Umami Mart

I photograph dinners at the The James Beard House in New York about once a month, and it’s quite a treat. If you ever have a chance to go, I’d highly recommend it. The Beard House is located in a great old brownstone on West 12th Street. The kitchen is small, but anyone who is […]

I’m the worst and haven’t blogged in a week– my apologies. But to make up for it, I’m going to talk about my absolute favorite restaurant in the city, the Grand Central Oyster Bar. I was introduced to this place by my dear family friends, the Hashimoto’s, when I first moved here over 4 years […]

Lunch during the workweek has never struck me as an opportunity for a truly enjoyable eating experience — especially working in midtown! But I went to ISE for the first time in a couple months and you know what, I think this place might have the best ramen in NYC that I’ve tasted so far. […]

Honestly, there’s nothing better than waking up late in the morning with your honey and spontaneously going to Jindaiji – a charming little town in Western Tokyo famous for soba (buckwheat noodles). I realize that this is way after the fact (we went a month ago), but that is the downside of waiting until your […]

(Editor’s note: This post was co-written by Aya and Tmonkey. All opinions and typos are theirs.) Aya: I am always hungry. But Tmonkey, you are always always hungry. What’s up with your metabolism? Tmonkey: I burn a lot of chi doing kung-fu. Also my massive brain controlled by alien maggots requires about 3 times more […]

I’ve walked by Brooklyn Fish Camp many a time, and the few times I’d tried to just “drop in” I’d been turned away either by the charming hostess or the long lines (or the hours of operation). Last night, I stumbled there, weak from low blood sugar (lunch sushi from Sunrise Mart never seems to […]

I made this little video this weekend. Check it out and let me know what you think! It’s the first in a series… The Best Soup Dumplings in Manhattan I was inspired to take some photos and make a regular ol’ blog post, but then I decided to mess around and try to distill it […]

Ever since reading Aya’s “なまがき fest: Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar” post, I had been out on a mission to eat oysters. Which has since brought me to Shimokitazawa’s Jackpot Oyster Kitchen twice. There’s something perfect about celebrating pay day (which, by the way, seems to have coincided for those of you in NY and us […]

it’s that time of year again: Brooklyn Restaurant Week, which i am utterly grateful for considering that my funds have nearly hit rock bottom. we made reservations for Applewood- a popular restaurant in Park Slope which fully embraces the organic movement. three courses at Applewood for $21.12! on any normal day, they fetch that much […]

Meet Aaron Unger. Performer/ puppet artist/ photographer/ visual artist extraordinaire. World-traveling Jew from Miami. A man bursting with joie de vivre, a culinary maverick and loving husband and father. A man who has entertained hundreds of people from New York to Berne with his ice-shaving performance (some time accompanied by girls with big bear heads), […]