USA Itinerary (New York) Day 15 - Jean George's Nougatine, Central Park, Times Square, Luke Lobster, Lady M cakes, Stumptown Coffee

Reaching the end of our USA East Coast trip! Took me so long to get the blog posts up but I am so happy to relive the memories again through this blog.

We checked out of our apartment and headed to Nougatine at Jean George's for their set lunch. It was really good! We had 3 courses of really awesome food for 38 USD. I would definitely return to Nougatine if I find myself in New York again.

Nougatine was situated right beside Central Park so we headed into the park for a stroll after lunch. It was such a nice beautiful place. The weather was rather unforgiving that day and it was grey and bleak but we still enjoyed our stroll through the park even if it meant we were freezing half the time. Strawberry Field, Bow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain (which was not flowing because of the cold) and lots of happy people milling around. It was perhaps the only place in New York City where I did not feel compelled to hurry up and get out of the way.

We headed down Fifth Avenue and found ourselves in Times Square with the giant M&M shop and Toysrus! The Toysrus was so amazing with its huge indoor ferris wheel and a huge selection of toys. 

Times Square was still really crazy though and it got so claustrophobic so we plodded back to the Central Park area and found the Plaza Food Hall where we had wonderful lobster rolls again and clam chowder at Luke's! We also had Lady M cakes and Stumptown Coffee to wrap up the night and our trip.

It was such an awesome trip and I was so happy with all the places we went, all the food we ate, and the culture we experienced. But most of all, I was so glad I was on the trip with Zg, Stef and King, and super thankful for all the memories and laughter we shared.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14.

USA Itinerary (New York) Day 14 - Dominique Ansel Bakery, South Street Seaport, Sarabeth, Keens Steakhouse, Avenue Q

Another cronut run at Dominique Ansel Bakery for breakfast. Aside from the delicious strawberry rhubarb cronuts, we also had croissants and steaming mugs of coffee. Managed to snag a table at the back facing the courtyard but it was way too cold to be sitting in the courtyard so everyone was just milling around the few tables at the back.

Headed down to South Street Seaport to grab some cheap tickets from the TKTS branch there. We did our research and realised that the South Street Seaport branch opened the earliest so we hurried down when it opened. The day was cold and frigid, and being near the port certainly didn't help. The queue for tickets was super long so we took turns to stand in the cold. Thankfully there were some nearby shops which we could run into when it got too cold. 

After grabbing some really awesome seats for Avenue Q, we went into Abercrombie nearby and bought a lot of shirts and casual wear. The boyfriend is a huge Abercrombie fan! We took a stroll around the port, saw some really large ships, and ran off quickly because it was just too cold.

Had lunch at Sarabeth which was quite a disappointment. They served us with dirty unwashed utensils and were totally nonchalant about it when we told them. Food was all right, not the best, but service was truly lacking.

Walked around Fifth Avenue a bit, explored the Apple Shop and strolled past the Trump Tower.

Took the bus down to Keens Steakhouse for a very delicious dinner!

We were seated in the Bull Moose Room which was so beautiful with its paneled walls and that large bull moose in the middle of the room. It is apparently in honour of Theodore Roosevelt who used to frequent the restaurant. Check out the ceiling where there is an almost infinite array of pipes which, according to research, dates back to the days when Keens Steakhouse was a pipe club. At the entrance of the restaurant, there is a glass panel mounted with the pipes of all the famous patrons of the pipe club in the good old days. 

Stef, King and Zg had a great time with the beef. According to Zg, it was truly one of the best beef he had ever tasted! I don't do beef so I had the thick cut bacon and roast chicken. The thick cut bacon was AMAZING. Keens Steakhouse is a very interesting place to dine in and I would strongly suggest you visit even if you do not take beef. I mean, I don't take beef and I still had an awesome time in the restaurant. 

Headed to New World Stages for Avenue Q. Such a funny musical! I loved it! I really wish I could watch good musicals in Singapore often but, frankly, it is too costly a hobby to indulge in regularly. 

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 15

USA Itinerary Day 13 - Woodsbury! And Meijin Ramen.

I am finally inching towards the end of my USA East Coast series.

Had breakfast at a local bread store around the corner before picking up our rental car from Dollar. Drove to Woodsbury where we did more crazy shopping. Brands like Kate Spade and Coach are really very much cheaper in US! I also bought a pair of Timberland boots so I finally own a pair of waterproof boots for those trips in cold rainy weather. (And because I am so slow in posting this blog post, the said pair of boots has already accompanied me on two such trips!)

The drive back was really scary though because there was no street lamp along the interstate so it was incredibly dark outside. Coupled with the blustering wind, rain, and our car windows fogging up because of the cold made me really nervous. Hugs to Zg! When we finally reached New York City, King and Stef went to return the car (thank you!) while Zg and I had Japanese ramen at Meijin ramen. Also ordered some hot sake for us to fight the cold. While the ramen was not mind blowing, I was super satisfied to have a bowl of hot soup and hot sake on such a cold rainy night.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 14, Day 15

USA Itinerary (New York) Day 12 - Chelsea Market, High Line Park, Bryant Park

Our Delta flight from Orlando back to New York was delayed. We were not informed till the very last minute, there was little word of apology or any form of communication, and everyone was just sitting around waiting for things to happen. But we got to New York safely and that was all that matters. Stef and King were running late for their Book of Mormon musical so we headed separately after checking into our Airbnb apartment. Our second airbnb apartment was in Upper East Side and was a pretty quaint little place.

Zg and I headed to Chelsea Market for our late lunch/early dinner. I really really liked the place and it was so much fun to just walk around, stop and grab some yummy food, and just soak up the vibe. It reminded me a lot of Pasarbella in Turf City.

We had Lobster Roll at Lobster Place. It was good but I'm going back for another lobster roll at Luke's instead of Lobster Place any day. 

We also had Mokbar Classic Ramen at Mok Bar which served korean ramen. Added a poached egg and it was loveeee. So good. Not as spicy as the ones I had in Korea or Singapore, but it was still really delicious. Maybe I just really missed Asian food at this point in time.

We also had tacos at the No. 1 Tacos and it was SO GOOD. When Zg was queuing for the taco, this friendly guy behind told him that this taco was really the best in New York. Well, we haven't eaten any other taco in New York and cannot be sure whether his claim was true, but it was truly delicious!

It started to rain as we tried to explore High Line Park which made the walk really difficult. Also, it was getting late and the place became really quiet and dark after awhile so we left pretty quickly. What a bummer though, it looked like such a nice interesting place to be.

We took the train to Fifth Avenue for a stroll through Bryant Park and to check out the Rockefeller at night with a row of cherry blossoms. I didn't notice the cherry blossoms the first time I was at Rockefeller on Day 1 of our trip and it was a surprise to see them in full bloom the second time I came around. Just goes to show that sometimes we miss out on the most beautiful things without meaning to. 

We had a lot of fun in Bryant Park. The rain had just stopped and the ground was wet with puddles of rainwater and we were trying to hop around the puddles. We failed and eventually decided to just stomp around and kick water everywhere. There was nobody else in this quiet park, the night was cold, our breaths were warm, and we laughed and giggled into the night. I still remember that night now with so much fondness. 

We wanted to head to a rooftop bar for a drink but we were lazy, and it started to rain again, so we hopped onto a bus and went back to the apartment. 

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

USA (NYC - Orlando) Itinerary Day 4 - Avanti Resort and Pio Pio Restaurant

Wanted to eat a quick breakfast around Kips Bay so we dropped by this place called Bread and Butter where they serve salad and breakfast items buffet style. Basically, you pick up a takeaway box, pile the items you want inside the box, take it to the counter and pay according to the weight of your items. We chose a bunch of stuff, ordered coffee and settled down upstairs for a quick casual meal. 

Took a domestic flight on Delta to Orlando! The weather was superb. So glad to be away from the frigid cold in New York City and to feel warm sunshine on my face. Picked up our rental car from Dollar and drove to Avanti Resort on International Drive. This was a cheap, good and clean resort. We came during spring break when families and students descended upon Orlando so the resort was kind of crowded but the stay was definitely still comfortable. And yes, we could see the new Orlando Eye ferris wheel from our resort!

Chasing sunsets in Orlando.

Peruvian food at Pio Pio Restaurant for dinner. Had the rotisserie chicken, beans and fried plantain (essentially fried bananas). The chicken was so tender and juicy! Ended the night with sangria and lots of laughs when we stumbled into the nearby supermarket on a high. A cool wind picked up when we headed back to Avanti and I felt so... present. I had a full belly, some wine in my system and I was hanging out with some of the best people in the world. The roads were empty, the car park was quiet, there was nobody around, and I could actually hear myself think. 

5752 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, United States

Day 1, Day 2,Day 3, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

USA (New York City) Itinerary - Day 3: Union Square, Joe's Coffee, ABC Kitchen, Madison Square Park, Flatiron Building, Wall Street, Statue of Liberty, DB Bistro Moderne, Times Square

Union Square and Joe's Coffee on this bright lovely morning. The weather was prefect on the third day of our trip and all our pictures looked awesome against that clear blue sky. It was truly such a beautiful day! One of the best weather we experienced in New York.

ABC Kitchen for brunch. Another amazing meal. We ordered so much food and washed everything down with wine. It was perfect, aside from the fact that the lady at the next table was making all sorts of hand gestures and tsk-ing each time I snapped a picture of my food. I guess I live up to the stereotype of Asians taking pictures of food? But frankly, I did not understand her distress since I was clearly not bothering her when I took pictures of my food! I was rather annoyed initially but made up my mind to ignore her. After a while, I started to feel pity towards her. I mean, she must be a really sad soul to spend her entire date checking me out instead of speaking to her partner. I barely heard a conversation from her table through the entire meal! How sad. On the other hand, I was having a whale of a time digging into our delicious brunch paired with moscato.

35 E 18th St, New York, NY 10003, United States

Madison Square Park and Flatiron Building. I love this area so much! The streets were lined with warm cozy cafes, people were out with their dogs, sitting around, enjoying the warm sun. There was a happy, laid-back vibe. Maybe it was the good weather? But I really enjoyed my time at Madison Square Park. 

Strand Bookstore for an amazing variety of books.

Wall Street, the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, and a thronging crowd at the Charging Bull.

Took the Staten Island Ferry and enjoyed the view of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty from the ferry. A tout, who was trying to sell the Statue of Liberty cruise, stopped us from entering the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and insisted that we should head for the other terminal if we "wanted to see the Statue of Liberty" and that we should trust him because he was "from around here and knows better". Word of advice - if you do not intend to take the Statue of Liberty Cruise, just walk right into the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and do not be swayed by the touts. The Staten Island Ferry is free!

Magnolia Bakery. The guys braved the crowd in the narrow bakery to bring some brownies, pies, and tarts back for us. The lemon tart was memorable!

Rockefeller Center 1240 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

We tried to get tickets to Top of the Rock on Rockefeller but failed to do so because the queue was so crazy long and the earliest slot was 10:30 pm! So much for online reviews which said that there was no need to reserve tickets online since tickets are readily available at the Rockefeller counter!

Trying to find something to eat in mid-town and decided on DB Bistro Moderne for the Original DB Burger with foie gras in a thick beef patty and Grilled Salmon on green beans. 

City Club Hotel, 55 W 44th St #1, New York, NY 10036, United States

Times Square at night with its bright dazzling lights and insane crowd. There was literally a sea of people in Times Square and so many tourists on the red steps! Of course we had to join in. There was a giant Revlon billboard in the heart of Times Square where the "Love is On" campaign was going strong. Essentially, a crowd of people gathered in front of a camera and tried to get themselves into a heart. Those in the heart were supposed to kiss. We squeezed ourselves in for the fun of it. I have to say that being squashed in a crowd was the perfect way to stay warm on a cold spring night. 

Empire State Building lit up at night. It was truly a perfect day.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15 are up!