I Just Want To Eat! 8/14/25 I Just Want To Eat! 8/14/25

Fluffy Fluffy Go in the Newport Mall, Jersey City

We recently discovered Fluffy, Fluffy, Go! In the Newport mall. Located in the third floor food court, this place is a little gem. Of course, the main thing to try there is their fluffy pancakes, a Japanese version where egg whites are beaten to give this thick and airy consistency to an all American dish. So, I went for their combo ($27.50) that came with their signature pancake, a sandwich (I chose the tamago ham sando), and a drink ( had a Thai iced tea). The pancake was very good, light and fluffy, covered in cream and fruits. It did not even need any maple syrup. The sando was a nice take on the classic egg and ham sandwich, although I wished there was a bit more mayo as it was a bit dry. We also tried their crispy tofu rice bowl ($9.50): the tofu was really good, nicely crispy as advertised, but the bowl itself could have had more veggies in it.
Overall, it was good, the star of the show, as expected, being the pancake. I would definitely go back to try others as they have many kinds, like an Oreo cookie one for instance, that I am sure is delicious. So, yes, this is worth a trip to the mall…

Enjoy (I did)!

Crispy tofu rice bowl at Fluffy Fluffy Go in the Newport Mall, Jersey City

Tamago and ham sand oat Fluffy Fluffy Go in the Newport Mall, Jersey City

Signature pancake at Fluffy Fluffy Go in the Newport Mall, Jersey City

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Fluffy Fluffy Go - 30 Mall Dr W VC12B -3rd floor, Jersey City, NJ 07310

I Just Want To Eat! 8/11/25 I Just Want To Eat! 8/11/25

Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

I have always been a fan of Chef David Burke: his food is creative and exciting, sometimes whimsical, so every meal is something to remember. So, when I walked passed Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke, I made a point to try it. We went for brunch twice, the second time being at the time of restaurant week, where, for $30, you get an appetizer and an entree. The menu had plenty I wanted to try, but I settled for the lobster dumplings that were sitting on a delicious tomato-miso dressing. Elegant, the shell was perfectly made, covering the deliciously cooked lobster. Then, although I was originally going for the cheeseburger, I noticed their pastrami sandwich that was recently ranked number one among five of New York City most famous pastrami sandwiches in a blind tasting. The competition was not that easy as it included Sarge’s, Katz’s, 2nd Avenue Deli and Carnegie Deli. The house pastrami is smoked overnight and served with a toasted seedless rye bread, and spicy brown mustard. When it came to the table, I could not not notice the fattiness of the meat and the burnt sides, the fat dripping a bit as I took the sandwich in my hand. The first bite was divine: the crispiness of the toasted bread comes first, followed by the rich, savory and smokey flavor of the pastrami. The fact that the bread was toasted not only gave some texture, but it helped keeping all of this together. A must have if you can go before the end of restaurant week on August 17 2025. And I should mention their fries that were nicely crispy, some of the best I had. There are also delicious dishes besides that, like the tomato soup au gratin ($15) that is a take on grilled cheese and tomato soup, onion soup style or the Asian fried chicken and waffle ($25) that is composed of a perfectly made waffle topped with an Asian glazed fried chicken that is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. For a lighter meal, you can get the simple green salad ($16) with spring greens, cucumber, tomato and chickpeas, or the burrata and tomato salad ($22) that also comes we prosciutto that we ditched as it was for Jodi (they could have charged a bit less considering this). We also tried their Asian glazed Brussels sprouts ($8), that were a good side to complement our meal. I should mention their mocktails that are as creative as their food: I liked their phony Negroni ($12) that was deliciously bitter, and their Java mockhattan ($13) that is a perfect drink if you love coffee. I cannot talk about dessert because, unfortunately or maybe fortunately, the portions being what they are and the richness of some of the dishes made me stop there, but I am sure I will go back just to try some of what they are proposing there as it looks really good! So, as you can guess, I highly recommend this place.

Java Mokhattan at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Simple green salad at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Burrata salad at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Lobster dumplings at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Brussels sprouts at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Tomato soup au gratin at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Asian fried chicken and waffle at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Pastrami sandwioch at Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke in NYC

Enjoy (I did)!

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Park Avenue Kitchen by David Burke - 514 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017

I Just Want To Eat! 8/10/25 I Just Want To Eat! 8/10/25

Recipe: Baked Brie

President Cheese sent me a Brie to come up with a recipe and of course baked Brie is what comes immediately to mind. I mean Brie with a good bread is fine, but I often get Brie bites or baked Brie in restaurants, so, why not make my own? It is an easy recipe that will make for a great appetizer and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Preheat the oven at 400 F
Put the Brie in a skillet and make some incisions with a knife on the top crust. so it is easier to dip a piece of bread ion it.
Pour a bit of olive oil on top.
Add small tomatoes on the side and top them with slices of bread (I used a baguette).
Pour olive oil over the Brie, bread and tomatoes. With a brush, spread the olive oil evenly.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The Brie should be soft and creamy at that point.
To reheat, bake for 10 minutes at 325 F

Et voila!

Enjoy (I did)!

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I Just Want To Eat! 8/7/25 I Just Want To Eat! 8/7/25

Spring Cafe Aspen in NYC, NY

We wanted to have a light lunch on a weekend and ended up at Spring Cafe Aspen, located few blocks from Washington Square Park. Their menu, that they describe as « healthy conscious » is vegetarian, with lots of vegan options, all prepared using organic produce and no refined sugars or processed food. Considering the dinners I had that week, I thought it would be a good idea…

To start, Jodi got a lemonade (homemade « lemon-aid » for $5), while I opted for an iced coffee ($6), a good way to cool off on a hot day. We then both got their fruit bowl ($6), and Jodi just ordered some avocado ($5 for half) and some tofu ($6). On my side, I went for the yogurt parfait with granola and blueberries ($12), with almond butter ($1.50). All was fine, there was nothing extravagant in what we ate, their menu for brunch being different from the regular lunch. Going back would not make sense for this, but maybe their lunch would be worth trying.

Lemonade at Spring Cafe Aspen in NYC, NY

Iced coffee at Spring Cafe Aspen in NYC, NY

Enjoy (I still did)!

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Spring Cafe Aspen - 14 West 4th St, New York, NY 10012

I Just Want To Eat! 8/4/25 I Just Want To Eat! 8/4/25

Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

There used to be a time where, if you wanted to eat a cheap meal, you would go to a Thai restaurant. And then, the past few years have seen the emergence of fancier Thai places, not only serving different dishes than the traditional curries or noodles, but also proposing interesting cocktails. Chalong in Hell’s Kitchen is one of them. Meaning “celebration” in English, Chalong is also a southern district of Phuket in Thailand. The restaurant, that opened in 2023, serves Southern Thai food. There, Chef Nate Limwong crafted a menu that is quite unique, centered on seafood and with limited vegetarian options. The waitress warned us that the food marked with one pepper is mild, but, with two peppers, it would be very spicy, the kitchen not accepting any alteration as they want the diner to experience the true flavor of their dish. I admit that I was a bit disappointed because they had a crab dish I really wanted to try, but I learned in the past that when someone tells you it is very spicy, it is very spicy. So, I decided to try their massaman duck confit ($32), thinking that it is an interesting fusion of Thai and French classics. Served with rice, this was delicious and an elevated version of one of my favorite dishes: the small boiled potatoes were skin on, there were picked shallots and fried onions that accompanied a perfectly made duck confit. A must have. Jodi got the Mushroom J ($22), a dish composed of sautéed mushrooms in a vegan garlic sauce, also served with rice. This was really good: there was a good variety of mushroom and the entire dish had that delicious smokey taste. I should mention that we shared an appetizer: at first, we ordered the potato puff sticks, but, as they ran out, we went for the only other vegetarian choice, the Phuket Pak Mor ($15), that are dumplings filled with peanuts, sweet radish and black pepper. They were superb, very peanuty, with a sticky shell.

Phuket pak mor dumplings at Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

Mushroom J at Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

Duck confit massaman at Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

They have interesting cocktails, but I was more feeling like having a Thai iced tea ($9), while Jodi opted for their chai-lychee ($13) that is Thai tea with lychee purée. It was good, but I thought the two flavors competed a bit against each other.

Thai iced tea at Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

Chai lychee at Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

For dessert, we had their mango sticky rice ($16), that is my favorite Thai dessert. And it was good: the mango was perfectly ripe and the sticky rice well soaked in coconut milk. A must have.
This was a nice meal and a nice find. I like Chalong, but admit that their rule that is to not accommodate level of spiciness is a bit much and limits what people who cannot eat too spicy can order. I understand that they want people to experience the real flavor, but I am sure that making these dishes mild is not going to kill their flavor.

Mango sticky rice at Chalong, Thai restaurant in NYC, NY

Enjoy (I did)!
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Chalong - 749 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

I Just Want To Eat! 7/31/25 I Just Want To Eat! 7/31/25

Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Located few steps from the Empire State Building, Royal 35 Steakhouse is one of these little gems that no one is talking about (think Peter Luger and Gallagher’s for instance). Well, this is probably a mistake. This place that has been around for some time is worth knowing. I recently went with a friend and we shared an amazing porterhouse ($75 per person). I love the porterhouse experience: even if you do not order it, you cannot resist looking up as you hear the sizzling sound passing by. But, when it comes to your table, it is even better! The meat was perfectly cooked medium rare, with a nice char. It was tender and juicy, making every bite divine. I loved it with or without a perfectly made béarnaise sauce (my favorite sauce with steak) or a pepper sauce. For sides, I tried their Mac and cheese ($19) that were good, but could have been creamier, and their creamed spinach ($19) that I liked despite the fact that I am not the biggest fan of spinach…
But of course, you cannot go to a steakhouse without try their sizzling Canadian bacon ($10 per slice) and their crab cake ($29) that were both pretty good.

Crab cake at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Sizzling Canadian bacon at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Creamed spinach at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Mac and cheese at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Porterhouse at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

I should mention that I had a whisky, a Glenfiddich 15 years ($26). This was not my first choice, but my third! Each time I was selecting one, they did not have it! And I should mention that they offered a sweet wine at the end.

Glenfiddich 15 years at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Sweet wine at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Dessert was a good way to end this already delicious meal and the key lime pie is often what I order in steakhouses. Theirs was pretty good, not too sweet and not too tart.

Key lime pie at Royal 35 Steakhouse in NYC, NY

Overall, I had a very good meal at Royal 35 Steakhouse: this underrated place is worth the visit.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Royal 35 Steakhouse - 1 E 35th St, New York, NY 10016

I Just Want To Eat! 7/28/25 I Just Want To Eat! 7/28/25

Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop in NYC, NY

I finally made it to Mary O’s Irish Soda Bread shop in the East Village, where Mary O’Halloran serves only soda bread in two shapes: loaf or as a unit with butter and a homemade blackberry jam. This place has been on my instagram feed for some time, but I admit that I was waiting a bit before going because of the wait (they open at 7am until sold out that is their everyday life considering how popular this place is). So, we decided to go the weekend of the 4th of July, thinking that people will be away. Good move! They do not have that many tables and we got lucky to be able to sit on their bench outside. We just went for their soda bread with jam and butter ($6). They surely put lots of butter and a nice amount of jam that complemented perfectly the delicious soda bread that was warm and slightly crispy on the outside. After the first bite, I understood why people love this place: it was so good, and we realized that it is better to eat it right away as the bottom of the bread starts to get soggy after several minutes. In fact, we even heard someone saying that she bought them to go one time and they were not that good because of that same reason. So, is it worth the wait? Yes, definitely. That soda bread is amazing and I highly recommend it. Know that they also have e tea and coffee but it can be overpriced (the double espresso was $10!).

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop - 93 1/2 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

I Just Want To Eat! 7/24/25 I Just Want To Eat! 7/24/25

Mile Square Cafe in Hoboken,. NJ

Opened beginning of July where Park Avenue Cafe used to be, the Mile Square Cafe caught a lot of attention as it is the new venture of the Chefs behind O’Bagel, a Hoboken favorite who won the United States of Bagel competition. So I was curious to try Mile Square Cafe. It is a nice large space, bright and spacious, with a counter to place orders in the back and a bit of the view of the busy kitchen that does not seem to slow down. Coffee and tea are fairly standard, but what makes all the difference is their food that definitely stands out. They make focaccia in various ways: sweet with their surprising Cin-caccia ($8.95), a successful take on cinnamon roll, and savory with their za’atar focaccia sandwich ($10.95) that is refreshing on a summer day with its labneh, cucumber and mint. Health conscious dinners can also go with their grain bowl ($16.95) made with quinoa, mixed greens, herbed red cabbage slaw, tomato-cucumber salad and pistachios (we asked without), where you can add some avocado falafel that were deliciously crispy on the outside and moist inside, thanks to the avocado that added a nice fattiness to it. For something heavier, the birria grilled cheese is superb: made with braised beef and Oaxaca mozzarella blend, it comes with a spiced consommé that is so good you cannot stop dipping in it. I just wished the bread was thinner. Still, a must have.

Cin-caccia at Mile Square Cafe in Hoboken,. NJ

Za’atar focaccia at Mile Square Cafe in Hoboken,. NJ

Grain bowl with avocado falafel at Mile Square Cafe in Hoboken,. NJ

Talking about must have, you cannot go there and not get their zeppole ($4.95 for 3) that are made to order and come in a paper bag, quite hot, but so good that you do not care that you are burning your fingers while picking them up.

Zeppole at Mile Square Cafe in Hoboken,. NJ

The food at Mile Square Cafe is quite good with definitely few items I would go back for (zeppole first of course, then the grilled cheese and anything focaccia), even if I thought this was on the pricey side.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Mile Square Cafe - 746 Park Ave, Hoboken, NJ 07030

I Just Want To Eat! 7/21/25 I Just Want To Eat! 7/21/25

Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

At Mustard Indian Eatery, he partnered with chefs Sharmeen Rahman and Lisha Khondokar who both have their own culinary expertise: Chef Sharmeen for chutneys, relishes, and curries, like Mughlai Gosht, a classic lamb dish with cashew, bay leaf, and cardamom that I tried. Creamy, comforting, the lamb was perfectly cooked. Chef Lisha who crafts vegan and vegetarian dishes like the Baigan Bharta in the vegan section, that is made with smoked eggplant, garlic, tomato and coriander, reminding me a bit of a spiced version of eggplant shakshuka. Both dishes were delicious with their …

Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

When I got invited to try Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, I was quite excited for few reasons: a trip to Harlem, that has an exciting food scene, my appreciation for Indian food that I discovered in my many trips to India and the fact that I knew a bit about the owner Ruhel Amin from my visit to Mumbai Masala Indian Grill, also in Harlem, few years ago.

Ruhel Amin at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Muglai gosht at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Butter naan at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Baigan Bartha at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Luchi at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Appetizers are not to ignored and I loved their samosa chaat, that are crushed samosa covered with yogurt and chutneys, having this crunchy, savory and sweet combination that makes this dish a must have, and, most surprisingly, the potato egg chop, that is a street food I have never seen on a menu, a sort of vegetarian scotch egg, where spiced mashed potatoes cover an egg, before being dipped in breadcrumbs and fried. Superb!

Samosa chaat at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Potato egg chop at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

This place is BYOB, so we got a Lychee juice, as well as a mango lassi to accompany our meal. Of course, we could not leave without trying their desserts. The Gulab Jamun are always a crowd pleaser, and theirs was delicious, but I was curious to try the sandesh, a famous sweet from Calcutta, made with milk and sugar. I loved it!

Lychee juice at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Mango lassi at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Gulab jamun at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Sandesh at Mustard Indian Eatery in Harlem, NYC

Overall, we had a great time at Mustard Indian Eatery: the food there is really good, with unique dishes. Of course, if you prefer the classic samosa, butter chicken or dal makhni, they have it, and I am sure it is as good as what we tried. This is definitely worth a visit!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Mustard Indian Eatery - 2113 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10026

I Just Want To Eat! 7/17/25 I Just Want To Eat! 7/17/25

Coletta, Vegan and Kosher restaurant in NYC, NY

Vegan food comes a long way. Having to eat in a vegan restaurant used to be, for non-vegetarians and even vegetarian, a bit of a chore, where you would go only if you had to. Then, it was often rebranded as “plant based”, giving it a cool and planet friendly image. Of course, there were exceptions, like Elizabeth’s Gone Raw in DC (now simply called Elizabeth’s), Vedge in Philadelphia, or the controversial change at Eleven Madison Park in New York. Of course, exceptions were not just reserved to fine dining: places like Double-Zero proposed some quite delicious food. So, I was very open to try Coletta, a vegan and kosher restaurant located few blocks from Madison Square Park. Why? The menu looked quite creative. And I was not disappointed. To the point that we went back. If you did not know it is vegan, you would not be able to tell by simply looking at the menu or even by eating some of their dishes. Take for instance the crispy calamari ($20). When it comes to the table, you really think they are the real deal, but in fact it is king oyster mushroom rings. The texture is slightly tougher than calamari and it has a more earthy taste, but it is a good vegan rendition of a classic appetizer. More surprising is the steak. Ground meat like the impossible is easier to make than a steak, because, for the latter, you need to recreate the texture of a piece of meat, that is not that simple. At Coletta, they are serving the steak ($38) from Chunk Food, an Israeli company that recreated a vegan version of steak with cultured soy protein (defatted soy flour, soy protein isolate, wheat gluten), coconut oil, natural flavors, beet juice concentrate (for color), salt, Iron, and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). The texture is incredible and, if you did not know, you may think it is real meat. Maybe not the best piece of steak you had, but something pretty tasty and close to the real deal.

More classic, they have pasta, my favorite being the eggplant lasagna ($27) over the cacio e Pepe ($26) that, although good, definitely had a nutty taste, and for sure the pizza (we had the wild mushroom truffle - $26) that had a delicious crust. They all have cheese, but vegan cheese, and it was pretty well made, to the point that I would go back for the pizza and lasagna for sure.

Wild mushroom truffle pizza at Coletta in NYC, NY

With our meals, we has some cocktails: for me, Sage & Spice, made with butter sage fat washed bourbon, amaro, pomegranate, apple and lemon ($20), or the sangria Bianca, made with Pinot Grigio, elderflower, pineapple, grapefruit, lemon and angostura bitters ($18); Kiss & tell for Jodi, a mocktail made with lychee, raspberry and lemon ($12).

Kiss & tell mocktail at Coletta in NYC, NY

Sage & Spice cocktail at Coletta in NYC, NY

Dessert was even more surprising with their olive oil cake ($16) that looked like a piece of art. It was made with a citrus vanilla sponge, housemade mascarpone, rosemary whipped cream and lemon zest. A must have!

Our dinners at Coletta were great: the food there is good, with surprising dishes that make you forget that you are in a vegan restaurant. I would go back for sure, to try some other dishes, or even get the same ones as they were pretty good. I highly recommend this place, even if you are not vegan or vegetarian.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Coletta - 365 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

I Just Want To Eat! 7/14/25 I Just Want To Eat! 7/14/25

New Coffee Shop in Hoboken: Blue Angel Cafe & Bakery

Replacing the regretted Hidden Grounds, Blue Angel Cafe & Bakery, a Korean coffee shop, opened a couple of weeks ago and we had to check that out. Of course, I cannot not comment about the fact that there are many coffee shops in Hoboken, but at least, this one is a bit different, competing a bit with Paris Baguette, but, fortunately located far from it, Paris Baguette being uptown and Blue Angel downtown, close to the path. The place is nice, very bright, with a large table in the middle of the room where lots of unusual products are displayed, and, next to the cashier, refrigerated items such as cakes and macaroons. So, let me start with the latter: they have a good variety of macarons, some good like the chocolate, sprinkles or birthday cake, but I found the vanilla one to have a weird taste. For $2.95 a pop, that is a bit pricey, I would expect something better. In the same refrigerated section, we tried their 3 star choco mousse (milk, dark and white) that was very good, the perfect treat if you love chocolate. We also tried their pecan stick ($5.50) that was...sticky for sure, but a nice option with a coffee or tea to balance a bit the sweetness, and their custard bun ($3.25) that was a bit on the heavy side, with a filling that was a bit too thick for my taste. With all that, we tried their chai ($4.75) that was really not good and the caramel macchiato ($5.25) that was too sweet.

Custard bun at Blue Angel in Hoboken, NJ

3 star chocolate mousse at Blue Angel in Hoboken, NJ

Sprinkles macaroni at Blue Angel in Hoboken, NJ

Raspberry macaron at Blue Angel in Hoboken, NJ

Birthday cake macaron at Blue Angel in Hoboken, NJ

So, overall, I was a bit disappointed. I'll give it some time before coming back...

Enjoy (…)!

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Blue Angel Cafe & Bakery - 79 Hudson St 1st Floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030