice. If you look closely, its made up of pennies. Yup, those one-centavo bronze-colored coins that a lot of people just toss on the street has been made into a bar in Kumo. I wonder how many years and pennies it took to build this bar. Anyway, the place is divided to two areas by brick patterned wall with cuts so you will still have a view of the other area. The bar itself with some smaller tables and flat screen TVs on one side and a dining area that was like an art deco room with patterned tables and stylish cushion seats that are very comfortable.

Once we were seated, the hostess handed us two menus. The grey one is the usual menu that has all that have to offer while the gold menu is the chef's specialty menu or the specials of the night. Anyway, the menu is pretty extensive and quite impressive. It had hot and cold appetizers, special rolls, raw bar menu, entrée and even cooked rolls for those who are still not used to eating raw food. Our friendly server came over and took our order.

Tuna Tartare

The service was quick, now it could just because we were the only ones there at that moment (it got quite a crowd before we left). For appetizers, we got the usual Miso Soup and Green Salad with Ginger Dressing. Then had Tuna Tartare ($11) and I was surprised when it came out. It was quite the big chunk, which is quite unusual based on my experiences ordering it on different restaurants. The tuna tasted fresh and the sauce (a mixture of soy sauce and something else) was pretty good.  I practically devour the tartare since my friend forgot to let me know that they don't really have eaten raw food before. It was good though since the tartare was excellent.

Rolls

Next came our rolls, we ordered Green Mountain Roll ($11.95), Angel Roll ($11.95) and Shrimp Tempura Roll ($8.50). The presentation of the rolls were simple yet quite pretty. The Green Mountain Roll, a Kumo special cooked roll which is made up of tofu skin, lettuce, avocado & asparagus wrapped with soy bean paper had a unique sumptuous taste. The Shrimp tempura was pretty good with the shrimp so crisp that I even ate the shrimp tails. The Angel Roll was my favorite, the roll is one of Kumo's special roll composed of tuna topped with eel, salmon and avocado. I could easily distinguish the taste of tuna and salmon and the eel was very crisp.

Lastly was the Nabeyaki Soba ($16) which is buckwheat noodle soup with tempura, egg and mixed vegetables. The ingredients were cooked al dente but the broth was not very tasteful - almost watery. The server did offer to add more broth to our soup and the taste sure change. With all the food we had, I didn't have room for dessert.

This place is definitely worth to go too with its tasty dishes and artsy interiors. As their menu states, Kumo has "Exotic Japanese Flavors, Elegant French Style." It's a nice place for friends, families or even bringing a date. I would surely be going back to Kumo.

Kumo's website - website still under construction
New City, Rockland County

Restaurant Review: Miso Nara

22 S. Main Street

New City, NY 10956

(845) 639 - 6993

Fax (845) 639 - 5386

Japanese

Price: $2 - $60

Dine In, Take Out

Located in the heart of Main Street in New City is Miso Nara, a small Japanese restaurant that is known to the locals as New City Sushi. And when I write small, I mean it literally. The exterior is slightly decorated with Japanese themed-product such as Red Lantern except for the electronic sign that flash Open. Once you open the glass door, you will notice how small the place is. It only has five tables that could seat about only 10 people and a elevated sushi bar which can seat 5 people. But the small area is compensated by the friendly atmosphere. I was quickly greeted by Sushi Chef named Lin (not too sure about his name) who was friendly enough that he chatted with the clientele while making his sushi and sashimi. The place was clean and very organized and cozy. I grabbed a menu while waiting for my server and they have an expansive array of dishes from sushi and sashimi to udons and tempura. For a small place, they sure packed a lot of variety.

They have lunch specials and I took the liberty to order one from the specials. I went for the Tempura Box which was compose of 1 California Roll, 2 Shrimp Tempura, 3 pcs of Vegetable Tempura, 3 pcs of Shumai, Rice and Salad. I can see why this place is visited by a lot of people, Lin was nice enough to ask if I want my order to be spicy - from behind the sushi bar. I didn't have to wait for a long time as my miso soup arrived. The miso soup was served in a typical Japanese bowl. The soup was warm and tasty which was perfect for the cold weather. The tofu was soft and spices weren't overwhelming. Then my spicy salad arrived, it tasted fresh and just had enough kicked to it. Finally my main dish, the tempura box was the typical black exterior, red interior box but the presentation was superb. The tempuras were warm and crisp with a little bit of sweetness to it. The California roll was so fresh that you could taste each ingredient really well. The rice was perfectly cooked, salad with ginger dressing was fresh and bountiful and the shumai were tasty. Then the server brought me a dessert courtesy of Lin - a piece of sweet potato roll. I never had this kind of roll in any Japanese restaurants I've been to and this sure was an experience. And to clean my palate - I got a small slice of vanilla mochi ice cream.

This small place packs a lot of punch and I'm pretty sure will be back to try the other dishes on their menu. Even tag along some friends.

New City's website

Rockland County's website

Rockland Eateries Online - Listing of restaurants in Rockland County

Restaurant Review: Di Fara Pizza

1424 Avenue J
at E. 15th St
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 258 - 1367

Pizza
Price: $2 - $35
Dine In, Take Out

So my buddy called me up yesterday afternoon and asked if I was in the mood for pizza. I was but little did I know that we would be traveling an hour and a half to Midwood, Brooklyn for the pizza. My buddy said that I won't be disappointed.

Di Fara Pizza's is located in Midwood Brooklyn. Its a little pizzeria on the corner of Avenue J and 15th Street. We got there around 6:30pm and they were just opening the door. In less than 5 minutes, the place was packed with patrons as everyone started ordering the hand-made pizzas by Domenico DeMarco who has been making pizzas for more than four decades. We were the second patrons to placed an order and luckily got a table. I went up to see Mr. DeMarco make his pizza and I would say, it was amazing to see him make his masterpiece. He was very delicate but intricate in making each pie and I could see that the patrons didn't mind the wait.

So we ordered one special pie and two slices of the square pie. We also had to wait but it sure was worth it. We first got our square slices and I was so hungry that I decided to take a first bite. Big mistake, it was fresh out of the oven and kinda burn my tongue a bit. Anyway, the slice was really good, the crust ws well cook and the cheese just melts into your mouth. The basil gave it a touch of color and fragrance. It was worth my tongue getting burned.

Then our pie came and you could just see everyone eying the pie, freshly out of the oven. The special pie ($35) is made up of fresh mozzarella cheese, onions, Italian sausage, mushrooms and grated parmesan cheese topped with fresh basil which Domenico adds after pulling the pizza out of the oven. This was even better. The crust was crisps, the tomato sauce was sweet while the rest of the ingredients just made the whole pie look tempting and tasty. I took my time in eating my slices - smelling the aroma as I took each bite and let it sit inside my mouth - tasting all the fresh ingredients in my palate. I can't believe we finished the whole pie between my and my buddy.

So was it worth it to travel all the way to Brooklyn for Di Fara Pizza... you betcha

Fact: Di Fara has been only closed once - when Domenico De Marco had to have foot surgery.

Restaurant Review: Union Restaurant and Bar Latino

24 New Main St.
Haverstraw, NY 10927
(845) 429 - 4354

South America
Price: $6 - $26
Dine In and Take Out

This was my second time to visit Union Restaurant and Bar Latino for dinner with friends. We decided to go back here since we enjoyed our dinner the last time we went to this Latin-infused restaurant. 

Opened in 2007 and only 45 minutes away from the New York City, Union is located right in the heart of Haverstraw, one of the rivertowns of Rockland County. The outside edifice is made of up high glass windows surrounded by red bricks which is almost typical of the town's other building. The interior is cozy with red tile floors, white tables, wooden padded chairs and arches that separates the dining area. There is a full bar that serves a variety of cervezas, wines and champagnes as well as various cocktails. Most of the tables can accommodate a foursome but they do cater to bigger groups.

Once you are inside, you are greeted by their friendly wait staff and servers who will answer all your questions about the menu. There wasn't much of a crowd when we went the second time and this could be attributed to the bad weather the county experience that day. Anyway, we got seated, and ordered. For our drinks, we decided to share a pitcher of Sangria ($24.00) which was just amazing. Its one of the best sangria's I have ever tasted. Our server brought out a soup in small tea cups compliments of the chef David Martinez. I forgot the name of the soup but it was creamy and delicious.

For appetizers, I had Sopa de Cebolla ($6.00), an onion soup with Madiera wine and Manchego cheese. The soup was tasty, onions were cooked well, not too soggy and the cheese was just amazing. My friends had salads and they commented that they taste fresh. For my entree, I had Salmon Teriyaki ($21.50). Its white sesame seed crusted salmon with spinach and rice. I was surprised that this was in the menu and just had to try it. It surely was a good choice. The salmon was cooked well, wasn't flaky and the teriyaki sauce didn't overpower the salmon taste. We ordered a side of tostones and it came out crisp. We were just full after our appetizers and entrees that we didn't have a chance to order desserts.

Overall, Union Restaurant has great ambience, well-mannered staff and delicious food that would make you want to visit the place again and again.

Union Restaurant and Bar Latino website

The Town of Haverstaw

Rockland County

Restaurant Review: Thai Family

Courtesy of Thai Family Website

Thai Family 
16 Second Street
New City, NY 10956
(845) 708-5858
(845) 708-5859 (Fax)

Cuisine: Thai
Price Range: $2 - $19.95
Credit Card Accepted
Hours: Mon - Thur: 11am - 9:30pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 10pm; Sun: 12am - 9:30pm

So while skimming through today's paper, I saw an ad for the grand opening of Thai Family Restaurant with a picture of Anna and Sam, former executive chefs of Thai House in Nyack. And that surely caught my eye since I enjoyed eating at Thai House that I had to check this place out.

I got to the place and it sure was a little bit hard to find if you are not familiar with the town of New City. The two-way street is tucked in between Maple Ave and Park Ave and is mostly residential. Parking is on the street but there were some people playing soccer on the house across the street so I decided to park my car at Maple Ave and walked back.

The first time you see the place, you will think twice whether this was the restaurant. It's on a small residential-like structure with a dry-cleaning store beside it.  There are a couple of small tables outdoors but it was just too cold to sit outdoors.

Once you are in, you surely see that this is a small family-owned restaurant. The dining area is only compose of 4 2-person tables and 1 4-person table that is decorated with Thai-themed objects and images. The table-tops had a nice Thai-themed fabric underneath a pane of glass with a bamboo in a small vase. What it lacks in decor is made up with friendly service. The hostesses were very friendly and were eager to promote the business to their customer. I got seated and was given the menu which was quite extensive. Each item also has a brief description and the red pepper icon symbolizing that the dish is Hot and Spicy. Since it was a chilly night, I decided to order some Vegetarian Tofu Tom Yam Soup ($4.25) and for my entree, the Pad Ma Moung with a combination of Chicken, Pork & Shrimp ($15.95). The hostess asked me if I want it mild or spicy and I went for spicy for both.

After a wait of less than 10 minutes, my Tom Yam Soup arrived. Tom Yam Soup is a Thai style hot and sour soup and it surely was spicy on my first try that when the hostess asked if it was spicy enough, I told her definitely. The soup had very tasteful and the spiciness wasn't too overpowering that I could still taste the lime juice as well as the tomatoes, mushrooms and onion.

Pad Ma Moung

Then came my Pad Ma Moung which is Roasted chili sauce with cashew nuts, pineapple and mixed vegetables and combination of chicken, pork and shrimp. And it came with a small cup of Jasmine rice. The dish was swimming in sweet chili sauce which was a perfect compliment to the Jasmine Rice. The shrimp and vegetables was crunchy while the chicken and pork were tender. It sure was a big helping as I had to order an extra Jasmine Rice ($2.00) to just be able to finished the sauce. It just had the right amount of spiciness and sweetness to it. I would highly recommend this dish.

If you can get passed through the store and decor, then you can truly enjoy what Thai Family has to offer. I'm pretty sure I will be back again and again and again. And maybe next time, I will try their Pad Thai.

Thai Family Restaurant - Website | Directions

Restaurant Review: Sake Bar Hagi

View Larger Map

Sake Bar Hagi

154 West 49th St
New York, NY 10019 Subway Direction
(212) 764-8549

Cuisine: Japanese
Price Range: $
Credit Card Accepted
No Reservation
Hours: Mon - Sun: 5:30pm - 3:00 pm

Resting in the heart of the Theater District / Times Square lies a small underground sake bar known as Hagi. You won't even realized its there if you don't look carefully. The only sign that indeed its the place is the "sake bar" inscribed on wooden door jamb and the traditional red paper lantern at the door that leads down to the izakaya establishment. But once you are down, you will not regret it.

Hagi is usually packed with a mixture of various clientèle. There is a long wooden bar that is lined with bottles of shochu and sake, and flanked by flat-screen TVs which usually broadcast sporting events. The last time I went was the world cup, this time was baseball. There are wooden tables and chairs all around the place and when it is packed, you might end up shoulder to shoulder with your next table neighbor. Again, its worth it.

Now, I have only been to this place twice but its been a great experience. The last time was just this weekend when I went a group. Usually the wait time for groups could be 30 - 40 minutes and they take no reservation so you will need to be patience and it will be worth it.

Once seated, the server will bring you couple of menus. Their main menu and a couple of small ones which include a drinks menu filled with various kinds of sake and shochu. And its really easy to order especially when the menu is filled with images of all their dishes and drinks they served.

Nigori Sake

So we start ordering and the service is fast. Our server first brought our drinks. We ordered bottles of Nigori Sake as well as two pitchers of Sapporo and Kirin. The Nigori Sake is generally a sweet sake best complemented with spicy food. It has a fruity flavor with a clean finish.

Then comes the food. The dishes were constantly good as the group savor every dish that came to our table. "This is good" "yummy" "delicious" was all you hear from the group.

Sake Bar Hagi has a nice ambiance with the noise not overwhelming even if the place gets crowded. The bathrooms are kept clean and the place is neat and efficient. We could have stayed the entire night at Hagi but we got to give others a chance to savor the taste and enjoy the sake at Hagi.

Diakon salad with crispy baby sardines.
The lightly picked diakon complemented well the crispiness of the baby sardines.
The unique flavor of seawood and rice wine vinegar made it a very delightful dish to start with.

Wasabi Shumai
Dont let this fool you, its bite sized but it packs a punch to clean your sinus.

Deep Fried Oysters
This was the fave of the group. We ordered 3 orders and ended up ordering 2 more

Neopolitan
A very interesting dish composed of Pork belly, onion, soba noodles and ketchup.
Yep, you read it right.. ketchup.

Restaurant Review: Sarita's Macaroni and Cheese

345 East 12th Street,
New York, NY 10003
(212) 358 - 7912

American, Mac and Cheese
Price: $1.50 - $47.00
Dine In, Take Out, Delivery

Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese or better known as "S'MAC" is a nice little eatery located in Manhattan's East Village. It open its door on June 24, 2006.

So I went to the place with a friend before we headed to another friend's party. This place sure stands out from its neighborhood with Orange and Yellow-Greenish front walls with glass pane surrounded by black outline. Once you are inside, the place is of typical NYC eateries - small but cozy with a combination of high and low tables and chairs. The high chairs are cushioned while the regular chairs are plastics. There is also sitting with the window view even though their isn't really a view. The interiors is surrounded by brick wall and the lighting made the whole place look - well, mac and cheese.

Sure was hard to choose which one to order while reading each description of their recommendation but I ended up getting the Nosh Napoletana with regular elbow served with breadcrumbs.

The waiting time wasn't long, I would say it took about 10 minutes from the time I ordered to the time my mac and cheese arrived. And it sure smell good when it did, the mac and cheese was in a cast iron skillet serve over a wooden serving plate. It sure looks tempting.

After taking this image on the left, I started munching away on my mac and cheese. The fresh mozzarella was delicious while I could easily taste the roasted tomatoes and garlic with the aroma of the fresh basil. I tell you though, even for a small size, it can make you feel full.

My buddy told me he has tried the other varieties that Sarita's have and like it. Guess I have to do the same thing as well.


Sarita's Mac & Cheese website

Restaurant Review: Craftsteak

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
3799 Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 - 4319
(702) 891 - 7318

Steakhouse, American
Price: $4 - $285
Dine In
Reservation Highly Recommended

It took me awhile to write this review and I should have done it as soon as I got back home from Las Vegas. I guess it's better late than never.

Craftsteak is Chef Tom Colicchio's steakhouse located inside MGM Grand Las Vegas.  I had a chance to visit the restaurant with my friends during our vacation in March and was really impressed by not only the decor and service but also the sumptuous meal that we had.

When you enter the Craftsteak, you are greeted by a couple of two seated table with a bar on the left that is well-stocked and dimly lit. I asked the bartender for a wine list and he basically handed me a binder which was pretty impressive. The wine list was pretty extensive from Proseccos to Rieslings to Merlots and Cabernets.

Once we got seated, we were greeted by our pleasant server who gave us suggestions on what to order. He suggested that we should order the Tasting Menu selections which is basically a three course meal composed of appetizers, entrees and desserts. So we decided to go for the Domestic Waygu Beef which cost $130 per person. A little bit pricey but it was truly worth it.

After making our orders, they brought out the dinner rolls which were to die for. They are so tasty and soft that we finished sixth rolls in a matter of seconds. And of course, the waiter brought us more which we didn't mind but we had to stop to make sure we will still have enough room for our three course dinner.

Our first course arrived which at first look like it was the main course. The Caesar Salad and Marinated Anchovy which was very good and tasted fresh, the dressing nor the anchovies weren't too empowering. The Grilled Pacific Prawns which was crunchy and tasty especially the sauce. The Warm Frisee Salad tasted fresh. And the Hand-Cut Wagyu Beef Tartare was just out of this world.

The second course arrived along with the side dishes. I could say that the amount of food that they came out can feed more than the six of us combine. They brought out Kobe Style Wagyu Beef is different varieties - Filet Mignon, Strip, Rib Eye, Skirt Steak and Flat Iron Steak. I would say that the Skirt Steak was favored by most of the group because of its tenderness but the Rib Eye and Filet Mignon was also excellent. Once the beef was on the table, everyone became quiet as we just enjoy the sensation in our palates.  The side dishes were also tasty. The Asparagus and Onions was crunchy and cooked right. The Mushroom assortment was amazing and fresh and the Yukon Gold Puree just slides down the throat.

By the time, we were all filling up. And our server came and asked how we are feeling. We told him that we were about to be full and he basically told us that its not over. And suddenly, the desserts starts popping into our table. Our dessert were composed of Cinnamon Monkey Bread, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, Butterscotch Mousse, and an assortment of Home made ice cream and sorbet.  We were all in heaven as we gobbled up the desserts especially the Monkey Bread which was the best dessert among the choices.

I would say, if you are in Vegas next time and don't mind spending a bit then you should definitely check this place out. And hey, you only live once, you might as well give it a try.

Craftsteak's website
MGM's website

Restaurant Review: Pizza Hut - Wingstreet

214 E Route 59
Nanuet, NY 10954
(845) 624 - 2203

Fast Food
Price: $ 3 - $20
Dine In, Take Out, Order Online

Pizza Hut was closed the last time I past through Nanuet a month ago but a colleague of mine told me that it had reopened and was now re-branded as Pizza Hut - WingStreet. So I went there yesterday to try out the new joint.

The place is typically the Pizza Hut style chain store - red roof with brick walls. What I notice that the place was packed for lunch. And maybe that was a bad thing. I stood on the waiting area for at least 10 minutes without any of the servers coming to assist me. The only time they came was when a family came into the door. Now, I cannot blame the servers either since I notice that there was only three of them for the entire place and I guess they are getting overwhelmed by the number of clientele they had for lunch. I also notice that the manager is also getting overwhelmed by the number of takeout orders they had. Could this mean that the kitchen wasn't well staffed?

I finally got seated and the server asked me what I want to drink. I ordered my drink as she handed me the menu. She brought my soda but instead of asking if I was ready, she decided to walk away and take care of another table. Anyway, she came back and finally took my order. I ordered the $5 lunch special which is composed of a one-topping personal pizza, side-salad or breadsticks and soda, and 8 pcs breaded Buffalo Mild Wings.

Sure took awhile for my order to come since I finished my soda and had it refilled before my 3 breadsticks came. The breadsticks were excellent, it was crisp on the outside with the taste of cheese and soft on the inside. And the serving was quite large and it came with a marinara sauce which was delicious. Halfway through my second breadstick, my server came to asked me what kind of wings I ordered again. Which was odd since the kitchen and servers usually know what each table ordered. Anyway, my wings came after I finished my second breadstick.

The wings were not that great. The breadcrumbs were already falling off the minute I pick up a wing. And most of the wings were undercooked that the bones still had a color to them. I should have return the wings but it was already tough to get the attention of the servers and I might end up staying longer that I want to.

My personal mushroom pizza was the last item to be brought out. The pizza was warm while the crust was crisp but it seems like they were running low on mushrooms. The mushrooms were so tiny and too wilted probably from being in the oven too much.

Finally after I finished my meal, I didn't know if I was supposed to go to the cashier to pay for my meal or I was suppose to wait for my server to come back.

I'm pretty disappointed with this place. I know that they just reopened but that's not an excuse for having lousy food and lousy service. There is definitely a lot of things for them to improved on and they better do it soon or they will just lose more of their clientele and end up permanently closing the place down.

Pizza Hut WingStreet's website
Rockland County's website

Restaurant Review: Sushi Bada

214 Route 59
Suffern, NY 10901
(845) 533 - 4178

Japanese
Price: $1.95 - $130
Dine In, Take Out

Sushi Bada is a relatively newcomer to the county already filled with Japanese restaurants. But don't that prevent you from going and trying out their dishes. As there tag line states - A New Age Fusion Restaurant.


Sushi Bada is located in Suffern, near the exit to 287. Its sits between a dry cleaning place and the well-known - among locals - Sutter's Mill. I decided to try it out today since I was around the vicinity. The exterior is simple but the interior was inviting. Japanese themed products decorate the place with wooden table and chairs that could sit from 2 to 10. Pretty sure they could they could host bigger parties. The hostess/waitress was friendly and, I'm guessing, the owner, was accommodating - even given me a suggestion on what to order.  The menu is pretty extensive from soup and salad to udon and uramaki. Overall, there are 197 dishes to choose from not including the nine (9) Bada Fiesta Specials, five (5) Desserts and 19 Lunch Specials.

So I ordered Shrimp Tempura Udon ($16.95) and the Maki Combo ($9.95) from the lunch menu. The host/owner came over and suggested that for another dollar, I could go for the special - order three different rolls for $10.95. I thought it was a good deal so I went for Spicy Tuna, Spicy Scallop and Eel Roll - all Uramakis.

The first thing they brought to the table was the House Salad with ginger dressing. The presentation was good but the dressing really didn't have much kicked to it like those of other Japanese restaurants around the county. After I finished my salad, they brought out the rolls. The Spicy Tuna and Eel Roll were placed parallel to each other with the Spicy Scallop on their left moving away - sort of like a half arrow - in a nice white ceramic dish. The Spicy Tuna which was made of tuna, masago (capelin roe), scallion and spicy sauce - was tasty with the roe complimenting the tuna and the sauce. The Eel Roll was crunchy with the avocado tasting fresh. And the Spicy Scallop was just sumptuous - the scallop was fresh and complimented pretty well by the spicy crab mix. Maybe I should have ended my meal right there and then.

They brought out my Shrimp Tempura Udon. The presentation was a bit different from the other place I have been to. The udon was served in a traditional Japanese bowl but the Shrimp tempura was left on the side keeping it crunchy. Also, they brought along a small Shichimi jar, a seven flavor chili pepper, to add more kicked if you want. The noodle was al dente, the vegetables were crunchy and tasty and the soup was just delicious especially when I added some Shichimi on it.

The prices are typical of a Japanese restaurant - a bit expensive but definitely worth it. They have lunch specials that are fairly price ($9.95 - 13.95). So if you are in the area, drop by and enjoy some Japanese cuisines.

Suffern's website
Rockland County's website

Restaurant Review: Di Fara Pizza

1424 Avenue J
at E. 15th St
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 258 - 1367

Pizza
Price: $2 - $35
Dine In, Take Out

So my buddy called me up yesterday afternoon and asked if I was in the mood for pizza. I was but little did I know that we would be traveling an hour and a half to Midwood, Brooklyn for the pizza. My buddy said that I won't be disappointed.

Di Fara Pizza's is located in Midwood Brooklyn. Its a little pizzeria on the corner of Avenue J and 15th Street. We got there around 6:30pm and they were just opening the door. In less than 5 minutes, the place was packed with patrons as everyone started ordering the hand-made pizzas by Domenico DeMarco who has been making pizzas for more than four decades. We were the second patrons to placed an order and luckily got a table. I went up to see Mr. DeMarco make his pizza and I would say, it was amazing to see him make his masterpiece. He was very delicate but intricate in making each pie and I could see that the patrons didn't mind the wait.

So we ordered one special pie and two slices of the square pie. We also had to wait but it sure was worth it. We first got our square slices and I was so hungry that I decided to take a first bite. Big mistake, it was fresh out of the oven and kinda burn my tongue a bit. Anyway, the slice was really good, the crust ws well cook and the cheese just melts into your mouth. The basil gave it a touch of color and fragrance. It was worth my tongue getting burned.

Then our pie came and you could just see everyone eying the pie, freshly out of the oven. The special pie ($35) is made up of fresh mozzarella cheese, onions, Italian sausage, mushrooms and grated parmesan cheese topped with fresh basil which Domenico adds after pulling the pizza out of the oven. This was even better. The crust was crisps, the tomato sauce was sweet while the rest of the ingredients just made the whole pie look tempting and tasty. I took my time in eating my slices - smelling the aroma as I took each bite and let it sit inside my mouth - tasting all the fresh ingredients in my palate. I can't believe we finished the whole pie between my and my buddy.

So was it worth it to travel all the way to Brooklyn for Di Fara Pizza... you betcha

Fact: Di Fara has been only closed once - when Domenico De Marco had to have foot surgery.

Restaurant Review: Wasabi Grill

195 S. Main St
New City, NY 10956
(845) 638 - 2202

Asian / Japanese
Price: $2 - $28
Dine In, Take Out, Bar

Wasabi Grill is part of Wasabi franchise by Chef Doug Nguyen. Opened in February of this year, Wasabi Grill is comparatively smaller than its sister restaurants, Wasabi and Wasabi Chi. Yet the place still has that sophisticated look that can be seen in Wasabi, Nyack.

When you walked in, you will be first greeted by an elevated lounge with leather couch and ottomans that can be use if you are waiting for your party or just to relax after your meal. After the lounge, the restaurant has three sets of high communal table which can easily fit a party of six. Each table has a small flat screen TV that are sync with the three Flat Screens above the bar. Other than that, the interiors are similar to Wasabi in Nyack - walls are green and the bar is back-lit with table for four situated on one side of the wall and a couple of small circular table for two. The other difference, the sushi bar is smaller since it shares space with the hibachi grill.

Once I settled in, the friendly waitress came over right away and asked us what we want to drink. Upon looking through the cocktail menu and ordered a Wasabi Martini ($10) which is made of chilled lichiko and lychee juice top with a lychee fruit. The drink was very smooth and chilled just right. It was cold that night so I ordered a Miso Soup ($2) which taste great and surely warm me up. Then our appetizers came, we had Beef Negimaki and Chicken Tempura.  The Beef Negimaki was sumptous, the teriyaki sauce wasn't over empowering. The Chicken Tempura was complimented by vegetable tempura with a horseradish (I think) sauce. The tempura was crisp and the meat/veggies were tender. For my main course, I ordered the Sensei Roll which taste delicious and fresh.

Overall, the place has a great atmosphere and well-priced. The host and waitstaff are friendly and the food is just delicious. And the prices are cheaper than the main Wasabi in Nyack and more family-friendly.

Wasabi Grill (website does not have any details of Wasabi Grill yet)