Fat Hippo
71 Clinton Street
(Btwn Rivington & Stanton St)
New York, NY 10002

Another cute lil restaurant, Fat Hippo, recently opened in the Lower East Side, my friend Christine has been raving about it for a min already so I finally went Tuesday night when my friend Rocky was in town from Shanghai. The chef behind this lil spot is Ten Vong (Yumcha, Barmarché, and Bread), the ambiance and the menu is cute. The service was a bit slow (seems like there’s 1 waitress, 1 runner and 1 bartender) but the food was pretty good and prices were moderate. The Mac ‘n Cheese was good and loved my cute Burger Fondue entree, def will go back next time to try the other stuff on the menu. Has any of you guys tried this spot?

More pics after the jump…

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Negril Village
Nu Caribbean Cuisine
70 W 3rd St. (Bet. Thompson & Lagaurdia)
New York, NY 10011
212.477.2804

Back in 2006 I first went to eat at Negril with some of my Jamaican friends but since then I haven’t had a chance to go back yet. Last week I finally went back but this time to Negril Village, the Chelsea location has sadly folded. I suggested this restaurant for a Girls Night Out dinner date because I was craving for their Oxtail Stew, it’s seriously banging- you must order that if you’re there! All my gurls loved the spot and like I first went the food was on point. Def hit up this spot if you’re looking for some good Caribbean Cuisine, I’ll be a regular there. YUMMY!

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Hiroko’s Place
75 Thompson Street
Btwn Spring & Broome St
New York, NY 10012
212.625.1303

The EATS section is back by popular demand, I’ve been sleeping on this for a hot min. Back in August 2008 my gurl Eva introduced me to this Japanese spot called Hiroko’s Place (I know this is a bit old but Eva asked me to go again so just remembered to post this), it’s a very homey Japanese restaurant that serves “home cooked” meals. Eva is a regular customer there and knows the owner and everyone there very well, they are good people. After the first time I totally got addicted, I’ve been there a few times already and took some friends and family there and they all loved it too. Definitely a spot for me since I don’t eat Sushi, this spot serves all cooked food and yummy desserts. My favorite is def the Omu Curry (the combination of omlet and curry) and the green tea/red bean shaved ice with mochi dessert, omg so good! Hiroko’s Place totally reminded me when I was studying abroad in Japan, the food is on point and is what I ate a lot in Japan. The spot is also very comfy and features pretty artwork on the walls, it normally is very chill on the weekdays but gets really packed on weekends. Check this spot out if you’re looking for some good home cooked food. Looking at the pics is making me drool right now…yum! I’ll be back there soon, thanks Eva!

Note: I’ve combined two (08.14.2008 and 08.22.2008) of my lunch visits in this post, enjoy the pics!

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Sean Meenan (Cafe Habana Owner), Me and Matt Goias (The Class Trip)

Cafe Habana
17 Prince Street @ Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10012
212.625.2002

Cafe Habana is one of my favorite spots to eat at, whether it’s for lunch or dinner. I’ve been there many times and every time I go there’s always a long wait for a table but it’s def worth the wait (yes the food is that good). Two weeks ago, I finally didn’t have to wait for a table when Cafe Habana owner, Sean Meenan, invited me to have dinner at his restaurant, thanks to Matt Goias for the introduction. My new friend is very humble and keeps himself busy, as if it’s not cool enough that he’s the owner of Cafe Habana and Habana Outpost I was surprised to find out that he is the original investor and a brand advisor of ETSY.com, you know the site to buy and sell all things handmade (I love that site). Sean has an impressive resume, you can read about it here. Although, I have never been to Habana Outpost at Fort Greene, Brooklyn yet my friends and B have been raving about it, it is New York’s first solar powered ecoeatery. I’m looking forward to visiting this summer, it’s perfect to eat out there when the weather is nice out. Stay tuned for that!

Back to Cafe Habana’s food, my favorite is the Grilled Corn Mexican Style served with chili powder lime & cotija cheese, it is amazing! Sometimes I just go to Habana To-Go (next door) to get a corn to eat it, the food there is a bit different from the eat-in (I like it also). I also always order the Grilled Steak, super yum! If you haven’t tried out the restaurant you guys should, you def won’t be disappointed.

I was also excited to hear that Sean will be opening a Cafe Habana in Malibu, California and a Habana Outpost in Venice Beach, California later this summer. Now my friends in Cali can get a taste of what I’ve been raving about, I’ll keep you guys posted when I find out more.

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