HBT was the spot of the summer. It didn't wow me on the first visit but I ended up going back a few times just 'cause it was convenient when I lived in the area and it's a good spot for some Korean snacks. The vibe is always good and my usual orders are the tacos and seafood soup noodle.
Came here for Summerlicious 2015 lunch. Mmm.. the Kung Pao Cauliflower was hands down the best dish – deep fried and spicy. Brussels sprout was good too, with a soft poached egg. The fish I think was trout, served with greens and thin chips.
Shake Shack
Of course we had to try the famous burger chain. It blew me away how delicious it was - so good that we had to visit twice in our short trip. Juicy patty, and the Smoke Shack, with bacon and chopped cherry pepper, had a nice sour-spicy kick. The cheese fries were amazing as well - salty, crispy, soft and cheesy! For milkshakes, I prefer the coffee over the strawberry (too sweet and artificial tasting). Definitely one of my fav burgers now, and way better than In-N-Out in terms of US burger chain.
Lady M
Another popular ig spot, the crepe cake is as good as it looks. Arriving just an hour before closing, they only had the Green Tea Mille Crepe and Checkers cake left. The Green Tea was so soft melt-in-your-mouth creamy that you cannot even distinguish the layers of crepe. The Checkers was surprisingly good - very light with prominent chocolate flavor.
The Halal Guys
When in New York, gotta try the street food like the locals! Attracted by the smell as we were walking by, we settled on this Gyro + Rice for a quick, cheap meal. It was so delicious! The white sauce is good but go easy on the red - way too spicy for me! And as I write this post, apparently this chain is coming to Toronto!
Hakata Tonkotsu
~ First time trying thin noodles, pretty good and firm
~ Relatively light yet aromatic pork broth
~ Flavorful cha siu
~ Doesn't come with egg!
~ Overall quite different taste from usual ramen & I liked it
Gyoza
~ Juicy and flavorful with thin wrapping
~ Good with soy sauce or hot sauce
Red Hot Tonkotsu
~ Tasty broth, was pretty hot for me after B added half the spoon of hot sauce
I have always been a fan of Mama Bear at NIU! but have never tried the restaurant until recently and it was pretty good! Clean and simple decor, filled with locals. Here's what we ordered (clockwise from bottom):
- Cuttlefish Balls -just as good as I remember from the night market
- Popcorn Chicken - juicy with a soft batter; personally I prefer more of a crunch but B likes it
- Mama Bear Hot & Sour Dry Noodle - thought it was cold noodle, but it was a warm, very spicy after mixing!! But still I loved the texture of the noodles
- Taiwanese Hamburger - a soft cold bun with pork belly
Minced Pork Rice Combo - comes with 3 side dishes, soup and fruit
- Very generous amount of pork & rice, lots of sauce
- All three side dishes were really good - tomato egg, veggies
- Great deal for $8.99